Texas Mall Massacre; Debt Ceiling Talks; Writer Strike Status Update – Mo News Rundown

Hey, everybody. It is Tuesday, May 9th. I'm Jill Wagner. You're listening to the Mo News Podcast. This is the place where we bring you just the facts. We read all the news and read between the lines so you don't have to. Before we get going, I did want to mention that this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. And even though Moshe is not here today, I still wanted to throw in some history that I know that he'd appreciate. With Teacher Appreciation Week was spearheaded in part by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She urged Congress back in 1953 to recognize teachers. So the day was originally in March and then it was moved to a week in May. Teachers have such a tough but important job. My mom was a teacher for nearly 40 years. So this is near and dear to my heart. Just want to say thank you to all of the teachers out there. We appreciate you. You're changing lives, you're shaping minds, inspiring generations. And I'm not even trying to be corny because it's really true. I still remember so many of my teachers, my high school English teacher, in particular Mrs. Ansonucci who I just ran into helped foster my love of writing. So many others as well. So just a big thank you. Again, to all of the teachers out there. And now let's get to the news. The latest on those two horrific incidents in Texas, the shooting massacre at the outdoor mall. The victims, including a three year old boy. And we're also learning more about the shooter and how he got all those guns. There's also been some surprising movement when it comes to gun legislation in Texas. Plus, that driver who ran over migrants in Brownsville now faced in charges. A couple days before the pandemic era immigration policy Title 42 expires. The Biden administration says it's going to veto a Republican immigration proposal. We'll take a look at what's in it. As for negotiations on the debt ceiling, President Biden will be meeting with the big four as they're called at the White House today. But will anything actually get done ahead of that June 1st deadline? Speaking of negotiations, thousands of writers are still on strike and it's looking like it could go on for quite a while. The status of some of your favorite shows and the school day and the school week is shrink it. What is behind that trend? Plus on the same history. The hint. Thank you for being a friend. All right, let's start with those horrific incidents in Texas over the weekend beginning with the shooting massacre at the outdoor mall in Allen, Texas. We are learning a bit more about the eight people killed when that gunman opened fire on Saturday afternoon. The gunman himself was killed by a police officer who was at the mall on a different assignment. Now, as for the victims, two children, fourth grader, Daniella Mendoza and her sister, second grader, Sophia, were killed. The girls have been described as rays of sunshine. Their mother, Ilda, is in critical condition. A three-year-old boy, James Cho, and his parents, Cindy and Q, also were killed. 20-year-old Christian LeCort was also killed. He was working as a security guard at the mall on Saturday. 27-year-old, a schwariat, Tada Conda. She was from India. She was working at a general contracting business based in Texas. She also was killed. At the same time, we are learning more about the gunman, Mauricio Garcia. He grew up in Texas. He answered the Army in 2008, and he was terminated after three months and did not complete basic training. Sources tell CNN he was removed because of concerns about his mental health. He's since worked for at least three security companies. He's undergone hours of firearms proficiency training. He was approved to work as a security guard in Texas from April of 2016 until 2020. That's when his license expired. CNN is reporting that Garcia's multiple weapons, including the AR-15-style rifle that was used in the attack, were purchased legally. Most of those weapons were purchased by private sellers. That is legal in Texas, and it means that Garcia didn't go through a background check. When we talk about gun laws in this country, you may hear the term the gun show loophole. That refers to the fact that federal law does not require unlicensed private sellers to perform background checks on gun purchasers. Those sales are unregulated unless state law steps in to fill the gap. On the issue of gun laws, as we've seen after other mass shootings, there is this renewed call for stricter gun laws. On Monday, a Republican led Texas House Committee advanced a bill that would raise the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. It would also prohibit firearm sales to people who are intoxicated or who have a protective order against them. Most analysts say the proposal has little or no chance of actually becoming law, but this bill, even clearing a committee vote in Texas, was quite unusual. It came as protesters filled the hallways of the Texas Capitol chanting, do something. Many members of the Uvaldi community were there and erupted into applause as that bill passed the committee. That's in this mall shooting, though. Police are still not giving any motive, not that that really matters for the victims here, but as I reported yesterday, investigators were looking into whether the gunman was motivated by domestic, violent, extremist ideals. Again, he was heavily armed. He had that assault style weapon and multiple rounds of ammunition. He was in tactical gear. He reportedly had a patch on his clothing that said RWDS. So that stands for right-wing death squad. It's a popular insignia among white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Investigators now looking through his social