Missouri lawmakers pass ban on celebratory gunfire after mass shooting
Less than a week after a mass shooting in Kansas City during a Super Bowl celebration parade, Missouri’s Republican-led House has passed a new piece of gun control legislation. According to The Associated Press, in a bipartisan effort, lawmakers passed a ban on celebratory gunfire in cities, Monday, Feb. 19.
However, Kansas City Police said that the bullets that rained down Wednesday, Feb. 14, were not related to any act of celebration.
“This appears to be a dispute between several people that ended in gunfire,” Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said.
Law enforcement said that a 43-year-old woman died and at least 22 others were injured as shots rang out near the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. Two juveniles were arrested in connection with the shooting.
When it comes to gun laws, Missouri has fewer restrictions than other states, CNN found. There have been 155 mass shootings in the state since 2013.
According to the gun control group Everytown Gun Safety, Missouri ranks 38th when it comes to what it calls gun law strength.
State lawmakers passed the ban on celebratory gunfire with a vote of 120-26. The measure is named after 11-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane, who died after a stray bullet hit her in the neck while she was at her uncle’s Fourth of July celebration in 2011.
Authorities said that Aaron Sullivan later admitted that he and his friends fired dozens of rounds from a pistol at an apartment complex near the little girl’s home, with one bullet hitting Lane.
The law in Missouri would make shooting in a celebratory fashion within city limits a misdemeanor for the first offense, with felony charges for subsequent offenses.
In 2023, the Missouri Legislature passed a Senate bill cracking down on celebratory gunfire. However, Gov. Mike Parson, R, vetoed the bill, citing issues with other crime provisions in the bill unrelated to the ban, according to KOMU.
The Kansas City Beacon reported that gunfire after big events is only increasing in Kansas City. When the Chiefs won the divisional round playoff game in 2023, Kansas City Police said ShotSpotter, a device which detects gunfire, recorded 33 rounds fired. After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship game, the numbers rose to 102 rounds. In 2024, after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship game, 130 rounds were detected by ShotSpotter.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis testifies in Trump election interference case: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 16, 2024
The district attorney leading Georgia’s election interference case against former President Donald Trump takes the stand. And Amazon is sued after a subscriber says the addition of ads to Prime Video is ‘immoral.’ These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
Lawyers for Trump and his 14 co-defendants are seeking to remove Willis from the case, as they argued that her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade presented a conflict of interest. On the stand, Willis fired back at the lawyers’ claims.
“I object to you getting records,” Willis said. “You’ve been intrusive into people’s personal lives. You’re confused. Do you think I’m on trial? These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”
A former friend and coworker of the district attorney testified Willis and Wade had been romantically linked before Willis hired Wade for the case, an allegation both parties deny. Though the relationship has since ended, attorneys for the defendants allege Willis personally profited from the case while the two were together, arguing that Wade had used his earnings to pay for trips for the two. Wade testified that Willis always paid him back.
Should Willis be disqualified and removed from the prosecution, a new attorney would be appointed who could either continue with the charges or drop the case. There are updates in other cases involving the former president; a judge in the hush money case has set a trial date for March 25. On Friday, Feb. 16, a verdict is expected in Trump’s New York civil fraud trial.
FBI informant charged with lying about Biden family’s ties to Burisma
According to the indictment, Alexander Smirnov lied to the FBI in 2020 when he said Burisma paid both Bidens $5 million. Prosecutors said Smirnov “expressed bias” against Joe Biden, who was running for president then. Smirnov’s claims have been central to House Republicans’ efforts to impeach the president over his family business dealings.
Congressman Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called for an end to the impeachment inquiry. Meanwhile, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the Republican chair of the committee, said the inquiry will continue, claiming it’s based on “a large record of evidence.” Smirnov faces charges of making a false statement and falsification of records. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
New details released in Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting
New details have been released about what led to panic following a shooting at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City that left a woman dead and 22 others injured. Police report that about half of the injured victims are under the age of 16, with 11 children, the youngest just 6-years-old, taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. Nine of them suffered gunshot wounds. Seven children have since been released from the hospital.
The identity of the woman who was killed in the shooting has also been confirmed. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two and beloved radio host for the local KKFI station, died celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory with nearly a million other fans.
According to Kansas City police, the shooting was not terrorism or extremism; rather, it stemmed from a personal dispute between several people. Police initially detained three juveniles but released one they determined was not involved. Police said they are working with prosecutors to file charges against the other two juveniles who have been detained.
Amazon subscriber sues over ads playing on Prime Video
Details on what games and when they will be made available have not been disclosed. Revenue for Microsoft’s Xbox-related business grew by 61% in the fourth quarter, overtaking Windows in earnings, which is largely attributed to the $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October. Microsoft is now looking to generate even more revenue as its Xbox system ranks third in sales behind its rivals.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark becomes all-time NCAA women’s basketball scorer
History was made in college sports last night as Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark became women’s college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. Clark only needed to score 8 points early in the game against Michigan to break the NCAA record.
Hitting a three-pointer to reach the milestone, Clark scored a career-best 49 points in the game in Iowa city, which put her at the top of the list with 3,569 career points. WNBA star Kelsey Plum, who previously held the college record, said she is “grateful to pass the baton” to Clark.
