U.S. pressure: The U.S. is putting pressure on both Israel and Hamas to accept a compromise cease-fire deal that would stop the fighting for 45 days and result in the release of 45 of the hostages being held by Hamas. Negotiations were being held in Cairo. Hamas has been taking the position that a permanent cease-fire is needed and it will not agree to anything less. Vice President Harris yesterday called for more humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza and for the shooting to stop either temporarily or permanently, as long as it stops for now.
Haley wins a round: Nikki Haley won yesterday’s Republican Presidential Primary in the District of Columbia. It marked her first victory in the round of Republican primaries that have been dominated by Donald Trump. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Haley refused to say whether she’d endorse Trump or vote for him, which is a switch from her previous position in which she said she’d support him if he’s the Republican nominee for president.
Trump’s gaffe: The crowd went silent at a Donald Trump rally in Richmond, Virginia, over the weekend when Trump again got confused about who is president. Trump said that Barack Obama is president instead of Joe Biden. Some sources say Trump has made the same mistake seven times recently, while also getting confused about Nikki Haley, and sometimes referring to her as Nancy Pelosi. After referring to Obama as president, Trump branded him as a fool.
Heavy snow: Snowfall rates of up to 6-inches per hour accompanied by winds of 70 miles per hour hit a 300-mile stretch of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from California to Nevada. Up to 100 miles of Interstate 80 were shut down along with other roads that became impassable. More than 12 feet of snow had accumulated in some areas over the weekend, with power knocked out to thousands of customers. California officials could not say as of early Monday when I-80 would be fully opened again.
Military exercises: In a show of force designed to send a message to North Korea, the U.S. and South Korea have begun a series of military exercises. The exercises are scheduled to take place over the next 11 days. North Korea has branded previous U.S. and South Korean military exercises as rehearsals for an invasion of North Korea. The U.S. and South Korea want North Korea to know that they’re ready to respond to any aggression.
Chris Mortensen dies: Sports journalist Chris Mortensen has died at age 72. He was known for regular appearances on ESPN where he gave football commentary for more than 30 years. He won a Polk Award while writing for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Mortensen successfully battled throat cancer that had been diagnosed in 2016. In September of last year he announced that he would be retiring from ESPN to focus on his health and family.
