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Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer joins DLCC's board as Dems looks to win majorities in 2026

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer joins DLCC's board as Dems looks to win majorities in 2026

Yahoo12-05-2025
Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer is joining the DLCC board. Neubauer takes questions from reporters alongside Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein in Jan. 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)
Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer is joining the Board of Directors for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) — the national organization dedicated to electing Democrats to state legislatures.
The Racine Democrat, who has been in the Legislature since 2018 and has led Assembly Democrats since 2021, joins the board as Wisconsin Democrats seek majorities in both chambers for the first time in many years in 2026.
Neubauer said DLCC President Heather Williams asked her to join the board and it's a sign of the organization's 'deep commitment' to Wisconsin and understanding that a trifecta could be possible in 2026.
'They want to be a part of helping us flip this state blue,' Neubauer said. 'DLCC of course is focused on the national strategy of supporting democratic legislatures to win majorities in legislative chambers. They have had great success in the last few years… so I'm excited to be part of that national strategy work.'
Williams said in a statement that 'all eyes should be on the states in 2025' and Neubauer is a leader to watch.
'As state Democrats continue to overperform in special elections and counter the chaos in Washington, we are laying the foundation for Democratic success up and down the ticket,' Williams said. 'Our board members represent some of the sharpest minds in politics, and I'm excited to partner with them to build our plan for victory for cycles to come.'
In the past, the DLCC has invested in helping Wisconsin Democrats win and outlined strategies for winning targeted seats.
Neubauer said it has been helpful getting to know leaders in other states where Democrats have successfully flipped control of their legislative chambers including Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania. She said she has learned a lot from those leaders and is trying to bring those lessons back to Democrats in Wisconsin, especially when it comes to preparing to be in the majority.
'When we do win, we want to take advantage of the opportunity and pass policy that is going to materially improve people's lives very quickly, so that's been really helpful to me to speak with them about how they prepared to govern, how they worked with their caucuses,' Neubauer said, adding that Democrats have 10 new Assembly members this year and hope to grow that number now that the Legislature has passed new maps that no longer overwhelmingly favor Republicans. 'The level of program that we run during the campaign cycle, the amount of money we need to raise and candidates we're supporting has grown significantly since we got the fair maps. I'm getting all sorts of advice from those leaders both about governing and about effectively campaigning, winning majorities.'
When it comes to its targets for 2025-26, Wisconsin is one of five of the DLCC's 'battleground' states where legislative majorities are determined by the slimmest of margins.
New legislative maps were put in place last year by the state Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the old maps were an unconstitutional gerrymander. Democrats in Wisconsin haven't held a legislative majority in the Senate or Assembly since 2010, and under the old maps, Senate Republicans were able to win two-thirds of the seats, while Republicans held a 64-35 majority.
Under the new maps, Democrats in 2024 were able to pick up 10 Assembly seats and now hold 45 of 99 seats. They also added four Senate seats and now hold 15 seats out of 33 in that chamber.
Wisconsin's 2026 elections will be the first time that control of the Senate will be in play as only half of the body was up in the last election and Assembly Democrats will again be working to try to win a majority.
