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☆ US not anticipating Israeli forces to enter Rafah at the start of Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Mj Lee | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is not anticipating that Israeli forces will imminently expand their military operations into Rafah, two US officials told CNN, with the holy month of Ramadan set to begin Monday for most Muslims. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that regardless of a deal, he plans to send the military into Rafah. “Once we begin the intense action of eradicating the Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, it’s a matter of weeks, if not months. Families are already living with severe shortages of food, water, medicine and shelter, and the daily risk of being killed. CIA Director Bill Burns, who has led US efforts, was back in the Middle East last week meeting with Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli counterparts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Benny Gantz, Ramadan, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ We’ll, We’re, ” Netanyahu, Axel Springer, “, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Netanyahu, ”, Bill Burns, –, John Kirby, CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey, Michelle Shen Organizations: CNN, Hamas, MSNBC, Politico, United Nations, CIA, Biden White, National Security, House Locations: Rafah, Washington, Gaza, “, it’s, Israel

☆ Meet Sen. Katie Britt: The 42-year-old Alabama Republican who gave the GOP response to Biden's State of the Union
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Katie Britt delivered the GOP's official response to the 2023 State of the Union. AdvertisementAlabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman to ever be elected to the US Senate, gave the GOP's official response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union on Thursday night. While delivering the State of the Union response is considered a thankless task, then-Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Sen. Rand Paul all delivered their respective responses before later running for the Republican presidential nomination. Then-Rep. Paul Ryan delivered the GOP's 2011 response and less than two years later was tapped to be then-former Massachusetts Gov.

Persons: Sen, Katie Britt, Britt, Joe Biden, —, Alabama Sen, Joe Biden's, Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Rubio, Joseph Kennedy III Organizations: Union, Service, Alabama, Republican, Massachusetts Gov, Arkansas Gov, White House, Trump Locations: Joe Biden's State, Massachusetts

☆ Biden says he'll ban TikTok if Congress passes bill, but he's campaigning on it until then
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Nathan Howard | ReutersSince Biden's playful intro post, his campaign's TikTok account has notched over 222,000 followers and over 2.4 million likes. The Biden campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. On the app, users were greeted with a screenshot warning them that Congress was "planning a total ban of TikTok." TikTok goes to WashingtonU.S. political campaigns more broadly are trying to figure out how best to utilize TikTok. Last April, for instance, the White House said it was enlisting a squad of volunteer TikTok and Instagram influencers to help spread awareness of the Biden campaign.

Persons: Jaap Arriens, Joe Biden, TikTok, Maggie Macdonald, Biden, Kansas City Chiefs —, Macdonald, China's ByteDance, Troy Balderson, Shou Zi Chew, Nathan Howard, Donald Trump, Aaron Earls, Biden's, Karine Jean, Pierre, didn't, influencers, it's, Kennedy, Earls, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Anupam Chander, —, Vivek Ramaswamy, wouldn't, We've, we'll, Anish Mohanty, Mohanty, that's Organizations: Nurphoto, Kansas City Chiefs, University of Kentucky, Washington , D.C, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, CNBC, U.S . Capitol, Reuters, Republican, Democratic, Senate, White, Biden, Washington U.S, Facebook, Democratic National Committee, Climate Power, Georgetown University Law Center, Congress, Trump, TikTok, Republican Party Locations: Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Washington ,, U.S, Ohio, Washington , U.S, Washington, China, Gaza

☆ Trump-allied election groups burned through millions with no evidence of widespread fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Jonathan Ernst | ReutersThe mission of the Election Integrity Alliance, likewise, was ending election fraud. "The Election Integrity Alliance will unite groups and efforts across the nation focused on combating election fraud," the group's now-defunct website trumpeted in 2021. But Trump never publicly designated the Election Integrity Alliance as the standard bearer for the MAGA universe's election integrity efforts. AFPI also launched an election integrity effort, the Center for Election Integrity, and staffed it with former Trump White House press aide Hogan Gidley and conservative author Ken Blackwell. It even launched its own color-coded election integrity scorecard map, which looks strikingly similar to the one that the Election Integrity Alliance had created for its now-deleted website.

