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Tuesday, January 30, 2024

1/30 WAKE-UP CALL: Biden Admin Vows 'All Necessary Action'



The United States vowed to take "all necessary actions" to defend American forces after a drone attack killed three U.S. troops in Jordan, while Qatar said it hoped U.S. retaliation would not damage regional security or undercut progress toward a new Gaza hostage-release deal. Sunday's attack by Iran-backed militants was the first deadly strike against U.S. troops since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday the United States did not want a wider war with Iran or in the region, "but we got to do what we have to do."

Iran has denied any role. Biden has previously ordered retaliatory attacks on Iran-backed groups but has so far stopped short of hitting Iran directly. "Have no doubt - we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing," Biden said on Sunday.

In Gaza, Israel launched an assault on the Hamas-ruled enclave's biggest city. Residents of Gaza City said air strikes killed and wounded many people, while tanks shelled eastern areas and naval vessels fired at western beachfront areas. Israel said late last year it had largely completed operations in northern Gaza and has recently aimed the brunt of its might at southern Gaza. The renewed push in Gaza City, where residents reported fierce gun battles near the main Al-Shifa Hospital, suggested that the war was not going to plan.

➤DRONE MIX-UP LED TO TRAGEDY: A mix-up at a U.S. base in Jordan may have allowed an exploding drone to elude defenses, killing three soldiers and injuring at least 40 early Sunday in an attack American and NATO officials are blaming on Iran.  The hostile drone apparently was mistaken for a U.S. drone that was in the area at the same time, letting it get through and detonate, according to initial assessments cited Monday by two U.S. officials.

The officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, stressed that the information was preliminary. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he couldn't confirm the report.


➤KJP RIPPED FOR COMMENTS: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre triggered outrage Monday after saying three US troops killed by a weekend drone strike in Jordan had died “fighting on behalf of the administration” rather than America.

Three Army soldiers were killed and more than 40 others wounded in the early Sunday drone attack targeting Tower 22, a US outpost along Jordan’s border with Syria. President Biden vowed Sunday that America “shall respond” to the attack, but US officials have not elaborated on what that response might look like. Jean-Pierre was pilloried for her remarks on social media.

➤U-N EMPLOYEES HELPED TERRORIST OCT 7:  At least 12 employees of the U.N.’s Palestinian refugee agency had connections to Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, according to intelligence reports. Six U.N. Relief and Works Agency workers were part of the Palestinian militants’ attack three and a half months ago. Two of them helped kidnap Israelis; two others were tracked to sites where scores of Israeli civilians were killed. Others coordinated logistics for the assault, including procuring weapons. 

Around 1,200 of Unrwa’s roughly 12,000 employees in Gaza have ties to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and an estimated 49% have close relatives who belong to the groups, which the U.S. and others have designated terrorist organizations. Unrwa said that an internal U.N. investigation was under way. Hamas has run Gaza since a 2007 coup.

➤DOOR BOLTS BELIEVED MISSING: Critical bolts for an Alaska Airlines jet’s door plug that blew off in midair appear to have been missing when the plane left Boeing’s factory. The company and other industry officials increasingly believe the plane maker’s employees failed to put back the bolts when they reinstalled the part on the 737 MAX 9 after opening or removing it during production, according to people familiar with the matter. This is based partly on an apparent absence of bolt markings as well as factory paperwork and process lapses, according to some of them. Airlines have found loose hardware on some MAX 9 jets. In other transportation news, Tesla’s recall fix for its Autopilot software is irritating drivers and disappointing safety advocates.

➤MURDAUGH TRIAL RE-DO DENIED: A South Carolina judge ruled Monday that disbarred South Carolina attorney Richard "Alex" Murdaugh will not get a new murder trial after his attorneys accused a court clerk of jury tampering. Murdaugh, who was convicted on March 2, 2023 in the murders of his wife and younger son and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, levied jury tampering allegations against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill in September. Hill has denied the allegations in a sworn statement. Former S.C. Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal was appointed to hear those allegations in full and determine if Murdaugh, 55, legally deserved a new trial.

➤IRANIAN MAN AND TWO HELLS ANGELS ACCUSED IN MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT IN U.S.: The U.S. Justice Department has unveiled an indictment revealing an international assassination network based in Iran that allegedly attempted to hire hitmen from the Hells Angels motorcycle club to kill a dissident who had sought refuge in the United States. Canadian Hells Angels member Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43, worked in collaboration with Iranian narcotics trafficker Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49, to plan the assassination of an Iranian defector living in Maryland between December 2020 and March 2021. Ryan, set to receive $350,000 for the killing, recruited fellow Canadian Adam Richard Pearson, 29, for assistance. Both Ryan and Pearson are currently incarcerated for unrelated criminal matters.

