May 6, 2024 - Daily Digest
Israel begins Rafah operation as Russia orders nuclear drills
1) Israel Begins Ordering Evacuations of Rafah
The Israeli Defense Force has called on residents living in part of the Southern Gaza city of Rafah to begin evacuations this morning after weeks of going back and forth over whether a ground invasion of Rafah will occur. Today's evacuation order impacts the eastern neighborhoods in the city that are closest to the Israeli border. Palestinian residents in the region are being told that they should evacuate to a humanitarian zone that has been established near the coast of southern Gaza. The Israeli military has provided the following map to aid evacuations this morning.
This news comes as Israelis recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It also comes at a precarious time for U.S./Israeli relationships after a recent report from Axios suggested that the United States government put a pause on a recent ammunitions shipment to Israel. The recent for the pause remains unknown as of this morning, but many have speculated that it has to do with Israel's goal of going into Rafah, with the United States not supporting such an operation.
Whether this limited operation announced this morning will eventually turn into a larger operation within Rafah remains unknown.
2) Russia Orders Nuclear Weapons Drills Amid Rising Tensions
Days after the Russian Government publicly denounced comments from France and the United Kingdom over the current war in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced that it will engage in nuclear weapons drills that will simulate the use of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield.
While Russia has regularly used these tactical nuclear weapons in military exercises, this is one of the first times that the Russian Defense Ministry has publicly announced drills involving the weapons.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, the drills announced today are as a result of:
“provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.”
The "provocative statements" refer to comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron who, last week, did not rule out the possibility of sending French troops to aid Ukraine on the battlefield. In addition, the Foreign Secretary for the United Kingdom recently said that Ukraine now has the capabilities of using long range missiles to attack targets within Russia's territory.
The United States and other Western countries have long been concerned about the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. And, these latest drills come just weeks after the United States passed additional aid to Ukraine to aid Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. This remains a space to watch in the coming weeks as Russia prepares for a likely summer offensive in Ukraine.
3) Former Georgia Republican Lieutenant Governor Endorses President Biden
Today, Geoff Duncan, the former Republican Lieutenant Governor of Georgia announced that he is endorsing President Joe Biden for reelection, snubbing Donald Trump in the process. In a new op-ed published to he Atlanta Journal Constitution, Duncan writes:
The healing of the Republican Party cannot begin with Trump as president (and that’s aside from the untold damage that potentially awaits our country). Unlike Trump, I’ve belonged to the GOP my entire life. This November, I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.
The op-ed further slams Donald Trump and his allies concerning their actions to try to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election. Specifically, Duncan writes:
Trump and his allies hatched cockamamie schemes that included fake slates of electors and have led to indictments (so far) in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. They spread wild-eyed conspiracy theories that resulted in defamation lawsuits, including a $148 million verdict against former Trump lawyer and New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
When announcing the endorsement, Duncan published a tweet highlighting that he is voting for a decent person in President Joe Biden over a criminal defendant without a moral compass, referring to Trump.
This is a significant endorsement for Joe Biden heading into November's election as Georgia is a key battleground state that was decided by less than 12,000 votes during the 2020 election. Duncan's endorsement can help Biden secure additional Republican voters needed to keep the state this year.
Georgia's current First Lady Marty Kemp has also said she will not vote for Trump and Governor Brian Kemp has still declined to endorse him.
4) Bernie Sanders Announces He Will Run For Re-election
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has announced that he will run for reelection in November, dispelling speculation that Sanders may retire following the conclusion of his current term.
First elected to the United States Senate in 2006, Sanders will be running for a fourth term in the Senate that will likely see him serve over 20 years in the Senate. Prior to serving in the Senate, Sanders served over sixteen years in the United States House.
Coupled with what will likely be an easy reelection for him this year, Sanders will end up serving more than forty total years in Congress by the conclusion of his next Senate term.