Republican candidates square off in fourth debate: The Morning Rundown, Dec. 7, 2023

AS THE GOP FIELD NARROWS, FOUR PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS TAKE THE DEBATE STAGE FOR A FOURTH TIME AND — THE U.S. MILITARY HAS GROUNDED ITS ENTIRE FLEET OF OSPREYS FOLLOWING LAST WEEK’S DEADLY CRASH

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7TH

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

WITH JUST OVER A MONTH TO GO UNTIL THE IOWA CAUCUSES – REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS LOOKED TO GAIN MOMENTUM DURING THE FOURTH PRIMARY DEBATE LAST NIGHT IN ALABAMA.

THE FOUR REMAINING CANDIDATES ON THE STAGE — FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS, FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR AND SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY, ENTREPRENEUR VIVEK RAMASWAMY AND FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE – TARGETED ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT – WITH THE FRONTRUNNER – FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP – CHOOSING NOT TO PARTICIPATE.

WITH HALEY RISING IN THE POLLS — AND RECENTLY GAINING THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE “AMERICAN FOR PROSPERITY ADVOCACY GROUP” AS WELL AS NEWS THAT BILLIONAIRE CO-FOUNDER OF LINKEDIN AND DEMOCRAT DONOR REID HOFFMAN RECENTLY GAVE A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS TO A SUPER PAC BACKING HER  – THE FORMER UN AMBASSADOR FACED JABS EARLY ON.

“I HAVE DELIVERED RESULTS. THAT’S WHAT WE NEED FOR THIS COUNTRY. YOU HAVE OTHER CANDIDATES UP HERE LIKE NIKKI HALEY, SHE CAVES ANY TIME THE LEFT COMES AFTER HER. ANY TIME THE MEDIA COMES AFTER HER.”

RAMASWAMY DECIDED AT ONE POINT TO USE A VISUAL TO MAKE HIS CASE AGAINST HALEY – WRITING ON A NOTEPAD – NIKKI EQUALS CORRUPT.

“AFTER THE THIRD DEBATE WHEN I CRITICIZED RONALD MCDANIEL AFTER FIVE FAILED YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THIS PARTY AND CRITICIZED NIKKI FOR HER CORRUPT FOREIGN DEALINGS AS A MILITARY CONTRACTOR, SHE SAID I HAVE A WOMAN PROBLEM. I DON’T HAVE A WOMAN PROBLEM. YOU HAVE A CORRUPTION PROBLEM. I THINK THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW. NIKKI IS CORRUPT. THIS IS A WOMAN WHO WILL SEND YOUR KIDS TO DIE, SO SHE CAN BUY A BIGGER HOUSE”

CHRISTIE TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH — DEFENDING HALEY AFTER  EARLIER REMARKS FROM RAMASWAMY – SUGGESTING SHE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO NAME PROVINCES IN UKRAINE.

“WE ARE NOW 25 MINUTES INTO THIS DEBATE, AND HE HAS  INSULTED NIKKI HALEY’S BASIC INTELLIGENCE. NOT HER POSITIONS, HER BASIC INTELLIGENCE. SHE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO FIND SOMETHING ON A MAP THAT HIS 3-YEAR-OLD COULD FIND. LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO DISAGREE ON ISSUES, THAT’S FINE. NIKKI AND I DISAGREE ON SOME ISSUES. I’VE KNOWN HER FOR 12 YEARS, WHICH IS LONGER THAN HE STARTED TO VOTE IN A REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. AND WHILE WE DISAGREE ABOUT SOME ISSUES AND WE DISAGREE ABOUT WHO SHOULD BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. WHAT WE DON’T DISAGREE ON THIS IS A SMART ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN. YOU SHOULD STOP INSULTING HER.”

HALEY HERSELF RESPONDED TO THE ATTACKS FROM DESANTIS AND RAMASWAMY – SAYING THEY ARE JEALOUS.

 “THERE IS NOTHING TO WHAT HE’S  SAYING. IN TERMS OF THESE DONORS, THEY ARE JUST JEALOUS. THEY WISH THEY WERE SUPPORTING THEM, BUT I’M NOT GOING TO SIT THERE AND DENY IT.”

AS FOR TRUMP – CHRISTIE SAID HE WAS RUNNING TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT – SAYING THERE IS NO BIGGER ISSUE IN THIS RACE THAN DONALD TRUMP – AND CRITICIZED HIS FELLOW CANDIDATES FOR NOT TALKING MORE ABOUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

AS THE UNITED STATES PREPARES FOR A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 2024 – THIS MORNING —  RUSSIA ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR ITS OWN.

BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE – RUSSIA’S FEDERATION COUNCIL – APPROVED A DATE OF MARCH 17TH 2024.

THOUGH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS NOT YET OFFICIALLY DECLARED HIS INTENTION TO RUN AGAIN – HE IS EXPECTED TO DO SO NOW THAT A DATE HAS BEEN SET.

AT 71 YEARS OF AGE, PUTIN WOULD BE RUNNING FOR HIS FIFTH TERM IN OFFICE – ONE THAT LASTS SIX YEARS.

ONE POLITICAL ANALYST TELLING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS –  WHILE OTHERS WILL RUN AGAINST PUTIN — THE MARCH VOTE WILL BE MORE OF A “RITUAL” THAN A COMPETITIVE ELECTORAL ELECTION.

