The Art of the Peace Deal; Conversations inside Israel & Gaza

Summary

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Here's the Scoop — “The Art of the Peace Deal; Conversations inside Israel & Gaza”

Podcast: Here's the Scoop (NBC News)
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Date: October 9, 2025
Duration: ~25 minutes
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Episode Overview

Today’s episode delves into the historic ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, marking the first phase toward ending a devastating two-year war. Through real-time reporting, emotional interviews, and expert analysis, the podcast provides a vivid and balanced account of both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives, examines the human stakes on the ground, and pulls back the curtain on how such high-stakes peace negotiations unfold.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking News: Ceasefire Agreement in the Middle East

[01:06–02:51]

• Ceasefire Announced:
  Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace deal.

  • Hostages (both living and deceased) are to be released by Hamas.
  • Israel will withdraw forces from Gaza, reciprocated by the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
  • The announcement has sparked cautious optimism from both Israelis and Palestinians.

• Public Reaction:

  • Celebrations erupted in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square and across Gaza.
  • Quote: "The war will stop and the bloodshed will end. Massive happiness and an indescribable feeling." — Richard Engel ([02:23])

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2. On-the-Ground Perspectives: Israel

[02:51–11:20]

• Interview with Richard Engel, NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent:

  • Engel describes emotional scenes in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where, after two years of trauma, the mood is both festive and heavy.

  • He shares a poignant conversation with Michael Elus, father of Guy Elus, a hostage killed in Gaza.

    “His son is telling him that they're under attack and he's calling to say goodbye. And the dad, Michael's like, don't do that. Don't say goodbye to me. Don't you dare do that. (...) I want to touch his bones, I want to say the final prayers for his burial. I want to give him peace so that we can all have peace.”
    — Richard Engel relaying Michael Elus’s words ([03:30–07:29])

• Hospital Preparation for Returning Hostages:

  • Israeli hospitals held rehearsals for receiving released hostages.
  • Focus is on compassion and returning agency to survivors:

    “First thing is hugs from mom and dad before any doctors approach them. Hugs first. …You gotta train them to have their humanity back, to have their power back.”
    — Richard Engel ([07:59–09:27])

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3. Deal Implementation & Turning Points

[09:27–11:20]

• The deal’s first phase:

  • Hostage release (with living prioritized), recovery of remains, phased Israeli withdrawal, and release of Palestinian prisoners.

• Turning Point in Negotiations:

  • Engel attributes the breakthrough partly to a controversial Israeli airstrike on Hamas offices in Doha, angering US partners and escalating pressure.

    “Netanyahu ordered a strike on Qatar… It infuriated the United States and I think it brought the deal forward. It was the straw that broke that camel’s back.”
    — Richard Engel ([10:23–11:20])

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4. On-the-Ground Perspectives: Gaza

[11:30–14:12]

• Interview with Salma Al Tawil, Norwegian Refugee Council in Gaza:

  • Mixed emotions and disbelief:

    “It’s a combination of joy and disbelief. …We thought it would never end. And finally, thanks God, it seems this nightmare is coming to an end.”
    ([12:09])

  • Daily realities in devastated Gaza:

    “The only thing that we can see in Gaza is the gray color. We don’t see colors. There’s no trees. It’s really destroyed.”
    ([13:01])

  • Hope and coexistence:

    “We lost hope for the past two years...Palestinians always keep hoping...”
    ([13:32])

    “I think we can. We can live in peaceful[ness], yes. I think that if both sides have a good faith disagreement, inshallah, we will stay in at peace.”
    ([13:48])

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5. How Peace Deals Happen: Diplomatic Table Talk

[15:54–22:30]

• Expert Interview: Jeremy Bash (NBC Security Analyst, Former CIA & Pentagon Chief of Staff)
  • Indirect Talks:
    Egypt and Qatar as intermediaries, US as pressure broker. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff played key roles with Israeli leadership.

    “I think at the end of the day, it was really their pushing of the Israeli government that got this over the goal line.”
    ([16:11])

  • Complex 'Parallel Conversations':
    Each track (hostages, prisoners, troop deployment, aid, governance) had its own negotiating team.

