Written notes found after gunman tried to storm Catholic school mass in Cal.

 Handwritten notes referencing suicide and threats reveal a 20-year-old was preparing for “a violent incident” when he tried to bring a loaded gun into a Sacramento Catholic church on Ash Wednesday, prosecutors say.

On the morning of February 18, Brian Girardot Jr. dropped off his younger relative at St. Mary Parish School before retuning shortly after with a gun, according to a federal indictment filed on Thursday. 

Handwritten notes referencing suicide and threats reveal a 20-year-old was preparing for “a violent incident” when he tried to bring a loaded gun into a Sacramento Catholic church on Ash Wednesday, prosecutors say.St. Mary Parish/Facebook

Girardot, who was a former student at the school, then attempted to enter the church during an all school Mass.

He was disarmed and detained when a parent observer, who also happened to be an off-duty cop, saw a “suspicious male adult approach the front of the church,” and sprang into action, St. Mary Parish said in a statement. 

Additional ammunition and a camouflage jacket was found in Girardot’s vehicle that was parked nearby the church, according to the indictment. 

On the morning of February 18, Brian Girardot Jr. dropped off his younger relative at St. Mary Parish School before retuning shortly after with a gun, according to a federal indictment filed on Thursday. St. Mary Parish/Facebook

“Thanks to the vigilance and professionalism of our parent volunteers, our children remained safely inside the church for the duration of Mass and a potential crisis was averted,” the school said.

“No students came into contact with the man, and were unaware of the situation happening outside.” 

Law enforcement searched Girardot’s home where they found a stack of handwritten notes in his bedroom that contained references to suicide and threats, the indictment said. 

“All of you are the reason I’ve done this,” read one of the notes that was addressed to three relatives, according to CBS News. 

Prosecutors told the outlet that the notes, in addition to other evidence, show Girardot was engaged in “preparations for a violent incident.”

Girardot was charged with possessing a firearm within a school zone, US Attorney Eric Grant announced on Thursday. 

He was also charged criminally in state court, according to the indictment. 

If convicted, Girardot faces a maximum prison sentence of five years 

https://nypost.com/2026/02/22/us-news/chilling-notes-found-after-gunman-tried-to-storm-catholic-school-mass/

3 in 10 US pet owners spend more on their pet than they do on their own health: report

 These pet parents are paws-itively committed to their furry friends.

One in three pet owners spends more on their pets each month than they do on their own health and wellness needs, according to a new survey from US News & World Report.

Spending piles up quickly. Of the 1,500 questioned — with 68% identifying as dog owners and 32% as cat owners — 72% shared that they drop between $50 and $200 each month on pet food, grooming, pet insurance, veterinarian bills and toys.

For slightly over half of these pet parents (54%), their spending on their cats and dogs is in line with their budget.

However, nearly one-third (28%) end up exceeding their pet budget — and for 30% of respondents, their monthly pet care costs go above what they pay for their own self-care needs.

Three in 10 dog and cat owners spend more on their pets each month than they do on their own gym memberships, healthcare co-pays and supplements.

With all this information, it should come as no surprise that 38% called themselves a proud “helicopter pet parent,” taking their four-legged companions to the vet for more than just their routine visits.

Excluding the routine exams, 43% of pet owners find themselves at the vet at least two times per year, and 11.2% of them are visiting the vet for a “weird” potential symptom anually, like persistent head tilting or hiccups.

Thirty-eight percent of owners called themselves a proud “helicopter pet parent.”Jason Minto/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, sometimes those additional visits are warranted.

The pets of about one-third of respondents have ingested a foreign body such as bones, socks, metal, yard debris, plastic or toys; 7.4% of owners had pets ingest toxic food like chocolate, grapes, raisins or xylitol; and pets ingested medication or pills for 2.2% of the survey respondents, leading to emergency vet visits.

In reality, a lot of the spending on pets comes from unexpected vet bills.

More than half of the pet owners said that in 2025, they paid north of $500 annually in vet bills — and 67% said they had to deal with unexpected vet bills ranging fro $500 to $3,000.

Unplanned expenses are a burden to those pet parents, with 15% saying that if they received a bill of $2,000 that they didn’t plan for, they wouldn’t be able to pay for it, and 38% said they would have to put it on a credit card.

Thirty percent of respondents said they spend more on their pets each month than they do on gym memberships, healthcare co-pays and supplements for themselves.USN&WR

Despite the unexpected and emergency visits — as well as the overcautious visits — only 34% said that they currently have pet insurance.

The 65% who said they don’t have pet coverage noted that they don’t have it because it’s too expensive.

It might be pricey, but 86% of the respondents who do have pet insurance believe it’s worth the cost, saying that they “definitely” or “probably” get their money’s worth.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/23/lifestyle/3-in-10-pet-owners-spend-more-on-pet-than-their-own-health-report/

NYS liquor stores may get OK to sell cannabis drinks — but there’s a catch

 New York State may soon allow licensed liquor stores to sell cannabis-infused drinks — but they would only be able to stock low-dosage options.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow liquor stores to get permits to sell weed drinks alongside wine and beer, but only if the THC content is 5 milligrams or less.

