Satellite images show increase in tents of displaced people in Rafah
NewsFeed Satellite images show a dramatic increase in the number of tents of displaced people in Rafah. More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are sheltering in Rafah. Published On 8 Feb 20248 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
What next for Gaza and the talks to end the war?
International negotiations continue on a possible ceasefire. Talks are under way about a possible ceasefire in Gaza – while Israel is still bombing much of the besieged territory after rejecting a Hamas offer for a lengthy pause. So what next? And when will respite come for millions of Palestinians suffering from months of bombardment? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Daniel Levy – President of the US-Middle East Project and a former peace negotiator for Israel Mustafa Barghouti – Secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative Akbar Shahid Ahmed – Senior diplomatic correspondent for HuffPost Adblock test (Why?)
Mapping Israel’s destruction of Gaza
NewsFeed The scale of destruction across Gaza has been described as being among the worst in modern history. Al Jazeera’s Nada Qaddourah illustrates the extent of the damage through maps. Published On 8 Feb 20248 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Texas House candidate Kyle Biedermann blasts expulsion of Bryan Slaton, removed for having sex with a drunk intern
In a statement, Biedermann said the point he was trying to make was that leaders “selectively punish impropriety.”
Special Counsel calls Biden ‘sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,’ brings no charges
Special Counsel Robert Hur described President Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” and said he would bring no criminal charges against the president after a months-long investigation into his improper retention of classified documents related to national security. Hur’s report was made public Thursday afternoon. Hur has been investigating Biden’s improper retention of classified records since last year. Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, among other records related to national security and foreign policy which Hur said implicated “sensitive intelligence sources and methods.” “We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter,” the report states. “We would reach the same conclusion even if the Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president.” But Hur, in the report, said the special counsel’s team “also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” “Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone from whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt,” the report states. “It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him—by then a former president well into his eighties—of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” Biden is 81. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to potential timing for the Senate and the international aid package
The Senate has now cleared the first barrier to starting debate on the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. But how long until there’s a final vote? In short, this might take a while. Expect the strong possibility of weekend sessions and even important overnight votes. It’s possible this may not wrap up until next Tuesday – or beyond. IMPEACHMENT OF ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS WILL HINGE ON THE MATH: CHAD PERGRAM To wit: The Senate overcame a filibuster just to start debate on the bill. From a very technical standpoint, the Senate is not on the bill just yet. Opponents of clearing the filibuster are awarded 30 hours after the vote early today. So, unless there is an agreement to speed things up, the Senate could vote Friday evening around 7 pm ET just to get on the bill. At that stage, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will likely “file cloture” to try to end debate on the bill. By rule, if Schumer files on Friday, the Senate cannot vote to overcome the second filibuster until Sunday. “Cloture” (to end a filibuster) requires an “intervening day” before voting to end the filibuster. So that means the Senate can’t vote to break the second filibuster until Sunday. Saturday serves as the “intervening day.” But this is where this gets tricky. ISRAEL, UKRAINE FOREIGN AID BILL CLEARS FIRST HURDLE IN SENATE WITHOUT BORDER AND IMMIGRATION PROVISIONS By rule, the Senate must vote to crack the second filibuster one hour after the Senate meets on Sunday. This presents “The Super Bowl Scenario.” What the Senate MIGHT do if they are really trying to step on the gas (and get senators the game or to watch the Super Bowl), is meet at 12:00:01 am et SUNDAY. The intervening day (Saturday) will have expired. By rule, the Senate can vote at 1:00:01 am ET Sunday to end debate on the overall bill. However, there is also the “non-Super Bowl” situation here. We’ll call this the “Ravens-Lions” scenario. Say for a moment that senators don’t give a care about the Super Bowl. So the Senate might meet at noon or 1 pm et Sunday. By rule, the procedural vote to end the filibuster would happen one hour after the Senate meets. So just after 1 pm ET Sunday or 2 pm ET Sunday. SHOOTING BLANKS: HOW REPUBLICANS MISFIRED WHEN THEY TRIED TO IMPEACH MAYORKAS If the Senate gets 60 votes to break a filibuster, the bill is on a glidepath to eventual passage. But we are far from finished. Opponents of the bill can require the Senate to burn up to 30 hours after the Senate breaks the filibuster before the Senate can vote on final passage. So, unless there’s an agreement, the Senate couldn’t vote on final passage of the bill until Monday night after 7 pm et or so… or… in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Everything will hinge on when the Senate concludes the procedural vote to end the filibuster. In addition, there’s lot of interesting stuff to watch in between. Debate. Votes on amendments related to the border. You name it. And, it’s entirely possible that the Senate may actually take several days of debate and amendment votes – and elect to not try to break a filibuster and then pass the bill until late next week. This is all developing right now.
