Biden says Israeli occupation of Gaza would be ‘big mistake’: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 16, 2023

PRESIDENT BIDEN SITS DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH 60 MINUTES — DISCUSSING AMERICA’S ROLE IN THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS

AND — A MAJOR PHARMACY CHAIN FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY AMID LAWSUITS OVER THE OPIOID CRISIS

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

WITH 30 AMERICANS NOW CONFIRMED DEAD IN HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL, 13 STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR AND SOME BELIEVED TO BE AMONG AT LEAST 199 HOSTAGES TAKEN BACK TO GAZA – PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAT DOWN WITH 60 MINUTES IN AN INTERVIEW THAT AIRED SUNDAY NIGHT – TO DISCUSS AMERICA’S ROLE IN THE CONFLICT AND HIS VIEWS ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSE TO HAMAS’ TERRORISM.

ISRAEL HAS RETALIATED AGAINST HAMAS FOR THE ATTACK THAT KILLED OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE ON OCTOBER 7 BY STRIKING GAZA. ACCORDING TO THE GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY – ISRAEL’S AIRSTRIKES HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 2,000.

WHEN ASKED IF IT’S TIME FOR A CEASEFIRE – BIDEN SAID THERE IS A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAMAS’ ATTACKS AND ISRAEL’S RESPONSE.

“Israel is going after a group of people who have engaged in barbarism that is as consequential as the Holocaust. And– so I think Israel has to respond. They have to go after Hamas. Hamas is a bunch of cowards. They’re hiding behind the civilians. They put their of—their—their—their headquarters where civilians are and buildings and the like. But to the extent they can separate out and avoi—I’m conf– the Israelis are gonna do everything in their power to avoid the killing of innocent civilians.”

BIDEN SAID THE TERRORIST GROUP NEEDS TO BE ELIMINATED AND THERE SHOULD BE A PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY IN ITS PLACE — MAKING A PATH FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE – THOUGH HE SAID A TWO-STATE SOLUTION WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW.

THE PRESIDENT HOWEVER WARNED AGAINST AN ISRAELI OCCUPATION IN GAZA.

“I THINK IT’D BE A BIG MISTAKE. LOOK, WHAT HAPPENED IN GAZA, IN MY VIEW, IS HAMAS AND THE EXTREME ELEMENTS OF HAMAS DON’T REPRESENT ALL THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT…IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO…FOR ISRAEL TO OCCUPY…GAZA AGAIN”

THE PRESIDENT REITERATED HIS PAST STATEMENTS ON THE AMERICAN HOSTAGE STILL HELD CAPTIVE IN GAZA — SAYING THE COUNTRY IS DOING EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO FIND THOSE US CITIZENS AND SET THEM FREE.  

WITH AMERICA SENDING TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS TO THE REGION, BIDEN SAID THE US WILL BE THERE TO PROVIDE ISRAEL EVERYTHING IT NEEDS IN ITS FIGHT – BUT DOESN’T THINK AMERICAN TROOPS WILL BE NECESSARY.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID THIS MORNING THERE IS NO CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT AS A CROSSING BETWEEN GAZA AND EGYPT IS REPORTEDLY SET TO REOPEN ALLOWING AID INTO THE TERRITORY AND SAFE PASSAGE FOR FOREIGNERS TO LEAVE —  AS ISRAEL CONTINUES ITS RETALIATION AGAINST HAMAS FOR THE TERRORIST ATTACK THAT KILLED MORE THAN 1,400 PEOPLE AND INJURED MORE THAN 3,000 OTHERS.

AUTHORITIES IN GAZA HAVE SAID AT LEAST 2,750 HAVE BEEN KILLED SO FAR BY THE ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES – A QUARTER OF THEM CHILDREN – AND NEARLY 10,000 OTHERS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED.

ISRAEL HAD ORDERED THOSE LIVING IN THE NORTH TO MOVE SOUTH AHEAD OF AN EXPECTED GROUND ASSAULT WHILE HAMAS HAS URGED THEM TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES.

ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS, MORE THAN ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN GAZA HAVE BEEN DISPLACED SINCE THE FIGHTING BEGAN.

THERE ARE CONFLICTING REPORTS IF THE CROSSING ON THE BORDER OF EGYPT AND GAZA WILL OPEN TODAY.

THE US HAS TOLD ITS CITIZENS LIVING IN GAZA TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE BORDER – ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 500 AND 600 PEOPLE.

ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE X, THE STATE DEPARTMENT CITED LOCAL MEDIA SAYING THE CROSSING WOULD BE OPEN MONDAY MORNING.

A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PALESTINIAN EMBASSY SAID FOREIGN NATIONAL PALESTINIANS WOULD BE ABLE TO CROSS THE BORDER AT THAT TIME.

BUT — IN ADDITION TO NETANYAHU’S STATEMENT — A HAMAS OFFICIAL TOLD REUTERS THERE WAS “NO TRUTH” TO THE CROSSING’S OPENING OR A TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE.

IN THE MEANTIME – THE ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTRY SAYS ISRAELIS LIVING NEAR THE NORTHERN BORDER WITH LEBANON ARE BEING EVACUATED AS THE ISRAELI ARMY EXCHANGES FIRE WITH THE TERRORIST GROUP HEZBOLLAH.

THIS COMES AS SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN RETURNED TO ISRAEL TODAY AS THE US LOOKS TO PREVENT THE WAR FROM EXPANDING IN THE REGION.

