Category: Security

Garfield County law enforcement described an averted disaster after the body of a 20-year-old man was found alongside guns and bombs in a bathroom at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Saturday morning.

Maintenance crews found the man’s body in a women’s bathroom while getting ready to open the park, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said during a virtual news conference Monday afternoon.

It appears the man died as a result of suicide, Vallario said, though the official cause and manner of death and the man’s identity will be released by the Garfield County Coroner’s Office.

“We had the potential for something heinous and gruesome to happen in this community and we were fortunate that it did not occur, but it certainly, for lack of a better term, took away the innocence of our community,” Vallario said on a Zoom call with reporters.

Vallario did not say whether the investigation had yet uncovered any specific plans the man might have made.

“We are extremely lucky he did not fulfill whatever plan he had intended,” Vallario said.

The man, who was from Carbondale, was dressed in black tactical clothing and had a rifle, pistol, pipe bombs and fake grenades with him, Vallario said.

The man likely broke into the park by driving up an access road, Vallario said. Glenwood Caverns is only accessible to the public by gondola.

The man’s body was discovered prior to the opening of the park and was not related to any of the rides at the park, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials said the unidentified man was from the Carbondale area, but did not release his name.

The sheriff’s office said he entered the park after hours without authorization.

According to the release, investigators discovered multiple improvised explosive devices with the suspect and in his vehicle.

“While this investigation is still ongoing and very active it is important to realize that given the amount of weaponry, ammunition and explosive devices found, the suspect could have implemented an attack of devastating proportions upon our community and first responders,” sheriff’s officials said in the news release.

The adventure park closed Saturday and remained closed for two days while police and other first responders combed the property and made sure the Caverns were safe to reopen.

The Grand Junction Bomb Squad responded to the scene Saturday and were able to disarm the explosive devices.

According to the news release, once the bombs were disabled, the Glenwood Adventure Caverns property was swept by members of the bomb squad and operators from the Garfield County All Hazard Response Team to ensure no other explosives had been planted around the park or rides.

As of Monday afternoon, the investigation so far has indicated that nobody in the public is at risk and the suspect’s actions were limited to the property of the Glenwood Caverns.

The man’s cause and manner of death have not been released pending a final report from the coroner’s office.

According to the sheriff’s office’s statement, the initial two days of the investigation were carried out in a slow, methodical manner to search both the property and the suspect’s residence to ensure the safety of the public and to determine the extent of his criminal activity.

The investigation is ongoing and involves the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand Junction Bomb Squad, Garfield County All Hazard Response Team, the Carbondale Police Department, the Garfield County Coroner and the FBI.

In September 2021, the park closed for several days after a 6-year-old girl died on the park’s Haunted Mine Drop attraction.

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© 2023 MediaNews Group, Inc

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

United States Marine Corps Major Gen. Chris A. McPhillips reportedly announced Tuesday that the 248th Marine Corps Ball has been canceled by U.S. Central Command as a result of “unforeseen operational commitments.”

Announcing the cancelation of this year’s Marine Corps Ball, McPhillips wrote, “Regretfully and with a strong sense of duty, I write to inform you of a decision that I had to make regarding the Marine Corps 248th Ball, scheduled for 16 November 2023. Due to unforeseen operational commitments and the nature of our current mission, it is with great regret that we must cancel this year’s event.”

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command has just announced that their Marine Corps 248th Ball scheduled for November 16th has now been Cancelled due to “Unforeseen Operational Commitments and the Nature of our current Mission.” pic.twitter.com/8MOmnvGvyo

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 1, 2023

McPhillips explained that Central Command’s decision to cancel the 258th Marine Corps Ball stems from the “primary responsibility” the Marine Corps has to guarantee the defense and security of the United States. “It is this commitment to duty that has necessitated the cancellation of what would undoubtedly have been an exceptional evening of camaraderie and tradition,” he said.

According to U.S. Central Command’s website, CENTCOM’s area of responsibility includes over 4 million square miles with multiple opportunities for “tension and rivalry.”

