Dockworkers begin strike at East and Gulf coast ports

THIS MORNING, THOUSANDS OF DOCKWORKERS ALONG THE  EAST AND GULF COASTS HAVE WALKED OFF THE JOB — IMPACTING THE MOVEMENT OF **BILLIONS** OF DOLLARS WORTH OF GOODS. 

THEY TOOK TO THE PICKET LINES JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT — ONCE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN’S ASSOCIATION and THE UNITED STATES MARITIME ALLIANCE OFFICIALLY LAPSED. 

THE I-L-A HAS BEEN CALLING FOR HIGHER WAGES FOR WORKERS AND A TOTAL BAN ON AUTOMATION, IN A NEW CONTRACT AT SOME OF THE BUSIEST PORTS IN THE COUNTRY. 

THE TWO SIDES HAVE NOT MET FACE-TO-FACE SINCE JUNE. 

YESTERDAY, THE MARITIME ALLIANCE ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION — BUT THE I-L-A DID NOT GRANT ONE. 

THE STRIKE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SHORTAGES AND PRICE INCREASES OF CONSUMER GOODS,  RIGHT AS THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON APPROACHES.  TRUCKING COMPANIES AND FREIGHT RAIL OPERATORS WERE SCRAMBLING TO MOVE BILLIONS IN PRODUCTS IN-ADVANCE OF THE STRIKE.  

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN **COULD** INVOKE A FEDERAL LABOR LAW TO FORCE THE LONGSHOREMEN BACK TO WORK — BUT HE HAS SAID HE HAS NO INTENTION OF DOING THAT. 

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS’ BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT SIMONE DEL ROSARIO SPOKE WITH A PROFESSOR OF SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICE YESTERDAY — ABOUT **WHEN** HE THINKS THE WHITE HOUSE SHOULD STEP IN. 

PATRICK PENFIELD | PROFESSOR OF SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICE, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY 

“I give it at least five days, I think. After that, I think the government really needs to step in.” 

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO 

“Wow, five days. That’s not a very long time.” 

PATRICK PENFIELD | PROFESSOR OF SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICE, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY 

“No. I think that’s really all we can afford, to be honest with you. And I think, again, if you’re the Biden administration, this is probably a worry because it’s an election year, right? So, again,if the constituents see that there’s issues and problems here and you don’t resolve them, then that could be bad for, you know, whoever’s running for office.” 

YOU CAN WATCH SIMONE’S FULL INTERVIEW RIGHT NOW ON OUR WEBSITE — S-A-N DOT COM.

IT’S DEBATE NIGHT IN AMERICA ONCE AGAIN – BUT THIS TIME – IT’S THE TWO VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES TAKING THE STAGE. 

OHIO SENATOR JD VANCE AND MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST AND ONLY VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WITH JUST 35 DAYS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY. 

THE 90-MINUTE DEBATE WILL BE HOSTED BY CBS NEWS AND SIMULCAST ON OTHER NETWORKS. IT WILL TAKE PLACE FROM THE CBS BROADCAST CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY AND MODERATED BY “CBS EVENING NEWS” ANCHOR NORAH O’DONNELL AND “FACE THE NATION’S MARGARET BRENNAN. 

AS FOR THE RULES — THERE WILL BE TWO COMMERCIAL BREAKS AND CAMPAIGN STAFF CANNOT INTERACT WITH THEIR CANDIDATES. 

PRE-WRITTEN NOTES ARE NOT ALLOWED AND UNLIKE THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES – A CANDIDATE’S MICROPHONE WILL NOT BE MUTED WHEN THE OTHER IS TALKING. 

ON THURSDAY – VANCE WON THE VIRTUAL COIN TOSS AND HAS OPTED TO GO LAST WITH HIS CLOSING STATEMENT. 

THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BEGINS AT 9 PM EASTERN.

AS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES – BOTH SPENT THEIR DAY YESTERDAY FOCUSING ON THE RELIEF NEEDED IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE – WHICH HAS CLAIMED THE LIFE OF AT LEAST 125 PEOPLE. 

THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA VISITED FEMA HEADQUARTERS WHERE SHE TOLD THEM PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HERSELF WOULD DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO HELP THE COMMUNITIES IMPACTED. 

VICE RPESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“THE DESTRUCTION WE HAVE SEEN IN ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA IS HEARTBREAKING. IN COORDINATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS PRESIDENT BIDEN AND I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITIES HAVE THE SUPPORT AND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED NOT ONLY TO RESPOND TO THIS STORM AND ITS IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH BUT ALSO THE RESOURCES THEY WILL NEED TO RECOVER.” 

PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS HE WILL VISIT HARD-HIT NORTH CAROLINA ON WEDNESDAY. HARRIS SAYS SHE WILL BE ON THE GROUND QUOTE “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.” 

MEANWHILE, REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VISITED VALDOSTA GEORGIA WHICH SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE FROM HELENE. 

TRUMP SAID THIS WAS NOT A TIME FOR POLITICS. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard fought national election. But in a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters. We’re not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved. We need a lot of help. They have to have a lot of help down here. We look out for one another. We pull together, we pitch in, we persevere and we pull it through. That is really the American spirit. That’s what made America originally great.” 

THOUGH TRUMP SAID HE’D LEAVE POLITICS OUT OF IT, SOME OF HIS WORDS ARE CAUSING CONTROVERSY IN WASHINGTON. TRUMP CLAIMED PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH GEORGIA GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP. BIDEN RESPONDED SAYING TRUMP IS LYING – AND KEMP HIMSELF SAID HE SPOKE WITH THE PRESIDENT ON SUNDAY.

THE NEWEST PHASE OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST APPEARS TO HAVE OFFICIALLY ARRIVED — AS ISRAEL BEGINS GROUND ATTACKS **IN** LEBANON. 

IT’S THE ESCALATION IN FIGHTING THERE, THAT THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES, HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP FROM HAPPENING FOR WEEKS NOW. 

ISRAEL NOW SAYS THERE’S INTENSE FIGHTING BETWEEN ITS TROOPS AND THE IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP HEZBOLLAH — WHICH STARTED LAUNCHING STRIKES AGAINST ISRAEL NOT LONG AFTER THE WAR WITH HAMAS BROKE OUT IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.   HEZBOLLAH SHOWING SOLIDARITY WITH HAMAS. 

HEZBOLLAH SAID ON TUESDAY IT HAD LAUNCHED ROCKET AND ARTILLERY ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAELI TROOPS AT POSITIONS WITHIN ISRAEL — BUT DIDN’T MENTION ISRAELI FORCES WITHIN LEBANON.

C-V-S COULD BE BREAKING UP — WITH ITSELF. 

ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM REUTERS, THE COMPANY IS EXPLORING OPTIONS TO POTENTIALLY SEPARATE ITS RETAIL AND INSURANCE UNITS, AS IT STRUGGLES TO REBOUND INTO THE HEALTH CARE GIANT THAT COMPANY LEADERS HAVE BEEN ENVISIONING.  INVESTORS WANT THE COMPANY TO IMPROVE ITS OPERATIONS AS CVS’S EARNINGS OUTLOOK CONTINUES TO DECREASE. 

SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER TOLD REUTERS THE COMPANY’S BOARD HAS BEEN DISCUSSING **OPTIONS** WITH ITS FINANCIAL ADVISERS IN RECENT WEEKS — INCLUDING WHAT A POSSIBLE SPLIT COULD LOOK LIKE. 

THE SOURCES SAID THE BOARD HAS NOT MADE ANY DECISIONS YET — AND COULD STILL CHOOSE NOT TO MAKE ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THE BUSINESS.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – THE SPORTS WORLD IS REMEMBERING TWO GIFTED ATHLETES WHO DIED ON MONDAY. 

BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER DIKEMBE MUTOMBO PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 58 AFTER A BATTLE WITH BRAIN CANCER. 

MUTOMBO PLAYED 18 SEASONS IN THE NBA, WAS AN 8-TIME ALL-STAR AND WENT ON TO SERVE AS THE LEAGUE’S FIRST GLOBAL AMBASSADOR. 

HE BECAME FAMOUS FOR HIS FINGER WAG AFTER BLOCKING ANOTHER PLAYER’S SHOT.  

IN A STATEMENT, NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER CALLED MUTOMBO “SIMPLY LARGER THAN LIFE.” 

PETE ROSE, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S HIT KING, DIED AT THE AGE OF 83. HIS CAUSE OF DEATH HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED. 

IN HIS 24-YEAR CAREER, ROSE WON THREE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WAS A 17-TIME ALL-STAR. 

BUT HIS CAREER TOOK A TURN IN 1989 WHEN HE WAS BANNED FROM BASEBALL FOR GAMBLING ON GAMES AS MANAGER OF THE CINCINNATI REDS.  AFTER DENYING IT FOR MANY YEARS, ROSE WOULD EVENTUALLY ADMIT HE DID BET ON GAMES IN HIS 2004 AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

DESPITE NOT BEING IN THE HALL OF FAME, ROSE STILL REMAINS ON TOP OF MLB’S CAREER HIT LIST WITH 4,256 HITS.  

FANS AND SUPPORTERS WILL REMEMBER HIM AS CHARLIE HUSTLE.