April 1 top stories
It is April 1. Hope your weekend was good. Here are today’s top stories.
At least 7 children, ages 12 to 17, wounded in Indianapolis mass shooting
Police said at least seven children between the ages 12 and 17 were wounded in a shooting Saturday night in downtown Indianapolis, where a large group was gathered.
Officers were on patrol when they heard several shots being fired near the Circle Centre Mall around 11:30 p.m. local time.
They rushed to the scene to find a large group of juveniles, including six with gunshot wounds.
All the wounded children were taken to local hospitals. All the victims are in stable condition.
It is unclear what led to the shooting or how many people opened fire. No suspects were in custody as of Sunday.
Police believe multiple firearms were involved and are investigating the scene.
Indianapolis mayor said youths who were shot should not have been downtown late without adults.
Trump, Biden clash over Transgender Day of Visibility
President Biden is facing criticism from former President Trump’s campaign and religious conservatives for proclaiming March 31 – which corresponds with Easter Sunday this year – as Transgender Day of Visibility. Easter is one of Christianity’s holiest celebrations.
Biden issued the proclamation on Friday, calling on “all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.”
Trump’s campaign accused Biden, a Roman Catholic, of being insensitive to religion, and fellow Republicans piled on.
White House spokesperson said, “President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”
The date of Easter moves each year, while Trans Day of Visibility is always recognized on March 31.
The advocacy group GLAAD said in a statement that people can both celebrate Easter and show their support for the trans community.
7th former prison officer sentenced for sexual abuse at Dublin women’s prison
The Department of Justice said a seventh former Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) officer at a women’s prison in Dublin, California, has been sentenced for sexually abusing multiple inmates.
A 2022 Associated Press investigation has found a permissive and toxic culture at the federal prison, enabling years of sexual misconduct by predatory employees and cover-ups that have largely kept the abuse out of the public eye.
At least eight staff members at all levels of the prison – from jail guards to the chaplain to the warden have been charged with sex crimes since 2021 amid a reputed “rape club” among prison staff.
A judge, Gonzalez Rogers, overseeing a federal lawsuit filed by eight inmates and the advocacy group California Coalition for Women Prisoners called the prison ‘a dysfunctional mess.’ “The situation can no longer be tolerated and the facility is in dire need of immediate change.”
Judge Rogers ordered a special master to be appointed to oversee mandatory changes to address sexual abuse and retaliation at FCI Dublin, a first in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) history. BOP manages federal prisons.
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Thousands of Israeli protesters call for Netanyahu’s removal
Multiple sources reported that tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in multiple cities and in front of the military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday – and at a further demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday, in the biggest protest against Prime Minister Netanyahu since the terrorist attack of October 7. The demonstrators vowed to persist until he leaves power.
During the demonstration, a group of roughly 20 hostage families called on Netanyahu to resign. They said that for his own political reasons, he is not pushing hard enough for a deal with Hamas.
Last weekend’s eruption was driven by three key groups – all of whom think Netanyahu’s decisions are driven mainly by political survival: families of hostages in Gaza; the anti-Netanyahu protest movement, which was very active before the war and now is resurfacing; and many Israelis are angry at Netanyahu over attempts to bypass an Israeli Supreme Court ruling Thursday that ultra-orthodox men can no longer be exempt from military service.
Netanyahu has rejected requests by the director of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, and other Israeli negotiators to give them more leeway so they can get a hostage deal with the Hamas captors.
See a news story from Alex about the Hyundai and Kia vehicle recalls.
Hyundai and Kia recalls
Thanks, Callie.
In September, Hyundai and Kia issued a recall impacting 3.4 million of its vehicles because they risked catching fire due to the possibility of brake fluid leaking into electrical components.
The car companies said drivers should park them outdoors and away from buildings until they are repaired.
It’s now six months later. Most of these autos are not yet fixed because Kia and Hyundai said they are unable to obtain enough of the needed parts. Customers may receive a letter to take their car in for repairs around April 22 and afterward.
The companies said customers should contact them if they see dashboard warning lights or smell something burning, but if there’s no alerts, the cars are still safe to drive.
The affected vehicles involve 25 models that were made from 2010 to 2016.
In a separate news update, Kia announced it is recalling over 420,000 of its Telluride SUVs made in 2020-2024 due to a problem that may cause the vehicle to roll away when the gear is shifted to park. Kia is advising owners to use the emergency parking brake until the company creates an official recall remedy. Owners may get a letter after May 15.
Thanks for that story. That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
At least 7 children, ages 12 to 17, wounded in Indianapolis mass shooting
Trump, Biden clash over Transgender Day of Visibility
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/30/politics/easter-trans-day-visibility-trump-biden-johnson/index.html
7th former prison officer sentenced for sexual abuse at Dublin women’s prison
https://www.ktvu.com/news/fci-dublin-officers-behavior-egregious-had-sexual-contact-with-7-women
Thousands of Israeli protesters call for Netanyahu’s removal
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/01/1241955407/israelis-gaza-protest-netanyahu
Hyundai and Kia recalls
https://www.motor1.com/news/688844/hyundai-kia-recall-3-million-vehicles-fire-risk-park-outside/