Attack in Barcelona Kills 13, Settlement Over CIA Torture Methods, Massive Lottery Jackpot Grows: P.M. Links
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Quique Garcia/EFE/Newscom A van driven at high speed crashed into a crowd of people in a tourist-filled part of Barcelona. Police believe it was a terrorist attack. Details remain very sketchy. Casualty numbers vary, but the most recent numbers have an official claiming 13 dead, 50 injured. One suspect is in custody. Police have released a picture of the suspect, who is being identified as Driss Oukabir, in his 20s, born in Morocco, according to local media. The Islamic State (ISIS) is claiming responsibility for the attack.
- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has reached a settlement with two psychologists involved in the development of the interrogation/torture techniques the CIA used during the war on terror. The details of the settlement were not released.
- President Donald Trump this morning decided on Twitter to come to the defense of maintaining Confederate statues and monuments. A poll shows that most citizens actually don't want them to be removed.
- After insisting on the importance of preserving history, Trump then tweeted this:
Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
But there's no evidence Pershing actually fought Muslim terrorists in the manner that Trump believes.
- A state court spokesperson in New York was fired after he accidentally butt-dialed a reporter and was recorded admitting on voicemail that he barely shows up for work at his six-figure-salary government job.
- The family of the young man arrested and accused of a bomb plot in Oklahoma say Jerry Drake Varnell, 23, is schizophrenic and the FBI knew this when they orchestrated a sting to catch him.
- If all the other news is making you miserable, go buy lottery tickets. Nobody won the last night's Powerball jackpot, so it's up to at least $510 million.
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