By
Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The latest offensive in Yemen: “The U.S. military has conducted another strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. The U.S. struck an anti-ship ballistic missile site after determining that the missiles there posed an imminent threat to merchant commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea, two U.S. defense officials said. U.S. Central Command said the Houthis were preparing to launch the four missiles.”
* In Gaza: “Thanks to mediation efforts by Qatari and French officials, Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to deliver medicine and humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip in exchange for getting medication to Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity.”
* On the Korean Peninsula: “North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would no longer pursue reconciliation with South Korea and called for rewriting the North’s constitution to eliminate the idea of shared statehood between the war-divided countries, state media said Tuesday.”
* At the White House: “President Joe Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders to the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his request for national security funding, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel as well as border security, according to multiple sources.”
* On Capitol Hill: “In a notable test Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders is forcing colleagues to vote on record whether to investigate human rights abuses in the Israel-Hamas war, a step toward potentially limiting U.S. military aid to Israel as its devastating attacks on Gaza grind past 100 days.”
* An underappreciated breakthrough: “Medicare patients lining up to fill pricey prescriptions at the pharmacy counter this year will realize some good news: For the first time, there is a ceiling on how much they will pay in 2024 for their Part D drugs. Changes brought about by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act mean that people on Part D plans now pay no more than roughly $3,300 on drugs annually—a number that could shift a bit based on whether they take brand or generic medications. In 2025, that cap will change again to a flat $2,000.”
* Navarro’s sentencing is now scheduled for Jan. 25: “A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a bid for a new trial for Peter Navarro, a Trump White House official convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack.”
See you tomorrow.