Latest news with #DemocraticLawmakers
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Horrors upon horrors': How US Congress responded to mass hunger in Gaza
Washington, DC – The images of emaciated children coming out of Gaza have moved some of Israel's staunchest supporters in the United States Congress to decry the humanitarian situation in the besieged Palestinian territory ravaged by Israeli-imposed starvation. Some Democratic lawmakers pointedly condemned Israel over the past few days, slamming the US and Israeli-backed GHF food distribution mechanism that has led to the killing of more than 1,000 Palestinian aid seekers. But others issued vague statements calling for aid to enter Gaza without directly blaming Israeli policies. 'This is the reality: Having already killed or wounded 200,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the extremist Israeli government is using mass starvation to engineer the ethnic cleansing of Gaza,' progressive Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement late on Friday. He accused the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of carrying out an 'extermination' campaign in Gaza. The anger threatens to shake the strong bipartisan support that Israel has enjoyed for decades in Congress, which authorises the billions in military aid that the staunch US ally receives from Washington annually. But so far, there does not appear to be a significant push to impose actual consequences on the Israeli government for its forced mass hunger campaign in Gaza. Just last week, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to approve $500m in missile defence support to Israel. 'This cannot continue' On Saturday, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen hit out at Netanyahu and US President Trump for replacing humanitarian aid groups in Gaza 'with mercenaries – leading to more death and devastation'. 'Every day, the horrors in Gaza reach new, unimaginable depths,' Van Hollen wrote in a social media post. The Trump administration has been talking up US support for the GHF operation – which the United Nations and rights groups have described as a 'death trap' and 'human slaughterhouses' – and falsely blaming Hamas for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 'This cannot continue,' Van Hollen said. Congressman John Garamendi suggested that Israel's 'dangerous and wilful failure to enable humanitarian aid' in Gaza amounts to genocide. Only a handful of progressive congressmembers have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, of an effort to destroy the Palestinian people. But leading rights groups and UN experts have concluded that the Israeli military campaign is genocidal. 'Israel has the ability and the means to deliver adequate food to the Palestinians,' Garamendi said in a statement. 'They also have the obligation under international law to deliver it; it's the choice of Prime Minister Netanyahu not to feed Gaza.' It must end. My statement on the starvation crisis in Gaza. — John Garamendi (@RepGaramendi) July 26, 2025 Numerous Israeli officials have publicly said that they aim to cut off aid to Gaza and force all Palestinians to leave the territory, effectively promoting ethic cleansing. Many have suggested that there are no innocent people in the enclave. Earlier this week, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu appeared to confirm that his country is purposely starving Gaza, saying that 'there is no nation that feeds its enemies.' 'The government is racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out,' Eliyahu said in a radio interview, according to The Times of Israel. According to Gaza's health authorities, at least 127 Palestinians have died of malnutrition in the enclave, including five on Saturday. On Thursday, Congressman Wesley Bell – who was backed with millions of dollars from pro-Israel groups last year to defeat former Congresswoman Cori Bush, a leading critic of Israeli policies – spoke out against Israel's actions. 'I've always supported Israel's right to exist and defend itself. That hasn't changed,' Bell said in a social media post. 'But supporting this government's actions – allowing children to starve and firing on civilians seeking food – is something I can't stand by. This isn't self-defense. It must stop.' Congresswoman Summer Lee also said on Friday that Israel is blocking humanitarian assistance to Gaza while shooting at aid seekers looking to receive food from GHF sites. 'People are collapsing in the streets from extreme starvation. Horrors upon horrors,' Lee said in a social media post. 'The US must stop funding Israel's manufactured famine and genocide.' Vague statements Not all US lawmakers who spoke on the issue were as forceful as Lee when addressing the crisis. Many failed to point the finger at Israel, while others prefaced their mild criticism of the US ally with customary condemnation of Hamas. Several congressmembers reiterated the Israeli lie that Hamas steals UN humanitarian aid – a claim that has been denied by UN agencies and aid groups on the ground, and for which the Israeli military officials acknowledge they have no evidence. Congresswoman Grace Meng said in a statement that 'as a mother', her heart breaks to see children in Gaza starve, but she proceeded to repeat pro-Israel talking points about the humanitarian situation. 'It is important to recognize that Israel has facilitated the entry of over 1.8 million tons and over 96,000 trucks into Gaza, while Hamas continues to hold hostages, extort the aid system, and refuse ceasefire deals to stay in power and prolong the war,' Meng said in a statement. My full statement on the humanitarian crisis and the urgent need for peace in Gaza👇 — Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) July 25, 2025 Throughout more than 22 months of war, Israel has allowed a trickle of aid to enter Gaza – but far below the needs of the population. And since March, Israel has tightened its blockade on the territory, making the deadly GHF sites nearly the only source of food for Palestinians. Hamas also denies rejecting ceasefire deals. Instead, the group says it is seeking a permanent end to the war, while several Israeli officials have said that Israel will proceed with its military campaign in Gaza even if a short-term truce is reached. Congressman Adam Smith called on Israel to take the 'steps necessary to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza, but he focused his criticism on Hamas, echoing unfounded Israeli arguments about the group blocking ceasefire deals and stealing the aid. 'I believe we can both continue to support Israel in their effort to defend themselves against Hamas, Iran and others in the region who continue in their efforts to attack and destroy Israel, and work immediately to relieve the suffering of the people in Gaza,' Smith said in a statement. Similarly, Senator Cory Booker released a 172-word statement on the starvation crisis in Gaza that mentioned the word 'Israel' only once – in calling for a strategy to 'strengthen Israel's security.' 