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Thousands Wounded By Pager Bombings in Lebanon - The Wednesday AM Quickie 9/18/24

By Jacob Silverman —

The fact that Instagram has to address the effects it has on children's sleep says something grim about our age. -Jacob

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THE BIG NEWS

Hundreds of Pagers Explode Across Lebanon In An Apparent Israeli Attack

Yesterday afternoon, hundreds of pagers exploded across Lebanon (and at least some in Syria) in a coordinated attack that has been attributed to Israel. Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militant group and political party, had purchased several thousand pagers from a Taiwanese company. According to anonymous intelligence officials, Israeli intelligence intercepted the pagers – which were made by a European licensee of the Taiwanese company – inserted a small amount of explosive and a trigger, and sent the pagers on their way to their destination. Yesterday, the pagers, which were now in circulation, received a fake message from Hezbollah leadership, which was designed to get the attention of their users, and then they exploded en masse.

More than 2,700 people were injured and at least 11 killed, including one child. An Iranian diplomat was among the injured. On social media, videos circulated of pagers exploding while people were shopping for produce or walking down the street. Lebanese medical workers reported horrific injuries to people's hands, faces, and mid-sections.

Israel supporters crowed about the ingenuity of the attack, but some observers called it for what it is: an indiscriminate act of terrorism in which hundreds of small explosions erupted across a country – in homes, offices, public areas, and shopping centers – with no regard for who might be in the blast zone. Some of the pagers were worn by Hezbollah fighters; others were possibly used by people who worked at institutions managed by Hezbollah, which has become part of the Lebanese state.

Like many Israeli acts of sabotage and assassination, the pager attack was diabolically clever and basically unprecedented (although supply-chain attacks are a staple of intelligence services). But more importantly, it was a likely war crime and, according to the UN, a dangerous escalation in a conflict that desperately needs more diplomatic intervention.

Second Trump Gunman Has Been A Violent Loose Cannon For Decades

"I figured he was either dead or in prison by now," said a North Carolina police officer who more than 20 years ago arrested Ryan Routh, the would-be Trump assassin. At the time, Routh was arrested for possession a weapon of mass destruction – a machine gun – after barricading himself in a building. It was one of many encounters he would have with police. More recently, a nurse who volunteered in Ukraine called Routh, who spent time there trying to work on aid and military projects, a "con artist" and told the Wall Street Journal that she had warned the US federal government about him. "He wanted to kill most world leaders," said the nurse, who claimed she left Ukraine because she feared Routh might harm her.

QUICKEST QUICKIES

  • California Police Misconduct Records Are Disappearing For decades, hundreds or even thousands of police officers at law enforcement agencies across California have quietly resigned rather than be fired for well-documented acts of misconduct. In return, their records were wiped clean, and the officers were able to get new law enforcement jobs, allowing them to commit more crimes without accountability. via San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Harris Denounces Threats Against Haitians In an interview yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the recent threats against Haitian Americans, saying, "My heart breaks for this community." She warned that political leaders need to be careful with the big microphones they're given and that Trump should cease his "hateful" rhetoric. via The Guardian and NYT.
  • Abortion Ban Leads to Woman's Death At least two pregnant women in Georgia died because new abortion bans prevented them from getting access to life-saving reproductive care, according to a new investigation. Democrats have seized on the report, arguing that Republican healthcare policies are killing people. via ProPublica and Axios.
  • Sean Combs Charged With Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Sean Combs, the artist formerly known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, was officially charged in Manhattan federal court yesterday with racketing conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs, who has been accused of numerous acts of sexual assault, coercion, and violence, is being held without bail. via WaPo.

SOME NUMBER

$155 million

That's how much money New York City spent last year on overtime for cops patrolling the subway system. The previous year, the city spent $4 million. Earlier this week, NYPD officers chased a fare-beater, claiming that he had a knife (which hasn't been found), and then shot him, two bystanders, and one of their fellow officers. One of the subway riders who was shot needed brain surgery and has an uncertain prognosis, according to his family. "It’s heart-wrenching when an innocent person is the victim when action is taken," said Mayor Eric Adams, using his most passive, exonerative voice.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

9/18: It's Hump Day! Sam and Emma speak with Sarah Lazare, editor of Workday Magazine and contributing editor at In These Times, to discuss her recent reporting on the UAW fighting to restore a shuttered Stellantis plant in Belvidere, Illinois. Then, they speak with Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate, to discuss the recent reporting in the New York Times regarding Chief Justice Roberts’ influence on the Jan. 6th cases that were in front of the Supreme Court.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

JD Vance's Bad News Cycle Gets WAY Worse

After spending a week stoking a blood libel against Haitian immigrants, JD Vance now wants everyone else to calm down.

TRUMP GETS LOOMER'D

It's happening, isn't it? Let's consult the tape.

PARTING WORDS

"You should hide your head in a bag."

-- Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy concluding a racist screed against Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute. The unhinged senator repeatedly interrupted Berry, insulted her, and accused her without basis of supporting Hamas.

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