Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, eeff, Magnifico, annetteboardman, Besame, jck, and JeremyBloom. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Interceptor 7, Man Oh Man, wader, Neon Vincent, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck (RIP), rfall, ScottyUrb, Doctor RJ, BentLiberal, Oke (RIP) and jlms qkw.
OND is a regular community feature on Daily Kos, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00 AM Eastern Time.
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NBC News: Vance claims Trump 'salvaged' Obamacare. Trump tried, and failed, to kill it. By Jonathan Allen
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Tuesday night claimed — in contradiction of history — that his running mate, former President Donald Trump, “salvaged Obamacare,” the health insurance program that Trump tried to kill.
During the vice presidential debate on CBS against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Ohio senator echoed Trump’s own recent revisionism. But the assertion also served to remind voters that Democrats ultimately won the yearslong political fight over expanding access to health insurance: The Republican ticket no longer wants to repeal the 2010 law.
Trump "actually implemented some of these regulations when he was president of the United States," Vance said Tuesday night. "And I think you can make a really good argument that it salvaged Obamacare, which was doing disastrously until Donald Trump came along. I think this is an important point about President Trump.
"When Obamacare was crushing under the weight of its own regulatory burden and health care costs, Donald Trump could have destroyed the program," Vance added. "Instead, he worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that Americans had access to affordable care."
There are whoppers and then there are simply godda*ned lies. This “revisionism” by Vance was the latter.
USA Today: Biden pushes to 'jump-start' hurricane recovery; at least 144 dead. Live updates
Search and rescue operations across Western North Carolina made some headway Tuesday as authorities worked to clear roads and provide electricity, running water and cellular service to communities struggling since the furious assault of Hurricane Helene and its remnants.
President Joe Biden wants the recovery expedited.
Speaking from the White House after getting an interagency briefing on the government’s response, Biden said he has heard from southeastern governors and leaders in affected areas, which will require billions of dollars to restore. On Monday, Biden said he expects to ask Congress to approve a supplemental bill to help cover federal costs for Helene relief efforts.
“We have to jump-start this recovery process,” said Biden, who plans to survey damage in South Carolina and North Carolina on Wednesday. “People are scared to death. People are wondering whether they’re going to be able to make it. We still haven't heard from a whole lot of people. This is urgent. People have to know how to get the information they need.”
The Washington Post: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, threatening shortages by Ian Duncan, David J. Lynch, Dana Munro, and Julie Zauzmer Weil
Tens of thousands of dockworkers launched a strike at ports along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, stranding stacks of shipping containers on docks and idling ships outside harbors in a threat to the economy just five weeks before the election.
The strike caused immediate disruptions at ports that handle more than half of the United States’ trade in cargo containers. The effects are expected to ripple through the country, costing at least hundreds of millions of dollars a day and getting worse each day the longshoremen remain off the job.
With its potential for shortages and price increases in the heart of the campaign season, the strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association poses dangers for the presidential election bid of Vice President
Kamala Harris, whose standing in the polls on economic issues has begun to eat into former president Donald Trump’s advantage.
El País in English: Iran launches its biggest attack against Israel, firing nearly 200 missiles by Macarena Vidal Liy and Luis de Vega
Iran on Tuesday launched 200 missiles at different regions of Israel in what is the worst attack ever carried out by Tehran on the Jewish state. Alarms warning of the danger sounded across Israel, including in the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
There were reports of missiles hitting inhabited areas, such as in a building north of Tel Aviv, according to local media, which put the number of missiles fired at around 200. This is the first time that the Iranian regime, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, has managed to overcome Israel’s anti-aircraft defenses and hit the country’s urban centers. The strike took place shortly after the United States warned that Iran was planning to “imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) first announced that Iran had launched missiles at Israel as sirens went off all over the country. IDF officials said that they would do everything possible to keep the population safe and called on the population to follow security recommendations, which were shared via social media and text messages.
BBC News: Conservatives' second attempt to topple Liberal government fails by Nadine Yousif
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has survived a second non-confidence motion in parliament in as many weeks.
The motion, brought by the opposition Conservatives, was aimed at bringing down his minority Liberal government and triggering a federal election.
The motion failed after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre again fell short in his effort to gain the backing of other political parties in parliament.
Poilievre tabled this second non-confidence motion the day after his last one failed.
This motion accused the government of failing Canadians on affordable housing, the cost of living, and crime - key issues that the Conservatives have been using to hammer the Liberals for months.
The vote needed the majority of the 338 members of parliament (MPs) in order for it to pass.
After all the votes were counted, 121 voted for the motion while 207 voted against it.
The Christian Science Monitor: His own party calls him traitor. Can Japan’s new PM rebuild trust in politics? By Takehiko Kambayashi
Economic stagnation and a slew of political scandals have tanked the reputation of Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Now its members must put their faith in a “party traitor” to build back trust.
Former Defense Minister Ishiba Shigeru officially took office as prime minister on Tuesday, days after the LDP, which holds a parliament majority, elected him party leader. The internal party election was one of the most competitive in recent history, and Mr. Ishiba’s narrow victory came as a surprise.
For decades, fellow lawmakers have held Mr. Ishiba in low regard due to his vocal criticism of LDP colleagues. A stint with an opposing party in the 1990s earned him the “traitor” label. Even now, some wonder if his fraught relationships with LDP heavyweights will weaken the incoming administration. But among smaller party chapters and the general public, Mr. Ishiba’s perceived integrity, vast government experience, and focus on rural revitalization have made him extremely popular. [...]
The new prime minister has announced plans to hold snap elections for the lower house of parliament on Oct. 27 – a year earlier than required by law – in what many view as an effort to capitalize on his popularity and secure the LDP’s majority.
Everyone have the best possible evening!