“The central region is among the least secure and stable places of the world. Adversarial relationships among neighboring states, widespread ethnic and sectarian struggles, malign influence and destabilizing activities, cyber-based threats, and growing arsenals of sophisticated conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction all combine to imperil enduring U.S. vital national interests, as well as those of our trusted partners and allies,” CENTCOM’s website states.

READ MORE: Video: Top Marine general hospitalized after heart attack: Report

The announcement of the Marine Corps Ball comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, including the war between Israel and Hamas that started after Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israel last month. Additionally, the Department of Defense has recorded 27 total attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East since Oct. 17. On the same day as the cancelation announcement, the Pentagon announced the deployment of 300 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East.

In his announcement, McPhillips expressed his gratitude for the “immense effort” of those who spent significant time and effort to plan and prepare for the 248th Marine Corps Ball. The general noted that the cancelation of the Marine Corps Ball is a “reminder of the sacrifices” that U.S. service members, particularly the Marines, make on behalf of the nation.

McPhillips added, “Please know that this decision was not made lightly, and the chief consideration was the need to uphold the highest standards of readiness and the completion of our operational responsibilities.”

Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson announced Tuesday that the company will be laying off about 1,200 employees as it remains almost $20 billion in debt.

In a third-quarter earnings report, Johnson said Lumen will lay off approximately 4% of its labor force. According to Fierce Telecom, Lumen had roughly 30,000 employees as of Sept. 30, which would make the number of employees affected by the layoffs about 1,200.

“We’ve made the difficult decision to reshape and resize Lumen for growth,” Johnson said. The CEO explained that the company expects that the layoffs, combined with “additional optimization initiatives” will result in annual savings of approximately $300 million. Johnson added that the company is implementing the layoffs as part of the “restructuring” of Lumen’s “balance sheet” in order to position the company for future growth.

The company’s plan, included in its third quarter report, anticipates severance costs and similar costs to be between $55 and $65 million. The layoffs are expected to be “substantially completed” by the conclusion of the fourth quarter.

READ MORE: 20,000 jobs cut at major banks, more layoffs expected

According to Fierce Telecom, Lumen has also taken other steps to reduce its $20 billion debt, such as the sale of its EMEA business. The sale of Lumen’s EMEA business is expected to provide roughly $1.5 billion that can be used to reduce the company’s debt.

In the face of mass layoffs, the company has committed its focus to designing new products and expanding its fiber footprint.

“During the quarter, we took significant steps to improve operations as we combine CenturyLink fiber with Quantum fiber, merging all inventory and field tech systems into one and vastly improved order to install commitment,” Johnson stated.

“While we believe these operational activities coupled with lower move activity, dampened subscriber ads this quarter, we do know that we need to do better selling and penetrating existing belts,” Johnson added. “Therefore, as we face a more constrained capital environment ahead, we’ll prioritize sales and marketing investments over enablement growth.”

Lumen’s third-quarter results showed a net loss of $78 million for the company. Last year, Lumen had a net profit of $578 million during the third quarter, according to Fierce Telecom.

Lumen CFO Chris Stansbury explained that the “macro environment and the overhang of Lumen’s creditor discussions has resulted in revenue headwinds, which will pressure our results over the next few quarters.” On the other hand, Stansbury said he anticipates the company will experience “sustained improving revenue trends in mid-2024.”

Law enforcement officials on Tuesday announced dozens of criminal charges against a man who police and prosecutors say fired a gun into a Halloween party in North Lawndale over the weekend, leaving 15 people wounded by gunfire.

William Groves, 48, was charged with 15 counts of attempted murder, 15 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated discharge of a firearm into an occupied building. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting took place at about 1 a.m. Sunday in a building on the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road. Police said Groves fired into the party of about 100 people shortly after he had been kicked out of the gathering.

Police said Groves fled, but officers quickly arrested him with help from attendees and found a gun in his possession.

Tuesday morning, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling was joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Ald. Monique Scott, 24th, and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis in announcing the charges against Groves.

“Though this arrest brings a measure of justice to the 15 victims and all those who witnessed this violence that night, the trauma remains,” Snelling said. “I want to focus — and we need to focus — on the victims and support for them moving forward. Everyone affected by the shooting, and our North Lawndale neighbors, we’re standing with you.”

