Violence continues to spread in the Middle East

Monday, January 29, 2024
BY JULIA CLAIRE & CROOKED MEDIA

- A Trump supporter ([link removed]) on what Trump has done to earn his vote in 2024. The American electorate, everybody!!!

Violence continues to spread in the Middle East — raising the specter of a broader regional conflict.

* American military forces failed to intercept a drone attack that killed three U.S. service members and wounded dozens more in Jordan on Sunday, military officials said on Monday. The incoming aircraft was mistaken for an American drone returning to the base ([link removed]) . The three killed service members belonged to an Army Reserve unit from Fort Moore, GA. The drone struck the soldiers' living quarters in northeastern Jordan near the border of Syria and Iraq while the soldiers were still in bed asleep.

* The attack on Sunday marked a significant escalation by the Iranian-backed militants blamed by the Biden administration for almost daily assaults on U.S. forces since the war in Gaza began. But as of Monday, neither the Pentagon nor the White House had determined exactly where the attack came from, nor identified any specific group as responsible. U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have incurred at least 165 attacks since mid-October, according to Pentagon data. Iran has denied any role.

* Israel launched an assault on Gaza City—the enclave’s largest city—on Monday, weeks after pulling back from the area. Israel Defense Forces tanks shelled the eastern areas of the city while naval vessels fired at beachfront areas in the west ([link removed]) , residents told Reuters. Locals also reported significant gunfire near the main Al-Shifa Hospital. Two Palestinian journalists and several members of their families were among those killed, according to health officials and the journalists’ union. The Israeli military said it shot down six out of 15 rockets fired by Hamas, and did not report any casualties in Israel.

An international coalition of mediators led by the United States continues to attempt to negotiate between the two warring factions.

* Officials from four countries attempting to negotiate a possible ceasefire ([link removed]) agreed to propose a six-week pause in the fighting to exchange some hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, The New York Times reported. The U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar agreed to present the loose framework for a deal to Hamas, in a process that could take days to play out, in part because senior Hamas leaders are thought to remain in tunnels deep under Gaza. Additional talks are planned for this week, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Two points are central to the talks: a ceasefire of a yet-undetermined length in the Gaza Strip, and the release of the more than 100 hostages from the October 7 attack believed to be held there by Hamas. Netanyahu’s office said the discussions have been “constructive”
but that “significant gaps” remain. Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said Monday that Hamas’s position remains that any agreement would have to involve a full ceasefire, not “temporary truces that allow the enemy to kill our people.” The meeting in Paris included CIA director William Burns.

* An Israeli report revived years-old accusations from the country’s right-wing that the UN agency dedicated to Palestinian humanitarian aid (UNRWA) was sheltering Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, including names and pictures for 11 of the agency’s 13,000-person staff ([link removed]) . The claims are being investigated and Israel has not yet sent the report to the United Nations. The United States—UNRWA’s largest donor—pulled funding on Friday and the organization said it would have to end operations within a month if funding is not restored. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused Israel of a "premeditated political attack" on the agency. The consequences of UNRWA shuttering operations when most of the enclave already faces “catastrophic hunger” and starvation would be absolutely fatal
([link removed]) . At least 152 UNRWA staffers ([link removed]) have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, according to the agency.

Family members of those still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza have called for the Israeli government to make a deal, and the International Court of Justice in the Hague last week ordered the delivery of more humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the enclave. Over 26,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Heads up to the curious little freaks out there - this Wednesday January 31st, Jon Lovett will be on the Friends of the Pod Discord at 2:30pm PT for an Ask Me Anything. If you’re around, come join the conversation! Ask him something good, this is your chance! Not a member? Head to crooked.com/friends ([link removed]) to sign up now.
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An Associated Press investigation uncovered “intricate, invisible webs” linking some of the world’s largest food companies and popular brands to American prison labor ([link removed]) . Hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of agricultural and goods sold for food and retail giants like McDonald’s and Walmart were found in the chain. Prison labor in the American penal system is already highly controversial and the subject of great debate. Incarcerated people are among the country’s most vulnerable workers. Refusing to do the job they’ve been assigned could jeopardize their chances of parole, or even subject them to further inhumane treatment like solitary confinement. As incarcerated persons, they are also excluded from protections guaranteed to almost all other full-time workers. Household name products like Frosted Flakes cereal, Ball Park hot dogs, Gold Medal flour, Coca-Cola, and Riceland rice were
all found to have been produced in part by prison labor. Some inmates worked on the same plantation soil once tended by slaves. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution bans slavery and involuntary servitude—except as punishment for a crime. The clause is currently being challenged in federal court. About two million Americans are currently incarcerated, and prison labor has become a multibillion-dollar industry. Most incarcerated people earn pennies or nothing at all.

The AP said it reached out to companies identified as having links to prison labor, and that most didn’t respond. General Mills pointed to its policy in place restricting suppliers from using forced labor. McDonald’s said it would investigate the situation.

A new Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans would not vote for a presidential candidate over 80 nor one who has been charged with a felony ([link removed]) . Boy do I have some weirdly-specific bad news for you.


Speaking of which, disgraced former president Donald Trump’s former United Nations Ambassador and current primary challenger Nikki Haley has vowed to stay in the race until Super Tuesday ([link removed]) despite her long, long, loooonnnngggg odds.


Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is doing a lot of stops in all of the important presidential states ([link removed]) , being extremely annoying about the prospect of potentially entering the 2024 race as a third-party candidate. Yes, we’re all clamoring for an “alternative” to Trump and Biden in the form of another 75+ year old White guy also named Joe who combines the least-popular policies from the left but mostly from the right.


The former IRS contractor who in 2019 leaked dozens of tax records filed by the wealthiest Americans—including Trump’s—was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison on Monday ([link removed]) . Pouring one out for a legend and a Real One.


California is breaking up with big oil producers Exxon Mobil and Chevron ([link removed]) .


Bills to define antisemitism as, in part, criticism of Israel are advancing through legislatures ([link removed]) in at least six states.


The Utah state legislature passed a bill on Friday barring transgender individuals from using bathrooms in schools and government buildings ([link removed]) that align with their gender identity. The bill was given the ludicrous title “Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying, and Women’s Opportunities.” Women’s! Opportunities!!!


Twenty-six Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to President Biden on Monday telling him to “secure the border” ([link removed]) and expressing their support for Gov. Greg Abott (R-TX). If they want a border deal they should tell Trump to stop tanking the one currently stalled in Congress ([link removed]) .


New Alzheimer’s drugs are bringing major breakthroughs and hope to patients and their families, but clinical trials have not tested the medications on many Black patients with the disease ([link removed]) .

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was stripped of her medal and disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing Olympics ([link removed]) after an investigation confirmed her use of illegal medication associated with blood doping, clearing the United States to win gold for the team event ([link removed]) .
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The U.S. economy is outperforming all of its major trading partners in the Western world and is showing the strongest financial recovery ([link removed]) . We must once again give it up for Joe Biden.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the state constitution provides a fundamental right to reproductive autonomy ([link removed]) , challenging the state ban on publicly-funded abortions.
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