'It is absolutely doable, but it is going to take quite a bit of work,' Neubauer said.
Democratic lawmakers, she said, are taking a few approaches to getting things done for voters ahead of the next elections. This includes working across the aisle in the budget process to get investment into programs that Wisconsinites rely on, including child care and public schools and ensuring 'Republican attacks on our rights and freedoms are not successful' by upholding the governor's veto.
Neubauer said her party is also 'focused on that long-term vision and communicating what we will do when we have a Democratic trifecta — how we will change the state, how we will make Wisconsin a place where everyone has the ability to thrive, wants to live, raise a family, retire.' She noted that Democrats introduced a package of bills in January to address prescription drug access, ensure students have access to food in school and help improve housing, but Republicans haven't shown interest in them.
'We have a big and deep policy agenda that we've been working on for over a decade that we are ready to implement, and so we just have to get out and communicate about it,' Neubauer said. 'And that of course looks like fanning out across the state, both in districts we represent and other communities, and talking about the work that we need to get done.'
Neubauer said they are going to continue to work to lower costs, especially as 'Trump engages in reckless, irresponsible trade wars and weakens the economy for no good reason.' She said state legislatures are essential in pushing back on his agenda.
The first part of Trump's term in office could have an effect on Wisconsin Democrats' chances as well, Neubauer said.
'We have a number of Republican legislators who have really tried to position themselves as being moderate. They go home to their districts and they emphasize the bipartisan proposals that they've signed on to or tried to get passed, but what they don't talk about is their voting record being in line with Republican leadership almost 100% of the time,' Neubauer said.
Neubauer said that Wisconsin Republicans haven't distanced themselves from Trump's agenda.
'The first several months of the legislative session here in Wisconsin, we saw Republicans focused on culture wars rather than lowering costs for working families, making their lives easier, investing in our schools — the things that we all hear about when we run into our constituents at the grocery store,' Neubauer said. 'Republicans are going to have to answer for Donald Trump and his attacks on Wisconsin families next year, and that is going to be difficult for them to do in extremely purple districts.'
Wisconsin's gubernatorial election is also coming up in November 2026. Evers hasn't said whether he'll run for a third term, saying he'll likely decide after the next budget is done. Republican Josh Schoemann, who serves as the county executive of Washington, is the first candidate to announce his campaign.
'We're all eagerly awaiting that decision,' Neubauer said of Evers' choice whether to make a re-election bid. '[I] always look forward to working with the governor.'
Neubauer is one of seven legislative leaders joining the DLCC board alongside California Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, Colorado Senate President James Coleman, Illinois Speaker Pro Tempore Kam Buckner, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, Oregon Speaker of the House Julie Fahey and Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott.
New York Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who also serves as the DLCC chair, said in a statement that she is thrilled Neubauer is joining.
'There has never been a more important time to ensure we have battle-tested, experienced leaders at the helm of Democratic strategy in the states as Donald Trump upends Washington and our economy,' Stewart-Cousins said, adding that Neubauer 'embodies the diverse expertise needed to drive and elevate our strategy to build durable state power through the end of the decade.'
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Analysis: As the Epstein saga rages, Trump is getting a pass on his role in the building famine in Gaza
Analysis: As the Epstein saga rages, Trump is getting a pass on his role in the building famine in Gaza

