Israel strikes Gaza refugee camp, targeting Hamas commander: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 1, 2023
A densely populated refugee camp in Gaza is hit by Israeli airstrikes, with officials on both sides of the war speaking out. And we’re learning more about a heavily armed man found dead at an amusement park in Colorado. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.
Israel says strike on refugee camp in Gaza killed Hamas commander
Palestinians in Gaza are reporting another widespread blackout, major outages of internet, and phone services. This comes as dozens of people could be seen entering the crossing between Gaza and Egypt, appearing to be the first time foreign passport holders are being allowed to leave the territory since the war between Israel and Hamas began.
In its latest strikes against Hamas on Tuesday, Oct. 31, the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed its fighter jets hit a densely populated refugee camp in Gaza, saying it took out a top commander of the Palestinian militant group who was “pivotal” in the planning of the terror attacks three weeks ago.
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The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, said at least 50 Palestinians were killed and 150 others were wounded, including civilians, in the airstrikes on the refugee camp that took down several apartment buildings. Hamas denied Israel’s claim that a commander was killed.
The IDF said Hamas has built infrastructures under where civilians are living, the Israeli Army said its airstrikes hit an underground bunker where the commander was hiding, adding dozens of militants were also killed.
The Israeli army did not acknowledge any civilian deaths in the blast, but repeated its warnings to Gaza residents to evacuate northern areas of the territory as it continues to retaliate against Hamas and expand its ground operation.
FBI director warns of possible terror threats inspired by Hamas’ attack
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified in front of the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Oct. 31, warning Congress that Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel could lead to threats in the U.S.
“The ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ‘nother level.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray
“The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ‘nother level,” Wray said.
Wray said there is no indication that Hamas itself intends to attack the U.S. or has the capabilities, but of most concern are lone-wolf-style attacks.
Wray warned Congress of the threat of violent extremists, either individuals or small groups, drawing inspiration from the events in the Middle East to attack Americans.
Straight Arrow News reported yesterday on a poll conducted by NewsNation where 75% of those surveyed said they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned that the conflict in the Middle East would result in terror attacks in the U.S.
The American Muslim community has also voiced concern about a potential wave of hate crimes and discrimination related to the Israel-Hamas war. Authorities in Chicago say they arrested a man who allegedly killed a 6-year-old Muslim boy. Police said the man was motivated by the conflict in the Middle East.
Donald Trump Jr. to testify in $250 million civil fraud trial
Donald Trump Jr. is expected to testify on Wednesday, Nov. 1, in his father’s $250 million civil fraud trial in New York. Donald Trump Jr. would be the first of the former president’s children to take the witness stand.
Donald Trump, his eldest sons and his organization are being accused by the state’s attorney general of inflating the former president’s net worth on financial statements to get more favorable terms on loans and insurance policies.
Donald Trump, the current GOP frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election, has denied any wrongdoing. Two of the former president’s other children, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump, are also expected to testify over the next week.
Donald Trump is scheduled to take the stand on Monday, Nov. 6.
New details released after armed man found dead at amusement park
More information is being uncovered about a heavily armed man found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at an amusement park located on top of a mountain in Colorado last weekend. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said the man, identified as 20-year-old Diego Medina, could have implemented “an attack of devastating proportions.”
Medina’s brother spoke to NBC News on Tuesday, Oct. 31, and said Diego Medina was a “quiet person” who stayed up every night playing video games.
According to officials, Medina had entered Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park after it closed, wearing body armor and carrying an AR-style rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, and multiple loaded magazines. In addition to the guns, improvised explosive devices were discovered nearby. At least two of the weapons were “ghost guns,” according to authorities.
Officials said the man’s body was found in a women’s bathroom Saturday, Oct. 28, before the park was scheduled to reopen.
Medina shared a home with his brother and mother. His brother told NBC News that Medina always wanted to be a police officer adding, “I didn’t think he was a dangerous person.”
The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to search for a motive.
Second person to receive pig heart transplant dies
As more than 100,000 Americans await crucial organ transplants with a huge shortage of organ donations, doctors and scientists continue to hope that one day animal-to-human transplants can help close the gap. But doctors are still learning after the second person to receive a genetically modified pig heart died six-weeks after the experimental surgery.
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University of Maryland School of Medicine announced on Tuesday, Oct. 31, that 58-year-old Navy veteran, Lawrence Faucette died on Monday, Oct. 30, six weeks after receiving the transplant.
Faucette was dying from heart failure and needed a transplant, and other health problems deemed him ineligible for a traditional transplant. Faucette was out of options and wanted to spend more time with his family.
According to doctors, Faucette received a genetically modified pig heart on Sept. 20, and the transplant heart seemed healthy for the first month before showing signs of rejection in recent days.
In 2022, the same Maryland team performed the world’s first transplant of a genetically modified pig’s heart into a human. David Bennett, the first recipient, survived for two months after the surgery before the heart failed for reasons that are not yet clear, though doctors said they later found signs of a pig virus in the heart.
