THE SHOW NOTES: Police On College Campus, Protestors Unite In Alabama, & Kristi Noem Digs In
Welcome! Lindsey Graham’s phone was hacked and the FBI is involved.
WATCH: Kristi Noem is still defending her choice to kill a dog.
NEW: The Diamonds vs Dodgers game was delayed because of a bee colony at Chase Field. - AZ Central
HEADLINE: Democrats are stuck in a familiar place: Arguing over Israel - SEMAFOR
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Police On College Campus
Chaos erupted on the campus of UCLA early this morning when police in riot gear failed to break through a line of anti-Israel protestors. The police were forced to regroup as hundreds of protestors violently forced them back. After regrouping, officers breached the encampments and made dozens of arrests despite protestors setting off flashbangs.
Police officers in riot gear moved into other campus encampments last night across the country including at New Hampshire University, Portland State, and the University of Texas.
Watch: The University of Alabama had a small number of anti-Israel protestors on their campus who had a brief standoff with pro-Israel students. Before it was over, both sides were chanting, “F… Joe Biden.” - X
New: The NYPD announced this morning that half of the protestors at Columbia University were not affiliated with the school. The news explains how professional signs like this appeared on college campuses across the country.
Here’s what happened at UCLA:
Kamala’s Word Salad
US and Saudis Near Defense Pact Meant to Reshape Middle East
The US and Saudi Arabia are nearing a historic pact that would offer the kingdom security guarantees and lay out a possible pathway to diplomatic ties with Israel, if its government brings the war in Gaza to an end, people familiar with the matter said.
The agreement faces plenty of obstacles but would amount to a new version of a framework that was scuttled when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the conflict in Gaza. Negotiations between Washington and Riyadh have sped up recently, and many officials are optimistic that they could reach a deal within weeks, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
Such an agreement would potentially reshape the Middle East. Beyond bolstering Israel and Saudi Arabia’s security, it would strengthen the US’s position in the region at the expense of Iran and even China.
Full story at Bloomberg (paywall).
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Companies for Aiding Russia’s War Effort
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced nearly 300 new sanctions on international suppliers of military equipment technology that the administration said have been helping Russia restock its arsenal as it carries out the war in Ukraine.
The sanctions represent a broadening of U.S. efforts to disrupt Russia’s military industrial complex supply chain. They include more than a dozen targets based in China, which the United States says has increasingly been helping Russia arm itself. The Biden administration has expressed growing alarm about the weapons technology alliance between China and Russia. Top U.S. officials have voiced those concerns to their Chinese counterparts in recent weeks.
Full story at The New York Times (paywall)
Trending news:
Joe Scarborough Blasts MSNBC Viewers ‘Too Stupid’ To See Campus Protests Hurting Biden’s Reelection: ‘Change to Another Channel’ - Mediaite
Americans cash out of sustainable funds - Axios
"Belligerent" United passenger faces a $20K fine. - Yahoo
Could It Be 2016 All Over Again? - The Liberal Patriot
Democrats laugh off Greene's plan to force Johnson ouster vote - Axios
Major College Democrats Organization Warns Biden: Our ‘Votes Are Not to Be Taken for Granted’ - Mediaite
Google, DOJ return for closing arguments - The Hill
Faceless people, invisible hands: New Army video aims to lure recruits for psychological operations - AP
Has the DeSantis comeback already begun? - Politico
Putin’s crushing new offensive could be the end of Ukraine - The Telegraph
The ‘Outside Agitators’ of Campus Protests - WSJ Editorial Board (paywall)
Biden Needs to Learn From the Democrats’ Disaster in ’68 - WSJ (paywall)
The Uglification of Everything - WSJ (paywall)
Market snapshot:
"The University of Alabama had a small number of anti-Israel protestors on their campus who had a brief standoff with pro-Israel students. Before it was over, both sides were chanting, “F… Joe Biden.” - X"
This is hilarious.
Re: Outside influencers in the protests:
When you look at the videos, it’s pretty clear that these are not “organic” protests put on by students. This is a very well-funded and coordinated effort by professionals. A lot of the equipment is the same. For example: 4x8 sheets of plywood: $45-$55 each. There are HUNDREDS of new sheets visible in the video. Large coolers: $79-$200 each. At least 200 of these medium and large coolers are visible. 4-person tents: $100-$300 each. Just like coolers… hundreds of these tents are visible. Pop-up 8'x10' canopies: $100-$300 each. Gas masks: $300-$500 each. Goggles: $10 each. Sleeping bags: $30 each. Foldable cots and chairs: $40 each or more. Professionally printed banners and signs: Hundreds or thousands of them at EVERY school. Food and water: Maybe $50 per day per person. My best estimate is it is costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500-$2500 per "protester". So who is funding all this?