Hamas Leader Assassinated While Visiting Iran
New Secret Service boss testifies; Major reform to protect kids' online passes Senate
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up!
Good morning,
“USA, USA, USA” chants roared through the Paris stadium Tuesday when Simone Biles cemented Team USA’s gold in women’s gymnastics. She’s now the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympics.
Team USA finished on Tuesday with a score of 171.296. Italy took home silver and Brazil bronze, but it was not even close.
Biles and Jordan Chiles competed in all four events: bars, beam vault, and floor. Suni Lee did bars, beam and floor, and Jade Carey competed on vault.
I’m not crying, you’re crying!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
🇮🇷 🇵🇸 HAMAS TOP POLITICAL LEADER ASSASSINATED
Ismail Haniyeh, the most senior Hamas political leader, was assassinated while visiting Iran early Wednesday morning. The Hamas terror group accused Israel of killing Haniyeh, a billionaire who led the group’s political operations from Qatar. Israel has so far not commented on the killing, keeping with its typical protocol for intelligence operations.
The killing comes at a precarious time, as the Biden administration has tried to push Hamas and Israel to agree to at least a temporary cease-fire and hostage-release deal.
WHAT WE KNOW
Haniyeh, who has led Hamas since 2017, was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of the new president of Iran. He was a special guest of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who he met with earlier in the day.
Haniyeh and a bodyguard were reportedly killed in his apartment in Iran just before 2am local time, just hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Iranian regime provides weapons, support, training and aid to Hamas.
He was reportedly killed by a targeted missile strike. It is unclear if it was launched from within Iran or outside the country. Either way, it is a huge embarrassment for the Iranian regime.
Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV cited a senior Hamas official as saying the slaying was “a cowardly act that will not go unpunished.”
Israel has been linked to a number of high-profile assassinations inside Iran in recent years-mainly targeting nuclear scientists working on the country’s atomic weapons program.
Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency has also vowed that anyone who was involved in the October 7 terror attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and led to the kidnapping of 250 others, has “signed his own death warrant” and will be hunted down around the world.
It was the second high-profile assassination attributed to Israel in a matter of hours, coming after an airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah’s #2 leader, Fuad Shukr. Israeli authorities acknowledged that strike, noting that it was in retaliation for a Hezbollah rocket attack that killed 12 Israeli children and teens on a soccer field over the weekend.
WHAT THE HAMAS ASSASSINATION MEANS:
Haniyeh, who was a protege of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, has been the face of the terror group’s diplomatic efforts in recent years. He was a key Hamas figure in the long-stalled, cease-fire negotiations with Israel.
His assassination makes the prospects for a deal even more unclear, as he was reportedly pushing the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, to agree to a temporary ceasefire in recent months.
His death could signal a new stage of the conflict, and comes after an Israeli strike in Gaza targeted the group’s #2 military leader, Mohammed Deif, earlier this month. Deif’s fate still remains unclear.
📲 MAJOR KIDS’ ONLINE SAFETY LEGISLATION PASSES SENATE — WHAT’S NEXT
The Senate passed a pair of children’s online safety bills on Tuesday that could change the landscape of social media for kids under 17.
While the bipartisan bills passed with major support — the vote was 91-3 with two Republicans and a Democrat as the no votes — there are some questions if and when the House could pass the legislation, and if it would make it through the courts.
THE BILLS
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) are the most significant restrictions on tech platforms to clear a chamber of Congress in decades.
What they require: Social media users under 17 would have their accounts automatically set to the highest privacy and safety settings by the platform. Also, they would not get targeted ads.
Tech companies would have a responsibility under the bills to limit features that can heighten cyberbullying, harassment, and the glorification of self-harm. Kids and parents could also stop some addictive features like autoplay.
What it does NOT cover: Kids could still access the apps, as there would not be an age verification measure. Online platforms would not be liable for online content that users search for.
FRIENDS/FOES
Some of the most persuasive proponents of the legislation were parents whose children’s deaths were linked to social media.
Julianna Arnold lost her 17-year-old daughter to fentanyl poisoning after a drug dealer on Instagram sold her counterfeit Percocet. Joann Bogard’s 15-year-old son died after taking part in a viral “choking challenge” on social media.