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, Joe Biden, Trump's, Brad Parscale, Parscale, Trump, Jonathan Ernst, Katrina Pierson, Pierson, Drew Angerer, Tim Dunn, Dunn, Jim Renacci, PCG, Jenna Ellis, Ken Paxton, Bernard Kerik, MAGA, Linda McMahon, Larry Kudlow, Brooke Rollins, AFPI, Hogan Gidley, Ken Blackwell, Cleta Mitchell Organizations: Winthrop Coliseum, South Carolina Republican, Reuters, Trump, Republican Party, CNBC, PAC, U.S, Alliance, Jefferson Rising Fund, Republican, Tower, Getty, hasn't, Partners, American, New York Police, Mar, Policy, Small Business, White, West Wing, Center, Trump White House, Heritage Foundation Locations: Rock Hill , South Carolina, U.S, United States, Manchester , New Hampshire, Texas, New York City, American, Ohio, Israel, New York, Trump, Florida, America, Palm Beach

☆ Congress averts a government shutdown, sending a short-term funding bill to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Scott Wong | Sahil Kapur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Congress sent a short-term funding bill to President Joe Biden's desk Thursday, averting a partial government shutdown this weekend and buying lawmakers more time to fund federal agencies through September. The CR is part of a broader bipartisan spending deal congressional leaders announced Wednesday that includes six of the 12 spending bills that fund federal agencies. The new CR would extend the funding deadline for half of the dozen must-pass spending bills by one week, to March 8. Leaders say that should give Congress enough time to pass all of the spending bills for the fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30. He has indicated that foreign aid will be tackled separately, without committing to allowing a vote on the Ukraine funding.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Jack Teixeira, Chuck Schumer, I've, I'm, Biden, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Veterans Affairs —, Karine Jean, Pierre said, Sen, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, Bob Good, We've Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Pentagon, Energy, Interior, Justice, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, CR, Caucus, NBC, Republican Locations: Washington , U.S, Agriculture, Commerce, Ky, Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden is fit for duty, his doctor reported Wednesday following the president’s annual physical, in what is expected to be the last update on Biden’s health before November’s election. Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a memo there are “no new concerns” with the president’s health revealed by this year’s physical. The White House said earlier Wednesday that no cognitive test was administered as O’Connor did not find it necessary. The procedure was “successfully completed” at the White House by a team from Walter Reed, O’Connor said. Reports from the White House physician over the last several decades have consistently described the office-holder as fit to serve.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin O’Connor, ” O’Connor, Biden, ”, SSRS, Karine Jean, Pierre, “ doesn’t, Donald Trump, Jonathan Reiner, ” Reiner, that’s, O’Connor, “, Biden’s, ” Biden, Lou Gehrig’s, Robert Hur, I’ve, –, seething Biden, “ I’ve, NBC’s, Seth Meyers, ” Wednesday’s Walter Reed, Walter Reed, CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Mira Cheng Organizations: Washington CNN, O’Connor, “, State, CNN, Quinnipiac University, White, US Preventive Services, Force, Medical Unit, American Medical Association, National Institutes of Health, White House Locations: Beverly Hills , California, United States

☆ Biden Summons Lawmakers to White House as Shutdown Deadline Looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Erica L. Green | Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will try to break through a deadlock on Capitol Hill over keeping the government running and providing aid for Ukraine and Israel as he convenes the top four leaders of Congress at the White House on Tuesday. Lawmakers are running out of time to strike a deal to avert another partial government shutdown. “A basic, basic priority or duty of Congress is to keep the government open,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said on Monday. He’ll have those conversations.”Separately, Mr. Biden will ask the leaders to pass critical emergency aid for Ukraine. The administration has spent months pushing for additional funding, arguing that Ukraine is running out of artillery, air defense weaponry and other munitions.

Persons: Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: Capitol Hill, White, Defense Department, White House Locations: Ukraine, Israel

☆ Biden to Convene Congressional Leaders as Partial Shutdown Looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Erica L. Green | Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday as lawmakers swiftly run out of time to strike a deal to avert another partial government shutdown. “A basic, basic priority or duty of Congress is to keep the government open,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “So, that’s what the president wants to see. He’ll have those conversations.”The spending bill is being held up by demands from hard-right lawmakers in the House, including measures to restrict abortion access, that many members will not support. Ultraconservatives have brought the government to the brink of a shutdown or a partial shutdown three times in the past six months as they try to win more spending cuts and conservative policy conditions written into how federal money is spent.

