Church gunman stopped, Meme stocks, and writing benefits.

Adam Rogers
May 14, 2024

Happy Tuesday! Today’s edition is 663 words, a 3 minute read.

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Big Stories

Churchgoers stopped a teenager armed with a rifle from entering a church in Abbeville, Louisiana.

Around 60 children were inside the church for their First Communion ceremony. The parishioners confronted the suspect and took him outside before calling the police. The police arrived and arrested the suspect.
He was charged with terrorizing the church and possession of a firearm by a juvenile. Police praised the bravery of the churchgoers and thanked them for their quick response. The FBI and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office are assisting with the investigation.
The First Communion ceremony continued after the disruption.
The church plans to have uniformed law enforcement officers outside future services. The incident follows a similar event earlier this month, where a man brandished a gun at a pastor during a livestreamed service in Pittsburgh.

Russia launched an offensive in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, adding a new front to the war.

Russia says its troops captured the town of Vovchansk, near Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv. Ukraine denies this and reports ongoing heavy fighting. Vovchansk isn't militarily crucial, but its capture would threaten Kharkiv and damage Ukrainian morale.
Around thirty towns have been hit by Russian shelling forcing thousands of civilians to flee. Ukrainian forces are struggling to repel advancing troops but are taking steps to slow the advances.
Some Ukrainian troops expressed frustration that Russian soldiers were able to “just walk in” to some areas of the region because defenses weren’t set up properly.

The trial for U.S. Senator Robert Menendez started on Monday.

He's accused of multiple illegal activities like taking bribes and acting for other countries. The trial could affect his political future and which party controls the Senate next year.
Menendez faces 16 charges, including bribery and fraud. Prosecutors say he took cash, gold, and a fancy car in exchange for using his power to help the Qatari and Egyptian governments and a New Jersey businessman. He and his wife also face obstruction charges.
This is Menendez's second trial for bribery-related offenses; the first in 2017 ended with no decision. Despite being a Democrat in a mostly Democratic state, he has lost support for reelection.

U.S. airlines are suing to stop a new rule from the Biden administration requiring them to disclose more fees to passengers, arguing it will confuse consumers. The Transportation Department defended the rule against "hidden junk fees," but airlines claim it exceeds government authority and say consumers already have access to fee information. (More)

Melinda French Gates is resigning from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation after finalizing her divorce from Bill Gates. She will receive $12.5 billion to continue her philanthropic work focused on women and families. (More)

Israel stepped up its attacks in northern Gaza against Hamas. However, there are doubts about whether their plan to clear out Hamas will work, especially if they invade cities like Rafah. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that even if Israel goes all out in Rafah, it could lead to a Hamas insurgency. (More)

Wildfires burning in Canada have caused smoke to drift into the U.S. The smoke has impacted air quality in several states, prompting Minnesota to issue its first air quality alert of 2024. At least 37 of the 141 active fires in Canada are considered out of control. (More)

A popular investor known as "Roaring Kitty" made his first social media post in years, triggering a surge in the price of meme stocks like GameStop and AMC. GameStop's stock price more than doubled at one point, while AMC ran up past 100% in after-hours trading. (More)

Man paints a mural of a boat on his fence after the city told him to hide it.

Where the phrase “in a pickle” comes from.

How Americans spend their time, by age group.

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