Tuesday morning news: October 3, 2023

SOUND: The gentleman will state the form of his resolution. Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Gaetz efforts to oust McCarthy » Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz heard there moving to strip Speaker Kevin McCarthy of his speakership.

But the Florida lawmaker says he’s not trying to grab the gavel for himself.

GAETZ: We need someone who can connect the most conservative features of our conference to the most moderate features of our conference. And I understand that. I’m not running for speaker.

Gaetz was highly critical of a stopgap funding bill passed over the weekend to avert a government shutdown.

He — and some like minded members — say McCarthy doesn’t have the backbone for the job caving too easily to Democrats’ demands.

But McCarthy says it’s Gaetz who is pandering to Democrats for his own political gain.

MCCARTHY: Matt has been going to Democrats and offering them subpoena power, which will just destroy any Biden inquiry, impeachment inquiry we have, if they would vote along with him.

Feinstein replacement » Meantime, in the upper chamber, Vice President Kamala Harris is swearing in a new U.S. senator today to fill the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: California Governor Gavin Newsom has named Laphonza Butler to replace Feinstein.

Butler is the leader of a pro-abortion PAC called EMILY’s List. She also served as a senior advisor to Kamala Harris’ 20-20 presidential campaign.

LGBT activists are also cheering Butler’s appointment as she’ll be the first openly lesbian senator to represent California.

Sen. Feinstein died last week at the age of 90.

Butler will fill her seat for at least the next year. The winner of a special election next November will serve out the final weeks of Feinstein’s term which expires in January of 2025.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Trump civil trial » Former President Donald Trump had strong words for the attorney general of New York after spending his Monday in a Manhattan courtroom.

TRUMP: Letitia James is a disgrace. She’s a disgrace to the country and the state of New York.

The former president voluntarily appeared in court Monday at the start of a civil trial that could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.

Letitia James sued Trump and his family business last year accusing him of lying on paperwork submitted to banks, insurance companies, and others.

A judge issued a summary judgment last week finding Trump’s company liable for one of the claims of fraud.

James told reporters …

JAMES: No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you may think that you have, no one is above the law.

Trump called the trial a sham and a continuation of a witch hunt.

James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York.

College free speech poll » College campuses have no place for conservative voices. That’s what most Americans believe, according to a new poll. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: Only one in five Americans think conservative viewpoints have significant freedom to be heard on U.S. college campuses.

The Associated Press, NORC and the University of Chicago surveyed well over a thousand adults.

Roughly half of those polled say liberals are free to speak their minds on campus. But only 20 percent think that conservatives have the same freedom.

Among liberal-leaning respondents, three in ten said conservatives can share their viewpoints on campuses. Just one in ten conservatives believe the same.

One respondent with a son in college said Donald Trump rallies are treated like KKK events.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Ukraine support » The Pentagon is warning that it’s running low on cash to replace weapons sent to Ukraine.

In a letter to House and Senate leaders, the Pentagon said it has less than $2 billion dollars left of the $26 billion Congress provided for that purpose.

Some lawmakers have begun to balk at sending billions overseas with pressing needs at home.

But White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says helping Ukraine defeat Vladimir Putin’s invasion … is in America’s interest.

PIERRE: By helping Ukraine, we are also protecting and delivering for the American people and our national security. So that’s important as well.

The House did not include Ukraine aid in a stopgap funding bill passed on Saturday. They plan to debate that in a separate measure.

Kenyan forces to Haiti » Armed security forces will soon patrol the streets of Haiti where violent gangs continue to terrorize its citizen.

Kenya will lead forces from several Caribbean nations to help restore order after the U.N. Security Council signed off on deploying the multinational force.

Jeffrey DeLaurentis is a senior security advisor for the U.S. mission to the U.N.

DELAUERENTIS: We have stepped up, answering the calls of a member state amid alarming, spiraling gang violence.

The United States will provide help with logistics and $100 million dollars in funding.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: A win for families with new school choice legislation in North Carolina. Plus, finding true love at Oxford University.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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