Wednesday morning news: October 30, 2024

SOUND: [APPLAUSE]

Harris campaign » It is crunch time on the campaign trail.

HARRIS: Good evening America!

And Vice President Kamala Harris spoke from the nation’s capital last night, near the White House. She noted that most Americans have already made up their minds, and many have already voted.

HARRIS: But I know many others are still considering who to vote for, or whether you’ll vote at all. So tonight, I will speak to everyone about the choice and the stakes in this election.

Harris delivered what she called her “closing argument” to the American people.

The vice president promised to “put country above party and above self” and she again framed her opponent, former President Donald Trump as a threat to liberty. Her campaign recently used the word “fascist” to describe Trump, looking to draw parallels between Trump and Nazi Germany.

Trump campaign » Trump, meantime, campaigned in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He opened with the same question with which he has started nearly every speech lately

TRUMP: Are you better off now than you were four years ago?

He framed the Biden-Harris administration as inept and incompetent and promised a turnaround.

TRUMP: We will end inflation. We will stop the invasion of criminals in our country, and we will bring back the American dream. We’re doing it together, Pennsylvania.

Trump told supporters that if he wins Pennsylvania, he’ll win the whole thing.

And on that point, many analysts agree. That’s one of the states that make up the so-called “blue wall, along with Wisconsin and Michigan. It is not impossible, but difficult, for a Democratic candidate to win the White House without carrying all three of those states.

Recent polls give Trump a narrow 1-point lead in Pennsylvania, while Michigan and Wisconsin are effectively tied.

Zelenskyy on Russia/North Korea » Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says war with Russia is being pushed 'beyond borders' as North Korea joins in. He told allies during a visit to Iceland

ZELENSKYY:  We must secure Ukraine's sovereignty and our territorial integrity, our people's safety, and our right to live freely, just like your nations.

Western leaders say Pyongyang has sent some 10,000 North Korean Troops to Russia, and that some have already been deployed to the frontlines of the war against Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region.

President Biden was questioned about the situation by a reporter near Biden’s home in Delaware.

REPORTER: Mr. President, are you worried about the North Korean troops in Kursk, in Russia?
BIDEN: I'm concerned about it, yes.

Biden says he believes Ukrainian forces should consider North Korean troops fair targets if they cross the border into Ukraine.

But the Pentagon says it’s concerned that those troops could be just as effective fighting from Russian soil, either in combat or in support of Russian infantry.

Hezbollah new leader » The Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah has a new leader. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: The Iran-backed group is promoting its longtime second in command … Sheikh Naim Kassem.

He replaces the terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month.

Hezbollah is vowing to continue with Nasrallah’s policies—quote—“until victory is achieved.”

Israel is still carrying out a ground and air operation in Lebanon … aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure and permanently defeating the group.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Israel UNRWA latest » The Biden administration is pressing Israel to reverse course after its parliament passed legislation cutting ties with the UN Palestinian relief agency, known as UNRWA.

Pentagon spokesman Pay Ryder said UNRWA provides critical aid in Gaza and beyond.

RYDER: There are millions of Palestinians who rely on that aid. And so implementing this legislation would pose significant risks for those that are dependent on that aid. And so we will continue to urge the government of Israel to pause implementation of the legislation.

The Biden administration has signaled that if Israel does not allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, then the U.S. may withhold some military support.

But Israeli officials are defending the decision to ban UNRWA, saying some of its employees were involved in the October 7th terror attacks by Hamas.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon:

DANON:  UNRWA Gaza has become a front for Hamas. How does kidnapping and killing civilians fit into an UNRWA employee's job description? Where in UNRWA's mandate is this justified?

The legislation passed on Monday also designates UNRWA as a terrorist organization.

Iran official on Israeli strike » Meanwhile in Iran, a new analysis of satellite imagery indicates that Israel’s recent airstrikes in Iran likely damaged a base that builds ballistic missiles and launches rockets as part of its own space program.

But at a news conference Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi downplayed the impact of the Israeli strikes.

ARAGHCHI: [Speaking in Farsi]

He said that … "Due to preparedness and vigilance” of Iranian forces and the country’s air defenses the strikes caused—quote—“limited damage.”

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a report on election integrity on this week’s Washington Wednesday. Plus, why it’s so difficult to accurately measure crime.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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