Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon for anticompetitive practices and price-fixing.
Amazon has increasingly been under fire on all fronts. The company has repeatedly been criticized for how it treats employees, as well as its attempts to combat unionization efforts.
Now the company is under fire for alleged anticompetitive behavior, including wide-scale price-fixing. At the heart of the case is the company’s “most favored nation” (MFN) agreements, which prohibit retailers from offering their products elsewhere at cheaper prices, or with better terms, than they do on Amazon. The MFN agreements even prohibit retailers from offering their products cheaper on their own websites.
“Amazon has used its dominant position in the online retail market to win at all costs. It maximizes its profits at the expense of third-party sellers and consumers while harming competition, stifling innovation, and illegally tilting the playing field in its favor,” said AG Racine. “We filed this antitrust lawsuit to put an end to Amazon’s illegal control of prices across the online retail market. We need a fair online marketplace that expands options available to District residents and promotes competition, innovation, and choice.”
According to the AG, Amazon claimed to have removed its price parity policy in 2019. In actuality, the company is accused of quickly and quietly replacing it with a replacement policy that accomplished the same thing. Under the new policy, the Fair Pricing Policy, “third-party sellers can be sanctioned or removed from Amazon altogether if they offer their products for lower prices or under better terms on a competing online platform.”
Google announced that it has changed the name of Google Shopping Express to just Google Express, is expanding it into more cities, and that it now includes more retail partners.
Google Shopping Express was first introduced early last year as a local delivery service enabling people to get same-day delivery on some items. It initially launched in San Francisco with a handful of partners including Target, Walgreens, American Eagle, Staples, Toys R Us, and Office Depot. Since then, it’s slowly expanded into a few other areas like San Jose, Los Angeles, and Manhattan.
Now, it’s coming to Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C. under the new name, and has added new merchants: 1-800-Flowers, Barnes & Noble, Nine West, PetSmart, Vitamin Shoppe, Sports Authority, Paragon Sports in New York, Vicente Foods in Los Angeles, Stop & Shop in Boston, Giant Food in D.C., and Lux Roses, TigerDirect, Treasure Island Foods and Wrigleyville Sports in Chicago.
“One year ago, the first Google Shopping Express order was delivered—a box of granola,” said Brian Elliott, Head of Partnerships for Google Shopping. “Our idea was to make shopping your favorite local stores as easy and fast as shopping online, and to help you get what you need delivered the same day. Since then, you’ve told us how we helped you restock diapers in the nick of time, made sure you had Bananagrams for family game night, and even made you feel connected to the outside world when you were home sick. Along the way, we’ve expanded to new locations, brought on more merchants, and offered more products. And now, we’re adding to the program you love.”
In addition to the new name, location, and partners, Bay Area users who are over 21 can now use the service to order alcoholic beverages.
Express membership gives users free same-day delivery or overnight delivery on eligible orders over $15, first dibs on delivery windows, and shared membership with a household member. It costs $95 per year or $10 per month. Alternatively, users can pay as they go at $4.99 per order.
According to Google, over 7 million people can now use Google Express with 12 million of them in Northern California.
The Associated Press tell us that President Obama’s deputy chief of staff for operations, Alyssa Mastromonaco, is officially resigning from the White House. Mastromonaco was in charge of most of Obama’s schedule, the White House’s staffing as well as his event planning. She’s one of his longest standing partners– she was one of his first staff members when he moved to Washington D.C. in 2005. She began her career with the Obama camp as scheduling director, and was promoted to deputy chief of staff in 2011. Since then, Mastromonaco has helped with domestic and international strategic decisions as well as scheduling President Obama’s basketball games.
It has been said that Mastromonaco has expressed the desire to leave before now, even before the president’s second term, but he convinced her to stay. News of her consideration has been circling around since December, and know it looks to be official.
The reasons why she wishes to resign, however, are not as open to the public. As with all official government affairs, the fine details are being kept confidential. Sources that relayed the information of her nearing departure only spoke to the media on the conditions of strict anonymity. It has been stated that Mastromonaco is seeking a job in the private sector, but she is also at some points still required to continue advisement on the president’s affairs.
Mastromonaco is one of the friendlier faces of politics– born and raised in Rhinebeck, New York, she majored in French at the University of Vermont. A Democrat, she once interned for Republican Bernie Sanders as he campaigned for another term in the House of Representatives.
Actor Ben Affleck took a trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Affleck spoke before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on behalf of the region. The Argo actor and director was accompanied by Russell Feingold, the U.S. special envoy for the Congo; Roger Meece, former U.S. ambassador to Congo; and Dr. Raymond Gilpin, the National Defense University’s academic dean.
