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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  2. <rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title>Common Dreams</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/</link><description>Common Dreams</description><atom:link href="https://www.commondreams.org/feeds/news.rss" rel="self"></atom:link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 22:41:32 -0000</lastBuildDate><image><url>https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMjEwMDM4OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTgxMjIyMDI1N30.ErOfRE5hvYF7nWXKN4iUp2dOTKR2-o5weET2FxMgj9A/image.png?width=210</url><link>https://www.commondreams.org/</link><title>Common Dreams</title></image><item><title>Mahmoud Khalil to Sue Trump Admin for $20 Million Over 'Unconstitutional' Detention</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-lawsuit</link><description><![CDATA[
  3. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/khalil-attends-welcome-home-rally-after-being-freed-from-detention.jpg?id=61192350&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C73%2C0%2C269"/><br/><br/><p>Pro-Palestinian student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil on Thursday began the process of suing U.S. President Donald Trump's administration for $20 million in damages for the harm he suffered as a result of the government's "politically motivated plan to unlawfully arrest, detain, and deport" him.</p><p>"This is the first step towards accountability," Khalil said in a statement. "Nothing can restore the 104 days stolen from me. The trauma, the separation from my wife, the birth of my first child that I was forced to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-son" target="_self">miss</a>. But let's be clear, the same government that targeted me for speaking out is using taxpayer dollars to fund Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza."</p><p>"There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power," he asserted. "And I won't stop here. I will continue to pursue justice against everyone who contributed to my unlawful detention or spread lies in an attempt to destroy my reputation, including those affiliated with Columbia University. I'm holding the U.S. government accountable not just for myself, but for everyone they try to silence through fear, exile, or detention."</p><p>In March, federal agents who were in plain clothes and lacked a warrant <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-video" target="_blank">accosted</a> Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who recently finished a graduate program at Columbia, and his wife—Noor Abdalla, a U.S. citizen who was then pregnant with their son—outside their New York City home. Following Khalil's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-columbia" target="_blank">arrest</a>, several other student activists critical of the U.S.-backed Israeli assault on Gaza were also targeted for deportation.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25995381-7-10-25-khalil-ftca-w/" target="_blank">claim</a> that 30-year-old Khalil filed Thursday against the U.S. Homeland Security and State departments, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is a precursor to a lawsuit that will cite the Federal Tort Claims Act of 1946, <a href="https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/mahmoud-khalil-files-claim-hold-trump-administration-accountable" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to</a> the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), part of his legal team.</p><p>The filing accuses the Trump administration of carrying out a plan to deport Khalil "in a manner calculated to terrorize him and his family," and says the mistreatment caused "severe emotional distress, economic hardship, damage to his reputation, and significant impairment of his First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights."</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreievor5hnfm6nlghumfgvnvqtohbxdwuel4n32bdrodyekxrowl4zm" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltn7zi2pjb2j">Mahmoud Khalil has filed a claim against the Trump administration, seeking either $20 million or an official apology and change in the administration’s policy after he was held in detention for over 100 days. NBC News’ Maya Eaglin spoke to Khalil in New York City.<br/><br/><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s/post/3ltn7zi2pjb2j?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a><br/>— NBC News (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s?ref_src=embed">@nbcnews.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s/post/3ltn7zi2pjb2j?ref_src=embed">July 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js"></script></div><p>Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent who was finally <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-released" target="_blank">freed</a> from an ICE facility in Louisiana last month, is seeking $20 million to help others similarly targeted by the government and Columbia, but "he would accept, in lieu of payment, an official apology and abandonment of the administration's unconstitutional policy," CCR explained.</p><p><em>The Associated Press</em> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mahmoud-khalil-ice-release-trump-columbia-protests-570f7af32010c16b1a00dd7e78f4c687" target="_blank">reported</a> that "a White House spokesperson deferred comment to the State Department, which said its actions were fully supported by the law. In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Khalil's claim 'absurd,' accusing him of 'hateful behavior and rhetoric' that threatened Jewish students."</p><p>While the departments' comments signal that the Trump administration won't be making any apologies, Khalil's team is determined to move forward with his case.</p><p>"The Trump administration's unconstitutional targeting of Mr. Khalil led to severe harms that he continues to navigate, including financial loss, reputational damage, and emotional distress," said Samah Sisay, staff attorney at CCR. "Mr. Khalil will never get back the three months stolen from him while in immigration detention, including his child's birth and first months of life. The government must take accountability for their unlawful actions and compensate Mr. Khalil for his suffering."</p><p>Khalil's claim was filed a day after an ICE official <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/canary-mission-website" target="_blank">testified</a> under oath that a task force formed in March used lists from Canary Mission, an operation linked to Israeli intelligence agencies, and the pro-Israel group Betar Worldwide to compile reports on international students targeted for their protest activities.<br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 22:41:23 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-lawsuit</guid><category>Campus protests</category><category>Center for constitutional rights</category><category>Columbia university</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Gaza</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Immigration and customs enforcement</category><category>Us department of homeland security</category><category>Us department of state</category><category>Mahmoud khalil</category><dc:creator>Jessica Corbett</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/khalil-attends-welcome-home-rally-after-being-freed-from-detention.jpg?id=61192350&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Dean Phillips' Attack on Mamdani Is an Attack on 'Millions of Working-Class People,' Progressives Say</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/mamdani-voters</link><description><![CDATA[
  4. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/new-york-mayoral-candidate-and-state-rep-zohran-mamdani-d-n-y.jpg?id=61192058&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C417%2C0%2C1583"/><br/><br/><p>In an interview with <em>CNN</em>, former Congressman Dean Phillips was asked whether "there is room" for him and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic Party—but progressive Rep. Summer Lee was among those saying on Thursday that Phillips' rejection of Mamdani wwas really about millions of Americans who have voted for candidates like him.</p><p>"These guys aren't just rejecting him, but the millions moved to electoral action by candidates like him," said Lee (D-Pa.) in response to Phillips' interview. </p><p><em>CNN</em>'s Omar Jimenez asked Phillips about the "big tent" philosophy often promoted by Democratic leaders who believe the party should welcome lawmakers and candidates who don't agree with every aspect of its platform—politicians like anti-choice Rep. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/04/jim-clyburn-henry-cuellar-democrats-abortion-election/" target="_blank">Henry Cuellar</a> (D-Texas) and former Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who made millions of dollars from his coal business. </p><p>Jimenez asked whether Mamdani, a democratic socialist who stunned former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the party's leadership in the Democratic mayoral primary last month, should also be welcomed into the party's "big tent."</p><p>"The answer ultimately is no," said Phillips, who was one of the wealthiest members of Congress before he left office to run for president in a long-shot bid against former President Joe Biden in the 2024 race—<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/politics/dean-phillips-drops-out.html" target="_blank">losing</a> his home state of Minnesota and garnering just 1.7% of the vote in South Carolina, falling behind author Marianne Williamson. </p><p>Phillips admitted that "most Americans share the same values" as Mamdani, who has advocated for fare-free public transit, universal free childcare, and city-run grocery stores to operate alongside private stores and provide low-cost essentials to working families.</p><p>But he claimed that while "differences of opinion, perspective, life story, politics, and experience" are beneficial to the Democratic Party, the presence of so-called "socialists" like Mamdani is not. </p><p>"The overwhelming majority of Americans want neither far-left or far-right politics," he said without citing any supporting evidence. </p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1943178337620516944">
