Alan Hostetter, ex-police chief who brought hatchet to Capitol on Jan. 6, sentenced to 11 years in prison

BY SCOTT MACFARLANE

DECEMBER 7, 2023

A former California police chief who brought a hatchet to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for his role in the siege.

Alan Hostetter, who spewed conspiracy theories during his trial and again at his sentencing hearing Thursday, was found guilty of multiple felony charges, including conspiracy, in July. 

The Justice Department said Hostetter drove from his home state of California to Washington, D.C., before Jan. 6 instead of flying "so that he could load his car with weapons." Federal prosecutors said he met up with others on the morning of the attack and brought "tactical gear, a helmet, hatchets, knives, stun batons, pepper spray, and other gear for himself and others." He attended the rally at the White House Ellipse before walking to the Capitol, carrying a hatchet in his backpack, according to prosecutors.

He joined a group who pushed through a line of police officers guarding a lower terrace on the west side of the Capitol. Once on the upper level, Hostetter shouted, "The people have taken back their house. Hundreds of thousands of patriots showed up today to take back their government!"

In arguments Thursday, a Justice Department attorney recounted Hostetter's actions and said he was "a terrorist" on Jan. 6. The prosecutor cited Hostetter's comments in the days before the attack, in which he allegedly said, "Choke that city off. Fill it with patriots." He urged others to "put the fear of God into members of Congress."

Alan Hostetter speaks during a pro-Trump rally in Santa Ana, California, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020.PAUL BERSEBACH/MEDIANEWS GROUP/ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER VIA GETTY IMAGES

In a nearly hour-long statement asking for leniency, Hostetter claimed the 2020 election was "stolen" and unfurled a series of other baseless theories, including an assertion that Jan. 6 was a "false flag" operation orchestrated by the federal government. He alleged there were "crisis actors" amid the mob, claiming "hundreds, if not thousands" of people were part of an intentional "set-up" by the government meant to ensnare protesters.

Hostetter also referenced presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, who referred to Jan. 6 as an "inside job" at the Republican debate in Alabama on Wednesday. Hostetter said the comment is an indication that his beliefs are no longer "fringe" theories.

Judge Royce Lamberth, who found Hostetter guilty earlier this year, proceeded to hand down one of the longest sentences issued in any of the roughly 1,200 cases related to Jan. 6 that have been brought to date. In sentencing Hostetter to 135 months in prison, Lamberth said, "The First Amendment doesn't give anybody the right to obstruct, impede or carry weapons into restricted areas."

During his lengthy statement in court, Hostetter also referred to Ashli Babbitt, a member of the riotous mob who was fatally shot by police as she was climbing through a window just outside the House chamber, near trapped members of Congress. Hostetter said he doesn't believe Babbitt was actually killed and that the reports of her death are part of a "psyop."

Babbitt's mother was in the court watching Hostetter's hearing at the time. She told CBS News she was gravely offended by Hostetter's words, but disagrees with the length of the sentence issued, calling it excessive.

Hostetter will report to federal prison in early January, around the three-year mark of the Capitol siege. He said he will appeal his conviction.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alan-hostetter-sentenced-january-6-capitol-attack-11-years/

Informed Comment daily updates (12/08/2023)

 

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: How the Pats are helping presidential campaigns

