The Full Belmonte, 11/1/2023
Dozens killed in airstrike at Gaza refugee camp, hospital says
In the Jabaliya refugee camp. Reuters
“An airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza has killed dozens of people, and injured hundreds of others, the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza reported on its Facebook page.
The hospital said most of the casualties were women and children. NBC News has not independently confirmed the numbers.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops took part in ground operations in western Jabalia, killing approximately 50 terrorists at a ‘Hamas military stronghold.’
The IDF has said its troops are fighting ‘fierce battles’ against Hamas terrorists deep inside Gaza, as the military escalates its ground offensive, striking about 300 targets in Gaza over the last day, including underground Hamas terrorist compounds inside underground tunnels.
The Israeli military also said it killed a top Hamas commander who helped develop the drones and paragliders used in the deadly Oct. 7 terror attacks.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in action amid the fighting in northern Gaza, the IDF said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a cease-fireMonday, saying it would be like Israel surrendering to Hamas.” [NBC News]
Diplomacy
“The Senate confirmed Jack Lew, a former Treasury secretary, to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.” [New York Times]
“The head of Jerusalem’s Holocaust memorial criticized Israel’s U.N. ambassador for wearing a yellow Star of David at the Security Council.” [New York Times]
FBI director warns Hamas could inspire terror attacks in U.S.
“FBI Director Christopher Wray warned a Senate committee today that Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel could inspire other terror groups in ways ‘we haven’t seen since ISIS.’
Appearing alongside Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkasspoke about the disturbing rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attack, calling it part of ‘preexisting increase’ in the U.S. and around the world.
At a separate Senate hearing today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was repeatedly interrupted by protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Capitol Police said approximately 12 people were arrested.” [NBC News]
Antisemitism
“FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that antisemitism is reaching ‘historic levels’ in the US as the war between Israel and Hamas intensifies. ‘Our statistics would indicate that for a group that represents only about 2.4% of the American public, they account for something like 60% of all religious-based hate crimes,’ Wray said of the Jewish American population. The Anti-Defamation League reported over 300 antisemitic incidents in the US since the Hamas attack on October 7. College campuses are seeing an increase in antisemitic activity as well, like the threats against Cornell University's Jewish community. Wray said that the FBI is tackling the rise in antisemitism through a series of law enforcement efforts that include joint terrorism task forces, hate crime investigations and intelligence sharing.” [CNN]
Democratic fight over Israel escalates
Posters about people kidnapped by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7 are posted outside the office of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters
“The growing and personal Democratic split over Israel is about to spill onto the House floor, with leaders bracing for a half-dozen fights between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel members of Congress.
Why it matters: ‘Things could not possibly be any worse than they are right now,’ one House Democrat lamented.
Democratic aides and lawmakers told Axios several of these bills, despite having Democratic co-sponsors, are poised to split the party, Axios' Justin Green, Andrew Solender and Eugene Scott report.
The liberal group J Street is pressing House Democrats to vote against a GOP-led resolution condemning ‘the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations’ on college campuses.
The group also urges Democrats to vote against new sanctions on Iran and a resolution declaring it ‘not acceptable’ for Iran to have nuclear weapons.
The big picture: President Biden's initial response to the Israel-Hamas war sparked some of the harshest criticism he's received from progressives and people of color in his party.
Members of the Squad, the high-profile group of House progressives, accused the White House of empowering Israel to retaliate in a way that has put the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza at risk.
‘I want [Biden] to know as a Palestinian American and also someone of Muslim faith, I'm not going to forget this,’ said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress, at a recent rally protesting the White House's response.
Nine House Democrats voted against a resolution last week that condemned Hamas and supported Israel, and another six voted ‘present.’
The vote sparked intra-party public feuds. Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) called Rep. Josh Gottheimer a ‘punk’ and ‘cowardly’ after the New Jersey Democrat wrote on X that the Democrats who voted against the resolution supporting Israel and condemning Hamas were ‘despicable,’ CNN reports.
