Wednesday Briefing: President Biden’s Absenteeism Grows
Biden’s mistakes are becoming more and more common
To many who met him, President Biden appeared confused or listless in the weeks and months leading up to his devastating performance in last week’s debate.
People who spent time with him — including current and former White House staffers, political advisers, foreign diplomats and financial donors — said the failings appeared to be more frequent, obvious and troubling.
Biden apparently wasn’t always like this: Many who followed him in the days since the debate have described him as alert, coherent and capable. But many say Biden is not the same today as he was when he took office three and a half years ago.
Donald Trump, 78, has shown his own signs of decline over the years, often making statements that are incoherent. But while voters have also expressed concerns about his age, their concerns about him have not been as great as those about Biden.
Israeli generals want a ceasefire
Israel’s top military leaders want a ceasefire in Gaza even if Hamas remains in power for now, according to interviews with several security officials. That position puts them at odds with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes a truce that would allow Hamas to survive the war.
The generals believe a ceasefire would be the best way to get back the approximately 120 Israelis, living and dead, still held by Hamas. After Israel’s longest war in decades, the army is running out of ammunition and the generals believe their troops need time to recover in case a land war breaks out against Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon.
The military’s attitude toward a possible ceasefire changed when it became clear that Netanyahu refused to commit to a post-war plan. The military fears a perpetual war in which its capabilities are gradually eroded, even though the hostages remain captive and Hamas leaders remain at large.
In Gaza, Large numbers of Palestinians fled in response to new evacuation orders from the Israeli army, with UN estimates that some 250,000 people in southern Gaza could be displaced as a result.
More than 100 dead at religious gathering in India
More than 100 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a Hindu prayer meeting in the state of Uttar Pradesh yesterday.
Local officials suspected that the heat and overcrowding had caused panic at the event, which appeared to have attracted far more people than the 5,000 allowed by the permit.
Most of the dead and injured were women and children who appeared to have been suffocated in a crush to leave the scene. Witnesses told local media that some victims had fallen on top of each other in a drainage ditch.
Context: Stampedes during religious pilgrimages are relatively common in India, mostly due to poor enforcement of public safety measures. Recently, authorities have increased surveillance with more police and drones.
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