The Commentariat -- May 19, 2021
Late Morning Update:
Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he will oppose legislation to create a commission tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol -- a signal that the legislation will not have the votes to get through the Senate. 'After careful consideration. I've made the decision to oppose the House Democrats slanted and unbalanced proposal for another commission to study the events of January the 6th,' he said on the Senate floor. The bipartisan commission would have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, five on each side[.]" Politico's story is here. MB: Yes, but the proposed commission is "slanted & unbalanced" because it won't have a GOP majority, all of them complainingg about antifa communists in Oregon & praising "patriot tourists" in D.C.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here.
Michael Birnbaum & Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "The European Union has agreed to open its borders to vaccinated Americans and others, after more than a year in which travel into the bloc has been severely restricted, a spokesman said Wednesday.... One final round of approvals will be necessary in the coming days, but the sign-off is not in doubt after ambassadors agreed to the plan on Wednesday. The precise timing of when the borders will actually open is not yet clear.... All the coronavirus vaccines available in the United States would be greenlighted, but vaccines manufactured in Russia and China would not be. The E.U. guidance is not binding, meaning that some countries could choose to be more or less restrictive than the bloc as a whole."
Loveday Morris, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a phone call Wednesday that he 'expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,' according to the White House, in the most assertive language used publicly by the administration since Israel and Hamas began exchanging rocket fire 10 days ago. Biden's urging came amid mounting international demands for a cease-fire. Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the operation will not stop until Israel achieves its military objectives."
Quoctrung Bui, et al., of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court's decision Monday to hear a case about a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks could end up weakening or even overturning Roe v. Wade. Depending on the ruling, legal abortion access could effectively end for those living in much of the American South and Midwest, especially those who are poor, according to an analysis updated this week. In more than half of states, though, legal abortion access would be unchanged, according to the analysis...." Includes map.
Ray Hartmann of the Raw Story: "Daniel Paul Gray of Florida was charged [Tuesday] with multiple crimes of violence against police officers at the January 6 Capitol riot.... Gray is accused of having altercations with multiple police, one in which he caused a female police officer to fall down the western rotunda stairs 'and became visibly injured.' Gray bragged about it all in a self-shot monologue, the FBI said.... Now the video itself has been captured by the FBI.... 'We started pushing the police out the back of the Capitol. We pushed them from the front to the back of the Capitol.... This is far from over, that was the coolest thing I've ever done in my life, so stay tuned.'"
Missouri U.S. Senate Race. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Mark McCloskey's star rose quickly in the Republican Party after he and his wife pointed guns at racial justice protesters marching through their gated St. Louis neighborhood last summer -- even as the couple was each hit with a felony weapons charge over the incident. He appeared on cable news to defend his actions and to vilify the peaceful crowd that was marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's nearby house. He gave a prime-time address at the 2020 Republican National Convention last August. Now, nearly a year after video of the tense faceoff with protesters went viral, McCloskey, 64, has announced plans to run for the Senate. On Tuesday, McCloskey told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he would seek to replace Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who is retiring and will not run for reelection in 2022." MB: Words fail me.
Fine! I'll Call My Own Damned Grand Jury! A Young Woman with Guts. Peter Kendall of the Washington Post: "For three years, the local [Kansas] prosecutor has resolutely refused to make [a rape case against a person then-college student Madison Smith says raped her]: that what began as consensual sex in a college dorm room became a rape, and that she was unable to say 'stop' because her classmate was strangling her. But Smith invoked a vestige of frontier justice that allows citizens in Kansas to summon a grand jury when they think prosecutors are neglecting to bring charges in a crime. The law, dating to the 1800s, was originally used to go after saloonkeepers when authorities ignored violations of statewide prohibition. The 22-year-old graduate is believed to be the first to convene a citizen grand jury after a prosecutor declined to pursue a sex-crime charge."
