It’s Friday the 13th! 👻 It has been a tense week as we follow the developments in Israel and Gaza. I hope you can take some time to decompress this weekend. If you want a way to help, here’s a list of organizations that are aiding humanitarian efforts in the region. Here’s what is happening today: - Israel’s military is urging residents of northern Gaza to evacuate while Hamas is telling people to stay.
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The Speaker’s race is chaos at the moment. House Judiciary Chairman and co-founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is running again for Speaker after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) dropped out.
- The U.S. will see a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Saturday (!)
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The White House is open to the public this weekend for the garden tours.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
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‘Call me crazy if you want, but I’ve never liked store-bought pesto’: |
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Susi, that is CRAZY, but want to hear something wild happening in Washington, D.C.? House Republicans have gone 10 days without a speaker and seem even further from electing their next leader.
The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell put it well: “House Republicans are leaderless and rudderless as they go back to the drawing board to sketch a path out of the mess they’ve gotten themselves into.” (The Hill)
What’s happening now?: House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will run again for Speaker after narrowly losing to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). Scalise dropped out of the race on Thursday after an internal GOP struggle made it clear that he would not reach the 217-vote threshold.
Scalise said when leaving a GOP conference meeting: “It’s been quite a journey. And there’s still a long way to go. I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for the Speaker designee.”
In the meantime: Republicans are exploring how they can expand the powers of the temporary Speaker — Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) — as it becomes clear he may be in the position for some time. Some Republicans aren’t on board, though, arguing it could take the pressure off lawmakers to appoint an actual Speaker. (The Hill)
Live blog of updates
These comments must be therapeutic for Kevin McCarthy: “What’s validating to me is: How do you allow 4 percent of the conference do this to the entire country? Why would all the Democrats join with eight members?” the recently ousted Speaker told reporters. |
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➤ ^ IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PESTO REFERENCE: |
A TikTok user named Susi posted a harmless video sharing her homemade pesto recipe that begins with her saying, “Call me crazy if you want, but I’ve never liked store-bought pesto.” Well, other TikTok users responded to her video by telling her that is absolutely *crazy*, following up with interesting or wild stories. Here’s my favorite example (warning: strong language). And here’s another example.
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This will be a tense stretch: |
Israel’s military dropped leaflets via airplanes, warning the 1.1 million residents in northern Gaza to evacuate the area and move south. (CNN) Why?: This is happening amid warnings that Israeli forces are planning a ground invasion against Hamas on the Gaza strip. But Hamas is telling residents not to leave: The militant group is telling people in Gaza to ignore the warning from the Israeli military. (The Wall Street Journal)
Will the U.S. send troops?: “The United States is reportedly putting special operations forces on alert and moving major military assets in response to the Israel-Hamas war; however, both the Biden administration and experts this week played down the possibility that America could put boots on the ground in Gaza.” (The Hill)
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➤ HELPFUL READS ON THE CONFLICT: |
‘Israel, Gaza and the Laws of War’: “International law offers a framework for how to analyze what is happening.” (The New York Times)
‘The best response to Hamas would be to keep the Saudi deal alive’: Op-ed from Fareed Zakaria. (The Washington Post)
What is Hamas?: NPR has a helpful read on Hamas, its motivations and its goals. (NPR) |
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Hama practiced a public dress rehearsal before the group’s attack on Israel, according to a propaganda video posted by the group. |
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- President Biden is planning to meet virtually with the families of American hostages in Gaza.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is leading a group of lawmakers to Israel this weekend.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed shock at the new images of the Hamas atrocities. Warning: This article is particularly graphic.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Israel today.
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Elevated security in the D.C. region: |
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Schumer’s delicate balance: |
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the first Jewish Senate majority leader in history and a staunch ally of Israel, faces a tricky divide in his caucus and the broader Democratic Party over how to respond to the attacks against Israel.”
“Schumer must navigate the growing tensions between Democratic allies of Israel and progressive Democrats who want Israel to de-escalate its reprisals in the wake of the attacks.”
More from The Hill’s Alexander Bolton |
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Trump has caused a bit of a stir: |
Former President Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing Netanyahu of “letting us down” in 2020. He also suggested that public discussions between the Biden administration and Israeli helped Hezbollah, a group the U.S. deems a terrorist organization. Oh and: Trump referred to Israel’s defense minister as a “jerk.”
The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports on the potential backlash for Trump in the Republican Party.
So far: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former Vice President Mike Pence have slammed Trump’s comments. And keep in mind that the GOP is generally pro-Israel. (The Hill) |
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➤ REACTION FROM ISRAEL’S COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER: |
“[It is] shameful that a man like that, a former U.S. president, abets propaganda and disseminates things that wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens,” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi told Israel’s Channel 13, according to The Associated Press. |
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🟢 Celebrate: Today is National M&M Day!
🌓 Look up on Saturday: A “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse will be visible in the U.S. on Saturday. Only parts of Texas through Oregon will see the full eclipse, but the rest of the U.S. will see a partial eclipse. 30 percent of sun will be blocked in the Washington, D.C., area, peaking at 1:19 p.m. (WUSA9) How and where to watch the eclipse
☄️ To an asteroid and beyond: “NASA launches Psyche, a mission to explore a metal asteroid: The probe launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, beginning a six-year journey to one of the most enigmatic worlds in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.” (The New York Times)
🌻 The White House is open to the public this weekend: The White House is opening on Saturday and Sunday for the semi-annual Garden Tour. Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 8:30 a.m. (Washingtonian) |
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The House is in. The Senate is out. President Biden is in Philadelphia this afternoon, and Vice President Harris is in Los Angeles with no public events scheduled. (all times Eastern) |
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1:15 p.m.: White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton briefs reporters aboard Air Force One. 📺 Livestream
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2:20 p.m.: Biden participates in a tour of Tioga Marine Terminal.
- 3:15 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks on union jobs, investing in America and clean energy. 📺 Livestream
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4:30 p.m.: Biden leaves Philadelphia and returns to Washington, D.C., with a stop in Delaware.
- 5:20 p.m.: 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls speak at a leadership summit in Nashua, N.H. 📺 C-SPAN livestream
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