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Tuesday, November 14, 2023

11/14 WAKE-UP CALL: Gaza Hospital Under Siege


Israeli troops reached at least one of the gates of Gaza’s largest hospital where Israel says Hamas conceals a major center of operations, while medical staff reported deteriorating conditions inside because of a lack of supplies and electricity.VThe Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Israeli military vehicles were at the southeast gate of Al-Shifa Hospital, and an Israeli military spokesman confirmed that troops had reached one of the gates. Israel alleges that Hamas runs four underground complexes and a command-and-control center at the hospital, a claim Hamas denies.

Thousands of people in the hospital, including patients and doctors, have largely been cut off from the outside world for three days, amid what medical workers describe as relentless gunfire around the hospital buildings. “It’s still a total siege—no one can get out or come in,” said Marwan Abusada, the head of surgery at Al-Shifa. A few people were able to leave Monday morning, but another group returned after coming under fire near the gate, he said.

➤BIDEN WANTS HOSPITAL PROTECTED:  Public health officials say hospitals in Gaza City are in peril amid a fuel shortage that's rendered them inoperable as escalating combat between Israeli ground forces and militants approaches the facilities. At Al Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, Israeli ground forces are closing in as more than 3,500 staffers, patients and sheltering civilians remain inside. Israeli military officials say several hospitals are housing Hamas militants, either inside the facilities or in tunnels beneath them. Hamas officials denied the claims. President Joe Biden said Monday the hospitals "must be protected'' and expressed a desire for "less intrusive action'' from the Israeli military in its battle against Hamas.

➤HOSTAGES BELIEVED KEPT AT HOSPITAL:  The Israeli military shared video and photographs on Monday showing what it said were weapons stored by Hamas in the basement of a children's hospital in Gaza where it also said hostages appear to have been held. Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said troops had found a command centre with an armoury of weapons including grenades, suicide vests and other explosives stored by Hamas fighters in the basement of Rantissi Hospital, a paediatric hospital with a specialty in treating cancer patients.

"And we also found signs that indicate that Hamas held hostages here," he told a televised briefing. "This is currently under our investigation. But we also have intelligence that verifies it." He showed footage of what appeared to be rudimentary living quarters, including a small kitchen, as well as a nearby tunnel shaft which he said led to ​​the house of a senior Hamas naval commander.  "Hamas took all this area under its control and conducted its war against Israelis from this hospital," he said.

➤WIDER WAR FEARED: B Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Israeli military are stepping up cross-border attacks against each other, and Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq are striking American troops. At the same time, Israeli forces pressed on with the assault on Gaza where a humanitarian crisis continued. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militant group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other countries.

➤BIDEN, XI HOPING TO MAKE DRUG DEAL: Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are set to shake hands on a deal that would see Beijing crack down on the manufacture and supply of fentanyl to the US. The two leaders will meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in San Francisco - their first meeting since November 2022 amid ratcheting global tensions. Democrat leaders have been scrambling to clean up the City by the Bay for Xi's visit - ironically in the grips of a fentanyl crisis which China has been fueling. Steel barriers have been erected around the major thoroughfares and drug-addicted vagrants booted off the streets - a kindness the woke government has failed to show its own taxpayers. 

It comes as Xi's propaganda machine has been unashamedly slamming San Francisco as a 'hell' on Earth ahead of his visit - while Chinese businesses are supplying Mexican cartels with the lethal synthetic opioids that are destroying American cities. Under the deal - which is still being finalized - China would go after chemical companies to stem the flow of both fentanyl and the source material used to make the deadly synthetic opioid, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the agreement. In return, the Biden administration would lift restrictions on China’s forensic police institute, the people said, an entity the US alleges is responsible for human-rights abuses. 

➤HALEY, DeSANTIS HOPING FOR NEW SUPPORT: Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are trying to take advantage of Tim Scott’s exit from the Republican presidential field by scooping up his supporters, endorsers and donors in a race that remains dominated by former President Donald Trump. The South Carolina senator announced his exit late Sunday following lackluster performances in three GOP primary debates and single-digit polling in Iowa, where Scott had heavily focused his campaign and nomination voting starts in just two months.

An Iowa Poll released late last month showed Scott with the support of 7% of likely participants in the state’s Republican caucuses, while another 10% listed him as their second choice and one in three said they were actively considering him.  Haley, the former United Nations ambassador, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, stand to benefit the most from his exit because they have emerged as the leading candidates for GOP voters searching for a Trump alternative. Both have expressed an eagerness for a one-on-one matchup against the former president.


