May 20 top stories
Hello, it is May 20. Hope your weekend was good. Here are today’s top stories.
Iranian president, foreign minister killed in helicopter crash
Multiple sources reported that according to Iran-run media, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday morning, after a helicopter he was traveling in alongside Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven others crashed in foggy conditions in the country’s remote northwest region on Sunday.
Yesterday, rescue crews struggled to find the crash site of Iranian president’s helicopter and contended with dense fog and extreme cold in the mountainous East Azerbaijan Province.
Raisi became president in a historically uncompetitive election in 2021. Previously the country’s chief justice, he has overseen a period of intensified repression of dissent.
Keep in mind that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, serves as the final arbiter of domestic and foreign affairs in Iran, dwarfing the powers of the country’s president. Khamenei has announced five days of public mourning after the crash, and expressed his condolences. All cultural and arts activities have been canceled in Iran for the next seven days.
Diddy apologizes for Cassie assault
Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted that he beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016 after CNN released video of the attack, saying in a video apology he was truly sorry and his actions were inexcusable.
The music mogul said in a video statement posted Sunday to Instagram and Facebook: “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
The security video aired Friday shows Combs, wearing only a white towel, punching and kicking Cassie, an R&B singer who was his protege and longtime girlfriend at the time. The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging Cassie, and throwing a vase in her direction.
Cassie sued Combs in November over what she said was years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. The suit was settled the next day. He had denied the allegations in the lawsuits until Sunday almost 48 hours after the newly emerged video.
It is the hip-hop mogul’s most direct response and first apology after six months of allegations that have threatened his reputation and career.
Missouri gubernatorial candidate with KKK ties can stay on GOP ballot, judge rules
A Missouri judge on Friday ruled that a self-avowed former “honorary” member of the Ku Klux Klan, Darrell Leon McClanahan III, can remain on the state’s Republican primary ballot for governor, despite Missouri Republicans seeking to keep him off the ballot.
The judge explained his ruling: Missouri GOP did not present to the Court any evidence that being on a primary election ballot would cause any injury. McClanahan’s presence on the primary election ballot is not necessarily an endorsement of the candidate by the party.
The state’s GOP said in February that it was working to remove long-shot candidate McClanahan from the Republican primary for governor after the Anti-Defamation League in 2022 published an article detailing his extremist history. The article also included photos showing the candidate apparently doing a Nazi salute in front of a burning cross and standing next to KKK members.
The Missouri Republican Party said in February that McClanahan’s KKK affiliation “fundamentally contradicts our party’s values and platform.”
The Missouri GOP did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday regarding the judge’s decision.
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15 million bees let loose on highway following truck accident
Officials said a tractor-trailer hauling about 15 million honey bees crashed and overturned on I-95 in Clinton, Maine.
First responders didn’t realize the cargo was bees until firefighters went down an embankment to check for leaking fluids. They learned the hard way–everyone got stung at least a couple of times.
The driver was taken to the hospital as a precaution Thursday night while first responders worked to ensure the safety of the bees that were in hives strapped on the trailer, which landed on its side.
The temperature in the 40s might have kept the bees from getting rowdier during the several hours it took to get the truck upright and removed by a tow truck.
A beekeeper was summoned to corral the bees. The bees were mostly contained and the goal was to save them.
The truckload of bees was headed to Washington County, which is the center of the state’s wild blueberry industry. Bees are routinely trucked into the region to pollinate the blueberry barrens each spring.
See the latest update on the NBA playoffs from Alex. Here it is.
Four teams remain in NBA playoffs
Thanks, Callie.
Only four teams remain in the NBA playoffs.
The defending champions Denver Nuggets were eliminated last night by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who now advance to the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Mavericks. They will play Game 1 on Wednesday night.
Because the Nuggets was eliminated, it means the NBA will have a sixth different champion in six years.
In the Eastern Conference Final, it will be the Boston Celtics against the Indiana Pacers. They are playing Game 1 on Tuesday night. It will be the Celtics’ sixth time going to the Eastern Conference Final in the last eight seasons.
Whoever is the first to win four games in either finals will advance to the NBA Finals. Game 1 is slated to begin on June 6 on ABC.
Thanks for the update. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Iranian president, foreign minister killed in helicopter crash
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/20/iran-president-helicopter-crash-news/
Diddy apologies for Cassie assault
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/19/entertainment/diddy-combs-apology-video-cassie/index.html
Missouri gubernatorial candidate with KKK ties can stay on GOP ballot, judge rules
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article288575210.html
15 million bees let loose on highway following truck accident
Four teams remain in NBA playoffs