Monday, December 18, 2023

12/18 WAKE-UP CALL: Biden Safe After Car Collides with Motorcade


A car barreled into a parked SUV protecting President Biden’s motorcade Sunday night as the commander in chief was leaving his campaign headquarters in Delaware. Biden was walking from the campaign office to his armored SUV when a silver sedan crashed into a US Secret Service vehicle that was used to close off the intersection near the headquarters for Biden’s departure.

The sedan, which sustained bumper damage, then tried to drive into a closed-off intersection before Secret Service agents swarmed the vehicle with weapons pulled and forced the driver to surrender.  Biden was taken into his car, where his wife, first lady Jill Biden, was already waiting before they were quickly driven home. It was not immediately clear Sunday night whether the driver, whose car had Delaware plates, acted intentionally or whether his actions were politically motivated.

Before the incident, Jill Biden first walked into the vehicle after leaving campaign offices in downtown Wilmington around 8:07 p.m. Then the president exited the campaign headquarters, and moments after he responded to a shouted question from the press, a loud bang went off, which seemed to surprise Biden, according to the White House press pool report. Biden and his wife visited campaign headquarters Sunday night where they ate pasta with tomato sauce with members of his election team.

➤FAMILY BURIES ISRAELI MAN MISTAKENLY KILLED BY IDF: The family of an Israeli man who fled Hamas captivity in Gaza only to be killed by confused Israeli troops buried their hero Sunday, his brothers blaming the government and military for his death. Alon Shamriz, 26, was one of three Israelis who waved white flags at Israeli troops Friday but were shot and killed. The military blamed the heat of battle for the tragedy. Shamriz was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants, one of more than 240 people kidnapped and rushed back to Gaza that day. More than half remain in captivity. Many families have accused the Israeli government of abandoning their loved ones by failing to negotiate their release.

The death of three Israeli hostages in Gaza shot and killed by Israel’s own military Friday in a case of mistaken identity has sparked fresh anger among the families of captives kidnapped by Hamas and renewed questions about the conduct of the war. That is translating into growing political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a deal to get back the hostages, scores of whom are believed to still be held by Hamas;

➤MASSIVE GAZA TUNNEL UNVEILED: New video reveals “the biggest Hamas tunnel” yet discovered by Israel — and includes eerie footage of the Palestinian terrorists building it. The building of the massive 2.5-mile-long labyrinth was overseen by Mohammad Sinwar, the brother of Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar, Israeli officials said Sunday.

The Israel Defense Forces said the newly discovered massive tunnel under Gaza is wide enough to allow vehicles and heavy equipment to travel through it and equipped in sections with railroad-like tracks, electricity and ventilation systems.

“This tunnel system branches out and spans well over four kilometers (2.5 miles). Its entrance is located only 400 meters (1,310 feet) from the Erez Crossing—used by Gazans on a daily basis to enter Israel for work and medical treatment in Israeli hospitals,” the Israeli army wrote.

➤UKRAINE AID IFFY:  Ukraine aid remains up in the air as U.S. border talks go to the wire. Senate negotiators are working to strike an 11th-hour deal tightening immigration rules before a self-imposed deadline of Sunday evening in exchange for tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine. The aid package is seen by President Biden and much of Congress as crucial to keeping Russia from gaining a critical advantage almost two years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers have been at an impasse for months, after GOP lawmakers said that any efforts to help Ukraine must also include provisions to stop a historic level of illegal migration at the U.S. southern border.

➤DEM CAPITOL STAFFER FIRED OVER GAY SEXTAPE: A Capitol Hill staffer accused of filming himself having gay sex in a congressional hearing room has been separated from his job in Senator Ben Cardin’s office. “Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate.  We will have no further comment on this personnel matter.” The pornographic video was posted online Friday, showing two men having sex on the dais of a Senate hearing room. 

According to The Daily Caller, which first reported the footage, a congressional staffer shot the act inside the Senate Judiciary Committee room located inside of the Hart Senate Office Building. Maese-Czeropski also has threatened to take legal action after he was identified on social media as the staffer in the video. The U.S. Capitol Police has opened an investigation into the matter.

🏡HOUSING EXPECTED TO DRAG INFLATION DOWN:  Despite record home prices, housing is about to drag inflation down. Consumer prices are cooling, raising optimism that some measures of inflation could return to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2% early in 2024. The single most important factor standing in the way is shelter. Home prices rose 3.4% in October from a year earlier, hitting a record for that month, according to the National Association of Realtors. So it might seem strange that shelter inflation is expected to slow. Driving the dichotomy are the lagged effect of slowing rents and the mechanics of how inflation is calculated, Gabriel T. Rubin writes. Data from the Fed's favored measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures report, due out this week, will provide further clues on the state of the economy.

➤CBS NEWS POLL: HALEY GAINS ON TRUMP: In New Hampshire, Donald Trump maintains his lead, but Nikki Haley has emerged as the primary alternative among non-Trump voters. Haley receives favorable marks for being likable, reasonable, and prepared, positioning herself as a top contender against Trump. Despite Trump's double-digit lead, he falls behind Haley in likability and reasonability. Trump's strength lies in being perceived as a strong leader and as someone who could defeat Joe Biden.