CNN

time21 minutes ago

  • CNN

Analysis: As the Epstein saga rages, Trump is getting a pass on his role in the building famine in Gaza

Washington is fixated on the twists and turns of a widening political crisis as MAGA world revolts over the Trump administration's Jeffrey Epstein imbroglio. Yet there's nowhere near as much attention on a humanitarian scandal of unbearable dimensions that is unfolding in Gaza, in which the United States may be complicit. The Epstein saga is a tragedy, written in the pain endured by dozens of women and young girls who testified that they were abused by the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker. But this human angle has often been forgotten in a week focused on Trump's missteps and obfuscations. The political storm that is obscuring the agony of victims who lost any opportunity for justice when Epstein took his own life in prison is simultaneously blotting out a larger-scale catastrophe abroad. Encroaching famine is taking lives in Gaza, with the old, the sick and children most at risk. Heart-rending footage is emerging from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave bordering Israel, of emaciated infants; parents desperate to feed their families; and the squabbles breaking out over the meager food that is available. 'I don't know what you'd call it other than mass starvation. And it is man-made,' World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week. Prospects of any swift relief for Palestinian civilians suffered a serious blow on Thursday when the United States pulled its negotiators from talks in Qatar aimed at forging a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. US envoy Steve Witkoff blamed a lack of desire from Hamas — which triggered the war in Gaza with the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel — to reach a ceasefire. The situation in Israel and Gaza is deeply complex, marked by ill faith and extremism on both sides. Israel believes it is locked with Hamas in an existential struggle for the survival of its nation and of Jews more generally. The situation is exacerbated by Hamas' willingness to use its own Palestinian people as pawns. The Trump administration has shown little willingness to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to alleviate the horrific conditions despite an intense escalation in other international pressure on Israel. It has been more tolerant than the Biden administration — which came under heavy criticism from liberal Democrats — of the onslaught in Gaza. The Israeli offensive was launched after the October 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people in Israel. Another 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas and taken back into Gaza. As of the beginning of this month, Israel said 49 hostages are still captive. Some 28 have been declared dead, but the status of several others is uncertain. A joint US-Israeli humanitarian aid initiative that involves the private sector — which the allies argue helps food reach civilians in need, rather than be stolen by Hamas — is facing intense international scrutiny. Critics say it sends far too little food into Gaza, and there have been multiple reports of Palestinians being killed as they desperately seek anything to eat. The United Nations says the system is a 'death trap.' Israel denies this. But the Gaza Health Ministry says more than 1,000 people have been killed since May. And the UN says most casualties occurred among people making their way to aid sites run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The State Department on Thursday responded to criticisms of the aid system and appeared to recognize the gravity of the crisis — while placing responsibility on Hamas. 'It is never enough in a war zone. It is never enough. That is why we are committed to trying to get as much aid in as possible,' the department's principal deputy spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said. 'That is why we worked for that cease-fire, because of what we are seeing. But aid needs to be delivered in a way where it is not being looted by Hamas.' Cindy McCain, the executive director of the UN World Food Program, told CNN's Becky Anderson this week that if looting did occur, it was because people in Gaza are so desperate. 'The truth is right now the most important thing we could do is get the food in, and we know where our food goes, because we have a system on the ground that is tested and works,' McCain said. 'As far as the looting goes, we view it a little differently. These people are starving to death. It is looting, but they're hungry. And so that does occur.' The WFP does not work with the US- and Israel-backed program, which is designed to bypass UN structures that Israel regards as exploited by Hamas. As US allies demand a massive increase in aid going into Gaza, Israel says it is not to blame. 'In Gaza today there is no famine caused by Israel,' government spokesman David Mencer told reporters Wednesday. 'There is, however, a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas. … The suffering exists because Hamas has created it.' The Trump administration's lack of pressure on Israel despite the wrenching footage coming out of Gaza is more than raising questions about its highly controversial aid program. It risks looking like it doesn't really care that much. As CNN's Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler noted on Thursday, the administration lacks a high-level individual appointed to focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Biden administration maintained a special envoy who worked on Gaza issues and who was in direct contact with top Israeli officials. This is the kind of omission — in a world where the United States was once a galvanizing force on international crises — that is noticed everywhere and that sends clear political signals. But political negligence, failed peace talks, and the question of who is culpable for