Lebanon reels from second day of explosions and Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail: Morning Rundown
Sean “Diddy” Combs remains jailed after his bond appeal was rejected, in part because of witness intimidation allegations. Israel declares a ‘’new phase’’ of war as Lebanon reels from a second day of deadly device explosions. And new research identifies the ways the U.S. health care system is failing.
Here’s what to know today.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs loses second bail request
Sean "Diddy" Combs was denied bail for a second time this week in his sex trafficking and racketeering case, leaving the rapper-turned-mogul to remain at a New York jail his legal team called "horrific" until the start of his trial. In arguing that Combs shouldn't be freed, federal prosecutors cited alleged witness intimidation as a reason to keep him behind bars.
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According to prosecutors, Combs allegedly called or texted Kalenna Harper, one of his protégées, 58 times in four days. The outreach started last week, on the day that another protégée sued Combs. After Harper took to social media to deny that she had witnessed some of the things alleged in the lawsuit, the communication stopped.
It was one of several examples of “witness tampering” and obstruction of justice that prosecutors laid out in arguing that Combs was too dangerous to be released from jail to return home before his trial.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter sided with prosecutors in ruling against Combs, agreeing that there was “no condition” that would assure Combs wouldn’t “obstruct justice” if he were released. Carter also cited an “insufficient” bail package offered by Combs’ legal team, which had included 24-hour private security.
More coverage of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ case:
Among the next questions Combs’ legal team could raise is whether he can be transferred to another facility. He’s currently at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which has a reputation for extreme violence and abominable medical care. The MDC, as some call it, “has a way of breaking people,” one defense lawyer said.
Lebanon hit with second wave of deadly device explosions
The blasts that rocked Lebanon for a second day reached the doors of a walkie-talkie maker in Japan today, as Israel’s declaration of a “new phase” to the conflict raised fears of all-out war. At least 32 people, including two children, were killed and thousands more injured across Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said, after devices belonging to Hezbollah members exploded in a two-day wave of attacks that left the country reeling and the region on the brink.
The stunning operation against walkie-talkies and pagers has left the Iran-backed militant and political group in disarray, with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah set to deliver a much-anticipated response later today. The attacks have also rattled an already beleaguered Lebanon, with hospitals overwhelmed and the public unsure if it’s safe to use a mobile phone.
As the world urged against further escalation after months of devastating war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel indicated its focus had shifted to its northern border with Lebanon.
More coverage of the explosions in Lebanon:
A look at why Israel blew up hundreds of Hezbollah pagers — and what might happen next
Report highlights how the U.S. health care is failing
In a survey looking at 10 developed countries, people in the U.S. die the youngest and experience the most avoidable deaths, even though the country spends nearly twice as much on health care.
The Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group, looked at how the U.S. compared with nine other countries — including Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom — across five categories: access to care, care process, administrative efficiency, equity and health outcomes. No country was at the top or bottom in every category, but researchers said the U.S. stood out for its “exceptionally weak” performance, especially when it came to preventing deaths and guaranteeing quality treatment for everyone, regardless of gender, income or geographic location. Read more about what researchers found.
Politics in Brief
Funding fight: House Republicans defeated their own plan to avert a government shutdown, an embarrassing blow to Speaker Mike Johnson as the party fights over the length of a short-term funding bill and what, if anything, should be attached to it.
Breaking with precedent: The Teamsters union declined to endorse a candidate for president, the first time in decades that the influential union hasn’t weighed in on a presidential election.
Battleground poll: A Howard University poll found that 82% of Black voters surveyed in seven core battleground states will vote for Kamala Harris, while 12% say they’ll vote for Donald Trump.
2024 campaign trail: Trump said he would visit Springfield, the Ohio city at the center of debunked rumors about Haitian migrants, “in the next two weeks.” His pet-eating accusation is far from the first time he has used language degrading immigrants.
Electoral votes: Sen. Lindsey Graham, acting on behalf of the Trump campaign, met with Nebraska’s governor and about two dozen Republican legislators to push for a change to how the state allocates its electoral votes, a source said.
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Read All About It
The Federal Reserve cut the key interest rate by 0.5%, surprising some economists and bringing it down to about 4.8%. More rate cuts could come over the next several months.
Kentucky officials said they found a body that they believe is that of the suspected gunman in a highway shooting spree earlier this month.
Gymnasts, like the U.S.’s Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey no longer have to choose between Olympic deals and an NCAA championship. Here’s how new NIL rules are changing the sport.
“Saturday Night Live” announced its first batch of hosts for Season 50, including Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton, Jean Smart and more.
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty to an additional sex crime charge ahead of a retrial in the landmark #MeToo case.
Staff Pick: Elon Musk’s unwitting role in an alleged Russian plot
For a billionaire tech CEO, Elon Musk spends a lot of time posting on social media about a variety of subjects, including the Russia-Ukraine war. But I never imagined he was sharing content that was part of a suspected covert Russian plot. Then came a federal indictment this month alleging that Tenet Media, a right-wing media startup, was at the center of the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate public opinion ahead of the 2024 election. I knew Musk was a fan of some of the commentators referenced in the indictment, so I looked into how Musk unknowingly amplified Russian talking points. — David Ingram, tech reporter
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