Ceasefire: The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to be in jeopardy today after Israel staged airstrikes against targets in Lebanon and Hezbollah fired at Israeli troops. Today marked the end of the first week of the 60-day ceasefire. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, nine people were killed in the attacks by Israel. Israel said its airstrikes were in response to violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah and Hezbollah said it fired on Israeli forces in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire. Â
Harvey Weinstein: Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for treatment from the Rikers Island prison where he was being held while awaiting trial on sex charges. Weinstein’s attorney said the results of a blood test were alarming and resulted in Weinstein being hospitalized. Weinstein is suing New York City for negligence in failing to provide him with adequate medical care. Â
Election mail: The United States Postal Service says it delivered more than 99.22 million ballots in the 2024 general election. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy praised the Postal Service for effective and efficient service. It used extra deliveries and collections, special pick-ups, and specialized sorting to expedite delivery to boards of elections. It said 97.73% of the ballots handled were delivered from voters to boards of elections in less than three days. The Post Office said it handled more than 3.37 billion pieces of political and official election mail during election season.
Blackrock: The investment management company Blackrock is acquiring the credit investment management company HPS Investment Partners in a deal valued at $12 billion. HPS manages $148 billon in client assets. At the end of 2023, Blackrock had about $10 trillion in assets under management. Among the companies Blackrock owns are Merrill Lynch Investment Management and Barclays Global Investor.
Angola: President Biden met today with Angola’s President João Lourenço at the presidential palace in Angola’s capital, Luanda. Biden is on a three-day trip to Angola. The White House said that the two leaders discussed significant trade and investment opportunities. They also discussed protecting and strengthening democracy in Angola and around the world. Biden underscored the significance of the more than $3 billion the U.S. has committed to infrastructure projects in Angola. He also expressed appreciation for Angola’s role in promoting peace and security in Africa.
Musk’s pay package: A judge in Delaware has again rejected a $58 billion pay package for Tesla CEO Elon Musk. It was back in June that Judge Kathleen McCormick first ruled in favor of a shareholder lawsuit that challenged the pay package as being excessive. Musk’s attorneys challenged the ruling and pointed to a vote by shareholders that approved the pay package. The judge said that paying Musk $58 billion wasn’t fair to company shareholders.
