Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman.
The head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned Tuesday over his
opposition to the war in Iran, Kent is a military veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq. He had staunchly supported President Trump because Trump had promised not to get the U.S. involved in new Middle East wars. NPR National Security correspondent Greg Myri has more on Kent, his career and the President's
reaction to the resignation.
“Trump nominated Kent for this key National Security position just a year ago saying he had”
hunted down terrorists and criminals his entire adult life. Well, today Trump said he thought Kent was a nice guy but was very weak on security. And then the President went on to say, "It's a good thing that he's out because he said Iran was not a threat.
Iran was a threat to every country."
When Kent was nominated last year, he faced sharp criticism from Democrats, Senator Patty Murray called him a conspiracy theorist who espouses white supremacist views. Iran continues to fire missiles into Israel with most intercepted, shrapnel from the missiles and Iranian interceptors have damaged buildings and fallen very close to Holy Sights in Jerusalem, which you've mostly been closed since the war with Iran began.
NPR's carry-con reports. Siren sounded multiple times in Jerusalem as Iranian missiles were intercepted late Monday.
“As usual, it was followed by echoing booms as Israeli interceptors shattered the missiles.”
Metal debris hit the compound of the Holy Church of the Seplicar, the traditional Christian side of Christ's crucifixion, Israeli officials condemned what they say as Iran's targeting of religious sites. UNESCO confirms U.S. and Israeli air strikes have damaged at least four ancient world heritage sites in Iran, and a leading human rights group, Hirana, says at least 20 hospitals
and 3 dozen schools have been damaged in the first two weeks of war. Karycon and PR news, Jerusalem. Illinois's Lieutenant Governor Julia Stratton has secured her party's nomination for the U.S. Senate. From member station, W.B. E.Z. in Chicago, Mariah Rufel reports.
Chargers are exuberant here at a watch party at a film studio in Chicago's west side. Stratton had consistently pulled in second place to Congressman Rajah Christian Amorthy,
“whose campaign spent $25 million on ads that have been airing since July.”
But Stratton had this notable last-minute surge in the polls with the help from Illinois Governor
J.B. Pritzker, who threw in $5 million to help the group supporting the states of
Lieutenant Governor. Stratton beat out nine candidates, including Congressman Robin Kelly. For NPR News, I'm Mariah Wulfel in Chicago at Stratton's Victory Party. And this is NPR. A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to immediately re-hier more than 1,000 employees of the voice of America and present him with a plan within a week to restore its global operations.
A week ago, Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the Trump's selection to lead the agency, the former TV anchor, and twice unsuccessful candidate for office in Arizona. Kerry Lake had been appointed illegally because she had not been confirmed by the Senate. As the partial government shutdown continues, more terminals are closing across the country at airports as TSA workers go unpaid from member station W.H.Y. and Philadelphia.
Kerry Sharber has more security checkpoints in two more terminals have been closed at Philadelphia International Airport. This latest closure comes less than a week after P.A.H.L. shuttered the terminal C security checkpoint. The airport recommends travelers arrive nearly three hours early for domestic flights in nearly
four hours early for international flights. And a post on social media, the airport baked its visitors for their patients as they quote, "keep operations running smoothly and efficiency for all travelers." TSA says it is reassigning employees to other checkpoints to help lines move faster. For MPR News, I'm Corey Sharber, in Philadelphia.
Venezuela defeated the United States three to two in the final game of the pre-season world baseball classic tournament that was held in Miami. The U.S. tied the game two to two in the eighth on a Bryce Harper to run Homer, but Venezuela has scored a run in the top of the night and hung on to win. This is NPR News, I'm Dan Roman, support for it.
Alex Rosenthal has a Fantasia, meaning he can't visualize things like fraction of a microsecond, and then it's gone. And for some people, it's just total blank slate. That's on the Ted radio hour podcast, listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
