Michigan 15 year old suspect was charged as an adult for school shooting
The suspect in a Michigan school shooting will face charges of terrorism and first-degree murder following a rampage that left four students dead and seven injured.
Prosecutors on Wednesday charged Oxford High School student Ethan Crumbley, 15, as an adult.
He has pleaded not guilty. Police are yet to identify a motive in the attack.
The victims were named as Tate Myre, 16, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Hana St Juliana, 14, and Justin Shilling, 17.
Announcing the charges on Wednesday, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said her office had "a mountain of digital evidence" to show the suspect had planned the attack "well before the incident".
One such instance is a video of the suspect the night before the shooting, in which he discusses killing students.
"This isn't even a close call," she said. "This was not an impulsive act."
She added that it was "absolutely premeditated".
Ms McDonald said the teen will face one count of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, and 12 counts of possession of a firearm, with further charges likely as the investigation unfolds.
At a later news conference, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said charging the suspect as an adult was "the most appropriate" action.
"I agree with holding this individual wholly and completely responsible for the deplorable, tragic event that occurred by his choice," he said.
The suspect will be transferred from a juvenile detention centre to the local county jail, where he will be held without bond.
The teenager has refused to speak with investigators on the instructions of his family.
The sheriff stressed that the teenager had never been on the radar of law enforcement or the school. He also added there was no evidence the suspect had been bullied by his peers.
"There is nothing that he could have faced that would warrant senseless, absolutely brutal violence on other kids," said Mr Bouchard.
He noted that the suspect's parents had been called to the school hours before the shooting "for behaviour in the classroom that was concerning".
Investigators have found the suspect loaded his firearm - purchased by his father on Friday - in the bathroom and then walked through the hallway firing more than 30 shots from the weapon.
Mr Bouchard said the suspect appeared to fire indiscriminately during the attack at the school of around 1,700 students.
Tate Myre reportedly tried to disarm the shooter, and more than 75,000 people have signed a petition calling for the school to rename its football stadium after Tate.
The 16-year-old, who played on the football team, died in a police officer's car on the way to hospital.
Madisyn and Hana also died on Tuesday, while Justin was confirmed dead on Wednesday.
Among those admitted to hospital, a 17-year-old female student remains in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Source - BBC
Cristiano Ronaldo pressing suggestions 'maybe a myth' - Michael Carrick
Suggestions Cristiano Ronaldo might be unwilling to press opponents are "maybe a myth", says Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick.
Ralf Rangnick is expected to implement a high-pressing style of play when he becomes United's interim manager.
And Carrick has no doubt Portugal striker Ronaldo, 36, will continue to thrive despite that tactical change.
"He's played in enough teams over the years and been successful to play in a variety of ways," he said.
"He has kept scoring goals for every team he has played for and I am sure he will continue to score goals.
"Players adapt anyway. You've got to have skills for different styles."
Asked specifically about the perception Ronaldo might be unwilling to press opponents, Carrick said: "Maybe it is a myth."
Carrick dropped Ronaldo to the bench for Sunday's 1-1 draw at Chelsea - his second game in charge - and brought on the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in the second half.
He said after the game Rangnick had no involvement in the tactics, or Ronaldo being left out.
"It seems like it's a big decision but really it wasn't," said Carrick.
"The way Cristiano responded was perfection really. He was incredible. He supported the players. At half-time, I went in to do my team talk and he was warming up for 10 minutes, ready to come on.
"A lot can be made of it and trying to spin it in a negative way, but behind the scenes it is very different."
Rangnick is expected to be at Old Trafford for Thursday's Premier League game against Arsenal.
But the German is yet to get a work visa so Carrick will remain in charge after overseeing the Champions League win at Villarreal and the draw at Chelsea.
Though Rangnick has travelled to Manchester, Carrick says the pair have not spoken.
"Because of the process and the work permit, we haven't been able to," he said.
"We will just carry on as we have done. It has worked well for the last two games. Hopefully it does tomorrow."
While Ronaldo is set to return to the team against Arsenal, midfielder Fred is expected to keep his place.
And Carrick sees enormous ability in a player who occupies the position he did in his playing days.
"It gets overlooked that he is first choice for a good Brazil team," he said.
"One of the biggest things people don't see is his desire to be a team player. He puts himself out. He twisted his ankle in the first half against Villarreal. I have seen a lot of players come off with an injury like that, but he came out even though it was stiff and swollen.
"He got through the game and no way he was going to miss the next one. That mentality is infectious. I am all for that.
"He brings an awful lot to the team. I like him an awful lot."