'It is our collective moral duty to ensure that humanitarian relief reaches those who need it most urgently,' Booker said in a statement. Criticising Trump At the same time, some Democrats invoked the crisis to rebuke Trump – their political rival – without denouncing Israel. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries set the tone for that approach with a statement late on Friday that focused on Trump but failed to explicitly criticise Israel. 'The starvation and death of Palestinian children and civilians in an ongoing war zone is unacceptable,' Jeffries said. 'The Trump administration has the ability to bring an end to this humanitarian crisis. They must act now.' Statement on the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza. — Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) July 26, 2025 For his part, Congressman Tim Kennedy underscored that Trump has failed to deliver his promise of ending the war on Gaza. 'His strategic and moral failure has led to deteriorating conditions, with new reports and images of mass starvation of Palestinians,' Kennedy said in a statement. Trump's Republican Party has been largely silent about the worsening hunger in Gaza. But Congressman Randy Fine – a close ally of the US president – appeared to at once endorse Israel's starvation campaign in Gaza while dismissing it as 'Muslim terror propaganda'. 'Release the hostages,' he wrote in a social media post earlier this week. 'Until then, starve away.'
Fox News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
CNN analyst blasts Dem lawmakers for demanding answers on Colbert's cancellation
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig ripped Democratic lawmakers this week for trying to get answers on CBS's Thursday announcement it will be canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in 2026. "The move, as you can hear, drew surprise and anger from his audience and from Democratic lawmakers too, who are now demanding answers," CNN's Abby Phillip said. Phillip then quoted a statement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on the announcement from the senator's X feed that said "CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons." Phillip brought in Honig, who said that Democrats should move on. "Two initial reactions to this," Honig said. "Number one, what on earth is Congress doing, wasting their time on this? CBS is a private industry. If they want to give AOC the show, God bless them." "They're private," he continued. "That's First Amendment, Congress. If Democrats, if Elizabeth Warren, they go down this road, what an utter waste." CNN contributor Scott Jennings then challenged Honig, asking him why he thinks Democratic lawmakers are upset that the show is being canceled. "You don't know why they're mad about it," Jennings asked Honig. "Well, who was even on the show tonight? Adam Schiff. These shows, Colbert and the rest of them have become nothing but anti-Trump fever swap porn along with Dem guests every single night." Phillip acknowledged Jennings' stance, but then said she thinks Warren is concerned that the cancellation is due to ongoing corruption. On July 1, Paramount Global and CBS agreed to pay Trump a sum that could reach at least $30 million to settle the president's election interference lawsuit against the network.
Fox News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats fume over new plan to house illegal migrants in New Jersey, Indiana military bases
Military bases in both New Jersey and Indiana will soon be used by Homeland Security to house illegal immigrants, drawing a furious response from Democratic lawmakers. Parts of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana will be repurposed and used as "temporary soft-sided holding facilities," the Defense Department told Fox News Digital, citing a decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. New Jersey Democrats blasted the decision, warning it would harm military readiness and urging Republicans to join them in helping reverse it. Both bases were previously used to house thousands of Afghan refugees following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. "This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country," the group of Democrats said in a joint statement. "Using our country's military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful." The statement was made by Reps. Herb Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross, Rob Menendez, Frank Pallone, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Josh Gottheimer and Nellie Pou as well as Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim. It is unclear when either site will open and a decision will depend on operational requirements and coordination with Homeland Security, the Defense Department said. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a joint military base operated by U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy — the only tri-service base in the country. Spanning 42,00 acres, it's home to 45,000 military and civilian personnel, making it one of the largest and most strategically important on the East Coast. Camp Atterbury is an Army and Air National Guard base near Edinburgh that spans 34,000 acres and has been used for training brigades and hosting large-scale operations. Under the Trump administration, Homeland Security has been using detention facilities to house migrants while they await asylum hearings or deportation. The lawmakers said that Hegseth wrote to Conoway informing him of the decision. Hegseth wrote in the letter that the move would not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or any other military requirements, per NJ Spotlight News. New Jersey is already home to Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center which are being used as immigration detention facilities, although they are privately operated. Delaney Hall was the scene where Democrat Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested and charged with trespassing in a clash with federal immigration officials in May. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D‑N.J., was later federally charged for allegedly interfering with federal officers during the same incident. The news comes two weeks after President Donald Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill into law, which allocated between $150 billion and $170 billion towards immigration enforcement over the next several years, $45 billion of which was carved out to expand immigration detention facilities. The funds are part of the Trump administration's efforts to carry out the largest deportation operation in the nation's history. Earlier this month, the Trump administration opened an immigration detention camp in Florida's Everglades that is surrounded by alligators dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz."
