News Wrap: Southern California under threat of landslides following record rainstorm

In our news wrap Tuesday, Southern California is watching for more flooding and landslides following a record rainstorm, Hamas reacted to a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza and a key mediator says it's generally positive, authorities in Kenya charged cult leader Paul MacKenzie with the murders of 191 children and country music star Toby Keith died after a battle with stomach cancer.

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  • Geoff Bennett:

    In the day's other headlines: Southern California tonight is keeping watch for more flooding and landslides as a record rainstorm starts to ease.

    Los Angeles saw more than half its yearly average rainfall during the two-day deluge. The downpours also triggered nearly 400 mudslides. Today, some of those inspecting the damage said the storms are a reminder that climate change is real.

  • Deborah Puette, Los Angeles Resident:

    We are having these record highs in the summertime and then these incredible storms that we have never had before that they're calling once-every-100-year storms, and we have had two of them since August.

  • Geoff Bennett:

    So far, the storm has blamed for six deaths across California.

    In the Middle East, Hamas has reacted to a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, and a key mediator says it's generally positive. The deal would include an extended pause in fighting and the release of Israeli hostages. The prime minister of Qatar announced the Hamas response today alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the region. Blinken said there's still a lot more work to be done.

    Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: I will pick up that conversation tomorrow in Israel when I'm there, and we will be working as hard as we possibly can to try to get an agreement so that we can move forward with not only a renewed, but an expanded agreement on hostages and all the benefits that that would bring with it.

  • Geoff Bennett:

    Blinken did not characterize the Hamas response, but, in Washington, President Biden called it — quote — "a little over the top." He did not elaborate.

    Meantime, The New York Times reported that Israeli intelligence now believes at least 32 of the 136 remaining hostages in Gaza have already died.

    Authorities in Kenya charged cult leader Paul Mackenzie today with the murders of 191 children. They were among more than 400 bodies found buried in a forest. Today, Mackenzie and 29 co-defendants deny the charges in court. Prosecutors say he urged followers to starve themselves and their children so they could go to heaven before the world ends.

    Back in this country, President Biden headed toward an easy win in Nevada's Democratic presidential primary. The Republican contest was only symbolic, since the votes won't count toward delegates. Instead, all will be decided in Thursday's caucuses, when former President Trump is the only major candidate taking part.

    And on Wall Street, stocks moved slightly higher as interest rates eased on the bond market. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 141 points to close at 38521. The Nasdaq rose 11 points. The S&P 500 also added 11.

    And a passing of note. Country music star Toby Keith died Monday after a battle with stomach cancer. The singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 1990s with overtly patriotic, at times controversial lyrics and outspoken personality and scores of hits.

    Here he is performing "Should've Been a Cowboy" on TV in Nashville back in 1995. It became the most played country song of the decade.

    (Music)

  • Geoff Bennett:

    Toby Keith was 62 years old.

    Still to come on the "NewsHour": the Senate's bipartisan deal to fund Ukraine, Israel and border security teeters on the brink; investigators unveil new details about what caused the Alaska Airlines blowout; and Joy-Ann Reid's new book on the extraordinary lives and love of civil rights leaders Medgar and Myrlie Evers.

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