Happy Friday! We can’t really blame the elephants and bison at the Berlin Zoo for getting a jump on clearing out holiday decorations by chowing down on some unused Christmas trees—it is the 12th Day of Christmas, after all.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- Russia is planning to purchase short-range ballistic missiles from Iran, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal that was confirmed by U.S. officials on Thursday. The missiles could bolster the Russian military’s attacks on Ukraine, as missile and drone strikes targeting Kyiv and other population centers have escalated in recent days. Declassified U.S. intelligence suggests that Russian forces have deployed missiles secured from North Korea in at least two attacks in Ukraine. “Our information indicates that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters yesterday. “Russia is relying upon its friends to replenish its military stockpiles and enable its war against Ukraine.”
- The Islamic State on Thursday claimed responsibility for the explosions the day prior at a ceremony in Kerman, Iran, commemorating the fourth anniversary of the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani. The terror group said that two of its members detonated explosive belts in an attack that, according to Iranian officials, killed 84 people and wounded 220. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei condemned the attack and said there would be a “harsh response.”
- The U.S. military executed a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, on Thursday, killing one of the leaders of an Iranian-backed terrorist militia group that has taken credit for multiple attacks on U.S. forces. Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba acknowledged that one of its deputy commanders—Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, also known as Abu Taqwa—was killed yesterday. The Defense Department said Abu Taqwa was “actively involved in planning and carrying out” attacks on American forces, and Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said the strike “was taken in self-defense.” The Iraqi government condemned the strike, and one spokesperson described it as “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and security of Iraq.” The U.S. operation follows more than 100 attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria in recent months.
- Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a staff report and financial records on Thursday claiming that former President Donald Trump received at least $7.8 million from foreign governments while he was president, including $5.5 million from “the Chinese government and Chinese state-owned enterprises” through his businesses, primarily his real estate and hotel interests. “Each dollar former President Trump accepted violated the Constitution’s strict prohibition on payments from foreign governments,” Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the Oversight Committee, alleged in a statement yesterday. The report also argued that Trump’s businesses expanded their trademark portfolio in China during his presidency and failed to disclose the trademarks during that time. The Trump Organization said that the profits made from foreign sources were donated to the U.S. Treasury.
- A 17-year-old student shot six people Thursday morning at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa—a small town northwest of Des Moines—killing one sixth grader and wounding four other students and an administrator before he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One of the five wounded victims remained in critical condition as of yesterday afternoon.
Taking Tehran to Task
They say history is cyclical—and once again, in the early days of 2024, world leaders are carefully navigating a tense situation fraught with the risk of unintended consequences. One false move, misinterpreted action, or instance of perceived weakness could result in a global conflict spiraling out of control. In fact, incoming Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has already claimed Israel is “at the height of World War III.”
Hamas’ October 7 attack sparked a war between Israel and the terrorist group in Gaza, but increasing regional aggression led by Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” threatens to engulf the Middle East in a wider war. At the center of this conflict—as is often the case when discussing turmoil in the region—is Iran, which finds itself under the gun of an Israel with nothing to lose and …
As a non-paying reader, you are receiving a truncated version of The Morning Dispatch. Our full 1,561-word story on escalating conflict in the Middle East is available in the members-only version of TMD.
Worth Your Time
- Writing for Bloomberg, Amanda Little made the case that college reporters deserve more credit and support for their investigative journalism. “Student journalists exposed misconduct, divulged fraudulent research and revealed toxic leadership practices at the Universities of Pennsylvania and North Carolina and at Stanford, Columbia, Northwestern, Harvard and beyond,” she wrote. “Their dogged investigations led to the removal of an eminent university president and an iconic football coach. They chronicled the traumas of a campus shooting, disclosed dubious funding streams, and repeatedly scooped local and national news. All while attending classes and knocking out their homework. As an undergraduate journalism professor, I’ve interviewed many of these young reporters and know not only how valuable their work is, but also how difficult and jeopardized it is. … ‘Students have access to more and bigger stories and audiences than we ever have, but we’re also facing more difficulties,’ Stanford sophomore Theo Baker told me. Baker, 18, examined the manipulated scientific research of the university’s former president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, revealing evidence that led to his resignation. Baker received a prestigious Polk Award but also said he was harassed, shunned by professors, threatened with lawsuits, and smeared on social media.”
- In his Substack, Noahpinion, Noah Smith argued against what he described as a romanticist view of the idea that “hard times create strong men, who create good times, which creates weak men, who create hard times.” “One of my grandfathers was a bombardier in the European theater of World War 2,” he wrote. “He came back uninjured, but the stress of so many near-death experiences, and so many dead friends, drove him to lifelong alcoholism. Once, in the 1990s, I heard a conservative pundit claim that young Americans had become soft and weak because they had never had to face adversity like the World War 2 generation did. I asked my grandfather what he thought of that. After uttering something unprintable, he said: ‘I did that [stuff] so you wouldn’t have to.’ … Some romanticists feel the urge to knock over the edifice of industrial society intentionally, in order to kick against the seeming shallowness of modern life—to return humanity to a world of toil and struggle, in order to ennoble us. But these dark romantics are rightfully recognized in fiction and public discourse as villains.”
Presented Without Comment
The Hill: [House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise] Stefanik Withdraws Support from GOP Candidate Who Criticized Trump
“[Craig] Riedel, who is running for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District seat in the House, served three terms as an Ohio state representative.
He came under fire last month after audio leaked that featured him calling Trump “arrogant” and saying he didn’t want the former president’s endorsement.”
Also Presented Without Comment
Wall Street Journal: New York City Sues Bus Companies for $700 Million Over Migrants Sent From Texas
Also Also Presented Without Comment
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: “This idea that, like, all these conservative radio guys and Fox News people, like, you know, they will, like, never criticize [Trump] because they’re so concerned that someone may yell at them.”
Toeing the Company Line
- In the newsletters: Scott argued against (🔒) protectionist objections to the Nippon Steel acquisition of U.S. Steel, Mike and Sarah unpacked the enforcement questions regarding Colorado and Maine’s attempts to remove Trump from the primary ballot, and Nick assessed (🔒) Ron DeSantis’ complaint that right-wing media didn’t do enough to help his candidacy.
- On the podcasts: David and Sarah discussed judicial salaries, Maine’s efforts to exclude Trump from the ballot, and more on Advisory Opinions, while Jonah was joined by Yuval Levin on The Remnant to discuss the uses and misuses of political theory. Plus, Sarah, Steve, and Jonah reviewed the ‘high steaks’ bet, gave campaign advice for GOP candidates, and weighed in on Claudine Gay’s plagiarism on The Dispatch Podcast.
- On the site today: Charlotte reports on the significance of the Saleh al-Arouri strike and looks at how Hamas’ regional allies might retaliate.
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