Persons: Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, Ms, Jean, Pierre said, Ultraconservatives Organizations: White, White House Locations: Ukraine, Israel

☆ From doubter to devotee: How New York’s Elise Stefanik emerged as a top Trump ally
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Stefanik has often explained it herself: She saw Trump’s popularity in her upstate New York district and got on board. That first impeachment proceeding made her a “Republican star,” as Trump himself said at the time. When there was a nationwide baby formula shortage in 2022, Stefanik blamed the “White House, House Dems, & usual pedo grifters” on social media. One upset donor told CNN in 2023 that he gave to Santos “because of Elise Stefanik’s endorsement.” Stefanik frequently denied any previous knowledge of his Santos’ history. “The American people stand with President Trump,” Stefanik wrote, “against the unethical, unconstitutional, and unprecedented weaponization of the judicial system.”CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this story.

Persons: –, Donald Trump –, Elise Stefanik, Trump’s, ”, Stefanik, Trump’s staunchest, Joe Biden’s, Claudine Gay, she’d, Paul Ryan, Trump, she’s, MAGA, “, ” Stefanik, Kevin McCarthy, Ohio Sen, J.D, Kari Lake, Kristi Noem, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Nikki Haley, Vance, Ben Carson, Jim Jordan of, Florida’s Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, Vivek Ramaswamy, ’, he’s, Nancy Pelosi, ” “, George Santos, Santos “, Elise Stefanik’s, Santos, Letitia James, Alayna Treene Organizations: CNN, Donald Trump – New York, Republican, GOP, Yorker, Harvard University, Time Magazine, Trump, California Rep, Ohio, South Dakota Gov, Arkansas Gov, White House, Conservative Political, Conference, Former South Carolina Gov, Trump Republicans, New, House Dems, ” “, New York Republican, New York Times, Washington and New York, Congress, New York, Trump’s Locations: “, America, alma mater, New York, Vance , Arizona, South, Washington, Lake, Jim Jordan of Ohio, detractor, Lago, vouching, Washington and New, Florida

☆ A State Court Ruling on I.V.F. Echoes Far Beyond Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Roni Caryn Rabin | Azeen Ghorayshi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos in test tubes should be considered children has sent shock waves through the world of reproductive medicine, casting doubt over fertility care for would-be parents in the state and raising complex legal questions with implications extending far beyond Alabama. On Tuesday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the ruling would cause “exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make.”Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Biden traveled to California, Ms. Jean-Pierre reiterated the Biden administration’s call for Congress to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law. “As a reminder, this is the same state whose attorney general threatened to prosecute people who help women travel out of state to seek the care they need,” she said, referring to Alabama, which began enforcing a total abortion ban in June 2022.

Persons: Karine Jean, Pierre, Roe, Biden, Jean, Wade Organizations: White House, Air Force Locations: Alabama, California

Mr. Biden, who promised to visit soon after the disaster, has faced criticism from Republicans and some residents for not going sooner. “The town is still very divided,” said Misti Allison, a 35-year-old resident of East Palestine, a small town in a conservative state. Even the invitation for Mr. Biden to visit from the mayor of East Palestine, Trent Conaway, carried a hint of the division. Mr. Conaway has also criticized Mr. Biden for allowing former President Donald J. Trump to visit the community of about 5,000 before him. “We’re getting tired,” said Jami Wallace, who formed the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment to keep track of the response and the community’s concerns.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, ”, Misti Allison, ” Mr, Mr, ” Karine Jean, Pierre, Ms, Jean, Barack Obama, Trent Conaway, Conaway, Donald J, Trump, ” Mike Young, “ You’re, Timothea, Deeter, “ That’s, “, ” Ms, Pierre said, “ We’re, Jami Wallace Organizations: Trump, Mr, Norfolk Southern, Environmental Protection Agency, White House, Unity Council, East Locations: East Palestine , Ohio, “, East Palestine, Norfolk, Ohio, Flint, Mich, America

