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Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets? Well, schedule a free consultation with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to 989898. Foreign 20th October, this month is racing by. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up. Well, that didn't last long. Hamas attacked IDF soldiers in Gaza on Sunday. And Israel launched airstrikes in response, accusing Hamas of a quote, bold violation of the Trump brokered ceasefire. We'll break down what triggered the strikes and what it means for the fragile truce. A ceasefire isn't a ceasefire if you're shooting at each other. Later in the show, President Trump remains non committal on Tomahawks for Ukraine as the White House announces another summit with Putin in Budapest. What will they talk about? Plus, after a week of fighting, Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to a new ceasefire. And in today's back of the Brief, we'll take a look at a story that hasn't been getting nearly enough attention. Historic flooding has torn through remote Alaskan communities, destroying homes and forcing hundreds to evacuate. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. It's a ceasefire, but with missiles and tanks and airstrikes. So not really a ceasefire. Over the weekend, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes inside Gaza accusing Hamas of a bold violation of the Trump brokered truce. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the idf. On Sunday, Hamas fighters fired both a rocket propelled grenade and sniper rounds at Israeli troops operating behind the yellow line. That's the narrow buffer zone inside Gaza where Israel's forces have been stationed under phase one of the ceasefire deal. Israeli commanders called it a direct breach that left them with little choice but to strike back. In response, Israeli jets struck targets in the southern city of Rafah and destroying what the military described as tunnel Shafts and militant positions. Residents also reported tank fire near the town of Abbasan, east of Khan Yunis, and an airstrike in the north that left at least two people dead in Jabalia. Hamas, meanwhile, is denying any ceasefire violation. They say they've been so busy exacting revenge on Gaza residents, killing those they view as problematic to Hamas's control, that they haven't had time to kill more Jews. Okay, I, I made that part up. Of course they have time to do both. Fine. Actually, the Iranian backed group insists it, quote, remains committed. Oh. To the agreement and accused Israel of fabricating flimsy pretexts to restart the war that Hamas started. The Israeli government counters that it acted, quote, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, saying the attacks from Hamas constituted a clear breach that required a firm response. Prime Minister Netanyahu has since ordered the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed until further notice, citing Hamas delay in returning the bodies of Israeli hostages. Inside Israel, pressure is growing for decisive action. National security Minister Itamar Ben Gur, who opposed the ceasefire from the beginning, called for the IDF to resume fighting at full strength. Opposition leader Yair Golan echoed the need for a response, but added the true victory requires a moderate alternative to Hamas, something, he says, that the government has failed to build. And that's interesting because I didn't realize it was Israel's responsibility to provide a fair alternative to Hamas. I imagined that that should be something that the Palestinians could be working on. The truce itself went into effect earlier this month. Under a U. S. Brokered deal, Hamas agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, while Israel would halt offensive operations and allow humanitarian aid to increase. But nearly every clause of that agreement is now in dispute. Israel says Hamas is dragging its feet on returning the remains of hostages killed in captivity. Hamas says it's taking time to locate and recover them. In recent days, Hamas turned over the bodies of two more hostages, bringing the total number of deceased hostages returned to 12. Sixteen more remain unaccounted for. Even as both sides trade accusations, life inside Gaza well tells its own story. Reports from aid workers and regional officials describe a brutal internal purge by Hamas, one that's left dozens dead. Over the past several days, Hamas fighters have clashed with rival Palestinian factions and carried out public executions, at least 33 of them most of the victims accused of collaborating with Israel or belonging to competing militias. Officials say it's part of a campaign to, quote, show strength and reassert control after many months of war. The Trump administration warned over the weekend that a planned Hamas attack against Palestinian civilians would represent a grave breach of the ceasefire agreement. President Trump posted his own warning, saying if Hamas continues killing people inside Gaza, which was not part of the deal, that's a good thing, quote, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them, end quote. He later clarified, noting the we in that statement did not mean US Troops. The ceasefire was supposed to create space for rebuilding and reconciliation. Instead, Hamas appears to be using it to consolidate power. Well, who could have seen that coming? And now there's another major problem for the peace plan. Hamas is sending its most bold signal yet that it has no plan to disarm, at least not anytime soon. In an interview with Reuters, senior Hamas official Mohamed Nazal said the group intends to maintain security control in Gaza during what he called a transitional period, and that the group can't control, quote, commit to disarm. When asked about disarming, Nazal said, quote, I can't answer with a