The News Not Noise Letter: Total Eclipse of the Heartland (and Beyond)
Eyewitness report from the path of totality. Plus: on alert for Iran’s revenge, and Caitlin Clark changes the game.
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This is a week of contradictions and changes. Today we report on Israel, Gaza, and the shadow war with Iran as we wait to see what kind of response the Islamic Republic will launch. At the same time, we are covering a total solar eclipse which astrologers say allows us to tap into what is required for us to feel free and understand what is standing in our way of growth. Those who witnessed the eclipse in the path of totality say it evoked feelings of awe, gratitude, love and connection to others. We live in strange, contradictory times, and today’s news reflects them.
Finally, over the weekend I was in Dallas and asked News Not Noisers in the region to meet for breakfast. We had a fantastic conversation – talked a bit about the news, but also about the importance of connecting IRL and how to talk to people who have different political views than your own. (The group wanted to be connected on a group chat – so if you’re in Dallas and would like to be added to this chat please email me your Instagram handle.) I’ll be in Philadelphia next week; if you’re in the Philly area and would like to meet for breakfast or lunch Thursday, April 18th, please let me know by emailing community@newsnotnoise.com. And if you live in another city and would like to help organize a News Not Noise get-together where you live, please let us know by emailing the same address.
Here are your headlines:
Eyes on Iran: US and Israeli forces are on high alert, bracing for a reprisal attack by Iran. The Islamic Republic vowed revenge after an Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Syria killed 7 Iranians including top generals. On Monday, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned that Iran holds not only Israel but also the US responsible for the attack, opening the possibility that a reprisal could target US personnel or assets. News reports warn that this reprisal attack could lead to a dramatic escalation opening a larger regional war. But that depends on who launches the attack (Iran or one of its proxy terror groups) and where/how they attack (Does Hezbollah fire rockets into Israel? Does Iran assassinate an Israeli diplomat? Or mine the Gulf to make shipping impossible?). The top General killed in the airstrike worked closely with Hezbollah, which has been trading rocket fire with Israel since 10/7 and is believed to have roughly 150,000 rockets trained on Israel. All that said, there is plenty of reason Iran might offer a contained response to avoid an all-out regional war.
It is against international law (and almost unheard of) for a military to strike a diplomatic compound, which is considered sovereign territory. Israel claims that the building was actually a military headquarters for Iran, disguised as a diplomatic facility. The White House says Israel didn’t consult with the US prior to the attack.
Netanyahu Responds to Biden’s Ultimatum: On Monday, 419 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana border crossings. Another 300 entered on Sunday. Each of these was the largest single-day delivery since the war began. The US State Department said “much more needs to be done.” The White House would like 300-350 aid trucks to enter a day.
Khan Younis Withdrawal: In Southern Gaza, residents are starting to return to Khan Younis after Israel withdrew all but one brigade. Israel once considered this region a Hamas stronghold where hostages had been held. Many of those returning found their homes bulldozed or unlivable. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We are reaching a situation where Hamas does not control the Gaza Strip and that it does not function as a military framework that poses a risk to the citizens of the State of Israel.” Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu insists a date has been set for the planned attack on Rafah and the IDF says they’re withdrawing troops only to allow them to rest and recover.
Response to Biden Ultimatum: Note that these long-sought changes – withdrawal of some troops, increase in aid – come just days after President Biden warned that the US will shift policy unless Israel takes more steps to ensure that civilians have food and shelter. Israeli military officials say that they are still committed to eradicating Hamas and the war is not over.
New Proposal in Hostage Negotiations: Over the weekend, CIA Director William Burns was in Cairo for more negotiations. The Wall Street Journal reports that the US presented a new proposal: a six-week ceasefire in return for the release of 40 of the 100+ hostages still in captivity; release of more than 900 Palestinians from Israeli prisons including some held on terrorism charges; and the return of 150,000 Palestinians to their cities in the North. Hamas is demanding a full ceasefire, withdrawal, reconstruction and more – terms Netanyahu has called “delusional.”
Six Months in Captivity: Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault. Also this past weekend marked 6 months in captivity for the hostages. We don’t know how many are still alive and Israelis who are in touch with released hostages fear that the majority of those not yet returned have been killed and that some of the young women have been impregnated by rape.
Trump on Abortion: Former President Trump is breaking with ultra-conservatives on abortion, or is he? In a video posted to Truth Social today, he said that he believes that “states will determine” abortion policy, and he did not endorse a national abortion ban. Analysts are interpreting this to mean he doesn’t support one, but he didn’t actually say that. Keep in mind, conservative nationalists who support his reelection campaign have policy plans to severely restrict abortion nationwide by enforcing the Comstock Act, making it nearly impossible to perform abortion or distribute mifepristone, half of the abortion pill.
Trump Fundraiser: The Trump campaign held a fundraiser at a billionaire’s private residence this weekend which they say grossed over $50 million dollars – nearly twice the $26 million Biden raised at his much-publicized and then-record-breaking fundraiser with former Presidents Obama and Clinton. (Donors included sugar magnates, oil barons, and other old-timey Western movie villains.)
Student Loans: President Biden is trying again to provide some student loan debt relief after the Supreme Court struck down his last attempt. Today he announced a new initiative to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers. The White House says the rule targets 25 million (or more) borrowers who have “runaway interest,” meaning they owe more now than their principal amount borrowed, even if they’ve been making payments all along. The administration is hoping the plan will come into effect “early this fall.” These plans could be challenged in court.
Trans Updates: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), a small college athletics organization that represents mostly small private schools, ruled it will not allow trans women athletes to compete in women’s sports beginning August 1. There are no reported trans athletes in NAIA’s competitions. The much larger National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which represents more than 4 times as many colleges and universities, still allows trans athletes in alignment with standards set by the US Olympic Committee.
Vatican on Gender: You may also see headlines about a new Vatican document which says “any sex-change intervention” is “contrary to human dignity.” It also rejects surrogacy, abortion, and euthanasia. None of these are new stances for the Catholic Church.
Caitlin Clark and the NCAA Championship: Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes lost the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship to the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, 75-87. But her season was a blowout success nonetheless. Her play drew so much attention to women’s ball that the season set new records for viewership – not just for her team but for the game as a whole. And she’ll be a major WNBA draft pick. Now that women’s sports draws man-sized ratings, we’ll be interested to see if man-sized funding – and pay – follows.
Total Solar Eclipse: Story and Science
My Eclipse Experience, by NNN’s Thalia Halloran: I watched the eclipse at a small neighborhood park in my hometown in Indiana, where dozens of neighbors of all ages gathered to look at the sky. The start of the eclipse was very slow – it took over an hour after the moon first began to cover the sun for us to reach totality – and the light was very odd, less like evening and more like the haze of nearby smoke, or the eerie dim of an oncoming storm. (Our weather was lovely! Not a cloud in sight.) But after an hour of creeping dimness, the sky went suddenly dark.