➤TRUMP TAX RETURN LEAKER SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON: A former IRS consultant, Charles Littlejohn, has been sentenced to five years in prison for leaking not only former President Donald Trump's tax returns but also the filings of numerous other wealthy individuals to the news media. A district court judge, concurring with the Justice Department, imposed the maximum statutory sentence, citing the "egregious" nature of the crimes.

➤STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS TO RESUME: Most student loan borrowers in a recent survey said they aren’t cutting back on their spending habits, even after payments resumed in October for the first time in more than three years.  Less than half of the borrowers who responded to a University of Michigan poll said the return to repayment caused them to spend less. Roughly three in 10 said they’re now saving less money. “The results show that a relatively small minority of Americans reduced their spending following the resumption of student loan payments,” researchers concluded in the survey, which was published last week.  The findings are based on a poll of about 550 borrowers with outstanding student loan debt who were surveyed between late September and mid-January.

Will She Do It?
➤JOE NEEDS TAYLOR'S SUPPORT: Joe Biden’s campaign is hoping to get Swifties on board to boost his reputation (Taylor’s Version) going into the 2024 presidential election. As the President’s approval ratings currently sit at historic lows, his team is reportedly looking to ignite momentum by seeking an endorsement from one of the country’s biggest superstars: Taylor Swift. Hey, it worked for NFL ratings! The New York Times reports that White House aides are apparently brainstorming how to get the “Karma” singer officially on board to publicly support the campaign heading into the November election. The outlet also reported one idea that was jokingly proposed as a part of their “Taylor Swift strategy” was to send the commander-in-chief to one of her “Eras Tour” dates. Swift’s tour is currently on its international leg, so the idea was more than likely suggested during the U.S. leg last year.

➤TOYOTA SELLS MOST CARS: Toyota Motor, opens new tab sold a record 11.2 million vehicles in 2023, it said on Tuesday, taking the crown as the world's top-selling automaker for a fourth straight year.  The Japanese automaker reported a 7.2% jump in global group sales last year, including those of truck unit Hino Motors (7205.T), opens new tab and small-car maker Daihatsu, helped by record overseas sales of 8.9 million vehicles. Second-ranked German rival Volkswagen Group earlier this month reported a 12% rise in deliveries last year to 9.2 million cars, marking a post-pandemic recovery as supply chain bottlenecks eased.

🏈SOURCES: CHARGERS WORKING TO HIRE RAVENS' JOE HORTIZ AS GM: The Chargers are working to hire Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as their general manager. Hortiz will be paired with new coach Jim Harbaugh, who was hired by the team last week. Hortiz, 48, has been with the Ravens for the past 26 years, beginning as a football personnel assistant and holding his current role since 2019.

🏈REPORTS: CHIEFS PASS-RUSHER CHARLES OMENIHU HAS TORN ACL: Defensive end Charles Omenihu tore an ACL in Sunday's AFC Championship Game and won't be available to play in Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, his former team, according to multiple reports. Omenihu had a career-high seven sacks this season, his first with the Chiefs, despite missing the first six games with an NFL suspension. He had a strip sack of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday before leaving with the injury.

✞EX-RED SOX, BLUE JAYS, ASTROS MANAGER JIMY WILLIAMS DIES AT 80: Jimy Williams, the former manager of the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, has passed away at the age of 80. Williams, named the American League Manager of the Year in 1999, led the Red Sox to two consecutive playoff appearances. He accumulated 910 wins over his managerial career. Williams died at AdventHealth North Pinellas Hospital in Florida after a brief illness.

⚾ANGELS, OF AARON HICKS AGREE TO DEAL; YANKEES ON HOOK FOR $19M: The Los Angeles Angels agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks on Monday, adding him to an outfield mix that includes Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell. Hicks is still under the seven-year, $70 million contract he originally signed with the New York Yankees, which extends through the 2025 season. The deal pays Hicks $9.5 million in 2024 and $9.5 million in 2025 and includes a $1 million buyout for a club option in 2026. The Yankees are still responsible for all of it minus the major league minimum of $740,000 the Angels will pay him in 2024.

➤TUESDAY'S WEATHER MAP:


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