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Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal possible, despite Hamas changes to truce proposal

Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal possible, despite Hamas changes to truce proposal

Yahoo7 hours ago
The gaps between Israel and Hamas are narrow, a source familiar with the talks told The Jerusalem Post.
Israel believes Hamas's response to the hostage deal "still allows for the possibility of closing a deal, and that's why the decision was made to send a delegation," a senior Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
This comes after Israeli officials clarified that there are elements in Hamas's response that "are not acceptable to Israel."
The delegation traveling to Doha on Sunday evening to advance negotiations on a hostage deal will include the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, senior Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) official "M," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political advisor Ophir Falk, and additional representatives from the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet.
The gaps between Israel and Hamas are narrow, a source familiar with the talks told the Post.
"A deal could be reached within a day,' the source said. 'The differences are not that significant — it all depends on how stubborn each side is and how much pressure the American president applies.'
Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, with the two leaders expected to discuss the hostage deal negotiations, the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and the issue of Iran in the wake of the recent escalation.
The Israeli cabinet voted in favor of distributing humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip on Saturday, following a heated discussion during which Netanyahu harshly criticized IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over delays in establishing the "humanitarian city" in south Gaza.
"There's no reason to wait. We need to move forward," Netanyahu said.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) voted against the proposal on Saturday, citing opposition to the current aid distribution in north Gaza, which they argued is complicating civilian evacuation efforts.
Images were shown to ministers of civilians running toward aid centers during the meeting.
"Look at the soldiers. This is not far from them," Zamir commented.
"Why are we distributing aid and putting our soldiers at risk?" Ben-Gvir responded.
"They're running because there's no food. If they had enough food, they wouldn't run like that," Netanyahu stated.
"We must stop this! They're running because that's their mentality. Even when hostages were brought in, they chased after them. Were they starving then, too?!" Ben-Gvir argued.
"This process is being mismanaged," National Missions Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionist Party) argued.
"Then you manage it," Minister in the Justice Ministry, Regional Cooperation Minister, and Ministerial Liaison to the Knesset David Amsalem (Likud) retorted.
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What would it take for Elon Musk to create a new political party in America?

timean hour ago

What would it take for Elon Musk to create a new political party in America?

