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understanding (MoU), amid increasing threats from Iran.
Middle Eastern countries are understanding that the U.S. now has its interests elsewhere and that they must work together against Iran.
After signing the MoU, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, “We must strengthen the ‘moderate camp,’ and there is such a thing. Our formal relations allow us to come in and work together against shared threats. We are only in our first year of the Abraham Accords; in the coming decade, there will be significant developments.”
Speaking to reporters, Gantz noted, “This is the first time that a defense minister is coming for an official visit openly, and the truth is that they are the ones doing this in a significant, high-profile way. We signed a security cooperation agreement, which is another milestone in the hugely important process of the Abraham Accords, which we have been ushering through for more than a year.
“I want to thank the king for the hospitality and the courageous decision to hold the visit publicly. This decision to go openly is a significant decision. It is a step that has been ripening for a long time. There have been relationships between the [two countries’] defense establishments for many years, and it is a historic moment to make them official, formal and public.”
He added, “Bahrain stands on its own as a country that we want and need to develop a relationship with, in all aspects, civilian and military. Formalizing our cooperation allows us to create forums and workgroups that will provide an answer for the operational needs of the two countries. Bahrain isn’t the ‘annex’ of any country — the connection with it is important and significant.
“From now on there will be increased talks and presence in terms of cooperation and defense industries here, and we will find solutions and assist, which will be appropriate for the Bahrainis’ security needs. This is precisely the point of this agreement — that we can sit together, create workgroups and find concrete solutions.”
Israel has normalized relations with several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Morocco. During Gantz’s trip to Bahrain, he met with the country’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Defense Minister Abdullah Bin Hassan Al Nuaimi.
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Gali Baharav-Miara is now the attorney general of Israel. The 62-yearold former Tel Aviv district attorney for civil affairs took her post on Tuesday, following unanimous cabinet confirmation of her appointment. She is the first woman to take up the top justice role.
Outgoing attorney general Avichai Mandelblit stepped down upon completion of his six-year term on January 31, and State Attorney Amit Aisman had been filling in.
Baharav-Miara enters office amid spiking confusion and outrage over alleged illicit police use of spyware against both suspects and non-suspects, including persons of interest in the trial of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a decline in public trust in the justice system.
“I intend to put the issue of public trust in the legal system at the top of my priorities,” she said at a welcoming ceremony in Jerusalem. “In recent days, there has been a worrying decline in public confidence in public legal advice and law enforcement systems… Various reasons for this come to mind, including the impact of external events and attacks on the judiciary and law enforcement. But it is wrong to attribute the decline in public confidence in the attorney general solely to external parties.”
Commenting on the spyware allegations, Baharav-Miara said that “naturally, one of the first issues I will address is the allegations about the measures used by the Israel Police.”
Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar was the force behind Baharav-Miara’s appointment.
Sa’ar has expressed his intention to split the role of the attorney general, who currently serves as both legal adviser to the government and as the state’s chief prosecutor, meaning the same person can be tasked both with overseeing the prosecution of members of the government and with defending their moves — a situation some argue creates a conflict of interest. Mandelblit had opposed such a split, but Baharav-Miara is reportedly amenable to it.
In his remarks, the justice minister described the role of the attorney general as “the most difficult and challenging in the public service.”
He wished Baharav-Miara success, calling her a “consummate professional” with decades of experience in public legal service, and in particular representing the state in the courts.
The new attorney general will have several high-profile cases to deal with. These include the whereabouts of state gifts given to Benjamin Netanyahu that the former premier was ordered to return, a gift of $20,000 that an Australian billionaire gave to ex-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, and the alleged harassment of state’s witness Shlomo Filber by two Netanyahu aides.
She will also have to determine whether and how to proceed with negotiations on a plea bargain for Netanyahu, who is on trial in three graft cases and whose lawyers negotiated with Mandelblit, reportedly coming close to a deal, in recent weeks.
Spirit and Frontier to Merge
Low-cost U.S. carriers Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines announced plans on Monday to merge, in a move which would create the fifth-largest U.S. airline by revenue passenger miles.
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The deal is valued at over $6 billion and would leave Spirit controlling 48.5% of the combined airline and Frontier controlling 51.5%.
