Alleged 9/11 mastermind agrees to plea deal to avoid death penalty

{KARAH RUCKER]

THE ALLEGED MASTERMIND TERRORIST BEHIND PLOTTING THE 9/11 ATTACKS AGAINST THE U.S. IN 2001 — 

HAS PLEADED GUILTY IN ORDER TO AVOID THE DEATH PENALTY. 

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SAYS KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED – THE MAN ACCUSED OF PLANNING THE DEADLIEST TERROR ATTACK ON U.S. SOIL, ALONG WITH TWO ACCOMPLICES, HAVE AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY IN EXCHANGE FOR LIFE IN PRISON. 

THE PRE-TRIAL AGREEMENT ALLOWS THEM ALL TO ESCAPE BEING SENTENCED TO DEATH — 

SOMETHING THAT IS UPSETTING SOME FAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS. 

PROSECUTORS FIRST NOTIFIED IMPACTED FAMILIES OF THE PLEA DEAL REACHED BEFORE IT WENT PUBLIC. 

SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL ALSO DISAGREED WITH THE PLEA DEAL. 

RELEASING A STATEMENT SAYING “THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS IS NEGOTIATING WITH THEM AFTER THEY ARE IN CUSTODY.” 

THE MEN HAVE BEEN IN U-S CUSTODY FOR 21 YEARS – MOSTLY IN GUANTANAMO BAY. 

NEARLY 3-THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE 9-11 ATTACKS.

THURSDAY, A VIRTUAL ROLL CALL AMONG DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES BEGINs — WHICH WILL LIKELY MAKE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS THE PARTY’S OFFICIAL NOMINEE IN THE 20-24 PRESIDENTIAL RACE. 

HARRIS IS RUNNING UNOPPOSED AND HAS ALREADY BEEN ENDORSED BY MOST OF THE DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES. SHE ALSO PICKED UP THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE UNITED AUTO WORKER ON WEDNESDAY — GIVING HER THE SUPPORT OF ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST UNIONS.  

VOTING ON THE VIRTUAL ROLL CALL ENDS ON MONDAY — 

THE SAME DAY SHE’S EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE HER RUNNING MATE PICK… THEN STARTS A SERIES OF SIDE-BY-SIDE CAMPAIGNING IN BATTLEGROUND STATES, WITH THEIR FIRST OFFICIAL EVENT TOGETHER SCHEDULED IN PHILADELPHIA ON TUESDAY. 

IT WAS FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IN PENNSYLVANIA ON WEDNESDAY — HOLDING A RALLY —  

HIS FIRST VISIT BACK in the state SINCE THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE NEARLY THREE WEEKS AGO. 

ON THE AGENDA THURSDAY — TRUMP’S VICE PRESIDENTIAL PICK JD VANCE WILL BE TOURING THE SOUTHERN BORDER — 

AND HARRIS WILL SPEAK AT THE FUNERAL OF TEXAS CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. 

IT WAS HOURS BEFORE TRUMP TOOK THAT STAGE AT A PENNSYLVANIA RALLY — WHERE HE ATTENDED A CONFERENCE FOR BLACK JOURNALISTS — THAT IS CREATING THE MOST BUZZ OFF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL THIS MORNING. 

TRUMP — MAKING THIS CONTROVERSIAL REMARK AFTER BEING ASKED IF HE AGREES WITH REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL WHO HAVE SAID THE VICE PRESIDENT WAS A “D-E-I- HIRE”. 

RACHEL SCOTT, ABC NEWS 

“Do you believe that Vice President Kamala Harris is only on the ticket because she is a black woman?” 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“Well, I can say no. I think it’s maybe a little bit different. So, I’ve known for a long time, indirectly, not directly, very much. And she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black. And now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” 

RACHEL SCOTT, ABC NEWS 

“She has always identified as a Black woman, she went to a historically Black college.” 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“You know what, I respect either one. I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t. Because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person.” 

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS RESPONDING TO TRUMP’S COMMENTS DURING A CAMPAIGN STOP OF HER OWN WEDNESDAY… 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“We all here remember what those four years were like. And today we were given yet another reminder. This afternoon, Donald Trump spoke at the annual meeting of The National Association of Black Journalists. And it was the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better. The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us. They are an essential source of our strength.” 

AND DURING HER DAILY PRESS CONFERENCE — WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE RESPONDED TO TRUMP’S COMMENT… SAYING “IT’S INSULTING.” 

THE FORMER PRESIDENT DEFENDED HIS COMMENTS ON HIS TRUTH SOCIAL PLATFORM — SAYING THE QUESTIONS HE WAS BEING ASKED WERE QUOTE “RUDE AND NASTY” AND “OFTEN IN THE FORM OF A STATEMENT” RATHER THAN QUESTION. 

SOME BLACK REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS HAVE ALSO JUMPED IN TO DEFEND HIM… LIKE TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE WESLEY HUNT, WHO POSTED A STATEMENT ON HIS OWN TRUTH SOCIAL ACCOUNT READING IN PART: 

“HE STOOD STRONG IN THE FACE OF VICIOUS ATTACKS AND GOTCHA QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT LEADERS DO.” 

AND CONGRESSMAN BYRON DONALDS OF FLORIDA POSTING ON X QUOTE “FOSTERING TOUGH CONVERSATIONS AND DEBATE IS HOW WE MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN FOR ALL AMERICANS. 

