WASHINGTON —The U.S. State Department released a rare  “Worldwide Travel Alert” Thursday morning stating that American citizens should exercise increased caution around the world due to increasing tensions in various locations and the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.&nbsp;

<a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html">Click here</a> for additional details from the U.S. State Department

In addition, the FBI is continuing to monitor threats both in the United States and overseas.&nbsp;As the conflict continues, the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions, according to a statement from the agency.

"We take all potential threats seriously and are working closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate&nbsp;investigative&nbsp;action.&nbsp;As always, we encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement. "

"FBI field offices across the country are communicating not just with our law enforcement partners but also with faith-based organizations and the private sector, among others. To help keep our communities safe, we are talking with leaders of all faiths, including Jewish and Muslim leaders, sharing information, and asking them to let us know if they see anything concerning."

"Through our Legal Attaché office in Tel Aviv, we are working with our Israeli and U.S. Embassy partners to identify all Americans who have been impacted in the region, including those who remain unaccounted for, and our victim services specialists are working closely with victims and their families here and abroad."

"Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority, and we will not tolerate violence motivated by hate and extremism.&nbsp;We&nbsp;will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice for the victims and their families."

WASHINGTON —The U.S. State Department released a rare “Worldwide Travel Alert” Thursday morning stating that American citizens should exercise increased caution around the world due to increasing tensions in various locations and the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697731837363.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html">Click here</a> for additional details from the U.S. State DepartmentIn addition, the FBI is continuing to monitor threats both in the United States and overseas.&nbsp;As the conflict continues, the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions, according to a statement from the agency."We take all potential threats seriously and are working closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate&nbsp;investigative&nbsp;action.&nbsp;As always, we encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement. ""FBI field offices across the country are communicating not just with our law enforcement partners but also with faith-based organizations and the private sector, among others. To help keep our communities safe, we are talking with leaders of all faiths, including Jewish and Muslim leaders, sharing information, and asking them to let us know if they see anything concerning.""Through our Legal Attaché office in Tel Aviv, we are working with our Israeli and U.S. Embassy partners to identify all Americans who have been impacted in the region, including those who remain unaccounted for, and our victim services specialists are working closely with victims and their families here and abroad.""Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority, and we will not tolerate violence motivated by hate and extremism.&nbsp;We&nbsp;will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice for the victims and their families."

U.S. State Department issues worldwide travel alert

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military base in southern Syria where U.S. troops have maintained a presence to train forces as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-troops-drone-attack-6194dca97f594e3609914637463c4ce3" target="_blank">broad campaign</a>&nbsp;against the Islamic State group was attacked by drones on Thursday, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

One drone was shot down, but another caused in minor injuries, said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before an official announcement about the incident.

The attacks follow similar drone strikes over the past few days against U.S. and coalition bases in Iraq amid simmering anger in the region after an explosion at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of people.

The al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria is located at a sensitive juncture often used by Iranian-backed militants to ferry weapons to Hezbollah.

Syrian opposition activists also said Thursday a drone attack was conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria that houses American troops.

Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say a drone attack has been conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria housing American troops and a U.S. base in a nearby area.

There was no immediate word on casualties and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to requests for confirmation.

Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said that three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1561036312700.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A military base in southern Syria where U.S. troops have maintained a presence to train forces as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-troops-drone-attack-6194dca97f594e3609914637463c4ce3" target="_blank">broad campaign</a>&nbsp;against the Islamic State group was attacked by drones on Thursday, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.One drone was shot down, but another caused in minor injuries, said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before an official announcement about the incident.The attacks follow similar drone strikes over the past few days against U.S. and coalition bases in Iraq amid simmering anger in the region after an explosion at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of people.The al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria is located at a sensitive juncture often used by Iranian-backed militants to ferry weapons to Hezbollah.Syrian opposition activists also said Thursday a drone attack was conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria that houses American troops.Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq.Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.------------BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say a drone attack has been conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria housing American troops and a U.S. base in a nearby area.There was no immediate word on casualties and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to requests for confirmation.Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said that three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq on Thursday.Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.

Drone attack hits oil facility housing U.S. troops in Syria 

EL AVIV, Israel (AP) —On Thursday, President Biden will address the nation to discuss his administration's response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.This speech will be delivered from the Oval Office at 7:00pm CDT. 

The President swept into wartime Israel for a 7 1/2-hour visit Wednesday that produced a heaping dose of support for the Israeli people, a deal to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt</a>&nbsp;and a warning not to allow rage over the deadly Hamas attack to consume them.

(click below to watch the President's statement from Israel)

“I understand. Many Americans understand,” Biden said as he wrapped up his stay in Tel Aviv, likening the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can’t look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice," he said.

“But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes."

Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a broader regional conflict, but also to reassure a world rattled by images of carnage and suffering, in Israel and Gaza alike.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-egypt-sinai-war-894d45535fed1049a0076453ca99c555">One million people have been</a>&nbsp;displaced in roughly 10 days, according to the United Nations.

Biden's mission to Israel was to display resolve and to diminish the likelihood of a wider war, while providing assurances that he was not overlooking the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The president spoke to reporters briefly aboard Air Force One as it stopped in Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on the way back to Washington.

He said he had spoken to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who had agreed to reopen the country's border crossing with Gaza and allow 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid supplies to cross. He said timing would depend on patching roads damaged in the fighting.

Less clear is how far the trip would take Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">in trying to tamp down volatile Mideast divisions</a>, particularly after his plan collapsed to follow the Israel stop with an Arab leaders summit in Jordan.

The day was full of signature Biden moments as he walked a careful diplomatic line. He doled out embraces to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to first responders, doctors and victims who witnessed nightmare moments. He spoke quietly of his own history with grief. He told the familiar anecdote about meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-gaza-dachau-holocaust-hamas-919058eec36dca4c06cf9fc4355fe302#tbl-em-lnw35klcqmtvftg1omd">every Israeli prime minister</a>&nbsp;over more than five decades in elected office, starting with Golda Meir in 1973.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ireland-seamus-heaney-poetry-yeats-d87aa6c0b3e9a53464faaf8d5fda1c7b">He quoted an Irish poet.</a>

“I come to Israel with a single message: You're not alone," Biden said. “As long as the United States stands — and we will stand forever — we will not let you ever be alone.”

His presence and comments to Israeli leaders held weight. Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving” and said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism.”

“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas,” the Israeli leader said.

Biden arrived in Israel as the nations across the Mideast shook with protests triggered by an explosion Monday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.</a>

The blast undid plans for Jordan’s King Abdullah II to host Biden along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and el-Sissi. Abbas withdrew in protest of the hospital attack; the summit was subsequently canceled outright. Biden was expected to speak to Abbas by telephone Wednesday as he returned to Washington, but his presence in Israel prompted fresh outrage.

