Monday morning news: November 20, 2023

Rosalynn Carter » Tributes are pouring in for former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 96.

Former President George W. Bush called her a woman of dignity and strength who “set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity.”

Current first lady Jill Biden spoke of Rosalyn during a speech on Sunday.

JILL BIDEN: She was well known for her efforts on mental health and caregiving and women’s rights.

And former First Lady Melania Trump said, “We will always remember her servant’s heart.”

Rosalyn — and former President Jimmy Carter — were well known for their charitable work, including with the homebuilding charity Habitat for Humanity. She’s heard here at an event in 2017.

ROSALYNN CARTER: It is never a sacrifice to be a part of Habitat. It’s always a blessing.

The former president, now 99 years old, remains in hospice care in ailing health.

The couple were married for 77 years.

Gaza / Israel » In Gaza, medics rushed to evacuate 31 “very sick” premature babies from the Al-Shifa hospital moving them to safety in Egypt.

Mohammed Zaqut is director-general of hospitals in Gaza.

ZAQUT: [Speaking Arabic]

He said the babies have suffered greatly with conditions deteriorating fast. He said even water used for their formula was contaminated causing vomiting, diarrhea, and infections.

Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner said they’ve been trying to evacuate high-risk patients from the area for days, but relief organizations didn’t deem it possible amid the war.

LERNER: So I would say yes, the situation, it is a war zone. It's a reality that Hamas chose the battleground.

Israel’s army said Sunday that it has strong evidence supporting its claims that Hamas maintains a sprawling command post inside and under Al-Shifa.

The army reportedly found a 60-yard tunnel under the hospital complex. It said the tunnel included a blast-proof door and a firing hole that could be used by snipers.

Israel says it also has evidence that Hamas militants killed a female Israeli soldier inside the hospital and that they held hostages there who were abducted from Israel.

Drone attack on Kyiv » Meantime, in Ukraine’s capital city, a swarm of Russian drones attacked Kyiv for two straight nights.

Officials say air defense systems shot down at least fifteen of the roughly 20 drones which struck from multiple directions.

The attack damaged some buildings suffered, but initial reports showed no casualties or damage to critical targets.

SOUND: [Anti-corruption protesters]

Meanwhile in the streets of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities protesters marched against government corruption this past weekend.

One organizer accused government officials of mismanaging funds:

PROTESTER: We just want our government to spend more money for our army in the war time. We just don't want to spend money on some absolute crazy things.

The European Union has required further anti-corruption measures from the Ukrainian government before it can join the EU.

Abbott endorses Trump » Former President Donald Trump just picked up a big endorsement during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

GREG ABBOTT: We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbot heard there near the border town of McAllen, Texas on Sunday alongside the former president.

DONALD TRUMP: We had the most secure border in our history. Now we have the most unsecure border in our history — I believe, really, of the world.

Abbott agreed with that assessment, saying another Trump presidency would make his job “much easier.”

Border traffic has reached record highs in recent years. Officials have reported more than 6 million migrant encounters at the southern border since President Biden took office.

Presidential polling » Polls show voters greatly prefer Trump’s handling of the border over Biden’s. But the numbers still suggest a general election rematch would be a tossup. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: An average of recent polls pitting Trump against Biden still show a very close race. Trump is up one-and-half points over Biden. That’s within the margin of error in those polls.

The numbers show a hypothetical matchup between Gov. Ron Desantis and Biden as a virtual tie.

The only Republican soundly beating President Biden in polling data is former governor and ambassador Nikki Haley. Two recent polls have her up double-digits over the incumbent.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Holiday week weather » Holiday travel could be perilous in parts of the United States this week.

Peter Mullinax with the National Weather Service cautions:

PETER MULLINAX: The expected weather pattern leading up through Thanksgiving is likely to feature one of wet weather, wintery weather, pretty much a sloppy, unsettled pattern throughout the eastern US.

Severe weather is possible in the south with heavy rain in the eastern U.S. And snow and ice could blanket parts of the northeast.

Mullinax says check the forecast if you’re planning to travel in the mid or northern Atlantic regions tomorrow.

And I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead, a big gun rights case on the Legal Docket. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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