PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SET TO ADDRESS THE NATION FOLLOWING HIS VISIT TO ISRAEL

AND — AFTER 18 YEARS — THE MAIN SUSPECT IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF NATALIE HOLLOWAY CONFESSES

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL ADDRESS THE NATION DURING A SPEECH FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TONIGHT –

WHERE HE WILL UPDATE AMERICANS ON THE US RESPONSE TO THE WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND UKRAINE.

BIDEN RETURNED HOME AFTER VISITING ISRAEL WHERE HE REAFFIRMED THE UNITED STATES’ SUPPORT OF ISRAEL IN ITS WAR WITH HAMAS FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACK THAT KILLED 1,400 PEOPLE – INCLUDING 31 AMERICANS.

BIDEN ALSO ANNOUNCED HE SECURED A DEAL WITH EGYPT TO ALLOW HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE PEOPLE OF GAZA.

ACCORDING TO GAZA AUTHORITIES, MORE THAN 3,400 HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE ISRAEL BEGAN ITS AIRSTRIKES.

THE PRESIDENT SPOKE TO REPORTERS ABOUT THE NEED FOR AID WHILE ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE.

“I WAS VERY BLUNT WITH THE ISRAELIS. ISRAEL HAS BEEN BADLY VICTIMIZED BUT THE TRUTH IS IF THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELIEVE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO – IT’S WHAT THEY SHOULD DO – AND IF THEY DON’T – THEY’LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN WAYS THAT MAY BE UNFAIR BUT – MY POINT TO EVERYONE IS IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLIEVIATE THE PAIN YOU SHOULD DO IT. PERIOD.”

ISRAEL AGREED TO GIVE AID TO GAZA AS LONG AS IT DOESN’T BENEFIT HAMAS –

AND SAID IT WOULD OPEN ITS OWN CHECKPOINTS FOR AID ONLY AFTER HAMAS RELEASES THE ROUGHLY 200 HOSTAGES TAKEN DURING THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK.

BIDEN SAID AID WOULD LIKELY BEGIN TO ARRIVE IN GAZA ON FRIDAY.

THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO ISRAEL CAME JUST A DAY AFTER A BLAST AT A HOSPITAL IN GAZA.

THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY SAID 471 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE EXPLOSION.

WHILE GAZA AUTHORITIES SAY IT WAS CAUSED BY AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE —

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS SIDED WITH ISRAEL SAYING EVIDENCE POINTS TO A FAILED ROCKET LAUNCH BY A PALESTINIAN MILITANT GROUP BEING BEHIND THE BLAST.

ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS DESCENDED ON WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WAS THERE AS APPROXIMATELY 300 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED AFTER PROTESTING **INSIDE A CONGRESSIONAL BUILDING.

HUNDREDS OF PROTESTERS BLOCKED INDEPENDENCE AVENUE – DIRECTLY OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL BUILDING.

THIS ALL OCCURRED AS SENATORS WERE RECEIVING A CLASSIFIED BRIEFING REGARDING ISRAEL.

THE UNITED STATES RESUMED DEPORTATION FLIGHTS OF VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS ON WEDNESDAY.

THE FIRST PLANE – WITH ABOUT 130 PASSENGERS – TOOK OFF FROM TEXAS – AND MADE A STOP IN MIAMI — BEFORE LANDING IN VENEZUELA.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS THAT US IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES ARE DEPORTING MIGRANTS TO VENEZUELA –

AS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SEARCHES FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES.

AN OFFICIAL WITH ICE SAID THE PASSENGERS PRIORITIZED FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT INCLUDED MIGRANTS WHO RECENTLY ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY AND THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES IN THE U.S.

BORDER PATROL SAID ALL THE PASSENGERS HAD ENTERED THE U.S. ILLEGALLY.

THE U-S PLANS TO HAVE “MULTIPLE” DEPORTATION FLIGHTS PER WEEK TO VENEZEULA.

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT – THE CHIEF SUSPECT IN THE 2005 DISAPPEARANCE OF AMERICAN TEENAGER NATALEE HOLLOWAY — HAS ADMITTED TO HER MOTHER HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR NATALIE’S DEATH.

VAN DER SLOOT MADE THE CONFESSION IN AN ALABAMA COURTROOM WEDNESDAY WHERE HE PLEADED GUILTY TO FEDERAL EXTORTION AND WIRE FRAUD CHARGES.

THE CONFESSION WAS PART OF A PLEA DEAL IN WHICH VAN DER SLOOT AGREED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO NATALIE’S MOTHER BETH HOLLOWAY ABOUT HER DAUGHTER’S DISAPPEARANCE.

