As Biden stays mum, senators make bipartisan call for ceasefire in Gaza

Rep. Liz Cheney calls Trump "a continuing disaster."

By Liza Hearon TOP STORIES   Monday, May 17 BIDEN STAYS MUM ON GAZA Two different groups of senators released statements Sunday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but President Joe Biden has so far declined to do the same. Over the weekend, the Biden administration reportedly blocked the U.N. Security Council from calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hamas. Biden has stayed vocally supportive of Israel despite growing opposition from within his party over the Israeli army's daily barrage of attacks on Palestinian civilians. [HuffPost]   ISRAEL 'WANTS TO LEVY HEAVY PRICE' ON HAMAS Israeli warplanes unleashed a new series of heavy airstrikes at several locations in Gaza City early Monday, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's attacks were continuing at "full-force" and would "take time." Air raids 24 hours earlier killed 42 Palestinians, the deadliest single attack in the latest round of violence. [AP]   LIZ CHENEY URGES UNITY AGAINST TRUMP Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), newly ousted from her role as the third-ranking House Republican over her condemnation of former President Donald Trump, continued her criticism of him on "Fox News Sunday." She said he is a "continuing danger" to democracy. [HuffPost]   CDC DIRECTOR, FAUCI DEFEND MASK GUIDANCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Anthony Fauci hit back at Republican lawmakers' concerns that a recent relaxation of mask guidelines by the CDC is political. They both cited recent scientific data for the guidance change. [HuffPost] We need these five things other than vaccines to end the pandemic. Here's what happened when I told Congress the Black and ugly truth about long COVID. Nine people who were hesitant share what persuaded them to get vaccinated. 21 things about lockdown we'd quite like to keep, actually. These travel stories give us a serious case of wanderlust. Get the latest coronavirus updates on our dedicated page MATT GAETZ TRIES TO DOWNPLAY CHILD SEX ALLEGATIONS Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is under federal investigation over allegations he paid a minor in exchange for sexual favors, said Saturday the allegations about him are comparable to lawmakers who attach earmarks to bills in order to benefit their constituents or special interests. Earmarks are, in fact, legal, and they are used quite often. [HuffPost]   GOP ARIZONA COUNTY CHAIR SLAMS 'DANGEROUS' RECOUNT Arizona's Republican chair of the Maricopa County's Board of Supervisors has blasted the partisan, highly controversial GOP-launched recount there as "dangerous." And a GOP county election official ripped Trump on Saturday as "unhinged" for repeating false complaints about the ballots, in the latest signs that the recount is driving a wedge between Republicans. [HuffPost]   WHAT'S BREWING   MICROSOFT PROBED BILL GATES' PAST AFFAIR WITH EMPLOYEE Board members for Microsoft determined in 2020 that the company's co-founder, Bill Gates, needed to step down from his own role on the board amid an investigation into a past affair with a female Microsoft employee, according to the Wall Street Journal. A Gates spokeswoman confirmed there was an affair but said Gates stepped down of his own accord. [HuffPost]   GOP VOTING RESTRICTIONS THREATEN PROGRESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Changes to make voting safer during the 2020 elections made casting ballots easier for people with disabilities, a population that has struggled for decades with polling site access. But a wave of voting restrictions proposed or already passed in Republican-led states is threatening to not just halt the progress, but significantly reverse it, writes HuffPost's Travis Waldron. [HuffPost]   BODIES FOUND ALONG INDIAN RIVERBANKS RAISE COVID-19 CONCERNS Police are reaching out to villagers in northern India to investigate the recovery of bodies buried in shallow sand graves or washed up on the Ganges River banks, prompting speculation on social media that they're the remains of COVID-19 victims. One photojournalist estimated seeing at least 300 shallow graves. [AP]   BROOKLYN CENTER APPROVES POLICING CHANGES The Minneapolis suburb where police recently killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright has approved a package of proposals meant to begin making changes to public safety and violence prevention. Kim Potter, the former police officer charged with second-degree manslaughter in Wright's death, has a pretrial hearing today. [HuffPost]   LOOKING BACK AT 20 YEARS OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN The U.S. mission in Afghanistan was meant to be straightforward. The initial strike was quick. Yet American troops and their allies stayed in Afghanistan for another 20 years, even though president after president said it was time to leave. HuffPost spoke to veterans of the war, including non-Americans who supported the U.S. campaign. [HuffPost] THE BEST OF THE REST  Why families develop their own vocabulary -- a "familect." How hundreds of "Jeopardy!" contestants talked themselves into believing a baseless conspiracy theory. All 185 episodes of "The Office," ranked. We talked to people flying across the world to get the vaccine. Pipeline panic recalls perils of gas lines for past presidents. BEFORE YOU GO Damon Weaver, who interviewed President Obama when he was a kid, died at 23. Vanessa Bryant delivers Hall of Fame speech honoring Kobe. Yvette Lee Bowser is the genius behind our TV best friends. Keegan-Michael Key shares love affair with "SNL." How growing up with a mom in a secret lesbian relationship shaped my life. We're still waiting for the promise of Brown v. Board of Education to be fulfilled. Five types of headaches you should never ignore. This is your body on a hangover. Nutritionists reveal best and worst ingredients to add to your coffee. 21 things you need to become a dedicated plant parent. BBC's Martin Bashir resigns as report on Princess Diana interview looms. Ludacaris and Eudoxie Bridges are expecting a baby. Brace yourselves for the "Bridgerton" spinoff that was just announced. Finally, something all of us can relate to: Martha Stewart corrects "fake news" story that undercounted her peacocks. Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? — Subscribe here!   ©2021 HuffPost BuzzFeed, Inc 111 E 18th St, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost   Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe