U.S. FORCES TAKE DOWN A BARRAGE OF MISSILES AND DRONES IN WHAT IS OFFICIALS CALL A COMPLEX ATTACK BY HOUTHI MILITANTS

AND — MASKED GUNMEN STORM ONTO THE SET OF A LIVE NEWSCAST IN ECUADOR AS THE COUNTRY’S PRESIDENT DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND SAYS U.S. AND BRITAIN WARSHIPS SHOT DOWN A MASSIVE BARRAGE OF DRONES AND MISSILES FIRED BY IRAN-BACKED HOUTHI MILITANTS IN YEMEN.

THE UK DEFENSE MINISTER SAYING THE ATTACK TUESDAY NIGHT OVER THE RED SEA WAS THE LARGEST BY THE HOUTHIS SINCE THE START OF THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS.

CENTRAL COMMAND SAYING IN A STATEMENT — THAT U.S. FORCES INTERCEPTED A “COMPLEX ATTACK” OF 18 DRONES – TWO ANTI-SHIP CRUISE MISSILES – AND ONE ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE.

FIGHTER JETS FROM THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER AND FOUR OTHER U.S. WARSHIPS – ALONG WITH A BRITISH NAVY DESTROYER — TOOK DOWN THE 21 MUNITIONS FIRED BY THE HOUTHIS.

THE U.S. REPORTING THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO MILITARY PERSONNEL OR DAMAGE TO ITS SHIPS.

THE LATEST ATTACK BY THE HOUTHI MILITANTS COMES A WEEK AFTER THE U.S. AND A DOZEN ALLIES ISSUED A FINAL WARNING TO THE GROUP TO STOP THEIR ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS TRAVELING THROUGH THE RED SEA.

THE HOUTHIS SAY THEY WILL ONLY CEASE THEIR ATTACKS WHEN ISRAEL STOPS THE WAR IN GAZA.

THE PENTAGON HAS RELEASED MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE HEALTH OF DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN.

— REVEALING TUESDAY THAT AUSTIN HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER AND UNDERWENT SURGERY THAT LED TO HIS HOSPITALIZATION WHICH WAS KEPT A SECRET FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND THE PRESIDENT.

ACCORDING TO THE PENTAGON – AUSTIN UNDERWENT MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY ON DECEMBER 22ND AND WAS RELEASED THE NEXT DAY.

A WEEK LATER HE WAS READMITTED AFTER SUFFERING COMPLICATIONS FROM THE PROCEDURE — DETERMINED TO BE A URINARY TRACT INFECTION.

ON JANUARY 2ND HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYS NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT KNEW ABOUT THE CANCER DIAGNOSIS UNTIL TUESDAY.

AUSTIN REMAINS HOSPITALIZED BUT DOCTORS SAY HE’S EXPECTED TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY FROM THE COMPLICATIONS.

STILL —

QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY PERSIST .

HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE LAUNCHED A FORMAL INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUT WHERE COMMUNICATION COLLAPSED.

MUCH OF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN SLAMMED BY SEVERE WEATHER – FROM TORNADOES TO SNOW TO HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING — WITH OFFICIALS CONFIRMING AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE HAVE DIED DUE TO THE STORMS.

AN 81-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS KILLED WHEN A SUSPECTED TORNADO SWEPT THROUGH IN ALABAMA.

FIRE OFFICIALS IN BIRMINGHAM SAY ONE PERSON DIED WHEN A TREE FELL ONTO A CAR.  A SIMILAR INCIDENT KILLED A PERSON NEAR ATLANTA.

IN NORTH CAROLINA –ONE PERSON WAS KILLED AND FOUR OTHERS WERE HOSPITALIZED AFTER A SUSPECTED TORNADO AT A MOBILE HOME PARK.

AT LEAST FOUR TORNADOES WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

IN THE MIDWEST — A SNOWSTORM THAT BEGAN MONDAY IS BLANKETING PARTS OF THE REGION WITH UP TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW.

