California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

News Briefs: On Campus, Across the Nation & Around the World

Planned Parenthood arson attack

Last week a fire broke out at a Planned Parenthood center in Southern California. Authorities confirmed “it was intentionally ignited by someone who tossed a container with a flammable liquid through a window at the facility,” according to msnbc.com.

The article said that the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office “reported that emergency crews responded to the scene around 11:30 p.m. and found a small area of the building on fire. Most of the damage in the lobby area was caused by water from the sprinkler system, and no one was inside the building at the time,” police said.

The fire occurred a few hours after Congress approved a temporary spending bill that continued funding for Planned Parenthood, a women’s health organization that provides women with access to abortions.

Motivation for the attack has not been determined as of yet. However according to msnbc.com, there are many who speculate it was linked to a group of anti-abortionists and Republicans.

Efforts made to help migrant crisis

European Union Leaders agreed early Thursday to help the continent’s migrant crisis by pledging more than 1 billion dollars toward “improving conditions at camps for Syrian refugees in the Middle East, to discourage them from setting out for Europe,” according to latimes.com.
28 of the European Union leaders made this pledge and also agreed to make more efforts securing the bloc’s perimeter and establishing administered facilities in countries such as Greece and Italy.

“Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia has openly vowed to resist the plan, though EU law requires compliance,” according latimes.com

Funds have also been allocated to help Middle Eastern countries shelter Syrian refugees.
“The flow of people seems unstoppable. As many as 6,000 people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other war-torn nations are landing every day on several Greek islands to begin a trek into the heart of Europe,” the article mentioned.

College shooting in Roseburg, Oregon

In Roseburg, Oregon, a man killed nine people at a community college.
The shooter was identified as Christopher Harper-Mercer, a 26-year-old student enrolled at Umpqua Community College in English and theater classes. He was enrolled in the class where the shootings occurred, according to CNN.com.

According to the CNN article, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin identified the nine dead as Lucero Alcaraz, Treven Taylor Anspach, Rebecka Ann Carnes, Quinn Glen Cooper, Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, Lucas Eibel, Jason Dale Johnson, Lawrence Levine and Sarena Dawn Moore. These people, whose ages ranged from 18 to 67 years old, including the teacher of the class, were fatally shot.

“Investigators found 13 firearms connected to the shooter … five pistols and one rifle were at the college, where the shooter died Thursday after a gun battle with police,” CNN.com said.
According to the New York Times, “Harper-Mercer collected handguns and rifles, and he regularly went to a shooting range with his mother, said neighbors in Torrance.”
Investigators are still trying to piece together Harper-Mercer’s motive.

Russia increases airstrikes in Syria

The Russian air force began strikes in Syria on Wednesday in order to reduce the combat potential of militants.

According to cnn.com, “in the past 24 hours, it has carried out 20 flights targeting 10 ISIS positions in Idlib province, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in a statement Sunday.”
The U.S.-backed coalition against ISIS includes the U.S., Britain, Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The article mentioned that the coalition accuses Russia of attacking civilians and Syrian groups who oppose the regime of President Bahar al-Assad.

According to cnn.com, “British Prime Minister David Cameron, in an interview with the BBC on Sunday, said most of the strikes appeared to have target areas not under ISIS control.”

 

Shaleena Bautista
Staff Writer
Published October 7th, 2015

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