Beginning with the war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel is saying it opened a second corridor for civilians to leave North
Gaza today and extended a planned pause in fighting to seven hours.
So far as many as 80,000 people traveled south yesterday.
Palestinian health officials say at least four hospitals
in Gaza were impacted by strikes today,
displacing thousands of people using them for shelter.
The Palestinian Red Crescent says snipers opened fire on
one medical facility leading to at least two casualties.
The Israeli defense forces claim a missile that hit
a separate hospital was misfired by Gaza based militants.
Militant leaders deny Israel's claims that Hamas and
other groups use hospitals for military operations.
Meanwhile the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says quote,
nowhere in Gaza is safe.
Calling for an investigation into Israel's bombing campaign.
He said there are concerns it is quote
disproportionate attacks in breach of international humanitarian law.
And Secretary of State Anthony Blinken speaking in New Delhi said
he believes Israel should be doing more to protect civilians in Gaza.
I think first what Israel announced yesterday
will help it will help in enabling people to get out of harm's way
it will help in enabling people to get greater access to humanitarian assistance.
There are other steps that we've discussed with Israel that I discussed
a
week ago.
I'm not going to detail them here. I can simply say that
there is more that can and should be done
to minimize harm to Palestinian civilians.
The White House is calling for humanitarian pauses in fighting
but has come short of supporting a full ceasefire.
President Joe Biden said yesterday
he's advocating for significantly longer pauses
and US forces faced three attacks in Iraq yesterday.
That's according to a US military official
and sources who spoke to Reuters sources tell Reuters that the attacks include
an IED blast as well as two drones launched towards
military bases that were shot down before reaching their targets.
A separate US official tells Reuters,
us troops were attacked four times in Iraq and in Syria within a 24 hour period.
That official also says three US troops had minor injuries overall though
there have been at least 40 attacks on us and coalition forces in
Iraq and Syria since early October when the Israel Hamas war began.
The US blames those attacks on Iranian backed groups while Iran
has denied responsibility.
The latest reported attacks come after the US military conducted an air
strike on a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria on Wednesday.
And defense secretary Lloyd Austin says that the strike was a self defense move
to several attacks against us personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian backed forces.
President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet
in person next week during a trip to San Francisco.
Us officials say the talks are an effort to calm friction between the
two countries and develop a quote framework for building a stronger relationship.
China's Vice President had this to say about the upcoming talks.
We are ready to strengthen the communication and
dialogue with the United States at all levels,
promote mutually beneficial cooper,
properly, manage differences and jointly address global challenges.
The leaders will be in San Francisco with others from across the world.
As part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooper
Summit,
Democratic West Virginia,
Senator Joe Manchin announced he will not be seeking re election in 2024.
Manchin is 76 years old and he says
he made this decision quote after months
of deliberation and long conversations with family.
He went on to say he believes that
he's accomplished all he intended to do for West Virginia and
will instead spend his time traveling the country to quote,
mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.
This decision opens up an opportunity for Republicans to pick a seat
in the GOP dominated state.
Now, the latest in the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump House GOP.
Conference chair Elise Stefanik filed a complaint against Arthur
in
Goran.
The judge in this case,
Stefanik is accusing the judge of quote weaponized warfare against Trump
and calling for him to recuse himself from this case.
In a letter, the New York State Commission on judicial misconduct,
she goes on to say the judge failed to honor Trump's due process.
Meanwhile, Trump's bid to end his civil fraud trial was dismissed yesterday.
In a New York court,
lawyers had requested to cut the trial short and clear
Trump and top Trump organization executives of any wrongdoing.
Judge Ngoran
did not make a ruling in the request but did indicate
that this trial will continue.
He also asked defense lawyers for witness schedules
and indicated closing arguments will happen in December.
The defense is scheduled to begin calling witnesses on Monday, Donald Trump junior
is scheduled to be the first person to take the stand.
The judge already ruled the Trump family and their company are liable for quote,
persistent and repeated fraud.
Trump is denying any wrongdoing.
Former president Trump's attempt to stall his
criminal trial in Florida has been rejected.
Federal judge Eileen Cannon who was appointed by the former president says she will
revisit the petition in the spring after a March 1st hearing in this case,
Trump's Florida criminal trial scheduled to begin May 20th
is related to accusations that former president
held on to classified government documents after he left the White House.
President Trump also faces a trial next spring for crimes related to
his alleged efforts to undo his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden
and election officials in five states were
sent suspicious envelopes like this this week.
Some of these envelopes contained the drug fentaNYL.
This is only one of the latest acts of
intimidation directed towards election officials around the US.
These threats delayed back
counting in some areas and now authorities are on the hunt to find the source.
The FBI says letters were sent to officials in Georgia, Nevada, California,
Oregon and Washington State.
four contained fentaNYL.
Some were intercepted before arriving at the intended targets.
And the US Department of Justice is weighing in
on abortion access in the state of Alabama.
Yesterday.
The DOJ said the state cannot prosecute anyone who
helps women leave the state to obtain an abortion.
This comes after lawsuits involving the State's Attorney
General who has said he would quote,
look at groups that provide abortion help.
A statement from the state's Attorney General's office read
Attorney General Marshall is prepared to defend our pro
life laws against
the most recent challenge by the Biden administration. And
as always welcomes the opportunity.
Abortion is illegal in Alabama except in cases
where the pregnancy threatens the mother's health.