Pics du jour

🏛️ Former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration as Trump’s AG. Gaetz has come under fire in recent weeks, as the House Ethics Committee prepared to release a report on its long-running investigation into allegations that Gaetz had sex with a minor and used illicit drugs while he was in office. The committee is currently divided on whether to publish the report, since Gaetz is no longer under its jurisdiction. In a social media post announcing his withdrawal, Gaetz said the prospect of his confirmation as Trump’s attorney general – which received pushback from some GOP senators – was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” Last night, Trump named former Florida AG Pam Bondi to replace Gaetz as his nominee for US attorney general.

🍌 Grocery inflation is really getting out of hand. A single banana duct-taped to a wall – a piece of…artwork titled “Comedian” – officially sold for $6.2 million at auction on Wednesday, according to Sotheby’s. The artwork was purchased by crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, who says he plans to eat his investment “in the coming days.” That won’t affect its value, however, as Sun technically didn’t purchase the banana – but rather a certificate of authenticity allowing him to reproduce “Comedian” and call it an original work of Italian artist and satirist Maurizio Cattelan.

🇮🇱🧑‍⚖️ The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. The warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif all cite war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection to the 13-month Israeli-Hamas war. The ICC accused Netanyahu and Gallant of “causing extermination,” using starvation as a method of war, and deliberately targeting civilians. The court also charged Deif – whom Israel claims to have recently killed – with involvement in murder, rape, torture, and the taking of Israeli hostages. The defendants are now at risk of arrest when traveling abroad, though the warrants’ practical implications are limited since Israel isn’t a part of the ICC (along with the US).