Monday, December 16, 2024
It is Monday, December 16, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
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Wisconsin school shooting
There was a school shooting this morning at a private Christian school near Madison, Wisconsin. Police said the shooter was a “child” and a “student” and that the shooter killed four people. The shooter was also dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound because police said they did not fire their weapons when they got to the school. It is not yet revealed whether the four victims were students or staff. The school is called Abundant Life Christian School and it has about 390 students from kindergarten through high school.
***Update: Two people were killed in Wisconsin, not four. They were a teacher and a teen student. Six others were injured.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-school-shooting-498c8ad26d299602553201ad639a4a5c
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Deadly Cyclone Chido
Mayotte, a small island near the African continent, was hit by Tropical Cyclone Chido on Saturday and officials there say it may have killed hundreds of people.
Chido is the worst storm in 90 years to strike the island, which is in the Indian Ocean. The storm was compact, making it more powerful, and there were 140 mph winds at the eyewall.
Mayotte’s leader Francois-Xavier Bieuville said many residents have lost everything.
The island is in French territory and France has already sent ships and military aircraft to the island.
https://www.axios.com/2024/12/16/cyclone-chido-french-territory-mayotte-death-toll
https://apnews.com/article/mayotte-cyclone-chido-climate-weather-43890b2cee0d90e67b6263f278782334
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Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy
Travis Hunter, who is a special college football player because of his abilities to play on both offense and defense, won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player.
Hunter plays for the Colorado Buffaloes under coach Deion Sanders as both a receiver and a cornerback. He rarely came off the field in his games this year. Hunter said he’s able to do this because of his mindset that he “can do it” and because he takes care of his body and receives treatment and recovery.
Hunter plans to enter the NFL draft, where he is projected to be a top-five pick.
https://apnews.com/article/heisman-trophy-travis-hunter-colorado-c76c411ca04108018eefb18beaa649fe
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Teen allegedly kills 4 family members
In disturbing news, police in Belen, New Mexico arrested a 16-year-old boy for allegedly killing four members of his family.
The boy, Diego Leyva, called 911 at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday and confessed what he did. When police arrived, Diego walked outside and was extremely intoxicated. He was taken into custody.
When police entered the home, they found four victims who died from gunshot wounds — two adults and two teenagers.
Diego was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and police said they are investigating the motive.
It is another incident of a teen killing their family members — there was a similar incident in Washington state in October when a 15-year-old boy was charged with killing his parents and three siblings.
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American freed from Syrian prison
An American named Travis Timmerman (29) was freed from a Syrian prison after the collapse of its previous government and is now with the U.S. military.
Timmerman is from Missouri and he entered Syria about seven months ago for Christian spiritual purposes. He said he didn’t enter with permission (illegally entered) and was jailed about seven months ago.
He told CBS News he and others were freed last week after two armed men broke their prison door down.
The Timmerman family said they are overjoyed that he is alive and well.
There is another American who is still missing in Syria, a journalist named Austin Tice. He has been missing since 2012 and the U.S. believes he was detained by the former Syrian government. The last time he was seen alive was in 2022. The Tice family said they’re very hopeful that they’ll find him.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-travis-timmerman-syria-us-military-jordan/
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Kamala Harris’ future plans
CNN reported that according to those close to Kamala Harris, she is considering whether she should run for California governor in 2026 or focus on running again during the 2028 election.
It wouldn’t be good for Harris to do both because it would mean she’d have to start campaigning for the presidency shortly after swearing in as governor.
CNN said if Harris wants the California governor job, it would be pretty easy for her to win based on her political experience there as she was elected three times as an attorney general and as a U.S. senator.
Harris would need to make her decision in the early part of 2025. Those close to her said that while Harris is not sure about the future, she said she won’t go “quietly into the night,” that she’ll be back.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/15/politics/kamala-harris-future-2028-california-governor/index.html
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.