In Amman, a sign hoisted by one protester labeled Biden and Netanyahu war criminals and called them “Partner in Crime.” At the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh in south Lebanon, protesters set fire to a cardboard cutout of Biden’s head with a rope around his neck and blood painted over his mouth.

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”

But Biden emerged from the day with at least an agreement by Israel to allow food, water and medicine into Gaza following days of deadlock. Israel cut off the flow of aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip after the attack that killed 1,400 civilians by Hamas, which controls the region.

The U.S. has already provided aid and military support to Israel and officials plan to ask Congress for more than $2 billion in combined additional aid for Israel and Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday also announced $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank.

“The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” Biden stressed. "Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”

The grim tone of the discussions between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.

The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza. There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>

It was not clear yet when the humanitarian aid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d">would begin to flow into Gaza</a>, and whether it would include fuel that could power the generators keeping open the hospitals that are flooded with injured.

Allowing aid into the region had been seen by U.S. officials as a critical step toward the cooling of tensions in Arab nations after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.

There were conflicting claims of who was responsible.

Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.

Biden said data from his Defense Department showed that the explosion was not likely caused by an airstrike by the Israeli military. A White House National Security Council spokesperson followed up later with a post on social media that an analysis of “overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information” showed Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continues to collect evidence.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Netanyahu.

The leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee in a joint statement said they felt confident the explosion was “the result of a failed rocket launch” by militants and not an Israeli airstrike.

Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. An additional 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said. Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.

Jordan declared three days of mourning and Jordanian officials said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. Safadi said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Israel had agreed to allow humanitarian assistance to begin flowing into Gaza from Egypt, with the understanding that shipments would be subject to inspections and that aid should go to civilians and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-781b3c63af4ae6e51c313a68f314e66d">not Hamas militants</a>.

“I understand. Many Americans understand," Biden said, likening the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can't look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice. While you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it.”

Israel had cut off the flow of food, fuel and water to the Gaza Strip after the attack by Hamas, in which nearly 1,400 people in Israel were killed. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">An explosion</a>&nbsp;at a Gaza Strip hospital compounded the suffering.

Israel confirmed that food, water and medicine would begin to flow to Gaza through Egypt, though exactly when that would begin wasn't immediately clear.

There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the hospital blast. Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.

Biden on Wednesday said data from his Defense Department showed it was not likely a strike by the Israeli military. And a National Security Council spokesperson later posted on social media that an analysis of "overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information" showed that Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continued to collect evidence.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting. But he said there were “a lot of people out there” who weren’t sure what caused the blast, which sparked protests throughout the Middle East.

Biden said he had spoken with the Israeli cabinet “to agree to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance of civilians in Gaza, based on the understanding that there will be inspections and the aid will go to civilians and not to Hamas.”

“Let me be clear,” Biden said. If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people."

Biden also announced an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank.

Biden had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">also been scheduled to visit Jordan</a>&nbsp;to meet with Arab leaders Wednesday, but the summit was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">called off after the hospital explosion.</a>&nbsp;His remarks in Tel Aviv spoke both to the horrors that the Israelis had endured, but also the growing humanitarian crisis for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

He told Netanyahu he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the hospital explosion. But he also stressed that “Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and it has brought them only suffering.” And he spoke of the need to find ways of “encouraging life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent, caught in the middle of this.”

Biden reiterated the U.S. was firmly behind Israel.

“I want you to know you're not alone. We will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people," Biden said. "We'll continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians."

Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving," adding, "I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”

Netanyahu said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” saying Israel was united in its resolve to defeat Hamas.

“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas," he said. U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestine-war-hamas-a98846471f1e3c239cfd4e3414d5dba7">on Wednesday also announced</a>&nbsp;sanctions against a group of 10 Hamas members and the Palestinian militant organization’s financial network across Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar.

Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as well as with Israeli first responders and the families of victims and those being held hostage by Hamas. He held their hands, embraced them and listened quietly as their voices cracked as they spoke of the horrors they'd seen.

Eli Beer, the founder of a volunteer emergency medical service, told Biden that through his visit "you uplifted the whole spirit in this country, and all the Jewish people in the world.”

The grim tone of Wednesday's meetings between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.

The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attacks.

Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. Another 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said. Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">Protests swept through the region</a>&nbsp;after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.

Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of major West Bank cities including Ramallah. More people joined protests that erupted in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan, where an angry crowd gathered outside the Israeli Embassy.

Outrage scuttled Biden's plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II was to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But Abbas withdrew in protest, and the summit was subsequently canceled outright.

Jordan declared three days of mourning after the hospital explosion and Safadi said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. He said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve.

Kirby said Biden understood the move was part of a “mutual” decision to call off the Jordan portion of his trip. He said Biden would speak to Abbas and el-Sissi by phone Wednesday as he returned to Washington.

