Biden says US will not supply weapons to Israel for Rafah operation

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS THE US WILL NOT SUPPLY CERTAIN WEAPONS TO ISRAEL SHOULD THE COUNTRY LAUNCH ITS MAJOR OFFENSIVE ON RAFAH

AND — DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS COME TOGETHER TO SAVE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE FROM BEING VOTED OUT

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, MAY 9TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

PRESIDENT BIDEN MAKING IT CLEAR — THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT SUPPLY ISRAEL WITH CERTAIN WEAPONS AND ARTILLERY SHELLS —

SHOULD THE ISRAELI ARMY LAUNCH ITS LONG-PROMISED MAJOR MILITARY OPERATION IN RAFAH.

THE PRESIDENT SAT DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH CNN WEDNESDAY – AFTER THE U-S ANNOUNCED —

IT WAS WITHHOLDING A SHIPMENT OF THOUSANDS OF BOMBS TO ISRAEL —

AS THE RIFT GROWS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES — OVER THE APPROACH TO THE WAR IN GAZA.

IN THE INTERVIEW, BIDEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT U-S BOMBS HAVE BEEN USED IN ATTACKS IN GAZA THAT HAVE KILLED PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS.

[BIDEN]

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. I’ve made it clear that if they go into Rafah, they haven’t gone on Rafah yet, if they go into Rafah,  I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafa, a deal with the city, deal with that problem.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

DESPITE BIDEN’S WARNING – HE SAID AMERICA IS NOT WALKING AWAY FROM ISRAEL’S SECURITY – IN TERMS OF THE COUNTRY’S IRON DOME DEFENSE SYSTEM AND THE COUNTRY’S ABILITY TO DEFEND ITSELF FROM FUTURE ATTACKS.

THOUGH THE ISRAELI MILITARY MOVED INTO RAFAH EARLIER THIS WEEK – THE WHITE HOUSE HAS CALLED IT A LIMITED OPERATION.

BIDEN TOLD CNN — ISRAEL’S CURRENT ACTION IN RAFAH IS NOT OVER HIS RED LINE YET.

HOWEVER — HE HAS WARNED PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU THAT ISRAEL WILL NOT GET U.S. SUPPORT IF THE OPERATION PROCEEDS INTO POPULATED AREAS.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS EXPECTED TO PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE ASYLUM SYSTEM AS EARLY AS TODAY —

AMID A RECORD NUMBER OF MIGRANTS BEING CAUGHT CROSSING THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE PROPOSED RULE WOULD ALLOW IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS TO QUICKLY DEPORT MIGRANTS —

WHO CROSSED THE BORDER ILLEGALLY AND ARE INELIGIBLE FOR ASYLUM.

THE MIGRANTS TARGETED UNDER THIS RULE — WOULD BE THOSE DEEMED A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK OR THOSE WHO POSE A DANGER TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

THE TIMING WOULD SEE THE MIGRANTS BEING BARRED FROM ASYLUM AND DEPORTED WITHIN DAYS – PERHAPS HOURS – OF THEIR ARRIVAL.

CURRENTLY THAT PROCESS CAN TAKE YEARS.

THE PROPOSED RULE WOULD STILL NEED TO BE FINALIZED AT A LATER DATE.

FOLLOWING WEEKS OF THREATS  — CONGRESSWOMAN MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE CALLED FOR A VOTE —

TO OUST HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON WEDNESDAY OVER CONCERNS ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP.

WITHIN MINUTES — THE MOTION WAS DECISIVELY REJECTED — WITH MOST REPUBLICANS JOINING DEMOCRATS — IN A 359 TO 43 VOTE.

ELEVEN REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST TABLING GREENE’S RESOLUTION.

GREENE SAID SHE WAS NOT SURPRISED BY THE VOTE — AND WOULD NOT SAY WHETHER SHE WOULD PLAN TO TRY TO REMOVE JOHNSON AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

JOHNSON JOKED WITH REPORTERS  — CALLING IT “JUST ANOTHER WEDNESDAY ON CAPITOL HILL.”

