Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Gaza: “The main hospital serving Gaza is no longer functioning after three days without power, the World Health Organization said. Several newborns have died and dozens more are at risk at the Al-Shifa hospital, health officials and doctors said.”
* Also in the Middle East: “The U.S. military struck sites in Syria used by Iran-affiliated groups, the latest response to continued attacks against American personnel in the region. Fears of escalation have also risen on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon after days of intense exchanges.”
* I’ll have more on this in the morning: “The Supreme Court on Monday announced it has adopted what it called a new code of conduct following allegations of ethics lapses. The court issued a 14-page document that included five canons of conduct in addition to lengthy commentary.”
* Ripple effects from the UAW strike: “South Korean automaker Hyundai has joined Honda and Toyota in raising factory worker wages after the United Auto Workers union reached new contract agreements with Detroit automakers. Hyundai said Monday it will raise factory worker pay 25% by 2028, matching the general wage increase won by the UAW during that period.”
* Unusual news at the Vatican: “Pope Francis on Saturday dismissed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of his fiercest critics among U.S. Roman Catholic conservatives, after he refused to step down following a Vatican investigation. It is very rare for a bishop to be relieved of his duties outright. Usually bishops in trouble with the Vatican are asked to resign before submitting a resignation, which the pope accepts.”
* Sounds about right: “Special counsel Jack Smith’s office said Monday that former President Donald Trump wants a ‘carnival atmosphere’ at his federal election interference trial, which is set to get underway in the nation’s capital in March.”
* In related news: “Former President Donald Trump warned on Monday that special counsel Jack Smith and other Justice Department officials will wind up in a mental institution if he is re-elected as president next year.”
* One of the more controversial presidential family members in modern American history: “Maryanne Trump Barry, former President Donald Trump’s older sister and a retired federal judge, has died, two sources familiar said. She was 86. Barry had served as a federal appellate judge in Philadelphia and retired in 2019, ending a civil misconduct inquiry that was launched after reporting by The New York Times alleged the then-president and his siblings evaded inheritance taxes.”
* I haven’t seen this confirmed elsewhere, but it’s awfully interesting: “Members of former Trump aide Michael Flynn’s family pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars in leftover money from a legal defense fund that was set up for the retired general as he faced a federal investigation over the 2016 election, Flynn’s sister testified in a defamation case involving CNN.”
See you tomorrow.
