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Monday, 19 May 2025

IDF Starts Ground Offensive Into Gaza To Finish Off Hamas

 After having targeted Hamas strongholds with airstrikes over the last week, on Sunday, Israel Defense Forces launched a massive ground assault to eradicate the terrorist group Hamas from Gaza.

“IDF troops have begun extensive ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza as part of Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots,’” the IDF announced on Sunday. “Over the past week, the IAF conducted a preliminary wave of strikes, striking over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout Gaza to disrupt enemy preparations and support ground operations. The IAF continues to provide consistent support to operating troops in Gaza.”

“Thus far, the troops eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites above and below ground, and are currently being deployed in key positions within Gaza,” the IDF continued. “The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in Gaza as required, in order to defend Israeli civilians.”

“The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people and the determination of the political echelon increase the chance of the return of the hostages – as it was then and as it is now,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

A Saudi news report has claimed that the bombing campaign by the IDF killed the current leader of Hamas, Mohammed Sinwar, who took over after his brother Yahya, who orchestrated the October 7 massacre, was killed by the IDF, on May 13. “Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that, “according to all indications, Mohammed Sinwar was killed.” The Saudi channel Al-Hadath also reported that the body of the acting Hamas leader was found in a tunnel near the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, the southern Gaza Strip,” I24 reported.

The new offensive will not stop until Israel has accomplished its aims of rescuing the hostages or having them returned, and until Hamas has been dismantled, military officials said.

While Israel tries to destroy Hamas, the terrorist group’s supporters march through streets protesting against a young Israel female singer, Yuval Raphael, performing at the Eurovision song contest. Raphael had to hide and play dead under bodies slaughtered by Hamas on October 7 to hide from being brutally murdered.

 

Yet in the end, Raphael still was triumphantly voted second place:


Hamas Agrees To New Hostage Talks After Israel Pummels Terror Group In New Offensive

 Negotiations over hostages held by Hamas began again on Saturday between the terror group and Israel.

Talks renewed after a new offensive by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip. Hamas official Taher al-Nono said that the latest negotiations have begun without “preconditions,” according to Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed negotiators to stay in Qatar. An Israeli official said the prime minister has kept contact with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff “in an effort to dissuade Hamas from its refusal and to advance a deal for the release of our hostages,” according to The Times Of Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested that the new round of talks is because of Israel’s latest offensive, which was announced on Saturday. Katz said that the terror group’s current stance on negotiations “is in contrast to the uncooperative position they had taken up until this moment,” according to The Jerusalem Post.

Hamas last released a hostage on May 12. The terror group released the last living American citizen, Edan Alexander, from captivity after Alexander spent more than 18 months held hostage.

Israeli officials believe that the hostage group has as many as 23 hostages still alive. All but one of the hostages have been held by the terror group since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and Palestinians rushed across the border to Israel and attacked settlements and took hundreds captive.

Israel renewed its military campaign against Hamas on Saturday with airstrikes. It is unknown how many have been killed in the strikes. Hamas officials have claimed that more than 150 have died in the airstrikes, though the numbers are unreliable and Gaza Health Ministry data is suspected of being inflated and doctored for propaganda purposes.

Katz said that the new offensive, dubbed Operation Gideon Chariots, is being led with “great force,” according to CBS News.

“The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people and the determination of the political echelon increase the chance of the return of the hostages – as it was then and as it is now,” said Katz.

IDF spokesman Col. Avichai Adraee said the Israeli military is “expanding and increasing the bombing and pressure on Hamas throughout the Strip – from north to south, above and below ground, and even outside the Strip.”

The new offensive will not stop until Israel has accomplished its aims of rescuing the hostages or having them returned, and until Hamas has been dismantled, military officials said.

Joe Biden Diagnosed With ‘Aggressive Form’ Of Prostate Cancer

 President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, his office said in a statement on Sunday.

“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” the statement said. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the statement continues. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

The former president had a polyp removed from his colon in 2021 that doctors said was a benign but potentially pre-cancerous lesion that did not require further action, his doctor, Kevin O’Connor, said at the time. He also had a similar polyp removed from his colon in 2008.

“Routine surveillance is recommended for this finding,” O’Connor said in 2021 in a letter to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “Typically, repeat colonoscopy in to 10 years is recommended.” 

The median survival rate for prostate cancer that metastasized to the bone is 21 months, according to Duke University.

Sunday’s announcement is the latest in a string of disastrous post-presidency revelations for the former president. A forthcoming book from CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson revealsthat Biden’s inner circle worked to conceal his physical and cognitive decline at the end of his presidency. Last week, Axios released the audio of Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur, confirming that Biden was unable to remember such basic details as when his son, Beau, died, or when he left the vice presidency.

