Hello. From CNN, I'm Ifeoma Dike with the five things you need to know for Monday, December 18th.
The White House says Israel may need to adjust its rules of engagement following the deaths of three Israeli hostages on Friday. The Israeli military said it accidentally shot three hostages near a group of Israeli troops. This is CNN's Will Ripley.
Will Ripley, CNN
00:00:21
These men were apparently holed up in a building in Gaza and after this incident they ransacked a building and found food scattered around asking for help and what the men were actually waving. They were shirtless and waved to the Israeli soldiers, a white cloth that appeared to have an inscription on it. Just a simple cry for help, written with leftover food as if it looked like some kind of sauce in Hebrew, saying to help three hostages. But from a distance, the IDF said, Israeli soldiers perceived these shirtless men waving a white cloth as a threat.
The Israeli military says the shooting violates its rules of engagement and that the soldiers involved will face disciplinary action. A US official said the CIA director is meeting today with the Qatari prime minister and the head of Israeli intelligence to discuss resuming talks on the release of hostages in Gaza.
“The rail industry is demanding the Biden administration allow trains to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, which authorities have temporarily closed in response to a surge in migrant crossings.” The industry group Association of American Railroads warned that The discontinued operations between Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, will have negative consequences for consumers. At this point, the refugee crisis at the southern border is preparing to take a dramatic turn. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign a bill that would make illegal entry into Texas a new state crime. The bill gives law enforcement authorities the authority to arrest migrants and order them to leave the United States
“Former President Donald Trump and his son Trump Jr. defended a former social media influencer. Douglass Mackey is one of Trump's longtime supporters who was convicted of election interference and sentenced to seven months in prison. He is currently on appeal. He is also known for spreading deeply racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and homophobic content online. Trump's campaign released a video earlier this month of Trump bashing President Joe Biden and, quote, his henchmen for allegedly violating Mackie's First Amendment rights. Trump Jr. expressed similar views, saying the Biden administration wants the former influencer in prison. Prosecutors said Mackey targeted Black voters with a tweet designed to look like a campaign ad during the 2016 presidential election that falsely claimed they could vote for Hillary Clinton via text messages. In a statement to CNN, an attorney for Mackey said the tweets do not reflect his client's current views and that Mackey now regrets the tone and content of his posts.
“A jury has found actor Jonathan Majors guilty of a number of counts in his domestic violence case. Majors was found guilty of third-degree negligent assault and a non-criminal charge of harassment. However, he was acquitted of another charge of assault and aggravated harassment. He will be sentenced in February. The lawsuit stems from a domestic dispute in March involving his ex-girlfriend. Before the trial, Majors became famous in the Marvel Universe. But now he has lost his publicist and management team, and a source familiar with the matter told CNN that Marvel Studios would not move forward with future projects with majors.
If you're planning on buying an Apple Watch for Christmas soon, time is running out.
Apple plans to stop selling two of its latest Apple Watches in the United States this week as a patent dispute continues. Back in October, the International Trade Commission ruled that the watch's blood oxygen function violated a patent owned by medical device maker Masimo. This means Apple could be banned from selling these watches. Apple said it strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a number of legal options. President Joe Biden must review the ban by Christmas, but Apple has said it will pull the watches from shelves early if the ITC ruling stands. Masimo's CEO described the sales halt as a pressure tactic on Biden.
That's the end for now. We'll be back at 10pm Eastern Time.