January 1, Police raise alarm over surge in violent crime: ‘We’re clearly outnumbered’

Hello Americans,

Oakland, California is in the midst of a “safety emergency” following the violence over the extended Fourth of July weekend. “That is what is concerning. The level of celebratory gunfire is something we haven’t seen before,” said police chief LeRonne Armstrong. “Does this department need resources? Clearly, we do. We were clearly outnumbered.” The Oakland police responded to seven shootings between Sunday night and Monday morning. “Oakland is in a safety emergency,” city councilman Noel Gallo said. “I grew up here in Oakland and East Oakland, and it is the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Former President Donald Trump is taking legal action against Facebook, Twitter, and Google for censorship, according to an announcement he made on Wednesday. “We’re asking the US district court for the southern district of Florida to order an immediate halt to social media companies’ illegal, shameful censorship of the American people,” Trump said. “We’re demanding an end to the shadow banning, a stop to the silencing, a stop to the blacklisting, banishing, and canceling that you know so well. Our case will prove this censorship is unlawful. It’s unconstitutional, and it’s completely un-American,” he added.

A federal judge ruled that the US Air Force is “60% responsible” for the 2017 massacre at a Texas church wherein a former serviceman killed 26 people because it failed to submit his criminal history, which would have prevented him from purchasing firearms. Devin Kelly opened fire during a Sunday service, which remains the worst mass shooting in Texas history. “The trial conclusively established that no other individual — not even Kelley’s own parents or partners — knew as much as the United States about the violence that Devin Kelley had threatened to commit and was capable of committing,” US District Judge Xavier Rodriguez wrote.

A Covid-19 surge team has been deployed to Springfield, Missouri to assist with the exponentially growing number of cases. Over the past week, the number of Missouri cases was the second-highest in the country. “We’re already starting to see places with low vaccination rates starting to have relatively big spikes from the Delta variant,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “We’ve seen this in Arkansas, Missouri, Wyoming. (…) Those are the places where we’re going to see more hospitalizations and deaths as well, unfortunately.”

In Virginia, the FBI infiltrated a militia-style group that formed under the guise of a Bible study. Fi Duong, charged with joining the mob that stormed Capitol Hill on January 6, told an undercover agent that he belonged to the group. The undercover agent was able to attend meetings and intercept encrypted communications. “How do we feel about an Intel run around the Capitol tonight?” an unnamed associate wrote on February 13. “Fewer of them out. Posture may be lowered. Good opportunity to expose weaknesses.” According to an affidavit, Duong said that he went to the January 6 rally alone and dressed in all-black to resemble a “member of Antifa.”

Lastly, a promising college football quarterback was killed after a barrage of 50 bullets was fired into his vehicle. Ladarius Clardy, 18, played two games for Kennesaw State University last year and was set to return for his sophomore season. “He was a great individual,” Clardy’s father, LaDaron Clardy, said. “A great kid with a great personality … He was my everything. He was more than a son.” No arrests have been made and the motive behind the attack is currently unclear. There is a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to a break in the investigation.

Stay safe,

Fraser Dixon

Sources

• After July 4 weekend violence, California official says city experiencing ‘safety emergency’
• Trump says he will sue social media giants over ‘censorship’
• Judge Says The Air Force Is Mostly Responsible For A 2017 Texas Church Shooting
• US sends Covid-19 surge team to southwest Missouri after Delta variant fuels rise in cases and hospitalizations
• FBI infiltrates militia-style group formed under ‘Bible study’ cover
• Rising Georgia college quarterback Ladarius Clardy killed in 50-bullet barrage