Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions

WE BEGIN WITH THE DEADLY EXPLOSIONS IN LEBANON THAT KILLED AT LEAST NINE PEOPLE IN LEBANON AND LEFT NEARLY THREE THOUSAND INJURED. 

EXPLOSIVES INSIDE PAGERS – USED BY THE MILITANT GROUP HEZBOLLAH – WERE SET OFF AROUND 3:30 PM TUESDAY. 

THE BLAST OCCURING IN AREAS WHERE HEZBOLLAH HAD A STRONG PRESENCE – INCLUDING A SOUTHERN BEIRUT SUBURB. 

THE IRAN-BACKED GROUP BLAMING ISRAEL FOR THE ATTACK – SAYING AN 8-YEAR-OLD WAS AMONG THOSE KILLED AND IRAN’S ENVOY TO BEIRUT WAS AMONG THE INJURED. 

 SOURCES TELLING REUTERS — ISRAEL’S SPY AGENCY HAD PLANTED THE EXPLOSIVES INSIDE THE FIVE THOUSAND PAGERS. 

AN AMERICAN SOURCE AND OTHER OFFICIALS CONFIRMING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT ISRAEL WAS BEHIND THE OPERATION. 

THE ISRAELI MILITARY HAS DECLINED TO COMMENT. 

THE PAGERS APPEARED TO BE FROM TAIWAN-BASED GOLD APOLLO – BUT IN A STATEMENT TODAY – THE COMPANY SAID THEY WERE MANUFACTURED BY ANOTHER COMPANY BASED IN BUDAPEST THAT WAS AUTHORIZED TO USE GOLD APPOLLO’S BRAND. 

HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN USING PAGERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BYPASS ISRAELI LOCATION-TRACKING – FOLLOWING A WARNING BY GROUP LEADERS EARLIER THIS YEAR SAYING CELL PHONES WERE MORE DANGEROUS THAN ISRAELI SPIES. 

HEZBOLLAH HAS VOWED TO RETALIATE AGAINST ISRAEL. 

HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL HAVE BEEN EXCHANGING STRIKES SHORTLY AFTER HAMAS’ DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK ON ISRAEL ON OCTOBER 7TH OF LAST YEAR. 

THE BLASTS ADD TO THE GROWING CONCERN OVER A LARGER WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SECRETARY STATE OF ANTONY BLINKEN WILL BE IN EGYPT TODAY TO WORK ON SECURING A CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT TO PUT AN END TO THE CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS AND SEE THE RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES WHO REMAIN IN GAZA.  

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL YESTERDAY — HOLDING HIS FIRST EVENT SINCE THE SECOND ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE OVER THE WEEKEND. 

DURING A TOWN HALL IN FLINT, MICHIGAN… TRUMP TOLD ARKANSAS GOVERNOR SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS ARE PROOF HIS POLICY PROPOSALS ARE POWERFUL. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“It’s a dangerous business however, being president. It’s a little bit dangerous. It’s, you know, they think racecar driving is dangerous. No. They think bull riding, that’s pretty scary, right? No, this is a dangerous business and we have to keep it safe.” 

“You know, only consequential presidents get shot at.” 

TRUMP ALSO SAID BOTH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND HIS OPPONENT IN THE 20-24 PRESIDENTIAL RACE, VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS CALLED HIM AFTER THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAYING IT WAS “VERY NICE” AND HE APPRECIATED IT. 

HARRIS WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL YESTERDAY, AS WELL, SHE TOUCHED ON THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DURING A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS PANEL IN PHILADELPHIA — HIGHLIGHTING THE BIGGER ISSUES OF GUN VIOLENCE, RACISM, AND BIGOTRY IN AMERICA. 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“Not everybody has Secret Service. And there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe. I mean, I look at Project 2025 and I look at, you know, the ‘don’t say gay laws’ coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now.” 

