Daily Kickoff
Good Monday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to Jewish staffers on Capitol Hill about the atmosphere in Washington in the wake of Oct. 7, and report on the newly created civil commission to address sexual violence during the Hamas terror attacks. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Maayan Zin, Gershon Baskin and Enes Kanter Freedom.
“Israel and Hamas reach tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause conflict, free dozens of hostages.”
That was the headline of a Washington Post story published on Saturday evening that in the hours after its publication was circulated widely, reaching millions of internet users.
It was also not true. Shortly after publication, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson denied the report, saying that the parties “have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal.”
The Washington Post’s original tweet was deleted, and the headline has been changed to “U.S. close to deal with Israel and Hamas to pause conflict, free some hostages.” A correction was attached to the top of the story, admitting that the earlier version, which was also sent out in a push alert, had “incorrectly characterized The Post’s reporting about the status of negotiations.”
The rush by media outlets to be first — rather than factual — has sowed deep distrust in media reporting from Israel and Gaza in the weeks since the Oct. 7 terror attacks. The broad circulation of the incorrect Washington Post report underscored the degree to which, as Mark Twain said, “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
The ways in which misinformation can travel at lightning pace could also be seen in the reactions to a report about the Nova rave attack by Israeli news outlet Haaretz on Saturday, which said that “an IDF combat helicopter that arrived to the scene and fired at terrorists there apparently also hit some festival participants.” The Haaretz report was widely disseminated on X, formerly Twitter, and other social media, and some used it to support a conspiracy theory spread in recent weeks that the Oct. 7 Hamas attack was a false flag, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.
That conspiracy spread to the Palestinian Authority, whose Foreign Ministry on Sunday issued a statement claiming that Israel, not Hamas, was responsible for the massacre of 364 partygoers at the Nova rave, despite a clarification from Israeli Police that its report “does not provide any indication of civilian casualties as a result of Israeli aerial operations in the area.” The helicopter cited in the Haaretz report arrived after 11 a.m., hours after the massacre began, the police statement clarified.
The PA’s statement was sent to foreign ministries around the world and the United Nations, citing a “police investigation published in Israeli media” that the Foreign Ministry said “proved that Israeli helicopters bombed Israeli citizens who participated in the music festival on October 7, meaning that Israeli fighter jets caused extensive destruction in the area.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also claimed that Israel activated the “Hannibal Protocol…allowing the occupation’s police and military to kill everyone.” The “Hannibal Protocol” is a controversial IDF order, canceled in 2016, allowing soldiers to use any means necessary to prevent a soldier from being captured.
“Therefore, the ministry believes that the result of this investigation casts doubt on the Israeli reports regarding the destruction and killing that took place in that area,” the PA stated, despite the preponderance of evidence of mass murder by Hamas terrorists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the PA’s statement “a complete reversal of truth,” and pointed out that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is a longtime Holocaust denier. Netanyahu also made clear that he does not see Abbas’ PA as having a role in governing post-war Gaza. “My goal is that the day after we destroy Hamas, any future civil administration in Gaza does not deny the massacre, does not educate its children to become terrorists, does not pay for terrorists and does not tell its children that their ultimate goal in life is to see the destruction and dissolution of the State of Israel,” he said, repeating remarks he made in a press conference the day before.
On Saturday, Netanyahu also said that “without this kind of revolution in the civil administration of Gaza, it is only a matter of time until Gaza returns to terror, and I cannot agree to that. There is another condition I have set for the day after, that the IDF have total freedom of action in the Gaza Strip against any threat. Only thus can we guarantee the demilitarization of Gaza.”
Washington, however, has repeated its call for “Gaza and the West Bank [to] be reunited under a single governance structure,” as President Joe Biden wrote in the Washington Post over the weekend. Biden said that structure should be a “revitalized Palestinian Authority.” While Netanyahu’s statements would not allow for the current PA leadership to govern Gaza without significant changes, they do not rule out Israel’s support for some kind of Palestinian administration.
Despite debate in Jerusalem and Washington about the role of the Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza, few have mentioned the degree to which Ramallah wants to be involved. Abbas told Secretary of State Tony Blinken earlier this month that he would only govern Gaza “within the framework of a comprehensive political solution that includes all of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.”