    “You’re going to have a variety of parallel conversations…they all centered around this Egypt base negotiation.”
    ([17:08])

  • Risks Ahead:
    The hardest parts—disarmament, governance, and reconstruction—remain uncertain.

    “Some of the details have yet to be developed and articulated, and therefore we don’t really know if this is going to lead to a lasting end of the war.”
    ([18:06])

  • Disarming Ideology vs. Militancy:

    “You try to put in place a governance structure that gives the people their hope…a reason to live, a reason to invest, a reason to believe.”
    ([19:53])

  • Inside The Room:

    “It’s tense…a long speech about history, about how you’ve targeted me, …about our children. Then, here’s my bottom line. … But at the end of the day, the United States tries to get down to brass tacks: How many prisoners? What timetable?”
    ([21:15–22:28])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On mixed emotions in Israel:

  “So he’s happy in a way—if that’s the right word, and it’s not—in a way it’s overwhelming for him and for many people in this country, also in Gaza, this is an overwhelming period.”
  — Richard Engel ([07:29])

• On hope returning to Gaza:

  “We lost hope for the past two years, so we start hoping again. Palestinians always keep hoping...”
  — Salma Al Tawil ([13:32])

• On the fragility of peace and the complexity of full resolution:

  “There’s very little precedent in history, certainly in the Middle East, for a governing apparatus...to just give up power. …Some of the details have yet to be developed and articulated.”
  — Jeremy Bash ([18:06])

• On the human aspect of hostage return:

  “First thing is hugs from mom and dad before any doctors approach them. Hugs first.”
  — Richard Engel ([09:00])

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Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:06 | Main theme introduced, ceasefire news headline | | 02:23 | Richard Engel on regional celebration and sense of hope | | 03:30–07:29| Richard Engel details Israeli hostage family story | | 07:59 | Insights from Israeli hospital prepping for hostages’ return | | 09:27 | Deal phases explained | | 10:23 | Turning point: Israeli strike on Qatar | | 12:09 | Salma Al Tawil on reactions in Gaza | | 13:01 | Gaza described as “gray,” devastation on the ground | | 13:32 | Salma Al Tawil on hope for the future | | 15:54 | Jeremy Bash explains the negotiation process | | 18:06 | Bash on challenges and open questions | | 19:53 | Bash on disarming ideology, hope for Gaza | | 21:15 | Inside-the-room dynamics of negotiation |

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Summary & Takeaways

• Today’s episode offers a powerful, multifaceted account of a potentially historic peace process.
• Reporting from both sides underscores the depth of trauma and the fragility—and necessity—of hope.
• Practical challenges remain: implementing an orderly transfer of power in Gaza, ensuring long-term security, and fostering coexistence.
• Listeners hear directly from those most affected as well as experts who have witnessed and shaped peace negotiations.
• The overall tone remains cautious but hopeful, recognizing that the first phase is a major step, but true and lasting peace is a long journey ahead.

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Transcript

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

The guy thought he had a good thing going, a good job and two lovers. That is, until this triangle got complicated and somebody had to go. I'm Josh Mankiewicz and this is Deadly Engagement, an all new podcast from dateline. It's a story that's sure to keep you guessing as lovers turn on each other in a desperate bid to avoid prison. All episodes are available now. To listen ad free, subscribe DATELINE Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Dateline premium.com this week on Meet the Press as President Trump threatens to send troops into U.S. cities and tensions rise over the government shutdown. Kristen Welker sits down with Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Adam Schiff this week on Meet THE Press. Listen to the full episode now. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Welcome to Here's a scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vestugin. Today on the show, National Guard troops have officially arrived in the Chicago area. And break out the aqua net. An 80s hair band is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We begin, though, with that breaking news out of the Middle East. Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal. President Trump announcing the breakthrough last night following days of of negotiations in Egypt. Under the agreement, Hamas would release all hostages, both living and deceased, while Israeli forces begin withdrawing from Gaza in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The announcement has been met with cautious celebration across the region. From Tel Aviv's hostage square, where for two years Israelis have fought for the safe return of their loved ones.

[Salma Al Tawil]

It's such a good feeling and I really hope it will happen. I mean, until it will not happen, it will not happen. But we are very excited.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

To the devastated Gaza Strip, where children cheer and residents expressed their joy.

