Category: Security

Former Secretary of State and failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appeared to explode at an audience member at a panel event on Monday after being interrupted and asked to address President Joe Biden’s plan to have Congress approve $100 billion in aid to be sent to Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine.

The intense exchange between Clinton and an unidentified man from the audience occurred during a Monday panel at Columbia University in New York City celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with the exchange lasting over three minutes, according to Newsweek.

The panel discussion, which was moderated by Clinton, was interrupted by the man’s insistence that the former Democratic presidential candidate address the “hypocrisy” of the president’s “idiotic” plan to further involve the United States in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine by requesting Congress approve additional foreign aid.

When the unidentified man pressed Clinton for an answer, Clinton said, “I’m sorry, we’ve got two more people to hear from. You have a chance to… well, I’m not sorry. You sit down, and we’re going to let other people talk.”

As the man continued to ask Clinton to address Biden’s recent “warmongering” speech, Clinton attempted to move ahead with the panel discussion by speaking over him. Nevertheless, the audience member continued making his case.

“President Joe Biden’s calling for $100 billion of funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine,” he stated. “We’re supposed to just bundle these together and pretend like we’re gonna rush to World War III. And we’re all just gonna let Hillary Rodham Clinton sit here?”

READ MORE: Video: Hillary Clinton calls for ‘formally deprogramming’ Trump supporters

As an event staff member approached the man, Clinton responded, “I’m sorry, this is not the way to have a conversation. If you want to have a conversation, you’re welcome to come talk to me afterward.”

During the man’s exchange with Clinton, he insisted that he was exercising his right to “free speech” by interrupting the panel discussion. However, Clinton argued, “It’s not free speech when you are disrupting everybody else’s opportunity to speak.”

As the heated exchange between Clinton and the audience member continued, the man pointed toward the members of the panel and said, “This is not free speech,” adding that the panel was “constructing narratives that are openly hypocritical.”

“What I want to hear is Hillary Rodham Clinton to denounce Joe Biden’s warmongering speech,” the man insisted. “He’s trying to push us to World War II! Do you understand? It’s not about Israel and Palestine. This isn’t football, it’s not Team America!”

At the end of the exchange, a visibly flustered Clinton finally answered the man’s question regarding whether she would “denounce” Biden’s recent speech, shouting, “I’ve given my answer. I will not do that, so that’s the end of our conversation…. you’re done.”

One of the Israeli hostages released by Hamas terrorists this week spoke out about her experience in Gaza, revealing a “spiderweb” of tunnels underground where she was held captive and given a small meal once a day.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and her husband Oded, 83, were captured by terrorists on Oct. 7. While Yocheved Lifshitz was released, her husband remains under the terrorists’ control in Gaza, according to Fox News.

“My mom is telling the horrific stories. She is saying that many, many people — a swarm of people came through the fence,” Lifshitz’s daughter, Sharone, told reporters in Israel.

“My mom is saying she was taken on the back of a motor bike with her body with her legs on one side and her head on the other side,” she added. “That she was taken through the plow fields with men in front on one side and men behind her.”

Lifshitz described “a huge network of tunnels underneath Gaza that looked like a spiderweb,” her daughter added.

According to the former hostage’s grandson, Daniel Lifshitz, both Yocheved and her husband were human rights activists who previously helped Gazans receive medical treatment in Israel.

“They are human rights activists, peace activists for all their life,” Daniel Lifshitz said. “For more than a decade, they took… sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, not from the West Bank, from the Gaza Strip every week from the Erez border to the hospitals in Israel to get treatment for their disease, for cancer, for anything.”

Two Americans who were also taken hostage by Hamas terrorists were recently released, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, Fox News reported.

The two American captives, a mother and her daughter, were let go “on humanitarian grounds,” the source said.

“In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless,” Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said Friday.

Paul Costict, a renowned figure from the trailblazing hip-hop group B-Rock and The Bizz, passed away unexpectedly at his residence in Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday at the age of 57.

