Hamas says leader in Lebanon killed by Israeli airstrike

AS THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST ESCALATES, HAMAS SAYS ITS LEADER IN LEBANON IS DEAD AFTER AN ISRAELI STRIKE EARLY MONDAY MORNING. WHILE ANOTHER PALESTINIAN GROUP CLAIMS THREE OF ITS LEADERS WERE KILLED IN ANOTHER STRIKE — WHICH IF CONFIRMED — WOULD BE THE FIRST WITHIN BEIRUT’S CITY LIMITS.  

THIS AS HEZBOLLAH IS VOWING REVENGE AFTER ONE OF ITS TOP LEADERS WAS KILLED by AN ISRAELI STRIKE IN A SOUTHERN SUBURB OF BEIRUT ON FRIDAY. 

HAMAS SAID ITS LEADER IN LEBANON WAS KILLED EARLY MONDAY — ALONG WITH HIS WIFE, SON, AND DAUGHTER — IN A STRIKE TARGETING THEIR HOUSE IN A PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP IN THE SOUTHERN CITY OF TYRE (tire). 

MEANWHILE, THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE — ANOTHER IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP — ALSO SAYS THREE OF ITS LEADERS KILLED IN THE A STRIKE ON CENTRAL BEIRUT. 

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS ONCE AGAIN CALLING FOR A CEASE-FIRE AND THE PENTAGON IS LOOKING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AMERICAN TROOPS AND EQUIPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS FEARS OF A BROADER REGIONAL CONFLICT GROW. 

LEBANON’S HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED JUST IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. 

 AS MANY AS ONE- MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AS THE FIGHTING THERE ESCALATES.

COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST ARE IN RESCUE AND RECOVERY MODE AFTER HELENE BARRELED THROUGH LAST WEEK — LEAVING AT LEAST 95 PEOPLE DEAD ACROSS SIX STATES… WHILE MANY MORE REMAIN MISSING. 

HUNDREDS OF ROADS ARE CLOSED — ESPECIALLY IN THE CAROLINAS — MAKING IT HARD TO GET MUCH-NEEDED SUPPLIES TO RAVAGED AREAS AND RESTORE POWER. 

ABOUT TWO MILLION HOMES AND BUSINESSES STILL ARE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. 

NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR ROY COOPER, SAID IN A PRESS CONFERENCE ON SUNDAY, HE STATE IS FACING QUOTE “AN UNPRECEDENTED TRAGEDY” AND FEMA ADMINISTRATOR DEANNE CRISWELL TOLD C-B-S NEWS, HER AGENCY IS DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO HELP. 

ROBERT COSTA | CBS NEWS 

“Was North Carolina, in particular, prepared for this level of flooding? Have they ever dealt with anything of this magnitude?” 

DEANNE CRISWELL | FEMA ADMINISTRATOR 

“This is really, Robert, historic flooding up in North Carolina, especially this western part of North Carolina. I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now.” 

CRISWELL SAYS FEMA IS WORKING TO GET BOTTLED WATER TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED, NOT JUST IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT IN OTHER HARD-HIT STATES… AND THEY’RE WORKING TO ENABLE COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE SPACE-X  STARLINK SATELLITE NETWORK.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS ARE CONTINUING TO RALLY FOR SUPPORT WITH JUST 36 DAYS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY – FOCUSING ON THE SWING STATES THAT COULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT ON THE RESULTS. 

AT A RALLY IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA – TRUMP CRITICIZED THE BIDEN-HARRIS’ ADMINISTRATIONS’ IMMIGRATION POLICIES – SAYING IN HIS OPINION THE VICE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED FROM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“Already hundreds of people have been murdered because of her action at the border and thousands more will follow and rapid succession. She should be impeached and prosecuted for her actions.”   

TRUMP ALSO HELD A RALLY IN WISCONSIN OVER THE WEEKEND. HARRIS, MEANWHILE, GATHERED WITH SUPPORTERS IN LAS VEGAS. SHE CALLED ON THE FORMER PRESIDENT TO AGREE TO ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE – SOMETHING HE HAS SAID HE IS NOT INTERESTED IN.  LATER TODAY, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IS HEADED TO GEORGIA TO SEE HURRICANE HELENE DAMAGE FIRST-HAND; WHILE KAMALA HARRIS IS BACK IN WASHINGTON, GETTING BRIEFED ON THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF STORM DAMGE. 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“I’m trying to debate Donald Trump again and I think he should debate again the American people have a right to hear us discuss the issues and as you say here in Las Vegas I’m all in I’m all in even if my opponent is ready to fold so there you go.” 

