A Gunman Killed 26 and Wounded at Least 20 Others During in a Texas Church Service: Details are emerging from Sunday's mass shooting in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, where a man identified as 26-year-old Devin Kelley opened fire. According to officials, Kelley was court marshalled and discharged from the Air Force for assaulting his wife and child, and while his motive is still unknown, his ex wife may have had ties to the church. The area, David Martin Davies told NPR, is heavily armed. "Well, almost everybody around here has a gun," Davies said. "You know, this is Texas. The people here, they really believe in the Second Amendment."
The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72.
In Response to Deadliest Mass Shooting in Modern Texas History, Officials Promise to Do Nothing: Republican officials including Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan, and Donald Trump tweeted their "thoughts and prayers," which may seem particularly empty considering the shooting took place during a church service. God, however, who is also on Twitter, had some thoughts of his own.
Actually, One Texas Legislator Has an Idea: More Guns: "This is going to happen again," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Fox News Sunday. "And so, we need people in terms of professional security or in terms of arming the parishioners or the congregation so that they can respond when something like this happens again." Paxton has been endorsed by the NRA.
Trump Blames Mass Shooting on Mental Health, Not Guns: When asked about the mass shooting Monday, the President said: "This isn't a guns situation. This is a mental health problem at the highest level. It's a very, very sad event." Sutherland Springs is the 307th mass shooting in the U.S. this year.
Seattle's Mayoral Candidates Also Weighed In: Jenny Durkan released a statement on Twitter:
Colleges. Concerts. Churches. It’s enough. pic.twitter.com/yEwewLFD6j
— Jenny Durkan (@JennyDurkan) November 5, 2017
Rival Cary Moon released hers on Facebook:
Neither of them have very many shares.
Speaking of the Election, It's Tomorrow: Ballots must be postmarked by tomorrow or returned to drop-off points by 8 pm on election day. Don't know where to drop your ballot? Go here. Don't know who to vote for? Go here.
Donna Brazile Tells Haters to "Go to Hell": Following the publication of the former DNC head Donna Brazile's explosive new memoir about the Democratic primary, Brazille went on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos and said: "For those who are telling me to shut up, they told Hillary that a couple of months ago. You know what I tell them, 'Go to hell.' I'm going to tell my story." And a fascinating story it is.
Man Hit by Train in Auburn: KOMO reports that a body was found on train tracks near Auburn's Sounder Station on Sunday night. They are not yet sure which train was involved.
Donald Trump Asks Japan to Make More Cars... in America: On this first leg of a 12-day trip to Asia, President Trump unleashed some frustration at Japan. Politico reports that the President told business executives at a meeting in Tokyo, “Try building your cars in the United States instead of shipping them over,” before asking, “That's not rude?" The President is expected to "lodge similar complaints throughout the swing through Asia, which will include stops in South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines." Please, Asia, accept these apologies for our #teen President.
Washington State Health Benefit Exchange Is Now Open: As of Nov. 1, you can purchase health insurance though the state exchanges. Eleven insurers are selling 74 individual plans, an you can expect a 36 percent increase in premiums over last year, in part due to Trump's attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and his decision to kill federal subsidies for people with low incomes. Thanks Trump?
Is Bob Ferguson Running for Governor?: Magic 8-Ball says: Follow the money.
The Seahawks Lost in a Dramatic Upset to the Other Washington: But if you care, you probably already knew that.
