Gaza hospital blast and House speaker vote: Morning Rundown

President Biden is in Israel for a high-stakes trip that comes as a deadly hospital blast in Gaza fuels anger across the Middle East. The House is expected to vote, again, for a speaker. And a study looks at whether hitting the snooze button is bad for your sleep.

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Deadly blast turns Gaza hospital into a scene of ‘absolute carnage’

President Joe Biden has arrived in Israel for a high-stakes trip that comes after a deadly Gaza hospital blast fueled protests across the Middle East and threatened to derail diplomatic efforts. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 200 to 300 people were killed in what it called a “targeted” Israeli bombing of al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in central Gaza. Israel said the blast was caused by a misfired rocket from a Palestinian militant group.

Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden said that “based on what I’ve seen it appears as though it was done by the other team — not you.” He added: “But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure, so we’ve got to overcome a lot of things.” Biden did not specify what exactly he has seen to be able to draw that conclusion, and did not provide any supporting evidence to the news media.

Biden initially planned to meet with Arab leaders at a summit hosted by Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman, but the event was canceled following the deadly explosion. The blast has further complicated Biden’s sensitive diplomatic task, an expert from London’s Chatham House says, “especially because everyone is behaving according to their preconceived narratives.”

The blast sparked anger and unrest across the Middle East, as hundreds of civilians took to the streets in Beirut, Istanbul, Amman, Tehran, and the West Bank to show support for Palestinians in Gaza. Reuters reported that tear gas was used to disperse crowds outside the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

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Failed speaker vote leaves Jim Jordan’s fate uncertain

Another floor vote for a House speaker is expected to take place this morning, a day after Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for the leadership role fell short of the votes he needed. Jordan garnered the support of 200 lawmakers in yesterday’s vote, and 20 Republicans voted for other candidates. The results show Jordan still has a lot of work to do to persuade holdouts. Among the votes Jordan knows he can count on: Kevin McCarthy, whose ouster two weeks ago threw the House into paralysis.

Meanwhile, all 212 Democrats backed Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Here’s a little more background on Jordan, an Ohio Republican. He is the Judiciary Committee’s chief investigator of President Joe Biden and his family. He was a “significant player” in Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. And he has come under scrutiny for his previous job as a wrestling coach. Find out more.

Prosecutors intend to recharge Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

Alec Baldwin may be recharged in connection with the fatal shooting on the set of the movie “Rust,” two sources familiar with the matter said. Charges against the actor were dismissed five months ago, but New Mexico prosecutors no longer believe the gun used on set had been modified — and they have found new evidence that they believe connects Baldwin to recklessness around safety standards on the set, one source said. A source said the case will be brought before a grand jury next month.

In the October 2021 incident, Baldwin’s prop gun fired a live round of ammunition, killed the film’s cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

Chuck Todd: A hypothetical path for a third-party candidate

Many voters don’t want another matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in next year’s presidential election. So is this the perfect time for a third-party candidate to swoop in and win over voters? Chuck Todd, NBC’s chief political analyst and former moderator of “Meet the Press,” thinks the answer could be yes, but it’s unlikely. Finding a candidate who is both willing to be in the spotlight and able to unify voters would be a challenge, Todd notes. But there is one person Todd thinks could capture voters’ attention. Read the full analysis here.

Today’s Talker: Hitting the snooze button multiple times doesn’t…

… impact your sleep quality, a new study published in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests. In fact, hitting the button over and over for 30 minutes may spark alertness more quickly than sleeping without a break. There are many reasons to the snooze button. Some people are just really tired (that’s me most days). Some people don’t want to be jolted awake and prefer a slower wake-up. Whatever your reason, keep in mind: Hitting snooze comes at the expense of an average of six precious minutes of sleep.

Politics in Brief

Trump investigations: Donald Trump told a judge he will appeal a gag order issued in his federal election interference case, calling it “unconstitutional.”

Jan. 6 riot: A woman dubbed the “Bullhorn Lady,” who smashed a Capitol window and used a bullhorn to tell rioters how to “take” the building, was sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Staff Pick: Foodies are embracing Latino comfort foods

The NBC Latino team has had many discussions about what constitutes the perfect empanada. Raul A. Reyes’ reporting transports readers to the heart of this lively debate in one of the world’s most diverse neighborhoods: Queens. As a Queens resident myself, I can vouch for the rich landscape of Latin American stuffed foods (from empanadas to tamales, pasteles and arepas) that Raul describes, and what they say about the diversity and multiculturalism of the Latino community. — Isabela Espadas Barros Leal, associate diversity editor

In Case You Missed It

• Britney Spears revealed in an upcoming memoir that she had an abortion after getting pregnant with Justin Timberlake.

• Nearly 200 bodies were removed from a Colorado funeral home that advertised “green burials” — a much higher number of human remains than investigators said they expected to find.

• The FDA is proposing a ban on using formaldehyde as an ingredient in hair relaxers.

• A man who was wrongly incarcerated for 16 years in Florida and exonerated in 2020 was fatally shot in Georgia during a traffic stop.

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Not all spoons are built the same. Some are better for soup, others for cereal and milk, ice cream or macaroni and cheese. But which spoons are the best of the best? Our Select team tested and ranked 100 spoons based on factors like size and weight, ergonomics and temperature regulation. Get the scoop on their top picks.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for exclusive reviews and shopping content from NBC Select.

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com