The GPR Digest- November 4, 2024
Ballot box fires, flash floods in Spain, and more!
GEORGIA
Active shooter at Atlanta hotel is taken into custody
On Tuesday, October 29, a man armed with several weapons fired 15 gunshots off the balcony of the Four Seasons Hotel, Atlanta. The man was engaged in a standoff with the police, who were responding to a mental health emergency. The call was made around 10 am, when an altercation with a hotel employee alerted concerned staff.
The 70-year-old suspect used a handgun, shotgun, and rifle to fire shots. Two officers shot back in exchange. Eventually, the confrontation ended that afternoon. The man surrendered, and he and another officer were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The man has since been taken into custody by police.
NATIONAL
Arson fires set on ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington
This Monday, October 28, hundreds of ballots were destroyed or damaged in fires at two ballot drop locations in the Pacific Northwest. The ballot boxes, located in Washington and Oregon, were set on fire ahead of the upcoming election this Tuesday, November 5. Almost all ballots were destroyed in the Vancouver, Washington ballot box, while the ballots in Portland, Oregon managed to escape most damage. Both ballot boxes were equipped with fire suppression systems which only the Washington location managed to employ.
Neither Washington nor Oregon are swing states in the upcoming Presidential election. However, there is a critical congressional race in Washington, and Oregon is electing a new mayor. Both states rely heavily on mail-in voting—in Clark County, Washington, for example, 60% of the votes received are from ballot boxes. As a result of the damage, roughly 500 Washington voters have had to request new ballots.
INTERNATIONAL
Seven killed in Israel by Hezbollah rocket strikes
On October 31, two Hezbollah rockets fired from Lebanon killed at least seven people in Northern Israel. Of the seven killed by the rockets, four were foreign workers, each reported to be Thai nationals. The other three were Israeli citizens— a woman, her adult son, and a farmer.
This marks the deadliest Hezbollah attack on Israel since Israel’s invasion and airstrikes the past month, which Lebanese authorities report have killed about 2,000 people across the country.
150 killed in flash floods in Spain
On October 29, flooding hit the eastern region of Valencia, Spain. Meteorologists noted this was a year’s worth of rain dumped in eight hours, causing highway pile-ups and submerging farmland in a region that produces ⅔ of the citrus fruit in Spain— a leading global exporter.
The flooding has killed at least 150 people and left thousands more stranded without proper supporting infrastructure. Power company i-DE has reported about 150,000 clients lack electricity. In response, the government has sent a specialized military rescue unit and other emergency services. Nonetheless, this is possibly Spain’s worst flood in its modern history.
CULTURE
Young Thug pleads guilty in criminal trial
This Thursday, October 31, Atlanta rap star Young Thug, also known as Jeffery Lamar Williams, pleaded guilty to drug-and-gun related charges and no contest to charges of conspiracy and participation in a street gang. Judge Paige Whitaker sentenced him to 5 years in prison and 15 year of probation, as well as several other requirements including community service, a ban on travel in metro Atlanta, and a no-contact rule with gang members.
The verdict marks the end of Georgia’s longest-running criminal trial. At the trial’s conclusion, Young Thug stated that he takes “full responsibility for my crimes and for my charges”, seeking to set a better example for Atlanta.
Contributors: Sophia Nguyen, Aviella Schwartz