AT WAR: Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is “narrowing the window” for a new truce, the Qatari prime minister declared as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, “dozens of Hamas terrorists” had surrendered and “this is the beginning of the end for Hamas.” 

  The truth of that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the Hamas controlled health ministry in Gaza says close to 18,000 people have been killed in the Israeli bombing campaign and ground offensive into Gaza.

  Fighting in the south has intensified, forcing residents to retreat to the border with Egypt. The World Health Organization says the war has been “catastrophic” for Gaza’s healthcare system, now with only 14 of the strip’s 36 hospitals even partially able to treat the sick and wounded.

  Here in the US, the Biden administration has skirted Congress and approved the sale of 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel. That’s about $106 million dollars’ worth. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the shells in the interests of US national security. 

HIGHER EDUCATION: The president of the University of Pennsylvania and chairman of the board resigned Saturday as the ideological and intellectual battles spinning off the Israel/Hamas war have visited American colleges and universities.

  M. Elizabeth Magill, the university president, resigned four days after an appearance before Congress in which she was evasive in her answer about whether students who called for the genocide of Jews should be punished.

 Magill was already under fire from influential alumni and major donors for not outright condemning the Hamas October 7^th attack, something university presidents don’t normally do. Since then, Magill and other university leaders have been delicately balancing rights of free speech against outside political pressures.  

  Last week, in what sounded like pre-lawyered answers in an exchange with New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Magill gave Stefanik the headlines she was looking for.

  “Calling for the genocide of Jews,” Stefanik asked, “does that constitute bullying or harassment?”

 Magill replied, “If it is directed and severe, pervasive, it is harassment.”

 Stefanik responded, “So the answer is yes.”

 Magill then said, “It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.”

 An outraged Stefanik exclaimed: “That’s your testimony today? Calling for the genocide of Jews is depending upon the context?”

  Adding to the misery of the university presidents, their hearing performance was the subject of Saturday Night Live’s cold open with the comedians delivering as a joke the the actual words of the college presidents. 

RUDY OH RUDY!: Former New York mayor and Trump lawyer Rudolph Giuliani goes to court today to determine how much money he’ll have to pay two Georgia election workers he falsely claimed had committed ballot manipulation in 2020 to throw the vote to Joe Biden.

  Unable to pay enormous legal fees, Giuliani admitted that what he said about the two women was a lie. He may not be able to pay a judgement either. He’s been bleeding millions over his legal troubles and hasn’t been able to pay lawyers in other cases.

COVERUP: The family of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year old woman beaten to death after refusing to cover her head with a hijab last year has been prohibited from traveling to France to collect a human rights award in her name. Amini’s father, mother, and brother were prevented from boarding a flight in Tehran on Saturday and their passports were confiscated by security forces.

ORANGE ALERT: Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in the battleground states Michigan and Georgia, according to CNN polls. Biden won both states in 2020.

  The poll has Trump in Georgia at 49 percent over Biden at 44 percent in a two-way matchup. In Michigan, Trump has 50 percent to Biden’s 40 percent, with 10 percent saying they wouldn’t support either candidate.

  Trump announced yesterday on his social media platform that contrary to his previous word, he will not testify today in his New York civil fraud trial. In a customary all caps blast Trump said he “WILL NOT BE TESTIFYING ON MONDAY” and that he has already testified to his satisfaction.  

THE SPIN RACK: Six people were killed and 20 injured as tornadoes on Saturday ripped through Tennessee. Searchers were looking for survivors in the rubble — Jon Rahm, the No. 3 men’s golfer in the world, announced last week that he’s leaving the PGA tour for the Saudi-funded LIV for a reported $566 million. The LIV tour has been luring away the PGA’s best players, possibly forcing a merger. — Elon Musk has restored the Twitter/X account of the notorious conspiracy monger Alex Jones. Musk says he is a free speech “absolutist.” Jones claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting was a hoax. — Free agent Japanese pitcher Shohei Ohtani has signed a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million.

BELOW THE FOLD: One of the most spectacular football plays of the season was erased last night because of a slight offensive error, resulting in a three-point loss for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Buffalo Bills.

  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed a pass to tight end Travis Kelce of Taylor Swift fame. Kelce threw a spontaneous lateral to wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who trotted into the end zone.

  But a referee threw his flag because Toney had lined up before the play with the front half of his left foot offsides. The crowd went wild with anger over the call and Mahomes had to be restrained from attacking the referees. Yes, Taylor Swift was there.

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