Former President Donald Trump’s running mate has harsh words for Vice President Kamala Harris amid controversy over Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery this week. And Israel’s military has launched a massive incursion into the West Bank as concerns grow over a broadening war. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
Controversy over Trump photos at Arlington National Cemetery
There’s controversy on the campaign trail after former President Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery earlier this week. He was there to mark three years since the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Two Trump campaign officials had a “verbal and physical altercation” with a cemetery official during Monday’s, Aug. 26, ceremony honoring the 13 U.S. military service members killed in a bombing at Kabul’s airport in 2021, according to NPR.
Sources with knowledge of the incident told multiple news outlets the former president’s campaign had been warned not to take any pictures or videos in the area known as Section 60, but they did so anyway. Section 60 is the part of the cemetery dedicated to military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Cemetery officials released a statement confirming “an incident” had occurred and a report had been filed but did not give details about what had happened.
Late Tuesday night, Aug. 27, Trump posted a photo on his Truth Social platform of the Gold Star families who had invited him to the ceremony. In the post, family members said they had invited the campaign to film in Section 60.
However, cemetery officials say that wasn’t their call to make. Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within army national military cemeteries.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, touched on the incident during a rally in Pennsylvania Wednesday, Aug. 28, dismissing the allegations.
“Three years ago, 13 brave, innocent Americans died, and they died because Kamala Harris refused to do her job and there hasn’t been a single investigation or a single firing,” Vance said. “I don’t, I don’t — look, sometimes mistakes happen. That’s just the nature of government, the nature of military service. But to have those 13 Americans lose their lives and not fire a single person is disgraceful. Kamala Harris is disgraceful.”
Vance also blasted Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, for how the Biden administration handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“And she wants to yell at Donald Trump because he showed up?” he said. “She can… she can go to hell.”
The Harris campaign has declined to comment on Vance’s remarks as well as the reports of an altercation at Arlington.
Harris, Walz to sit down for first TV interview of campaign
Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will take part in their first joint interview since their campaign together began on Thursday, Aug. 29. This interview marks Harris’ first formal sit-down as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate and comes at a critical time as she faces criticism for her lack of media engagement.
Since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed her, Harris has been criticized for not participating in interviews or holding press conferences.
Their interview with CNN’s Dana Bash comes as the Harris campaign kicks off a bus tour of swing state Georgia. It will air at 9 p.m. ET.
At least 10 dead amid large-scale Israeli military operation in West Bank
The Israeli military launched its largest incursion into the occupied West Bank in decades on Wednesday. At least 10 Palestinian militants were killed in what the IDF described as a “counterterrorism operation.”
Hundreds of Israeli troops took part in the overnight raids targeting Palestinian militants after months of increasing attacks. These raids have raised concerns about the potential for the Israel-Hamas War to escalate further.
The IDF’s international spokesperson said in a briefing Israel had identified a quote “systematic strategy in Iran” of smuggling weapons and explosives into the West Bank.
The United Nations’ secretary general has called on Israel to immediately end the operation, saying it’s “fueling an already explosive situation and further undermining the Palestinian authority.”
Supreme Court halts Biden’s latest student loan forgiveness effort
The Supreme Court declined to reinstate the Biden administration’s latest student debt cancellation plan, leaving millions of borrowers in limbo as legal challenges continue. The justices turned down a request from the Justice Department to lift an appeals court order blocking the SAVE plan.
SAVE is an income-driven repayment program designed to lower monthly payments and offer earlier loan forgiveness. The save plan is part of President Biden’s broader effort to reduce the financial burden on about 43 million Americans with student debt.
It comes after a previous plan, which aimed to cancel over $400 billion in loans, was struck down by the Supreme Court last year.
The plan’s estimated cost has been a point of contention, with critics arguing it effectively forgives loans without proper authorization.
CrowdStrike offers $60M in credits; Delta reports $500M loss
CrowdStrike is offering $60 million in credits to customers impacted by a massive software outage earlier this year, but the true cost of the incident might be much higher. Delta Air Lines — the most affected client — claims it lost around $500 million due to the outage, which disrupted flights and operations.
Despite these challenges, CrowdStrike reported a strong quarter with $260.8 million dollars in adjusted earnings. That’s a 47% increase from last year.
However, the company has revised its full-year earnings forecast downward, reflecting the expected costs of customer compensation.
Moody’s downgraded CrowdStrike’s outlook from positive to neutral, raising concerns about the company’s ability to retain customer trust after the incident.
NASA’s Perseverance rover begins steep climb up Mars crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover has set off on a “road trip” of sorts across Mars. The rover has been wandering the red planet’s Jezero Crater since 2021.
So far, it’s found evidence of ancient flash floods and collected several rock samples, which NASA plans to bring back to Earth on a future mission. Now, the rover is expected to spend the next few months making a steep climb up to the western rim of the crater.
Scientists believe the 28-mile-wide crater was once home to a river delta and they’re hoping samples taken by Perseverance will help them piece together an idea of what Mars’ climate was like billions of years ago and whether it sustained life.
