Mar 13, 2018

Arab countries attend White House Gaza crisis meeting

Tuesday's White House meeting on the Gaza crisis included Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. The Palestinian Authority decided not to attend.

Why it matters: It's rare for representatives from Israel and Arab countries like Saudi Arabia to come together in the same room.

Special envoy Jason Greenblatt said in his opening remarks: "We regret that the Palestinian Authority is not here with us today. This is not about politics. This is about the health, safety and happiness of the people of Gaza, and of all Palestinians, Israelis and Egyptians."

He added, "Today's terrible attack on the convoy of Prime Minister Hamdallah demonstrates there will always be real risks associated with this endeavor. But the risks justify the potential benefits."

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Rebecca Falconer

Updated 9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Tanker truck plows into Minneapolis protesters

Authorities closed major roads at 5 p.m. local time in Minneapolis for the march. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Minnesota authorities said in a statement they're investigating as a criminal matter what happened with a truck that "drove into demonstrators" on a Minneapolis bridge Sunday evening while the eight-lane road was closed for a protest.

What they're saying: Minnesota Department of Public Safety tweeted, "Very disturbing actions by a truck driver on I-35W, inciting a crowd of peaceful demonstrators. The truck driver was injured & taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is under arrest. It doesn’t appear any protesters were hit by the truck."

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Orion Rummler

Updated 27 mins ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. enters 6th day of nationwide protests over George Floyd's killing

A protest in Philadelphia on May 31. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images

Local news footage captured a tanker truck appearing to drive toward protesters at a peaceful demonstration in Minneapolis, forcing demonstrators to quickly get out of the way of the incoming vehicle on Sunday evening.

The big picture: Protests have continued across the country for six days, as demonstrators call for justice in response to the deaths of George Floyd and other other black Americans who have died in police custody or who have been killed in racist attacks.

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Jonathan Swan

3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Inside Trump's antifa tweet

President Trump at Cape Canaveral on May 30. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

As recently as Saturday night, senior administration officials told me that the designation of a violent cohort of far-left activists, antifa, as a terrorist organization was not being seriously discussed at the White House. But that was Saturday.

Behind the scenes: The situation changed dramatically a few hours later, after prominent conservative allies of the president, such as his friend media commentator Dan Bongino, publicly urged a tough response against people associated with antifa (short for "anti-fascist").

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