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Mo News: Former Japanese PM Assassinated In Shooting
Mosheh Oinounou
July 08, 2022
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Good morning,
Here's what we're working on today:
Breaking Overnight: Former Japanese PM assassinated at campaign rally by gunman with homemade gun
More questions about how the Highland Park shooter was able to LEGALLY buy guns-- and what his father is now saying.
Why did WNBA star Brittney Griner plead guilty to drug charges in Russia?
Boris Johnson steps down as UK Prime Minister. What happens now?
First Elizabeth Holmes. Now Sunny Balwani is found guilty of defrauding Theranos investors.
Abortion clinics on the move across borders
A Stranger Things Broadway spin-off
Rafael Nadal's shocking withdrawal from Wimbledon ahead of the semi-final
And as always, what we're watching, reading and eating this weekend (with a heads up about a big sale at Whole Foods).
Heads up that we are dropping TWO podcasts today, including our regular headlines rundown AND a special interview diving into Theranos. Download and take a listen!
~ Mosh & Jill
🚨EX-JAPANESE LEADER ASSASSINATED BY GUNMAN
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, has died from "excessive bleeding" after being shot twice in the chest while giving a speech at a political event in the city of Nara on Friday. He was rushed to the hospital, but showed no vital signs. The former prime minister, who led the country from 2012-2020 (Japan's longest-serving leader) was taken to Nara Medical University Hospital. Doctors there say that the bullet was "deep enough to reach his heart." ~ NY Times
Police have arrested 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya and retrieved a gun. It appeared to be homemade. There is currently no known motive over the attack but the shooter allegedly had "no grudge against Abe's political beliefs," according to Japanese police.~ NHK
Leaders from around the world are sending in their condolences.
The shooting has shocked Japan, which has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world due to its extremely strict gun control laws. The country makes it extremely difficult to obtain a weapon. In 2018, Japan, which has a population of 125 million, only reported nine deaths from firearms. That compares to about 40,000 deaths in the US that year. ~CNN
Abe was born into a family of political leaders. His grandfather and great uncle served as prime minister, and his father was a former top party official.
Foreign Policy Legacy: His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a “normal” and “beautiful” nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs. Abe led Japan closer to the US, but saw relations sour with a couple neighvors, including China and South Korea ~CNN
KILLER'S DAD: NO REGRETS HELPING HIM BUY A GUN
Shocking Words: The dad of the Highland Park parade mass shooter is speaking out. In an interview with ABC News, Robert Crimo Jr. says he is not culpable in the July 4th attack, despite having signed a consent form for his son to apply for gun ownership. “I had no -- not an inkling, warning -- that this was going to happen,” he said. ~ ABC News
Reminder: Robert Crimo, III has been charged with seven counts of first degree murder, with more charges likely coming. The 21-year-old admitted to opening fire at the parade, and also told authorities he “seriously contemplated” carrying out a second shooting massacre at a different July 4th event across the border. Following the first attack, he drove to Madison, Wisconsin, only to later decide against attempting additional murders. Instead, he then drove back to Illinois, where he was later arrested.Crimo's father says he never saw his son as a danger to anyone and that a 2019 incident where the family called the cops after Crimo III threatened to kill everyone was “taken out of context." After that call, Highland Park police confiscated 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from the home. Crimo's father claims: “It's like just a child's outburst, whatever he was upset about, and I think his sister called the police -- I wasn’t living there.”
And then, there is this. Asked about helping his son obtain a gun, months after the knife incident, Crimo Jr. said he does NOT regret signing the consent form for his son to get guns starting in 2019, insisting his son went through the process himself.“I filled out the consent form to allow my son to go through the process that the Illinois State Police have in place for an individual to obtain a FOID card,” he said. “They do background checks....do I regret that? No, not three years ago -- signing a consent form to go through the process … that’s all it was." ~ABC News
State of the Laws: Illinois is one of 19 states with a Red Flag law, which allows family members or law enforcement officials to petition the court for a “firearm restraining order” against someone suspected of endangering themselves or others. In Crimo’s case, the law was never utilized, despite past threats. His family never filed charges nor asked authorities to take away his weapons over the last 3 years.
Highland Park Police submitted a “clear and present danger” report to Illinois State Police (ISP) after the knife incident. But he did not yet have a gun permit that could be revoked at the time.
ISP adds that the “clear and present danger” report did not meet their standard to declare him an imminent threat and block them from issuing a permit. They say it typically takes a previous felony conviction or committal to a mental health facility in order to stop state authorities from issuing a gun permit. ~Chicago Tribune
Would the new federal law have prevented this?
Most analysts say it would have been unlikely that Congress’ new gun law would have prevented the shooting in Highland Park, ALTHOUGH police said a well-run Red Flag law “might have done the trick” in preventing the shooter from keeping firearms.