➤MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT DERAILS: The House voted Monday evening to set aside a long-shot bid from conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Lawmakers effectively dismissed the resolution by a bipartisan vote of 209-201 by referring it to the House Homeland Security Committee. That blocked the push from Greene, who introduced the resolution as "privileged," which forced the lower chamber to consider it on the floor within two legislative days. Eight Republicans joined all Democrats to defeat the measure: Cliff Bentz of California, Ken Buck of Colorado, Darrell Issa of California, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Tom McClintock of California, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, John Duarte of California and Mike Turner of Ohio.

➤SUPREMES ISSUE CODE OF CONDUCT: The Supreme Court issued its first-ever code of conduct after several scandals. The 15-page document said it largely compiled practices the nine justices informally followed anyway. Rules include a ban on speaking at partisan political events and the directive to consider whether appearing before any group “would create an appearance of impropriety.” A series of ProPublica and other news reports this year detailed previously undisclosed vacations and other favors wealthy benefactors provided Justice Clarence Thomas, along with potentially questionable conduct by several other justices.

✞MARYANNE TRUMP BARRY, OLDER SISTER OF DONALD TRUMP, HAS DIED AT 86: SOURCES: Maryanne Trump Barry, the older sister of former President Donald Trump and a former federal judge, has died, according to sources. She was 86 years old. She was discovered in her Fifth Avenue apartment at about 4 a.m. There were no signs of trauma or foul play. Emergency crews responded to a call of a person in cardiac arrest, per sources.

💡ELECTRICITY DEMAND GROWING: The increase comes from industrial users connecting to the grid, population growth and more extreme weather. The coming years are expected to bring increased computing power for artificial intelligence, wider adoption of electric vehicles and reshored manufacturing. Grid operators across the U.S. warn that power-generating capacity is struggling to keep up and that gaps could lead to rolling blackouts during hot or cold weather extremes.

🤶'SWIFTMAS' IS HERE: Swifties crashed Taylor Swift's store site after a new Christmas merchandise drop was announced at 3 p.m. EST. The "Christmas Tree Farm" singer overhauled her merch store (store.taylorswift.com) to capitalize on everyone Christmas shopping for "Swiftmas" (a phrase trademarked by Swift). If you buy all 60+ ornaments from the 10 eras (priced $15-$25 each), it would cost $1,240.BIt's no surprise the site went down for an hour. According to InsuranceQuotes.com, 9% of Americans plan to buy a Taylor Swift-related gift. Their 2023 Porch Pirate report says this includes tickets, merchandise or clothing.

🏈NFL BRONCOS 24 BILLS 22: Wil Lutz converted a 36-yard field goal as time expired Monday night, lifting the Denver Broncos to a 24-22 win over the mistake-plagued Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. Buffalo (5-5) took a 22-21 lead with 1:55 left in the game on Josh Allen's 6-yard touchdown run, but Russell Wilson subsequently led a 57-yard drive that was aided, fittingly, by two huge errors from the Bills. On third-and-10 from the Buffalo 45, Wilson's deep throw for Jerry Jeudy fell incomplete, but Taron Johnson was flagged for contacting Jeudy before the ball got there. The 28-yard mark-off moved the ball to the 17.

🏈MICHIGAN'S JIM HARBAUGH PLANS TO ATTEND COURT HEARING: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said he plans to attend a court hearing Friday where a judge will hear arguments on whether to grant a restraining order that would nullify the Big Ten's three-game suspension of the coach.

"I'm going to talk on Friday," Harbaugh said. "I'm just looking forward to that opportunity -- due process. I'm not looking for special treatment, not looking for a popularity contest, just looking for the merit of what the case is."

🏀SOURCES: NUGGETS' MICHAEL MALONE TO BE AMONG HIGHEST- PAID COACHES: Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone has agreed on a contract extension that will make him one of the NBA's highest-paid coaches. Malone's new deal comes in the aftermath of leading the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship, the first in the franchise's history.

🏈PATRIOTS WAIVE CB JACK JONES AFTER TWO SEASONS: The New England Patriots waived second-year cornerback Jack Jones on Monday. Jones was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of Arizona State and played 13 games (two starts) as a rookie while totaling two interceptions.

⚾CORBIN CARROLL, GUNNAR HENDERSON WIN NL, AL ROY UNANIMOUSLY: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll were named Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues, MLB announced Monday. They both won unanimously, the fifth time in the history of the awards both winners earned all of the first-place votes.



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