PRESIDENT BIDEN DELIVERS UPDATES ON WHERE THE UNITED STATES STANDS IN ITS SUPPORT OF ISRAEL AND UKRAINE AND — APPLE IS ROLLING OUT A NEW SECURITY FEATURE TO PROTECT IPHONE USERS FROM PASSCODE THIEVES

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS PROVIDED UPDATES TO WHERE THE UNITED STATES STANDS IN ITS SUPPORT OF UKRAINE AND ISRAEL AS THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT THEIR RESPECTIVE WARS.

BIDEN IS EXPECTED TO MEET IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY WITH FAMILIES OF AMERICANS BEING HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA — AFTER GIVING HIS SHARPEST CRITICISM OF ISRAEL’S ONGOING RETALIATION TO HAMAS’ TERROR ATTACK.

ON TUESDAY — BIDEN MET FACE-TO-FACE WITH VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY AS THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT LOOKED FOR ADDITIONAL AID IN ITS WAR WITH RUSSIA –MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS IN WASHINGTON D.C.\

DURING A FUNDRAISER WITH DEMOCRATIC DONORS– PRESIDENT BIDEN WARNED THAT ISRAEL IS LOSING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ITS OPERATIONS IN GAZA.

BIDEN SAID WHILE ISRAEL CURRENTLY HAS MOST OF THE WORLD’S SUPPORT – IT’S WANING DUE TO QUOTE “THE INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING” TAKING PLACE.

HE SAID ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU NEEDS TO CHANGE HIS APPROACH – CALLING HIM THE LEADER OF  QUOTE “THE MOST CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY” THAT DOESN’T “WANT ANYTHING REMOTELY APPROACHING A TWO-STATE SOLUTION.”

HOURS BEFORE BIDEN’S REMARKS — NETANYAHU COMMENTED ON THE RIFT BETWEEN THE US AND ISRAEL CONCERNING WHAT A POST-WAR GAZA WOULD LOOK LIKE –

SAYING “YES, THERE IS DISAGREEMENT ABOUT ‘THE DAY AFTER HAMAS’ AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL REACH AGREEMENT HERE AS WELL.”

MEANWHILE – BIDEN ANNOUNCED 200 MILLION DOLLARS IN APPROVED AID FOR UKRAINE DURING A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

HOWEVER – BIDEN ADMITTED WITH FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL AID STALLED AMID DISAGREEMENTS IN THE SENATE OVER A STRICTER BORDER POLICY – THE U.S. WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT UKRAINE FOR A LIMITED TIME IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN – BIDEN CALLING IT A GIFT FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND SAYING AMERICA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPLY UKRAINE WITH CRITICAL WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT FOR “AS LONG AS IT CAN.”

BIDEN: “Without supplemental funding, we’re rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond to the urgent operational demands that it has. Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong.”\

AS THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO SUPPORT ISRAEL AND ITS RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF AFTER HAMAS’ TERROR ATTACK — WHILE BEING CRITICAL OF THE IMPACT ON CIVILIANS IN GAZA — THE U.S. HAS REFUSED TO BACK A CEASE-FIRE.

ON TUESDAY – THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY VOTED IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION DEMANDING ONE – DESPITE OPPOSITION FROM THE US AND ISRAEL.

THE 193-MEMBER WORLD BODY VOTED OVERWHELMING IN FAVOR OF A HUMANITARIAN CEASE-FIRE TO END THE WAR.

153 NATIONS VOTED IN FAVOR – 10 VOTED AGAINST – AND 23 ABSTAINED.

EIGHT COUNTRIES JOINED THE US AND ISRAEL IN ITS OPPOSITION OF THE RESOLUTON – INCLUDING AUSTRIA, GUATEMALA AND PARAGUAY.

THE ASSEMBLY’S VOTE CAME A FEW DAYS AFTER THE UNITED STATES VETOED A SIMILAR RESOLUTION IN THE SMALLER SECURITY COUNCIL ON FRIDAY.

ARAB AND ISLAMIC NATIONS CALLED FOR THE EMERGENCY SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

WHILE RESOLUTIONS FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ARE NOT LEGALLY BINDING – THEY ARE A GAUGE FOR WHERE THE WORLD STANDS ON ISSUES.

FOLLOWING THE VOTE – THE PALESTINIAN UN AMBASSADOR SAID IT WAS A QUOTE  “HISTORIC DAY IN TERMS OF THE POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.”

THE PROGRESSIVE WATCHDOG GROUP THAT PUBLISHED STORIES ALLEGING THAT AD CAMPAIGNS RAN NEXT TO WHITE NATIONALIST CONTENT ON ELON MUSK’S SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X IS NOW SUING THE STATE OF TEXAS ALLEGING IT VIOLATED THE GROUP’S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

“MEDIA MATTERS” FILED THE LAWSUIT ON MONDAY IN FEDERAL COURT, AFTER TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL, REPUBLICAN KEN PAXTON, LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE GROUP FOR QUOTE “POTENTIAL FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY” RELATED TO THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS IT PUBLISHED ABOUT ELON MUSK AND X.

