Currents Section Contributors
Texas Church Shooting
26 people—5 years old to 72 years old—were murdered and 20 others were injured by gunman Devin Patrick Kelley (now deceased), who opened fired inside the First Baptist Church yesterday morning. No apparent motive has been identified and details remain limited. Â
Manhattan Terror
In the deadliest terror attack on New York City since 9/11, a rental truck was driven into a crowd of pedestrians and bikers along the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, October 31. The suspect, a legal U.S. immigrant from Uzbekistan identified as Sayfullo Saipov, killed eight people and injured another eleven.
Saipov was shot in the abdomen by police and is currently in the Bellevue Hospital where investigators await updates on his condition. It is not clear yet whether Saipov had direct ties and instructions from a terrorist group, but it appears the attack took inspiration from ISIS.
New York Marathon
The New York Marathon, the largest marathon held in the world  (hosted on Sunday, November 5) involves a course going throughout all 5 boroughs of New York City. The winner of the run this year is Shalane Flanagan, the first American woman to win the race in decades. The Olympic medalist had a time around 2 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds, and finished her historic run holding up an American flag. Flanagan beat Mary Keitany, a three time defending champion from Kenya, and Miki Gorman, the previous female American winner.
The race bolstered security due to the terrorist attack in lower Manhattan near West Side Highway on Halloween. Terrorist suspect Sayfullo Saipov drove a truck down a popular bike path, injuring and killing pedestrians, cyclists, and runners. Nevertheless, the marathon kept to its scheduled date and time.
iPhone X
Apple released the iPhone X (pronounced ‘ten’) over the weekend, boasting new and expensive features like facial recognition, updated camera, new design, etc.  However, in spite of criticism over the iPhone’s cost, the steep $999.99 price tag did not dissuade buyers from flocking to stores or preordering weeks in advance. This high demand may cause a delay in production.
Russia and George Papadopoulos
New accusations against foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos once again entertain the possibility of Russian collusion. Contradictory records and statements convolute the situation further.
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500 Words or Less: Texas Shooting, Manhattan Terror, NY Marathon, etc.
November 8, 2017