The FBI is investigating after suspicious letters, some containing fentanyl, were sent to election offices across the country. And history is made in the operating room when a man receives the world’s first whole-eye transplant. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
Suspicious letters, some with fentanyl, sent to election offices
Federal officials are investigating after several suspicious letters, some containing the opioid fentanyl, were sent to election offices in at least five states this week.
Domestic terrorists will not trample on our right to free and fair elections.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
The letters caused a delay in the counting of ballots in some races.
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said more than a dozen letters were sent to offices in California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Officials said at least four of the letters contained fentanyl. A law enforcement official told CNN that investigators are treating all the letters as being connected.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who lost his son to a fentanyl overdose five years ago, said Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, was one of the locations targeted. He called this an act of “domestic terrorism.”
A White House spokeswoman said the Biden administration was aware of the FBI’s investigation, adding that they are “grateful for the election and poll workers who served this week to ensure the security of our democratic process.”
U.S. forces targeted in multiple attacks in Iraq, Syria
U.S. forces were the target of three attacks in Iraq on Thursday, Nov. 9, U.S. military sources told Reuters. The news agency called it the “most widespread single day of strikes on U.S. assets since the Israel-Hamas conflict started.”
No casualties were reported in the attacks.
Another U.S. official confirmed there had been four attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria in 24 hours. Three U.S. troops suffered minor injuries.
In one incident, military officials said a U.S.-led coalition convoy was targeted by an IED (improvised explosive device); in another attempted attack, a one-way drone launched against U.S. and coalition forces in an airbase near Baghdad was shot down.
Since early October, U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria, with at least 56 U.S. personnel being injured.
The U.S. blames these attacks on Iranian-backed groups, a claim Iran denies.
Also, on Thursday, Nov. 9, the White House announced Israel has agreed to implement four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in northern Gaza. The pauses will allow Gaza civilians to flee the fighting through two corridors.
You can find a full report on the humanitarian pauses here.
Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin will not seek reelection
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced on Thursday. Nov. 9 that he will not be running for reelection in 2024; his announcement comes as Democrats scored victories in several states following Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, but marks an opportunity for the GOP to cut into the Democrats’ slim majority in the Senate in 2024.
“I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a statement. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for reelection to the United States Senate.”
The 76-year-old Senator’s decision to step down is a blow to Democrats’ hopes of keeping the West Virginia seat in their 51 to 49 majority in the Senate, a state that would vote blue reliably but has flipped red in recent years.
The coal country state was one of former President Donald Trump’s most loyal, and Manchin has been the only Democrat to be elected to statewide office in recent years.
Manchin’s announcement also indicates his political career may not be over. In recent months, he has hinted at a potential 2024 presidential bid, running as an independent, but the Senator has not announced anything official.
The Associated Press reported that a draft committee is pushing for Mitt Romney and Joe Manchin to team up for the 2024 presidential election. Romney recently announced he’s stepping away from the Senate, citing his age.
GM announces cuts after Cruise driverless car recall
According to CNBC, General Motors’ driverless car division, Cruise, announced a round of layoffs on Thursday, Nov. 9, just days after the company said it was recalling 950 of its autonomous vehicles for a software update.
The cuts include contract workers who help with cleaning vehicles and fielding customer support questions.
GM issued the recall of the robotaxis earlier this week after one driverless car dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco in October after another driver had already struck the victim.
Following the second crash, California regulators found Cruise cars posed a danger to public safety and suspended its deployment and testing permits in the state. U.S. regulators are also investigating Cruise following other pedestrian injuries.
With the software update, General Motors said its Cruise vehicles will remain stationary should an incident like the October crash occur.
Jezebel shutting down after 16 years
The female-focused website Jezebel is shutting down after 16 years. Parent company G/O Media announced Thursday, Nov. 9, that 23 employees will be laid off as part of a broader restructuring of its digital news outlets.
In a memo to staff, G/O Media’s CEO Jim Spanfeller said he made the “difficult decision” after failing to find a buyer for Jezebel. The company, which owns sites like Gizmodo and Deadspin, laid off 13 employees in June.
It marks the latest cuts being made across the media industry amid a weak advertising environment. Vice Media announced Thursday, Nov. 9, that it is shutting down several shows and laying off dozens of staffers.
Man receives world’s first whole-eye transplant
Meet Arron James, the recipient of the world’s first whole-eye transplant. James was injured in a 2021 accident involving high-voltage power lines, which destroyed most of his face and his left eye; he also lost his left arm.
After multiple reconstructive surgeries, he underwent the 21-hour historic eye and face transplant in May.
On Thursday, Nov. 9, surgeons at NYU Lagone Health announced that James is recovering well, though it’s too early to tell if he’ll ever be able to see out of the donated eye.
James, from Arkansas, told reporters he feels good, and while he can’t blink yet in his left eye, he is starting to feel sensation and said he’s “taking it one day at a time.”