There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>

Always a believer in the power of personal diplomacy, Biden's trip is testing the limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East at a volatile time. It's his second trip to a conflict zone this year, after visiting Ukraine in February to show solidarity with the country as it battles a Russian invasion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697676315956.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>EL AVIV, Israel (AP) —On Thursday, President Biden will address the nation to discuss his administration's response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.This speech will be delivered from the Oval Office at 7:00pm CDT. The President swept into wartime Israel for a 7 1/2-hour visit Wednesday that produced a heaping dose of support for the Israeli people, a deal to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt</a>&nbsp;and a warning not to allow rage over the deadly Hamas attack to consume them.(click below to watch the President's statement from Israel)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F850374373214118%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“I understand. Many Americans understand,” Biden said as he wrapped up his stay in Tel Aviv, likening the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can’t look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice," he said.“But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the situation on the ground, security assistance and humanitarian needs, and information on unaccounted Americans. I asked tough questions as a friend of Israel. We will continue to deter any actor wanting to widen this conflict. <a href="https://t.co/KJpX4eHD4A">pic.twitter.com/KJpX4eHD4A</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1714637524704940220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a broader regional conflict, but also to reassure a world rattled by images of carnage and suffering, in Israel and Gaza alike.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-egypt-sinai-war-894d45535fed1049a0076453ca99c555">One million people have been</a>&nbsp;displaced in roughly 10 days, according to the United Nations.Biden's mission to Israel was to display resolve and to diminish the likelihood of a wider war, while providing assurances that he was not overlooking the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.The president spoke to reporters briefly aboard Air Force One as it stopped in Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on the way back to Washington.He said he had spoken to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who had agreed to reopen the country's border crossing with Gaza and allow 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid supplies to cross. He said timing would depend on patching roads damaged in the fighting.Less clear is how far the trip would take Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">in trying to tamp down volatile Mideast divisions</a>, particularly after his plan collapsed to follow the Israel stop with an Arab leaders summit in Jordan.The day was full of signature Biden moments as he walked a careful diplomatic line. He doled out embraces to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to first responders, doctors and victims who witnessed nightmare moments. He spoke quietly of his own history with grief. He told the familiar anecdote about meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-gaza-dachau-holocaust-hamas-919058eec36dca4c06cf9fc4355fe302#tbl-em-lnw35klcqmtvftg1omd">every Israeli prime minister</a>&nbsp;over more than five decades in elected office, starting with Golda Meir in 1973.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ireland-seamus-heaney-poetry-yeats-d87aa6c0b3e9a53464faaf8d5fda1c7b">He quoted an Irish poet.</a>“I come to Israel with a single message: You're not alone," Biden said. “As long as the United States stands — and we will stand forever — we will not let you ever be alone.”His presence and comments to Israeli leaders held weight. Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving” and said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism.”“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas,” the Israeli leader said.Biden arrived in Israel as the nations across the Mideast shook with protests triggered by an explosion Monday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.</a>The blast undid plans for Jordan’s King Abdullah II to host Biden along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and el-Sissi. Abbas withdrew in protest of the hospital attack; the summit was subsequently canceled outright. Biden was expected to speak to Abbas by telephone Wednesday as he returned to Washington, but his presence in Israel prompted fresh outrage.In Amman, a sign hoisted by one protester labeled Biden and Netanyahu war criminals and called them “Partner in Crime.” At the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh in south Lebanon, protesters set fire to a cardboard cutout of Biden’s head with a rope around his neck and blood painted over his mouth.Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”But Biden emerged from the day with at least an agreement by Israel to allow food, water and medicine into Gaza following days of deadlock. Israel cut off the flow of aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip after the attack that killed 1,400 civilians by Hamas, which controls the region.The U.S. has already provided aid and military support to Israel and officials plan to ask Congress for more than $2 billion in combined additional aid for Israel and Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday also announced $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank.“The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” Biden stressed. "Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”The grim tone of the discussions between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza. There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>It was not clear yet when the humanitarian aid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d">would begin to flow into Gaza</a>, and whether it would include fuel that could power the generators keeping open the hospitals that are flooded with injured.Allowing aid into the region had been seen by U.S. officials as a critical step toward the cooling of tensions in Arab nations after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.There were conflicting claims of who was responsible.Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.Biden said data from his Defense Department showed that the explosion was not likely caused by an airstrike by the Israeli military. A White House National Security Council spokesperson followed up later with a post on social media that an analysis of “overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information” showed Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continues to collect evidence.“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Netanyahu.The leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee in a joint statement said they felt confident the explosion was “the result of a failed rocket launch” by militants and not an Israeli airstrike.Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. An additional 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said. Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.Jordan declared three days of mourning and Jordanian officials said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. Safadi said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve.-----------TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Israel had agreed to allow humanitarian assistance to begin flowing into Gaza from Egypt, with the understanding that shipments would be subject to inspections and that aid should go to civilians and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-781b3c63af4ae6e51c313a68f314e66d">not Hamas militants</a>.“I understand. Many Americans understand," Biden said, likening the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can't look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice. While you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it.”Israel had cut off the flow of food, fuel and water to the Gaza Strip after the attack by Hamas, in which nearly 1,400 people in Israel were killed. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">An explosion</a>&nbsp;at a Gaza Strip hospital compounded the suffering.Israel confirmed that food, water and medicine would begin to flow to Gaza through Egypt, though exactly when that would begin wasn't immediately clear.There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the hospital blast. Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.Biden on Wednesday said data from his Defense Department showed it was not likely a strike by the Israeli military. And a National Security Council spokesperson later posted on social media that an analysis of "overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information" showed that Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continued to collect evidence.“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting. But he said there were “a lot of people out there” who weren’t sure what caused the blast, which sparked protests throughout the Middle East.Biden said he had spoken with the Israeli cabinet “to agree to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance of civilians in Gaza, based on the understanding that there will be inspections and the aid will go to civilians and not to Hamas.”“Let me be clear,” Biden said. If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people."Biden also announced an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank.Biden had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">also been scheduled to visit Jordan</a>&nbsp;to meet with Arab leaders Wednesday, but the summit was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">called off after the hospital explosion.</a>&nbsp;His remarks in Tel Aviv spoke both to the horrors that the Israelis had endured, but also the growing humanitarian crisis for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.He told Netanyahu he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the hospital explosion. But he also stressed that “Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and it has brought them only suffering.” And he spoke of the need to find ways of “encouraging life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent, caught in the middle of this.”Biden reiterated the U.S. was firmly behind Israel.“I want you to know you're not alone. We will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people," Biden said. "We'll continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians."Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving," adding, "I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”Netanyahu said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” saying Israel was united in its resolve to defeat Hamas.“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas," he said. U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestine-war-hamas-a98846471f1e3c239cfd4e3414d5dba7">on Wednesday also announced</a>&nbsp;sanctions against a group of 10 Hamas members and the Palestinian militant organization’s financial network across Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar.Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as well as with Israeli first responders and the families of victims and those being held hostage by Hamas. He held their hands, embraced them and listened quietly as their voices cracked as they spoke of the horrors they'd seen.Eli Beer, the founder of a volunteer emergency medical service, told Biden that through his visit "you uplifted the whole spirit in this country, and all the Jewish people in the world.”The grim tone of Wednesday's meetings between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attacks.Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. Another 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said. Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">Protests swept through the region</a>&nbsp;after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of major West Bank cities including Ramallah. More people joined protests that erupted in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan, where an angry crowd gathered outside the Israeli Embassy.Outrage scuttled Biden's plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II was to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But Abbas withdrew in protest, and the summit was subsequently canceled outright.Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”Jordan declared three days of mourning after the hospital explosion and Safadi said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. He said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve.Kirby said Biden understood the move was part of a “mutual” decision to call off the Jordan portion of his trip. He said Biden would speak to Abbas and el-Sissi by phone Wednesday as he returned to Washington.There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>Always a believer in the power of personal diplomacy, Biden's trip is testing the limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East at a volatile time. It's his second trip to a conflict zone this year, after visiting Ukraine in February to show solidarity with the country as it battles a Russian invasion.

🎥 Biden prime-time address; wants billions for Ukraine, Israel and Gaza

BEIRUT (AP) — Coalition forces were slightly injured in Iraq in a spate of drone attacks over the last 24 hours at U.S. bases in Iraq as regional tensions flare following the deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza.

Two drones targeted the al Asad airbase in western Iraq used by U.S. forces and one drone targeted a base in northern Iraq, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. U.S. forces intercepted all three, destroying two but only damaging the third, which led to minor injuries among coalition forces at the western base, according to a statement Wednesday by U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. official were not authorized to speak publicly on the attacks and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“In this moment of heightened alert, we are vigilantly monitoring the situation in Iraq and the region. U.S. forces will defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” Central Command said in the release.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have threatened to attack U.S. facilities there because of American support for Israel.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, issued a statement afterward claiming responsibility for the two attacks and saying it “heralds more operations” against the “American occupation.”

