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Israel Conducts Stunning Pager Strikes On Hezbollah

Israel Conducts Stunning Pager Strikes On Hezbollah

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
September 18, 2024

Good Wednesday morning. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in four years later today. The big question is how big the cut will be. Stay tuned and have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

IVF: Bill blocked
Bolivia: More unrest
Montana: Green win
Biden: Dockworkers pledge
College sports: Player paydays

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Old school

Israel pulled off a headline-grabbing attack on an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon.

The news: Pagers belonging to Hezbollah militants exploded almost simultaneously yesterday. About 4K people were wounded, according to Lebanese officials, while at least 11 people were killed and around 400 were seriously injured. Not all of the casualties are believed to be members of the terrorist organization; a child was reported among the deceased.
How it happened: Hezbollah reportedly purchased the pagers in recent months as part of an effort to move away from cell phones and better conceal communications. But Israeli intelligence and military forces managed to intercept the shipments and plant explosives and a remote detonation switch inside each pager before the orchestrated operation.
The reaction: Israel has not formally commented on the attack and the U.S. said it had no prior knowledge. Hezbollah has vowed retaliation against Israel while Lebanon and Iran have also blamed the Israelis.
Big picture: The incident will raise tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border and revive concerns about an all-out war between the Israelis and Hezbollah. It is also a major embarrassment for the militant group's leaders and another sign of Israel's vast intelligence capabilities after it assassinated several Hezbollah leaders in recent months.

2) International incident

Venezuela's ruling regime now claims it has four U.S. citizens in prison for plotting to kill the South American country's strongman leader.

The news: Venezuela alleges four Americans and citizens of two other NATO nations planned to kill President Nicolas Maduro and his allies and overthrow the government. The Maduro regime has also claimed the CIA was involved in the alleged plot.
Key context: Maduro is still holding onto power after losing the country's presidential election in late July. Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who won decisively by all accounts, has fled the country and is in Spain. Two Spanish nationals are reportedly among the arrested.
Big picture: Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Venezuela "will screw" anyone who attempts to attack it. This alleged plot is one of many questionable claims Maduro's regime has made about attempts on him and the government. The State Department has denied any U.S. involvement.

3) Flight risk

Sean "Diddy" Combs was denied bail yesterday following his arrest in New York City.

The news: A federal grand jury indicted the hip-hop mogul on racketeering, sex trafficking by force and transportation to engage in prostitution charges, capping a lengthy investigation sparked by a slew of accusations and lawsuits. Combs is accused of running a criminal operation for at least 15 years that used drugs and violence to coerce women into sexual services.
The allegations: Federal prosecutors say Combs held sex events where drugs were used on participants; they also said he used violence in his operation. Past raids on his residences uncovered several weapons and further charges may be pending. Combs' attorneys deny all wrongdoing.
Next steps: Combs' attorneys proposed a $50M bail package and a $50K bond. But that was rejected by a federal judge after prosecutors argued he is a flight risk. Combs faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted; he will stay jailed in New York.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

Senate Republicans blocked another bill seeking to protect in vitro fertilization treatment. Only two GOP members supported the legislation on a 51-44 vote that fell nine votes short of avoiding a filibuster; the bill would also make IVF more affordable (More)
Schools in Kentucky's Laurel County reopened as police continue a manhunt for a highway shooter. Joseph Couch allegedly injured five people after opening fire near I-75 on Sept. 7; he did claim he would take his own life after the shooting in a text to a woman prior to the incident (More)
Several dozen Cuban nationals arrived on a Florida beach on a wooden migrant boat. The 43 people were taken into custody by Border Patrol; they are no longer guaranteed asylum after reaching U.S. land (More)

World News

Bolivia is bracing for more political unrest amid economic struggles. Evo Morales, the South American country's former president, has called for mass protests against sitting leader Luis Arce; there was a supposed coup attempt earlier this year that many alleged Arce orchestrated (More)
West Papua rebels have proposed terms to release a New Zealand national after over a year in captivity. Phillip Mehrtens, a commercial pilot, has been held hostage since February 2023; the rebels have pledged to release him safely and have laid out a series of demands for the Indonesian and NZ governments (More)
Discoverers believe they have located a World War I-era Russian merchant vessel that was torpedoed 107 years ago during World War I. The SS Tobol wreckage appears to be off the coast of Scotland; it was sunk by a German U-boat in 1917 (More)

Campaign News

Montana's Supreme Court ruled a Green Party candidate can stay on the ballot for the state's Senate race. Democrats had tried to block Robert Barb, fearing he could steal votes from Sen. Jon Tester; the seat may decide which party controls the upper chamber (More)
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned former President Donald Trump's "hateful rhetoric" about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. The Democratic nominee gave her second major interview to the National Association of Black Journalists (More)
Russian government-linked actors have focused election influence campaigns against Harris, according to Microsoft. Fake videos attacking the vice president have become more prominent in recent weeks; one hoax shows Harris supporters assaulting a Trump rally attendee (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. There was little change ahead of today's much-anticipated Fed guidance (Dow-0.04%, Nasdaq +0.20%, S&P 500 +0.03%).
President Biden will not intervene in a potential dockworker strike next month. The International Longshoremen's Association's contract at several dozen East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports ends Sept. 30; the locations handle about half the nation's seaborne imports (More)
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines can complete a $1.9B merger. The U.S. Department of Transportation said the deal can progress if airline reward systems values are maintained and some key routes are continued (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law allowing in-state schools to immediately pay college athletes directly. The University of Tennessee announced sports ticket prices will go up 10% next year with the additional money going to athletes (More | More)
Miley Cyrus is being sued over her hit single Flowers. The lawsuit alleges the singer and her songwriters copied Bruno Mars' 2013 single When I Was Your Man; several entertainment companies are also being sued (More)
John Cena will star in Matchbox, an upcoming live-action film based on the classic Mattel toy cars. Apple Original Films will produce the movie; Sam Hargrave will direct (More)

Quick Hitters

Feel Good: A boy was at the beach when he saw a young girl struggling with her lack of hair. So he grew his out two feetto help other children with illnesses.
Cool Stuff: Abandoned Films is a YouTube channel that uses artificial intelligence to reimagine popular movie trailers in the Super Panavision style of the 1950s. The Jurassic Park cut is one of many to enjoy.
Take Note: The easy way to get rid of something forever? Fire it into the sun. But it is unlikely to ever happen with hazardous materials.
Dumpster Diving: Sometimes trash truly is a treasure. A British man discovered he had pulled a lost Renaissance engraving out of the dump over a decade earlier as a young boy.
Pet Advice: Many everyday items in your home can be toxic to furry friends. Here is a helpful rundown from a veterinarian.

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