[Richard Engel]

The war will stop and the bloodshed will end. Massive happiness and an indescribable feeling.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

In his cabinet meeting today, the president announcing the definitive end to the war.

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

We ended the war in Gaza and.

[Richard Engel]

Really on a much bigger basis created peace. And I think it's going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace.

[Jeremy Bash]

Peace in the Middle East. We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages and they should be.

[Richard Engel]

Released on Monday or Tuesday.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Across the region, there is hope that after two years of war, the long process of rebuilding and healing may finally begin. But leaders warn that the hardest part, implementation of this deal is still ahead. I want to bring in now NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Richard Engle to talk more about everything that's happening on the ground. Specifically, let's talk what's happening in Israel. Richard and I want to talk first about the conversations you've been having with Israelis. Specifically, you spoke to the father of a hostage who he has now confirmation, died in Gaza, awaiting the return of his son.

[Richard Engel]

So it's great to be with you, Yasmin. I'm in the back of a van right now, so I've been in what is now famously known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. And we just left. We're heading to Jerusalem, but we stopped on the side of the road to have this conversation with you. And just an incredible scene in Hostage Square. I've been there countless times, and it's always been a place for the last two years where people went to show solidarity. Somber it was sad. Prayer vigils, today's celebrations, people wearing masks of President Trump, waving American flags, waving Israeli flags, handing out cookies. A very festive atmosphere. But amid this festive atmosphere, of course, is the reason that it's called Hostage Square. And a lot of hostage families have been coming there. And I was there, and I got some time with Michael Elus, and he is the father of Guy Elus. And unfortunately, over the last two years, I've heard a lot of stories of hostages and what happened to them from people who were taken or family members. And his story, particularly today of all days, really, really struck me. At some stages, I was just sort of didn't know what to say to him. And so on October 7, two years ago, his son, Guy, was at the Nova Music Festival and was. Was there, you know, partying like everybody else. And suddenly the attack happens, and Michael, the dad, gets a phone call from his son. And Michael's a. He's a big guy. He's a strapping guy, and tough, tough guy, has that demeanor. You shake his hand, it's solid. His son is telling him that they're under attack, and he's calling to say goodbye. And the dad, Michael's like, don't do that. Don't say goodbye to me. Don't you dare do that. And as he's talking to his son on the phone, he's getting ready and he's getting his gun, and he's going down there, and he's going to come and get him. And Michael is saying, you know, I don't have that option. I can't. I don't have time. And his dad is saying, cover yourself in blood. Hide under bodies. Do whatever you need to do. Play dead, run. Hide in the bushes. And he's telling him, dad, I don't have time. And then he gets there, the father does go and arrives, he thinks, 15 minutes after his son is taken and taken into Gaza. And he doesn't know for a while what his son's fate is. And then one of the hostages who was released confirms to the father that he's dead, that his son is dead. And now he's waiting for his son's remains that are going to be in bad condition. And Michael, just to sort of, so you can picture the scene, is wearing a T shirt with his son's face on it. And his son is a good looking kid, young, prime of his life, was at this concert. And he said, I will never see my son like this anymore, but I want to touch his bones, I want to say the final prayers for his burial. I want to give him peace so that we can all have peace. And I was just as a father myself, just imagining he was close. He was close. He went there to rescue his son. He got there a few minutes late. Now he's waiting to receive his body. His body in what can only be a terrible condition after so much time. So that was just one story today. So he's happy in a way, if that's the right word, and it's not the right word. So it's overwhelming for him and for many people in this country, also in Gaza, this is an overwhelming period.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

You know, you talk about the incredible amount of emotion and the mixed emotions, right? Kind of the happiness, the relief, the closure, the sadness Israel has. The hospitals there have become accustomed to receiving these hostages and what is to come, many of them returning, emaciated, not in good health. I know that you also spoke to a head doctor at one of the hospitals that will be receiving these hostages.

