Biden faces new Democratic pressure to rein in Israel

Source: Axios

A group of nearly 90 House Democrats is urging President Biden to consider halting sales of offensive weaponry to Israel over concerns about continued restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Why it matters: It comes as increasingly intense pro-Palestinian protests have rocked college campuses across the country, alarming many Democrats.

State of play: The lawmakers, led by Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), cited a memo Biden signed in February requiring Israel to provide assurances on the preservation of human rights in Gaza.

Among the assurances is that the country will "facilitate and not arbitrarily deny, restrict, or otherwise impede" aid into Gaza, or else U.S. weapons transfers would be halted.


Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/05/03/biden-house-democrats-israel-gaza

Hope Hicks' testimony was a nightmare for Trump

It’s a cliché to say that electricity surged through a courtroom — but it did when Hope Hicks took the stand Friday morning for her testimony in the election interference trial of former President Donald Trump.

In an overflow room of the courthouse where members of the public watch the proceedings, audible gasps were reported. Even Hicks, who was the Trump campaign’s press secretary for the 2016 presidential election at issue in the case, seemed to feel the significance of the moment. Experienced, battle-hardened communications veteran that she is, she began her testimony by saying she was nervous. Who from Trump world wouldn’t be when appearing for the prosecution to testify against “the boss” who has a criminal conviction at stake.

Other than Trump and those in his immediate circle, I probably have spent as much time as anyone here in the courtroom discussing the events at issue in the trial with Hicks. That is because as special counsel for the first Trump impeachment, I took her testimony on the alleged 2016 election influence scheme. As it became devastatingly clear in court Friday, she is a Trump loyalist who nevertheless implicated him directly in the alleged wrongdoing in an utterly believable way.

That is why Hicks is so important to prosecutors as they seek to prove their case, and during her testimony, they rapidly got to the heart of the matter. Hicks provided a gripping account of the impact of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape on Trump’s campaign, which in turn sets up the so-called hush money payments to Stormy Daniels – who has alleged she had an affair with the former president – that is at the center of the charges in this case.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/03/opinions/hope-hicks-trump-hush-money-trial-eisen/index.html

Trump delivers pizzas...that were already delivered.

Israel briefs US on plan to move Gazans ahead of Rafah invasion

Source: Politico

The Israeli military has informed aid groups and the Biden administration of a plan to begin removing Gazans from Rafah ahead of an invasion, according to a U.S. official and two other people familiar with the situation.

The Israel Defense Forces recently told the U.S. government and aid groups operating on the ground that they had developed a plan to move people out of Rafah, the main humanitarian hub in the enclave, to al-Mawasi, a small strip of land on the southern Gaza coast. The IDF sent a map of the area to aid workers this week, a copy of which POLITICO obtained.

The Biden administration has repeatedly urged Israel to avoid an invasion of Rafah unless it has a plan to protect civilians sheltering there.
The IDF told aid groups the Rafah invasion will move ahead “soon” but did not give a specific date, the two people familiar said.


Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/03/israel-gazans-rafah-invasion-00156024

Just got a confirmation: I've been elected to the King's County (Brooklyn) Democratic Committee

Petitions approved and no Primary opponent. I’m part of a reform slate that will be taking on the County Committee leadership (which has been trying to know a lot of Committee and District Leader candidate. Should be fun.

Trump will speak at the Libertarian National Convention as he woos independent voters

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will speak at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C. later this month as he tries to woo voters beyond the Republican base and avoid losing support to independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Libertarians are some of the most independent and thoughtful thinkers in our Country, and I am honored to join them in Washington, DC, later this month,” Trump said in a statement issued Wednesday. “We must all work together to help advance freedom and liberty for every American, and a second Trump Administration will achieve that goal.”

He went on to make the case that, “If Libertarians join me and the Republican Party, where we have many Libertarian views, the election won’t even be close. We cannot have another four years of death, destruction, and incompetence. WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND WIN!”

The event comes as Trump’s campaign has ramped up its attacks against Kennedy, who is running as an independent against Trump and President Joe Biden after dropping his Democratic primary bid. Kennedy has appealed to disaffected Democrats and Republicans looking for an alternative to the pending rematch of the 2020 election.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-libertarian-rfk-jr-voters-gop-biden-659e6f19dec85344bfe1f93e0ea1c0a1

May 9: New York Candidates ZOOM event with Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries

From my New York funding circle.

Houthis offer education to students suspended in US protest crackdown

Exclusive: RFK Jr. Campaign Operative Charged With Assault For Allegedly Choking, Punching Woman

Next up: Philadelphia