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Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "President Biden traveled Tuesday to Dearborn, Michigan, to visit Ford's electric vehicle plant as his administration continues to push for alternative forms of energy and transportation. 'The future of the auto industry is electric. There's no turning back,' Mr. Biden said in remarks from the auto plant, known as the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ My name is Joe Biden, and I'm a car guy." ~~~
~~~ Marie: This is Joe at his best, connecting with people. The contrast between Real Joe & the Fake Former Guy is stark. And remember when the Fake Former Guy pretended to drive a truck? Meep, meep! ~~~
~~~ Robin Givhan of the Washington Post: "President Biden had come to this Detroit suburb [Dearborn] on Tuesday afternoon to draw attention to Ford Motor Co.'s F-150 Lightning electric truck, as well as his administration's infrastructure plan. He flew in to express awe during a tour of American technology and to demonstrate his blue-collar bona fides by settling into one of the new pickups with familiarity and ease. And after all the speechifying was finished, Biden headed over to Ford's test track and gunned an F-150 down the asphalt. 'This sucker's quick,' he announced to the assembled press.... Politicking. There it was in all its effervescent certainty." ~~~
~~~ Luke Broadwater & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, confronted President Biden on Tuesday over his support for Israel amid its bombing campaign against Hamas in Gaza, urging him to stop enabling a government she said was committing crimes against Palestinians, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the exchange. During a conversation on a tarmac in Detroit, where Mr. Biden had arrived to visit a Ford factory near her congressional district, Ms. Tlaib echoed a scathing speech she delivered last week on the House floor, telling the president that he must do more to protect Palestinian lives and human rights, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe her remarks." MB: During his introductory remarks at the Dearborn plant, Biden offered prayers for Tlaib's grandmother & her other family members who live in the West Bank. More on the Israeli-Palestinian war linked under "Way Beyond the Beltway" below.
Lara Jakes & Sarah Mervosh of the New York Times: "In a victory for same-sex couples, the State Department on Tuesday said it would grant U.S. citizenship to babies born abroad to married couples with at least one American parent -- no matter which parent was biologically related to the child. The new policy effectively guarantees that American and binational couples who use assisted reproductive technology to give birth overseas -- such as surrogates or sperm donations -- can pass along citizenship to their children.... Previously, the State Department, based on an interpretation of 1950s immigration law, required a child born abroad to have a biological connection to an American parent in order to receive citizenship at birth. The emphasis on biology drew scrutiny in particular for its impact on same-sex couples, who are more likely to use artificial reproductive technology."
Harper Neidig of the Hill: "The Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted to proceed with the confirmation of Kristen Clarke, President Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's civil rights division, over stiff Republican opposition. The Senate approved a procedural motion by a 50-48 margin to break a tied committee vote over Clarke's nomination, which divided 11-11 on party lines last week. The floor vote on Tuesday broke mostly along partisan lines as well, with just one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), voting in favor. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who has crossed party lines to support other Biden nominees, was absent." Because most Republicans don't want the Civil Rights Division to be doing civil rights things.
Eugene Scott of the Washington Post: "The House on Tuesday passed legislation to aggressively investigate hate crimes, especially those targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, that have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. The vote was 364 to 62; all the votes in opposition came from Republicans. The legislation heads to President Biden for his signature. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act in March after attacks against Asian Americans increased after the coronavirus emerged in China. Just five days after Hirono introduced the legislation, eight people were killed -- including six women of Asian descent -- in a mass shooting at three Atlanta-area spas." The Hill's story is here.
Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: “The House is poised to vote on a 9/11-style commission on the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a first step toward creating an independent, bipartisan panel that would investigate the siege and try to prevent it from happening again. While the measure is expected to be approved Wednesday by the House, a commission will likely be a more difficult sell in the Senate. Republicans there are signaling that they will try to block -- or at least slow down -- the effort. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he is 'pushing the pause button' on the legislation to form the commission. While controlling the Senate, Democrats would need at least 10 GOP votes to pass the measure under Senate rules. McConnell told reporters that his caucus is 'undecided' but willing to listen to arguments about 'whether such a commission is needed.'" ~~~
~~~ Cristina Marcos & Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday said he will not support bipartisan legislation for the 9/11-style commission to probe the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 'Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker's shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation,' McCarthy said in a statement released Tuesday morning. This statement comes after the top Democrat and Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee reached an agreement last week on legislation to create the commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack that resulted in the deaths of several people, including a Capitol Police officer." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday slammed Republicans after the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that he would not support legislation to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Addressing reporters on Tuesday morning, Pelosi lamented the 'cowardice' of those Republicans like McCarthy who oppose bipartisan legislation to form the independent panel." (Also linked yesterday.)
Insurrection Causes Severe GOP Memory Lapse. Brittany Shammas of the Washington Post: "Rep. Andrew S. Clyde (R-Ga.) last week downplayed the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, comparing the mob's breaching of the building to a 'normal tourist visit.' But photos from that day show the congressman, mouth agape, rushing toward the doors to the House gallery and helping barricade them to prevent rioters from entering. The images have resurfaced in recent days on social media amid a wave of disbelief and outrage over Clyde's comments, including from several Republicans.... His remarks came during a Wednesday congressional hearing aimed at understanding the security lapses that led up to the Jan. 6 riot.... Clyde was among a handful of Republicans who sought to recast the incident, claiming that calling it an insurrection was 'a boldfaced lie.'" The article features two photos of Clyde on January 6: in one, he and others are barricading a door to the House chamber; in another, Clyde looks terrified as he stands behind a guard aiming a gun at a window in the chamber.
