North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has suspended his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, citing the RNC's debate requirements as a major factor. Chris Christie, a former 2016 presidential candidate, commented that the RNC's debate requirements are making it difficult for lesser-known candidates to gain traction in the race. Burgum's decision is likely to add to the debate over the RNC's rules.
News Mash
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in the 2020 murder of George Floyd, was allegedly stabbed 22 times by a fellow inmate at a Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona. The inmate, John Turscak, has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and faces up to 20 years in prison. Chauvin has since been returned to prison custody and his family is questioning the faulty procedures that allowed the attack to occur.
Mount Marapi Volcano in Indonesia has erupted again, halting the search for 12 missing climbers and causing 11 hikers to be found dead. Rescuers worked through the night to find dozens of hikers stranded on the volcano and injured and burned survivors were carried down the mountain on foot. The Indonesian government has urged people to stay away from the area until further notice.
On Saturday, police located the body of 10-month-old Zeke Best in an embankment off the road in Bonneville County, Idaho. The man found with the body was identified as Jeremy Albert Best, the subject of an Amber Alert issued the day before in connection with the child's kidnapping. Best was taken into custody on an arrest warrant in connection with the death of his wife.
A search team investigating the deadly U.S. Osprey air crash in the sea off Japan last week has found wreckage and the remains of missing crew members. The crash occurred on November 29th, when an Osprey CV-22B tiltrotor aircraft went missing near the island of Yakushima. One person was recovered unconscious from the water and was later confirmed dead, leaving seven still unaccounted for, and the search for the remaining two crew members is ongoing. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Leaked documents have revealed that Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, president of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, planned to use his position to promote the UAE's oil and gas industry. This has raised questions about the potential conflict of interest and the integrity of the summit, which is focused on finding solutions to the climate crisis. Al-Jaber has also been criticized for remarks he made about the role of fossil fuels in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Israeli military has expanded its ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza to every part of the region, after a Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people. Many of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been forced to flee to the south, and are running out of places to go as the bombardment continues. The international community is calling for an end to the violence and for both sides to negotiate, but the Israeli military is continuing its operations with no end in sight.
Manuel Rocha, a former American diplomat and U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, was arrested in Miami on Friday as part of an FBI counterintelligence investigation. He is accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba's government, and further details are expected to be revealed at his court appearance on Monday. It is unclear what charges he is facing or what the potential consequences could be.