News You Should Know
Andrew McCabe, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, stepped down Monday amid tensions with the White House. McCabe was being pressured by President Donald Trump to resign. McCabe has been a part of the FBI since 1996.
McCabe has been criticized by Trump after learning that his wife had “hundreds of thousands of dollars” donated to her failed Senate campaign by a political action committee that is run by a friend of Hillary Clinton. Trump did not answer questions Monday as to whether or not he knew that McCabe would be stepping down.
Critics of Trump have claimed that Trump’s recent attacks on the FBI are an attempt to distract the public from the ongoing investigation as to whether Russia meddled with the 2016 election.
McCabe will remain on the FBI’s payroll until he is eligible to receive full time retirement benefits in mid-March, according the NBC News. His departure from the FBI coincides with the FBI being pressured by members of the GOP to release a classified document that is alleged to “detail that the FBI engaged in surveillance abuses”.
Local News
Thousands of Patriot fans gathered outside of Patriots Place in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Monday for a rally that was being held before the Patriots departed to Minnesota for the Super Bowl. Players thanked the fans for their support, as well as encouraged them to continue to voice their support during the upcoming week. The Patriots, who are hoping to win their second straight Super Bowl, will play the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 6:30 p.m.
A shelter in place was issued at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick on Monday after someone reported seeing a man with a “holstered gun.” CCRI warned students to stay in their rooms as police investigated. Shortly after, they said that it was not an active shooter situation, but that students should remain in a locked room. Approximately 20 minutes later after that, they tweeted that no active threat was discovered. Warwick Police were called to assist campus security, but State Troopers were not called.
A 50-year-old Westerly man has been charged with murder following a stabbing Saturday night. The suspect, Nelson Dearce, is currently being held without bail. Police say that they found someone with multiple stab wounds in Dearce’s house Saturday, who was then transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
National News
The State of the Union address was held on Tuesday night. President Donald Trump, who has been in office now for just over a year said “The State of the union is strong because our people are strong.” Trump started the speech by assuring victims of natural disasters that America is with them. Trump also called for bipartisanship to help deliver results for the American people.
Over the course of the speech, Trump talked about economic success since the beginning of his Presidency, deregulation, his desire to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, his plans to rebuild infrastructure, his immigration stance and his foreign policy perspective. Supporters of Trump were generally happy with his speech, while those who oppose the President audibly booed him at several points during the address.
Panera bread has issued a recall of cream cheese products in all of their U.S. stores due to fear of a possible listeria contamination. The restaurant recalled “one type of two-ounce cream cheese from a single production day” after it tested positive for Listeria. No illnesses had been reported as of Monday, when the recall was issued.
Steve Wynn, a “casino mogul,” has stepped down from his position as the Republican National Committee finance chairman after allegations of sexual misconduct. A Wall Street Journal report that was published Saturday outlined a list of allegations against Wynn that are reported to have occurred over a long period of time. Members of the GOP who have received money from Wynn started to donate it following the report. Wynn oversaw historic fundraising for the RNC in 2017. Wynn is described as a “close friend” of President Donald Trump, and donated to his campaign.
International News
An ambulance that was “packed with explosives” blew up and killed 103 people and injured 235 more in Afghanistan on Sunday. The attack occurred in Kabul, which is the capital of Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack occurred in what is considered to be one of the safer parts of the city, which has cast doubt on the Afghan government’s ability to protect its citizens. Monday was declared a national day of mourning in the country.
A fire in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday night resulted in 6,000 people losing their homes and four deaths. Officials said that while there was fire fighting equipment available, they ran out of water. The fire took eight hours to contain. A member of parliament for the area said they requested assistance from nearby Kenya Defense Force barracks, but aid was not delivered because of “bureaucracy.” The Kenyan President has been criticized for not providing the area with working fire engines. The governor of Naraboid has “ordered a full investigation into the fire and that those found guilty will face the full force of the law”.