desperate scenes in Gaza mean nothing to mothers who can't feed their kids, or families who can't get even one inadequate meal per day. UNICEF said Thursday that malnutrition-related deaths are up 54% since April, citing Palestinian Health Ministry data. Political debate in the US on the Gaza issue is tortured and tends to bring out extreme responses. At the height of campus protests last year over Israel's response to the Hamas terror attacks, some demonstrations evinced alarming streaks of antisemitism. There have been multiple incidents of Jews falling victim to violence and intimidation. Two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed in an attack in Washington in May. Many of Netanyahu's US supporters rarely make a distinction between Hamas and Palestinian civilians and reject the idea that the US should impose its own pressure on the prime minister for humanitarian relief. The calamity exemplifies the failure of politics and diplomacy in a world in which international institutions are fracturing or losing influence. It's the result of the dearth of any meaningful Middle East peace process after years of increasingly right-wing Israeli government and the eclipse of any effective, moderate leadership for Palestinians. It's also a lesson in the consequences when the United States abandons its traditional global role and when 'America First' policies constrain the world's most powerful nation. The idea that America is a moral leader in the world, never embraced by Trump, is a harder sell than ever. The situation also raises the question of what level of humanitarian desolation the White House is prepared to accept before it leans harder on Netanyahu. In the past, President Donald Trump has been moved, on occasion, into action by footage of suffering children — for instance after a chemical weapons attack in Syria in 2017. There is no sign yet that he's reached a pivot point on Gazan hunger. Trump has said repeatedly he wants to end the war in Gaza — even if some of his suggestions, like the creation of a 'Riviera of the Middle East' in the enclave, are absurd and imply ethnic cleansing with the forced departure of Palestinians. The president's unwillingness to do more on Gaza amid hideous humanitarian scenes there have tarnished his aspirations to be a global peacemaker and to win the Nobel prize for which Netanyahu nominated him on a recent Oval Office visit. Netanyahu's hawkishness, against the backdrop of pressure from right-wing members of his coalition, also appears to be doing lasting damage to Trump's wider diplomatic aspirations in the region, including his hopes of expanding the Abraham Accords to normalize relations between Israel and Arab states such as Saudi Arabia. Israel — far from toning down its approach following US air attacks that appear to have significantly damaged Iran's nuclear program and its near-eradication of Tehran's regional proxies including Hezbollah — is becoming even more belligerent. This raises the possibility that what Netanyahu sees as the pursuit of Israel's national interests could eventually conflict with what Trump views as the vital national security interests of the United States. CNN's Kevin Liptak reported this week that Trump was caught by surprise by an Israeli strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza and by Israeli airstrikes against government buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus, and telephoned Netanyahu on both occasions. Trump took a significant political risk in pursuit of better humanitarian conditions for civilians in civil war-devastated Syria by conferring legitimacy on Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander, by meeting him in Saudi Arabia in May. Washington has so far resisted international pressure to force Netanyahu's hand as warnings of famine in Gaza mount. It did not sign on to a warning by the leaders of 25 Western nations this week that Israel was 'drip feeding' aid into the Gaza Strip. Washington has often adopted a more benevolent approach toward Israel and the Palestinian conflict than its Western allies. This has been the case even when past administrations have billed themselves as neutral brokers between the two sides during ultimately futile peace processes. But the current gulf on Middle East issues is stark. On Thursday, France reacted to the worsening situation in Gaza with a surprise announcement by President Emmanuel Macron that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state in September. Israel warned the move 'rewards terror' and risked its annihilation. Britain, another ally that has worked hard to retain good relations with Trump, also broke with the president on Thursday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that starvation in Gaza was 'unspeakable.' He added, 'We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.' As the pressure mounts, US diplomacy is foundering. Witkoff and Trump had repeatedly promised a deal was within reach. But as with Trump's buckled Ukraine peace effort, the US lacks the leverage and the capacity to push an agreement over the line. In both cases, it often seems that the administration doesn't even fully understand the issues. Witkoff said on X Thursday that the US will consider alternative options to bring Israeli hostages home and to try to create a more 'stable environment' for the people of Gaza. Israel has also withdrawn its negotiating team from the talks, although it is offering conflicting signals about whether the process is in crisis. Perhaps Witkoff's exit is a gambit to create leverage on Hamas as the situation worsens. But this is an organization that embeds its military assets in civilian areas, so it may be impervious to humanitarian leverage. Either way, time is running out for potentially hundreds of thousands of Gazans. Will a moment arrive when even Trump — as he flails over his own self-induced political mess over Epstein — feels he has no alternative but to act?

