14-Year-Old Shoots up a School in Georgia

On Wednesday morning, barely a month into the new school year, a 14-year-old opened fire in a school in a suburb of Atlanta, killing two teachers and two students.

From the New York Times, “The shooter used a black AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, according to arrest warrants. The four killings happened within minutes. Law enforcement officials said that the suspect surrendered to school resource officers and was taken into custody. At the sound of gunshots, the school went into lockdown. The locked classroom doors, as well as a newly installed alarm system, may have helped to prevent further bloodshed, officials said.”⁠

The student had been interviewed by authorities last year because of online threats. At the time, investigators were unable to definitively link the threats to Colton Gray, then age 13.

In a Wednesday press briefing, the White House called for universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and a national red flag law.

Teen gunman Colt Gray and his 54-year-old father, Colin Gray, appeared in court on Friday. The shooter is charged on four charges of felony murder, which for a minor carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The shooter’s father is charged with two counts of second-degree murder — the most severe ever filed against the parent of an alleged school shooter. Officials allege that the father allowed his son access to the gun which was used in the shooting.

Israeli Hostages Murdered

This past Shabbat, Israel Defense Forces reported to have found the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including a U.S. citizen—Hersh Goldberg-Polin, age 23. Goldberg-Polin, whose parents spoke at the DNC, has become a symbol of the American hostages held by Hamas. An IDF spokesman said the hostages were murdered by Hamas guards "shortly before IDF forces reached them." The hostages were recovered from a tunnel beneath the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

According to Axios' Barak Ravid, 101 hostages remain in Gaza. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told families of American hostages that Biden is considering presenting Israel and Hamas with a final proposal for a hostage-release and ceasefire deal this week. To date, all ceasefire talks have proved unsuccessful.

Hunter Biden Pleads Guilty in Federal Tax Case

On Thursday, the president’s son Hunter Biden appeared in federal court for his trial on three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor offenses. Hunter is indicted for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019.

In a move that surprised prosecutors, the president’s son pled guilty on all counts. “I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment,” Hunter Biden said in a statement. “For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this, and so I have decided to plead guilty.”⁠

He will be sentenced on Dec. 16, more than a month after the presidential election. When asked by reporters if he would pardon his son, President Joe Biden answered that he would not pardon Hunter. The president has also said he would not commute his son’s sentence.

Trump’s Arlington Cemetery Controversy

On August 26, Trump and his team were invited by families of troops killed in the last days of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. After the main part of the ceremony, Trump went with Gold Star families to a part of the cemetery called “Section 60.” Cell phone video and photos were released of President Trump visiting the graves of the fallen soldiers with their families.

Axios states, “Photography is generally allowed, and photos taken by visitors do not require a release, per the cemetery's use policy.” But “there are more strict guidelines — mandated in part by federal law — for members of the media or commercial or political filming.”⁠

The media policy for Arlington National Cemetery states: “Filming or photographing will not be permitted if it conveys the impression that cemetery officials or any visitor or family member is endorsing any product, service or organization. Additionally, [Arlington National Cemetery] will not authorize any filming for partisan, political or fundraising purposes.”⁠

Critics say that while the photos and videos taken by the Trump team do not violate Arlington National Cemetery rules, their release by people in the Trump campaign violates these rules. The Gold Star families asked for the photos for their own memories, but according to Politico: “Nobody has the power to change or bend Arlington’s rules — not even the family members of the fallen.”⁠

The bottom line? Axios says, “It's not entirely clear what is considered an election-related activity.”⁠ This gray area has not prevented the media from proceeding in full scandal-mode.

Vice-President Kamala Harris weighed in on the issue, posting on X: “As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics… It is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America. I will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America’s fallen heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our beloved nation and our cherished freedoms. I mourn them and salute them. And I will never politicize them.”⁠

President Trump responded on X by posting videos made by the Gold Star families eviscerating the Biden/Harris administration’s botched military withdrawal operation in Afghanistan.

Jimmy McCain, son of former Arizona senator and 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain (a POW in the Vietnam War), announced this week that he has switched from independent to Democrat, and, citing the Arlington controversy, will support Vice-President Kamala Harris: “With Arlington, the people who are buried there gave their lives and the ultimate sacrifice…They don’t get a political opinion...We don’t know what those people felt, thought, what they believed. We know they believed in their country and that’s about it.” He failed to mention that his father filmed a political campaign ad at Arlington National Cemetery and had to re-cut the ad later because he had not received proper authorization.⁠

Senator Tom Cotton (AR-R), 5-year military vet with a deployment to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, expressed support for President Trump, saying, “The scandal is not that Pres. Trump honored 13 brave Americans killed in Afghanistan. The scandal is Biden and Kamala sent those heroes into a needlessly dangerous situation. And Kamala doesn't have the decency to call their families and thank them for their sacrifice.”⁠

DOJ Alleges Russian Influence in Right-Wing Media

In a plot twist eerily reminiscence of 2016, Russia is yet again a topic of an American election.

At the Eastern Economic Forum, President Vladimir Putin said Vice-President Harris is Russia’s “favorite” candidate for president. “Her laugh is so fascinating, so that means everything is good…”⁠

The same day, the DOJ announced their indictment of two employees of RT (formerly Russia Today), Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, for allegedly funneling nearly $10 million into a U.S.-based media company, Tenet Media.

While Tenet Media hosts content and has paid personalities supportive of Trump or conservative ideologies, from a foreign influence perspective the operational funding and strategic interests behind it might simply aim to exploit or amplify divisions rather than strictly support Trump. For instance, Lauren Chen, co-founder of Tenet Media and named in the DOJ indictment, has spoken out against former President Donald Trump, saying he’s “going weak” on issues such as crime, immigration and particularly abortion. This attack line on Trump as “weak” on abortion has been echoed throughout right-wing media over the last couple of weeks, creating division among Republicans.

Trump’s Reiterates Economic Policy

At a speech at the The Economic Club of New York on Thursday, former president Donald Trump reiterated his economic plan, promising that if he is elected he will further cut federal taxes, make Trump Tax Cuts permanent, enact no tax on tips, and no tax on Social Security benefits.

He made news by announcing that if elected, he will form a Government Efficiency Commission headed up by Elon Musk.

Next Tuesday’s Presidential Debate

The first presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice-President Harris will take place next Tuesday night on ABC. The Harris campaign has made a number of objections to the rules originally agreed to between President Biden and former President Trump for next week’s ABC debate. However, the rules will remain the same as agreed to between the Trump campaign and the former Biden campaign: muted mics when the time belongs to another candidate, no opening statements, no pre-written notes and no desks and chairs for the candidates.