While the exact cause of Costict’s death remains unknown, a close family member informed TMZ that Costict had mentioned feeling unwell just days before, although he remained upbeat and jovial.

Originating in Mobile, Alabama, B-Rock and The Bizz eventually rose to fame as a hip-hop collective. Established in 1986, the ensemble featured the talents of Baron “B-Rock” Agee, Leevirt Agee, Thaddeus “T-Bird” Maye, and the late Paul Costict.

According to The Daily Caller, the band’s journey to stardom was punctuated by their 1997 chart-topping single “My Baby Daddy.” The track, a centerpiece of their debut album “Porkin’ Beans & Wienes,” not only won the hearts of millions but clinched a gold certification, reaching an impressive number 10 on the Billboard 100.

Beyond his on-stage persona, Costict had multiple roles within the band, notably as its road manager, a detail confirmed by TMZ. However, Costict’s illustrious career was not without its share of challenges.

The famous rapper eventually became embroiled in a high-profile legal battle with his ex-wife, Lasancious. Their dispute over the earnings and rights of Costict’s gold album culminated in a televised episode of “Divorce Court.”

READ MORE: Champion bodybuilder dies suddenly at 34

According to The Daily Caller, while some people labeled the B-Rock and The Bizz a “one-hit-wonder,” just last year, pop sensation Rihanna sported a “dat’s [sic] just my baby daddy” t-shirt during her pregnancy, paying tribute to the legacy of the band.

As tributes pour in, Thaddeus “T-Bird” Maye, Costict’s bandmate and confidant, reminisced about their time together, describing Costict to TMZ as “a very funny and Kool brother.”

This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.

Capitol Police and Mississippi law enforcement agencies are investigating a shooting Sunday near the Mississippi home of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

A person was firing rounds from the road in the direction of the house, Hyde-Smith spokesperson Chris Gallegos told CQ Roll Call.

The Mississippi Republican and her family, who were home at the time, were unharmed, according to her office.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said the shooting happened around 12:30 p.m. local time but provided few other details in a statement Monday.

The Capitol Police said it is working with the MBI and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to “figure out exactly what happened, while we coordinate with the Senator’s Office to ensure her safety.”

A statement from Hyde-Smith’s office said that the senator “is grateful for the concern show by many and the good work of federal, state, and local law enforcement.”

Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 by then-Gov. Phil Bryant to replace Thad Cochran. Before coming to Washington, Hyde-Smith was Mississippi’s commissioner of agriculture and commerce. She holds seats on the Appropriations Committee and the Agriculture Committee, among others.

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© 2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Rapper 50 Cent called out President Joe Biden over the weekend for once again going on vacation while the United States grapples with multiple domestic and foreign crises.

“hey Joe get the [f-ck] up, we in trouble man!” the famous rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, posted on Instagram along with a photo of Biden relaxing at the beach with his wife, First Lady Jill Biden.

The Bidens spent the weekend at their Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home, but the photo 50 Cent shared was from a previous vacation the pair took in August.

Echoing 50 Cent’s frustration with the president, X users erupted over a new video showing the president and first lady walking along with the beach.

“Americans are still being held hostage by Hamas terrorists — and Joe Biden is at the beach,” RNC Research posted.

“As the world is burning Biden is enjoying his walk on the beach,” a popular X account called “I Meme Therefore I Am” wrote.

“Biden continues to set all-time records for most vacations taken as President,” the X account Libs of TikTok posted. “Today he’s strolling on the beach while Americans are held hostage by a terrorist organization and millions of illegals (including terrorists) are invading our country.”

Biden continues to set all-time records for most vacations taken as President.

Today he’s strolling on the beach while Americans are held hostage by a terrorist organization and millions of illegals (including terrorists) are invading our country. pic.twitter.com/nnMvgxJaTX

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 22, 2023

Biden’s beach trip comes as the Pentagon prepares to deploy U.S. troops to the Middle East after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing 1,300 people.

Officials said the troops are not expected to serve in combat roles. Instead, if they deploy, they will provide advising and medical support.

