November 3, 2023 - Your Daily News Roundup

Everything you need to know this morning

Today is November 3, 2023 and here are the stories you may have missed from the last 24 hours. If you enjoy these daily digests and want to see more, exclusive content, then consider becoming a monthly subscriber at the link below:

1) Israel Update

The Israeli military has announced that its troops have completely encircled Gaza City, the Capital of Gaza. This comes after several days of ground operations on the Gaza Strip and effectively cuts the strip in half, separating the north from the south. The next part of the ground operation is already taking place with troops attempting to slowly enter Gaza City. This will be extremely difficult as Hamas fighters have boobytrapped most of the city, making entry difficult. During the next several days, Israel is expected to work to dismantle the traps set by Hamas before allowing most of its troops to enter the Capital. 

Meanwhile, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel to speak with Israeli officials about the ongoing ground offensive while also discussing the need to limit civilian casualties in the conflict. The Biden Administration had previously expressed its support for a temporary humanitarian pause to allow aid into Gaza, while allowing Palestinian civilians to leave the strip. That temporary pause has yet to occur, and the Biden Administration has refused to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu has also rejected similar calls for a ceasefire stating that the time for war is now. 

In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis continues to grow with civilian deaths mounting and the need for resources growing. We have seen reports of Hamas stockpiling humanitarian aid meant for Palestinian civilians in its tunnels throughout Gaza. Since the start of the war less than 100 trucks have been able to enter the Gaza Strip, with none of them containing fuel needed to power generators at hospitals, schools, and other civilian buildings. Although the number of trucks containing aid is expected to grow in the coming days, it will not reach the 400+ daily crossings that Gaza saw before the war started. Additionally, more foreign nationals have been able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing connecting Gaza with Egypt. Over 300 have already left, including many Americans living in Gaza. 

Finally, the House of Representatives has passed legislation to provide 14.3 billion dollars in aid to Israel amid the conflict. The vote was a close one given the fact that Republicans have used this legislation to play politics with our aid to Israel. The bill would require an offset of 14.3 billion dollars from funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act to the IRS. The bill will raise the deficit by over 10 billion dollars over the next ten years and is expected to receive fierce opposition from both Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate. 

2) Ukraine Update

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues to rage on over 18 months since it first started. Overnight, Russia accused the Ukrainian military of playing with fire regarding a possible nuclear catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the largest Nuclear Power Plant in Europe. Russia claimed that it was forced to shoot down nine Ukrainian drones near the power plant. It is unclear whether this has any support, but one thing that is clear is that Russia should not have control over the nuclear power plant in the first place as it is on Ukrainian territory. 

Deaths continue to rise in Ukraine as overnight a 81 year old woman and a 60 year old man were both killed by Russian shelling in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. The number of innocent civilians murdered by the Russian military is continuing to grow almost daily. As the war progresses, it appears as though Russia and Ukraine is currently at a stalemate. According to General Valery Zalzhny, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, there is likely to be "no deep and beautiful breakthrough" in the counteroffensive in Russia. What happens next remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, expect a longer war of attrition as Russia refuses to give up its failed offensive in Ukraine. 

3) Sam Bankman-Fried Found Guilty

Former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been found guilty by a New York federal jury of seven criminal charges stemming from his scheme to defraud investors in FTX of over one billion dollars. Bankman-Fried remained stoic, yet nervous, as the jury returned its verdict in just over 4 1/2 hours. This verdict came after a two-week long trial in which Bankman-Fried and his former business partners testified. Bankman-Fried was once a billionaire who has now experienced a stunning fall from grace after his fraudulent actions were exposed. He now faces over 100 years in federal prison at an upcoming sentencing hearing, although he is expected to receive far less under the federal sentencing guidelines. 

4) Trump Seeks To Block Gag Order Amid Upcoming Trial

Late last night, Donald Trump filed an emergency appeal seeking to block the gag order imposed by Washington D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Judge Chutkan previously reinstated the gag order against Trump after Trump continued to make threats against witnesses on Truth Social, jeopardizing the fairness of his upcoming criminal trial in D.C. In a 35 page motion filed with the D.C. appellate court, Trump seeks a decision by November 10th on whether the gag order can remain in effect. Meanwhile, Trump's criminal trial in Washington, D.C. is moving full steam ahead as Judge Chutkan issued an order concerning jury trial proceedings, in which she outlined how jurors will be chosen for the March 2023 trial. Despite attempts by Trump's legal team to postpone the trial, such a postponement seems highly unlikely at this point.