That and the atrocity-denying statement sent around the world indicate that the PA sees this as an opportunity to try to attack Israel on the diplomatic front. As a senior Israeli official told JI earlier this month: “The Palestinian Authority wants to destroy the Jewish state in stages and politically, and Hamas wants to do it violently and abruptly.”
workplace worries
‘A complete misunderstanding of how this job works’: Jewish Hill staffers push back on staff-level cease-fire protests
In recent weeks, high-profile public protests by some Democratic congressional staff — including anonymous letters and protests seeking to pressure lawmakers into supporting a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza — have captured media headlines, with the staffers involved saying they fear retribution for speaking out. But three Jewish Hill staffers who spoke to Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod last week told a different story. The staffers expressed concerns and frustrations with the public protests by fellow staff, which some described as inappropriate, as well as a work environment among Democratic staff that they said has suppressed and intimidated pro-Israel staffers.
Out of line: “The people we work for were the ones elected, and they’re the ones responsible to constituents,” one Jewish House staffer said. “No one voted for those staffers… [they] do not make policy, the representatives do. I think it is completely inappropriate to anonymously use your position as a staffer and think that gives you the right to make policy.”
Crossing the line: A second staffer said that they’d seen their peers on the Hill “engaged in some pretty direct antisemitism, even though they may not be aware of it,” including portraying comparing Jews and Israel to the Nazi regime. They said that the rhetoric they’ve seen around the conflict led them to believe that their peers have a “superficial commitment” to combating antisemitism only when it’s “politically convenient for them.”
Phone frenzy: Three staffers who spoke to JI said many of the anti-Israel calls their offices have received follow what seems to be the same script, and many come from repeat callers, day after day. One House staffer also said it’s not entirely surprising that they’re receiving more pro-Palestinian calls than pro-Israel ones — offices tend to receive a much higher volume of calls opposing lawmakers’ positions on any given issue than in support of them. The calls are also often deeply vitriolic and personally abusive, staffers said — much more so than the calls their offices usually receive on a range of subjects.
holding them to account
Amid documented sexual violence, a new civil commission aims to hold Oct. 7 perpetrators responsible
As the Israel Police sifts through the massive quantity of evidence from Hamas’ massacre of Israelis last month, it’s working to build the case for charges of rape against many of the terrorists. Meanwhile, the founders of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women, outraged at the silence from international women’s and humanitarian organizations, are documenting cases of Hamas’ use of sexual violence as a weapon against Israelis, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.
Police briefing: After Oct. 7, most of the authorities’ focus was on collecting and identifying the bodies in the mass casualty event, and crime scene investigation protocols could not be used in most cases. Rape kits were not administered in most cases, because they can only be used to take DNA evidence within 48 hours, and at that point, the western Negev was “still an active combat zone,” Israel Police international spokesman Dean Elsdunne explained at the briefing. “We did gather visual and DNA evidence once bodies arrived at Shura,” he said, referring to the army base which serves as a morgue for victims of the attacks. “This is a sensitive, tedious process, and we are working to bring evidence to court and bring the terrorists to justice,” Elsdunne stated.
‘Not the usual rape case’: Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy of Hebrew University, founder of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women, said that even without rape kits, there is a preponderance of evidence of mass sexual violence. “When bodies of women are found without their pants and without their panties, we don’t have to have a rape kit. It’s not that kind of situation. You see vaginal bleeding. You get the bodies with only the tops dressed. And naked girls. Women without organs, without breasts. It’s not the usual rape case,” she told JI.
Gathering evidence: David Katz, the head of Israel Police’s Cyber Crimes Unit, said his team is sifting through tens of thousands of images and videos from GoPro cameras worn by Hamas terrorists, security cameras, drones, police body cams, phones and computers used by Hamas, social media and more, to create a detailed timeline of what took place on Oct. 7. That evidence will be used to prosecute the terrorists for all of their crimes, including rape.
Elsewhere: The president of the University of Alberta said the head of the school’s sexual assault center had been fired after she signed onto a letter denying Hamas terrorists raped women during the Oct. 7 attacks.
trip talk
Israeli officials tell lawmakers they urgently need U.S. resupply, supplemental aid
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who traveled to Israel a week ago warned, ahead of Congress’ weeklong Thanksgiving holiday, that Israel urgently needs a supplemental aid package — which remains mired in partisan divisions between the House and Senate, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Timelines: “They’re very worried in Israel,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) told reporters last week. “There’s all sorts of timetables [there], which is different than our timetables [on the Hill]… I’m not going to say how much they have or don’t have because that’s classified, but there’s a timetable here.” Moskowitz noted that Israel has expended a significant number of Iron Dome interceptors amid Hamas’ ongoing rocket attacks over the past month and a half. And he explained that Israel remains concerned about a second front opening in the north against Hezbollah, necessitating keeping sufficient supplies in reserve to prepare for such a conflict — ”and so it could affect the Hamas portion [of their supplies] if we don’t get our act together here.”