No charges for Biden after Special Counsel probe into improper handling of classified documents
Special Counsel Robert Hur will not recommend criminal charges against President Biden for mishandling classified documents, according to his report after a months-long investigation into the president’s alleged improper retention of classified records. Hur has been investigating Biden’s improper retention of classified records since last year. Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, among other records related to national security and foreign policy which Hur said implicated “sensitive intelligence sources and methods.” “We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter,” the report states. “We would reach the same conclusion even if the Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president.” The special counsel also described Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” “We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur wrote in the report. “Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone from whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him—by then a former president well into his eighties—of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” GARLAND SAYS SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBING BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS HAS SUBMITTED REPORT, UNDER WHITE HOUSE REVIEW But Hur said his investigation “uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen.” The materials included “marked classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, and notebooks containing Mr. Biden’s handwritten entries about issues of national security and foreign policy implicating sensitive intelligence sources and methods.” Hur said FBI agents recovered the materials from “the garages, offices, and basement den in Mr. Biden’s Wilimington, Delaware home.” But Hur said that the evidence “does not establish Mr. Biden’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” : “Prosecution of Mr. Biden is also unwarranted based on our consideration of the aggravating and mitigating factors set forth in the Department of Justice’s Principles of Federal Prosecution,” the report states. “For these reasons, we decline prosecution of Mr. Biden.” The White House was given the opportunity to review the report for privilege after Hur initially submitted his report on Feb. 5, and did not seek any redaction to the report. The report was transmitted to Congress Thursday afternoon. Damning photos were included in the report — photos that the Biden campaign reportedly feared could have a negative impact on his 2024 re-election bid. Classified records were first found inside the Washington, D.C., offices of the Penn Biden Center think tank on Nov. 2, 2022, but only disclosed to the public in early January 2023. BIDEN CAMP REPORTEDLY FEARS PHOTOS FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL CLASSIFIED DOCS PROBE COULD DEVASTATE REELECTION BID A second stash of classified documents was also found inside the garage of the president’s home in Wilmington in December, but revealed to the public earlier this month, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint former U.S. Attorney Rob Hur to serve as special counsel. Days later, additional classified documents were found in the president’s home in Delaware. The FBI conducted a more than 12-hour search of Biden’s Delaware home Friday, seizing additional classified records. Biden has defended the storing of classified documents in the past. “By the way, my Corvette is in a locked garage, so it’s not like they’re sitting out on the street,” he once said. But Garland, on Nov. 18, 2022, appointed former DOJ official Jack Smith to serve as special counsel to investigate whether Trump was improperly retaining classified records at Mar-a-Lago. When Smith was appointed to investigate Trump, Garland and top DOJ officials were simultaneously conducting an internal review of President Biden’s mishandling of classified records. That review, and the discovery of classified records at Biden’s office, was not disclosed to the public until January. BIDEN INTERVIEWED BY SPECIAL COUNSEL ABOUT CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS Republicans and allies of former President Trump were outraged, blasting the Justice Department for a double standard. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges out of Smith’s probe. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump, the 2024 GOP front-runner, was then charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of Smith’s investigation – an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts. Trump pleaded not guilty. That trial is set to begin on May 20, 2024. Biden’s aides told Axios earlier this week that they are fearful former President Trump’s campaign could use the photos against the Democrat incumbent ahead of their likely 2024 rematch. COMER DEMANDS ANSWERS ON WHETHER BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS MENTION COUNTRIES RELATED TO FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS Anthony Coley, a former senior adviser to Garland, accused the Biden team of slow-walking discovery in the president’s classified records case, versus the handling of the Trump probe. “Against the backdrop of former President Trump’s indictment on charges of willful and deliberate retention of classified