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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Faltering diplomatic efforts: “Hamas said in a statement that it has agreed to a cease-fire proposal, but Israel said the deal was ‘far from’ its requirements and that it would push ahead with a Rafah operation and send a delegation to talks.”
* In Rafah: “The Israeli military said it was striking Hamas targets in Rafah, hours after urging some 100,000 people to leave the city and move to what it said is an expanded humanitarian area in the Palestinian enclave. The evacuation of eastern Rafah, which Israel says is ‘limited’ and ‘temporary,’ comes ahead of an expected ground assault on the southern Gaza city, where more than 1.4 million civilians are sheltering.”
* In contempt: “Judge Juan Merchan on Monday again cited former President Donald Trump for violating the gag order he imposed on the trial and warned he could face jail ‘if necessary’ for continuing to ignore it. Merchan previously found that Trump had violated the gag order in nine other instances and fined him $9,000.”
* Keep an eye on this one: “A U.S. soldier was detained in Russia last week, a U.S. Army spokesperson said in a statement. He had been stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own and not on official business, according to four U.S. officials. The soldier is accused of stealing from a woman, the officials said.”
* In related news: “European intelligence agencies have warned their governments that Russia is plotting violent acts of sabotage across the continent as it commits to a course of permanent conflict with the west. Russia has already begun to more actively prepare covert bombings, arson attacks and damage to infrastructure on European soil, directly and via proxies, with little apparent concern about causing civilian fatalities, intelligence officials believe.”
* On the Hill: “Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of her push this week to force a vote to depose the speaker over his decision to pass billions of dollars in Ukraine aid.”
* A report congressional Republicans will ignore: “For decades, scientists have worked to clean up air pollution from factories, cars and power plants. But researchers are increasingly turning their attention to the air that people breathe indoors. And one appliance has come to the fore as a source of pollutants harmful to human health: the humble gas stove. A new study from researchers at Stanford University sheds light on how much Americans may be exposed, indoors, to nitrogen dioxide, which comes from burning coal and gas and has been linked to asthma and other respiratory conditions.”
* I had a few items about Michael Adams a while back, which is why this news stood out for me: “Kentucky Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, who worked to expand early voting in the Bluegrass State and has spoken out against election denialism in his own party, has been chosen to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award this year. In its announcement Monday, the JFK Library Foundation said Adams was recognized ‘for expanding voting rights and standing up for free and fair elections despite party opposition and death threats from election deniers.’”
See you tomorrow.