Senator John Kerry was one of the many who was scheduled to meet Affleck. He was so impressed that he even tweeted at the Oscar-winning actor.
Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative nearly four years ago.
And it turns out, Afleck wasn’t the only star visiting D.C. today.
Funny man Seth Rogen testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the economics and current state of research of Alzheimer’s disease treatment and prevention.
Rogen and wife Lauren Miller founded Hilarity for Charity to help raise awareness about the disease.
Miller’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 55.
In the fight to raise America’s minimum wage, no one was probably betting on the state of Maryland to lead the way. In the nation’s capital, the D.C. Council voted to raise the local minimum wage from $8.25 per hour to $11.50 per hour. The measure is expected to be approved by Democratic Mayor Vincent Gray.
There was concern that Gray would fight the wage hike, as he had already expressed concerns that such a drastic increase in hourly wages would negatively impact local businesses. Gray had also already vetoed a previous bill that would have seen hourly wages increase to over $12.50 an hour. It seems that a dollar off that amount is a compromise willing to be had as no one is expecting a veto.
Across the nation, battle lines are being drawn as those working for minimum wage march and protest, saying that what is offered at minimum wage is just not enough to live on. Their argument is that the only way to allow more Americans to stay above the poverty line would be to raise earning dollars for the poorest of working Americans. Fast food workers are demanding $15 an hour. At the same time, Congress gearing up to discuss passage of an Obama-backed bill that would raise federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
The spotlight remains on the state of Maryland, where aside from the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County have also voted to raise the minimum wage to $11.50. The difference is that both counties hope to gradually increase minimum wage by 2017 rather than 2016. There is talk that the unanimous effort was meant to ensure increases in all locations.
New York looks stingy by comparison, where next year the state will see the minimum wage increase to $8.00 per hour. The state expects to reach $9.00 per hour by 2015.
Nearly 5% of America’s workforce receives hourly wages at around minimum wage. These individuals also tend to be enrolled in government aid programs such as welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ordered Chris Brown to return to rehab. The ruling came Wednesday, after Judge James R. Brandlin read reports of Brown’s latest transgressions.
The Grammy-winning recording artist was kicked out of a residential treatment facility when he threw a rock at his mom’s car window on November 10. This followed a family therapy session in which his mother disagreed with Brown’s wish to leave the facility earlier than originally planned.
The treatment facility dismissed Brown following the incident, citing the non-violence contract he’d agreed to upon admission. In a letter that was submitted to the court, the facility stated that “Mr. Brown proceeded to walk outside and pick up a rock and threw it through his mother’s car window and it shattered.”
Judge Brandlin’s ruling appeared to follow the recommendations of Brown’s probation officer: besides the three additional months in rehab, the ruling specified that Brown be allowed to leave the facility for 24 hours a week to perform community service and that he submit to random drug testing. He was also ordered to continue taking any doctor-prescribed medications.
Brown has been in and out of court since pleading guilty to the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna.
In court in mid-August, Brown avoided what could have been serious charges related to a May hit-and-run incident. The judge expressed concerns about discrepancies in Brown’s claims to have already fulfilled the 1,400 hours of court-ordered community service in connection with his beating of Rihanna. His previously-revoked probation was reinstated and he was ordered to perform another 1,000 hours of community service.
Brown was given a year to perform the service, and parole officers expressed concern about the performer’s ability to complete it unless he was allowed to do so while in residential treatment.
Wednesday’s court date was set back in August and was essentially meant to be a progress report.
Brown will be back in court on Monday, however, and this time it will be in Washington, D.C. Judge Brandlin gave Brown permission to leave Los Angeles in order to face charges related to an October 27 incident outside the White House in which Brown and his bodyguard got into a physical altercation with a 20 year-old Maryland man.
Brown is walking on thin ice right now. At this point, the Los Angeles judge can sentence him to up to four years in prison for the beating of Rihanna if he is found in violation of that felony probation.
On Thursday, November 7, 2013, four individuals were arrested in connection with a virtual kidnapping scam. The scam targeted immigrants in the United States, specifically in areas surrounding Washington, D.C., due to the significant number of immigrants located there, who have traveled from Central America. They often do not have any form of communication with their relatives who are also on their northward journey, which the perpetrators used toward their advantage.