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  8. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Phillips appeared confident that Democratic voters across the country would recoil from candidates like Mamdani—despite recent rallies in red districts where progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who both endorsed Mamdani, have drawn crowds of thousands of people in recent months during Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy Tour. </p><p>In addition to Mamdani's historic success in the Democratic primary—with more New Yorkers voting for him than in any other primary election in the history of the nation's largest city—numerous polls have shown that Americans back policies like those that powered his campaign. </p><p>A poll by Child Care for Every Family in 2023 <a href="https://childcareforeveryfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Child-Care-Polling-Messaging-Memo-1-31-24.pdf" target="_blank">found</a> that 92% of parents with children under age 5 supported guaranteed, government-funded childcare, including 79% of Republican parents and 83% of independent parents. </p><p>Raising taxes for corporations and wealthy households is also broadly popular, with about 6 in 10 Americans <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/19/most-americans-continue-to-favor-raising-taxes-on-corporations-higher-income-households/" target="_blank">supporting</a> the proposal in a recent Pew Research poll. </p><p>And despite efforts by centrist Democrats and Republicans to portray Mamdani's platform as radical, programs like his fare-free bus proposal have already been <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/08/business/free-buses-us-public-transit" target="_blank">implemented</a> in cities like Kansas City, Raleigh, and Boston on three of the city's busiest bus routes. </p><p>"Maybe our big tent should have less millionaire nepo heirs and more fighters for the millions of working-class people," suggested Lee on Thursday. </p><p>Matt Bruenig of the People's Policy Project also condemned Phillips for suggesting Mamdani—and ostensibly the <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/zohran-mamdani-secures-victory-most-025716272.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAClxpN2cX__ftihEgM3N2N0L-a2eC0rYnsENlBBtCAk4onHe68VQVAQsNRXy1eqMHjk3V3grghYAi1Cq02q3ZhWPK0IjQyb5pIxUaO32UN2PO14rruLRjAVg8gcc55xp39q9WThOREmdd9ILaJZeT1wnxDyjh5vKa9twDrRlm_JH" target="_blank">565,639</a> New Yorkers who voted for him—have no place in the party. </p><p>"The stated position here is that socialists cannot be part of the Democratic Party," <a href="https://x.com/MattBruenig/status/1943298155468231015" target="_blank">said</a> Bruenig. "Does this hold for the socialist voters too? Should they also not vote for the party? Phillips is trying to radically shrink the party. Scary stuff."</p><p>"Centrists and other moderates are spending a nontrivial amount of national political energy being mad at Zohran," he <a href="https://x.com/MattBruenig/status/1943304151200395657" target="_blank">added</a>, "which could instead be spent on [President Donald] Trump and Republicans."</p><p>As <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani" target="_blank">reported</a> Wednesday, the progressive advocacy group Our Revolution is circulating a petition that's garnered more than 30,000 signatures from people urging Democratic leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mamdani-muslim" target="_blank">Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand</a>—all New York Democrats who have yet to endorse their own party's mayoral candidate—not to "sabotage" Mamdani. </p><p>Despite Phillips' insistence that Mamdani doesn't belong in the party, the resistance in New York appeared to weaken a bit Thursday as Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/nyregion/espaillat-endorse-mamdani.html" target="_blank">endorsed</a> the candidate. <br/></p><p>"New Yorkers have spoken loud and clear," said Espaillat, who had previously backed Cuomo. "And as a lifelong Democrat, I'm endorsing the Democratic Party nominee." <br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:30:19 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/mamdani-voters</guid><category>Adriano espaillat</category><category>Dean phillips</category><category>Democratic party</category><category>Democratic socialism</category><category>Matt bruenig</category><category>New york city</category><category>Zohran mamdani</category><dc:creator>Julia Conley</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/new-york-mayoral-candidate-and-state-rep-zohran-mamdani-d-n-y.jpg?id=61192058&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Progressives, Democrats Vow Fight as Senate GOP Aims to Claw Back Billions in Federal Funding</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-gop-rescissions-bill</link><description><![CDATA[
  9. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/president-trump-meets-with-his-cabinet-at-the-white-house.jpg?id=61192126&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C174%2C0%2C168"/><br/><br/><p>The U.S. Senate will soon vote on whether President Donald Trump can claw back billions of dollars that have already been appropriated by Congress.</p><p>Last month, the House narrowly voted to allow Trump to rescind <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/03/nx-s1-5418080/pbs-npr-trump-rescission-public-broadcasting" target="_blank">$9.4 billion</a> in funds that were meant to fund global health initiatives—including AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis prevention—and public broadcasters like PBS and NPR.</p><p>It's far from the first time that this Republican-controlled Congress has voted on massive budget cuts, but progressive groups and some Democratic lawmakers say this vote has another frightening dimension to it.</p><p>These funds were among the more than $420 billion appropriated by Congress that Trump <a href="https://federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2025/06/gao-finds-trump-administrations-second-violation-of-federal-spending-law/" target="_blank">illegally</a> impounded, or refused to spend, at the start of his term.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/100-groups-urge-congress-vote-no-on-trumps-rescissions/" target="_blank">letter</a> sent Wednesday to members of Congress, a coalition of more than 100 groups—including Public Citizen, the AFL-CIO, and Greenpeace—warned that by voting to approve these rescissions of federal funds, they would be giving Trump tacit approval to unconstitutionally take away Congress' authority to spend money.</p><p>"This rescissions proposal does not ask Congress, as required by the Impoundment Control Act, to approve the entirety of the federal spending that has been illegally frozen by the Trump administration," the letter notes. "The administration is merely trying to establish a veil of legitimacy while it continues unconstitutional actions that it began more than 100 days ago."</p><p>The groups went on to warn that allowing the president to unilaterally cut funding that he doesn't approve of "risks irreparable damage to the regular bipartisan appropriations process."</p><p>"Despite the political back-and-forth, Congress eventually reaches a bipartisan agreement on government funding every year, one way or another," they said. "The basis for that bipartisan agreement is that both parties must agree to compromises to achieve any of their goals. If a party with a political trifecta can simply rescind funding for the parts of appropriations bills they compromised on, they undermine congressional checks and balances and the basis for future bipartisan dealmaking on an already politically fraught process."</p><p>Under the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48432" target="_blank">Impoundment Control Act of 1974</a>, presidents are forbidden from unilaterally refusing to spend funds. However, Congress is allowed to pass a "rescission" bill within 45 days of canceling them if the president requests it. </p><p>Trump would be the first president since Bill Clinton in 1999 to successfully have funds rescinded by Congress, and it would be the largest rescission in four decades. </p><p>But as the <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/trump-rescission-proposal-builds-on-illegal-impoundments-would-undermine" target="_blank">Center for Budget and Policy Priorities</a> points out, there is a key difference: "The administration illegally impounded the funds at issue for <em>months</em> before proposing the [rescission] package" and that it is "unlawfully withholding much larger amounts of funding that it has <em>not</em> proposed for rescission."</p><p>According to a <a href="https://democrats-appropriations.house.gov/trumps-unprecedented-funding-freeze-hits-communities-across-america" target="_blank">tracker</a> created by the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who sit on the House and Senate appropriations committees, respectively, the Trump administration is blocking congressionally appropriated funds for programs including:</p><ul><li>Research into Alzheimer's disease, women's health, cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses;<span></span></li><li>Natural disaster relief;</li><li>School lunch assistance for children;</li><li>Early childhood education through the Head Start Program; and</li><li>Birth control and cancer screenings for over 800,000 patients</li></ul><p>Russell Vought, the head of the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has openly indicated a desire to use rescission to cut all of this spending "without having to get an affirmative vote" from Congress. </p><p>According to <a href="https://archive.ph/MqYhh#selection-713.0-724.0" target="_blank"><em>The New York Times</em></a>, Vought is planning to use an even more arcane and illegal maneuver known as "pocket rescission" to avoid spending the funds. As Tony Romm reported in June:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>Under the emerging plan, the Trump administration would wait until closer to Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, to formally ask lawmakers to claw back a set of funds it has targeted for cuts. Even if Congress fails to vote on the request, the president’s timing would trigger a law that freezes the money until it ultimately expires.