[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE ISRAELI MILITARY SENDS A MESSAGE TO THOSE LIVING IN PARTS OF RAFAH TO “EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY”

AND — BOEING LOOKS TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF ITS MANNED SPACECRAFT AFTER YEARS OF SETBACKS

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS MONDAY, MAY 6TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

DEVELOPING THIS MORNING – THE ISRAELI MILITARY  HAS ISSUED A CALL FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN SECTIONS OF THE GAZA TOWN OF RAFAH TO ‘EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY’ – AS ISRAEL PREPARES TO STRIKE THE BORDER CITY AS PART OF ITS MISSION TO TARGET HAMAS TERRORISTS.

A SPOKESPERSON WITH THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES TELLING THOSE IN THE EASTERN REGION OF RAFAH TO EVACUATE TO AN “EXPANDED HUMANITARIAN AREA.”

A HAMAS OFFICIAL TELLING REUTERS THE EVACUATION ORDER IS A “DANGEROUS ESCALATION THAT WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES.”

AID AGENCIES AS WELL AS ALLIES LIKE THE U.S. HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST ISRAEL CARRYING OUT AN OPERATION IN RAFAH – WHERE MORE THAN 1 MILLION DISPLACED PALESTINIANS HAVE RELOCATED DURING THE WAR.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAYING THE EVACUATION IS TEMPORARY AND IMPACTS AROUND 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE.

THE IDF SAYING CALLS TO MOVE WILL BE CONVEYED THROUGH FLYERS, TEXTS, PHONE CALLS AND MEDIA BROADCASTS.

THE EVACUATION ALERT IS COMING A DAY AFTER THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER TOLD TROOPS INSIDE GAZA TO EXPECT “INTENSE ACTION IN RAFAH IN THE NEAR FUTURE.”

ON SUNDAY – THE IDF SAID 10 ROCKETS STRUCK A BORDER CROSSING USED FOR HUMANITARIAN TRUCKS IN AN ATTACK CLAIMED BY HAMAS. THREE IDF SOLDIERS WERE KILLED. ISRAEL SHUT DOWN THE CROSSING AFTER THE ATTACK AND IT REMAINS CLOSED THIS MORNING.

ALSO ON SUNDAY – ISRAEL ANNOUNCED IT WAS SHUTTING DOWN THE AL-JAZEERA NEWS NETWORK IN THE COUNTRY – CITING A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. AL-JAZEERA CALLING THE MOVE A “CRIMINAL ACT.”

AND, TODAY, AS TALKS CONCERNING A CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA CONTINUE, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL HOST JORDAN’S KING ABDULLAH THE SECOND FOR A PRIVATE MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

THREE BODIES FOUND IN MEXICO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THOSE OF A MISSING AMERICAN TOURIST AND TWO AUSTRALIAN BROTHERS.

THE FBI CONFIRMED THE THREE BODIES WERE FOUND ON FRIDAY IN A WELL IN THE MEXICAN STATE OF BAJA CALIFORNIA – ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF SOUTH OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER.

MEXICAN AUTHORITIES RELEASED MORE INFORMATION SUNDAY NIGHT – SAYING THE FAMILIES OF AMERICAN JACK CARTER RHOAD AND AUSTRALIANS CALLUM “KAY-LUM” AND JAKE ROBINSON WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEIR LOVED ONES.

THE THREE FRIENDS WERE ON A SURFING TRIP WHEN THEY DISAPPEARED LAST WEEK.

MEXICAN OFFICIALS SAID ALL THREE WERE FOUND WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD – AFTER AN ALLEGED CARJACKING INCIDENT.

AUTHORITIES SAY THREE SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED.

A FOURTH BODY WAS ALSO LOCATED WITH THE THREE OTHERS – BUT OFFICIALS SAY THE YET-TO-BE-IDENTIFIED VICTIM IS NOT RELATED TO THIS CASE.

THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS ITS CLOSELY MONITORING THE SITUATION.

THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS A TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR THE BAJA CALIFORNIA REGION – ADVISING TOURISTS TO RECONSIDER TRAVEL DUE TO CRIME AND KIDNAPPING.

ONE CHILD WAS KILLED OVER THE WEEKEND IN TEXAS — AS SEVERE FLOODING CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE STATE.