documents, the Biden team’s drip, drip, drip of information made the discoveries seem even worse,” he wrote in an op-ed. Before Hur’s findings were released, reports suggested the Biden campaign was concerned about potentially embarrassing photos included in Hur’s expected report that could be released as soon as this week. The campaign was concerned that the images would show how Biden stored classified materials. The classified documents were carried over from Biden’s time as former President Obama’s vice president. Hur interviewed Biden at the White House – an interview that lasted two days. The White House said the president’s interview with Hur was “voluntary.” Last year, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who is co-leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden, began investigating whether the sensitive, classified documents Biden retained involved specific countries or individuals that had financial dealings with Biden family members or their
FCC makes AI-generated robocalls that can fool voters illegal after Biden voice cloning in New Hampshire
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday made AI-generated robocalls mimicking the voices of political candidates to fool voters illegal. With the unanimous adoption of a declaratory ruling that recognizes calls made with AI-generated voices are “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a 1991 law restricting junk calls that use artificial and prerecorded voice messages, the FCC said it was giving state attorneys general new tools to go after those responsible for voice cloning scams. The decision was announced days after New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella revealed earlier this week that nefarious robocalls with an AI-generated clone of President Biden’s voice urging recipients not to participate in the Jan. 23 primaries – and instead save their votes for the November election – had been traced to two Texas companies. Formella vowed potential civil and criminal action at the state and federal level. NEW HAMPSHIRE AG TRACES ROBOCALLS WITH ‘AI-GENERATED CLONE’ OF BIDEN’S VOICE BACK TO TEXAS-BASED COMPANIES The FCC ruling, which takes effect immediately, makes voice cloning technology used in common robocall scams targeting consumers illegal. “Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters. We’re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “State Attorneys General will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from fraud and misinformation.” These types of calls have increased during the last few years, as this technology now has the potential to confuse consumers with misinformation by imitating the voices of celebrities, political candidates, and close family members, the FCC noted. While currently state attorneys general can target the outcome of an unwanted AI-voice generated robocall, such as the scam or fraud they are seeking to perpetrate, the commission explained, the new action announced Thursday now makes the act of using AI to generate the voice in these robocalls itself illegal, expanding the legal avenues through which state law enforcement agencies can hold these perpetrators accountable under the law. Under the consumer protection law, telemarketers generally cannot use automated dialers or artificial or prerecorded voice messages to call cellphones, and they cannot make such calls to landlines without prior written consent from the call recipient. The new ruling classifies AI-generated voices in robocalls as “artificial” and thus enforceable by the same standards. Those who break the law can face steep fines, maxing out at more than $23,000 per call, the FCC said. The agency has previously used the consumer law to clamp down on robocallers interfering in elections, including imposing a $5 million fine on two conservative hoaxers for falsely warning people in predominantly Black areas that voting by mail could heighten their risk of arrest, debt collection and forced vaccination, according to The Associated Press. The law also gives call recipients the right to take legal action and potentially recover up to $1,500 in damages for each unwanted call. Rosenworcel said the commission started looking at making robocalls with AI-generated voices illegal because it saw a rise in these types of calls. It sought public comment on the issue last November and in January, a bipartisan group of 26 state attorneys general wrote to the FCC urging it to move forward with a ruling. Sophisticated generative AI tools, from voice-cloning software to image generators, already are in use in elections in the U.S. and around the world. Last year, as the U.S. presidential race got underway, several campaign advertisements used AI-generated audio or imagery, and some candidates experimented with using AI chatbots to communicate with voters. Bipartisan efforts in Congress have sought to regulate AI in political campaigns, but no federal legislation has passed, with the general election nine months away. HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN ARM SLAMS DEMOCRATS IN NEW AI-GENERATED AD TURNING NATIONAL PARKS INTO MIGRANT TENT CITIES New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said the Jan. 21 robocall that surfaced in his state two days before the primary was a form of voter suppression that cannot be tolerated. “New Hampshire had a taste of how AI can be