NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
_1 Cardinal ousted: Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington and a prominent Roman Catholic voice in international and public policy, has been removed from ministry after an investigation found credible allegations that he sexually abused a teenager 47 years ago while serving as a priest in New York. The New York Archdiocese said in a statement that the Vatican was informed and involved in the investigation into McCarrick, and that the cardinal has ceased his public ministry “at the direction of Pope Francis.” McCarrick, 87, said in a statement that he was innocent, but that he cooperated with the process and accepted the Vatican’s decision. The victim wished to remain anonymous.
_2 Censorship alleged: The Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union asked Republican Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday to stop deleting critical posts and blocking constituents on Facebook. Scott’s office said in Monpelier that it is simply trying to maintain a civil dialogue on social media. In a letter addressed to Scott, the ACLU said that blocking a constituent is unlawful prior restraint of future speech and deleting posts amounts to “viewpoint-based censorship” in violation of the First Amendment. “The governor’s censorship of constituents’ political views violates their free speech rights, undermines public trust of government and offends our democratic values of robust and open debate,” the ACLU said.
3_ Fonda apologizes: Peter Fonda apologized Wednesday for a late-night Twitter rant in which he suggested 12-year-old Barron Trump should be ripped from “his mother’s arms and put in a cage with pedophiles.” The actor later deleted the tweet and drew sharp rebukes from first lady Melania Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Fonda said from New York that he was upset over migrant children being separated from their parents.
_4 Asteroid defense: The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to protect the planet from incoming asteroids that could wipe out entire continents. The National Science and Technology Council released a report from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday calling for improved asteroid detection, tracking and deflection. Scientists are concerned an asteroid could sneak up on us, and that’s why the government wants a better plan.
_5 Vegas massacre: Police body camera videos released Wednesday show the chaos and confusion Las Vegas police officers and first responders faced at a mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip as waves of wounded and fleeing concert-goers sought help. Video from an officer who was near the site of the country music festival shows pickup trucks coming by with the wounded and others piled in the bed in the back. The officer directs the trucks to trauma centers and then takes more injured people to the hospital in the back of his own police cruiser. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released 23 videos and 130 audio files, including 911 calls, Wednesday without comment. The FBI in Las Vegas also declined to comment.