A key provision in the new law for gun buyers under 21 requires a threefold check, including contacting local law enforcement where the person resides and checking for any disqualifying juvenile criminal or mental health records. Could that have been enough to tip off police in Illinois that the suspect was trying to buy a gun so they could use the state’s “red flag” law to keep firearms out of his hands? Perhaps. ~ NBC
Funerals Begin/Latest on Victims:
Memorial services and funerals for three of the seven people killed are set to take place today, including 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim, 88-year-old Stephen Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza. ~AP
A GoFundMe page for 2-year-old Aiden McCarthy, whose mom and dad were both killed in the attack, has already raised more than $3 million. His father, Kevin McCarthy, shielded Aiden from the shooting and “had Aiden under his body when he was shot.” ~ Chicago Sun Times
Several victims remain hospitalized as of late Thursday. That includes 8-year-old Cooper Roberts, who is in critical condition--his spinal cord severed. He is sedated and on a ventilator at a Chicago Children’s Hospital and medical officials are unsure if he will ever walk again. Also injured were Cooper’s mother, Keely, and his twin brother, Luke. Luke suffered shrapnel injuries while his mom was shot twice in the leg and foot. A GoFundMe has been set up for the Roberts family. ~Washington Post
🇺🇸 🏀 BRITTNEY GRINER PLEADS GUILTY
Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court on Thursday, and she faces up to 10 years in prison. But Griner told the judge there was no intent to break Russian law. “I didn't want to break the law. I'd like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare." ~ CBS Sports
Background: Griner was detained at Moscow’s international airport in February after customs claimed to have found vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. She was charged with "large-scale transportation of drugs."
Why plead guilty? Experts say the nature of the Russian legal system meant there was basically zero chance she would be acquitted. According to ESPN, an admission of guilt is a potentially necessary pretext to a potential prisoner exchange. ~ESPN
US Secretary of State vows to help bring Brittney Griner home.
🇬🇧 BYE BYE, BORIS
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation, finally succumbing to extreme political pressure. It follows a string of ethics scandals, which led MORE THAN 50 senior lawmakers to quit the government. ~ NPR
What's next? In a controversial move, Johnson says he'll stay in office until his successor is picked. The Conservative party will hold an internal election to pick the next prime minister, likely sometime over the summer, which means Johnson could stay in office until mid-September. Critics say Johnson shouldn't be allowed to stay in office; instead the Queen should pick a caretaker prime minister. BTW--there likely won't be national elections again until 2025.
Sound familiar? Johnson is actually the third consecutive British prime minister to resign before the end of their term, following Theresa May and David Cameron. The successor will the fourth prime minister in six years. ~ NBC News
What happened? A slew of scandals, most recently how Johnson handled allegations that a senior member of his government groped two men. A few months ago it also came to light to Johnson attended multiple parties at Downing Street when the rest of the country was under Covid lockdowns.
Legacy: This is considered a humiliating defeat for Johnson, who rolled out a successful vaccination campaign to combat Covid-19, and also lead Britain as it exited the European Union, but was criticized by some for his chaotic style and leadership.
🗞 THE SPEED READ
Pat Cipollone, the former White House counsel to President Trump, will be interviewed by the Jan 6 committee today behind closed doors. The panel has wanted to hear from Cipollone for awhile, but that intensified after former WH aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testified. It's not clear how much he'll be able to say because of attorney-client privilege.
via Getty/CBS
Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" is populated by some of the most cold-blooded killers in American cinema, but few characters are as vicious as Santino "Sonny" Corleone. The role turned James Caan into one of the signature stars of 1970s Hollywood. But Caan, who died Wednesday at 82, constantly found ways to subvert his image, showing up in projects that gently satirized Sonny's savage machismo and ones that softened his edge.
A jury found Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, the former business partner and romantic interest of Elizabeth Holmes, guilty on all 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the blood testing company. They both face up to 20 years in prison.
ICYMI: We spoke to ABC News' Rebecca Jarvis about her popular podcast and Hulu series 'The Dropout', which chronicles the rise and fall of Theranos. It will be available on our podcast feed this weekend.
Texas abortion provider moving to New Mexico (The Hill)
A Texas abortion clinic will be crossing over to New Mexico to continue offering abortion services, in wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, on June 24. The clinic, Whole Women’s Health, announced on Wednesday that they are seeking an office in a border city to continue providing first and second trimester abortions.
The ‘Stranger Things’ Expanded Universe Is Getting Its Own Stage Play and Spin-Off Series (Rolling Stone)
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer — known as the Duffer Brothers — are developing a new Broadway show set within the world of their hit Netflix series.
Rafael Nadal’s withdraw from Wimbledon shocks tennis fans (Yahoo! Sports)
The No. 4 ranked 36-year-old has withdrawn from Wimbledon right before his semifinal match against Nick Kyrgios. The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced his decision on Thursday afternoon. Nadal was hoping to win his 3rd straight Grand Slam this year and attempt the rare feat of winning all four events in one calendar year. The Women's Final is set for Saturday and Men's Final is set for Sunday.
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN' WEEKEND
What We're Watching: Wimbledon; Better Call Saul (final episodes out Monday)
What We're Reading: These New Breastfeeding Guidelines Ignore the Reality of Many American Moms (NY Times); Where Cowards Go to Die, a book by former Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sledge.
What We're Eating: Watermelon. The perfect summer food. And ice cream! (On sale at Whole Foods right now; 25% off)
[Top Banner Photo Credit: (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images]
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