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Tuesday, October 17, 2023

10/17 WAKE-UP CALL: Biden Headed To War Zone Wednesday


U.S. President Joe Biden will make a high-stakes visit to Israel on Wednesday as it prepares to escalate an offensive against Hamas militants that has set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and raised fears of a broader conflict with Iran. Biden's visit will mark a significant show of U.S. support for its top Middle East ally after Hamas gunmen killed 1,300 people during a rampage through southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7, the deadliest single day in Israel's 75-year history.

Israel has responded by tightening its blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, including by restricting the entry of fuel, and bombarding the area with air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv early on Tuesday by saying that Biden would visit Israel. Blinken also said he and Netanyahu had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. He did not provide details.

After visiting Israel, Biden would travel to Jordan to meet King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby said. Gaza authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, around a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 wounded are in hospitals desperately short of supplies.

➤HOSTAGES ARE BARGAINING CHIPS: A top Hamas leader said on Monday the group "has what it needs" to free all Palestinians in Israel's jails, indicating the militant group may try to use the Israelis it kidnapped as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners. Soon after Hamas official Khaled Meshaal made the remarks on the captives, who include Israelis and non-Israelis kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, the group's armed wing separately said the non-Israelis were "guests" who would be released "when circumstances allow". Gunmen from Hamas took scores of hostages after rampaging through southern Israeli communities and military bases, killing over 1,300 people. Israel's military says the group is holding 199 hostages in Gaza. Hamas says it has between 200 and 250.

➤U-S TROOPS PREPARE TO DEPLOY:  As the death toll on both sides of the war rises, about 2,000 U.S. troops have been told to get ready to deploy − possibly to the Middle East − in anticipation of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza aimed at crushing the Hamas militant group that rules the war-battered enclave. The American soldiers would not be sent to Israel but could be assigned to other countries in the region for support roles such as medical assistance or providing security at gate crossings.

➤IRAN WARNS OF INTERVENTION: Tehran has repeatedly warned that an invasion of Gaza would be met with a response from other fronts - after a day where Israel also faced threats from Lebanon in the north. The declarations of intent have rapidly heightened tensions in the fraught Middle East, sparking fears of a wider conflict in the coming days. It comes as the United States have told 2,000 troops to be prepared to deploy to the war-torn corner of the world and moved a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean. Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi also warned that time was running out to reach a political solution and warned against the expansion of the Israel-Hamas war to other fronts.

Also on Monday: Palestinians seeking refuge crowded into hospitals and schools as supplies of food, water and medicine ran low during a tight Israeli blockade of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and Hezbollah not to interfere in his country's military actions prompted by Hamas' brutal killing rampage into Israel nine days ago. “Don’t test us in the north. Don’t make the mistake of the past," Netanyahu said. 

➤BORDER CROSSSING EFFORT FAILS: A push by the U.S. and Egypt to open Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt stalled. That is undermining the evacuation of Americans and other foreigners stranded by the Israeli military’s siege and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave. Egyptian concerns that Israel will not pause airstrikes and Israeli insistence that trucks entering via Egypt be thoroughly searched are holding up a deal, according to Egyptian officials. The Israeli military pointed to concerns about militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad smuggling arms through the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border with southern Gaza and said that Israel wouldn’t target a civilian convoy. More than a million people have been displaced, according to the U.N. Israel is responding to an Oct. 7 attack during which Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages. The Gaza bombing campaign has fueled deadly violence in the West Bank, raising concerns about another front in the war.

➤TRUMP VOWS TO DEPORT MIGRANTS SUPPORTING HAMAS: Donald Trump promised on Monday that if elected president again he will bar immigrants who support Hamas from entering the U.S. and send officers to pro-Hamas protests to arrest and deport immigrants who publicly support the Palestinian militant group. On a campaign stop in Iowa, Trump was responding to the Hamas killing of at least 1,300 Israelis that triggered a war in which Palestinian health officials say Israel has killed more than 2,800 Palestinians in Gaza.

➤JUDGE GAGS TRUMP: A federal judge on Monday issued a gag order on former President Donald Trump, limiting what he can say about special counsel Jack Smith’s federal prosecution into his alleged attempt to subvert in the 2020 presidential election. The order restricts Trump’s ability to publicly target court personnel, potential witnesses, or the special counsel and his staff. The order did not impose restrictions on disparaging comments about Washington, DC, – where the jury will take place – or certain comments about the Justice Department at large, both of which the government requested. “This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Judge Tanya Chutkan said. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.” 


➤TRUMP WALKS-BACK CRITICISM OF ISRAEL: Former President Donald Trump continued to walk back his previous criticism of Israel, telling Iowa voters on Monday that he has always supported the longtime ally now engaged in a war with Hamas. "We stand with Israel," Trump said during a rally encouraging supporters to attend the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses that kick off the Republican presidential nomination. Trump was also more a little more reticent about the indictments and four criminal cases against him, hours after a federal judge issued a limited gag order on the former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate. Claiming the gag order, which only applies to the federal charges alleging he tried to steal the 2020 election, is unconstitutional, Trump said: "we'll appeal it and we'll see."

