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Monday, October 23, 2023

84 Percent of Americans Side with Israel Over Hamas

Hill: More than 80 percent of Americans are siding with Israel amid an ongoing war against Hamas in a new Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll. The survey found that 84 percent of respondents sided more with Israel in the Israel-Hamas war, compared to 16 percent who sided with Hamas. Broken down by age, 52 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds said they sided more with Israel, while 48 percent said they sided more with Hamas. In contrast, 95 percent of respondents 65 years and older said they sided with Israel while 5 percent sided with Hamas. The survey also found that 76 percent said Hamas’s killing of 1,200 Israeli civilians could not be justified by the grievances of Palestinians, while 24 percent said it could be justified (Hill). PR Newswire: 88% of voters think Israel has the responsibility to protect its citizens by retaliating against Hamas. 84% of voters believe Israel has the right to defend itself by launching air strikes in heavily populated Palestinian areas with warnings to those citizens. 70% of voters think Israel should eliminate Hamas, not end its campaign against Hamas now. 63% of voters believe it was right for Israel to cut off power, water and food to Gaza until its hostages are returned (PR Newswire).

IDF Updates Number of Hostages Held by Hamas to 212, Biden Says 10 Americans Missing

Washington Examiner: The number of hostages being held by Hamas has risen to 212, according to estimates by an Israel Defense Forces spokesman. The number marks a slight rise from the previous estimate of 203 people being held hostage by Hamas just days after the group released two United States residents who were being held captive. Israel has been fighting against Hamas, a militant group that the U.S. and other countries have designated a terrorist organization, since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by the group that resulted in more than 1,400 Israelis being killed. The Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas rule, has since been bombarded by Israeli air strikes. Hamas’ attack on Israel and the retaliation has claimed nearly 5,800 lives so far, according to United Nations estimates (Washington Examiner). Hill: There are still 10 Americans who remain unaccounted after the initial attack. Biden said on Friday that U.S. officials “have been working around-the-clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held” (Hill).

U.S. Evacuates Nonemergency Personnel from Baghdad Embassy

Wall Street Journal: The State Department said it ordered eligible family members and nonemergency U.S. government personnel on Friday to depart the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. consulate in Erbil “due to increased security threats against U.S. personnel and interests.” U.S. forces came under attack a number of times last week, amid heightening tensions in the region, including two attacks in Iraq, one of which resulted in minor injuries to U.S. personnel, defense officials said (Wall Street Journal). RNC Research: Non-emergency personnel have been ordered to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. This is the seventh embassy evacuation of the Biden presidency, after Afghanistan, Ukraine, Belarus, Sudan, Haiti, and Niger (X). Fox News: The pro-Iran coalition also called for a protest in Baghdad near the main gate of the highly fortified international zone, where the U.S. Embassy is located, to condemn its endorsement of Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas (Fox News).

U.S. to Send More Assets to the Middle East Region as Threats Escalate

Daily Wire: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the U.S. has deployed more assets in the Middle East in recent days as a deterrent against attacks against Israel and U.S. interests in the region. Austin made the remarks Sunday on ABC News’s “This Week” after “escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region.” The U.S. deployed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Central Command area of responsibility in addition to moving the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. also deployed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region and placed additional forces on “prepare to deploy” orders (Daily Wire). This Week: After U.S. strengthens defense posture in the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tells Jon Karl that officials are concerned about the “prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region” (X).

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Says Illegal Immigration is “not sustainable,” Limits Length of Stay in Shelters

Daily Wire: New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) warned in a recent press conference that the number of illegal immigrants coming to major cities is “not sustainable.” Adams said that migrants were arriving in NYC more quickly, growing from approximately 2,400 people per week to 4,000 people per week, and added that the sheer number of people coming had “overwhelmed” major cities across the country. “I’m happy that my colleagues across the country are joining this chorus that I have been singing that it is not sustainable,” Adams said after highlighting the number of migrants coming to the city on a weekly basis (Daily Wire). Washington Examiner: Adams says the city will begin sending 60-day notices to migrant families with children in city shelters to find alternative housing. He said the city will provide ongoing social services to help migrant families find new shelter. The city already limits single adult migrants to 30 days in emergency housing (Washington Examiner).