The two airlines together offer over 1,000 daily flights to over 145 destinations in 19 countries.
In a joint statement, the airlines said, “Together, Frontier and Spirit expect to change the industry for the benefit of consumers, bringing more ultra-low fares to more travelers in more destinations across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, including major cities as well as underserved communities.”
They added that they expect the merge to allow them to add another 10,000 jobs by 2026, without the need for layoffs, as well as create $1 billion in annual savings for customers.
William A. Franke, chair of Frontier’s board, will serve as the chairman of the combined company. Announcing the merge, he said, “We worked jointly with the Board of Directors and senior management team across both carriers to arrive at a combination of two complementary businesses that together will create America’s most competitive ultra-low fare airline for the benefit of consumers.”
Some States to End School Mask Mandates
the end of their states’ school mask mandates.
On Monday, New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy announced that the mask mandate for schools and childcare settings will end n March 7, in light of the increased vaccination rate and drop in Covid-19 cases in the Garden City, as well as the perceived mildness of the Omicron variant.
He emphasized, however, that “masking continues to be an important tool to prevent the spread of Covid,” and individual school district leaders will have the authority to enforce or maintain mask mandates, “should community conditions require.”
Delaware’s Governor John Carney said his state’s universal indoor mask mandate will end on February 11, while school mask mandates will end on March 31.
Carney explained, “We’re in a much better place than we were several weeks ago in the middle of the Omicron surge of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations.”
He added, “I want to be clear about this point – Covid is still circulating in our communities. And the virus still poses a risk of serious illness, particularly among those who are not up to date on their vaccinations. But we have the tools to keep ourselves and each other safe.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 73% of people in New Jersey and 67% of people in Delaware are fully vaccinated.
Cruise Ships Seized for Millions in Unpaid Bills
have been seized by authorities.
On Friday night, authorities boarded the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity near Freeport, Bahamas, in relation to a U.S. warrant for unpaid fuel bills of at least $4.6 million.
Crew members were escorted off the ship and released. No passengers were on board at the time of the seizure.
A federal judge issued the warrant for the Crystal Symphony on January 20, authorizing U.S. Marshals to board the vessel and take charge once it approaches the U.S. coastline. U.S. Marshals do not have jurisdiction in the Bahamas. It was Bahamian authorities that took over the ships last week.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kongbased cruise company said it would suspend operations through late April in order to “provide Crystal’s management team with an opportunity to evaluate the current state of business and examine various options moving forward.”
Biden Talks Crime in NYC
U.S. President Joe Biden last week called for additional funding for law enforcement and anti-violence programs during a trip to New York City.
NYC’s Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Merrick Garland joined Biden as he stopped by police headquarters in lower Manhattan.
Speaking at the NYPD headquarters, Biden said, “Mayor Adams, you and I agree: The answer is not to abandon our streets. The answer is not to defund the police. It’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors.”
Meanwhile, Biden has asked Congress for $300 million for local police departments and $200 million for community-based violence intervention programs.
Adams said, “The President is here because he knows what the American people want: justice, safety and prosperity. And they deserve every bit of it. And he wants to end gun violence in our city and in our country. That’s what New Yorkers want too. That’s what I campaigned on, and that’s why you elected me as mayor of the City of New York.”
Biden called to repeal gun manufacturers’ protections against legal liability and announced plans by the Department of Justice to launch a program which would train prosecutors to bring cases against people who use homemade or makeshift firearms that lack serial numbers to commit crimes.
Electoral Count Act May Pass
West Virginian Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and Alaskan Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski on Sunday expressed optimism about their attempt to reform the Electoral Count Act.
“I think absolutely it’ll pass,” Manchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
He added, “Now, there will be some people saying it’s not enough. There will be some people saying it’s more than what we should do or we don’t need it. And what we’ll do is try to bring them all together and say, ‘Listen, this is what we should do because this is what caused the problem. And it’s what we can do. So let’s do that.’”
The Act was intended to provide Congress with a process by which to certify Electoral College votes submitted by the states.
According to Murkowski, the reform aims to find common ground among both parties’ senators.