On the heels of the Fourth of July -- and amid his feud with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans over the president's tax policy bill -- tech billionaire Elon Musk announced plans for a brand new political party, dubbed "America Party," to represent what he called "the 80% in the middle." Musk, who recently left his temporary government post as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, told his X followers that his new party will "give you back your freedom." In a series of posts over the weekend, Musk said his party would use "extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield" to target "2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," which he believes "would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws." So what would it take for Musk to launch his third-party effort? Here's an overview. Getting on the ballot To start, Musk would have to get his party on the ballots in the states where he wants to compete -- each with its own process for qualifying. In many states -- including Kentucky, where the race to fill retiring Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell's open seat in 2026 is heating up -- a party-designated candidate must win a nomination from a state-recognized political party that has received a certain percentage of votes in the previous presidential election -- or else a candidate has to run as an independent or a write-in candidate. In other states, the America Party's name itself could present a problem -- like in New York, where state law prohibits political parties from having the word "American," or any part of it, as part of their party names, according to Election Law Blog. Bankrolling these state-level efforts would take significant resources. Experts would be needed to navigate each state's election laws and political systems in order to identify and nominate promising candidates, and canvassers would have to gather thousands to tens of thousands of signatures for each candidate to get them on the ballot. Traditionally, candidates and their parties spearhead these operations, working together to strategize signature-gathering, voter registration, and campaign fundraising and spending. But Musk's America Party is unlikely to become a certified political party anytime soon, because the Federal Election Commission, which reviews political organizations' qualification as political parties, has not been in quorum to do so since a commissioner resigned in April, leaving the agency with just three commissioners. FEC commissioners can only be appointed by President Trump himself. It's not yet clear if Musk has filed any paperwork for his America Party, and an FEC spokesperson declined to comment on whether the agency has received any paperwork from Musk's team. Going the PAC route Faced with the long odds of gaining party certification, some election experts say that Musk, at least for the time being, could focus on House and Senate candidates through a super PAC. That's because ballot access for congressional races is governed by the states -- not the federal government -- so the America Party could still put its designated candidates on the ballot without the FEC's certification, as long as they pass state qualifications. And because super PACs are unconstrained by fundraising or spending limits, an America Party super PAC could be funded by unlimited donations from supporters including Musk himself, and could independently spend an unlimited amount of money in support of its candidates. The only catch is that super PACs are unable to work directly with campaigns the way FEC-certified political parties can -- but election lawyer Matt Sanderson of Caplin and Drysdale told ABC News that the efficiency of a super PAC can actually outweigh the advantages of a political party. "Form a super PAC, just call yourselves a political party -- that's not against the rules. The FEC blessing is not needed," said Sanderson, who was legal counsel for the No Labels movement during the 2024 election. "I actually don't think it makes a lick of sense in this day and age to try to form yourself as a national party committee." "They can call themselves whatever they want," Sanderson said, explaining that the FEC doesn't prohibit a super PAC from calling itself a political party as long as it doesn't coordinate directly with campaigns. "Just skip right past this very cumbersome and not-all-that-beneficial process, hold themselves out as a political party, and move forward." Joining forces Additionally, Musk could enlist the help of existing third parties, like the Libertarian Party or the Green Party. However, third parties historically have had little success in gaining office in the United States. During the 2024 election, the centrist group No Labels led a third-party presidential movement but ended its efforts months before the Republican and Democratic national conventions, after failing to find their candidate before their self-imposed deadline. Longstanding Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver ran in the 2024 presidential race but received less than 0.5% of the total vote. Still, a possible collaboration could be in the works: Musk has been in touch with one-time Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who in recent days has spearheaded a third party centrist effort of his own, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News. Caleb Burns, an election lawyer at Wiley Rein, acknowledged the potential significance of obtaining an official party status through the FEC instead of bypassing that step with a super PAC -- stressing the role of a political party as a "brand for politicians." "The success of any new political party will turn on whether there are sufficient candidates -- and, by extension, members of the public -- interested in aligning with that new brand," Burns said. "If the answer is yes, then it makes sense to do everything possible to enhance and promote that brand -- which means proceeding with the organizational and legal burdens necessary to create and formalize a new political party." "The critical predicate, however, is the political question of whether or not there is sufficient interest in a new brand of politician," Burns said. "For that, it seems we will have to wait and see what Mr. Musk concludes."

College group Zohran Mamdani co-founded welcomed radical speaker who blamed US for 9/11 attacks: 'Made its bed'
College group Zohran Mamdani co-founded welcomed radical speaker who blamed US for 9/11 attacks: 'Made its bed'

New York Post

timean hour ago

  • New York Post

College group Zohran Mamdani co-founded welcomed radical speaker who blamed US for 9/11 attacks: 'Made its bed'

Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani co-founded a college club that invited a radical speaker who called Israel a bigger terror threat than Hamas – and boasted he was greatly influenced by a Palestinian leader nicknamed the 'godfather of Middle-eastern terrorism.' The professor, As'ad AbuKhalil, also later claimed that the US brought the Sept. 11 attack on itself and accused the government of inflicting 'many 9/11s' on the world. In November 2013, Students for Justice in Palestine at Bowdoin College — which Mamdani helped launch — welcomed the controversial Lebanese-American academic to campus. Advertisement 7 Mamdani co-founded a college club that invited a radical speaker who called Israel a bigger terror threat than Hamas. Paul Martinka for NY Post AbuKhalil was invited to speak to SJP about 'trends in the Middle East in the age of uprising' while Mamdani was still a student. Years after the invite, he hadn't tampered down his inflammatory rhetoric. Advertisement 'We have to remember that the US basically was hit on 9/11 by forces that were reactionary and fanatic and were raised and armed and sponsored by America and its allies in the Middle East,' Abukhalil said in 2021. 'People forget that 9/11 is a repercussion of the Cold War when the US made its bed and clearly with the religious fanatics of the Muslim world,' he also said. 'This is a time where socialists around the world in Chile, in the Arab world and everywhere were under attack by the US. Reactionary forces in support.' 7 AbuKhalil was invited to speak to SJP about 'trends in the Middle East in the age of uprising' while Mamdani was still a student. GiraZapatistaBE/X While AbuKhalil stressed it's 'heart-wrenching remembering all these people who came from 80 nationalities, the ones who died on 9/11 here in the United States,' he also argued, 'but there were many earlier 9/11s that the US inflicted on people around the world.' Advertisement The questionable invite was one of several inflammatory actions the students group has taken in the past decade after Mamdani helped launch the small liberal arts school's branch of the activist organization. The democratic socialist who won big in the crowded Democratic primary for Big Apple mayor, has faced a wave of criticism for his association with leaders accused of antisemitism and past comments. 7 New York's Zohran Mamdani holds rally with union leaders inside HTC (Hotel & Gaming Trades Council) midtown HQ at 707 8th Avenue (between 44th and 45th streets) in midtown Manhattan. Paul Martinka for NY Post AbuKhalil's most eyebrow-raising 9/11 comments came after he was invited to Bowdoin but he made several shocking statements leading up to the event. Advertisement In 2006, AbuKhalil claimed Israel committed more destructive terrorism than Hamas and slammed Americans for not acknowledging that. 'And if Hamas has practiced versions of indiscriminate and aimless violence—which I personally reject on principle–, it should be pointed out that Israeli terrorism—in scale and in magnitude–by far exceeds that of Hamas, but nobody has noticed here in the US. Fatah is facing a dilemma, and it does not know how to respond,' he wrote in a blog post. 7 AbuKhalil's most eyebrow-raising 9/11 comments came after he was invited to Bowdoin. Bowdoin SJP/X AbuKhalil said he was 'honored to have known' George Habash, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has been designated a terror organization by the US since 1997. 'He was a great Palestinian leader,' said AbuKhalil in 2012 to an audience in Edinburgh that was pointed out by Canary Mission. AbuKhalil also commended Habash as a figure who had 'tremendous influence' on the academic. 'Of course if you look at newspapers he would be seen as terrorist,' he said. A Time magazine story in 2008 about his death assailed Habash as 'the godfather of Middle East terrorism.' Advertisement 'The PFLP was founded in 1967 by a group of radical socialists led by George Habash and became infamous in the 1970s for airplane hijackings,' according to the Anti-Defamation League. 7 AbuKhalil said he was 'honored to have known' George Habash, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. An email seeking comment from AbuKhalil, who teaches at California State University Stanislaus, was not immediately returned. Longshot mayoral candidate Jim Walden slammed Mamdani for his past ties to the student. Advertisement 'Mamdani needs to come clean with voters on his support for Islamic radicals and terrorists while at Bowdoin,' said Walden, an attorney. Mamdani's campaign did not immediately reply to a request for comment. It's unclear if Mamdani was involved in getting AbuKhalil to campus or if he attended the talk. 7 It's unclear if Mamdani was involved in getting AbuKhalil to campus or if he attended the talk. asadabukhalil/X While Mamdani graduated from Bowdoin in spring 2014, the SJP chapter has had other instances in which it was a hotbed for radical activism. Advertisement SJP occupied a first floor of a campus building earlier this year tied to protesting the school's investment practices and President Trump hinting at taking control of war-torn Gaza, according to the Bowdoin Orient. 'As Israeli aggression obliterates Palestinian homes and guns down children in Jenin, as unspeakable suffering continues in Gaza, and as America descends further into fascism, we ask – what type of institution does Bowdoin want to be?' the group argued in a press release. 'One that cowers to authoritarianism, that chooses cowardice in the face of injustice? The choice is Bowdoin's.' 7 New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attends a press conference with union leaders and supporters in New York City, July 2, 2025. REUTERS Advertisement Scrutiny into Mamdani's background has only intensified since he easily coasted to victory in the Democratic Party primary last month, clobbering former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a slew of other candidates in the ranked-choice vote. In resurfaced tweets Mamdani appeared to defend al Qaeda fiend Anwar al-Awalaki, who was later killed in a drone strike approved by then-President Barack Obama. It was also revealed last week that Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, claimed he was 'African American' along with 'Asian' in a college application to Columbia University that was ultimately rejected. The far-left darling still needs to get past the general election in which he'll face GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa as well as Mayor Eric Adams, Cuomo and Walden each of whom are appearing on minor ballot lines. Big Apple moderates are in a frenzy in a bid to stop his ascension to City Hall while prominent Democrats in New York have yet to endorse his candidacy despite Mamdani clinching the most votes ever in a city primary.