Southern Border Encounters Break Record in September

Daily Caller: Border Patrol saw a new surge in illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border in September that marked a new record for the agency, according to internal agency data. Border Patrol recorded 218,777 encounters across the southern border in September, the highest on record for the month going back to at least the year 2000, according to the data. September marks the end of fiscal year 2023, meaning Border Patrol apprehensions surpassed 2 million (Daily Caller). Reporter Bill Melugin: The Biden administration has now set the all time record for recorded migrant encounters at the southern border for the last 3 years in a row, per CBP numbers. FY’23 – 2,475,669. FY’22 – 2,378,944. FY’21 – 1,734,686. FY’20 (Trump) – 458,088 (X).

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) Bans “Woke” Language from Government Documents

Newsmax: Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order at the Arkansas state Capitol on Thursday, aiming to eliminate “woke” language from state documents. The move came in response to her concerns about the use of terms like “pregnant people,” “birth giver,” and “laboring person,” which she categorizes as “woke” terminology.” Sanders proclaimed during the order’s signing, “We’re taking a stand against woke nonsense.” She went on to assert, “It’s the left that decided ‘woman’ is a dirty word, that decided we needed to toss out basic biology and basic grammar” (Newsmax). Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The Left is using nonsense words like “pregnant people” to erase women and girls – and more importantly, our voices and our experiences. We just banned those words from Arkansas state government. Biology is real. Chromosomes are real. Only women can give birth (X).

Judge Briefly Lifts Trump’s Gag Order

National Review: U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan has lifted the gag order she issued Donald Trump on Monday, which initially banned the former president from making public statements that attack special counsel Jack Smith, the lead prosecutor in Trump’s January 6 case. Trump’s attorneys appealed the partial gag order. Lawyers now have time to defend why Trump’s speech should be unrestricted leading up to his March 4, 2024 trial date (National Review). CNN: The gag order, which was limited in scope, had prohibited Trump from making certain types of statements about the special counsel’s team or potential witnesses, including any comments that directly targeted court personnel, potential witnesses or the special counsel and his staff. However, the gag order did not prevent Trump from making disparaging comments about Washington, DC. Trump was allowed to make certain comments about the Justice Department at large. Chutkan had specified that Trump “can certainly state that he is being unfairly prosecuted.” On Friday, the former president was fined $5,000 by a New York judge presiding over his civil fraud trial for violating another gag order that bars him from speaking about any members of the court staff (CNN).

Detroit Synagogue President Found Outside Her Home Brutally Stabbed to Death

Fox News: Prominent Detroit synagogue President Samantha Woll was found dead outside her home early Saturday morning, police said. Police found multiple stab wounds and a trail of blood leading to her home, which is where the crime likely happened, Detroit Police said in an email. Police haven’t determined a motive for the deadly attack and assigned the case to the homicide division. The 40-year-old leader led the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue since 2022 and previously worked for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and the re-election campaign of Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats (Fox News).

10.

Biden Has to Pay a Premium to Fill America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve After Draining It Last Year

Townhall: A new report claims President Joe Biden missed his chance to refill America’s oil reserve after depleting it for political reasons. The Biden Administration seeks to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for $79 a barrel or less. It is worth noting that there was a time when the SPR could have been refilled at a lower price, but Biden decided against it. The president should have refilled America’s oil; it was only $70 a barrel (Townhall). Reuters: Last year’s 180 million barrel sale angered some Republicans who accused the administration of leaving the U.S. with the lowest level in the reserve in 40 years and a thin supply buffer to adequately respond to a future supply crisis (Reuters).