A community mourns, as death toll rises

Julius Lasin, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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The death toll in the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, has risen. A former FBI official has been charged in connection with efforts to help a Russian oligarch. And Spotify becomes the latest tech giant to announce layoffs.

👋 Hi, it's Julius. Let's get into Monday's news. 

But first: Meet Ralphie the "fire-breathing demon" dog. 🐶 This cute 1-year-old French bulldog is up for adoption, but the shelter says he's a handful. Despite the warning, I think I'd still adopt Ralphie – I'm not sure I could say "no" to a pup that adorable.

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Death toll in in Monterey Park shooting rises to 11

The death toll in the mass shooting in the predominantly Asian American city of Monterey Park, California, rose to 11 on Monday. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services said Monday that one of the four people from the Monterey Park shooting being treated at the LA County-USC Medical Center has died of gunshot wounds. The department's news release said one of the wounded patients was in serious condition and the two others were recovering. Authorities said the initial death count from Saturday night's attack at a dance studio was 10, with at least another 10 injured. See the latest in the wake of the shooting.

Ex-FBI official linked to Russian oligarch arrested

Charles McGonigal, who once headed the FBI's New York Counterintelligence Division and was involved in investigations involving Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, has been charged in connection with efforts to assist the oligarch. Deripaska is charged with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and money laundering. McGonigal, who retired from the bureau in 2018, was arrested Saturday, along with Sergey Shestakov, a former Russian diplomat. Specifically, McGonigal and Shestakov are accused of initiating an investigation of a Deripaska rival last year in return for concealed payments from the oligarch. Read more about the arrests.

Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska attends Independence Day celebrations at Spaso House on July 2, 1015, the residence of the American Ambassador in Moscow.
Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska attends Independence Day celebrations at Spaso House on July 2, 1015, the residence of the American Ambassador in Moscow.

What everyone's talking about

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Judge to consider releasing Trump inquiry report

On Tuesday, a Georgia judge is set to consider whether the findings of a special grand jury investigation, including any recommendations related to the possible prosecution of former President Donald Trump and his allies, should be made public. While the inquiry started with Trump's call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger – in which the former president urged Georgia's top election official to "find 11,780 votes" to tilt the 2020 statewide election in his favor – the inquiry has since expanded to include a wide-ranging examination of election fraud. Analysts have characterized the inquiry as perhaps the most serious legal threat facing the former president. Here's what we know about the inquiry.

Spotify becomes latest tech giant to announce layoffs

Spotify is going to lay off about 6% of employees across the company, according to an announcement shared by CEO Daniel Ek Monday. Ek said the decision to restructure Spotify is an “effort to drive more efficiency, control costs, and speed up decision-making." The company's CEO took accountability for decisions leading up to today's announcement, saying he "was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth." Spotify's announcement comes after tech giants Microsoft and Google announced layoffs last week. Amazon also began laying off thousands of employees last week. Read more.

Spotify announced Monday it was going to lay off about 6% of its employees.
Spotify announced Monday it was going to lay off about 6% of its employees.

Real Quick

Winter storm warnings in place in multiple states

Winter storm warnings were in effect in more than a half dozen states early this week, especially in parts of the Northeast, where tens of thousands of people were without power. One system organized over the Southwest on Monday before becoming a large-scale winter storm system and moving into the southern Plains on Tuesday, Alyssa Clements, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said. The storm is expected to hit portions of the central, southern and eastern U.S. through midweek with a variety of hazards, including a swath of snow and severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall. Read more about weather across the U.S.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monterey Park shooting, Charles McGonigal, Spotify layoffs: The Short List