Though two of the 15 victims were initially listed in critical condition, their conditions have been upgraded and all are expected to survive, Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said.

Groves’ arrest report, meanwhile, says that he was arrested in possession of a .357 handgun, and the weapon’s serial number was defaced.

“He’s a convicted felon who shouldn’t have had a gun,” Snelling said.

Cook County court records show Groves was charged and later acquitted in a 1995 murder in the Uptown neighborhood. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder in connection with a shooting in the Englewood neighborhood, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Records show Groves has also been convicted of several weapons and narcotics offenses since the mid-1990s.

“As a mother, I can’t imagine the horror of that phone call that a child or a loved one has been shot,” Scott told reporters. “The thought of that call, that your community (members) are victims of a mass shooting is beyond comprehensible, and as a human being I truly, deeply feel saddened for the families affected and the trauma that will be left behind. I’m also reminded of the anniversary of a mass shooting in East Garfield (Park) where 14 victims were shot and one was killed. Somehow, this has become a routine. This shouldn’t be normal to any one of us.”

The attack early Sunday represented the most victims wounded in a Chicago shooting since March 2021 when 15 people were shot at a party in Park Manor and the 39th shooting in the city in which four or more people were shot since Oct. 31 last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The day of the shooting, police officials told reporters that the suspect was thrown out of a Halloween party hosted at the unlicensed venue. The suspect then returned with a gun and opened fire, according to Ogden District Cmdr. William Betancourt.

Records from the city’s Department of Buildings show that inspectors cited the property in June 2021 for operating as an event venue without a license.

“There are tables and chairs in both the 1st and 2nd floor spaces with DJ sound booths set up on both floors, alcohol is being served/sold and admission (tickets) are being sold online as evidenced by numerous social media postings for this venue online,” inspectors wrote. “There are no plans or permits for the current use of this space as an unlicensed small assembly/public place of assembly. The current license states this is an ‘art gallery,’ yet there is no artwork whatsoever. Also a 2-story rear porch has been constructed without plans or permit.”

Snelling said the business where the shooting occurred — ostensibly an art gallery space — has been a problem in the area for years, and Foxx said prosecutors’ investigation of the building owner remained ongoing.

Signs taped to the building Monday by police ordered the business that operates there, Studio 1258, closed.

On Monday afternoon, few people walked outside the building where the shooting took place. Several hundred children were in class at the pre-K through eighth grade school on the same block, said Mike Trout, executive director of YMEN, a nonprofit located across the street.

Police planned to operate an emergency assistance center at YMEN’s gymnasium Tuesday, he said. Officers handed out flyers advertising the center to passerby.

“What we do as a community to respond to instances of tragedy is our job,” Trout said. “This is why we’re here.”

Trout said people would be able to connect with therapists and apply for the state crime victim compensation program at the temporary center. He described the less material offerings — the opportunity to share painful stories, make lasting connection and form friendship — as also critically important.

His organization has long sought to fight violence in the community, with a goal of making “a college education more accessible than accessing a firearm.” There are a lot of promises made to people harmed by major shootings, he said.

“Sometimes, when the cameras are gone, or it’s no longer on the front page, those things die down,” Trout said.

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© 2023 Chicago Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Judge Tanya Chutkan’s latest ruling in former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference case has added a new layer to the high-profile legal battle.

As a result of the judge’s latest ruling issued on Sunday, Chutkan has effectively blocked the Department of Justice from incarcerating Trump for violating his gag order, a decision that holds significant implications for the case.

Judge Chutkan, in her Sunday opinion, reinstated the gag order; however, she denied a request from federal prosecutors to integrate the order into Trump’s release conditions, stating, “Even assuming that request is procedurally proper, the court concludes that granting it is not necessary to effectively enforce the Order at this time.”

Chutkan’s decision to lift her temporary hold on the gag order came after she determined “the right to a fair trial is not [Trump’s] alone, but belongs also to the government and the public.” According to Newsweek, the gag order was initially paused amid challenges regarding its wording and while Trump sought an appeal.

Michael McAuliffe, a former federal prosecutor, told Newsweek that Chutkan was seemingly being “careful and deliberate” in her ruling due to the gravity and scrutiny of the case.

