Transcription
Two violent incidents in the US are now drawing the attention of federal investigators. An attack on a synagogue outside Detroit, and a deadly shooting inside an ROC classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia. Authorities say the Virginia case is being investigated as an act of terrorism, while the synagogue attack is being treated as a targeted attack against the Jewish community. I'll have the details.
We begin today with two violent incidents in the US that federal authorities are now examining as potential acts of terrorism. Developments that come at a moment of heightened tension, obviously, as the war with Iran continues. We start outside Detroit. On Thursday, a man armed with a rifle drove a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, one of the nation's largest reformed synagogues, before being shot and killed by security personnel at the scene.
Authorities say the suspect crashed the vehicle through the synagogue's entrance and drove down a hallway, striking a security officer who was knocked unconscious, but is expected to recover. The crash happened near classrooms at the synagogue's early childhood center, where children as young as 4 years old were present at the time. Officials say that none of the synagogue staff, teachers, or children at the center were injured. Smoke billowed from parts of the building after the vehicle hit the structure, however, and authorities say roughly 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation while responding to the scene.
Investigators have identified the suspect who was found dead inside his vehicle as 41-year-old Aean Muhammad Gazali, a naturalized US citizen born in Lebanon. Officials say the investigation remains ongoing and a motive has not yet been confirmed. However, according to reporting from the Associated Press, Gazali had lost four family members in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon last week, a detail that investigators are aware of as they continue examining the circumstances surrounding the attack. The FBI said it is treating the incident as what it described as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
Yeah, well, there were some clues. The attack comes at a moment of heightened concern, of course, for Jewish institutions across the US. Reuters reports that security around synagogues and other religious sites have been tightened in recent weeks following the outbreak of war between the US, Israel, and Iran, a conflict that of course has coincided with a surge in anti-Semitic threats and incidents worldwide. According to FBI data cited by Reuters, anti-Jewish incidents accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 5,300 religiously motivated hate crimes recorded in the US since February of 2024. Jewish community leaders in Michigan say the security measures already in place at Temple Israel likely prevented the situation from becoming far more deadly. The synagogue maintains armed security and reinforced entry points, protections that have become increasingly common at Jewish houses of worship across the country.
But Detroit was not the only violent incident drawing the attention of federal investigators on Thursday. In Virginia, a shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk triggered a federal terrorism investigation. According to reporting from NBC News, gunfire erupted inside an ROC classroom on campus at just before 11:00 a.m. Tragically, one victim, Army Lieutenant Colonel Brandon A. Shaw, an ROC instructor, was killed, while two other US Army personnel were injured. Authorities say the gunman, identified as 36-year-old Muhammad Baylor Jalo, had previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State terrorist group, but was released from prison in 2024 after serving most of his sentence.
Yeah. During the attack, witnesses say Jalo shouted Alkbar before he was confronted by students inside the classroom. According to federal investigators, several ROC students subdued the gunman and, as one FBI official put it, rendered him no longer alive, preventing what authorities say could have been a much deadlier attack. Federal investigators are now examining the shooting as a potential act of terrorism.
I should stress that for now, there is no evidence that the incidents in Michigan and Virginia are directly connected, but taken together, they underscore the increasingly tense security climate in the US. And that tension comes at a moment when the war in the Middle East is dominating headlines and raising concerns among security officials about the potential for violence tied to the conflict, whether directed by the Iranian regime or carried out by lone wolf attackers triggered or motivated by the conflict.
All right, coming up next, Cuba's communist leadership acknowledges talks with the US for the first time in years. I'll be right back.
Hey, Mike Baker here with an important message for homeowners. Now, if you're a homeowner like me, you know that things never break around the home when it's convenient, right? Like the heater will go out during the dead of winter, or the AC system gives out in the middle of summer. Look, we insure our health and we insure our cars, but our biggest investment often isn't covered for everyday breakdowns. And homeowners insurance usually leaves you paying out of pocket for repairs. That's why I want to thank HomeServe for sponsoring this episode. They offer subscriptions with 24/7 access to trusted local contractors who handle problems fast. For over 20 years, HomeServe has helped over 4 and a half million customers. They've got a nearly five-star post-repair rating and HomeServe is A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau. Help protect your home systems and your wallet with HomeServe. Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Go to homeserve.com to find the plan that's right for you. Again, that's homeserve.com. HomeServe is not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 to $11.99 a month your first year. Terms apply. Uncovered repairs.
Hey, Mike Baker here with an important message for every small business out there. Now, small businesses face an uphill battle with big banks. You know what I'm talking about. Where getting a loan means endless paperwork and delays. For bank rates without that weight, go to cardiff.co/pdb for up to $500,000 in funding. Their application takes less than 5 minutes, has no impact on personal credit, and approvals happen in minutes with same-day funding. It's the fastest way to get the capital you need to keep your business moving forward. Now, many banks try to lock out small businesses, but Cardiff has the key. Cardiff wants to approve your business loan. If you've been in business for at least a year and are pulling in $20,000 a month in revenue, apply now for up to $500,000 in same-day business funding at cardiff.co/pdb. Again, that's cardiff.co/pdb. Real growth, fast funding. That's Cardiff.
Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. We turn now to Cuba, where the island's communist leadership says they've quietly opened talks with the US, a rare development between the longtime adversaries that comes as Havana confronts a deepening economic and energy crisis. Speaking during a televised address on Friday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said officials from his government have held discussions with representatives of the Trump administration aimed at resolving what he described as "bilateral differences." There's a diplomatic comment for you between the two countries.
The acknowledgement is notable. President Trump has repeatedly said in recent weeks that the US was already engaged in high-level talks with Cuban representatives. Until now, however, Havana had denied that any official encounters were underway. Trump has also intensified his rhetoric toward the island in recent weeks. In a series of statements, he's suggested that Cuba's government is on the verge of collapse or eager to strike a deal with Washington. Earlier this week, the president went even further, saying the island could be subject to what he described as a "friendly takeover" by the US, before adding, "it may not be a friendly takeover." Hm.
Diaz-Canel offered few details about contacts with US officials, but said the conversations were intended to explore whether dialogue could help ease tensions between Washington and Havana while addressing issues affecting both nations. Diaz-Canel also suggested that there were what he called "international factors" that have facilitated these exchanges, though he did not elaborate. It's worth noting that Cuba's foreign ministry announced in a press release Thursday night that 51 prisoners will be released in the coming days in what it described as a gesture of goodwill, citing the country's close relationship with the Vatican.
So, you ask, why now? Well, the timing of these talks appears closely tied to Cuba's worsening energy crisis. According to Diaz-Canel, the island has not received any petroleum shipments in roughly 3 months, a shortage that he blamed on the US oil blockade against Cuba. Without those imports, Cuba's already fragile electrical grid has come under intense strain. A major blackout last week plunged much of the island into darkness, and power outages have since stretched for hours at a time across large parts of the country. The shortages have rippled across the Cuban economy, disrupting transportation, communications, and education, while hospitals have reportedly postponed thousands of surgeries as authorities struggled to conserve electricity.
The frustration is beginning to spill into public life. In recent days, residents in Havana neighborhoods have taken to banging pots and pans in protest of the prolonged outages, while university students have organized rare assemblies and sit-ins to demand solutions to the country's worsening energy crisis. As a reminder, much of Cuba's electricity is generated by oil-fired power plants, meaning that the country's power system depends heavily on imported fuel, historically supplied in large part by Venezuela. But those supplies have dwindled as Washington has tightened pressure on the island's energy lifelines, including efforts to block Venezuelan oil shipments that once helped sustain the Cuban economy.
Facing that pressure, Diaz-Canel still insisted that any negotiations with Washington must take place on what he described as a basis of equality and respect for Cuba's sovereignty and communist political system. In other words, the Cuban government appears to be walking a diplomatic tightrope, publicly condemning US pressure while quietly keeping channels of communication open in case dialogue offers a way out of the island's worsening situation.
And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Friday the 13th of March. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbfirststev.com. And of course, as it is the end of the week, we are currently loading up a brand new episode of our extended weekend show, The PDB Situation Report. Every Friday evening at 10 p.m. on The First TV, a brand new episode hits the airwaves. This week's guests include retired Admiral Mark Montgomery with some fascinating insight into the Iran conflict, as well as a look at Ukraine's offer to assist Gulf States with drone expertise. And also, we have energy specialist Daniel Turner with analysis of global energy markets and the impact of the Iran war. That's tonight at 10 p.m. on The First TV, as well as on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief and wherever you get your podcast stuff. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back over the weekend with The PDB Situation Report. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, the folks who know me know that I may be partial to an ice-cold gin martini or two on occasion, right? Usually whenever happy hour rolls around. But the truth is, I don't want to pay for it the next day. And that's why I love Zbiotics. It's the first genetically engineered probiotic, right? Created by PhD scientists to help you handle those rough mornings after drinking. And who knows more about rough mornings after drinking than PhD scientists? Come on. Here's the deal. When you have a drink, alcohol converts into a toxic byproduct in the gut. And it's actually the buildup of that byproduct, not dehydration, that's behind feeling lousy the next day. Zbiotics pre-alcohol steps in by producing an enzyme that helps break that byproduct down. Just make it your first drink of the night. Of course, always drink responsibly, and you'll set yourself up to feel better tomorrow.
Now, March, of course, is a marathon of social events, right? The weather's warming up. You're heading towards spring. Just more social activity? Well, pre-alcohol helps you fully enjoy the end of winter. Go to zbiotics.com/pdb to learn more and to get 15% off your first order when you use PDB at checkout. Zbiotics is backed with a 100% money-back guarantee. So, if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Again, that's zbiotics.com/pdb and use the code PDB at checkout for 15% off.
Hey, thanks for tuning in. If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to hit that like button and leave a comment. A really positive, nice, and kind comment. That would be appreciated. And if you're not already subscribed to our channel, make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss any of our daily updates.