December 20 top stories
It is December 20. Here are today’s top stories.
Colorado Supreme Court removes Trump from ballot
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that former President Donald Trump’s name should be removed from the state’s primary ballot because he “incited and encouraged” a rebellion against the U.S. government on Jan. 6, 2021 to prevent the transfer of power.
The court said Trump violated the Constitution’s insurrection clause and is disqualified from holding office again.
However the court paused its decision to allow Trump to make a request for the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision. Trump’s team said they will do that.
One of the three justices who dissented said they were concerned about a lack of due process for removing Trump’s name from the ballot.
CBS News said Trump’s eligibility for the presidency could be threatened if the U.S. Supreme Court sides with Colorado’s Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court already has another important issue with Trump — it has to decide whether Trump is immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
5 children die in house fire
In tragic news from Arizona, five children were killed in a house fire while their father was out shopping for groceries and Christmas gifts. The victims were four siblings ages 13 to [2] and an 11-year-old visiting relative. They all were upstairs when the fire started before 5 p.m. Saturday. Police in Bullhead City said they believe the fire started on the first floor and traveled up the only staircase in the house, preventing the victims from exiting. It is unknown what caused the fire. Neighbors tried to rescue the children and some placed a ladder towards the upstairs bedroom but it didn’t work out. The city mayor said this loss is the community’s loss and they are grieving with the families of the five children.
Lance Armstrong’s storage unit burglarized
Two men in Austin were charged with stealing more than $100,000 worth of bicycles and parts from the storage unit of Lance Armstrong, the famed cyclist who was stripped of his seven Tour de France races for doping.
Austin police said the two men broke into Armstrong’s storage unit and took four Trek road racing bikes, a Cannondale racing bike, and a Ventum racing bike. Police said the two suspects were also suspected in thefts of other storage units.
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Detroit cop charged with manslaughter for fatally punching man
A 29-year-old Detroit police officer was charged with manslaughter for punching a 71-year-old man in the face and causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head. The man eventually died of his wounds.
Local news in Detroit said the officer’s name is Juwan M.A. Brown and he was called to a bowling alley on September 1 after the bowling alley asked for help to deal with a 71-year-old customer named Daryl Vance who was allegedly causing problems.
The officer got the man out of the bowling alley and punched him. The man died 20 days later and a medical examiner said the blunt force trauma to his head, from the punch, is what killed him.
A prosecutor said the officer became the “aggressor” and that his “actions went criminally beyond what was necessary in this situation.”
The Detroit Police Department said Brown has been terminated from the department. If Brown is convicted of manslaughter, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
IRS waiving $1 billion in tax penalties
The IRS said it is waiving $1 billion in tax penalties for 4.7 million individuals, businesses and organizations who owe back taxes.
Axios said this “rare relief is about $200 on average for each affected taxpayer and about 70% of those affected have household incomes below $100,000.”
The IRS said it is doing the waivers because it stopped mailing reminders in February 2022 because of the pandemic and that the failure-to-pay penalties continue to increase without more notifications to taxpayers.
The IRS said taxpayers still have to pay the taxes, just not the fees from the penalties.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colorado-supreme-court-opinions-decision-trump-primary-ballot/
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/20/trump-supreme-court-colorado-ballot
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/12/20/arizona-house-fire-christmas/
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/20/irs-tax-penalty-relief-back-taxes