“I kind of have said, we’re going to take the Goldilocks approach here,” she said. “We’re gonna try to find what’s just right. And it’s not going to be just right for everybody, but will it be a step ahead? Will it be
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She added that the staff working on the Act is also examining the Help America Vote Act and the Electoral Commissions Act.
“We want to make sure that ... if you’re going to be an election worker, if you’re going to be there at the polling booth, you don’t feel intimidated or threatened or harassed,” she explained. “We are sitting down I think, again, as members in good faith to ensure that election integrity across all 50 states moves forward in a positive way.”
Navy SEAL Candidate Dies in Training
One Navy SEAL candidate died and a second has been hospitalized after becoming ill just hours after successfully completing the grueling initial training known as “Hell Week.”
Both sailors were quickly evacuated to local hospitals hours after they began showing signs of being ill.
On Sunday, the Navy identified the deceased SEAL candidate as Seaman Kyle Mullen, 24, of Manalapan, New Jersey, who was assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command in San Diego, California.
In a statement, Rear Adm. H.W. Howard III, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, said, “We extend our deepest sympathies to Seaman Mullen’s family for their loss.”
The cause of Mullen’s death is still being investigated.
The name of the hospitalized SEAL candidate was not released, but the individual is in stable condition, officials said.
A statement from the Navy’s Special Warfare Command said, “Two SEAL candidates, assigned to Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command, were taken to the hospital on February 4 several hours after their Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) class successfully completed Hell Week, part of the first phase of the Navy SEAL assessment and selection pathway.”
The Navy statement added, “Both Sailors were not actively training when they reported symptoms and were transported to receive emergency care.”
According to NBC News, “about one in five” individuals who take part in the “Hell Week” training are able to make it through to completion. The course produces around 200 to 250 SEALs each year.
“The defining event” of training for the elite Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) class.
It takes place in the third week of first phase of training, and consists of five and a half days of “cold, wet, brutally difficult operational training” on fewer than four hours of sleep, according to the official website of the Navy SEALs.
SEAL candidates are made to perform tasks such as running, swimming, paddling, carrying boats on their heads, doing log PT, situps, push-ups, rolling in the sand, slogging through mud, paddling boats, and doing surf passage – all on little sleep.
How Kirkland Came to Be
Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand brought in $58 billion in sales during Costco’s latest fiscal year, representing a quarter of the company’s total revenue.
The brand is the U.S.’s largest consumer packaged goods brand measured by sales.
The brand was born about 30 years ago. At the time, there were around 30 different Costco house brands, but Costco’s co-founder and then-CEO Jim Sinegal realized they were easily forgotten and went for an overhaul, inspired by a 1991 Forbes article.
That article said that consumers are “starting to switch to house brands.... The trend so far is only a trickle, but it shows signs of growing fairly rapidly.”
At a 2019 talk in Georgetown University, Sinegal explained, “We found that there was a resurgence of private-label product and that was driven an awful lot by the fact that the prices of brand-name products were growing so rapidly.” As the big names rose in price, Costco developed its own brands at 15-20% below the name brands.
“The conventional wisdom said that you had to have a different name for every class of product that you had — a la Sears Roebuck with the Kenmore appliances and the DieHard batteries and the Craftsman tools,” he said in 2019. “We looked at it and we said, you know, we’re in so many countries and we have such a wide array of products we’ll have a room full of attorneys that are doing nothing but trying to clear these names.”
When he asked for suggestions for names, someone offered “Kirkland Signature,” a spinoff of the company’s Washington State headquarters.
“We liked it. We cleared it for every country and every product category that we would have. That made it simple,” Sinegal explained.
In 1995, the new brand replaced all of the smaller Costco brand names. And when Costco moved its headquarters to nearby Issaquah, it kept “Kirkland” as its name.
“Nobody could spell Issaquah, so we kept it,” Sinegal noted.
Kirkland is exclusive to Costco, and analysts believe it helps Costco solidify its image as a value store with quality products.
According to Costco’s annual filings, “Maintaining consistent product quality, competitive pricing, and availability” is “essential” to keeping members loyal to Costco, since if Kirkland “experiences a loss of member acceptance or confidence,” that may harm sales and profit margins.
WH Scientist Bullied Subordinates
Eric Lander, top science adviser to the White House, resigned on Monday, admitting to President Joe Biden in his letter of resignation that
