14 Americans killed in Hamas attack, more taken hostage: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 11, 2023

PRESIDENT BIDEN DENOUNCES HAMAS‘ ATTACK ON ISRAEL — AND CONFIRMS MORE AMERICANS ARE AMONG THOSE KILLED

AND — WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE CAPITOL AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS LOOK TO DECIDE ON A SPEAKER.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

“AN ACT OF SHEER EVIL.” THOSE WERE THE WORDS PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN USED TO DESCRIBE THE SURPRISE ASSAULT ON ISRAEL BY HAMAS MILITANTS –

THAT HAS KILLED MORE THAN 12 hundred PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY – WITH MORE THAN 2,700 INJURED.

BIDEN CONFIRMING TUESDAY THAT AT LEAST 14 U.S. CITIZENS WERE KILLED – AND AMERICANS ARE AMONG THOSE BEING HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA.

AS THE WAR ENTERS ITS FIFTH DAY – ISRAEL CONTINUED TO STRIKE BACK AT HAMAS OVERNIGHT – THE ISRAELI ARMY SAYING DOZENS OF FIGHTER JETS STRUCK MORE THAN 450 TARGETS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OF GAZA CITY THEY SAY HAMAS USED TO LAUNCH ITS ASSAULT.

TWO HAMAS **OFFICIALS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED BY ISRAELI FORCES.

GAZA’S HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS AT LEAST 950 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND 5,000 MORE INJURED SINCE ISRAEL BEGAN RETALIATING.

ISRAEL REPORTS AT LEAST 1,000 HAMAS GUNMEN WHO CROSSED INTO THE COUNTRY FROM GAZA HAVE BEEN KILLED.

DURING AN ADDRESS FROM WASHINGTON TUESDAY – PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR TERRORISM AND  – THAT AMERICA SUPPORTS ISRAEL DEFENDING ITSELF.

“SO IN THIS MOMENT WE MUST BE CRYSTAL CLEAR – WE STAND WITH ISRAEL. WE STAND WITH ISRAEL. WE WILL MAKE SURE IT HAS WHAT IT NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF ITS CITIZENS, DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND TO THIS ATTACK.”

IN HIS SPEECH, PRESIDENT BIDEN WARNED AGAINST OTHER COUNTRIES OR ORGANIZATIONS WHO MIGHT THINK OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION.

THE WARNING CAME AS EXCHANGES OF FIRE UNFOLDED OVER ISRAEL’S NORTHERN BORDERS WITH MILITANTS IN SYRIA AND LEBANON.

THE UNITED STATES IS SENDING MUNITION AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO ISRAEL TO AID IN ITS FIGHT WITH HAMAS.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THAT SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN WOULD TRAVEL TO ISRAEL IN THE COMING DAYS.

WITH UKRAINE’S WAR WITH RUSSIA MARKING ITS 20TH MONTH, PRESIDENT VOLODYMIR ZELENSKYY IS VISITING NATO HEADQUARTERS TODAY —

AS A U-S DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS A NEW 200 MILLION DOLLAR UKRAINE AID PACKAGE WILL SOON BE ANNOUNCED — ACCORDING TO A REUTERS REPORT.

ZELENSKY IS VISITING NATO SEEKING ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM WESTERN ALLIES —

BEFORE MEETING WITH ANOTHER U-S LED GROUP OF FIFTY NATIONS TO SEEK AID.

U.S. SENATORS ARE DISCUSSING A **LARGE LONG-TERM UKRAINE PACKAGE WORTH 100 BILLION DOLLARS.

CONGRESS HAS APPROVED ABOUT 113 BILLION DOLLARS OF AID FOR UKRAINE SINCE THE START OF THE WAR IN 20-22.

WE HAVE A REPORT ON WHERE SENATORS STAND ON THE MASSIVE FUNDING BILL FOR UKRAINE

YOU CAN FIND THAT AT S-A-N DOT COM.

NOW TO THE LATEST ON THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

ON TUESDAY NIGHT – HOUSE REPUBLICANS HEARD SPEECHES AND ASKED QUESTIONS TO TWO CANDIDATES VYING FOR THE POSITION.

CONGRESSMEN JIM JORDAN AND STEVE SCALISE SHARED THEIR VISION FOR THE PARTY, HOW THEY WOULD HANDLE THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT FUNDING IMPASSE, AND HOW THEY PLAN TO HOLD THE MAJORITY DURING THE 2024 ELECTIONS.

OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN WAS AT THE US CAPITOL AND HAS MORE DETAILS ON THE MEETING AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TODAY.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAD A CLOSED DOOR MEETING WHERE THEY HEARD FROM JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JIM JORDAN, AND MAJORITY LEADER STEVE SCALISE. WE SPOKE WITH MEMBERS AS THEY LEFT THAT MEETING AND TWO THINGS ARE CLEAR. THE FIRST IS THAT BOTH JORDAN AND SCALISE ARE PROMISING TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER OUT ON THE HOUSE FLOOR REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS THE NOMINATION. THE SECOND IS THAT REPUBLICANS WANT TO GET THIS DONE THE FIRST TIME, SETTLE THEIR DIFFERENCES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND AVOID ANOTHER 15 ROUNDS OF VOTING LIKE THEY HAD WHEN THEY ELECTED KEVIN MCCARTHY. SO THEY’RE GOING TO MEET TODAY AT 10AM TO HAVE A SECRET BALLOT ON WHO HAS A MAJORITY OF THE CONFERENCE, THEN THEY WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER VOTE TO DETERMINE IF THAT PERSON CAN GET THE 217 VOTES NEEDED TO OFFICIALLY BE ELECTED SPEAKER. WE WILL BE AT THAT MEETING TO COVER IT. SO STICK WITH US AT SAN.COM

EMBATTLED NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE SANTOS FACES NEW CHARGES –

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ACCUSING HIM OF STEALING PEOPLE’S IDENTITIES – USING HIS DONOR’S CREDIT CARDS WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE – AND LYING TO THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION.

THE SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT FILED TUESDAY ALLEGES SANTOS — ALONG WITH HIS FORMER CAMPAIGN TREASURER NANCY MARKS — FALSELY REPORTED THAT FAMILY MEMBERS MADE BIG DONATIONS TO THE CAMPAIGN SO HE COULD QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

MARKS PLEADED GUILTY LAST WEEK TO A FRAUD CONSPIRACY CHARGE.

SANTOS WAS CHARGED BACK IN MAY ON 13 COUNTS INCLUDING WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING.

HE PLEADED NOT GUILTY.

SANTOS DID NOT COMMENT ON THESE LATEST CHARGES – BUT TOLD REPORTERS HE DOES NOT INTEND TO RESIGN FROM CONGRESS.

HE IS EXPECTED TO APPEAR IN FEDERAL COURT ON OCTOBER 27TH.

AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 STORM MADE LANDFALL TUESDAY EVENING NEAR THE MEXICAN RESORT OF PUERTO VALLARTA.

THE U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAID HURRICANE LIDIA’S WINDS REACHED 140 MILES PER HOUR.

AS IT MOVED INLAND – LIDIA WEAKENED SOME – BECOMING A CATEGORY 2 STORM.

ONE DEATH HAS BEEN REPORTED – AUTHORITIES SAYING A MAN WAS KILLED WHEN A TREE FELL ON HIS VAN.

RESIDENTS OF THE SEASIDE RESORT BOARDED UP WINDOWS AND PILED UP SANDBAGS IN FRONT OF STORES AHEAD OF LIDIA’S LANDFALL.

THE HURRICANE CENTER WARNED HEAVY RAINS COULD BRING FLASH FLOODING AND POTENTIAL MUDSLIDES TO THE REGION.

MEXICO’S PACIFIC COASTLINE WAS ALREADY HIT BY TROPICAL STORM MAX EARLIER IN THE WEEK – WITH REPORTS OF AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE KILLED AS A RESULT OF THAT STORM.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS SETTING OUT TO INVESTIGATE AN ANOMALY REPORTED IN THE LAKEBED OF LAKE HURON IN CANADA THOUGHT THEY WOULD FIND JUST A PILE OF ROCKS – INSTEAD THEY DISCOVERED SOMETHING A BIT BIGGER.

SHIPWRECK VO

THE HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM – WHO SPECIALIZE IN UNDERWATER VIDEOGRAPHY – USED A REMOTELY OPERATED UNDERWATER DRONE – AND FOUND AN INTACT SHIPWRECK HUNDREDS OF FEET BELOW THE SURFACE.

IT IS BELIEVED TO BE “THE AFRICA” – A SHIP THAT WAS BUILT IN 1874 – AND SANK DURING A STORM IN 1895 – WITH ITS 11 CREWMEMBERS STILL ON BOARD.

THE FILMMAKERS WORKED WITH A HISTORIAN AND MARINE ARCHAEOLOGIST TO IDENTIFY THE SHIP.

FOOTAGE FROM THE DISCOVERY WILL BE FEATURED IN THE COUPLE’S NEXT DOCUMENTARY TITLED “ALL TOO CLEAR.”

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MORNING RUNDOWN PODCAST TO LISTEN TO OUR SHOW EACH WEEKDAY.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!