The salvos came at a time of increasing tension and fears of a broader regional conflict in the wake of the latest Hamas-Israel war.

Since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7, much attention has been focused on Hezbollah, the powerful Hamas ally across Israel’s northern border in Lebanon, and its formidable arsenal. The group has traded so-far limited strikes with Israel on the border in recent days.

But Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have also threatened to attack U.S. facilities over American support for Israel.

“Our missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to direct qualitative strikes at the American enemy in its bases and disrupt its interests if it intervenes in this battle,” Ahmad “Abu Hussein” al-Hamidawi, head of the Kataib Hezbollah militia, said in a statement last Wednesday. He also threatened to launch missiles at Israeli targets.

Following Tuesday night’s blast that killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza, the group issued another statement in which it blamed the U.S. and its support for Israel for the catastrophe and called for an end to the U.S. presence in Iraq. Hamas has said the explosion in Gaza was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel has blamed a misfired rocket by Palestinian militants.

“These evil people must leave the country. Otherwise, they will taste the fire of hell in this world before the afterlife,” the statement said.

A U.S. defense official, who wasn't authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the attack on the al-Asad military base in western Iraq.

Tashkil al-Waritheen, one of the Iranian-backed militias making up the larger group, claimed responsibility in a statement for a second drone attack, which it said had targeted the al-Harir airbase in northern Iraq. U.S. officials did not immediately comment on the claim of a second attack.

The government of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq said an intercepted drone crashed in an open area near the village of Batas.

Also on Wednesday, Iran-allied groups in Iraq announced that they had formed a “joint operations room” to help Hamas in its war effort.

Two officials with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue, confirmed the attacks on the two bases Wednesday. They said the armed groups were on alert and prepared to join the wider battle against Israel, but that Iran had not yet given approval for them to open a new front. Leaders from some of the factions are now in Lebanon and Syria in case they get orders to proceed, one of the officials said.

Officials with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment.

Lahib Higel, a senior analyst for Iraq at the International Crisis Group, said in the short term, the Iraqi groups allied with Iran and Hamas are not likely to open a new front in the war, but that could change if the Hamas-Israel war escalates or becomes protracted.

“Geographically, obviously, they are several steps removed, so they’re not going to be the first to react” and are likely to serve in a supporting role, she said.

Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House, said the Iran-backed groups in Iraq are split between those that are also political parties and have a stake in the Iraqi political system and the “vanguard” groups that are purely militant and tend to be more tightly controlled by Iran.

The latter, he said, have been used in the past as foot sodiers in regional conflicts, including in Yemen and Syria.

“This is what they’re designed to do,” Mansour said. “The question is more, will Iran and some of the leaders of these groups decide it’s in their interest to escalate?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1561036312700.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BEIRUT (AP) — Coalition forces were slightly injured in Iraq in a spate of drone attacks over the last 24 hours at U.S. bases in Iraq as regional tensions flare following the deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza.Two drones targeted the al Asad airbase in western Iraq used by U.S. forces and one drone targeted a base in northern Iraq, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. U.S. forces intercepted all three, destroying two but only damaging the third, which led to minor injuries among coalition forces at the western base, according to a statement Wednesday by U.S. Central Command.The U.S. official were not authorized to speak publicly on the attacks and spoke on the condition of anonymity.“In this moment of heightened alert, we are vigilantly monitoring the situation in Iraq and the region. U.S. forces will defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” Central Command said in the release.Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have threatened to attack U.S. facilities there because of American support for Israel.The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, issued a statement afterward claiming responsibility for the two attacks and saying it “heralds more operations” against the “American occupation.”The salvos came at a time of increasing tension and fears of a broader regional conflict in the wake of the latest Hamas-Israel war.Since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7, much attention has been focused on Hezbollah, the powerful Hamas ally across Israel’s northern border in Lebanon, and its formidable arsenal. The group has traded so-far limited strikes with Israel on the border in recent days.But Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have also threatened to attack U.S. facilities over American support for Israel.“Our missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to direct qualitative strikes at the American enemy in its bases and disrupt its interests if it intervenes in this battle,” Ahmad “Abu Hussein” al-Hamidawi, head of the Kataib Hezbollah militia, said in a statement last Wednesday. He also threatened to launch missiles at Israeli targets.Following Tuesday night’s blast that killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza, the group issued another statement in which it blamed the U.S. and its support for Israel for the catastrophe and called for an end to the U.S. presence in Iraq. Hamas has said the explosion in Gaza was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel has blamed a misfired rocket by Palestinian militants.“These evil people must leave the country. Otherwise, they will taste the fire of hell in this world before the afterlife,” the statement said.A U.S. defense official, who wasn't authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the attack on the al-Asad military base in western Iraq.Tashkil al-Waritheen, one of the Iranian-backed militias making up the larger group, claimed responsibility in a statement for a second drone attack, which it said had targeted the al-Harir airbase in northern Iraq. U.S. officials did not immediately comment on the claim of a second attack.The government of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq said an intercepted drone crashed in an open area near the village of Batas.Also on Wednesday, Iran-allied groups in Iraq announced that they had formed a “joint operations room” to help Hamas in its war effort.Two officials with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue, confirmed the attacks on the two bases Wednesday. They said the armed groups were on alert and prepared to join the wider battle against Israel, but that Iran had not yet given approval for them to open a new front. Leaders from some of the factions are now in Lebanon and Syria in case they get orders to proceed, one of the officials said.Officials with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment.Lahib Higel, a senior analyst for Iraq at the International Crisis Group, said in the short term, the Iraqi groups allied with Iran and Hamas are not likely to open a new front in the war, but that could change if the Hamas-Israel war escalates or becomes protracted.“Geographically, obviously, they are several steps removed, so they’re not going to be the first to react” and are likely to serve in a supporting role, she said.Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House, said the Iran-backed groups in Iraq are split between those that are also political parties and have a stake in the Iraqi political system and the “vanguard” groups that are purely militant and tend to be more tightly controlled by Iran.The latter, he said, have been used in the past as foot sodiers in regional conflicts, including in Yemen and Syria.“This is what they’re designed to do,” Mansour said. “The question is more, will Iran and some of the leaders of these groups decide it’s in their interest to escalate?”

Troops injured after drone attack on US bases in Iraq 

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 4 unsealed Indictments charging 4 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Paul J. Gray, age 48, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender beginning on or about July 20, 2023, and continuing to on or about September 14, 2023.&nbsp; The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.

*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Raul Enrique Imperial Ochoa,&nbsp;age 24, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about September 27, 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.