“She certainly knows her every action, including small decisions about the gag order, will be scrutinized and appealed,” McAuliffe stated. “As such, she is taking a decidedly incremental approach. A good judge knows to wait until issues are ripe for resolution.”

READ MORE: Trump declares ‘Total and Complete Victory against Far Left Lawyer’ after judge gives him big win

Trump’s response to the reinstatement of the gag order was swift and critical of the judge.

Writing on Truth Social, he stated, “I have just learned that the very Biased, Trump Hating Judge in D.C., who should have RECUSED herself due to her blatant and open loathing of your favorite President, ME, has reimposed a GAG ORDER which will put me at a disadvantage against my prosecutorial and political opponents.”

Trump also expressed his intention to appeal the reinstatement of the gag order, questioning the fairness of the restrictions placed upon him.

Chutkan explained in her Sunday opinion that determining whether a statement Trump makes is in violation of the gag order will be a “fact-bound inquiry” that will require the court to consider each alleged violation’s “substance and context.” On the other hand, she ruled against Trump’s legal team’s argument that the language of the gag order was vague and confusing.

“The fact that it needs to do so with special care in close cases does not render the underlying Order unconstitutionally vague,” Chutkan stated. “Consequently, Defendant has failed to make a strong showing that he is likely to succeed on the merits of his appeal.”

In Sunday’s ruling, Chutkan also chose not to enforce the order regarding Trump’s recent comments about his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, since the gag order was not in effect when Trump made the comments, according to Newsweek.

This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.

The Pentagon announced the deployment of an additional 300 U.S. troops Tuesday to strengthen U.S. Central Command in the Middle East.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Tuesday, “We will not discuss specific deployment locations for these forces, but I can confirm they’re not going to Israel and that they are intended to support regional deterrence efforts and further bolster U.S. force protection capabilities.”

The deployment of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East comes as attacks by terrorist groups in the region against U.S. military bases, particularly in Iraq and Syria, have continued to persist. Ryder noted that the Department of Defense had recorded 27 total attacks since Oct. 17. Of the 27 attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East, 16 have occurred in Iraq, and 11 have occurred in Syria.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin explained last week that the attacks against U.S. forces resulted in 21 service members sustaining “minor injuries.” Nineteen of the U.S. service members received traumatic brain injuries, according to The Daily Wire.

Last Thursday, the United States conducted “self-defense strikes” against two locations affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in retaliation for the persistent attacks against U.S. forces.

During his remarks on Tuesday, Ryder noted that the more recent attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East have not resulted in any injuries or damage to U.S. bases.

READ MORE: U.S. Navy ship intercepts missiles in Middle East: Report

The additional 300 troops being deployed to the Middle East are expected to strengthen the position of the United States in a region that is experiencing increased tension as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

“These additional troops will provide capabilities in explosive ordnance disposal, communications, and other support enablers for forces already in the region,” Ryder stated.

The additional 300 troops being sent to the Middle East are part of 2,000 troops that were given “prepare to deploy orders” by the Pentagon on Oct. 17.

While the United States has sent the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, a Marine expeditionary force, and additional aircraft to the Middle East in a show of support for Israel and a deterrence for Iran or additional nations and terrorist groups from escalating the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Pentagon has claimed that the attacks against U.S. forces and the deployment of the additional 300 troops are not related to the Israel and Hamas conflict, according to Military.com.

“Our forces are in Iraq and Syria for one purpose — which is the enduring defeat of ISIS… This is separate and distinct from the situation in Israel,” Ryder said.

Goldie Hawn isn’t just a firm believer in the extraterrestrial — she says she has had a close encounter of her own.

It was the mid-1960s and Hawn, then 20, was working as a dancer in Anaheim. “That was a time when, you know, there was a lot of UFO sightings,” Hawn said in an episode of the Apple Fitness+ audio experience “Time to Walk.”

“I remember this so clearly: I went outside my door, and I sat on the little ledge, and I looked up at the dark sky. And I saw all these stars. And all I could think of was, How far does this go? How little are we? Are we the only planet in the whole wide universe that has life on it?”

It was as Hawn was staring into the great unknown, she said, that she knew she was fated for an alien encounter. “I said, ‘I know you’re out there, I know we’re not alone, and I would like to meet you one day.’”

