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The Morning Rundown™

King Charles III diagnosed with cancer: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 6, 2024


Buckingham Palace announces King Charles III is being treated for cancer. And country music superstar Toby Keith passes away after his own cancer battle. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

King Charles III diagnosed with cancer

Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III began outpatient treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, Feb. 6, during an interview with the BBC that he was “shocked and sad” to learn of the King’s diagnosis but is thankful the cancer was caught early.

The BBC reported King Charles would continue regular treatment and postpone his public duties under doctors’ advice. Still, the King looks forward to returning to his full public responsibilities as soon as possible.

Charles is less than 18 months into his reign, becoming King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, after her 70 years on the throne. You can read Lauren Taylor’s full report now.

Toby Keith dies at age 62

Country music star Toby Keith has died. A statement was posted to his official “X” account early this morning, saying Keith passed away peacefully Monday night, Feb. 5, surrounded by family. Keith announced he’d been diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022 and was receiving treatment. The statement read, “he fought his fight with grace and courage.”

The country star, known for songs such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Red Solo Cup,” was named Artist of the Decade at the American Country Awards in 2011 and received the Country Music Icon Award at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards. 

“I want to thank the almighty for allowing me to be here tonight. You’ve been riding shotgun with me for a little while,” Keith said during his acceptance speech in September. He also thanked his team, adding “Most of all I want to thank the fans for still allowing us to do what we do.”

Toby Keith was 62 years old.

Deadly storm causes mudslides, flooding, power outages in California

At least three people have died as a severe storm swept through California. All three deaths were due to fallen trees.

Heavy rainfall led to flooding and mudslides throughout the region, with about 38 million people under flood alerts from California to southwest Arizona. In Los Angeles, firefighters rescued 16 people from mudslides on one street.

Evacuations in parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties that were called on Sunday, Feb. 4, have been lifted or downgraded. The severe storm hit California on Sunday, Feb. 4, and left 250,000 homes and businesses without power in central and northern parts of the state.

The National Weather Service, marking the storm as potentially historic, called it one of the wettest storms to hit Los Angeles since records have been kept dating back to the 1870s.

In a 24-hour period, nearly a foot of rain was measured at the University of California at Los Angeles. According to the White House, President Joe Biden has pledged federal aid to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

Biden threatens to veto House GOP’s standalone Israel aid bill

With the Senate scheduled to hold an initial vote tomorrow on a $118 billion bill focusing on border security and aid to Ukraine and Israel, House Republicans are looking to push forward with a standalone bill of their own that would provide aid only to Israel.

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In response, President Joe Biden has come out to say he would veto the House bill. In a statement, the White House called the standalone bill a “political ploy” that “does nothing to help secure the border” or “defend the people of Ukraine.” House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., told CNN on Monday, Feb. 5, that Biden’s veto threat is “a betrayal of our great ally and friend Israel in their time of desperate need.”

The speaker has said that the Senate’s bill would be dead on arrival in the House, but it might not get to that point, as on Monday night, Feb. 5, Senate Republicans held a closed-door meeting, threatening to block the bipartisan package.

Nikki Haley requests Secret Service protection

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has requested Secret Service protection. Haley’s campaign did not provide any specific threats that prompted the request. Still, the former ambassador to the United Nations has been the target of at least two “swatting” incidents, where callers file false reports looking to generate a significant response by law enforcement.

There have also been protesters at her recent campaign events opposing her support for Ukraine and Israel. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Haley confirmed the application for protection with the Department of Homeland Security, saying, “We’ve had multiple issues.” Haley added, “It’s not going to stop me from doing what I need to do.”

Haley remains the last remaining opponent to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination. Nevada holds its Republican and Democratic primary elections today. On Thursday, the Nevada Republican Party will host a caucus. 

Most Americans consider football to be ‘America’s sport’

Baseball has long been considered to be America’s pastime, but now it appears that baseball’s time has passed as the top sport in the nation. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 12,000 adults, 53% said football is “America’s sport.”

Baseball came in second with 27%, followed by basketball and soccer. But while football was the top choice of those surveyed, most do not consider themselves diehard sports fans. In fact, 60% said they do not closely follow professional or college sports. But there’s probably still a good chance most will be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, Feb. 11, even if it’s for the commercials.

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BUCKINGHAM PALACE ANNOUNCES KING CHARLES IS BEING TREATED FOR CANCER

AND — COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR TOBY KEITH PASSES AWAY AFTER HIS OWN CANCER BATTLE.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

WE BEGIN WITH THE LATEST ON KING CHARLES AFTER HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE ANNOUNCING THE KING HAS BEGUN OUTPATIENT TREATMENT.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER RISHI (REE-SHEESUNAK SAYING TODAY DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BBC THAT HE WAS “SHOCKED AND SAD” TO LEARN OF THE KING’S DIAGNOSIS BUT IS THANKFUL THE CANCER WAS CAUGHT EARLY.

OUR LAUREN TAYLOR HAS MORE ON THE KING’S DIAGNOSIS.

LAUREN TAYLOR: “WHILE THE EXACT FORM…IS A SEPARATE ISSUE…” “THE BBC REPORTS KING CHARLES WILL CONTINUE REGULAR TREATMENTS…AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”

CHARLES IS LESS THAN 18 MONTHS INTO HIS REIGN – BECOMING KING FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER – QUEEN ELIZABETH — AFTER 70 YEARS ON THE THRONE.

YOU CAN FIND LAUREN’S FULL REPORT NOW ON OUR WEBSITE SAN DOT COM.

BREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT — COUNTRY MUSIC STAR TOBY KEITH HAS DIED.

A STATEMENT WAS POSTED TO HIS OFFICIAL X ACCOUNT EARLY THIS MORNING SAYING KEITH PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY MONDAY NIGHT – SURROUNDED BY FAMILY.

KEITH ANNOUNCED IN 20-22 HE’D BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH STOMACH CANCER AND WAS RECEIVING TREATMENT.

THE STATEMENT READ “HE FOUGHT HIS FIGHT WITH GRACE AND COURAGE.”

THE COUNTRY ICON — KNOWN FOR SONGS SUCH AS “SHOULD’VE BEEN A COWBOY” AND “RED SOLO CUP” — WAS NAMED ARTIST OF THE DECADE AT THE AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS IN 2011.

TOBY KEITH WAS 62 YEARS OLD.

AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE HAVE DIED AS A SEVERE STORM SYSTEM SWEEPS THROUGH CALIFORNIA — ALL THREE WERE KILLED BY FALLEN TREES.

HEAVY RAINFALL LED TO FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES THROUGHOUT THE STATE

ABOUT 38 MILLION PEOPLE ARE UNDER FLOOD ALERTS IN THE REGION..

250-THOUSAND HOMES AND BUSINESSES REMAIN WITHOUT POWER IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CALLING IT ONE OF THE WETTEST STORMS IN LOS ANGELES SINCE RECORDS HAVE BEEN KEPT DATING BACK TO THE 1870S

IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD NEARLY A FOOT OF RAIN WAS MEASURED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES.

THE WHITE HOUSE HAS PLEDGED FEDERAL AID SHOULD CALIFORNIA NEED IT.

THE SENATE IS SCHEDULED TO VOTE TOMORROW ON A 118 BILLION DOLLAR PACKAGE WITH FUNDING FOR UKRAINE, ISRAEL — AND BORDER SECURITY —

WHICH HAS BECOME A POINT OF TENSION.

THE HOUSE IS TAKING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.

AFTER DECLARING THAT PACKAGE “DEAD ON ARRIVAL” —

THE HOUSE IS LOOKING TO PASS A STANDALONE BILL — FOR AID TO ISRAEL.

IN RESPONSE — PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS COME OUT TO SAY HE WOULD VETO THE HOUSE BILL IF IT PASSES AND LANDS ON HIS DESK.

IN A STATEMENT – THE WHITE HOUSE CALLS THE STANDALONE BILL A “POLITICAL PLOY” THAT “DOES NOTHING TO HELP SECURE THE BORDER” OR “DEFEND THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE.”

HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON TOLD CNN ON MONDAY — BIDEN’S VETO THREAT IS “A BETRAYAL OF OUR  ALLY AND FRIEND ISRAEL IN THEIR TIME OF DESPERATE NEED.”

WHILE THE SPEAKER SAYS THE SENATE’S BILL HAS NO CHANCE OF PASSING THE HOUSE —

THE **SENATE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO EVEN GET IT THERE.

AS ON MONDAY NIGHT – SENATE REPUBLICANS HELD A CLOSED-DOOR MEETING — IN OPPOSITION OF THE PACKAGE.

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NIKKI HALEY HAS REQUESTED SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION.

HALEY’S CAMPAIGN DIDN’T GIVE ANY SPECIFIC REASON THAT PROMPTED THE REQUEST –

BUT HALEY HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF AT LEAST TWO SWATTING INCIDENTS – WHERE CALLERS FILE FALSE REPORTS LOOKING TO GENERATE A MASSIVE RESPONSE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN PROTESTERS AT HER RECENT CAMPAIGN EVENTS OPPOSING HER FOREIGN POLICY POSITIONS.

SPEAKING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL – HALEY CONFIRMED THE APPLICATION FOR PROTECTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY – SAYING THEY’VE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES. BUT ADDING “IT’S NOT GOING TO STOP HER OR SLOW HER CAMPAIGN.

HALEY REMAINS THE LAST REMAINING OPPONENT TO FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR THE 2024 GOP NOMINATION.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – BASEBALL HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED TO BE AMERICA’S PASTIME – BUT NOW IT APPEARS THAT BASEBALL’S TIME HAS PASSED AS THE TOP SPORT IN THE NATION.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT PEW SURVEY OF 12 THOUSAND ADULTS  – FIFTY THREE PERCENT SAID FOOTBALL IS “AMERICA’S SPORT.”

BASEBALL CAME IN SECOND WITH TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT – FOLLOWED BY BASKETBALL AND SOCCER.

BUT WHILE FOOTBALL WAS THE TOP CHOICE OF THOSE SURVEYED – MOST DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES DIE-HARD SPORTS FANS.

IN FACT — SIXTY PERCENT SAID THEY DON’T FOLLOW PRO OR COLLEGE SPORTS CLOSELY.

BUT THERE’S PROBABLY A GOOD CHANCE MOST WILL BE WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL THIS WEEKEND – EVEN IF IT’S JUST FOR THE COMMERCIALS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS TUESDAY.

YOU CAN NOW CONNECT WITH THE MORNING RUNDOWN IN A VARIETY OF WAYS — INCLUDING SUBSCRIBING TO OUR PODCAST OR SIGNING UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.

JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN FOR MORE DETAILS.

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!