➤JORDAN MOVES CLOSER: House Speaker nominee Jim Jordan won over some pivotal Republican holdouts, moving him closer to securing the gavel in a full House vote. The chamber is narrowly divided between 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats, so the Ohio lawmaker needs support from at least 217 members to win. A vote is expected as soon as tomorrow. Many Jordan critics say making him speaker would effectively reward the GOP dissenters who ousted California’s Kevin McCarthy and blocked Louisiana’s Steve Scalise from replacing him. Jordan called for party unity and told colleagues that the differences between Republicans and Democrats “vastly outweigh our internal divisions.” The House has been frozen since McCarthy’s removal two weeks ago.

➤IRS EXTENDS TAX-FILING AND TAX-PAYMENT DEADLINE TO NOV. 16 FOR CALIFORNIA STORM VICTIMS: Most California taxpayers will have another month before the deadline to file their 2022 returns and pay any taxes that are due.  The IRS had previously postponed the normal spring dates to Oct. 16 because of severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides. On Monday, it extended the deadline for 55 of the state’s 58 counties. The new deadline covers all counties except for Lassen, Modoc and Shasta. Reps. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, and Mike Thompson, D-Woodland, said the extension gives Congress more time to pass their bill to exempt all wildfire relief payments from federal income taxes.

➤CALIFORNIA FAMILY MEMBERS PLEAD GUILTY IN $600M NATIONWIDE CATALYTIC THEFT SCHEME: Three members of a California family pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy for their role in a ring that shipped $600 million worth of stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, federal prosecutors said. Brothers Tou Sue Vang, 32, and Andrew Vang, 28, along with their mother, Monica Moua, 58, were part of "a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors" who provided the stolen auto anti-smog devices to a metal refinery for more than $600 million dollars, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office.


🏈MNF COWBOYS 20 CHARGERS 17:  Rookie Brandon Aubrey kicked a 39-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining and Stephon Gilmore made the sealing interception to help the Dallas Cowboys notch a 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night at Inglewood, Calif. 

Dak Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 40 yards and one score for the Cowboys (4-2). Dallas' Brandin Cooks caught a touchdown pass and CeeDee Lamb had seven receptions for 117 yards. Tony Pollard had six catches for 80 yards but gained just 30 yards on 15 carries.

⚾MLB RANGERS 5 ASTROS 4: Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi heard teammates in the visiting dugout comment on the crowd noise at Minute Maid Park, but his focus not only shielded him from the raucous throng, it also enabled him to zero in and execute when the moment was most dire. Adolis Garcia, Mitch Garver and Nathaniel Lowe recorded RBI singles in a four-run first inning before Eovaldi escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fifth, and Texas held on for a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.

⚾MLB PHILLIES 5 D-BACKS 3: First, Kyle Schwarber did what he often does in the playoffs. Then, Bryce Harper did what he's always wanted to do on his birthday. Schwarber led off Game 1 of the National League Championship Series with a first-pitch homer Monday night, and Harper, celebrating his 31st birthday, homered one out later to spark the host Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where Aaron Nola is slated to start for the reigning NL champion Phillies against Merrill Kelly. Schwarber, who entered Monday hitting .160 with no homers, one RBI and 10 strikeouts in 25 at-bats this postseason, sent the already enthusiastic crowd of 45,396 into a frenzy by hitting Zac Gallen's first pitch -- a 92 mph fastball -- 420 feet into the right field bleachers.


🏈COLTS' ANTHONY RICHARDSON 'PROBABLY' DONE FOR SEASON, IRSAY SAYS: Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is "probably" going to miss the rest of the regular season and could undergo shoulder surgery in the next week or so. Richardson, this year's fourth overall pick in the draft, sustained an AC joint sprain in his right (throwing) shoulder during the second quarter of Indianapolis' Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans.

🏈RAMS CB DERION KENDRICK ARRESTED, FACES CONCEALED WEAPON CHARGE: Rams starting cornerback Derion Kendrick was arrested early Monday morning and faces a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon.BLos Angeles County jail inmate records indicate Kendrick was arrested after a traffic stop in Hollywood, several hours after the Rams' 26-9 victory over Arizona at SoFi Stadium.BTMZ reported officers found a gun and marijuana in Kendrick's car.

🏈LIONS RB DAVID MONTGOMERY LIKELY OUT 'FOR A LITTLE BIT': Lions running back David Montgomery will likely be out for "a little bit" due to a rib cartilage injury, coach Dan Campbell said Monday. "He's probably going to be down for a little bit. I don't know how long ... at his position, that's not an easy thing to deal with, so we'll just take it as it comes, but I think there's a chance we won't have him for a little bit," Campbell said.

🏀PROSECUTORS DROP ONE ASSAULT CHARGE AGAINST KEVIN PORTER JR.: Manhattan prosecutors have dropped one of the assault charges against Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., acknowledging Monday during Porter's hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court that he did not fracture his girlfriend's neck vertebra during an alleged attack at a New York City hotel last month. According to the New York Post, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzer cited "insufficient evidence" as the reason for dropping the charge of second-degree assault, telling Judge Jay Weiner on Monday, "What initially appeared to be a fractured vertebrae was not in fact an injury caused by the defendant."


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