“Virtual kidnapping” is also extremely common in Latin America, especially in Mexico, Brazil, and Guatemala. Due to the high rates of crime in these parts of Latin America, victims are more likely to believe that the perpetrators when they state that they have kidnapped their relatives. Yet, no abductions actually have occurred. The offenders used telemarketing techniques to collect ransom money, by proclaiming that the immigrants’ loved ones were being held captive. “They would just randomly run through a sequence of numbers, like one to one-hundred. They’re just like your professional telemarketer. They have a script, ‘You need to pay this money. If you don’t, something’s going to happen,’” stated Daniel Page, an assistant special agent in charge of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations unit in San Diego.
Using cell phones that were smuggled into prisons in Latin America, inmates often placed the calls and the information was obtained from social networking websites in order to convince families that they have abducted relatives. According to Page, these callers did not know whether or not their victims truly had loved ones who were crossing the border into the United States, but assumed that making a sufficient amount of calls would eventually lead to success.
The offenders have succeeded in many instances since 2007, by using thirty different San Diego phone numbers to randomly call approximately five thousand potential victims a day. According to federal investigators, they collected at least $500,000 in ransom money throughout the years. They often received between $1,000 and $3,000 when callers took the bait. The callers, who where located in Tijuana, Mexico, demanded that the money should be wired because they were holding a relative captive who was illegally immigrating to the U.S. In reality, no individual was truly being held captive.
Though, there were two individuals charged in April of 2011, for kidnapping an individual. A Fresno woman wired $2,500 to a Walmart store in San Diego in order to free her brother-in-law who was being beaten and held against his will in Tijuana. When she knew that her brother-in-law was finally freed, she received yet another call, in which the perpetrators demanded more money. In this moment, she called the Fresno police department, which eventually led to the arrests of a married couple. Both pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, and the investigation continued, resulting in four more arrests on Thursday.
Defendants made their initial court appearance on Friday, and were charged with wire fraud and other crimes that are unknown during this time. They are accused of collecting random payments in San Diego and bringing the money back to Tijuana, Mexico. Those charged are as follows: 63-year old Ruth Graciela Reygoza, from Chula Vista; 42-year old Maria del Carmen Pulido, from East Los Angeles; and two brothers who are American citizens from Tijuana: 25-year old Adrian Rocha and 23-year old Juan Rocha.
A judge ordered the defendants to be held pending a detention hearing that is stated to occur next Thursday. It was not immediately known whether or not they have retained any attorneys.
First it was on. Then it was off. Now it’s back on again.
No, we aren’t talking about Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson (pretty sure that relationship is still over)–we’re taking about the “Truckers Ride for the Constitution” protest that is heading to Washington. Congress has their shutdown, and now a bunch of truckers are planning a D.C. shutdown of their own.
According to the “Truckers Ride for the Constitution” group on Facebook that has more than 100,000 fans, “The American people are sick and tired of the corruption that is destroying America! We therefore declare a GENERAL STRIKE on the weekend of October 11-13, 2013! Truck drivers will not haul freight! Americans can strike in solidarity with truck drivers!”
The group was created September 23, just a week before the government shutdown went into effect. The truckers, whose numbers could reach 10,000, plan to shutdown the Beltway for three days, taking up two lanes and keeping a third clear for emergency vehicles. The I-495 Beltway is a 64-mile stretch of Interstate highway that surrounds Washington, D.C.
Earl Conlon, the face of the protest, says that only supporters of the Constitution ride will be allowed a relatively easy passage on the Beltway. “Everybody that doesn’t have a supporter sticker on their window, good luck. Nobody in, nobody out. It’s going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter, if cops decide to give us a hard time, we’re going to lock the brakes up, we’re going to stop right there, we’re going to be a three lane roadblock,” Conlon said.
Conlon and his group, who say they aren’t affiliated with either Republicans or Democrats, plan to demand the arrest of Congressmen for violating the Constitution, plus they want Obama to step down.
“”We are coming whether they like it or not. We are not going to ask for impeachment,” Conlon said. “We’re asking for the arrest of everyone in government who has violated their oath of office.”
State police in Virginia won’t interfere with the truckers as long as no laws are broken:
Nearly everyone knows the world’s favorite “Golden Girl” Betty White. However, most people probably aren’t aware that she has a twin – a wax figure twin, that is. Actress and comedian, Betty White received the prestigious honor of joining the celebrity wax figure collection at the famous Madame Tussauds museum in Washington, D.C.
Madame Tussauds is one of the most notable celebrity wax museums in the world. With 14 locations in four different continents, the museum has replicated some of the world’s most prominent figures, creating life-like, artistic statues that bare striking resemblances to human features. The museum has re-created everyone from the 44 presidents and the activists of civil rights to sports legends and A-list entertainers.