What's next: Some of the administration's harshest critics on the Israel-Hamas war could face pro-Israel primary challengers this cycle.” [Axios]
House Speaker Mike Johnson was once the dean of a Christian law school. It never opened its doors
“Before House Speaker Mike Johnson was elected to public office, he was the dean of a small Baptist law school that didn’t exist. The establishment of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law was supposed to be a capstone achievement for Louisiana College. Instead, it collapsed a decade ago without enrolling students amid infighting by officials, accusations of financial impropriety and difficulty obtaining accreditation. Read more.
Why this matters:
The board of trustees who brought Johnson onboard included Tony Perkins, a longtime mentor who is now the president of the Family Research Council in Washington, a powerhouse Christian lobbying organization that has been classified as an anti-gay ‘hate group.’
Five years after Johnson’s resignation, Judge Paul Pressler, the school’s namesake, was sued in a civil case that has since grown to include allegations of abuse by multiple men who say he sexually assaulted them, some when they were children.
There is no indication that Johnson engaged in wrongdoing while employed by the private college. But as an unknown player in Washington, the episode offers insight into how Johnson navigated leadership challenges that echo the chaos, feuding and hard-right politics that have come to define the Republican House majority he now leads.” [AP News]
Freedom under fire: When guns outnumber people, which American liberties prevail?
“American identity is deeply grounded in the belief that everyone, no matter who they are, is entitled to certain rights and liberties. But what happens when one of those freedoms – a nearly unfettered right to own guns – upends the safeguarding of others? Read more.
Why this matters:
In recent years, U.S. courts have embraced an increasingly absolute interpretation of the Second Amendment, adding to the proliferation of firearms — now almost 400 million in civilian hands — and the thousands of shootings they enable. To many Americans, that violence feels like a growing threat to some of the freedoms that give meaning to everyday life.
Less than half of U.S. states have laws allowing courts to order the removal of someone’s guns when it is determined that they pose a danger to themselves or others, and every year hundreds of cases pit the right to safety against the right to bear arms. Now, the Supreme Court is preparing to step in, weighing whether threatening suspects can be forced to relinquish their firearms if they have not yet been convicted of a crime.” [AP News]
Maine shootings
“New details are emerging about the US Army reservist who authorities say killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, last week — including previous warning signs about him from the Army and his family. The Army in July said that the 40-year-old gunman ‘should not have a weapon, handle ammunition, and not participate in live fire activity,’ after he was seen ‘behaving erratically’ and sent for an evaluation at an Army hospital, an Army spokesperson said. Additionally, several attempts were made by officers to check on him weeks before the mass shootings, raising questions over authorities' handling of the warnings and his access to the firearms. Attention is also being drawn to Maine gun laws, which do not prohibit a person from buying a gun based strictly on a mental health diagnosis or treatment.” [CNN]
Health care
“The cost of job-based health care coverage will see a steep rise in 2024 due to stubbornly high inflation, benefits consultants say. Companies plan to shoulder most of the increase, but many workers could also feel the pinch in the form of higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for care. Workers will learn just how much more they'll pay during their employers' open enrollment period, which typically takes place at this time. Medical providers are pushing insurers for larger cost increases to cover the higher costs they endured over the last few years, experts say. There has also been a significant uptick in the use of specialty drugs, particularly those for diabetes and weight loss, which is driving up the average monthly cost per member for this class of drugs.” [CNN]
Suspect in custody after antisemitic threats at Cornell University
“A suspect is in custody after antisemitic threats were made against Jewish students at Cornell University, the school said.
‘We can confirm that a subject has been identified as a suspect in the antisemitic threats made against our Jewish students on Sunday and is currently in custody,’ Joel Malina, the vice president for Cornell University relations, said in a statement.
The FBI has confirmed that a subject has been identified, and is being questioned by law enforcement.
