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Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- The United States military carried out “self-defense” airstrikes early Friday morning on facilities used by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxy militias in eastern Syria. The strikes followed a series of recent rocket and drone attacks by Iranian-backed groups against U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Syria, in which a total of 19 American military personnel reportedly suffered traumatic brain injuries. “The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement following the airstrikes. “But these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop.” Earlier on Thursday, however, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had threatened further escalation of the conflict. “Today in New York and from the headquarters of the United Nations I say frankly to the American statesmen and military forces who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome the expansion and scope of the war in the region,” he said in a speech before the UN General Assembly. “But I warn if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire.” An additional 900 U.S. troops are being deployed to the region to bolster force protection and deterrence, Pentagon officials said yesterday.
- Israeli ground troops briefly raided northern Gaza overnight Wednesday to target anti-tank weapons and Hamas fighters and infrastructure, a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday morning. More incursions are planned for the coming days to pave the way for the impending ground offensive, and airstrikes on Gaza—which IDF officials said killed five senior Hamas commanders on Thursday—continue as the military makes its final preparations.
- The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday that real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2023. The robust growth greatly exceeded economists’ expectations and marked the largest gain since the fourth quarter of 2021. The bulk of this growth came from private inventory investment, federal government spending, and consumer spending—the last of which grew 4 percent over the period. “It’s a good, strong number and it shows an economy that’s doing very well,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. “We have what looks like a soft landing, with very good outcomes for the U.S. economy.”
- A federal judge ruled on Thursday that Georgia’s voting maps drawn by Republican lawmakers in 2021 violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of black voters. In a 516-page ruling, District Judge Steve Jones wrote that “the evidence before this court shows that Georgia has not reached the point where the political process has equal openness and equal opportunity for everyone.” Jones ordered the state legislature to redraw the maps by December 8, with one additional majority-black congressional district and several majority-black state House and state Senate districts. If the lawmakers fail to redraw the maps by the deadline, the court will do so.
- After several obvious, bus-sized hints, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota announced Thursday night that he would challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president. In an interview with CBS News, Phillips stressed that he believes Biden is doing a good job, but that “this is an election about the future.” He cited recent polling data to back up his calculus. “I will not sit still and not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we’re going to be facing an emergency next November,” he said.
- House Republicans from New York moved on Thursday to hold a vote on removing their colleague Rep. George Santos from Congress after multiple criminal charges had been filed against the first-term congressman. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito of New York introduced a privileged resolution—a legislative maneuver that requires a House vote on the measure within two working days—to expel Santos. “Santos is a stain on the House,” D’Esposito said. “This con man must be expelled.” (House leadership has the ability to table the resolution or refer it to a committee.) D’Esposito said he spoke with newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson about the measure and that the speaker told him to “do what you think is right and do what’s right for your district.” In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that aired last night, however, Johnson urged patience, saying it’d be a “problem” for lawmakers to “expel people from Congress just because they’re charged with a crime.”
- Blake Masters, the former venture capitalist and failed Senate candidate, declared yesterday his intent to run for the congressional seat in Arizona now up for grabs after GOP Rep. Debbie Lesko announced her retirement earlier this month. Masters—who ran against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in 2022 but lost by almost 5 points—was reportedly considering running for Senate in Arizona again, challenging incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema this time around. Kari Lake, the failed Arizona GOP candidate for governor, launched a Senate bid earlier this month and endorsed Masters’ Republican opponent in the congressional race—Abraham Hamadeh—on Thursday.
- A full day after a gunman killed 18 people and injured dozens more at multiple locations in Lewiston, Maine, law enforcement has yet to apprehend the suspect. Authorities conducted a wide search yesterday including on properties owned by the suspect’s family.
The AUKUS Ruckus
State dinners are typically lavish, celebratory affairs that bring Washington and international elites together. But with Israel actively engaged in a war against Hamas, the White House decided against the usual jubilant atmosphere for the festivities this week honoring Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. First Lady Jill Biden regretfully canceled the planned performance by 1980s pop sensations, the B-52s, opting instead for instrumental music by the U.S. Marine Corps Band.