Suspected Fertility Clinic Bomber Had ‘Anti Pro-Life Manifesto,’ Authorities Say

 Authorities have identified the deceased suspect in a vehicle explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, over the weekend, which they are treating as an act of domestic terrorism.

The suspect is Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of nearby Twentynine Palms, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli announced in a Sunday post on X.

“Bartkus is believed to be the individual who is deceased at the scene. Investigators are working to positively identify the remains,” Essayli said. “An anti pro-life manifesto believed to be authored by the suspect has been located and is being examined by the FBI.”

He continued: “We are happy to report that no embryos at the IVF center were damaged by the explosion. This case is being treated as an intentional act of domestic terrorism. The investigation is ongoing.”

A vehicle exploded on Saturday in a parking lot outside of the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) facility, ARC said in post on Facebook. The Los Angeles Times reported that there was “extensive damage” to the ARC clinic and vitro fertilization lab at the location, as well as blown-out windows in buildings blocks away.

While several people were reportedly injured in the blast, ARC said no members of its team were harmed. ARC further shared that all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials remained “fully secure and undamaged” in the lab.

In a post on X, the FBI’s Los Angeles field office said the vehicle in the explosion was a silver Ford Fusion sedan with the plate 8HWS848. The bureau also released a photo of the suspect and requested the public share with it any information or upload any relevant video and images.

A search warrant was executed at a location in Twentynine Palms in connection to the explosion, Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said in a press conference. He also stressed that officials did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community despite some residents being evacuated in the area.

Davis additionally mentioned that Bartkus “had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack” against the fertility clinic. He noted later: “We believe he was attempting to livestream it and, yes, that is also part of our investigation.”

ARC said it “will be fully operational on Monday morning, and our team is here to answer any concerns you may have,” adding, “We appreciate the incredible support from our patients and local community, as well as the swift action of Palm Springs Police, Fire, and emergency responders.”

Sunday, 18 May 2025

10 Inmates, Some Charged With Murder, Escape From Louisiana Jail

 Ten prison inmates, at least four of them charged with murder or attempted murder, have escaped from prison in New Orleans, Louisiana.

On Friday morning at roughly 9:30 a.m., it was discovered that the men were missing from Orleans Parish Justice Center.

“Photos released by the sheriff’s office show the inside of a cell where the escape is believed to have happened. A large hole was cut behind a toilet with phrases such as ‘We Innocent’ and ‘Too Easy LOL’ written above it,” NBC News reported.

Sheriff Susan Hutson revealed the inmates had the help of people “inside of our department.”

“Someone clearly dropped the ball and there’s no excuse for this,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill wrote. “I’m in communication with Troop NOLA and @LAStatePolice Superintendent Colonel Hodges. It’s all hands on deck. The first priority in any escape must be the immediate capture of the inmates and coordination with state and local law enforcement — but that effort cannot come at the expense of timely notification to the public, which is also critical to keeping communities safe. My office will do whatever it takes to determine how this happened and make sure that it won’t happen again. I am calling for a full investigation – This is beyond unacceptable, and once these offenders are back in custody, there must be real accountability.”

According to Deputy Chief of Field Operations Bureau Christopher Goodly, the men should be considered armed and dangerous.

Not only have four of the escapees been charged with murder or attempted murder, others have been charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, armed false imprisonment, or battery and drug offenses.

One man has been caught. Kendall Myles was discovered hiding under a car in the Hotel Monteleone parking garage in the French Quarter.

“Thank you to Troop NOLA for their diligence and speed in apprehending the first escapee,” Gov. Jeff Landry posted on X. “To the other 10: YOU ARE NEXT! @OrleansParishSO and @SheriffHutson must be working in total conjunction with Troop NOLA. There is no time to waste!”


Sentence Is In For American Who Stabbed Novelist Salman Rushdie

 The 27-year-old New Jersey man who was convicted in February of stabbing and partially blinding famed novelist Salman Rushdie was hit with the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison on Friday.

Hadi Matar was convicted of second-degree attempted murder for the August 2022 stabbing attack that also injured the event’s moderator, Henry Reese, the co-founder of Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum, which helps exiled writers, Reuters reported. Rushdie — who sparked the ire of the Iranian regime with his 1988 novel, “The Satanic Verses” — was stabbed by Matar between 10 and 15 times in the head, neck, torso, and left hand at a New York arts institute. After the book was published, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, calling for Rushdie’s assassination.

Video captured Matar rushing the stage where Rushdie spoke during a writers’ event focused on protecting exiled writers. During the trial, a trauma surgeon testified that without immediate medical intervention, Rushdie would have died, ABC News reported. The jury took just two hours to reach a verdict. Matar was also sentenced to seven years for second-degree assault in the stabbing of Reese, but that sentence will run concurrently with the longer one.