<br/></em></p><p>Some Senate Democrats have indicated they'd be willing to risk a government shutdown to prevent the rescission bill from passing. </p><p>In a <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2025.07.08%20Dear%20Colleague.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a> published Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote that the prospect of the rescissions bill passing had "grave implications."</p><p>"[I]t is absurd for [Republicans] to expect Democrats to act as business as usual and engage in a bipartisan appropriations process to fund the government, while they concurrently plot to pass a purely partisan rescissions bill to defund those same programs negotiated on a bipartisan basis behind the scenes," Schumer wrote.<br/></p><p>Murray <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senator-murray-opening-remarks-at-full-committee-mark-up-of-cjs-ag-fda-and-legislative-branch-appropriations-bills" target="_blank">called</a> out Vought directly on Wednesday at a markup session on the next round of bills in the Senate Appropriations Committee.</p><p>"For us to be able to work in a bipartisan way effectively, that requires us to work with each other. To not just write bipartisan funding bills—but to defend them from partisan cuts sought by the president and the OMB director," she said during her opening remarks. "We cannot allow bipartisan funding bills with partisan rescission packages. It will not work."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:51:09 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-gop-rescissions-bill</guid><category>Budget</category><category>Chuck schumer</category><category>Department of government efficiency</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Federal funding freeze</category><category>Impoundment</category><category>Patty murray</category><category>Republican party</category><category>Rosa delauro</category><category>Russell vought</category><category>Us congress</category><dc:creator>Stephen Prager</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/president-trump-meets-with-his-cabinet-at-the-white-house.jpg?id=61192126&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Brazilians Rally Around Lula After Trump Tariff Threat</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-brazil-tariffs-lula</link><description><![CDATA[
  10. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/brazilian-president-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-lula-gestures-as-he-delivers-remarks-at-iscte-instituto-universitario-de-lisbo.jpg?id=56529032&width=5906&height=4041&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva may have gotten a political boost thanks to the intervention of U.S. President Donald Trump.</p><p>On Wednesday, Trump announced he was slapping all Brazilian imports with a 50% tariff to protest the criminal trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a longtime Trump ally who was indicted on charges related to an alleged coup plot to illegally remain in power after he lost the 2022 general election.</p><p>However, it does not appear that Trump's intervention into Brazil's domestic politics is helping Bolsonaro in the court of public opinion and Brazilian publication <em>Globo</em> <a href="https://g1.globo.com/tecnologia/noticia/2025/07/10/brasileiros-invadem-perfil-de-trump-e-dominam-comentarios-deixe-o-brasil-em-paz.ghtml" target="_blank">reports</a> that Brazilians have been swarming the U.S. president's Instagram account and leaving messages telling him to "leave Brazil in peace" while insisting their country is "not a lawless land."</p><p>In an analysis piece <a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2025/07/trump-expoe-custo-de-bolsonaro-para-a-direita.shtml" target="_blank">published</a> by the São Paulo-based <em>Folha</em>, journalist Igor Gielow declared that Bolsonaro was an "immediate loser" of Trump's decision, as in the past he has declared Trump to be his political idol and the two are generally seen as joined at the hip. What's more, Gielow argues that the Trump tariffs are most likely to hurt Brazil's agribusiness sector, which is where the core of Bolsonaro's political support lies.</p><p>Lorrena Rodrigues, a columnist at the more conservative newspaper <em>Estadão</em>, <a href="https://www.estadao.com.br/politica/lorenna-rodrigues/trump-da-a-lula-um-presente-politico-mas-presidente-brasileiro-precisa-ter-cautela/" target="_blank">argued</a> that Trump had given a "gift" to Lula by giving his party the opportunity to focus public attention away from domestic problems and "to exploit a patriotism that used to be the monopoly" of the country's right-wing opposition party. </p><p>Rodrigues also said that Trump's tariffs against Brazil had no economic justification given that the United States runs a trade surplus with the country, which makes it seem as though Trump "wants to interfere in the internal politics and the justice system of Brazil through international commerce," which is not something likely to be popular in the country.</p><p>A leading editorial <a href="https://www.estadao.com.br/opiniao/coisa-de-mafiosos/" target="_blank">published</a> in <em>Estadão </em>delivered even harsher criticism of the American president, whom it likened to a member of the mafia.</p><p>"Trump is using the threat of import tariffs on Brazil to obligate the country to surrender to his absurd demands," wrote the editors, who further said that Trump "lied shamelessly in his letter to justify the drastic measure" he imposed on Brazil. The editorial concluded by imploring "true Brazilians" to "not let yourselves be the dogs of an American president who shames the ideas of democracy."</p><p><em>Globo</em> also <a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/blog/daniela-lima/post/2025/07/10/tarifaco-de-trump-foi-um-tiro-no-pe-admite-a-oposicao.ghtml" target="_blank">reports</a> that members of the conservative opposition party held an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond politically to Trump's tariffs. One unnamed Senate leader who spoke with the publication described Trump's surprise announcement as "a shot in the foot."<br/></p><p>"Who's going to be in favor of this?" the Senate leader wondered. "Who's going to go against their own country?"</p><p>Brazilians have for decades been suspicious of the United States' intentions toward their national sovereignty since the U.S. backed a military coup in 1964 that ousted its democratically elected left-wing government and replaced it with a dictatorship that lasted for more than two decades.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:40:36 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-brazil-tariffs-lula</guid><category>Brazil</category><category>Jair bolsonaro</category><category>Lula</category><category>Tariffs</category><category>Trade war</category><category>Donald trump</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/brazilian-president-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-lula-gestures-as-he-delivers-remarks-at-iscte-instituto-universitario-de-lisbo.jpg?id=56529032&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Trump Admin Kicks Undocumented Kids Out of Head Start, Community Health Programs</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/hhs-undocumented-children-head-start</link><description><![CDATA[
  11. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/donald-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr.jpg?id=61192091&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C92%2C0%2C250"/><br/><br/><p><u></u>The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that undocumented immigrant children will no longer qualify for Head Start and other federally funded programs that the Trump administration argues are meant to serve American citizens.</p><p>HHS <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/prwora-hhs-bans-illegal-aliens-accessing-taxpayer-funded-programs.html" target="_blank">formally rescinded</a> a 1998 interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), the cornerstone of congressional Republicans' so-called "Contract With America" and the fulfillment of then-Democratic President Bill Clinton's promise to "end welfare as we know it."</p><p>That long-standing interpretation, HHS said, "improperly extended certain federal public benefits to illegal aliens," thus "undercutting the law by allowing illegal aliens to access programs Congress intended only for the American people."</p><p>"For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in statement.<strong> "</strong>Today's action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people."</p><p>The HHS rule change follows a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/20/trump-immigrants-benefits-executive-order" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">February executive order</a> from President Donald Trump ordering federal agencies to increase restrictions on undocumented immigrants' access to taxpayer-funded services.</p><p>In addition to Head Start—the federally funded preschool program that Trump <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-head-start" target="_blank">unsuccessfully sought to eliminate</a> from the budget reconciliation legislation he recently signed—the new HHS interpretation applies to all programs classified as "federal public benefits" under PRWORA. These include health clinics, mental health services block grants, homelessness transition block grants, substance abuse treatment, and other programs.