Perhaps it was for the best, because we’re not sure any state dinner performance could rival South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s rousing rendition of Don McLean’s “American Pie” back in April.
Despite the somber events in other parts of the world hanging over the meeting, the Australian PM’s visit was an opportunity to reinforce an important strategic relationship for the United States as the two countries move to counter Chinese influence and aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. The visit also highlighted some of the obstacles to pursuing the AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, and U.S.) security pact announced in March that aims to supply Canberra with nuclear submarines.
The meeting was the first ...
Worth Your Time
- Writing for Commentary, Jordan Chandler Hirsch argues public figures and political analysts have improperly invoked 9/11 when warning Israel against taking the fight to Hamas. “The 9/11 analogy morphed from one of condolence to caution,” Hirsch wrote. “Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s former speechwriter, tweeted that ‘the U.S. should have learned from 9/11 the profound cost of being guided by anger and fear. I hope that is what we are telling the Israeli government.’ In the Atlantic, the journalist George Packer wrote that ‘if Americans now have anything useful to tell Israelis, it would be: Don’t. Don’t let your justified fury replace reason.’ President Biden soon adopted this theme, warning Israelis not to be ‘consumed’ by their anger and make the same ‘mistakes’ as a post-9/11 America ‘enraged’ by al Qaeda’s terror. These admonitions share something in common: They are less about 9/11 than 3/19, the date on which America invaded Iraq in 2003. … Although the United States devoted much effort to ensure that Islamists could not strike America again, it was never in danger of foreign invasion. Israel, by contrast, confronted a several-battalion-strength onslaught, akin to al Qaeda not only destroying the Twin Towers on 9/11 but capturing lower Manhattan, butchering civilians, and firing rockets at greater New York. The threat to Israeli sovereignty remains acute, with the possibility that Hezbollah could also attempt to seize Israeli cities. Moreover, when the United States tired of Afghanistan and Iraq, it had the option to leave on its own terms. Israel enjoys no such luxury with Hamas, separated from it only by a far-too-thin fence. Most fundamentally, however much America’s withdrawals from the Middle East harmed its credibility, Hamas’s assault is an existential threat to Israeli deterrence.”
Presented Without Comment
Politico: NYC Offers Migrants Free Travel Anywhere to Move
Also Presented Without Comment
New York Times: Hamas Leaders Arrive in Moscow as the Kremlin Attempts to Showcase Clout
Also Also Presented Without Comment
Axios: Biden’s Approval Rating Among Dems Drops 11 Points in One Month
Toeing the Company Line
- In the newsletters: Nick dives into (🔒) Democrats’ declining confidence in Joe Biden’s ability to beat Trump, and Mike and Sarah break down what all the plea deals might portend in the Georgia election interference case.
- On the podcasts: Sarah, Steve, and Mike take to The Dispatch Podcast to discuss the new speaker of the House and what it means for Trump’s continued hold on our politics.
- On the site: Mike Warren details Mike Johnson’s big speaker win, Daniel Bennett examines the new speaker’s tenure at the Alliance Defending Freedom, and Paul Miller pens an ode to baseball ahead of the World Series.
James Scimecca is the editorial partnerships manager at The Dispatch, and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he served as the director of communications at the Empire Center for Public Policy. When James is not busy generating shareholder revenue, he can usually be found running along the Potomac River, cooking up a new recipe, or scoping out a new karaoke bar.
Mary Trimble is a former editor of The Morning Dispatch.
Grayson Logue is a staff writer for The Dispatch and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he worked in political risk consulting, helping advise Fortune 50 companies. He was also an assistant editor at Providence Magazine and is a graduate student at the University of Edinburgh, pursuing a Master’s degree in history. When Grayson is not writing pieces for the website, he is probably working hard to reduce the number of balls he loses on the golf course.
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