Calls for the Biden administration to ramp protective efforts for civilians in Gaza are increasing.

Thursday, November 2, 2023
BY JULIA CLAIRE & CROOKED MEDIA
- Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) ([link removed]) recounting real interactions that definitely, totally happened

A small but growing number of Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to act as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to climb.

* The White House announced on Thursday that as part of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Israel on Friday, he will urge the government to agree to a humanitarian pause ([link removed]) of military operations in Gaza to allow for continued hostage negotiations and for aid to be distributed to civilians. President Biden revealed on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously agreed to halt airstrikes briefly on October 20 to allow for the release of two Americans being held hostage by Hamas, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan. As he was boarding a plane, Blinken told reporters that part of his mission on the visit will be to win protections for Gaza civilians, saying, “We’ve seen in recent days Palestinian civilians continuing to bear the brunt of this, this action…and it’s important that the United States is committed to making sure everything possible is done to protect
civilians.” White House officials made sure to differentiate between a humanitarian pause and a more permanent ceasefire, which the Biden Administration says it believes would benefit Hamas.

* Polling suggests that Americans hold mixed attitudes toward the conflict ([link removed]) . Early in the war, polls reported that most Americans, including most Democrats, expressed greater sympathy toward Israel than toward Palestinians in the conflict, but a more recent poll by Quinnipiac ([link removed]) found that 49 percent of Democrats disapproved of Israel's conduct in the war, with 33 percent approving, compared to 75 percent approval and 14 percent disapproval among Republicans. A slight majority of voters, 51 percent, also support sending more military aid to Israel, with a larger, 71 percent majority supporting humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

* Meanwhile, activists who favor a ceasefire have grown more overt in seeking to pressure President Biden. At a campaign fundraiser in Minneapolis, a local rabbi named Jessica Rosenberg—a member of the Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace—interrupted Biden’s speech to donors, saying ([link removed]) , “Mr. President, if you care about Jewish people, as a rabbi, I need you to call for a ceasefire right now.” The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations also organized a protest outside of the fundraiser to call for an immediate ceasefire. Israeli forces encircled Gaza City on Thursday ([link removed]) , continuing to increase both deployments and the frequency of military raids into the dense neighborhoods of Gaza's largest urban area. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the chief of the general staff of
the IDF, said, “We are at the height of war.” The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a hospital it runs in the south of Gaza City had been struck by IDF gunfire, and video taken from the hospital yard depicted an intense bombardment.

On Thursday, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) became the first U.S. Senator to call for a ceasefire ([link removed]) between Israel and Hamas. Eighteen progressive members of the House of Representativessigned a resolution formally calling for an immediate ceasefire. ([link removed])

* But Durbin has not been the only Senator to speak out in similar terms. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) published a statement on Thursday about the conflict ([link removed]) , prefacing that although “Israel has a right and an obligation to defend itself” from Hamas, “It’s time for Israel’s friends to recognize that the current operational approach is causing an unacceptable level of civilian harm and does not appear likely to achieve the goal of permanently ending the threat from Hamas.” He warned, “As we have learned from America’s own counterterrorism campaigns, disproportionately large numbers of civilian casualties come with a moral cost, but also a strategic cost, as terrorist groups feed off of the grievances caused by civilian harm.”

* Murphy did not call for a ceasefire but concluded his statement by “urg[ing] Israel to immediately reconsider its approach and shift to a more deliberate and proportionate counterterrorism campaign,” and stressing that the country “must take concrete steps to end the current widespread harm to innocent people and children inside Gaza.” Durbin and Murphy are outliers in their caucus, as even more left-wing senators have avoided direct criticism of the Israeli government. On Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), along with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and other progressives in the Upper Chamber, wrote a letter to President Biden expressing “serious concern” over the “likely humanitarian toll” in Gaza ([link removed]) . Others have pushed Biden to deepen U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, with John Fetterman (D-PA) citing
([link removed]) “a moral obligation to be in lockstep with our ally as they confront this threat.”

