Thursday, June 23 top stories
It is Thursday, June 23. Here are today’s top stories.
Supreme Court strikes down New York’s concealed carry gun law
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to strike down New York’s law that requires people to apply for a license and prove they have a “proper cause” to carry a concealed weapon outside of their homes. The licensing requirement was struck down.
This means Americans across the 50 states and D.C. will have a right to carry firearms in public.
The court’s majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, said it is a constitutional right to carry a weapon in public for self-defense purposes and that the New York law is unconstitutional.
The court’s three liberal justices dissented with Justice Stephen Breyer writing a warning that the Supreme Court decision will have potentially deadly consequences.
Axios explained that 25 states generally allow people to carry concealed weapons in public without any permit, background check, or safety training at all. But California, Maryland, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey have stricter gun laws similar to New York and now after the Supreme Court decision, their laws may be thrown out.
President Biden said he is deeply disappointed at the court’s ruling, especially after horrific shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde and daily acts of gun violence that do not make national headlines.
Coach dives in pool to rescue U.S. swimmer
On Wednesday during the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Hungary, a U.S. artistic swimmer lost consciousness at the end of her routine and sank to the bottom of the pool. The swimmer’s name is Anita Alvarez.
The coach, Andrea Fuentes, said she knew something was wrong and called for the lifeguards to go into the pool, but they didn’t react. Fuentes decided to dive in the pool herself and was able to pull up Alvarez. The rescue was captured by underwater photographers.
Alvarez was carried away in a stretcher and after a check-up, doctors said she is in good health.
The coach, Fuentes, is a Spanish synchronized swimmer and is a legend in the country because she has four Olympic medals and 16 World Championship medals.
Reuters said it is the second time that Fuentes had to dive in the pool to rescue Alvarez with the first incident taking place last year.
Fuentes said in an interview that it is common in high-endurance sports for athletes to push themselves to their limits and it just happens that Alvarez found her limit in a pool.
Alvarez finished in seventh place in artistic swimming.
6,000 bees removed from home
In Omaha, Nebraska, a couple noticed many bees flying outside of their kitchen window and found about 30 bees in a second-floor bedroom. The couple’s home is 100 years old.
The couple thought of contacting an exterminator, but they knew that bees play an important role in our environment with pollinating plants. So they reached out to the Omaha Bee Club and paid a $600 fee to safely relocate the bees.
Members of the club came to the home, cut a hole in the wall of the home, and vacuumed the bees into a box to relocate them. They removed about 6,000 bees and three honeycombs about two inches thick and nine inches wide in diameter. The couple said the bees got inside through a hole in the exterior brick wall.
———
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
—---------------
[Advertisement from Disaster Distress Helpline] After a disaster, you may be at risk for emotional distress. Warning signs can include feeling isolated, anxious, having trouble sleeping and more. If you or someone you know is Deaf or hard of hearing, the Disaster Distress Helpline offers a direct videophone option. This free service for ASL users is answered 24/7 by trained crisis workers fluent in ASL and can be accessed using any videophone-enabled device and dialing 1-800-985-5990 or at disasterdistress.samhsa.gov.
———
Six killed in vintage helicopter crash in West Virginia
On Wednesday in West Virginia, six people in a vintage, tourist helicopter were killed when the helicopter crashed. The helicopter was a Bell UH-1B helicopter that was used during the Vietnam War. A common nickname for the helicopter is “Huey.”
There is a Huey Reunion event at a small airport in Logan, West Virginia this week. The festival offered guests rides on the helicopter and even allowed them to fly the helicopters if they didn’t have a license.
It is unknown exactly what happened to cause the helicopter to crash. There was a severe thunderstorm watch on the day but the weather seemed clear when the crash happened.
A first responder said the cockpit was burned up and that the tail boom was lying across the road. A nearby resident said she came to the crash site and saw a man trapped but couldn’t help due to the fire and the heat.
That particular helicopter was used in several movies such as “Die Hard,” “The Rock,” and “Baywatch.”
Maine insurance company condemned for sign disparaging Juneteenth
A small insurance business in Maine posted a sign on its front door on Monday that disparaged the importance of Juneteenth as a federal holiday with language that many considered to be racist.
The insurance company, Harry E Reed Insurance Agency, taped a printed paper that said, “Juneteenth. It’s whatever. We’re closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.”
Local news reports said community members and many people online sent negative comments towards the business over the sign.
The insurance business lost its partnerships with Progressive and Allstate. Both companies said the sign violated their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The employee who wrote the sign, Melanie Higgins, issued an apology for “any misunderstanding and hurt.” She said she would “continue every effort possible to rectify and grow from this.”
FDA orders Juul to stop selling e-cigarettes in U.S.
The FDA ordered Juul to stop selling e-cigarettes in the U.S. The FDA said Juul “may have played a disproportionate role in the rise in youth vaping.” Juul sells thin vaping cartridges with flavored nicotine pods.
Juul said they would appeal the FDA’s decision and that the FDA is hurting Americans more than helping because they’re not allowing adults to switch from regular cigarettes to e-cigarettes, which may be safer.
The FDA said Juul’s marketing materials attracted underage users. It conducted a two-year review of the company and its products before making the order for all of Juul products to be taken off the U.S. market.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/sport/anita-alvarez-swimmer-coach-spt-intl/index.html
https://www.axios.com/2022/06/23/gun-rights-supreme-court-new-york-ruling
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/new-york-gun-law-supreme-court-decision/index.html
https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/23/vintage-helicopter-crash-west-virginia-six-die
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/06/23/helicopter-crash-west-virginia-huey/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/health/fda-juul-ecigarettes-ban.html