Liar, Liar. Daniel Dale of CNN: "Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw [R-Texas] tried Sunday to downplay his December decision to sign on to a legal brief in support of the Texas lawsuit that sought to get the Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 presidential election.... Crenshaw [told Chuck Todd,] 'That amicus brief was a simple question of the Supreme Court, in saying, "Can you please speak to this question of whether, of whether process changes in the election -- last minute, not approved by the legislature -- can be deemed constitutional?" It was a question, and they didn't want to answer that question.'... In reality, the brief expressed a firm opinion -- that the four Biden-won states had taken 'unconstitutional actions' -- and asked the Supreme Court for a specific response: to allow Texas' lawsuit to proceed and to grant Texas' request for a preliminary injunction forbidding the four states from certifying Biden's victories until the lawsuit was resolved. The brief also invoked baseless claims of election fraud, saying that 'the election of 2020 has been riddled with an unprecedented number of serious allegations of fraud and irregularities.'" (Also linked yesterday.)
Sonia Moghe & Kara Scannell of CNN: "New York Attorney General Letitia James is joining the Manhattan district attorney's office in a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization, James' office said Tuesday. The attorney general office's investigation into the Trump Organization, which has been underway since 2019, will also continue as an ongoing civil probe, but the office recently informed Trump Organization officials of the criminal component."
He Probably Needs the Money. Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Since leaving the White House in January..., [Donald Trump] has taken $65,600 in presidential pension payments, a spokesperson for the General Services Administration told Insider. Trump unquietly donated his $400,000 annual salary during his four-year term, as he had promised to do as a candidate in 2016, and it's not clear what he has done with the pension he's been receiving since January. The U.S. Constitution requires presidents to be paid a salary in office but does not require them to receive pension payments." (Also linked yesterday.)
Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Lawyers for Rudy Giuliani -- who exhorted Trump supporters in Washington on the day of the Capitol riot to 'have trial by combat' -- are now arguing that he wasn't literally advocating for an insurrection over the 2020 election results. The assertion comes in Giuliani's response to a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell seeking to hold Giuliani..., Donald Trump and others accountable for inciting the violent siege on January 6 at the US Capitol. In a court filing Monday, Giuliani wrote that his words to Trump supporters were 'hyperbolic.'" MB: Apparently Rudy's audience missed that subtle implication of hyperbole. Maybe it was Rudy's shouting; maybe it was his twisted, angry face & wild eyes; maybe it was the spittle & drool. It's sorta like the brigade commander yelling "Charge!" whereupon his men, bayonets fixed, rush the enemy. Months later, during a court martial, the commander explains that when he hollered "charge," he was "being hyperbolic." ~~~
~~~ Betsy Swan & Daniel Lippman of Politico: "Justice Department investigators have asked questions about Rudy Giuliani's work connected to Romania...." Giuliani's advocacy for Gabriel 'Puiu' Popoviciu, "a Romanian property mogul," may have violated the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act. And here's the funny part: Rudy took on Popoviciu as a client after Hunter Biden quit working on behalf of the mogul. "Giuliani has severely criticized Hunter Biden for his ties to foreign companies." Uh, yeah.
Maine 2020 U.S. Senate Race. Lachlan Markay of Axios: "The FBI is investigating what it describes as a massive scheme to illegally finance Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 re-election bid.... A recently unsealed search warrant application shows the FBI believes a Hawaii defense contractor illegally funneled $150,000 to a pro-Collins super PAC and reimbursed donations to Collins' campaign. There's no indication that Collins or her team were aware of any of it. Collins helped the contractor at issue, then called Navatek and since renamed the Martin Defense Group, secure an $8 million Navy contract before most of the donations took place. Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao was indicted last year for allegedly bilking the federal government of millions in coronavirus relief loans." MB: Collins expressed ConcernTM.
Florida 2022 U.S. Senate Race. Marc Caputo of Politico: "Florida Rep. Val Demings is planning to run for the U.S. Senate, rather than governor, providing Democrats with a big-name candidate to take on Republican Sen. Marco Rubio next year.... Demings, 64, was first elected to the House in 2016 from Orlando and held the distinction of being the city's first Black woman police chief. She rose to national prominence as the only non-lawyer on the first House impeachment committee to charge President Donald Trump with wrongdoing. As a Black woman and law enforcement officer, her background made her uniquely situated to be a national Democratic spokesperson for policing and race issues -- it helped catapult her to President Joe Biden's shortlist as a possible running mate in 2020." (Also linked yesterday.)
Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "Amazon is extending its global ban on police use of its facial recognition software until further notice, the company said Tuesday, prolonging a one-year moratorium on a surveillance technology that has stirred controversy because of its problems with racial bias and false arrests. The tech giant said in June, amid nationwide protests over racial injustice and police violence, that it was instituting a one-year police ban of its software, Rekognition, to 'give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules' governing the technology's ethical use."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
Dr. Sema Sgaier, in a New York Times op-ed, breaks down the four reasons people give for not getting Covid-19 vaccines, and a rough estimate of the share of such people, state-by-state. MB: Interesting. Those in the South & fly-over country are the dimwittiest, according to the graphs. There are plenty of dummies in my state. If you want smarter neighbors, move to Vermont. (Also linked yesterday.)
Sheryl Stolberg, et al., of the New York Times: "When Fuad El-Hibri, founder and executive chairman of Emergent BioSolutions, appears Wednesday before a House subcommittee to explain how the company's Baltimore plant ruined millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine, he will be questioned by lawmakers he and his employees spent tens of thousands of dollars helping to elect. Since 2018, federal campaign records show, Mr. El-Hibri and his wife, Nancy, have donated at least $150,000 to groups affiliated with the top Republican on the panel, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, as well as Mr. Scalise's campaigns. At least two other members of the subcommittee received donations during the 2020 election cycle from the company's political action committee, which has given about $1.4 million over the past 10 years to members of both parties.... Mr. El-Hibri and the company he founded have spent years cultivating ties on Capitol Hill, helping Emergent carve out a lucrative niche market as a government contractor under both Democratic and Republican administrations."
Ohio. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Last week, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced that any adult who had been vaccinated could enter a lottery to win 1 of 5 $1 million jackpots. On Tuesday, the state's website for the 'Vax-a-Million' contest went live.... It's styled like a lottery website, as the name might suggest, with lots of flashy graphics and links to extensive qualification rules.... State data suggest that the proposal has had the intended effect, at least to a degree. The seven-day average number of Ohioans getting their first shots increased the day after DeWine's announcement and continued heading up through Sunday. It's worth noting that this happened while the number of vaccinations nationally remained flat...." A related NBC News story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Answer (a) or (b): "I'm getting the vaccine because (a) there's a teensy weensy chance I'll win a million dollars; (b) I don't want to get sick & die or spread a deadly disease to friends, family, & strangers." Apparently the answer for some Ohioans is (a).
Stating the Obvious. Jason Abbruzzese of NBC News: "Former President Barack Obama on Monday offered a blunt assessment of the videos of unidentified aerial phenomenon that have continued to gain attention in the United States. 'What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are,' he said. Obama's comments add to the growing legitimacy of the reports of the unidentified phenomenon and the government's awareness of them at high levels."
Beyond the Beltway
Arizona. Cyber Ninjas Don't Know What They're Doing. Eric Bradner of CNN: "Auditors hired by the Arizona state Senate backtracked Tuesday from claims that a key database had been deleted from Maricopa County's elections servers -- admitting in a hearing held by the Senate Republicans overseeing the audit that the data is intact and they'd been looking the wrong way. The blunder was the latest embarrassment for state Senate President Karen Fann and the Republicans who sought the audit, which is being overseen by a company called Cyber Ninjas." ~~~
~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Something particularly interesting is happening with the Arizona 'audit' (as its proponents call it) that has otherwise been missing in the months since the 2020 election. Because it's happening now, in relative isolation, and because it carries at least some sort of authoritative stamp that provides a process for feedback, the nation is at long last able to directly confront false election claims promoted by ... Donald Trump and his allies. The result is Republicans stepping up to deride the process as a grotesque, unfounded sham. To be very clear..., with no obvious exception, all of the allegations of fraud and malfeasance that have emerged since Trump lost six months ago have been equally shoddy and baseless.... What's happening in Arizona is unusual only in that it is happening in a spotlight, and it is happening through a formal system that allows it to be held to account."