The U.S. State Department announced last week that the number of Americans killed in the recent Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel increased to 30.

According to a statement attributed to a State Department official, the government has been able to “confirm the deaths of 30 U.S. citizens” in Israel. In addition to the American citizens who have been killed in Israel, the State Department official confirmed that multiple U.S. citizens are currently missing in Israel.

A rising wave of crime has Capitol Hill on edge as recent incidents involving lawmakers and their staff have prompted the Senate to issue stark warnings and safety guidelines to its members and employees.

On Friday, a bulletin from the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, obtained by Fox News, was dispatched to various Senate authorities, shedding light on the perilous situation.

“Local authorities note an increase in carjacking incidents in and around Capitol Hill and the District of Columbia,” the document states. The warning from the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms comes in the wake of a Senate staffer being robbed at gunpoint last week and the carjacking of a House Democrat a few weeks prior.

To mitigate the risks, the bulletin shares safety guidelines such as keeping car doors locked, refraining from assisting strangers with stalled cars, and parking in well-lit zones.

The safety warning further presses on the importance of personal safety, advising, “Your safety is paramount; surrender your car without argument and swiftly leave the area. Attempt to recall the carjacker’s physical details (gender, race, age, hair/eye color, distinctive features, clothing).”

The Senate bulletin also advised lawmakers and staff members to call 911 and Capitol Hill Police in the event of additional incidents.

Friday’s warning followed a Thursday night that involved Amanda Peper, a staffer for Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who was robbed at gunpoint. According to Fox 5 D.C., Peper was walking to her residence, roughly a mile from the Capitol, when an assailant aimed a gun at her, demanding her purse and keys.

In a statement after the incident, Britt’s office expressed outrage, noting the alarming state of crime in Washington, D.C.

“It is infuriating and completely unacceptable that an American who is on Capitol Hill to serve her country cannot safely walk the streets of Washington, D.C., at 8:30 at night because of the out-of-control crime in this city,” Britt’s office told Fox News.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) experienced a similar event earlier this month when he was carjacked in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. “Three guys came out of nowhere, and they pointed guns at me,” Cuellar recalled. “I looked at one with a gun and another with a gun out the one behind me. So, they said they wanted my car, and I said, ‘Sure.’” Fortunately, the Texas congressman was not harmed during the incident.

READ MORE: Republicans, police officials tell Capitol Hill staffers to watch their backs amid D.C. crime spike

A rise in crime has cast a shadow on Capitol Hill. Earlier this year, a staffer for Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) was attacked at gunpoint, and a member of GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s staff faced a brutal knife assault in broad daylight, according to Fox News.

According to Metropolitan Police Department data, Washington, D.C., recorded close to a staggering 226 homicides in 2021. The numbers slightly improved in 2022 but remain alarmingly high. Acting D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith recently announced the city’s 200th murder for the year, with crime statistics indicating that the city could be on pace to have the highest number of murders since the 1990s, according to Fox News.

While overall crime in D.C. saw a decrease from 2021 to 2022, specific categories remain higher than pre-pandemic figures. Recent data reveals that in 2023, violent crime has escalated by nearly 40% compared to the previous year, with motor vehicle thefts and robberies observing a significant uptick.

As Washington grapples with the current crime surge, the safety of its residents, including lawmakers and their staff members, is becoming a matter of pressing concern.

This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.

In what may qualify as a double musical grand slam for Petco Park, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Billy Joel and Sting are teaming up to perform a joint concert at the downtown San Diego ballpark next spring.

Their April 13 concert here is one of only two joint U.S. concerts by the two music legends scheduled for next year, at least so far. The other is Feb. 24 in Florida at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

The announcement of their San Diego performance was made at a Thursday morning press conference held on the field, near first base, at Petco Park.

The concert is one of two major music events announced at the ballpark so far for 2024 (the Foo Fighters’ Aug. 7 show is the other). Both will take place during the 20th anniversary year of the ballpark, which is the home of the San Diego Padres baseball team.

