A large explosion rocked a hotel in Fort Worth‚ Texas on Monday leaving multiple people injured‚ according to various reports. The explosion “blew out at least two floors” of the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel‚ according to NBC DFW. One person was reportedly in critical condition while two others were in serious condition and at least eight others were injured. Various officials said that the cause of the explosion at the 245-room high rise hotel appeared to be a natural gas leak. “There is a smell of gas here in downtown‚” said Craig Trojacek with the Fort Worth Fire Department. “We’re not sure if the smell of gas was caused from the explosion and the fire itself or if that’s what caused the explosion. But that’s what we’re looking at.” First responders are on scene this afternoon of an explosion at a hotel in downtown Fort Worth. This happened at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel. @KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/rM5Baif3gB — Will DuPree (@willdupreetv) January 8‚ 2024 Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement‚ “There has been an explosion incident in downtown Fort Worth this afternoon‚ and every Fort Worth emergency response agency is on hand responding.” “We will provide more information as available‚” she added. “My heart and prayers are with those who were injured as we continue managing response.” There has been an explosion incident in downtown Fort Worth this afternoon‚ and every Fort Worth emergency response agency is on hand responding. We will provide more information as available. My heart and prayers are with those who were injured as we continue managing response. https://t.co/ncSXGNpYZ4 — Mayor Mattie Parker (@MayorMattie) January 8‚ 2024 Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement that he had spoken with Parker and Sheriff Waybourn to offer them any resources they needed as they navigate the recovery process. “The State of Texas is in close contact with Mayor Parker‚ Sheriff Waybourn‚ and other local partners and first responders in Fort Worth to assist with emergency response efforts following the tragic explosion at the Sandman Hotel‚” Abbott said. “We continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to immediately deploy any additional personnel and resources needed to keep Texans in the area safe and out of harm’s way. Cecilia and I ask all Texans to pray for those who were injured in the explosion‚ as well as those bravely responding to keep others safe.” This is a developing news story; refresh the page for updates. 

The Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah said on Monday that one of its top commanders was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. The Times of Israel reported that Wissam al-Tawil‚ the top commander of the Iranian-backed terror group’s elite Radwan force‚ was killed when a missile blew up an SUV he was riding in. The Radwan force exists with the goal of being able to infiltrate and overrun Israel’s northern border. Video of the aftermath showed the vehicle was totally destroyed from the airstrike‚ which occurred just a few miles away from the Israeli border. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had conducted “a series of strikes” in the area against Hezbollah targets but did not comment specifically on the strike that hit Tawil. “The Radwan Force is the most immediate threat to Israel from Hezbollah right now‚” said Jonathan Schanzer‚ FDD Senior Vice President for Research. “This targeted strike appears to be the most significant one scored by Israel against the Iran-backed group since it began attacking Israel on October 8. The question now is whether such strikes deter Hezbollah or if they increase the likelihood of escalation. Either way‚ Israel has little choice but to respond.” The Islamic terrorist group has repeatedly launched small scale attacks against Israel since Hamas‚ an Iranian-backed Islamic terrorist group based inside Gaza‚ launched an unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel on October 7. The New York Times noted that Tawil’s death was a significant blow for Hezbollah as Al Manar‚ a Hezbollah-owned Lebanese broadcaster‚ and media controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) showed images of Tawil alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian general and terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani. “Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into a totally unnecessary war‚” said Eylon Levy‚ an Israeli government spokesman. “We are now at a fork in the road. Either Hezbollah backs off‚ hopefully as part of a diplomatic solution‚ or we will push it away.”

A car crashed into a security barrier at the White House complex on Monday night‚ leading to the arrest of the driver. U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that the crash happened around 6 p.m. when “a vehicle collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex.” “The driver has been taken into custody &; we are investigating the cause &; manner of the collision‚” he said. “Expect traffic implications at 15th Street &; Pennsylvania Ave &; adjacent intersections.” President Joe Biden was traveling at the time of the incident and thus was not at the White House. Shortly before 6p.m.‚ a vehicle collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex. The driver has been taken into custody &; we are investigating the cause &; manner of the collision. Expect traffic implications at 15th Street &; Pennsylvania Ave &; adjacent intersections. pic.twitter.com/n3M7zsFkvm — Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) January 8‚ 2024 Last month‚ a car crashed into Biden’s motorcade just as he was getting ready to step back inside one of the vehicles after he walked out from his campaign office headquarters in Wilmington‚ Delaware‚ following a dinner that he and the first lady attended. The car hit a U.S. Secret Service vehicle that was being used to block an intersection near the headquarters. The car reportedly then tried to drive into the closed-off intersection when federal law enforcement officials surrounded the car and ordered the driver to put his hands up. Video of the incident shows Biden walking outside and talking to a heckler when the incident happened as the crash was loud enough that it grabbed the attention of Secret Service agents who quickly surrounded Biden and got him into the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was later charged with DUI‚ according to local police. “Following our investigation‚ Wilmington Police have determined that this was an accidental collision‚ and have charged the driver of the striking vehicle – a 46-year-old Wilmington man – with Driving a Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol and Inattentive Driving‚” said Wilmington Police Department Communications Director David Karas.

One of the co-defendants in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ sprawling RICO case — against former President Donald Trump and several of his top associates — claimed in court filings this week that Willis had an “improper” relationship with one of the prosecutors in the case. The court filing claims that special prosecutor Nathan Wade‚ a private lawyer‚ paid for vacations that he allegedly took with Willis using funds his law firm received from the county as compensation for his work on the case. His firm has been paid approximately $650‚000. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that the motion‚ filed on behalf of defendant Michael Roman‚ a former Trump campaign official “offers no concrete proof of the romantic ties between Willis and Wade‚ except to say ‘sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing‚ personal relationship.'” The motion seeks for the charges to be dismissed against Roman and for Wade and the entire D.A.’s team to be “disqualified from further prosecution of the case‚” the AJC added. The motion claimed that some of the alleged activity could constitute “honest services fraud‚ a federal crime in which a vendor gives kickbacks to an employer.” The report noted that motion could have been filed to “simply muddy the waters by questioning Willis’ professional ethics.” A spokesperson for Willis said that the D.A.’s office will respond to the allegations “through appropriate court filings.” Multiple co-defendants in the case have flipped and have agreed to testify against the others. Some of those who have flipped include multiple attorneys who represented Trump after the 2020 election‚ including Sidney Powell‚ Jenna Ellis‚ and Kenneth Chesebro. Trump released a campaign ad back in August that included a claim that Willis “got caught hiding a relationship with a gang member she was prosecuting.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that the ad misrepresented a report from Rolling Stone to make the implication that she had an affair with a gang member.

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Driver Crashes Into White House Gate‚ Secret Service Says