The campus heightened security last weekend, after Cornell’s president said a ‘series of horrendous, antisemitic messages threatening violence to our Jewish community’ were made online.” [NBC News]
Abortion rights inspire young voters like no other issue
“Young voters will head to the ballot box next week with some of the nation's most urgent issues on their minds: climate change, gun safety and more. But a group of young voters told USA TODAY abortion is the top issue driving them to the polls, even in this year's off-cycle election. Since the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision guaranteeing abortion rights, the issue of abortion protections or restrictions returned to the states. And in the handful of local and state elections Tuesday, from Ohio to Virginia, the issue is either explicitly on the ballot or a top campaign message.” Read more at USA Today
Supporters of Issue 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment, attend a rally held by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023.
Joe Maiorana, AP
Wisconsin Governor Sues Republican Legislators for Holding University Pay Raises ‘Hostage’
Gov. Tony Evers delivers his budget address at the Wisconsin State Capitol in February.
SAMANTHA MADAR, WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, AP
“Wisconsin’s Democratic governor sued several state Republican legislators on Tuesday for obstructing ‘basic government functions,’ including, among other things, refusing to administer salary increases that had already been budgeted for about 35,500 University of Wisconsin system employees. Republican leaders had vowed to withhold the pay increases until the university system agreed to cut all diversity, equity, and inclusion positions.
The Details
In the 2023-25 biennial budget, Gov. Tony Evers proposed an 8-percent raise over two years for state employees. The Republican-controlled legislature proposed a 6-percent raise, which was passed and signed into the budget by the governor. However, the pay adjustments cannot be carried out until they are approved by the Joint Committee on Employment Relations. This phase of the legislative and budgeting process then became a leverage point: While the Republican-led committee approved the raises for all other state employees in October, it declined to grant the wage increases for UW system employees.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a co-chair of the Joint Committee on Employment Relations, has demanded that the UW system cut all DEI positions before the committee will release the funding for the raises. ‘I don’t think that they deserve to have any more resources until they accomplish the goal,’ Vos said in an interview with WisPolitics. ‘Not a nickel. When I say a nickel, that’s what I mean.’
In response, Evers’s lawsuit says that Republicans have undermined the powers of the executive branch by holding the already-approved pay raises ‘hostage.’ The lawsuit also challenges two other recent moves by Republicans to block conservation projects and updates to commercial buildings.
Jay O. Rothman, president of the UW system, said in a statement to The Chronicle that it was ‘unprecedented’ for legislators to withhold pay ‘as part of a political disagreement between two separate branches of government.’
‘Targeting the Universities of Wisconsin employees and their families to compel our universities to eliminate all diversity and inclusion positions, which was vetoed by the governor, left us in an incredible predicament,’ Rothman said. ‘I am deeply troubled by our faculty and staff being stuck in the middle of this dispute. While it is not our lawsuit, it’s time for this whole ordeal that is blocking pay for our employees to come to an end.’
In a statement to The Chronicle, Vos characterized the lawsuit as ‘an attempt to eliminate the 4-percent raises given to all state employees by the legislature.’ Asked for clarification, his spokesperson said the governor’s lawsuit, if successful, could have the effect of ‘potentially wiping out’ those state-employee raises. A spokesperson for Evers denied that claim, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the legislature would protect the ‘constitutionally prescribed duties of the state legislature against the governor’s frivolous attacks.’
The Backdrop
The squabble over pay increases for system employees marks the latest battle about DEI and control over higher education in the state more broadly.
While other states have sought to curtail DEI by using other methods, typically legislation, Wisconsin Republicans took aim last summer at the funding for diversity initiatives. Vos initially proposed cutting about $32 million in spending on the system over the course of the two-year budget, which he said was equal to the amount that would have been spent on DEI-related work. Republicans included a cut of nearly $32-million in their budget proposal, as well as a measure to eliminate 188 DEI positions.
‘Make no mistake, Vos and Republicans’ short-sighted move to gut our university system of tens of millions of dollars is about one thing — Republicans’ decades-long war on public higher-education institutions in our state,’ Evers wrote in June in response to Republicans’ proposed cuts. ‘These cuts would be disastrous for our UW system, almost certainly causing cuts to our campuses and critical programs statewide.’