1 dead, 22 injured in Super Bowl parade shooting: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 15, 2024
One person is dead and more than 20 are wounded after shots are fired at a parade for the Super Bowl champions. And the lander looking to be the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon in five decades lifts off into space. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
1 dead, 22 injured in shooting at Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade
At least one person was killed and 22 others were injured, including at least eight children, after shots were fired following following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday, Feb. 14, sending fans running for cover outside Union Station. Video shows police holding down an apparent suspect.
Police confirmed three people have been detained but have not announced their identities or said if they will face charges. Authorities are looking into reports that bystanders tackled one of the three people being detained.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters she was angry over what had taken place.
“The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said. “We had over 800 law enforcement officers, Kansas City, and other agencies at the location to keep everyone safe. Because of bad actors, which were very few, this tragedy occurred.”
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the parade in downtown Kansas City to cheer on the Chiefs after their victory at Super Bowl LVIII. Police said all members of the Chiefs’ organization were safe. The NFL and several players issued statements following the shooting, including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted on X, “Praying for Kansas City.”
Warning of ‘serious national security threat’ prompts alerts on Russia
More details are coming to light after a cryptic message by Congressman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who warned of a “serious national security threat.” Turner, the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called on President Biden to declassify all information related to the threat but did not elaborate further.
Multiple news outlets, citing sources, said Turner was referring to Russia, specifically its attempts at developing a nuclear-capable weapon in space that could take down satellites. The sources added that it is not currently an active threat. Connecticut Congressman Jim Hines, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that while the issue is serious, people should not panic.
Leaders in the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a statement saying they have the intelligence in question and have been tracking the issue. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he had already scheduled a briefing for Thursday, Feb. 15, with congressional leaders and administration intelligence professionals to discuss the matter.
Houston-based Intuitive Machines hopes its lander, Odysseus, will be the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon in over five decades. NASA is paying the company $118 million to carry six items, including a camera to observe the dust upon landing and a radio receiver system to study charged particles on the moon’s surface.
Other items taken on the trip include insulation material from Columbia Sportswear and a sculpture from artist Jeff Koons. Odysseus is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole on Feb. 22.
FDA approves first drug to treat severe frostbite
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat severe frostbite in adults and reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation. The drug, Aurlumyn, injects affected areas and treats frostbite by opening blood vessels and preventing clots. It is expected to be available in the spring of 2024.
Frostbite happens when the skin and tissue get damaged by cold temperatures and occurs in stages, with painkillers and antibiotics typically used to treat mild frostbite. Severe frostbite, which happens when the skin and underlying tissue freeze, stopping blood flow, sometimes requires amputations.
Lyft admits to typo in earnings report
One company just found out how important it is to check for typos. The rideshare company Lyft saw its stock soar over 60% following the release of its quarterly earnings report late Tuesday, Feb. 13. The report said Lyft was expecting one of its profit margins to expand by 500 basis points, meaning five percentage points. Still, in reality, it was only expected to expand by 50 basis points or 0.5%.
The company admitted to the error during a call with investors on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Its CEO told CNBC he hopes the missed extra zero doesn’t take away from Lyft delivering its best financial quarter in its history. And despite the error and correction, the company’s stock was still up on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
University of Pennsylvania to be first Ivy League offering AI program
The rise of artificial intelligence is bringing change to almost every aspect of our lives, which means companies are looking for engineers with AI skills. Now, students at one Ivy League university can earn a degree in AI, and it’s not a fake.
The University of Pennsylvania will become the first Ivy League school to offer an engineering degree in AI when the undergrad program starts in the fall of 2024. Penn said the program will allow students to unlock AI’s potential as they learn the ethics of AI, legal matters surrounding the technology, and other topics. Penn will be the first Ivy League to have an artificial intelligence program, but other U.S. colleges, including Carnegie Mellon and Purdue, also offer bachelor’s degrees in AI.
Items seized in Kansas newspaper police raid returned
According to the co-owner and publisher of the Kansas newspaper at the center of a controversial police raid, the items seized in the raid have been returned. A reporter for the Marion County Record confirmed the items were on their way to Kansas City, where a forensic analyst will check “that nothing was done to them.”
A search warrant for the newspaper, as well as Publisher Eric Meyer’s home, was executed on Friday, Aug. 11. Meyer said he believed the raid was prompted by a story published a couple days prior about a local business owner.
The warrant, signed by a local judge, suggested it was over whether the newspaper improperly used the business owner’s personal information to access her state driving record online. Meyer has said the paper did nothing illegal.
Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey agreed to withdraw the search warrant on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Ensey said his review of the items seized found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized.”
The police raid of the Kansas newspaper put the town of Marion at the center of a national debate surrounding press freedom, with watchdog groups and media organizations condemning the raid. Meyer said he believes the raid was carried out because the newspaper was investigating why the police chief left his previous post as an officer in Kansas City.
“This is the way things go here too often and too often people are brought into silence and intimidated by reactions like this,” Meyer said on Monday, Aug. 17. “Extremely pleased with the outpouring of support we’ve received from other news organizations, organizations of journalists, just people around the country. I don’t even have a count of it, but our circulation has probably increased by 25%, 50% by people coming on to our website and just signing up for a subscription.”