UNLIKE KAMALA HARRIS, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOT AFRAID OF GOING INTO ANY VENUE, ANY TIME, ANYWHERE, AND TODAY WAS NO EXCEPTION.” 

HARRIS — 

IS THE DAUGHTER OF A JAMAICAN FATHER AND INDIAN MOTHER.  

SHE ATTENDED THE HISTORICALLY BLACK HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND IS A MEMBER OF THE NATION’S OLDEST BLACK SORORITY — ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA. 

WHILE THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MORE HIGH-PROFILE JABS WE’VE SEEN SO FAR THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON — 

THERE’S STILL LIKELY MORE TO COME — AND A DEBATE BETWEEN THE TWO? THAT’S STILL UP IN THE AIR. 

TRUMP HAS VOICED WANTING A VENUE CHANGE. AND SAID THIS WEEK HE PROBABLY WILL DEBATE HARRIS — BUT COULD ALSO MAKE A CASE FOR NOT. 

TENSIONS ARE RISING IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION OF A SENIOR HAMAS LEADER INSIDE IRAN. 

HAMAS IS CLAIMING AN ISRAELI MISSILE HIT THE HOUSE OF ISMAIL HANIYEH. 

WITH THE HIT HAPPENING ON IRANIAN SOIL — 

THE SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN HAS REPORTEDLY ISSUED AN ORDER FOR IRAN TO STRIKE ISRAEL DIRECTLY. 

THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES CITING THREE IRANIAN OFFICIALS BRIEFED ON THE ORDER. 

HANIYEH WAS THE HAMAS NEGOTIATOR FOR A POSSIBLE HOSTAGE DEAL WITH ISRAEL – 

AND MANY FEAR THAT DEAL IS NOW DEAD. 

THE STRIKE ON HANIYEH CAME JUST HOURS AFTER AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLED A TOP HEZBOLLAH COMMANDER IN LEBANON. 

IN 2001 – THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AWARDED LOCKHEED MARTIN THE CONTRACT TO DEVELOP THE F-35 FIGHTER JET TO REPLACE AGING AIRCRAFT. THE JET IS MANUFACTURED IN THREE DIFFERENT VARIANTS – ONE FOR THE MARINE CORPS, ONE FOR THE AIR FORCE AND ONE FOR THE NAVY. 

IN A SPECIAL EDITION OF WEAPONS AND WARFARE — STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS’ RYAN ROBERTSON RECENTLY GOT TO TAKE A TOUR INSIDE THE FORT WORTH TEXAS FACILITY THAT MAKES THESE FIGHTER JETS. 

RYAN ROBERTSON | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS 

“TODAY WE ARE COMING TO YOU FROM LOCKHEED MARTIN’S FINAL ASSEMBLY AND CHECKOUT FACILITY FOR THE F-35 AND FOLKS THIS FACILITY IS INCREDIBLE.  EVERY THREE DAYS, A NEW JET COMES OFF THE LINE  AND HEADS TO THE NEXT PART OF ITS JOURNEY BEFORE EVENTUALLY BEING HANDED OVER TO ITS NEW OWNER.  SO TODAY, WE’RE GOING TO GET A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT THE WORLD’S  PREMIER FIGHTER JET AND VISIT WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING IT FROM THE ASSEMBLY LINE TO THE FLIGHTLINE.” 

 RETIRED NAVAL AVIATOR EDWARD “STEVIE” SMITH IS LOCKHEED MARTIN’S DIRECTOR OF F-35 DOMESTIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTS. 

EDWARD “STEVIE” SMITH | DIRECTOR, F-35 DOMESTIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 

 “The plant is operating more than 150 Airplanes a year. We now to deliver to our 18 different customers and counting.” 

RYAN ROBERTSON | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS 

TO THE UNINITIATED, THE SHEER SIZE AND SCALE OF THE PRODUCTION FACILITY CAN BE DAUNTING. 

….NOW, I’VE NEVER FLOWN A PLANE IN MY LIFE, BUT I’M ABOUT TO TAKE OFF FROM AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER. ALRIGHT, SO ARE WE READY AND I’M AIRBORNE FLYING OVER HAWAII. LET’S GO FIND SOME BOGEYS. 

YOU CAN FIND THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF WEAPONS AND WARFARE NOW ON SAN DOT COM AND WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS.

TEAM USA NOW HAS WON 5 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS – ADDING ONE MORE TO ITS COUNT AFTER WEDNESDAY’S EVENTS IN PARIS – AND IT WAS A HISTORIC ONE. 

SWIMMER KATIE LEDECKY (LUH-DECK-EE) DOMINATING THE WOMEN’S ONE THOUSAND 500 HUNDRED (1,500) METER FREESTYLE — FINISHING MORE THAN 10 SECONDS AHEAD OF HER COMPETITION — TO WIN HER EIGHTH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL. 

WITH THE VICTORY – LEDECKY TIED THE RECORD FOR MOST GOLD MEDALS BY A FEMALE SWIMMER. 

IT WAS ALSO HER 12TH OLYMPIC MEDAL OF ANY KIND – WHICH TIED YET ANOTHER RECORD. 

AND LEDECKY IS NOT DONE YET – SHE HAS A CHANCE TO BREAK THOSE RECORDS – COMPETING IN THE FOUR BY 200 METER RELAY TODAY AND THE 800 METER FREESTYLE LATER THIS WEEK.