The U.S. Secret Service is currently conducting an investigation into the discovery of cocaine inside the White House’s West Wing, which houses the Oval Office and serves as a workspace for presidential staff. The substance was found on Sunday during a routine inspection, leading to a brief evacuation of the premises. President Joe Biden and his family were not present as they were at Camp David in Maryland at the time of the incident.
The West Wing is not only a working space for the presidential staff but also a location open to visitors, who are able to tour the area. However, it has not been disclosed whether tours were taking place in the specific area where the cocaine was found. The Secret Service has refrained from confirming or denying the occurrence of tours during that time.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing, and the Secret Service is expected to release further details as they become available.
Judge blocks Biden administration from contacting social media companies
A federal judge has issued a ruling that prohibits the Biden administration from contacting social media companies in an effort to prevent certain federal agencies from pressuring these platforms to remove, delete, or suppress online content. The ruling was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the Republican-led states of Missouri and Louisiana, alleging that the White House had exceeded its authority in censoring content related to COVID-19 vaccines and posts suggesting election fraud.
In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty stated that the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI, and other government agencies are not permitted to collaborate with social media giants like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to suppress freedom of speech.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth,’” Doughty wrote in his 155-page opinion.
The lawsuit raised concerns over potential infringement on free speech rights, particularly regarding the government’s involvement in shaping online discourse and content moderation. This suit also brought forth allegations that the Biden administration had gone too far in its attempts to regulate and control online content, especially content related to COVID-19 vaccines and claims of election fraud.
Mass shooting in Philadelphia leaves five dead, including a 15-year-old boy
A mass shooting in Philadelphia has claimed the lives of five individuals, including a 15-year-old boy, while leaving two others seriously wounded. The incident unfolded in a seemingly random manner, with the perpetrator firing at victims he encountered in vehicles or while walking across several city blocks.
“On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
Law enforcement officials managed to capture the suspect after a police chase. Upon apprehension, the suspect was found wearing a bulletproof vest and a ski mask. He was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, a handgun, and carrying a police scanner.
On Wednesday, the suspect is expected to appear in court, where he is likely to face multiple charges, including several counts of murder, as a result of the shooting. The Philadelphia violence was the country’s 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
Sentencing hearing for El Paso Walmart gunman set to begin
The sentencing hearing for 24-year-old Patrick Crusius, the perpetrator of the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, is scheduled to commence on Wednesday. Crusius faces dozens of federal hate crimes and firearms charges related to the tragic incident, in which 23 people lost their lives. The shooting stands as one of the deadliest mass shootings in the history of the United States.
Having plead guilty to the charges, the gunman is expected to receive multiple life sentences as a consequence of his actions. Initially, Crusius pleaded not guilty, but this changed when prosecutors removed the death penalty as a potential punishment for the federal charges. The upcoming sentencing phase is anticipated to span several days.
The El Paso shooting, which occurred on August 3, 2019, shocked the nation and led to nation-wide discussions over the issues of hate crimes and gun violence. The gunman specifically targeted Hispanic shoppers, as Crusius allegedly told investigators he specifically chose the store, located near the U.S.-Mexico border, for this reason.
Meta set to launch Threads, a rival social media app to Twitter
In an upcoming release, Meta is preparing to introduce a new social media app called Threads that will directly compete with Twitter. Described by Meta as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app,” Threads aims to offer users a platform for engaging in text-based discussions and conversations.
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” a listing for the app reads.
Based on a screenshot of the app’s interface, Threads appears to include features that allow users to “like,” “reply,” or repost other people’s messages, similar to the functionalities commonly associated with Twitter. The new service is available for pre-order in Apple’s App Store and will be released on July 6.
Iceland ranked most peaceful country in the world
For the 15th straight year, Iceland has been voted the most peaceful country in the world. But according to a new report, the world, overall, has become less peaceful.
The Institute for Economics and Peace released its 2023 Global Peace Index which lists countries known for their tranquility. Iceland tops the list, followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand and Austria. Out of the 163 countries listed, the United States came in at 131.
Since 2008, the 25 most peaceful countries have become more peaceful by 4.3%. While the 25 least peaceful countries became even less peaceful by 12.1%. The United States recorded the fourth largest overall increase in its homicide rate, which is six times higher than most Western European countries.
Rounding out the list of the top ten most peaceful countries in the world are Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland. Iceland ranked number one, again, due to its low crime rate, small size, and abundance of nature.