The practice of animal-to-human transplants is called xenotransplants and while most have failed over the decades-long practice, scientists and doctors hope that as we learn more and technology advances that xenotransplants can save thousands of lives.
Martin Scorsese posts his Top 10 films on “Letterboxd”
Have you seen any good movies lately? It’s a question many of us ask our family and friends when looking for a recommendation. But what if you could find out the Top 10 movie choices of an Academy Award-winning director?
Now you can.
Martin Scorsese recently joined the social network “Letterboxd,” where users post reviews of movies and track the films they watch.
The director has now added a new list to his account: his Top 10 widescreen films.
Not picking a favorite, he lists the movies in alphabetical order, they include “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “East of Eden,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” and “Once Upon a Time in the West”
All his choices are movies from the fifties and sixties.
Scorsese’s latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” was released in theaters last month.
Tags: Christopher Wray, Colorado, Donald Trump, Egypt, FBI, Hamas, Health, Hollywood, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, movies, Trump Organization
A DENSELY POPULATED REFUGEE CAMP IN GAZA IS HIT BY ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES — WITH OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WAR SPEAKING OUT
AND — WE’RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT A HEAVILY ARMED MAN FOUND DEAD AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK IN COLORADO
THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I’M KARAH RUCKER.
THIS MORNING – PALESTINIANS IN GAZA ARE REPORTING ANOTHER WIDESPREAD BLACKOUT – MAJOR OUTAGES OF INTERNET AND PHONE SERVICES.
THIS COMES AS DOZENS OF PEOPLE COULD BE SEEN ENTERING THE CROSSING BETWEEN GAZA AND EGYPT –
APPEARING TO BE THE FIRST TIME FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS ARE BEING ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE TERRITORY SINCE THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS BEGAN.
IN ITS LATEST STRIKES AGAINST HAMAS ON TUESDAY – THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES CONFIRMED ITS FIGHTER JETS HIT A DENSELY POPULATED REFUGEE CAMP IN GAZA – SAYING IT TOOK OUT A TOP COMMANDER OF THE PALESTINIAN MILITANT GROUP WHO WAS “PIVOTAL” IN THE PLANNING OF THE TERROR ATTACKS THREE WEEKS AGO.
THE GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY – WHICH IS RUN BY HAMAS — SAID AT LEAST 50 PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED AND 150 OTHERS WERE WOUNDED, INCLUDING CIVILIANS, IN THE AIRSTRIKES THAT TOOK DOWN SEVERAL APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
HAMAS DENIED ISRAEL’S CLAIM THAT A COMMANDER WAS KILLED.
THE IDF SAID HAMAS HAS BUILT INFRASTRUCTURES UNDER WHERE CIVILIANS ARE LIVING — THE ISRAELI ARMY SAID ITS AIRSTRIKES HIT AN UNDERGROUND BUNKER WHERE THE COMMANDER WAS HIDING – ADDING DOZENS OF MILITANTS WERE ALSO KILLED.
THE ISRAELI ARMY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY CIVILIAN DEATHS IN THE BLAST — BUT REPEATED ITS WARNINGS TO GAZA RESIDENTS TO EVACUATE NORTHERN AREAS OF THE TERRITORY AS IT CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS GROUND OPERATION.
THE WHITE HOUSE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE AIRSTRIKES ON THE REFUGEE CAMP – BUT NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAID THE US BELIEVES ISRAEL IS “TRYING TO MINIMIZE” CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN GAZA.
IN WASHINGTON YESTERDAY — THE SENATE CONFIRMED FORMER TREASURY SECRETARY JACK LEW AS THE NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL – DESPITE REPUBLICANS OPPOSING THE CHOICE — OVER LEW’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
ALSO ON CAPITOL HILL — ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS INTERRUPTED A HEARING WITH SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN AND DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN CONCERNING AID FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE. OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN HAS MORE ON THAT STORY ON SAN DOT COM.
FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THE SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY— WARNING CONGRESS THAT HAMAS’ TERROR ATTACKS ON ISRAEL COULD LEAD TO THREATS IN THE U.S.
“The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ‘nother level,”
WRAY SAID THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT HAMAS ITSELF INTENDS TO ATTACK THE U.S. – OR HAS THE CAPABILITIES — BUT OF MOST CONCERN ARE LONE-WOLF STYLE ATTACKS –
WRAY WARNING CONGRESS OF THE THREAT OF VIOLENT EXTREMISTS – EITHER INDIVIDUALS OR SMALL GROUPS — DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO ATTACK AMERICANS.
STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS REPORTED YESTERDAY ON A POLL CONDUCTED BY NEWSNATION WHERE 75 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SURVEYED SAID THEY WERE “VERY” OR “SOMEWHAT” CONCERNED THAT THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD RESULT IN TERROR ATTACKS IN THE U.S.
DONALD TRUMP JR IS EXPECTED TO TESTIFY TODAY IN HIS FATHER’S TWO HUNDRED FIFTY MILLION DOLLAR CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL IN NEW YORK.
DONALD TRUMP JR WOULD BE THE FIRST OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S CHILDREN TO TAKE THE WITNESS STAND.
