Israel-Gaza Latest, McConnell's Fading Influence, Super Bowl Preview
2024-02-10 00:16:01
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Israel is preparing to evacuate the city of Rafa, on the southern end of Gaza.
But where are all the refugees they're supposed to go?
I'm Scott, Simon.
And I'm Debbie Elliott, and this is up first from NPR News.
The preparations indicate that Israel may be getting ready to invade Rafa.
Even as the Biden administration warns military operations there would be a disaster.
A military operation now in that area cannot proceed, and it would dramatically exacerbate.
The humanitarian emergency that we're all seeking to alleviate.
We'll have more details.
Plus, what this week's chaos in Congress says about the waning power of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
And the Kansas City chiefs? They could become the first team in almost two decades to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Stay with us, we'll have the news you need to start your weekend.
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More than 27,000 people have died in the fighting in Gaza so far.
As the conflict enters its fifth month.
NPR's Adeel Al-Shalchi joins us from Tel Aviv. Adeel, thanks for being with us.
Good morning.
What more do we know about this possible ground invasion?
So yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said that it was impossible to get rid of Hamas without sending ground troops into Rafah. There are about 1.5 million Palestinians crammed in Rafah at the moment, and aid agencies are warning that the existing humanitarian crisis could get even worse. Netanyahu asked for an evacuation plan for all these civilians, but it's unclear where people would go.
And there's been an uptick in strikes on Rafah this past week. We know of at least three, including one that killed 16 people on Thursday.
Adeel Wouldn't a ground invasion seem to defy the warnings President Biden and his aides have given Israel this week?
Yeah, exactly. President Biden has been a popular figure in Israel so far for showing strong support for the war. But just this week, he told reporters that he found the Israeli operation. Quote over the top and speaking to NPR, U.s Ambassador to the U.N.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield said a military operation in the Rafah area cannot proceed and that it would make the humanitarian emergency dramatically worse. Now, all of this, of course, is happening while mediated negotiations between Hamas and Israel are going on. Hamas wants a ceasefire that would see an end to the war and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. But Netanyahu responded by calling Hamas proposal ludicrous. And he's still under enormous pressure to bring the hostages home.
So it's all still playing out.
Adele What are Israelis with whom you've been able to speak in Tel Aviv in the past few days saying about the war now?
Yeah, so the city may seem like it's business as usual, restaurants are full, people are out and about. But there is a tension in the air. And Israelis tell me that everyone is talking about the war all the time.
I walked through a market earlier this week and vendors were selling children's t-shirts with anti-Hamas logos on the front. Restaurants and other stores have posters of hostages with the words Bring them home. The families of the hostages hold nearly daily gatherings in the center of Tel Aviv. And later today, there's actually going to be a weekly protest that calls for the end to the war.
And I know you've also been speaking with Palestinian citizens of Israel. What do they tell you?
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up about two million people of the population of Israel. And in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv, which is majority, Arab, people here have strong ties to Gaza. Unlike Tel Aviv proper, though, Jaffa is eerily quiet. I've spoken to many Palestinians who say they're afraid to even express grief for loved ones they've lost in Gaza. Because they think Israeli authorities may take it as an expression of solidarity with Hamas. Shop owners say they've lost Jewish customers.
Human rights activists here also say that there is a security clampdown on Palestinians. Many are afraid of getting arrested for posting anything on social media that shows sympathy with Gaza, and several university students have been arrested for being vocal against the war. You know, I even reached out to a number of spiritual leaders in the city to get a sense of what people are telling them. And they all refuse to talk to me.
And Piaris Hadil Al-Shelchi in Tel Aviv Hadil, thanks so much for being with us.
Thank you, Scott, thank you.
Oh, I think Republican leadership has shown they're a well-oiled machine. I mean, they just do great, I mean, couldn't be improved upon.
Ouch. NPR political correspondent Susan Davis joins us now to discuss the state of Senate leadership. Hi, Sue.
