Israeli Strike on U.S. Ally
Plus: Lisa Cook firing blocked, friend's bad reviews, jobs numbers revisions, and more...
Israeli strike in Qatar: For a long time, striking Hamas officials in Qatar has been regarded as off-limits by the Israelis; Qatar is a strong U.S. ally. Though it vowed to avenge the deaths of those Israelis killed in the October 7 terrorist attack, the Israeli military was willing to accept limits for the sake of its relationship with the U.S., the possibility that Hamas might accept a ceasefire deal, and regional stability.
But "by noon Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had given the green light for an audacious attack on Qatari soil, targeting a residence used by Hamas figures in the dusty northern suburbs of Doha," reported The Wall Street Journal. "More than 10 Israeli jet fighters fired long-range munitions at the house, causing explosions heard across the capital. It was an escalation of Israel's tactics against the U.S.-designated terrorist group, targeting its leaders in a sovereign country that mediates Gaza peace talks and hosts the most important U.S. air base in the region."
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"The days are over that terrorist leaders will have immunity anywhere," Netanyahu said yesterday.
"This morning, the Trump Administration was notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the Capital of Qatar. This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me. Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals. However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal," wrote President Donald Trump on Truth Social. "I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack. I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack. I want ALL of the Hostages, and bodies of the dead, released, and this War to END, NOW! I also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The Prime Minister told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE." (Remember: The Qataris have been working hard to curry favor with Trump.)
"I'm not thrilled about it," Trump told reporters last night. "I was very unhappy about it. Very unhappy about every aspect."
This comes on the heels of Israel ordering a total evacuation of Gaza City, signaling that it will be launching a ground invasion with an additional 60,000 reservists added to the Israel Defense Forces.
Cook's removal blocked: U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb has temporarily blocked President Trump's removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, allowing Cook to return to work and possibly participate in the Fed's widely anticipated meeting next week that's likely to result in a rate cut. "The judge concluded that the alleged mortgage misconduct likely didn't amount to 'cause' to fire her under the Federal Reserve Act, and that the way in which she was dismissed likely violated her due process rights under the Constitution," per Bloomberg.
"The best reading of the 'for cause' provision is that the bases for removal of a member of the Board of Governors are limited to grounds concerning a Governor's behavior in office and whether they have been faithfully and effectively executing their statutory duties," wrote Cobb.
Scenes from New York: "The latest New York Times/Siena College poll shows that while Mamdani holds a clear edge in a crowded New York City mayoral field, leading Cuomo 46 percent to 24 percent in a four-way race, the numbers tighten dramatically in a two-way matchup, where Mamdani's lead over Cuomo shrinks to 48 percent to 44 percent among likely voters—raising doubts about his staying power in a head-to-head contest," reports Newsweek. "Among registered voters, Cuomo leads Mamdani in a two-way race, with 46 percent to his opponent's 45 percent."
In other words, Cuomo needs both Curtis Sliwa and Eric Adams to drop out in order to have any chance of beating Mamdani. I'm of course still praying for a wild Sliwa upset, and for Cuomo to be banished to some sort of far-away island.
QUICK HITS
- Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) wants to ban driverless cars, saying they're "not safe" and "would be terrible, terrible for working people." The safety thing isn't really true—rather, it's not like cars manned by fallible human drivers are currently "safe" by any stretch of the imagination—but is he saying that we should go without new, better technology to protect the jobs of taxi drivers and long-haul truck drivers?
- "The economy added 911,000 fewer jobs than previously estimated in the 12 months ending in March, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday, wiping out about half the employment growth that had been reported during that span," reports Politico. A rate cut looks more and more likely for next week. For what it's worth, this revision is the largest ever recorded.
- Cops join the PR game, using "tax revenue from legal marijuana sales and property seizures to fund their ice cream operations," per Connecticut Public Radio.
- "NATO-member warplanes shot down several Russian drones over Poland, the first time the alliance has engaged Russian drones over a member's territory after what officials contend was a test of its defenses by Moscow," reports The Wall Street Journal. "The incident, which Polish authorities said involved 19 incursions into its airspace, led authorities to close major Polish airports for the first time since the Ukraine war began."
- Wild read from Wired on how much the new AI "friend" wearable absolutely sucks.
- From Propaganda, by Jacques Ellul (1962):
"The typical error was to believe that if the individual were liberated from the smaller organic groups he would be set free. But in actuality he was exposed to the influence of mass currents, the influence of the state, and the direct integration into mass society." https://t.co/KaWjsd92pW
— Simon Sarris (@simonsarris) September 8, 2025