Monday morning news: October 16, 2023

NETANYAHU: [Speaking Hebrew] Tear Hamas apart

KRISTEN FLAVIN, NEWS ANCHOR: Israel - On-the-ground news » Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opening the first meeting of a new emergency government with a solemn promise … Israel will, quote, tear Hamas apart.

The Gaza-based terror group Hamas attacked Israel last weekend. Thousands of civilians died in the attack and in the battles that followed.

The Israeli government over the weekend warned residents of Gaza to flee the area as it readied for a ground invasion.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency says hundreds of thousands of people have fled and the situation in Gaza is harrowing.

Philippe Lazzarini heads the agency.

LAZZARINI: Gaza is running out of water and electricity. In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the war right now has lost its humanity.

He added that no place is safe in the region.

IRAN FM: [Speaking Arabic]

Israel - International Response » Meanwhile, the foreign minister of Iran is warning Israel against a ground invasion of Gaza, saying it will result in what he called a huge earthquake against Israel. He said the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah might get involved.

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators was in Tel Aviv on Sunday to meet with Israeli officials and the families of those who lost loved ones in the Hamas attack.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:

SCHUMER: When we met them. There was not a dry eye in the house we cried openly. It was so moving, these people what they're going through right now because of the vicious, horrible, inhuman nastiness of Hamas.

The U.S. government has already promised and delivered military aid to Israel.

House Speaker » In Washington, the House of Representatives is in a holding pattern … until it chooses a new speaker.

Republicans have nominated House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan for the role.

To take the speaker’s gavel, Jordan will have to win a vote planned for this week on the House floor.

Republican Congressman Dan Bishop says that should give Jordan plenty of time:

BISHOP: I believe by Tuesday we'll see that he is indeed the person who can accomplish that objective.

Republicans previously nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise for the speakership.

He withdrew when he couldn’t muster the votes.

GOP Congressman Mike Turner told CBS’s Face the Nation that voting in a new speaker might require Republicans to work with Democrats.

TURNER: If there is a need, if the radical, you know, almost just a handful of people in the Republican side, make it unable to make it us unable to be able to return to general work on the house then I think obviously there was a deal will have to be done.

Some Republicans voted with Democrats earlier this month to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Political fundraising» President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is leading the field in political fundraising. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The president brought in tens of millions more than any Republican White House hopeful has so far reported for the third quarter of the year.

That’s partly because the Democratic National Committee is already backing Biden’s reelection campaign. It raised more than $71 million dollars the three months ending September 30th.

Former President Donald Trump raised over $45-and-a-half million during the same period.

The Republican National Committee has not yet thrown its support behind a possible presidential nominee.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Louisiana has a (new) governor » Louisiana has elected Republican Jeff Landry as its next governor.

He is the attorney general of the state. His campaign received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

LANDRY: We’ve got over seven thousand houses of worship in a state of only 4 and a half million people because we know that all things are possible through God.

The governor-elect supports a state law protecting babies from nearly all abortions. He also backs a law protecting children from medical attempts to change their sex characteristics.

Landry will replace Gov. John Bel Edwards, a pro-life Democrat who is stepping down due to term limits.

Poland » Poland will likely see its government turn over once the results of a weekend election are final.

The ruling Law and Justice Party won the most seats in Parliament, but it does not have enough conservative allies to make a majority.

Instead, opposition leader Donald Tusk says he will lead a coalition government of liberal and centrist parties.

CZARZASTY: [Speaking Polish]

Wlodzimierz Czarzastsy leads another opposition party and says he has his fingers crossed for the future government.

Gas prices » Gas prices monitorAAA says Americans are paying slightly less at the pump… It puts the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded at roughly $3 dollars and 60 cents. That’s down from last week’s $3.70 a gallon and nearly twenty cents lower than a month ago.

California currently has the highest statewide average price at $5 dollars and 62 cents per gallon. Georgia has the lowest at $3.07.

I’m Kristen Flavin.

Straight ahead: the standing to sue in a disability case on Legal Docket. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.