[Richard Engel]

Exactly. That's why I'm in this van right now, because we've been bouncing around, there's so much to cover. So we went to the hospital where the hostages are going to be received. And today they had a dress rehearsal. They had actors pretending to be hostages, screaming. And they ran through the scenario of what they're going to do, how they're going to triage, because they're expecting it could be 20 coming at once. They don't know exactly when. So today they were getting ready. And I spoke to this, the doctor, a medical doctor, and the conversation was, I thought, fascinating. They landed the hospital in a helicopter. First thing is the families greet them. First thing is hug from mom and dad before any doctors approach them. Hugs first. Then she told me they approach cautiously Unless there's something urgent, then they obviously deal with it. And they don't want to tell the hostages, do this, do that, undress, I need a blood sample. They try and see what they want to do. Because these people have been under conditions where everything is being dictated to them. They had no choices. So they start by giving them choices because you gotta train them to have their humanity back, to have their power back.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

As we kind of take a step back, Richard, what is phase one of this deal and then what happens next? If we get through phase one successfully.

[Richard Engel]

All the hostages get hand dropped, living, prioritized first, because there's some talk that might take a little bit of time to find the remains because they could be under collapsed buildings and things, but get the hostages out, all of them, including the remains. Then Israeli troops pull back in phases and release Palestinian prisoners. And they release the Palestinian prisoners when the last hostage is out. Then you move on to the other issues, governance, aid, rebuilding and the exit of Hamas of power after 20, 20 years in power in Gaza.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

What do you think was the straw that broke the camel's back? What do you think actually got us here, Richard?

[Richard Engel]

I think the strike that Netanyahu ordered on Qatar was a turning point because there have been a lot of attempts to reach a ceasefire in Hamas for months. Months had been offering to free all the hostages and the terms were very close and Netanyahu kept refusing. And intelligence officials, U.S. military officials that I've been talking to say the military objectives of this war were over months ago. Months ago. But it was going and going and going. And people were getting more and more angry at Netanyahu that this was political, that this was something that he was driving. And Qatar was, it seems, overreach. He used the air force to carry out an airstrike against the Hamas office in Doha, Qatar. It infuriated the United States and I think it brought the deal forward. And it was the, as you said, the straw that broke that camel's back.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Richard Engel coming to us from the side of a road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. As always, we appreciate you.

[Richard Engel]

Great. Good to be with you.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

So in the past two years, it has been almost impossible to get into Gaza as a journalist unless accompanied by the Israeli Defense Forces. Today of all days, we wanted to speak to someone inside Gaza. We spoke with Salma Al Tawil. She is Palestinian and works for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Gaza. The audio is not perfect because the communication infrastructure has been severely damaged. There is, we were though able to record our phone conversation. You're in central Gaza. How are people reacting in Gaza right now to the possibility of peace, to the end of this war?

[Salma Al Tawil]

Yes, the people's reactions is really mixed, Yani. It's a combination of joy and disbelief. You can imagine what it means to endure two full years of indescribable suffering. It was like a nightmare and we thought it would never end. And finally, thanks God, it seems that this nightmare is coming to an end and we can begin to hear from what we have been through.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

You know, we've seen the images, we've seen videos of what Gaza looks like right now. But can you describe to us what you see every day when you walk out the door in Gaza? What the devastation that you talk about, what Gaza has sustained both the people and the land?

[Salma Al Tawil]

The only thing that we can see in Gaza is the gray color. We don't see colors. There's no trees. It's really destroyed. All of the people here want to go back to their neighborhoods to live and feel that they are settled in their areas where they were born and they growed up.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Do Palestinians have hope there? Do Gazans have hope?

[Salma Al Tawil]

We lost hope for the past two years, so we start hoping again. Palestinians always keep hoping and they do not feel so.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Do you believe you can live peacefully side by side with the Israelis?

[Salma Al Tawil]

I think we can. We can live in peaceful, yes. I think that if both sides have a good faith disagreement, inshallah, we will stay in at peace.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

And for those that are listening, inshallah, obviously, as Salma just said, means God willing. Salma, we thank you and we wish you the best of luck. Thank you Salma.

[Salma Al Tawil]

Thanks to you. Thanks for having me.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Okay, time for a quick break. When we come back we are pulling up a chair to the negotiating table with an expert who's been inside some of these high stakes talks.

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday sit down podcast. On this week's episode I get together with Oscar winner Cillian Murphy to discuss the impact of the billion dollar Oppenheimer movie on his life and his extraordinary new Netflix film. Steve, you can get our conversation for free wherever you download your podcasts.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Who's ready for some football?

