10/13/23
Good morning! It’s Friday, October 13th.
SpooOOOoooky!
And now, the news.
Update on Israel-Hamas War
-via NBC News, NBC News, ABC News, and Washington Post
As we have all week, we start with Israel-Hamas War, where the death toll, as of this recording, is over 1,300 dead in Israel, 1,500 in Gaza, a number that includes more than 500 children. Also, as of this recording, at least 27 Americans have been killed.
As Hamas fired rockets towards Tel Aviv, Israel’s airstrikes continued, saying their “complete siege” will continue until Hamas releases the 100-150 hostages they have in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Netanyahu, who showed him photos and videos of Hamas’ attack. Photos and videos Blinken described as “simply depravity in the worst imaginable way."
Meanwhile, although in yesterday’s episode I recalled the FBI and Homeland Security’s PSA about staying vigilante but noted that they specifically said there were currently no known threats – things have changed a little bit, as some radical groups are calling for a “Global Day of Rage” in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Though multiple law enforcement agencies have said none of the online threats are “specific and credible,” local and federal law enforcement agencies are boosting patrols of Jewish houses of worship, Jewish-owned businesses, and Israeli diplomatic buildings.
Additionally, parents are being urged to remove social media access from their kids as Hamas promises to kill, and then broadcast, the killing of hostages.
And then there’s Trump, who, in an interview with Fox News Radio, criticized Netanyahu for not knowing about this attack, and then, to make it even worse, he complimented the terrorist organization Hezbollah, who is Iran-aligned and based in Lebanon. Literally saying, “You know, Hezbollah is very smart. They’re all very smart.”
Which is just… impressively stupid.
All week, all of these episodes have been really hard. Hard to know what to say. Hard to know what to include and what not to. Really, really hard to read the descriptions of what’s happening to people, both in Israel and in Gaza. This is just a really hard story and I was trying to think about what to say in this episode because it’s Friday and who knows what this weekend will bring, and to be honest… I couldn’t come up with anything. Here’s all I’ve got: be safe and be kind this weekend – to others and yourself.
Update on the House
-via Washington Post
The other story that I’ve covered all week is the search for a new House Speaker. And I’ll be honest – all week it’s been a little funny to watch the Republicans eat their own, mostly because usually that party is trying to ban books and the right to bodily autonomy. So like – yes. Please fail. Fail miserably.
But now at this point, or maybe I’m just tired, but at this point I’m furious. Because it’s Friday, and the House still does not have a Speaker. Nor is it even close. And none of the Republicans seem to really understand the urgency. Ohio Rep Max Miller thinks the interim Speaker should be granted more power, so that the House can take more time, maybe two months, to make this choice. “We have to make a real fundamental change here within Congress. … We want to take the time to get it right.”
Dude. Get it together. The time for this was January, before you chose McCarthy. We’re going to make a fundamental change next year, but in the meantime, you are a whole half of a whole branch of the federal government. Pick someone and get a move on.
Absolutely mortifying.
Sen. Bob Menendez
-via AP News
And it’s not like things are so great in the Senate either.
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has a new charge against him – this time he’s being accused of conspiring to act as an agent of the Egyptian government, a clear violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
More than 30 Senate Democrats have now called on Menendez to resign, but Sen. Majority Leader Schumer is not one of those 30, so don’t expect a vote to expel before a trial.
I think I’m just in a mood but like… okay so no consequences? He had gold bars in a jacket with his name on it!
And that’s it. That’s the news.
Kind of.
Look, it’s Friday. Let’s just take it easy on ourselves okay. Take it easy on your friends. Check in with them. Be thoughtful about what, if anything you’re posting on social media. Be thoughtful about the conversations you have.
Eat ice cream. Take a bath. Watch Notting Hill. And yes, these are also things I’m probably going to do this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you should do that too. Or whatever the equivalent of those things is for you.
We’re here. We’re doing our best. That’s all we can do.
And because all we can do is all you ever do… I’m proud of you.