On Wednesday morning, a commemoration ceremony will take place for the official unveiling of the wax figure. According to the Washington Post, Lisa LaFontaine, CEO of the Washington Humane Society will do the honors in an effort to pay homage to White’s fervent love for animals.
While the honor denotes great merit, it won’t be White’s first life-size replica. In 2012, White had another wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds of Los Angeles.
She also had another extraordinary replica created that came in the form of a cake – a life-size cake. In 2012, Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro created a life-size cake figure replicating Betty White. The cake was created for Betty White’s official roast at the famous Friar’s Club of New York City.
With more than 65 years in the film industry, the 91-year-old actress has won six Emmy Awards. Her record-breaking feat also goes down in history as she is the only female to have an Emmy in all of the comedic categories. White became a household name with her roles as Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls.” White shows no signs that her momentum will wane anytime soon. She now portrays Elka Ostrosky on the hit show “Hot in Cleveland,” which has earned her two SAG awards.
October 8, 2013, may become known as the day of the “almost” trucker protest. Reports earlier claimed that a group known as the “Truckers Ride for the Constitution” with Mr. Earl Conlon at the forefront was planning to take Washington D.C. by beltway storm. The plan was to block D.C. traffic in order to protest the government shutdown, ultimately resulting in the arrest of congressmen.
Earl Conlon, who vocally spearheaded the initiative, spoke with U.S. News. “Everybody that doesn’t have a supporter sticker on their window, good luck. Nobody in, nobody out. It’s going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter, if cops decide to give us a hard time, we’re going to lock the brakes up, we’re going to stop right there, we’re going to be a three lane roadblock,” Conlon said.
The protest was originally thought to begin on Friday and continue for three days where truck drivers would still be mindful of the 55 mph speed limit restrictions. It was reported that the truckers would clog three lanes while leaving the emergency lane open. However, fast forward a few hours and the anticipated end result had already changed. Or, maybe the result had not really changed, but rather someone got played along the way. The question is: Who got played?
“The comments to U.S. News were designed to do one thing and one thing only: stir the feather of the mainstream media. Nothing gets the attention like the mainstream media, like some sort of disastrous threat. I knew it was going to ruffle some feathers,” Earl Conlon said later.
Was Earl Conlon merely fighting for his american right to demand that elected leaders listen to the populace who voted them into office in the first place? You decide. Earl Conlon did take to his Twitter page where he promotes himself as “trucking and fearing for my country” to explain the whole ordeal.
@1NEWS2NEWS it would be stupid to try to go against the machine without the support to flaw.
Trucker culture here in the United States is perhaps one of the more unique phenomena in the world. Our entire economic success depends upon a group of individuals who are willing to drive an exhausting amount of hours across a vast continent in a HUGE, unreliable, scary death-trap mobile. And as all kids constantly demonstrate through their vertical Tiger Woods-esque whistle-tooting motion, truckers generally accept their fate with a decent attitude.
However, a recent rally organized through social media proves that truckers have finally lost “it”. Earl Conlon, a Georgia trucker who is handling the logistics of the protest, and Zeeda Andrews, a former country singer, have organized the “Truckers Ride for the Constitution” rally. The aim of the protest, according to their website flyer, is to “restore our Constitutional Republic”:
“Independent Truckers of America are essentially operating on extremely low; and in most cases working below minimum wage, and all paying exorbitant fuel costs and fees. American truckers are also very politically astute and great patriots, they are all well aware of what is happening to our U.S. Constitution. Through this campaign, they are leading the convoy of all Americans coast-to-coast who wish to restore our constitutional republic. America is calling out to our Patriots, and if any group can help lead the charge to save our nation, it’s the U.S. truckers.”
How exactly do the truckers plan to restore our constitutional republic, you ask? If it is left up to Earl Conlon, it will be by arresting all the prominent politicians in Washington he personally hates: “We are not going to ask for impeachment. We are coming whether they like it or not. We’re not asking for impeachment, we’re asking for the arrest of everyone in government who has violated their oath of office.”
Conlon seems particularly irked by those politicians he believes have aided in provided weapons to al-Qaeda members in Syria. In particular, Conlon has singled out President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Dianne Feinstein.
Conlon and his group of fellow truckers are not just full of empty threats, either. The truckers current plan is to all head to D.C. in their rigs and circle the Beltway 3 lanes deep (leaving one lane open for emergency vehicles, of course). If any car wants to be able to get past the convoy, they must write “T2SDA” (Truckers to Shut Down America) on their vehicle. Conlon stated, “It’s going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter, [and] if cops decide to give us a hard time, we’re going to lock the brakes up, we’re going to stop right there, we’re going to be a three lane roadblock.”