DONALD TRUMP, HIS ELDEST SONS AND HIS ORGANIZATION ARE BEING ACCUSED BY THE STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL OF INFLATING THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S NET WORTH ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO GET MORE FAVORABLE TERMS ON LOANS AND INSURANCE POLICIES.
DONALD TRUMP – THE CURRENT GOP FRONTRUNNER FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – HAS DENIED ANY WRONGDOING.
TWO OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S OTHER CHILDREN — ERIC TRUMP AND IVANKA TRUMP – ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO TESTIFY OVER THE NEXT WEEK.
DONALD TRUMP IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE THE STAND ON MONDAY.
MORE INFORMATION IS BEING UNCOVERED ABOUT A HEAVILY ARMED MAN FOUND DEAD FROM AN APPARENT SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK LOCATED ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN IN COLORADO LAST WEEKEND.
THE GARFIELD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID THE MAN – IDENTIFIED AS 20-YEAR-OLD DIEGO MEDINA — COULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED “AN ATTACK OF DEVASTATING PROPORTIONS.”
THE MAN’S BROTHER SPOKE TO NBC NEWS ON TUESDAY — SAYING MEDINA WAS A “QUIET PERSON” WHO STAYED UP EVERY NIGHT PLAYING VIDEO GAMES.
ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS — MEDINA HAD ENTERED GLENWOOD CAVERNS ADVENTURE PARK AFTER IT CLOSED —
WEARING BODY ARMOR AND CARRYING AN AR-STYLE RIFLE, A SEMI-AUTOMATIC HANDGUN AND MULTIPLE LOADED MAGAZINES.
IN ADDITION — IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES WERE DISCOVERED NEARBY.
AT LEAST TWO OF THE WEAPONS WERE GHOST GUNS.
OFFICIALS SAY THE MAN’S BODY WAS FOUND IN A WOMEN’S BATHROOM SATURDAY BEFORE THE PARK WAS SCHEDULED TO REOPEN.
MEDINA SHARED A HOME WITH HIS BROTHER AND MOTHER.
HIS BROTHER TELLING NBC NEWS — MEDINA ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A POLICE OFFICER — SAYING HE DIDN’T THINK HE WAS A DANGEROUS PERSON.
AUTHORITIES ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR A MOTIVE.
THE SECOND PERSON TO RECEIVE A PIG HEART TRANSPLANT HAS DIED — SIX WEEKS AFTER THE EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THAT 58-YEAR-OLD NAVY VETERAN – LAWRENCE FAUCETTE PASSED AWAY ON MONDAY.
FAUCETTE — WHO WAS DYING FROM HEART FAILURE — HAD BEEN DEEMED INELIGIBLE FOR A TRADITIONAL TRANSPLANT DUE TO OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS.
WITHOUT OTHER OPTIONS — AND WANTING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY — HE UNDERWENT THE PROCEDURE ON SEPTEMBER TWENTIETH.
ACCORDING TO DOCTORS — THE TRANSPLANTED HEART SEEMED HEALTHY FOR THE FIRST MONTH BEFORE SHOWING SIGNS OF REJECTION IN RECENT DAYS.
LAST YEAR — THE SAME MARYLAND TEAM PERFORMED THE WORLD’S FIRST TRANSPLANT OF A GENETICALLY MODIFIED PIG’S HEART INTO A HUMAN… THAT RECIPIENT SURVIVED FOR TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE HEART FAILED.
AS MORE THAN ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND AMERICANS AWAIT CRUCIAL ORGAN TRANSPLANTS WITH A HUGE SHORTAGE OF ORGAN DONATIONS — DOCTORS SAY FAUCETTE’S LAST WISH WAS FOR THEM TO MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT WAS LEARNED FROM HIS EXPERIENCE.
FINALLY THIS MORNING — HAVE YOU SEEN ANY GOOD MOVIES LATELY? IT’S A QUESTION MANY OF US ASK OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN LOOKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION.
BUT WHAT IF YOU COULD FIND OUT THE TOP 10 MOVIE CHOICES OF AN ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR?
NOW YOU CAN.
MARTIN SCORSESE (skor-say-zee) RECENTLY JOINED THE SOCIAL NETWORK “LETTERBOXD” – WHERE USERS POST REVIEWS OF MOVIES AND TRACK THE FILMS THEY WATCH.
THE DIRECTOR HAS NOW ADDED A NEW LIST TO HIS ACCOUNT – HIS TOP 10 WIDESCREEN FILMS.
NOT PICKING A FAVORITE – HE LISTS THE MOVIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER – THEY INCLUDE “2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY” — “EAST OF EDEN” – “LAWRENCE OF ARABIA” – AND “ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST”
ALL HIS CHOICES ARE MOVIES FROM THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES.
SCORSESE’S LATEST FILM — “KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON” — WAS RELEASED IN THEATERS LAST MONTH.
THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.
AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER TO GET THE TOP STORIES EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.
JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN TO SIGN UP.
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!
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