Evers ultimately used his line-item veto to keep all the diversity jobs, but the $32-million cut remained in the budget he signed. That money is slated instead for work-force-development programs on campuses, though Vos has indicated those funds will also be withheld until the state’s public universities eliminate DEI.
At the state’s Republican Party convention, Vos reportedly called DEI — which he said stands for ‘division, exclusion, and indoctrination’ — “the single most important issue” in the country.
The Stakes
Until the dispute between the governor and the legislature is resolved, thousands of UW system employees will continue to go without needed pay raises, said Michael Bernard-Donals, an English professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who leads PROFS, the advocacy arm of the campus’s Faculty Senate, which has weighed in on the issue.
‘There’s all kinds of opportunity for blowback here. This is hurting the lower-wage employees more than it’s hurting faculty, frankly,’ Bernard-Donals said. ‘My guess is that Vos’s bone to pick is mainly with UW-Madison. But this hurts everybody.’
The withholding of funds over DEI comes as the UW system faces other budgetary challenges. In mid-October, the system officially closed a two-year campus and ended in-person instruction at two others. Meanwhile, 10 out of the 13 four-year institutions in the system will run deficits this year, and two universities have announced layoffs over the past few weeks.
Though Rothman, the system president, said costs were not the driving factor behind the recent campus closures, he told legislators in June that without more funding, the system would have to look at cutting programs and shutting down campuses.
‘The stakes for Wisconsin’s economic future rest on our ability to develop talent all Wisconsinites are counting upon,’ Rothman said in his statement to The Chronicle, ‘and the less we are subject to ongoing political disputes, the better we can do our job.’” [Chronicle of Higher Education]
President Biden’s big AI executive order, explained
Andy Feng/Getty Images/iStockphoto
“The Biden administration’s long-promised executive order on artificial intelligence is finally here. The order, which Biden signed on Monday, builds on previous efforts to accommodate the hopes of tech CEOs to the fears of civil rights advocates.
The lowdown: The EO directs various federal agencies and departments to create standards and regulations for companies and federal agencies on the use or oversight of AI. Still, many of the EO’s provisions don’t (and can’t) have the force of law behind them, and their effectiveness will largely depend on how federal agencies carry them out. Here’s what you need to know:
The order requires companies to notify the federal government when training an AI model that poses a serious risk to national security or public safety. Companies must also share the results of their risk assessments with the government.
Fears that AI could be used to create chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons are addressed in a few ways. The Department of Homeland Security will evaluate the potential for AI to be used to produce and counter weapons, and the Department of Defense will study AI biosecurity risks and mitigation strategies.
Another concern about AI is its ability to produce text, images, and sounds that are impossible to tell from those created by humans. The EO calls for the Department of Commerce to create and issue guidance on best practices to detect AI-generated content, but that’s a far cry from having the technology to do so.
This is not the first step to AI regulation. Biden has previously taken actions related to AI, and the Trump administration issued an AI EO of its own back in 2019. There’s also an effort within Congress to come up with AI legislation.
The stakes: While the EO is being praised as a necessary step, it certainly does not put the issue of AI to rest. Parts of the order will go into effect as soon as 90 days from now, while others may take up to a year, if not more.
The senior administration official acknowledged that while the order can encourage agencies to use their authority to regulate AI and support them in the process, in some cases it can’t force them to take action. Only Congress has the power to create fully funded AI laws that have penalties for those who ignore them. And so far there’s little sign lawmakers will pass anything on that front.
‘We face a genuine inflection point,’ Biden said in a short speech before signing the order, ‘one of those moments where the decisions we make in the very near term are going to set the course for the next decades … There’s no greater change that I can think of in my life than AI presents.’”