Source - BBC
Elon Musk willing to help NASA in building new space suits for upcoming moon missions
On 7 April in 1983, American astronauts Don Peterson and Story Musgrave bravely stepped out of the space shuttle Challenger, the first time US space explorers had conducted a spacewalk in nearly a decade.
For about four hours, the men floated in the shuttle's exterior cargo bay while tethered to the spacecraft.
What they were wearing, at the time, represented a revolutionary departure from the custom-built, one-off spacesuits of the past.
Officially known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs, these were two-piece, semi-rigid suits with 14 layers, designed to protect astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA).
The suits included everything from communications gear to adult nappies and an in-suit drink bag.
Since that day in 1983, little has changed in the spacesuit fashion stakes.
The space agency's efforts to develop new improved spacesuits have had limited success. Nasa has already spent $420m (£310m) over 14 years without any significant progress, according to a report published this year from Nasa's inspector general.
"A flight-ready suit remains years away from completion," the report notes, adding that Nasa officials expect to spend a further $1bn (£740m) on design, testing, qualification and development efforts before two flight-ready suits are available for use.
The delay to spacesuits is likely to hold up Artemis, Nasa's programme to return to the Moon in 2024, the report adds.
In September, Nasa's Johnson Space Center called for private sector proposals for the new suits. They would be used for spacewalks on the International Space Station (ISS) and during future Artemis missions to the surface of the moon.
"Our undertakings in low-earth orbit, at the Moon and beyond, have evolved and are calling for innovative technology," Nasa deputy administrator Pam Melroy said in a statement.
"The next astronauts on the moon, including the first woman, will be kept safe in revolutionary spacesuits that fit better and enable greater human exploration than ever before."
Nasa wants industry help to build its new Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and the Orion Crew Survival System.
The xEMU will mainly be for planetary spacewalks on the Moon, Mars and perhaps other bodies like asteroids, though it is planned to be modified for in-flight spacewalks.
It will have improved joints to give the astronaut more mobility, a new communications system and will have a rear-entry hatch.
The design will also be able to better fit astronauts of all sizes. In the past Nasa had problems finding spacesuits for smaller female astronauts.
The Orion suit is the suit crew will wear inside the spacecraft during launch and the return to Earth.
Proposals for the new suits are due on 1 December, with one or more contracts expected to be awarded by the following spring. Nasa plans a demonstration spacewalk with their newly developed gear as early as 2023.
"Nasa's investment in commercial spacesuits is another way that we are fostering a new lunar economy with private partners," Ms Melroy's statement added. "Similar to our partnerships in low-earth orbit, this endeavour will create jobs and help fuel an active economy at the Moon."
Tesla boss Elon Musk was quick to offer his help, tweeting that his company, SpaceX, "could do it if need be".
Source - BBC
How high-speed electric vehicle racing is advancing tech
An electric scooter that can go 100 kmph (62 mph)? Meet the sleek new machine that's designed to leave the clunky scooters you see buzzing around suburban High Streets, in the dust.
"This is a race vehicle," says Nicola Scimeca, founder of YCOM, a motorsport technology firm. "It's completely different."
The S1-X, which was designed by his company, has inflatable tyres, a 1.5 kilowatt hour battery and a carbon fibre chassis. And according to Mr Scimeca, it offers an unexpectedly steady ride.
"What was really impressive was the confidence it gives to you," he adds, recalling his own initial test-ride.
And, of course, there was no noise from the exhaust, instead, Mr Scimeca says he could hear the squeal of the electric motor as it sped up and down, and the thrum of the tyres as they gripped the track.
The S1-X is a brand new racing vehicle. It will be used by all competitors at next year's eSkootr Championship, the world's first e-scooter championship event.
But there are many other electric vehicle (EV) racing events popping-up across the country that are showcasing and championing important advances in EV technology.
Formula E has been around for years, but a flood of newer EV racing events have lately zoomed into view.
Others include the Extreme E race series, which launched earlier this year. In it, electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs) compete in a series of off-road events. And in 2022, SuperCharge will bring EV racing to city streets around the world.
"We feel like we are really inventing a new sport," says Mr Scimeca, noting that his team had no real precedent on which to build when they began designing their racing e-scooter. They were even unsure as to how, exactly, riders would handle the vehicle.
For any EV racer, a flat battery means game over, so it's something that the whole racing team needs to consider when turning cars around between heats, says Roger Griffiths, team principal at Andretti United Extreme E.
"All of us that came from conventional motorsport, we were very comfortable with operating internal combustion engine cars," he explains.
But there are completely different safety considerations, too, given the high-voltage electronics involved in running EV racing cars.