Analysis: As the Epstein saga rages, Trump is getting a pass on his role in the building famine in Gaza
Analysis: As the Epstein saga rages, Trump is getting a pass on his role in the building famine in Gaza

CNN

timean hour ago

  • CNN

Analysis: As the Epstein saga rages, Trump is getting a pass on his role in the building famine in Gaza

Washington is fixated on the twists and turns of a widening political crisis as MAGA world revolts over the Trump administration's Jeffrey Epstein imbroglio. Yet there's nowhere near as much attention on a humanitarian scandal of unbearable dimensions that is unfolding in Gaza, in which the United States may be complicit. The Epstein saga is a tragedy, written in the pain endured by dozens of women and young girls who testified that they were abused by the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker. But this human angle has often been forgotten in a week focused on Trump's missteps and obfuscations. The political storm that is obscuring the agony of victims who lost any opportunity for justice when Epstein took his own life in prison is simultaneously blotting out a larger-scale catastrophe abroad. Encroaching famine is taking lives in Gaza, with the old, the sick and children most at risk. Heart-rending footage is emerging from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave bordering Israel, of emaciated infants; parents desperate to feed their families; and the squabbles breaking out over the meager food that is available. 'I don't know what you'd call it other than mass starvation. And it is man-made,' World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week. Prospects of any swift relief for Palestinian civilians suffered a serious blow on Thursday when the United States pulled its negotiators from talks in Qatar aimed at forging a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. US envoy Steve Witkoff blamed a lack of desire from Hamas — which triggered the war in Gaza with the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel — to reach a ceasefire. The situation in Israel and Gaza is deeply complex, marked by ill faith and extremism on both sides. Israel believes it is locked with Hamas in an existential struggle for the survival of its nation and of Jews more generally. The situation is exacerbated by Hamas' willingness to use its own Palestinian people as pawns. The Trump administration has shown little willingness to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to alleviate the horrific conditions despite an intense escalation in other international pressure on Israel. It has been more tolerant than the Biden administration — which came under heavy criticism from liberal Democrats — of the onslaught in Gaza. The Israeli offensive was launched after the October 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people in Israel. Another 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas and taken back into Gaza. As of the beginning of this month, Israel said 49 hostages are still captive. Some 28 have been declared dead, but the status of several others is uncertain. A joint US-Israeli humanitarian aid initiative that involves the private sector — which the allies argue helps food reach civilians in need, rather than be stolen by Hamas — is facing intense international scrutiny. Critics say it sends far too little food into Gaza, and there have been multiple reports of Palestinians being killed as they desperately seek anything to eat. The United Nations says the system is a 'death trap.' Israel denies this. But the Gaza Health Ministry says more than 1,000 people have been killed since May. And the UN says most casualties occurred among people making their way to aid sites run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The State Department on Thursday responded to criticisms of the aid system and appeared to recognize the gravity of the crisis — while placing responsibility on Hamas. 'It is never enough in a war zone. It is never enough. That is why we are committed to trying to get as much aid in as possible,' the department's principal deputy spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said. 'That is why we worked for that cease-fire, because of what we are seeing. But aid needs to be delivered in a way where it is not being looted by Hamas.' Cindy McCain, the executive director of the UN World Food Program, told CNN's Becky Anderson this week that if looting did occur, it was because people in Gaza are so desperate. 'The truth is right now the most important thing we could do is get the food in, and we know where our food goes, because we have a system on the ground that is tested and works,' McCain said. 'As far as the looting goes, we view it a little differently. These people are starving to death. It is looting, but they're hungry. And so that does occur.' The WFP does not work with the US- and Israel-backed program, which is designed to bypass UN structures that Israel regards as exploited by Hamas. As US allies demand a massive increase in aid going into Gaza, Israel says it is not to blame. 'In Gaza today there is no famine caused by Israel,' government spokesman David Mencer told reporters Wednesday. 'There is, however, a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas. … The suffering exists because Hamas has created it.' The Trump administration's lack of pressure on Israel despite the wrenching footage coming out of Gaza is more than raising questions about its highly controversial aid program. It risks looking like it doesn't really care that much. As CNN's Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler noted on Thursday, the administration lacks a high-level individual appointed to focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Biden administration maintained a special envoy who worked on Gaza issues and who was in direct contact with top Israeli officials. This is the kind of omission — in a world where the United States was once a galvanizing force on international crises — that is noticed everywhere and that sends clear political signals. But political negligence, failed peace talks, and the question of who is culpable for desperate scenes in Gaza mean nothing to mothers who can't feed their kids, or families who can't get even one inadequate meal per day. UNICEF said Thursday that malnutrition-related deaths are up 54% since April, citing Palestinian Health Ministry data. Political debate in the US on the Gaza issue is tortured and tends to bring out extreme responses. At the height of campus protests last year over Israel's response to the Hamas terror attacks, some demonstrations evinced alarming streaks of antisemitism. There have been multiple incidents of Jews falling victim to violence and intimidation. Two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed in an attack in Washington in May. Many of Netanyahu's US supporters rarely make a distinction between Hamas and Palestinian civilians and reject the idea that the US should impose its own pressure on the prime minister for humanitarian relief. The calamity exemplifies the failure of politics and diplomacy in a world in which international institutions are fracturing or losing influence. It's the result of the dearth of any meaningful Middle East peace process after years of increasingly right-wing Israeli government and the eclipse of any effective, moderate leadership for Palestinians. It's also a lesson in the consequences when the United States abandons its traditional global role and when 'America First' policies constrain the world's most powerful nation. The idea that America is a moral leader in the world, never embraced by Trump, is a harder sell than ever. The situation also raises the question of what level of humanitarian desolation the White House is prepared to accept before it leans harder on Netanyahu. In the past, President Donald Trump has been moved, on occasion, into action by footage of suffering children — for instance after a chemical weapons attack in Syria in 2017. There is no sign yet that he's reached a pivot point on Gazan hunger. Trump has said repeatedly he wants to end the war in Gaza — even if some of his suggestions, like the creation of a 'Riviera of the Middle East' in the enclave, are absurd and imply ethnic cleansing with the forced departure of Palestinians. The president's unwillingness to do more on Gaza amid hideous humanitarian scenes there have tarnished his aspirations to be a global peacemaker and to win the Nobel prize for which Netanyahu nominated him on a recent Oval Office visit. Netanyahu's hawkishness, against the backdrop of pressure from right-wing members of his coalition, also appears to be doing lasting damage to Trump's wider diplomatic aspirations in the region, including his hopes of expanding the Abraham Accords to normalize relations between Israel and Arab states such as Saudi Arabia. Israel — far from toning down its approach following US air attacks that appear to have significantly damaged Iran's nuclear program and its near-eradication of Tehran's regional proxies including Hezbollah — is becoming even more belligerent. This raises the possibility that what Netanyahu sees as the pursuit of Israel's national interests could eventually conflict with what Trump views as the vital national security interests of the United States. CNN's Kevin Liptak reported this week that Trump was caught by surprise by an Israeli strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza and by Israeli airstrikes against government buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus, and telephoned Netanyahu on both occasions. Trump took a significant political risk in pursuit of better humanitarian conditions for civilians in civil war-devastated Syria by conferring legitimacy on Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander, by meeting him in Saudi Arabia in May. Washington has so far resisted international pressure to force Netanyahu's hand as warnings of famine in Gaza mount. It did not sign on to a warning by the leaders of 25 Western nations this week that Israel was 'drip feeding' aid into the Gaza Strip. Washington has often adopted a more benevolent approach toward Israel and the Palestinian conflict than its Western allies. This has been the case even when past administrations have billed themselves as neutral brokers between the two sides during ultimately futile peace processes. But the current gulf on Middle East issues is stark. On Thursday, France reacted to the worsening situation in Gaza with a surprise announcement by President Emmanuel Macron that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state in September. Israel warned the move 'rewards terror' and risked its annihilation. Britain, another ally that has worked hard to retain good relations with Trump, also broke with the president on Thursday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that starvation in Gaza was 'unspeakable.' He added, 'We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.' As the pressure mounts, US diplomacy is foundering. Witkoff and Trump had repeatedly promised a deal was within reach. But as with Trump's buckled Ukraine peace effort, the US lacks the leverage and the capacity to push an agreement over the line. In both cases, it often seems that the administration doesn't even fully understand the issues. Witkoff said on X Thursday that the US will consider alternative options to bring Israeli hostages home and to try to create a more 'stable environment' for the people of Gaza. Israel has also withdrawn its negotiating team from the talks, although it is offering conflicting signals about whether the process is in crisis. Perhaps Witkoff's exit is a gambit to create leverage on Hamas as the situation worsens. But this is an organization that embeds its military assets in civilian areas, so it may be impervious to humanitarian leverage. Either way, time is running out for potentially hundreds of thousands of Gazans. Will a moment arrive when even Trump — as he flails over his own self-induced political mess over Epstein — feels he has no alternative but to act?