*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jason M. Viera Penalbert, age 37, is charged in a two-count Indictment.&nbsp; Count I charges Viera Penalbert with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about May 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about May 18, 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to&nbsp; life , and a $100 special assessment.&nbsp; Count II charges Viera Penalbert with possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or about May 18, 2023.&nbsp; The maximum possible penalty if convicted is a 20 year’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than three years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.&nbsp;

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 4 unsealed Indictments charging 4 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Paul J. Gray, age 48, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender beginning on or about July 20, 2023, and continuing to on or about September 14, 2023.&nbsp; The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Raul Enrique Imperial Ochoa,&nbsp;age 24, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about September 27, 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jason M. Viera Penalbert, age 37, is charged in a two-count Indictment.&nbsp; Count I charges Viera Penalbert with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about May 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about May 18, 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to&nbsp; life , and a $100 special assessment.&nbsp; Count II charges Viera Penalbert with possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or about May 18, 2023.&nbsp; The maximum possible penalty if convicted is a 20 year’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than three years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.&nbsp;

Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is facing backlash after comments he made about the Chinese nationality of a reporter whose story cited environmental concerns at farms owned by the governor.

<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/pillens-water-high-nitrate-detected-on-hog-farms-owned-by-nebraskas-governor/">Flatwater Free Press</a>&nbsp;reporter Yanqi Xu wrote a story in September revealing that 16 of Pillen's farms recorded nitrate levels at least five times higher than what is considered safe to drink. Consuming high levels of nitrate has been linked to health problems such as thyroid disease, birth defects and cancer, according to the report.

Pillen, a Republican, was asked on a radio show days later about the story.

“No. 1, I didn’t read it. And I won’t,” Pillen said. “No. 2, all you got to do is look at the author. The author is from communist China. What more do you need to know?”

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/governors-comments-about-ffp-reporter-are-in-a-word-wrong/">column posted Tuesday</a>, Flatwater Free Press Executive Director Matt Wynn wrote that the governor's comments infuriated him as an employer and saddened him as a believer in democracy and a free press.

“As a Nebraskan, it embarrasses me,” Wynn wrote.

An email message left Wednesday with Pillen's office wasn't immediately returned.

Xu grew up in China but has lived in the U.S. since 2017. She has worked for the Flatwater Free Press, an independent, nonprofit news organization based in Omaha, for two years.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is facing backlash after comments he made about the Chinese nationality of a reporter whose story cited environmental concerns at farms owned by the governor.<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/pillens-water-high-nitrate-detected-on-hog-farms-owned-by-nebraskas-governor/">Flatwater Free Press</a>&nbsp;reporter Yanqi Xu wrote a story in September revealing that 16 of Pillen's farms recorded nitrate levels at least five times higher than what is considered safe to drink. Consuming high levels of nitrate has been linked to health problems such as thyroid disease, birth defects and cancer, according to the report.Pillen, a Republican, was asked on a radio show days later about the story.“No. 1, I didn’t read it. And I won’t,” Pillen said. “No. 2, all you got to do is look at the author. The author is from communist China. What more do you need to know?”In a&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/governors-comments-about-ffp-reporter-are-in-a-word-wrong/">column posted Tuesday</a>, Flatwater Free Press Executive Director Matt Wynn wrote that the governor's comments infuriated him as an employer and saddened him as a believer in democracy and a free press.“As a Nebraskan, it embarrasses me,” Wynn wrote.An email message left Wednesday with Pillen's office wasn't immediately returned.Xu grew up in China but has lived in the U.S. since 2017. She has worked for the Flatwater Free Press, an independent, nonprofit news organization based in Omaha, for two years.

Nebraska governor faces backlash for comments on reporter's nationality

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced he is accepting applications to fill the vacancy by Senator Tom Briese in District 41. Sen. Briese, who will assume his new role as state treasurer on Nov. 1, submitted his resignation to the Governor on October 17, effective October 31. Gov. Pillen’s appointee will complete the remainder of Sen. Briese’s elected term through 2024.

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced he is accepting applications to fill the vacancy by Senator Tom Briese in District 41. Sen. Briese, who will assume his new role as state treasurer on Nov. 1, submitted his resignation to the Governor on October 17, effective October 31. Gov. Pillen’s appointee will complete the remainder of Sen. Briese’s elected term through 2024.

Governor Pillen is Accepting Applications for Legislative District 41

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution Wednesday to condemn all violence against civilians in the Israel-Hamas war and to urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was too early to craft an appropriate Security Council response to the crisis.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the council needs to allow current diplomatic efforts, including by President Joe Biden, to unfold and to find out more facts on the ground first. She also criticized the measure for failing to underline Israel’s right to self-defense.

The resolution sponsored by Brazil had wide support and would have condemned all violence against civilians, including “the heinous terrorists attacks by Hamas” against Israel. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 votes in favor and the U.S. against, with Russia and Britain abstaining.

Thomas-Greenfield said that Biden was in the region engaging in diplomacy hoping to protect civilians, secure the release of hostage and prevent the conflict from spreading. “We need to let that diplomacy play out,” she said.

She said the Security Council must speak out, but should be “informed by facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives -- the council needs to get this right.”

The American ambassador criticized the resolution for not saying anything about Israel’s right to self-defense following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 12,000 wounded.

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward also criticized the resolution’s failure to mention Israel’s right to self-defense.

The voting and debate followed Tuesday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">huge explosion and fire at a Gaza City hospital</a>&nbsp;packed with patients, relatives and Palestinians seeking shelter, in which the Hamas-run health ministry said 500 people died. Hamas said it was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel blamed a misfired rocket by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad denied any involvement.

Council members rejected two proposed Russian amendments to the resolution, which failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes. One called for a “humanitarian cease-fire” and the other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and “civilian objects” in Gaza, which include hospitals and schools.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the Brazil resolution, which called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid, wouldn’t have helped to avoid Tuesday’s explosion at the Gaza hospital. “It is only a cease-fire that will help to do this," he said.

He told council members who abstained or opposed the Russian amendments – the U.S. voted against both – that they will have to “bear responsibility” for what happens now to people in their own countries, the region, “and the people who are living under this deadly threat.”

Nebenzia accused the United States of “hypocrisy” and “double standards,” saying the Americans didn’t want a solution in the Security Council.

Brazil’s U.N. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, the current council president, called the defeated resolution “robust and balanced.” stressing that it also called for the immediate release of all hostages, protection of civilians in Gaza from forced relocation, and “the ethical necessity” to provide them with food, fuel, water and medicine.

“Sadly, very sadly, the council was yet again unable to adopt a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said. “Council paralysis in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe is not in the interest of the international community.”

France, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the Security Council, and many other council members also expressed regret and disappointment at the U.S. veto.