Months later, Hawn was working another dance job, this time in West Covina. After a tiring rehearsal, she asked a friend if she could take a load off in his car, hopefully get a nap in. After getting into the car to sleep, Hawn said, “I got this high-pitched sound in my ear. It was this high, high frequency.”

Jolted awake by the sound, she opened her eyes to look out the window. “I saw these two or three triangular-shaped heads,” Hawn recalled. “They were silver in color, slash for a mouth, tiny little nose, no ears. They were pointing at me, pointing at me in the car as if they were discussing me, like I was a subject. And they were droning.”

Hawn said she felt like she couldn’t move, a feeling not dissimilar from what people have reported during sleep paralysis. “I was paralyzed. And I thought, ‘Oh, my God. I want to get up.’ I didn’t know if it was real or not real.”

Eventually, the young dancer was able to shake free. “It was like bursting out of a force field,” she said. “Of course I go back to all the kids and stuff, and I went, ‘Oh, my God. I think I made contact with outer space.’”

Years later, Hawn spoke with an astrophysicist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He told her he’d been researching alien encounters for 25 years. Hawn said that while trying to articulate her experience with the astrophysicist, her memory was vivid. “They touched my face, and it felt like the finger of God. It was the most benevolent, loving feeling. This was powerful. It was filled with light.”

Hawn isn’t the only one in her family who’s had an eerie experience with the unknown. In 2018, Hawn’s longtime partner, actor Kurt Russell, told Jimmy Kimmel on the host’s late-night talk show that he and son Oliver Hudson shared their own inexplicable encounter during a flight Russell was piloting. “So we’re going into Phoenix and — I think it was Sky Harbor (International Airport) — and there’s these bank of lights, six lights in the shape of a triangle going back right over the airport.

“And I’m looking at them as I’m coming in. I called up the tower … and they said ‘We’re not showing anything.’ I said, ‘Well, there’s six lights in a row.’ And they said, ‘Do you want to report this?’ And I said, ‘Look, I can’t identify it. It’s flying, and it’s six objects.’ So we landed, I dropped him off and flew home.”

But years later, Russell came home and Hawn was watching a show on UFOs. “And the most reported one of all time was this one in Phoenix, and I said wait a minute. That’s the night Oli and I were landing!” Russell still had his logbook and saw that while he didn’t mention anything about the UFO in the book, his flight was logged. “On the show they talked about 20,000 people reporting it, and only one general aviation pilot, and I said, ‘That’s me!’”

In September, NASA’s new official instruction to the U.S. public regarding “unidentified anomalous phenomena” — formally called UFOs — boils down to, “If you see something, say something,” said David Spergel, the head of the agency’s UAP study team. Spergel was speaking at an event highlighting his team’s long-awaited final report on the data and methods NASA should use to analyze unusual aerial sightings.

At the event, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson addressed the alien in the room: “The NASA independent study team did not find any evidence that UAP have an extraterrestrial origin,” he said, “but we don’t know what these UAP are.”

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© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Despite roaring growth and a resilient job market, more middle-class Americans are worried about the state of the economy than a year ago, a Harris Poll for Bloomberg News has found.

One big reason: The rapid increase in interest rates deployed by the Federal Reserve to rein in inflation, which are now expected to remain higher for longer.

In the Harris poll, the latest in a series taken for Bloomberg over the past year, 57% of middle-class respondents said higher borrowing costs were having a negative impact on their household finances.

That strain contributed to downbeat sentiment about pocketbook issues: Some 44% said they were stressed about the economy, up from 40% a year ago and 39% in March.

If the economic story for much of the past two years has been the impact of inflation that hit a 40-year high in 2022, a growing part of the pain for U.S. households is the side effects of the Fed’s medicine. On credit cards alone, U.S. consumers paid a record $130 billion in interest and fees last year, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The U.S. economy grew at a 4.9% annual rate in the quarter ended September 30, which means the Fed may hike interest rates further if that rapid growth doesn’t slow as expected and continues to feed inflation.

Middle-class consumers, meanwhile, see a relentless grind.