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to welcome Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House in May, hosting a state visit after reneging on his promise to visit Africa last year. Biden hosted a state dinner celebrating close ally Australia in October, which followed the president's skipping a stop in that country earlier in 2023 to focus on debt limit talks in Washington. But those festivities last fall were toned down some given Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas. Biden said in December 2022 that he would visit sub-Saharan Africa the following year, which would have made him the first U.S. president to travel there in a decade. Biden pulled off last-minute trips to Israel and Vietnam, as well as a secretive journey to Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, William Ruto, reneging, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Jean, “, Rutto’s, Rachel Ruto, Biden, Kamala Harris, he'd Organizations: WASHINGTON, Kenyan, White House, White, Hamas, Africa, Summit Locations: Africa, Kenya, Haiti, U.S, Washington, Australia, Saharan Africa, Israel, Vietnam, Ukraine, Dubai, November's, Russia, East Palestine , Ohio, Norfolk Southern

☆ House Republicans are giving up on Congress despite holding the majority: 'This place is so broken'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

House Republicans keep calling it quits, even though they're in the majority. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin announced his retirement on Friday after facing backlash over his vote against it. But like other retiring Republicans, they've apparently decided it's just not worth it. Taking those factors into account, you're left with eight retiring Democrats and 15 retiring Republicans. — that I can go campaign on and say we did," said Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas in a November floor speech.

Persons: —, Mark Green of, he's, Alejandro Mayorkas, Green, Axios, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, they've, it's, Jennifer Wexton, Patrick McHenry of, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Kevin McCarthy, George Santos, Chip Roy Organizations: Republicans, Service, Republican, Homeland Security, Wisconsin, House Press, Democratic, North, North Carolina Democrats Locations: Mark Green of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Washington, Texas

Biden made it clear he respected the role of a free press in a democracy and did not berate reporters in White House press conferences, nor did his administration suspend journalists’ credentials, as his predecessor’s did. But as the press has focused recently on Biden's age and memory, the president and his campaign team have become more confrontational. When Doocey asked how "bad" Biden's memory was, the president said, "My memory is so bad I let you speak." Kristi Noem on the air, "seconds after trying to criticize President Biden’s memory." But the pushback may not work the way the White House hopes.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, –, Peter Doocey, Doocey, Kamala Harris, hadn’t, Jesse Watters misidentifying, Kristi Noem, Helmut Kohl, David Clementson, Clementson, Ronald Reagan, “ that's, it's, Biden doesn't, Frank Sesno, Sesno, it's Donald Trump, Didn't Organizations: White, White House, NBC, Fox News, Biden, NATO, New York Times, South Dakota Gov, University of Georgia, Democratic opponent's, George Washington University Alliance, Trump Locations: White House, China, Russia, South, Europe

☆ House Republicans prepare to vote again on Mayorkas impeachment, bolstered by return of Scalise
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas holds a press conference at a U.S. Border Patrol station on January 08, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas. House Republicans are preparing to take another stab at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a week after the same effort failed in an embarrassment for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. This time around, Republicans are confident they will have the majority vote to impeach now that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., has returned to Washington after cancer treatment, which prevented him from breaking last week's 215-215 tie. If Republicans eke out a majority vote against Mayorkas, he would become only the second cabinet member in U.S. history to be impeached. The White House has supported Mayorkas, condemning the impeachment effort as a political distraction by Republicans, who refused $20 billion of border security funding in a bipartisan Senate deal last week.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher, Tom McClintock of, Gallagher, Buck, spokespeople, McClintock, George Santos, Tom Suozzi, eke, Mayorkas, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: Department of Homeland, U.S . Border Patrol, House Republicans, Homeland, Republican, Capitol, GOP House, CNBC, Democratic, Mayorkas, Rep, Press, House Press Locations: U.S, Eagle Pass , Texas, Washington, Ken Buck of, Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California, New York, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

House Republicans last week were thrown for a loop when their first impeachment attempt went awry. But with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise back this week from undergoing treatment for blood cancer, House Speaker Mike Johnson is ready to try again. House Republicans have accused Mayorkas of not complying with immigration law regarding the southern border with Mexico, where the U.S. has been grappling with a surge of migrants. The House has focused on Mayorkas as efforts to impeach President Joe Biden have been met with less enthusiasm. “The House Republicans need to do serious work, work that actually matter(s),” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Tuesday.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Steve Scalise, Mike Johnson, George Santos, Joe Biden, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Mayorkas Organizations: Homeland, House Republicans, GOP, Republican, Democratic, Republicans Locations: New York, Mexico

☆ White House says no change to official TikTok policy after Biden campaign joins platform amid security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Donald Judd | Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The White House on Monday said there are no changes regarding the administration’s long-standing security concerns over TikTok after the President Joe Biden made his campaign debut on the platform Sunday night. In a follow-up exchange with Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary said she was not aware the campaign planned to launch a TikTok account ahead of Sunday. But there are security concerns around the popular video app, which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company. To date, the US government has provided no specific evidence that the Chinese government has accessed US TikTok user data. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have been somewhat aligned on their national security concerns pertaining to TikTok.