According to CBS News, Trump has strengthened his lead in Iowa, with supporters viewing him as a strong leader who represents Iowa values. The MAGA movement significantly supports Trump in Iowa. The differences in candidate preferences highlight distinct priorities among Trump and non-Trump voters. Haley benefits from New Hampshire's more moderate electorate, making inroads among moderates and independents. These groups express openness

➤CHRISTIE RIPS TRUMP: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie claims that Donald Trump is only getting 'crazier' through the 2024 election and says Nikki Haley 'should be ashamed of herself' for not condemning him. And while Christie isn't ruling out working with Haley to defeat the ex-president in the primary, he is worried that she is 'enabling' him by saying he is fit to serve another term.

'He gets worse and worse by the day, Jake, and voters better start paying attention to exactly what he's saying,' the anti-Trump candidate said Sunday when speaking with CNN State of the Union host Jake Tapper. Specifically, Christie was disgusted with Trump quoting Russia President Vladimir Putin during a campaign rally speech in New Hampshire on Saturday evening.

'Donald Trump realizes the walls are closing in,' Christie said Sunday. 'He's becoming crazier. And now he's citing Vladimir Putin as a character witness, a guy who is a murderous thug all around the world.'

➤EARLY RISERS MAY HAVE INHERITED A FASTER BODY CLOCK FROM NEANDERTHALS: Early risers may have inherited genetic variants from Neanderthals that increased their odds of being morning rather than evening people, new research has found. While the human body clock is a complex trait shaped by social and cultural norms as well as genetics, Neanderthals, who evolved at high latitudes in Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years, may have been better adapted to seasonal variation in daylight compared with early Homo sapiens, or modern humans. Early modern humans evolved in latitudes closer to the equator in Africa, where there’s less variation in daylight hours.

🏈NFL RAVENS 23 JAGS 7:  Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely and the Baltimore Ravens clinched an AFC playoff spot with a 23-7 victory over the host Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday night. Gus Edwards added a rushing score for Baltimore (11-3), which has won four straight games and eight of its past nine. Jackson completed 14 of 24 passes for 171 yards and an interception and added 97 yards on 12 rushes. Likely caught five passes for 70 yards and Justin Tucker kicked three field goals for the Ravens.

Trevor Lawrence completed 25 of 43 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown but also lost two fumbles for the Jaguars. Jamal Agnew caught a touchdown pass for Jacksonville (8-6), which lost its third straight game and fell into a tie for the AFC South lead with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans

🏈NFL BILLS 31 COWBOYS 10:  James Cook rushed for a career-high 179 yards and totaled two touchdowns to propel the Buffalo Bills to a 31-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y. Cook reeled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen early in the second quarter and rushed for a 24-yard score early in the fourth. The second-year running back also set career-high totals in carries (25) and scrimmage yards (221).

Allen, who threw for just 94 yards, passed for a touchdown and rushed for another for an NFL-record 10th game in a single season. He bullied his way in from 1 yard out with 1:36 left in the second quarter to set the record he previously shared with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (2020). The Bills (8-6) posted their second straight win by limiting the Cowboys' top-ranked scoring offense to just 195 total yards and 14 first downs.

Dallas' Dak Prescott threw for just 134 yards and an interception and CeeDee Lamb rushed for a 3-yard touchdown. The Cowboys (10-4) clinched a postseason berth for the third straight season prior to the game. They punched their ticket after the Atlanta Falcons dropped a 9-7 decision to the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers fell 34-20 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier Sunday. In addition to the lopsided result, Dallas also lost All-Pro right guard Zack Martin to a left quadriceps injury late in the first quarter. He was injured on a hit by Greg Rousseau and was ruled out for the contest after halftime.


🏈ZACH WILSON CONCUSSED AS JETS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION: The New York Jets' season, initially filled with optimism inspired by Aaron Rodgers, took a downturn with a crushing 30-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The defeat, coupled with ongoing quarterback issues, led to the Jets being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year. The loss extended their status as the team with the longest active playoff drought among the four major sports leagues.

🏀G LEAGUE BASKETBALL PLAYER TO FACE MURDER CHARGE IN LAS VEGAS: Chance Comanche, a G League player with the Stockton Kings, and a 19-year-old woman will face open murder charges in the death of a 23-year-old woman who had gone missing in Las Vegas, police announced Sunday. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that the remains of Marayna Rodgers, a medical assistant from Washington state who last was seen in the Las Vegas area, were found in a desert area in Henderson, Nevada.

⚾SHOHEI OHTANI, RONALD ACUÑA JR. WINS MLB'S HANK AARON AWARDS: Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr. were named the winners of the 2023 Hank Aaron Awards by Major League Baseball on Saturday. These awards recognize the most outstanding offensive performers in each league, determined through fan balloting and votes from a panel of Hall of Famers and former winners. Notably, both Ohtani and Acuna Jr. had previously secured Most Valuable Player awards in the voting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, with Ohtani achieving the distinction of being the first two-time unanimous MVP.



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