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A heavily armed 28-year-old killed six people at a Nashville elementary school in a devastating mass shooting on Monday morning. Audrey Hale, a transgender man who used he/him pronouns and a former student at the elementary school, allegedly entered The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, just after 10am. Inside, the shooter opened fire on students and staff, killing six victims.
Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all aged nine, Head of School Katherine Koonce, 60, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Mike Hill, 61, all died in the attack. Two responding police officers shot the suspect dead.
Nashville police said on Monday the shooter was 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale. Police have identified the suspected shooter by their name at birth. Hale reportedly was a transgender man who used he/him pronouns, though law enforcement officials initially described the suspect as a woman in the aftermath of the shooting. Police did not provide another name. Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said in a press conference on Monday that Hale once attended the school. An illustrator and graphic designer who attended Nossi College of Art, Hale does not appear to have had any criminal record prior to Monday’s massacre.
Neighbours have described the shooter as a quiet person from a family without any apparent interest in guns. They expressed their shock after the attack, saying that there is nothing that would have led them to believe that the shooter was capable of such a thing, or that anyone in that family would have access to guns. Another neighbour described Hale as coming from a “great family.”
Nashville Police Chief John Drake did not say what drove the killer to open fire but provided chilling examples of her elaborate planning for the attack. In the course of their investigation, officers discovered manifesto-like writings and apparent research into the facilities and entry points at Covenant. Writings recovered from Hale also revealed that the attack was calculated and planned. The police chief said on Monday that officers have looked into a vehicle and an address linked to the 28-year-old. At Hale’s home, authorities seized a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun, and other evidence, police said.
Monday’s tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. The manifesto “indicates there was going to be shootings at multiple locations, and that the school was one of them." The Covenant School was singled out for attack but the individual victims were targeted at random. Hale sent a series of direct messages to a friend via Instagram on Monday morning, revealing plans to die by suicide and telling Ms Patton “this is my last goodbye” and that she would soon be reading about it “on the news after I die”.
Hale was armed with three guns including two assault-type weapons and one handgun. Officials said that at least two of the three weapons used in the shooting were believed to have been bought legally in Nashville. Nashville Police released images of the weapons used in the attack. The guns were decorated with stickers, while one of the rifles had the word “hell” written on it.
Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/nashville-school-shooting-suspect-audrey-hale-b2309394.html
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Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the suspect of Monday’s shooting at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, sent disturbing messages before the incident took place. Hale sent messages to a friend saying farewell and stating: “One day this will make more sense. I’ve left behind more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen.”
Local police have released surveillance footage showing Hale arrive in a Honda Fit car, park and then proceed towards the school before entering by a side door to open fire on staff and students. Metro Nashville Police captured the footage and shared it on Twitter.
Police confirmed that Hale, who was a former student at the institution, killed six people including three children at The Covenant School in the Green Hills suburb of the southern city on Monday morning. She was eventually killed at the scene by a team of five police officers.
Nashville law enforcement officials identified the six victims of the shooting. Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, each aged nine, were fatally shot. Institutions headmistress Katherine Koonce, 60, and staff members Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill, aged 61, were also killed.
The gruesome footage shows Hale arrive by car and immediately began firing at the school’s double doors before wandering around different hallways armed with an assault weapon. Metro Nashville Police said that Hale was armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun.
Norma Fort Hale, the mother of the alleged shooter Audrey Hale, previously posted on social media after school shootings and called for more gun control, according to reports. Posts that appeared to have been deleted called for a Sandy Hook Promise petition to "keep guns out of schools".
After the Nashville incident, President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass a renewed assault weapons ban and said schools need more protection without seeing their facilities "turned into prisons".
Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/nashville-shooting-covenant-school-victims-audrey-hale-b2309140.html
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On Sunday night, the Dodgers beat the Angels 3-0, with ace Clayton Kershaw pitching a quick masterpiece by striking out Anaheim's Mike Trout three times in the game. The game ended in just over two hours—something that Kershaw jokingly emphasized after the game, worrying that games might be too quick for Los Angeles. He made a funny observation that fans will be arriving in the sixth inning of games instead of the third, making fun of the popular trope that Dodger fans always arrive late.
