Extra, Extra
Kash Poor: FBI Kash Patel appeared before a Senate committee. Yelling ensued. Among other things, he was dishonest about FBI firings. Here’s a look at a couple of them. A ‘Broken’ Trust: F.B.I. Agents Fired by Patel Speak Out.
+ Gaza City Bombardment: “Israel unleashed a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City on Tuesday, declaring ‘Gaza is burning’ as Palestinians there described the most intense bombardment they had faced in two years of war.
An Israel Defense Forces official said ground troops were moving deeper into the enclave’s main city, and that the number of soldiers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas combatants the IDF believes are still in the city … In launching the assault, Israel’s government defied European leaders threatening sanctions and warnings from even some of Israel’s own military commanders that it could be a costly mistake.” Here’s the latest from CNN.
+ Chips on the Table: Trump Sues The New York Times for Articles Questioning His Success. They’re definitely not questioning his success at lining his own pockets as president. Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches. “At the heart of their relationship are two multibillion-dollar deals. One involved a crypto company founded by the Witkoff and the Trump families that benefited both financially. The other involved a sale of valuable computer chips that benefited the Emirates economically.”
+ The Old Man and the Sea: “‘All you have to do is look at the cargo that was spattered all over the ocean,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, describing ‘big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place.’ The video posted by Trump appears to show the boat barely moving or stopped in the water when it was destroyed. There were no drugs visible in the ocean in the footage released by the administration. Venezuelan drug gangs don’t produce or smuggle fentanyl, experts say.” U.S. Strikes Second Alleged Drug Boat From Venezuela, Trump Says.
+ Pac and Play: “Thanks to a unique corporate ownership structure that gives him complete control of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg has essentially created his own personal California super PAC, allowing him to spend Meta’s money on politically protecting his priorities in the heart of the tech industry — and, possibly, against the interests of his corporate rivals.” Meta created its own super PAC to politically kneecap its AI rivals. “Mark Zuckerberg, via Meta, can now essentially spend unlimited money in California elections.” (Every day, there’s more influence being amassed in fewer hands.)
+ Deleting History: “The Trump administration has ordered the removal of signs and exhibits related to slavery at multiple national parks, according to four people familiar with the matter, including a historic photograph of a formerly enslaved man showing scars on his back.” WaPo: National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars.
+ The Natural: “Robert Redford, the big-screen charmer turned Oscar-winning director whose hit movies often helped America make sense of itself and who, offscreen, evangelized for environmental causes and fostered the Sundance-centered independent film movement, died early Tuesday morning at his home in Utah. He was 89.” NYT (Gift Article): Robert Redford, Screen Idol Turned Director and Activist, Dies at 89. And because it was Robert Redford, here’s a look at his life in photos.
+ Somebody Won: “‘I feel like I’m going to cry because for the past 25 years I’ve been like, ‘World, I want to be an actor.’ And the world’s like, ‘Maybe computers?'” On Jeff Hiller’s surprising Emmy win for best supporting actor. If you haven’t watched Somebody Somewhere on HBO, now’s your chance. So unique, great, and uplifting.