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

All season the Today show takes you inside the game.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

We are gonna to get this party started.

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

Join us every week as we go behind the scenes with your favorite NFL teams for the biggest stories on and off the field.

[Richard Engel]

Big game tonight.

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

Plus game day recipes that dial up your tailgate.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Football food soup to nuts.

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

From stadium lights to game day bites. The Today show is your home for all things football every morning on NBC.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Welcome back to Here's a scoop from NBC News. We have heard the accounts on the ground in Israel and Gaza, but I want to talk now about the diplomatic efforts that brought us to this deal and get some perspective about how these high stakes negotiations actually go down. We're going to bring in someone who has been in these types of rooms to give us some of those specifics. Joining me now is Jeremy Bash, who is an NBC News national security analyst and former chief of staff at the CIA and the Pentagon. Welcome, Jeremy.

[Jeremy Bash]

Great to be with you.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Let's talk about how this deal came to be. I know that these were indirect talks between us, Hamas and Israel happening inside of Egypt. Walk us through what that looks like.

[Jeremy Bash]

Well, for the better part of two years, you have had Egypt and to some extent Qatar playing an intermediary role between Israel and Hamas. And the role of the United States was really to kind of coax and push and cajole and pressure both sides to get closer to one another. So inside those rooms you had messages coming from Hamas into the Egyptian and Qatari interlocutors and they were engaging directly with Israeli counterparts. And you had Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. And we haven't seen much of Jared Kushner in this second Trump term, but obviously he's got a deep history in the Middle east. And those two individuals had a direct line to the president and they were able to kind of convene, pressurize and push. And I think at the end of the day, it was really their pushing of the Israeli government that got this over the goal line.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Is there anything to make of the indirect talks versus direct talks?

[Jeremy Bash]

Well, at various times there have been direct outreach and there have been indirect outreach. And I think in a complex negotiation like this where you're negotiating over hostages, Palestinian prisoners, troop deployments, aid convoys, and the ultimate governance structure, you're going to have a variety of parallel conversations. So there's going to be a breakout session on troop deployments and maps. There's going to be a breakout session on aid. And so there's going to be a mix of all of the above. But they all were kind of centered around this Egypt based negotiation that all the parties were in the room together for.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Back in January we had a ceasefire with a phase deal as well. We never got to phase two. And yes, that was a ceasefire and this is a potential end to the war, but it is just now getting into phase one potentially in which we'll see the release of those hostages and then potential exchange of Palestinian prisoners. What do you see as the pitfalls looking ahead, Jeremy, Obviously there have been.

[Jeremy Bash]

Celebrations in the streets and everybody is hopeful that this is going to bring an end to this devastating war. But I do think that there are some pitfalls potentially, and that is that we don't yet know what governance in Gaza is going to look like, what the security paradigm is going to be, what does it mean for Hamas to give up power, which is what the Trump plan requires. And so in some respects, I think what we have here is Israel took a little bit of a leap of faith and they said we will end the fighting, end the war, end the campaign against the Hamas leadership. But we're doing so kind of on the promise that the international pressure is going to require Hamas to lay down its arms. And there's very little precedent in history, certainly in the Middle east for a governing apparatus. And Hamas was the governing apparatus in the Gaza Strip since 2007 for governing apparatus to kind of give up power. And so I don't think we really know exactly what that's going to look like. If I were to critique this, and I got to give a lot of credit to the negotiators because this is certainly an amazingly good outcome for the people of Gaza and for the hostage families. But if I were to critique it, I would say some of the details have yet to be developed and articulated, and therefore we don't really know if this is going to lead to a lasting end of the war and lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Jeremy, there's the disarmament of Hamas and then there's the ideology. How do you disarm the ideology after 67,000 people have been killed in Gaza and the ideology of Hamas still survives amongst some Palestinians?