Last month, there were a series of Extreme E races in Sardinia and one of the cars, driven by Stéphane Sarrazin, was badly damaged in a barrel roll. In such cases, engineers must make absolutely sure there are no live electronics exposed, says Mr Griffiths. "You have to treat it with caution until you know the thing is safe," he adds.
EVs also tend to be a bit heavier than traditional racing vehicles, due to their weighty batteries, however their weight distribution doesn't change during the race unlike their counterparts running on liquid fuel which gets used up lap-by-lap. So, EVs handle slightly differently for drivers.
ne of the goals of the Extreme E events is to showcase the capabilities and robustness of EVs. The track in Sardinia in Italy was a particularly tough test- being very dusty to begin with, and then increasingly damp as the racing weekend progressed.
For Extreme E, all drivers compete using a specially-designed electric SUV called the Odyssey 21. The cars get their power from on-site generators that use either biofuel or hydrogen, says Mr Griffiths: "We're here to demonstrate that these cars can be green."
Source - BBC
Disney elects woman as chairman for first time in 98-year history
Walt Disney has elected a woman to become its chairman for the first time in the entertainment giant's 98-year history.
Susan Arnold, who has been a Disney board member for 14 years, will succeed Bob Iger at the end of this year.
She was formerly an executive at global investment firm Carlyle.
Mr Iger, who stepped down as Disney's chief executive in 2020 after 15 years in the role, will leave the company by the end of this month.
"As I step into this new role as chairman of the board, I look forward to continuing to serve the long-term interests of Disney's shareholders and working closely with CEO Bob Chapek as he builds upon the company's century-long legacy of creative excellence and innovation," Ms Arnold said in a statement.
She has also served in senior roles at some of America's biggest companies.
For the last eight years Ms Arnold has been an executive at Carlyle Group, having previously held roles at consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble and fast food chain McDonald's.
"Susan is an incredibly esteemed executive whose wealth of experience, unwavering integrity, and expert judgment have been invaluable to the company since she first joined the Board in 2007," Mr Iger said.
Her appointment comes as large companies are moving away from management structures where the chief executive and chairperson roles are held by the same person after pressure from corporate governance experts, investors and, in some cases, regulators to separate the two key positions.
Mr Iger's exit marks the end of an era for Disney, who has been in a senior role at the company since 1996.
In his time as chief executive Disney made a number of major acquisitions, including the takeovers of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox. In 2016, the firm opened its first theme park and resort in mainland China.
Several other Disney executives have announced plans to leave by the end of this year, including studios head Alan Horn, president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television Gary Marsh and company general counsel Alan Braverman.
Source - BBC
Alec Baldwin says he didn't fire gun on film set
Alec Baldwin says he "didn't pull the trigger" of the gun that fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film, Rust.
The star made the claim in his first sit-down interview since the incident in October.
"I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never," he told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.
The interview was recorded on Tuesday, and is due to be broadcast in the US on Thursday evening.
Mr Stephanopoulos described their 80-minute discussion as "raw" and "intense.
The journalist described Mr Baldwin, 63, as "devastated" yet "very candid" and "forthcoming", while previewing the interview on Wednesday's Good Morning America.
"I've done thousands of interviews in the last 20 years at ABC," he said. "This was the most intense I've ever experienced."
Mr Baldwin is best-known for his performances in films like Glengarry Glen Ross and The Hunt For Red October, as well as his impersonation of Donald Trump on US sketch show Saturday Night Live.
The interview marks the first time Mr Baldwin has spoken about the incident on camera, except for a brief interview he gave to TMZ in October, in a bid to stop the paparazzi from following him and his family.
In that appearance, he described the incident as a "one in a trillion episode" and said accidents of this nature very rarely happened on film sets.
Ms Hutchins was shot and killed as Mr Baldwin rehearsed with what he believed to be a "cold" - or safe - gun on the set of Rust in New Mexico.
It is believed to have discharged when he removed it from a holster during rehearsals for a forthcoming scene.
Ms Hutchins was flown to hospital by helicopter after the shooting but later died of her injuries. Director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured.
According to court records, Mr Baldwin was handed the weapon by the film's assistant director, Dave Halls, who did not know it contained live ammunition and indicated it was unloaded by shouting "cold gun".
Mr Halls had been given the gun by Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the 24-year-old armorer on the film.
Asked by Mr Stephanopoulos how a live bullet had made its way on to the set, Mr Baldwin replied, "I have no idea.
"Someone put a live bullet into a gun. A bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property."
Lawyers for Ms Gutierrez-Reed have said she did not know where "the live rounds came from". That question is now at the centre of a police investigation in the US.