yes or no. It depends on what the disarmament project means and to whom the weapons would be handed over, end quote. That runs, of course, directly counter to the Trump ceasefire framework, which calls for Hamas to release all hostages, disarm completely, and hand governance of Gaza to a technocratic committee overseen by an international body. The Israeli government quickly fired back, saying Hamas has, quote, not released all hostages, not disarmed, and not upheld the 20 point plan. Nazal, however, suggested Hamas could accept a long term truce, three to five years to rebuild Gaza, but only if Palestinians were promised, quote, horizons and hope for eventual statehood. So, yeah, nobody's paying attention to the ceasefire agreement for now. He said Hamas fighters would stay on the ground to, quote, protect aid convoys from thieves and gangs, and of course, to ensure that Hamas continues controlling the aid that comes in. So you ask, where does that leave the ceasefire today? Hmm. Well, let me just poke around the bottom of the rubbish bin and see. The first phase of the ceasefire was supposed to bring quiet relief for civilians and the release of hostages. Instead, it's produced executions, recriminations and a fresh round of violence. So, overall, on a pass fail grading process, well, it's a clear fail for now. All right, coming up next, President Trump stays non committal on sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, strike a new ceasefire after a week of deadly border clashes. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here, PDB host and fashion icon. So, I want to tell you about a great clothing company. It's called True Classic. Now, the guys at True Classic started with a simple mission to bring premium comfortable clothing to the masses because looking and feeling great, frankly, shouldn't come with a designer price tag. And clearly the people agree. True Classic has sold over 25 million shirts. Get a load of that 25 million shirts. To more than 5 million customers and in the process have racked up over 200,000 five star reviews. The brand is is all about helping guys show up every day with confidence and purpose. Their shirts fit where they should feel incredible and don't break the bank. You get that tailored look without sacrificing comfort or blowing your budget. Look. I've been wearing True Classic shirts for a while now and you can feel the difference the moment you throw them on. They fit great, they feel comfortable. What's not to like? Forget overpriced designer brands. Skip the cheap throwaway stuff. True Classic is built for comfort. It's built to last. And it's built to give back. You can find them on Amazon and at Target, Costco, Sam's Club, or, or just head on over to trueclassic.com PDB to try them out for yourself. Hey, Mike Baker here. I want to take just a moment to talk about security, specifically your online security that is very important. Now look, a few decades ago, private citizens were just that private. Today, well, thanks to the Internet, nearly everything we do online, what we search, what we browse, what we watch or tweet can be tracked, collected and sold by data brokers. What used to be a concern only for celebrities now applies to all of us. Our personal lives are essentially public records. That's why I rely on ExpressVPN, and frankly, so should you. It hides your IP address, encrypts network traffic and and keeps your activity safe, even on public wi fi. And here's an important point. ExpressVPN works on all my devices with just one tap. Look, in today's world, protecting your personal data isn't optional, it's essential. And it's easy. With ExpressVPN, secure your online data today by visiting expressvpn.com baker that's expressvpn.com baker to find out how you can get up to four extra months free. Expressvpn.com baker welcome back to the PDB. After all the build up the high stakes White House lunch meeting Friday between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky ended without the breakthrough that Kyiv had hoped for. No decision by Washington on the much discussed Tomahawk missiles. The meeting between the two leaders lasted over two and a half hours and came just a day after Trump's lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a call that, according to two sources, appeared to reshape Trump's tone entirely. And am I the only person confused by the back and forth with Putin? The sources describe the mood of Friday's lunch as, quote, tense and difficult. One source made it clear that, quote, nobody shouted, but Trump was tough. As we've been tracking here on the pdb, Zelensky arrived in Washington armed with maps and talking points, pressing for long range Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep inside Russia. Keefe's argument was simple. The missiles could cripple Russia's war economy by hitting refineries, power grids and supply hubs far beyond the front, forcing Putin to the negotiating table. But Trump wasn't so sure. During opening remarks, the president said he hoped the war would end, quote, without thinking about Tomahawks. Well, we've already been thinking about them calling the subsonic cruise missile a weapon that America needs. One source said Trump even grew emotional at times during the talks, insisting Washington's new priority was to, quote, end the war, not escalated. It's almost like he's playing good cop, bad cop all by himself. Trump then abruptly paused the back and forth discussions after conversations began to run in circles and said, quote, I think we're done. Let's see what happens next week. That's a nod, of course, to the upcoming U.S. russia talks to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And then he left the room. The president departed from Mar? A Lago on Truth Social. He called the lunch, quote, interesting and cordial, posting that he had told both Zelensky