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- A 16-year-old shooter killed three kids (ages 5, 8, 11) and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary before being fatally shot by a civilian—making it the 21st mass killing with a gun this year, per The Post's count.
- Feds put the brakes on Maine's 'YourPace' online degree mill after students allegedly finish courses so fast the accreditors got vertigo—concerned about 'dramatic growth' and speed of credit completion.
- The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, touted by Trump as 'totally complete,' is already draining again—National Park Service says it's just 'flushing debris,' but the optics are murkier than the water.
- Judge tosses ex-CIA boss John Brennan's lawsuit to preserve records linked to Trump-era probes, calling his 'deeply concerning' fears speculative—proving paranoia is a dish best served by a chain of possibilities.
- Famous bald eagle Jackie died of bird flu and rat poison, not heartbreak—autopsy confirms the webcam icon was a mess of diseases, but at least she's got a memorial headline to perch on.
Brief Summary
The Post's morning briefing opens with the grim tally from Oregon: three kids, ages 5, 8, and 11, plus a teacher, executed at an elementary school by a 16-year-old, who only stopped when a 'community member' with a gun did the job law enforcement couldn't prevent. It's mass killing number 21 with a gun this year, and the only thing more predictable than the carnage is the reflexive praise for the armed civilian—when your school safety plan hinges on a random bystander being armed, you've already failed.
Why This Matters
For the average reader, this isn't just another headline—it's a direct hit on the illusion that school is a safe place for your kids. The Oregon shooting, following a year of record gun violence, forces a grim calculus: Are we ready to accept the 'good guy with a gun' as the new normal for education? Or do we finally admit the system is broken when a 16-year-old can walk into an elementary school and end four lives before the bell rings?