Iranian President's Death: The helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran crashed, there were no survivors. Raisi is a conservative figure closely allied with the Supreme Leader, known for his harsh judicial roles, including participation in mass executions during the 1980s.
John Eastman Arrested: Trump’s lawyer, John Eastman, was arrested in Arizona on charges related to attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.
Russia's Use of Human Shields: Russian forces are reportedly using civilians in Vovchansk, eastern Ukraine, as human shields, further complicating the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.
Abortion Rights Ballot: Colorado and South Dakota will include abortion rights amendments on their ballots, reflecting a nationwide trend to let voters decide on this contentious issue.
Israel's Political Tension: Benny Gantz threatens to leave the Israeli government unless Prime Minister Netanyahu discusses postwar plans for Gaza amid ongoing negotiations and protests related to the conflict.
NOT NEWS NEWS
Pelosi Attacker Sentenced: David DePape, who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
North Carolina Mask Law: A new law proposed in North Carolina would make wearing masks in public illegal, revoking pandemic-era protections and increasing penalties for masked individuals during crimes.
Rudy Giuliani Served: Rudy Giuliani was officially served with his indictment related to the fake electors scheme in Arizona during his 80th birthday celebration.
Aid to Gaza: An NGO, Standing Together, successfully countered settlers blocking a food shipment to Gaza, highlighting ongoing tensions and humanitarian efforts in the region.
Arizona Poll on Republican Sentiment: A poll in Arizona highlights a growing perception of anti-democratic tendencies within the Republican Party.
Economic Disparity in the UK: Highlighting the significant economic contribution of London compared to other UK cities, underlining its importance to the national economy.
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1.) Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, state media says.
[TS] Keep in mind, the “Supreme Leader” has the ultimate say in Iran - as far as policies etc. go.
[UPDATE] Rescuers are trying to locate the helicopter on which President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were traveling, state media reported. Their status is unknown.
[UPDATE 2] As of 9pm ET - rescuers have still not located the helicopter.
WHO IS RAISI?
Ebrahim Raisi is the current president of Iran, elected in June 2021. He is a conservative Shiite cleric who spent most of his career in Iran's judiciary, where he was involved in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s and other human rights abuses. Raisi is a close ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who supported his rise to the presidency. Critics view Raisi's election, in which all significant rivals were disqualified, as a move by Khamenei to consolidate power and eliminate opposition within the Iranian government.
Raisi’s brutal acts:
In his early career, he was appointed as a prosecutor in various cities, where he helped enforce the execution of thousands of political opponents and strict religious laws that could land people in jail for minor offenses like owning a VCR or wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
In the summer of 1988, Raisi was one of four people on the "Panel of Death" that abruptly sent thousands of political prisoners to their deaths, even those who had already served most of their sentences. This incident is described as a "grave crime against humanity."
As the head of the Special Court of Clergy since 2012, Raisi has led the unprecedented organized punishment of Shiite clergy who don't follow the regime's line.
In 2016, he helped prosecute the son of a prominent critic, Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, after he leaked an audio file of his father condemning Raisi's role in the 1988 prisoner massacre.
During his time heading the judiciary, Raisi expressed pride in public hand and feet amputations carried out as punishments.
[UPDATE 3] HE’S DEAD. The head of the Red Crescent has confirmed that the location of President Raisi’s helicopter has been found. Islamic Republic state media is publishing this photo and saying this is the crash site.
[TS] There are reports of fireworks and celebrations over the death of Raisi.
2.) NBC: Trump's lawyer John Eastman’s, was arrested again, this time in Arizona.
John Eastman, a former attorney for former president Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges related to a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona.
Eastman is among over a dozen Trump allies who were charged in the state last month, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former Trump aide Boris Epshteyn.
3.) KYIV INDEPENDENT: Police: Russia using civilians in Vovchansk as human shields
Ukrainian police accuse Russian forces of capturing civilians in the town of Vovchansk, eastern Ukraine. Up to 40 civilians, mostly elderly, were taken captive while trying to escape shelling. Authorities believe they are being used as human shields and some have been interrogated by people claiming to be FSB (Russian security agency) This follows reports of Ukrainian civilians being prevented from evacuating and even killed by Russian troops. The UN has documented thousands of civilian casualties and hundreds of summary executions by Russia in Ukraine so far.
4.) NBC: Abortion rights amendments qualify for the ballot in Colorado and South Dakota.
Five states will now put the future of abortion rights directly before voters in the 2024 election.
5.) Israel
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s cabinet, threatened to leave the government unless Benjamin Netanyahu answered questions about the future of the war, including a postwar plan for Gaza.
[RELATED] The US and Saudi Arabia are continuing talks for a two-state solution.
Thousands of demonstrators in Tel Aviv called on the Israeli government to negotiate a hostage deal with Hamas. Ambassadors to Israel from the U.S. and other countries gave speeches.
[TS] Unrelated to the above, but wanted to show a better picture of the completed dock with the potential of brining in 150 truckloads of aid a day:
6.) The man who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer - David DePape - has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
7.) NBC: Proposed North Carolina law would make it illegal to wear masks in public
Republican senators in North Carolina passed a bill (along party lines 30-15) revoking a pandemic-era law that allowed masks to be worn in public for health concerns. The bill, dubbed the "Unmasking Mobs and Criminals," mainly focuses on increasing penalties for people wearing masks during crimes and intentionally blocking traffic during demonstrations. Democratic opponents argue that the bill jeopardizes public health and criminalizes individuals who wear masks to protect themselves or their loved ones due to health issues. The bill now returns to the House for potential alterations before possibly being vetoed by the Democratic governor.
8.) NBC: After weeks of evading members of the Arizona AG’s office, Rudy Giuliani has been served his indictment in charges related to the Arizona fake electors scheme.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has served Rudy Giuliani with the notice of his indictment on charges related to the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election in Arizona.
The notice was served during Giuliani's 80th birthday celebration and came less than two hours after Giuliani taunted Mayes for failing to deliver his indictment.
9.) [TS] Last week I detailed attacks from far right Israelis attacking food trucks. Update:
Standing Together, an Israel-based NGO that opposes racism & hatred, outnumbered settlers blocking a food shipment to Gaza. As a result of ST's presence, the group of settlers left & this aid got through:
[TS] Hats off to this group. It’s amazing that anyone could oppose aid.
10.) CBS AZ Poll shows how anti-democratic Republicans have gotten:
[TS] Incredible. It really will be the ticket of The Democratic Party vs. the anti-democratic party.
[RELATED] Trump at a rally claims he won Minnesota in 2016 and 2020:
[TS] The media really should make a brighter line of this behavior. They need to confront — not just Trump — but the House R’s and Senators who parrot the same lines. This Sunday Rubio/Vance were echoing the same nonsense. The interviewer should not move on from their questions. Nail them down or end the interview.
11.) [TS] Saw some news around London and wanted to highlight an article last year in the FT that showed the disparity of London vs surrounding cities in the UK:
[TS] London really is an outlier. It’s wild how poor the UK would be without it…
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