US strikes Iran-backed groups after drone attack on servicemembers in Iraq: The Morning Rundown, Dec. 26, 2023

AMERICA RETALIATES AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUPS FOLLOWING AN ATTACK ON U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS IN IRAQ

AND — AS OF TODAY SOME OF APPLE’S MOST POPULAR WATCHES ARE NO LONGER FOR SALE

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26TH

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THE UNITED STATES HAS FIRED RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIA GROUPS IN IRAQ —  FOLLOWING A DRONE ATTACK HOURS EARLIER THAT INJURED THREE U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS AT AN AIRBASE IN NORTHERN IRAQ.  ONE OF THE SERVICEMEMBERS WAS CRITICALLY INJURED.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WAS ALERTED OF THE ATTACK ON THE AIR BASE AND ORDERED THE PENTAGON AND TOP SECURITY AIDS TO PREPARE RESPONSE OPTIONS.

ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT BY DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN – THE STRIKES TARGETED THREE FACILITIES largely USED BY KATAIB (KAH–TIBE) HEZBOLLAH – WHO CLAIMED CREDIT FOR THE DRONE ATTACK.

— U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND SAYING A NUMBER OF KATAIB HEZBOLLAH MILITANTS WERE LIKELY KILLED.

U.S. TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAVE COME UNDER DOZENS OF ATTACKS SINCE THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS BEGAN ON OCTOBER 7TH.

AUSTIN SAID IN A STATEMENT —

“…the President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests. There is no higher priority.”

“While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities.”

EGYPT IS PROPOSING A PLAN TO END THE ONGOING WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS – WITH BOTH SIDES NOT YET REJECTING THE IDEA.

ISRAEL’S WAR CABINET MET ON MONDAY NIGHT TO DISCUSS THE MULTI-STEP PLAN.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS – THE PROPOSAL CALLS FOR A PAUSE IN FIGHTING FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS TO ALLOW FOR THE RELEASE OF MORE ISRAELI HOSTAGES – INCLUDING CHILDREN, WOMEN AND THE ELDERLY —

IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RELEASE OF APPROXIMATELY 140 PALESTINIANS IMPRISONED IN ISRAEL.

THE PAUSE WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY THE CREATION OF A TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK – CONSISTING OF SEVERAL PALESTINIAN FACTIONS INCLUDING HAMAS AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.

ISRAEL AND HAMAS WOULD THEN NEGOTIATE AN “ALL-FOR-ALL” DEAL THAT WOULD SEE THE RELEASE OF ALL REMAINING HOSTAGES IN RETURN FOR ALL PALESTINIAN PRISONERS – AND ISRAEL’S MILITARY WITHDRAWING FROM GAZA AND PALESTINIAN MILITANT GROUPS HALTING ROCKET ATTACKS AT ISRAEL.

THE EGYPTIAN PLAN WAS SHARED WITH ISRAEL, HAMAS, QATAR AND THE U.S. LAST WEEK.

THOUGH A PROPOSAL MAY BE IN DISCUSSION – ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU GAVE NO SIGN OF A POSSIBLE DEAL IN THE WORKS — TELLING TROOPS IN NORTHERN GAZA ON MONDAY – QUOTE “WE’RE NOT STOPPING, THE WAR CONTINUES UNTIL THE END.”

IN AN OP-ED PIECE PUBLISHED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LATER IN THE DAY – NETANYAHU OUTLINED THREE THINGS HE SEES AS NEEDED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR PEACE – “HAMAS MUST BE DESTROYED, GAZA MUST BE DEMILITARIZED, AND PALESTINIAN SOCIETY MUST BE DERADICALIZED.”

CONGRESS IS CURRENTLY ON HOLIDAY BREAK AND MEMBERS WON’T BE BACK IN WASHINGTON D.C. UNTIL JANUARY 8TH FOR WHAT WILL SURELY BE A BUSY START TO THEIR YEAR WITH DEBATES OVER UKRAINE AND ISRAEL AID, BORDER SECURITY AND KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING STILL TO BE SETTLED.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN TOOK A LOOK AT THE TYPICAL WORKWEEK OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS – WHO CONSISTENTLY WORK THREE TO FOUR DAYS A WEEK IN D.C. – WITH TRAVEL DAYS ON MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS.