Conlon doesn’t end his vehemence with a simple road-blockage, though: “We want these people arrested, and we’re coming in with the grand jury to do it. We are going to ask the law enforcement to uphold their constitutional oath and make these arrests. If they refuse to do it, by the power of the people of the United States and the people’s grand jury, they don’t want to do it, we will. … We the people will find a way.”
What that way is, Conlon does not state. The trucker movement seems to be eerily similar to the Tea Party movement in its early rhetoric. For instance, take a look at this fantastic bit of their flyer-manifesto:
“We are Americans who run the United States of America — it’s not run by a bunch of Global Banking Cartels. This is our house; our country; our government, and each of us needs to take ownership of how we succeed in this event. If we want to save our country, we will do so. If we don’t, it will be because you as an individual wanted someone else to save it for you — this is why we are in this mess — because we trusted our government and the politicians who’ve promised they would serve the people.
“Look where that has gotten us. It’s time for each of us to say enough is enough & show them who runs this country. Let’s make them panic by getting off the couch. We the people will save our country.”
Their purpose and logic seemingly make sense. The American people have become complacent and apathetic toward the state of the United States due to their apparent lack of political power. However, there is one key piece of information the trucker movement seems to be overlooking. In writing the Constitution, the Founding Fathers voiced their opinion on the standing army. While the writers and framers of the Constitution understood the implicit problems with a standing army, they also knew that the United States would be crippled if it did not provide for a strong military force, hence the reason for the wording of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. However, because the United States regularly re-budgets its military finances, we essentially have a “standing army”.
Nowhere does Conlon nor his fellow truckers account for how they will deal with the use of force by our nation’s military. However, I like to think it would come in a form somewhat similar to this:
Another year, another threat of government shutdown–only this time, it happened. After Democrats and Republicans in Congress made the new budget dependent on whether Obamacare remained funded, the October 1 deadline at midnight was missed, and the shutdown is in process.
All in all, BOTH sides refused to compromise. The Senate has been just as stubborn as the House. #governmentshutdown
Office of Management and Budget director Sylvia Burwell said earlier this evening that there was no “clear indication” that Congress would reach an agreement. “Agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations,” she said. “We urge Congress to act quickly…to pass a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, and to restore the operation of critical public services and programs that will be impacted by a lapse in appropriations.”
The Senate and the House of Representatives have both had multiple chances to avoid the shutdown. The Republican-controlled House worked over the weekend and passed a resolution on Sunday morning that would postpone forcing people to purchase health insurance for a year. The Senate voted 54-46 to reject the resolution on Monday.
Both sides are passing blame and are accusing the other of essentially holding the government hostage. Democrats are pointing fingers at Republicans for insisting that Obamacare be defunded, while Republicans are accusing President Obama and Democrats of not being open to compromise.
“One faction in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election,” Obama said as the deadline approached. “You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job.” House Speaker John Boehner said that he spoke to the president on Monday night, but that Obama’s stance was, “I’m not going to negotiate. I’m not going to negotiate.”
The president’s Twitter page included a series of tweets on the shutdown just minutes after midnight.
They actually did it. A group of Republicans in the House just forced a government shutdown over Obamacare instead of passing a real budget.
The big question, of course, is what effect will Congress’s lack of being able to reach an agreement have on the people?
The good news is that a government shutdown doesn’t mean that all government programs are halted. The bad news is that a lot of government workers will be furloughed until the folks in Washington D.C. can get things straightened out.
According to the L.A. Times, there are three major groups that won’t be affected. The first group includes programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The second group includes groups that are “necessary to protect life or property,” such as law enforcement, military and intelligence agencies. The final group that will remain open, at least temporarily, are those that have other sources of income, such as courts.
Close to a million government employees will be furloughed, which means they will be out of work with no pay until the government shutdown is over. This includes those who work for national parks, federal museums and IRS call centers. Department of Health and Human Services has said it will furlough 52 percent its employees if there’s a shutdown. Military personnel will remain active, but won’t get paid until Congress makes the funds available.
Despite the finger pointing between members of Congress, it looks like a lot of people, regardless of whether they identify as Republican, Democrat or otherwise, are uniting against the politicians for being unable to do their jobs, so maybe something positive will come from the current mess.
What do you think about the government shutdown? Respond below.
Can we just shut down congress? Don’t care who’s fault this is, all of them need to go home and stay home forever. #GovernmentShutdown
Aaron Alexis is gaining more and more YouTube hits, and frankly, it is disheartening. This man’s name will forever be known as the Navy Yard Shooter, while the victims are now being forgotten.
