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Good morning, Portland. Over the weekend, 30 people died in dual mass shootings in the United States.
In Ohio: Early Sunday morning, a 20-something white man opened fire outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio, injuring 32 and killing nine. The shooter, who has a history of making 'hit lists' and 'rape lists,' was killed by police before entering the bar.
In Texas: Less than 24 hours earlier, a 20-something white man entered a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and began shooting. He killed 21, leaving 26 injured. The shooter left behind a manifesto decrying the โHispanic invasion of Texas," and detailed a plan to segregate America by race. The screed stunk of Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric. Per the Washington Post, "The question surrounding the president is no longer whether he will respond as other presidents once did, but whether his words contributed to the carnage."
Inaction: Donald Trump timidly condemned white supremacy during a press conference this morning, but suggested the shooter was motivated by video games and mental illness (instead of Trump's own bigotry).
Incredibly powerful statement from El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles. pic.twitter.com/Ro1A2DSFkW
โ Bob Moore (@BobMooreNews) August 4, 2019
Call It By Its Name: The federal government says the El Paso shooting will be handled as a domestic terrorism caseโand that the shooter may face the death sentence.
Mexico Steps Up: Seven of the victims in the Texas shooting were Mexican nationals. The Mexican government has requested access to the US investigation and may request the shooter be extradited to stand trial in Mexico.
Process that for a moment โ Per a former FBI agent the president of the United States perceives white nationalists as his base, so federal law enforcement is being hamstrung in their efforts to address an active threat of domestic terrorism. https://t.co/PwtTpT55TR
โ Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 5, 2019
De-platformed: The El Paso shooter uploaded his manifesto on the online forum 8chan before entering Walmart Saturday. Over the past few years, 8chan has become a sounding board for white supremacy and hate, inspiring several recent mass shootings. This was the tipping point for Cloudflare, the company responsible for hosting the 8chan website. Cloudflare severed ties with 8chan early this morning.
Oregon Response: Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has called on Congress to open an emergency legislative session to hash out gun control restrictions. Unfortunately, it's Mitch McConnell's call to make.
Beto Explains it All:
Beto is all of us right now. pic.twitter.com/5yjnibrxcB
โ Matt Rogers ๐ (@Politidope) August 5, 2019
Meanwhile, In Portland: A woman shot and killed her brother, former PSU basketball player Deante Strickland, in Northeast Portland Friday afternoon. It's still unclear what the woman's motive was.
Things Unrelated to Guns: Gov. Kate Brown considers vetoing a few bills. Protests continue to roil in Hong Kong, riots expected in India's Kashmir region.