Ben Burke
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Jury selection for Parkland shooting death penalty trial begins
Nearly six months after pleading guilty to the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the death penalty trial of Nikolas Cruz began with jury selection. The video above includes video from jury selection Monday. Since Cruz already pleaded guilty, the purpose of the trial is only to determine whether… -
Zelenskyy describes “genocide” in Bucha, Biden calls for war crimes trial
In response to the devastation reported by Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy following his visit to the city of Bucha, President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In doing so, President Biden reemphasized comments he made last month saying President Putin “is a war criminal.” “This guy is brutal.… -
US House votes to decriminalize marijuana
The House of Representatives voted Friday to approve legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and remove penalties for certain cannabis-related offenses by a vote of 220-204, with few Republicans supporting the measure. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler D-N.Y., would take marijuana off the list… -
Russia accuses Ukraine of attack on Russian territory as talks resume
As talks with Ukraine resumed, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said an airstrike attack at an oil depot on Russian territory by a pair of helicopter gunships caused fires, wounded two people and damaged several nearby businesses. Russia was quick to place the blame for the attack Friday. When asked if he thought it… -
March jobs report reveals tighter labor market, lower unemployment rate
According to the Labor Department’s latest monthly jobs report, the United States added 431,000 jobs in March. While experts consider that job growth solid, it does represent the fewest number of jobs added since September. Still, the chief investment officer of private wealth at Glenmede said March’s report reflects the job market’s durability in the… -
Taiwan says it’s studying Ukraine, discussing war tactics with US
Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng announced the country is studying the tactics Ukraine has used in its fight against Russia’s invasion. Chiu said the defense ministry has set up a working group that includes academics from the National Defense University. The group is following topics such as Russia’s poor military performance and Ukraine’s resistance. Chiu… -
US, UK suggest Putin not on same page with advisers, troops in Ukraine
Officials in the United States and the United Kingdom have spent the past two days reporting signs of Russian President Vladimir Putin not being on the same page with his advisers or his troops regarding the country’s invasion of Ukraine. On Thursday, a U.K. intelligence chief said “we’ve seen Russian soldiers, short of weapons and… -
Suspect in Whitmer kidnapping plot testifies after prosecution rests
After several defense witnesses refused to testify in the trial of four men accused in a kidnapping plot involving Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), one suspect did take the stand. When asked repeatedly Thursday if he agreed to kidnap Gov. Whitmer, Daniel Harris told jurors “absolutely not.” Harris said he joined the “Wolverine Watchmen” militia so… -
Russia goes back on concessions as Ukraine refugee total tops 4 million
On the same day the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reported the refugee total from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now over 4 million, Ukrainian authorities said Russia appeared to be going back on a concession it made just a day earlier. As a way “to increase mutual trust and create the necessary… -
Bruce Willis stepping away from acting career following aphasia diagnosis
Bruce Willis, known over his four-decade acting career as one of Hollywood’s most beloved action heroes, is stepping away from acting according to a Wednesday statement posted on the actor’s Instagram page. The statement is signed by Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five children, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and… -
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returns from record-setting spaceflight
After setting a record for the longest spaceflight by an American, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei landed in a remote part of Kazakhstan. The 355-day flight, which began April 9, 2021, beat the previous record of 340 days set by Scott Kelly back in 2016. “Beautiful out here,” Vande Hei remarked about what appeared to… -
21 states sue Biden over CDC public transportation mask mandate
Nearly half of the country is suing the Biden administration over the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s “unlawful mask mandate on public transportation.” The lawsuit is led by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who say the mandate “exceeds the agency’s authority and interferes with state laws banning forced masking.”… -
Border Patrol: US approaching 1 million migrant encounters in 6 months
Citing comments made by Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz at a border security conference, Fox News reported the United States is “two or three days” away from recording 1 million migrant encounters since Fiscal Year 2022 began last October. According to Ortiz, border agents have encountered migrants from 157 different countries. This includes countries that…
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