</p><p>Critics condemned the HHS move.</p><p>"Head Start programs strive to make every child feel welcome, safe, and supported, and reject the characterization of any child as 'illegal,'" <a href="https://nhsa.org/press_release/statement-from-national-head-start-association-executive-director-yasmina-vinci-on-hhs-decision-to-change-head-start-enrollment-criteria/" target="_blank">said</a> Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the advocacy group National Head Start Association.</p><p>"The <a href="https://headstart.gov/policy/head-start-act" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Head Start Act<strong></strong></a> has never required documentation of immigration status as a condition for enrollment over the last 60 years," Vinci added. "Attempts to impose such a requirement threaten to create fear and confusion among all families who are focused on raising healthy children, ready to succeed in school and life."</p><p>The HHS policy change is part of the Trump administration's wider anti-immigrant agenda. The president has launched a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-deportations-jobs" target="_blank">mass deportation drive</a>, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/alligator-alcatraz-human-rights" target="_blank">opened</a> the "Alligator Alcatraz" concentration camp in the Florida Everglades, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-tps" target="_blank">stripped</a> temporary protected status from numerous nationalities, pushed to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/birthright-citizenship-lawsuit" target="_blank">end birthright citizenship</a>, and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/canary-mission-website" target="_blank">arrested and jailed</a> green-card holders for peacefully protesting genocide—among other xenophobic and racist policies and practices. <br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 19:49:01 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/hhs-undocumented-children-head-start</guid><category>Children</category><category>Head start</category><category>Immigration</category><category>National head start association</category><category>Public health</category><category>Robert f. kennedy jr.</category><category>U.s. department of health and human services</category><category>Trump administration</category><dc:creator>Brett Wilkins</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/donald-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr.jpg?id=61192091&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>10 Children Among at Least 17 Killed in Israeli Bombing of Gaza Charity Clinic Queue</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-attacks-gaza-clinic</link><description><![CDATA[
  12. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/a-palestinian-woman-grieves-over-the-body-of-an-israeli-attack-in-gaza-city.jpg?id=61191516&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C54%2C0%2C274"/><br/><br/><p>An Israeli strike on Palestinians waiting in line outside a charity clinic in central Gaza killed at least 17 people including 10 children Thursday, a day that saw scores more Gazans killed throughout the embattled enclave.</p><p><strong></strong>The Palestinians were killed even as progress was made toward a cease-fire agreement, with Hamas <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hamas-hostage-release-trump-netanyahu-rcna217922" target="_blank">agreeing</a> to release 10 hostages held since October 2023.<strong></strong></p><p>Eyad Amawi, director of al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/10/israel-gaza-strike-clinic-children-malnutrition/" target="_blank">told</a> <em>The Washington Post</em> that the facility received the bodies of at least 17 victims of the strike on the Altayara Clinic, which is operated by <a href="https://www.projecthope.org/" target="_blank">Project HOPE</a>, a Washington, D.C.-based humanitarian aid group. More than 30 others were wounded in the attack.</p><p><em>Drop Site News</em> <a href="https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1943334309483479082" target="_blank">published</a> the names and ages of 15 people killed in the strike, who include seven preteen children and toddlers.</p><p><em><strong>Warning: The "show more" link in the following social media post shows images of death.</strong></em></p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1943352941500313686">
  13. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  14.        <a href="https://twitter.com/DropSiteNews/status/1943352941500313686"></a>
  15. </blockquote>
  16. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>"The scene was so painful, more than you can imagine," local journalist Dua al-Hazarin told the <em>Post</em>.</p><p>According to the newspaper:</p><blockquote>In footage [al-Hazarin] took and shared on social media, dust rises from the streets as the high-pitched wails and screams of children ring out. Women gather around the body of a child with blood seeping from his head. Elsewhere, bodies lie on the ground with pools of blood around them. One bloodied little girl is motionless in a pink dress. Next to her is a man hunched over, with blood seeping from his head. A woman lies still. Their conditions are unclear. The camera continues to pan over more bodies, many of them children, collapsed across the pavement.</blockquote><p>Victims were waiting in line to receive treatment for chronic illnesses, infections, and malnutrition amid an ongoing starvation crisis caused by Israel's "<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/israeli-siege-of-gaza" target="_blank">complete siege</a>" of Gaza, which officials <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/gaza-starvation-deaths-soar" target="_self">say</a> has caused the deaths of hundreds of residents, many of them children and infants, since October 2023. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/gaza-child-malnutrition-soars" target="_self">reported</a> last month that more than 5,000 Gazan children under the age of 5 were treated for malnutrition in May alone.</p><p>"Project HOPE's health clinics are a place of refuge in Gaza where people bring their small children, women access pregnancy and postpartum care, people receive treatment for malnutrition, and more," Rabih Torbay, the charity's CEO, said in a <a href="https://www.projecthope.org/news-stories/press-release/ten-children-killed-by-airstrike-outside-project-hope-clinic/" target="_blank">statement</a><a href="https://www.projecthope.org/news-stories/press-release/ten-children-killed-by-airstrike-outside-project-hope-clinic/"></a>. "Yet, this morning, innocent families were mercilessly attacked as they stood in line waiting for the doors to open."<br/></p><p>"This is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, and a stark reminder that no one and no place is safe in Gaza, even as cease-fire talks continue," Torbay added. "This cannot continue. Project HOPE urgently calls for an immediate cease-fire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and a dramatic scale-up of aid to meet the urgent needs of Gaza's civilian population."<br/></p><p>No Project HOPE staff were harmed in the strike, which occurred before the clinic opened in the morning. The charity said it would indefinitely suspend operations at the Altayara Clinic "as a precautionary measure." The attack was at least the <a href="https://www.projecthope.org/news-stories/press-release/project-hope-neonatal-clinic-in-rafah-gaza-damaged-in-airstrike/" target="_blank">second one</a> targeting a Project HOPE clinic in Gaza during the war.</p><p>Hundreds of humanitarian aid workers have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since during the U.S.-backed annihilation of the coastal strip, including <a href="https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/unrwa-commissioner-general-gaza-summary-execution-among-more-310-unrwa" target="_blank">over 300 members</a><a href="https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/unrwa-commissioner-general-gaza-summary-execution-among-more-310-unrwa"></a> of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East as well as staff of the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/red-crescent-massacre" target="_blank">Palestine Red Crescent Society</a>, <a href="https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/remembering-our-colleagues-killed-gaza" target="_blank">Doctors Without Borders</a>, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/world-central-kitchen-israel" target="_blank">World Central Kitchen</a>, and other organizations. <br/></p><p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-killing-palestinians" target="_blank">Near-daily massacres</a> of Palestinian aid-seekers at distribution points operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have also killed nearly 800 people, according to sources including the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers and troops have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/idf-gaza-aid-killings" target="_blank">admitted</a> to receiving orders to fire guns and artillery at aid-seekers, regardless of whether they posed any security threat. <span></span></p><p>An IDF spokesperson <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-07-10/ty-article/.premium/sixteen-gazans-including-10-children-killed-by-idf-while-waiting-for-aid-medics-say/00000197-f3b4-dac3-a1b7-fbfcee890000" target="_blank">told</a> <em>Haaretz</em> that Thursday's Altayara Clinic strike targeted a member of Hamas' elite Nukhba force who took part in the October 7, 2023 attack. The spokesperson said the IDF is investigating the incident, and that it "regrets any harm caused to uninvolved civilians and works to minimize such harm as much as possible."</p><p>However, following the October 7 attack the IDF <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/26/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-gaza-bombing.html" target="_blank">dramatically loosened</a> its rules of engagement, effectively allowing an unlimited number of civilians to be killed when targeting a single Hamas member, no matter how low-ranking.</p><p>As a result, the majority of the at least 57,680 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza have been women and children, with the high civilian death toll prompting South Africa to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/south-africa-icj" target="_blank">file a genocide case</a> against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/icc-arrest-warrant-netanyahu" target="_blank">issue arrest warrants</a> for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder and forced starvation.</p><p>UNICEF—which <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-children-killed-during" target="_blank">condemned</a> Thursday's massacre—<a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unimaginable-horrors-more-50000-children-reportedly-killed-or-injured-gaza-strip" target="_blank">said</a> in late May that more than 50,000 children have been killed or wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza, which the U.N. agency has <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-geneva-palais-briefing-note-gaza-worlds-most-dangerous-place-be-child" target="_blank">called</a> "the world's most dangerous place to be a child."</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1943341007892066350">
