Israel Launches Retaliatory Strike Against Iran

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Cloud seeding gets wrongly blamed for Dubai flooding; Trump jury might be complete today

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Good morning,

Today’s the day! Taylor Swift’s 'The Tortured Poets Department' dropped at midnight. Here’s what to know:

  • It’s the singer's 11th studio album.

  • Here’s the 17-track list. Florence + The Machine and Post Malone (who was also on Beyoncé’s new album) are featured.

  • We’re listening to ‘So Long, London;’ the 9:28 long song which is the date (Sep. 28) that Taylor started dating Joe Alwyn — who she dated for six years.

  • Her new boo, Travis Kelce, says the album “is unbelievable."

Head over to the Mo News Instagram to tell us what you think.

Have a good weekend!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

🚀 ISRAEL LAUNCHES RETALIATORY STRIKE ON IRAN

 

Israel launched a limited, retaliatory counter strike against Iran early Friday morning local time, appearing to target an airbase in the country. It came 5 days after Iran launched a barrage of several hundred missiles and drones at Israel.

  • International allies of Israel have called for restraint in the country’s response, over concerns of wider regional escalation, and it appears that Israel has heeded these calls with the attack.

While Israel is not commenting as of early Friday, US officials — who said they were notified of the plan — say it was a limited missile strike targeting a site in the central province of Isfahan. The Iranian nuclear program at Natanz is also located in that province, but it does not appear to have been the target.

WHAT WE KNOW
Iran fired air defense batteries and explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, according to Iranian state media. An Iranian government spokesman claimed on Twitter that Israel’s attack was “failed and humiliating,” only included drones, and didn’t hit its target. He didn’t provide any evidence one way or another.

  • WHAT THIS MEANS: Whether true or not, by saying the Israelis failed, that lessens Iran’s need to respond in a significant way. At the same time, Israel is not even acknowledging the attack. Bottom line: the latest Israeli move may take us down (not up) the escalation ladder. But, we will keep watching.

HOW WE GOT HERE
The missile launches follow Iran’s attack last Saturday, which Iran said was retaliation for an April 1 attack on an Iranian consular annex building in Syria where several military leaders were meeting with terror proxy groups.

  • On Saturday, Iran sent over 300 drones and missiles in the first-ever direct assault on Israel since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the US.

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s war cabinet have met several times since the Iran strikes and vowed to respond. At least two counterstrikes on Iran were previously aborted.

 

⚖️ HOW TO PICK A JURY OF YOUR PEERS FOR AN EX-PRESIDENT

Another day, another glimpse into Donald Trump’s jury in the first criminal trial of a former president. Yesterday, 12 jurors and one alternate were seated in Trump’s hush money case. Five alternates are still needed, which means it’s possible jury selection could be wrapped up today.

Opening statements could begin as early as Monday if that happens.

JURY CHALLENGES
The jury’s current makeup is seven men and five women. Here’s what we know about them. Meanwhile, two jurors were removed yesterday.

  • One juror said her family and friends asked her if she was one of the jurors based on descriptions from media reports of her job and life.

    • The judge then told the group of journalists allowed inside the courtroom, and media in general, to stop sharing current or past employment information about potential jurors.

    • (BUT reporters said that among yesterday’s additions were a retired wealth manager, a speech therapist, a product development manager and a physical therapist.)

  • Prosecutors also raised concerns that another juror had "been arrested in Westchester for tearing down political advertisements” decades ago. That juror was also dismissed.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD JUROR?
First order of business is saying you can be fair and impartial — which many admitted they can’t. Then you take a 42 question survey.

  • Some questions: Where do you get your news? Do you listen to podcasts? (We’re waiting for someone to say they listen to the Mo News podcast!) Do you have strong views about Donald Trump? Have you attended campaign rallies? Do you support or belong to the QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, or Antifa?

  • After that, prosecution and defense attorneys can ask additional questions.

