Four people were killed when a gunman opened fire in New York City. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would work with international partners to set up food delivery centers in Gaza. And GOP lawmakers’ efforts to outlaw “weather modification” pushes a fringe theory into the mainstream.
Here’s what to know today.
4 killed, including police officer, in New York City shooting
Four people, including a police officer, were killed after a gunman opened at a New York City office building yesterday evening. The suspect shooter acted alone and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, law enforcement officials said.
Gunfire was first reported around 6:30 p.m., prompting warnings and office evacuations at 345 Park Avenue, a high-rise that houses the headquarters of the NFL, as well as investment firm Blackstone, a Bank of America branch and offices belonging to KPMG.
Among the victims is 36-year-old Didarul Islam, who had been with the NYPD for 3½ years, according to New York Mayor Eric Adams. Islam emigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh, was the father of two young boys and expecting a third child with his wife.
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Three civilians also died. Their names have not yet been released.
Law enforcement identified the suspect as Shane Devon Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas. A motive has not yet been disclosed, though officials familiar with the investigation said Tamura left a note at the scene voicing anger that his mental illness may be linked to his having played football. Authorities said Tamura recently drove across the country from Nevada to New York.
Trump pushes for more aid to Gaza
In a rare rebuke, President Donald Trump said he does not agree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assessment that no one is starving in Gaza. The White House said that the president is “disturbed” and “troubled” by the images of children starving in the Palestinian enclave. “I mean, some of those kids are — that’s real starvation stuff,” Trump said yesterday in Scotland during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I see it, and you can’t fake it. So we’re going to be even more involved.”
That involvement includes the U.S. working with international partners, including Britain and other European nations, to fund and set up food delivery centers in Gaza, Trump said yesterday. The focus on food aid for Gaza aligns the U.S. with countries that have been far more critical of Israel. The move also comes as much of the world, a rising share of the American public and some of Trump’s own political allies become more critical of Israel. But it remains to be seen whether there will be any substantive shift in American policy. Read the full story here.
Separately, the world’s leading body on hunger said Tuesday that the “worst-case scenario of famine” is unfolding in the Gaza Strip under Israel’s deadly offensive. It marked the direst warning yet from the IPC on the crisis unfolding in the territory.
GOP lawmakers move to stop ‘weather modification’
At one point in time, “weather modification” and environmental geoengineering — basically, the idea that the government or scientists are controlling the weather — were relegated to the fringes of society. But that’s changing. This year, Republican lawmakers in nearly 20 state legislatures have proposed legislation to ban such actions. And on the federal level, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Tim Burchett of Tennessee have introduced the “Clear Skies Act,” which would make forms of geoengineering illegal.
The legislative push among Republicans to outlaw human-made alterations to the climate is notable, given how the party has fought to stop other efforts to combat climate change and as the Trump administration has cut funding for climate change research. Experts said some lawmakers are conflating outright falsehoods with legitimate, small-scale research into geoengineering, and backlash to the research is intensifying.
But Greene said there’s a “kind of a funny hypocrisy” among activists calling for laws to stop climate change, “but yet they’re like, ‘No, don’t stop manmade climate change.'” Burchett, meanwhile, said the bill is a no-lose proposition because “if it doesn’t exist, then you don’t have anything to worry about.” Read the full story here.
More politics news:
- Vice President JD Vance talked up President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” at an Ohio steel factory, offering an early preview of Republicans’ midterm campaign strategy.
- Trump’s baseline tariffs on other countries, even with bilateral deals, is more punitive than he once hinted at and equates to an average of as much as $2,700 in lost annual income, according to estimates.
- Republican Sen. Josh Hawley introduced legislation to provide tariff rebate checks of at least $600 per person, similar to Covid stimulus checks.
- The Justice Department filed a complaint alleging misconduct by U.S. District Chief Judge James Boasberg, who has overseen several key cases involving the Trump administration.
- Proposals to name the Kennedy Center after Trump and its opera house after first lady Melania Trump would violate the law by which the Kennedy Center was created, sources said.
Read All About It
- A gunman fatally shot three people and wounded others outside a Nevada hotel and casino.
- Family members of a married couple killed at an Arkansas state park while on a hike remembered them as “devoted parents.”
- Early results from a major clinical trial show a healthy lifestyle, especially when paired with a way to be held accountable, helped slow cognitive decline among adults at risk for dementia.
- Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders revealed he had surgery to remove his bladder after being diagnosed with bladder cancer.
- American Eagle is receiving backlash for an ad touting actor Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans.”
Staff Pick: A tricky transition from synthetic to natural food dyes
A growing push for food companies to ditch synthetic food dyes in favor of natural ones has companies like Kraft, Heinz and General Mills vowing to shift how their products are made. But with that promise comes the cumbersome process of developing reliable, cost-effective natural dyes.
National investigative reporter Suzy Khimm highlights a Texas confectioner, Atkinson Candy Co., that transitioned away from using synthetic dyes. They faced some hurdles, from sourcing the necessary ingredients to overcoming a funky smell. And they’re still struggling to replicate the bright green of is Christmas mint twists. The challenges the company had to overcome indicate what might lie ahead for other companies — all while some critics question the long-term impact of natural dyes on consumers’ health. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
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