Beltway Insider: Biden/Trump Debates, SCOTUS/Louisiana, Israel/Gaza, Iranian President Dead, Cohen Testifies

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 19 May 2024 10:58; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden and former President Donald Trump, both presumptive candidates for the 2024 presidential election, have agreed to two televised debates, in June and September, which upends a long standing presidential debate tradition that dictated three post-convention meetings.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending May 19, 2024, increased by 0.7% to 38.7% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.1% to 55.9% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Biden/Israel, Hamas, Withholds Weapons, Putin/Ukraine, XI/Europe, Johnson Survives, Trump Trial

Biden, Trump Agree to Debate Schedule

Former President Donald Trump, who is on trial in Manhattan for alleged financial crimes threw down the gauntlet this week and challenged President Biden to a televised debate, as both men are considered the presumptive 2024 presidential candidates for their respective parties.

"Both candidates would be taking a chance by debating. If he stumbles or appears forgetful, Biden, 81, risks confirming some Americans' suspicions that he is too old for the job. And Trump, just four years younger, has also faced doubts about his age," reported The Washington Post.

While the age of both men has clearly become an issue with the American public, the fact that both are well into what is normally considered retirement age and classified as senior citizens, their zeal and determination to devout for Biden the whole of his life and for Trump the remainder of his life to public service debunks agism and the movement to discard the wisdom of the aged as insignificant.

The debates, which are traditionally held in the fall of the election year after each of the party convention officially crowns the candidate who achieved the total number of delegates needed to secure the nomination, are essentially held for the undecided voter.

This year, however, the potential of the undecided voter can be attributed to any number of factors, including age and foreign policy as the primary voters, especially in Michigan, where the nation's largest block of Palestine immigrants resides, have shown a determined effort to have their voice heard.

The debates will be held June 27, 2024, televised by CNN, and televised by ABC, September 10, 2024.

SCOTUS Upholds Louisiana Redistricting

As the 2024 election looms, a whole of government approach to move the nation away from any possibility of unfair or bias voting practices and restored a Louisiana congressional map that included a majority African American district.

A federal three panel judges' decision, which tossed the redistricting, was determined by the high court to be racially motivated gerrymandering, which means to divide election districts in a politically motivated manner. In Louisiana, this meant that the state set out to redraw voting districts to drown the majority African American voters and stop the election of African Americans or passing of legislation that would benefit the African American community from being heard.

As the Supreme Court is made up of five conservative learning justices and four liberal justices, many interpret this as an indication of the court will vote. Mistaking the conservative leaning court as the restorer of values and beliefs more commonly associated with white conservatives, even as Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is a conversative leaning justice, mistakes the courts mission.

The victory in Louisiana, which oddly the court's liberal justices opposed, proves that racial equality and the court's mission are not interchangeable. Associate Justice Kantji Brown-Jackson wrote that the "question of how to elect representatives consistent with our shared commitment to racial equality is among the most consequential we face as a democracy," but she objected to the Supreme Court getting involved now," The Washington Post reported.

World News: Kiev or Rafah

Biden Two-Fold Plan to Aid to Israel, Protect Palestine

President Biden is standing on the edge of a precipice as his administration seeks to assist the burgeoning Palestinian humanitarian crisis and continue to provide military aid and assistance to the people of Israel.

With an election quickly approaching, the president must not only assure the Palestinian American voters but show definitive action in aiding. Neither population group will be satisfied with the president's decision. The deep-seeded animosity between these two groups can blind them to the realities of presidential politics, which leaves President Biden struggling to find a middle ground that will satisfy the Palestinian voters, his staunch Jewish supporters, and address the humanitarian crisis that has reached deadly proportions. The magnitude of death and starvation cannot be ignored.

This week Biden notified Congress of his intent to send more than $1billion in military aid to Israel. The shipment of munitions will not be sent immediately, as Biden is still hoping to secure a commitment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease his effort to invade Rafah, which is unlikely as Netanyahu has alleged Rafah is home to four major Hamas strongholds.

National Security Advisor Meets Netanyahu

According to the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Israel to meet with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, to discuss, of course, the war in Gaza, including ongoing negotiations to secure the release of all the hostages, address the humanitarian crisis, and our shared objective for the enduring defeat of Hamas through both military pressure and a political plan.

Israel Rejects Post Gaza Plans

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected all efforts to discuss a post war Gaza strategy as he continues his determined effort to hunt and kill all members of the terrorist organization Hamas the planed and implemented the shocking coordinated October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Netanyahu unwavering commitment to eradicating Hamas strongholds has become contentious with allies, especially the United States, as the war drags on and with it daily, the swelling famine across the region sends a different visual message to the world of eradication of a population of people.

The mirror of history is vivid; the atrocities the Jewish population suffered during World War II are now the atrocities many innocent Palestinians are enduring. Israel, like any nation, has the right to defend themselves against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and have the global support of many nations in that effort. However, Netanyahu has planted the seed for generational hatred to grow. Ending the war now and hunting Hamas clandestinely, using Mossad, is an undeniable victory.

