Hamas is hoarding vast amounts of fuel as Gaza hospitals run low, U.S. officials say

Source: NBC News

As U.N. officials say hospitals in Gaza are running dangerously low on fuel, Hamas is maintaining a stockpile of more than 200,000 gallons of fuel for the rockets it fires into Israel and the generators that provide clean air and electricity to its network of underground tunnels, according to U.S. officials, current and former Israeli officials and academics.

The statements come as President Joe Biden called for a humanitarian pause in Gaza and U.N. officials warned that aid agencies, water treatment plants and bakeries there may soon run out of fuel. Israel, which has allowed a limited number of trucks carrying food, water and medicine into the enclave, continues to ban deliveries of fuel, which it says Hamas will use for military purposes. 

Hamas, meanwhile, has repeatedly demanded fuel deliveries to Gaza during negotiations to allow foreign nationals to leave the enclave and in talks about the release of 240 people it kidnapped.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday on CNN that Hamas has been blocking Americans from leaving Gaza. “Hamas has been preventing their departure and making a series of demands,” said Sullivan, who declined to describe the demands. Other U.S. officials said fuel deliveries were among the stumbling blocks. 



Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/hamas-hoarding-vast-amounts-fuel-gaza-hospitals-run-low-us-officials-s-rcna122977

Trump Endorses Jim Jordan For House Speaker

Source: Huffington Post

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to become the next speaker of the House early Friday morning, saying the lawmaker was “respected by all” and had earned his “complete and total endorsement.”

“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment. Jim, his wife, Polly, & family are outstanding - He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) first hinted earlier Thursday he had had a “great conversation” with Trump about the process to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted in a shocking turn of fortune this week. McCarthy was voted out of the speakership on Tuesday after eight far-right Republicans — led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) — voted to strip him of his gavel, a first such ouster in the chamber’s history.The move has prompted a fierce competition to replace him and become one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress. Jordan and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) have so far announced bids, but Nehls had floated Trump himself for the position.

“He is endorsing Jim Jordan, and I believe Congress should listen to the leader of our party,” Nehls wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I fully support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House.”



Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-reportedly-endorsing-jim-jordan-speaker_n_651f76c8e4b0049f8b6da608

Pro-Russia ex-premier leads leftist party to win in Slovakia election

Source: NBC News

A populist former prime minister and his leftist party won parliamentary elections in Slovakia, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message, according to almost complete results.

Former Prime Minister Robert Fico and the leftist Smer, or Direction, party led with 22.9%, the Slovak Statistics Office said early Sunday after completing the count of 99.98% of the votes from some 6,000 polling stations.

The election Saturday was a test for the small eastern European country’s support for neighboring Ukraine in its war with Russia, and the win by Fico could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.

Fico, 59, vowed to withdraw Slovakia’s military support for Ukraine in Russia’s war if his attempt to return to power succeeded.



Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/slovakia-election-pro-russia-ex-premier-robert-fico-election-win-rcna118257

Jimmy Buffett died after a four-year fight with a rare form of skin cancer

Jimmy Buffett, whose sun-drenched songs celebrated life by the shore, died of a rare, aggressive skin cancer, according to a statement on his website.

Buffett, 76, had Merkel cell cancer, according to the statement, which was posted after initial news of his death emerged Saturday. The statement also disclosed where the “Margaritaville” singer died: at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, near the Hamptons.

He had been fighting the cancer for four years while continuing to perform, the last time making a surprise appearance in Rhode Island in early July, the statement said.

Merkel cell carcinoma, as it's known in medical literature, is very rare and tends to spread quickly, including to parts of the body beyond the skin, according to the federal National Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic. Risk factors include a lot of sun exposure, a weakened immune system, a history of other cancers, and being light-skinned and over 50.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jimmy-buffett-died-after-year-fight-rare-form-102895688

Head of Zelenskyy's office posts AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell'

In deadly Maui fires, many had no warning and no way out. Those who dodged barricades survived

As flames tore through a West Maui neighborhood, car after car of fleeing residents headed for the only paved road out of town in a desperate race for safety.

And car after car was turned back toward the rapidly spreading wildfire by a barricade blocking access to Highway 30.

One family swerved around the barricade and was safe in a nearby town 48 minutes later, another drove their 4-wheel-drive car down a dirt road to escape. One man took an dirt road uphill, climbing above the fire and watching as Lahaina burned. He later picked his way through the flames, smoke and rubble to pull survivors to safety.

But dozens of others found themselves caught in a hellscape, their cars jammed together on a narrow road, surrounded by flames on three sides and the rocky ocean waves on the fourth. Some died in their cars, while others tried to run for safety.

https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fires-timeline-maui-lahaina-road-block-c8522222f6de587bd14b2da0020c40e9?user_email=af4a3b628578e24fe3cc001524281964ec2742242ba6399b7768d46e524c3cce&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire_23%20August_2023&utm_content=B&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers

( Good interactive timeliness and recap of the fire at the link, along with stories of what people did to manage to survive. Good lesson for future disasters. )

West Maui beyond Lahaina cut off and struggling

Residents of West Maui in the areas unaffected by fire say they’ve felt trapped this week, lacking access, communication, and supplies for the thousands of residences and businesses still standing. Past the destruction of one area of Lahaina, around the edges and beyond were untouched by fire, but their residents were stranded nonetheless.Nothing burned down north of the post office, which is Kaanapali, Honokwai, Mahinihina, Kahana, Napili, Kapalua,” said Maui County Councilmember Tamara Paltin, speaking to KHON2 on her first day able to get a signal out of West Maui. “Nobody wanted to leave to get supplies and then go to a shelter on the other side when their house was still standing.”

They’re struggling without power and dwindling supplies, and many tell us officials instructed them all week it’s a one-way trip if they left.

“They’re saying that if we head out to the Wailuku area, they’re only letting people that have flights, so tourists and locals, to leave,” said Kahana resident Eliana Perez, “and if you go out you’re not going to be able to come back in through Lahaina.”

https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/west-maui-beyond-lahaina-cut-off-and-struggling/

Messi bends it like Beckham for his Miami debut, as Becks watches in delight.

With the game tied 1-1 in minute 93, Messi scored on a free kick that curved right around the defenders and slipped into the top left corner of the goal, out of reach of the helpless goalie's outstretched hands, winning the game for Miami 2-1. Miami is in full Messi-mania!

The lovely curve can best be seen at the view at 0:20:

More than 1 million people are dropped from Medicaid as states start a post-pandemic purge of rolls

More than 1 million people are dropped from Medicaid as states start a post-pandemic purge of rolls

Source: AP

More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork.

Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government, President’s Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task.

Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. The drop rate also has been particularly high in other states. For people whose cases were decided in May, around half or more got dropped in Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-eligibility-states-coronavirus-pandemic-46484af651466539d6874c1a97397b50?user_email=af4a3b628578e24fe3cc001524281964ec2742242ba6399b7768d46e524c3cce&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=MorningWire_June27_2023&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers