Diana Buttu on how Israel continues to kill, starve, and imprison Palestinians as the world remains distracted by the words ‘peace’ and ‘process’ and ‘boards’ and ‘plans.’
Dr. Refaat Alareer was killed in an Israeli airstrike on December 6, 2023, in northern Gaza. He died along with his brother, his sister, and four nephews, the children of his sister. The poet, writer, and professor of English literature—his doctoral dissertation was on John Donne—was 44 years old.
Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the Trump administration is ending its ICE crackdown in Minneapolis.“As a result of our efforts here Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said at a press conference. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude.”The surge began on December 1, and quickly alienated the residents in and around Minneapolis due to violent tactics and the targeting of protesters. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by federal agents last month.“In the next week, we’re going to deploy the officers here on detail back” to their home states, Homan said, adding that “a significant drawdown of personnel is already underway.”This is a developing story.
Kim Jong Un has been making waves by reportedly choosing his 13-year-old daughter Kim Ju Ae as North Korea's potential next leader.
The Treasury secretary proposed to lawmakers that the Senate Banking Committee could investigate the Federal Reserve chair.
Just days after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was exposed for his complete lie about cutting off contact with sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, yet another Trump official was discovered to be in the Epstein files.In 2016, Dr. Mehmet Oz, now the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, invited Epstein over for a Valentine’s party—eight years after Epstein was registered as a sex offender.In an email from Mehmet and Lisa Oz to Epstein, the subject line reads, “Mehmet and Liza Oz’s Valentine’s Day Celebration.” The message contains a digital invite.This is just the latest example of the deep ties that Epstein had with the wealthy elites in the Trump administration (and previous administrations, as well). And regardless of what people like Lutnick say, it is apparent that they could not have cared less about Epstein’s sex offender status, as it really was no impediment to his full return and acceptance into these circles.“An easier question at this point is who in the Trump administration WAS NOT friends with Epstein?” Democratic Representative Malcolm Kenyatta quipped.Anyone with such direct ties to Epstein after his 2008 sex offender conviction has some questions to answer. In a just world, they’d have already resigned.
As we continue to look at Wednesday’s contentious hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, we speak with Vermont Congressmember Becca Balint, who walked out after Attorney General Pam Bondi accused her of supporting antisemitism. Balint, who is Jewish and whose grandfather died in the Holocaust, had just asked Bondi to meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein — a demand that Bondi repeatedly ignored during the hearing. “It was just heartbreaking to watch the attorney general act in this way, especially when survivors have waited, over the course of decades, for justice,” Balint tells Democracy Now!
Donald Trump got a rare rebuke from the House Wednesday night as six Republicans joined all but one Democrat to vote against his tariffs on Canada.Representatives Don Bacon of Nebraska, Dan Newhouse of Washington, Kevin Kiley of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Jeff Hurd of Colorado all decided that these tariffs needed to go. Democratic Representative Jared Golden of Maine went against his party to vote in favor of keeping the tariff against Canada in place.The six Republicans defied a threat from Trump on Truth Social just before the vote that voting against him would lead them to “seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!”“TARIFFS have given us Great National Security because the mere mention of the word has Countries agreeing to our strongest wishes. TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege,” Trump wrote.Now the bill goes to the Senate, which has already voted against tariffs on Canada twice with four Republicans lending their support. That’s not enough to get the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto from Trump, but it’ll send a symbolic message to the president. Trump’s tariffs have hurt the economy, driving up the cost of many goods and worsening relations with Canada.With the midterm elections coming up, voters will be thinking about affordability and their own job security. Likewise, many Republican members of Congress are also worried about whether they can win reelection. Fitzpatrick and Hurd, for example, are in battleground districts, and Bacon and Newhouse are choosing retirement over running again. While this is just one vote, Trump and the GOP should be nervous.