Suspicious letters, some with fentanyl, sent to elections offices: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 10, 2023

THE FBI IS INVESTIGATING AFTER SUSPICIOUS LETTERS — SOME CONTAINING FENTANYL — WERE SENT TO ELECTION OFFICES  AND — HISTORY IS MADE IN THE OPERATING ROOM WHEN A MAN RECEIVES THE WORLD’S FIRST WHOLE-EYE TRANSPLANT — THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH

FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING AFTER SEVERAL SUSPICIOUS LETTERS – SOME CONTAINING THE OPIOID FENTANYL – WERE SENT TO ELECTION OFFICES IN AT LEAST FIVE STATES THIS WEEK.

THE LETTERS CAUSED A DELAY IN THE COUNTING OF BALLOTS IN SOME RACES.

THE FBI AND THE US POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE SAID MORE THAN A DOZEN LETTERS WERE SENT TO OFFICES IN CALIFORNIA, GEORGIA, NEVADA, OREGON AND WASHINGTON.

OFFICIALS SAID AT LEAST FOUR OF THE LETTERS CONTAINED FENTANYL .

A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL TELLING CNN – INVESTIGATORS ARE TREATING ALL THE LETTERS AS BEING CONNECTED AS OF NOW.

GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE BRAD RAFFENSBERGER – WHO LOST HIS SON TO A FENTANYL OVERDOSE FIVE YEARS AGO — SAID FULTON COUNTY– WHICH INCLUDES ATLANTA – WAS ONE OF THE LOCATIONS TARGETED. HE CALLED THIS AN ACT OF “DOMESTIC TERRORISM.”

A WHITE HOUSE SPOKESWOMAN SAID THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS AWARE OF THE FBI’S INVESTIGATION – ADDING THEY ARE QUOTE “GRATEFUL FOR THE ELECTION AND POLL WORKERS WHO SERVED THIS WEEK TO ENSURE THE SECURITY OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.”

U.S. FORCES WERE THE TARGET OF THREE ATTACKS IN IRAQ ON THURSDAY.

U.S. MILITARY SOURCES TELL REUTERS IT’S THE “MOST WIDESPREAD SINGLE DAY OF STRIKES ON U.S. ASSETS SINCE THE ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT STARTED.”

NO CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED IN.THOSE ATTACKS.

ANOTHER U.S. OFFICIAL CONFIRMED THERE HAD BEEN FOUR ATTACKS AGAINST U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD.

THREE U.S. TROOPS SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.

IN ONE INCIDENT – MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY A U.S.-LED COALITION CONVOY WAS TARGETED BY AN I-E-D —  IN ANOTHER – A ONE-WAY DRONE LAUNCHED AGAINST U.S. AND COALITION FORCES AT AN AIRBASE NEAR BAGHDAD WAS SHOT DOWN.

SINCE EARLY OCTOBER – U.S. AND COALITION TROOPS HAVE BEEN ATTACKED AT LEAST 40 TIMES IN IRAQ AND SYRIA – WITH AT LEAST 56 U.S. PERSONNEL BEING INJURED.

THE US BLAMES THESE ATTACKS ON IRANIAN-BACKED GROUPS — A CLAIM IRAN DENIES.

ALSO ON THURSDAY – THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCED ISRAEL HAS AGREED TO IMPLEMENT FOUR-HOUR DAILY HUMANITARIAN PAUSES IN NORTHERN GAZA.

THE PAUSES WILL ALLOW GAZA CIVILIANS TO LEAVE THROUGH TWO CORRIDORS.

YOU CAN FIND A FULL REPORT ON THE HUMANITARIAN PAUSES NOW ON OUR WEBSITE SAN DOT COM.

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JOE MANCHIN  HAS ANNOUNCED HE WILL NOT BE RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2024 — HIS ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS DEMOCRATS SCORED VICTORIES IN SEVERAL STATES FOLLOWING ELECTION DAY ON TUESDAY —

BUT MARKS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GOP TO CUT INTO THE DEMOCRATS SLIM MAJORITY IN THE SENATE IN 20-24.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN | WEST VIRGINIA (D): “I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for reelection to the united states senate.”

MANCHIN’S DECISION COULD PUT DEMOCRATS’ TWO-SEAT MAJORITY IN THE SENATE IN JEOPARDY.

WEST VIRGINIA IS A STATE THAT WOULD VOTE BLUE RELIABLY BUT HAS FLIPPED RED IN RECENT YEARS.

THE COAL COUNTRY STATE WAS ONE OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MOST LOYAL — AND MANCHIN HAS BEEN THE ONLY DEMOCRAT TO BE ELECTED TO STATEWIDE OFFICE THERE IN RECENT YEARS.

