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Thursday, May 23, 2024

Biden Got it Wrong in Rafah

Wall Street Journal: For months, the Biden Administration bitterly opposed an Israeli invasion of Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza. The mantra was that Israel had “no credible plan” to evacuate the city’s 1.3 million civilians. Yet the Israelis went ahead anyway, and two weeks later they have safely evacuated an estimated 950,000 people. This was supposed to be impossible. Rafah became a red line for Mr. Biden on the logic that there was no way to conduct a major operation with all those civilians present. That was the justification for the President’s arms embargo. “We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas,” he said. Even as the evacuation got under way, Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated that Israel had “no credible plan.” National security adviser Jake Sullivan added, “We still believe it would be a mistake to launch a major military operation into the heart of Rafah.” When the evacuation began to work, the Biden team moved on to criticizing Israeli readiness for the “day after” the main fighting, as if success in Rafah were a foregone conclusion. Finally on Tuesday, the Administration claimed credit. “It’s fair to say that the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed,” a senior U.S. official told reporters. He also said the Rafah operation might create “opportunities for getting the hostage deal back on track” (Wall Street Journal).

Israel Recalls Ambassadors from Three European Countries as They Recognize Palestine as a State

Townhall: Israel is recalling its ambassadors to three countries after they announced Wednesday they would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. Norway, Spain, and Ireland said they hoped the move would pave the way for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority celebrated the move by Norway, Spain, and Ireland, which was denounced by those on the left and right in the US (Townhall). Dean Phillips: I’ve long advocated for Palestinian self-determination and statehood, and will continue to do so. But Spain, Norway, and Ireland’s premature recognition of a state is a gift to Hamas and a message to terrorists around the world that abhorrent tactics work (X). Senator Tom Cotton: A shameful decision to reward terrorists for killing Jews (X).

Aid Sent to Gaza Yet to Arrive Via Pier President Biden

Daily Wire: None of the aid that President Joe Biden has sent to Gaza via a floating pier that the U.S. Military constructed has reached the Palestinian people, a U.S. official said this week. Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that none of the 569 tons of aid transported to Gaza since last week has reached the Palestinian people (Daily Wire). Reuters: Aid offloaded at the pier comes via a maritime corridor from Cyprus, where it is first inspected by Israel. The pier operation is estimated to cost $320 million and involve 1,000 U.S. service members (Reuters).

Video Emerges of Female IDF Soldiers Taken by Hamas October 7: “Here are the girls who can get pregnant”

New York Post: Harrowing video released Wednesday shows the moment five female Israeli soldiers — covered in blood and surrounded by the bodies of their massacred comrades — were threatened with rape then taken away to Gaza by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Bodycam footage from the Hamas gunmen shows the moment the young women, operating at the Nahal Oz base outside the Gaza Strip, were handcuffed and pressed against a wall while still in pajamas. In the sickening video, the terrorists could be heard gloating and announcing their apparent plans to sexually assault the soldiers. “Here are the girls who can get pregnant,” one of the gunmen said (New York Post). Citizen Free Press: Disturbing new video emerges from October invasion of Israel. Hamas lines up Israeli female soldiers after capture. ‘Here are the girls who can get pregnant’ (X).

Princeton Faculty Gives Amnesty to Hamas Protesters

Daily Princetonian: Faculty members narrowly passed a non-binding resolution condemning the University’s handling of disciplinary action against pro-Palestine protestors, calling for both legal and disciplinary amnesty for arrested students. The vote, held on Monday afternoon in Richardson Auditorium, passed 154–136, with eight abstentions. The faculty vote comes after the conclusion of the disciplinary process against arrested students, University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement. Based on precedent in similar cases, Morrill wrote, “it is unlikely that the cases will result in penalties greater than probation,” meaning that it is likely graduating students will receive their degrees and walk at graduation. Four of the students arrested at Clio Hall on April 29 are members of the Class of 2024 (Daily Princetonian). National Review: In addition to the proposal to grant amnesty to student protesters, six faculty members had submitted proposals related to the military scope of the University’s endowment, divestment from “genocide, occupation, and apartheid” in Gaza, cultivating Palestinian cultural and academic institutions, a university statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, and a full faculty boycott of all Israeli businesses and institutions (National Review).

