1. Trump Fires Comey
President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey late Tuesday afternoon, multiple media outlets reported. The decision to fire Comey comes amid suspicion that the former FBI director provided a false testimony in the Hillary Clinton email investigation. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the president followed “the clear recommendations” of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Comey’s abrupt exit generated mixed reviews. Many liberals alleged that the decision was heavily influenced by the fact that the FBI is investigating Russia for potentially tampering with the 2016 presidential election, while many conservatives argued that Comey had this coming.
2. Aaron Hernandez Cleared of Murder Conviction
On Tuesday, a Massachusetts judge cleared former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez of his murder conviction, the Associated Press reported. The decision comes after Hernandez killed himself in his jail cell last month. At the time, Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd. Bristol County Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh said Tuesday that the decision to clear Hernandez of his charges follows precedent of case law in Massachusetts, which has long held that defendants who die before their appeals are heard can have their convictions dismissed.
3. Trump OKs Arming of Kurds in Syria
Pentagon officials announced Tuesday that President Trump has authorized the arming of Syrian Kurds in the fight against Islamic extremists.
NEW: Pentagon statement on the decision to arm the Kurds in order to defeat ISIS in Raqqa, Syria pic.twitter.com/4lz59UhrCA
— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) May 9, 2017
The Kurds, a minority ethnic group in Syria, have long fought to reclaim control of Raqqa, a city currently held by ISIS militants. Critics suggested that the decision to back the Kurds is likely to anger NATO Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has likened the group to terrorists.
4. Spirit Airlines Flight Cancellations Spark Violent Protests at Florida Airport
At least three people were arrested Tuesday after Spirit Airlines cancelled nine flights scheduled to depart from the Fort Lauderdale airport. The announcement of the cancellations prompted violent protests from disgruntled Spirit customers.
Passengers erupted in anger overnight after Spirit Airlines canceled *nine* flights at @FLLFlyer. WATCH: https://t.co/8IU6ecDHhs pic.twitter.com/i0Skl41Jql
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 9, 2017
The economy airline released a statement Tuesday, noting that the cancellations were the result of an ongoing contract dispute with its pilot union.
Delayed or canceled this month on @SpiritAirlines? The airline blames the pilot union. We have the court complaint. https://t.co/qYDK3DmPXK pic.twitter.com/qRknaPU9hB
— Brian Sumers (@BrianSumers) May 9, 2017
The Spirit fiasco is just the latest in a series of airline blunders.
5. Dozens of Students Survive Deadly Bus Fire
More than 50 South Carolina school children were able to escape without injury after their bus caught fire Tuesday morning, ABC News reported.
More than 50 students escape without injury after South Carolina school bus catches fire, authorities say. https://t.co/anEnHlI0fL pic.twitter.com/1Pl0IzDhil
— ABC News (@ABC) May 10, 2017
Spartanburg School District spokeswoman Melissa Robinette told ABC that all 56 students on board the bus were safely evacuated and taken to school by another bus. Firefighters arrived shortly after and put out the fire. As of Tuesday afternoon, authorities were still investigating the cause of the fire.
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