A New Jersey mayor berated a resident during a heated council meeting, telling her to “get a job” and mocking her by asking whether she still lived in her parents’ basement.

Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick made the remarks after longtime resident Dana Tormollan confronted him on Oct. 19 over political letters she said had been included with her tax bills.

“I told you to stop sending me this crap,” Tormollan said as she approached the microphone during the public comment portion of the Toms River Township Council meeting.

“I didn’t send you anything,” Rodrick replied. “Did you get a job yet, Dana?”

“Are you still living in the basement at home?” the mayor added mockingly, prompting groans from people in the gallery.

Tormollan attempted to answer, but Rodrick continued questioning her about where she lived, appearing to suppress laughter as he spoke.

“I live in my own house and pay my own bills, so back off, jackass, because you’re collecting benefits on these people’s backs. You’re a piece of crap. Shut up,” the frustrated resident responded.

“Right, right, get a job,” Rodrick continued, even as Tormollan insisted that she already had one.

The confrontation soon spilled across the meeting room, with several attendees shouting at one another.

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The exchange intensified after Council President David Ciccozzi told Rodrick to stop “interrupting the public.”

Tormollan said the letter from Rodrick’s office highlighted accomplishments the mayor claimed to have achieved during his term.

“We had gotten our tax bills and his letter was in there full of things that were not true,” Tormollan told NJ.com after the meeting. “I was going to go in and just say, ‘Stop wasting residents’ money by sending out your political nonsense.’”

During her public comment, Tormollan challenged the accuracy of the figures cited in the letter. Rodrick and an ally pushed back, accusing her of lying.

“It’s right here, you jackass,” Tormollan said, slamming the letter onto the desk in front of the mayor.

Tormollan said her anger was also fueled by Rodrick’s treatment of older women who had spoken earlier in the meeting.

“If he was speaking to my mother that way, I would not sit here… It’s really gross and extremely unprofessional,” Tormollan told the outlet.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council voted 4-3 to approve a resolution of no confidence in Rodrick, citing his “reprehensible behavior, disruption of official proceedings and decorum violations.”

Rodrick also faced a recall campaign in February, but opponents failed to collect enough signatures to trigger an election.

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Thirty-seven United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) employees are being held by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, the agency’s new executive director told News Media on Wednesday. Some of the workers have been detained for nearly two years.

Luke J. Lindberg spoke as WFP personnel confront escalating dangers in several of the world’s most volatile conflict zones. Hundreds of aid workers have been killed while risking their lives to help others, he said.

“Right now in Yemen, we have 37 colleagues who are currently detained,” Lindberg said.

“These people are there to provide basic humanitarian services. They are not there to influence the political outcome of a conflict. We need to protect them and secure the release of our detained colleagues.”

Lindberg clarified that all 37 detainees are Yemeni nationals employed locally by the WFP. Some have been separated from their families for “nearly two years,” he said.

“It’s a really complex political environment,” Lindberg said, adding that no Americans are currently among those detained.

“They are all locally employed Yemenis,” he said.

Only three days after taking office, Lindberg raised the issue with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, highlighting the urgency of winning the workers’ release.

“Ambassador Waltz is aware, and the State Department team has done a great job of taking this seriously. Getting these people released is a priority for them, just as it is for us.”

“It’s been almost two years,” Lindberg said. “Away from their families. It breaks my heart.”

The detentions are taking place amid Yemen’s devastating civil war between the internationally recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthis. The conflict has crippled the economy and left millions reliant on humanitarian assistance.

More than 18 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including over two million children under the age of five who suffer from acute malnutrition.

“Our team operates in the most impossible and challenging conditions you can imagine around the world,” Lindberg said.

“People like me are not out in the field, handing food to people or cooking meals so they receive the nourishment they need. The wonderful people who choose to do this work are the real heroes.”

Lindberg said the WFP must carefully weigh the need to reach vulnerable communities against its responsibility to protect employees from unacceptable danger.

“There are areas we will enter and areas we cannot. The goal is to end the conflict and ensure humanitarian resources can reach those communities.

“Until that happens, there are places where we will not operate so our staff can remain safe and continue doing their work.”

The dangers extend beyond Yemen, with Lindberg saying conflict drives roughly two-thirds of acute food insecurity worldwide, with an estimated 266 million people facing severe hunger.

“It means the most challenging levels of hunger we can imagine,” Lindberg said.

The crisis has intensified pressure on humanitarian organizations to deliver food in some of the world’s most dangerous and inaccessible regions.

“But the World Food Programme really has a great team operating in over 120 countries around the world, doing this hard work each and every day,” he explained.