The FBI has released the footage of the 34-year-old man who opened fire at the Navy Yard in D.C. on September 16, that everyone is now watching. The film shows the shooter enter the parking garage in his rental Toyota Prius, go into the building and begin to stalk co-workers. Attempting to avoiding being seen, Alexis is carrying a Remington 870 shotgun and raising it as he passes doors and navigates hallways.
There is no images of Alexis firing the weapon, no footage of victims, and no audio, though it has made breaking news.
On September 16, Alexis shot and murdered 12 people and wounded eight others inside the building within about one hour before being killed in a shootout with police.
“There are indicators that Alexis was prepared to die during the attack and that he accepted death as the inevitable consequence of his actions,” Parlave said.
When found, he was carrying a shotgun, shown in the above video, an AR-15 assault rifle, and a Beretta handgun believed to be taken from one of the victims. On the recovered shotgun the phrases “End to the torment!,” “Not what yall say!,” “Better off this way!” and “My ELF weapon!” were etched, according to the bureau.
No matter the reason, the FBI releasing the video and still photographs has outraged many people. The families are still grieving their lost loved ones, and those wounded are still recovering. Yet, Aaron Alexis’ face, in photos and video, is being broadcasted all across the web for the world to see.
The question is: Why is the shooter getting more attention, than the innocent victims and their grieving families?
“If we really want to honor these 12 men and women, if we really want to be a country where we can go to work and go to school and walk our streets free from senseless violence without so many lives being stolen by a bullet from a gun, then we’re going to have to change,” the President said.
Only when President Barack Obama memorialized the victims of the Washington Navy Yard were they recognized nationally – one with a talent for fixing cars, another who coached softball and yet another who loved hockey and her cats.
Here we are nine days later, the country has forgotten of the innocent individuals, their families; instead broadcasting the shooter and his methods. Yet people wonder why shootings are becoming more and more common. You’re more likely to make a name of yourself for something as terrible as this, than to do something truly extraordinary.
These events do have news value, yes, but the coverage should tell all the details, not recognize the work of the shooters. The shooters lack motive, besides mental health issues arguably. They all have shock value, and bringing attention to the shooter and not the victim, or the details, is not the way to best inform the public. Gaining outrageous coverage in a way contributes to the rampages, and more potential unrecognized victims.
The day after the vicious shooting in the Washington Navy Yard left at least 13 dead and more injured, people have one question: Who is Aaron Alexis, the man who was allegedly involved in the shooting?
Aaron Alexis, 34, died yesterday after exchanging gunfire with police. According to his LinkedIn profile, Alexis attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and worked as a network technician at SinglePoint Technologies. Alexis joined the Navy Reserves in 2007 just before he turned 28. After receiving a defense service medal and the global war on terrorism service medal, Alexis was discharged in 2011. This all sounds innocent enough–even commendable–but Alexis was known for trouble and for misusing firearms before the deadly Navy Yard shooting on September 16.
According to information released by the Seattle Police Department, they are receiving “numerous inquiries” about Alexis because of his arrest record there. The Navy Yard shooter was arrested after shooting another person’s car in 2004. Alexis told police that the person “disrespected” him, which led to a blackout and the shooting, which he said he didn’t remember at the time. See the police report here.
The Seattle police also said that Alexis’s father said he had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from rescue efforts during 9/11. Some friends of Alexis have also confirmed that he had PTSD, but say he never directed his anger at them, but that he did struggle with “being black.” Nutpisit Suthamtewakul and his wife Kristi were close to Alexis and said he was frustrated with how he had been treated in the past. “He had a couple of issues with being black. He felt he hadn’t been treated right, not by the Navy, just generally. He didn’t have a lot of friends–me, my wife and family, and people from temple,” Suthamtewakul said.
Suthamtewakul also described the Navy Yard shooter as being “smart” and “nice,” but did say that Alexis got into some trouble after firing a gun in their home in 2010. Alexis was cleaning his gun when a shot went off through one of the walls of Suthamtewakul’s home. He was arrested, but claimed the incident was an accident. Suthamtewakul said the most troubling thing about Alexis was his passion for violent video games.
“He could be in the game all day and all night. I think games might be what pushed him that way. He always had this fear people would steal his stuff so that’s why he would carry his gun all the time. He would carry it when he was helping out in the restaurant which scared my customers,” Suthamtewakul said.
These revelations about Alexis have prompted many people to discuss how much impact violent video games has on tragic events, as well as gun control laws. Alexis reportedly used an AR-15 assault rifle during the shootings, the same rifle Adam Lanza used in the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school shootings.
