Connect with us

U.S.

Community Responds After 7 Killed in Midland-Odessa Shooting

Published

on

  • Community members in Odessa and Midland, Texas are coming together and speaking out after a shooting Saturday left seven dead and almost two dozen more injured.
  • Students at two rival high schools have put their tensions aside to work together on fundraising for victims and their families.
  • Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke has also refused to publicly name the gunman in a press conference saying, “I’m not going to give him any notoriety for what he did.”

Community Members Organize Help

Residents in Odessa and Midland, Texas are lending helping hands to one another after a mass shooting on Saturday left seven people dead and over 20 others injured.

On Monday, students from Odessa High School and Permian High School came together to find ways to help the victims of the attack. According to USA Today, nearly 100 students gathered in prayer before discussing ways to plan fundraisers and organizing food donations from local businesses. 

The two high schools have a long-running and well-known rivalry. The tensions between the two even inspired the rivalry depicted in the film and television series Friday Night Lights. 

“The Odessa-Permian rivalry is something crazy,” one former student told USA Today. “We don’t get along. But everyone’s together.”

Local groups are accepting help from the public in other ways. The City of Odessa is taking food donations to help victims and responders but has reached capacity for perishable items. Non-perishable items can still be donated. 

A GoFundMe was set up to help a 17-month-old who was injured in the attack. The page has currently raised over $200,000 to help cover several expenses, including the surgery the child received after a bullet fragment hit her face.

Community Leaders Speak Out

Leaders in the community have also responded to the events. The mayor of Midland, Jerry Morales, spoke at a vigil on Sunday about the unity in the towns. 

“We are devastated by this idiot who hurt our communities,” he said, “but we are one, we are strong together. This idiot will not break our faith.”

When speaking at a press conference, Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke made headlines when he announced his choice to not name the gunman while speaking in public. 

“You’ll notice that I’m not naming the subject, and there’s a reason for that. I refuse to,” he said. “I’m not going to give him any notoriety for what he did. We’ll provide that information to you, but not on this public space.” 

Texas Politicians Speak Out

Other political leaders in Texas have also made statements and pledged action following the shooting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott advocated for expedited executions in cases of mass shootings. 

The article he shared in his tweet referenced a Bloomberg report on legislation drafted by the United States Department of Justice that would speed the process up. Right now, there are no details on any legislation plans in Texas. 

On Sunday, Abbott also addressed the gun laws in Texas that took effect one day after the shooting as previously scheduled before the incident. These laws loosen some regulations and allow licensed gun owners to have their weapon in a locked vehicle on school grounds and allow for more armed marshals in schools. They also clarify that licensed gun owners can bring their weapons into places of worship, among other things. 

“Some of these laws were enacted to make our communities safer,” he told reporters. 

A clip of former representative and current presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke addressing the shooting also went viral. In it, the politician spoke about the incident as reports of the attack first broke.

“We’re not sure how many gunmen, we’re not sure how many people have been shot, don’t know how many people have been killed, the condition of those who have survived,” he said. “Don’t know what the motivation is, do not yet know the firearms that were used or how they acquired them. But we do know this is fucked up.” 

O’Rourke also expressed support for a gun buy-back program.

Editor’s Note: At Rogue Rocket, we make it a point to not include the names and pictures of mass murderers or suspected mass murderers who may have been seeking attention or infamy. Therefore, we will not be linking to other sources, as they may contain these details. Instead, we will be linking to donation pages for those impacted by the shootings.

U.S.

Survey and Census Data Shows Record Number of Americans are Struggling Financially

Published

on

Americans are choosing not to pursue medical treatment more and more frequently as they encounter money troubles.


A recent federal survey shows that a record number of Americans were worse off financially in 2022 than a year prior.

Coupled with recent census data showing pervasive poverty across much of the country, Americans are forced to make difficult decisions, like foregoing expensive healthcare. 

According to a recent Federal Reserve Bureau survey, 35% of adults say they were worse off in 2022 than 2021, which is the highest share ever recorded since the question was raised in 2014. 

Additionally, half of adults reported their budget was majorly affected by rising prices across the country, and that number is even higher among minority communities and parents living with their children.

According to recent census data, more than 10% of the counties in the U.S. are experiencing persistent poverty, meaning the area has had a poverty rate of 20% or higher between 1989 and 2019. 

16 states report at least 10% of their population living in persistent poverty. But most of the suffering counties were found in the South — which accounts for over half the people living in persistent poverty, despite making up less than 40% of the population. 

These financial realities have placed many Americans in the unfortunate situation of choosing between medical treatment and survival. The Federal Reserve study found that the share of Americans who skipped medical treatment because of the cost has drastically increased since 2020. 

The reflection of this can be found in the overall health of households in different income brackets. 75% of households with an income of $25,000 or less report being in good health – compared to the 91% of households with $100,000 or more income. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (Federal Reserve)

Continue Reading

U.S.

