The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3:

• On Monday, President Joe Biden met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House. During a joint press conference, President Biden announced “the United States is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas which would bring an immediate and sustained period of calm into Gaza for at least 6 weeks.”
• During a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called on all NATO members to pay 2% of their annual gross domestic product in joint defense. Currently, 20 of the 31 alliance members meet the threshold they’ve pledged to contribute. Trump said: “one of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘well sir, if we don’t pay and we are attacked by Russia will you protect us?’ I said, ‘you didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?...no, I would not protect you.’” In response, Democrats have claimed that Trump is a threat to European allies, claiming if elected he will have the United States leave NATO. However, as Annie Linskey, Aaron Zitner, and Alex Leary of The Wall Street Journal note, “last year, Congress included an amendment offered by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Marco Rubio (R-FL), in the annual defense-policy bill that requires the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of Congress before any president could ‘suspend, terminate, or withdraw’ U.S. membership in NATO. The language sets a high threshold—two-thirds of all senators—to approve a withdrawal and bars any funding from being used to support such a move by any government official. It became law when Biden signed the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act in late December.” You can read the Wall Street Journal article here: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/nato-leader-blasts-trumps-suggestion-he-would-encourage-russian-invasion-of-u-s-allies-3eb96a10?mod=hp_lead_pos9
• Did Joe Biden just call Rihanna the Queen of Jordan?
• In the most bizarre story you’ll read all day, Naomi Nix of The Washington Post writes: “As virtual reality programs are booming, so are reports of attacks, harassment and sexual assault. Some activists argue these incidents should be treated as serious—even criminal—acts. And authorities are starting to pay attention.” You can find the full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/04/metaverse-sexual-assault-prosecution/
• Hank Berrien of The Daily Wire writes: “A woman carrying an AR-15 that had ‘Free Palestine’ written on it started shooting at the megachurch of celebrity pastor Joel Osteen in Houston on Sunday, injuring one man before she was shot and killed by two off-duty officers working as security, police said… A federal law enforcement source said that the shooter used an AR-15 that had ‘Free Palestine’ written on it, CNN reports. Questions have emerged regarding the gender-identity of the shooter, who according to arrest records had also identified as a man named ‘Jeffrey’ in recent years.” You can read more about the story here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-carrying-ar-15-emblazoned-with-free-palestine-shoots-up-joel-osteens-megachurch
• Jess Bravin and C. Ryan Barber write: “Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to pause a recent ruling that denied him blanket immunity for alleged crimes he committed as president, a move that could further delay proceedings on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results. Two lower courts have rejected Trump’s immunity claim, in which his lawyers asserted that exposing him to criminal trial would force future presidents to worry about prosecution for their official actions, hamstringing their resolve to take bold measures in the public interest.” You can read the full report here: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/donald-trump-supreme-court-appeal-immunity-daddb7b2?mod=hp_lead_pos1