The Full Belmonte, 10/14/2023
Convoy of civilians struck after Israel orders northern Gaza evacuation
“Three convoys carrying evacuees toward southern Gaza were hit by Israeli strikes, killing 70 people, mostly women and children, the military arm of Hamas said.
The incident came after Israel’s military ordered the entire population of northern Gaza, some 1.1 million people, to evacuate south, ahead of an expected ground invasion.
Infantry and tank units have carried out targeted, “localized raids,” in Gaza, to attack Hamas rocket crews and locate hostages, the Israel Defense Forces announced today.
Leaflets have been dropped over northern Gaza by Israeli forces, warning residents to evacuate south within the Palestinian territory.
‘Those who want to save their life, please go south,’ Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a news conference today in Tel Aviv with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Hamas has called Israel’s evacuation order ‘psychological warfare’ and urged Palestinians not to comply.
The United Nations warned it would be “impossible” for such a mass evacuation to happen ‘without devastating humanitarian consequences.’” [NBC News]
Urgent race to rescue hostages held by Hamas
“At least 120 people were taken hostage during the terrorist attacks by Hamas, the Israeli military said today.
President Joe Biden spoke today with the families of some of the Americans believed to be among the hostages, according to a White House official.
In Israel, at least 1,300 people have been killed, and 3,300 injured, in the Hamas raids and rocket attacks, according to Israeli officials.
Nearly 1,800 people have been killed in Gaza, and more than 7,000 injured, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.” [NBC News]
Reuters journalist killed, others injured in southern Lebanon
“A Reuters cameraman was killed and two other journalists were injured in an incident in southern Lebanon, near Israel’s northern border, the news agency confirmed.
‘We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed,’ Reuters said in a statement.
Abdallah was part of a crew manning a live signal in southern Lebanon when the incident occurred, Reuters said.
Two other Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were also injured and are seeking medical care, the agency said.” [NBC News]
U.S. cities increase security after Hamas calls for ‘day of rage’
“Cities across the country have increased security at synagogues, and Jewish schools and businesses, after a former Hamas leader called for a global “day of rage” today, urging worldwide protests against Israel.
In New York City, the department has put all officers in uniform and added patrols, though there are ‘no new specific threats,’ the NYPD said.
Barriers have been set up around the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and the metro police are stepping up security “out of an abundance of caution.”
From coast to coast, police in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Boston are all on heightened alert.” [NBC News]
House Republicans selected Rep. Jim Jordan as their nominee for speaker.
Rep. Jim Jordan talks with reporters as House Republicans meet today. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
“To win, the Judiciary Committee chair and Trump ally must overcome the same math challenges that sank previous choice Steve Scalise of Louisiana yesterday. Ohio’s Jordan beat out Austin Scott of Georgia, a low-profile member who made a last-minute decision to run as the candidate for Jordan critics. Party infighting has effectively paralyzed the House, which can’t operate without a speaker, and comes as Congress faces pressing deadlines, such as a short-term government funding measure that expires in mid-November. Jordan can seek a roll-call vote on the House floor or postpone a floor vote until he has won over his critics, a strategy that failed Scalise. The GOP has a narrow 221-212 margin in the House.” [Wall Street Journal]
“Conservative firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) hit a wall in his bid to become speaker of the House, thanks to a little-known congressman from Georgia named Austin Scott who joined the race today and made little effort to campaign.
Why it matters: Support for Scott's unexpected candidacy shows that it's unlikely any Republican right now can get the 217 votes needed to win a speaker election.
Scott, a former insurance broker, threw his hat into the ring one day after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew from the race.
What's happening: Jordan defeated the new challenger by a vote of 124-81, two lawmakers told Axios' Juliegrace Brufke and Andrew Solender.
But Jordan is struggling to garner the support of moderates and Scalise allies. In a second ballot, 55 Republicans said they wouldn't support him in a House floor vote.
The intrigue: Scalise supporters feel Jordan was disingenuous in his offerto help sway conservatives to back the majority leader.” [Axios]
Kaiser Permanente reached a tentative agreement with unions that would raise wages and increase investment in staffing.
