Iran vows revenge for killing of Hezbollah leader; Hurricane Helene death toll rises: weekend overview

Iran vows revenge for Nasrallah's death

Israeli forces killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the militant and political group Hezbollah, in a large-scale attack in Beirut on Friday. The death of the powerful Shiite cleric is a devastating blow to the Iranian-backed group and a major escalation that threatens all-out regional war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack that killed Nasrallah was a “necessary condition” for achieving Israel's goals in the region. The attack killed 11 people, including Abbas Nilforoushan, a regional commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and injured 108 others.

Iran called the attack a “blatant war crime” and an Iranian official announced that troops would be moved to Lebanon in the coming days. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on Sunday that the The US was “involved in this crime” and that “undoubtedly, the blood of the martyrs of this incident will not go unanswered and we will stand steadfast in the resistance.”

On Sunday, Israel also attacked the Ras Issa and Hodeidah areas of Yemen, targeting Houthi infrastructure in an attempt to block Houthi access to Iranian supplies, the Israel Defense Forces said.

You can follow NBC News' live coverage here.

After Helene, residents search the rubble

The Southeast is dealing with this the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene after it devastated entire communities from Florida to North Carolina with floods and mudslides that caused widespread damage.

President Joe Biden agreed to a major disaster declaration for North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said The deThe toll fee is expected to increase in the coming days. At least 30 people have died in Buncombe County alone, Sheriff Quentin Miller said Sunday in a Zoom call with reporters.

In flooded Tennessee 153 people are considered missing Amid cell phone and other communications outages, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Sunday afternoon.

More coverage:

• Watch: Hendersonville, North Carolina residents toured their neighborhood on kayaks after Helene flooded the area.
• The historic Biltmore Village in Asheville was underwater after being destroyed by flood damage.
• A community in Georgia fears this may be the case Without electricity for weeks.

You can follow NBC News' live coverage here.

Democrats' lead over Latino voters is shrinking

Vice President Kamala Harris' lead over former President Donald Trump among Latino voters has fallen to its lowest point in the last four presidential cycles, according to a new NBC News/Telemundo/CNBC national poll.

The support for Harris is there 54% of registered Latino voterswhile Trump's share is 40%. Another 6% say they are unsure or would not vote. The margin of error in the survey is plus/minus 3.1 percentage points.

While Harris' 14-point lead is an improvement over President Joe Biden's standing when he was at the top of the ticket, it is still smaller than the margins enjoyed by the Democratic presidential candidates in 2012 (by 39 points), 2016 ( 50 points) and enjoyed 2020 (36 points), according to NBC News' consolidated polling data from those cycles.

Right wing wins close election in Austria

A far-right party founded by former Nazis appeared to do so won the election Sunday in Austria This could reshape Europe's political landscape and help shift the balance of power between Russia and the West. Projections from the public broadcaster ORF television Exit polls suggest the pro-Russian and anti-immigrant Freedom Party (FPÖ) came first with 29.1% of the vote.

The FPÖ's victory is the latest sign that a movement characterized by anti-immigrant and Islamophobia has achieved a breakthrough on the continent.

Meet the press

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said on NBC News' “Meet the Press” that the Biden administration did not define “what victory in Ukraine means” He added that a future Trump administration would end the war “with a negotiated settlement.”

“We hope that at this point the Ukrainian side will have more influence than the Russian side. I think that's really the goal here. And I think that’s what Donald Trump is trying to say,” Rubio told host Kristen Welker.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the US last week for meetings with Trump, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

You can watch the full interview here Here.

Politics in brief

Mayoral cooperation: New York Mayor Eric Adams claimed he would “not interfere” and “cooperate” with federal investigations. But the 57-page indictment released Thursday tells a different story.

Battlefield Conditions: Democrats and Republicans are fighting bitterly across the country for majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Races that will determine the future of hot-button issues in key states.

A historic run: Sarah McBride, the country's first openly transgender senatorShe is poised to make history again in her congressional campaign in November.

The deadly fans of the historically bad White Sox

With Friday's loss, the Chicago White Sox broke the record for most losses in a Major League Baseball season. In the run-up to the historic 121st defeat NBC News spoke with loyal White Sox fans whose support has not waned despite the team's poor season.

“It wasn't a good season for us, but I'll still come,” said Lance Norton, who first went to games as a child in 2004. “Everyone has their worries. At some point it will be ours.” Turn around again. And when we get back up, I can talk as much as I want.

Four-legged friends are out and about more often

For those who leave pets at home, arranging kennels or pet sitters can be a costly affair. That's why there are a lot of travelers decide for it take take your pets with you on vacation.

“His day care would cost $350 for a 10-day trip, so it's worth paying hotel fees and $100 each way to take him on the plane,” Tom Carpenter said. His dog Mori flies in the cabin with him and his wife whenever possible. “Besides, Mori hates being left alone.”

According to a report from the American Pet Products Association, 22 percent of cat and dog owners said they took their pets on at least three flights in the past year.

“Football on Sunday evenings”

• Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was carted off the field during the team's game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
• Tom Brady snaps back after Baker Mayfield said that Bucs were under “stress.” The The ex-QB’s leadership: “That wasn’t a daycare center.”
• Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love exceeded even the most optimistic predictions Returning from a knee injury He was named the Packers' starting quarterback on Sunday, but his ups and downs weren't enough to beat the Minnesota Vikings.

You can follow NBC News' live coverage here.

In case you missed it

• Kris Kristofferson, the country music star and actor who starred in the 1976 hit “A Star Is Born,” died on Saturdaya representative confirmed. He was 88.
• DNA testing shows that some Latinos have enslaved ancestors in their family historywho have long focused on their white, Spanish ancestry. Many use the knowledge to rethink their own identity and past.
• Many Chinese adoptees have mixed feelings after China announced it would stop all foreign adoptions of the country's children.
• SpaceX has launched two new crew members in a capsule that will eventually bring home the two NASA astronauts stuck on the International Space Station.
• More than 13,000 immigrants convicted of murder in the U.S. or abroad live outside of ICE detention facilities, according to data the agency submitted to Congress last week.
• Russia is targeting what the Kremlin calls an “ideology” that threatens the country’s foundations: People who don't want to have children.
• They are one of the latest health trends echoing around TikTok. But do vibration plates actually work?
• “Saturday Night Live” started a HIsToRic 50th season by featuring popular show veterans bringing together their contemporary talents to present a satirical take on the revived election season.