THE SPEAKER THANKED HIS COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND DESCRIBED GREENE’S EFFORTS TO REMOVE HIM AS MISGUIDED.

[HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON | R.-LA.]

Hopefully this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress. It’s regrettable. It’s not who we are as Americans, and we’re better than this. We need to get beyond it.

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE ATTORNEY FOR THE FAMILY OF AN AIR FORCE AIRMAN WHO WAS FATALLY SHOT BY A DEPUTY IN FLORIDA LAST WEEK SAYS —

LAW ENCORCEMENT BURST INTO THE WRONG APARTMENT.

CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY BEN CRUMP SAYS SENIOR AIRMAN ROGER FORTSON WAS ON A FACETIME CALL WITH A WOMAN ON MAY 3RD —

WHEN DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO A DISTURBANCE CALL AT THE COMPLEX.

ACCORDING TO CRUMP — BASED ON THE WOMAN’S ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED — DEPUTIES FORCIBLY ENTERED FORTSON’S APARTMENT —

AND SHOT HIM SIX TIMES AFTER SEEING HIM WITH A GUN — WHICH CRUMP SAYS THE AIRMAN LEGALLY OWNED.

IN A STATEMENT LAST WEEK — THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID THE DEPUTY ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE AFTER ENCOUNTERING AN ARMED MAN.

AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT YET COMMENTED ON CRUMP’S CLAIMS — BUT THE SHERIFF POSTED ON FACEBOOK ASKING THE COMMUNITY FOR PATIENCE AS THEY WORK TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTS OF THE CASE.

CRUMP IS CALLING FOR TRANSPARENCY IN THE INVESTIGATION — ASKING AUTHORITIES TO RELEASE THE BODY CAM VIDEO TO THE AIRMAN’S FAMILY.

TWO RIVALS IN THE STREAMING WORLD ARE TEAMING UP ONCE AGAIN.

DISNEY AND WARNER BROTHERS DISCOVERY ANNOUNCED A NEW BUNDLE FEATURING THEIR DISNEY PLUS, HULU AND MAX STREAMING SERVICES.

THE COMPANIES SAY THE BUNDLE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ON ANY OF THE THREE PLATFORMS’ WEBSITES – AND WILL BE OFFERED WITH AND WITHOUT ADS.

THE BUNDLE IS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH THIS SUMMER.

AS OF NOW – NO PRICING HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED.

THIS COMES AFTER DISNEY AND WARNER BROTHERS DISCOVERY ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY A JOINT VENTURE WITH FOX TO CREATE A NEW SPORTS STREAMING SERVICE. THAT ONE IS SLATED TO DEBUT IN THE FALL.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – WITH A LITTLE OVER TWO MONTHS TO GO UNTIL THE PARIS SUMMER GAMES –

THE OLYMPIC TORCH HAS ARRIVED IN FRANCE – TO MUCH FANFARE.

AFTER BEING LIT 11 DAYS EARLIER IN GREECE – THE FLAME LANDED ON FRENCH SOIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE PORT CITY OF MARSEILLE – WHERE A PAIR OF OLYMPIANS HELPED BRING IT ASHORE.  POPULAR FRENCH RAPPER JUL (JEWEL) THEN LIT THE OLYMPIC CAULDRON.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES SAY A CROWD ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 2-HUNDRED AND 25-THOUSAND PEOPLE WITNESSED THE HISTORIC PRESENTATION – AMID TIGHT SECURITY THAT INCLUDED AROUND 7-THOUSAND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

THE TORCH WILL NOW MAKE A 79-DAY JOURNEY ACROSS FRANCE AND ITS TERRITORIES AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE START OF THE PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES ON JULY 26TH.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M LAUREN TAYLOR. HAVE A GREAT DAY!