1 Death Toll In Sri Lanka Jumps To 359 As ISIS Claims Responsibility
The death toll in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka has risen to 359 – 45 of those? Children. Officials say 500 more are still recovering from their injuries. The series of blasts across the country Sunday also injured hundreds of others. Police say they’ve identified eight of the nine attackers. "Most of them are well educated and come from maybe middle or upper middle class," says the country’s Deputy Defence Minister. "They are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially.” In all, Sri Lankan officials have arrested dozens of people in connection with the attacks. At last check, 40 were in custody. Added to the mix? ISIS is now claiming responsibility for the coordinated attacks – saying the bombings were retaliation for the recent shootings at two mosques in New Zealand. It’s worth noting, however, that ISIS has a bad habit of claiming every awful thing that happens – without providing any evidence. To that point in this case, ISIS leaders shared an image of eight men purported to be behind the attack on social media…seven of them were masked.
2 Biden Ready To Enter Presidential Race Tomorrow
Former Vice President Joe Biden will reportedly make his 2020 intentions clear tomorrow – and enter the Democratic presidential race in a video to be released via social media. Sources close to Biden say he will then appear at an event in a union hall in Pittsburgh on Monday (not surprising considering rumors he’ll reportedly headquarter his campaign in Philly). After that, Biden is reportedly set to travel to all four early voting states in the following weeks. Biden is a former senator who was President Obama's VP for eight years. He declined a run in 2016 after the death of his son, Beau Biden, who lost a long struggle against brain cancer in 2015. As for a war chest, “Team Biden” will be starting at zero…but it’s not expected to stay that way for long. Word is that a number of high profile – and deep pocketed – donors have already committed to filling Biden’s trough. And they’ll need to. Aside from the other 19 Dem candidates already in the running, Bernie Sanders has already collected about $20-million. And the guy they’re all trying to unseat – aka President Trump? His campaign raised about $30-million in the first quarter
3 Second Man To Be Executed In 1998 Dragging Death Of Texas Man
A second man convicted in the dragging death of a Black man in Texas is scheduled to be executed tonight. John King was convicted for his role in the horrific 1998 murder of James Byrd, Jr. King was one of three men who chained Byrd to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him for almost three miles in what is considered one of America's most brutal hate crimes. According to medical examiners, Byrd was alive for a good part of the attack – until his right arm and head were severed. What was left of Byrd's body was found in front of a predominately black church in Jasper, Texas. The crime repulsed the nation and ultimately led to the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law on October 2009. King will be the second man executed in Byrd's death. Lawrence Brewer was executed by lethal injection in 2011. The third man, Shawn Berry, was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2038.