Thursday morning news: November 16, 2023

Biden-Xi » Chinese leader Xi Jinping says “Planet Earth is big enough for [both the U.S. and China] to succeed.”

During his meeting with President Biden in California on Wednesday, through an interpreter, he told Biden …

XI (interpreter): China-U.S. relationship has never been smooth sailing over the past 50 years or more, and it always faces problems of one kind or another. Yet it has kept moving forward amid twists and turns. 

A decidedly warmer tone to go along with a warm handshake as the two leaders greeted each other on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific economic conference in San Francisco.

The meeting was aimed at tackling a range of issues, military tensions, trade, drug trafficking, and more.

It was not expected to yield any major breakthroughs, but President Biden said they made “real progress” during their talk. He told the Chinese leader …

BIDEN: We haven't always agreed, but our meetings have always been candid, straightforward and useful. I've never doubted what you've told me in terms of the candid nature in which you speak.

But while Xi struck a friendly tone in San Francisco, to the domestic audience in China … Beijing continues to blame the U.S. for the rift. The state-run news outlet said Washington must “establish correct views” of China and trade its “zero-sum” mentality for cooperation.

Israel hospital » In Gaza City, Israeli Defense Forces have reportedly withdrawn from the Shifa hospital. The IDF raided the facility on Tuesday believing Hamas militants have used the hospital — and tunnels underneath it — as a base of operations.

U.S. intelligence concurs. And National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said for that reason, Israeli troops had good cause to enter the hospital …

KIRBY: But again, this means they have an added burden there, because it is a hospital, because there are real patients, and real doctors, and real nurses that have nothing to do with this fight that need to be protected as much as possible.

UN officials condemned Israel’s hospital raid. But the Israeli military said it was carrying out a—quote—“precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the hospital.” And it said soldiers brought with them medical teams … and medical supplies.

Terror threats testimony » Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is sounding alarms on Capitol Hill. He warned members of the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday that authorities are at risk of losing vital defenses against terrorist attacks.

Mayorkas says a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire at the end of December unless Congress extends it.

MAYORKAS: Expiration would leave our country vulnerable to attacks supported by American citizens and it would cripple our ability to identify and secure American citizens who are the targets of such attacks.

The law allows intelligence agencies to, without a warrant, eavesdrop on the communications of foreign suspects overseas. But Americans could also be surveilled if they’re in contact with the targeted foreigners.

That has some lawmakers worried about reauthorizing those powers … particularly with wrongdoing uncovered within the Justice Department in recent years.

GOP criticism over CR » House Speaker Mike Johnson’s honeymoon phase was short-lived, at least with some Republican members.

Texas Congressman Chip Roy ripped into the speaker on the House floor Wednesday.

ROY: I didn’t come here for more excuses. I didn’t come here to have the speaker of the House in 17 days pass a continuing resolution through suspension of the rules. $400 billion dollars. Is $34 trillion dollars of debt not enough?

Johnson relied on Democratic votes this week to pass a funding bill to avert a government shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline. More than 90 Republicans voted against the bill largely because it did not address deficit spending.

,Speaker Johnson defended the move saying, “We’re not surrendering, but you have to choose the fights you can win.”

Senators Meta » Meanwhile, in the upper chamber, senators once again have the parent company of Facebook and Instagram under the microscope. WORLD’s Christina Grube reports.

CHRISTINA GRUBE: A bipartisan group of senators penned a letter this week calling on Meta to release its internal research on the risks that its platforms pose to the mental and physical health of users, especially children.

Six senators–including Republican Linsey Graham and Democrat Elizbeth Warren— accuse Meta of hiding that safety information.

Their demand comes a week after a former Facebook executive testified to lawmakers that other executives knew of the risks Meta platforms pose to minors.

Dozens of states are also taking action against Meta. They filed a joint lawsuit last month, accusing Facebook and Instagram of knowingly using addictive features to hook young users.

For WORLD, I’m Christina Grube.

North Korea solid fuel missiles engines » North Korea said Wednesday that it has tested new solid fuel engines designed for medium-range ballistic missiles. Those missiles could target U.S. military bases as far away as Guam and Japan.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart this week signed an updated security agreement to counter the growing threat from North Korea, also known as the DPRK and the People’s Republic of China.

Austin told reporters:

AUSTIN: We discussed continued destabilizing actions by the DPRK that threaten our regional security environment, as PRC and Russian activities that undermine a rules-based international order.

The U.S. government believes Moscow may be providing military technology to Pyongyang in exchange for ammunition for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Haiti hospital » Police in Haiti have reportedly rescued hundreds of hostages inside of a hospital after armed gang members stormed the facility. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: Heavy armed gunmen took control of the hospital in the capital of Port-au-Prince Wednesday.

The hospital director took to social media a short time later begging for help. He said the gunmen took hundreds of people hostage, though that number has not been independently confirmed.

He later reported that police had rescued the hostages. The motive for the hospital siege is still unclear. Haiti has been overrun with gang violence in recent years.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: The battle over age limits on transgender procedures levels up in Tennessee. Plus, special needs sports.

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