Meanwhile, Republicans in the House drafted and passed a bill that would give $14.3 billion in military aid to Israel (funded by taking that sum from the IRS) in a contentious, mostly party-line vote. The IRS received an influx of new funding as part of the Inflation Reduction Act as a way to bolster tax enforcement and crack down on evasion and cheating from the super-rich. Obviously, Republicans (particularly the super-rich ones) hate this. The House bill was put forth by new GOP Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill is headed for a collision course in the Senate, where lawmakers on both sides of the aisle favor funding for Israel and Ukraine as a joint package ([link removed]) . White House officials said on Tuesday that President Biden would veto the House bill because it was limited to Israel and contains “partisan poison pill offsets.”

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The family that fails-upward together, stays together. Donald Trump, Jr. and his imperfect clone brother Eric got to spend Thursday in the hot seat ([link removed]) during disgraced former president Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York City, claiming that Trump falsely inflated his properties’ worth by more than $2 billion in order to score favorable loan agreements. 2Fast 2Furious judge Arthur Engoron threatened to extend Trump’s gag order to Trump’s lawyers ([link removed]) , who refused to stop bitching about Engoron’s clerk during the trial. Difficult to say what the strategy is here, because it doesn’t seem like constantly needling the judge in your bench trial(!) is going to end well! In any case, Junior in particular really covered himself in glory on Thursday, telling the courtroom sketch artist for Reuters, the
now-legendary ([link removed]) Jane Rosenberg, “make me look sexy” as he left the witness stand. Rosenberg responded by… well, here, you be the judge. ([link removed])

Eric got snitty at one point when questioned about his role in the extensive fraud ([link removed]) , yelling “We’re a major organization, a massive real estate organization.” One of the main pieces of evidence offered by the prosecution is that the Trumps signed off on financial documents after Forbes magazine told them there were major discrepancies in their accounting. The former president’s gambit thus far has been to throw the Trump Organization’s former accountants under the bus as hard as he possibly can, the same fate perhaps destined for Trump’s lawyers when this trial is over.

Reproductive rights groups are worried that intentionally-confusing language surrounding next week’s abortion ballot initiative in Ohio from anti-choice groups could jeopardize the effort ([link removed]) to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.


Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said he “stands by” his promise to “slit the throats” of federal bureaucrats ([link removed]) . Great guy! Christian values!


Ady Barkan, the lawyer and activist who championed Medicare for All while battling A.L.S., passed away ([link removed]) on Wednesday at age 39.


The FBI launched a broad public corruption investigation into whether New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign conspired with the Turkish government ([link removed]) in his successful 2021 election bid. This guy really is “bringing swagger back to NYC,”!!!


Toyota recalled 1.8 million of its 2013-2018 model Rav4 automobiles ([link removed]) because they can, uh, catch on fire. Check your Rav4, if you (or your dad, we assume) have one! We don’t like to get political around here, but we think cars should NOT burst into flames!

A new study by a renowned Cornell environmental biologist suggests that ramping up exports of liquid natural gas is not only bad for the environment but actually worse than burning coal ([link removed]) .

In a 95-1 vote, the Senate confirmed President Biden’s picks to head the Navy and Air Force on Thursday ([link removed]) . General David Allvin will lead the Air Force, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti will become chief of naval operations, making her the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)’s monthslong blockade of military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy has prevented the filling of hundreds of key positions. Senate Republicans are finally starting to get mad at Tuberville’s bullshit, and five of them pushed the Upper Chamber to confirm more than 60 waiting nominees on Wednesday night, but he remained obstinate. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) called Tuberville’s tactics “an abuse of the powers we have as senators,” and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)—himself a retired Air Force Reserve officer—addressed him directly, saying he was “wreck[ing] the military promotion system.” Grah
am continued, “No matter whether you believe it or not, Senator Tuberville, this is doing great damage to our military…I have been trying to work with you for nine months.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer noted, “Patience is wearing thin with Sen. Tuberville on both sides of the aisle.” Do you know how much of a piece of shit you have to be for LINDSEY GRAHAM to criticize another Republican?
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Everyone’s favorite crypto fraudster and disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted on all 7 counts of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering ([link removed]) on Thursday after less than five hours of jury deliberation. He faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison.

Uber and Lyft agreed to pay about 100,000 former and current New York drivers an enormous $328 million settlement ([link removed]) in the wage-theft lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY). Uber will pay the vast majority of the settlement—$290 million—and Lyft will pay the remaining $38 million.
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