Trump Stages Another Boffo Reality TV Episode In LA Park
Trump Stages Another Boffo Reality TV Episode In LA Park

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Trump Stages Another Boffo Reality TV Episode In LA Park

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM's Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. The Apprentice isn't the only, or even the best, prism with which to view Donald Trump's approach to politics, but it is an essential one. Trump is always putting on a show in which he will always be, if not the hero, then at least the strong protagonist, and he needs villains. Lots and lots of villains to vanquish. But not just any villains. He needs villains whose defeat touches the deepest, darkest parts of the American psyche. And so the villains he picks often wind up being people of color, women and foreigners, and what they may lack in actual villainy he makes up for by casting them as derangedly violent or sexually deviant or otherwise sinister in comic book ways. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — a Black woman — fits the bill for Trump, and it appears that she will have a recurring role in Trump's rogue gallery. Yesterday, in a made-for-Fox-News stunt, heavily armed federal immigration agents swept through Los Angeles' MacArthur Park in a dramatic but mostly ineffectual set-piece that seemed designed more to antagonize locals than to serve any legitimate law enforcement purpose. On cue, Bass rushed to the park and later denounced the maneuver at a press conference. 'What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,' Bass lamented. Calling it a stunt doesn't make it any less threatening or alarming, but it does suggest a need to be self-aware about getting caught up in the Trump-created drama and playing to the type he has cast. That's easier for the rest of us than for local elected Democrats or others unwillingly caught in one of Trump's reality TV episodes, especially those who are powerless and vulnerable. The president of the Los Angeles City Council, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, understood the game, noting wryly: 'If you want to film in L.A., you should apply for a film permit like everybody else.' In preserving your self-awareness, it helps to remember your audience. Trump is playing to his own with a well-worn script that has the rough contours of a pro-wrestling bit. Leading the 'raid' of the park was Gregory Bovino, a Customs and Border Protection official who played the boastful tough guy with a puffed-out chest. 'Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon,' Bovino told a Fox News reporter. 'We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.' And then there is the right-wing propaganda machine. It gobbles up the Trump-generated content and eggs it on, as here where a host questions Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin about why Bass hasn't been arrested: Of course, the Trump administration already arrested Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) when she attempted to conduct oversight at a detention facility in New Jersey. Like Bass, McIver is a Black woman. Garrett Graff, on the One, Big Beautiful Bill and its insane funding level for immigration enforcement: 'As someone who has covered federal law enforcement for the last two decades and has spent recent years writing both about the state of democracy today and authoring history books about the fall of fascism in Europe in the 1930s, it's hard not to look at the new legislation and fear, most of all, how we're turbo-charging an increasingly lawless regime of immigration enforcement and adding superpowers to America's newly masked secret police.' My report from court yesterday on the U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis efforts to pin down the Trump administration on what it intends to do next to Kilmar Abrego Garcia. She ordered the Trump administration to produce a witness of its choice for a hearing Thursday. El Salvador told a United Nations body that the detainees shipped to CECOT by the Trump administration remain the 'jurisdiction and legal responsibility' of the United States. Lawyers for the detainees filed a UN document, which reported El Salvador's position, in the original Alien Enemies Act case in DC. Wisconsin state judge Hannah Dugan lost her motion to dismiss the criminal charges against her for allegedly interfering with an immigration enforcement operation in her courthouse. She can appeal the magistrate's ruling to a district judge. Jason Zengerle: The Ruthless Ambition of Stephen Miller Michael Feinberg, the senior FBI agent targeted by the Trump administration for his personal friendship with Peter Strzok, recounts his decision to resign after learning from his supervisor that his career would be intentionally stalled.

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