OFFICIALS IN JOHNSON COUNTY SAID THE CHILD AND TWO ADULTS — WERE TRAPPED IN THEIR CAR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING —

DUE TO  FAST-MOVING FLOODWATERS. THE CHILD WAS SWEPT AWAY AS THE THREE TRIED TO MAKE IT TO DRY LAND.

THE ADULTS WERE RESCUED AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL

MEANWHILE THE HOUSTON REGION HAS EXPERIENCED CONTINUOUS HEAVY RAINFALL, PROMPTING FORECASTERS TO EXTEND FLOOD WATCHES.

RESCUE CREWS HAVE SAVED HUNDREDS FROM RISING FLOODWATERS IN THE AREA.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECORDED UP TO 23 INCHES OF RAIN IN SOME AREAS OVER THE LAST WEEK.

AFTER A TUMULTUOUS THREE YEARS AT THE HELM OF ABC NEWS – ITS PRESIDENT — KIM GODWIN — IS STEPPING DOWN FROM HER ROLE.

IN A MESSAGE TO STAFF ON SUNDAY NIGHT – GODWIN WROTE SHE IS RETIRING FROM THE NEWS BUSINESS.

GODWIN WAS RECRUITED IN 20-21 FROM CBS NEWS — TO TAKE OVER AT ABC — AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO LEAD A NETWORK NEWS DIVISION.

AFTER HER HIRING, REPORTS STARTED SURFACING OF EMPLOYEES BEING CRITICAL OF GODWIN’S MANAGEMENT STYLE.

EARLIER THIS YEAR – DISNEY — THE PARENT COMPANY OF ABC – INSTALLED EXECUTIVE DEBRA O’CONNELL TO OVERSEE GODWIN AND THE NEWS DIVISION.

IN A MEMO — O’CONNELL TELLING STAFF SHE WILL NOW STEP INTO GODWIN’S ROLE “FOR THE TIME BEING.”

BOEING IS SET TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST MANNED STARLINER MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TONIGHT — AFTER A DECADE OF DELAYS AND MECHANICAL CHALLENGES.

THIS CREWED FLIGHT TEST AIMS TO VALIDATE THE SPACECRAFT’S CAPABILITIES — AS A COMPETITOR TO SPACEX —

FOR REGULAR TRIPS TO THE I-S-S UNDER NASA’S COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM.

BOEING HAS FACED A SERIES OF SETBACKS WITH STARLINER, INCLUDING A FAILED UNCREWED TEST FLIGHT IN 2019 DUE TO SOFTWARE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES WITH THE VEHICLE’S PARACHUTE SYSTEM.

DESPITE THESE HURDLES, NASA HAS EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE IN THE SPACECRAFT’S IMPROVEMENTS AND BOEING’S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY.

THE MISSION FEATURES TWO VETERAN ASTRONAUTS ON A WEEK-LONG TEST FLIGHT.

THE LAUNCH FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN FLORIDA IS SET FOR 10:34 P-M.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – IT WAS A WILD WEEKEND IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS — THAT SAW NOT ONE BUT TWO PHOTO FINISHES.

THE FIRST CLOSE CALL — TOOK PLACE AT SATURDAY’S KENTUCKY DERBY – WITH MYSTIK (MYSTIC) DAN PREVAILING — BY A NOSE — OVER SIERRA LEONE (LEE-OHN) AND FOREVER YOUNG. THE PHOTO FINISH AT CHURCHILL DOWNS WAS THE 26TH TIME THE DERBY WAS DECIDED BY THE LENGTH OF A NECK OR LESS.

THEN A LITTLE OVER 24 HOURS LATER – NASCAR SAW ITS CLOSEST FINISH IN CUP SERIES HISTORY – WITH KYLE LARSON BEATING CHRIS BUESCHER “BOO-SHER” AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY – BEING DECLARED THE WINNER BY A THOUSANDTH OF A SECOND.

IT WAS SO CLOSE THAT BUESCHER WAS INITIALLY NAMED THE WINNER – BUT AFTER FURTHER REVIEW – LARSON WAS ANNOUNCED THE VICTOR – EARNING HIS SECOND WIN OF THE 2024 SEASON.

AND — ACCORDING TO THE ATHLETIC – THE SAME CAMERA TECHNOLOGY WAS USED TO DETERMINE THE WINNER IN BOTH PHOTO FINISHES.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

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WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

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