National & International News
Your hub for all national and international news. Giving you all the information you need about stories around the globe.
Hezbollah Leader Killed, Unrest Continues
By: Iyaari King
Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah has been killed alongside colleagues during Israeli
airstrikes on the city of Beirut. Upon confirmation of the killings on Saturday, Israel has failed to cease firing strikes on the city. The death toll is at least 14 people as of now, with 66 people being injured during the airstrike,
according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
According to senior officials in the U.S., Israel is preparing for a ground incursion in Lebanon
and has rejected a ceasefire. Israel has also failed to sustain communications with the Biden
administration.
The U.S. and Israel are believed to have eliminated over 30 Hezbollah leaders
throughout the last few weeks. Of the members remaining, there is suspicion of a spy amongst the ranks,
a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
“The work is not yet complete.... There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm
of Israel will not reach, and today you already know how true that is,” said Benjamin Netanyahu, the
Prime Minister of Israel.
President Joe Biden released a statement on Saturday in which he called Nasrallah’s death “a
measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese
citizens.”
He adds, “Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon
through diplomatic means.”
Search and rescue endeavors are currently underway after two residential buildings were struck
by Israel in the suburbs of southern Beirut, per the Lebanese Civil Defense. An estimated 140 rockets
were launched from Lebanon towards Israel by Friday, Israel Defense Forces tell ABC News.
This occurred only one day after Israel struck down Hezbollah objectives in Lebanon. Israeli
emergency medical services have raised the national alert state to level 4 –the highest level signifying
maximum readiness for war. Officials from the U.S. along with other international leaders urge Israel
and Hezbollah to follow diplomatic paths to de-escalate the ongoing conflict.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday that the U.S. is dedicated to defending Israel from any terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah.
“We will continue to stand by Israel’s right to defend itself, But we don’t want to see any party
escalate this conflict, period,” Miller said during a press briefing.
Miller is one amongst many officials who are asking Hezbollah as well as Israel to disengage in
this conflict, which is at risk of gaining intensity and causing even more mass destruction.
Mayor of New York Makes History With Federal Corruption Investigation
By: Iyaari King
Mayor of New York, Eric Adams surrenders himself to authorities on Friday and pleads not guilty
amid a 57-page indictment. His list of alleged crimes, spanning over a decade, includes charges like
bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, and soliciting contributions from foreign nationals.
The unsealing of this indictment makes Adams, former NYPD captain, the first ever sitting mayor
of New York to be indicted, a pivotal moment in the city’s history.
“I am not guilty, your honor,” Adams said in a lower Manhattan courtroom.
Adams has vowed to maintain his position as Mayor thus far. Governor Kathy Hochul, who holds
the power to remove Adams from office, has not expressed any intent to do so thus far. Hochul issued a
statement on Thursday that read that she would “Review [her] options and obligations as Governor of
New York.”
Adams is suspected to have abused his power to gain free travel, lavish hotel stays, and
mysterious campaign donations. Judge Katharine Parker authorized him to be freed after the hearing –with
caveats. Adam’s contact with anyone else involved in the alleged incidents is to be stopped at this time.
He is still allowed communication with family and business contacts, and access to his passport has not
been revoked either.
He continued to deny any misdeeds on Thursday saying, “I look forward to defending myself and
defending the people of this city as I've done throughout my entire professional career.”
Since his indictment, Adams has made an effort to associate himself with African American civil
rights leaders and activists. Despite this, people in the Black community, including elected officials and
residents are still calling for his resignation. The controversy surrounding Adams has ignited intense
debates over his significance as the second Black mayor.
“I think that as we achieve power, we ought to make sure we handle it in a way that protects the
people that helped you achieve it,” said Reverend Al. Sharpton, president of the National Action
Network.
Sharpton has known Adams personally for over 35 years and considers him as one of the earliest supporters of his organization. He told the Associated Press on Friday that “he has never known him to do
anything criminal.”
Many Black officials consider this a pensive time for the community and the Black political class
that elected Adams. Michael Blake, former assemblyman in New York, said “This cannot be the
standard.”
OPINION
Marcellus Williams Executed: Who Is Allowed Innocence?
By: Kalorra Smith
Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection on Sept. 24 in the state of Missouri after more than 20 years on death row. Despite a lack of DNA evidence matching Williams and the prosecutor's claims of his innocence, the U.S. Supreme Court and Gov. Mike Parson rejected a request to delay his execution.
“I honestly just felt a sense of disappointment when I heard about this case, sadly enough knowing he was Black, I just didn't hold high expectations for his outcome,” said Alexis Young, a graduating Senior, Political Science major and President of the Political Science club.
According to CBS News, Williams had maintained his innocence in the 1998 stabbing death of Felicia Gayle in a St. Louis suburb.
“The case also raises questions about the effectiveness and ethics of the death penalty itself—whether it truly serves justice or if it perpetuates a cycle of violence,” said Dr. Darry Powell-Young, Assistant Professor of Political Science & African American Studies. “Overall, it serves as a poignant reminder of the serious implications of capital punishment and the need for careful consideration of its use.”
According to the Innocence Project, Williams did not match forensic evidence found at the scene and in his case, the testimony of two unreliable witnesses were incentivized by promises of leniency in their own criminal cases and reward money.
“Yes, some circumstantial evidence might have supported a guilty conviction, but the absence of concrete DNA proof makes me question the severity of the penalty,” said Young.
Prior to his execution, news spread of ways to advocate to get him off death row on social media sites like Instagram and X, formally Twitter.
“The execution of Marcellus Williams made me disgusted. I was appalled to see that take place, especially when I, and many others like me, took action and called politicians and their officials to request a pardon or a stay, but to kill an innocent man even when [the family of] the victim of the crime said they didn’t want him killed…” said Phaedra Hyche, a junior Political Science major and captain of the Forensics team.
Racial biases embedded in the framework of America may have played a part in Williams’ execution. According to the Innocence Project, Williams, a black man convicted of killing a white woman had a jury composed of 11 white people and only one black person.
The prosecutor was known to have a practice of discriminatory jury selection. He removed six of seven qualified black jurors.
“It's so weird to me that Gov. Mike Parson was so eager to proceed with the execution too, I think it shows how poor his ethics and morality are,” said Young.“It makes me wonder if the decision would have been different if the person in question were a woman, white, or younger, probably.”
CBS News reported that his execution is the third in Missouri this year, and among 19 that have taken place nationwide, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
“The death penalty has zero place in a civilized society, and it's inhumane for the government to take the lives of others, it just seems so bizarre,” said Young.