The divided Security Council has been even more polarized since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the votes on the Brazil resolution reflected the divisions.

Immediately after Tuesday's votes and speeches, the council started an emergency meeting to discuss the explosion at the Gaza hospital. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and China called for the emergency session.

The council's actions took place amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading, including Biden’s lightning trip to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths noted in a video briefing from Doha, Quatar, that Tuesday's massive explosion deprived Gaza of a hospital that cared for more than 45,000 patients a year.

After the hospital blast, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas backed out of a meeting with Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and King Abdullah II of Jordan, leading the Jordanians to cancel the meeting,

The 22-member Arab Group at the United Nations expressed “outrage” at the hospital deaths and called for an immediate cease-fire to avoid further Palestinian casualties and the opening of a corridor to safely deliver aid to millions in Gaza.

Egypt’s U.N. ambassador, Osama Mahmoud, told reporters that a summit will take place Saturday in Cairo as scheduled with regional leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The five permanent Security Council nations are also invited, he said.

Mahmoud said the summit will address the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how to achieve a cease-fire, and whether “any serious attempt to have a political horizon” exists to tackle the issues blocking an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland told the emergency council meeting, “I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole.”

After a century of conflict and half a century of Israeli occupation, he said the international community has “failed collectively” to help Israel and the Palestinians reach a political settlement. And he warned that events following the Hamas attacks “have served to re-ignite grievances and re-animate alliances across the region.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697659524198.png" alt="-U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield" />
 <figcaption>-U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution Wednesday to condemn all violence against civilians in the Israel-Hamas war and to urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was too early to craft an appropriate Security Council response to the crisis.U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the council needs to allow current diplomatic efforts, including by President Joe Biden, to unfold and to find out more facts on the ground first. She also criticized the measure for failing to underline Israel’s right to self-defense.The resolution sponsored by Brazil had wide support and would have condemned all violence against civilians, including “the heinous terrorists attacks by Hamas” against Israel. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 votes in favor and the U.S. against, with Russia and Britain abstaining.Thomas-Greenfield said that Biden was in the region engaging in diplomacy hoping to protect civilians, secure the release of hostage and prevent the conflict from spreading. “We need to let that diplomacy play out,” she said.She said the Security Council must speak out, but should be “informed by facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives -- the council needs to get this right.”The American ambassador criticized the resolution for not saying anything about Israel’s right to self-defense following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 12,000 wounded.Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward also criticized the resolution’s failure to mention Israel’s right to self-defense.The voting and debate followed Tuesday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">huge explosion and fire at a Gaza City hospital</a>&nbsp;packed with patients, relatives and Palestinians seeking shelter, in which the Hamas-run health ministry said 500 people died. Hamas said it was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel blamed a misfired rocket by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad denied any involvement.Council members rejected two proposed Russian amendments to the resolution, which failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes. One called for a “humanitarian cease-fire” and the other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and “civilian objects” in Gaza, which include hospitals and schools.Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the Brazil resolution, which called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid, wouldn’t have helped to avoid Tuesday’s explosion at the Gaza hospital. “It is only a cease-fire that will help to do this," he said.He told council members who abstained or opposed the Russian amendments – the U.S. voted against both – that they will have to “bear responsibility” for what happens now to people in their own countries, the region, “and the people who are living under this deadly threat.”Nebenzia accused the United States of “hypocrisy” and “double standards,” saying the Americans didn’t want a solution in the Security Council.Brazil’s U.N. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, the current council president, called the defeated resolution “robust and balanced.” stressing that it also called for the immediate release of all hostages, protection of civilians in Gaza from forced relocation, and “the ethical necessity” to provide them with food, fuel, water and medicine.“Sadly, very sadly, the council was yet again unable to adopt a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said. “Council paralysis in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe is not in the interest of the international community.”France, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the Security Council, and many other council members also expressed regret and disappointment at the U.S. veto.The divided Security Council has been even more polarized since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the votes on the Brazil resolution reflected the divisions.Immediately after Tuesday's votes and speeches, the council started an emergency meeting to discuss the explosion at the Gaza hospital. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and China called for the emergency session.The council's actions took place amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading, including Biden’s lightning trip to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths noted in a video briefing from Doha, Quatar, that Tuesday's massive explosion deprived Gaza of a hospital that cared for more than 45,000 patients a year.After the hospital blast, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas backed out of a meeting with Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and King Abdullah II of Jordan, leading the Jordanians to cancel the meeting,The 22-member Arab Group at the United Nations expressed “outrage” at the hospital deaths and called for an immediate cease-fire to avoid further Palestinian casualties and the opening of a corridor to safely deliver aid to millions in Gaza.Egypt’s U.N. ambassador, Osama Mahmoud, told reporters that a summit will take place Saturday in Cairo as scheduled with regional leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The five permanent Security Council nations are also invited, he said.Mahmoud said the summit will address the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how to achieve a cease-fire, and whether “any serious attempt to have a political horizon” exists to tackle the issues blocking an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland told the emergency council meeting, “I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole.”After a century of conflict and half a century of Israeli occupation, he said the international community has “failed collectively” to help Israel and the Palestinians reach a political settlement. And he warned that events following the Hamas attacks “have served to re-ignite grievances and re-animate alliances across the region.”

US vetoes UN resolution condemning violence against civilians in Israel

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/central-nebraska-sheriff-jailed-on-suspicion-of-insurance-fraud/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A rural Nebraska sheriff was in jail Tuesday after being arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud, a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Casey Hurlburt, who has served as the Valley County sheriff for more than 20 years, was arrested Tuesday by investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol after what was described as a “months-long investigation.”

Hurlburt was lodged at the Hall County Jail.

A State Patrol spokesman said he could not provide any more information about the arrest because the investigation is ongoing.

But the state statute concerning the charge of “fraudulent insurance acts” includes seeking to obtain insurance proceeds via false information, or assisting someone else to do that.

Valley County Clerk Judy Bower said that she could not comment on the arrest other than to say that any charges do not appear to be related to county business.

Hurlburt is listed as the fourth vice president of the Nebraska Sheriffs Association, an affiliate of the Nebraska Association of County Officials.

Two years ago, the sheriff was quoted by television station KFXL that foul play “will not be tolerated” in his department, after two deputies were found guilty of drug possession and dismissed.