Hey Debbie.
So is it fair to say that Mitch McConnell is politically weakened?
Yeah, you know, for sure, but this didn't just happen this past week, this has been happening ever since, really. Donald Trump was elected president back in 2016. His rise has weakened longtime establishment leaders like Mitch McConnell, and, frankly, the Republican base doesn't like Mitch McConnell.
Trump doesn't like Mitch McConnell, but Mitch McConnell has been able to hold Senate Republicans behind him through some pretty rocky years. He was further weakened in 2022. If you recall, 10 Republicans voted against him serving as their leader when they failed to win the majority in the midterm elections. And we can't ignore his recent health problems. His absence from the Senate and his public freezing episodes have certainly taken a toll, at least on the perception of his strength within the party.
So how much influence is Trump on Senate Republicans and is that complicating McConnell's ability to get things done?
You know, it depends on the issue, but certainly on the two issues of the day, both border security and aiding Ukraine. He is at odds with Donald Trump and that has weakened him. More. Senators would like to be aligned with Donald Trump going into this election in their own primaries versus Mitch McConnell. Trump doesn't want to give Joe Biden a win on the border, and he just fundamentally opposes more money for Ukraine. McConnell himself has spent months trying to rally support within the party for action on Ukraine.
He's been rolled on it in the past and, frankly, it's still unclear if he's going to be able to get the votes to get it done.
So we all watched all the drama in the House. With the leadership change, there is there a possibility that McConnell could face some sort of a challenge to his leadership here mid-congress.
Almost certainly not. You would need a majority of Senate Republicans to say they wanted to reopen their leadership slate. They are not there. I don't think any Senate Republican looked at what happened in the House as something that was good for the party or for their internal party relations. Not to mention the fact you just can't beat someone with no one. And there's almost no clear alternative to McConnell right now. Leaderships do happen, though, right after election day, so Republicans are going to have to decide this question again in November.
Publicly, McConnell has said that he does plan to serve out his term, which runs through 2026. But it's not clear whether he's going to stand for leader again in the next Congress. But keep in mind, he's already earned a place in history. He's already the longest serving Senate leader of either party and the longest serving senator in Kentucky history.
McConnell has been the Senate Republicans top election tactician for more than two decades. Now. How involved do you expect him to be in this year's campaigns?
Yeah, and this is something that's really important to keep in mind. Despite all the turmoil that's been playing out, Republicans are still heavily favored to win control of the Senate this November. And it is fair to say that no one has invested more in winning Senate majorities than McConnell. His allied groups are once again expected to put hundreds of millions of dollars into these swing state races. But yeah, he's not a popular figure, you're not going to see him out there publicly campaigning for candidates.
He's always been much more of a backroom player. The big question here, beyond McConnell's health, is, if Trump wins, you know, it'd be really unlikely Trump would want to see McConnell stay on as leader. And that could weigh significantly on how Republican senators look at who they want to be in their party leadership.
So as we look to the future, if not McConnell, who?
Well, you know, Senate leadership races tend to be peaceful affairs. The two parties both usually decide who they want to lead them, and that's usually done by acclimation. There hasn't been a truly competitive race for Senate leaders since the 90s. But, you know, Trump's Republican Party doesn't lend itself to peaceful transitions all the time. There are three names you hear the most when you ask about the future of the Senate Republican leadership.
It's the three Johns that would be Cornyn of Texas, Thune of South Dakota, and Barrasso of Wyoming. They're all men, they're all white, they're all current or past members of party leadership.
And they all come from safe conservative seats, where Donald Trump is wildly popular and likely to win this year.
So stay tuned. That's NPR political correspondent Susan Davis. Thank you, Sue.
You're welcome.
Okay, get out the blue cheese, the celery, the hot sauce.
It's Super Bowl weekend.
You know, there's an actual game too, not just food and commercials. Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media joins us. Howard, thanks for being with us.
