Kansas gunman who killed 3 is identified
HESSTON, Kan. – A man who stormed into a Kansas factory where he worked and shot 14 people, killing three, had just been served with a protective order that probably set off the attack, authorities said Friday.
The assault at the Excel Industries lawnmower parts plant in the small town of Hesston ended when the police chief killed the gunman in a shootout.
Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton described the officer as a “tremendous hero” because 200 or 300 people were still in the factory and the “shooter wasn’t done by any means.”
The gunman was identified as Cedric Ford, a 38-year-old plant worker who was armed with an assault rifle and a pistol.
President defends economic policies
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – President Barack Obama on Friday rejected relentless Republican criticism of his economic leadership, saying his policies are paying off in “big, tangible ways,” and anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that is “not telling the truth.”
With some of the remaining GOP presidential candidates accusing one another of lying, Obama stopped short of accusing them of doing the same regarding his record. He bristled at their claims that the economy remains weak and cited 71 consecutive months of job creation and an unemployment rate that has fallen by more than half to 4.9 percent.
“You don’t hear a lot about this from the folks who are on the campaign trail,” Obama said. “By almost every economic measure, we are significantly better off,” he said.
IRS raises number affected by hackers
WASHINGTON – The IRS says the number of taxpayers whose tax information may have been stolen by computer hackers now exceeds 700,000 more than double the agency’s previous estimate.
The tax collecting agency says 390,000 more taxpayer accounts may have been compromised than the 334,000 it warned about a year and a half ago. The breach was first discovered in May 2015.
The sensitive information can be used for identity theft or to claim fraudulent tax refunds.
The thieves accessed a system called “Get Transcript,” where taxpayers can get tax returns and other filings from previous years.
Plan boosts hunting on public lands
WASHINGTON –The House on Friday approved a bill to expand access to hunting and fishing areas on public lands, extend protections for the use of lead bullets in hunting and strip wolves of federal protections in four states.
The bill also would let hunters import 41 polar bear carcasses shot in Canada before they were declared threatened in 2008 and allow limited imports of ivory from African elephants.
The bill was approved, 242-161, and now goes to the Senate.
Associated Press
