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The tragic death of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom was confirmed on Thanksgiving evening, as President Trump shared the heartbreaking news during a holiday call with several military units.

“She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” Trump said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Incredible person, outstanding in every single way, in every department. Just horrible.”

Beckstrom had been clinging to life after suffering devastating gunshot wounds to the chest and head while on duty in Washington, DC. Despite being rushed into immediate surgery, her condition never improved.

Her father, Gary Beckstrom, realized the outcome was inevitable when he spoke with The New York Times that morning.

“I’m holding her hand right now,” he said quietly. “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”

Authorities had already warned that the consequences for the alleged gunman, 29-year-old Afghan refugee Rahmanullah Lakanwal, would escalate if either victim died. US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro had indicated that first-degree murder charges would be added upon the death of a National Guard member.

Lakanwal was subdued after a chaotic struggle in which one Guardsman used a pocket knife against him while another fired at the attacker. He had already been charged with multiple counts of assault with intent to kill and criminal possession of a weapon — charges that carry up to 15 years in prison. Now, with Beckstrom’s death, prosecutors are preparing an even more severe case.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has made her intentions unmistakable.
“Devastated. Please pray for Sarah. Pray for her family,” she wrote on X. “America will never forget her courage. There WILL BE JUSTICE for Sarah. Continue to pray for Andrew. Thank you to President Trump — the death penalty is back.”

Bondi also revealed that Beckstrom had volunteered to work on Thanksgiving specifically so that others could be home with their families — a gesture that now underscores the depth of her selflessness.

“She volunteered to be there on Thanksgiving — working today — she volunteered, as did many of those guardsmen and women, so other people could be home with their families,” Bondi said.

Beckstrom and her fellow Guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, had been sworn in just a day before the attack. Wolfe remains hospitalized after undergoing emergency surgery and is, according to Trump, “fighting for his life.”

“Hopefully, we’ll get better news with respect to him,” Trump added. “And the monster that did this is also in serious condition, but we won’t even talk about him.”

Investigators say Lakanwal allegedly lay in wait only blocks from the White House before ambushing the two service members with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver. He was shot by responding Guard personnel.

Officials are treating the incident as a likely targeted act of terrorism. According to Pirro, Lakanwal drove cross-country from his home in Bellingham, Washington — where he lived with his wife and five children — before carrying out the attack.

Prior to coming to the United States, Lakanwal served in the Afghan Army in Kandahar, where he worked alongside US Special Forces.

{Matzav.com}

Britain’s medical regulator has suspended the license of a London doctor who publicly celebrated Hamas’s October 7 massacre and posted antisemitic messages accusing Jews of controlling UK institutions. The General Medical Council (GMC) suspended Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan, 31, after reviewing her online statements praising Hamas terrorists as “oppressed resistance fighters” and calling Israelis “worse than […]

REPORTER: US officials say that the suspect worked very closely with the CIA in Afghanistan for years. He was vetted, and the vetting came up clean. TRUMP: He went cuckoo. He went nuts. And that happens too. It happens too often with these people.

US AND EGYPT TURN UP THE HEAT ON HAMAS: Senior Egyptian and American officials warned Hamas’ leadership that if it refuses to hand over its weapons, fighting in Gaza will resume and Israel will target Hamas leaders in the Strip and abroad with full American backing. • The warning came as part of the final […]

Trump provides an update on National Guard member Andrew Wolfe, who remains in critical condition, fighting for his life, after being shot Wednesday afternoon.

David Letterman used his return to the spotlight this week to unleash a fresh barrage of attacks on President Donald Trump, painting Trump as a “dictator” and branding his administration as “idiocy.”

The retired late-night host, who stepped away from television in 2015, joined The Barbara Gaines Show just days after Trump publicly ripped Seth Meyers, accusing the NBC host of having an “incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Trump had posted on Truth Social, “NBC’s Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). He was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his ‘show’ is a Ratings DISASTER. Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!”

Letterman, appearing on the podcast hosted by his longtime producer, immediately rushed to Meyers’ defense. Early in the conversation he praised the Late Night host, saying, “I’ve never been more proud of Seth Meyers. That’s our old show, as a matter of fact. Yeah, we used to do that show, and he does a magical job.”

At one point, Letterman even floated a bizarre suggestion that Meyers could be in physical danger, invoking the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. “But just remember Seth, things happen. You know what I’m saying,” he said.

