The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 8th, 2024: Hezbollah On The Ropes & Monster Hurricane Threatens Florida

Episode Date: October 8, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   First, Israel has expanded ground operations into southwest Lebanon as airstrikes kill another senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Plus, a battered Hezbollah signals their potential support for a ceasefire. Then, an update on Hurricane Milton, which has rapidly intensified into a one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Gulf as it barrels towards Tampa Bay. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  Email: [e-mail].  Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Say Mike Baker sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. years on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, Israel has expanded ground operations into southwest Lebanon as airstrikes kill yet another senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, and a battered Hezbollah signals that they may be willing to support a ceasefire. Then, an update on Hurricane Milton, which has rapidly intensified into one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Gulf, as it barrels towards Tampa Bay. Obviously, the region is still working on recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.

But first, our afternoon spotlight. We'll begin with an update out of Lebanon, where Israel has neutralized yet another senior Hezbollah commander as IDF forces expand operations on the ground. Representatives with the Israeli military said Tuesday that Suhail Hussein, who oversaw the terrorist group's logistics, budget, and management, was killed. killed in an airstrike in Beirut. He reportedly orchestrated the transfer of advanced weapons from Iran through various smuggling routes running through Syria and also held a seat on Hezbollah's military council, that's according to a report from Newsweek. His death is just the

latest to impact Hezbollah's top leadership, which has seen more than a dozen of their most senior officials killed over the past three weeks, including their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. while Hezbollah was reportedly gearing up to replace Nasrallah with Hashem Safedin, the deceased leader's cousin, well, it appears that those plans may have already been dashed by the Israeli military. While we still lack official confirmation, Defense Minister Yov Ghaland said Tuesday that their current assessment is that Safedin was killed in an airstrike last Thursday night that targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut. It's a major victory for Israel, if that's the case, as he was the head of Hezbollah's executive

council, overseeing the group's political affairs, and sat on the Jihad Council, which governs Hezbollah's military operations. Speaking to troops in northern Israel, Galat said, quote, Hezbollah is an organization without a head. Nasrallah was eliminated, his replacement was also probably eliminated, there's no one to make decisions, no one to act, end quote. With Hezbollah in a state of chaos and confusion, Israel is pressing their advantage, expanding their ground campaign on Tuesday into southwest Lebanon as they work to dismantle Herzbollah's missile infrastructure. The IDF's 98th Division, which was the first to enter Lebanon, when operations began back

on the 30th of September, provided an update on their progress on Tuesday, saying their forces have killed more than 200 Hezbollah operatives in several. villages near the border. They've also destroyed several tunnels and located hundreds of weapon stores in Lebanese border villages. Meanwhile, a battered Hezbollah has signaled that the terror group may be open to a truce, likely fearing their imminent destruction. Chazbullah's deputy leader, Naim Kassim, said Tuesday that he supported efforts for a ceasefire and for the first time did not demand that end to the fighting in Gaza as a precondition to a truce. It's a notable shift for Hezbollah, which has previously vowed to keep fighting until there's a ceasefire with Hamas.

Still, Qasem also said that their missile capabilities remained intact despite, quote, painful blows from Israel, and that, quote, if the enemy continues its war, then the battlefield will decide, end quote. Coming up, an update on Hurricane Milton, which has rapidly intensified into one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Gulf, as it currently tracks towards Tampa Bay. I'll be right back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch, solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy,

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For some background, when, Forecasters mention MPI. They refer to the theoretical ceiling for a hurricane's strength based on environmental factors like sea surface temperatures, atmospheric conditions, and wind shear. This year, those conditions have aligned perfectly to catalyze Hurricane Milton's rapid intensification. Hurricane Milton's growth has been fueled in particular by record high temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, acting like jet fuel for hurricanes. Those water waters left warm and undisturbed by Hurricane Helene just weeks ago, well, created the perfect conditions for Hurricane Milton to gain steam as it barrels towards Tampa Bay.

On Monday night, the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Hurricane Milton had become a Cat 5 storm with sustained winds reaching 180 miles per hour. Now, this makes it one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Gulf, surpassing the intensity of Hurricane Andrew, which of course devastated South Florida back in 1992. Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor delivered a stark message to residents in the storm's path, saying, quote, if you choose to stay, you are going to die, end quote. Okay. The now downgraded Category 4 hurricane described as catastrophic is expected to make landfall

as early as Wednesday. Heavy rains and a tidal surge of up to 12 feet. are expected, far surpassing the damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene, which hit with a six-foot surge just over a week ago. Forecasts show that Milton's surge could cause unprecedented destruction along the coast, with many residents, of course, already evacuating. As evacuations led to jammed roads Monday night, President Biden swiftly approved an emergency declaration for Florida. U.S. Representative Kathy Castor announced the mobilization of seven thousand federal workers, one of the largest efforts in history, to assist in preparations and recovery efforts.

It's important to note that even in so-called perfect conditions, hurricanes do have limits. Hurricane Milton is nearing that barrier where the environmental factors that fed its growth could wane, could lessen, such as approaching land near the Yucatan Peninsula, possibly slowing its growth. Additionally, the hurricane under what's called an eyewall replacement cycle on Tuesday, where a larger eye wall forms around the smaller original eye of the hurricane. This could weaken its winds, but could also expand the range of its damaging effects. Whether Hurricane Milton will continue to defy expectations or be tempered by nature's limits remains to be seen. Everybody in that region, well, please ensure that you've made preparations, and

please stay safe. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, 8 October. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And don't forget, as if you could, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief, simply by visiting pdb premium.com. It's very easy. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.