Newsletter Mar 23, 2021

One of few good things to come out of the pandemic was a drop in mass murders. Now that COVID numbers are down, mass killings are on the rise.

3 Things

Trigger warning: The bright side is that the country is getting back to normal. The dark truth is that the "old normal" includes America's abnormally high rate of mass murders and shooting sprees.
Monday was a tragic day in Boulder, Colorado, where a man opened fire in a grocery store and parking lot before he was taken into custody. Boulder Police Department confirmed there were multiple deaths, including one of its own officers. See the latest update here.
The incident comes six days after a Georgia man went on a shooting spree at three Atlanta-area spas, killing eight and blaming his actions on a sexual addiction. The episode sheds more light on America's lethal mix of unlimited guns and untreated mental illness.
The troubling trend comes after the U.S. saw a decline in the number of mass murders in 2020, which many attributed to the pandemic. But now that crowds are assembling again and things return to normal, it's a somber reminder that normal was never perfect.
FIND OUT WHAT TRIGGERED THE TRAGEDY IN BOULDER

Wealthy debate: In a debate about income inequality, you couldn't pick more polar opposites than Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world's second wealthiest individual, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-proclaimed democratic socialist and proponent of taxing the rich.
The two have been going at it tit for tat on Twitter, raising the issue at a time of a massive shift in taxation policy. Biden has called for increasing taxing on individuals earning more than $400,000 annually, and Democrats are calling for tax hikes on the super rich.
"We are in a moment in American history where two guys â€” Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos â€” own more wealth than the bottom 40% of people in this country," Sanders recently tweeted. "That level of greed and inequality is not only immoral. It is unsustainable."
Musk fired back that his $74 billion Space X program helps to "make life multi-planetary & extend the light of consciousness to the stars."
Great, Sanders countered, "but right now we need to focus on Earth and create a progressive tax system so that children don't go hungry, people are not homeless and all Americans have healthcare."
SEE WHERE OTHERS SIDE IN THE SANDERS-MUSK DEBATE

Stalled stimulus?: If you've been feverishly checking your bank balance and mailbox for your stimulus check to no avail, do not fear.
Although the IRS has already sent out over $242 billion in stimulus payments, another round of deposits, checks and pre-paid debit cards are set to go out Wednesday. The payments should arrive overnight via direct deposit, or whenever they show up via snail mail.
The third round of stimulus checks, part of Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, provide $1,400 per qualified individual and $1,400 per dependent up to three. The IRS has created an online tool to help people track their checks and eligibility status.
While millions have already received their payments, the added work has left the IRS buried under a mountain of unprocessed tax returns built up over two years. A tax break for those on unemployment assistance will likely force them to refile, compounding the IRSâ€™ work.
CHECK ON THE STATUS OF YOUR $1,400 STIMULUS CHECK

Markets

DJIA	32,731.20	0.32%
S&P 500	3,940.59	0.70%
Nasdaq Composite	13,377.54	1.23%
Japan: Nikkei 225	29,264.60	0.31%
UK: FTSE 100	6,726.10	0.26%
Crude Oil Futures	61.47	0.08%
Gold Futures	1,730.90	-0.41%
Yen	108.76	-0.08%
Euro	1.19	-0.06%
* As of market close

Trump-ter?

After being banned by virtually every major social media platform, former President Donald Trump has finally learned his lesson. Cleaning up his act? No way? He has apparently decided to start his own social medium.

On Sunday, Trump advisor Jason Miller revealed the former president is in the midst of launching his own platform. The name of the company has not been released, but Miller believes it will attract â€œtens of millionsâ€ users.

On Monday, daughter-in-law Lara Trump confirmed the news and added some details. Because the move was triggered by Trump and his far-right supporters being banned from various social media sites, the new platform will be free of the fact-checkers and speech police that cut him.

"There are a lot of social media outlet that have proven to suppress the voices of conservatives," Lara Trump claimed, "and so I think that we have all felt like 'Gosh, wouldn't it be nice if there will be a platform available that will allow us to say what we want,' " she said.

FIND OUT TRUMP'S PLANS FOR A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

Jeeps on the juice

Electric vehicles are all the rave, but they have been a hard sell for Jeep drivers who love riding off-road in the classic gas-guzzling, mud-slinging Wrangler. But Jeep believes it has finally struck a good balance between environmental concerns, fuel economy and keeping thrill-seekers happy.

Jeep is set to unveil the new four-wheel drive Magneto, an EV version of the popular Wrangler model, packs similar power -- 273 foot-pounds of torque and 285 horsepower to go from zero to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

The Magneto, which is based on Jeepâ€™s two-door 2020 Wrangler Rubicon model, looks stylish and sporty but isn't afraid to get down and dirty. It is described as "a zero-emissions concept vehicle with Jeep 4x4 capability taken to the next levelâ€ with â€œsustainable, stealthy, rock-climbing forceâ€

But it could be a while before you can go mudding in a Magneto. Jeep is already producing EV versions of its more road-friendly models like the Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer, but the Magneto is still a few years away from rolling off the assembly line. But will off-roaders be ready to plug in?

SEE JEEP'S PLANS TO BRING EVS TO THE OFF-ROAD MARKET

Zoo with a view

From our "yes, people really are that stupid" department comes a father-of-the-year candidate giving his infant child a behind-the-ropes tour of the San Diego Zoo and nearly getting both of them killed in the process.

A zoo visitor captured the scary scene after the man crossed numerous barricades to pose for a photo without all those pesky safety barriers in the way. However, he got a closer shot -- and call -- than he was seeking.

The crowd began warning him about a charging bull elephant who wasn't happy about the intrusion. The man quickly climbed through the enclosure but left his poor child in harm's way until snatching the kid away at the final frightening second. Makes you wonder which one belongs in a zoo.

The man has been charged with several crimes, including trespassing and child endangerment. He could be visiting a human version of a zoo in the future. But next time he won't be able to slip through the bars so easily.

WATCH THE HORRIFYING VIDEO OF THE CHARGING ELEPHANT