News Wrap: Buffalo mass shooting suspect faces federal hate crimes

In our news wrap Wednesday, a white man accused of shooting 10 Black victims in Buffalo will face federal hate crimes, President Biden pushed oil companies to produce more gasoline, Michigan police officer charged with murdering Patrick Lyoya was fired, federal jury indicts man accused of plotting to murder Justice Kavanaugh, and the U.S. will send a $1 billion military package to Ukraine.

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  • Judy Woodruff:

    In the day's other news: Wall Street rallied after the Fed's announcement.

    The Dow Jones industrial average gained 303 points, 1 percent, to close at 30668. The Nasdaq rose 2.5 percent. The S&P 500 added 1.5 percent.

    President Biden pushed oil companies today to produce more gasoline and cut prices. He wrote to industry executives, restating his charge that they are profiteering. And he said — quote — "The crunch that families are facing deserves immediate action." The industry, in turn, blamed Mr. Biden's policies for curbing production.

    A white man accused of fatally shooting 10 Black victims at a supermarket in Buffalo New York will face federal hate crime counts. Payton Gendron was charged today. It came as U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland visited the memorial for the victims in Buffalo.

    He said there's a moral obligation to act.

  • Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General:

    In fear that they will go to work or shop at a grocery store and will be attacked by someone who hates them because of the color of their skin.

  • Judy Woodruff:

    Garland did not rule out seeking the death penalty. Gendron already faces a mandatory life prison term if he is convicted on state charges.

    The Michigan police officer charged with murdering Patrick Lyoya was fired today. Christopher Schurr shot Lyoya in the back of the head after a struggle in April. The Grand Rapids police chief recommended last week that Schurr be dismissed.

    A federal grand jury has indicted the California man accused of plotting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Nicholas Roske was arrested last week near Kavanaugh's home in Maryland. A conviction could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

    There are new questions about Georgia Republican Congressman Barry Loudermilk leading a tour of the U.S. Capitol Complex one day before the January 6 attack. The January 6 Committee released video today showing some in the group photographing stairwells and tunnels. The committee chair suggested it might be suspicious. Loudermilk said it was entirely innocent.

  • Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA):

    To go to that stairwell, there's a golden eagle sconce that's on the wall. That's what he was taking a picture off. I mean, there — these are folks who have never been to Washington, D.C., and they were here to visit their congressman.

  • Judy Woodruff:

    The Capitol Police have said there is nothing suspicious on the video. The committee says one man on the tour was outside the Capitol the next day making threats against top Democrats.

    A federal judge in Washington convicted a man and his son today for January 6 crimes. A widely seen photograph shows the father, Kevin Seefried, carrying a Confederate Flag. He and his son were found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and disorderly conduct.

    The nation's top pandemic expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has come down with COVID. The National Institutes of Health said today that Fauci has mild symptoms. He is 81 and has been vaccinated and boosted twice. Meanwhile, FDA advisers endorsed Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations for children under 5. Shots could begin on Monday if they win final approval.

    The United States has announced its largest military aid package yet for Ukraine. The $1 billion package includes rocket launchers and heavy artillery. In Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the aid and the need to ship it to outgunned Ukrainian fighters soon.

    Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense: When you're in the fight, you can never get enough, and you can never get it quick enough. So — but, having said all that, we're going to work hard to make sure we're doing everything humanly possible. We're going to continue to move heaven and earth to get them the capability that they need.

  • Judy Woodruff:

    In Ukraine, Russian forces kept up a heavy bombardment in Severodonetsk after Ukrainian troops rejected an ultimatum to surrender.

    Back in this country, extreme heat gripped a swathe of states from Florida to the Great Lakes for a second day. Forecasters warned that readings in the 90s and higher could generate severe thunderstorms tonight. The heat could begin to ease tomorrow.

    Record flooding this weekend and around Yellowstone National Park may have altered the landscape there for good. New images show a local river shifted its course after a torrent caused by heavy rain. The water also washed out roads, damaged homes and drove thousands of visitors away. Video from Sunday showed a rockslide striking one car as it left the park. No one was hurt.

    And President Biden has issued new executive orders on LGBTQ rights. Among other things, they aim to discourage so-called conversion therapy to change sexual orientation or gender identity. It's a response to state laws seen as being anti-LGBTQ.

    Still to come on the "NewsHour": what parents need to know about the newly approved COVID vaccines for children under 5 years old; the U.K. tries to push ahead with its controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda; why a Minnesota bank building ranks among the United States' most significant architecture; plus much more.

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