April 9, 2024 - Daily Digest

Israel begins withdrawing its troops as the end of its offensive nears

1) Israel Begins Withdrawing Troops From Southern Gaza Following Pressure From President Biden

Israel has fully withdrawn its troops from the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis after being near the town for more than three months. The IDF has announced that a majority of its troops have begun to withdraw from souther Gaza in full, leaving in place just one bridge of soldiers. While some in the Israeli Government have pledged to continue operations following this withdrawal, it is becoming increasingly likely that this could be the beginning of the end of Israel's ground offensive in southern Gaza. 

This move comes amid reports that Israel and Hamas are moving closer to a deal that could see the release of more than 100 innocent hostages still in Hamas custody in Gaza. The two sides are actively negotiating a deal in Qatar with the help of the United States and other international partners. 

Meanwhile, President Biden has, in recent weeks, placed increased pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow for the increased aid into Gaza while also calling for an immediate, temporary ceasefire to allow for the release of the innocent hostages and all for aid to flow into the enclave. Following a recent conversation between the two world leaders, Netanyahu has taken swift action to open up more humanitarian aid routes into the enclave and has now move many of his troops out of southern Gaza in what amounts to a temporary reprieve for some areas. 

The future remains uncertain, however. Israel has pledged to continue parts of its operation until Hamas is eliminated, but Israel has facing increased threats from Iran-backed Hezbollah to the North, along with threats from mainland Iran following a strike that killed a top IRGC Commander in Syria. We will have updates on the situation as we learn more, so be sure to stay tuned. 

2) Biden Announces Major New Student Debt Forgiveness Program

The Biden Administration has announced a significant new student debt relief plan that could see debt relief find its way to tens of millions of Americans. The new plan will target a select group of borrowers who: (1) are already eligible for debt relief under an existing program but have yet to apply; (2) have been in repayment for 20 years of longer on undergraduate loans or 25 years on graduate loans; (3) attended schools with questionable value; or (4) experience financial hardship in paying off loans. 

This new plan comes after the United States Supreme Court previously struck down a plan that would have brought up to $20,000 in debt relief to millions of Americans under the Heroes Act. While the current plan is more targeted than the previous one, and is not based on the Heroes Act, many expect legal challenges to still come from Republican led states. This is unsurprising, especially as just recently, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nationwide ban on debt forgiveness for students who went secured loans under false pretenses from universities without proper accreditation.

3) Donald Trump's Last Ditch Effort To Delay Trial Denied As Judge Merchan Issues Letter Concerning Jury Questioning

Donald Trump's last ditch effort to stay his April 15th criminal trial in New York City has been denied by a New York appellate court. Previously, Trump filed a last minute motion for change of venue, along with an appeal of Judge Merchan's gag order imposed last month. In conjunction with these filings, Trump asked the New York appellate court to stay the April 15th trial date pending resolution of his change of venue motion. Today, the appellate court quickly denied Trump's request in a short, one page order. 

Judge Gonzalez did not give much detail as to her reasoning for denying Trump's request. Meanwhile, Judge Merchan is preparing to move forward with jury selection in the trial beginning on April 15th, and has sent out his proposed jury questionnaire to Trump's attorneys and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. In the letter, he notified counsel that they would not be permitted to ask prospective jurors questions concerning their political affiliation or political donation history. 

4) National Security Officials File Amicus Brief Slamming Donald Trump

Fifteen former national security officials have filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in advance of the late-April oral arguments in Trump v. United States, a case that could decide whether Donald Trump is criminally immune from prosecution in Special Counsel Jack Smith's D.C.-based prosecution. The brief filed today argues that nobody, not even the former President of the United States, is above the law and that nobody should be entitled to the absolute immunity Trump is asking for in his filings. 

The brief argues that: 

"[Trump's] broad view of immunity would imperil U.S. national security, weaken the authority of the President, and throw confusion into the chain of command of the armed forces, which the President, as Commander-in-Chief, commands."

The former national security officials include Generals who served in the United States Armed Forces and highlight the national security concerns with Trump's absolute immunity argument. 

5) Brazilian Court Opens Investigation Into Elon Musk

A Supreme Court Justice sitting on the Brazilian Supreme Court has officially included Elon Musk as a target of an ongoing investigation into the dissemination of fake news, along with alleged obstruction by Musk. Previously, Musk had fought to block a Brazilian court order that ordered Twiter and Musk to block certain accounts from appearing in Brazil after the court found that the accounts spread fake news. This is all part of the Brazilian Government's investigation into alleged digital militias that are created to spread fake news and threats about government officials, specifically during the former right-wing Bolsonaro Administration. 

Musk had been fighting back in Brazilian courts, arguing that Twitter should not have to comply with the court order. In response, the court has ordered daily fines for Twitter and has prompted many politicians to call for increased social media regulation of companies over Musk's defiance. Now, Justice Alexandre De Moraes has taken the extraordinary step as naming Musk as a target in this investigation after he argued that Musk waged a "disinformation campaign" regarding the actions taken by the Supreme Court. 

Specifically, Justice Moraes wrote: 

“The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil,”

Whether this amounts to anything criminally for Musk in Brazil remains to be seen. The investigation is expected to examine whether Musk engaged in obstruction, criminal organization, and incitement.