Fast Company
17-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Trump's World Liberty Financial crypto tokens approved for trading
Holders of the digital tokens issued by World Liberty Financial, one of the crypto ventures of the family of Donald Trump, voted on Wednesday to make them tradable, paving the way for their wide sale and purchase — potentially boosting the value of the president's holdings of them. The World Liberty tokens, known as $WLFI, were sold to investors after the Trump family and their partners launched the venture – a 'decentralised finance' platform that has also issued a stablecoin – last autumn. The tokens were not made tradeable at their initial sale. Instead, they gave holders a right to vote on some changes to the business, such as its underlying code. Early investors have said the primary draw of $WLFI was the connection to Trump and, in turn, their expectations the tokens would grow in value due to his backing. Making the tokens tradable would see investors determine their price, enabling speculation, earning trading fees for exchanges that list them and likely stoking interest from a wider swath of crypto investors. The extent to which the Trump family, which reaps three-quarters of revenues from the initial sales of the tokens, will benefit from their wider trading is not clear. Gains in the tokens' price would, however, swell the value of the family's token holdings, the exact level of which is unclear. World Liberty and Trump's other crypto businesses have faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers and ethics experts as the president's administration reshapes regulations in the booming crypto sector. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Democratic Representative Maxine Waters sent a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year in which they said, 'The Trump family's financial stake in World Liberty Financial represents an unprecedented conflict of interest with the potential to influence the Trump Administration's oversight—or lack thereof—of the cryptocurrency industry.' The World Liberty tokens have not been designated as securities by the SEC, meaning they are not subject to the same scrutiny as investments like stocks. The White House has said Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that there are no conflicts of interest. The White House has not released the details of the trust arrangement. The Trump family business has been placed into a trust whose sole beneficiary is the president, meaning that the hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto deals struck while Trump is in office could hypothetically be withdrawn at any time, or at the latest, be at his disposal when he leaves office in less than four years. Trump's company, DT Marks DEFI LLC, was set to receive 22.5 billion out of a total 100 billion $WLFI tokens, according to a description of the project released in October. The president held 15.75 billion of the tokens at the end of last year, according to a public financial disclosure report published last month. The Trump family has made around $500 million from World Liberty since the platform was launched, according to Reuters calculations based on the company's terms and conditions, transactions traced by crypto analysis firms and publicly-disclosed deals. Asked by Reuters how the vote would impact the value of $WLFI tokens held by Trump and his family, the White House press office said: 'This is not an inquiry for the White House.' The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment. In response to Reuters' questions about how the tokens will become tradable, a World Liberty spokesperson said: 'Additional details are forthcoming.' The venture says on its website that making $WLFI tradeable 'brings us one step closer to building a more open, transparent, and powerful financial system.' 'The American public should be very concerned about the president's vested interests in the cryptocurrency market,' said Chris Swartz, a former longtime attorney at the U.S. government's Office of Government Ethics, including under both Trump administrations, who now serves as senior ethics counsel for Democracy Defenders Action, a legal advocacy group. 'Not only is it a potential conduit for foreign emoluments and other illicit payments, but it puts the president in competition against other cryptocurrency issuers at the same time he is advocating for digital asset marketplace legislation. That is a clear conflict of interest.' 99.9% support The World Liberty proposal to 'formally initiate the tradability of the token,' posted on its website on July 9, was approved by 99.94% of around 20,900 votes. Some voters cited expectations of price gains or support for Trump as reasons for their choice. 'We invested to get rich,' one wrote on the World Liberty website. 'To make america great again,' wrote another. The identities of nearly all holders are hidden behind wallet addresses. A Milan-based person using the name Paolo, who declined to give his full name, told Reuters he had bought 95,000 $WLFI tokens for about $5,000. $WLFI tokens were sold in two initial tranches at $0.015 and $0.05. Paolo said he voted in favour of making the tokens tradeable and planned to hold the tokens until they reach $12. 'Then I try to buy more when the price drops,' he said. The World Liberty proposal said the timing for making the tokens tradeable, and the eligibility requirements, would be determined at a later, unspecified date. Tokens held by World Liberty's founders, team and advisers would not be initially 'unlocked' for trading and would be subject to a longer 'unlock schedule,' it said. The implementation of approved proposals would 'occur within a reasonable time from the passage of the applicable proposal,' according to the project description from October.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's World Liberty crypto tokens to become tradable
