Unbiased headline news for Saturday May 18, 2024 – Thousands of demonstrators gathered for a protest in the nation’s capital on Saturday, voicing their support for Palestinian rights and demanding an immediate cessation of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
The event commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, the Arabic term for “catastrophe,” which refers to the exodus of around 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from what is now Israel during the state’s establishment in 1948. In an unusual move, the rally organizers did not apply for any permits from the National Park Service.
—
The State Department is issuing a warning to American citizens traveling abroad about “the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.”
The worldwide alert cautions Americans about the potential for violence targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. It urges travelers to remain vigilant in locations frequented by tourists, “including Pride celebrations and venues frequented by LGBTQI+ persons.” The alert is reportedly in response to threats made by ISIS militants against Pride events.
—
Three lives were lost in western New York after their vehicle was struck by a northbound Amtrak train, fire officials confirmed on Saturday.
Amtrak Train 281, traveling from New York to Niagara Falls, collided with a vehicle obstructing the track, an Amtrak spokesperson confirmed. “There have been no reported injuries to the 21 passengers or crew onboard.”
—
The man convicted of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and attacking her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
“The Pelosi family couldn’t be prouder of their pop and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and in testifying in the case,” the Pelosi family said in a statement on Friday.
—
Heavy seasonal rains have caused flash floods in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of at least 68 lives, according to Taliban officials on Saturday, who noted that the death toll was based on preliminary reports.
Afghanistan has been experiencing unusually heavy seasonal rainfall. In the severely affected western province of Ghor, 50 casualties were reported, said Abdul Wahid Hamas, the spokesman for the provincial governor. He added that the province has suffered significant financial losses due to the damage inflicted on thousands of homes and properties.
—
At least five lives were lost when a powerful wind storm swept through Houston, officials confirmed.
The National Weather Service in Houston determined this to be a derecho event, based on the intensity and path length of the storm. A derecho is a powerful wind storm that produces straight-line winds capable of causing substantial damage.
—
A Washington state trooper fatally shot a man wielding a hammer who had attacked state Department of Transportation workers along Interstate 5 north of Seattle, according to law enforcement officials.
State patrol troopers responded to a report of a road rage incident on the shoulder of northbound I-5 in Everett, the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team said in a news release. The team investigates police use of force incidents. One of the Department of Transportation contract workers was injured and is expected to survive.
—
Dabney Coleman, the character actor renowned for portraying villains like the chauvinistic boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” has passed away at the age of 92.
Coleman breathed his last on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, as confirmed by his daughter, Quincy Coleman, in a statement to The Associated Press. She said he “took his last earthly breath peacefully and exquisitely.”
—