“TODAY I CAN TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY, THAT AFTER 18 YEARS NATALIE’S CASE IS SOLVED. AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED IT’S OVER. IT’S OVER. JORAN VAN DEER SLOOT IS NO LONGER THE SUSPECT IN MY DAUGHTER’S MURDER. HE IS THE KILLER.”

VAN DER SLOOT WAS CHARGED WITH EXTORTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM NATALEE HOLLOWAY’S FAMILY IN EXCHANGE FOR INFORMATION FOLLOWING HER DISAPPEARANCE.

LAST JUNE, VAN DER SLOOT WAS EXTRADITED TO THE U-S FROM PERU WHERE HE WAS SERVING A 28-YEAR SENTENCE IN THE 20-10 MURDER OF A 21-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE STUDENT.  

VAN DER SLOOT WAS SENTENCED WEDNESDAY TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON WHICH WILL RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH THE TIME HE’S SERVING IN PERU.

HOUSE JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN JIM JORDAN IS HOPING THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM AS HE INTENDS TO HOLD ANOTHER VOTE ON THE HOUSE FLOOR TODAY TO BECOME THE NEXT SPEAKER.

THE OHIO REPUBLICAN FAILED TO REACH A MAJORITY AGAIN DURING WEDNESDAY’S VOTE —

LOSING SUPPORT THE SECOND GO AROUND.

22 HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST JORDAN — UP FROM 20 ON TUESDAY.

FOLLOWING THE SECOND SPEAKER VOTE — A SPOKESPERSON FOR JORDAN SAID — “WE’RE GOING TO KEEP GOING.”

AS THE HOUSE REMAINS WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL SPEAKER — A GROUP OF HOUSE REPUBLICANS IS CONSIDERING A MEASURE TO EXPAND THE POWER OF TEMPORARY SPEAKER PATRICK MCHENRY IN ORDER TO ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE PREVENTING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND FUNDING AID PACKAGES FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE.

BUT OTHERS ARE OPPOSED — SAYING THAT WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN HAS MORE ON THESE DEVELOPMENTS IN HIS REPORT YOU CAN FIND ON OUR WEBSITE AT SAN DOT COM.

AN ARREST WAS MADE DURING THE CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN NEW YORK WEDNESDAY.

A WOMAN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER TRYING TO APPROACH THE FORMER PRESIDENT – WHO WAS ATTENDING THE TRIAL FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS WEEK.

SHE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING “I WANT TO SPEAK TO MR. TRUMP.”

A COURT OFFICER TOLD HER TO SIT BACK DOWN  – THEN MOMENTS LATER SHE WAS ESCORTED OUT OF THE COURTROOM BY SEVERAL OFFICERS.

THE WOMAN — LATER IDENTIFIED AS A “COURT EMPLOYEE” — WAS ARRESTED ON A CONTEMPT CHARGE FOR DISRUPTING A COURT PROCEEDING.

A COURT SPOKESPERSON SAID THE WOMAN HAS BEEN PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AND IS BARRED FROM ENTERING STATE COURTS DURING THE INVESTIGATION.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE ARREST – TRUMP — SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE INCIDENT AS IT HAPPENED BEHIND HIM IN THE COURTROOM.

THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND HIS COMPANY ARE BEING ACCUSED BY THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL OF OVERVALUING HIS ASSETS TO BANKS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES.

TRUMP HAS DENIED ANY WRONGDOING.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – HISTORY IS BEING MADE AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE.

WHEATIES — “THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS” AS THE CEREAL’S TAG-LINE GOES —

IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING IT HAS NEVER DONE IN ITS 100-PLUS YEARS –

FEATURE A VIDEO GAME CHARACTER ON ITS BOX.

TODAY THE GENERAL MILLS CEREAL BRAND IS RELEASING A “SPECIAL EDITION BOX” FEATURING MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN CHARACTER.

THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN WHEATIES AND MARVEL COINCIDES WILL THE RELEASE OF THE SPIDER-MAN 2 VIDEO GAME ON FRIDAY.

THE LIMITED EDITION BOX IS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ONLINE STARTING THIS MORNING.

BUT IT’S GONNA TAKE THE MARVEL SUPERHERO A WHILE IF HE WANTS TO CATCH UP TO MICHAEL JORDAN — WHO HAS BEEN FEATURED ON THE WHEATIES BOX 19 TIMES — THE MOST OF ANY ATHLETE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

NOW YOU CAN GET THE MORNING RUNDOWN IN YOUR INBOX EACH WEEKDAY MORNING BY SUBSCRIBING TO OUR NEWSLETTER.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE — SAN DOT COM — AND GO TO THE RUNDOWN’S PODCAST PAGE TO SIGN UP.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!

house rep