AND THE STRONG STORMS KNOCKED OUT POWER TO MORE THAN 600 THOUSAND CUSTOMERS ALONG THE EAST COAST TUESDAY NIGHT.

TENSE AND DISTURBING MOMENTS DURING A LIVE NEWSCAST IN ECUADOR.

A GROUP OF MASKED GUNMEN STORMED THE SET –WAVING GUNS, EXPLOSIVES, AND ATTEMPTING TO HOLD THE CREW HOSTAGE —

TELLING THEM TO LIE DOWN ON SET.

SOUNDS OF GUNSHOTS COULD BE HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE BROADCAST –

THE ASSAILANTS SHOUTED THREATS OVER THE AIR FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE FEED CUT OUT.

POLICE RESPONDED AND WERE ABLE TO ARREST THE 13 GUNMEN – SAYING THEY’LL BE CHARGED WITH TERRORISM.

OFFICIALS IN ECUADOR SAY THE ATTACKS WERE IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT’S MOVES AGAINST GANGS IN THE COUNTRY.

ECUADOR’S PRESIDENT DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY ON MONDAY AFTER ONE HIGH-PROFILE GANG LEADER ESCAPED FROM PRISON.

THE PRESIDENT HAS DECLARED THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY HAS ENTERED AN “INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT.”

THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION SAYS ITS ACCOUNT ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE X WAS HACKED AFTER A POST WENT OUT TUESDAY CLAIMING THE S-E-C HAD APPROVED “BITCOIN ETFS” — EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS THAT WOULD ALLOW EVERYDAY INVESTORS TO HAVE EXPOSURE TO BITCOIN WITHOUT OWNING THE CRYPTOCURRENCY DIRECTLY.

THE SEC’S FALSE POST LED TO THE PRICE OF BITCOIN — **SPIKING FOR A BRIEF PERIOD.

MINUTES LATER — THE S-E-C SENT OUT A FOLLOW-UP POST SAYING ITS ACCOUNT HAD BEEN COMPROMISED AND THE MESSAGE APPROVING “BITCOIN ETFS” WAS NOT MADE BY THE COMMISSION.

X RELEASED A STATEMENT EXPLAINING AN UNIDENTIFIED USER HAD BREACHED THE ACCOUNT BY OBTAINING A PHONE NUMBER THROUGH A THIRD PARTY.

X CONFIRMING THE ACCOUNT DID NOT HAVE “TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION” ENABLED.

THE SEC IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A DECISION ON BITCOIN ETFS SOMETIME THIS WEEK.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – IT HAS BEEN OVER 50 YEARS SINCE A HUMAN STEPPED FOOT ON THE MOON – AND NOW WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER THAN EXPECTED TO SEE IT AGAIN.

NASA SAYS ITS DELAYING THE ARTEMIS 3 MISSION FROM LATE 20-25 TO SEPTEMBER 20-26.

THE MISSION WOULD SEE HUMANS LAND ON THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1972.

NASA SAYS THE DELAY CONCERNS SPACE-X DEVELOPING ITS “STARSHIP LUNAR LANDER” AND “COMPLETING MULTIPLE TEST FLIGHTS.”

NASA IS ALSO PUSHING BACK THE TIMING FOR ITS ARTEMIS TWO MISSION — WHICH WAS EXPECTED THIS YEAR BUT WILL NOW LAUNCH SEPTEMBER OF 2025.

THE FLIGHT WOULD SEND FOUR ASTRONAUTS AROUND THE MOON AND BACK.

AND WE HAVEN AN UPDATE ON THE VESSEL CARRYING SCIENCE PROJECTS ON ITS WAY TO THE MOON RIGHT NOW — A FUEL ISSUE HAS LED THE COMPANY “ASTRO–BOTIC” TO PREDICT “NO POSSIBILITY OF A SOFT-MOON LANDING.”

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

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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!