Ronna McDaniel was reelected as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee on Friday, winning 111 votes in a three-way race. She had previously been appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2017 and had served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party. The RNC's decision to reelect McDaniel will ensure continuity in the party's operations through the next presidential election and the congressional elections in 2024.
News Mash
At least seven people were killed and three were injured in a shooting near a synagogue in Jerusalem on Friday night, according to Israeli police. The alleged shooter was killed by police forces, and the Palestinian Authority has since decided to halt security coordination with Israel. Leaders around the world, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have condemned the attack and called for an immediate end to the violence, urging both sides to take steps to de-escalate the situation and to work towards a peaceful resolution.
On Friday night, five people were killed and several injured in a shooting in the Jewish neighborhood of Neve Yaakov in east Jerusalem. This followed a deadly raid by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, which killed nine Palestinians and a tenth later north of Jerusalem. The incident has sparked international condemnation and raised tensions in the region, with the United Nations calling for an independent investigation and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning the attack and promising to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Three men have been charged with money laundering and murder-for-hire in a plot to kill an Iranian American author and activist, Masih Alinejad. The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov, and Khalid Mehdiyev in the Southern District of New York, and all three are currently in custody. Alinejad has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights in Iran and her courage in the face of danger has been an example to all.
In October 2022, Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer in his San Francisco residence. The suspect, David DePape, had allegedly planned to kidnap Speaker Pelosi, who was in Washington at the time. Paul Pelosi was hospitalized as a result of the attack, and the video of the incident has been released to the public, sparking a national conversation about home security and the safety of public figures.
Rose Wakefield, a 63-year-old Oregon woman, was awarded $1 million in damages by a jury after they found she was discriminated against by a gas station employee. The incident occurred when Wakefield stopped for gas at the store and the employee, Nigel Powers, told her, “I don’t serve Black people.” The jury’s award included punitive damages of $550,000 and sends a strong message that discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. The verdict is a victory for Wakefield and a reminder that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.
Fox News foreign correspondent Benjamin Hall recounted his experience of being injured in a Russian bomb blast in Ukraine last year on Fox & Friends. Hall described the moment of the explosion, and read an excerpt from his upcoming memoir about hearing his daughters' voices urging him to get out of the car. He also spoke of his colleague Pierre Zakrzewski, who was killed in the blast, and the conversation they had while wounded, which gave Hall the strength to keep going. Hall's story is a powerful reminder of the courage of those who risk their lives to report from dangerous places.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy has released police bodycam footage of the October 2022 attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi. The video shows police entering the home and shouting "Drop the hammer" as Paul and the suspect, David DePape, struggle over a hammer. DePape has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse and has pleaded not guilty. Nancy Pelosi has expressed her gratitude for the police officers and relief that her husband is safe. The release of the video has sparked a debate over the use of body cameras by police officers.