Before the trial began in Chautauqua County Court, Matar rejected a plea deal. Shortly after the jury reached its verdict, his defense attorney, Nathaniel Barone, said Matar plans to appeal the conviction. Matar has also been charged by the federal government with an act of terrorism. He will face those charges at a separate trial in Buffalo, according to Reuters.

Rushdie was born into a non-practicing Muslim family in British India, and now identifies as an atheist. “The Satanic Verses,” which was labeled as blasphemous by hardline Islamists, refers to verses of the Quran that Rushdie claimed had been removed. Rushdie said that his book is not blasphemous against Islam, adding, “I doubt very much Khomeini or anyone else in Iran has read this book or anything more than selected extracts taken out of context.”

After the sentencing hearing, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said that the stabbing attack still haunts the 77-year-old author.

“He’s traumatized. He has nightmares about what he experienced,” Schmidt said. “Obviously this is a major setback for an individual that was starting to emerge in his very later years of life into society after going into hiding after the fatwa.”

What The Peach State’s Political Patchworks Mean For 2026

 Georgia isn’t just a battleground. It’s the South’s political crossroads, where more regional identities collide than anywhere else.

While some of the regions are too small to have an outsized influence on statewide races, their presence as a mixing agent within the more prominent regions cements Georgia’s unofficial status as the capital of the South – and the ultimate test for both parties.

Our analysis of Southern politics found that Georgia contains more of the South’s distinct regions than any other state. From a wall of “Trumpian Highlands” banding the northern border of the state, to pockets of hardened “Sweet Tea Suburbs” and a sprawling “Dixieland” with vestiges of the “Soulful South,” and a surprising emergence of “Republican Resettlers” encroaching up from Florida, pundits and politicos alike have their eyes on Georgia and especially its upcoming 2026 gubernatorial and Senate races.

“Georgia as a high-profile state is nothing new to politics,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead for this comprehensive analysis. “But when you look at the state through the lens of our unique regional analysis, Georgia has more complex regions at play than any other state, and in the context of the 2026 midterm elections, those complexities help explain the intrigue of unseating Senator Jon Ossoff (D) and holding onto the Governor’s mansion.”

It’s true that Georgia’s status as a swing state is almost exclusively driven by the fact that a still-deeply-red state is represented by two far-Left senators. It just so happens that it’s time for Ossoff to defend his seat (and abysmal record out of step with most of even purple Georgia) against an unknown Republican challenger, now that outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp (a longtime Cygnal client) has ruled out a run to unseat Ossoff.

A Complex Political Patchwork: The Peach State Defies Simple Labels.

Speaking about a possible Kemp Senate run, nationally syndicated radio host Erick Erickson noted that many governors-turned-senators find themselves unhappy in the world’s greatest deliberative body.

And Kemp understands — perhaps better than any other elected official in Georgia — that while the state’s political map might look like a simple red versus blue situation articulating an urban-rural divide, it’s actually a mosaic of regions with overlapping and rapidly changing political identities.

Take the so-called “Black Belt,” a region with high concentrations of Black voters, which delivers reliably Democratic margins in states like Alabama and Mississippi. In Georgia, the Black Belt runs from Columbus to Macon to Augusta — where it displays fewer characteristics of the monolithic voting bloc it used to be.

Today, this region is dominated by what we’ve dubbed “Dixieland” voters. Unlike other areas in the state — especially surrounding Atlanta, which have seen high-impact demographic swings — voters in Georgia’s Black Belt region now demonstrate voting patterns more akin to Dixieland, which is just over 15% African American, than ever before.

The demographics are the same, but the sentiment has changed. Dixieland voters have the highest propensity for weekly religious services of any group at 37%, and the lowest “not religious” population at 14%, combined with one of the highest rates of any of the regions who say the country is on the right track +21, and +35 support for Trump.

DATA NOTE: When we conducted this analysis, we fully expected the well-known Black Belt to emerge as a prominent visual feature on our Georgia map — but it didn’t — and, like many of the other elements covered in this series, it further demonstrates just how dynamic and consequential the South has become to political power in the United States. 

Two additional trends are emerging in Georgia, both influenced by neighboring states, again proving the regionality of our analysis is shaping the South’s political map.

First, in the northern part of the state, where the Trumpian Highlands extend all the way down from Tennessee until they meet those hardened “Sweet Tea Suburbs” that surround Atlanta, with another small pocket around the state line near Chattanooga. This is where speculated senate candidate and firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene hails from, and all three of the congressional districts in that area are held by Republicans. These are some of the most Republican areas in the country, with Georgia’s 14th and 9th congressional districts voting for Trump by an imposing 68-31 and 67-33 margins, respectively.

