Domestic

Mass shooting in Maine leaves at least 18 dead

Tragic news of a mass shooting in Maine has left almost 20 killed and dozens injured. A 40-year-old man has been identified as a person of interest and a massive, multi-state manhunt is underway to locate him. Residents in Lewiston, Maine, and the 50-mile vicinity around the city are sheltering in place as the suspect is still at large.

The mass shooting occurred Wednesday night at a bowling alley and bar that left patrons scrambling under tables and behind bowling pins, witnesses say. The attack stunned the state of Maine, which has one of the lowest homicide rates in the country and had only 29 killings in 2022.

The suspect is Robert Card, who is considered armed and dangerous, is a firearms instructor, and a member of the US Army Reserves. Card underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after he began acting erratically during training, a US official said. Police say there have been no sightings of him since the shootings.

The shootings add to the total of 36 this year and 569 since 2006; the violent attack is the deadliest since the Uvalde school massacre last year.

The US federal budget deficit doubled this year

If there’s one thing America is good at, it’s printing money. The 2023 federal budget deficit soared by 23% to $1.7 trillion, leaving the United States with its biggest annual budgetary hole since the pandemic, according to the US Treasury.

This comes amidst Biden's request that Congress supply $100 billion in foreign aid and security spending. This massive deficit, which has surpassed all pre-COVID deficits, is likely to ramp up Biden’s monetary battles with Republicans in the House. In June, their eagerness to pass spending cuts over the debt ceiling almost resulted in a US default and government shutdown, as members couldn’t agree on a way to move forward.

What happened?

A closer look at the headline numbers reveals things may be worse than they seem:

• The Supreme Court rejected Biden’s $300 billion student loan forgiveness program last year and it never took effect, however, the US Treasury still recorded it as an expense for this year

• This means the year-over-year increase was essentially doubled from $1 trillion last year to $2 trillion this year

Lower tax revenues drove over 40% of the deficit increase, while the government paid $659 billion in interest payments, almost doubling over the past two years.

With chaos in Congress (which is looking better if you saw the next headline) and a government shutdown on the horizon next month, it could make America’s fiscal situation all the more complex.

The House has finally elected a new speaker

It’s finally over. It turns out the fourth time is the charm because Republicans unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. After weeks of flaring tensions and no legislation getting passed, the speaker-less days are finally over.

Now that things can finally get back on track, the House has a lot of work to do.

• Johnson will have to lead the body through negotiations to pass a spending budget that will prevent the government from shutting down before November 17

• Johnson, who previously opposed sending aid to Ukraine, will have to figure out how to handle Biden’s $106 billion proposal to Congress for foreign aid

  • Biden also recently asked Congress for $56 billion to go towards high-speed internet and other domestic priorities

Now that legislation can get passed, it will be a hectic few weeks for Congress and new speaker Mike Johnson. But, his work has already started. Johnson recently met with President Biden in a bipartisan briefing to discuss the administration’s request to Congress for additional funding on national security.

Business

Almost every state is suing Meta… but why?

If Facebook hasn’t gotten back to your complaints about those Russian cougars hitting you up, it’s because they’re a little busy. Facebook’s parent company Meta was bombarded with a plethora of bipartisan lawsuits from 42 state attorney generals.

Why the lawsuit?

The lawsuit alleges the social media empire actively and knowingly harmed kids and teens. A majority of the states, including Minnesota, South Carolina, and Colorado, filed a federal lawsuit accusing Meta of targeting young people with addictive algorithms on Facebook and Instagram — and then publicly downplaying the psychological damage its apps can cause.

• Attorney generals in nine other states filed separate lawsuits that resemble the main one being filed by the other 42 states

A spokesperson for Meta stated that they’re dedicated to “[the] attorney generals’ commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online” but claimed that the lawsuits filed won’t help them in that endeavor.

Why is this important?

According to reports that have been collected over the past few years, constant scrolling on apps like Instagram could be hurting young people’s mental health. Leaked slides found through an internal study at Meta showed that teen girls felt Instagram diminished their body image.