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY WE’RE ONTO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL — The Patriots finally won a game. It’s (most likely) not going to save their season. New England is 3-10 heading into the last four games of the regular season. Still, there’s a silver lining to being one of the worst teams in the NFL besides a high draft pick. The worse the Pats play — last night excluded, props to Bailey Zappe and company for an electric first half — the more time presidential hopefuls have to shake every last hand in New Hampshire. Campaigning during Patriots games has long been verboten in the first primary state (and in Massachusetts, for that matter — though some of you politicians like to test the limits of our goodwill by holding canvass launches during kickoff). The three hours a week the boys march down the field in Foxboro or tangle with a rival on the road were instead time for calling donors or doing TV hits. But the team has shown so little spark this year that some of the people running to be the next president have decided — after some internal debate, according to the candidates and their campaigns — to change the playbook. Vivek Ramaswamy knocked on doors in Londonderry during last month’s game against the Giants. He was greeted at one house by a guy wearing a long-sleeve “Do Your Job” T-shirt, because what else would one wear when the Pats are playing. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) dropped in on businesses in Portsmouth during Sunday's Patriots-Chargers game. “Even with the season [the Pats] are having, their games play into our decision making — absolutely,” said Fred Doucette, senior adviser to Ramaswamy’s campaign in New Hampshire and a 24-year season-ticket holder. Katie Dolan of Phillips' campaign described it as a ”pro-con situation.” More people are likely to be home during games. But intercept them during a key play and risk losing their vote. Just ask the now-benched Mac Jones about that. Even New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who’s served as a campaign sherpa of sorts for many of the candidates trekking across his state, said it’s not totally taboo to hit the trail while the Pats are on the field — so long as you pick the right place. “I would never go to a grocery store. Like, sometimes you go to Market Basket, you sit outside and say hi to people. Well, no one goes to the grocery store during the game. You go right before the game,” Sununu told Playbook. “A good place to do it is if you’re going to go to a brewery.” Still, not everyone is ready to call an audible on game-day campaigning. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told Playbook he wouldn’t dare encroach on game time — unless he was stopping by a sports bar, as he did once during his 2016 campaign. “I always ask ‘when are the Patriots games?’” Christie said. “And we don’t do it.” True to his word, Christie wrapped up his last event in New Hampshire Thursday a full 50 minutes before kickoff. Zappe hour. | Matt Durisko/AP GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. We bet the powers that be are regretting punting the Pats from Monday Night Football. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey , Sen. Elizabeth Warren and state and federal officials tour the state’s new veterans’ home in Chelsea at 9:30 a.m. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins a roundtable with Amplify Latinx at 10 a.m. in Brighton. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu opens the new BHA police HQ at 10 a.m., speaks at a BPD ceremony at 11 a.m. and at a Haitian Adult Day Health Center celebration at 12:30 p.m. Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Ro Khanna participate in a panel on U.S.-China relations at 1:30 p.m. at Harvard. THIS WEEKEND — Warren is on WBZ's "Keller @ Large" at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Misinformation researcher Joan Donovan is on NBC10’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Tips? Scoops? Patriots takeaways? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com . DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Most sheriffs scored a $20,000 raise in Legislature’s overdue spending bill, their second in three years,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “For the second time in less than three years, the Massachusetts Legislature is giving hefty raises to the state’s county sheriffs, most of whom will see a nearly $20,000 increase that will push their salaries to $191,000 a year. State lawmakers folded raises for the state’s 14 elected sheriffs into the $3 billion spending bill they passed, and Governor Maura Healey signed." MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Mass. to close shelter in MBTA office building for homeless migrant families, shift ‘operations’ to Quincy,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “Governor Maura Healey’s administration said Thursday it is closing the overnight shelter site it set up inside the state’s transportation building in Boston for homeless and migrant families, ending a near three-week run of housing families in the government building. State officials said they will close the site at 10 Park Plaza on Friday, and ‘transition operations’ to a site at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy.” Healey said on WBUR that the number of new families seeking shelter is “actually going down.” The state is seeing about 25 new families each day, down from 35 to 40 families per day in the late summer, the Boston Herald reports . YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS CONSEQUENCES AT THE BALLOT BOX? — A state representative candidate in Cambridge says they’re running explicitly against the “shameful status quo” of State House “dysfunction.” Evan MacKay , a Harvard teaching fellow who describes themselves as a political progressive and who identifies as nonbinary, launched their campaign Thursday for the seat currently held by state Rep. Marjorie Decker, who told Playbook she’s seeking reelection. EXTRA SUPER TUESDAY — The House set a March 5 special election to fill the seat Peter Durant left open when he was sworn into the Senate last week, lining up the election with the state’s presidential primary. Two Republicans — Southbridge town councilor David Adams and Dudley Select Board member John Marsi — have already jumped in the race. Other candidates have until Dec. 26 to file with the secretary of state’s office ahead of the primary set for Feb. 6. MASS GOP EXTREMISTS are pounding their chests & endorsing DeSantis? DeSantis failed to regulate the environment, killing MANATEES and destroyed the EVERGLADES with agricultural runoff from SUGAR! POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DESANTISLAND — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis picked up another two backers in the Bay State after this week's debate: Republicans state Sen. Ryan Fattman and state Rep. Kelly Pease . Previously posted: The Massachusetts Senate Republican caucus has grown to four with the addition of Peter Durant (left). | Kelly Garrity/POLITICO MASS GOP are revelling in the recent election of PETER DURANT.... ADDED: "R" voters are consistently uninformed and fail to do their research before supporting an "R" candidate. PETER DURANT ENDORSED DESANTIS! MASS GOP statement: And the MassGOP’s ability to help Durant may be limited by its still-dire financial straits — even though a win in this race is exactly what the party needs to start turning its fortunes around. “If we didn’t have the debt, certainly we would be able to do more in this race,” Carnevale said. “But we certainly are confident in our chances.” PETER DURANT IS A CLOWN FOR ENDORSING DESANTIS, THE BOOK BANNER, RE-WRITES HISTORY, DON'T SAY GAY DIM WIT! That's before defining the ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION in FLORIDA or the numerous other issues...homeowners insurance? radioactive roads? DEAD MANATEES? POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DESANTISLAND — One of GOP state Rep. Peter Durant ’s first big actions as state senator-elect: endorsing Ron DeSantis for president, per the Florida governor's campaign. THIS IS THE CLOWN THAT PETER DURANT ENDORSED: NOTE: GREAT BARRINGTON DECLARATION is a DIRTY ENERGY KOCH funded think tank - it's a SCAM! Ron DeSantis' New Surgeon General Appeared in 'Demon Sperm' Doctor's COVID Conspiracy Video excerpt: One of the video's main speakers, Dr. Stella Immanuel, is a physician who operates a medical clinic in a Texas strip mall next to her church, Firepower Ministries. In the video, she called hydroxychloroquine a "cure" and said, "You don't need a mask" to prevent the virus' spread. Immanuel has claimed that ovarian cysts and endometriosis are caused by "demonic seed." Demons insert sperm into sleeping individuals when they have sex in their dreams, Immanuel claimed in articles on her church's website. Ladapo has also promoted the anti-parasite medication ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised against using ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. In October 2020, Ladapo signed the Great Barrington Declaration, a statement that called for developing societal herd immunity to COVID-19 through natural infection. DESANTISLAND — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis picked up another two backers in the Bay State after this week's debate: Republicans state Sen. Ryan Fattman and state Rep. Kelly Pease . — “Two networks announce GOP presidential debates just days apart at same New Hampshire school,” by Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press: “Two television networks