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Among the most urgent crises, he said, are those in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, where conflict, displacement and climate-related disasters have pushed vulnerable communities toward famine.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced millions and triggered famine conditions in parts of the country, with Lindberg saying Sudan will be his first field destination as executive director, reflecting the urgency of the crisis.

“Right now, we are approaching famine levels in three countries, predominantly in the Africa region, in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia,” he said.

“And so those are flash points for me that are incredibly important for us to focus on, find the resources that should be available to help us meet those needs specifically.”

Other humanitarian emergencies include Gaza, where fighting, damaged infrastructure, restricted access and funding shortages have complicated food deliveries, and Haiti, where gang violence has disrupted aid access.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fighting involving armed groups has displaced millions, while the war in Ukraine has also disrupted agricultural production and global food supply chains.

But Lindberg said one of the most disturbing consequences of these conflicts is the rising death toll among humanitarian workers with hundreds killed worldwide in recent years.

“Unfortunately, in the past couple of years, we’ve lost over 700 humanitarians around the world in their active duty.

“To me, that’s the worst possible outcome. It’s really unacceptable. And so yes, many of our World Food Programme colleagues have unfortunately been caught up in those circumstances as well.

“It’s my commitment to call each one of those family members should that happen, but it’s primarily my goal to not let that happen anymore.”

Lindberg’s appointment comes as the WFP confronts major humanitarian emergencies and funding pressures, while also bringing the agency a direct connection to President Donald Trump.

A South Dakota native, Lindberg previously served as undersecretary of agriculture for trade and foreign agricultural affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, overseeing international agricultural assistance programs, including the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Food for Progress programs.

Lindberg succeeds Cindy McCain, who stepped down this year, with Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau serving in the interim. Since 1992, six executive directors were American.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu appointed Lindberg after consulting the WFP Executive Board.

Lindberg said Trump personally called to ask him to serve as the U.S. nominee for the position, a conversation he described as evidence of the president’s commitment to humanitarian efforts.

“When I was nominated to lead the World Food Program by the United States, President Trump personally took the time to call me and offer me this opportunity,” Lindberg said.

“And to me, that shows his heart for this work. He is somebody that believes in peace around the world. And for me to have the opportunity to speak with him about how the World Food Programme can.

“To play an important role alongside the U.S. in addressing these humanitarian needs was a special moment that I’ll never forget.”

That said, Lindberg is adamant that his new job at the World Food Programme comes with a clear mission: “show up no matter what.”

That means focusing on delivering food to those who need it, regardless of the politics involved.

“To safely and effectively deliver food, and to really stay out of the politics of it, our goal is to feed hungry people.”

A little-known Democratic operative who has worked behind the scenes on multiple political campaigns is now facing scrutiny over allegations of a scheme designed to disrupt Alaska’s Senate race.

The contest is one of the most closely watched races of the midterm election cycle, with Democrat Mary Peltola seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.

Questions emerged earlier this year after a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, previously unknown to many voters, appeared on the ballot.

But fewer than seven days before Election Day, an investigation suggested the matching names may have been part of a deliberate effort to confuse voters and help Peltola’s campaign.

A recent investigation identified Jerid Kurtz as the alleged intermediary who recruited prospective candidates, including the “second” Sullivan, to enter the Senate race.

The New York Times’ report triggered calls for a federal investigation from the Trump administration and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

After the allegations became public, Kurtz deleted his social media profiles and removed the website of Wingspan Strategies, the firm he co-owns.

According to Case Western Reserve University, Kurtz entered politics after graduating in 2005 with a degree in political science and English.

He earned a law degree from Case Western in 2009 and went on to serve as a board member and vice president of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.

Kurtz later became communications director for the Ohio Democratic Party and worked on efforts to re-elect President Barack Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown, according to his alumni profile.

His LegiStorm biography says he served as campaign manager for Raphael Warnock’s 2020 Senate campaign. Kurtz also managed campaigns for David Trone and Anthony Brown.

The New York Times reported that Kurtz was introduced in the summer of 2025 to Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, and Anton McParland, her former chief of staff.

Rios told the newspaper that Kurtz was presented as a “specialist in secret ballot maneuvers.” His reported assignment was to locate and persuade someone named “Dan Sullivan” to run for the Senate.

Early in 2026, Kurtz reportedly told people close to the Peltola campaign that he had found a Dan Sullivan prepared to run in order to “help Mary.”

Kurtz also allegedly approached other potential spoiler candidates. Among them was Matthew Salisbury, whom he contacted through a Google Voice number before meeting him at a pub while using the name “Zane.”

