Biden criticizes Netanyahu but says ‘I’m never going to leave Israel’
President Joe Biden believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel.”
In an exclusive interview Saturday with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, the president said a ground invasion of Rafah would be a red line and expressed concerned for the number of Palestinians who have been killed, but added, “I’m never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical.”
Netanyahu responded by saying Biden’s comments are “wrong” and arguing that an “overwhelming majority” of Israelis support his policies.
On Sunday, U.S. Central Command said a ship is bound for Gaza to help construct a floating pier that will allow the delivery of aid by sea.
The construction of the pier could take up to 60 days and will involve 1,000 U.S. troops, according to the Pentagon. It is not clear who will distribute arriving aid among Gaza’s population.
Follow NBC News’ live coverage.
IVF law in Alabama may cause more harm than good, critics say
The passage of an Alabama bill that aims to protect in vitro fertilization should have been a win for advocates of the fertility procedure, but it has left some legal experts concerned that the new law will do more harm than good.
The bill, sped into law in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling that left Alabama’s fertility clinics scrambling, was intended as a stopgap measure to reassure fertility clinics that had halted operations.
But legal experts said it carries the unintended consequence of preventing patients whose embryos are destroyed due to clinic negligence or product malfunction from suing for damages.
“It is a knee-jerk, simplistic response to a complex issue,” said a personal injury lawyer who has represented IVF patients whose embryos were lost due to faulty equipment.
What the data shows on flight mishaps
A flying tire. A runway roll-off. Multiple emergency landings. It may seem like mishaps involving planes have been growing in frequency, but the data shows flying has rarely been safer.
“There’s not anything unusual about the recent spate of incidents — these kinds of things happen every day in the industry,” said Jeff Guzzetti, a pilot and the president of Guzzetti Aviation Risk Discovery LLC.
Still, the public is now especially attuned to such reports — perhaps most notably because of January’s midair blowout incident on an Alaska Airlines flight involving a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet.
And because consumers can use their phone cameras to immediately broadcast mishaps over vast social media networks as they happen, that makes the public more aware of them, even if their frequency has not actually increased, said John Cox, a pilot and the president and CEO of Safety Operating Systems LLC.
Olympic athletes could face a tough opponent: Paris heat
All eyes will be on the Paris Olympics this summer — and also on the weather forecast.
Global warming has increased the odds of a heat wave at the Games, where the athletes village won’t have air conditioning.
During the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo, heat pushed dozens of athletes beyond their limits and forced organizers to reschedule events. Some Olympic teams are concerned the heat at this summer’s Games will have a similar effect.
Meet the Press
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on “Meet the Press” Sunday that President Joe Biden “has screwed up the world every way you can.”
Graham was critical of the president’s comments at the State of the Union about the Israel-Hamas war, asking, “Is the president saying that if the hostages are released by Hamas, they can stay in power?”
He contrasted Biden’s approach with Trump’s as he asserted the current administration has perpetuated “broken borders” and that “the world’s on fire.”
Graham also questioned Biden’s mental fitness and called on him to “get in a room with Donald Trump and debate.”
You can watch the full interview here.
Politics in brief
- Fundraising boom: President Joe Biden’s re-election machine brought in $10 million in the 24 hours following his State of the Union address — a financial jolt as the campaign looks to build general election momentum off the speech.
- SOTU response: Sen. Katie Britt, who gave the Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union, responded to allegations that a story she told regarding the border crisis was misleading.
- Trump trial: Former President Donald Trump on Saturday reiterated his claim that writer E. Jean Carroll had levied “false accusations” against him, even as similar remarks have resulted in large court judgments against him.
- SCOTUS criticism: After the Supreme Court’s ruling that said states had no authority to kick Trump off the ballot, critics said it showed the conservative justices selectively apply originalist arguments.
‘Oppenheimer’ leads the pack on Oscar night
The 96th Academy Awards are here!
The major nominees up for Best Picture tonight include Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which leads with 13 nominations, “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things.”
The Kenergy is expected to be off the charts when Ryan Gosling performs the hit “Barbie” song “I’m Just Ken” with Mark Ronson, while Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell will perform “What Was I Made For?”
Follow NBC News’ live Oscar coverage here.
Beware of blue dragons
Spring breakers flocking to Texas beaches this month could stumble on a sight many have never seen: blue dragons.
These bright blue and silver sea slugs may look like fun, but researchers warn touching them could result in a painful sting.
“It will be intense pain,” marine biologist Jace Tunnell said. “It will feel like somebody has needles that they’re scraping across your skin.”
Blue dragons typically live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, but as southeast winds increase during the spring, the slugs blow ashore with the potential to release dangerous toxins upon unsuspecting beachgoers.
In case you missed it
- Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, thanked the public for its support in her first public message since undergoing abdominal surgery in January, along with a picture of herself with her three children.
- A Florida mother who was reported missing by a concerned co-worker was found alive in a shipping container after someone heard her banging on the locked door, police said.
- A 96-year-old widow preparing to bake cookies for her birthday was killed at her Montecito, California, home in 2022 in an alleged murder-for-hire plot, according to authorities, who said the case involved a “tangled evil web of financial exploitation.”
- Madonna questioned a concertgoer for sitting down during her show — before realizing they appeared to be in a wheelchair.
- The elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs is wiping out tools that have helped Hispanic students enroll and graduate.
- Hood Code is bringing free coding classes to students who live in New York City’s public housing.
- “Buy now, pay later” services are not only for just-out-of-reach luxuries: More young people are using them for everyday purchases as well.
