will not be the final witness in the civil fraud trial against his business organization. we ll go through the last-minute reversal from the former president. also ahead, we ll bring you the latest from the middle east. israel continues to strike what it calls hamas strongholds in southern gaza. it comes as we are learning more about some of the hostages still held by the terrorist group. plus, a controversial ruling in the state of texas. that state supreme court is blocking an abortion for a woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis. good morning and welcome to way too early on this monday, december 11th. i m jonathan lemire. thanks for starting your day and week with us. we ll begin here. former president trump will not, after all, testify in his own defense at his$250 million fraud trial. he was scheduled to take the stand today, but in a last-minute reversal, it was announced late yesterday he would not testify i his defense at all. he was previously called to t
fox news at night. and talk about getting the jump on the competition. one night before the gop presidential candidates take the stage in tuscaloosa, alabama, former president trump took the stage in iowa tonight with a town hall, with sean hannity. the former president went after the current president and just about everyone else. his take no prisoners approach appears to be working because his lead as you know is enormous and despite everything former president trump said tonight, the most controversial statement might very well have come from president biden. the senior national correspondent kevin corke is live in d.c. with more on the trump town hall. kevin, good evening. good evening, trace. his lead among gop primary competition is so significant, some say it s clearly ins insurinsurmir mourm insurmountable, but he ll not take part in the gop debate because his many pundits would point out it s all risk with relatively little benefit. instead the former commander-i
what she endured is unthinkable. abigail was among 13 hostages released today from gaza under the brokered and sustained intensive u.s. diplomacy, she is now safely in israel. and we continue to press and expect for additional americans to be released as well. we will not stop working until every hostage has been returned to their loved ones. starting as early as tuesday, this pause in the israeli offensive is set to end and the push into gaza resumes unless the truce is extended. israel put his cards on the table. they are prepared to extend the pause in fighting. the ball isn t the hamas s court. will hamas step up and release an additional ten hostages if they won t, then they are the ones choosing to bring an end to the process in fighting, not israel. that is something we will watch very carefully. coming, up i will be speaking with foreign affairs committee member congressman sydney about the hostage deal and why israel aid should have certain conditions when
israel and hamas. what we know about the 13, among them women and children, and more on the separate deal that led to the release of 12 thai nationals. in gaza where it s about 5:00 p.m. local time, the fragile four-day pause in fighting appears to be holding, but today new warnings from israel that fighting will resume when the four days are done, dropping leaflets over gaza. what israel s campaign could look like once this pause is over. and we begin with breaking news this morning, any moment the first group of hostages will be released under the deal between israel and hamas. 13 women and children will be among the first group of released hostages. nbc news can confirm that 12 thai nationals have already been released under a separate deal. a fragile four-day pause in fighting began just hours ago to make way for these releases. the column of israeli tanks seen leaving gaza, and we see these bulldozers there as well. new video captured just after the pause took effec
world and an international backlash against israel s proclaimed second phase, with growing concern about the safety of hostages, including ten americans. as the new speaker takes the gavel today, mike johnson is already under fire from senate republicans for removing all new ukraine war funding from the president s emergency spending bill. in favor of $14 billion for israel. the powerful republican house foreign affairs committee chairman michael mccall will join me life. donald trump junior will take the witness stand in the manhattan civil fraud trial one day after his father s appearance at a courthouse in downtown miami. good day, everyone. i m andrea mitchell in washington with the first escape from gaza through the rafah crossing into egypt for at least a handful of americans since the war began. a small group of americans, u.s. officials say fewer than ten, were finally able to get out after egyptian ambulances crossed into gaza to bring out injured gazans. de