As the episode wrapped, Letterman resumed his tirade, renewing his claims about the president. He declared that the Trump administration is “a wonder of idiocy,” referred to Trump as “our dictator,” and suggested that Trump intends to cling to power, saying, Trump is “not going anywhere.”

“It’s like 18 times the worst behavior one has witnessed ever anywhere,” Letterman said, escalating his rhetoric even further. “Think of the worst thing that you’ve ever seen humans accomplish. This is so much worse.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster.” As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned […]

Apple is on track to overtake Samsung in worldwide smartphone shipments next year, positioning the company at the top of the global rankings for the first time in well over ten years, according to a newly released assessment.

Counterpoint Research’s latest outlook anticipates a 3.3% rise in smartphone shipments across the industry in 2025, with Apple responsible for a significant portion of that upward trend.

Demand for the next-generation iPhone 17 lineup is expected to drive a double-digit increase in Apple’s shipments, with projections showing a 10% year-over-year surge across major markets.

If those expectations hold, Counterpoint says Apple’s global share will reach 19.4% in 2025—high enough to reclaim the title of the world’s top smartphone maker for the first time since 2011.

Samsung, by contrast, is expected to see its shipments grow by 4.6% next year. Even with that increase, its share is projected to settle at 18.7%, marking the end of a long run in the No. 1 slot.

Senior analyst Yang Wang noted that more than just strong interest in the upcoming iPhone lineup is at play. “Beyond the highly positive market reception for the iPhone 17 series, the key driver behind the upgraded shipment outlook lies in the replacement cycle reaching its inflection point,” he explained.

Wang added that many customers who purchased devices during the pandemic buying boom are now ready to shift to newer models. “Consumers who purchased smartphones during the COVID-19 boom are now entering their upgrade phase. Furthermore, 358 million second-hand iPhones were sold between 2023 and Q2 2025. These users are also likely to upgrade to a new iPhone in the coming years.”

Counterpoint’s report suggests that the momentum behind Apple’s customer base will likely allow the company to maintain its regained lead throughout the remainder of the decade.

The analysis also highlights Samsung’s evolving strategy. In developing regions, the company is leaning heavily on its A series, which provides stronger specs at competitive prices. In more established markets, Samsung is focusing on strengthening its premium offerings to prevent additional market-share erosion.

As for Chinese smartphone makers, analysts expect them to push further into international markets to maintain growth. By expanding into more expensive tiers and adding higher-end capabilities, these companies hope to increase their profit margins.

Counterpoint concludes that such diversification should bolster the financial performance of Chinese brands, while their current global shipment rankings are projected to remain largely unchanged through 2029.

{Matzav.com}

New York is preparing a sweeping overhaul of its driver penalty system in what state officials say is the most significant change to traffic enforcement in more than two decades, with tougher rules that could make it easier for motorists to lose their licenses. Beginning in January 2026, the Department of Motor Vehicles will extend […]

POTUS: “The suspect is an Afghan national flown here by the previous Administration… We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country. For the most part, WE DON’T WANT THEM.”

A high-profile media conference hosted this week in Doha is openly dismissing the documented atrocities of October 7, calling accounts of Hamas’ massacre “false reports” manufactured by Israel. The event, backed and promoted by Al Jazeera and Qatari state academic institutions, is positioning itself as a counter-narrative to global coverage of Hamas’ crimes. The two-day […]

The father of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last fallen Israeli hostage still held inside Gaza, voiced his dread on Thursday that his son may never be brought home. “We pray of course that he will not be another Ron Arad or [Hadar] Goldin,” Itzik Gvili told Kan news. “That we don’t drag it out for many more years.”

Gvili’s reference to Goldin and Arad underscores the haunting parallels he fears. Goldin, who fell in 2014 and whose remains were hidden in Gaza for more than ten years, was recently brought back to Israel. Arad, an IAF navigator captured in Lebanon in 1988 after ejecting from his plane, vanished without a trace and has never been recovered.

Master Sgt. Ran Gvili was killed while heroically confronting Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Alumim on October 7, 2023. His body was taken into Gaza by the attackers. Only two murdered hostages remain unreturned: Gvili and Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was slain in Kibbutz Be’eri the same day.

Despite the anguish, the family pushes forward. “We’re moving forward because we have to,” Gvili’s father said. “Hamas says they’re looking for his body, but we don’t see any progress.”

He voiced frustration at the terror group’s claims. “They probably know where he is. They are playing games and deceiving us,” he remarked, though he provided no further detail.

