January 4 top stories

It is January 4. Here are today’s top stories.

Iowa high school shooting

There was a shooting this morning at a high school in Perry, Iowa. Today was the first day for students to go back to school after the winter break. At least two victims were shot and taken to a hospital. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There is no information released, at the time of signing this news, about who the victims and the shooter are. Iowa Gov. Reynolds said their hearts are broken and that they are praying for students, teachers and families of the Perry community.

Man attacks judge

There is a viral video of a man jumping and attacking a judge in Las Vegas. Local news explained that the man is Deobra Redden (30) and he was in the courtroom to be sentenced on a battery-related charge. Redden asked the judge, Mary Kay Holthus, to give him probation instead of sending him behind bars. The judge pointed out that he had an extensive criminal history, which included multiple domestic violence convictions. As the judge was ready to deny probation, Redden jumped over the bench and tackled the judge.

[Video clip showing moment of attack] Credit: 8newsnow

The judge looked stunned and rubbed her head. Redden was taken to jail and is now facing new charges of battery and battery on a protected person.

Coast Guard saves dog

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a dog that fell down a cliff in Oregon on January 1. The dog appears to be a golden retriever or a lab and is named Leo. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a helicopter and lowered a rescuer down on a secluded beach and brought it up in a basket. The rescuer brought the dog to its owners, who showed gratitude. The dog was taken to an emergency vet and is expected to make a full recovery.

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Imam shot and killed outside mosque

An imam (Muslim leader) was shot and killed outside his mosque in Newark, New Jersey on Wednesday morning. His name was Hassan Sharif. Law enforcement said they don’t know who the gunman is and is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who can provide information. Police said they don’t believe it was a hate crime or domestic terrorism. Some who lived in the neighborhood said there is a crisis of crime and violence in the area. NJ Gov. Murphy said he wants to assure the Muslim community that officials will do everything possible to keep all residents safe, especially in or near religious buildings.

Epstein documents unsealed

On Wednesday the first batch of documents connected to accused sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein were unsealed and released to the public. The documents include depositions (interviews conducted under oath) with victims who disclosed names of people who sexually abused them. Many of these people were wealthy and powerful people who allegedly used Epstein and his business associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking network to take advantage of underage victims.

One prominent person named is the British Prince Andrew. A victim said he assaulted her. Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was also named as someone who exploited a victim.

The names of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were mentioned, but they weren’t connected to any actual in-person meeting. A victim said Epstein told her that Clinton liked “young” girls. A victim said Epstein was friendly with Trump and wanted to meet up with him when they visited Atlantic City.

Another name disclosed is magician David Copperfield, who is said to have dinner at Epstein’s home and asked questions about girls. Another name is professor and author Stephen Hawking. The documents show that Epstein tried to clear up Hawking’s name after allegations surfaced that he had sex with underage girls.

These are just several of the names that are out there. There will be more information coming later as more documents are unsealed.

13-year-old boy beats Tetris

A 13-year-old boy from Oklahoma is going viral for being the first person ever to complete all levels in Tetris. His name is Willis Gibson and he posted a video of the moment he reached level 157. The video showed that he had incredible skill and speed in knowing where to place blocks as they fell. Tetris was created in 1984 by a Soviet engineer named Alexey Pajitnov.

That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.

https://apnews.com/article/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-1defc6260e074362240a31a7f30cf1b9

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-01-04-24/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/business/jeffrey-epstein-documents-list-names

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/tech/oklahoma-teenager-defeats-tetris

https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/man-on-video-attacking-las-vegas-judge-was-granted-probation-multiple-times-once-by-same-judge/

https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1742954921522024818

https://abc7ny.com/imam-shot-mosque-newark-new-jersey/14265827/

https://www.the-sun.com/news/10008238/jeffrey-epstein-leonardo-dicaprio-cate-blanchett/

TOP STORIESPaul Hovan