The Carnage in Gaza
Nine doctors gave the Guardian accounts of working in Gaza hospitals this past year, describing a steady stream of children, elderly people and others who were clearly not combatants with single bullet wounds to the head or chest. Some said that the types and locations of the wounds, and accounts of Palestinians who brought children to the hospital, led them to believe the victims were directly targeted by Israeli troops. The IDF said it “completely rejects” allegations that its snipers deliberately fire on civilians.
My Quote of the Day. “This is not a normal war,” said Dr Fozia Alvi, a Canadian doctor who treated a number of Palestinian children at the European public hospital in southern Gaza. “The war in Ukraine has killed 500 kids in two years and the war in Gaza has killed over 10,000 in less than five months. We have seen wars before, but this is something that is a dark stain on our shared humanity.”
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Per multiple sources, a deadly Israeli strike on an aid convoy run by World Central Kitchen in Gaza is already setting back attempts to address a hunger crisis in the territory, with aid groups saying they are being more cautious about making deliveries and at least two suspending operations.
In the wake of the attack that killed seven of its workers, World Central Kitchen stopped its work in Gaza and sent three ships with hundreds of tons of food back to port in Cyprus. The food was meant to be unloaded at a makeshift jetty in northern Gaza that was built by the group, which says it has provided 43 million meals to Gazans since the start of the war.
The U.S. must no longer support Netanyahu and his military tactics. Congress should send a large message to Netanyahu by making any future financial support conditional on a permanent cease fire. In addition, Congress should not agree to sell 50 F-15 fighter jets to Israel, even though they will not be available for five years. It is incumbent upon the U.S. to do everything in its power to stop Netanyahu’s carnage. He and his team have proven they have no regard for civilian life.
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
The former president cannot help himself. This comes from a fact checking article by the Detroit Free Press about the former president’s speech in Grand Rapids on Tuesday.
During the speech, Trump claimed to have made contact with Ruby Garcia’s relatives, saying he had talked with “some of her family” ahead of his campaign event in Grand Rapids. But WOOD-TV Target 8 in Grand Rapids reported that Garcia’s family, which watched the live stream at their home, was in “disbelief” at the remark, since the former president hadn’t spoken to any of them. “He did not speak with any of us, so it was kind of shocking seeing that he had said that he had spoke with us, and misinforming people on live TV,” Ruby Garcia’s sister, Mavi Garcia, who has been serving as the family’s spokesperson, said. She also said the extended family is close and she would know if Trump had spoken to any other members.
Draft age lowered from 27 to 25 in Ukraine
Per the NY Times, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has signed into law three measures aimed at replenishing the ranks of his country’s exhausted and battered army, including the politically poisonous step of lowering the age when men become eligible for mobilization, and eliminating some medical exemptions.
Parliament passed the legislation lowering the draft eligibility age to 25, from 27, last May, but Mr. Zelensky had delayed signing it in hopes that it would not be needed. He relented on Tuesday and signed the measure, along with laws eliminating a category of medical exemption known as “partially eligible” and creating an electronic database of men in Ukraine, starting at age 17, to crack down on draft dodgers.
When I read the above article, I was surprised the draft age was so high. When the U.S. last had a draft in the early 1970s, the draft age was 19. The U.S. was sending kids off to war in Vietnam and elsewhere two years before they could legally drink in most states or vote in a presidential election. This did not sit well and eventually Congress changed the voting age to 18 and most states changed the drinking age to 18,
It didn’t take the states long to wise up and move the drinking age back to 21.
Title IX is paying off
I loved this article from the NY Times’ Kristen Cruzata.
It’s thanks to Title IX that the entire country is now talking about Caitlin Clark, who deserves her obsessive following. Clark is a fantastic shooter, a disciplined player and a fierce competitor. She’s the all-time leading scorer in Division I history, men or women. And she’s not afraid to act like it. She’s very likely going to be the first pick at the W.N.B.A.’s draft on April 15. And there’s a good chance that she’ll end up playing for the Indiana Fever.
My hope is that wherever Clark ends up, her star power fuels the W.N.B.A. There’s already an indication that “Clarkenomics” — her unique ability to fill stadiums and even raise ticket prices — is real. She definitely sold out stadiums when Iowa was on the road.
Women’s basketball deserves devoted fans, and more of them. Professional women’s basketball is ripe for the groundswell that has come for the college teams. Whether I’m watching the Fever take on the Liberty at Barclays Center later this spring or sipping beers at a local dive with the game on TV, I’ll be cheering on the women. That’s where the real fun and, yes, drama is happening this year.
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Quote of the Day: See above under Carnage in Gaza
Orchid of the Day: This year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. It has lived up to the hype.
Onion of the Day: The leaders at ESPN for strictly scripting the questions and comments host Sage Steele could ask President Biden in an interview in 2021. I am always amazed at people in power who think they can get away with something like this in today’s day and age.
Question of the Day: Should Congress approve Biden’s request to sell up to 50 F-15s to Israel?
Video of the Day: One of my favorite movie scenes. If you don’t smile at this one, you may need help.
(14) John Goodman Dancing On The Bar Counter – Coyote Ugly – Movie Clip – YouTube