Newslinks: June 23, 2024

Priest, 6 cops killed in suspected terror attacks on Russian synagogues, church, police post A priest and six cops were killed and at least a dozen other people injured when gunmen opened fire at two synagogues, an Orthodox church and a police post Sunday in a suspected coordinated terror attack in Russia.
   The assaults against the church and one of the synagogues occurred in the coastal city of Derbent, with another synagogue and the police post hit in Makhachkala, the largest city in the same Dagestan region, according to Russian media outlets.
   Russia’s Interior Ministry said four gunmen had been killed in subsequent shootouts, with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation confirming that a terrorism investigation has been opened over the attacks.

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🚨#BREAKING: Climate activists throw smoke grenades and spray paint as they storm the green at the 18th hole of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship⁰
📌#Cromwell | #Connecticut⁰⁰Just Moments ago, Just Stop Oil protesters climate activists, ran with spray paint and threw smoke… pic.twitter.com/FPuVCHtB8A

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 23, 2024

 

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China Buying Up Land Near US Military Bases, 19 Strategic Locations Potentially Compromised  Chinese land purchases near strategic military bases in the United States are causing even more concern about the amount of political and strategic power the country wields in America.

In recent years, entities out of the People’s Republic have purchased countless acres of U.S. farmland, some of it near military bases critical to America’s national security.

Retired major's chilling warning over China's chokehold on US military  Chinese manufacturers are deeply embedded in U.S. defense systems, providing critical technology and raw materials used in everything from air-to-air missiles to fighter jets.

From illegal drugs to online fraud, Chinese organized crime is becoming an increasing problem in the United States 

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Polls: Confidence in colleges and universities continues plummet to ‘new lows’ What’s more, the drop in confidence from FIRE’s February to May polls shows the unrest and pro-Palestinian protests that have engulfed campuses in recent months has hurt higher education’s reputation further.

   Honeycutt told The College Fix recent headlines over academic dishonesty, such as the plagiarism accusations lodged at several top-level campus leaders over the last seven months, could also explain the decline.

   Other possible factors cited by FIRE include bias against center-right beliefs, rising tuition costs, and administrative bloat.

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Pakistan police hunting mob that lynched and burned tourist suspected of desecrating Koran   He said the suspect, identified as Mohammad Ismail, was a tourist from Pakistan's eastern Punjab province and was staying at a hotel in the town when a mob accused him of burning pages from the Koran, Islam's holy book.

   Mr Khan said Mr Ismail was being questioned by police when the mob attacked the police station and clashed with officers. The mob later snatched Mr Ismail, killing him and burning his body, he said.

   Police have not yet arrested any of the attackers.

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Many electric vehicle owners want to go back to normal cars, study finds  The administration is also spending billions of dollars to subsidize the production and purchase of EVs, but manufacturers are still losing considerable amounts of cash on their EV product lines. EVs remained below a 10% share of all auto sales in the U.S. in 2023, according to Cox Automotive

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Was Legalizing Weed a Mistake? A Debate. 

But is legal cannabis really such a no-brainer? A recent study found that marijuana use—whether through smoking, edibles, or vapes—is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Other studies have consistently shown that so-called “high-potency cannabis” increases the risk of psychotic episodes in young users.

Pot use seems to contribute to more severe cases of COVID-19, study finds However, "some evidence has suggested that people who use cannabis are more likely to contract COVID-19 and less likely to survive the virus than nonusers," the study's authors wrote. This data conflicts with other evidence that "suggests a protective effect of cannabis use on COVID mortality."

   As a result, "further research may aid in guiding interventions, such as substance use prevention and treatment, that would benefit patient outcomes moving forward in the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated heath consequences it will have in our communities," the authors said.

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The Week in Pictures: Grilled Cheese Edition 

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