Month: November 2024

A Civil Air Patrol plane crash Saturday morning in Colorado left two people dead and a third “severely injured,” according to authorities. The Civil Air Patrol confirmed that the occupants of the Cessna 182 were participating in a search and rescue training exercise when the plane went down in a wooded area of Larimer County.  The Civil Air Patrol is the official civilian auxiliary of the Air Force.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Saturday night that the crash on Storm Mountain, about 80 miles north of Denver, was reported shortly after 11 a.m.  Responding deputies found all three people who were on board, with two later confirmed dead.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis identified the deceased as pilot Susan Wolber and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten. The person who was injured was identified as the co-pilot.  According to Polis, the Colorado Army National Guard airlifted the co-pilot to a medical facility for care, which the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office describing the survivor’s injuries as “severe.”  Polis said of those on board that they “wanted to help make Colorado a better, safer place for all. The State of Colorado is grateful for their commitment to service and it will not be forgotten.”

Maj. Gen. Regena Aye, national commander of Civil Air Patrol, said in a statement: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, members, and friends affected by this tragic event. Our members serve because they care about America’s communities. Our people are our most important resource, and we are committed to ensuring their safety and security. Civil Air Patrol will cooperate fully with the National Transportation Safety Board in the investigation to learn more about the factors that contributed. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from our members, communities, and partners, who have expressed support during this difficult time.”

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Authorities in New Hampshire have charged two Dartmouth College fraternity members in the death of 20-year-old student Won Jang. Per ABC News, Jang, 20, was found dead by the Connecticut River on the school’s New Hampshire campus in July.

The Hanover Police Department said in news release that two members of the Beta Alpha Omega fraternity, identified as Matthew Catrambone and Samuel Terry, were each charged with a misdemeanor for providing alcohol to a person under 21 during a party on July 6. Dartmouth’s Alpha Phi sorority also has been charged as a corporation for facilitating an underage alcohol party.

Jang — who was a member of Beta Alpha Omega — had attended an off-campus party organized by the sorority, where he was given alcohol by the fraternity members. Most of the attendees at the party were under the age of 21 and consuming alcoholic beverages.  According to the Hanover Police Department, towards the end of the party, several attendees “made a spontaneous decision to swim in the river,” where Dartmouth has docks for students. A heavy rainstorm hit the area, and Jang – who could not swim – was left behind.  His body was recovered in the river by a search and rescue team on July 7.  Following an autopsy, the New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Jang’s cause of death was drowning, with a oxicology report later finding that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.167 at the time of his death.

Dartmouth College said in a statement: “The entire Dartmouth community is grieving over the tragic loss of Won Jang. Our counseling team has been by the family’s side since yesterday, and Dartmouth is providing every possible support it can to Won’s parents, family and friends.”

A Dartmouth spokesperson added in a statement that the college’s Greek organizations have “a responsibility to keep its members and other students safe. Dartmouth has long valued the contributions that Greek organizations bring to the student experience, when they are operating within their stated values and standards. These organizations, as well as all Dartmouth students and community members, have a responsibility to ensure Dartmouth remains a safe, respectful, equitable and inclusive community for students, faculty and staff. Following the tragic loss of Won Jang during the summer, Dartmouth immediately suspended both Alpha Phi and Beta Alpha Omega, and an internal investigation was initiated. These suspensions remain in effect pending the results of Dartmouth’s internal investigation and conduct process, which is still ongoing.”

The college added that it would be increasing security presence near its swimming docks as well as more lighting and signage for swimmers.

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The International Criminal Court (‘ICC’) issued arrest warrants Thursday for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The ICC said in a statement on Thursday that they’ve accused Netanyahu and Gallant of a string of human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip, with judges determining that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that” both Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024. This finding is based on the role of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal”

Netanyahu’s office branded the decision “antisemitic,” ad rejected the charges as “absurd and false” and condemning the ICC as a “biased and discriminatory political body.” Both Israel and the United States do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, which has no police to enforce its warrants.

The court issued a separate arrest warrant for Deif, an alleged architect of the Oct. 7 terror attack, whom Israel said it killed earlier this year. Deif was accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including for his role in the Oct. 7 attack in which Israeli officials said some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. While Hamas welcomed the warrants as an “important step towards justice”, senior political official Basem Naim said “the court’s decision remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world to implement it.”

A spokesperson for the National Security Council said the U.S. “fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.. we are deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.”

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Matt Gaetz, 42, has withdrawn from his attorney general nomination amid his ongoing sex-for-hire scandal and subsequent House Ethics Committee investigation.

The former Republican member of Congress from Florida announced Thursday on social media that he is withdrawing his nomination after “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of power to the President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

Gaetz wrote on X: “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback — and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1 ..I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

Gaetz had drawn backlash from several Republican lawmakers due to controversy over his connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation being investigated by the Justice Department. He remains under investigation by the Republican-controlled House Ethics Committee over similar allegations.

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