Israel continues airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 10, 2023

ISRAEL CONTINUES ITS RETALIATION ON HAMAS AS THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS 11 AMERICANS WERE KILLED IN THE MILITANT GROUP’S SURPRISE ATTACK

AND — THOUSANDS OF PHARMACY EMPLOYEES WALK OUT IN STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY — CITING UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS 

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THIS MORNING – ISRAEL SAYS IT HAS RE-ESTABLISHED CONTROL OVER THE GAZA BORDER AFTER ANOTHER NIGHT OF AIR RAIDS FOLLOWING THE SURPRISE DEADLY ASSAULT BY THE HAMAS MILITANT GROUP EARLY SATURDAY.

THE DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE —

900 ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN KILLED INCLUDING AT LEAST 11 AMERICANS — WITH THOUSANDS MORE INJURED.

THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES SAYS IT HAS FOUND AROUND 15 HUNDRED BODIES OF HAMAS FIGHTERS INSIDE THE COUNTRY AND NEAR THE GAZA STRIP.

THE I-D-F ALSO SAYS IT PLANTED MINES WHERE HAMAS HAD CREATED GAPS IN THE BORDER WITH GAZA DURING THE INITIAL ATTACK.

ACCORDING TO ISRAELI OFFICIALS — HAMAS HAS TAKEN MORE THAN 100 HOSTAGES – INCLUDING WOMEN AND CHILDREN — BACK TO GAZA.

HAMAS – A GROUP CATEGORIZED AS TERRORISTS BY BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL – HAS THREATENED TO KILL A CIVILIAN HOSTAGE EVERY TIME ISRAEL BOMBS A PALESTINIAN HOME WITHOUT WARNING.

ACCORDING TO THE GAZA MINISTRY OF HEALTH — AT LEAST 687 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ISRAEL’S AIR STRIKES – INCLUDING 140 CHILDREN — WITH THOUSANDS OTHERS WOUNDED.

ISRAEL HAS CALLED UP 300 THOUSAND RESERVE TROOPS AND IMPOSED A BLOCKADE ON THE GAZA STRIP – AS THE COUNTRY IS EXPECTED TO PLAN A GROUND ASSAULT IN THE COMING DAYS.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ALONG WITH THE LEADERS OF FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM VOWED THEIR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND CONDEMNED THE ACTIONS OF HAMAS IN A JOINT STATEMENT.

IT READ IN PART —

“WE MAKE CLEAR THAT THE TERRORIST ACTIONS OF HAMAS HAVE NO JUSTIFICATION, NO LEGITIMACY, AND MUST BE UNIVERSALLY CONDEMNED. THERE IS NEVER ANY JUSTIFICATION FOR TERRORISM…OUR COUNTRIES WILL SUPPORT ISRAEL IN ITS EFFORTS TO DEFEND ITSELF AND ITS PEOPLE AGAINST SUCH ATROCITIES.”

THE LEADERS OF THE FIVE NATIONS SAY THEY RECOGNIZE THE LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE BUT SAY HAMAS DOES NOT REPRESENT THOSE ASPIRATIONS.

THE UNITED STATES IS SHOWING ITS SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL BY MOVING IT’S LARGEST NAVY SHIP “THE FORD CARRIER STRIKE GROUP” TO THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN.

WITH THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS IN ITS FOURTH DAY — THREE US AIRLINES HAVE SUSPENDED SERVICE TO THE CITY OF TEL AVIV.  — UNITED, AMERICAN AND DELTA CANCELING MULTIPLE FLIGHTS.

UNITED SAYING THAT WILL REMAIN THE CASE UNTIL CONDITIONS ALLOW THEM TO RESUME.

OVER THE COURSE OF TWO DAYS — PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS INTERVIEWED BY SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT HUR AS PART OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO HIS HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMED THIS ON MONDAY.

A SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE PRESIDENT AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAVE BEEN COOPERATING WITH THE INVESTIGATION SINCE THE BEGINNING – AND HAVE BEEN PROVIDING UPDATES PUBLICLY WHERE QUOTE “IT HAS BEEN APPROPRIATE.”

SOURCES TELL MULTIPLE NEWS OUTLETS — THE VOLUNTARY INTERVIEW WAS SCHEDULED WEEKS AGO – AND IT COULD BE A SIGN THE INVESTIGATION IS NEARING ITS END.

HUR WAS APPOINTED SPECIAL COUNSEL BY ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND AFTER CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS WERE FOUND IN BIDEN’S DELAWARE HOME AND A WASHINGTON DC OFFICE HE USED AFTER HIS DAYS OF BEING VICE PRESIDENT.