and Putin, quote, it was time to stop where they are. He added, quote, let both claim victory, let history decide. Well, of course, stopping where they are means that Putin gets to keep Crimea and at least one fifth of Ukraine. So I suppose at least Putin could claim victory of sorts. The two sources confirmed that Trump briefed Zelensky on his call with Putin during their meeting, outlining a new proposal that would freeze current battle lines as the basis for peace, effectively locking in Russia's territorial gains. For Keev, that remains a non starter. Trump later defended the logic to reporters on the ground in Florida, stating, quote, you go by the battle line wherever it is, otherwise it's too complicated. You'll never be able to figure it out. You stop at the battle line, end quote. Oh. The president then added, half jokingly, that he asked Putin whether Moscow would object to Washington sending, quote, a couple thousand tomahawks to Ukraine in their phone call. An idea Trump said Putin dismissed as, quote, damaging to peace. You know it's damaging to peace invading a sovereign nation. Trump said that the US Quote, can't deplete its own arsenal and admitted he wasn't sure what more Washington could provide to Kiev. Zelensky attempted to downplay his disappointment after his meeting with the president, describing the White House talks as, quote, productive in a follow up call with European leaders. But several EU capitals were caught off guard by Trump's shift in tone, which last week hinted that Tomahawks could end up in Keeves hands. Within hours, London, Berlin and Paris released statements reaffirming support for Ukraine. That's a clear sign that they saw the lunch meeting as a setback. When later pressed by reporters, Zelensky declined to discuss the Tomahawks, citing US Concerns over escalation with the Kremlin. When questioned whether he still believed the missiles may come from Washington, Zelensky simply said, quote, I'm realistic. So now all eyes turn to Budapest, where preparations are underway for Trump's upcoming meeting with Putin in the weeks to come. Whether it produces a breakthrough remains to be seen. Now, listeners of the PDB know that I'm a pragmatically cynical individual. I don't really know if I know what that means, but it, well, it sounds fairly smart. So I don't see this second summit producing anything other than Putin simply playing for more time or stringing along the White House, however you want to phrase it. As our regular PDB listeners do know, the Trump Putin meeting in Alaska back in August ended with no tangible progress toward peace. But Trump insists a ceasefire is still within reach, even if for now. And Zeletski's hopes for Tomahawk missiles? They don't seem to be within reach. Shifting gears after more than a week of escalating border clashes, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed yesterday to an immediate and this time supposedly lasting ceasefire. The latest breakthrough followed high level talks in Doha mediated by Qatar and Turkey. Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed both governments pledged to halt hostilities and, quote, work toward lasting peace and stability after an earlier truce failed to halt the bloodshed. As we've been tracking here on the PDB, the fighting erupted on 10 October when Afghanistan accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes on Kabul and retaliated with its own cross border attacks. Islamabad has long claimed that Kabul shelters the Pakistani Taliban, or tpp. That's a charge that the Taliban government continues to deny. According to a Taliban spokesman, the new agreement includes a commitment from Kabul not to support groups carrying out attacks against the Government of Pakistan while both sides vow to refrain from striking, quote, each other's security forces, civilians or critical infrastructure. Now it's a familiar script. A 48 hour truce last week ended almost as soon as it began with dozens of civilians and fighters killed on both sides, though the exact number of deceased is not independently verifiable. Ahead of the weekend talks, an Afghan delegation led by its defense minister accused Pakistan of fresh airstrikes on border villages, a claim that Islamabad rejected. Pakistan's information minister insisted that its military only targets, quote, verified terrorist camps operating inside Afghanistan. In a post to X, the minister said, quote, all speculations and assertions being made regarding the targeting of civilians are false and meant to generate support for terrorist groups operating from inside Afghanistan. The Pakistani minister added that terrorists tried to attack Pakistani positions during the earlier ceasefire but were repelled with more than 100 fighters killed, a figure that Western analysts still struggle to verify. So what began as localized skirmishes has now turned into a test of both governments control. Whether this new ceasefire holds between two nations once bound by alliance and now by violence and distrust, well, that remains an open question. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, Alaska faces one of its worst natural disasters in decades after record breaking floods hit remote towns. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, look what's arrived. It's fall. Autumn as some people call it. Shorter days, colder nights, a fire in the fireplace. And it's that season where families come together around the table for hearty comfort food and good conversation. You know what I'm talking about. And that's what tri tails premium beef is all about. Look, this is a terrific company. They're a fifth generation ranching family out of Texas and they're still working their land, raising cattle the right way and producing some of the best steaks and beef that you'll ever taste. 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