• In May, the US Surgeon General issued a public advisory that social media adds significant risks to kid’s health

• While experts are still divided on the relationship between social media and mental health, many acknowledge that there is a mental health crisis among teens

Although Meta is getting slapped with lawsuits, they aren’t alone. Utah, Arkansas, and Indiana are also investigating TikTok, citing concerns for children’s mental health.

Amid the backlash, profits aren’t slowing down: On Wednesday, Meta reported its most profitable quarter in years, flaunting a 23% jump in revenue since last year. This was possible in part because Zuck cut expenses by 7% and cut operating expenses by half from the same time last year.

Boeing isn’t looking that fly anymore

Boeing’s defensive sector is looking worse than the Denver Broncos this year. Boeing reported an almost billion dollar loss in Q3, around $500 million of which was lost on only two planes.

If the picture was any indication, the two planes are the 747s that make up the next Air Force One fleet. That brought their total losses up to $2.4 billion in the last five years, just from the presidential planes. Boeing claimed higher manufacturing costs due to labor shortages, supplier negotiations, and engineering changes were the issue.

Why the heavy losses?

These things aren’t cheap… Boeing signed a $3.9 billion dollar fixed contract with the US government in 2018, which was a different price than they normally get. According to Boeing CEO, David Calhoun, the deal they made with former President Trump to produce the new planes was “[a] unique negotiation” and that it was a deal the company “probably shouldn’t have taken.”

Making a plane fit for the president is not easy. Both jets need missile-defense systems, nuclear-protected communications, and (so I’ve heard) custom cheeseburger wallpaper.

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Grab Bag

The Kremlin smiles at Putin’s “body double” allegations

According to a Russian Telegram channel, Putin is dead. A report from a Russian Telegram channel claimed Putin regularly uses a double and recently had a heart attack; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Russian leader is alive and well.

Putin’s health has been speculated on for the last few years — as many of you have probably heard the “Puffy Putin” reference — some outlets speculated he may have been suffering from a serious illness, as he was seen unstable and shaking along with an uncharacteristically puffy, bloated face.

We all know Putin has been known as the “tough guy” of world leaders, with the shirtless horseback photo being memed for years, however, that image has been less recurrent as of late. So, if you’re tuned into any Russian state TV, let me know if you see a discount Putin.

McDonalds is retiring an iconic piece of their franchise

Rest in peace McFlurry spoon. McDonald’s is getting rid of the iconic ice cream spoon that caused us to shed a tear because the ice cream machine was broken.

As avid McFlurry connoisseurs know, the spoon was used as a spindle to mix the ice cream and toppings together to make the blended delicacy. However, trending toward sustainability, McDonald’s wants to forgo the traditional spoon for a smaller, reusable one, which requires less plastic.

The restaurant chain is attempting to cut down on waste (especially plastic) by reducing the size and number of the spoons, which would help with excess packaging. Here are some other ways they’re cutting corners:

• MacDon’s is testing strawless lids in an attempt to stop giving out plastic straws

• Using 3D-printed paper-based Happy Meal toys

The global chain is also looking to get rid of its self-serve soda machines by 2032. Since the pandemic, they’ve experienced a huge surge in drive-thru orders, and fewer people are coming in to sit down and eat. Looks like we can’t drink any more swamp water at McDonald’s.

Snippets

Timely Trinkets: Take a look at TIME’s best inventions of 2023.

Family Time: Tinder now lets your friends and family chime in on your matches. Now you’ll know who mom approves of before you take them home. Great.

Barbie Boost: Mattel’s doll sales skyrocketed 24% thanks to the popularity of Barbie, helping it beat earnings estimates.

Coincidence? I’m Not Sure. The chairman of Russia’s second-biggest oil company died suddenly on Tuesday — the second time in a year that’s happened at Lukoil after its last chairman fell out of a hospital window.

Swift Response: Taylor Swift’s bodyguard is one of the thousands of IDF reservists flying to Israel to join the conflict against Hamas.

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