Rebecca Acuna, 28, estimates she’s spending $200 more per month on groceries than she did a few years ago and is shouldering a higher utility bill after her provider hiked its prices. The soaring cost of borrowing is deterring her from replacing the car she’s been driving for 8 years.

“I could not imagine trying to finance a car with today’s interest rates – I’m going to drive my car until the wheels fall off,” said Acuna, a paralegal living in Indianapolis.

Among middle-class people surveyed by Harris Poll, 61% said their personal financial situation was worse or unchanged from a year ago. Only 12% said they were in a “much better” circumstance.

When asked about the year ahead, just 33% said they expected their own finances to improve. While that was more than the 19% who expect things to get worse, it still points to an electorate that isn’t particularly optimistic about pocketbook issues.

That presents a major hurdle for President Joe Biden, who fancies himself a champion of the middle class and has been building his case for reelection around a “Bidenomics” agenda designed to bolster the group he calls “the backbone” of this country.

“I don’t think anyone in office on a state or federal level has any concept of how stressful it is to manage a budget these days,” said Tiffany Bond, a 47-year-old family law attorney in Rangeley, Maine. “I think what’s happening with interest rates, it can cool the economy, but it really hurts people in the bottom half financially.”

Purchasing power

The poll of 4,166 Americans, including 1,478 middle-class adults, found that three-quarters of the latter group said they were “paying more and more for goods and services,” while more than two-thirds said higher prices for household essentials like groceries, insurance, and rent or mortgage payments were hurting them.

Read More: The Fed Is Curbing Inflation, But Consumers Say They’re Still Paying Too Much

Indeed, while inflation has moderated from a year ago, prices remain high across many categories, meaning households aren’t feeling much relief. Since February 2020, the cost of food at home is up more than 24%. Overall, the purchasing power of a U.S. dollar is just one-third of what it was about 40 years ago.

“Economists aren’t sitting at kitchen tables with middle class America. For most, their paychecks are still chasing their bills and they feel they’re falling further and further behind,” said John Gerzema, chief executive officer of the Harris Poll.

A slim majority of middle-class Americans surveyed by Harris Poll for Bloomberg News said their wages have been keeping up with or exceeding rising household bills. But 63% also said that stagnant wages were hurting their finances and 42% said their costs were rising faster than their wages.

‘Shaky at best’

Bond said she is constantly stressed about her finances, prompting her to resort to frugal tactics like buying groceries in bulk and purchasing furniture on clearance.

“If the economy was better, I would put more things on credit, but I’m going back to my more economical choices,” Bond said. “My kids are like, ‘Soup for a fourth day, mom? Really?’”

When asked what emotions they felt when thinking about the U.S. economy, stress was easily the most-selected choice among middle-class respondents. Yet there was a jump from a year ago in the share that said they were optimistic, suggesting not everyone in this group shares in the gloom.

Some of the pessimism appeared to break on partisan and generational lines. About half of middle-class Republicans and independents said they were stressed about the economy, while only about a third of Democrats said the same.

Roughly 60% of millennials and Democrats said the U.S. economy is working for them, compared to around 30% of baby boomers and Republicans.

Tom Maley, a retired optometrist living in Ohio, is one GOP voter who says he’s spending more freely than a year ago. He saw the crosscurrents of the current economic moment when one of his sons recently moved from Maryland to Ohio for a better-paying job.

“The good news is he got promoted. The bad news is he got relocated with a higher mortgage rate,” said Maley, 73.

Maley says his two main concerns for the U.S. economy right now are the geopolitics playing out in wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the higher interest rates that mean “cars and housing are basically unaffordable for the middle class.”

“My outlook for the economy is shaky at best,” Maley said.

Methodology: The Harris Poll was conducted over two waves between September 29th to October 8th, 2023, among 4,166 Americans, with 1,478 respondents identified as being middle-class. Middle-class respondents are defined as having a total household income between $45,000 and $180,000 before taxes and financial assets between $100,000 and $1 million. The data for the broader population is accurate to within +/- 2.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level, and +/- 3.2 percentage points for respondents within the middle-class sample.

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© 2023 Bloomberg L.P

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

American hockey player Adam Johnson, who previously played with the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, died over the weekend during a hockey game in the United Kingdom.

