National

Police in Burlington, Vermont, are investigating whether a weekend shooting that left three college students of Palestinian descent injured was "hate-motivated."

The latest: Jason J. Eaton, 48, the suspect arrested in connection with the shooting that hospitalized the three 20-year-olds, pleaded not guilty on Monday to three counts of attempted murder.

Eaton faces a potential sentence of life in prison over the charges, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said in a press conference on Monday.

"While we are waiting for more facts, we know this: there is absolutely no place for violence or hate in America," President Biden said Monday.

The big picture: Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad were publicly identified by their families as being the shooting victims via a post on X from the Institute for Middle East Understanding. 

Burlington Police said in a Sunday statement that two of the men were stable and "one has sustained much more serious injuries." 

The FBI is among the federal agencies assisting in the investigation.

Details: Two of the victims are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident, according to police. 

Awartani is a Palestinian-Irish-American junior at Brown University and Abdalhamid is a junior at Haverford College. Both students remained hospitalized on Sunday, according to the colleges. Ahmad attends Trinity College, per the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. 

The three friends "may have been targeted because of their Arab ancestry and identity," Brown University president Christina Paxson said in a statement to the college's community shared with Axios Sunday evening in which she said Awartani was "expected to survive his injuries."

The Burlington Police Department said in an emailed statement early Monday that officers arrested Eaton following an operation on Sunday involving ATF agents.

Zoom in: Police said the suspect confronted them on Prospect Street and "discharged at least four rounds" from a pistol without speaking to them before fleeing on foot.

Two of those shot were wearing keffiyehs at the time of the assault, though police said there's "no additional information to suggest the suspect's motive" for the shooting.

Of note: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Sunday it would offer a $10,000 reward for "information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator or perpetrators" involved in the shooting.

What we're watching: Nikolas Kerest, U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, in a Sunday night statement said the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Civil Rights Division "will assess the evidence generated to determine whether a federal crime may have been committed."

What they're saying: The victims' parents said in a statement they're "devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington." 

The families called on law enforcement to "conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime."

Awartani's mother, Elizabeth Price, told NBC News on Monday that her son was shot near his grandmother's house "in a street he's basically grown up on."

She added, "The short-term shock is now evolving into something more complex as he tries to frame who he is in the world and what it means to be safe in America."

Meanwhile, Abdalhamid's uncle, Radi Tamimi, said at a press conference Monday that the family feels "somehow betrayed" in their decision to have him stay in the U.S., where they thought he would be safer.

"Kinnan grew up in the West Bank and we always thought that that could be more of a risk in terms of his safety and sending him here would be, you know, the right decision," Tamimi said, adding "we're just trying to come to terms with everything."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout. It has been corrected to reflect Kinnan Abdalhamid is a student at Haverford College.

What we know about the shooting of 3 Palestinian students in Vermont

Jason J. Eaton, 48,  pleaded not guilty on Monday to three counts of attempted murder.

An undated photo of Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali and Kenan Abdulhamid, who were shot in Burlington, Vermont, on Saturday night.

From left, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, who were shot in Burlington, Vt., on Saturday night. Photo via CAIR

Police

Police in Burlington, Vermont, are investigating whether a weekend shooting that left three college students of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Palestinian" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/schools-colleges-antisemitism-islamophobia-education-department-investigation" data-vars-content-id="0bae8393-877b-4b9a-beff-a220e2b5e0b9" data-vars-headline="What we know about the shooting of 3 Palestinian students in Vermont" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/schools-colleges-antisemitism-islamophobia-education-department-investigation" target="_self">Palestinian</a> descent injured was &quot;hate-motivated.&quot;The latest: Jason J. Eaton, 48, the suspect arrested in connection with the shooting that hospitalized the three 20-year-olds, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pleaded not guilty" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1729183308485906446" data-vars-content-id="0bae8393-877b-4b9a-beff-a220e2b5e0b9" data-vars-headline="What we know about the shooting of 3 Palestinian students in Vermont" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1729183308485906446" target="_blank">pleaded not guilty</a> on Monday to three counts of attempted murder.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Two Jewish groups are suing the University of California system, UC Berkeley and its administrators over allegations of a "longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism" at the school. 

Why it matters: The lawsuit is one of the first to be filed against a major university in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war and comes amid a growing number of colleges and K-12 school districts in the U.S. facing investigations over alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. 

