ISRAEL RELEASES NEW DETAILS AFTER THREE HOSTAGES TAKEN BY HAMAS WERE MISTAKENLY KILLED BY ISRAELI TROOPS

AND — A DRIVER CRASHES INTO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S MOTORCADE OUTSIDE HIS CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 18TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

US DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN HAS ARRIVED IN ISRAEL THIS MORNING – HIS SECOND VISIT SINCE THE WAR BEGAN – LOOKING TO EMPHASIZE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S STANCE OF SUPPORTING ISRAEL’S FIGHT AGAINST HAMAS WHILE ALSO RAISING CONCERNS TO ISRAELI OFFICIALS OVER CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN GAZA.

AUSTIN’S VISIT COMES AS ISRAEL REVEALED MORE INFORMATION OVERNIGHT ABOUT THE THREE HOSTAGES TAKEN BY HAMAS WHO WERE MISTAKENLY KILLED BY **ISRAELI TROOPS ON FRIDAY IN GAZA CITY.

THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SAID THE THREE MEN – ALL IDENTIFIED AS ISRAELIS – HAD EMERGED FROM A BUILDING SHIRTLESS –AN EFFORT TO SHOW THEY WERE NOT CARRYING EXPLOSIVES — AND WAVING MAKESHIFT WHITE FLAGS.

IN AN UPDATE – THE MILITARY SAID THE HOSTAGES TRIED TO USE LEFTOVER FOOD TO CREATE SIGNS CALLING FOR HELP.

THE HOSTAGES WERE MISTAKENLY SEEN AS THREATS – ISRAEL SAID – AND SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE – KILLING TWO IMMEDIATELY.

OFFICIALS SAID THE THIRD RAN BACK INTO A BUILDING SCREAMING IN HEBREW.

AND THOUGH THE ISRAELI COMMANDER ORDERED SOLDIERS TO STOP FIRING –

MORE SHOTS WERE FIRED – KILLING THE THIRD MAN AS WELL.

THE IDF SAID THE SHOOTING OCCURRED DURING A PERIOD OF “INTENSE COMBAT” WITH  A LOT OF “AMBUSHES” —

WHERE HAMAS MILITANTS WERE DRESSED IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES.

ISRAEL SAID THE SHOOTING VIOLATED THE MILITARY’S RULE OF ENGAGEMENT – PROHIBITING OPENING FIRE ON THOSE WHO SURRENDER. THEY SAY TROOPS MUST FOLLOW THOSE RULES — INCLUDING FOR PALESTINIANS.

THE HOSTAGES’ DEATHS HAVE SPARKED NEW CALLS FOR A TRUCE – WITH HUNDREDS OF PROTESTERS TAKING TO THE STREETS IN TEL AVIV —

AND GERMANY AND BRITAIN NOW BACKING A “SUSTAINABLE” CEASE-FIRE.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID THE DEATHS “BROKE THE WHOLE NATION’S HEART” BUT HAS VOWED TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO ELIMINATE HAMAS AND TO BRING HOME ALL HOSTAGES.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE MONTHS, NORTH KOREA TESTED AN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE.

THIS COMES AS THE NORTH HAS CONDEMNED EFFORTS BY THE U-S AND SOUTH KOREA TO BOOST NUCLEAR DETERRENCE.

ACCORDING TO JAPAN, THE MISSILE HAS A RANGE OF UP TO 93 HUNDRED MILES —

MEANING IT COULD REACH JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES.

THE SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY SAID THE MISSILE FLEW MORE THAN 6-HUNDRED MILES  BEFORE LANDING IN THE OCEAN BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE KOREAN PENINSULA.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS — THE TEST IS THE FIFTH OF ITS KIND THIS YEAR.

THE U-S, SOUTH KOREA, AND JAPAN HAVE ALL CONDEMNED THE LAUNCH.

ONE DAY BEFORE THE BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH — NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED A SHORT-RANGLE MISSILE DESIGNED TO STRIKE SOUTH KOREA —

AS TENSIONS WITH THE NORTH REMAIN HIGH.

U-S BORDER OFFICIALS HAVE CLOSED TWO RAIL BRIDGES ALONG THE U-S-MEXICO BORDER FOLLOWING A SURGE OF MIGRANTS BEING SMUGGLED INTO THE COUNTRY.

BORDER OFFICIALS SAY, STARTING TODAY, IT IS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING ALL OPERATIONS AT RAIL CROSSINGS IN EAGLE PASS AND EL PASO TEXAS — TO REDIRECT RESOURCES ELSEWHERE — IN IT’S LATEST MOVE TO RESPOND TO A FLOOD OF MIGRANTS TRYING TO GET INTO THE U-S.

