April 30 top stories
Hello, it is April 30. Here are today’s top stories.
3 U.S. Marshals and 1 police officer killed, 3 police officers injured in Charlotte shooting
Authorities said three U.S. Marshals and a police officer were killed and four police officers were injured from gunshot wounds in a shooting while attempting to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at a home in Charlotte, North Carolina Monday evening.
A total of eight law enforcement officers were shot during the incident. The suspect was later identified as Terry Clark Hughes Jr, 39.
When they approached the person, the shooter fired at them with a high-powered rifle. The officers returned the fire and struck the person, who was later pronounced dead in the front yard of the residence.
Local police chief said three police officers are in stable condition and one is in critical condition “fighting for his life” in the hospital.
It is one of the deadliest assaults on U.S. law enforcement in recent years.
Israel-Hamas war updates
There are several Israel-Hamas war updates:
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to accept an Israeli proposal that reportedly includes a 40-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages. Blinken said Hamas has been presented with a ceasefire proposal that is extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel and he is hopeful that Hamas will make the right decision.
Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of Palestinians – 34 people in Gaza and 26 people in Rafah on Monday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu asked President Biden Sunday to help prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi in connection with the war in Gaza. A spokesperson for the White House said: “As we have publicly said many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation.”
The U.S. military’s cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million. The Pentagon has said the construction effort involves about 1,000 U.S. service members, mostly from the Army and Navy.
That’s all the main updates for now.
Ex-NSA employee sentenced to 21+ years in prison for attempted espionage
Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 32, of Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty in October to six counts of attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign government.
He is a former National Security Agency employee and sentenced Monday to nearly 22 years in federal prison in connection with his attempt to sell American secrets to the Russians.
What happened? Prosecutors said Dalke exchanged emails in 2022 with an FBI agent who was posing as a Russian agent, saying that he was motivated to share information by curiosity for secrets and a desire to cause change.
According to court documents, Dalke claimed he was in debt and told the agent that he would sell all the information he had for $85,000.
Dalke sent the agent excerpts of some documents in his possession as a demonstration of his legitimate access and willingness to share.
To make the final exchange in September 2023, the agent instructed Dalke to go to a train station in Denver and send the documents over a secure connection. Dalke went to the location and transferred documents. Moments later, prosecutors said, Dalke was arrested by the FBI.
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4 zebras broke free on a highway in Washington state
Drivers in Washington state were in for a surprise when they spotted a group of zebras galloping on the highway.
Washington State Patrol, in an email to USA TODAY, said that four zebras were on their way to Montana when the driver of their trailer stopped off an exit to secure the trailer that had reportedly become unsecured. The four – which included two adult mares, one stallion and one filly – saw it as an opportunity and escaped from the trailer, running amok on the highway.
[video - CREDIT to USA Today]
Authorities said a nearby good Samaritan with a horse pasture was able to corral three of the zebras and returned to the owner, a fourth, the stallion, continues to remain loose.
No people were injured in the incident, and the three animals that were re-captured seem to be in good condition as well with no injuries.
See Alex’s update on Columbia University’s campus protest.
Protesters take over building at Columbia University
Thanks, Callie.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University took over a building at Columbia University in New York this morning and barricaded the entrances. A Palestinian flag was draped from a window.
A protest group said they renamed the building from Hamilton Hall to “Hind’s Hall” in honor of a six-year-old child who was killed by Israel’s military.
The protesters say Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and are demanding Columbia University divest from investments that have ties with Israel or the war there.
Those criticizing the protests say it’s antisemitic and creating an atmosphere of fear for Jewish students.
AP News said universities across the U.S. are also facing sustained protests. Many people were arrested at universities in Texas, Utah, Virginia, and New Jersey.
Thanks for that update. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
3 U.S. Marshals killed, 4 police officers injured in Charlotte shooting
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article288117775.html
Israel-Hamas war updates
https://www.reuters.com/world/israel-hamas/
Ex-NSA employee sentenced to 21+ years in prison for attempted espionage
https://www.denverpost.com/2024/04/29/jareh-dalke-sentenced-selling-secrets-russia/
4 zebras broke free on a highway in Washington state
Protesters take over building at Columbia University