Mayor: 5 killed by N. Carolina shooter, suspect ‘contained’
A North Carolina mayor says that five people including a police officer were killed in a shooting in a residential area. Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said that multiple people were shot on the Neuse River Greenway around 5 pm. Thursday. She said the police department told her around 8 p.m. that the suspect had been “contained” at a residence in the area. Numerous police vehicles and multiple ambulances had swarmed the neighborhood starting in the late afternoon, and officers remained in place for hours during an apparent manhunt.
High court rejects Trump plea to step into Mar-a-Lago case
The Supreme Court has rejected former President Donald Trump’s plea to step into the legal fight over the FBI search of his Florida estate. The justices did not otherwise comment Thursday in turning away Trump’s emergency appeal. Trump had pressed the court on an issue relating to classified documents seized in the search of Mar-a-Lago. The Trump team was asking the justices to overturn a lower court ruling and permit an independent arbiter, or special master, to review the roughly 100 documents with classified markings that were taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago.
Parkland school shooter spared from execution for killing 17
Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to life without parole for the 2018 massacre of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. That sentence comes after the jury announced Thursday that it could not unanimously agree that Cruz should be executed. The decision ends a three-month trial that included graphic videos and photos, and heart-wrenching testimony from victims’ family members. Many family members shook their heads, looked angry or covered their eyes as the jury’s decision was read. Some parents sobbed as they left court. A judge will formally sentence Cruz on Nov. 1.
FDA confirms widespread shortages of Adderall
The Food and Drug Administration has declared a nationwide shortage of Adderall, a medication used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder that has had surging demand in recent years. The FDA noted that one maker of the drug, Teva Pharmaceuticals, has had continuing manufacturing delays, and other manufacturers of generic versions or alternatives have also reported periodic problems with meeting demand. The agency recommended that patients taking Adderall talk to their doctors to find alternative treatments. Adderall, which contains the stimulant amphetamine, is a controlled substance and highly regulated, so it is difficult for pharmacies to quickly pivot and carry new brands, analysts said.
N. Korea fires another missile, flies warplanes near border
South Korea says North Korea has launched a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says the launch happened early Friday but gave no further details. It’s the latest in a spate of missile launches by North Korea in recent days. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says North Korea also flew warplanes near the rivals’ border late Thursday and early Friday, prompting South Korea to scramble fighter jets. There have been no reports of clashes between the two Koreas. North Korea’s military also issued a statement accusing South Korea of carrying out artillery fire for about 10 hours near the border Thursday.
Ukraine gets more air defense pledges as Russia hits cities
Ukraine’s allies have committed to providing advanced air defense systems to protect against Russia’s intensifying missile attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said Thursday such systems would “protect our sky from the terror of Russia” and help end the war. Responding to Zelenskyy’s pleas, Britain announced it would provide missiles for advanced NASAM anti-aircraft systems that the Pentagon plans to send to Ukraine. The U.K. is also providing hundreds of aerial drones. Russian forces attacked the Kyiv region with Iran-made kamikaze drones and fired missiles at civilian targets Thursday as payback for the bombing of a strategic bridge linking Russia with annexed Crimea.
Saudi Arabia pushes back at US outrage over oil cuts
Saudi Arabia and the United States traded rare public accusations Thursday over the kingdom’s decision last week along with other oil producers to cut output despite U.S. objections, signaling a new low in a relationship increasingly frayed over how to respond to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The Saudi Foreign Ministry answered a vow by U.S. President Joe Biden to reassess relations over the oil cuts with an unusual statement Thursday that accused the United States of distorting facts and said that the White House had asked for the cuts to be delayed by one month.
By wire sources