That's not funny

 Encouraged by their January meet-&-greet with deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow, the Houthi "rebels" attacked and sank the Rubymar in the Red Sea, their first kill.   (The crew abandoned it two weeks ago.)  Although flying the flag of Belize it was a British ship.  This makes it easier to understand why Israel's ambassador to the UN announced that in addition to humanitarian aid, it will provide Ukraine with an early-warning system against missiles.  Ambassador Erdan also pointed out that Russia will welcome a Hamas delegation and blasted the UN for not condemning the October 7 attack.  The battle lines are becoming clearer and Republican support for Russia needs to be called out as support for Hamas and the Houthis.

Two sets of headlines converged yesterday in Rafah, Gaza.  Rania Abu Anza needed three rounds of IVF over ten years to become pregnant.  Five months ago she gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy.  An Israeli strike killed both the children, her husband and eleven other family members.  Someone needs to poll Republican office holders individually and find out exactly where they stand on this.  Good luck.

Today's Profile in Courage:  J.D. Vance.  "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad...or that he's America's Hitler."  Also Vance:  "Trump makes people I care about afraid:  immigrants, Muslims, etc.  Because of this I find him reprehensible."  Also Vance:  "If you're fighting Trump and his endorsed political candidates today, don't ask for my help in a year with your legislation or your pet projects."  So how did you decide on that Nixon/Hitler thing, Senator?

Trump is so incoherent that even the mobs at his rallies are starting to notice.  They fell silent in Richmond when he said, "Putin has so little respect for Obama that he's starting to throw around the nuclear word."  (You remember Joe Obama.)  In North Carolina he abandoned standard English, ranting about "migrant kime" and blaming the media:  "Anytime I start talking they type the red light off."  He couldn't say "Venezuela."  He promised to expel "the wall mongerers."  And then:  "It's all coming out of Joe Biden.  He can't [arglebargle].  He can't campaign.  He can't speak.  He looks like hell."  He may have had that last part read to him out of the New York Times, where editorials regularly praise Trump for appearing so "vigorous" and "virile" with his layers of cheap fake tan and stentorian vocalizing.  Not that they support his policies, oh, no, but Biden is just so old!  Biden said "Ukraine" when he should have said "Gaza."  We'll just have to go full-on gibbering fascist.

The conflation of Jews with Israel and Muslims with Hamas is a nightmare for Britain, too.  Just as here, antisemitic incidents are up and some people talk about leaving the country.  The very existence of Israel was supposed to discourage this kind of thing but doesn't, especially when much of the world (and Bernie Sanders) is appalled by the violence in Gaza.  Ironically most British Muslims, religiously observant or not, have no connection with the Middle East -- they or their parents came from India, Pakistan, North Africa, Afghanistan, Russia or Iran.  Mostly, they think of themselves as Brits, except when they're being attacked as "terrorists" by the right.  But there is a general election this year; there are about 270,000 Jews in the UK and nearly four million Muslims.  Who will politicians court?

Cease-fire now.  It's the only answer for everyone but Netanyahu and his enablers.  Dropping sandwiches is a futile and shameful gesture.