A TOP HAMAS LEADER IS KILLED IN LEBANON — SPARKING CONCERNS THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST COULD EXPAND

AND — FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS APPEALING A RULING IN MAINE BARRING HIM FROM THE BALLOT

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3RD.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THIS MORNING – HAMAS AND THE LEBANESE MILITANT GROUP HEZBOLLAH HAVE CONFIRMED THE DEATH OF A TOP HAMAS LEADER DURING AN EXPLOSION IN THE SUBURBS OF BEIRUT –

THE GROUPS BLAME ISRAEL FOR THE ATTACK – RAISING CONCERNS OF THE WAR BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISRAEL EXPANDING IN THE REGION.

SALEH AL AROURI AND SIX OTHERS — INCLUDING TWO HAMAS COMMANDERS — WERE KILLED IN THE STRIKE.

AROURI IS THE SENIOR-MOST OFFICIAL WITH THE TERRORIST GROUP TO BE KILLED SINCE THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK —

AND ALSO A WANTED TERRORIST BY THE UNITED STATES.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE IRANIAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST THE ATTACK INVOLVED A DRONE ARMED WITH THREE ROCKETS.

AROURI WAS SECOND IN COMMAND IN HAMAS – AND THE HEAD OF THE GROUP IN THE WEST BANK.

LEBANON’S PRIME MINISTER CALLED THE EXPLOSION A CRIME THAT WAS MEANT TO “DRAG LEBANON INTO A NEW PHASE OF CONFRONTATION WITH ISRAEL.”

ISRAEL HAS DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE ATTACK –

BUT ITS MILITARY CHIEF SPOKESMAN SAID IN A TELEVISED NEWS BRIEFING THAT ISRAELI FORCES WERE ON “VERY HIGH ALERT ON ALL FRONTS, FOR DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE ACTIONS” AND STRESSED ISRAEL WAS “FOCUSED ON FIGHTING HAMAS.”

CLAUDINE GAY RESIGNED AS PRESIDENT OF HARVARD ON TUESDAY AMID SCRUTINY OVER HER RESPONSES DURING A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS AND ACCUSATIONS OF PLAGIARISM.

IT’S THE SHORTEST PRESIDENCY IN THE UNIVERSITY’S HISTORY.

OUR LAUREN TAYLOR HAS THE DETAILS.

“IN HER RESIGNATION LETTER…RESUME HER FACULTY POSITION.”

ALAN GARBER — HARVARD’S PROVOST AND CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER — WILL SERVE AS INTERIM PRESIDENT.

GAY IS THE SECOND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO RESIGN FOLLOWING THE DECEMBER 5TH CONGRESSIONAL HEARING –

PENN PRESIDENT LIZ MAGILL RESIGNED DAYS AFTER HER TESTIMONY.

FACING GROWING PRESSURE TO RESIGN —

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY CHARGED WITH ACTING AS A FOREIGN AGENT AND ACCEPTING BRIBES TO BENEFIT EGYPT IS NOW FACING ADDITIONAL ACCUSATIONS  — THIS TIME INVOLVING THE COUNTRY OF QATAR.

ACCORDING TO A SECOND SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT THAT WAS UNSEALED TUESDAY, MENENDEZ ALLEGEDLY ACCEPTED EXPENSIVE GIFTS TO SAY POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT QATAR.

THE INDICTMENT ALLEGES MENENDEZ HELPED A NEW JERSEY DEVELOPER — WHO IS ALSO CHARGED IN THE CASE — BROKER A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR REAL ESTATE DEAL FROM A QATAR BASED COMPANY THAT IS SAID TO BE TIED TO THE ROYAL FAMILY.

BACK IN SEPTEMBER — MENENDEZ WAS INDICTED ON BRIBERY CHARGES –

PROSECUTORS SAY HE AND HIS WIFE POCKETED HUNDREDS-OF-THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CASH, GOLD BARS, PAYMENTS TOWARD A HOME MORTGAGE, AND MORE.

MENENDEZ HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE CHARGES AND HIS LAWYERS RESPONDED TO THE RECENT INDICTMENT SAYING THESE NEW ALLEGATIONS “STINK OF DESPERATION”.

HIS TRIAL IS SET FOR MAY.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS APPEALED A RULING IN MAINE THAT BARS HIM FROM THE 20-24 PRIMARY BALLOT.

LAST WEEK, MAINE’S SECRETARY OF STATE – SHENNA BELLOWS – DECLARED TRUMP WAS NOT ELIGIBLE TO HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE OR APPEAR ON THE BALLOT UNDER THE 14TH AMENDMENT’S INSURRECTION CLAUSE.

TRUMP’S TEAM  APPEALED BELLOW’S RULING ON TUESDAY — SAYING SHE IS “BIAS” AND URGING THE COURTS TO VACATE HER RULING.

BELLOWS — A DEMOCRAT — TELLING NPR OVER THE WEEKEND THAT HER PERSONAL VIEW PLAYED NO ROLE IN THE DECISION.

TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO APPEAL A SIMILAR DECISION BY THE COLORADO SUPREME COURT TO KEEP HIM OFF THE BALLOT.

THE COLORADO REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS ALREADY APPEALED THAT DECISION TO THE SUPREME COURT.

BOTH RULINGS HAVE BEEN PAUSED AS THE APPEALS PROCESS PLAYS OUT IN COURT — MEANING TRUMP’S NAME WILL REMAIN ON THE BALLOT IN BOTH STATES FOR NOW.

ONLY TWO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES WILL TAKE PART IN THE FINAL DEBATE BEFORE THE IOWA CAUCUSES – FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR NIKKI HALEY AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS.

CNN IS HOSTING THE JANUARY 10TH DEBATE.

THE NETWORK SAYS ONLY THOSE TWO CANDIDATES ALONG WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP QUALIFIED.

HOWEVER, TRUMP IS ONCE AGAIN SKIPPING THE DEBATE AND TAKING PART IN COUNTER-PROGRAMMING.

THE CURRENT GOP FRONTRUNNER — CITING HIS COMMANDING LEADING IN THE POLLS FOR HIS REASONS TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE DEBATES –

WILL INSTEAD HOLD A TOWN HALL IN IOWA AIRING ON FOX NEWS.

FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE AND ENTREPRENEUR VIVEK RAMASWAMY — DID NOT MEET CNN’S QUALIFICATIONS.

A SECOND CNN GOP DEBATE IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 21ST IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AHEAD OF THAT STATE’S PRIMARY.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – 20-23 WASN’T A RECORD BREAKING YEAR AT THE BOX OFFICE – BUT THINGS ARE LOOKING BETTER FOR THE MOVIE INDUSTRY FOLLOWING A SLOWDOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC.

TICKET SALES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA REACHED 9 BILLION DOLLARS IN 2023 – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS.

ACCORDING TO DATA FIRM COM-SCORE THAT WAS UP 21% FROM 2022 –

BUT IT STILL FELL SHORT OF ABOUT 2 BILLION DOLLARS FROM PRE-PANDEMIC SALES.

THERE WERE ABOUT 20 FEWER WIDE RELEASES IN 2023 THAN IN 2019 – WITH SOME TOP FILMS BEING PUSHED BACK DUE TO THE WRITERS AND ACTORS STRIKES.

BUT SOME VERY POPULAR MOVIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE BOX OFFICE TOTALS TO THE 9 BILLION DOLLAR MARK – INCLUDING BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER AND TAYLOR SWIFT THE ERAS TOUR CONCERT FILM.

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!