BOTH CANDIDATES ARE FOCUSING ON SWING AREAS THAT COULD DECIDE THE ELECTION — WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE A CLOSE ONE. 

TRUMP IS SET TO CAMPAIGN IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND NORTH CAROLINA THIS WEEK. 

HARRIS WILL ALSO STOP IN WASHINGTON — AS WELL AS MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN IN THE COMING DAYS.

HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON IS EXPECTED TO PUT HIS SHORT-TERM SPENDING PLAN UP FOR A VOTE TODAY — THOUGH THERE ARE SIGNS IT WILL NOT GET THE G-O-P SUPPORT NEEDED TO PASS. 

JOHNSON PREVIOUSLY PULLED A STOPGAP BILL THAT WAS COUPLED WITH THE SAVE ACT — WHICH WOULD REQUIRE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS — AFTER IT BECAME CLEAR IT WAS UNLIKELY TO GET ENOUGH REPUBLICAN APPROVAL TO PASS. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS ALSO OPPOSED THE PLAN, WHICH WOULD KEEP THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED THROUGH MOST OF MARCH. 

CONGRESS HAS UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER TO PASS AT LEAST A TEMPORARY MEASURE KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPEN… OTHERWISE A SHUTDOWN LOOMS OCTOBER 1-ST.

TODAY THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS EXPECTED TO CUT INTEREST RATES – THE FIRST TIME SINCE 20-20. 

BUT BY HOW MUCH? 

OUR BUSINESS CORRESPONDANT SIMONE DEL ROSARIO TAKES A CLOSER LOOK. 

YOU CAN FIND SIMONE’S FULL PREVIEW OF TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT ON OUR WEBSITE SAN DOT COM AND ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS HAS BEEN DENIED BAIL AND WILL REMAIN IN CUSTODY AS HE FACES SERIOUS CHARGES — 

INCLUDING SEX TRAFFICKING, RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY AND TRANSPORTATION TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION 

COMBS WILL BE HELD BY HIMSELF AT A “SPECIAL HOUSING UNIT” IN A DETENTION CENTER IN BROOKLYN. 

IN A FEDERAL COURTROOM IN NEW YORK CITY ON TUESDAY — 

COMBS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE CHARGES HE’S FACING. 

PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT COMBS USED HIS BUSINESS EMPIRE TO FORCE WOMEN INTO ENGAGING IN SEXUAL ACTS WITH PROFESSIONAL SEX WORKERS — AND HIMSELF. 

THE INDICTMENT ALLEGES COMBS HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A LIST OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES FROM 2008 TO PRESENT DAY. 

PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT IN LATE 2023 — FOLLOWING PUBLIC ACCUSATIONS OF THESE CRIMES — COMBS AND HIS ASSOCIATES ATTEMPTED TO PRESSURE VICTIMS INTO SILENCE THROUGH BRIBERY. 

IF CONVICTED ON ALL CHARGES — COMBS FACES DECADES IN PRISON.

BILLIE JEAN KING — THE TENNIS HALL OF FAMER — IS BEING RECOGNIZED WITH A PRESTIGIOUS CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR HER EFFORTS ON AND OFF THE TENNIS COURT. 

THE MEASURE HAD ALREADY PASSED THE SENATE — AND ON TUESDAY NIGHT — PASSED THE HOUSE — 

MAKING BILLIE JEAN KING THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL FEMALE ATHLETE TO EVER RECEIVE THE CONGRESSIONAL HONOR. 

REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK | (R) PENNSYLVANIA 

“Mister speaker, it is now time to enshrine Billie Jean King’s legacy as not only a champion of tennis, but a champion of equality whose impact will continue to inspire women and girls and people across America and across the world.” 

AFTER RECEIVING THE NEWS THAT SHE WILL NOW RECEIVE THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL — 

BILLIE JEAN KING TOOK TO X TO SAY SHE IS DEEPLY HUMBLED AND HONORED TO HAVE RECEIVED THE AWARD.