used inappropriately in the election process,” Scanlan said. “It is certainly appropriate to try and get our arms around the use and the enforcement so that we’re not misleading the voting population in a way that could harm our elections.” Formella said Tuesday that investigators had identified the Texas-based Life Corp. and its owner Walter Monk as the source of the calls, which went to thousands of state residents, mostly registered Democrats. He said the calls were transmitted by another Texas-based company, Lingo Telecom. New Hampshire issued cease-and-desist orders and subpoenas to both companies, while the FCC issued a cease-and-desist letter to the telecommunications company, Formella said. A bipartisan task force of attorneys general in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., sent a letter to Life Corp. warning it to stop originating illegal calls immediately. According to the FCC, both Lingo Telecom and Life Corp. have been investigated for illegal robocalls in the past. In 2003, FCC issued a citation to Life Corp. for delivering illegal pre-recorded and unsolicited advertisements to residential lines. More recently, the task force of attorneys general has accused Lingo of being the gateway provider for 61 suspected illegal calls from overseas. The Federal Trade Commission issued a cease-and-desist order against Lingo’s prior corporate name, Matrix Telecom, in 2022. The next year, the task force demanded that it take steps to protect its network. Lingo Telecom said in a statement Tuesday that it “acted immediately” to help with the investigation into the robocalls impersonating Biden and quickly identified and suspended Life Corporation when contacted by the task force. The company said it “had no involvement whatsoever in the production of the call content.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Biden invited Muslim leader who publicly supported terror group Hezbollah to meet with his top aides
President Biden sent top aides to Michigan on Thursday to meet with Arab American and Muslim community leaders, and one person reportedly invited to the discussion has publicly expressed support for the terror group Hezbollah. Biden made the move with the leaders as he’s faced criticism from the Muslim community over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The Associated Press, which first reported the forum, noted the event positions the administration to “mend ties” with a community that will play a critical role in a battleground state for the 2024 elections. While the list of attendees was not released, one individual the White House reportedly invited to the event was Osama Siblani, the publisher of Arab American News headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. “I’m for the dialogue, and I believe we owe it to our country and to our community and the people in Gaza, to listen and be heard,” Siblani said of the gathering. He told the outlet the White House invited him, and he planned to attend. BIDEN’S FRENCH PRESIDENT GAFFE JUST THE LATEST INSTANCE OF HIS CONFUSION ABOUT LONG-DEAD PEOPLE Siblani, meanwhile, appears to be a questionable choice as a participant, as he’s openly discussed his support for Hezbollah with mainstream publications in the past. The Muslim activist came out in support of the organization in 2006 as they fought Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. At the time, the FBI had issued a national alert for law enforcement to investigate and profile Hezbollah sympathizers. “If the FBI wants to come after those who support the resistance done by Hezbollah, then they better bring a fleet of buses,” Siblani told the Chicago Tribune. “I, for one, would be willing to go to jail.” That instance, however, was not the first time he had supported the terror organization. Siblani told the Washington Post in 2004 that Al Manar, Hezbollah’s TV station, had popularity among Arab Americans because of its unwavering support for “resistance against Israeli occupation.” BIDEN’S TOP SUPER PAC RECEIVES MILLIONS IN NEW DARK MONEY FUNDS, FILINGS SHOW Siblani’s show of gratitude toward Al Manar came after the State Department designated the outlet a terror supporter and banned it in the United States. He also added that he disagreed with the State Department that Al Manar “incites violence.” The White House organized the Thursday discussion between Siblani and the community leaders and senior-level Biden aides such as Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Jon Finer, the principal deputy national security adviser, and Steven Benjamin, the director of the Office of Public Engagement. The sources who spoke to The Associated Press did so under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. “Joe Biden is a traitor to America,” Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for Make America Great Again Inc., told Fox News Digital. “After spending decades enriching himself and his family through corrupt dealings with America’s enemies, he is now selling out America’s closest ally and friend to terrorists.” “This meeting is an affront to the dozens of Americans and hundreds of Israelis who lost their lives on Oct. 7, and the millions of Israelis who wake up every morning under siege by Islamic terrorism,” Pfeiffer said. The White House and Siblani did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment by the time of publication.