  17. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  18.        <a href="https://twitter.com/unicefchief/status/1943341007892066350"></a>
  19. </blockquote>
  20. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>The Gaza Health Ministry said aThursday that at least 82 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours, including strikes on the crowded Nuseirat Market, a tent encampment housing forcibly displaced people on the outskirts of Khan Younis, and an apartment building in Gaza City.</p><p>Meanwhile, Hamas <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hamas-hostage-release-trump-netanyahu-rcna217922" target="_blank">said</a> Thursday that it would release 10 hostages kidnapped during the October 7 attack as part of a "commitment to the success" of ongoing negotiations for a cease-fire in the 21-month onslaught, a development that followed <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/sanders-netanyahu-trump" target="_blank">meetings</a> between Netanyahu and U.S. leaders including President Donald Trump earlier this week to discuss a potential deal to end Israel's assault. The leaders also discussed an Israeli <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/gaza-israel-defence-minister-rafah-1.7579499" target="_blank">plan</a> to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from throughout Gaza and concentrate them in a camp outside the ruins of the southern city of Rafah.</p><p>Trump <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-were-getting-close-to-a-deal-on-gaza/" target="_blank">said</a> Wednesday that there was a "very good chance" of a cease-fire deal being reached, possibly as early as later this week. However, Netanyahu has scuppered past cease-fire efforts as they have neared the finish line—moves some critics say are meant to prolong the war in order to delay a reckoning in his ongoing criminal corruption trial. <br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 19:30:07 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-attacks-gaza-clinic</guid><category>Benjamin netanyahu</category><category>Children</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Hamas</category><category>Israel</category><category>Israel defense forces</category><category>Malnutrition</category><category>Palestine</category><category>Project hope</category><category>Unicef</category><category>Gaza</category><dc:creator>Brett Wilkins</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/a-palestinian-woman-grieves-over-the-body-of-an-israeli-attack-in-gaza-city.jpg?id=61191516&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Trump Mass Deportations Will Cause 'Immense Pain' for Workers and Destroy Millions of Jobs: Report</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-deportations-jobs</link><description><![CDATA[
  21. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/federal-agents-detain-immigrant.jpg?id=61191119&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C47%2C0%2C295"/><br/><br/><p>If President Donald Trump succeeds at deporting millions of people over the next four years, his administration will be responsible for destroying millions of jobs and inflicting "immense pain" on both U.S.-born and immigrant workers.</p><p>That's according to a <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/trumps-deportation-agenda-will-destroy-millions-of-jobs-both-immigrants-and-u-s-born-workers-would-suffer-job-losses-particularly-in-construction-and-child-care/" target="_blank">report</a> published Thursday by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), which bases its analysis on the Trump administration's <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/04/12/one-million-deportations-goal/" target="_blank">privately stated goal</a> of deporting at least 1 million immigrants during the Republican president's first year back in the White House.</p><p>Should the administration achieve that deportation objective each year for the remainder of Trump's term, "there will be 3.3 million fewer employed immigrants and 2.6 million fewer employed U.S.-born workers at the end of that period," wrote EPI senior economist Ben Zipperer.</p><p>"Employment in the construction sector will drop sharply: U.S.-born construction employment will fall by 861,000, and immigrant employment will fall by 1.4 million," Zipperer wrote. In late May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-100-illegal-aliens-during-targeted-enforcement-operation-tallahassee" target="_blank">publicly touted</a> its arrest of more than 100 construction workers in Tallahassee, Florida.</p><p>The millions of deportations desired by Trump and his deputies would also "eliminate half a million childcare jobs," EPI estimated.</p><p>Every state in the U.S. would be impacted by the president's attack on immigrants, according to Zipperer's analysis, but California, Florida, New York, and Texas would be most heavily impacted. <br/></p><p>"The Trump administration's deportation goals will cause a major blow to the U.S. labor market," Zipperer wrote, "squandering the full employment that the Trump administration inherited from the Biden administration and also causing immense pain to the millions of U.S.-born and immigrant workers who may lose their jobs."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b06fe8fc280b36f4299147546507407b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="7324c" loading="lazy" src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/image.png?id=61191202&width=980"/> </p><p>The EPI analysis comes days after Trump signed into law a sprawling budget measure that includes $75 billion in additional funding over the next four years for ICE, an agency whose current annual budget is around $10 billion. The $75 billion figure includes nearly $30 million for enforcement and deportation.</p><p>Immigrant rights groups and analysts warned following the Republican legislation's passage that the massive boost in ICE funding would supercharge Trump's mass deportation machine.</p><p>"There is a question of how quickly ICE can build up its infrastructure and personnel using its newfound resources," <em>Vox</em>'s Nicole Narea wrote Thursday. "But just days after the bill passed, the administration made a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-07/immigration-agents-descend-on-macarthur-park" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">show of force at Los Angeles' MacArthur Park</a> on Monday, with heavily armed immigration agents in tactical gear and military-style trucks showing up to arrest undocumented immigrants."</p><p>Trump's mass deportation efforts are already having an impact on the U.S. economy, according to top officials and recent employment data.</p><p>During congressional testimony last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell—against whom Trump frequently rails despite initially picking him for the job during his first White House term—<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/06/25/fed-chair-says-trump-immigration-policies-slowing-economic-growth/" target="_blank">said</a> the president's draconian crackdown on immigration was "one of the reasons" for slowing U.S. economic growth.</p><p>Earlier this month, following the release of the June <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm" target="_blank">jobs report</a>, labor economist Mark Regets <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/07/06/jobs-report-casts-warning-on-immigration-and-labor-force-declines/" target="_blank">told</a> <em>Forbes</em> that "the data for the last five months indicate a serious fall in the number of immigrant workers."</p><p>"Despite growth in the unadjusted numbers, the U.S.-born labor force participation rate and the overall seasonally adjusted labor force total suggest that the loss of immigrant labor is not bringing more U.S.-born workers into the labor force," said Regets.</p><p>In a tacit admission that its mass deportation agenda is damaging employment in certain industries, the Trump administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/us/politics/trump-ice-raids-farms-hotels.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a> instructed ICE officials last month to mostly pause raids on agricultural, hotel, and restaurant work sites.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 19:27:31 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-deportations-jobs</guid><category>Economic policy institute</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Immigration and customs enforcement</category><category>Workers</category><category>Deportations</category><dc:creator>Jake Johnson</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/federal-agents-detain-immigrant.jpg?id=61191119&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>DHS Official Admits Agency Used Secretive Pro-Israel Group's Blacklist to Target Foreign Students</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/canary-mission-website</link><description><![CDATA[
