October 16 top stories
It is October 16. Here are today’s top stories.
Palestinian-American boy killed by landlord
On Saturday in Illinois, a 71-year-old landlord was charged with murder and hate crimes for allegedly stabbing a mother and her 6-year-old son because they were Muslim. The boy died and the mother was seriously wounded.
The mother’s name is Hanaan Shahin and the boy’s name was Wadea Al-Fayoume. They were tenants.
Police said on Saturday, they received a 911 call from a woman who said her landlord had attacked her. When deputies arrived, they saw the landlord, Joseph Czuba, sitting on the ground near the home’s driveway. The mother and son were found in a bedroom with stab wounds. The boy died of his wounds — he was stabbed 26 times. The mother is recovering at the hospital from more than 12 stab wounds.
Police said Czuba did not make a statement to detectives but investigators determined that he targeted the victims due to them being Muslim and the ongoing conflict involving Hamas and Israel.
The mother (Shahin) said the landlord knocked on their door and when she opened it, he tried to choke her and yelled, “you Muslims must die” while stabbing them.
President Biden said he is shocked and sickened by the attack. The White House said the family is Palestinian and came to America for a better life several years ago. The family lived in the home for two years.
The Department of Justice said it has opened a federal hate crime investigation. So Czuba is now facing state and federal charges.
French school teacher killed by suspected Islamic extremist
On Friday in northern France, a high school teacher was stabbed to death by a man who authorities said was under surveillance for suspected Islamic radicalization. The suspect seriously injured two other people, who are another teacher and a security guard.
The deceased teacher’s name was Dominique Bernard. A witness said the attacker shouted, “Allahu akbar,” which translates to “God is great” in Arabic. The knifeman was arrested. Authorities said he is a Russian national of Chechen origin and that they were watching him since the summer.
This suspect used to go to that particular high school. He was arrested and is currently in custody. PBS said his motive is unclear and he is refusing to speak to police. French intelligence said they believe the attack is linked to the war in the Middle East.
French President Macron said up to 7,000 soldiers will be mobilized around the country to increase security. He called on the people of France to “stay united.”
House speaker updates
The Hill reported that House Republicans have nominated Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as the next Speaker of the House. There will be a floor vote this week but Jordan doesn’t seem to have enough support among Republicans to win. He needs 217 votes. So we may see another drawn-out process to vote the next speaker, like what we went through in January when there were 15 rounds of votes to pick former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif). The Republican House continues to be divided between ultra-conservative and conservative members. The House is currently unable to conduct regular legislative business without a Speaker in place. We have a November 17 deadline to fund the government and other important bills pending, such as those that would fund Ukraine or Israel.
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Suzanne Somers passes away at 76
Suzanne Somers, who is known for her roles in television shows “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step,” passed away on Sunday. She was 76.
A family spokesperson said Somers passed away peacefully at home after surviving an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years. She was surrounded by her husband, son, and other family members.
Man survives grizzly bear attack after losing lower jaw
Rudy Noorlander is a Montana man who lost his lower jaw in a grizzly bear attack last month. He is 61 years old and underwent three surgeries in five weeks.
Noorlander was bitten by a bear on September 8 in Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. He was trying to help hunters find a deer they shot and was walking on a trail that he was very familiar with. He saw an adult grizzly bear, pulled out his gun to scare the animal away, but another, larger bear attacked him. He fought the bear off but it bit off his lower jaw. The other hunters scared the bear off and called for help.
Doctors did a complete jaw reconstruction. He is not able to speak and uses a whiteboard and a marker to communicate. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery, to be able to eat and talk normally again.
Noorlander said he is ready to go back out to nature and that he would “win round two” with the bear.
That is all the top stores for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/15/us/chicago-landlord-attack-muslim-boy-mother/index.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/teacher-dead-2-people-wounded-in-school-stabbing-attack-in-france
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4257698-house-gop-barrels-toward-uncertain-speaker-floor-vote/
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/15/entertainment/suzanne-somers-death/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/14/us/montana-grizzly-bear-attack-survivor/index.html