FCC approves Skydance-Paramount $8B merger
FCC approves Skydance-Paramount $8B merger

UPI

timean hour ago

  • UPI

FCC approves Skydance-Paramount $8B merger

1 of 3 | The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday announced it had approved Skydance's acquisition of Paramount Global. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 24 (UPI) -- The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday announced its approval of Skydance's $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global, ending months of uncertainty surrounding the deal but inflaming allegations of corruption directed at the Trump administration. The FCC voted 2-1 in favor of Skydance's acquisition of Paramount and all of its subsidiaries, including Paramount Pictures, CBS television, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. Among the commitments Skydance made to the Trump administration was ensuring it will include news and entertainment programming that "will embody a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum" and that CBS News' reporting "will be fair, unbiased and fact-based," according to the FCC. Skydance has also pledged that it will not establish any diversity, equity and inclusion policies -- ideology that seeks to create inclusive environments that the Trump administration has been seeking to remove from both public and private sectors on allegations of discrimination. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr described the merger as a change that will instill public trust in media. "It is time for a change," he said in a statement. "That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network." Though the FCC said Skydance does not have any DEI programs, Carr said the agreement "marks another step forward in the FCC's efforts to eliminate invidious forms of DEI discrimination." Skydance announced the deal in July of last year, but the merger has stalled amid frictions with the Trump administration, as President Donald Trump has sparred with CBS News. Trump sued CBS News while campaigning for re-election in October for $10 billion in a lawsuit many saw as one he wouldn't win over editing of a 60 Minutes interview with his political opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris. He then upped the amount in damages to $20 billion after winning re-election. Earlier this month, Paramount Global reached a $16 million settlement with Trump that Democrats and critics of the Trump administration are calling a bribe and an affront to free speech -- accusations that only intensified after Trump earlier this week said Skydance has pledged $20 million more in advertising, PSAs and "other Similar Programming, for a total $36 MillIon Dollars." Paramount Global told UPI that the $16 million, minus fees and costs, will be allocated to Trump's future presidential library. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat of the three commissioners and the only one not appointed by Trump, dissented to the merger, and described Paramount's settlement as "cowardly capitulation" and accused the FCC of losing its independence. In her strongly worded dissent, Gomez warned that this merger will not be the last time the Trump administration threatens the First Amendment. "The Paramount payout and this reckless approval have emboldened those who believe the government can -- and should -- abuse its power to extract financial and ideological concessions, demand favored treatment and secure positive media coverage," she said. "It is a dark chapter in a long and growing record of abuse that threatens press freedom in this country." Democrats were quick to lament their concerns online. "Trump filed a sham lawsuit against CBS, but instead of fighting it CBS' parent company, Paramount, paid Trump $16 million to his future library. So, you got to ask, why did Paramount do that if the suit was quote 'meritless'?" Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in a video statement published online. "Well, maybe because they needed Trump to approve their multibillion-dollar merger, which Trump just did. The appearance of this wink-wink deal basically let's every other company and every other billionaire know that Trump is open for business, apparently happy to accept offers in exchange for favors." Warren has called for a full investigation into the deal. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass, and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., described Thursday as "a dark day for independent journalism" and called the approval of the merger "a stain on the storied history of the Federal Communications Commission. "The FCC's approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger reeks of the worst form of corruption. The timing speaks for itself: Paramount settled with Trump for $36 million on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Wednesday," they said in a joint statement. "The stench of this transaction will linger over the commission for years."

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