DESPITE A WARNING FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN ABOUT THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES IN UKRAINE SHOULD CONGRESS NOT PROVIDE MORE FUNDING — SENATE REPUBLICANS ON WEDNESDAY BLOCKED A 110 BILLION DOLLAR EMERGENCY SPENDING BILL THAT INCLUDES AID FOR UKRAINE IN ITS WAR WITH RUSSIA, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR ISRAEL AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE  –

GOP LAWMAKERS HAVE ARGUED **U.S. BORDER SECURITY SHOULD COME FIRST.

WITH THE VOTE OF 49 TO 51 – THE PACKAGE FELL SHORT OF THE SENATE’S 60-VOTE THRESHOLD NEEDED TO MOVE IT FORWARD.

SPEAKING ON THE SENATE FLOOR AFTER THE VOTE — SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER CALLED IT A SAD DAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE SENATE AND THE COUNTRY – SAYING IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN – VLADIMIR PUTIN IS GOING TO WALK RIGHT THROUGH UKRAINE AND THEN THROUGH EUROPE.

SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL – WHO SUPPORTS MORE AID FOR UKRAINE – URGED REPUBLICANS TO VOTE AGAINST THE BILL – UNTIL THERE ARE “MEANINGFUL CHANGES TO THE BORDER.”

EARLIER IN THE DAY – IN A MESSAGE TO CONGRESS – PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID HE IS WILLING TO DO “SIGNIFICANTLY MORE” ON BORDER SECURITY – BUT CALLED OUT REPUBLICAN SENATORS — SAYING BY NOT PASSING THE BILL THEY ARE “WILLING TO GIVE PUTIN THE GREATEST GIFT HE COULD HOPE FOR.”

GUNFIRE ERUPTED ON THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AS A SHOOTER OPENED FIRE KILLING THREE PEOPLE AND INJURING A FOURTH.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE GUNMAN WAS KILLED DURING A SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE.

AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLINED TO IDENTIFY THE SHOOTER TO THE PUBLIC AS OF NOW BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES TELL NEWS OUTLETS THAT HE WAS A 67-YEAR-OLD CAREER COLLEGE PROFESSOR CONNECTED TO OTHER UNIVERSITIES WHO HAD APPLIED FOR A POSITION AT UNLV — BUT WAS NOT HIRED.

THE IDENTITIES OF THE VICTIMS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED.

POLICE SAY THE SURVIVING GUNSHOT VICTIM — ORIGINALLY LISTED AS CRITICAL — IS NOW IN STABLE CONDITION.

SHOTS RANG OUT AROUND 11:45 AM LOCAL TIME IN AN ACADEMIC BUILDING ON CAMPUS WHERE STUDENTS WERE PLAYING GAMES AND EATING FOOD.

ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS, TWO UNIVERSITY POLICE DETECTIVES IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED IN A SHOOTOUT WITH THE SUSPECT — KILLING HIM.

A MOTIVE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

IN THE WAKE OF THE DEADLY CRASH OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN LAST WEEK AND CALLS FROM JAPAN’S MILITARY TO HALT ALL OSPREY FLIGHTS, THE U-S MILITARY HAS GROUNDED ITS ENTIRE FLEET OF THE HYBRID AIRCRAFT.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON WEDNESDAY COMES JUST A WEEK AFTER EIGHT U-S AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND SERVICE MEMBERS WERE KILLED IN A CRASH DURING AN OSPREY TRAINING FLIGHT.

HUNDREDS OF THE OSPREY AIRCRAFT’S ACROSS THE AIR FORCE, NAVY, AND MARINE CORPS ARE NOW GROUNDED AS THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH INDICATES SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND NOT AN ERROR BY THE CREW.

JAPAN’S MILITARY HAD ALREADY GROUNDED ITS SMALL FLEET OF OSPREYS.

ACCORDING TO A REUTERS REPORT — THE FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION SAYS AT LEAST 50 MILITARY PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN KILLED IN CRASHES INVOLVING THE AIRCRAFT.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – MCDONALD’S HAS UNVEILED PLANS FOR A NEW KIND OF RESTAURANT – ONE THEY HOPE CUSTOMERS WILL THINK IS OUT OF THIS WORLD.

IT IS CALLED COSMC’S (COSMICS) – NAMED AFTER A MCDONALD’S ALIEN MASCOT FROM THE 1980S.

IN ITS ANNOUNCEMENT WEDNESDAY — MCDONALD’S SAID THE SMALL FORMAT CONCEPT WILL FOCUS ON UNIQUE BEVERAGES SUCH AS A CHURRO FRAPPE (FRAPPAY) – A SMORES COLD BREW – AND  A SOUR CHERRY ENERGY BURST.

THERE WILL BE FOOD OPTIONS AS WELL. COSMC CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO TRY A SPICY QUESO (KAY-SO) SANDWICH OR A CREAMY AVOCADO TOMATILLO (TOE-MA-TEE-YO) SANDWICH.

THE RESTAURANTS WILL FEATURE MULTIPLE DRIVE-THRU LANES.

THE FIRST COSMC LOCATION WILL OPEN LATER THIS MONTH IN ILLINOIS. MCDONALD’S HOPES TO OPEN 10 BY THE END OF 2024.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

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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!