Arab update: Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) said he’d like to see the Abraham Accords states and the Saudis join a “joint policing effort” in Gaza to ensure terrorist groups cannot reassert themselves, joined by a Marshall Plan-style reconstruction effort in Gaza. Although public reports and statements suggest that relations between Israel and Arab nations in the region are strained, Miller suggested there’s more happening behind the scenes. “That’s not the impression that I got talking to people… and that’s not what I heard over the weekend,” he said.
manama keynote
Bahraini Crown Prince calls on Hamas to release Israeli hostages
Speaking at a prestigious security forum in Manama alongside senior Arab officials, Bahrain’s crown prince on Friday was the only Arab leader present to unequivocally condemn Hamas and call for the release of Israeli hostages, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. “I condemn Hamas unequivocally,” Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa said in a keynote opening address at the Manama Dialogue. “The attacks on Oct. 7 were barbaric, were — how can I put it — they were horrific. They used … They were indiscriminate. They killed women, children, elderly, did not matter.”
Different approach: The crown prince’s comments stood out next to the speeches from senior leaders from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Arab League. His comments came two weeks after Bahrain, which first normalized ties with Israel in 2020, suspended its economic ties with Israel and recalled its ambassador, citing Bahrain’s “historic position in support of the Palestinian cause.”
Called out: “From this stage, I call on Hamas to release the hostages, the women and children who they hold hostage, in exchange — and I call on the Israelis to release the women and children they hold in exchange, so that we can get some sense and a few days or weeks or months or maybe years of peace and calm,” said Prince Salman.
Heard in Manama: U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein rejected suggestions that Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza is being driven partly due to ambitions to control the gas. “Israel has enormous resources of its own, the maritime agreement for Lebanon was to allow it to develop it,” he told The National.
x factor
Republican presidential contenders share mixed reactions to Musk’s endorsement of antisemitic post
Republican presidential candidates are sharing mixed reactions to Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, with some condemning the billionaire X owner, others dodging the controversy and at least one defending his comments, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports. During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who launched his campaign on X, formerly Twitter, refused to denounce Musk for amplifying a social media post that accused Jews of pushing “dialectical hatred against whites” and supporting “hordes of minorities.”
The comment: “You have said the actual truth,” Musk replied on X last week, boosting a conspiracy theory alleging that Jewish people are seeking to replace the white race with non-white immigrants. The idea was cited by Robert Bowers before he killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh five years ago last month.
‘Didn’t see’: Even as Musk has faced widespread bipartisan backlash and advertisers are now fleeing his site, DeSantis claimed he “didn’t see the comment” while speaking with CNN host Jake Tapper on Sunday. “I know Elon Musk, I’ve never seen him do anything,” DeSantis said after Tapper had read Musk’s X exchange aloud. “I think he’s a guy that believes in America. I’ve never seen him indulge in any of that, so it is surprising if that’s true. But I have not seen it. So I don’t sit there and pass judgment on the fly.” DeSantis’ campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Christie’s criticism: In a separate interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning, Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, called Musk’s comments “unacceptable” while voicing broader concern over a sharp rise in antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war. “This is an outrageous, outrageous type of hate that’s being expressed, and we need to be speaking out against it no matter who does it,” Christie said. “Whether it’s Elon Musk, whether it’s professors on our college campuses or students that they are misleading, or whether it’s individuals who are speaking out in an antisemitic way on the streets of our cities.”
Bonus: A slew of major corporations, including Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney, are pausing advertising on X, formerly known as Twitter, after Musk’s comment.
