Why Biden is not diving into Middle East peace brokering
CNN
Another tragic Middle East conflict is offering fresh insight into Joe Biden's sometimes ruthless calculations about the purpose of his presidency and his view of America's global role.
The violence between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas is the latest crisis that failed to distract Biden from what he sees as his core task -- ending the pandemic and rescuing the economy. Biden declined Monday to publicly condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Gaza raids in reprisal for Hamas' rocket attacks, a move consistent with a record of strong support for Israel that is longer than that of many previous presidents.Venezuelan authorities are investigating opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for alleged treason after she expressed support for a US bipartisan bill that seeks to block Washington from doing business with any entity that has commercial ties with the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the intelligence community, was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights after her overseas travel patterns and foreign connections triggered a government algorithm earlier this year, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.