on Thursday announced they would hold separate Republican presidential debates at the same location in New Hampshire just ahead of that state’s GOP primary next month, but officials at Saint Anselm College said they were only aware of one of the events. … According to a person familiar with the plans, the RNC’s Debates Committee is discussing releasing candidates from prohibitions on participating in debates not approved by the party, but that decision has not yet been made.” FROM THE HUB — “Homeless advocates question new jail lockup for people arrested near Mass. and Cass,” by Tori Bedford, GBH News: “A coalition of advocacy organizations working with the homeless population near Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue, or Mass. and Cass, are raising concerns that a new city arrangement to hold people arrested in the area at Nashua Street Jail may create ‘devastating health and mental health outcomes.’" — “TORCHED: A look back at the failed Boston 2024 Olympic bid and lessons learned since,” by Greg Ryan, Grant Welker and Hannah Green, Boston Business Journal. WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET TAKING ON NSC-131 — Attorney General Andrea Campbell is suing neo-Nazi group NSC-131 and two of its leaders, Christopher Hood and Liam McNeil , for alleged civil rights and other violations after members protested outside hotels housing migrant and homeless families and disrupted events organized by LGBTQ+ groups. Campbell’s office is trying to stop NSC-131 members from engaging in the activities it alleges are unlawful, and to make them pay damages. Read the complaint . ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — “As the left agonizes over Israel-Hamas cease-fire, New England’s progressive leaders stand apart,” by Jess Bidgood, The Boston Globe: “New England’s congressional delegation, stocked as it is with high-profile progressives, exemplifies the way the war in Gaza, where health officials say 16,000 people have been killed, has complicated the usual, easy-to-define ideological coalitions. Liberal activists who usually have few criticisms for the likes of [Sen. Bernie] Sanders or [Sen. Elizabeth Warren] have been frustrated by both, while it has been other members of the delegation, like Representative Ayanna Pressley of Boston, a Democrat, who have more directly embraced the activists’ calls.” — “‘Harvard hates Jews’: Group takes credit for hiring plane to fly over campus,” by Boston.com staff. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “‘Insane.’ T reports back-to-back worker safety incidents. Again,” by Daniel Kool and Taylor Dolven, The Boston Globe: “The T disclosed Thursday a pair of safety incidents — including a worker injury and a near-miss involving an electrified third rail — less than three months after a series of similar incidents led the agency to be rapped by federal officials.” — “Healey Pledges To Enforce Rezoning Mandate,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “Pledging to take enforcement 'very seriously,’ Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday that her team will not hesitate to block some state funding for cities and towns that fail to comply with mandatory zoning reforms." DATELINE D.C. — “Pittsfield native Jeannine Ryder's nomination to major general in the Air Force was on hold for months. The Senate finally approved it,” by Matt Martinez, The Berkshire Eagle: “It was March 6 when Brig. Gen. Jeannine Ryder, a Pittsfield native, was nominated for a promotion to major general in the U.S. Air Force. That promotion was formally approved by the Senate on Tuesday — nearly nine months later. Ryder was among the more than 400 nominations that had been held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville.” HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH SPOTTED — on Lisa’s flight back to Boston from Washington, D.C., Thursday: Reps. Seth Moulton and Lori Trahan . TRANSITIONS — Alyssa Ring is joining Tremont Strategies Group as director of federal government affairs. She most recently was at MassDOT. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Scott Ferson , founder of Liberty Square Group, Jeremy D’Aloisio of Sen. Ed Markey’s office, Margaret Geller , Sophia Narrett and Honey Sharp (h/t son Daniel Lippman). HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to The Boston Globe’s James Pindell and Brian Muldoon , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Jessica Enes, Susan Milligan and Jasper Craven . NEW HORSE RACE ALERT:  LONG DARK NIGHT OF THE POLLS —  MassINC Polling Group’s Rich Parr joins hosts Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela for a polling extravaganza. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and SoundCloud . Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Nightly: Biden’s big trade bind

