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Rafah 'mistake,' deadly storms and Libertarian politics

 
Today's INTERNATIONAL story

Israel to continue Rafah attack after 'tragic mistake'

What happened
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday acknowledged unspecified mistakes in a deadly Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza that drew international condemnation for killing at least 45 displaced Palestinians and wounding hundreds. Images and witness accounts from the ravaged Rafah encampment depicted women and children dismembered and disfigured by raging fire and shrapnel.

Who said what
"Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake," Netanyahu told Israel's parliament. He said Israel will investigate. Military officials initially called Sunday's incident an attack on a Hamas compound using "precise munitions" and "precise intelligence."

A White House national security spokesperson said the "devastating images" from Rafah were "heartbreaking," and though Israel "has a right to go after" Hamas, it must protect civilians. French President Emmanuel Macron, echoing many European leaders, said he was "outraged" and "these operations must stop."

The tragedy comes at a "particularly delicate time for Israel," days after the International Court of Justice "appeared to order" a halt to the Rafah offensive and as "diplomats were aiming to restart" cease-fire negotiations, The New York Times said. The U.S. and other allies had warned Israel against invading the civilian refuge, and Sunday's deaths "appeared to be precisely" what they "had worried about."

What next?
Netanyahu showed no sign of dialing back Israel's Rafah offensive. "I don't intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved," he said.

 
 
Today's NATIONAL story

At least 23 dead in weekend of severe storms

What happened
Powerful storms swept across the southern and central U.S. over the Memorial Day weekend, leaving at least 23 people dead in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Virginia. The extreme weather left tens of thousands without power and disrupted travel for millions of Americans trying to fly home after the holiday weekend.

Who said what
"Jill and I are praying for those who tragically lost their lives as a result of devastating tornadoes" that tore through the South, President Joe Biden said Monday. The federal government is "on the ground" and "ready to provide support as needed."

Persistent warm, moist air has fed a "grim month of tornadoes and severe weather," including tornadoes that killed five people in Iowa last week and storms that left eight dead in Houston, USA Today said. "April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country."

What next?
"With more severe weather expected across the region, we urge residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials," Biden said. Forecasters expect an extraordinary hurricane season in coming months.

 
 
Today's POLITICS Story

Libertarians jeer Trump, pick nominee

What happened
The Libertarian Party chose activist Chase Oliver as its presidential nominee after a weekend convention that featured a poorly received speech by Donald Trump and a less-contentious appearance by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Who said what
Trump's pitch for the Libertarian nomination included pledges to "put a libertarian in my Cabinet" and commute the prison sentence of online drug kingpin Ross Ulbricht. His speech was met with "skepticism and contempt," Semafor's David Weigel said. After prolonged booing and jeering, Trump told the crowd they "don't want to win."

Kennedy, who was eliminated in the first round of voting Sunday, had seen the Libertarian nomination as a "possible pathway" to ballot access, CNN said. He's on the ballot in six states so far, versus 36 states for the Libertarians.

What next?
Third parties have "rarely been competitive" in U.S. presidential elections, and the Libertarian candidate drew 1% of the vote in 2020, The Associated Press said. But the party is "getting more attention this year" because the election "could hinge again on small vote margins in a handful of contested states."

 
 

It's not all bad

Conservation group African Parks has launched an ambitious plan to rewild 2,000 southern white rhinos across the continent in the next 10 years, starting with relocating 40 of the animals to Munywana Conservancy in South Africa. This follows the organization's purchase of the Platinum Rhino farm, which housed the world’s largest private rhino collection. The rewilding effort aims to bolster the threatened species; the 2,000 rhinos represent roughly 15% of the global white rhino population.

 
 
Under the radar

A Facebook group called The Professor Is Out, which has close to 33,000 members, aims to spirit dissatisfied U.S. college and university professors out of their profession and into other pursuits. It's just one of many markers that a significant number of professors are deeply unhappy with their jobs, their compensation and the general direction of higher education policy in the United States. 

Many universities, saddled with construction debt and falling enrollment, have instituted budget cuts, salary freezes and program eliminations. Even at institutions not threatened with doom, many faculty saw an erosion in salary and benefits after the Great Recession. And then along came the one-two punch of Covid-19 and post-pandemic inflation. These developments have damaged "the ability of colleges and universities to attract and retain talented faculty members," the American Association of University Professors said in its 2022-2023 annual report.

Meanwhile, undergraduate college enrollments in the United States peaked in 2010, and a "steep drop in the traditional college-age population" will affect universities and colleges "in certain parts of the country starting in 2025," said Sara Weissman for Inside Higher Ed. This looming problem is known in education circles as "the demographic cliff." 

That is the bleak landscape facing many university faculty who come to The Professor is Out for help. One recent poster, a tenured professor, asked for input, saying "the monotony, politics, budget woes, blank-eyed students, continual emails and ever-shifting priorities of the university" were leading to a search for opportunities outside the industry. None of the commenters recommended staying in academia.

 
 
On this day

May 28, 2014

Acclaimed author and poet Maya Angelou died at age 86. Angelou, a native of St. Louis, had a literary career spanning five decades. She is best known for her autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," and her poem of women's empowerment "Still I Rise." Angelou is remembered as one of the greatest poets in American history.

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

Tuesday's newspaper front pages almost uniformly note the death of NBA legend Bill Walton, whose "brief but unforgettable brilliance" on the court, as The Boston Globe says, was followed by a colorful career as a commentator, as this "tie-dyed basketball titan" overcame a stutter and "added gab to his gifts," The New York Times adds. USA Today centers its front page around a report on how U.S. gun shops and smugglers are "arming cartels" in Mexico. "It's appalling," said Peter Forcelli, a former ATF deputy assistant director. "This is a stain we all wear. We had a duty to stop the flow of guns, and we're failing."

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Playing with fire

A dispute between a mariachi band and fire-breather in Morelia, Mexico, erupted into a street brawl earlier this month, with the incident fittingly taking place in front of a taco spot called El Inferno. The musicians, wearing traditional outfits and carrying guitars, chased the fire-breather, and things became en fuego fast when he then doused them with a flammable liquid and threw fireballs their way. The spat was reportedly over competition for performing space.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Ashraf Amra / Anadolu via Getty Images; Scott Olson / Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images