November 16 top stories
It is November 16. Here are today’s top stories.
Israel yet to present evidence of Hamas base under hospital
CNN and The New York Times said the Israeli military (IDF) has not presented evidence of a Hamas command center under the Al-Shifa Hospital more than 36 hours after it raided the hospital.
The IDF posted a video showing several guns and other weapons in hospital rooms yesterday that it said belonged to Hamas.
But the IDF has not shown that there is a multi-layered network of tunnels and underground rooms under the hospital. The U.S. government has supported this claim. But no evidence has emerged so far.
The IDF said it needed more time to find and present evidence because Hamas knew they were coming and they covered up the scene.
Hamas has denied that there is a base under the hospital and accused the IDF of lying. Doctors at the hospital also said it’s not true.
The director of the Al-Shifa Hospital told Al Jazeera that there are 650 patients in the hospital along with 500 medical staff and over 5,000 refugees. The director said the situation inside is catastrophic.
In separate but related news, the IDF is currently surrounding another hospital, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital. The IDF said Hamas has a terrorist infrastructure in the complex, but doctors at the hospital said it’s not true.
The Times of Israel explained that this situation is important because international laws prohibit military action targeting hospitals but they can lose their protected status if fighters use hospitals for military purposes.
House committee will move to expel Rep. George Santos
The House Ethics Committee said it will move to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from Congress.
The committee released an investigative report saying it found that Santos used campaign funds for personal purposes and engaged in fraudulent conduct on a level where there may be violations of federal crimes.
Fox News explained that there will be a vote on a resolution to expel Santos tomorrow morning and if it passes, it would set up a second vote to make it official after the Thanksgiving break. Santos has survived two previous efforts to expel him from Congress.
Santos said the investigative report was “biased” and that it was an effort to smear him and his legal team. Santos said he would not be seeking reelection in 2024 for a second term.
Santos is already facing several federal charges of financial crimes and lying to congress.
Congress passes bill to extend government funding
Axios reported that the Senate on Wednesday approved a House-passed measure holding off a government shutdown until early 2024.
It gives Republicans and Democrats more time to negotiate and reach a consensus on annual appropriations bills.
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Russian court sentences woman 7 years for antiwar protest
CBS News said a Russian court sentenced a 33-year-old woman to seven years in prison for an antiwar protest at a supermarket. The woman, Sasha Skochilenko, was arrested in April 2022 after she replaced price tags with statements that criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
CBS News said Sasha’s arrest came about a month after the Russian government passed a law that effectively criminalizes any public expression about the war that deviates from the Russian government’s official line.
Sasha’s attorney said she didn’t intend to disparage the Russian military but is a peace-loving person and wanted to stop the war.
SpaceX plans launch of Starship rocket on Friday
SpaceX plans to launch its giant Starship rocket on Friday morning from its launch pad in South Texas. There is a two-hour window for liftoff beginning at 8 a.m. EST.
The first test flight of Starship was on April 20. The rocket’s 33 engines were so powerful that it caused a crater at the launch pad and sent chunks of concrete flying. The rocket’s two stages failed to separate and it self-destructed.
Now for tomorrow’s launch, SpaceX has installed a steel plate and will activate a water deluge system ten seconds before launch to minimize the impact from the blast.
SpaceX plans for the rocket to go partway around Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
The Starship rocket is intended to eventually carry both crew and cargo to the Moon and Mars.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/11/16/world/israel-hamas-gaza-war-news
https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-16-23/index.html
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/senate-continuing-resolution-government-shutdown
https://www.space.com/spacex-second-starship-launch-explainer
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-war-sasha-skochilenko-protest/