Do you think that the Navy Yard shooting should generate more discussion on guns laws and video games among lawmakers, or is this another case that needs more focus on mental health issues? Post your comments below.
Once again it appears that people are focusing on video games instead of possible mental health issues with the Navy Yard shooter.
Authorities have identified the perpetrator responsible for the Navy Yard shooting as Aaron Alexis, a man who enlisted in the Navy in 2007 yet was let go from the Navy Reserve in 2011 after being arrested in Texas. While Aaron Alexis was able to enter the naval compound with active forms of identification, his previous arrest in Texas showed dubious character traits.
According to Cathy Lanier who serves as the Police Chief, Aaron Alexis acted alone in the shooting even though original reports suggested that several gunmen may have been responsible for the devastation. “We now feel comfortable we have the single and sole person responsible for the loss of the life inside the base today,” Cathy Lanier said to reporters.
Alexis was arrested by Fort Worth police on September 4, 2010, after a neighbor complained that a bullet from the apartment belonging to Aaron Alexis had entered into her own apartment. This situation occurred after Aaron had confronted the neighbor in the parking lot angry over loud noises coming from her apartment. Why would an individual with past criminal experiences have valid identification to gain entry into such a compound as the Navy Yard?
The Director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s University located in Texas, Jeffrey Addicott, shared his opinion on the screening process that led to the tragedy. “Given the task at hand, they’ve done remarkably well. If you think about the thousands of people who go on to military bases, it’s impossible to stop and search every car. If you’re trying to stop them at the gate, you’re too late. We need to have better screening processes,” he said. Are the screening processes the main factor that led to the shooting, or are other preventable forces also to blame?
Multiple shooting rampages have happened within the last few years including: the Sandy Hook Elementary School horror within Newtown, Connecticut, the Century 16 multiplex Batman movie tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, and the Fort Hood military post shooting ordeal that happened in Killeen, Texas. Will these events continue to plague American society, or is there something that the general populace can do to safeguard themselves?
A suspect who opened fire in Washington D.C.’s Navy Yard early this morning has been taken down and identified as 34-year old Aaron Alexis.
Alexis was recently hired by the Navy as a civilian contractor and used his position to go on a shooting spree in the area with a rifle, an AR-15 assault rifle, and a handgun. He killed 12 people and wounded many others in the chaotic scene, and police believe one other shooter may be at large. Area schools were put on lockdown as a precaution this morning as investigators flooded the scene. Police say they are looking for any information they can find on the killer to gain insight as to why he would do this.
“No piece of information is too small,” said Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge of the Washington FBI field office. “We are looking to learn everything we can about his recent movements, his contacts and associates.”
President Obama addressed the nation today after the shootings, expressing his own disbelief at the bloodshed at the Naval headquarters, which employs some 3,000 people.
“We still don’t know all the facts. But we do know that several people have been shot and some have been killed,” President Barack Obama said earlier Monday afternoon. “So we are confronting yet another mass shooting. And today it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital.”
Little is known about Alexis at this time, but the Star-Telegram interviewed his former roommate, who said he can’t believe what occurred today.
“He lived with me three years,” Nutpisit Suthamtewakul said. “I don’t think he’d do this. He has a gun but I don’t think he’s that stupid. He didn’t seem aggressive to me.”
At least four people were killed on Monday morning when at least one gunman opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard. Eight others have been confirmed injured so far, including two Washington D.C. police officers.
Media reports on the situation have been conflicting so far regarding the number of shooters involved at the historical Navy Yard, which serves as an administrative center for the U.S. Navy. Some news reports have said one person was involved in the shooting while others are saying that at least two gunmen were involved. One suspect is dead and police are looking into other suspects. Regardless of the number, police don’t have any other suspects in custody at the time and have placed the Navy Yard and area schools on lockdown.
The Navy Yard is about two miles away from Capitol Hill. Security has been increased at the White House, but officials don’t believe there is any threat to President Obama or others at the Capitol. Obama has promised to find the people involved and bring them to justice:
Obama: "We will do everything in our power to make sure whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible." #NavyYardShooting
Some witnesses have given their accounts of the horrifying shooting, and one woman says she narrowly missed being shot. Terrie Durhams said she saw the gunman firing at her. “He aimed high and missed,” Durhams said. “He said nothing. As soon as I realized he was shooting, we just said, ‘Get out of the building.’” Todd Brundidge, an executive assistant with Navy Sea Systems Command, was with Durhams at the time and described the shooter as wearing blue. “He just turned and started firing,” Brundidge said.