Details: The Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco. 

The organizations allege that antisemitism has "erupted in on-campus displays of hatred, harassment, and physical violence against Jews" following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel.

They are calling for "court intervention" to protect UC Berkeley students and faculty and to "end this anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment," which they say violates the U.S. Constitution, federal civil rights laws and university policy. 

At least 23 UC Berkeley School of Law student groups have "enacted policies to discriminate against and exclude Jewish students, faculty, and scholars," the lawsuit alleges. 

School leaders "have taken no action to address" the "anti-Semitic nature of such policies" despite having publicly acknowledged them, the lawsuit further alleges.

The other side: Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the law school, told Axios in an emailed statement that the complaint " ... paints a picture of the Law School that is stunningly inaccurate and that ignores the First Amendment."

Chemerinsky added that "although there is much that the campus can and does do to create an inclusive learning environment, it cannot stop speech even if it is offensive."

A spokesperson for UC Berkeley, in an emailed statement to Axios, said the university "has long been committed to confronting antisemitism, and to supporting the needs and interests of its Jewish students, faculty, and staff." 

The spokesperson pointed to university initiatives aimed at supporting its Jewish community and an assessment of the "ongoing efforts to confront antisemitism on the campus and beyond." 

As student protests erupted in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, the Jewish groups also allege that the university and its law school "have failed to confront, much less combat, the anti-Semitic environment their inaction has fostered." 

They point to several examples, including claims that Jewish people on campus have received "hate e-mails calling for their gassing and murder" and a Jewish student "draped in an Israeli flag" was allegedly attacked by two protestors who "struck him in the head with a metal water bottle." 

In response to these claims, the UC Berkeley spokesperson said: "To date the university has not received a single report of the sort of emails described" and that they have "checked with numerous offices and this is the first anyone has heard of an allegation of that sort." 

"I can assure you that if we have — or if we do — we will respond strongly and quickly," the spokesperson added. 

Of note: The lawsuit comes shortly after three Jewish students sued New York University earlier this month over antisemitism allegations. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.

Go deeper: More schools face Education Department probes over alleged discrimination

More schools face Education Department probes over alleged discrimination

UC Berkeley sued for alleged "unchecked" antisemitism

The lawsuit comes shortly after three Jewish students sued New York University earlier this month over antisemitism allegations..

The Sather Tower, also referred to as the Campanile, at UC Berkeley's campus on June 22. Photo: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

University of California Berkeley

Two Jewish groups are suing the University of California system, UC Berkeley and its administrators over allegations of a &quot;longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism&quot; at the school. Why it matters: The lawsuit is one of the first to be filed against a major university in the wake of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Israel-Hamas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" data-vars-content-id="3b0bbdb4-83a6-41d7-8938-7901a7230390" data-vars-headline="UC Berkeley sued for alleged &quot;unchecked&quot; antisemitism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_self">Israel-Hamas</a> war and comes amid a growing number of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="colleges and K-12 school districts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/17/biden-department-of-education-colleges-antisemitism-islamophobia" data-vars-content-id="3b0bbdb4-83a6-41d7-8938-7901a7230390" data-vars-headline="UC Berkeley sued for alleged &quot;unchecked&quot; antisemitism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/17/biden-department-of-education-colleges-antisemitism-islamophobia" target="_self">colleges and K-12 school districts</a> in the U.S. facing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="investigations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/schools-colleges-antisemitism-islamophobia-education-department-investigation" data-vars-content-id="3b0bbdb4-83a6-41d7-8938-7901a7230390" data-vars-headline="UC Berkeley sued for alleged &quot;unchecked&quot; antisemitism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/schools-colleges-antisemitism-islamophobia-education-department-investigation" target="_self">investigations</a> over alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave little importance Sunday to the possibility of former President Trump refusing to concede if he loses in the 2024 presidential primaries. 

What he's saying: "Look, no one will expect [Trump] to concede. He hasn't conceded the 2020 election. Who cares?" Christie said on ABC's "This Week." 

"I don't suspect he'll ever concede he's ever lost any election, even though he lost primaries in 2016 to Ted Cruz, and he'll lose primaries this time as well, but it doesn't matter ... in the end, the rules will govern here just as the rules governed in 2020," Christie said. 

