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Tuesday, October 31, 2023

10/31 WAKE-UP CALL: Israel Rejects Calls for Cease Fire

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a cease-fire Monday as the Israeli military expanded its incursion into the northern part of the Gaza Strip. At a rare press conference in which he took only a handful of questions, Netanyahu called Hamas part of an “axis of evil’’ and said the stunning assault the militant group launched on Israeli soil Oct. 7 was “the worst savagery our people have seen since the Holocaust.’’ Netanyahu said the ground incursion Israel recently began would create pressure on Hamas to free hostages without explaining how. And he pushed back against requests from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations for a cease-fire, pointing out the U.S. did not agree to cease-fires after the Pearl Harbor and 9/11 attacks.

➤TANKS ON THE MOVE: Israeli tanks and infantry temporarily seized control of a strategic road linking the Gaza Strip’s north and south. The major advance appeared to be part of a plan to encircle the enclave’s biggest population center, Gaza City. The deepest push into Palestinian territory since Israeli ground troops entered the strip last week marked a new phase in the war to eradicate Islamist militant group Hamas. On Oct. 7, militants killed more than 1,400 people in a series of attacks and took more than 200 hostages. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said more than 8,000 people had been killed amid the Israeli response, but the U.S. and Israel expressed doubts about the tally’s accuracy. Some U.N. experts have said the true toll could be higher.

Israel rescues soldier kidnapped by Hamas: A female Israel Defence Forces soldier kidnapped on Oct. 7 was rescued during an overnight ground operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said Monday. Pvt. Ori Megidish is now home with her family and in good condition, the Israeli military said in a statement. She is the fifth hostage returned to Israel out of more than 200 taken captive by Hamas and brought to Gaza during the Oct. 7 attack.

➤HAMAS KILLED 'ON THE SPOT': Shani Louk's heartbroken father today said the abducted festivalgoer 'was killed on the spot' by Hamas terrorists and 'did not suffer' after the Israeli president claimed the German tattoo artist was beheaded. Nissim Louk said his 22-year-old daughter had been dancing with her friends at the Nova electronic festival near Kibbutz Reim on October 7 when the Hamas gunmen began shooting anyone they saw. Mr Louk claimed Shani and her friends tried to escape the massacre in their car but ten minutes later they were met by armed Hamas terrorists who shot at the vehicle, killing his daughter 'instantly'. He said his daughter 'did not suffer'. However, the Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog claimed today that the young festivalgoer was decapitated and that Israeli officials had found the base of her skull. It's now not clear what exactly happened to Shani before she died. 'I am truly sorry to report that we have now received news that Shani Nicole Louk has been confirmed murdered and dead. Her skull has been found,' Herzog told the German newspaper Bild. 

PROFS BACK HAMAS SUPPORTERS: More than 100 Columbia University professors signed a letter Monday defending students who supported Hamas’ “military action” in Israel on Oct. 7 and called on administrators to protect those students from “disturbing reverberations” on the Manhattan campus. As top donors vow to stop giving money to the university amid a swell of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, professors demanded that the administration protect demonstrators from doxxing efforts from trucks dubbing them “Columbia’s Leading Anti-Semites” and halt its educational outposts in Israel. The Ivy League staffers also demanded that the administration “cease issuing statements that favor the suffering and death of Israelis or Jews over the suffering and deaths of Palestinians.”


“As scholars who are committed to robust inquiry about the most challenging matters of our time, we feel compelled to respond to those who label our students antisemitic if they express empathy for the lives and dignity of Palestinians and/or if they signed a student-written statement that situated the military action begun on Oct. 7 within the larger context of the occupation of Palestine by Israel,” the letter reads.

➤U-A-W, GM HAVE DEAL: The United Auto Workers strike against Detroit’s three automakers could be over soon.  General Motors reached a tentative deal with the union following similar pacts with Ford and Chrysler-parent Stellantis. The new pacts are expected to push the companies’ labor costs higher than initially expected when talks began. The tentative agreements include a 25% general wage increase over four years. By the end of the contract’s term in 2028, most of the Detroit companies’ unionized workers would make in the mid-$80,000s annually, before overtime pay. The strike began seven weeks ago; union members will vote on the deals in the coming weeks.

