Thursday morning news: November 21, 2024

Laken Riley murder trial conviction » A Georgia judge has convicted Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra on several charges in the death of 26-year-old nursing student Laken Riley.

HAGGARD: Count one malice murder. I find the defendant guilty. (gasps from courtroom)

It was a case that to many was a tragic symbol of a much larger problem amid a national debate over border and immigration policies.

Just before sentencing, Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, told the court …

PHILLIPS: He showed no mercy on Laken when she was begging for her life. … [pause] … There’s no end to the pain and suffering that he inflicted on our family and our friends.

She asked the judge to give Ibarra the maximum sentence, and her request was granted. Life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Ibarra attacked and killed Riley while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February.

Jose Ibarra entered the country illegally 2 years ago. Despite being arrested for a crime in New York City, he was later granted a taxpayer funded flight to Georgia several months before Riley’s death.

LA Sanctuary city » Meantime, the city of Los Angeles is one step closer to becoming a sanctuary city. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: City Council members have passed an ordinance barring all city personnel … from aiding or cooperating with federal immigration officials as they try to locate illegal immigrants.

They’re pushing to finalize the sanctuary status before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office.

Local Republican officials slammed counselors for the vote, saying the city is now closer to putting its law abiding residents at risk.

LA Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, is expected to approve the ordinance.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Ukraine/Russia update » The Pentagon says the Biden administration will give Ukraine antipersonnel landmines to help it slow Russia’s battlefield advances.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says Russian forces have switched up their tactics…

AUSTIN:  And they don't lead with their mechanized forces anymore. They lead with dismounted forces who are able to close and do things to kind of pave the way for mechanized forces.

Austin said that right now, Ukraine is fabricating its own landmines and that the American-made mines will be safer for Ukrainian forces and civilians.

U.S. veto UN resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire » The United States blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would have demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

WOMAN: 14 votes in favor...one vote against...zero abstentions. The draft resolution has not been adopted...[DUCK UNDER]

The United States cast the single no-vote vetoing the resolution.

U-S State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says that's because the resolution did not include a demand that Hamas release the hostages the terror group is still holding.

MILLER: There are still seven American citizens who are being held hostage in Gaza, and we are not going to walk away from them.

Some criticized the US government for blocking the resolution.

But Israel's ambassador to the U-N, Danny Danon, said those who voted FOR it should be ashamed.

DANON: They betrayed their own principles. Their responsibility is to the innocent and the duty to uphold justice. The resolution brought before this chamber was not a path to peace. It was a road map to more terror, more suffering, and more bloodshed.

Hamas is believed to still be holding more than 100 hostages.

Ethics Committee Meeting, Gaetz meets w/senators » After a closed-door vote on Wednesday, the House Ethics Committee could not decide whether to release a report on its probe of former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general.

The top Democrat on the panel, Susan Wild:

WILD:  There was no consensus on this issue. We did agree that we would reconvene as a committee on December 5th to further consider this matter.

Gaetz’s resignation from the House last week ended the investigation but the committee can still release its report if it chooses.

Republicans and Democrats on panel are split down party lines on whether to do so.

Gaetz has been accused of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. He denies any wrongdoing.

Bomb cyclone » A major storm wreaked havoc in the Pacific Northwest Wednesday with powerful winds and driving rain. Severe weather knocked out power to a half-million customers and downed trees, which killed at least two people.

Forecasters described the front as a ‘bomb cyclone.’

And one resident of Issaquah, Washington called that an apt description.

RESIDENT:  It felt explosive or like there was a bomb going off, breaking glass, the sound of breaking glass. Everything was just very loud. I thought the whole wall was coming down.

A “bomb cyclone” is a term applied to a cyclone that intensifies rapidly.

Officials are warning of excessive rainfall through tomorrow.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: division one female volleyball players make a stand for Title IX and the First Amendment. Plus, Fentanyl drug overdoses are down nationwide, but it’s news that may have a troubling explanation.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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