U.S. forces take down a barrage of missiles and drones in what is being called 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. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
U.S. shoots down barrage of Houthi missiles, drones over Red Sea
United States Central Command said U.S. and British warships shot down a massive barrage of drones and missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen Tuesday night, Jan. 9. The U.K. defense minister said the attack over the Red Sea was the largest by the Houthis since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Central Command said 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. reported 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 or “bear the responsibilities of their consequences.” The Houthis said they will only cease their attacks when Israel stops the war in Gaza.
Gunmen storm set of live TV newscast in Ecuador
Tense and disturbing moments during a live news broadcast airing in Ecuador on Tuesday, Jan. 9, when a group of masked gunmen stormed the set waving guns and explosives. Sounds of gunshots could be heard in the background as the assailants shouted out threats over the air for 15 minutes before the feed cut out.
The station’s crew was forced onto the set and ordered to lie down. It was not immediately clear if any of the employees were injured during the incident. Police responded, arrested the 13 gunmen, and said they would be charged with terrorism.
The head of Ecuador’s armed forces said the attacks were in response to the government’s moves against gangs in the country. The president of Ecuador declared a state of emergency on Monday, Jan. 8, after one high-profile gang leader escaped from prison. Following the TV set attack, the president issued a decree declaring the South American country had entered an “internal armed conflict.”
Defense Secretary diagnosed with prostate cancer
After being diagnosed with prostate cancer in December, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin underwent a “minimally invasive” surgery, which led to his mysterious hospitalization. According to Austin’s doctors, he underwent surgery on Dec. 22; a week later, he reported severe pain in his abdomen, hip, and leg. Unbeknown to anyone in the White House, Austin was taken to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 1 and treated for a urinary tract infection.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said even the president was kept in the dark about the diagnosis.
“Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning,” Kirby said. “And the president was informed immediately after.”
Doctors said that Austin’s cancer was detected early, and the prognosis was excellent. Still, questions about transparency within the Defense Department persist, as President Biden was kept in the dark, and up until Tuesday, Jan. 9, it was believed that Austin underwent an elective medical procedure, not prostate surgery. It is still not clear how or if the cancer diagnosis will affect Austin’s work.
At least 4 dead due to winter storms across the country
Much of the country was hit by severe weather on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 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 Alabama. Fire officials in Birmingham said 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 hit 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, Jan. 8, is blanketing parts of the region with up to 12 inches of snow. The strong storms knocked out power to more than 600,000 customers along the East Coast Tuesday night, Jan. 9.
SEC says X account hacked after post approving Bitcoin ETFs
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said its account on the social media site X was hacked after a post went out Tuesday, Jan. 9, claiming the SEC 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 SEC sent out a follow-up post that said its account had been compromised and the commission did not make the message approving Bitcoin ETFs. On Tuesday night, Jan. 9, X released a statement explaining an unidentified user had breached SEC’s account by obtaining a phone number through a third party.
X confirmed that the SEC account did not have two-factor authentication enabled. The SEC is expected to decide on Bitcoin ETFs sometime this week.
NASA delays moon landing to 2026
It has been over 50 years since a human stepped foot on the moon, and now we’ll have to wait a little longer to see it again. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, NASA announced it is delaying the Artemis III mission from late 2025 to September 2026. The mission would see humans land on the moon for the first time since 1972. NASA said the delay concerns SpaceX developing its starship lunar lander and completing multiple test flights. NASA is also pushing back the timing for its Artemis II mission from November 2024 to September 2025.
The flight would send four astronauts around the moon and back. NASA said the delay will give engineers more time to resolve an issue with the capsule’s protective heat shield, which was found during the first Artemis mission.