MANCHIN’S ANNOUNCEMENT ALSO INDICATES HIS POLITICAL CAREER MAY NOT BE OVER —

IN RECENT MONTHS — HE HAS HINTED AT A POTENTIAL 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT BUT THE SENATOR HAS NOT ANNOUNCED ANYTHING OFFICIAL.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTING THAT A DRAFT COMMITTEE IS PUSHING FOR MITT ROMNEY AND JOE MANCHIN TO TEAM UP FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

ROMNEY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED HE’S STEPPING AWAY FROM THE SENATE — CITING HIS AGE.

GENERAL MOTORS’  SELF-DRIVING DIVISION CRUISE ANNOUNCED A ROUND OF LAYOFFS ON THURSDAY – ACCORDING TO CNBC –

JUST DAYS AFTER THE COMPANY SAID IT WAS RECALLING NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY OF ITS AUTO-NOMOUS VEHICLES FOR A SOFTWARE UPDATE.

THE CUTS INCLUDE CONTRACT WORKERS WHO HELP WITH CLEANING VEHICLES AND FIELDING CUSTOMER SUPPORT QUESTIONS.

G-M ISSUED THE RECALL OF THE ROBO-TAXIS EARLIER THIS WEEK FOLLOWING A DRIVERLESS CAR DRAGGING A PEDESTRIAN IN SAN FRANCISCO AFTER THE VICTIM HAD ALREADY BEEN STRUCK BY ANOTHER DRIVER.

FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER SECOND CRASH – CALIFORNIA REGULATORS FOUND CRUISE CARS “POSED A DANGER” TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND SUSPENDED ITS DEPLOYMENT AND TESTING PERMITS IN THE STATE.

US REGULATORS ARE ALSO INVESTIGATING CRUISE FOLLOWING OTHER PEDESTRIAN INJURIES.

WITH THE SOFTWARE UPDATE – GM SAYS CRUISE VEHICLES WILL REMAIN STATIONARY SHOULD AN INCIDENT LIKE THE OCTOBER CRASH OCCUR IN THE FUTURE.

FEMALE-FOCUSED WEBSITE JEZEBEL IS SHUTTING DOWN AFTER 16 YEARS.

PARENT COMPANY G-OH MEDIA MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY – SAYING 23 EMPLOYEES WILL BE LAID OFF AS PART OF A BROADER RESTRUCTURING OF ITS DIGITAL NEWS OUTLETS.

IN A MEMO TO STAFF — G-OH MEDIA’S CEO SAID HE MADE THE “DIFFICULT DECISION” AFTER FAILING TO FIND A BUYER FOR JEZEBEL.

THE COMPANY – WHICH ALSO OWNS SITES LIKE GIZMODO AND DEADSPIN – LAID OFF 13 EMPLOYEES IN JUNE.

THIS IS THE LATEST CUTS BEING MADE ACROSS THE MEDIA INDUSTRY AMID A WEAK ADVERTISING ENVIRONMENT.

VICE MEDIA ANNOUNCED THURSDAY IT IS SHUTTING DOWN SEVERAL SHOWS AND LAYING OFF DOZENS OF STAFFERS.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – WE WANT YOU TO MEET A MAN NAMED ARRON JAMES – THE RECIPIENT OF THE WORLD’S FIRST WHOLE-EYE TRANSPLANT.

JAMES WAS INJURED IN A 2021 ACCIDENT INVOLVING HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER LINES – WHICH DESTROYED MOST OF HIS FACE AND HIS LEFT EYE.

HE ALSO LOST HIS LEFT ARM.

AFTER MULTIPLE RE-CONSTRUCTIVE SURGERIES — HE UNDERWENT THE 21-HOUR HISTORIC EYE AND FACE TRANSPLANT IN MAY.

ON THURSDAY — SURGEONS AT N-Y-U ANNOUNCED JAMES IS RECOVERING WELL – THOUGH IT’S TOO EARLY TO TELL IF HE’LL EVER BE ABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE DONATED EYE.

THE MAN FROM ARKANSAS TELLING REPORTERS HE’S FEELING GOOD – AND WHILE HE CAN’T BLINK YET IN HIS LEFT EYE—HE IS STARTING TO FEEL SENSATION – AND SAYING HE’S “TAKING IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.”

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS FRIDAY.

AND MANY OF YOU ARE NOW GETTING THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER IN YOUR INBOX EACH WEEKDAY.

IF YOU AREN’T YET — 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 MONDAY.

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