Hawaii court says ‘spirit of Aloha’ supersedes Constitution, Second Amendment
Hawaii’s highest court ruled Wednesday that Second Amendment rights as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court do not extend to Hawaii citizens, citing the “spirit of Aloha.” In the ruling, which was penned by Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Todd Eddins, the court determined that states “retain the authority to require” individuals to hold proper permits before carrying firearms in public. The decision also concluded that the Hawaii Constitution broadly “does not afford a right to carry firearms in public places for self defense,” further pointing to the “spirit of Aloha” and even quoting HBO’s TV drama “The Wire.” “Article I, section 17 of the Hawaii Constitution mirrors the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the Hawaii Supreme Court decision states. “We read those words differently than the current United States Supreme Court. We hold that in Hawaii there is no state constitutional right to carry a firearm in public.” “The spirit of Aloha clashes with a federally-mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities,” it adds. “The history of the Hawaiian Islands does not include a society where armed people move about the community to possibly combat the deadly aims of others.” ATF WHISTLEBLOWERS SOUND ALARM ON BIDEN ADMIN PROPOSAL THAT EFFECTIVELY BANS PRIVATE GUN SALES: REPORT The court’s opinion further says the state government’s policies curbing certain gun-carry rights have “preserved peace and tranquility in Hawaii.” “A free-wheeling right to carry guns in public degrades other constitutional rights,” it concludes. “The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, encompasses a right to freely and safely move in peace and tranquility.” NRA TORCHES BIDEN ADMIN FOR PLAN TO CHANGE RULES FOR GUN BUYERS, SELLERS In addition, the Hawaii Supreme Court notes a quote from HBO’s “The Wire,” that “the thing about the old days, they the old days.” The court’s opinion states that it “makes no sense” for contemporary society to pledge allegiance to “the founding era’s culture, realities, laws, and understanding of the Constitution.” The case dates to December 2017, when Hawaii citizen Christopher Wilson was arrested and charged with improperly holding a firearm and ammunition in West Maui. The firearm Wilson was arrested carrying was unregistered in Hawaii, and he never obtained or applied for a permit to own the gun. He told police officers that the firearm was purchased in 2013 in Florida. Wilson argued in court that the charges brought against him violated the Second Amendment. But, according to The Reload, the Hawaii high court explicitly rejected the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment in 2008’s District of Columbia v. Heller and 2022’s New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which both held that there is a constitutionally protected right to carry firearms. “This is a landmark decision that affirms the constitutionality of crucial gun-safety legislation,” Democratic Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said on Wednesday. “Gun violence is a serious problem, and commonsense tools like licensing and registration have an important role to play in addressing that problem.” “More broadly, Justice Eddins’ thoughtful and scholarly opinion for the court provides an important reminder about the crucial role that state courts play in our federal system,” Lopez added. “We congratulate our friends and partners at the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Maui for their work on this important case.”