Report: US planning for potential evacuation of Americans in Middle East: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 24, 2023

AS A REPORT COMES OUT ON THE US’ POTENTIAL PLANS TO EVACUATE US CITIZENS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA REACTS TO THE INTENSIFYING WAR

AND —  AN OFF-DUTY PILOT IS ACCUSED OF TRYING TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES OF AN ALASKA AIRLINES PLANE MID-FLIGHT

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THE UNITED STATES IS PREPARING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING TO EVACUATE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS LIVING IN THE MIDDLE EAST SHOULD THE WAR ESCALATE – ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE WASHINGTON POST.

OFFICIALS FAMILIAR WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S “CONTINGENCY PLANNING” TELLING THE POST – THAT THIS IS A WORST-CASE SCENARIO.

ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT – THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 600 THOUSAND U-S CITIZENS LIVING IN ISRAEL – AND 86 THOUSAND LIVING IN LEBANON.

THE POST REPORTING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS DEEPLY ALARMED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE WAR ESCALATING.

THIS COMES AS THE ISRAELI ARMY SAID IT INTENSIFIED ITS AIRSTRIKES AGAINST HAMAS IN GAZA – STRIKING 400 TARGETS IN THE PAST 24 HOURS –

CONTINUING ITS RETALIATION FOR THE OCT. 7 ATTACKS THAT KILLED MORE THAN 14 HUNDRED PEOPLE AND INJURED MORE THAN 5 THOUSAND IN ISRAEL.

THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SAID ITS STRIKES KILLED THREE HAMAS DEPUTY COMMANDERS MONDAY NIGHT.

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES SAY ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 5 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN GAZA, INJURING MORE THAN 15 THOUSAND.

EARLIER ON MONDAY — HAMAS RELEASED TWO ISRAELI HOSTAGES — THOUGH THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SAYS THE TWO WOMEN’S HUSBANDS REMAIN IN GAZA — AMONG THE MORE THAN 200 STILL BEING HELD BY THE MILITANT GROUP.

HAMAS RELEASED TWO **AMERICAN HOSTAGES LAST WEEK.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SPOKE TO ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU MONDAY AFTERNOON ABOUT SECURING THE RELEASE OF ALL HOSTAGES, PROVIDING SAFE PASSAGE FOR US CITIZENS AND OTHERS IN GAZA – AND SUSTAINING A FLOW OF HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA AFTER ISRAEL CUT OFF FOOD, WATER AND FUEL INTO THE TERRITORY FOLLOWING THE ATTACK.

BIDEN SAID MONDAY THERE SHOULD BE NO CEASEFIRE UNTIL HOSTAGES ARE RELEASED.

FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA RELEASED A STATEMENT MONDAY NIGHT — BACKING ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF — WHILE URGING THE ISRAELI MILITARY TO ABIDE BY INTERNATIONAL LAW –

SAYING ANY STRATEGY THAT IGNORES HUMAN COSTS — COULD ULTIMATELY BACKFIRE.

THE FORMER PRESIDENT WROTE ISRAEL’S BLOCKADE ON GAZA NOT ONLY COULD WORSEN A GROWING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS BUT QUOTE

 “…It could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.”

REPUBLICANS WILL MEET TODAY TO VOTE ON THEIR NEW NOMINEE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER.

LAWMAKERS MET LAST NIGHT FOR A CANDIDATE FORUM.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS’ POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN WAS THERE AND FILED THIS REPORT.

Republicans are set to vote on a new Speaker of the House nominee Tuesday morning. They hope to move to the floor for an official vote soon after the candidate is chosen, perhaps as early as Tuesday evening. 

Eight candidates were in the running. There were nine until Pennsylvania’s Daniel Mueser dropped out.

During a forum Monday night, the eight candidates made their case and answered questions about how they would handle issues like government funding, border security, aid packages to Israel and Ukraine, and more.

“There’s a rule in the Republican conference that everyone is supposed to support whichever candidate becomes the nominee with a majority vote. But as the country has seen, not all members have followed that rule, and some are indicating that might happen again.”

TODAY MARKS THREE FULL WEEKS WITHOUT A SPEAKER IN THE CHAMBER.

YOU CAN FIND RAY’S FULL REPORT NOW ON SAN DOT COM.

A MIX OF FOG AND SMOKE IS BEING BLAMED FOR SEVEN DEATHS NEAR NEW ORLEANS ON MONDAY.

