The News Not Noise Letter: Can Haley Do It?
For Haley, everything’s riding on the New Hampshire primaries. Plus: Abortion still on the line, did Israel strike members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and exclusive Zooms.
For regular updates, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Threads.
Hi, happy Monday! Hope you are warm and dry wherever this finds you. Today we have headlines from the US to the Middle East. At the bottom of the newsletter, we’ve included details about two new subscriber-only Zooms. One will focus on the 2024 election so far and preview what’s to come; and the other will feature Dr. Aliza Pressman talking about her new book, The Five Principles of Parenting. Non-subscribers can join the Zoom with Dr. Pressman by sending in proof you purchased the book! (See details below.) Note: we will record these Zooms so subscribers (and book buyers) can watch at your leisure.
Here are the headlines:
Roe Turns 51: On the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Biden announced an initiative to increase access to no-cost contraceptives. VP Harris spoke at a rally in Wisconsin about the importance of reproductive healthcare. Here’s your reminder that SCOTUS will decide on two key abortion cases this term: one regarding access to the abortion pill mifepristone, and one about a federal law mandating access to emergency, life-saving abortions (even in states with strict abortion bans). Also, a number of states could put abortion access on the ballot in November.
NH Primaries Tomorrow: The New Hampshire primaries are Tuesday, and they’re widely seen as Nikki Haley’s best chance of mounting a real challenge to Donald Trump. To do that, Haley will have to turn out large numbers of independents. The latest polls show Trump with a double digit lead but the state is known for bucking expectations. Never predict an outcome here. Haley doesn’t necessarily need a victory to stay in the race, but she does need a close finish – something within 10 points of Trump, to make the case for going on to S Carolina.
Trump Has Buds: Trump is back to form, slinging racist jabs at Nikki Haley, (calling her “Nimbra,” “wherever she’s from,”) and the field is coalescing around him nonetheless. Onstage with Trump at a New Hampshire rally tonight: former competitors Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, and Gov. Doug Burgum, all of whom have endorsed Trump. A noisy note: Sen Tim Scott – a VP candidate – got engaged over the weekend.
DeSantis Needs a Bud: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump. In his farewell he made a nasty and gratuitous dig at Nikki Haley, then attempted to quote Winston Churchill – but quoted a 1939 Budweiser ad instead. So fittingly awkward.
Blue Mirror: Democrats will be on the ballot in New Hampshire, Tuesday, but Joe Biden will not. That’s because the Dems wanted South Carolina – with its more diverse voter base – to be its first primary but New Hampshire didn’t want to wait. So New Hampshire Dems will find Rep. Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson among others on their ballot, and some activists launched a write-in campaign for Biden. Meantime, a deepfake Joe Biden has reportedly been placing calls telling Dems not to go to the polls. Welcome to 2024.
Israel/Gaza Latest:
Hostage Families Storm Knesset: 20 family members of Israeli hostages stormed the Knesset, demanding the Israeli government change tactics to win the hostages’ freedom faster. 136 hostages remain in Gaza – according to the Israeli government, not all alive. There are reports the IDF dropped leaflets in the Rafah with photos of 33 hostages asking for help from anyone who’s seen them.
Israel Proposes Hostage-Ceasefire Deal: Axios reports Israel is proposing a two-month ceasefire in exchange for the phased release of all hostages. A to-be-determined number of Palestinian prisoners would also be released. Axios says Israeli officials are “cautiously optimistic” about reaching this deal. Hamas has not yet responded to the proposal.
Pressure on the Ports: The US, UK, and EU are pressuring Israel to allow more humanitarian aid for Gaza to enter through the port of Ashdod in southern Israel. The White House said Friday that Israel would allow flour in through the port, but US and European officials continue to push for the entry of more aid.
Decreasing Deaths: The New York Times reports that the daily death toll in Gaza has fallen by half in the past month since Israel announced its shift to a new, more targeted phase of combat.
Making Noise: An estimated 150-200 pro-ceasefire activists disrupted the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, blocking Main Street and carrying signs and banners with pro-Palestinian messages. Meanwhile in Poland, Elon Musk said he’s “aspirationally Jewish” after visiting Auschwitz. Bold location choice for that statement.