“When we opened 20 years ago we promised that Petco Park would be more than a ball park with 82 (home) games a year, and we have fulfilled that promise,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said, at a press conference Thursday announcing the Joel-Sting event.

Joel and Sting’s concert is being produced in collaboration with Live Nation, the world’s largest promoter of concerts and live events. The company has been instrumental in securing many top attractions for Petco Park, including Bad Bunny for two shows last year and Zach Bryan, who will headline the Dec. 30 Wild Horses festival.

“We are extremely proud to partner with the Padres and Petco Park,” said Live Nation California Region President Geni Lincoln on Thursday.

Also on hand for the announcement was retired Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman.

In an onfield chat with the Union-Tribune, Hoffman cited a Van Halen/Stryper double-bill at The Forum in Los Angeles as his first concert. And he explained why the date of Joel and Sting’s upcoming Petco Park show is especially meaningful for him.

“April 13 would have been my dad’s 113th birthday,” Hoffman said. “My dad was a singer in the group The Royal Guards, which is how he met my mother in England. So, it will be really nice for me to celebrate him at a concert here on that day.”

This will be Joel’s first San Diego concert since his sold-out 2016 concert here, which was also held at Petco Park and drew a capacity audience of 42,000. His ongoing 2023 tour with Fleetwood Mac alum Stevie Nicks includes a November date in Minnesota and a December date in Phoenix.

Sting has performed twice here in the past 10 months, first at a private corporate event held last December at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The veteran solo star and former leader of The Police returned for a sold-out show Oct. 4 concert at SDSU’s Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. That is the same venue where Sting, the co-founder of the band The Police, launched his first solo tour in 1985.

Joel, 74, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and has won five Grammy Awards. Sting, 72, was inducted in 2003 as a member of The Police and has won 17 Grammys. His first Grammy came in 1980 as a member of the Police, while his first as a solo artist came in 1985.

Fans wanting to attend Joel and Sting’s San Diego concert may want to act quickly when tickets go on sale.

Joel’s 2016 Petco Park concert — which clocked in at two hours and 22 minutes without an opening act — sold out in a record 45 seconds. That was faster than concerts at the same stadium by Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones and Madonna.

Tickets prices for Joel and Sting’s April 13 concert here range from $74.50 to $354.50, plus service fees. They will go on sale — following a series of pre-sales — to the general public at 10 a.m. Oct. 27 through mlb.com.padres/tickets/concerts.

The first presale, for Citi members, runs from 10 a.m. Monday until 10 a.m. Thursday. A Verizon presale will run from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 10 p.m. Thursday. A Sting fan club presale will run from 10 a.m. Wednesday until 10 p.m. Thursday. And a Live Nation and Petco Park presale will run from 10 a.m. Wednesday until 10 p.m. Thursday.

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© 2023 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A man is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his girlfriend, whose body was found in a suitcase inside their shared Georgia apartment over the weekend, authorities said.

Freddrick Durham was arrested in Atlanta Saturday after he allegedly stole the vehicle of his partner Margret Dubignon after the killing. The car was tracked to an undisclosed location in the city, according to the Thomaston Police Department.

“This was a horrific crime and an extremely painful event,” police said in a news release.

The investigation started around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, when Thomaston police were called to West County Road in Upson County for a missing person, who was identified as Dubignon.

Family members said they hadn’t seen or heard from Dubignon since Thursday, and she wasn’t found at their apartment during a wellness check the next day. While making the missing person’s report, police learned that her boyfriend also wasn’t home and that Dubignon’s vehicle was missing.

At about 9 a.m. Saturday, officers went back to the apartment after family members said they found a body hidden inside a large suitcase in the closet.

“It was confirmed that there was a deceased person in the suitcase and the body was identified as Ms. Margret Dubignon,” police said.

According to authorities, Durham was quickly identified as a possible suspect. Police said they believed he took her vehicle, which was identified as stolen. It was tracked to Atlanta using Flock cameras.

After Atlanta police and the Georgia State Patrol were told the general area of the vehicle, officers took Durham into custody within the next couple of hours.