As our data below indicate, before 2016, Republicans won in the Dixieland portions of Georgia by an average of 29%. But in the Trump Era, that margin rose to 39%. Notably, even with a minor dip in 2020, Dixieland recovered quickly for the 2024 cycle, shifting 4% back to the right from 2020, and up 3% compared to 2016.

Unlike Part IV of this series, where North Carolina’s divisions created a sort of mixing zone between east and west, the Trumpian Highlands of Georgia create a hard line between Atlanta’s suburbs. This makes some of the regional fluidity we see in other areas of the South less evident in Northern Georgia. Factor in those collar counties of Henry, Rockdale, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb surrounding Atlanta, and the political picture of north Georgia makes this part of the state less likely to produce surprises or statewide leaders

Georgia has another political encroachment from its neighbor to the south, Florida. In our analysis, we identified “Republican Resettlers,” areas that have absorbed a significant influx of newcomers, many times from more liberal states, who are self-selecting for conservative communities. Unlike legacy Southern strongholds, Republican Resettlers’ political identity is shaped more by recent population movement and community choice than by deep historical roots. This growth in southeast Georgia, where we’ve seen Republican Resettlers’ encroachment, is mirrored in population increases in the mentioned areas from 2020 to 2022.

As Georgia remains an attractive place for many of these voters, our maps show this region, while not yet decisive, is quietly growing as conservatives migrate north along the coast toward places like Brunswick, Savannah, and even Valdosta. That’s a trend worth watching as the state’s population continues to surge.

“Nobody argues that Georgia is evolving politically, or that it’s a key state, especially with all the media attention surrounding Ossoff’s very vulnerable position,” said Valdiviez. “But what our analysis and maps show is a state that has both hardened lines of political division and zones of increasing transition. It proves that two things can be true in a marquee southern state: Georgia is prone to rigidity and it’s not immune to prevailing regional shifts.”

So What? Why The Patchwork Matters.

Georgia’s regional complexity isn’t just a curiosity for pollsters like us or casual and professional political junkies — it is a real-world challenge for campaigns and an absolute bellwether for the national parties — even if Ossoff is on the ropes for 2026. With so many overlapping and shifting identities, the Peach State forces both Democrats and Republicans to move beyond one-size-fits-all messaging.

The state’s “swing” status isn’t an accident. It’s a direct result of these dynamic, sometimes contradictory, regional trends. As flight from liberal states continues, even from other Republican states, and as the Republican Resettlers gain ground along Georgia’s coastal plains, the map will only get more complicated and more consequential.

With Kemp out of the 2026 Senate race, the race is on to determine who can unite enough of these regions to build a winning coalition. The GOP’s search for a candidate with true statewide appeal is wide open, while Democrats must defend ground in the face of a weak candidate, demographic churn, and voter fatigue. The lesson from Georgia is clear: turnout, connective messaging, and a Kemp-style understanding of local nuance are everything. Ignore the state’s patchwork at your peril.

The Battleground That Won’t Quit.

Georgia’s story is largely the South’s story.

It’s a state where no single region, candidate, or trend can guarantee victory. It’s a mix of hardened Republican strongholds, fast-growing Democratic suburbs, and emerging zones of transition, which means every election is up for grabs.

The Peach State’s political future will be decided not by national narratives or simple red-blue maps, but by the ability of campaigns to read the local landscape and adapt. In a nation increasingly defined by polarization and migration, Georgia stands as the ultimate test — and frankly, the ultimate prize for anyone hoping to shape the next era of American politics.

COMING UP NEXT: In Part VI, the final installment of our series, we’ll tie together the lessons from our analysis and offer a glimpse at what’s in store for the South and the nation as we head for the 2026 midterms. 

READING THE MAP: When reading our map, keep in mind that we intentionally moved beyond traditional state lines to capture the true complexity of Southern politics. Each of the ten regions was named to reflect its unique cultural, demographic, and historical identity, whether it’s the steadfast conservatism of Dixieland, the dynamic growth of the Republican Resettlers, or the inelasticity of the Sweet Tea Suburbs.

These names aren’t just for color; they’re a practical tool for understanding how voter behavior clusters in ways that state boundaries simply can’t explain. We used a rigorous, data-driven approach combining ZIP-code-level analysis, weighted demographic variables, and historical voting trends to identify and define each region. The result is a map that highlights not just where voters are, but how and why they vote the way they do, offering a more actionable and nuanced guide for anyone looking to understand or influence the South’s evolving political landscape.