Terrorism

From ABC News: A mother who can’t get in touch with her son after the deadly shooting at an Orlando nightclub said she is waiting desperately for word. Christine Leinonen said she “just happened” to wake up at 3 a.m., about an hour after the shooting started at Pulse Orlando, a gay club. She saw her son Christopher’s friend post …

From the page: Equality Florida, the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization is collecting contributions via this GoFundMe page to support the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. Please contribute and share this page. We are reeling from the tragic news that a gunman opened fire on the 2am capacity crowd at Pulse …

Equality Florida: We are reeling from the tragic news that a gunman opened fire on the 2am capacity crowd at Pulse leaving 20 people dead and 42 injured according to preliminary reports. We are heartbroken and angry that senseless violence has once again destroyed lives in our state and in our country. Gay clubs hold a significant place in LGBTQ …

From NBC News: Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Mateen was born in New York in 1986 and was listed as living at a residence in Port St. Lucie, about 125 miles south of Orlando. The incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism, officials said. Mir Seddique, Mateen’s father told NBC News, “this has nothing to do …

Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has tried to turn himself into a national political figure with his vicious responses to the transgender rights issue, wasted no time this morning in delivering an apparent message to the LGBT community.

The “H” on Hillary Clinton’s tweet indicates that she wrote it herself.

Arkansas Online reports: A Mineral Springs man accused of mailing threatening letters in January 2015 to seven Arkansas mayors is going back to jail on a federal judge’s order. Maverick Dean Bryan, 55, was released by U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven after a detention hearing March 28 in Texarkana’s downtown federal building. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris was so opposed …

The Telegraph reports: An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed the murder of a prominent gay rights activist who was hacked to death in Dhaka by men armed with guns and machetes who entered his flat pretending to be parcel couriers. Xulhaz Mannan, along with his friend Mahbub Tony, also an activist, died on the spot from cuts to their heads, according …

The Hill reports: A long-awaited Senate Intelligence Committee encryption bill would force companies to provide “technical assistance” to government investigators seeking locked data, according to a discussion draft obtained by The Hill. The measure — from Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) — is a response to concerns that criminals are increasingly using encrypted devices …

From the Los Angeles Times: Federal officials on Monday dropped their legal fight against Apple after unlocking the iPhone used by an assailant in last year’s San Bernardino terror attack, leaving unsettled a vexing debate over privacy and security amid rapid advances in technology. The move comes a week after Justice Department officials put a sudden hold on their demands …

CNN reports: Though organizers postponed a Sunday march in the Belgian capital out of security fears, those who gathered at Brussels’ Place de la Bourse were confronted by protesters raising their arms in Nazi salutes and shouting anti-immigrant slogans. The gathering, which took place in a commercial district in the capital, started out peacefully with mourners laying flowers at the …

Watch below. Via the UK’s Mirror: ISIS have released a new video following the Brussels attacks that features Donald Trump. The chilling video opens with a message in Arabic followed by an image of Trump, saying Brussels is now ‘an absolute horror show’. Trumps voice is heard saying: “Brussels was one of the great cities, it was one of the …

Via Politico: Hillary Clinton could be considered a founding member of the Islamic State, according to Rudy Giuliani. Speaking to Bill O’Reilly on Fox News, the former New York City mayor said that the Democratic front-runner “helped create ISIS” through her involvement with President Barack Obama’s efforts to withdraw from Iraq. “If you are talking about doing what she wants …

“It is striking that the day after Donald Trump called for weakening NATO, withdrawing from NATO, we see Brussels, where NATO is headquartered, the subject of a radical Islamic terror attack. Donald Trump is wrong that America should withdraw from the world and abandon our allies. Donald Trump is wrong that American should retreat from Europe, retreat from NATO, hand …

To no one’s surprise, Donald Trump immediately exploited the attacks in Brussels this morning by calling into every network that would have him. From his call to Fox News: “I would close up our borders to people until we figure out what is going on. Look at Brussels, look at Paris, look at so many cities that were great cities. …

The Associated Press reports: The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Brussels, saying its extremists opened fire in the airport and “several of them” detonated suicide belts. The posting in the group’s Amaq news agency said another suicide attacker detonated in the metro. The posting claimed the attack was in response to Belgium’s support of the international …

President Obama is due to address the Cuban people from Havana this morning. He will begin with a statement about today’s terror attack in Brussels. Watch below. The speech will begin shortly. UPDATE: The president expressed solidarity with the people of Belgium and vowed to work with their government to bring today’s attackers to justice. He is now delivering the …

The International Business Times reports: Airports in the Netherlands, and the European capitals of Paris and London stepped up security following explosions at the Brussels Airport and the city’s metro early Tuesday. At least 23 people have been reportedly killed in the blasts, which closely follow a crackdown by local authorities on terror cells in the Belgian capital. The country …

MacWorld reports: On Monday, Apple chief executive Tim Cook positioned his company’s stance on protecting privacy as a patriotic duty. Cook addressed the ongoing iPhone privacy issue briefly as part of a presentation where Apple is expected to announce an new iPad Pro mini as well as a smaller iPhone. “We built the iPhone for you, our customers,” Cook said. …

The Guardian reports: Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has been shot and arrested in an ongoing raid in the Molenbeek area of Brussels, Belgian police have told AFP. Police sources told AFP that Abdeslam was injured in the leg and was arrested. French president François Hollande said an operation was under way in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks, but …