Israel-Hamas: Israel’s military has distributed leaflets in a section of Rafah in Gaza, telling about 100,000 people to evacuate immediately since Israel will be staging an attack to root out Hamas leaders there. The leader of the U.N. Agency for Palestine Refugees said such an attack by Israel would add to the suffering of civilians. Phillippe Lazzarini said that what’s needed is negotiation for a cease-fire not another military action. The latest round of negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release reached another impasse over the weekend.
Commencement: Columbia University this morning canceled its commencement ceremonies this year as a result of pro-Palestinian protests on its campus. Columbia said that the decision was made after discussions with student leaders. The ceremony had been scheduled for May 15. Columbia said that there would be 30 smaller ceremonies held by the university’s various academic divisions.
Texas floods: More than 200 people were rescued over the weekend from floodwaters in Harris County, Texas. Floods have impacted about one-third of the counties in Texas. The body of a five-year old boy was recovered near Fort Worth. He was the first fatality recorded in the new floods. The National Weather Service reported that seven rivers are at the major flood stage, 19 are at the moderate flood stage and 36 are producing minor flooding.
ABC News: The president of ABC News last night announced that she’s resigning. Kim Godwin has been under pressure because of staff dissatisfaction and slipping ratings. Godwin had run ABC News for three years during which time morale suffered. Disney, which owns ABC, appointed someone at the corporate level to more directly supervise the news division and Godwin shortly before her resignation.
Nuclear weapons: Russia announced today that it will be conducting military exercises that simulate the use of nuclear weapons. This is the first time Russia has taken action to move closer to actually using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine, although Russian President Vladimir Putin has in the past threatened to use them. Putin said he plans to send tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which is next to Ukraine.
House of Representatives: House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries in an interview on the CBS News program “60 Minutes” last night said that he will come up with enough Democratic votes to prevent right-wing extremists on the Republican side from ousting Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to force a vote this week on her move to oust Johnson, called a motion to vacate. Jeffries said that Democrats in the House have provided the votes needed to pass bills while Republican extremists have tried to keep the House from doing anything.
