Month: December 2024

State and local law enforcement confirmed that a man wielding a chainsaw inside a senior-living facility in St. Charles, Illinois, was shot and killed by police early Sunday. Officers and residents of the assisted-living facility were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The man, who has not publicly been identified, was allegedly attempting to cut down a tree on the facility’s property at about 8:45 a.m. on Sunday.  The St. Charles Police Department said in a press statement that when police arrived at the facility at the 900 block of North 5th Avenue, the man was ‘shirtless’, adding: “just before police arrival, witnesses advised the subject had now gained entry to the lobby of the building and began confronting residents with the chainsaw …the suspect continued his attempts to use the chainsaw against residents of the building,” as well as against responding officers.

The Illinois State Police said in a press release that officers used a taser on the man, “but his attack continued,” and then an officer fired his gun, striking the alleged attacker, upon which “the male suspect was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”

According to local ABC affiliate WLS-TV  a spokesperson for River Glen of St. Charles said the person was never authorized to enter the facility. They added:  “We are deeply grateful for the swift action of our team and law enforcement. We want to emphasize that our community is secure, and all of our residents and staff members are safe. We are working closely with law enforcement as they continue their investigation of this isolated incident.”

The Illinois State Police said it was continuing to investigate the cause of the shooting.

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The White House is defending President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, after the President had repeatedly insisted that he had no plans to grant such executive clemency. Biden issued the sweeping pardon on Sunday evening before heading off on an official trip to Africa, and it covers any potential federal crimes that 54-year-old Hunter may have committed over the course of a decade.

Hunter Biden became the first child of a sitting US president to be criminally convicted in June, after a jury in Delaware found him guilty of three charges for lying about his drug use on a form when buying a handgun. He also pleaded guilty to federal tax charges that included failure to file and pay his taxes, tax evasion and filing a false return just this past September. The pardon covers any potential federal crimes that Hunter Biden may have committed between January 2014 and December 2024, spanning a period beyond the tax and gun offenses.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday that Biden had “wrestled” over the decision during the family’s Thanksgiving break on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, at the weekend. Jean-Pierre said that Biden had pardoned his son, who was facing sentencing later this month in two federal cases, to shield him from potential persecution by the outgoing president’s political foes.

As recently as last month, Jean-Pierre was still telling reporters that Biden would not pardon his son; however, she told reporters on Air Force One en route to Angola: “He said he came to this decision this weekend, and he said he wrestled with this and, because he believes in the justice system, but he also believes that the raw politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice  .. Hunter was singled out, and because his last name was Biden, because he was the president’s son. That’s what we saw. And so the president believed enough is enough, and the president took action, and he also believes that they tried to break his son in order to break him.”

President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans have lambasted the move, with Trump calling it “an abuse and miscarriage of justice”, and House Speaker Mike Johnson saying that “trust in our justice system has almost been irreparably damaged by the Bidens and abuse of it”.  

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President-elect Donald Trump has chosen billionaire businessman Massad Boulos, the father-in-law to his daughter Tiffany Trump, as his senior adviser on Middle Eastern affairs.

Trump announced on his Truth Social media platform that Boulos, father of Trump’s son-in-law Michael Boulos, will serve as White House senior adviser on Arab and Middle East affairs. Born to a Christian family in Lebanon, Massad Boulos runs Nigeria-based Boulos Enterprises, which produces and distributes mechanical equipment and motorcycles. Michael Boulos has been married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany since 2022.

Trump said in his announcement of the selection: “I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene. He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community. Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East. He will be a strong advocate for the United States, and its interests, and I am pleased to have him on our team!”

During the presidential election cycle, it is said that Boulos helped Trump by courting Arab American voters and met in September with Mahmoud Abbas – the leader of the Palestinian Authority who had barred Palestinian officials from meeting with the Trump administration during his first term as president. Boulos, however, told The New York Times after the conference with Abbas that it was purely a personal meeting, adding that he did not advise Trump about it before or after.

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Fire officials say that a home explosion in Jefferson City, Missouri over Thanksgiving weekend left the residence in shambles, with six people inside injured – three critically. Jefferson is the state capital, located about 133 miles west of St. Louis.

According to a press release from Jefferson City Fire, the explosion occurred on St. Louis Road in Jefferson City early Saturday morning at 2:44 a.m. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Jefferson City Fire said in the release: “Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the extensive structural collapse and significant debris. The team had to carefully tunnel through layers of debris to reach the final occupant, who required intensive extrication.” Photos show the explosion left the home almost completely leveled, with responders saying they discovered the six individuals among the debris upon arrival. All six of the individuals were safely removed from the residence by 5:52 a.m.

Emergency responders said of the six individuals injured in the blast, two were transported to Jefferson City Airport and flown to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, with the remaining four people transported by ground to University Hospital. Fire officials also said that two pets were rescued from the collapsed home and are now in the care of animal control.

ABC News’ Missouri affiliate KMIZ reports that Cole County EMS Chief Eric Hoy told the outlet that three of the victims are listed in critical condition and received critical life support. The other three have moderate injuries and are in stable condition.

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