Two hours for a baseball game is really fast. It may be almost too fast for a game. Fans are paying more for tickets than ever, but now they are having part of the game taken away from them. Although Clayton made a joke about hoping that the team can sell enough beer, anyone who has visited Dodger Stadium knows that concession lines are NOT fast at that venue. Missing a half inning or full inning just to go to the restroom and grab a beer and a Dodger Dog will leave you frustrated.
Notably, parking prices remain high—and have increased for pre-paid passes. All of this takes away from the value of the pitch clock. While it may be good for media covering teams all year long and for speeding up gameplay, it does not account for the value of each dollar that fans invest in the game. As a result, baseball could start to feel a little rough.
Credit: https://dodgersnation.com/clayton-kershaw-wonders-if-games-are-too-fast-after-dodgers-quick-victory-over-angels/2023/03/27/
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Kiefer Sutherland wanted to explore what it would feel like to transition from a position of great power to one of extreme jeopardy in the high-tech thriller Rabbit Hole. John Weir is a corporate espionage operative who is an expert in deception hired by companies to manipulate situations to make their rivals behave in certain ways, which allows the employer to take advantage of them. The 56-year-old Emmy-winner said, “Once that character has been exposed and been made vulnerable, it’s very easy for an audience to identify with that character and then attach themselves to that character.”
Rabbit Hole is from writer-directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra and also stars Charles Dance, Meta Golding, Enid Graham, Jason Butler Harner, Walt Klink, and Rob Yang. The show is filled with action with plot twists but still, has a nuanced and even funny side to it. According to Sutherland, "He’s very witty and you have a story line that is 'life or death desperate' over here and then he’s falling in love with someone he knows he shouldn’t be, but he can’t help himself."
Sutherland spoke to filmmakers and experts about the pros and cons of technology and data collection to prepare for the role. He stated, "There’s an incredible amount of data being collected on you, so that it can then tell you what it thinks you want to hear and watch. That’s what I think is the really scary part. Our news is being broken down and re-disseminated based on what we want to see and what we want to hear, NOT on what’s actually happening." He believes technology will ultimately have a positive outcome, however, right now, it is a little like "the wild west."
Sutherland started as a teen idol and movie star in the 1980s and '90s but has found success as a famous TV actor in the 21st century. When he began acting, there were eight studios making 50-some-odd movies a year, which didn't leave any chance for actors in feature films to make a transition to television. But the entertainment landscape changed over the years with the rise of cable and streaming services. Sutherland felt fortunate to have "stumbled into" 24 in 2001 because the show became a global phenomenon, lasting a decade.
Credit: https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2023/03/26/kiefer-sutherland-rabbit-hole-interview/2011679782098/
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Shares of Germany's largest bank, Deutsche Bank, dropped on Friday, as global financial markets continue to suffer from sector shocks not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. The euro fell against the dollar, the cost of insuring against bank defaults surged and the euro zone government bond yields sank, despite assurances from policymakers that the international banking system is secure.
Over the weekend, Janet Yellen, the Treasury Secretary, reassured investors that US banks are "sound and resilient” during a Financial Stability Oversight Council meeting. This is the latest effort by global policymakers to calm market concerns following the collapse of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month.
Despite assurances from policymakers, investors are increasingly disenchanted with global banking systems. Over the last two weeks, short-sellers have recorded a profit of over $100m on paper bets against Deutsche Bank stock. The bank declined to comment on the matter.
Banking analysts have clarified that there is a fundamental difference between Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. The latter is considered to have strong fundamentals and profitability. The research firm Autonomous said that it was "crystal clear" that Deutsche Bank was "NOT the next Credit Suisse."