Of the Israeli authorities, he added, “I know that they don’t know much” about where his son’s remains are located.

On Thursday, Al Jazeera reported renewed searches for a hostage’s body in Gaza’s Zeitoun neighborhood. The report was later confirmed to Kan by an Israeli military source.

Itzik Gvili worries that as nearly all other hostages have now been returned, public and governmental focus may drift. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has already announced that it will significantly scale down operations. “As far as I am concerned, until Ran comes back, he is alive,” he said. “I have nothing else to hope for. Perhaps there will be a miracle, and he will still be alive.”

Israel declared Ran Gvili dead in January 2024, based on intelligence assessments and collected evidence.

Having largely avoided the spotlight until now, his father said he intends to speak out more forcefully to ensure that his son’s case doesn’t fade from view. Calling Ran a “hero” for continuing to fight even after being wounded, he added, “Just like Ran didn’t forget the nation on that day, I don’t want the nation to forget him.”

Ran’s mother, Talik Gvili, told Ynet that this period was “an unsettling time” for the family. At the same time, she acknowledged being “happy that hostages returned and families are getting closure and can begin breathing again as much as possible.”

Talik said the family receives daily briefings from officials and knows that searches are taking place in the exact area where Ran’s body was taken. “We hope that they will find him,” she said, adding that she still prays for “a miracle” and imagines her son returning alive. “From the first day, I have been imagining him returning on his own two feet. It is hard, not easy to imagine something like that.”

She appealed for media attention to continue: she hopes journalists will “remain with us until everyone comes back.”

The ordeal continues even as other cases reach closure. On Tuesday, Hamas returned the body of Dror Or, whose identity was verified by forensic experts the following day.

Ran and the other hostages were among 251 people kidnapped when Hamas stormed Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering 1,200 people and igniting the war in Gaza.

Following a ceasefire agreement reached last month, Hamas and allied terror groups freed all surviving captives and subsequently released most of the bodies of the murdered—except for Gvili and Rinthalak.

Under the ceasefire deal, all deceased hostages must be returned. The terror groups now claim they cannot find the final two bodies despite repeated searches.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH: President Trump announces that U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia, one of the National Guardsmen savagely attacked yesterday in Washington, D.C., has just passed away.

Angry crowd of migrants march through Dearborn, Michigan calling for “Intifada and revolution”. America has a big problem brewing.

BREAKING: West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom has died after being shot by an Afghan national in Washington, D.C.

ICE is deporting a prominent Muslim leader from Dallas, Texas, after he allegedly sent “donations” to a nonprofit linked to Hamas.

Newly released footage shows the Afghan gunman’s assault on National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. Rahmanullah Lakanwal is seen rounding a corner with a revolver before opening fire in a brazen ambush. National Guard members immediately returned fire, stopping the attacker and then rushing to render aid to the two critically wounded soldiers.

According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, Iran has restored and expanded its financial lifeline to Hezbollah in Lebanon, channeling hundreds of millions of dollars over the past year through elaborate money-laundering routes centered in Dubai.

The report says that proceeds from Iranian oil sales are routed through an array of exchange houses, front companies, couriers, and aligned businessmen. These funds ultimately reach Lebanon through the Hawala method — a traditional system in which trusted individuals, not banks, serve as intermediaries for transferring money. The practice remains common across the Muslim world.

A senior official in the United Arab Emirates told the paper that the UAE is attempting to shut down such activity within its borders and is coordinating with global partners to curb the illicit networks.

Before the most recent war between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran had routinely funneled large cash shipments directly into Lebanon through the Beirut airport. That approach was curtailed as part of the November 2024 ceasefire terms, which were implemented exactly one year ago today.

Arab officials quoted in the report say Tehran has since adapted by sending more individual travelers into Lebanon, each carrying smaller sums or compact valuables that can be concealed easily. They also emphasized that Hezbollah continues to draw money from a variety of global revenue streams, including the drug trade and diamond smuggling.

The Journal also cites a senior US official who warned that Washington is increasingly troubled by the flow of Hezbollah-bound funds routed through Turkey and Iraq.

{Matzav.com}

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premier of Canada’s oil rich province of Alberta agreed Thursday to work toward building a pipeline to the Pacific Coast to diversify the country’s oil exports beyond the United States, in a move that has caused turmoil in Carney’s inner circle. The memorandum of understanding includes an adjustment […]