“We heard two shots and started wondering if that was the sound of someone dropping [something] or if they were really shots,” Omar Grant, another employee at the Navy Yard, said. “We heard three more shots and that’s when people started running out of the building and getting the hell out of there.”
While the status of some of the shooting victims remains unknown, one area hospital has reported that three victims under her hospital’s care have a “very good” chance of survival. According to Janis Orlowski, chief medical officer of Medstar Washington Hospital Center, her shooting victims include two women and one man. The man is one of the police officers that was shot and he reportedly has multiple gunshot wounds.
Two suspected gunmen are “down” after a horrific shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. early this morning that left several dead, according to Ed Zeigler, director of Public Affairs for Naval District Washington.
Zeigler was unable to confirm whether the gunmen were killed or taken into custody, but early reports that there were only injuries are now being corrected as deaths are confirmed. The list of fatalities has not been released and there is still an active investigation on the scene.
Witnesses say one gunman–about 6 feet tall with a bald head, dressed all in black–fired multiple shots inside the building, hitting a police officer, before barricading himself into a room. The shots were fired after a fire alarm went off, sending employees out of their offices and into the line of fire. The scene, one witness said, was chaos.
“He aimed the gun and fired our way,” Todd Brundidge said. “I couldn’t believe it. Everyone was going down the stairs. They were pushing. They were shoving. People were falling down. As we came outside, people were climbing the wall trying to get over the wall to get out of the spaces. It was just crazy.”
As the investigation continues, more information about the victims will be released and we will update this article. More than 3,000 people are employed at the Navy Yard.
A gunman who entered the Washington Navy Yard in D.C. early this morning shot at least three people–including a police officer–before barricading himself in a room. A police spokesperson says this is still an active situation and security in the area is heightened, but they say there is no immediate threat to the surrounding area, including the Capitol.
Early reports say that two victims were found inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters, one was found outside the facility, and one was found on the roof. All are in critical condition as officials try and piece together the events of this morning. The building is currently home to 3,000 employees.
You can watch live stream of the area here. We will update this story as news develops.
Navy Yard Shooting — Gunman still on the loose – possibly armed with AR-15
Lightning strikes ground about two hours of today’s Washington Metro region air traffic to a halt and injured one air traffic controller—as of last reports, the controller is not seriously hurt. The Washington, D.C. region was hit by severe thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and the area’s three major airports: Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall (pictured here in March), Reagan National and Dulles International suffered.
The BWI website alert reports: “Airline flight operations have resumed at BWI Marshall. Travelers should check with their airline for updated flight status information.” BWI stopped all flights between approximately 2:30 pm and 4:45 pm after strikes were reported, according to airport spokesman Jonathan Dean. John Dunkerly, National Air Traffic Controllers Association president, reported to the Associate Press that he had just exited the air traffic control tower at BWI when lightning hit a runway. According to Dunkerly, a traffic coordinator was shocked when electricity traveled to the tower as the coordinator was turning on equipment.
The storms affected more than just air traffic. Though ground transportation was not as significantly impacted, flooding in roads slowed commutes and D.C. police briefly closed two blocks of Virginia Ave., NW, in Foggy Bottom. Trees were downed in the metro region and a little over 17,000 power outages were reported at the apex of the storms.
According to 2012 figures from the FAA, BWI handles an average of 734 operations a day, 688 of which are commercial operations. There are 36 total commuter, charter and cargo airlines operating from BWI and 27 commercial airlines.
Storms delayed a number of travelers, not only in the Washington, D.C. area. Some Twitter users even posted delays from Phoenix, AZ.
My first flight is delayed because of lightening. This is a sign I shouldn't leave, I'm pretty sure. #omen
Google has added live transit information to more cities on Google maps. Users can now access live departure times for seven lines on the New York City subway system (MTA) and buses and trams in the greater Salt Lake City area (UTA).
“With these updates – part of the millions of live transit schedule updates we process every day – you get instant access to the latest information right on Google Maps, making trip planning a cinch,” says Google Maps Partnership Development Manager, Soufi Esmaeilzadeh.
“Riders on the nation’s second largest subway, Metrorail in Washington, D.C., can now see live service alerts, including unplanned delays and scheduled track work, straight from Metro’s Control Center on Google Maps,” adds Esmaeilzadeh. “To adjust your travel around the alerts you see, simply choose another suggested route or change your departure time.”
There are now pick-up locations, departure times, estimated travel time, and fare amounts for over 800 cities in over 25 countries, with live trip updates only available in select cities.