Despite market volatility, European policymakers such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Christine Lagarde, ECB Chief, and French President Emmanuel Macron have said they support their continent's banks, with all saying the system was stable. However, investors are skeptical.
Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt - a $275bn market of bonds that can be written off during rescues to prevent the costs of bailouts falling onto taxpayers - has come under selling pressure. Europe and Asia have said they will continue to impose losses on shareholders before bondholders. While this approach is somewhat reassuring for investors, unease remains.
Although Deutsche Bank's decline has raised concerns across international banking, other banks are experiencing a ripple effect. The S&P 500 regional banks index recovered 1.75%, with PacWest Bancorp rallying more than 3% and First Republic Bank falling 1.4%. Italy's UniCredit is leaning towards repaying a perpetual bond in June to show it has ample capital.
Banking analysts are confident that Deutsche Bank is fundamentally a stable bank. Despite political reassurances, investors, and short-sellers are spooked by global banking sector shocks of late. Ultimately a recovery depends on markets seeing stability in the banking sector for weeks on end.
Credit: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/deutsche-bank-ubs-hit-bank-fears-spark-stress-signals-2023-03-24/
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It comes after Chris revealed what Harry Styles said to him at the Venice Film Festival during the infamous spit-gate moment as he recalled the moment he learned their interactions had gone viral in a lengthy interview with Esquire magazine.
The actor recounted being awoken by his publicist mid-flight to respond to video the Internet mistakenly believed showed Styles, 29, spitting on him.
'I was on the plane with my publicist, who says I look like Rachel from Friends [with my current hairstyle], we're flying back from Venice. And I'm sleeping, having a great time on the plane. I love planes,' he explained.
'And she wakes me up, in a, you know, in a state. She says, "We have to craft a message about what happened in Venice." And I'm like "About what?" "About Harry spitting on you." Which I have no idea what happened. She showed me the thing. It does look, indeed, like Harry spitting on me. He didn't spit on me.'
Pine recalled Styles may have actually told him a joke they had all started making about doing press while jet-lagged.
'I think what he said, is he leaned down, and I think he said, "It's just words, isn't it?" Because we had this little joke, because we're all jet-lagged, we're all trying to answer these questions, and sometimes when you're doing these press things, your brain goes all befuddled, you know, you start speaking gibberish, and we had a joke like, "It's just words, man."'
At the time, a representative for Pine fired back at the 'spitting' scandal: 'This is a ridiculous story... a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation.'
'Just to be clear, Harry Styles did NOT spit on Chris Pine,' she continued.
'There is nothing but respect between these two men, and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.'
Credit: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11898791/Chris-Pine-reveals-thinks-nickname-fans-given-themselves.html
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Deutsche Bank shares slid Friday while the cost of insuring against its default spiked, as the German lender was engulfed by market panic about the stability of the European banking sector.
However, many analysts were left scratching their heads as to why the bank, which has posted 10 consecutive quarters of profit and boasts strong capital and solvency positions, had become the next target of a market seemingly in "seek and destroy" mode.
The emergency rescue of Credit Suisse by UBS, in the wake of the collapse of U.S.-based Silicon Valley Bank, has triggered contagion concern among investors, which was deepened by further monetary policy tightening from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday.
Central banks and regulators had hoped that the Credit Suisse rescue deal, brokered by Swiss authorities, would help calm investor jitters about the stability of Europe's banks. But the fall of the 167-year-old Swiss institution, and the upending of creditor hierarchy rules to wipe out 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.4 billion) of Credit Suisse's additional tier-one (AT1) bonds, left the market unconvinced that the deal would be sufficient to contain the stresses in the sector.
Credit Suisse's collapse boiled down to a combination of three causes, according to JPMorgan. These were a "string of governance failures that had eroded confidence in management's abilities," a challenging market backdrop that hampered the bank's restructuring plan, and the market's "fresh and intense focus on liquidity risk" in the wake of the SVB collapse.
While the latter proved to be the final trigger, the Wall Street bank argued that the importance of the environment in which Credit Suisse was trying to overhaul its business model could not be understated, as illustrated by a comparison with Deutsche.