  22. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/former-columbia-university-student-mahmoud-khalil.jpg?id=61190133&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C468%2C0%2C1040"/><br/><br/><p>Confirming what students detained by the Trump administration have suspected for months, a senior homeland security official on Wednesday admitted for the first time that his agency had used a website run by a secretive pro-Israel group that compiles "blacklists" of pro-Palestinian students as it worked to carry out President Donald Trump's policy of arresting international students for their protest activities earlier this year.</p><p>In a courtroom in Massachusetts during a hearing on a Harvard University faculty group's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/case-challenging-trumps-ideological-deportations-of-pro-palestine-students-heads-to-court" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> over Trump's attempts to deport pro-Palestinian students, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official Peter Hatch <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/us/politics/ice-canary-mission-student-deportations.html" target="_blank">testified</a> under oath that a task force he formed in March scoured a list compiled by Canary Mission, an operation linked to Israel's intelligence agencies, to compile reports on the students on the list. </p><p>Hatch, the assistant director of ICE's homeland security investigations department, said the team was ordered to rush an analysis of roughly 5,000 students listed on Canary Mission's website, which includes photos and names of students who have taken part in "anti-Israel events." One student listed participated in a student walkout at Harvard University in support of boycotting Israel, and another attended a rally organized by Jews for Cease-fire. </p><p>Such allegations were evidently enough to warrant Hatch's team compiling reports on 100-200 of the non-citizen students listed on Canary Mission's website. Hatch said the team relied on Canary Mission's list as well as a list compiled by another pro-Israel group, Betar Worldwide. </p><p>Hatch <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/7/10/aaup-trial-dhs-canary-mission/" target="_blank">told</a> lawyers for the plaintiffs in the  American Association of University Professors' (AAUP) lawsuit and Judge William G. Young of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts that his team's reports detailed the students' employment and travel history, criminal activity, and alleged support for terrorist groups such as Hamas. He said the students' use of phrases including "Free Palestine" were included in the reports as well. </p><p>The Trump administration has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/deportation-protest" target="_blank">claimed</a> students have shown "support for terrorist groups" simply by participating in protests against Israel's U.S.-backed assault on Gaza, where at least 57,762 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023. Nearly 70% of those killed in Gaza were <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/how-many-women-and-children-have-died-in-gaza" target="_blank">verified</a> by the United Nations to be women and children as of November 2024, even as both Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers have claimed Israel is targeting Hamas.</p><p>Hatch's team sent the reports on students to the U.S. State Department, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said Columbia University student organizer <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/mahmoud-khalil" target="_blank">Mahmoud Khalil</a>'s participation in protests was detrimental to U.S. foreign policy interests, after Khalil was arrested by ICE. Khalil was ultimately detained in Louisiana for three months. </p><p>Hatch testified that the ICE office used the lists compiled by Canary Mission and Betar "without a firm understanding of the methodology through which individuals came to be included on either record," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/us/politics/ice-canary-mission-student-deportations.html" target="_blank">according to</a> <em>The New York Times. </em></p><p>Five of the students included in the reports sent to the State Department have been named in the AAUP's lawsuit as non-citizen students who were targeted by ICE for their pro-Palestinian speech.</p><p>The AAUP and other plaintiffs in the case argue the Trump administration has imposed an "ideological deportation policy" by detaining and trying to remove Khalil, Tufts University student <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/rumeysa-ozturk" target="_blank">Rümeysa Öztürk</a>, Columbia University student <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mohsen-mahdawi-columbia" target="_blank">Mohsen Mahdawi</a>, and others. </p><p>Students have posited for months that Canary Mission's blacklists were likely involved in the administration's rounding up of pro-Palestinian organizers, with Sophie Hurwitz <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/canary-mission-israel-palestine-blacklist-university-trump-deportation-ozturk-khalil/" target="_blank">reporting</a> at <em>Mother Jones </em>this week that Öztürk was detained only "after being smeared on Canary Mission's website, being falsely labeled as being antisemitic."</p><p>A judge who ordered the release of another student activist, Efe Ercelik of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, said Ercelik had been jailed "almost exclusively" because he was included in blacklists compiled by Canary Mission and Betar. </p><p>Khalil's lawyers filed a Freedom of Information Act request after his arrest, seeking information about Canary Mission's role in his targeting by ICE. The group's anonymously run website includes an extensive report on Khalil's expressions of support for Palestinians and his protest activities. </p><p>But Hatch's testimony marks the first time Canary Mission's involvement in the targeting of students has been acknowledged by the administration. </p><p>Young <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/7/10/aaup-trial-dhs-canary-mission/" target="_blank">ordered</a> the Trump administration to provide partially redacted reports that Hatch's team compiled on students to the plaintiffs' lawyers on Wednesday evening.  </p><p>As James Bamford <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/canary-mission-israel-covert-operations/#google_vignette" target="_blank">wrote</a> at <em>The Nation</em> in December 2023, Canary Mission is "a key intelligence asset for the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, a highly secretive intelligence organization that is largely focused on the United States." A profile of Palestinian American student Lara Alqasem was compiled by Canary Mission and used to prevent her from entering Israel in 2018; Alqasem was planning to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, but Israel attempted to bar her from doing so because she was the chapter president of Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida. </p><p>The pro-Palestinian news outlet <em>Mondoweiss</em> <a href="https://x.com/Mondoweiss/status/1943046370476360106" target="_blank">said</a> the information disclosed by Hatch on Wednesday "is bigger than one trial."</p><p>"The U.S. government is laundering repression through a private blacklist," said <em>Mondoweiss</em>. "It's criminalizing dissent, undermining free speech, and exporting Israel's surveillance playbook into U.S. policy."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:06:48 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/canary-mission-website</guid><category>Betar</category><category>Canary mission</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Israel</category><category>Palestine</category><category>U.s. department of homeland security</category><category>Trump administration</category><dc:creator>Julia Conley</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/former-columbia-university-student-mahmoud-khalil.jpg?id=61190133&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Federal Judge Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Order, But Fight 'Far From Over'</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/birthright-citizenship-lawsuit</link><description><![CDATA[