On the other side, the ACLU says it could limit free speech and push social media companies to censor conversations among LGBT youth. A major tech lobbying group calls the bills unconstitutional.
If signed into law, there are sure to be legal challenges. The tech industry has successfully halted similar child online safety laws at the state level.
Up next: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he is supportive of the “purpose” of the bills and is reviewing the legislation, but the House is in recess until September. No vote has been set.
📌 TAKE II: LAWMAKERS QUESTION SECRET SERVICE’S NEW HEAD OVER TRUMP SHOOTING
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe told lawmakers Tuesday that he couldn’t defend the agency’s conduct in the lead up to the Trump assassination attempt, and was “ashamed” of the security collapse that took place.
Rowe said that was among his takeaways after visiting the Butler, Pennsylvania rally site, and climbing onto the roof where 20-year-old Thomas Crooks fired eight shots.
It’s been just over a week since Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her post as the Secret Service’s director following her disastrous Congressional testimony. He appears to have gotten a better response.
CHANGES
Rowe told lawmakers that he has already taken steps to prevent similar lapses from occurring.
Drones: We know Crooks flew a drone near the rally site ahead of his assassination attempt. Now, the Secret Service will use more drones around such events.
Rowe said that one of their systems designed to detect drones was not working the day of the shooting because of problems with cellular network bandwidth.
Local officers: There was clearly a communication issue between local police, who had spotted Crooks and texted photos of him, and the Secret Service.
Rowe promised lawmakers there would be improved radio communications between the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies.
POSSIBLE MOTIVE?
The FBI is still investigating why Crooks shot former President Trump. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate says they recently discovered a social media account, which dated to 2019-2020, and appears to be owned by Crooks— but it’s not confirmed.
More than 700 comments were posted by the account and some were antisemitic and anti-immigrant.
While not actually a motive, if this account is confirmed to be Crooks’, it could provide insight into his thinking, which so far has been challenging to gauge given that Crooks had few friends, and little social media presence.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Republican Kari Lake wins Arizona Senate primary setting up face off with Rep. Ruben Gallego (D) (NPR)
📌 VP Kamala Harris set to roll out her vice presidential choice Tuesday in Philadelphia (CNN)
📌 Project 2025 head resigns, but work will continue (AP)
📌 Investigation finds at least 973 Native American children died in US government boarding schools (AP)
📌 White Dudes for Harris raises $4 million (USA TODAY)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Third girl dies in stabbing in attack that has shocked the UK (CNN)
📌 Venezuelans continue to protest as election results appear fraudulent (REUTERS)
📌 El Chapo’s son pleads not guilty to narcotics, money laundering and firearms charges after helping to capture fellow drug kingpin (CNN)
📌 Israeli forces detain reservists for alleged abuse of Palestinian prisoners (WSJ)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Meta agrees to $1.4 billion settlement in Texas biometric data lawsuit over Facebook images (CNBC)
📌 US job market shows slowed-down hiring (AXIOS)
📌 Spirit Airlines is going upscale. In a break from its history, it will offer fares with extra perks (ABC NEWS)
📌 Amazon is legally responsible for recalling dangerous products sold on its site, agency finds (CBS NEWS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Angelina Jolie is by son Pax's side as he recovers in hospital after e-bike accident: 'he's stable' (PEOPLE)
📌 Norah O’Donnell to exit as ‘CBS Evening News’ anchor to become senior correspondent (VARIETY)
📌 Bella Hadid “shocked” at lack of sensitivity in Adidas ad campaign linked to terror attack on Israeli athletes (CNBC)
📌 Gwen Stefani's son joins Blake Shelton on stage to make country music debut (FOX NEWS)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: JULY 31
1971: Apollo 15 crew members David Scott and James Irwin became the first astronauts to use a lunar rover on the surface of the moon.
1995: 72-year-old Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole on cover of Time magazine faced questions about age as he faced Bill Clinton.
2006: Because of health problems, longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro handed over provisional power to his brother Raul, who served as the country's acting president until officially assuming the post in 2008.
2012: At the Summer Games in London, American swimmer Michael Phelps won his 19th career Olympic medal, surpassing the record set by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. He would end his career with 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which are gold.