[Jeremy Bash]

That's a really important question. And it's a question that the United States had to face as it went after Al Qaeda. It's a question that the United States had to face as it went after isis. I think the way you approach this from a counterinsurgency, counterterrorism perspective is you try to eliminate the leadership of the terrorist organization, whether that's through military action or through convincing them to lay down their arms, which is again, what this 20 point plan requires. And then you try to put in place a governance structure that gives the people their hope, you know, a reason to live, a reason to invest, a reason to believe, a reason to, to focus their, their amazing talents and their energies and their will to survive on building A. A prosperous, strong, capable polity in the Gaza Strip.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

I got one final question for you, Jeremy. Most of us have not been inside those negotiating rooms as you have. What is it like when you have, for instance, Israel and Hamas. Yes, indirect talks, but some of the folks that were in that room on behalf of Hamas were targeted by Israel in that Qatari strike. Take us inside a negotiating room like this. What is the energy like? Take us there if you can.

[Jeremy Bash]

Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, it's tense. And, and I think the, the times when Israeli officials spoke directly to Hamas officials were probably not in those big rooms with 20 people in all the countries. I think to the extent that there were communications there, those were like inside rooms, you know, kind of more intimate settings when they didn't have to, like, perform for anybody else and they could just kind of let their hair down and say what was on their mind. It's along the lines of a long speech about history, a long speech about how you've targeted me, a long speech about how you've dehumanized me, a long speech about hatred and what our children need. And then, and here's my bottom line for what we're going to do. And by the way, that's going to come from both sides. There's plenty of emotion. There's plenty of, you know, we have a right and you don't have a right kind of speechifying. But at the end of the day, the United States tries to let everyone get things off their chest and kind of get down to brass tacks. Okay, how many prisoners are you going to release? On what timetable? Where will your troops redeploy? Will it be 1500 meters from the border? Try to talk specifics, try to talk tactics, and focus on interest, not just the positioning in the meeting.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

Jeremy Bash, thank you.

[Jeremy Bash]

Thank you.

[Yasmin Vestugin]

All right, let's get to some headlines. First up, an update to that conversation we had yesterday with Lester Holt about his new Dateline podcast, the Last Appeal. The podcast focuses on the case of Robert Roberson, a Texas inmate who was set to be executed in just a matter of days. But today his execution was halted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In case you missed it yesterday, Roberson was set to be the first person in the nation executed for shaken baby syndrome after he was convicted in the death of his two year old daughter, Nikki. Roberson has always maintained his innocence with his lawyers who argue there is new evidence to support that, adding also that the science of shaken baby syndrome had been undermined in the years since his conviction. Lester's podcast also played a role in the case. Roberson's lawyers said in a court filing just Monday that the show included new information that revealed evidence of judicial misconduct. State Attorney General Ken Paxton had previously pushed for the October 16th execution date. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. President Trump's authority to deploy the National Guard troops is once again being tested in the courts. Now it is Illinois. Lawyers for Illinois and Chicago are in front of a federal judge today to try and block the Trump administration from deploying there. The Texas Guard is now on duty in the state and conducting their first mission despite protests and objections from state leaders, including Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker. The governor said he, quote, won't back down when it comes to the Guard arriving there. And while Illinois is the latest state to bring this argument to the courts, the White House has warned that if courts block the National Guard deployments, President Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection act, which gives the president power to deploy the US Military domestically and to federalize National Guard troops during specific circumstances. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Wednesday that a vessel reportedly bombed by US Forces in the Caribbean was Colombian and carrying Colombian citizens. President Trump announced the strike on Sunday, describing it as another attack on a drug trafficking vessel off Venezuela's coast, part of what he called his ongoing campaign against narco terrorists. In a statement, the White House called Petro's allegations, quote, faceless. That is the anthem of hairspray, ripped jeans and stadium lights. Def Leppard might sound like a relic of the MTV era, but in their heyday, the British rockers defined 80s excess, selling more than 100 million albums and turning power ballots into pyrotechnic art. Think of them as the Taylor Swift of the glam rock age. Today they got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and they were celebrated by another man who also knew his way around big hair Jon Bon Jovi. That star is part of nostalgia and part proof that good old rock anthems never die. They live on in every car where someone is still screaming the lyrics with the windows all the way down. All right, that's going to do it for us today. Here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Bisugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, then like us back. Subscribe to here's the Scoop. Wherever you get your podcasts, we'll see you tomorrow.

[Josh Mankiewicz / Willie Geist]

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