PEACE, MAYBE: In a dramatic development for the Gaza war, Hamas militants agreed to release all remaining hostages taken from Israel two years ago, as well as the bodies of those who have died, and work out further details of a peace plan with Israel and the United States.

  President Trump told Israel to stop all its bombing in Gaza.

  The Hamas response did not make it immediately clear that they would accept the proposal that they disarm and give up all power in Gaza. They are still holding 20 hostages taken two years ago in the October 7^th massacre and the bodies of about 25 more.

  A turning point in the situation seems to have been Israel’s decision to bomb Hamas targets in Qatar, which has been hosting peace talks. The attack infuriated Trump, who produced a 20-point peace plan and demanded immediate response from both sides.

  The plan calls for Hamas to free the remaining hostages within 72 hours, surrender its weapons, and end its rule of Gaza. Israeli forces would withdraw in stages and allow an internationally supervised Palestinian administration to run civil services.

   The deal also calls for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel, along with 1,700 others detained since the start of the war.

TARGET RICH: US forces destroyed another boat in international waters of the Caribbean that the Pentagon claims was carrying drugs from Venezuela. Four men were killed, bringing the total in the attacks to 21.

  President Trump has declared the drug traffickers to be terrorists under the laws of war, giving him legally questionable cover to kill them and destroy their boats … even while they are not carrying out an armed attack.

  Trump posted on social media … without evidence … that the latest was “A boat loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE.”

SAD SONG: In New York Friday, a federal judge sentenced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to a little over four years in prison. He’s already spent a year in jail.

  The rapper humbled himself  with apologies while his lawyers presented him as   a socially important Black entrepreneur, a father, do-gooder …. and truly repentant  for having slipped into a life of depravity and bringing others with him.

  The prosecution showed the notorious video of Combs beating up his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway.

  Combs was convicted of transporting prostitutes for his legendary sex parties. He was acquitted of more serious drug and sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors wanted to send him away for eleven years.

  Judge Arun Subramanian condemned Combs for his drug-fueled sex parties and what he did to the women involved in what Combs called “freak offs.” “You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically,” Subramanian said. “And you used that abuse to get your way, especially when it came to freak-offs and hotel nights. The defense’s argument that all of this was unrelated to the offense conduct in this case doesn’t hold up.” 

SHUTDOWN, DAY FOUR: Another vote failed yesterday to end the shutdown of the federal government, extending it into next week. The House is not expected to even be in session. President Trump posted a list of 16 states to which he is cutting off funding in retaliation against the Democrats holding out for an extension of healthcare insurance subsidies for millions of Americans.

THE ICE AGE: A massive immigration and customs raid Tuesday night in Chicago in which residents were swept out of their apartment building has produced outrage. At least 37 people, including children, were detained.

  With a Black Hawk helicopter flying cover over the five-story building, the military-force operation descended on the building. Adults and children were pulled from their apartments, crying and screaming … some of them naked. They were forced to sit on the ground for hours. “I’ve been on military bases for a good portion of my life,” said a witness who lives in the building next door. “And the activity I saw – it was an invasion.”

  The officers in the raid presented no warrant and were not identified by agency. Thy demanded that residents of the building produce identification and proof of citizenship.

  A Department of Homeland Security spokesman said the building was targeted  because it is “known to be frequented by Tren de Aragua  members and their associates.” The trouble is that after arresting flower salesmen, berry pickers, and food delivery riders while calling them criminals, the government has no credibility. 

THE REGIME:

— President Trump announced on his Truth Social that “from this point forward, anybody burning the American Flag will be subject to one year in prison.” The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that burning the flag is an act of free speech protected by the First Amendment.

THE OBIT PAGE: Ashleigh Brilliant, who wrote 10,000 humorous phrases featured on t-short, post cards, and ultimately the internet, labelling himself  “history’s only full-time, professional, published epigramist,” died in Santa Barbara, California at age 91.

  He called his epigrams “Brilliants” and “Pot-Shots.”

  Some samples:

  — “I feel much better now that I’ve given up hope.”

  —  “I have abandoned my search for truth, and am now looking for a good fantasy.”

  —  “Tomorrow is another day — but I hope it’s not another day like this one.”

  —  “There’s probably an easy road to success — the trouble is, it’s very hard to find”. 

THE SPIN RACK: Four journalists working for a chain of three Alaska newspapers resigned after their corporate owner deleted the online version of a story about Charlie Kirk that brought objections from right wing readers. The story had described the political activist as a “Christian-Nationalist icon” with “often racist and controversial views.”

BELOW THE FOLD: Taylor Swifts new album The Life of a Showgirl  released yesterday broke all streaming records on the internet and — is it heresy to say this ? — all of her songs sound the same.

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