Thursday, January 19 top stories
It is Thursday, January 19. Here are today’s top stories.
Man who sprayed water hose on homeless woman is arrested
The San Francisco man who was seen in a viral video spraying a water hose on a homeless woman who was seated on a sidewalk in front of his art gallery was arrested on Wednesday and charged with misdemeanor battery. The man’s name is Collier Gwin.
The San Francisco District Attorney's Office said Gwin allegedly intentionally and unlawfully sprayed water on and around a woman experiencing homelessness on January 9, 2022.
A news video shows that Gwin was placed in a police vehicle near his art gallery, at about the same location where the woman was hosed.
Gwin, if convicted, faces up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.
San Francisco officials said the homeless woman has been receiving assistance from a city department.
Drive-thru attempted kidnapping suspect arrested
Police in Auburn, Washington said they have located and arrested a suspect who they believe is the man who attempted to kidnap a barista from a drive-thru coffee shop.
Earlier this week, Auburn police released a video that showed a man driving a pick-up truck grabbing at a barista’s arm and trying to put a looped zip-tie device on it. The barista managed to pull away and close the drive-thru window and the man fled. This happened at about 5 a.m. on Monday.
Auburn police said they have received overwhelming support and were able to find the suspect’s vehicle and home and found evidence that linked him to the incident. His name is Matthew Darnell. He is facing a charge of attempted kidnapping in the second degree and is now behind bars with bail set at $500,000.
The barista’s identity has not been revealed. Police said she did an “awesome job of protecting herself and fighting this person off.”
DailyMail.com said they spoke with the barista and that she worked at the “Beankini Espresso” coffee shop, which has its baristas serve drinks while wearing bikinis. She said she has never seen this man before.
Alec Baldwin involuntary manslaughter charge
Actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a film set in New Mexico in 2021. The Santa Fe district attorney made the announcement. Baldwin was the one who discharged a prop gun that blasted a projectile into Hutchins and the director, Joel Souza, who was wounded.
A second worker on the set will also be charged with involuntary manslaughter: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was the armorer. She was responsible for organizing the guns and ammunition used on set.
Assistant director David Halls accepted a plea deal on a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. He will serve a suspended sentence and six months probation.
A prosecutor said if any one of these three people — Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed, or Halls — did their jobs, Hutchins would be alive today.
Baldwin has blamed others on the set for handing him a loaded gun and filed a lawsuit against Gutierrez-Reed and Halls.
Separately, Baldwin has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Hutchins’ family.
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U.S. debt limit concerns
The Treasury Department announced today that the U.S. has reached its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and has started “extraordinary measures” to avoid defaulting on government bonds.
The debt ceiling is the maximum amount that the U.S. government can borrow to pay for funding that Congress has already approved.
There is likely going to be a fight between Democrats and Republicans in the divided Congress on what to do with the debt ceiling. Some Republicans say they don’t want to increase the debt limit at all. The Biden administration wants an increase with no conditions. The U.S. could default on its debt in June if there is no deal in place.
Treasury Secretary Jane Yellen warned that if the government cannot borrow more, it may have to delay payments or default on Social Security payments and other critical payments such as veterans benefits or federal employees’ salaries.
So this is a big topic to follow in the weeks ahead in Congress.
New Zealand PM Ardern announces resignation
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she would be resigning. Many were shocked. Ardern said she felt that she no longer has the energy it takes to do this job. Her final day will be February 7.
Ardern has been the PM of New Zealand since 2017 and was internationally known as a strong and compassionate leader in dealing with several crises such as the Christchurch terrorist attack, the Whakaari volcano disaster, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
She was also a model of accessibility for deaf people with her frequent use of a sign language interpreter during her press conferences.
There will be a general election on October 14 to pick her replacement.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1376153412926031
https://twitter.com/AuburnWAPolice/status/1615856815589453824
https://www.axios.com/2023/01/19/congress-debt-ceiling-extraordinary-measures
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/18/politics/debt-ceiling-deadline-congress/index.html