March 8 2024
Humans v environment
FLASH Rebel Red Sea attack kills 3
1 The US secretly sells Israel massive quantities of arms
2 NY to Deploy National Guard to NYC Subways
3 Negotiations on CO River water entitlements have broken down
4 Power company likely sparked huge TX wildfire
5 Biden delivers State of the Union
3/8/2014 Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanishes with more than 200 people aboard
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FLASH First fatal rebel Red Sea attack kills 3
https://apnews.com/article/89c5440d9943216a787b39912bd969e0
1 The US secretly sells Israel massive quantities of arms, no strings attached
The U.S. has secretly made more than 100 separate foreign military sales to Israel since Oct. 7, delivering thousands of precision-guided munitions, bombs, bunker busters, small arms and other lethal aid, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. Only two of those sales were publicly disclosed — tank ammunition worth $106 million and parts for 155 mm artillery shells valued at $147.5 million. The rest escaped scrutiny and public debate. The Post story, based on interviews with U.S. officials and lawmakers, suggests that the Biden administration failed to attach conditions to the use of U.S. arms, missing the opportunity for leverage on Israel to insist on protection of civilians and aid deliveries. The Post reported that Israel was able to amass a vast arsenal of cutting-edge armaments and military electronics without having to make concessions. “You ask a lot of Americans about arm transfers to Israel right now, and they look at you like you’re crazy, like, ‘why in the world would we be sending more bombs over there?’” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.), a member of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, told the Post. The story of extensive secret arms sales broke as Congressional Democrats raised ever louder objections to arming Israel unconditionally. “We need to use all the leverage we’ve got. The administration has not used the leverage it has to date. I don’t know how many more kids have to starve before we use all the levers of our influence here, but they really need to do more,” Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters Wednesday.
Cipher Brief
2 New York to Deploy National Guard to NYC Subways to Fight Crime
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is deploying 750 National Guard officers into New York City’s subway system after a rash of violent incidents has reignited fresh concerns about safety on the biggest US transit network. Hochul will send a combined 1,000 safety officers to the subways: the 750 National Guard officers along with 250 personnel from state and Metropolitan Transportation Authority transit police forces, the governor announced Wednesday. The National Guard members will conduct random bag checks on passengers, and plans are underway to install more safety cameras, she said.
Bloomberg
3 Negotiations on Colorado River water entitlements have broken down
There has been a breakdown on the way toward a long-term plan to save the shrinking Colorado River. Negotiations over plans to conserve its waters starting in 2027 have bifurcated: Arizona and California, two of the biggest users of the river, said Wednesday they will give up massive amounts of water going forward, and are asking the rest of the river basin to cut back their water use in the driest years. But upriver states, led by Colorado, are standing firm against more cuts: They rely on variable snowpack for their water supply, they said, so they can’t make promises about how much water they can leave in the river from year to year. It isn’t clear how representatives for the states can bridge the gap between the dueling proposals — and whether it could fall on the highest levels of government to determine how to manage what is a vital source of water for 40 million people across seven Western states. A new approach is imperative for communities to be able to continue to rely on a river sapped by a historic drought and decades of overuse. The final plan could chart the river’s course for 20 years.
WaPo
4 Xcel Says Its Equipment Likely Involved in Huge Texas Wildfire
Xcel Energy Inc. acknowledged that its equipment was likely involved in igniting the worst wildfire in Texas history. But the utility company refuted allegations it had acted negligently.
Xcel said last week that it had been asked by a law firm to preserve a fallen wooden pole located near the potential origin of the Smokehouse Creek fire, which has charred more than 1 million acres and resulted in at least two deaths. The pole had been inspected and marked with a “do not climb” red tag before the blaze erupted during dry and windy conditions in late February, according to photos reviewed by Bloomberg News. While recognizing that its equipment may have been involved in starting the fire, the company “disputes claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure,” according to the statement. The shares gained 1% before the start of regular trading in New York.
Bloomberg
5 Biden delivers State of the Union
President Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address Thursday night, making a forceful case for a second term while attacking former president Donald Trump as a threat to individual rights, freedom and democracy. Biden engaged in repeated exchanges with Republican lawmakers in the House chamber, at times, turning the address into a form of political theater as he seemingly taunted his opponents in an attempt to spotlight policy disagreements on the economy, immigration and abortion. Unlike a traditional State of the Union address consisting of a laundry list of policy goals, Biden started assailing Trump less than four minutes into his speech, blasting him for suggesting that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that did not spend enough on defense.
The president would return to critiquing “my predecessor” — never once uttering Trump’s name — repeatedly throughout a speech that lasted just over an hour. He attacked his likely 2024 rival for inspiring the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, for boasting of helping end Roe vs. Wade, for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and for threatening to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
The chamber became testy at times, with Republicans shouting out to interrupt Biden midsentence on multiple occasions as he criticized their positions on issues including taxes, Social Security and immigration. Biden and his team had clearly anticipated the disruptions, and the president was ready with retorts.
WaPo
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/07/biden-state-of-the-union-2024/
3/8/2014 Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanishes with more than 200 people aboard
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