Missiles fired at ships: Three commercial ships in the Red Sea were hit by missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen who are supported by Iran. In addition, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney shot down three drones loaded with explosives that were on a course to hit it. While the commercial ships reported some damage, there were no casualties. A Houthi spokesman said that the Houthis will continue firing at commercial vessels that they believe are engaged in trade with Israel.
Israel warns civilians: Israel’s military today urged Palestinian civilians to get out of the southern Gaza town Khan Younis. The Israelis said they will be stepping up their operations against the town, where they believe some Hamas leaders are located. New airstrikes have occurred and the Israelis also have dropped leaflets warning civilians to leave the area. It’s not clear where the civilians can find safety. An International Red Cross spokesperson said there is no safe place left for civilians in Gaza.
Trump’s plans: The New York Times reports this morning that it has analyzed steps taken by Donald Trump and his key advisors to prepare for Trump’s possible return to the White House. The Times found that they are actively putting in place the infrastructure that would be needed to set up Trump as a dictator. The Times reported that Trump has designated a staff member to be responsible for identifying which government employees should be fired because they would abide by the law rather than Trump’s orders. The Times found that Trump would send the U.S. military to take over local governments in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities and states where Democrats have been elected to run the governments. The Times found that Trump would end the independence of independent government agencies and bring them all under his control.
Money for Ukraine: Shalanda Young, who heads the Office of Management and Budget, today sent a letter to Congressional leaders warning that the U.S. will run out of money to aid Ukraine by the end of the year and Congress needs to act immediately to approve new funding. Young said that there already is no money left to support Ukraine’s economy and money for arms and ammunition soon will be gone, too. The Biden Administration has been asking Congress to approve $106 billion for Ukraine and aid to Israel. Republicans have blocked the package and are demanding money be spent to crack down on immigration from Mexico.
Wreckage recovery: The Air Force reported this morning that divers have found the wreckage of the U.S. Air Force Osprey vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that crashed last week in waters off southern Japan. The bodies of five of the eight crewmen were recovered. One body previously was recovered. Debris of the aircraft is being examined. Witnesses reported seeing fire coming from one of the engines before the Osprey crashed.
Airline deal: Alaska Airlines plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion. The deal would need to be approved by federal antitrust regulators and is expected to take from seven to 18 months to complete. Alaska and Hawaiian have been competitors on about 14 routes. After the acquisition, Alaska would operate about 1,400 flights a day, with its fleet expanding to 365 airplanes from the current 300 airplanes. Hawaiian Airlines has debts of about $900 million, which Alaska Airlines would assume.
Cover photo by Gage Skidmore / Flickr Creative Commons
