January 15 top stories
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
It is January 15, which is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Today would have been his 95th birthday. The impact of the movement he led for justice continues today as we remember this great man.
Here are today’s top stories.
Iowa caucuses kick off presidential race
Today is the official start of the 2024 presidential race with the Iowa Republican caucuses. The process begins tonight. Iowans who lean Republican will have to physically show up to one of over 1,500 locations in the state to attend a caucus.
They will hear speeches supporting either Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, or others. They will then privately write their preferred candidate on a piece of paper. The votes will then be counted and reported.
Trump is expected to have a large lead and many are curious about who the second-place finisher will be.
We should know the results either late tonight or early tomorrow morning if everything goes smoothly. It will be extremely cold in Iowa tonight and that may cause a lower voter turnout.
Iowa principal dies of injuries from shooting
Two weeks ago, there was a mass shooting at the Perry High School in Iowa that killed an 11-year-old boy. The principal, Dan Marburger, was shot multiple times and tragically passed away from his injuries on Sunday morning. Marburger’s wife said he fought hard in the hospital to recover but lost his battle. He was hailed a hero because he distracted the shooter and talked to him, which bought time for other students to escape from a cafeteria. The gunman was a 17-year-old boy who later killed himself. Iowa Gov. Reynolds said the state is devastated by the news of Marburger’s death, saying he will forever be remembered.
———
Sponsored video by Sorenson: www.sorenson.com
———
U.S. shoots down Houthi missile
The U.S. military said an American fighter jet shot down an anti-ship missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area in the Red Sea area. The missile was aimed at a U.S. military ship.
In another incident, a commercial ship carrying steel products was hit by a projectile in the Gulf of Aden. The ship had some damage but will be able to move out of the area.
So there are still tensions and incidents in the Red Sea area.
100th day of Israel-Hamas war
Yesterday was the 100th day of the Israel-Hamas war and there is no sign of peace.
In the Israeli city of Raanana, two suspects stole vehicles and plowed into people in several locations, killing an elderly woman and injuring 17 others. Israeli police said the suspects were from the West Bank and entered Israel illegally. They were arrested. Hamas issued a statement praising the attacks.
Hamas released a video showing three Israeli hostages. There are 132 hostages still in Gaza. Israeli leaders said they would keep on fighting and increasing its military pressure on Hamas.
Civilians in Gaza have continued to suffer from the war. Officials there said at least 132 people were killed in the last 24 hours. Over 24,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 100 days of war. Tragically, about 70% of that figure are women and children. More than half of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli strikes.
The U.N. said there could be a famine in Gaza by February if things don’t change. Humanitarian organizations say it’s extremely difficult to send aid due to restrictions at border crossings and the ongoing bombardment and war.
It is worth mentioning here, especially today, that Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and the CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Center, has been calling for weeks for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://twitter.com/TheKingCenter/status/1746907266387734957
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/10/politics/iowa-caucus-explainer-voting-dg/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/14/us/iowa-school-shooting-dan-marburger-dies/index.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-middle-east-67978584
https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-01-15-24/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/11/health/gaza-israel-hunger-starvation.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna133909
https://www.axios.com/2024/01/14/gaza-building-damage-israel-war