By Tom Wilson -Holders of the digital tokens issued by World Liberty Financial, one of the crypto ventures of the family of Donald Trump, voted on Wednesday to make them tradeable, paving the way for their wide sale and purchase -- potentially boosting the value of the president's holdings of them. The World Liberty tokens, known as $WLFI, were sold to investors after the Trump family and their partners launched the venture - a "decentralised finance" platform that has also issued a stablecoin - last autumn. The tokens were not made tradeable at their initial sale. Instead, they gave holders a right to vote on some changes to the business, such as its underlying code. Early investors have said the primary draw of $WLFI was the connection to Trump and, in turn, their expectations the tokens would grow in value due to his backing. Making the tokens tradeable would see investors determine their price, enabling speculation, earning trading fees for exchanges that list them and likely stoking interest from a wider swath of crypto investors. The extent to which the Trump family, which reaps three-quarters of revenues from the initial sales of the tokens, will benefit from their wider trading is not clear. Gains in the tokens' price would, however, swell the value of the family's token holdings, the exact level of which is unclear. World Liberty and Trump's other crypto businesses have faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers and ethics experts as the president's administration reshapes regulations in the booming crypto sector. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Democratic Representative Maxine Waters sent a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year in which they said, "The Trump family's financial stake in World Liberty Financial represents an unprecedented conflict of interest with the potential to influence the Trump Administration's oversight—or lack thereof—of the cryptocurrency industry." The World Liberty tokens have not been designated as securities by the SEC, meaning they are not subject to the same scrutiny as investments like stocks. The White House has said Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that there are no conflicts of interest. The White House has not released the details of the trust arrangement. The Trump family business has been placed into a trust whose sole beneficiary is the president, meaning that the hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto deals struck while Trump is in office could hypothetically be withdrawn at any time, or at the latest, be at his disposal when he leaves office in less than four years. Trump's company, DT Marks DEFI LLC, was set to receive 22.5 billion out of a total 100 billion $WLFI tokens, according to a description of the project released in October. The president held 15.75 billion of the tokens at the end of last year, according to a public financial disclosure report published last month. The Trump family has made around $500 million from World Liberty since the platform was launched, according to Reuters calculations based on the company's terms and conditions, transactions traced by crypto analysis firms and publicly-disclosed deals. Asked by Reuters how the vote would impact the value of $WLFI tokens held by Trump and his family, the White House press office said: "This is not an inquiry for the White House." The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment. In response to Reuters' questions about how the tokens will become tradable, a World Liberty spokesperson said: "Additional details are forthcoming." The venture says on its website that making $WLFI tradeable "brings us one step closer to building a more open, transparent, and powerful financial system." "The American public should be very concerned about the president's vested interests in the cryptocurrency market," said Chris Swartz, a former longtime attorney at the U.S. government's Office of Government Ethics, including under both Trump administrations, who now serves as senior ethics counsel for Democracy Defenders Action, a legal advocacy group. "Not only is it a potential conduit for foreign emoluments and other illicit payments, but it puts the president in competition against other cryptocurrency issuers at the same time he is advocating for digital asset marketplace legislation. That is a clear conflict of interest." 99.9% SUPPORT The World Liberty proposal to "formally initiate the tradability of the token," posted on its website on July 9, was approved by 99.94% of around 20,900 votes. Some voters cited expectations of price gains or support for Trump as reasons for their choice. "We invested to get rich," one wrote on the World Liberty website. "To make america great again," wrote another. The identities of nearly all holders are hidden behind wallet addresses. A Milan-based person using the name Paolo, who declined to give his full name, told Reuters he had bought 95,000 $WLFI tokens for about $5,000. $WLFI tokens were sold in two initial tranches at $0.015 and $0.05. Paolo said he voted in favour of making the tokens tradeable and planned to hold the tokens until they reach $12. "Then I try to buy more when the price drops," he said. The World Liberty proposal said the timing for making the tokens tradeable, and the eligibility requirements, would be determined at a later, unspecified date. Tokens held by World Liberty's founders, team and advisers would not be initially "unlocked" for trading and would be subject to a longer "unlock schedule," it said. The implementation of approved proposals would "occur within a reasonable time from the passage of the applicable proposal,' according to the project description from October.