"The German bank had its own share of headline pressure and governance fumbles, and in our view had a far lower quality franchise to begin with, which while significantly less levered today, still commands a relatively elevated cost base and has relied on its FICC (fixed income, currencies and commodities) trading franchise for organic capital generation and credit re-rating," JPMorgan strategists said in a note Friday.
"By comparison, although Credit Suisse clearly has shared the struggles of running a cost and capital intensive IB [investment bank], for the longest time it still had up its sleeve both a high-quality Asset and Wealth Management franchise, and a profitable Swiss Bank; all of which was well capitalised from both a RWA [risk-weighted asset] and Leverage exposure standpoint."
They added that whatever the quality of the franchise, the events of recent months had proven that such institutions "rely entirely on trust."
Deutsche Bank underwent a multibillion-euro restructure in recent years aimed at reducing costs and improving profitability. The lender recorded annual net income of 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) in 2022, up 159% from the previous year.
Its CET1 ratio — a measure of bank solvency — came in at 13.4% at the end of 2022, while its liquidity coverage ratio was 142% and its net stable funding ratio stood at 119%. These figures would not indicate that there is any cause for concern about the bank's solvency or liquidity position.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a news conference in Brussels on Friday that Deutsche Bank had "thoroughly reorganized and modernized its business model and is a very profitable bank," adding that there is no basis to speculate about its future.
Some of the concerns around Deutsche Bank have centered on its U.S. commercial real estate exposures and substantial derivatives book.
However, research firm Autonomous, a subsidiary of AllianceBernstein, on Friday dismissed these concerns as both "well known" and "just not very scary," pointing to the bank's "robust capital and liquidity positions."
"Our Underperform rating on the stock is simply driven by our view that there are more attractive equity stories elsewhere in the sector (i.e. relative value)," Autonomous strategists Stuart Graham and Leona Li said in a research note.
"We have no concerns about Deutsche's viability or asset marks. To be crystal clear - Deutsche is NOT the next Credit Suisse."
Unlike the stricken Swiss lender, they highlighted that Deutsche is "solidly profitable," and Autonomous forecasts a return on tangible book value of 7.1% for 2023, rising to 8.5% by 2025.
At the time of SVB's collapse, Credit Suisse was already in the spotlight over its liquidity position and had suffered massive outflows in the fourth quarter of 2022 that had yet to reverse.
JPMorgan was unable to determine whether the unprecedented depositor outflows suffered by the Swiss bank had been amassed by themselves in light of SVB's failure, or had been driven by a fear of those outflows and "lack of conviction in management's assurances."
"Indeed, if there is anything depositors might learn from the past few weeks, both in the U.S. and Europe, it is just how far regulators will always go to ensure depositors are protected," the note said.
"Be that as it may, the lesson for investors (and indeed issuers) here is clear – ultimately, confidence is key, whether derived from the market backdrop as a whole (again recalling Deutsche Bank's more successful re-rating), or from management's ability to provide more transparency to otherwise opaque liquidity measures."
— CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
Credit: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/24/deutsche-bank-is-not-the-next-credit-suisse-analysts-say-as-panic-spreads.html
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Every year, travelers from all over the world journey to Iceland, hoping for a chance to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking northern lights. But this year, those living in the northern parts of the United States may be able to witness the phenomenon without ever leaving their homes.
The Space Weather Prediction Center recently reported a massive sunspot, measuring up to ten times the size of Earth, that could trigger a spectacular display of the aurora borealis. These charged particles from the sun entering Earth's atmosphere, which cause the northern lights, spread out in a circle, which means areas as far south as Washington and New York state could potentially see the lights.
While the potential for northern lights in the northern US is exciting, unfortunately, the exact timing of the solar activity is difficult to predict. The Space Weather Prediction Center provides helpful indicators, such as a geomagnetic storm watch and a short-term forecast, on their website, but the most reliable way to track the activity is through apps specifically designed for this purpose.
