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What's Happening in Israel Right Now as It Battles Full-Scale Hamas Assault
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Donald Trump Suffers Legal Week From Hell
The former president sat in court for the first three days of his civil fraud trial and suffered setbacks in a number of cases against him.
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Welcome to the Bulletin,
- Israel has come under attack from Hamas, with thousands of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip and reports that gunmen have infiltrated the country. Videos shared on social media show cars and buildings on fire as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that "we are at war."
- President Biden said in a statement that, "The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza... Israel has a right to defend itself and its people."
- Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is denying reports that he is thinking about stepping down from Congress once a new Speaker is chosen. The House is expected to vote on his replacement next week. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is the leading candidate to replace McCarthy, according to bookmakers.
- An appeals court has ordered a pause for the cancellation of Donald Trump's business certificates in response to a Friday filing from the former president's attorneys. Meanwhile, Trump's request to delay his New York civil fraud trial was denied.
- Simone Biles has won a sixth gold medal in the individual all-around at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, a victory that makes her history's most decorated gymnast.
- United Auto Workers will not expand its strike next week now that General Motors (GM) has made key concessions during negotiations. The union said battery plant workers can be included under its national contract through the new agreement with GM.
- President Joe Biden told reporters "it is a possibility" that he will meet with Xi Jinping when China's president travels to California next month.
- Former President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is facing preliminary charges over his alleged attempts to obstruct an investigation into his alleged use of Libyan funds for his 2007 presidential campaign.
- Employers added 336,000 jobs to the U.S. labor market in September, well above the 227,000 net gain recorded in August and far higher than most forecasts predicted, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- A Jewish-American man has been arrested in Israel after he destroyed a number of ancient artifacts, including second-century Roman statues, in a Jerusalem museum. The suspect claimed the statues were "idolatrous and contrary to the Torah."
- In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia has reportedly downed one of its own fighter jets in Mariupol, the second such reported incident in less than two weeks. Meanwhile, a Kremlin spokesperson told journalists a final report has not yet been released on Yevgeny Prigozhin's cause of death after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested grenade fragments were found on board the Wagner Group leader's crashed plane.
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TL/DR: "There is no new administration policy with respect to border walls," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. "From day one, this administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer. That remains our position."
Joe Biden has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for approving a 20-mile stretch along the United States-Mexico border while emphatically denying that such barriers stop the flow of undocumented migrants that has continued to grow. According to records from an online auction, it was also recently found that the Biden administration has been selling off materials that were supposed to be used for the project weeks before it was approved.
Biden's decision to recommence construction on the wall has drawn criticism from both sides. However, the president said he "can't stop" the construction as funding had already been allocated. But how do the two administrations' border wall constructions compare? In a rural stretch of the Rio Grande Valley on the southern tip of Texas, Biden's addition will cover an area deemed "high illegal entry." By contrast, the Trump administration set itself the target of 509 miles of new or converted barrier walls by the end of his administration, including the section of wall Biden has just approved. How much of the proposed Trump-era border wall has been constructed remains unclear.
What happens now? Neither Trump nor Biden have approved barriers that would stretch the entire 1,954-mile length of the border with Mexico, as some areas have natural obstacles that make crossings difficult. Biden will continue to face criticism, particularly from progressive Democrats who have decried it as a short-sighted approach to migration and a potentially damaging move for the environment and the local indigenous population. The 20 new miles will skirt along the southern border of Starr County, Texas, and will bisect plains where several Native tribes source peyote for ritual use. Yet despite Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas saying there is "presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas," Biden appears skeptical. When asked whether he believes the wall will work, he replied: "No."
TL/DR: As he continues to slide in the polls, new funding data shows Ron DeSantis only has around $5 million to spend until the end of the Republican primaries, leaving donors wondering if he will pull out to “save face” for the 2028 race.
Ron DeSantis' faltering 2024 presidential campaign has been mired in an increasingly bleak financial slog, with donations drying up as his fellow GOP contenders chase him down in the polls. DeSantis, who trails Donald Trump by an enormous margin, brought in $15 million in the third quarter fundraising period between his campaign committee and leadership PAC, and only $5 million of this is available as cash for the remainder of the primary season. By comparison, Trump's campaign raised over $45.5 million in this period, $36 million of which is available.
Despite this, the Florida governor's 2024 campaign team framed its third quarter haul as "the Ron DeSantis Comeback," saying the fundraising "shuts down the doubters who counted out Ron DeSantis for far too long." But one unnamed DeSantis donor told NBC News that the "cash crunch has accelerated in the past month." At the same time, the Trump campaign has claimed it is a "grave indication that Ron's candidacy may not live to see the Iowa caucuses in January, or even, the end of this month."
