Thursday, September 19th, 2024 - Israel ramps up offensive; Fed cuts rates; Iranian hackers’ offer; U.S. OD deaths drop

Today’s Headlines: Israel ramped up its offensive against Hezbollah yesterday by detonating thousands of two-way radios used by the group in Lebanon, killing 20 and injuring 450. This is part of Israel’s effort to neutralize Hezbollah so displaced families can return home. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said they had no advance knowledge of the operation. Elsewhere, Iranian hackers tried to share stolen Trump campaign data with the Biden-Harris campaign, though there’s no sign the offer was accepted. The Fed cut interest rates to 4.8% and hinted more cuts are on the way. Meanwhile, House Republicans blocked a government funding bill, bringing the U.S. closer to a shutdown. On a brighter note, U.S. overdose deaths fell by 10.6%, the first decline in decades. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CBS News:  WORLD More deadly device explosions reported in Lebanon day after Hezbollah pagers explode  WA Post: Hacker tried to give stolen Trump material to Biden campaign, U.S. says AP News: Federal Reserve signals end to inflation fight with a sizable half-point rate cut Axios: Johnson suffers embarrassing loss as bill to stop shutdown fails Axios: Lawmakers' own security fears drive push for Secret Service overhaul NPR: NPR Exclusive: U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives  Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices