The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1:

• On Thursday, a coalition led by the United States—which included the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain—launched targeted military strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. According to reports, the U.S. hit over sixty targets using precision guided missiles, including some launched from submarines. The strike was in response to persistent attacks against U.S. personnel and shipping vessels in the Red Sea which have negatively impacted international shipping. But did President Joe Biden constitutionally have the authority to unilaterally authorize these strikes? Or did this infringe upon Congress’ authority?
• In a statement following a U.S.-led strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen, President Joe Biden explained recent attacks by the Iranian-backed militia group have “endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners and our partners, jeopardized trade and threatened freedom of navigation. More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea—which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on Jan. 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date—directly targeting American ships.” You can read the President’s full statement here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/11/us/politics/biden-statement-strikes-yemen-houthis.html
• In a recent email, the Chief Diversity Officer at Johns Hopkins University offered a bizarre new definition of “privilege” which included anyone white, able-bodied, heterosexual, cisgender, Christians, the middle-aged, and English-speaking—as well as several other characteristics. Leadership at Johns Hopkins quickly condemned the regrettable incident in a statement, explaining: the aforementioned definition of privilege “runs counter to the values of our institution, and our mission and commitment to serve everyone equally.”
• Rich underwent a dental procedure earlier today and, unfortunately, the Novocain he received didn’t wear off before the show began. Listeners on Twitter have a field day mocking him!