“This as of today shows what happens when you do violate that trust. It will not be tolerated and we will continue to hold ourselves to a high standard,” Hurlburt told the station.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office assisted in the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697640756220.jpeg" alt="Valley County Sheriff Casey Hurlburt (Courtesy of Hall County Corrections)" />
 <figcaption>Valley County Sheriff Casey Hurlburt (Courtesy of Hall County Corrections)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/central-nebraska-sheriff-jailed-on-suspicion-of-insurance-fraud/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A rural Nebraska sheriff was in jail Tuesday after being arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud, a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.Casey Hurlburt, who has served as the Valley County sheriff for more than 20 years, was arrested Tuesday by investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol after what was described as a “months-long investigation.”Hurlburt was lodged at the Hall County Jail.A State Patrol spokesman said he could not provide any more information about the arrest because the investigation is ongoing.But the state statute concerning the charge of “fraudulent insurance acts” includes seeking to obtain insurance proceeds via false information, or assisting someone else to do that.Valley County Clerk Judy Bower said that she could not comment on the arrest other than to say that any charges do not appear to be related to county business.Hurlburt is listed as the fourth vice president of the Nebraska Sheriffs Association, an affiliate of the Nebraska Association of County Officials.Two years ago, the sheriff was quoted by television station KFXL that foul play “will not be tolerated” in his department, after two deputies were found guilty of drug possession and dismissed.“This as of today shows what happens when you do violate that trust. It will not be tolerated and we will continue to hold ourselves to a high standard,” Hurlburt told the station.The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office assisted in the investigation.

Central Nebraska sheriff jailed on suspicion of insurance fraud

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Natalee Holloway was beaten to death on a beach in Aruba and her body pushed out to sea after refusing the advances of the chief suspect in the 2005 killing, who admitted to the murder before pleading guilty Wednesday to extorting money from the missing teen’s mother.

Although Joran van der Sloot isn’t charged in Holloway’s death, his confession may finally resolve a case that has captivated the public’s attention for nearly two decades, spawning extensive news coverage, books, movies and podcasts.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Alabama. “Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder. He is a killer.”

Natalee Holloway went missing during a high school graduation trip with classmates. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/timeline-peru-sloot-natalee-holloway-extradition-165b7745e8210488316da1be6d30d855">was last seen</a>&nbsp;on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen and student at an international school on the Caribbean island where he grew up. He was questioned in the disappearance but never prosecuted. A judge declared Holloway dead, but her body was never found.

Van der Sloot, now 36, pleaded guilty to the extortion and fraud charges in exchange for a 20-year sentence. That prison term will run concurrently with a 28-year sentence he's serving in Peru for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-crime-peru-alabama-birmingham-b61a4dfc829e429a942854d33b86cde5">killing Stephany Flores</a>&nbsp;in 2010.

U.S. Judge Anna Manasco said the details of his confession factored into her sentencing decision.

“You have brutally murdered — in separate instances years apart — two young women who refused your sexual advances,” she said.

Shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform, van der Sloot told the crowded courtroom he hoped the confession provides closure.

“I would like the chance to apologize to the Holloway family, my own family,” he said, later adding, “I am no longer the person I was back then.”

The judge said the plea deal required van der Sloot to provide all the information he knew about Natalie Holloway’s disappearance, allow her parents to hear in “real time” his discussion with law enforcement, and take a polygraph test.

After the hearing, Beth Holloway told reporters she was “absolutely confident” that they finally got the truth from van der Sloot after years of lies.

Court documents offer a transcript of his confession.

In an interview conducted by his attorney, he says he and Holloway were lying on the beach kissing. She started to resist, but he kept touching her, so she kneed him between the legs. He stood up and kicked her “extremely hard” in the face while she was still lying down.

At that point, he said, she was “unconscious, possibly even uh, even dead, but definitely unconscious.” He said he picked up a nearby cinderblock and brought it down on her face.

Frightened and unsure what to do, he said he dragged her body until he was knee-deep in the waves, then pushed her out to sea.

The Holloway family has long sought answers about the disappearance, and van der Sloot has given different accounts over the years, at one point saying Holloway was buried in gravel under the foundation of a house but later admitting that was untrue.

Five years after the killing, an FBI sting recorded the extortion attempt in which van der Sloot asked for $250,000 from Beth Holloway to reveal the location of her daughter’s remains. He agreed to accept $25,000 to disclose the location, and asked for the other $225,000 once the remains were recovered.

Van der Sloot chose “greed over Beth Holloway’s grief,” prosecutor Lloyd Peeples told the judge Wednesday.

Van der Sloot moved from Aruba to Peru before he could be arrested in the extortion case. The government of Peru agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/natalee-holloway-van-der-sloot-arraignment-c69b0d1606980df065b954e94da9ac01">temporarily extradite</a>&nbsp;him to face trial on the extortion charge, and he will return to Peruvian custody after his case is concluded.

While giving her impact statement Wednesday, Beth Holloway turned to stare directly at her daughter's killer, sitting just a few feet away in court.

“You look like hell, Joran,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697654645147.png" alt="FBI image" />
 <figcaption>FBI image</figcaption>
 </figure>BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Natalee Holloway was beaten to death on a beach in Aruba and her body pushed out to sea after refusing the advances of the chief suspect in the 2005 killing, who admitted to the murder before pleading guilty Wednesday to extorting money from the missing teen’s mother.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697655838625.png" alt="Joran van der Sloot-Shelby Co. Alabama Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Joran van der Sloot-Shelby Co. Alabama Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Although Joran van der Sloot isn’t charged in Holloway’s death, his confession may finally resolve a case that has captivated the public’s attention for nearly two decades, spawning extensive news coverage, books, movies and podcasts.“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Alabama. “Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder. He is a killer.”Natalee Holloway went missing during a high school graduation trip with classmates. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/timeline-peru-sloot-natalee-holloway-extradition-165b7745e8210488316da1be6d30d855">was last seen</a>&nbsp;on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen and student at an international school on the Caribbean island where he grew up. He was questioned in the disappearance but never prosecuted. A judge declared Holloway dead, but her body was never found.Van der Sloot, now 36, pleaded guilty to the extortion and fraud charges in exchange for a 20-year sentence. That prison term will run concurrently with a 28-year sentence he's serving in Peru for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-crime-peru-alabama-birmingham-b61a4dfc829e429a942854d33b86cde5">killing Stephany Flores</a>&nbsp;in 2010.U.S. Judge Anna Manasco said the details of his confession factored into her sentencing decision.“You have brutally murdered — in separate instances years apart — two young women who refused your sexual advances,” she said.Shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform, van der Sloot told the crowded courtroom he hoped the confession provides closure.“I would like the chance to apologize to the Holloway family, my own family,” he said, later adding, “I am no longer the person I was back then.”The judge said the plea deal required van der Sloot to provide all the information he knew about Natalie Holloway’s disappearance, allow her parents to hear in “real time” his discussion with law enforcement, and take a polygraph test.After the hearing, Beth Holloway told reporters she was “absolutely confident” that they finally got the truth from van der Sloot after years of lies.Court documents offer a transcript of his confession.In an interview conducted by his attorney, he says he and Holloway were lying on the beach kissing. She started to resist, but he kept touching her, so she kneed him between the legs. He stood up and kicked her “extremely hard” in the face while she was still lying down.At that point, he said, she was “unconscious, possibly even uh, even dead, but definitely unconscious.” He said he picked up a nearby cinderblock and brought it down on her face.Frightened and unsure what to do, he said he dragged her body until he was knee-deep in the waves, then pushed her out to sea.The Holloway family has long sought answers about the disappearance, and van der Sloot has given different accounts over the years, at one point saying Holloway was buried in gravel under the foundation of a house but later admitting that was untrue.Five years after the killing, an FBI sting recorded the extortion attempt in which van der Sloot asked for $250,000 from Beth Holloway to reveal the location of her daughter’s remains. He agreed to accept $25,000 to disclose the location, and asked for the other $225,000 once the remains were recovered.Van der Sloot chose “greed over Beth Holloway’s grief,” prosecutor Lloyd Peeples told the judge Wednesday.Van der Sloot moved from Aruba to Peru before he could be arrested in the extortion case. The government of Peru agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/natalee-holloway-van-der-sloot-arraignment-c69b0d1606980df065b954e94da9ac01">temporarily extradite</a>&nbsp;him to face trial on the extortion charge, and he will return to Peruvian custody after his case is concluded.While giving her impact statement Wednesday, Beth Holloway turned to stare directly at her daughter's killer, sitting just a few feet away in court.“You look like hell, Joran,” she said.