 

BY GAVIN BADE President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after a meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' week in Woodside, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2023. | Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images THE CHINA TRAP — The trade politics of 2024 started to take shape this week — and they will be rough for President Joe Biden and the Democrats to navigate. On Monday, POLITICO reported that the House Select Committee on China is likely to recommend revoking China’s normal trade status , which the U.S. granted in 2000 in exchange for Beijing agreeing to make reforms to join the World Trade Organization. Revoking Permanent Normal Trade Relations — or PNTR, as it’s known in Washington — would be a veritable sea change for the U.S.-China relationship, meaning significantly higher tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of imports. And it would be an earth-shaking event for the entire global economy, breaking international trade rules and undermining the world economic system set up after the last Cold War. Don’t get too anxious yet: the recommendation itself won’t mean a bill will hit the congressional floor immediately. But bipartisan endorsement of a formerly fringe policy position from the high-profile committee shows how quickly the idea has moved into the mainstream — and just in time for election season. Revoking China’s trade status was the position of lonely cranks as recently as a few years back. Even former President Donald Trump didn’t go so far as to push for its repeal during his time in office. But now Trump has upped the ante, endorsing the policy in a Truth Social video back in February. And his trade chief, Robert Lighthizer, also pushed lawmakers on the Select Committee hard this year to recommend revoking the trade status. A number of lawmakers have introduced revocation bills, and some senior trade legislators like outgoing Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer have said they consider their votes to grant China normal trade status a mistake. Behind the scenes, Trump allies are trying to set a trap for Biden — pressing Republican lawmakers to bring a bill to repeal China’s trade status to the floor next year, confident it will at least pass the GOP-controlled House. That would put the president and Senate Democrats in a bind. Oppose revoking China’s trade status, and Democrats risk being painted as soft on Beijing and allies of globalization across midwestern swing states where tariffs are largely popular and sentiment toward China is decidedly negative. That’s a risk not just to Biden, but his party’s narrow control of the Senate, where Democrats are defending seats in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan — all Rust Belt states that swung to Trump in 2016 on the back of his anti-trade rhetoric. “That’s what I’ve been telling people — make them vote!” said one of the Trump allies pressing lawmakers, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter. “If you have to sit down and say ‘I’m on China’s side’ and then you have to spend your career defending that, it’s not easy.” The other option is not much better for Democrats. If they endorse repealing China’s trade status, they risk triggering higher inflation with tariffs and stock market volatility as Wall Street reacts to the move — exactly the type of economic upheavals you don’t want when you’re running on “Bidenomics.” Already, there are signs that swing state Democrats are worried. Brown and Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, both of whom face competitive reelection campaigns next year, refused to take a position on repealing China’s trade status this week — even though they both opposed granting it decades ago when they were in the House. “There’s a difference between blocking it in the first place and then peeling it back many, many years after it was granted,” said Baldwin. Other senior Democrats, like Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (also facing reelection) took similar wait-and-see positions. They’ll have to get their ducks in a row quickly. While the actual words “permanent normal trade relations” aren’t likely to pass Trump’s lips on the trail, those close to his campaign say he is sure to make higher tariffs on China a central plank in his economic platform for the heartland next year. “Almost certainly you’ll see [rhetoric that] we’ve got to get higher tariffs on China, [and] stop them from stealing our stuff,” said the Trump official. “We began that process in the first term, we’re going to do it again.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at gbade@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @GavinBade .   Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of new episodes – click here .     WHAT'D I MISS? — Legal weed takes effect in Ohio as lawmakers scramble to change voter-passed law: Ohio is officially the 24th state to have legal, adult-use marijuana . Provisions of a voter-approved legalization law took effect at midnight, including legal possession and home cultivation for anyone at least 21 years old. But Ohio lawmakers are rushing to pass legislation to make changes to the initiative. On Wednesday, the Senate passed legislation to alter potency caps, taxation, home cultivation, and social equity and expungement provisions. The Senate proposal would also speed up legal sales by allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to start serving recreational customers immediately. — House Education committee to launch probe into Harvard, MIT and Penn over antisemitism: The House Education and the Workforce Committee announced it will be investigating Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania after their institutions’ leaders failed to sufficiently condemn student protests calling for “Jewish genocide.” “After this week’s pathetic and morally bankrupt testimony by university presidents when answering my questions, the Education and Workforce