Good morning Scott.
The Kansas City chiefs would be the first team in 19 years to repeat as Super Bowl champions. If they win tomorrow, that would really cinch their legacy, wouldn't it?
Well, it would. They are the team to beat right now. It's sort of fascinating how quickly the Patriots have been supplanted by another dynasty. Normally, it takes some time to have somebody else emerge, but this is Patrick Mahomes time.
This is the Kansas City Chiefs time. They are the best team, they're going for their third Super Bowl, fourth Super Bowl appearance. And it's fascinating how good they are when they really weren't even that good this year. But what happens when you have the best player you're dealing with? Not just Mahomes and the Chiefs, but Mahomes Aura.
So beating him is very similar to beating these great quarterbacks, and he's just. He is now being discussed already as not just the best quarterback in the game right now, but one of the best of all time.
There's a great story going on with San Francisco, too. They haven't won the Super Bowl since 1995. Their quarterback, Brock Purdy, was the last player to be picked in the NFL draft two years ago.
And what is the nickname for those guys? Scott Mr. Irrelevant, Oh, right. In other words, that is how unlikely it is that you'll even get on a roster.
If you're the last player picked in a draft, they make fun of you, they've always made fun of you because you have no chance of making the NFL. And here is Brock Purdy, not just in his second year, but he's in the Super Bowl, he's a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl. After being Mr.
Irrelevant. And we talked about Tom Brady being that guy. And he was a sixth round pick at 199th pick in the draft and that was improbable. So this is even more so.
The San Francisco 49ers really do feel like this is their moment they lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl four years ago. They've been talking about that loss as motivation for getting back to this point. And from Kyle Shanahan, the coach, to Brock Purdy to the players, they really say that they need this moment. And when you have a team that really believes that this championship is something that is legacy-defining. If we're going to use those terms, we're going to have a great game.
Both teams have a lot to prove.
And both coaches. Kyle Shanahan has never won a Super Bowl. Andy Reid is going for his third one. But he was once kind of dismissed, just a few years ago.
Exactly, remember the Andy Reid in Philadelphia who couldn't win the big one, the Andy Reid that everyone said if they lose, if the Eagles lost, it was going to be because of him. The Andy Reid, who didn't know how to manage a clock, the Andy Reid, who was the loser.
And now we're looking at Andy Reid going for a third Super Bowl, you're looking at him as an easy first ballot. Hall of Famer. He's now one of the great coaches of all time, and Kyle Shanahan is in a similar place that Andy Reid was in years ago. He was the offensive coordinator when the Falcons lost the 28-3 lead legendarily to the Patriots in overtime.
He lost the Super Bowl four years ago, he lost the NFC Championship game to Philadelphia last year and then to the Rams a couple years ago. If they lose, do you blow up? The 49ers? Absolutely not. But Kyle Shanahan has not been afraid to come out and say, Look, after all these really near misses, I need this win.
I got to have this win. And as we all know, in sports, it really does begin to multiply. The longer you go without winning, the more people think you're a loser. And especially in football, where that window closes. Kyle Shanahan will be on those sidelines, knowing that these opportunities don't come that often, this is it.
HoWarD I know you don't want to give predictions, but let me put you on the spot. Will Taylor Swift make it in time for the kickoff?
She'll be there, book it, man, she will be there, trust me.
Your words, Howard, I always trust them. Howard Bryant of Beto Lark Media, Thanks so much for being with us.
My pleasure Scott, I can't wait when she misses her flight, when she doesn't get there, people say, you promised.
But misses her. It's not like she's going to be standing in a long line like the rest of us, is it?
Exactly, she's in comfort plus.
And that's up first for Saturday, February 10th, 2024.
I'm Debbie Elliott.
And I'm Scott Simon.
Danny Hensel produced today's podcast with Andrew Craig, Alaina Torek and Gabe O'Connor.
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