Monday, August 29 top news
It is Monday, August 29. I’m back in the studio. Thank you Renca Dunn for covering top stories last week. Ready for today’s news?
NASA calls off Artemis moon launch
This morning NASA called off the launch of its new rocket that would have been the first liftoff of the Artemis moon program due to issues with one of the rocket’s four engines.
NASA said the next launch opportunity is on Friday, but whether that happens depends on how testing goes this week.
Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Kennedy Space Center and hoped to see the launch in person. There were hundreds of spectators who also hoped to see the launch.
We’ll see if NASA can fix the problem by Friday.
72-year-old Capitol rioter sentenced 3+ years in prison
A 72-year-old man from Pennsylvania was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for attacking a police officer during the Jan 6. attack on the Capitol.
His name is Howard Richardson. Prosecutors said he used a metal pole with a Donald Trump flag on it to attack the officer.
Richardson told a judge that “there’s no excuse” for what he did and admitted that he “allowed myself to be dragged into this mob mentality.”
His 46-month sentence is one of the longest sentences so far in the Jan 6. case.
Man fatally shoots 3 people after setting fire on building
In Houston on Sunday, police said a man who was evicted from an apartment intentionally set the building on fire and then shot at five tenants as they fled, killing three.
Firefighters were at the area first to respond to the fire but had to take cover because of the gunfire. Police officers saw the gunman and opened fire, killing him.
News reports said the gunman was in his 40’s, had colon cancer, was behind on his rent, was jobless, and was recently notified that he was being evicted. So it is likely that the suspect was angry with people associated with the apartment.
The Houston Police Chief said this is something he hasn’t seen before in 32 years.
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Buffalo Bills release punter after sexual assault allegation
The Buffalo Bills released their punter Matt Araiza, who was just drafted in April from San Diego State after a lawsuit accused him of being involved in a gang rape of a 17-year-old girl last fall. The alleged incident took place at Araiza’s off-campus home last Halloween.
Araiza’s lawyer said the allegations were false and his agent said they would set the record straight.
Law enforcement in San Diego said there is a “review” of the case but they have not announced if they would file criminal charges.
Moderna sues Pfizer over Covid-19 vaccine technology
Moderna, the company that created one of the Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S., filed a patent infringement lawsuit against another coronavirus vaccine maker Pfizer and its partner BioNTech on Friday.
Moderna accused Pfizer of copying their mRNA technology that was developed years before the pandemic.
Pfizer said they are surprised by the litigation and said they developed the mRNA technology.
Legal experts said what Moderna is looking for is to get a percentage of Pfizer’s profits.
Gunman kills two at grocery store in Oregon
On Sunday night, a gunman with an AR-15 style rifle opened fire at a Safeway grocery store in Bend, Oregon, and killed two people.
When police officers arrived on the scene, they could still hear gunshots but when they got close to the gunman, they found him dead at the scene with a rifle and a shotgun near his body.
A witness who was shopping at the store with his four children said when they heard gunshots, they immediately ran out and that it was a horrifying experience with people screaming. Other witnesses said there were between 20 to 40 gunshots inside the store.
Police have not yet identified the shooter.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/artemis-1-moon-rocket-launch-postponed-scn/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/29/science/nasa-moon-launch
https://apnews.com/article/fires-houston-f73671d95fa1100b39259d128e9b5710
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/29/modernas-covid-vaccine-lawsuit-future
https://people.com/health/moderna-files-lawsuit-against-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines/
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/26/health/moderna-pfizer-mrna-patent-lawsuit/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/29/us/safeway-shooting-bend-oregon/index.html
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/3-dead-including-gunman-at-Safeway-store-in-17404743.php