10 things you need to know today: April 7, 2019

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1. Netanyahu pledges to annex West Bank settlements
2. The U.S. may need two years to reunite families separated at border
3. Trump mocks Democrats, asylum seekers during speech
4. Evacuations begin as rebel forces in Libya advance toward Tripoli
5. Rwanda commemorates those killed in genocide 25 years later
6. Venezuelans reignite anti-Maduro protests
7. Widespread bribery and corruption haunt UNHCR, report finds
8. Former South Carolina Sen. Hollings dies
9. Former Auburn University football coach to run for Senate in Alabama
10. Texas Tech, Virginia advance to men's basketball title game

published 7 April 2019

1. Netanyahu pledges to annex West Bank settlements

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Saturday to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank if he wins Israel's election on Tuesday. "I am going to extend sovereignty and I don't distinguish between settlement blocs and the isolated settlements," he said during a television interview. "I will not uproot anyone and I will not transfer sovereignty to the Palestinians." The "dramatic policy shift" has been viewed as a way for Netanyahu to rally his nationalist base before the polls open in what promises to be a closely contested election. An annexation of the settlements would reportedly make any sort of peace agreement between Israel and Palestine much more difficult.

The Trump administration says it may need up to two years to find potentially thousands of children who were separated from their parents at the southern border before a judge put an end to the practice last year. In a court filing on Friday, the Department of Justice said that it will take at least one year to review about 47,000 cases of unaccompanied minors taken into government custody between July 1, 2017 and June 25, 2018. The task is expected to be difficult, especially because the children are no longer in government custody. The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to reunite families separated at the border, criticized the government's timeline.

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During a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas on Saturday, President Trump made several inflammatory statements. He mocked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for her controversial comments about Israel and criticized Democrats in Congress for not "fighting for Israel" and allowing the "terrible scourge of anti-Semitism to take root" within the party. Trump also spoke about the situation at the southern border, where he had just traveled. The president called the asylum seekers that he saw "some of the roughest people you’ve ever seen" and that many of them "look like they should be fighting for the UFC."

International powers have begun personnel evacuations in Libya as the security situation in the country worsens and rebel forces under Gen. Khalifa Haftar advance toward Tripoli, the nation’s capital. U.S. Africa Command said it has temporarily relocated American troops and India evacuated all 15 of its Reserve Police Force peacekeepers. The United Nations is also expected to remove all non-essential staff. Meanwhile, residents of Tripoli are stocking up on food and fuel, but many will reportedly remain in their homes for the time being as they fear possible looting if they were to evacuate.

Rwanda began commemorating the 25th anniversary of the genocide that killed a tenth of the nation's population on Sunday. Rwandans will reportedly mourn for 100 days, which was the amount of time it took for 800,000 Rwandans to die in the genocide. Most of the victims were minority Tutsis, who were massacred by Hutu extremists. President Paul Kagame, who led the rebel force that ended the genocide, launched the commemoration by lighting a remembrance flame at a genocide memorial in the capital city, Kigali. Kagame said the resilience and bravery of genocide survivors represented the "Rwandan character in its purest form."

Venezuelans returned to the streets on Saturday, following calls from opposition leader Juan Guaidó to protest against President Nicolás Maduro in the hopes of ousting him. Power outages and food shortages have now plagued Venezuela for weeks and many citizens are blaming Maduro for wrecking the economy. Protesters gathered in Caracas on Saturday said they had gone weeks without water in their homes, instead having to draw it from unsanitary pipes or streams from mountains overlooking the city. Maduro's Socialist party retaliated by hosting a march of their own on Saturday. Maduro continues to say that the power outages are actually a result of an American conspiracy.

Through interviews with more than 50 refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kenya, Uganda, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Libya, NBC News discovered that staffers and officials demand bribes from refugees seeking resettlement "for everything from medical referrals to food rations to contacting police." Some of the bribes can cost up to $5,000 per family. Those refugees who cannot afford to pay bribes said the resettlement workers will then sell their case files to other families with more wealth. Current and former UNHCR employees, aid workers, and two former United Nations investigators also said that bribery and corruption are commonplace. The sources said the UNHCR either ignores or "whitewashes" the workers who demand bribes. A spokesperson for UNHCR said the organization denies allegations of widespread corruption.

Former Sen. Ernest F. "Fritz" Hollings (D-S.C.) died on Saturday at his home on the Isle of Palmas, South Carolina, a family spokesman said. Hollings was 97. Hollings served on the Senate for 38 years and two months before retiring in 2005, making him the eighth longest-serving senator in the country's history. Hollings was known for his "sharp-tongued" rhetoric. Before he served in the Senate, Hollings was the governor of South Carolina. He initially campaigned against desegregation in the state, but ended his term urging the state legislature to accept the integration of public schools.

Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville announced on Saturday that he will run for Senate in Alabama as a Republican. Tuberville will enter the Republican primaries in the hopes of ultimately facing off against Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.). Jones won a special election in 2017 and will try to remain in the seat for a full term in next year's election. Tuberville announced his decision via Twitter, where he wrote that "after more than a year of listening to Alabama's citizens," he felt compelled to run. Former White House communications director Sean Spicer will reportedly assist with Tuberville's campaign in an unknown capacity. Tuberville coached Auburn for 10 years, compiling an 85-40 record along the way.

Virginia and Texas Tech will square off on Monday evening in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament final. Both teams are seeking their first ever national title after winning their semifinal games on Saturday evening. Virginia advanced after defeating Auburn 63-62 — Cavaliers guard Kyle Guy hit three free throws to win the game with less than one second left. Texas Tech secured a 61-51 victory over Michigan State. The championship game is set for 9:20 p.m. on Monday on CBS. Baylor and Notre Dame will square off on Sunday evening in the women's tournament title game at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.