“If workers ratify the agreement, it would end a dispute that led to the largest healthcare labor action on record and prevent a second work stoppage at one of the biggest U.S. health systems. More than 75,000 nurses, pharmacists and other employees went on strike last week for up to three days before returning to work without new contracts. In other labor news, the United Auto Workers spared GM and Chrysler-parent Stellantis from further strikes, two days after a surprise walkout at one of Ford’s most profitable plants. And the actors union’s demand for a cut of streaming services’ revenue remains a sticking point in their negotiations.” [Wall Street Journal]
“The United Auto Workers’s historic standoff with Detroit’s three carmaking giants is centered on an age-old tension: The union says corporate greed is keeping workers from earning fair wages, while Ford, GM and and Stellantis say they can’t afford union demands. Well, as it turns out, the 10 individuals who’ve served as chief executives of the companies since 2010 have collected more than $1 billion of compensation. Meanwhile, wages of US auto workers—unionized or not—have declined around 17% in that time frame.” [Bloomberg]
Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley, who takes home $18.3 million. Photographer: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images North America
Wisconsin Republicans Retreat From Threats to Impeach Liberal Justice
Republicans had floated the idea of impeaching Janet Protasiewicz, newly seated on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, before she could undo the party’s legislative gerrymander. But on Thursday, they backed off.
Reid J. Epstein has covered Wisconsin politics on and off since 2002.
“Wisconsin Republicans signaled on Thursday that they were retreating from their threats to impeach a recently seated liberal State Supreme Court justice, Janet Protasiewicz, before the newly left-leaning court could throw out the gerrymandered legislative maps that have cemented the G.O.P.’s hold on power in the state.
Robin Vos, the powerful Republican speaker of the State Assembly, said at a news conference in Madison that he would not seek to remove Justice Protasiewicz based on the argument he and fellow Republicans had been making for two months — that statements she made calling the maps ‘rigged’ during her campaign for office this year compelled impeachment if she refused to recuse herself from a case challenging them.
Now, Mr. Vos said, the focus would be on what Justice Protasiewicz does ‘in office.’ He said that if the court ruled against the Republican-drawn maps and other conservative causes, he would appeal its decisions to the U.S. Supreme Court. Impeachment, he said, remained ‘on the table’ but was not something Republicans would pursue now.
‘If they decide to inject their own political bias inside the process and not follow the law, we have the ability to go to the Supreme Court and we also have the ability to hold her accountable to the voters of Wisconsin,’ Mr. Vos said.
His remarks came after nearly two months of drama about how Republicans would respond to the prospect that the State Supreme Court, now controlled by liberals for the first time in 15 years, will act as a check on conservative control of the state’s government. Mr. Vos had first floated the possibility of impeachment in August, and the potential move was embraced by other top Republicans in the state, including Senator Ron Johnson and former Gov. Scott Walker….” Read more at New York Times
Fleeing South
Palestinians evacuate a neighborhood in Gaza City on Oct. 11.Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images
“The Israeli military ordered around 1.1 million people in northern Gaza on Friday to evacuate the region within 24 hours—roughly half of the area’s total population. All civilians north of Wadi Gaza, including residents of Gaza City, were told not to return home and to immediately move to southern Gaza.
The Gaza Strip is one of the world’s densest regions, housing some 2.3 million people in just 140 square miles. This makes it impossible to carry out mass evacuations without ‘devastating humanitarian consequences,’ United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. Gaza, which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007, has been under an Israeli blockade for 15 years and has been battered by repeated cycles of conflict.
On Friday, the U.N. and other international bodies called on the Israeli government to revoke the evacuation order. Gaza’s Health Ministry said it was unable to safely evacuate wounded civilians and that hospital staff would not abide by the order; Hamas, for its part, called the order a ploy and told people to stay put. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees announced that it would relocate its headquarters to southern Gaza but would not expel the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced refugees sheltering in U.N.-protected schools. And the Norwegian Refugee Council condemned the decree, equating it to the ‘war crime of forcible transfer.’
The evacuation order comes as Israeli forces prepare for a ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza in response to the group’s brutal assault on southern Israel on Saturday. Since then, at least 1,300 Israelis and 1,799 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 10,000 people injured on both sides. Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields and taking as many as 150 people hostage, including an unknown number of U.S. citizens. Israel has imposed a ‘complete siege’ on Gaza and conducted numerous aerial bombardments of the strip in recent days.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Israel to allow the flow of food, water, fuel, and electricity into the Gaza Strip. ‘Collective punishment of the people in Gaza will only make the problem bigger, lead to more pain, more tension, and more tears,’ Erdogan said, adding that Israel’s blockade of humanitarian supplies is a ‘breach of the most fundamental human rights.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Assets refrozen. The United States and Qatar reportedly have agreed to prevent Iran from accessing $6 billion in oil revenue that had recently been unfrozen as part of a prisoner swap deal between Washington and Tehran. The funds, which had been frozen for years in South Korea, were transferred last month to a bank in Qatar for that country to manage on Iran’s behalf and, in concert with the United States, help ensure the money was used only for humanitarian purposes.