HARRIS’S STOP IN LAS VEGAS FOLLOWED A FUNDRAISER IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY AND A VISIT AT THE BORDER TOWN OF DOUGLAS, ARIZONA ON FRIDAY — HER FIRST VISIT TO THE US-MEXICO BORDER SINCE BECOMING THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.

WE ARE ONE DAY AWAY FROM THE FIRST AND ONLY VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN REPUBLICAN NOMINEE OHIO SENATOR JD VANCE AND DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ. 

THE TWO WILL MEET ON THE STAGE WITH 5 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY. 

THE DEBATE WILL BE HOSTED BY CBS. 

SOURCES TELLING THE NETWORK HOW EACH CANDIDATE IS PREPARING FOR TUESDAY NIGHT. 

VANCE IS WORKING WITH A TEAM THAT INCLUDES HIS WIFE AND SENIOR TRUMP ADVISER JASON MILLER. 

TOM EMMER, THE HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP AND A MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN, HAS BEEN TAPPED TO PLAY THE ROLE OF WALZ DURING VANCE’S DEBATE PREP. 

AS FOR THE ACTUAL MINNESOTA GOVERNOR, TIM WALZ HAS ALSO BEEN PREPARIING WITH A TEAM OF ADVISERS, INCLUDING SOME WHO HELPED VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS FOR HER DEBATE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. 

ITS TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG, WHO IS PLAYING THE ROLE OF JD VANCE, FOR WALZ’S DEBATE PREP. 

WE’LL BRING YOU A FULL PREVIEW OF THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON TOMORROW’S EDITION OF UNBIASED UPDATES.

TWO ASTRONAUTS WHO’VE BEEN STUCK AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SINCE JUNE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO RETURNING TO EARTH. 

THE SPACE-X CREW DRAGON CAPSULE THAT WILL FERRY NASA ASTRONAUTS BUTCH WILMORE AND SUNI WILLIAMS HOME, HAS ARRIVED AT THE I-S-S. 

WILMORE AND WILLIAMS RODE BOEING’S STARLINER TO THE I-S-S IN JUNE FOR WHAT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT A WEEK-LONG MISSION… BUT WERE UNABLE TO RETURN ON THE VESSEL DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. 

FOUR ASTRONAUTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF SPACE-X’S MISSION TO THE I-S-S THIS MONTH — WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN PLANNED.  BUT INSTEAD, TWO SEATS WERE LEFT EMPTY SO WILMORE AND WILLIAMS COULD GET BACK TO EARTH. 

STILL, IT WILL BE MONTHS BEFORE THEY GET TO COME HOME — SPACE-X’S DRAGON CAPSULE IS NOT SET TO RETURN UNTIL FEBRUARY.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – A PASSING OF A STAR OF BOTH THE MUSIC AND FILM INDUSTRIES – KRIS KRISTOFFERSON. 

THE GRAMMY-WINNER/ COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST PASSING AWAY OVER THE WEEKEND AT THE AGE OF 88. 

HIS FAMILY RELEASING A STATEMENT SUNDAY SAYING HE DIED PEACEFULLY SURROUNDED BY LOVED ONES, at HIS HOME IN HAWAII.  

AS AN ACTOR KRISTOFFERSON RECEIVED A GOLDEN GLOBE FOR HIS ROLE IN “A STAR IS BORN.” in 1976. 

AND AS A SINGER-SONGWRITER HE WAS KNOWN FOR HITS LIKE “ME AND BOBBY MCGEE” “SUNDAY MORNIN’ COMIN’ DOWN” AND “HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT.” 

KRISTOFFERSON’S CONTRIBUTIONS IMPACTED MANY — INCLUDING BOB DYLAN WHO ONCE SAID, “YOU CAN LOOK AT NASHVILLE PRE-KRIS AND POST-KRIS, BECAUSE HE CHANGED EVERYTHING.”