Committee is launching an official Congressional investigation with the full force of subpoena power into Penn, MIT, & Harvard and others,” Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the fourth-ranking House Republican, said in a statement. — House GOP takes major step toward formalizing Biden impeachment inquiry: Republicans today released the text of the resolution that would formally approve their months-long investigation largely focused on the business deals of the president’s family members. Republicans expect a floor vote on the resolution next week, with the Rules Committee slated to vote to advance it on Tuesday. Unlike a few months ago, centrist Republicans are mostly on board this time around, arguing the vote is necessary for legal reasons as the White House resists certain requests and subpoenas. But a significant faction of GOP lawmakers still don’t support a formal recommendation to remove Biden from office, with the conference’s right flank hoping to make a call early next year on whether to move forward with impeachment articles. NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 SOFT ON TRUMP — Donald Trump has gotten kid glove treatment from his Republican opponents throughout a crucial stretch of the primary season — and the numbers prove it. A POLITICO analysis of the four GOP debates reveals a surprising pattern: With each debate, the candidates have been more and more inclined to go after each other instead of Trump , the far-and-away leader in the polls. The trend continued on Wednesday night, when only Chris Christie, the lowest-polling contender to make the debate stage, mounted sustained attacks on the former president. NEXT DEBATES — CNN announced today it will host Republican presidential candidate debates before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary next month — throwing a wrench into a process that thus far has been managed exclusively by the Republican National Committee. The respective debates, set for Jan. 10 in Des Moines and Jan. 21 just outside Manchester, aren’t sanctioned by the RNC, which has organized the first four debates, including Wednesday night’s broadcast in Alabama. PARTY CRASHER — The Michigan Republican Party is reportedly on the “brink of bankruptcy” under the leadership of Chair Kristina Karamo , according to a draft report obtained by MLive and Detroit News. “In only a matter of a few months, the party is essentially non-functional and, worse yet, the party and others associated with the party are now facing potential civil and criminal consequences for breaking laws,” the report says. AROUND THE WORLD Israeli army soldiers patrol an undisclosed area in northern Israel bordering Lebanon on October 15, 2023. | Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images JOURNALIST KILLED — News agency Reuters today said the Israel Defense Forces killed one of its journalists in Lebanon in October . In a detailed and wide-ranging investigation, Reuters said an Israeli tank crew fired two shells in quick succession from Israel into Lebanon while the journalists were filming cross-border shelling. Israel’s barrage killed Issam Abdallah and injured several other journalists. “The two strikes killed Reuters visuals journalist Issam Abdallah, 37, and severely wounded Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi, 28, just over half a mile from the Israeli border near the Lebanese village of Alma al-Chaab,” according to Reuters’ investigation. Human rights group Amnesty International said the Israeli strikes on the journalists were deliberate and must be investigated as a war crime. “Amnesty International verified over 100 videos and photographs, analyzed weapons fragments from the site, and interviewed nine witnesses,” said the watchdog in a statement. “The findings indicate that the group was visibly identifiable as journalists and that the Israeli military knew or should have known that they were civilians yet attacked them anyway in two separate strikes 37 seconds apart.” In response, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said “we do not target civilians” and added “we’ve been doing everything possible to get civilians out of harm’s way,” Reuters reported.   GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK : Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW .     NIGHTLY NUMBER $68 billion The size of California’s budget deficit after months of unexpectedly low tax revenues, a shortfall that could prompt the state’s deepest spending cuts since the Great Recession. The latest deficit figure — calculated by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office and released today — far exceeds the $14.3 billion estimate from June. RADAR SWEEP I’LL TEACH YOU THE ELECTRIC RIDE — More and more people are swapping their gas-powered cars for electric ones, but today’s EV revolution can be traced back to buses in China . The country started an electric fleet of buses in the 2010s that many countries dream of emulating today, especially to reduce air pollution. When China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, other countries, such as the U.S. and Japan, dominated the international automobile industry. To stay competitive, China put their focus on a different type of vehicle — electric, as opposed to conventional engines. Buses proved to be the perfect test agent — their fixed routes made timed charging easy — which started China’s electric bus fleet. In this story for BBC Future, Xiaoying You dives into how the growing global EV trend all started with China’s electric bus fleet and how they continue to define the future of the EV world. PARTING IMAGE On this date in 1941: The Imperial Japanese Navy Service attacks Pearl Harbor, leading to the United States entering WWII the next day. Pictured is smoke rolling out of the stricken USS West Virginia and a small boat rescuing a crew member from the water. | AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   FOLLOW US

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