The New Jersey Republican said he thinks the "public en masse will begin to ignore" Trump if he were to lose in the primaries. 

"He lost in 2018 in the House, he lost in 2020 in the Senate and in the White House, and in 2022, he led us to more losses in the governorships and in the Senate. And if he loses in 2024, he'll be a four-time loser," Christie said.

Christie said he thinks Trump would go back to Mar-a-Lago and "continue to carp and moan and complain and say we don't deserve him." 

Zoom out: Christie is polling behind Trump and fellow GOP candidate Nikki Haley in New Hampshire.

A CNN/UNH poll from earlier in November among likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire had Christie in third place at 14%, with Trump at 42% and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 20%. 

Meanwhile, 47% of likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire said they would "never" back Christie. 

However, Christie's numbers improved from the last CNN/UNH poll in September, where he stood at 11% among likely Republican primary voters, and 60% of likely primary GOP voters said they "would not vote for him under any circumstances." 

Go deeper: Scoop: Christie tells donors he still can beat Trump

Scoop: Christie tells donors he still can beat Trump

Christie: "Who cares" if Trump concedes if he loses primary

The New Jersey Republican said he thinks the "public en masse will begin to ignore" Trump if he lost in the primary elections.

Chris Christie

2024 Elections

Former New Jersey Gov. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chris Christie" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/14/chris-christie-fourth-gop-debate-rnc" data-vars-content-id="72cd8f08-f409-4242-b339-53ed8e802155" data-vars-headline="Christie: &quot;Who cares&quot; if Trump concedes if he loses primary" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/14/chris-christie-fourth-gop-debate-rnc" target="_self">Chris Christie</a> gave little importance Sunday to the possibility of former President Trump refusing to concede if he loses in the 2024 presidential primaries. What he&#x27;s saying: &quot;Look, no one will expect [Trump] to concede. He hasn&#x27;t conceded the 2020 election. Who cares?&quot; Christie said on ABC&#x27;s &quot;This Week.&quot;

San Francisco

Catalytic converters are a hot commodity in the Bay Area. The anti-pollution devices located underneath cars — packed with rare precious metals — have been stolen in record numbers in recent years.

State of play: Busts this year have highlighted crime networks built around the devices.

One network taken down in June targeted cars across the Bay Area and led to the theft of 240 catalytic converters, according to local investigators.

By the numbers: There have been more than 1,200 catalytic converters stolen and 439 damaged this year, according to San Francisco Police Department data provided to Axios.

Details: It's become such a widespread issue that San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio partnered with SFPD this year to launch a free program etching vehicle identification numbers on residents' catalytic converters in a bid to deter thefts.

Engardio represents the Sunset District, which he said reports the most catalytic converter thefts. Still, he faced criticism from some people who said it won't solve the need for police to do more to crack down on the crime.

But the pilot program ultimately drew hundreds of residents, and Engardio has said he plans to expand it.

How it works: Catalytic converters are made up of precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium, making them highly valuable.

With only tiny portions of these metals inside each converter, there is more value in stealing dozens at once, per Vox.

Yes, but: Tracking stolen converters has proven difficult. A New York Times investigation found that stolen catalytic converters "pass through middlemen, smelters and refineries in the United States and overseas."

The unknown origins of the stolen converters leave the beneficiaries of the thefts with "plausible deniability and little incentive to stop them," per the Times.

Plus, converters can be sawed off beneath a car in only minutes.

Be smart: If the catalytic converter on a car has been stolen, the vehicle will make a very loud noise once started. BeenVerified, a background check company that tracks criminal information, recommends installing a catalytic converter anti-theft device or motion alarm to better protect against these thefts.

Parking in a locked garage, well-lit area or any place with high pedestrian traffic can also help deter thefts, according to BeenVerified.

The big picture: Catalytic converter thefts skyrocketed across the U.S. during the pandemic.

While nationwide they are down so far in 2023 after a surge last year, they're still almost 21 times higher than in 2019, per an August report from BeenVerified.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau recorded 64,701 insurance claims for converter thefts last year, up significantly from 16,660 claims in 2020.

Bay Area car owners still face catalytic converter theft concerns

A crime ring busted earlier this year had targeted Bay Area cars, leading to the theft of 240 catalytic converters.

