Hamas, the Sunni jihadist group ruling Gaza, applauded the overthrow of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization. In a statement Monday, Hamas hailed the "aspirations for freedom and justice" of the Syrian people and urged national unity. HTS’s November campaign rapidly toppled Assad’s forces, leading to his flight to Moscow over the weekend.
The family of Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League graduate charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, expressed shock and devastation following his arrest. In a statement shared by Nino Mangione, a Republican delegate in Baltimore County, the family offered prayers for Thompson's family and urged public prayers for all involved. They emphasized that they were learning details through media reports and could not provide additional comments.
Tragedy struck in Unicoi County, Tennessee, where multiple lives were lost, but many others were saved due to the heroic efforts of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, have staged protests over the inclusion of a transgender athlete in girls' sports.
While former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) faced criticism for meeting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, prominent Democratic leaders, including then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), had also met with Assad in the past. Pelosi’s 2007 visit to Damascus, where she conveyed a peace message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, drew backlash from the Bush administration.
Former President Barack Obama admitted the defeat of his diversity-driven "pluralism" agenda in a speech delivered December 5 in Chicago. Speaking to a selective audience, Obama called for rebuilding institutions to support diversity and inclusion, following President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive 2024 election victory.
A federal judge has ruled that the City of Prattville, Alabama, must allow an LGBTQ+ pride group, Prattville Pride, to participate in the city’s Christmas parade after the group was initially banned by Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. citing vague “safety concerns.”
Gwen Stefani, the Grammy-winning singer and wife of Blake Shelton, has urged her fans to focus on prayer and the true meaning of Christmas this year: the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has expressed surprise at the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, where he and Vice President Kamala Harris failed to secure the White House. In an interview with Minnesota news outlet KSTP on Thursday, Walz reflected on the campaign, its challenges, and his feelings following the loss.
