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PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 13th, 2026: Terror Attacks Raise U.S. Security Concerns & Cuba Signals Diplomatic Opening as Trump Pressure Mounts
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It's Friday, the 13th of March. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, federal investigators are examining two terror attacks that unfolded Thursday in the US an attack on a synagogue outside Detroit and a deadly shooting inside an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia. I'll have the details later in the show. Cuba's Communist leadership acknowledges talks with the US for the first time in years. We'll look at what's behind the diplomatic opening and why the island's deepening blackout crisis is likely forcing Havana back to the table. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We begin today with two violent incidents in the US that federal authorities are now examining as potential acts of terrorism, developments that come in 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 four 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 Ayman Mohammed Ghazali, 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, Ghazali had lost four family members in an Israeli airstrike 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 U.S. reuters reports that security around synagogues and other religious sites have been tightened in recent weeks following the outbreak of war between the U.S. 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 2/3 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 ROTC classroom on campus at just before 11am Tragically, one victim, Army Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shaw, an ROTC instructor, was killed while two other U.S. army personnel were injured. Authorities say the gunman, identified as 36 year old Mohammed 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 al Akbar before he was confronted by students inside the classroom. According to federal investigators, several ROTC 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. Hmm. 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? 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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 acknowledgment 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, quote, friendly takeover by the U.S. before adding, quote, it may not be a friendly takeover, end quote. H. 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, quote, 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 three 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 struggle to conserve electricity, the frustration is beginning to spill into public life in 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 13th March. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.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 10pm 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 10:00pm 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, usually whenever happy hour rolls around. But the TR 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. 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