What happens now? The alarming figures from the third quarter have reportedly left some donors concerned about how much longer DeSantis can try to topple Trump as the favorite to clinch the GOP presidential nomination next year. The difficulties for DeSantis' campaign finances could also be seen in the decision to move around a third of its staff out of Florida to Iowa, with the Republican seemingly banking on a positive result from the first-in-the-nation primary caucus in January to kickstart his floundering White House bid. But if this fails, DeSantis may need to “figure out if it makes sense to pull out and save face for 2028”, as one of his donors put it.
TL/DR: "Theirs is a brutal system as far as accidents are concerned; all are afraid to accept responsibility," Sam Tangredi of the U.S. Naval War College told Newsweek of an alleged loss of a Chinese submarine and its 55 sailors.
The Daily Mail reported a maritime disaster in the Yellow Sea, off China's coastline, in which a People's Liberation Army Navy submarine was snared in an anti-submarine net intended "to trap U.S. and allied submarines." Fifty-five sailors reportedly died from "hypoxia due to a system fault on the submarine." Chinese officials denied the report, and nations that might have information—Taiwan, the U.S., the U.K., and Japan—have said nothing.
Given the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) secrecy about maritime operations, international security and intelligence studies professor John Blaxland told Newsweek that "Chinese denials mean little unless they are substantiated." He stressed that reports "remain inconclusive." China "admitting the accident... would have been an embarrassment within their CCP hierarchy," U.S. Naval War College's Sam Tangredi said, "and for both propaganda and counterintelligence purposes, they certainly would not ask for assistance from (the) U.S or Japan." Beijing constructed the world's largest navy with over 340 ships, which could prove sufficient in securing China's surrounding waters.
What happens now? Blaxland said it wouldn’t be surprising if the report proves accurate based on “ample precedent for this kind of disaster.” If true, the experts said Beijing will face serious questions. "This is disastrous not just for the PLA Navy but the Chinese military's highly choreographed image of itself as being a modern, capable, intimidating, and robust standard-bearer for China," Tangredi said. "The repercussions will be felt far and wide for a long time," he added. "They will no doubt give the Taiwanese some comfort too, knowing the events will give cause for pause. Recent Chinese assertiveness can be expected to undergo review as well." He also cast doubt on the assertion that a nuclear submarine was lost. "It was likely that… it would have been a diesel-electric submarine designed to operate in shallower waters." A nuclear vessel would have had a greater survival time than an electric submarine.
TL/DR: "What the Ukrainians don't know how to calculate is the political risk—the possibility that somehow, Western governments after much help and much supportive rhetoric, will decide it's actually better to let Putin have much of what he wants," former ambassador-at-large to the Soviet Union Stephen Sestanovich told Newsweek.
As the political debate intensifies over the future of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, Kyiv faces a potential double-edged sword of scaled-down aid and a grueling stalemate on the battlefield that may present new opportunities for Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The military risks the Ukrainians face are obvious—what's ahead of them will be difficult and costly but can be made easier with more—and more capable—weapons," former ambassador-at-large to the Soviet Union Stephen Sestanovich told Newsweek.
While skeptical voices existed in the U.S. since the beginning of the conflict, the support for arming Ukraine has begun to splinter. Tensions are likely to escalate heading into the 2024 election. Retired German brigadier General Helmut W. Ganser suspects the election campaign may already "have an impact on the Biden Administration's Ukraine policy." Biden will have to "navigate between conflicting goals, winning the election and continued" Ukraine support, Ganser said. He argued the task facing Ukraine is far more complicated than is acknowledged, even by Ukraine's partners.
What happens now? Former Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Leonid Polyakov said while "elections-related 'debates' are understandable for democracies," commitments "by NATO and G7 countries in July are of much higher value than pre-electoral populism." Oleksander Musiienko of the Kyiv-based Center for Military and Legal Studies said, "the level and volume of assistance cannot be stopped to avoid giving any hope to Russia." He argued a change in tactics may be necessary. "The way forward for Ukraine may be transitioning our troops to active defense.” He predicts that Ukraine will be "able to resume active offensive operations" in spring. Putin seems to be prepping for a long war, too. Should the conflict remain as "static" as it is, retired U.S. Army colonel Gian Gentile said, "Putin has figured out how to make this work for years and years." He added: "If the U.S. isn't able to lead, the trajectory of the war does not look good for Ukraine."
