Tuesday morning news: August 27, 2024

SOUND: [Israel rockets]

Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire » Israel’s so-called Iron Dome missile defense system heard there shooting down incoming rockets over northern Israel.

Fighting resumed Monday between Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah to the north.

On Sunday, Israel launched dozens of strikes on southern Lebanon, which it described as a preemptive operation.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby:

KIRBY: Clearly, they felt the need, uh, to get ahead of what they saw was coming from, uh, from Hezbollah. This is something we've been watching closely as well. We certainly had indications that Hezbollah was serious about the threats that they were making publicly.

The United States’ top general, Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown met with top Israeli defense leaders in Tel Aviv Monday, and visited the military’s Northern Command headquarters.

Biggest Russian attack on Ukraine in weeks » Kirby also reacted to the latest large-scale Russian attack against Ukraine.

Moscow’s forces battered much of the country with scores of missiles and drones that officials say killed at least four people and inflicted more damage on civilian infrastructure.

KIRBY:  This is a classic play out of the playbook for Vladimir Putin to go after energy infrastructure, particularly as he knows the weather's about to turn and people are going to need heat and power, um, a lot more as the, um, as things get colder, uh, in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky described the latest attacks as “vile.” The barrage of over 100 missiles and a similar number of drones began early Monday morning in Russia’s biggest onslaught in weeks.

Ukrainian officials said drone attacks were followed by cruise and ballistic missiles.

House task force on Trump shooting visits Butler » A bipartisan task force of House lawmakers made a visit to Butler, Pennsylvania as part of an investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Trump.

Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz:

MOSCOWITZ:  Being here and seeing the proximity of the buildings, it reminds me, quite frankly, how outrageous it was that the former director of Secret Service did not come here, uh, to get a sense of, of what this looked like.

While the would-be assassin’s bullet narrowly missed its mark, clipping the former president in the ear, but one member of the audience was killed. And Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew called it a completely avoidable tragedy.

VAN DREW:  President Trump never, ever should have been on that stage. There was somebody that we've seen an hour before that was on a rooftop. He immediately should have been pulled off the stage. He shouldn't have been on it.

Fox News reports that at least five Secret Service members have been placed on administrative leave, more than a month after the attack.

Trump/Harris debate » The debate before the debate.

The campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are clashing over the rules for their scheduled presidential debate slated to take place two weeks from today.

But the campaigns are now quibbling over the microphones.

In what would be a shift from the last debate between Trump and President Biden, the Harrris campaign doesn’t want either candidate’s microphone muted when it is the other’s turn to speak.

Donald Trump told reporters:

TRUMP: We agreed to the same rules, same rules and same specifications, and I think that’s probably what it should be.

The Harris campaign says Trump’s handlers don’t trust him to act presidential when it’s not his turn to speak.

But the former president says Harris is getting cold feet about the debate and is looking for a way out.

Planned Parenthood » A pro-life organization is asking the IRS to investigate whether Planned Parenthood violated the terms of its tax-exempt status with its actions at last week’s Democratic National Convention.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Non-profit groups with tax exempt 501(c)(3) status … are not allowed to engage in partisan political activity. But the pro-life group 40 Days for Life asserts that Planned Parenthood did exactly that last week in Chicago.

The abortion giant deployed a mobile facility to the convention to perform free vasectomies and chemical abortions. And it advertised on its website that it would provide the free services at the DNC.

40 Days for Life claims that Planned Parenthood effectively endorsed the Democratic party and its candidates with its actions.

Abortion access was a central theme of the Democratic convention.

Planned Parenthood’s (legally separate) political arm has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Jack Smith appeal » Special counsel Jack Smith has asked a federal appeals court to reinstate the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump after a judge dismissed it last month.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon threw out the case after concluding that the Justice Dept. improperly and unconstitutionally appointed Smith as special counsel. Smith’s team then challenged that ruling with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Title IX changes in the courtroom. Plus, raising the next generation of men who can lead well.

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