➤QUESTIONS PERSIST ABOUT SHOOTER IN MAINE: Maine Governor Janet Mills on Monday refused to answer repeated questions about reports that law enforcement was made aware in September of concerns surrounding Army Reservist Robert Card, the 40-year-old man who fatally shot 18 people in Lewiston last week before apparently turning a gun on himself. “I think those questions are important,” Mills said during a State House briefing that at times became contentious, adding that questions about Card’s prior warning signs will be answered in “due course” as investigators “conduct all appropriate interviews and determine the facts of this case.” 

The Boston Globe reports Mills was asked at one point why Mainers were learning days after the tragedy that there was a warning “a month ago” about Card, an apparent reference to a CNN report indicating that the military had asked local police to check on the Army reservist after a fellow soldier voiced concerns that Card would “snap and commit a mass shooting.”

➤BIDEN ASSERTS POWER OVER AI: The Biden administration invoked emergency federal powers to assert oversight of powerful new artificial intelligence systems, part of a new executive order aimed at reining in the risks of the disruptive technology.  President Biden signed Monday an order invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act to compel major AI companies to notify the government when developing any system that poses a “serious risk to national security, national economic security or national public health and safety,” according to a White House fact sheet.  Administration officials described the measures as the strongest yet taken globally to ensure the safety of AI systems, stepping into what they see as a regulatory vacuum over a technology that could lead to job losses, privacy invasions or other harms. 

➤HEAVILY ARMED MAN WITH GUNS, AMMO AND EXPLOSIVES FOUND DEAD INSIDE POPULAR COLORADO AMUSEMENT PARK: A heavily armed man who appeared to be planning to shoot up a mountain top amusement park at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Colorado, killed himself before carrying out his plan, according to authorities. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said park officials found the 20-year-old man dead inside the park on Saturday morning before opening to the public. Authorities said the man apparently broke into the park while it was closed, adding he was armed with an AR-style rifle, a handgun and explosives.

➤LAWYERS ARGUE WHETHER THE CONSTITUTION'S 'INSURRECTION' CLAUSE BLOCKS TRUMP FROM THE 2024 BALLOT: Colorado lawyers are seeking to disqualify former President Donald Trump from running for the White House again, arguing that his role in the January 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol violates the Constitution's insurrection clause. This case could set new precedents in constitutional law. Attorney Eric Olson pointed to Trump's violent rhetoric and his encouragement of the Capitol attack, stating that Trump "summoned and organized the mob."

According to The Associated Press, Trump's legal team and campaign argue that the lawsuit is a Democratic attempt to hinder his presidential ambitions. The hearing in Colorado is the first of two lawsuits that may reach the U.S. Supreme Court, as they center on whether Trump's actions on January 6th disqualify him from holding higher office under the 14th Amendment's Section Three. Witnesses at the hearing recounted details of the Capitol assault, including the experiences of law enforcement officers defending the building.

🍔MCDONALD'S REVENUE SOARS AS IT HIKES MENU PRICES: $18 BIG MACS': In the latest quarter, McDonald's reported a 14% increase in revenue, citing "strategic menu price increases" as the driving force behind the surge. The fast-food giant brought in $6.69 billion in revenue for the three months ending September 30, surpassing analyst expectations. While specific price increases weren't disclosed, some McDonald's locations have reportedly implemented significant price hikes on menu items. 

According to The New York Post, the company's net income also rose from the same period the previous year, and same-store sales in the US increased by 8.1%, primarily attributed to these price increases. One branch in Darien, Conn., charged as much as $18 for a Big Mac combo meal, which includes medium fries and a medium soft drink. McDonald's plans to raise menu item prices just over 10% for the full year, marking the second consecutive annual 10% price hike. 