RAY BOGAN: “It’s 10:46 on  a Thursday morning…about to begin.”- “Members spend hours going back and forth…lives from Washington.”

SOME LAWMAKERS TELL STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS THAT CONSISTENTLY LEAVING HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON GETTING WORK DONE AND BUILDING BIPARTISANSHIP.  YOU CAN FIND RAY’S FULL REPORT INCLUDING REACTION FROM MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOW ON OUR WEBSITE S-A-N-DOT-COM.

CONGRESSWOMAN MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO SAY SHE WAS A VICTIM OF A SWATTING ATTEMPT ON CHRISTMAS DAY —

AUTHORITIES SAY A MAN FROM NEW YORK CALLED THE SUICIDE PREVENTION HOT-LINE CLAIMING HE HAD SHOT HIS GIRLFRIEND AND WAS GOING TO KILL HIMSELF AT THE GREENE’S GEORGIA HOME.

POLICE CALLED GREENE’S PRIVATE SECURITY TEAM WHO CONFIRMED SHE WAS SAFE AND THAT THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY.

SWATTING IS WHERE CALLERS REPORT FAKE EMERGENCIES TO DRAW A LARGE ARMED POLICE RESPONSE TO A HOME OR BUSINESS.

GREENE — WHO HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF SWATTING ATTEMPTS IN THE PAST — WROTE ON SOCIAL MEDIA QUOTE –

“I WAS JUST SWATTED. THIS IS LIKE THE 8TH TIME. ON CHRISTMAS WITH MY FAMILY HERE. MY LOCAL POLICE ARE THE GREATEST AND SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS.”

CONGRESSMAN BRANDON WILLIAMS OF NEW YORK SAYS HE WAS **ALSO A TARGET OF SWATTING ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING.

A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS RULED THAT ANOTHER LAWSUIT BROUGHT AGAINST THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X – FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER – WILL MOVE FORWARD AND HEAD TO TRIAL.

ELON MUSK’S COMPANY IS ACCUSED OF NOT PAYING OUT MORE THAN 5 MILLION DOLLARS IN  BONUSES TO STAFF AFTER HIS TAKEOVER IN OCTOBER 20-22.

A FORMER EMPLOYEE SUED ON BEHALF OF HIMSELF AND NEARLY 2,000 CURRENT AND FORMER WORKERS —

SAYING THERE WAS A VERBAL PROMISE TO EMPLOYEES THEY WOULD RECEIVE A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR BONUSES IF THEY STAYED WITH THE COMPANY — BUT NEVER GOT THEM.

X ARGUED IN COURT THAT AN ORAL PROMISE SHOULD NOT BE BINDING AND TEXAS LAW SHOULD APPLY TO THE CASE — SINCE THAT IS WHERE THE EMPLOYEE LIVES.

BUT THE JUDGE RULED AGAINST THE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT — SAYING THE CASE CAN MOVE FORWARD BASED ON CALIFORNIA LAW — WHERE THE COMPANY IS BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – IF YOU FOUND THE LATEST APPLE WATCH UNDER YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE YESTERDAY – YOU MAY HAVE ONE OF THE LAST ONES TO BE SOLD.

AS OF TODAY —  THE APPLE WATCH NINE AND APPLE WATCH ULTRA TWO ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN APPLE STORES.

APPLE ALREADY HAD TAKEN THE WATCH MODELS DOWN FROM ITS ONLINE STORE LAST WEEK.

THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OXYGEN SENSOR TECHNOLOGY FOUND IN THE WATCHES.

IN OCTOBER – THE US INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION RULED THAT APPLE VIOLATED PATENTS BY MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANY – MASIMO (MASS-IMO).

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAD 60 DAYS TO OVERTURN THE RULING -WITH CHRISTMAS DAY BEING THE DEADLINE – BUT DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION.

WHILE APPLE HAS PULLED THE DISPUTED WATCHES FROM THE MARKET – THE COMPANY SAYS IT IS QUOTE “PURSUING A RANGE OF LEGAL AND TECHNICAL OPTIONS TO ENSURE THAT APPLE WATCH IS AVAILABLE TO CUSTOMERS.”

BUT IF YOU’RE STILL LOOKING TO BUY AN APPLE WATCH – THE RULING DOES NOT AFFECT OLDER MODELS — LIKE THE APPLE WATCH SE – WHICH ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE.

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!