( ) Authorities say a former Canadian soldier who opened fire on a police officer outside an Ontario synagogue on Yom Kippur shouted “you’re going to die for the Jews” moments before shooting. Officer Jeff Smith died of his wounds and another officer was injured, but they killed the gunman, 29-year-old Sean Ward. No one inside Sons of Jacob Synagogue was hurt. Investigators are assessing materials found in Ward’s vehicle, including extra gasoline, to determine how much damage he may have intended to cause. The attack comes amid heightened concern about anti-Semitism in Canada and around the world.
( ) A growing number of countries in Europe are legalizing assisted-suicide and its acceptance in the U.S. is growing. New York and Illinois recently became the latest of 13 states to join an accelerating pace of suicide legislation. The issue remains contested, however, with opposition by many religious groups, lawmakers and disability advocates. Some argue that even with safeguards in place, the decision could be made for the wrong reasons. Polls show that most Americans generally think medical aid in dying is either morally acceptable or not a moral issue, although opinions vary across different faiths and political lines.
( ) As Maine Republican Susan Collins seeks a sixth Senate term, Democrats are bashing her for her 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice. He was part of the court’s conservative majority that overturned Roe versus Wade and Collins voted for him, despite her own support for abortion and past endorsements from Planned Parenthood. This year, Planned Parenthood Votes has spent at least 500,000 dollars to run ads that include a woman who regrets voting for Collins because of her decision on Kavanaugh. However, Collins has a long record of winning elections in Maine and polls have her slightly ahead this time.
( ) A decision by a city council in eastern Germany to halt the laying of memorial plaques that honor Holocaust victims has sparked outrage. Lawmakers in Heidenau (HIGH-den-ow), southeast of Dresden, have voted to end the practice of laying the engraved brass plaques featuring the names of Holocaust victims into sidewalks — often in place of cobblestones and near the homes where they once lived. Created by German artist Gunter Demnig, the plaques are palm-sized and include the fates of Jews and others persecuted by the Nazis. They have become a prominent form of Holocaust remembrance in Germany.
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