Photo of a catalytic converter under a car

A brand-new catalytic converter sits on a car lift in July 2022 in San Rafael, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

Catalytic converters are a hot commodity in the Bay Area. The anti-pollution devices located underneath <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cars" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/15/mercedes-electric-car-charging" data-vars-content-id="7eba13de-dd27-4b1e-a2bb-d2110afcbba1" data-vars-headline="Bay Area car owners still face catalytic converter theft concerns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/15/mercedes-electric-car-charging" target="_self">cars</a> — packed with rare precious metals — have been stolen in record numbers in recent years.State of play: Busts this year have highlighted crime networks built around the devices.

News

Honda recalled more than 300,000 of its 2023-2024 HR-Vs and Accords based on a missing seat belt piece, which could increase the risk of injury in the event of a collision. 

Why it matters: The announcement comes shortly after Honda recalled nearly 250,000 vehicles just over a week ago due to a "manufacturing error" that could result in engine damage. 

Context: The front seat belt's pretensioners, which are meant to tighten a seat belt in the event of an accident, were made without a rivet, according to reports from Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Without the rivet, seat belt pretensioners "will not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a collision," which could increase the risk of injury, per the reports. 

The company said it had received its first complaint surrounding the missing device in May. 

Anyone with affected vehicles will be contacted via mail and be asked to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer, which will inspect and "replace the seat belt pretensioner assembly with a non-defective part" if needed, per the reports.

Threat level: As of Nov. 16, Honda had no reports of injuries or deaths from the defective part.

Honda and the NHTSA said there were 303,770 potentially impacted vehicles, but the company estimates less than 1% of these vehicles need a device replacement, per AP. 

The NHTSA said wearing a seat belt in the front seat of a passenger car can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45% and moderate to critical injury by 50%. 

Of note: Honda has issued 14 other recalls in 2023 alone, according to CNN. 

Honda told Axios on Sunday that it had no additional comment. 

Go deeper: General Motors recalls 950 Cruise driverless vehicles after serious collision

General Motors recalls 950 Cruise driverless vehicles after serious collision

Honda recalls over 300,000 vehicles for seat belt issues

Honda had issued a separate recall a little over a week ago for nearly 250,000 of its vehicles.

A Honda HR-V compact crossover SUV on Jan. 13 in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

Honda

Transportation

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Honda" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/car-truck-suv-of-the-year" data-vars-content-id="e226b7ac-a123-43d3-897c-e87d7b06a18b" data-vars-headline="Honda recalls over 300,000 vehicles for seat belt issues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/car-truck-suv-of-the-year" target="_self">Honda</a> recalled more than 300,000 of its 2023-2024 HR-Vs and Accords based on a missing seat belt piece, which could increase the risk of injury in the event of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="collision" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/08/cruise-robot-taxi-recall-general-motors" data-vars-content-id="e226b7ac-a123-43d3-897c-e87d7b06a18b" data-vars-headline="Honda recalls over 300,000 vehicles for seat belt issues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/08/cruise-robot-taxi-recall-general-motors" target="_self">collision</a>. Why it matters: The announcement comes shortly after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Honda recalled" data-vars-click-url="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCAK-23V751-1498.pdf" data-vars-content-id="e226b7ac-a123-43d3-897c-e87d7b06a18b" data-vars-headline="Honda recalls over 300,000 vehicles for seat belt issues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCAK-23V751-1498.pdf" target="_blank">Honda recalled</a> nearly<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" 250,000 vehicles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/business/honda-engine-recall-list-2023/index.html" data-vars-content-id="e226b7ac-a123-43d3-897c-e87d7b06a18b" data-vars-headline="Honda recalls over 300,000 vehicles for seat belt issues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/business/honda-engine-recall-list-2023/index.html" target="_blank"> 250,000 vehicles</a> just over a week ago due to a &quot;manufacturing error&quot; that could result in engine damage.

Top stories & latest news on the Federal Reserve, real-time data, plus the biggest shifts happening in the U.S. and global economy.

Shauneen Miranda

Stories

UC Berkeley sued for alleged "unchecked" antisemitism

What we know about the shooting of 3 Palestinian students in Vermont

Bay Area car owners still face catalytic converter theft concerns

Honda recalls over 300,000 vehicles for seat belt issues

Christie: "Who cares" if Trump concedes if he loses primary