  23. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/olga-urbina-holds-her-nine-month-old-son-ares-webster-as-people-gather-outside-the-u-s-supreme-court.jpg?id=61190990&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C137%2C0%2C205"/><br/><br/><p>The battle over U.S. President Donald Trump's attack on birthright citizenship continued on Thursday, when a federal judge in New Hampshire gave a green light to a class action lawsuit and blocked the Republican's contested executive order.</p><p>Advocacy groups including the ACLU, Asian Law Caucus, Democracy Defenders Fund, and Legal Defense Fund (LDF) launched the case last month, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court's right-wing supermajority <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-decision" target="_blank">limited</a> nationwide injunctions—often used by lower courts to stop seemingly illegal policies like Trump's birthright move—but declined to weigh in on the actual order, which three different district judges had blocked.</p><p class="pull-quote">"The court has sent a clear message: All children born on U.S. soil are entitled to the full rights and protections of citizenship."</p><p>Experts <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/with-universal-injunctions-out-of-style-class-actions-are-already-trending/" target="_blank">warn</a> there will still be challenges to the class action route, but U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante—an appointee of former President George W. Bush—gave the groups their first win in the new case, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nhd.65710/gov.uscourts.nhd.65710.63.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">certifying</a> "a nationwide class that protects the citizenship rights of all children born on U.S. soil," with a seven-day <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nhd.65710/gov.uscourts.nhd.65710.64.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">delay</a> to allow for an appeal from the Trump adminsitration.</p><p>"Class petitioners have demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits of their claims; that class petitioners are likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order is not granted; that the potential harm to the class petitioners if the order is not granted outweighs the potential harm to respondents if the order is granted; and that the issuance of this order is in the public interest," the judge wrote.</p><p>ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project deputy director Cody Wofsy, who argued the case, <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-blocks-trump-birthright-citizenship-order-certifies-nationwide-class-protecting-all-impacted-babies" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement that "this ruling is a huge victory and will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended."</p><p>"We are fighting to ensure President Trump doesn't trample on the citizenship rights of one single child," Wofsy declared.</p><p>Aarti Kohli, executive director of Asian Law Caucus, noted that "since the Supreme Court's decision, parents have lived in fear and uncertainty, wondering whether they should give birth in a different state, whether their newborns would be subject to deportation, and what kind of future awaits their children."</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreic2ueljrq5d5ejdgeakitrnqca3ndlm263g56jx3mdr6fybq5wfmm" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltmnasljqk2h">BREAKING: Judge in new case challenging Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship grants class certification and blocks enforcement of the order. The injunction is stayed for seven days to allow any appeal.<br/><br/><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/post/3ltmnasljqk2h?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a><br/>— Chris Geidner (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd?ref_src=embed">@chrisgeidner.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/post/3ltmnasljqk2h?ref_src=embed">July 10, 2025 at 11:25 AM</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js"></script></div><p>LDF senior counsel Morenike Fajana called the district judge's decision "a powerful affirmation of the 14th Amendment and the enduring principle that citizenship in the United States is a right by birth, not a privilege granted by politics."</p><p>"By granting nationwide class certification and blocking the executive order from taking effect, the court has sent a clear message: All children born on U.S. soil are entitled to the full rights and protections of citizenship," Fajana continued. "This is a critical victory for families across the country, and we will continue to defend the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law."</p><p>While welcoming Thursday's win for the plaintiffs, "and millions of families across this country, who deserve clarity, and stability," Tianna Mays, legal director for Democracy Defenders Fund, also stressed that "the fight to uphold the guarantee of birthright citizenship is far from over, and we will continue to advocate to ensure we keep that promise."</p><p>Though not directly commenting on the judge's decision, the Trump administration signaled Thursday that it will keep fighting to end birthright citizenship and impose the other components of the president's anti-immigrant agenda.</p><p>"The Trump administration," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/r/entryeditor/Before%20Thursday%E2%80%99s%20hearing,%20White%20House%20spokesperson%20Abigail%20Jackson%20told%20NBC%20News:%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Trump%20Administration%20is%20committed%20to%20lawfully%20implementing%20the%20President%E2%80%99s%20Executive%20Order%20to%20protect%20the%20meaning%20and%20value%20of%20American%20citizenship%20and%20which%20restores%20the%20Fourteenth%20Amendment%20to%20its%20original%20intent.%E2%80%9D%20After%20the%20hearing,%20the%20Department%20of%20Justice%20referred%20NBC%20News%20to%20a%20previous%20statement%20from%20Attorney%20General%20Pam%20Bondi%20last%20week%20that%20followed%20another%20judge's%20order%20in%20a%20separate%20immigration%20case,%20saying%20a%20%E2%80%9Crogue%20district%20court%20judge%20is%20already%20trying%20to%20circumvent%20the%20Supreme%20Court%E2%80%99s%20recent%20ruling%20against%20nationwide%20injunctions.%E2%80%9D%20Bondi%20added%20in%20that%20statement,%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20American%20people%20see%20right%20through%20this%E2%80%9D%20and%20that%20Department%20of%20Justice%20attorneys%20will%20continue%20to%20fight%20for%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20agenda%20to%20secure%20the%20U.S.%20border." target="_self">told</a> <em>NBC News</em> ahead of the hearing, "is committed to lawfully implementing the president's executive order to protect the meaning and value of American citizenship and which restores the 14th Amendment to its original intent."</p><p>After Thursday's ruling, according to the news outlet, </p><blockquote>the Department of Justice referred <em></em><em>NBC News</em> to a previous statement<a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1940534854002618450" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> from Attorney General Pam Bondi last week</a> that followed another judge's order in a separate immigration case, saying a "rogue district court judge is already trying to circumvent the Supreme Court's recent ruling against nationwide injunctions." Bondi added in that statement, "the American people see right through this" and that Department of Justice attorneys will continue to fight for Trump's agenda to secure the U.S. border.</blockquote><p>Bondi's statement last week was in response to a judge in Washington, D.C. blocking Trump's crackdown on asylum-seekers.</p><p>Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney who argued that case, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-immigration-court-ruling" target="_blank">said</a> at the time that the "hugely important decision" will "save the lives of families fleeing grave danger" and "reaffirms that the president cannot ignore the laws Congress has passed and the most basic premise of our country's separation of powers."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:05:47 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/birthright-citizenship-lawsuit</guid><category>Aclu</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Legal defense fund</category><category>Us constitution</category><category>Us supreme court</category><category>Birthright citizenship</category><dc:creator>Jessica Corbett</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/olga-urbina-holds-her-nine-month-old-son-ares-webster-as-people-gather-outside-the-u-s-supreme-court.jpg?id=61190990&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>UN Warns Millions Could Die in Next 4 Years Due to Trump Cuts to HIV Funding</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-pepfar-cuts-impact</link><description><![CDATA[
  24. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/evelyne-ombok-a-mother-mentor-with-the-prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission-pmtct-program-stands-at-the-door-of-her-of.jpg?id=61191027&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C171%2C0%2C171"/><br/><br/><p>UNAIDS, the United Nations agency dedicated to combating the spread of HIV around the globe, has issued a dire warning about the impact of the United States slashing its funding for foreign aid.</p><p>In a newly released report, the agency <a href="https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/2025-global-aids-update-JC3153_en.pdf" target="_blank">contends</a> that the Trump administration's drastic reduction of foreign aid funding to the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been a "systemic shock" to organizations trying to stop the spread of HIV.</p><p>"HIV programs across the world are struggling from the sudden, drastic reductions in funding for the global HIV response announced by the United States Government in early 2025," the report states. "PEPFAR had committed USD 4.3 billion in bilateral support in 2025. Those services were stopped overnight when the United States Government shifted its foreign assistance strategies. Disruptions are being felt across the HIV response and pose a huge risk of increased mortality, a surge of new HIV infections, and the development of resistance to the most commonly used treatment regimens. Urgent action and revived solidarity are needed to sustain the progress made and prevent a resurgence of HIV."</p><p>The report estimates that if American funding for HIV prevention collapses entirely, it would result in 6 million additional infections and 4 million additional deaths over the next four years alone.</p><p>"This is not just a funding gap—it's a ticking time bomb," said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS. "We have seen services vanish overnight. Health workers have been sent home. And people—especially children and key populations—are being pushed out of care."</p><p>The report notes that countries that have traditionally benefited from American PEPFAR funding cannot possibly hope to make up the difference with domestic revenue and it calls on other nations to step up where the U.S. has stepped away.</p><p>"Low- and lower-middle-income countries... remain highly vulnerable," the report warns. "HIV programs in many of them are highly dependent on external financing and they are unlikely to withstand unplanned or rapid reductions in donor funding. This could lead to disruptions in essential services and weaken the overall HIV response."</p><p>Five countries in particular—Haiti, Mozambique, Nigeria, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia—are highlighted as particularly vulnerable given that they received more than 60% of their funding for HIV-related programs through PEPFAR.</p><p>Regardless, the report said that the world is still closer than it ever has been to ending the threat of AIDS. But it stressed that low- and middle-income countries would nonetheless need annual funding of $21.9 billion USD to make that goal a reality by 2030.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:58:19 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-pepfar-cuts-impact</guid><category>Pepfar</category><category>United nations</category><category>Usaid</category><category>Hiv/aids</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/evelyne-ombok-a-mother-mentor-with-the-prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission-pmtct-program-stands-at-the-door-of-her-of.jpg?id=61191027&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>After Delaying FEMA Response for Three Days, Noem Calls to 'Eliminate' Agency Due to Slow Texas Response</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/noem-fema-delays</link><description><![CDATA[