media, according to FBI records obtained by Rolling Stone, his social media accounts contained hundreds of postings and images to include writings with racially or ethnically motivated violent, extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi materials and materials spousing the supremacy of the white race. Rolling Stone also reporting that Garcia may have had ties to a local neo-Nazi group. As for that, RWDS patch, in recent years, members of far-right extremist groups have worn it at marches and protests. Now, you might be wondering, as admittedly I was, why somebody who is Hispanic would be part of a white supremacist group or at least sympathize with those thinking if that proves to be the case here. Washington Post columnist Philip Bompa explains it this way. He says Hispanic Americans often find themselves at the blurry edges of whiteness, and self-identification is also complex. Pew Research Center found that Hispanic identity fades over time in the United States, for example. He points to a study from 1989 where Hispanic participants were asked to identify their race, either white, black, or something else. And even among the darkest-skinned respondents, identification as white was more common than black. He also notes white supremacy is about power. One of the most prominent adherents of white supremacy in the US is the right-wing agitator Nick Fuentes. If that name sounds familiar, you might remember him from when he and Kanye West met with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The Proud Boys, also headed by son of immigrants from Cuba, that group insists that its activism is not about race, but instead about Western chauvinism. Now on to that other story that we're following in Brownsville, Texas, that driver is facing manslaughter charges after he allegedly plowed his car into 18 pedestrians at a bus stop, killing eight and injuring 10 others. Law enforcement officials say some of the migrants killed were under the care of border patrol, some were from Venezuela, all of the victims were male. That driver, 34-year-old George Alvarez, allegedly tried to flee the scene but was stopped, and police say that he has an extensive rap sheet. He is now in custody on charges, including eight counts of manslaughter. The FBI is still trying to figure out if this was intentional or just a horrible accident. We've got plenty more news coming up, and now it's time to tell you about exclusive offers for Monuse listeners, and thank a couple of our sponsors. Let's start with Bol and Branch. We are so happy to be partnering again with a brand that helps you get an amazing night's sleep, Bol and Branch. They've got a great sale going on for Monuse listeners. They're made with 100% traceable organic cotton that gets softer with every wash. They've already been bought by millions of people. They actually spend a lot of time focused on the supply chain, and it turns out organic cotton is a lot better for the environment and the farmers in India. Another interesting fact for US presidents have used Bol and Branch sheets, but let's get to the deal here. Starting now, Monuse listeners will get 15% site-wide. You can use the code MONUS. You get that 15% off today at Boland Branch.com. That is Bol and Branch. B-O-L-L-A-N-D-B-R-A-N-C-H.com. The promo code is MONUS. Now onto athletic greens. I have been using their AG1 supplement in the mornings. The athletic greens AG1 powder is just one scoop with a glass of water in the morning. It's easy. It's quick and it lets you get on with your day knowing that you've gotten over 75 important ingredients, including tons of vitamins and minerals. It also has pre and probiotics to support digestion and gut health. With your first purchase of AG1, athletic greens is giving Monuse listeners a free one-year supply of their vitamin D and five free travel packs of AG1. You can visit athleticgreens.com slash Monuse to take advantage of the offer. You can get a discounted monthly subscription or just try it one time for just a month. Again, go to athleticgreens.com slash Monuse, M-O-N-E-W-S for this special deal and really start to take ownership of your health. Time now for the speed read from NBC News. The White House on Monday said that it would veto a House Republican sponsored measure to address immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes days before the pandemic era Title 42 expires, which is expected to prompt a surge of migrants. Republicans say that the bill, called the secure border act of 2023, would address a crisis at the border by mandating that customs and border protection hire and train 22,000 border patrol agents and develop a plan to upgrade existing technology. It would also require the Homeland Security Secretary to immediately resume construction of the border wall, which is a centerpiece of former President Trump's administration. For its part, the Biden administration says this bill does nothing to address the root causes of migration. It reduces humanitarian protections and restricts lawful pathways, which are critical alternatives to unlawful entry. Another big story we're watching today talks on the debt ceiling. From Punchbowl News, President Biden will meet with the big four. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the White House this afternoon. Amazingly, this is the first time that the five of them are going to sit down together while serving in their current roles. Both sides spent the weekend digging in even more on their respective positions. Biden, Schumer, and Jeffries insist Congress must pass a clean debt limit hike first, and then there can be negotiations on spending cuts and budget reforms. McCarthy and McConnell refuse to consider any debt limit hike without spending cuts. Your GOP and Democratic sources say the face off is likely to continue for the next couple of weeks, even with a potential June 1 government default approaching. Punchbowl says they don't mean to be alarmist, but the level of confusion and cross talk rivals what they saw during the 2011 debt limit debacle. So how this current crisis ends is still unclear. And now on to an update on the writer's strike. We're about a week in. And as the New York Times puts it, it could be a while. The writer's Guild of America, which represents nearly 12,000 screenwriters, went on strike last Tuesday after contract negotiations with studios, streaming services, and networks failed. One analyst now says he thinks this could go at least three months, perhaps long enough to affect the Emmy Awards, which are scheduled for September 18th, and delay the fall TV season. The most recent writer strike, which started in 2007 and ended in 2008, lasted 100 days. That issue writers want more money, especially regarding residual payments. It's a type of royalty from streaming services. Before streaming, writers and directors could get these residual payments if a show was licensed for syndication or maybe there was an international deal. That doesn't really happen anymore with streaming services. Also the Union wants mandatory staffing and employment guarantees. Writers want companies as well to agree to guarantee that artificial intelligence will not encroach on writers, credits, and compensation. The studio says that is a non-starter. The Union bowing the stand strike for as long as it takes. The studios, though, say they've got their own economic pressures, but this is already having an impact in terms of shows. The late night shows were the first to go off air. SNL is going to have reruns for the foreseeable future. The MTV Movie and TV Awards were forced to switch to a pre-taped show after Drew Barrymore, who is the host, dropped out, and work on the final season of the chart-tapping Netflix show Stranger Things has now halted. There are no writers on set of Cobra Kai, the Netflix martial arts comedy drama. The writers on yellow jackets have stopped work after just one day on season three. One of my favorite shows, Hacks on HBO production there has also been halted. One exception here, Prime Video's Lord of the Rings prequel series is actually one of the few shows that is continuing production despite the strike. And lastly, we talked about Teacher Appreciation Week, something that teachers might like from Axios, school districts are experimenting with shorter weeks and later start times. The pandemic exposed a mental health crisis among kids and teens, so more districts are trying to alleviate burnout by changing the traditional schedule. Districts that are starting classes later in the morning say the change gives kids and teens more time to sleep and just boost their well-being. The trend could expand. Some big cities like Denver and Philadelphia are looking into this shift. Weeks are shrinking too. Nationally 850 school districts have dropped the fifth day of instruction. That's up from 650 districts just a few years ago. Supporters of the four-day school weeks say it gives students and teachers more time with family and can even reduce rates of bullying. Quarterdays and weeks are solving another mounting problem, teacher shortages. In reality though, some districts are accounting for later starts in four-day weeks by adding hours elsewhere, but these switches often mean less net time in class. And critics say that correlates with progressively lower test scores and academic achievement. By the way, if you're looking for a good gift for teachers this week, Axios asked them what they really want. Some answers, gift cards to a local pool or yoga studio, more and regular volunteers, coffee, coffee, coffee, best gift ever, and to CC administrators on your thank you emails to teachers. I love that idea because sometimes you get a really nice note and you might feel embarrassed or uncomfortable telling your manager about it. And on that note, by all means, feel free to message Moshe that you're enjoying this podcast even when he's not here. But I do miss him. The question is, can I make him proud for on this day? Let's see. All right, on this day, May 9th in 1502, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain on his fourth and final voyage. He was hoping to find passage to Asia. On this day in 1960, the FDA approved the first birth control pill. In 1980, the horror film Friday the 13th about summer camp counselors being hunted by a masked killer that was released in theaters. It was a huge success and led to the popular franchise. Thank you for being a friend. You probably recognize that on this day in 1992, the final episode of Golden Girls airs on NBC. Still one of my favorite shows and some say it is the precursor to Sex and the City. So Dorothy is kind of like Carrie Blanche, definitely Samantha. Rose is like Charlotte and then witty Sophia is kind of like Miranda and funny how all of those names are popular now too, maybe except for Blanche. All right, everybody, thanks for humoring me on that one. We want to thank you for listening to the Mo News podcast. Follow us and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If you are in the app store so we can continue to grow, give us a call, tell us what's on your mind. 1-800-711-MOSH. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram at moshmosheah. Also feel free to send me a message, my Instagram account at Jill R. Wagner. Any stories you want me to cover this week? If you just want to say hi, I'm on Instagram way too much. I always check my messages. All right, bye everybody. Have a great day. Thanks for listening to the Mo News podcast. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. ♪♪♪