The Morning Dispatch: The Groundhog Day Party

Happy Wednesday! Congratulations to Guy Fieri, who just signed a contract extension with the Food Network that will pay him $80 million over the next three years. The Dispatch was willing to go to $85 million, but we respect Fieri’s brand loyalty.

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his first official Middle East trip as part of the Biden administration, said Tuesday that the U.S. will make “significant contributions” toward the rebuilding of Gaza, which suffered substantial damage from Israeli airstrikes in the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. Blinken made the remarks in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the U.S. would “work to ensure that Hamas does not benefit” from the aid.

  • A CDC study published yesterday found that, among the approximately 101 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 30, just 706—0.0007 percent—were reported to have been hospitalized due to “breakthrough infections” of the virus. The report noted, however, that “the national surveillance system relies on passive and voluntary reporting, and data might not be complete or representative.”

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill this week intended to significantly curtail social media companies’ discretion to moderate content on their sites. The new law prohibits platforms from banning Florida political candidates and gives Florida residents a new legal pathway to sue companies that “deplatform” them. It is expected to face immediate court challenges. 

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