Earlier this week, the investigators obtained a warrant to search the premises of an arms supplier in the US.
An affidavit with the warrant said police were told ammunition for the film had come from several sources, including PDQ Arm & Prop.
The affidavit said the ammunition supplier's owner, Seth Kenney, had told investigators the live round might have been from some "reloaded ammunition".
He said the ammunition he supplied for the film consisted of dummy rounds and blanks, according to the affidavit.
Source - BBC
Pan American Health Organization demands for increased vaccines in light of Omicron variant
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Wednesday called for increased vaccination and public health measures to ensure the best possible protection against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
PAHO director, Dr. Carissa Etienne said while experts work to better understand the new Wold Health Organization (WHO)-designated “variant of concern,” there was no need for panic among the various populations in the Americas.
She told the weekly PAHO media conference that there are still many unknowns and studies will take some time to complete and until then “it is not clear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variants, or if it causes more severe disease”.
PAHO said that in the Americas, which reported 753,000 new COVID infections and over 13,000 deaths over the past week, Omicron has so far been detected in Canada and Brazil.
“But it is likely that other countries will begin seeing this new variant in circulation soon,” the Director said, noting that while PAHO continues to track all variants in the region, for now Delta remains the predominant variant in the Americas.
r. Etienne said with just over half of population in Latin America and the Caribbean fully vaccinated against COVID-19, “our region remains especially vulnerable,” adding “vaccine inequity is prolonging the COVID crisis, and this is exactly what we’re seeing with the arrival of Omicron”.
The Dominican-born PAHO director called on governments to sustain public health measures, such as mask wearing, and redouble their surveillance efforts, noting “the more COVID-19 circulates, the more opportunities the virus has to mutate and change”.
She reminded reporters that “COVID is not the first infectious disease that has shaken the world,” as she turned her attention to the commemoration of World AIDS Day being observed globally on December 1 every year.
PAHO said that prior to the pandemic, just 65 per cent of people living with HIV in the region were receiving ARV therapy and as the pandemic progressed, interruptions increased four-fold, leaving millions at risk.
Dr. Etienne said as there are effective drugs that control the disease and interrupt transmission, “we must ensure consistent and equitable access to these powerful tools>
The Director noted that 2.4 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean live with HIV.
PAHO is this week observing its 119th anniversary and Dr Etienne highlighted the progress that has been made in public health in the Americas – in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and in the development of effective vaccines against COVID.
“We must work together to finish the job… (so that) everyone in our region has access to the services and tools they need to live healthy and productive lives.”
Over the past week, COVID-19 cases have remained steady but high in the US and Canada and have dropped in Mexico. Reductions have also been seen in most countries in Central America.
Meanwhile, cases have increased steadily in Southern Cone countries and have accelerated in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands, and in Anguilla, PAHO added.
Source - Cananewsonline
Hon. Jamell Robinson supports Beach Vending Bill
Mr. Speaker, as Minister of Health, I raise in support on this beach and coastal vending bill 2021 and the accompanying regulations.
Mr. Speaker, This is a listening Government. We listened on the campaign trail and we are listening in Cabinet and listening here in the House. 14-1 is a great responsibility and one we take very seriously. Unfortunately, we have people who choose to pander to the worst fears of our people and an undercurrent of mistrust for some politicians.
Mr. Speaker, you have 3 types of folks. Some who all of a sudden want to make a name for themselves. Some who use to have a name and trying to get their name back. And last but most importantly, you have a vast majority of Turks and Caicos Islanders that had genuine concerns about the initial draft bill. We have done our best to address those concerns.
Mr. Speaker I will speak to the a few of the main issues raised with the initial draft bill:
- The issue of whether the public can freely use our public beaches
Section 16 (1) (3) states “A permit is not required for a special event prescribed in the regulations”
Regulation 3 (1) states “In this regulation a family event means a special event where there is no commercial activity.”
Regulation 3 (3) also states “An application for a permit is not required for a family event, but where the family event is more than fifty persons, notification of family event shall be made in Form [..] set out in Schedule 1, to the Committee.
- The issue of whether vendors will continue to make money
- In Grand Turk we bought the local village formerly the local where Chukka was located.
- In Sapodilla Bay we are setting up temp facilities to ensure our vendors have running water, toilet facilities, areas for proper waste disposal areas.
- We are still in a pandemic
- Speaker block and parcel number 606012/99 is of interest for the government and by hook or by crook it will be the future home of the Sapodilla Bay Beach Vendors.
- Speaker I believe in the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Turks and Caicos Islanders and more such too.
