Monday morning news: September 23, 2024

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Israel-Hezbollah » Air raid sirens in northern Israel as Hezbollah launched another barrage of rockets over the Israeli-Lebanese border.

A senior leader with the Iran-backed terror group said it launched more than 100 rockets and is now locked in an open-ended battle with Israel.

Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi responded Sunday saying, we “will hit anyone who threatens the citizens of the state of Israel."

The rocket barrage came after an attack last week against Hezbollah militants, targeting the group’s communications devices.

Biden/Kirby on Israel-Hezbollah conflict » The White House, meantime, continues to call for calm. President Biden was asked Sunday if he’s concerned about the possibility of an all-out war along Israel’s northern border.

BIDEN: Yes, I am, but we're going to do everything we can to keep the wider war from breaking out, and we're still pushing hard.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby added that the White House does not believe

KIRBY:  … engaging in another full front, another all out war in the north is the best thing for Israel.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog told CBS’ Face the Nation that Israel has never wanted war.

HERZOG: This war was waged upon us by the proxies of the empire of evil of Iran on October 7th by Hamas and on October 8th by Hezbollah and ever since from Lebanon in the north.

Israeli leaders say the military has taken action to preempt attacks that Hezbollah was planning against Israel.

Biden Quad summit »

BIDEN: My fellow leaders, Welcome to Delaware. Welcome to Claymont, Delaware.

President Biden heard there at his Delaware home over the weekend hosting leaders of the so-called Quad. A four-nation group of Indo-Pacific powers whose primary aim is to keep China in check.

Along with the U.S., that group includes India, Japan, and Australia.

BIDEN: Our four countries are more strategically aligned than ever before. And today we're announcing a series of initiatives to deliver real, positive impact for the Indo Pacific.

The president said that includes launching cooperation between their Coast Guards for the first time … and providing new maritime technologies to partners in the region, so that—in his words—“they know what's happening in their waters.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albenese added

ALBANESE: All of this, uh, the promise in the region, uh, does depend on continued peace and stability and the wise management of strategic competition and disputes.

Biden, in a ‘hot mic’ moment after opening remarks, could be overheard saying he thinks Beijing has been testing the resolve of allied democracies in the region, with China’s growing military assertiveness.

Trump assassination hearing/probe » On Capitol Hill, the bipartisan task force investigating assassination attempts against Donald Trump is set to hold its first hearing this week.

Democratic leaders are pushing for more funding for the Secret Service. And Democratic Congressman Jason Crow says he’s all for that, but

CROW:  Additional funding and resources is not going to solve the problem between now and election day, so we need to have a discussion about what needs to happen in the next 45 days, actually sooner than that, to make sure this does not happen again.

Many Republicans, though, say something is fundamentally broken within the Secret Service, and that more funding isn’t the answer at all. GOP Congressman Mike Kelly says the incompetence on display surrounding the first attempt against Trump in Pennsylvania, is unacceptable.

KELLY:  The preparation for that event leaves a lot in our minds as to how in the world, the most elite group of the people we rely on to protect people was so casual about that. And that's the way it seems right now.

The hearing will focus on the Secret Service and their reliance on state and local law enforcement at the former president's July rally in the town of Butler.

The task force is also looking into the second assassination attempt against Trump just over a week ago at his South Florida golf resort.

Presidential politics » Donald Trump, meantime, was back out on the campaign trail over the weekend in North Carolina, campaigning on immigration.

TRUMP: Today, I’m announcing a new plan to end all sanctuary cities in North Carolina and all across our country. No more sanctuary cities.

North Carolina is shaping up to be a critical battleground state this year. And recent polling there has the race effectively tied.

The same holds true in Pennsylvania and Nevada.

Congress reaches spending deal » Congressional leaders have a deal on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, delaying any funding fight until after the election.

The deal announced on Sunday averts a possible partial government shutdown at the end of this month.

Bipartisan talks began in earnest last week, after a Republican push to link government funding to an election security bill failed in the House.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead, a look at election law on Legal Docket.

Plus, the Monday Moneybeat

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