Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Israel: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition formed an emergency government and war management cabinet, officials said today. As long as fighting continues, no bills or government decisions will be promoted that do not concern the conduct of the war, under terms of this agreement.”
* An updated tally: “White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing today that 17 Americans remain unaccounted for in the Israel-Hamas war. The number of Americans killed is now at 22.”
* A topic of considerable discussion: “U.S. intelligence agencies still do not have evidence that Iran was directly involved in Hamas’ surprise attack, Adm. John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, said today.”
* Biden’s remarks were well received in Israel: “President Biden left no room for ambiguity as he delivered one of the most forceful, emotional speeches of his presidency Tuesday afternoon: Hamas’ attack on Israel was ‘an act of sheer evil,’ he declared, equating it to the ‘worst rampages of ISIS.’ Biden’s address — carried live by all major news networks —was perhaps the most powerful statement of support for Israel by a sitting U.S. president since Harry Truman recognized the Jewish state in 1948.”
* Some reports are difficult to read, but important to understand anyway: “She was told her twin sons wouldn’t survive. Texas law made her give birth anyway.”
* Notable advice: “With the outcome of the 2024 elections for the president and control of the Senate very much up in the air, Democrats must make a concerted effort to fill federal judicial vacancies before next November. Republicans did this very effectively before the end of the Trump presidency, leaving few vacancies for President Biden to fill when he took office. Now the Democrats must emulate that approach. And they must do so now.”
* A stunning story out of St. Louis: “Across the country, police have undermined and resisted reform. To protest a prosecutor, one detective was willing to let murder suspects walk free, even if he’d arrested them and believed that they should be behind bars.”
* New details about the Turning Point operation: “Charlie Kirk’s $4.75 million Spanish-style estate is tucked away in a gated Arizona country club that charges nearly a half-million dollars for a golf membership. It boasts a guest casita, a ‘resort-style’ pool and striking views of the Sonoran Desert. The Make America Great Again political movement has been lucrative for Kirk, the 29-year-old CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point.”
See you tomorrow.