Persons: Joe Biden, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Karine Jean, Pierre, …, ”, Biden, Kelce ”, Travis Kelce, Jason, “, Travis Kelce’s, Taylor Swift, “ Trump, Biden’s, Brandon, Swift, TikTok, it’s, Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, National Security, White House, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Biden, ByteDance, Texas, Trump, Foreign Investment Locations: Biden’s, Chinese, China, United States

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Kirby, President Joe Biden's national security spokesman, is getting an expanded role at the White House, according to a U.S. official. Kirby will have a new title, White House national security communications adviser, and will be named an assistant to the president, the official said Sunday. Kirby came to the White House in 2022 as the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, not long after Karine Jean-Pierre was named White House press secretary, after the departure of former press secretary Jen Psaki. He will run a separate team from the national security press team that will coordinate information across agencies, the official said. Under Biden, Kirby has been a regular fixture in the White House press briefing room.

Persons: — John Kirby, Joe Biden's, Kirby, Reuters . Kirby, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jen Psaki, Obama, Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, U.S, White House, Associated Press, Reuters ., National Security, NSC, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, State Department Locations: U.S

☆ Democrats flood the Sunday shows to insist Biden's mind is just fine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democrats insist Joe Biden's mind is fine following Robert Hur's special counsel report. Hur declined to file charges but questioned Biden's memory in his report. The report by special counsel Robert Hur was released following his investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents. However, he described Biden's memory as "poor" at times, even bringing up details regarding the May 2015 death of his son, Beau Biden. The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it, because he is sharp, intensely probing and detail oriented and focused."

Persons: Joe Biden's, Robert Hur's, Hur, Biden, —, Joe Biden, Robert Hur, Beau Biden, Ro Khanna, he's, Khanna, Jen Psaki, Biden's, Psaki, gaffes, Alejandro Mayorkas, hasn't, Mayorkas, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Democratic, California, CNN, MSNBC, White House, NBC, Press, of Homeland, Republican Locations: …

Donald Trump is a "loser," President Joe Biden now repeatedly says of his likely 2024 general election opponent. And of course Trump should want to debate him, Biden said, since he's "got nothing else to do." "Nevada, you’re the reason we will make Donald Trump a loser again," the president wrote on his own social media account. The Best Political Cartoons on Joe Biden View All 270 ImagesWhen Trump suggested he'd debate Biden, the president shrugged it off with a sneering remark. "I think it works for Joe Biden if it sounds like Joe Biden," Loge says.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, He's, MAGA, he'd, shrugged, I’d, He’s, Peter Doocy, ” Doocy, ” Biden, priding, Peter Loge, Loge, Sen, Ted Cruz of, Cruz, –, Nikki Haley –, Haley Organizations: Trump, Silver State Democrats, MAGA Republicans, House Democrats, Fox News, House, George Washington University School of Media, Public Affairs, South Carolina Gov Locations: Washington, Nevada, Leesburg , Virginia, Ted Cruz of Texas

☆ Palestinians brace for Rafah evacuation, Israeli assault plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Trapped in and around Rafah, more than 1 million Palestinians braced for Israel to complete a plan to evacuate them and launch a ground assault against Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza city. "There is a sense of growing anxiety, growing panic in Rafah," said Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UNRWA agency. Doctors and aid workers are struggling to supply even basic aid to Palestinians sheltering around Rafah. The United Nations said Palestinian civilians in Rafah require protection, but there should be no forced mass displacement, which is barred by international law. Hamas gunmen killed some 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in the Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Persons: Khan Yunis, Philippe Lazzarini, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jan Egeland, Netanyahu's, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, ActionAid Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, Norwegian Refugee Council, Palestinian Authority, West Bank . Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Washington, U.S, Egypt, Gazans