Worthy Reads
The Biden Doctrine: In a Washington Post op-ed, President Joe Biden lays out his strategies for both the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. “In a moment of so much violence and suffering — in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and so many other places — it can be difficult to imagine that something different is possible. But we must never forget the lesson learned time and again throughout our history: Out of great tragedy and upheaval, enormous progress can come. More hope. More freedom. Less rage. Less grievance. Less war. We must not lose our resolve to pursue those goals, because now is when clear vision, big ideas and political courage are needed most. That is the strategy that my administration will continue to lead — in the Middle East, Europe and around the globe. Every step we take toward that future is progress that makes the world safer and the United States of America more secure.” [WashPost]
When Right is Wrong:The New York Times’ David French considers how antisemitism is manifesting in what he calls the New Right. “Everything about the New Right mind-set told us that this devolution was inevitable. It scorns character, decency and civility in the public square, often turning cruelty into a virtue. This was a necessary precondition for the entire enterprise. Decent people can be misguided, certainly, but they are not consumed with hate. Decent people do not indulge bigots. The New Right rejects the norms and values of what it calls the uniparty or the cathedral: the center-left and center-right American elite. And one of those values is a steadfast opposition to racism and prejudice. The rejection first manifests itself in the form of just asking questions, then it veers into direct challenge of conventional norms, followed by a descent into true darkness. Hostility unmoored from character quickly turns conspiratorial, and the world of conspiracy theories is where antisemites live and thrive.” [NYTimes]
Turkey and the EU: In The Wall Street Journal, Enes Kanter Freedom argues that Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should not be allowed into the European Union. “There’s little doubt Mr. Erdogan will prove no friend to the people of Gaza. He sees the war as a tool for increasing his influence and winning votes in Turkey — a chance to play world statesman while stoking extremism. As a Muslim who’s been personally targeted by the regime, I have seen this hypocrisy up close. Mr. Erdogan’s government has canceled my passport, tried to kidnap me, issued an Interpol ‘red notice’ against me, jailed my father in Turkey and harassed other family members. Just last year, on a visit to Jerusalem to launch an interfaith basketball camp for Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze teens, my meetings with Israeli officials were suddenly canceled, apparently owing to pressure from Turkey.” [WSJ]
A Mother’s Plea: Take Me to Gaza: In the Washington Post, Maayan Zin, whose daughters are being held hostage, pleads to be reunited with her family — even if that means going to Gaza. “I am requesting assistance from the Israeli government, the U.S. government, the International Committee of the Red Cross and any other organization trying to help the hostages. I cannot wait for more news of hostage deals to come and go. You have failed to free my girls, so take me to Gaza. My bag is packed. I will take only a few items: chocolate milk that my daughters love, shoes that are good for running, and a new bandage for Ela — the last photograph we have of her in captivity shows that she is injured. Take me to Gaza so I can change her bandage. In my jeans pocket I will carry a photograph of Noam, their father, who we believe was killed in front of their eyes. Take me to Gaza in his memory. When I reach them, however I reach them, I will hug them so hard that for a moment they might forget where they are. I will place myself in front of them, and they will finally be able to sleep as I hold them.” [WashPost]
Around the Web
Hostage Video: The IDF released footage taken inside Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks that show at least two hostages being brought into the hospital, including one who did not appear to need medical treatment. The IDF also said that a female hostage had been wounded in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month, and then killed by a Hamas terrorist inside the hospital.
Evacuated from Shifa: Premature babies were evacuated from Al Shifa hospital and have arrived in Egypt through the Rafah crossing.
West Bank Warning: President Joe Biden instructed his Cabinet to “develop policy options,” including sanctions and visa bans, for Israeli settlers engaged in violence in the West Bank.
Funding Fight: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said it was unlikely that the seven schools under investigation by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights over antisemitism on campus will lose their funding.
AI and Antisemitism: Members of the Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism met on Capitol Hill last week with leaders from Microsoft, OpenAI, Modulate, Google and Meta to discuss the uses and risks posed by artificial intelligence to combating antisemitism. The initiative was first announced as part of the administration’s antisemitism strategy.
Border Closure: Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rick Scott (R-FL) wrote to the administration calling for the closure of any vectors for Palestinian migration to the United States,” warning that Palestinians are “potentially radicalized” and a danger to Jews.
Princeton Post: Members of the House Committee of Education and the Workforce sent a letter to Princeton University raising concerns over the school’s employment of a former Iranian diplomat.
Support for SJP: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) urged Columbia University to reinstate its suspended Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace chapters.
Slap at Qatar: Reps. Andy Ogles (R-TN) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) introduced a bill to strip Qatar of its status as a major non-NATO ally.
Ernst on Iran: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) laid out a four-point plan for dealing with Iran.
Iran Sanctions: Nineteen Senate Republicans wrote to President Joe Biden demanding full enforcement of U.S. sanctions on Iran and the permanent re-freezing of the $6 billion involved in the hostage deal.
Praising Hamas: New York state Sen. Julia Salazar is facing criticism after two members of her staff were found to have celebrated the Oct. 7 terror attacks on social media.
No to N.C. Jewish Caucus: The head of North Carolina’s Democratic Progressive Caucus said he opposed the creation of a Democratic Jewish caucus in the state, warning that if such a group is approved, “that’s the end of the Democratic Party. We’re not Democrats, we’re the Jewish Caucus. We’re a Zionist group. Because they control everything.”
Campus Beat: The New York Times spotlights Students for Justice in Palestine, the group behind anti-Israel organizing on college campuses.