However, following Saturday’s assault on Israel by Hamas, the Biden administration has faced pressure from both Republicans and Democrats to prevent Tehran from accessing the unfrozen funds out of concern that they could be used to aid the Islamist militant group. Iran has long provided weapons and training to Hamas, and the group said it received assistance from Tehran in carrying out its most recent attack; the United States, though, said it does not have specific evidence at this time that Iran was involved in the operation but will continue investigating the country’s potential role. It is unclear how long the money will be blocked.” [Foreign Policy]
“Assault on Avdiivka. Russian forces fought for control of Avdiivka, Ukraine, on Friday as part of one of Moscow’s largest offensives in months. For four straight days, Ukrainian troops have intercepted more than 20 attacks on the village. Recent reports indicate that Russia’s military aims to surround Avdiivka in the near future.
Control of the eastern front-line town remains a key flash point between the two nations. Avdiivka is a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, having prevented Russia’s annexation of the Donetsk region since 2014, when Moscow first invaded the Crimean Peninsula.” [Foreign Policy]
“Legal status revoked. Japanese officials asked a state court on Friday to revoke the legal status of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church. The church has faced hundreds of civil lawsuits from people who have accused it of using manipulative tactics to coerce members into making financial donations beyond their means. Those accusations were thrown into sharp relief last year, when a gunman accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022 allegedly told police he had targeted Abe because of the leader’s ties to the church, which had bankrupted the gunman’s family due to his mother’s excessive donations.
If the church’s legal status is removed, it would lose tax exemptions afforded to religious organizations but would still be allowed to function. This is a rare move for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, whose ruling Liberal Democratic Party has long relied on the church for political and public support.” [Foreign Policy]
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., center. Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press
“No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 7 Washington, college football: The Pac-12 conference, the heart of West Coast football for the past century, is most likely in its final season because many of its teams (including these two) have abandoned it for the Big 10. If this really is the end, it’s going out with a bang. Oregon and Washington are both undefeated. Both have quarterbacks who could win the Heisman. Both offenses are prolific, ranked No. 1 and 2 in the nation in yards per game. The Big 10’s grinding defenses are on the horizon; for now, though, let’s enjoy the fireworks. 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
For more: The Athletic picked the other best games of the weekend, including U.S.C. vs. Notre Dame.” [New York Times]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Philip Montgomery for The New York Times
“The concert film of Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour is in theaters this weekend. In The Times Magazine, Taffy Brodesser-Akner wrote about her delirious trip to see Swift perform.” [New York Times]
“How do you translate the live concert experience to a movie screen? Directors say it takes multiple nights of shooting, more than 100 microphones, and a heavy dose of editing.” [New York Times]
“The film faithfully captures the care and artistry Swift puts into her shows, even if it does not strive for its own artistic highs, Wesley Morris writes in a review.” [New York Times]
“Paramount+ released a reboot of the sitcom “Frasier.” The Times television critic James Poniewozik called it a ‘mediocre, anticlimactic return.’” [New York Times]
“Louise Glück, an American poet whose deeply personal work won her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2020, died at 80.” [New York Times]
“A24, a studio known for indie favorites like “Uncut Gems” and “Midsommar,” is considering a shift to more mainstream action movies, The Wrap reports.” [New York Times]
“Roberta Pereira, current director of the Playwrights Realm, will be the next executive director of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.” [New York Times]
“The country star Morgan Wallen is back atop the Billboard charts with his newest album, ‘One Thing at a Time.’” [New York Times]
“50 Cent is sponsoring a Welsh girls’ soccer team. As part of the deal, players’ jerseys will bear the name of his hip-hop group, G Unit, The Guardian reports.” [New York Times]
“Prada has partnered with a commercial space company to design spacesuits for NASA’s 2025 Artemis III moon mission, Vogue Business reports.” [New York Times]
“Dorothy Hoffner, who gained international attention earlier this month for skydiving at 104 years old, died this week.” [New York Times]
“The Hollywood strikes upended the lives of stunt doubles, camera operators and other crew members who work on movies and TV shows. Many are growing desperate.” [New York Times]
The new "LOL"
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
"LOL" is dying — at least in some corners of the internet, Axios' April Rubin writes.
"IJBOL" — or "I just burst out laughing" — is the new phrase many members of Gen Z are using to describe something funny.
Why it matters: IJBOL accurately captures the feeling of going from quietly scrolling to letting out a burst of laughter, members of Gen Z told the New York Times.
Vice President Harris has become the face of memes surrounding the new acronym.
K-pop fans are some of IJBOL's most prominent users, according to a search for the term on X. [Axios]
A dwelling once inhabited by enslaved people will be among the exhibitions in a woodland setting at the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Ala. Photo: Equal Justice Initiative∕Human Pictures
“Alabama will get a new monument honoring 4 million enslaved Black people who were emancipated at the end of the Civil War, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.” [Axios]