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Text messages reviewed by The Times showed that members of Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee referred to Kurtz as “Jarid,” “Jared” or simply “our friend.”

In response to the allegations, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has launched an investigation and has asked Kurtz to testify in person on November 6. 

Chairman James Comer sent Kurtz a letter on Thursday warning that if he did not voluntarily appear for the interview, the committee would be ‘forced to evaluate the use of compulsory process.’ 

Trump has also demanded Peltola be removed from the ballot and investigated. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into the campaign. 

‘Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections,’ the governor wrote on X. 

Vice President JD Vance called the results of The Times investigation ‘disgraceful,’ accusing Peltola of ‘trying to steal a Senate seat from the voters of Alaska.’

The Justice Department has already filed a lawsuit to block the certification of the results if Senator Sullivan loses due to the second Sullivan’s presence in the race. 

Sullivan has accused Peltola and her campaign of ‘gaslighting Alaskans, denying a scheme they were running all along.’  

The Peltola campaign and the DSCC have repeatedly denied any involvement in the ‘second’ Sullivan campaign or in recruiting other candidates. 

During a rally on Thursday, Peltola doubled down on the claims, telling voters the New York Times investigation was ‘just another distraction.’

‘This is all stuff to sell newspapers. This is all stuff to get subscriptions,’ she said. ‘Nobody at The New York Times cares about affordability in Alaska.’

Supporters of Peltola’s campaign have argued that if true, the scheme does not violate election laws. 

Chris Redfern, a former member of the US House, who worked with Kurtz when he was the communications director for the Ohio Democratic Party, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that similar schemes are ‘a campaign tactic as old as ballot boxes.’ 

‘It is quite common to find candidates to muddy the waters,’ he added. 

Redfern said Kurtz was ‘exceptional’ and the two ‘enjoyed a great deal of success’ when they worked together. Kurtz was not immediately available for comment.  

An Arizona man allegedly arranged for another man to sexually assault his fiancée at their home, but the mother of two fought back and drove off the attacker in the driveway.

Zarian Dyer, 23, was arrested Thursday after investigators accused him of recruiting 20-year-old Adrian Ayala to assault his fiancée, the Buckeye Police Department said.

Police said Ayala carried out the alleged attack after arriving at the woman’s home in Buckeye, about 30 miles west of Phoenix, at around 6 p.m. on Oct. 16. She was inside with her two children at the time.

According to court records obtained by the Merced Sun-Star, the woman told police she noticed a “random man” poking his head through her front door just minutes after her fiancée left to pick up groceries.

Her 2-month-old son was sleeping in a bedroom, while her 17-month-old daughter stood behind her as she confronted Ayala. He allegedly asked to use the bathroom.

Ayala allegedly kicked open the front door and forced his way into the house. Once inside, he “began to choke her by grabbing her by the neck,” the woman told investigators.

The confrontation moved into the bathroom, where Ayala allegedly locked himself inside with the woman. He “began trying to undo the button on the victim’s pants but was unable to” do so before allegedly groping her, the Merced Sun-Star reported, citing court records.

The woman eventually managed to force her alleged attacker out of the house and into the front yard.

Home security video obtained by AZ Family shows the woman battling Ayala in the driveway. She pushed him away, slapped him in the face and yelled at him as he leaned his weight against her.

As she resisted, Ayala allegedly told her, “Your boyfriend told me you’d be into this,” according to court records.

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The woman pursued Ayala down the street as he ran from the scene before police arrived.

Ayala was arrested the next day at his home in Goodyear, roughly 15 miles away. Investigators then allegedly discovered that the attack had been arranged by the victim’s fiancée, police said.

Ayala told investigators he had met Dyer online and agreed to go to the woman’s home to sexually assault her without her knowledge or consent.

Detectives seized Ayala’s electronic devices and found communications between him and Dyer that allegedly discussed the planned attack.

Dyer faces charges of aggravated assault, sexual abuse, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping and conspiracy.

Ayala was charged with kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary and aggravated assault, according to court records obtained by the Merced Sun-Star.

He made his first court appearance on Oct. 18.

Ayala’s attorney told the judge that his client had been taken to the home by the woman’s boyfriend for a “role-play scenario.” The attorney argued that Ayala did not intend to commit a felony and believed the woman had consented, the Merced Sun-Star reported.

Court records show Ayala’s trial is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2027.

It was not immediately known when Dyer is scheduled to appear in court.

Investigators said it remains unclear what drove Dyer to allegedly orchestrate the attack on his fiancée.