- Speaker because this bill came about the use of our public beaches also was raised. Sapodilla Bay have tons of Chairs as well that impede our ability to use that beach for our families. This bill deals with that.
Mr. Speaker, we must have Law and Order. Not for one set of people but for all. The Beach Patrol which is being set up will have to monitor and regulate. We have to dispel the notion that we only have energy for our people. The Beach Patrol with the backing of the Police is for your safety and protection too, not to criminalize you!
Noise Nuisance – Lets get real, can someone today come and the make noise in front of your home all day and night? You would call the police!! There is a balance to be found, where vendors can make money and maintain their livelihoods, the public have access to all beaches, and home owners and guests can enjoy the beach as well.
Mr. Speaker, unless than 3 months ago, I was told the regulations that the TCI was introducing regarding vaccinated only visitors would kill the economy and hurt the small man. The Chamber of Commerce said we would loss $96 Million dollars by January 2022. But we are on the path to another surplus after initially projecting a $70 million plus deficit budget.
Mr. Speaker, there was wisdom is that decision than and there is wisdom in this decision now. Time always tells!!
Thank You
President Biden urges calm over Omicron fears
US President Joe Biden has called the Omicron Covid variant a "cause for concern, not a cause for panic" one day after it was detected in North America.
Cases have been found in Canada, and his speech from the White House comes as US travel bans on eight African countries takes affect.
Mr Biden also urged people to get a booster and to wear masks.
He said he does not anticipate any further US travel restrictions or lockdowns at this time.
In remarks on Monday, the president called it "almost inevitable" that the Omicron strain, first reported by South Africa, will be found in the US "at some point".
He added that vaccine companies are creating "contingency plans" for new vaccines "if needed".
Late last week, the US announced a ban on flights from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. Canada, the UK and the EU and other countries have also restricted travel from southern Africa.
In his remarks, Mr Biden said that the ban had bought some time for the US to study the new strain. While the World Health Organization has deemed Omicron a "variant of concern", it is still not clear whether it is associated with more transmission or more risk of evading vaccines.
"We have the best vaccine in the world, and the best medicines, the best scientist and we're learning more every single day," the president said. He also vowed to "fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed. Not chaos and confusion".
He praised the scientific community of South Africa for reporting the strain, despite criticism that travel bans are being used to punish the country.
"To their credit, the scientific community in South Africa quickly notified the world of the emergence of this new variant," Mr Biden said. "This kind of transparency is to be encouraged and applauded because it increases our ability to respond quickly to any new threats, and that's exactly what we did."
He also said he was directing the US Food and Drug Administration, which regulates vaccines, to use the "fastest process available without cutting any corners" to approve any potential new vaccines that specifically target Omicron.
Canada, the US neighbour to the north, said on Sunday that the Omicron strain had been discovered in two patients who had recently travelled to Nigeria. A third case was announced on Monday.
Source-BBC
UPDATE ON RESTARTING TCI CRUISING WORKSHOPS
The Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Culture and Heritage, Agriculture, Religious Affairs and Gaming along with the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with Carnival Corporation has invited persons in the cruise industry of Grand Turk to pre-register for the ‘Restarting of the TCI’s Cruising’ workshops slated to commence on November 30th, 2021 and to end on December 3rd, 2021.
The activities will begin with an official opening ceremony to be held at the Yellow Man and Sons Auditorium (YM&SA) in Grand Turk at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021.
The Workshops are a part of a mutual consideration by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) and Carnival Corporation for the development and enhancement of partnerships within the local business community. The sessions are designed to meet the needs of operators and create awareness regarding business opportunities within the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Cruise Industry.
The Workshop will start with an opening ceremony on Tuesday November 30th commencing at 5pm at the Yellow Man & Sons Auditorium.
December 1, 2021 Partnering with the Cruise Industry – 9:00 a.m. Yellow Man & Sons Auditorium
December 2, 2021 Investment and Business Development 9:00 a.m. at YM&SA
December 3, 2021 Maritime and the Cruise Industry (vessel owners, captains and crew only) 9:00 a.m. Turks & Caicos Islands Community College Auditorium
The workshops will comprise of excursion operations, retail and general business development. Please note only vessel owners, captains and crew are allowed for Day 3. Persons are encouraged to register based on their interest. To register kindly click here https://tinyurl.com/st6xuuy .
The ultimate goal is increased visitor satisfaction alongside holistic investment in the industry by vendors and service providers on Grand Turk. The Ministry of Tourism looks forward to seeing you all at this momentous occasion. Covid-19 Protocols will be strictly enforced.