Life in post-war Gaza, which was controlled by Israel until 2005, will not resemble pre-war Gaza. Israel will build military bases and increase a military presence, especially at border crossings, in Rafah, the North and across the 22 locations targeted during the October 7, 2023, attack.

World News: The Risky Bet of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Personal War

U.S. Begins Unloading Aid on Floating Pier

In response to the catastrophic famine affecting more than 2.2million Palestinians, the United States began unloading humanitarian aid on a floating pier located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Gaza strip beaches this week.

"Famine is imminent in northern Gaza where 70% of the population are already suffering with catastrophic levels of hunger, a UN-backed report said Monday, as the EU's top diplomat accused Israel of using "starvation as a weapon of war," reported CNN.

As Israel called for an evacuation of Rafah, which borders Egypt to the south, those displaced Palestinians who traveled to the region after the bombings began in Gaza are now moving north.

"The Rafah crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza has been a vital route for aid to the coastal territory, where a humanitarian crisis has deepened and some people are at risk of famine. On 7 May Israel seized control of the crossing as it stepped up its military campaign around Rafah. Since then aid has accumulated on the Egyptian side," The Guardian reported.

Egypt has now suspended all relations with Israel and has joined the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel at the United Nations.

Humanitarian aid and supplies have been unable to meet the growing demand of food, and medical supplies, with refugees resorting to eating animal feed, grass, and drinking polluted water. Using starvation as a weapon of war, and not even supplying starvation rations, rings of the Warsaw Ghetto and the effort by Hitler to starve the Jewish people to death.

Iranian President Presumed Dead After Helicopter Accident

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, along with other government officials, are presumed dead after reports that the helicopter they were traveling in had been involved in an incident described as a "hard landing" in extreme terrain.

Rescue crews were struggling to reach the crash site due to adverse weather conditions in the rugged mountainous region. "An Iranian official later told Reuters that "we are still hopeful, but information coming from the crash site is very concerning." The official said that the lives of Raisi and other officials on board are considered "at risk,"' The Times of Israel reported.

As communications with the craft are unavailable, and first responders and military personnel have been unable to gain satellite imaging due to extensive cloud cover, it is unknown if the helicopter disintegrated on impact or if there are any survivors.

The obvious weather related conditions will stop Iranian loyalist, allies, and extremists from accusing Israel of assassinating the Iranian president over the continuing escalation of regional tensions.

Staples Center Packed for Kobe, Gianna Bryant Celebration of Life Tribute

Coronavirus Totals

According to the World Health Organization the death toll from Covid-19 has dramatically decreased, as has transmission of the virus. Even as confirmed new cases arise, fewer are dying from the newer variants. The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens, should receive at least one shot of an updated covid vaccine. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the 7-day period ending May 19, 2024, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by The World Health Organization remained at 775,431,269 confirmed cases, increasing by 51,405 confirmed cases. The total worldwide death toll increased by 345 to 7,047,741 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated May 5, 2024, from The World Health Organization).

COVID U.S. Totals

As hospitalizations and infection rates rapidly decline in the United States, masks and personal protection choices in dense settings are still effective in stopping the spread of any viral infection. Hospitals across the United States are no longer required to update the CDC on Covid-19 admissions, increases or deaths. For the 7-day period ending May 19, 2024, new Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. declined by 26.7%. The coronavirus has claimed 1,190,122 total U.S. deaths, no additional deaths were reported over the past 7 days. (Data posted May 10, 2024, from the CDC).

Road to the White House – Trump's Hush Money Trial

Trump's Former Fixer Michael Cohen Testifies

The hush money trial of Donald Trump turned uglier this week with the testimony of his former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, which sounded more like an estranged couple in an acrimonious divorce. Cohen, who has since been disbarred and spent time in federal prison testified of the level of loyalty, transparency and trust the former president had in him by syncing their phones, which gave Cohen access to Trump's 30,000 contacts.

Cohen "recounted telling Trump in October 2016 that Daniels was shopping around her story of their alleged sexual encounter a decade earlier. At that moment, Trump's presidential campaign was still reeling from The Washington Post's recent revelation that he had bragged during an "Access Hollywood" taping about grabbing women's genitals," The Washington Post reported.

World News: Former Israeli Mayor David Rubin Sheds Light on Israeli Politics (Q&A)

While testimony has continued to substantiate the former president lacks a moral or ethical compass, House Republicans, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Representative Matt Goetz (R-FL) arrived in New York this week to stand by their man and reiterate the trial is a sham to implode the former president's re-election campaign.

As the prosecution continues to expose Trump's criminal enterprise, the stench of his activities should be revolting to the American public; the unfortunate truth is that his base of supporters have a cult like devotion and even when presented with facts, with the same blind loyalty that Michael Cohen, the former fixer, attorney and trusted confident exhibited, look past the evidence and defend him and defiantly blame anyone and everyone for exposing their leader's sordid and illegal actions.

Testimony continues this week.

For more information on President Joe Biden www.whitehouse.gov.

Janet Walker is the publisher and founder of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, Online Writer's Association, and International Federation of Journalists.