THE INVESTIGATION INTO PRESIDENT BIDEN COMES AS FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IS FACING HIS OWN CHARGES RELATED TO CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS – CHARGES HE HAS DENIED.

A TRIAL IS SET FOR MAY IN FLORIDA – THOUGH LAST WEEK, TRUMP’S LAWYERS FILED A MOTION TO TRY AND PUSH IT BACK.

THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IN THAT CASE — JACK SMITH — SAYS  THERE’S NO “CREDIBLE JUSTIFICATION” TO MOVE THE TRIAL DATE.

EMPLOYEES OF THE PHARMACY CHAIN WALGREENS ARE THE NEXT SET OF WORKERS TO WALK OUT OF THEIR JOBS – IN HOPES OF SECURING BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS.

THOUSANDS OF PHARMACIST, TECHNICIANS AND SUPPORT STAFF BEGAN A PLANNED 3-DAY WALKOUT ON MONDAY – AT STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  SOME PHARMACIES IN ARIZONA, MASSACHUSETTS AND OREGON HAVE TEMPORARLIY CLOSED.

AN ORGANIZER TELLING THE WASHINGTON POST – INCREASING DEMANDS ON UNDERSTAFFED EMPLOYEES LED TO THE WALKOUT – SAYING THEY ARE BEING ASKED TO ADMINISTER VACCINES WHILE ALSO DEALING WITH HUNDREDS OF PRESCRIPTIONS – MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THEIR JOB RESPONSIBLY.

WALGREENS REPLIED — SAYING – THE COMPANY UNDERSTANDS THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN “UNPRECENDENTED” AND “A VERY CHALLENGING TIME.”

WALGREENS SAYS IT IS MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN PHARMACIST WAGES – AND LISTENING TO THEIR CONCERNS.

LAST WEEK – PHARMACY EMPLOYEES IN MULTIPLE CVS STORES IN KANSAS CITY STAGED A SIMILAR WALKOUT.

EMPLOYEES AT BOTH COMPANIES ARE NOT UNIONIZED – REPORTS SAYING WALGREENS’ WALKOUT CAME TOGETHER ON THE ONLINE SITE REDDIT.

ONE UNION THAT DID WALK OUT FOR BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS — THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA — VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY TO RATIFY ITS NEW CONTRACT ON MONDAY.

FORMALLY ENDING ONE OF THE LONGEST LABOR DISPUTES IN THE HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD – NEARLY 150 DAYS.

WGA MEMBERS VOTED 99% IN FAVOR OF THE CONTRACT.

THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GUILD AND THE ALLIANCE OF MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCERS RUNS THROUGH MAY OF 2026 –

AND FOCUSES ON INCREASES IN PAY AND THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE WRITERS GUILD IS NOW URGING THE ALLIANCE TO WORK OUT A DEAL WITH SAG-AFTRA – AS HOLLYWOOD ACTORS HAVE BEEN ON STRIKE SINCE JULY.

IT WAS NOT FUN AND GAMES AT THE SANTA MONICA PIER ON MONDAY AFTERNOON – AS A MAN CLIMBED THE ICONIC FERRIS WHEEL WITH RIDERS ABOARD – CLAIMING TO BE CARRYING A BOMB.

THE PIER WAS EVACUATED AS POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO THE SCENE.

EMERGENCY OFFICIALS USED A LIFT TO REACH THE RIDERS ON THE 130-FOOT FERRIS WHEEL.

POLICE SAYING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE X – THEY WERE “DEALING WITH A PERSON IN CRISIS.”

ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE INCIDENT STARTED – THE MAN BEGAN CLIMBING DOWN THE STRUCTURE.

ONCE ON THE GROUND – HE WAS APPREHENDED.

POLICE SAYING THERE WAS NO BOMB

— THE PIER SOON REOPENED TO VISITORS.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? – AT YOUR SUMMER OLYMPICS.

WE’RE TALKING FLAG FOOTBALL.

ORGANIZERS FOR THE 20-28 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS HAVE DELIVERED A PROPOSAL TO ADD FLAG FOOTBALL TO THE PROGRAM.

THE DECISION ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE – WHO WILL VOTE DURING MEETINGS IN INDIA OVER THE NEXT WEEK.

OTHER SPORTS BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE LA GAMES – BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, LACROSSE, SQUASH AND CRICKET.

BREAKDANCING – WHICH WE WILL SEE IN PARIS NEXT YEAR – WILL NOT BE PART OF THE L-A EDITION

THE 20-28 SUMMER OLYMPICS WILL BE THE FIRST IN THE UNITED STATES IN 32 YEARS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS TUESDAY.

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

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

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