Biden and Xi: The White House has announced that President Biden will meet with President Xi of China next Wednesday in San Francisco. The White House said they will discuss the continued importance of maintaining open lines of communication, and a range of regional and global issues. They last met in November 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. Biden and Xi also are expected to discuss how the U. S. and China can continue to responsibly manage competition and work together where their interests align.
Gaza hospitals: Israeli forces in Gaza are closing in on a number of hospitals that are being used by Hamas as headquarters for its terrorist activities. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, reported that communication with two hospitals has been cut off. The Health Ministry also reported that the death toll in Gaza has gone over 11,000. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel does not seek to occupy Gaza.
Aviation safety: Jennifer Homendy, who chairs the National Transportation Safety Board, testified before a Senate committee that the aviation system is under stress from a safety standpoint as reflected in the number of recent incidents in which aircraft came too close to each other at airports. In some cases, pilots did not obey instructions from air traffic controllers. In other incidents controllers made errors in clearances issued to pilots. She said the FAA has been plagued by controller shortages and increased air traffic and is not providing adequate training to new controllers.
Dangerous letters: The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspectors are among the officials working to find the person or persons responsible for sending letters to election officials in five states that contained the drug fentanyl. Some of the letters had messages to end elections now. Among the election officials targeted were those in Fulton County, Georgia, where District Attorney Fani Willis has indicted Donald Trump along with a number of his associates for illegally trying to overturn results of the 2020 election.
Trump trial: New York Judge Arthur Engoron says the trial of Donald Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric and The Trump Organization will continue on Monday, despite a filing by Trump’s attorneys asking that the trial be ended. Engoron previously ruled that Trump and the others were guilty of fraud and the trial is to determine what the penalty should be. Trump’s attorneys said Engoron should end the trial because New York state has not proven that Trump and the other defendants committed bank, insurance and tax fraud. Donald Jr. is scheduled to take the witness stand again on Monday as part of the defense’s case.
Manchin’s seat: Republican Gov. Jim Justice and Representative Alex Mooney of West Virginia are said to be the top contenders to try to fill Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat after Manchin’s announcement yesterday that he does not plan to seek reelection. If Republicans can take Manchin’s Senate seat it will erode the Democrat’s 51 – 49 seat majority in the Senate. Democrats will be trying to hold onto 23 competitive Senate seats nationwide in the 2024 election while the Republicans will have to defend only 10 of their seats that are competitive.
Cover photo: White House / Adam Schultz