Lost In Translation: Several extremely controversial quotes by Israeli officials have been mistranslated, taken out of context, or distorted by the media, politicians, and other public figures. This according to The Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg, who has “covered Israeli extremism for years.” He writes that while many in the extreme-right wing of Israeli politics do endorse “borderline or straightforwardly genocidal sentiments,” the most widely circulated statements from Israel’s actual decision-makers are misrepresented. Some have been used to argue that Israel intends to commit genocide in Gaza. For example, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is frequently quoted saying “we will eliminate everything.” But Rosenberg reports that what he actually said is, “Gaza will not return to what it was before. There will be no Hamas. We will eliminate it all.” In this piece, he breaks down the misleading distortions to a handful of key statements you’ve likely seen on social media. (To be clear, neither he nor I endorse any of these statements – but it’s important to know what the statements actually mean.)
Wider Middle East Conflict: Strikes beyond Israel and Gaza are intensifying. The conflict basically boils down to Iran (and its numerous proxy militant groups) vs. everyone else. Some recent strikes in this developing conflict:
Iran Vows Revenge: Iran says five senior military officers were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Syria. Direct engagement between Israel and Iran is a concerning development. A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry vowed revenge. Israel hasn’t confirmed involvement.
Iran Strikes Iraq: American and Iraqi troops were injured after Iran-backed militants attacked the al-Asad base in Iraq, according to US officials.
US and UK Strike in Yemen: US and UK carried out joint strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen in an ongoing (and so far, fruitless) effort to stop the Iran-backed rebels from attacking ships in the Red Sea. Meanwhile there are reports that Saudi Arabia and Jordan are allowing cargo companies to transport cargo through their territories by land to avoid Red Sea attacks. (More cooperation than headlines suggest…)
De-Razor the Border: The Supreme Court issued a surprise ruling supporting a Biden administration border policy. The justices found that federal Border Patrol agents can remove razor wire from the Texas/Mexico border that was installed by Texas National Guard members. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the wire put up as part of his Operation Lone Star anti-immigration campaign. The Court sided with the Biden administration, which argued that the razor wire interfered with federal officers’ ability to do their jobs.
Record High Stocks: On Monday the Dow closed above 38,000 for the first time ever, shattering previous records. The S&P 500 also closed at a record-breaking high, and the Nasdaq closed at its highest level in two years. Looks like that consumer confidence could be contagious.
Here’s some news that doesn’t suck:
Redistributing Millions: A 31-year-old Austrian heiress with €25 million Euro ($27.2 million USD) to burn wants to redistribute her wealth – and she’s asking 50 random Austrians to help her brainstorm the best ways to do it. She wants a committee of 50 Austrians “from all age groups, federal states, social classes and backgrounds” to distribute her inheritance. She says it is a “failure of politics” that Austria has no inheritance tax, and she feels responsible to “redistribute my wealth myself.” Invitations were sent to 10,000 randomly-selected Austrians over the age of 16, and 50 will be chosen to participate. The council will convene over six weekends, and there will be no cost barriers to attend – travel costs will be covered, childcare and language interpreters will be available, and every participant will receive €1200 ($1307) for each weekend they attend.
Paid Subscriber Zooms
Join us for our upcoming exclusive paid-subscriber Zooms:
Election 2024 with Jessica Yellin | Thursday, 1/25/24 | 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern
I’ll answer your questions about the 2024 elections.
The Five Principles of Parenting with Dr. Aliza Pressman | Thursday, 2/1/24 | 4pm Pacific / 7pm Eastern
Dr. Aliza Pressman is a developmental psychologist who offers science-backed (and compassionate) parenting advice. She’s also the author of The Five Principles of Parenting. This Zoom will be available to NNN paid subscribers and anyone who buys Dr. Pressman’s book. If you purchase the book, email your receipt to thefiveprinciplesofparenting@gmail.com and mention News Not Noise in the subject line, and we’ll make sure you get the Zoom information.
Links to register below the paywall.
