Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza: “An IDF spokesperson said Israel is ‘increasing the ground operation’ in Gaza and that bombing has already ‘increased,’ after reports of widespread sirens and explosions.”
* In Maine: “Lindsey Chasteen of the Maine Medical Examiner’s Office said all 18 people killed in the shootings have now been properly identified. Maine State Police are continuing to notify victims’ families.”
* In related news: “More than 200 Department of Homeland Security personnel are on the ground in Maine to assist law enforcement in the search for Robert Card. A DHS spokesperson said that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is continuing to engage with federal and state leaders and partners.”
* In Syria: “The U.S. launched strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria on Thursday in retaliation for a series of drone attacks on American military bases in the region, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.”
* Hurricane Otis’ aftermath: “From hoping to hear from loved ones to unburying homes from knee-deep mud to looking for food and supplies, residents of Acapulco, Mexico, have been grappling with the devastating aftermath of the strongest hurricane to hit the city in decades. ‘Acapulco is undone,’ resident David Campos told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish.”
* Worthwhile housing policy: “As cities across the US continue to struggle with climbing office vacancies and unaffordable rents, the White House on Friday released a new plan to help property owners convert empty offices into apartment units. By opening up significant financing resources to office-to-residential conversions, as well as by providing technical assistance, the Biden administration aims to make it easier for these challenging rehab projects to advance — with an eye toward both sustainability and affordability.”
* This should prove interesting: “The judge overseeing the $250 million civil trial against Donald Trump and his company ordered the former president’s daughter Ivanka Trump to testify in the case.”
* It looks like this investigatory avenue is closing: “Federal prosecutors have quietly withdrawn a subpoena seeking records from former President Donald J. Trump’s 2020 campaign as part of their investigation into whether Mr. Trump’s political and fund-raising operations committed any crimes as he sought to stay in power after he lost the election, according to two people familiar with the matter.”
* All is not well at the platform formerly known as Twitter: “One year after billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, aiming to rid it of a ‘woke mind virus’ that he believed was suppressing free speech, the site’s business outlook appears dire. The number of people actively tweeting has dropped by more than 30 percent, according to previously unreported data obtained by The Washington Post, and the company — which the entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX has renamed X — is hemorrhaging advertisers and revenue, interviews show.”
Have a safe weekend.
