Israel dealt a massive blow to the Hezbollah terrorist group on Friday by killing its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. President Joe Biden praised the operation. “His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians,” Biden said.

Many in Washington hailed Nasrallah’s death as a significant victory against terrorism, while concerns over potential escalations in the Middle East simmered beneath the surface. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) celebrated the Hezbollah leader’s demise as the end of a “reign of bloodshed, oppression, and terror.”

Israel’s military confirmed the strike, which it said was part of a broader effort to neutralize Hezbollah’s leadership after the group joined the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which was sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023 deadly rampage by Hamas operatives through Israeli communities. Read the full story here›

The destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene is worse than that from last year’s devastating Hurricane Idalia, Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Saturday.

As recovery and emergency response efforts continue across the southeast United States in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, more than 50 storm-related deaths have been confirmed, and early estimates expect to see more than $15 billion in damages. DeSantis said some of the damage he saw while flying over the affected coastline on Sept. 27 en route to Cedar Key was “complete obliteration.”

The list of more than 50 fatalities includes people in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. DeSantis confirmed that at least 11 of the storm-related fatalities occurred in Florida, though none were recorded in Taylor County, where Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Read the full story here›