Death of Police Lt. a suicide, not homicide–
While first believed to be a homicide, the death of Fox Lake, Illinois Police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz was announced as a suicide on Nov. 4. Gliniewicz died on Sept. 1 after requesting backup, alleging that he was following a group of three suspicious men. When officers arrived on the scene they found Gliniewicz dead from a gunshot wound. His death sparked a massive manhunt of over 400 law enforcement officers, yet investigators “didn’t see anything to indicate there was a struggle physically,” said George Filenko, the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force commander. At this point the investigation shifted and focused on Gliniewicz himself. Evidence revealed that Gliniewicz was laundering money from the police department’s program for youth for seven years and was under increased scrutiny from the department about his finances. With no suspects, investigators concluded that Gliniewicz’s death was a suicide that he attempted to make look like a homicide.
New Discoveries in Russian Crash–
Investigators are claiming that an explosion caused the crash of the Russian flight in the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31, after new information was revealed earlier this week. The crash, that killed all 224 people onboard, scattered debris over an eight mile radius; leading investigators to believe the plane broke up mid-flight. “All scenarios are being considered. It could be lithium batteries in the luggage of one of the passengers, it could be an explosion in the fuel tank, it could be fatigue in the body of the aircraft, it could be the explosion of something,” said lead investigator of the crash Ayman Al-Muqaddam. The terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the crash, however they have offered no proof. Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended all flights from Egypt until the investigation has concluded.
Seattle Elections Bring Big Changes—
Local elections were held in Seattle on Nov. 3. Seattle voters passed Proposition 1, known as “Let’s Move Seattle.” This proposition is a $930 million transportation levy that aims to alleviate traffic congestion and improve transportation safety in Seattle. Initiative 122, known as the “Honest Elections” initiative, was also passed by voters last Tuesday. This initiative limits the amount of money campaigns can receive from lobbyists and businesses while giving registered voters “democracy vouchers” to support the candidate of their choice. This passage of this initiative makes Seattle the first city in the country to use these vouchers. Voters also elected new members for the Seattle City Council; seven candidates were elected by region and two at-large candidates were elected to represent the entirety of Seattle. Tim Burgess was elected the at-large Position 8 seat and Lorena Gonzalez was elected the at-large Position 9 seat.
Ben Carson Autobiography Sparks Controversy–
Republican Presidential Candidate Ben Carson has been under fire by critics for misrepresenting facts about his past in his personal narrative and autobiography “Gifted Hands.” Carson claimed that he had a troubled childhood in Detroit; his autobiography states that he had a “pathological temper” that led him to physically fight others. In his book he described how he turned to faith to prevent these outbursts. However, his fellow classmates and neighbors told CNN that this was not the Ben Carson they knew growing up; they never saw or heard about any of his violent actions he describes in his book. Another statement under fire is his claim that he was offered a full scholarship to West Point Military Academy. However, a report from Politico revealed that West Point has no records of Carson applying for a scholarship at all. Carson has stuck by his statements, claiming that the media has twisted his story to suit their own narratives against him. “The American people are waking up to your games,” Carson said to a journalist during a press conference on Nov. 6.
Chipotle Temporarily Closes–
The restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill has temporarily closed over 40 stores in Oregon and Washington as health officials investigate possible connections to an E. coli outbreak. An estimated 41 customers have had confirmed cases of E. coli, a bacteria strain that affects the intestines. Many of these customers have already filed federal lawsuits against the company. This marks Chipotle’s third food related safety issue in the past two months. While the source of the E. coli contamination is still undetermined, all of the closed restaurants are undergoing deep cleaning. In a statement, co-CEO Steve Ells offered his sympathies to those who have fallen ill. “If there are opportunities to do better, we will push ourselves to find them and enhance our already high standard for food safety. It is our greatest priority to ensure the safety of all the food we serve and maintain our customers’ confidence in eating Chipotle,” Ells said.
Keystone XL Pipeline Rejected–
President Barack Obama rejected issuing a permit for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline on Nov. 6. The proposed pipeline would stretch an estimated 1,200 miles, starting in Alberta, Canada and ending in Steele City, Neb. The pipeline would then be connected to the existing Keystone I pipeline running from Steele City to Cushing, Okla. and would then connect to a proposed Gulf Coast segment that ends at refineries in Texas. Spanning over six states, the pipeline would have transported over 800,000 barrels of carbon-heavy petroleum daily. President Obama’s denial of the pipeline ends a seven year fight between the oil industry and environmentalists. The oil industry, along with many Republican supporters in Congress, have been fighting for construction of the pipeline, arguing it would create jobs and lower the price of oil. However, environmentalists are against the pipeline as they believe it poses an environmental threat to the areas it passes through. By rejecting the pipeline, Obama stood behind his new environmental regulations passed in August which aim to cut carbon emissions. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” Obama said. “Approving this project would undercut that leadership.”
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