February 13 top stories
It is February 13. Here are today’s top stories.
Trump’s NATO threats
The former president Trump said Saturday at a rally in South Carolina he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” if it attacked a NATO country that did not pay enough for defense.
His comments drew fierce backlash from some Republicans, the White House and leading Western officials, with the head of NATO suggesting that they could put the lives of American and European soldiers at greater risk.
The White House said in a statement Saturday night, “Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged – and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.
As US allies reel from Trump’s weekend comments encouraging Russia to attack European allies if they do not meet NATO budget contribution goals, multiple former Trump advisers warn in an upcoming book that the former president will seek to formally withdraw the US from the NATO alliance if he wins a second term.
Biden and king of Jordan remark on the Israel-Hamas war
Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke after the two longtime allies held talks in the White House residence. Their discussions covered a daunting list of challenges, including a looming Israeli ground offensive in southern Gaza and the threat of a humanitarian calamity among Palestinian civilians.
President Biden said on Monday the United States is pushing for a six-week pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as a stepping stone toward a longer ceasefire. Biden continued that the United States was working with allies in the region on a deal to pause the fighting to allow Gaza hostages to be freed and the flow of humanitarian assistance to increase.
When the king of Jordan took his turn to talk, he said “We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end.”
CBP dog sniffs out mummified monkeys at airport
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection dog sniffed out something unusual in luggage from a traveler returning from Africa – mummified monkeys. The incident happened last month but was made public on Friday.
The passenger returning from a visit to the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) reported that the luggage contained dried fish, but an inspection at Boston Logan Airport revealed dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys, agents said. The traveler said he brought the monkeys into the U.S. for his own consumption.
Raw or minimally processed meat from wild animals, sometimes referred to as “bushmeat,” is banned in the U.S. because of the threat of disease. Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus.
No charges were filed against the traveler but all of the luggage was seized and the nearly 9 pounds of bushmeat were marked for destruction by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Bob’s Red Mill founder has died
Bob Moore, the founder of Bob’s Red Mill whole-grains company, has died. That brand has become a grocery store staple, selling several different kinds of grains including oats, flour and gluten-free grains like quinoa.
Moore’s passion for healthy foods helped lead him to start Bob’s Red Mill in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, as a local company before gradually expanding its sales into more than 70 countries and employing about 700 people.
In 2010, Moore turned over the company to his employees and it is still “proudly 100% employee owned,” according to the company’s website.
Moore peacefully passed away at his home on Saturday, at the age of 94. He remained on the company’s board until his passing.
Bob’s Red Mill CEO Trey Winthrop said, “Bob’s legacy will live on forever in all of us who had the opportunity to work with him and is infused into the Bob’s Red Mill brand.”
See the report on the US senate’s foreign aid bill from Alex. Here you go.
US Senate passes $95 billion Ukraine aid bill
Thanks, Callie.
This morning, the U.S. Senate passed a new aid package to support Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan that is worth $95 billion. The vote was 70-29.
It would give $61 billion to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel, $9 billion to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and about $5 billion to Taiwan and others in the region to deter aggression by China.
The bill now goes to the House, where it is unknown whether it will get the support of the Republican majority.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, could refuse to bring the bill to the floor for a vote because he wants it to include provisions that address the flow of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border.
President Joe Biden has been pushing Congress to give Ukraine more aid so it can defend itself against Russian aggression, but multiple Republicans in the House oppose this. We’ll see what happens in the House in the near future.
Thanks for that report. That is all the news stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Trump’s NATO threats:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/02/11/trump-nato-russia-invade/
Biden and king of Jordan remark on the Israel-Hamas war:
https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-israel-jordan-hamas-993c8109fca1c77383e7c27a8136927f
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/world/middleeast/biden-king-abdullah-jordan.html
CBP dog sniffs out mummified monkeys at airport:
Bob’s Red Mill founder has died:
US Senate passes $95 billion Ukraine aid bill:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-heads-toward-final-passage-ukraine-aid-bill-2024-02-13/