October 27, 2023 - Your Daily News Round Up

United States airstrikes, a massive manhunt in Maine, and more

Today is October 27, 2023 and here are the stories you may have missed from the last 24 hours. If you enjoy these daily digests and want to see more, exclusive content, then consider becoming a monthly subscriber at the link below:

1) United States Airstrikes

Overnight, the United States Air Force conducted multiple airstrikes against Iranian-backed targets in Eastern Syria. These strikes were conducted in retaliation for the many recent strikes by militant groups in the Middle East against United States trooped stationed in the region. Latest reporting suggests that Iran was behind many of these attacks and comes as tensions in the region are at fever pitch with Israel's ground invasion of Gaza looming large. The strikes targeted a weapons depot and an ammunition depot, destroying both. It is unknown whether there were any casualties as a result of the strikes or whether any Iranian nationals were on the ground during the strikes. The United States has stated that it views these strikes separate from the ongoing war in Israel and therefore did not notify Israel of the strikes prior to them occuring. 

In a statement from the United States Secretary of Defense, he stated: 

"The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran's proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people."

2) Israel Update

For a second straight night, Israeli forces conducted targeted raids in North Gaza in preparation for a larger military offensive. These raids were done to destroy certain Hamas defensive positions as well as pave roads for the Israeli military when the ground invasion ultimately begins. Meanwhile, rockets were fired by Hamas again overnight targeting multiple Israeli cities. In Tel Aviv, a residential building was hit by one of the rockets injuring multiple Israelis. 

In Gaza, the Hamas-backed Health Ministry released a list of names of those killed in Gaza since the start of the war in an attempt to dispute President Biden's claim that he did not believe the death toll numbers being published in Gaza. It is important to note that Hamas runs the Health Ministry, and therefore, anything coming from Hamas must be taken with a major grain of salt. Finally, there remains a push this morning for a temporary ceasefire to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, while allowing refugees to leave. There are issues with this, however, as Egypt has thus far refused to accept any refugees fleeing the Gaza Strip. More to come on this. 

3) Maine Manhunt Continues

Meanwhile, in Maine a manhunt continues for the alleged shooter who perpetrated the mass shooting two nights ago in Lewiston, killing at least eighteen and injuring over one dozen others. An ongoing shelter in place warning is currently covering over 700 square miles in Maine as both federal and state authorities continue searching for Robert Card, a military trained firearms instructor. Card is currently facing an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder. Expect that warrant to change once he is formally indicted by authorities. The shooting in Maine is officially the deadliest this year in the United States and marks the 566th mass shooting to occur in our nation. 

4) Ukraine Update

The war in Ukraine continues this morning. Overnight, the White House has claimed that Russia is executing soldiers who fail to follow orders in Ukraine, and even is threatening entire units if they flee from impending Ukrainian artillery fire. On the ground, the fight between Ukrainian and Russian forces remains at a relative standstill with neither side making major gains. Russia remains unsuccessful in taking any of Ukraine's major cities, while Ukraine's counteroffensive is facing difficulty as Russian troops are heavily dug into their defensive positions. Meanwhile, newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson is now saying that funding for Ukraine and Israel should be handled separately, which puts any funding for Ukraine in significant doubt as Johnson has historically opposed supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia. Hopefully, as Speaker, he changes his tune. That has yet to occur, however. More to come on this. 

5) Biden Gets Primary Challenger 

President Biden has received another primary challenger, this time Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips. Rep. Phillips is relatively unknown and faces an extremely long shot to get anywhere close to the nomination. President Biden's approval ratings are strong, while the President is polling well in battleground states against top Republican candidates. Meanwhile, Phillips is using a former Trump campaign slogan campaigning on the "Make America Affordable Again" message, while launching his candidacy in New Hampshire. However, just two years prior, according to the Daily Beast, Phillips was a "Biden Fan Boy" who would do anything to speak with the President on Air Force One. It's unclear why Phillips would launch his candidacy, despite the fact that President Biden has been one of the most revolutionary Democratic Presidents in recent history, but one thing is clear, the path to the nomination for Phillips is almost non-existent.