Monday morning news: September 2, 2024

Israeli hostages found dead aftermath » Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing that Hamas will “pay the price” for its actions after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza.

NETANYAHU (Translated): The fact that Hamas is continuing to perpetuate atrocities like those it carried out on October 7th, requires us to do everything so that it will be unable to perpetuate these atrocities again.

SOUND: [Israel protest]

Thousands of Israelis have surged into the streets in an outpouring of grief and anger.

SOUND: [Israel protest]

Many of the demonstrators are urging the Israeli government to reach a cease-fire deal to bring the remaining captives home.

Israel’s largest trade union has called a general strike for Monday to further pressure the government. A strike could disrupt major sectors of the economy including banking, health care and the country’s main airport.

Washington reaction to Israel news » But many other Israelis believe the pressure should be applied not to the Israeli government but to Hamas.

And in Washington, many Republican lawmakers agree, including Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

MULLIN:  You know, you're dealing with a terrorist organization and Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. It's going to do whatever it can to get the rise out of the people to to look for a deal right now. Hamas is fighting for survival.

Most Democrats, though, say diplomacy is the correct and only path to ensure the safe return of the remaining hostages.

President Biden on Sunday said he remains optimistic about a cease-fire deal.

BIDEN: Our people are continuing to meet, and we think we can close the deal. They've all said they agree on the principles. So, keep your fingers crossed.

Israel believes that Hamas is still holding more than a hundred captives.

Presidential debate » Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to face off one week from tomorrow in a presidential debate hosted by ABC News.

But the campaigns still don’t agree on the rules for that debate. Senior Trump campaign official Corey Lewandowski says the rules had already been settled before President Biden bowed out of the race.

LEWANDOWSKI:  Kamala Harris's team was also part of that because we set the same parameters for the vice presidential debate. And what those parameters were, were you would stand at a podium or a lectern. You would have no notes available to you and the microphones would be off.

They would be off for one candidate when it is the other’s turn to speak.

The Harris campaign now wants the mics left on the entire time.

It’s unclear if either campaign considers the microphone rules a deal-breaker for participating in the debate.

49ers player Ricky Pearsall stable after shooting » Officials say a juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the chest during an attempted robbery.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott says Pearsall was walking alone when the suspect tried to rob him.

WILLIAM SCOTT:  A struggle between Mr. Pearsall and the suspect ensued and the suspect's gun struck. Gunfire from the suspect's gun struck, struck both Mr. Pearsall and the subject.

The 23-year-old Pearsall was listed in fair condition at a local hospital on Sunday.

Authorities have identified the suspect as a 17-year-old male resident of Tracy, California.

Gas prices » Holiday travelers have been enjoying friendlier pump prices. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded stands at $3.33. AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz:

 AIXA DIAZ: We haven't seen gas prices this low since March of earlier this year. So that's good news for drivers. You're not paying quite as much as you were even earlier this summer or compared to last Labor Day weekend.

Mississippi still has the cheapest gas in the country at $2.86 per gallon.

California and Hawaii are tied for the most expensive with a per-gallon average of $4.65.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Utah’s land dispute with the federal government on Legal Docket. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat.

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