Johnson, age 29, most recently played for the Nottingham Panthers, which competes in the Elite Ice Hockey League. During a Saturday night game against the Sheffield Steelers at Utilita Arena Sheffield, Johnson’s neck was severely cut by opponent Matt Petgrave’s skate blade, according to The Associated Press.

Johnson was quickly transported to a hospital after the skate blade of one of the Sheffield Steelers sliced his throat; however, he later passed away from his wound.

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3QDE1Vi-po

According to Business Insider, many of the 8,000 fans at Saturday’s game were traumatized by the graphic injury. One fan tweeted that the incident was “undoubtedly the worst thing I’ve ever seen happen.”

During Sunday’s game, the Panthers tweeted that the game had been “stopped” due to a “bad injury.” Shortly after the first tweet, the Panthers tweeted that fans were being asked to leave the building “due to a major medical emergency.”

On Sunday, the Panthers released a statement informing the public that Johnson “tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night.”

The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night. pic.twitter.com/lhSOkDu03Q

— The Nottingham Panthers (@PanthersIHC) October 29, 2023

“The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner, and all his friends at this extremely difficult time,” the Panthers wrote. “Everyone at the club including players, staff, management, and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.”

“Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him,” the team added. “The Club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.”

READ MORE: NHL manager suffers sudden cardiac arrest, ‘catastrophic brain injury’

While the Panthers did not provide the details concerning Johnson’s gruesome neck injury, the team expressed its gratitude for those who helped support Adam during the “most testing of circumstances.”

According to NBC News, Johnson previously played multiple games as a forward with the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2018 and 2020. Following Saturday’s fatal ice hockey accident, the team released a statement as a tribute to Johnson’s legacy.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon,” the Penguins stated. “We offer our deepest condolences to Adam’s family and friends, as well as all of Adam’s past and present teammates and coaches. Adam will always be a part of the Penguins family. It was our honor to watch him fulfill his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.”

According to The Associated Press, police are currently investigating Saturday’s incident that led to Johnson’s death.

“Our officers remain at the scene carrying out inquiries and our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing,” South Yorkshire Police said on Monday. “We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our inquiries”

During a recent event at former President Donald Trump’s Iowa campaign headquarters, Donald Trump Jr. described independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “Democrat plant” meant to hurt Trump’s chances in next year’s election.

Asked by a Trump campaign volunteer in Iowa last Thursday about Kennedy’s recent launching of an independent campaign for president in 2024, Trump Jr. said, “It legitimately always felt like it was a Democrat plant to hurt the Trump thing.”

Trump Jr. also told the Iowa volunteers that Kennedy “wouldn’t be there if the Democrats didn’t want him.”

Kennedy’s decision to run as an independent rather than continuing to challenge Biden in the Democrat primary has led to questions regarding whether he will be a “spoiler” candidate in the 2024 election.

Announcing his independent campaign earlier this month, Kennedy said, “The Democrats are frightened that I’m gonna spoil the election for President Biden. And the Republicans are frightened that I’m gonna spoil it for President Trump. The truth is, they’re both right: My intention is to spoil it for both of them.”

READ MORE: Video: Trump mocks Biden wandering on stage

While Trump Jr. insisted Kennedy “should be much more of a threat to Joe Biden than to us,” he also warned Make America Great Again supporters not to be deceived into supporting Kennedy for his previous comments regarding the COVID-19 vaccine that appear to be more closely aligned with conservatives.

“Once you actually look at his voting record, you’re like, no, he’s just a liberal that is anti-vax,” Trump Jr. stated, highlighting Kennedy’s positions on guns, reparations and immigration.

“Being anti-vax, I don’t think that’s enough,” he said.

Nevertheless, Trump Jr. emphasized that the Trump campaign will have to take steps to effectively inform voters of Kennedy’s campaign platform.

According to The Hill, Republican 2024 presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has claimed that Kennedy’s independent campaign could “hurt Trump” in a potential rematch with President Joe Biden in 2024.

“You have another wrinkle now with RFK Jr. as a third party,” he warned. “RFK Jr. will be a vessel for anti-lockdown and anti-Fauci voters if Trump is the nominee.”