Michigan. Don't You Come Back, Bill Bailey. Clara Hendrickson of the Detroit Free Press: "An Antrim County judge dismissed an election fraud lawsuit Tuesday that has served as a vehicle to advance the unfounded conspiracy theory that tabulators manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems switched votes last fall from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. More than six months after the election, the lawsuit sought an audit of Michigan's election results. Michigan election officials already undertook a statewide audit of the presidential election starting in January in which more than 18,000 randomly selected ballots from more than 1,300 jurisdictions were reviewed by clerks. The Bureau of Elections found that the tabulators counted ballots properly and uncovered no evidence of widespread issues with the machines. The judge declared the case moot, ruling Central Lake Township resident Bill Bailey, who brought the lawsuit, had already been granted the forensic imaging of the election equipment he requested and there had also been a lawful election audit." ~~~
~~~ So This Didn't Work Out. Rachel Olding of the Daily Beast: "Last week..., Donald Trump released a statement claiming that a pending lawsuit in Michigan would, finally, uncover massive election fraud."
New York Gubernatorial Race. Creepy Scions Named Andrew Run for Governor. Quint Forgey of Politico: "Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former Trump White House official, announced on Tuesday that he would run for New York governor next year. 'I'm a politician out of the womb. It's in my DNA,' Andrew Giuliani, a Republican, told The New York Post in an interview, hyping a potential general election faceoff against incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo." (Also linked yesterday.)
North Carolina. Lateshia Beachum of the Washington Post: "The sheriff's deputies who shot a 42-year-old Black man [-- Andrew Brown, Jr.,] to death as he drove his vehicle last month in Elizabeth City, N.C., were justified in their actions because they had reason to believe they were in danger, Pasquotank County District Attorney R. Andrew Womble said during a news conference Tuesday morning." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Yeah, maybe. I watched some of Womble's presentation, and it was pretty convincing -- until you got to wondering why he showed mostly stills from the body cam videos & only a short portion of video (which I did not see). Womble's interpretation of what occurred disputes the small portion of the videos Brown's family & attorneys were able to see. Eventually, we'll get more answers. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ John Bowden of the Hill: "Officials in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, said Tuesday that three officers involved in the killing of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man who died when he was shot by officers while trying to escape in a car, will be disciplined but remain with the county sheriff's office. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten told local NBC affiliate WITN 7 that the three officers would be disciplined and receive retraining on issues including the use of body cameras as well as when to have emergency medical services on standby. 'This was a terrible and tragic outcome and we could do better,' Wooten said, according to WITN 7."
North Dakota. Dave Kolpack of the AP: "Federal authorities say a man on trial in Fargo, North Dakota, slashed his own throat in the courtroom Monday and died. North Dakota U.S. Marshal Dallas Carlson said the incident happened after a jury returned a partial guilty verdict against the man, who had faced terrorizing-related charges. Carlson said the man had a sharp instrument that might have been made of plastic. Carlson said the jury had left the courtroom, but U.S. District Judge Peter Welte, courtroom staff and others witnessed the incident. Court security officers and deputy marshals attempted live-saving measures in the courtroom. FBI spokesman Kevin Smith said the man had been acquitted on one charge and found guilty on the other charge, and was about to be taken into custody."
Way Beyond
Israel. The New York Times live updates of developments in Israel's armed conflict Tuesday are here. ~~~
~~~ Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of an extended family early Wednesday. Despite growing international pressure for a cease-fire, the military said it widened its strikes on militant targets in the Palestinian territory's south to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas." ~~~
~~~ Nahal Toosi of Politico: "The Biden administration is increasingly hopeful that the deadly conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants is in its final stages, and U.S. officials are confident their mostly behind-the-scenes intervention helped avert an early Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. American officials have privately urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his aides to wind down his country's operations against the Gaza Strip, which have included airstrikes and killed more than 200 Palestinians, a person familiar with the situation told Politico on Tuesday. Netanyahu recently said that a 'few days' of fighting lie ahead, adding to hopes that an end is near." ~~~
~~~ Ellen Knickmeyer, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down the bombardment of Gaza, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian death tolls mounted and pressure grew on Biden to move more forcefully to stop the fighting. Top Biden administration officials underscored to the Israelis on Monday and Tuesday that time is not on their side in terms of international objections to nine days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets, and that it is in their interest to wind down the operations soon...."
~~~ Michael Crowley & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "President Biden has maintained his public support toward Israel even as he adopted a somewhat sharper private tone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a calculus shaped by Mr. Biden's longtime relationship with the Israeli leader as well as by growing hopes that Israel's military operations against Hamas are nearing an end. In a phone call on Monday, Mr. Biden warned Mr. Netanyahu that he could fend off criticism of the Gaza strikes for only so long, according to two people familiar with the call. That conversation was said to be significantly stronger than an official summary released by the White House. It affirmed Israel's right to self-defense and did not repeat calls by many congressional Democrats for an immediate cease-fire. That phone call and others since the fighting started last week reflect Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu's complicated 40-year relationship." MB: These reports seem to be the results of approved leaks.
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