Biden Cancels Another $7.7 Billion in Student Loans

Associated Press: The Biden administration is canceling student loans for another 160,000 borrowers through a combination of existing programs. The Education Department announced the latest round of cancellation on Wednesday, saying it will erase $7.7 billion in federal student loans. With the latest action, the administration said it has canceled $167 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million Americans through several programs (Associated Press). RNC Research: REPORTER: What’s the message to Americans who did not attend college or take on student loan debt? KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Too bad (X).

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Fentanyl Reaches Record Number of American Youth

Washington Post: Fentanyl, a pervasive killer in America’s illicit drug supply, is increasingly landing in the hands of teens across the region and nation, worrying providers who say treatment options for youth are limited. Across the country, fentanyl has largely fueled a more than doubling of overdose deaths among children ages 12 to 17 since the start of the pandemic. Frequently sold online at $2 to $10 a piece, addiction specialists say, pills laced with fentanyl are hard to spot, easy to hide and can quickly lead to powerful dependencies — or worse (Washington Post). NBC: Last year the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, the most fentanyl seized by the DEA in a single year. According to the agency, that’s more than 386 million deadly doses of fentanyl — enough to kill every American (NBC).

British PM Calls for Election in July

Wall Street Journal: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a surprise summer election for July 4, a gamble by the British leader to galvanize his restive Conservative party as it trails the opposition Labour Party by double digits in the polls. In going to the polls, Sunak is attempting one of the biggest turnarounds in recent British political history. Many pollsters, and even members of the Conservative Party, have written off the Tories’ chances of securing a fifth successive term, as its popularity has tanked on the back of a postpandemic cost-of-living crisis and successive political scandals. The Conservatives have been in power since 2010. The government had to call a new election by January next year at the latest, under British law (Wall Street Journal). NBC: Sunak said that in the last five years the U.K. had fought through the most challenging times since World War II, before going on the reference the Covid-19 pandemic and an energy crisis brought on by Russia’s war with Ukraine. Most polls suggest that if the vote were held tomorrow, the Conservatives could be handed a historic wipeout and Labour a landslide win. The general election, as it’s known here, will elect the 650 members of the House of Commons. These members of Parliament, or MPs, are the primary lawmakers in the UK (NBC).

Portland Elects New DA Who is Tough on Crime

National Review: Confronted with a surge in crime and homelessness, Portland voters have chosen a onetime Republican to be their next district attorney, ousting incumbent Mike Schmidt and the progressive agenda he was elected to implement following the riots of 2020. The contest between incumbent Multnomah County district attorney Schmidt and moderate opponent Nathan Vasquez, one of Schmidt’s former deputies, has drawn national attention as a bellwether for the fate of the progressive prosecutor movement that gained steam after the murder of George Floyd four years ago. In running against his former boss, Vasquez — a registered Republican until he dropped his affiliation due to “disgust” with Trump’s rise — has emphasized the decline in police staffing numbers and prosecutions during Schmidt’s tenure. Portland shattered its homicide record in 2021 with 92 murders and again the next year with 101 killings (National Review).

10.

California’s Gasoline Prices Are the Result of Governor Newsom Pulverizing the Oil Industry

Wall Street Journal: Is Gavin Newsom trying to help Donald Trump? You have to wonder from the California governor’s plan to raise gasoline prices in Nevada and Arizona before the November election. California’s prices are the highest in the country—$5.21 a gallon on average vs. $3.59 nationwide—owing to hefty taxes and burdensome regulations, such as its cap-and-trade program and low-carbon fuel standard. The difficulty of operating refineries in the Golden State has caused many to shut down. More than 60% of the refineries that opened in California during the past 100 years are reportedly no longer operating. Econ 101 teaches that reduced supply increases prices. Here’s the rub: California refineries supply nearly 90% of Nevada’s gasoline and half of Arizona’s. Gasoline prices in Nevada ($4.38 a gallon) and Arizona ($3.90) tend to rise in tandem with those in California. Hence the economic fallout from Sacramento’s unrelenting assault on the oil industry also harms Arizonans and Nevadans (Wall Street Journal). Townhall: According to recent reports, the California Energy Commission is looking to implement a new tax on refinery gross margins which would result in higher costs at the pump and affect prices in bordering states. The governor’s initiatives would likely not sit well with former California residents who fled that state for more conservative policies and lower taxes. Newsom faces a $45 billion budget deficit, which went from a $100 billion surplus to a $28 billion deficit in just two years. The governor recently announced that the state’s budget deficit is $7 billion worse than he initially proposed, totaling nearly $74 billion (Townhall).