Read senior Vox reporter Sara Morrison’s full story here » [Vox]
How the Israel-Hamas war is fueling hate against Muslims and Jews
Scott Olson/Getty Images
“Deadly violence in the Middle East is spurring attacks and heightening fear in Muslim, Jewish, and Arab (especially Palestinian) communities across the United States. The FBI warned last week that ‘the volume and frequency of threats to Americans, especially those in the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities in the United States, have increased, raising our concern that violent extremists and lone offenders motivated by or reacting to ongoing events could target these communities.’
Hate crimes in general appear to be on the rise: They increased by 7 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. And these numbers are probably an undercount. Many police departments opt out of submitting hate crime data to the FBI, and it remains difficult for officers to prove that a reported crime was motivated by bias.
Anti-Jewish attacks, the second highest hate crimes category after anti-Black, rose to 1,124 incidents in 2022, according to the FBI.There were a total of 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, according to the Anti-Defamation League. This is the highest number recorded since the ADL’s data tracking began in 1979. On October 24, the ADL reported 312 antisemitic incidents between October 7 and 23.
Hate crimes against Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities remain underreported. The University of California Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute released a US study in 2021 that found that more than 55 percent of those who faced Islamophobia said they did not report it to authorities. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has said it has received 774 complaints and reported bias incidents against Muslims between October 7 and October 24, the highest rate since 2015.”
Read race and policy reporter Fabiola Cineas's full piece here » [Vox]
“The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened for limited evacuations this morning for the first time since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks against Israel. Some foreign passport holders and dozens of seriously wounded people will be allowed to leave Gaza, according to local sources. The first group of people have reportedly entered the Rafah terminal for processing to enter Egypt.
Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images
The border developments come after Israeli airstrikes hit the crowded Jabalia refugee camp near Gaza City yesterday. The Israeli military says it was targeting Ibrahim Biari, a top Hamas commander, according to NPR's Greg Myre on Up First. Palestinian officials deny Biari was present at the time of the strike and are calling it one of Israel's deadliest attacks yet. The precise number of casualties isn't known yet.
Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinian workers from Gaza working in Israel are now trapped in the West Bank and can't go home. NPR's Elissa Nadworny visited a military university in Jericho where hundreds are staying.” [NPR]
People in Europe will soon have the choice to pay for Facebook and Instagram.
“Why? For up to $17 a month, users in about 30 countries will be able to opt out of ads, parent company Meta said this week. It’s a way for Meta to appease European regulators.
The caveat: Even if users pay to turn off ads, Meta will still collect about as much data on their internet habits. It just won’t use that data to show ads.”
Read this story at Washington Post
THE TEXAS RANGERS
“I try to avoid overusing absolutes. The greatest. The best. The most. The Rangers are making that increasingly difficult. In their 11-7 Game 4 victory over Arizona, the Rangers became the first team with consecutive five-run innings in a World Series game and won their 10th straight postseason road game, breaking the 1996-97 Yankees' record and extending their own record for a single postseason.
Marcus Semien had his first home run of these playoffs and totalled five RBI, tying the most ever by a leadoff batter in a World Series game.
Corey Seager hit his third home run of the World Series and the 19th of his postseason career, leaving him one short of Derek Jeter's record for a shortstop.
We talked about Semien and Seager yesterday via Matt Snyder's story on how both players signed on the same day to start Texas' turnaround. Today, I want to talk about Andrew Heaney and Travis Jankowski. With both teams turning to their bullpen, Heaney delivered five solid innings, his longest appearance in over two months.
If Heaney's a surprise, Jankowski's a true shocker. He wasn't expected to play much (if at all) until Adolis García got hurt in Game 3. He will miss the rest of the series. (Max Scherzer -- also hurt in Game 3 -- is done as well.) So in came Jankowski, promptly delivering two hits, two runs and two RBI from the nine hole ... earning a spot in Matt's latest dispatch from Arizona .
Here's our Game 5 preview as the Diamondbacks hope to keep their season alive.” [CBS News]
“Lives Lived: Bertie Bowman began his career in the U.S. Capitol in 1944, sweeping its steps. By the 1960s he was a clerk for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he eventually became the longest-serving Black staff member in congressional history. He died at 92.” [New York Times]