Montana Governor Signs TikTok Ban

Published

on

The ban will likely face legal challenges before it is officially enacted next year. 


First Statewide Ban of TikTok

Montana became the first state to ban TikTok on Wednesday after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed legislation aimed at protecting “Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party.”

The ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, though the law will likely face a handful of legal challenges before that date. 

Under the law, citizens of the state will not be held liable for using the app, but companies that offer the app on their platforms, like Apple and Google, will face a $10,000 fine per day of violations. TikTok would also be subject to the hefty daily fine. 

Questions remain about how tech companies will practically enforce this law. During a hearing earlier this year, a representative from TechNet said that these platforms don’t have the ability to “geofence” apps by state.

Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics, told the Associated Press that app stores could have the capability to enforce the restriction, but it would be difficult to carry out and there would be a variety of loopholes by tools like VPNs.

Montana’s law comes as U.S. politicians have taken aim at TikTok over its alleged ties to the CCP. Earlier this year, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices. Conservatives, in particular, have been increasingly working to restrict the app.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gov. Gianforte said in a Wednesday statement. 

Criticism of Montana Law

TikTok, however, has repeatedly denied that it gives user data to the government. The company released a statement claiming Montana’s law “infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people” in the state. 

“We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana,” the company said. 

The American Civil Liberties Union condemned Montana’s law for similar reasons. 

“This law tramples on our free speech rights under the guise of national security and lays the groundwork for excessive government control over the internet,” the ACLU tweeted. “Elected officials do not have the right to selectively censor entire social media apps based on their country of origin.”

Per the AP, there are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana, and another 6,000 businesses use the platform as well. Lawsuits are expected to be filed against the law in the near future.

See what others are saying: (Associated Press) (Fast Company) (CBS News)

Continue Reading

U.S.

How a Disney-Loving Former Youth Pastor Landed on The FBI’s “Most Wanted” List

Published

on

 “Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else,” Chris Burns’ 19-year-old son pleaded to his father via The Daily Beast. 


Multi-Million Dollar Scheme 

Former youth pastor turned financial advisor Chris Burns remains at large since going on the run in September of 2020 to avoid a Securities Exchange Commission investigation into his businesses.

Despite his fugitive status, the Justice Department recently indicted Burns with several more charges on top of the $12 million default judgment he received from the SEC. 

Burns allegedly sold false promissory notes to investors across Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. The SEC claims he told the investors they were participating in a “peer to peer” lending program where businesses that needed capital would borrow money and then repay it with interest as high as 20%. Burns allegedly also reassured investors that the businesses had collateral so the investment was low-risk. 

The SEC says that Burns instead took that money for personal use. 

Burns’ History 

Burns began his adult life as a youth pastor back in 2007 before transitioning into financial planning a few years later.  By 2017, he launched his own radio show, The Chris Burns Show, which was funded by one of his companies, Dynamic Money – where every week Burns would “unpack how this week’s headlines practically impact your life, wallet, and future,” according to the description. He also frequently appeared on television and online, talking about finances and politics. 

The SEC alleges that he used his public appearances to elevate his status as a financial advisor and maximize his reach to investors.

His family told The Daily Beast that he became obsessed with success and he reportedly bought hand-made clothes, a million-dollar lakehouse, a boat, several cars, and took his family on several trips to Disney World. His eldest son and wife said that Burns was paying thousands of dollars a day for VIP tours and once paid for the neighbors to come along. 

Then in September 2020, he reportedly told his wife that he was being investigated by the Securities Exchange Commission but he told her not to worry. 

The day that he was supposed to turn over his business documents to the SEC, he disappeared, telling his wife he was just going to take a trip to North Carolina to tell his parents about the investigation. Then, the car was found abandoned in a parking lot with several cashier’s checks totaling $78,000

FBI’s Most Wanted

The default judgment in the SEC complaint orders Burns, if he’s ever found, to pay $12 million to his victims, as well as over $650,000 in a civil penalty. Additionally, a federal criminal complaint charged him with mail fraud. Burns is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. 

Last week, the Justice Department indicted him on several other charges including 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud. 

“Burns is charged for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from clients in an illegal investment fraud scheme,” Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “Financial crimes of this nature can cause significant disruptions to the lives of those who are victimized, and the FBI is dedicated to holding these criminals accountable.”

His family maintains that they knew nothing of Burns’ schemes. His wife reportedly returned over $300,000 that he had given to her. 

She and their eldest son, who is now 19, told The Daily Beast they just want Burns to turn himself in, take responsibility for his actions, and try to help the people he hurt. 

“Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else,” Burns’ son said in a message to his father via The Daily Beast. 

See what others are saying: (The Daily Beast) (Fox 5) (Wealth Management)

Continue Reading