June 1 top stories
It is June 1. Here are today’s top stories.
Ukrainian mother & daughter killed by Russian missile
In Ukraine, Kyiv’s mayor said a mother and her nine-year-old daughter were killed by a Russian missile strike while trying to enter an air raid shelter that failed to open. A third person, a woman, was also killed. Reuters said it is not clear why the shelter was closed. It is the 18th time that Kyiv was hit by Russian bombs since May.
2023 Atlantic hurricane season begins
CBS News said today marks the official launch of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season and that it’s starting with a storm already brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. Weather forecasters said it is possible that the storm will turn into a tropical depression.
The Atlantic hurricane season will continue until November 30. The NOAA predicted there will be at least a dozen named storms over the next several months with between five to nine hurricanes.
Danny Masterson convicted on rape charges
Actor Danny Masterson, who is best known for his role on “That ’70s Show,” was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape in a courtroom in Los Angeles. He was handcuffed and taken into custody. The judge in the case denied a request for Masterson to be free while awaiting sentencing on August 4. Masterston faces up to 30 years in prison.
“Variety” explained that he was accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. The jury convicted him of raping two of them but was deadlocked on the third case.
There is a separate and pending civil case against Masterson filed by victims/survivors who allege that Masterson and the Church of Scientology harassed and stalked them. All three of the alleged victims were former members of the church.
Car flies 120 feet off tow truck ramp
Police in Georgia released body cam footage that showed the moment that a car, at a high speed, drove up a ramp of a tow truck that was stopped on the side of a highway, sending the car 120 feet before it crashed on the road. This happened on May 24.
The tow truck and police were at the scene for an unrelated highway accident. The driver is a Florida woman who is 21 years old. Her identity was not released. She was hospitalized with serious injuries.
No police officers nor bystanders were injured. The driver may be charged with failing to move over for emergency vehicles.
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High school graduate missing at sea
An 18-year-old high school graduate from Louisiana, Cameron Robbins, has been missing at sea for over a week after a video showed that he either jumped or fell overboard from a sunset cruise in the Bahamas during a trip with other high school graduates.
Robbins is seen in the video swimming in the water during nighttime. There is speculation that there were sharks in the water that attacked Robbins as the video shows a grayish-whitish object near the surface. The party boat stayed in the area for several hours but couldn’t find Robbins.
The US Coast Guard and Bahamian crews spent several days searching for Robbins but they called off the search after finding no trace.
Robbins’ family went to the Bahamas to support the search last week but they returned home on Sunday. They are now planning a memorial service on June 4.
Joe Biden falls during Air Force Academy graduation
President Joe Biden attended the U.S. Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony to deliver a commencement address. After he handed over the last diploma and walked to leave the stage, he tripped and fell. Three people quickly helped him and Biden seemed to be okay as he got up and pointed at what caused him to fall.
The White House said there was a sandbag on stage that caused Biden to fall.
People on social media seized on the moment to say that it shows that Biden is too old to be president or to run for another term. Biden is 80 years old.
House passes debt ceiling bill
The House passed a bill to suspend the government’s debt ceiling last night in a 314-117 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Schumer said the Senate will stay in session until it passes the bill.
The deadline is June 5 to avoid a government default, which would have terrible financial consequences for the country.
Reuters said the deal would keep non-defense discretionary spending, which is the annual federal budget set by Congress, flat at current levels until 2025. This graphic shows that the military budget, the blue colors, makes up half of the entire yearly budget.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/danny-mastersons-second-rape-trial-1235616690/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/06/01/georgia-car-crash-video-tow-truck/
https://nypost.com/2023/06/01/cameron-robbins-family-retraced-his-final-steps-in-bahamas/