TL/DR: "She will show up by his side when [she] wants to and when she is perfectly ready,” ex-Melania Trump aide Stephanie Grisham has said of her former boss.
Where oh where is Melania Trump?The former first lady is noticeably absent while her husband travels the country, attending campaign rallies and opining on the day's news through public remarks and interviews. Rally attendees aren't seeing her at former President Donald Trump's campaign stops, and she's only done one interview all year. A former Melania aide has said she's busy and will show up when needed. Others think she's hiding, angry at her husband and the public life his presidency demanded.
Speculation heightened after Melania reportedly renegotiated her prenuptial agreement, her second known time since 2016. The move is considered strategic to protect her future while Trump faces mounting legal fees. Trump's net worth is about $2.6 billion, according to a September Forbes estimate that includes real estate, business holdings, and personal wealth. But Trump has suggested he's much wealthier, an issue under debate in his New York civil fraud case.
What happens now? Public relations expert Jane Owen told Newsweek laying low is a good choice for Melania now because it’ll give her more options later. If Trump loses his legal battles, Owen said Melania could emerge “relatively unscathed” and support herself through appearances and endorsements. She could also explain her absence later if Trump becomes the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee. Regardless of how things turn out for her husband, Melania “understands the power of the spotlight” and can make a splash of her own whenever she decides the time is right, Owen said.
TL/DR: "In large urban cities, bedbugs are just there. It's a fact of life. But some of the videos of things they're showing—especially on public transportation—were a little bit alarming.” Assistant professor of urban entomology Zachary DeVries told The New York Times
Bedbugs have become a nightmare in France for weeks. The government has been forced to step in to calm an increasingly anxious nation that will host the Olympic Games in just over nine months — a prime venue for infestations of the crowd-loving insects. France's transport minister, Clement Beaune, urged the public not to "fall into madness" after social media videos showcased the parasites on the metro, airports, homes, and hospitals in what the deputy mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, described as an "infestation," urging the national government to intervene.
Bedbugs are found across the globe but have had a resurgence due to areas of high density and more expansive population movement. While France is no stranger to these bugs—11% of French homes experienced infestations from 2017 to 2022—the city hopes to rid the problem as all eyes will be fixated on Paris in the upcoming Olympics. Gregoire has called for an "action plan in place" before the games. However, the problem keeps spreading. The bedbugs have reportedly made their way to other major cities, and some experts suggest they have also spread to the U.K.
What happens now? Could the problem spread even further? Gregoire says “in reality no one is safe'', adding you can catch bed bugs anywhere and bring them home. Though initiatives to help alleviate the parasites are already in motion. French transport minister Clement Beaune announced that he was speaking to transit operators last week as he aims to control the spread of the pests. Paris' public transport network, the RATP, also announced that any trains with bedbugs were taken out of service for treatment.
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The Full STORY- "I will never stop striving for the realization of democracy, freedom and equality. Surely, the Nobel Peace Prize will make me more resilient, determined, hopeful and enthusiastic on this path, and it will accelerate my pace," Imprisoned Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi said after winning the prize.
- "They're going through the trouble of taking out a needle and injecting them once a week. They're committed. They're in a let me eat as little as possible and take advantage of this medication that is suppressing my appetite mentality, and there's going to potentially be less consumer action at restaurants," dietitian Lisa Moskovitz told Yahoo News about how Ozempic and inflation is causing Americans to tighten their food spending.
- With the [mustache] right now, I look like a guy named Mr. Pfizer. Who knew I'd get into the vax wars with Aaron Rodgers, man? Mr. Pfizer vs. the Johnson & Johnson family over there. Once I got the vaccine—I got it because of keeping my family safe, keeping myself safe. The people in this building. I stand by it 100 percent. I'm fully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer," Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce responding to Aaron Rodgers' remarks about him.
- "Aww, the poor little snowflakes got offended that somebody actually, you know, raised their voice slightly. By the way, when my father would hit me with a belt, I didn't actually raise my voice. How did this country... You know, we used to be the land of the free, home of the brave. What happened? When did we become the land of the snowflake?" Fox News host Sean Hannity lashing out at The View panelist Sunny Hostin and recounting how his father spanked him.
- The Red River Rivalry returns Saturday as No. 3 Texas takes on No. 12 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, with a noon ET kickoff on ABC. Fans can stream the game on the ESPN app. Texas, led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, is a 6.5-point favorite, according to Wednesday's odds on BetMGM. Oklahoma's odds for an upset are sitting at +200.
- The San Francisco 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 of a big Sunday Night Football NFC showdown at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, from 8:20 ET. The 49ers are a favorite, according to BetMGM NFL odds.
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