Hello. From CNN, I’m Ifeoma Dike with the five things you need to know for Monday, December 18th.
The White House says Israel may need to adjust its rules of engagement following the deaths of three Israeli hostages Friday. The Israeli military said it accidentally shot and killed three hostages near a group of Israeli troops. Here’s CNN’s Will Ripley.
Will Ripley, CNN
00:00:21
These men apparently were holed up in a building in Gaza and they searched a building after this incident and they found scattered leftover food messages asking for help and what the men were actually waving. They were shirtless, waving at Israeli soldiers, a white cloth that was apparently written. Just a simple plea for help, written with leftover food, like it looked like some sort of a sauce in Hebrew saying help three hostages. But from a distance, the IDF says that Israeli soldiers perceived these shirtless men waving a white cloth as a threat.
The Israeli military says shooting is against its rules of engagement and that the soldiers involved would face disciplinary actions. A U.S. official says the CIA director is meeting with the Qatari prime minister and Israel’s intelligence agency head today to discuss restarting the talks about releasing hostages in Gaza.
‘The rail industry is demanding the Biden administration allow trains to cross the US-Mexico border that officials temporarily shut down in response to a surge in migrant crossings. The industry trade group, the Association of American Railroads, warned that the suspended operations between Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, will have negative consequences for consumers. This as the migrant crisis gears up for a dramatic turn on the southern border. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign a bill that would make entering Texas illegally a new state crime. The bill gives law enforcement the power to arrest and order migrants to leave the U.S.
‘Former President Donald Trump and his son Trump Jr. have come to the defense of a former social media influencer. Douglass Mackey is one of Trump’s longtime supporters who has been convicted of election interference and sentenced to seven months in prison. He is currently out pending appeal. He also has a well-known history of pushing deeply racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and homophobic content online. Trump’s campaign posted a video earlier this month of Trump blasting President Joe Biden and, quote, his henchmen for allegedly infringing on Mackie’s First Amendment rights. Trump Jr shared similar sentiments and said the Biden administration wanted the former influencer in prison. Prosecutors said Mackey targeted black voters with a tweet meant to look like a campaign ad during the 2016 presidential election that falsely claimed they could vote for Hillary Clinton through text messages. In a statement to CNN, an attorney for Mackey said the tweets don’t reflect his client’s current views and that Mackey now regrets the tone and substance of his posts.
‘A jury has found actor Jonathan Majors guilty of some charges in his domestic violence case. Majors was found guilty of one count of reckless assaults in the third degree and a non-criminal charge of harassment. But he was acquitted on another assault charge and one count of aggravated harassment. He’ll be sentenced in February. The trial stems from a domestic dispute in March involving his ex-girlfriend. Before the trial, Majors was rising to fame through the Marvel Universe. But now he’s lost his publicist and management team and a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN that Marvel Studios would not be moving forward on any future projects with Majors.
Coming up, if you are planning on buying an Apple Watch for Christmas, time is running out.
Apple plans to stop selling two of its latest Apple watches in the U.S. this week while a patent dispute plays out. Back in October, the International Trade Commission ruled that the watches Blood Oxygen feature violated a patent by medical device maker Masimo. That means Apple could be banned from selling those watches. Apple said it strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal options. President Joe Biden has to review the ban by Christmas, but Apple said it’s taking the watches off the shelves early in case the ITC ruling stands. Masimo CEO called the sales halt a pressure tactic on Biden.
That’s a wrap for now. We’ll be back at 10 p.m. Eastern.