FORMER AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY – DAVID SATTERFIELD — HAS BEEN APPOINTED SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MIDDLE EAST HUMANITARIAN ISSUES.

THE US SAYS HIS FOCUS WILL BE TO “PROMOTE THE SAFETY OF CIVILIANS.”

ON THE SAME DAY PRESIDENT BIDEN’S 60 MINUTES INTERVIEW AIRED, THE RESULTS OF TWO NEW POLLS WERE RELEASED —

SHOWING AMERICANS’ VIEWS ON THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS —

AND THE PRESIDENT’S PERFORMANCE.

THE FIRST POLL —  A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY ABC NEWS OF 518 U-S ADULTS — SHOWS A PLURALITY OF AMERICANS — 49% — AGREE WITH WHAT AMERICA IS DOING TO SUPPORT ISRAEL IN THE WAR.

29% SAY THE US IS DOING TOO LITTLE AND 18% SAY THE US IS DOING TOO MUCH.

IN THE SECOND POLL OF ONE THOUSAND ADULTS – CONDUCTED BY CNN – 35% SAY THE US IS PROVIDING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL – 15% SAYING TOO MUCH AND 14% SAYING TOO LITTLE.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S PERFORMANCE —

54% OF THOSE SURVEYED IN THE ABC NEWS POLL **DISAPPROVE OF BIDEN’S HANDLING OF THE SITUATION – COMPARED TO 41% IN APPROVAL.

ACCORDING TO CNN’S POLL — 47% OF US ADULTS HAVE AT LEAST A MODERATE AMOUNT OF TRUST IN THE PRESIDENT TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.

RITE AID FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY SUNDAY AS THE PHARMACY CHAIN FACES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF LAWSUITS CLAIMING IT PLAYED A ROLE IN THE GROWING OPIOID CRISIS.

AS PART OF THE RESTRUCTURING MOVE —

THE COMPANY WILL CLOSE MORE STORES —

APPOINT A NEW CEO —

AND WORK TO SELL ITS “PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGEMENT” SEGMENT.

RITE AID —  ONCE THE NATION’S LARGEST DRUGSTORE CHAIN — NOW A DISTANT THIRD BEHIND CVS AND WALGREENS — HAS REACHED NEARLY $3 BILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS.

THE FILING OF BANKRUPTCY PUTS ALL LAWSUITS ON HOLD INCLUDING ONE FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT —

WHO ACCUSES RITE AID OF IGNORING EVIDENCE THAT ITS PHARMACISTS WERE FILLING OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS DESPITE “RED FLAGS.”

IN A STATEMENT – THE COMPANY SAYS IT PLANS TO STAY IN BUSINESS – AFTER SECURING $3.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN FINANCING AND “DEBT REDUCTION AGREEMENTS” FROM LENDERS.

ON THE HEELS OF NETFLIX ENDING ITS DVD-BY-MAIL SERVICE —

BEST BUY HAS ANNOUNCED IT TOO WILL EXIT THE DVD BUSINESS.

THE CONSUMER-ELECTRONICS RETAILER WILL NO LONGER SELL DVDS AND BLU-RAY DISCS IN ITS STORES AND ONLINE STARTING NEXT YEAR.

BEST BUY CONFIRMED THE NEWS — SAYING IN A STATEMENT “THE WAY WE WATCH MOVIES AND TV SHOWS IS MUCH DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IT WAS DECADES AGO.”

BEST BUY — ONCE THE TOP RETAILER OF DVDS — SAYS THE CHANGE WILL ALLOW IT TO BRING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO CUSTOMERS AT ITS STORES AND WEBSITE.

THE COMPANY **WILL CONTINUE TO SELL VIDEO GAMES.

THE SALE OF PHYSICAL MEDIA IN THE U-S HAS BEEN ON THE DECLINE.

ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP — SALES HAVE SEEN A 28% DROP IN REVENUE FROM 2022 TO 2023.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – FOR ALL OF YOU LISTENING TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN PODCAST – YOU MAY WANT TO GO TO SAN.COM AND WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS NEXT STORY –

CAUSE — UNLESS YOU WERE IN ONE OF 9 STATES THIS PAST WEEKEND, YOU MISSED OUT ON SEEING A RARE EVENT KNOWN AS A RING OF FIRE ECLIPSE.

THIS TYPE OF ECLIPSE OCCURS WHEN THE MOON LINES UP BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE SUN – AND BLOCKS OUT ALL OF THE SUN EXCEPT ITS OUTER RIM — CREATING A BRIGHT BORDER — CALLED THE RING OF FIRE.

SATURDAY’S ECLIPSE PASSED THROUGH PARTS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES INCLUDING OREGON, UTAH, NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS BEFORE CROSSING INTO MEXICO AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.

THE RING OF THE FIRE ONLY LASTED AROUND FIVE MINUTES BUT WAS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.

THE NEXT RING OF THE FIRE VISIBLE IN THE US WILL OCCUR IN 2034 — AND YOU’LL HAVE TO BE IN ALASKA TO WITNESS IT.

BEFORE THAT — THE US WILL SEE A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE NEXT APRIL.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

NOW YOU CAN GET THE MORNING RUNDOWN IN YOUR INBOX EACH WEEKDAY MORNING BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR NEWSLETTER.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE — SAN DOT COM — AND GO TO THE RUNDOWN’S PODCAST PAGE TO SIGN UP.

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

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TUESDAY.

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