➤PHARMACY STAFF FROM CVS, WALGREENS STORES IN U.S. START THREE-DAY WALKOUT: Some employees at CVS Health Corp and Walgreens Boots Alliance's U.S. pharmacies launched a three-day walkout starting Monday to push the companies to improve working conditions and add more staff to their stores. The walkout, which has been dubbed "Pharmageddon" on social media platforms such as Meta's Facebook where it was largely planned, started on Monday and led to the closing of some stores in New York City.

➤ROBERT DE NIRO ON TRIAL: Robert De Niro took the stand on Monday in New York City for a trial stemming from a lawsuit filed by his former personal assistant, accusing the actor of being a harsh boss. During his testimony, De Niro, who is a two-time Oscar-winning actor recognized for his roles in films like "The Deer Hunter" and "Raging Bull," managed to keep his composure despite moments of apparent irritability. He eventually exclaimed, "This is all nonsense!" in response to the allegations. The trial revolves around the employment of Graham Chase Robinson, who worked for De Niro from 2008 to 2019 and was paid $300,000-a-year as his vice president of production and finance. Robinson has sued De Niro for $12 million, citing severe emotional distress and reputational harm.

🏈NFL LIONS 26 RAIDERS 14: The Detroit Lions didn't make it easy on themselves Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. But despite multiple, self-inflicted wounds by the team's offense, including a trio of turnovers, the defense rebounded from its dismantling in Baltimore a week earlier to propel the team to victory at Ford Field, 26-14.  After giving up more than 500 yards to the Ravens their last game, the Lions (6-2) held the Raiders offense to 157 yards and seven points, with the other half of the opposition's scoring coming via a second-half pick-six.

⚾MLB RANGERS 3 D-BACKS 1:  Corey Seager already owns a World Series Most Valuable Player trophy, from 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Texas Rangers shortstop is making a case for another after hitting his second two-run home run of the 2023 Fall Classic on Monday. His latest blast capped a three-run third inning and led the Texas Rangers a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the World Series. Seager also turned in a key defensive play to prevent potential runs.

Despite the early exit of starter Max Scherzer, the Rangers grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 will be played Tuesday night in Phoenix. With Texas up 1-0 after a two-out, run-scoring single from Marcus Semien, Seager hit his fifth home run of the postseason, this one off Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt. 

Pfaadt, a rookie, had been impressive in his three most recent postseason starts, allowing only two runs allowed over 14 innings to go with 18 strikeouts. But Seager connected on a first-pitch changeup that was high in the strike zone, and the ball sailed into the seats in right field.

🏈PATRIOTS' LEADING RECEIVER KENDRICK BOURNE HAS TORN ACL: Follow-up tests Monday revealed that New England Patriots leading receiver Kendrick Bourne tore his right ACL, according to a source. The injury ends Bourne's seventh season in the NFL, which was on pace to be his best, as he faces a recovery that a source estimates in the six- to eight-month range.

🏈GIANTS QB DANIEL JONES CLEARED FOR RETURN FROM NECK INJURY: New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was cleared for contact and is expected to play Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Brian Daboll announced Monday. Jones was dealing with a neck injury and was a limited participant in practice the past two weeks. But the final step was passing tests from doctors and being cleared for contact. The sources said the positive news came on Sunday morning, hours before the Giants finished with a franchise-worst minus-9 passing yards in a 13-10 overtime loss to the New York Jets.

🏈GIANTS TRADE DL LEANARD WILLIAMS TO SEAHAWKS FOR TWO PICKS: The New York Giants traded defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday in exchange for a pair of draft picks. In exchange for Williams, the Seahawks sent a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round selection to the Giants.

✞MLB GREAT DIES: Frank Howard, whose towering 6-foot-7 presence as a slugging outfielder and first baseman was followed by a coaching career featuring stops in Queens and The Bronx, died Monday due to “complications from a stroke.: He was 87.

Howard’s MLB career began with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958, but after seven years, he was traded to the Washington Senators and became a fixture in the city’s baseball scene. Following his retirement in 1973, Howard embarked on a coaching journey that featured a 116-game stint as Mets manager in 1983 and a stint as a Yankees coach, as well as stops with the Rays (as a coach) and the Padres (as manager in 1981).



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