“New York’s independent liquor stores are uniquely qualified to retail low-potency cannabis beverages,” Assemblyman John Zaccaro (D-Bronx) and Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) said in a memo accompanying the proposed bill.

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New York State may soon allow licensed liquor stores to sell cannabis-infused drinks — but they would only be able to stock low-dosage options.Solarisys – stock.adobe.com

“They are already required to be independently owned, must maintain a distance of at least 200 feet from schools and houses of worship, and employ staff trained in rigorous age-verification protocols,” the memo added.

The lawmakers claim their measure, if approved, would protect the nearly 600 licensed marijuana stores in the state by limiting the stores to low-potency drinks, while many of the cannabis dispensaries only sell higher-dose beverages.

This bill would also provide revenue to fund loans and grants for social equity-owned dispensaries, and the tax revenue generated would also bolster funding for the state Office of Cannabis Management and grants issued by the office.

But one cannabis store operator said he opposed allowing the liquor industry to enter the cannabis market.

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State lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow liquor stores to get permits to sell weed drinks alongside wine and beer, but only if the THC content is 5 milligrams or less.hurricanehank – stock.adobe.com

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“New York’s independent liquor stores are uniquely qualified to retail low-potency cannabis beverages,” Assemblyman John Zaccaro and Sen. Jeremy Cooney (pictured) said in a memo accompanying the proposed bill.@SenatorCooney/Twitter

It’s a bit of a two-faced move, especially since the liquor store lobby has staunchly opposed efforts to allow grocery stores to sell wine.

“It’s ridiculous. If we can’t sell alcohol, why should liquor stores sell cannabis?” said Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place in Middle Village, Queens, who is a member of the National Hispanic Council and the Service Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association.

He said he sells lower-dose TCH-infused beverages, particularly in the warmer weather.

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This bill would also provide revenue to fund loans and grants for social equity-owned dispensaries, and the tax revenue generated would also bolster funding for the state Office of Cannabis Management and grants issued by the office.Simone – stock.adobe.com

Orduna also said there’s still a huge illicit market selling unlicensed weed that impacts the bottom line of legit cannabis shops.

“It makes no sense,” he said.

There are now 595 state-licensed cannabis dispensaries in the Empire State, many operating in New York City after the legislature legalized sales of marijuana for adult use in 2021.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/23/us-news/nys-liquor-stores-may-get-ok-to-sell-cannabis-drinks-but-theres-a-catch/

Johnson: Gov't should not refund tariff revenue

 United States House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN on Monday that he thinks the Trump administration should not refund the revenue collected from US President Donald Trump's global tariffs, which were overturned by the US Supreme Court.

"The White House is going to sort that out, and we have to give them the time and space to do it. This is an unprecedented event, of course, so there’s no playbook to follow," he said, noting that the government has "good arguments on their side."

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously said that due to Section 122 authority, as well as potentially enhanced Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs, the country's tariff revenue will not change significantly in 2026.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Johnson:-Gov't-should-not-refund-tariff-revenue/65727741

US said to be holding nuclear talks with Russia, China: AFP

 The United States held talks with a Russian delegation on Monday in Geneva, and is expected to meet with a Chinese delegation on Tuesday to discuss nuclear weapons and a potential nuclear deal, the AFP reported on Monday, citing an unnamed senior State Department official.

According to the source, the US had already held preparatory meetings with Russia and China in Washington, but meetings in Geneva are expected to be "more substantive."

The meetings come after the New START, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the US and Russia, expired on February 5. US President Donald Trump called for a new deal, which would also include China. However, Beijing had previously refused to begin negotiations on a new three-party agreement.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/US-said-to-be-holding-nuclear-talks-with-Russia-China/65727814

JPMorgan's $2B-a-week spending plan in focus at investor event - report

 JPMorgan Chase (JPM) will host a company update event Monday evening, where its CEO Jamie Dimon is expected to make the case for spending $2B a week to drive the bank's future growth, the Financial Times reported.

The lender previously forecast that it would spend about $105B this year, up over 9% from a year ago.

"We'll be justified by the results," Dimon said in an earnings call last month. "But we're not going to be giving detail on every single thing every single quarter. You're going to have to, as partners, trust me."

"We're not going to try to meet some expense target and then 10 years from now, you'd be asking us the question, how did JPMorgan get left behind?" he added. 

JPMorgan (JPM) has consistently invested more than its peers over the last decade and achieved higher returns. The bank reportedly has about $60B of capital more than required by regulators.

"The U.S. banking industry is more competitive than any time since before the global financial crisis," said Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo, as quoted by FT. "JPMorgan, as the Goliath of Goliaths, is in fighting condition and ready to expand more aggressively."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/jpmorgan-s-2b-a-week-spending-plan-in-focus-at-investor-event-report/ar-AA1WTQGH

Harmony Biosciences rating cut at 2 sell siders

Today Downgrade Truist Buy → Hold
Today Downgrade Deutsche Bank Buy → Hold

https://finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=HRMY&p=d