TikTok Trouble: The Washington Post looks at how Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America” resurfaced on TikTok.
Altman Out: The board of OpenAI announced it fired CEO Sam Altman, alleging that “he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.” Microsoft announced it will hire Altman, after a failed weekend bid to reinstate him at OpenAI.
Lauder Succession: The Wall Street Journal looks at the succession battle roiling the Lauder family as it determines the future leadership of the cosmetics empire.
The Loneliest Thanksgiving: The New York Times’ Sarah Wildman reflects on preparing for the first Thanksgiving since the death of her daughter from cancer.
ESG Waning: The demand for ESG-related (environmental, social and corporate-governance) investments is fading, with some funds beginning to liquidate or remove ESG criteria from their practices.
On the Fringes:New York magazine spotlights how both major parties can be drowned out by more extreme, fringe elements.
Anxiety in D.C.: Politico reports on how Jewish community members in the Washington, D.C.-area are responding to concerns about rising political violence.
Fear of Violence: The California Democratic Party’s weekend convention in Sacramento was briefly locked down after roughly 1,000 anti-Israel protesters entered the venue, amid broader concerns, following a similar protest at the DNC headquarters in Washington, that similar demonstrations and potentially violence could occur at the party’s national convention in Chicago next year.
Hubbub in Halifax: The Halifax International Security Forum awarded the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service to the Israeli people at its annual convening in Nova Scotia, where the Israel-Hamas war played a prominent role in conversations. Speaking in Halifax, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak backed the Netanyahu government’s position of eradicating Hamas.
Friends Turned Foes: The New York Times spotlights the now-severed relationship between Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin and Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, who served as interlocutors in previous rounds of violence and were instrumental in the prisoner deal that freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Porteño Politics: Far-right populist Javier Milei was elected president of Argentina.
Transition: Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain is joining Airbnb as chief legal officer.
Pic of the Day
On Friday in Paris, Women’s International Zionist Organization President Nathalie Riu-Guez (front row left), French television journalist Anne Sinclair, President of the Representative Council of the French Jewish Institutions Yonathan Arfi and Jeremy Redler, the mayor of Paris’ 16th arrondissement, gathered with supporters and relatives of Israeli hostages at a “Mothers of Hope” gathering to call for the release of the hostages held by Hamas.
Birthdays
Fashion designer, hotelier and real estate developer, active in his native Buenos Aires and Miami Beach, Alan Faena turns 60…
Art dealer and former owner of MLB’s Miami Marlins, Jeffrey Loria turns 83… Professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Southern California, he won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Arieh Warshel turns 83… President of the United States, Joe Biden turns 81… Singer and songwriter best known for writing and performing the song “Spirit in the Sky,” Norman Greenbaum turns 81… Former national security advisor in the Trump administration, John R. Bolton turns 75… Major-general (res.) in the IDF, he is a former combat pilot and head of Aman (the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate), Amos Yadlin turns 72… Longtime spokesman (now emeritus) to the foreign press at the Jewish Agency for Israel, Michael Jankelowitz turns 71… Pulitzer Prize-winning national affairs writer for The Wall Street Journal during the 1990s and the author of six well regarded books, Ronald Steven “Ron” Suskind turns 64… White House official in both the Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations, now a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, Jay P. Lefkowitz turns 61… Pianist, composer and author, Robin Spielberg turns 61… Vice chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and a trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, Heidi Monkarsh… Deputy assistant director at the National Science Foundation, Graciela Narcho… American-born former member of Knesset for the Likud party, he campaigned for expanding Jewish access to the Temple Mount, Yehudah Glick turns 58… Rapper and founding member of the hip hop group the Beastie Boys, he is known as Mike D, Michael Louis Diamond turns 58… Hedge fund manager, founder and president of Greenlight Capital, David Einhorn turns 55… Boston-based real estate attorney at Goulston & Storrs, Zev D. Gewurz… Anchor for Yahoo Finance, Julie Hyman Schnee… Opposition research specialist and founder of Beehive Research, Devorah Adler… Executive director at Aish HaTorah, Rabbi Benjamin Gonsher… Outfielder for four MLB teams over eight years, he played for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he is now the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, Sam Fuld turns 42… Director for North America at the Saban Family Foundation and the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls, Jesse Bronner… Actress and writer, her decision to convert to Judaism was the subject of a 2006 article in The Sunday Times of London, Margo Stilley turns 41… Actress and playwright, Halley Feiffer turns 39… Deputy health care editor for Politico, Dan Goldberg… Alexis Weiss…