For the best chance of seeing the northern lights from the eastern seaboard, head out at night to an open area with minimal light pollution. Similarly, the northern Midwest should also aim for a spot with a clear view of the horizon to the north.
The most favorable conditions for seeing the northern lights include clear, cloudless skies and a new moon phase, when the moon is not visible in the sky. Communities with high levels of light pollution or heavy cloud cover may have a hard time seeing the auroras.
The prospect of witnessing the northern lights in the US is an exciting one, especially for those who have never had the opportunity to travel to Iceland or other areas where the auroras are common. This natural marvel is a true testament to the beauty and unpredictability of our world, reminding us to stay curious and always remain in awe of the universe around us.
Sign up to receive the latest news delivered to your inbox to stay informed of solar activity and potential northern lights sightings in your area.
Credit: https://breakingone.com/tncms/asset/editorial/f1e36caf-b750-5558-b41e-96bcb7569a99/
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Sergio Perez held off Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Red Bull's dominant start to the new season continued in Jeddah. Perez crossed the line 5.3 seconds clear of team-mate Verstappen, who fought back from 15th after he limped out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso took the final spot on the podium, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton fourth and fifth respectively for Mercedes. Red Bull are on another planet this season, and their crushing one-two finish - their second in as many races - will be a major cause of concern for Formula One bosses as it embarks on a record 23-round calendar.
Replays suggest work on Fernando Alonso's car began before the five-second penalty was served during the race. In Bahrain, Esteban Ocon served an additional ten seconds for that. Such a penalty would knock George Russell into third!
Max Verstappen has been voted Driver of the Day by fans - and he remains the championship leader with that fastest lap point.
"We had a big gap behind so at one point we decided to call it a day and settle for second,” Verstappen said after the race.
“What a start to the season, unthinkable one month ago,” Perez said. “We did the job in the first stint but the safety car tried to take the victory here like last year. But we got it. The team did a great job, we had a lot of mechanical issues but they got on top of it.”
A five-second time penalty for Alonso will NOT be enough for him to lose his spot on the podium. The Spaniard rocked home 5.1 seconds clear of Russell on that final lap.
And Verstappen absolutely launches through the final lap to nick his fastest lap point to take second place. Alonso finishes third ahead of Russell.
Credit: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/formula-one/f1-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-2023-live-stream-race-updates-latest-news-results-today-b1068390.html
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The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has debunked a conversation online about an alleged staff recruitment exercise going on in the university.
The university revealed it is not currently recruiting any staff at the moment.
This was disclosed in a statement titled “BEWARE OF SCAMMERS: OAU IS NOT RECRUITING”, released by the University spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju, on Sunday, and made available to our correspondent.
One Dr. Williams Abah is said to have been engaging the general public on behalf of the university management, promising to assist people with employment in the university.
OAU described the conversation as not only false but devilish, malicious and a pure scam.
“The University does not know nor have any relationship whatsoever with any nebulous Dr Williams Abah. Therefore, anything done or purportedly done on behalf of the University or its Vice Chancellor by the so-called Dr. Williams Abah, with GSM number 0802 129 4368, has nothing to do with the University.
“OAU, as an academic institution, does not engage in secret or clandestine employment, neither would its Vice-Chancellor or any other Principal Officers of the University ask an applicant for any monetary or material gratification,” part of the statement read.
The University further disclosed its staff recruitment exercise to always follow due process.
“We place vacancies advertisements in two widely read National Dailies and the same will be displayed on the University website. Please, also note that we do not engage the services of an outsider for our staff recruitment exercise,” it added.
It urged the general public, particularly those desperately in need of employment, not to engage in any conversation with anybody or any group.
It also warned that the university does not advertise its staff recruitment exercise on social media.
“Any person or group of persons who transacts, or has transacted any business with him in the name of the University does so at their own risk,” it said.
Credit: https://punchng.com/oau-denies-recruitment-rumours/
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