BORDER OFFICIALS SAYING IN A STATEMENT:

“AFTER OBSERVING A RECENT RESURGENCE OF SMUGGLING ORGANIZATIONS MOVING MIGRANTS THROUGH MEXICO VIA FREIGHT TRAINS, CBP IS TAKING ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO SURGE PERSONNEL AND ADDRESS THIS CONCERNING DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEXICAN AUTHORITIES.”

C-B-P HAS RECENTLY CLOSED THE PORT OF ENTRY IN LUKE-VILLE ARIZONA, A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN SAN DIEGO, AND HAS SUSPENDED VEHICLE PROCESSING IN EAGLE PASS TEXAS.

ON FRIDAY – ARIZONA’S DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR KATIE HOBBS SENT NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO THE BORDER — CALLING OUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAYING THAT CLOSING THE LUKEVILLE PORT OF ENTRY HAS LED TO QUOTE “AN UNMITIGATED HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.”

PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE FIRST LADY WERE UNHARMED AFTER A DRIVER CRASHED INTO AN SUV IN THE PRESIDENT’S MOTORCADE SUNDAY NIGHT OUTSIDE HIS CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

VIDEO SHOWS THE PRESIDENT ANSWERING REPORTERS’ QUESTIONS JUST AFTER 8 P.M. WHEN A LOUD COLLISION IS HEARD.

PRESIDENT BIDEN —  WAS RUSHED INTO HIS VEHICLE – WHERE THE FIRST LADY WAS ALREADY INSIDE.  THE MOTORCADE THEN LEFT THE SCENE.

US SECRET SERVICE SAYS THE DRIVER OF A SEDAN UNINTENTIONALLY STRUCK A PARKED SUV THAT WAS PROVIDING SECURITY FOR THE PRESIDENT’S ROUTE.

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AFTER THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY HAD LEFT HIS CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS FOLLOWING A HOLIDAY EVENT WITH STAFFERS.

FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR AND U.N. AMBASSADOR NIKKI HALEY HAS GAINED SOME SUPPORT IN ONE EARLY VOTING STATE – AS FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP REMAINS DOMINATE IN ANOTHER – ACCORDING TO A CBS NEWS POLL RELEASED SUNDAY.

WITH 5 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY — HALEY IS CONSOLIDATING MUCH OF THE NON-TRUMP VOTE IN  – WITH 29 PERCENT OF LIKELY GOP PRIMARY VOTERS SAYING THEY WOULD VOTE FOR HER – WHILE 44 PERCENT SAY THEY’D BACK TRUMP –

JUST LAST WEEK –  HALEY SECURED THE ENDORSEMENT FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE’S REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR – CHRIS SUNUNU  (SA-NEW-NEW), WHO SPOKE ABOUT HIS CHOICE IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ABC NEWS THAT AIRED SUNDAY.

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU: “NO ONE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS GOING TO VOTE FOR NIKKI HALEY BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR SAID SO. YOU EARN IT. I THINK WE’VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL ON KNOWING HOW TO EARN IT, HOW TO ENGAGE WITH CONSTITUENCIES, WHAT’S IMPORTANT – NOT JUST WHAT THE VOTERS WANT TO HEAR, BUT HOW THEY WANT TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW ARE THEY GOING TO EARN THE TRUST WITH FOLKS. WE CAN ALL AGREE ON A LOT OF POLICIES, WE WANT TO KNOW THAT AS INDIVIDUALS WE COME FIRST AND THAT’S WHAT NIKKI IS BRINGING TO THE TABLE.”

AND WITH JUST FOUR WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE IOWA CAUCUSES – THE CBS NEWS POLL FOUND TRUMP MAINTAINS AN OVERWHELMING LEAD WITH 58 PERCENT OF LIKELY CAUCUS-GOERS SAYING THEY’D SUPPORT THE FORMER PRESIDENT. IN THIS STATE – HALEY SITS AT THIRD BEHIND FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS WHO ARE USED TO GETTING A HOLIDAY GIFT OR A YEAR-END BONUS MAY BE SAYING BAH HUMBUG THIS YEAR.

ACCORDING TO A WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT – FEWER COMPANIES ARE GIVING OUT BONUSES.

A SURVEY OF MORE THAN 200 SMALL – MIDSIZE – AND LARGE COMPANIES FOUND THAT 34 PERCENT WOULDN’T GIVE BONUSES THIS YEAR – THAT’S UP FROM 27 PERCENT LAST YEAR – THE HIGHEST NUMBER SINCE 2019.

COMPANIES LIKE META, MICROSOFT AND WALGREENS HAVE INFORMED WORKERS THAT BONUSES WILL LIKELY BE CANCELED OR REDUCED.

BUT IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS – RECRUITING FIRM “ROBERT HALF” SAYS – BASED ON THEIR RESEARCH – THOSE WORKING IN LAW, ACCOUNTING AND MARKETING ARE STILL LIKELY TO RECEIVE THEIR BONUSES — ENDING THEIR YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

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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!