Week of 9/1/24
A Georgia teen and his father face school shooting charges, Biden blocked Nippon Steel’s U.S. Steel bid, and war continues in the Middle East and in Ukraine while U.S. presidential campaigns ramp up.
In Georgia, 14-year old Colt Gray was charged with killing two students and two teachers in a school shooting earlier this week. His father, Colin Gray, faces charges too for enabling his son’s access to the weapon used in the shooting. The case is part of a growing trend to hold parents legally accountable in these situations, too (AP). While this approach is gaining traction, there are concerns it may risk overreach by the prosecution. WSJ, Reuters
Nippon Steel, one of Japan’s largest steel producers and the world’s leading steel manufacturers attempted an acquisition of U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion. President Joe Biden blocked the proposal due to national security concerns. Both companies are prepared to challenge the decision in court. The Washington Post
Why does it matter? It could strain U.S. - Japan relations, complicate the legal landscape for other corporate takeovers, and be a point of discussion in the upcoming election. It also brings about some questions on the transparency and overall decision-making process.
Verizon acquired Frontier Communications for $20 billion. The goal of the acquisition is to help Verizon expand their fiber footprint. Fox Business
In France, a woman is testifying in public against her husband, who abused her and, as she later discovered, facilitated her rape by unknown men while she was drugged for over 10 years. BBC
In Brazil, Elon Musk was ordered to block access to social media platform X in the country via his own broadband firm, Starlink. He said no - then he backtracked and decides to comply with the order. Reuters
Key updates on…
The Middle East
6 more hostages that were taken on October 7th by the Hamas terrorist organization were found dead in Gaza. ABC
Hamas released a video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli hostage (one of the six) before he was killed. WSJ
In Israel, thousands of Israelis protested in the streets calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire. This is the largest demonstration in the 11 months of war. AP
A major polio vaccination effort started in Gaza for hundreds of thousands of children. Israel agreed to brief pauses in fighting, although there continue to be reports of strikes. AP, Reuters
U.S. Politics and the 2024 Election
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to charges related to tax evasion and faces potential time behind bars. NYT
Trump’s hush money case was delayed until after the election. NBC
Trump plans to start up a governmental efficiency commission with Elon Musk. CBS
Harris proposes a change of tax law that breaks away from some standards set by Biden’s administration. It’s a lower rate than Biden’s proposed plan for top earners. NYT
18% of Americans remain undecided, according to analysis by the New York Times. NYT
Ukraine saw one of the deadliest attacks since the war began on September 7. Offensive and defensive measures continue. There is concern about the increasing cooperation between Russia, China and Iran. AP, NBC
NASA’s uncrewed spacecraft returned while astronauts still wait in space for their ride home. Meanwhile, an asteroid approaches earth (although not expected to make contact). CBS, Asteroid
Sports and Culture
NFL games kicked off this week with the first game resulting in Kansas City beating Baltimore.
Ryan Seacrest will take over as host of “Wheel of Fortune” from Pat Sajak next week.
The 2024 Paralympic Games wrapped up this week. Team USA won wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.