He was transported back to Thomaston for questioning and is facing charges of felony murder, concealing a death, tampering with evidence, and theft by taking a motor vehicle. Police said additional charges are “pending further investigation.”

After the arrest, the department praised the state and local law enforcement agencies that they said helped with the investigation, including Atlanta police, the GSP, deputies in Upson and Spalding counties, as well as GBI Director Chris Hosey – a Thomaston resident.

A special thanks was also given to the victim’s family.

“In spite of their emotions, (they) were incredibly composed, supportive and cooperative throughout today’s investigation,” police said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

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© 2023 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Space Coast is set to watch a record 58th launch out over the Atlantic on Saturday night as SpaceX lines up yet another late-night Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral.

A Falcon 9 carrying 23 more of its internet satellites is set to lift off from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:23 p.m. with five backup windows from 11:07 p.m. until 2:15 am. Sunday. There are six more backups Sunday night beginning at 9:51 p.m. running through early Monday at 1:50 a.m.

It’s another southerly trajectory flight so will be visible down much of the Florida east coast south of Cape Canaveral after launch.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts only a 5% chance of poor weather conditions for both days’ opportunities.

The first-stage booster is making its fourth flight with a planned recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

The Space Coast had a record 57 launches in 2022, which it equaled four days ago when SpaceX sent up its last Starlink mission.

SpaceX has been responsible for all but four of the launches from either Cape Canaveral or neighboring Kennedy Space Center with the other four coming from United Launch Alliance and Relativity Space.

SpaceX has also been busy in California tacking on another 22 missions in 2023 including another Starlink launch that already took off early Saturday from Vandenberg Space Force Base. It also has attempted one launch of its new Starship and Falcon Heavy from Texas.

Among Florida and California orbital launches, Elon Musk’s company will have flown 76 times, and remain on a pace to approach 100 launches before the end of the year.

Saturday’s launch would mark the 275th successful orbital launch among its Falcon family of rockets while also gunning for its 238th booster recovery and the 210th time a booster has been reflown.

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© 2023 Orlando Sentinel

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Five infantrymen from the 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, are currently facing first-degree rape charges linked to two separate incidents.

The charged soldiers, each serving as part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, have been charged for their alleged involvement in the two separate rape incidents and are currently being held in pretrial confinement, according to charge sheets obtained by Military.com.

The five soldiers identified as Pfc. Franz Robert Camentil, age 20; Spc. John Paul Bianzon, age 29; Pfc. Ajjashery Jalnaiz Flores, age 24; Pfc. Frinz Deivhid Ramit, age 19; and Spc. Cyrus Moises Ranada Labial, age 24, were arrested in November following accusations that they drugged and raped two women.

The group is now grappling with additional charges from a reported assault that occurred in September of 2022.

Court records revealed by Military.com show that Flores is specifically charged with recording the November 2022 assault and subsequently distributing it. Camentil and Labial, respectively, are accused of taking photographs during both incidents, with Ramit allegedly capturing footage of the September incident. All of the pieces of evidence are suspected of having been distributed, further deepening the gravity of the accusations against the five soldiers.

READ MORE: Video: Child rape suspect caught with 6 kids, fly down during traffic stop

The victim involved in the November rape incident, who lived just outside of Fort Johnson in Rosepine, Louisiana, reportedly knew one of the soldiers. However, she claimed she did not know the identity of the other four men.

After sharing drinks with the soldiers, both women claimed to have experienced exaggerated symptoms of intoxication.

Despite the serious allegations, all the accused soldiers have submitted “not guilty” pleas. The trials are set to commence this November, with court proceedings anticipated to extend into 2024.

According to Military.com, Fort Johnson, previously known as Fort Polk, has been embroiled in multiple sex-related offenses this year alone, including high-ranking officers and enlisted leaders facing severe sentences for their actions.

While the legal proceedings against the five soldiers progress, their alleged actions bring to light the larger concerns about safety, integrity, and justice within the military ranks.

This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.