1 Biden Talks Unity In UN Address
President Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time yesterday and told the world leaders in attendance that the global community stands at an “inflection point in history,” saying leaders must “work together as never before.” The address came as the U.S. is facing heightened tensions with its allies due to the problems with the U.S. exit from Afghanistan and the fallout from a submarine deal with Australia and the UK, which has led to diplomatic tensions with France. During the speech, Biden said many of the world’s challenges “cannot be solved or even addressed with the force of arms,” adding “Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants.” The president said he’ll be announcing additional vaccine commitments to the world soon. The President also reassured the General Assembly that “we are not seeking a new Cold War” with China, something U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had criticized the Biden administration over. Guterres said “our world has never been more threatened – or more divided,” and went on to say “We are getting an F in ethics.”
2 Gabby Petito's Death Ruled Homicide As Her Body Is Identified
The search for missing YouTuber Gabby Petito has now become a homicide investigation. The FBI says Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue’s “initial determination for the manner of death is homicide” after completing the autopsy on human remains found at a Wyoming national park. The FBI added that the cause of death “remains pending final autopsy results.” YouTubers helped authorities narrow down the search area before the body was found, and the FBI is asking for more help. Specifically, the FBI says they’re looking for information from anyone who used the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area between August 27 and 30. While her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, hasn’t been declared a suspect in the case, he has been declared a person of interest. Police have been searching for Laundrie for a week after he told his parents he was going hiking in a nearby nature preserve and never came home.
3 FBI: Domestic Terror Investigations Double
FBI Director Christopher Wray told a U.S. Senate panel yesterday morning that the bureau has been forced to direct resources toward its domestic terrorism investigations in the past 18 months, saying personnel has been increased in that area by 260%. Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the domestic terrorism caseload has more than doubled from around 1,000 ongoing investigations to 2,700, and said “Terrorism moves at the speed of social media,” a statement that Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who attended the hearing with Wray, agreed with. Mayorkas said social media is a “terrain that can so easily propagate misinformation, false information, and allow communications to occur among loosely affiliated individuals.” Wray told senators that the agency is “concerned with developments in Afghanistan, among other things;” the January 6 attack on the Capitol appears to have contributed to the FBI’s increased domestic terrorism caseload. Wray said the FBI has thwarted potential terrorist attacks in at least seven cities, including Las Vegas, Tampa, New York, Cleveland, Kansas City, Miami, and Pittsburgh.