Could you be on the jury? Here’s what our poll of the Mo News audience on Instagram revealed:

CONCERNS
While jurors’ names are being kept confidential, Trump’s social media posting about the case, as well as targeted campaigns by his allies online, has raised concerns about their security.

  • Just yesterday, prosecutors asked for Trump to be held in contempt over a series of social media posts this week — which they say violates his gag order. A hearing on it is scheduled for Tuesday.

    • Trump promoted Fox News host Jesse Watters’ remarks that "undercover liberal activists" are lying to the judge to get on the jury.

  • Washington Post’s Arron Blake says, “Trump wants to make clear that he will make life hard for anybody who might help deliver an adverse verdict.”

🌧️ WHAT’S THE TRUTH BEHIND CLOUD SEEDING?

How cloud seeding works. Via: Daily Mail.

After the United Arab Emirates faced massive flooding this week, some are wondering about the country’s practice of cloud seeding. Experts say it did not cause the flooding, which instead could be attributed mostly to a huge storm.

  • Dubai got more than 6 inches of rain in 12 hours. It normally takes the city two years to get that much rain.

WHAT IT CLOUD SEEDING?
Cloud seeding has been around for decades. The weather-modification practice involves injecting a chemical known as silver iodide into clouds that contain large amounts of water vapor. That can encourage the formation of ice crystals, which then lead to more precipitation in the form of rain or snow. (See graphic above.) It’s been used across the world, from the US to China.

  • Hot debate: Some say it’s a way to help cool areas and combat smog. Others say it takes away water from other areas, making those places drier.

  • A study from 2020 found that cloud seeding in some areas increases precipitation by up to 10% more than would have naturally fallen.

    • UAE officials credit it with a 10-30% increase in rainfall, while Californian authorities put their program's effectiveness at 5-10%.

IN THIS CASE
In a Bloomberg report earlier this week, Ahmed Habib, a meteorologist, initially said that seeding planes were partially to blame for the record rainfall. But, Habib backtracked the next day, saying that while planes were in the air, they did NOT carry out weather-modification techniques before the storms hit.

  • UAE officials say it was clear from forecasts that this was a huge storm, so there was no need to boost it using cloud seeding.

At issue: Meteorologists and climate scientists say that a major reason for more of these extreme weather events is climate change. Warmer air can hold more water = heavier rainfall. That, combined with the lack of effective drainage infrastructure in the desert city contributed to the flooding.

 

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Justice Department ramps up efforts to reduce violent crime with gun intel center, carjacking forces (AP)

📌 Man on terrorist watchlist was dropped from program that monitors migrants (NBC NEWS)

📌 Sarah Sanders' office potentially violated state law in $19K lectern controversy, audit finds (ABC NEWS)

📌 NYPD removes more than 100 anti-Israel protesters from Columbia University campus, including Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter (NY POST) 

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 CIA Director warns Ukraine could lose war to Russia by end of year if US doesn’t continue aid (CNN)

📌 How a ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ finalist became an unlikely ambassador for Taiwan (WASHINGTON POST)

📌 The U.N. Security Council denies the Palestinian Authority's bid for full membership after US Veto (NPR)

📌 FBI on alert for threats to the Jewish community ahead of Passover, director says (CNN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Popular snacks risk being banned over cancer-linked ingredients (NEWS NATION)

📌 How the strong U.S. dollar is rippling through the world economy (AXIOS)

📌 Salmonella outbreak prompts Trader Joe's to recall herbs sold in 29 states (NBC NEWS)

📌 Netflix to stop reporting subscriber numbers in 2025, citing new focus on ‘engagement’ (THE WRAP)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Taylor Swift ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Live Updates/Reactions (NBC NEWS)

📌‘The Office’s’ Jenna Fischer filmed ‘Mean Girls’ with a broken shoulder: 'Still in physical therapy for it' (PEOPLE)

📌 Caitlin Clark reportedly close to 8-figure deal with Nike that includes signature shoe (YAHOO SPORTS)

📌 UK’s Prince William returns to public duties for first time since Kate’s cancer diagnosis (AP)

🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WEEKEND

Guest User
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