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**TL/DR:**Without mentioning Israel, Pezeshkian posted on X that he condemned "the treacherous mass assassination carried out by the terrorist entity through the bombing of communication devices."

The rundown: Electronic device explosions in Lebanon will be met with "just retribution," Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian has said. Read more about his warning.

Why it matters: Pager blasts killed 12 and injured more than 2,000 on Tuesday. The following day's attack included devices like handheld, walkie-talkie portable radios, and solar equipment, killing 20 and injuring at least 450. The attacks targeted members of Hezbollah, the Islamist group linked to Tehran. The Institute for the Study of War has said that Israel's pager explosion attack on Hezbollah members will likely have "several negative effects" on the militant group and its operations. Meanwhile, Newsweek compiled a list of some of Mossad's, Israeli intelligence agency, most audacious attacks.

Read more in-depth coverage:
After Hezbollah Device Attacks, Some Israelis Ask Netanyahu: What Took So Long?

**What happens now?**Israel has not commented on the blasts that have been linked to its Mossad spy agency, but defense minister Yoav Gallant declared on Wednesday "a new phase in the war" in the Middle East. For Harris, the large-scale pager attack could increase pressure from progressives over the Biden administration's response to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

**TL/DR:**Former President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social before Wednesday's vote that he had instructed congressional Republicans to only back the CR if it included the SAVE Act.

The rundown: The House of Representatives struck down a stopgap bill backed by Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, with over a dozen Republicans defying the chamber's leadership and voting against the measure. Here is a list of Republicans who rejected the stopgap bill.

Why it matters: Former President Donald Trump had instructed congressional Republicans to only back the CR if it included the SAVE Act, writing on his Truth Social before Wednesday's vote. The continuing resolution (CR) bill would have extended the current government funding levels for another six months, funding the government until March 25. The package also included the controversial SAVE Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote in a federal election. The CR was rejected in a 202 to 220 vote, with 14 Republicans voting against it. Three Democrats voted in favor of the spending package. Johnson told reporters after the vote that he was "disappointed" the measure didn't pass but that he would look for a way forward.

Read more in-depth coverage: Donald Trump Draws Red Lines for Republicans on Government Shutdown

**What happens now?**Lawmakers have until September 30 to pass a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.

**TL/DR:**Trump is also slipping among Florida women, a key voter bloc ahead of November that the former president has struggled to rally nationwide.

The rundown: Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign is staying hopeful in its push to score an upset victory in Florida and capture the state's 30 electoral votes in the November presidential election. Here's more about her strategy.

Why it matters: During a fundraiser in New York City on Wednesday, second gentleman Doug Emhoff told donors that Harris' team is "going to see what we can do" in the Sunshine State, where Democrats lost to Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. Florida has been regarded as a reliable state for Republicans in recent years under Governor Ron DeSantis' administration. Democrats have won only five presidential elections in Florida since 1952—former President Barack Obama won the state in 2008 and 2012. But with issues like abortion on the ballot this year in Florida, Democrats have kicked it up a notch.

Read more in-depth coverage: Kamala Harris Surging With Three Key Groups, Polls Show

What happens now?"The map is wide-open, and we need the money to compete in seven and possibly eight states," Emhoff said at the event in Brooklyn, per a report from ABC News correspondent Will McDuffie.

**TL/DR:**The seat is vacant after incumbent Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party to become an independent in December 2023, then deciding not to run for reelection.

The rundown: In Arizona, former television news anchor Kari Lake is battling Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in a crucial race for the U.S. Senate. An expert told Newsweek that the contest is steered by four key issues in the Grand Canyon state. Dive deeper into these crucial factors shaping the race.

Why it matters: Polls show Gallego, who represents Arizona's 3rd Congressional District in the House, is leading Lake, who shot to national prominence as a figure in Donald Trump's MAGA movement after stepping down as a news anchor to run for Arizona governor in 2021. Newsweek spoke with an expert to identify the key issues likely to influence Arizona voters in November. "The key issues in Arizona will likely be inflation, immigration, abortion and housing," Noble Predictive Insights Chief of Research David Byler said.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Kari Lake Handed Bad Sign as Poll Shows Her Down Double Digits

**What happens now?**With the Democrats' narrow Senate majority, the race could determine who controls the upper chamber next year.

**TL/DR:**The rumor was fueled by former President Donald Trump and his vice-presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance.

The rundown: A Trump supporter in Springfield, Ohio, who filed a police report accusing Haitian migrants of stealing her cat, recently discovered her pet hiding in her own basement, according to The Wall Street Journal. Anna Kilgore apologized to her neighbors, but not before Donald Trump, JD Vance and others spread the false claim.

Why it matters: Kilgore's report became the key "proof" behind claims that Haitians were eating pets in Springfield, a rumor that was discussed in the debate, sparked memes, and has also sparked turmoil, bomb threats and school closures in Springfield for Haitians, who are in the town legally under a federal program called Temporary Protected Status. The claims have been repeatedly debunked by local police, city officials, and Ohio's Republican governor, Mike DeWine, yet they continue to circulate. Some 15,000 Haitians came to Springfield to fill manufacturing, distribution and warehouse jobs. City officials acknowledge growing pains from the influx of immigrants but say there's no evidence to support the claim they are consuming anyone's pets.

Read more in-depth coverage: JD Vance Will Still Call Legal Haitian Immigrants 'Illegal': Here's Why

**What happens now?**Former President Donald Trump told a Long Island, New York rally crowd last night that he plans to go to Springfield within two weeks.

I Met Donald Trump's Alleged Would-Be Assassin

I considered Ryan Routh a kind of friend. He was a passionate and idealistic individual who was prepared to fight for what he believed in. We rarely spoke about U.S. politics, and I cannot remember Donald Trump's name ever coming up in our conversations.

For all these reasons, I was shocked when my editor called me and told me what Ryan had done.

I had just arrived in Bucharest from Kharkiv. It was a long trip—almost 40 hours of traveling on trains and buses—and I was very tired from the few weeks I had spent in Ukraine, where the constant alarms and bombings made it almost impossible to sleep.

Sabin Orcan, the owner and editorial director of Newsweek Romania, called me and said, "Have you seen this? Have you seen what's happened?"

A huge, huge sadness came over me. If all this is true, and Ryan did what they are saying he did, then he misunderstood everything, and he was a different person than the one I had met in Kyiv over two years ago.

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