FOLLOWING THE REPORTS BEING PUBLISHED, THERE WAS A MAJOR EXODUS OF ADVERTISERS ON X – COMPANIES LIKE DISNEY, APPLE, SONY, AND WALMART PULLED THEIR ADS.

IN ITS LAWSUIT — MEDIA MATTERS IS ASKING A JUDGE TO BLOCK PAXTON’S INVESTIGATION — WHICH BEGAN AS MUSK FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST MEDIA MATTERS CLAIMING THE GROUP “MANUFACTURED” THE REPORT TO INTENTIONALLY DRIVE ADVERTISERS AWAY FROM X.

IN RESPONSE TO PAXTON’S FRAUD INVESTIGATION INTO MEDIA MATTERS –MUSK POSTED ON X “”FRAUD HAS BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES.”

IN ADDITION — MISSOURI’S REPUBLICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS ALSO LAUNCHED ITS OWN PROBE.

NEW YORKS HIGHEST COURT HAS ORDERED THE STATE TO RE-DRAW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AHEAD OF THE 20-24 ELECTIONS. A MOVE THAT COULD SHAKE THINGS UP IN THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE FOUR TO THREE DECISION ORDERS THAT THE STATE REMAPS ITS 26 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, A BLOW TO REPUBLICANS WHO SOUGHT TO KEEP THE LINES AFTER FLIPPING A COUPLE OF SEATS IN THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE — WHICH HELPED GIVE THE GOP A SLIM MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE.

THE ORDER SEEMS TO BE AN EARLY VICTORY FOR DEMOCRATS AS THE DECISION COULD HELP THEM RE-CLAIM CONTROL IN THE HOUSE IN 2024.

WHILE THE MAPS WILL BE RE-DRAWN BY NEW YORK’S BIPARTISAN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, THE STATE LEGISLATURE WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE MAPS.

THE ORDER PLACES A DEADLINE FOR THE NEWLY DRAWN MAPS OF FEBRUARY 28TH.

APPLE IS RELEASING A NEW SECURITY FEATURE FOR IPHONES TO PROTECT USERS FROM THIEVES.

THE FEATURE APPEARS TO BE IN RESPONSE TO A REPORT EARLIER THIS YEAR BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON CRIMINALS STEALING IPHONES AFTER WATCHING USERS TYPE IN THEIR PASSCODES.

THEY THEN LOCK VICTIMS OUT OF VARIOUS ACCOUNTS AFTER USING THE CODE AND CHANGING PASSWORDS TO APPS AND SERVICES FOUND ON THE PHONE.

THE NEW SECURITY SETTING IS CALLED STOLEN DEVICE PROTECTION.

WITH THAT TURNED ON – AN IPHONE WILL RESTRICT CERTAIN SETTINGS – LIKE CHANGING PASSWORDS — WHEN IT’S AWAY FROM A LOCATION FAMILIAR TO THE USER.

IF A REQUEST IS MADE TO CHANGE A PASSWORD – THE IPHONE WILL REQUIRE A FACE ID OR TOUCH ID FROM THE USER – THERE WILL THEN BE AN HOUR-LONG DELAY  — AT WHICH TIME ANOTHER FACE ID OR TOUCH ID SCAN WILL BE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE ACTION.

IPHONE USERS ARE STILL ENCOURAGED TO HIDE THEIR PASSCODES WHEN IN PUBLIC.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – WE ARE GETTING A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT VIEWERS HAVE BEEN WATCHING ON NETFLIX AND “HOW MUCH” THEY’VE BEEN WATCHING.

FOR YEARS, THE STREAMING SERVICE HAS HELD BACK ON RELEASING VIEWER DATA – BUT ON TUESDAY – NETFLIX MOVED TO BECOME MORE TRANSPARENT.

THE FIRST REPORT OF ITS KIND – TITLED “WHAT WE WATCHED” – INCLUDES A LIST OF VIEWING TIMES ON THE PLATFORM FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR.

NETFLIX RELEASED INFORMATION ON MORE THAN 18-THOUSAND MOVIES AND TV SERIES – EACH HAVING AT LEAST 50 THOUSAND VIEWING HOURS.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT – SEASON ONE OF THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL — “THE NIGHT AGENT” — WAS THE MOST-VIEWED SHOW BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE – WITH 812 MILLION VIEWING HOURS.

THE TOP MOVIE WAS “THE MOTHER” STARRING JENNIFER LOPEZ – WITH NEARLY 250 MILLION VIEWING HOURS.

OTHER TOP TRENDING SHOWS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR INCLUDED WEDNESDAY, QUEEN CHARLOTTE: A BRIDGERTON STORY, AND THE 2011 SERIES SUITS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER  TO GET THE TOP STORIES EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.

JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN 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!