WHAT IS CALLED A “SUPER FOG” BLANKETED INTERSTATE 55 CAUSING MULTIPLE CRASHES INVOLVING AT LEAST 158 VEHICLES.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO LOUISIANA STATE POLICE.

AUTHORITIES SAYING LAST NIGHT — THE NUMBER OF DEATHS COULD INCREASE AS THEY CONTINUE TO CLEAR THE CRASH SCENE.

OVER 25 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES.

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR JOHN BEL-EDWARDS ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING – HE IS PRAYING FOR THOSE “HURT AND KILLED” IN THE CRASH – AND PUT OUT A CALL FOR BLOOD DONATIONS.

OFFICIALS SAY THE SUPER FOG WAS A RESULT OF SMOKE FROM WILDFIRES BURNING IN THE AREA COMBINED WITH DENSE FOG – LEADING TO LOW OR ZERO VISIBILITY.

OFFICIALS HAVE RELEASED NEW INFORMATION ABOUT A SCARE ABOARD AN ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT OVER THE WEEKEND — THE AIRLINE SAYING AN OFF-DUTY PILOT SITTING IN THE JUMP SEAT ON THE PLANE TRIED SHUTTING OFF ITS ENGINES MID-FLIGHT.

ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES AND THE AIRLINE — THE SUSPECT — FORTY-FOUR YEAR-OLD JOSEPH EMERSON — WAS SUBDUED BY THE FLIGHT CREW AFTER ALLEGEDLY ATTEMPTING TO “DISRUPT THE OPERATION OF THE ENGINES” BY PULLING THE FIRE EXTINGUISHING HANDLES – WHICH WOULD SHUT OFF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.  

THE PLANE WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN PORTLAND OREGON.

THE ALASKA FLIGHT OUT OF EVERETT WASHINGTON WAS ON ITS WAY TO SAN FRANCISCO WHERE OFFICIALS SAY THE SUSPECT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE ON A **FLIGHT CREW** OF ANOTHER PLANE.

NONE OF THE 80 PASSENGERS OR 4 CREW MEMBERS ON THE ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT WERE INJURED.

EMERSON WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH EIGHTY-THREE COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.

THE UNITED AUTO WORKERS EXPANDED ITS STRIKE ON MONDAY TO A STELLANTIS PLANT IN MICHIGAN THAT PRODUCES RAM PICKUP TRUCKS.

SIX THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED (6,800) WORKERS WALKED OFF THE JOB IN THE FIRST WORK STOPPAGE AT A STELLANTIS FACILITY IN OVER A MONTH.

WITH THIS LATEST MOVE – ABOUT FORTY THOUSAND (40,000) UAW MEMBERS WORKING AT STELLANTIS, FORD, AND GENERAL MOTORS PLANTS ARE NOW ON STRIKE.

THE UNION IS SEEKING  BETTER PAY AND SHORTER WORK-WEEKS.

THE BIG 3 DETROIT AUTOMAKERS HAVE COME BACK WITH CONTRACTS THAT INCLUDE PAY INCREASES AND IMPROVED BENEFITS, BUT UAW SAYS WHAT THEY ARE OFFERING IS NOT ENOUGH.

THE UAW SAYING IN A STATEMENT THAT STELLANTIS —  THE MAKER OF RAM, DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES –HAS “THE WORST PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE” REGARDING WAGE PROGRESSION, TEMPORARY WORKER PAY AND CONVERSION TO FULL-TIME, COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS, AND MORE”.

THE STRIKE IS NOW IN ITS SIXTH WEEK.

FINALLY THIS MORNING — A 31-YEAR-OLD DOG WHO MADE IT INTO THE RECORD BOOKS IS BEING REMEMBERED.

BOBI (BOBBY) –  A GUARD DOG – PASSED AWAY OVER THE WEEKEND IN A VETERINARY HOSPITAL IN PORTUGAL.

BOBI — WHO WAS BORN ON MAY 11, 1992 — WAS RANKED AS THE OLDEST DOG EVER.

OFFICIALS AT THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS SAID THEY WERE SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE DEATH OF BOBI.

ACCORDING TO HIS OWNER — BOBI WAS ABLE TO LIVE SUCH A LONG LIFE BECAUSE HE HAD GOOD FOOD, FRESH AIR AND LOTS OF LOVE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS TUESDAY.

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!