After 18-years suspect admits he killed Natalee Holloway on Aruba 

Omaha, Neb. October 18, 2023 – Move beyond the witches’ brew to sip a spooky drink this Halloween season with the new, spine-tingling FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion from Scooter’s Coffee. This hauntingly refreshing and energizing drink is available now through October 31, and will put a pep in the step of ghosts and ghouls alike.&nbsp;

A scary delicious combination of mouthwatering raspberry and bold blue raspberry flavors bring to life the limited-time FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion. You don’t have to be a scientist to go mad for this concoction.&nbsp;

“At Scooter’s Coffee, we believe that every sip should be an experience, and our new FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion embodies the spirit of the Halloween season in a fun, energizing way,” said Malorie Maddox, Scooter’s Coffee Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re proud to offer our exclusive SCOOOT! Energy™ Infusions in a variety of flavors. They have the same amazing quality as our world-class coffee, which means great flavor. They are a perfect pick-me-up treat to power you through your Halloween celebrations.”

Pair the new FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion with Scooter’s Coffee <a href="https://www.scooterscoffee.com/sweet-cold-foam">Sweet Cold Foam</a>, and enjoy it with a <a href="https://www.scooterscoffee.com/pumpkin-caramelicious-muffin">Pumpkin Caramelicious® Muffin</a> to make your days sweet instead of scary.&nbsp;

Whether you're looking to recharge after a night of ghostly fun or simply seeking a delightful, Halloween-themed pick-me-up, make your <a href="https://www.scooterscoffee.com/locations">local Scooter’s Coffee</a> a go-to haunt this Halloween season.

About Scooter’s CoffeeFounded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooter’s Coffee uses only the finest coffee beans in the world, which are roasted by its affiliated company, Harvest Roasting, in Omaha, Nebraska. In over 25 years of business, the key to Scooter’s Coffee’s success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company’s four core values, which are Integrity, Love, Humility and Courage. The Scooter’s Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees, is: “Amazing People, Amazing Drinks… Amazingly Fast!®” It represents the company’s business origins and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers.

Scooter’s Coffee, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase nationwide. Its franchise network is approaching 700 stores in 29 states, and the company plans to have over 1,000 stores open by the end of 2024. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion-a-year, recession-resistant industry, and Scooter’s Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru specialty coffee franchise system in the nation.

For more information, visit <a href="https://scooterscoffee.com/">scooterscoffee.com</a> or call 877-494-7004. To connect with Scooter’s Coffee, visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScootersCoffee/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scooterscoffee/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scooterscoffee">TikTok</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/scooterscoffee">X (formerly Twitter)</a> and share your favorite moments by tagging @scooterscoffee using the hashtag #ScootOnAround.

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FScootersCoffee%2Fvideos%2F860966308758710%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Scooter's CoffeeOmaha, Neb. October 18, 2023 – Move beyond the witches’ brew to sip a spooky drink this Halloween season with the new, spine-tingling FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion from Scooter’s Coffee. This hauntingly refreshing and energizing drink is available now through October 31, and will put a pep in the step of ghosts and ghouls alike.&nbsp;A scary delicious combination of mouthwatering raspberry and bold blue raspberry flavors bring to life the limited-time FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion. You don’t have to be a scientist to go mad for this concoction.&nbsp;“At Scooter’s Coffee, we believe that every sip should be an experience, and our new FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion embodies the spirit of the Halloween season in a fun, energizing way,” said Malorie Maddox, Scooter’s Coffee Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re proud to offer our exclusive SCOOOT! Energy™ Infusions in a variety of flavors. They have the same amazing quality as our world-class coffee, which means great flavor. They are a perfect pick-me-up treat to power you through your Halloween celebrations.”Pair the new FrankenSCOOOT! Energy Infusion with Scooter’s Coffee <a href="https://www.scooterscoffee.com/sweet-cold-foam">Sweet Cold Foam</a>, and enjoy it with a <a href="https://www.scooterscoffee.com/pumpkin-caramelicious-muffin">Pumpkin Caramelicious® Muffin</a> to make your days sweet instead of scary.&nbsp;Whether you're looking to recharge after a night of ghostly fun or simply seeking a delightful, Halloween-themed pick-me-up, make your <a href="https://www.scooterscoffee.com/locations">local Scooter’s Coffee</a> a go-to haunt this Halloween season.About Scooter’s CoffeeFounded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooter’s Coffee uses only the finest coffee beans in the world, which are roasted by its affiliated company, Harvest Roasting, in Omaha, Nebraska. In over 25 years of business, the key to Scooter’s Coffee’s success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company’s four core values, which are Integrity, Love, Humility and Courage. The Scooter’s Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees, is: “Amazing People, Amazing Drinks… Amazingly Fast!®” It represents the company’s business origins and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers.Scooter’s Coffee, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase nationwide. Its franchise network is approaching 700 stores in 29 states, and the company plans to have over 1,000 stores open by the end of 2024. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion-a-year, recession-resistant industry, and Scooter’s Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru specialty coffee franchise system in the nation.For more information, visit <a href="https://scooterscoffee.com/">scooterscoffee.com</a> or call 877-494-7004. To connect with Scooter’s Coffee, visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScootersCoffee/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scooterscoffee/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scooterscoffee">TikTok</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/scooterscoffee">X (formerly Twitter)</a> and share your favorite moments by tagging @scooterscoffee using the hashtag #ScootOnAround.