Colorado shooting suspect charged, Nebraska governor seeks Senate seat

KARAH RUCKER: THE SUSPECT IN THE COLORADO GAY-NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING HAS FORMALLY BEEN CHARGED BY OFFICIALS.
THIS IS YOUR MIDDAY UPDATE.

COLORADO SUSPECT CHARGED VO

THE SHOOTER IS FACING FIVE COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER, AND FIVE HATE-CRIME CHARGES. HE WILL REMAIN IN CUSTODY WITHOUT BAIL.

5 PEOPLE WERE KILLED ON NOVEMBER 19, AND ANOTHER 22 PEOPLE AT CLUB-Q THAT NIGHT WERE INJURED DURING THE MASS SHOOTING.

NEBRASKA’S GOVERNOR TO SEEK SENATE SEAT

NEBRASKA GOVERNOR PETE RICKETTS IS SEEKING A SENATE SEAT. HIS OFFICE MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING.

THE TWO-TERM, REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IS LOOKING TO FILL THE U.S. SENATE SEAT BEING VACATED BY BEN SASSE.
SASSE IS RESIGNING TO TAKE A JOB AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

RICKETTS WILL SUBMIT HIS APPLICATION FOR CONSIDERATION ALONGSIDE THE OTHER APPLICANTS.

RICKETTS SAID HE WANTS TO RUN NEBRASKA’S GOVERNMENT MORE LIKE A BUSINESS.

GOLD MEDALS AWARDED TO CAPITOL POLICE

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you, thank you, thank you, for protecting our capitol. Maybe even more important for protecting our constitution.”

TODAY, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN WASHINGTON D.C. WILL BE PRESENTED WITH CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.
IT COMES ABOUT A YEAR SINCE PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCED THE OFFICERS PRESENT AT THE CAPITOL ON JANUARY SIXTH WOULD BE AWARDED WITH CONGRESS’ HIGHEST HONOR.

U.S. CAPITOL POLICE AND METROPOLITAN POLICE ARE CREDITED FOR STOPPING A BREACH OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING THAT HAPPENED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.

AMERICANS POLLED ON SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

THE U.S. HAS SENT TWENTY BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF AID TO UKRAINE SINCE PRESIDENT BIDEN TOOK OFFICE.
A NEW POLL ASKED AMERICANS IF THEY AGREE WITH THE SUPPORT BEING SENT TO THE WAR TORN REGION.

MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS AGREE WITH THE FUNNELING OF ARMS AND AID BEING SENT TO UKRAINE.
BUT WITH THE WAR IN UKRAINE NOW IN IT’S 10TH MONTH WITH NO END IN SIGHT, AMERICANS ARE SPLIT OVER WHETHER WASHINGTON SHOULD URGE UKRAINE INTO ACCEPTING A PEACE SETTLEMENT.

47% OF AMERICANS, OR NEARLY HALF OF THOSE POLLED, SAY UKRAINE NEEDS TO BETTER ATTEMPT ENDING THE WAR.

THE CONSENSUS IS AMERICANS LARGELY SUPPORT HELPING UKRAINE, BUT HOPE THE HELP IS ONLY TEMPORARY.

HERTZ SETTLES WITH CUSTOMERS ACCUSED OF THEFT

THE RENTAL CAR COMPANY “HERTZ” WILL PAY $168 MILLION TO SETTLE HUNDREDS OF CLAIMS FROM CUSTOMERS WHO WERE ACCUSED OF STEALING RENTAL CARS.

THE CAR COMPANY FALSELY REPORTED CUSTOMERS TO AUTHORITIES, CLAIMING THEY STOLE AND NEVER RETURNED THEIR RENTAL CAR. SOME OF THOSE CUSTOMERS EVEN SPENDING WEEKS OR MONTHS IN JAIL.

HERTZ PREVIOUSLY SAID IN A STATEMENT, “THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE CASES INVOLVE CUSTOMERS WHO WERE LATE RETURNING THE VEHICLE.”

META THREATENS TO REMOVE NEWS FROM FACEBOOK

MANY AMERICANS ARE GET THEIR NEWS HEADLINES FROM SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE NEWS HAS NO PLACE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

FACEBOOK’S PARENT COMPANY META IS WARNING THEY COULD STRIP NEWS COMPLETELY OFF ITS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS,
IF CONGRESS PASSES A BILL THAT WOULD OPEN THE DOOR FOR NEWS AGENCIES TO GET A CUT OF AD REVENUE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES EARN OFF OF ITS NEWS CONTENT.

META RESPONDED WITH THIS. QUOTE. “The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act fails to recognize the key fact: publishers and broadcasters put their content on our platform themselves because it benefits their bottom line.”

RUCKER: THAT BILL IS NOW INTERTWINED WITH THE DEFENSE BILL. LEADERS IN CONGRESS SAID THE DEFENSE BILL WILL PASS THIS MONTH, WHICH WOULD THEN TRIGGER THIS MEASURE TO TAKE EFFECT.

HALF OF OFFICE SPACES VACANT POST-PANDEMIC

AS PEOPLE CONTINUE TO WORK FROM HOME, THE U.S. IS DEALING WITH WHAT’S BEING CALLED AN ‘OFFICE APOCALYPSE’.
THE PANDEMIC HAS CLEARED OUT OFFICE SPACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
A NEW REPORT HAS HALF OF OFFICES IN THE U.S. UNOCCUPIED.

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, 95% OF OFFICES WERE IN USE, BUT TODAY, IT’S CLOSER TO 47%.

NOW A DEVELOPER IN NEW YORK IS RAISNG MONEY TO TURN EMPTY OFFICE TOWERS INTO APARTMENTS AND CONDOS.
CONVERTING THE EMPTY BUILDINGS INTO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES COULD HELP COMBAT NEW YORK’S HOUSING CRISIS.