Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Gaza: “Israel said its military is starting to shift from a large-scale ground and air campaign in the Gaza Strip to a more targeted phase in its war against Hamas, and Israeli officials have privately told their American counterparts that they hoped the transition would be completed by the end of January, U.S. officials said.”
* The swatting pattern continues: “Police and fire trucks showed up Sunday night at the house of Tanya Chutkan, the federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s election interference case after she appeared to be the target of an attempted ‘swatting’ attack.”
* If there’s a defense for how this was handled, I can’t think of it: “Amid tensions in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized, including spending four days in the intensive care unit, according to two senior administration officials.”
* On the other hand: “Biden is not considering firing Austin for not disclosing his hospitalization last week, three administration officials told NBC News. The president still has ‘full trust and confidence’ in Austin, one of the officials said.”
* The NRA trial: “A former top executive at the National Rifle Association, Joshua Powell, has admitted wrongdoing and agreed to pay $100,000 on the eve of a civil corruption trial of the organization’s top executives set to begin on Monday.”
* In Ohio, a step backward after a step forward: “Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced an executive order Friday that will immediately ban transition-related surgeries for minors in the state, about a week after vetoing a bill that would have banned all gender-affirming care for minors, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy.”
* In New York: “New York Attorney General Letitia James wants a whopping $370 million in Donald Trump’s civil fraud case, and she wants to permanently bar him from doing business in the state’s real estate industry. The staggering request came Friday in a 103-page court filing to Judge Arthur Engoron ahead of closing arguments next week in the case that threatens the future of the Trump business empire.”
See you tomorrow.