☆ ‘Saturday Night Live’ star Colin Jost selected as White House Correspondents Dinner headliner
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Colin Jost will be live from Washington, DC — not New York — on the final Saturday night of April. The “Saturday Night Live” comedian, featured in the “Weekend Update” segments, was selected by the White House Correspondents’ Association as the entertainer for the press organization’s 2024 dinner, set to take place on April 27. “Colin Jost knows how to make Saturday nights funny, and I am thrilled Colin will be live from the nation’s capital as the headline entertainer for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” said Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and NBC News senior White House correspondent. Throughout his career he has nabbed five Writers Guild Awards and two Peabody Awards, in addition to 14 Emmy Awards nominations. After Wolf ignited controversy for a joke she made about then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Correspondents’ Association pivoted to a non-comedian headliner, inviting presidential biographer Ron Chernow to helm the dinner.

Persons: Colin Jost, Donald Trump, “ Colin Jost, Colin, ”, Kelly O’Donnell, Jost, Jamie McCarthy, PEN America “, ” O’Donnell, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Michelle Wolf, Wolf, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Ron Chernow, Roy Wood Jr Organizations: CNN, White, ’ Association, NBC News, White House, Peabody, PEN America, ’ Locations: Washington, New York

Democratic senators on Friday called Biden's directive — meant to bring breadth, oversight, deadlines and teeth to efforts to ensure foreign governments don't use U.S. military aid against civilians — historic. “This is a sea-change in terms of how you approach U.S. military aid and its impact on civilians,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. Human rights advocates said the challenge for the new directive would be the same faced by all previous efforts to withhold U.S. weapons and funding from human rights abusers — whether administrations will actually enforce the human rights conditions against strategically important allies and partners. Foreign governments that fail to provide those assurances on time would have their military aid paused. Those “are honored in the breach,” Roth, the human rights expert, said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, who'd, Maryland Sen, Chris Van Hollen, ”, Kenneth Roth, Antony Blinken, isn't, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, ” Jean, Pierre said, Leahy, —, ” Roth, it's, ” Van Hollen, — Seung Min Kim Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democrats, Ukraine, Democratic, Capitol, White House, Maryland, Human Rights Watch, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, U.S, Foreign Assistance Locations: Gaza, Israel, Russia, Massachusetts, what's, Ukraine, Israeli, United States, U.S

☆ Biden erupts over special counsel’s report as aides look to short-circuit campaign risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Biden’s aides know there is no topic more likely to draw their boss’ fury than a slight against his family. Only about 45 minutes before Hur’s report was released publicly, the White House was working to downplay the verbal slip-ups, saying it’s common for people to misspeak. “Many people, elected officials … they can misspeak sometimes,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, citing recent examples from House Speaker Mike Johnson and TV host Sean Hannity. The report was released anyway, with the objections of Biden’s lawyers included – but only toward the end of the nearly 400-page report. “I was in the middle of handling an international crisis,” Biden said Thursday about an hour after the report was released.

Persons: Robert Hur’s, Joe Biden, Biden’s, Biden, ” Biden seethed, Hur, fumed, hasn’t, Daniel Goldman, ” Goldman, “, ” Biden, ”, Hur –, Donald Trump’s, forgetful, I’ve, –, CNN’s MJ Lee, Bidenworld, Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterrand, …, Karine Jean, Pierre, Mike Johnson, Sean Hannity, she’s, Beau Biden’s, Hurt, Biden “, Beau, Israel – Organizations: Washington CNN, House, Democratic, Trump Justice Department, White, CNN, Biden, Republicans, Trump Locations: New York, Gaza, Mexico, Egypt, Israel

☆ US Underlines to Israel It Must Stick to International Law on Weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Steve HollandWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has briefed Israel on a new U.S. national security memorandum that reminds countries receiving U.S. weapons to stick to international law, the White House said on Friday. The Israeli assault was launched in response to a Hamas attack on Israel in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed. "Instead we are spelling publicly the existing standards by the international law including the law of armed conflict." One section of the memorandum reminds recipients of U.S. military aid to "respect their obligations under international law and reduce the risk of civilian harm." Even if states say they are acting in self-defense, international rules regarding armed conflict apply to all participants in a war.

Persons: Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Israel, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Joe Biden, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: United, House, Hamas, Leftist Democrats, Arab, Biden, U.S Locations: United States, U.S, Israel, Gaza, Washington, Dearborn , Michigan

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