  25. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/president-trump-meets-with-his-cabinet-at-the-white-house.jpg?id=61190294&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C98%2C0%2C244"/><br/><br/><p>U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-emergency-agency-fema-should-be-eliminated-it-exists-today-noem-says-2025-07-09/" target="_blank">renewed</a> her call Wednesday to "eliminate" the Federal Emergency Management Agency calling it "slow to respond" to the deadly floods that have <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-floods-missing-people-death-toll-climbs/" target="_blank">killed</a> more than 120 people in Texas over the past week.</p><p>But that "slow" response was the direct result of a policy put in place by Noem herself, according to four FEMA officials who spoke to <em><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/09/politics/fema-texas-flood-noem" target="_blank">CNN</a></em>.</p><p>Last month, the network <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/18/politics/kristi-noem-fema-dhs-funding" target="_blank">reported</a> on a new policy introduced by Noem that required any contract or grant above $100,000 to cross her desk for approval.</p><p>The administration billed the move as a way of "rooting out waste, fraud, [and] abuse." But multiple anonymous officials, including ones from FEMA, warned at the time that it could cause "massive delays" in cases of emergency, especially as hurricane season began to ramp up.</p><p>That appears to be what happened in Texas. According to the four officials who spoke to <em>CNN</em>, "FEMA ran into bureaucratic obstacles" as a result of this requirement. Compared to the billions that are typically required to respond to disasters, officials said $100,000 is essentially "pennies."</p><p>FEMA officials said they were left to ask for Noem's direct approval on virtually every action they took in response to the catastrophic flood, which created massive delays in deploying Urban Search and Rescue Teams.</p><p>The sources told <em>CNN</em> that "in the past, FEMA would have swiftly staged these teams, which are specifically trained for situations including catastrophic floods, closer to a disaster zone in anticipation of urgent requests."</p><p>Multiple sources said Noem waited until Monday to authorize the deployment of these search and rescue teams, more than 72 hours after the flooding began. Aerial imagery to aid in the search was also delayed waiting for Noem's approval.</p><p>On Wednesday, Noem <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-emergency-agency-fema-should-be-eliminated-it-exists-today-noem-says-2025-07-09/" target="_blank">used</a> these very delays to justify her calls to disband FEMA entirely.</p><p>"Federal emergency management should be state and locally led, rather than how it has operated for decades," she said. "It has been slow to respond at the federal level. It's even been slower to get the resources to Americans in crisis, and that is why this entire agency needs to be eliminated as it exists today, and remade into a responsive agency."</p><p>President Donald Trump said last month he is in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/trump-fema-phase-out-hurricane-season" target="_blank">process</a> of beginning to "phase out" FEMA and that it would begin to "give out less money" to states and be directed out of the White House.</p><p>He first took a hatchet to FEMA back in February <a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/06/cuts-fema-and-other-agencies-will-lead-slow-disaster-response-former-administrator-says/406362/" target="_blank">using</a> the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which eliminated 2,000 permanent employees, one-third of its total staff.</p><p>Noem has also <a href="https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/alligator-alcatraz-funding-fema-ice" target="_blank">boasted</a> about using FEMA funds to carry out Trump's mass deportation crusade, including allocating hundreds of millions from the agency to build the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" immigrant <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/further/designed-to-enact-suffering" target="_blank">internment camp</a> in Florida, as well as other detention facilities.</p><p>Before a House panel last month, former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell <a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/06/cuts-fema-and-other-agencies-will-lead-slow-disaster-response-former-administrator-says/406362/" target="_blank">noted</a> that the administration's cuts have made it harder for FEMA to respond in disaster areas.</p><p>"It just slows down the entire response and delays the recovery process from starting," Criswell said. "If the state director asks for a resource, then FEMA needs to be able to quickly respond and mobilize that resource to come support whatever that is. They still need the staff that are going in there. And so when you have less people, you're going to have less ability to actually fill those senior roles."</p><p>The revelation that Noem's policy may have contributed to the slowdown has only amplified calls by congressional Democrats to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/r/entryeditor/2673040510#publish" target="_blank">investigate</a> how Trump administration cuts to FEMA and other services like the National Weather Service may have contributed to the devastation.</p><p>"During disasters, every second matters," <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/joaquincastrotx.bsky.social/post/3ltkygypywk2m" target="_blank">said</a> Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). "Noem must answer for this delay."</p><p>Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/repcasar.bsky.social/post/3ltkofsgkd22n" target="_blank">said</a> this disaster in his home state highlighted the need for federal agencies like FEMA.</p><p> "Year after year, Texans face deadlier fires, freezes, and floods." Casar said. "As we continue to support first responders and grieving families after the terrible flooding, we will need investigations at every level of government of what went wrong and what could save lives in future."</p><p><span></span>"We must stop the dismantling of federal agencies that are supposed to keep us safe from the next disaster," he added.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:05:34 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/noem-fema-delays</guid><category>Department of government efficiency</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Fema</category><category>Floods</category><category>Greg casar</category><category>Joaquin castro</category><category>Kristi noem</category><category>Texas</category><category>Extreme weather</category><dc:creator>Stephen Prager</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/president-trump-meets-with-his-cabinet-at-the-white-house.jpg?id=61190294&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'Partisan Power Grab': Amid Flood Crisis, Abbott Tucks Gerrymandering Ploy Into Special Session</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/greg-abbott-gerrymandering</link><description><![CDATA[
  26. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/texas-gov-greg-abbott.jpg?id=61189983&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C23%2C0%2C319"/><br/><br/><p>As the death toll rises and recovery efforts continue in the wake of disastrous flooding in central Texas, the state's Republican governor announced Wednesday that an upcoming special legislative session will include an effort to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.</p><p>Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to include a rare mid-decade redistricting push on the <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-special-session-agenda-" target="_blank">special session agenda</a> drew immediate outcry from Democratic lawmakers and pro-democracy advocates, who accused the Republican leader of trying to boost his party's electoral prospects at a time when his focus should be on flood response, recovery, and future prevention.</p><p>"While search and recovery is ongoing, this black-hearted governor added a partisan power grab to a 30-day agenda that should be all about ensuring this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN," Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-49) wrote on social media.</p><p>"I am often disappointed in Greg Abbott," Hinojosa added, "but this is revolting."</p><p>The special session is set to begin on July 21, and the agenda Abbott unveiled Wednesday does include several items related to the disastrous flooding that killed at least 120 people.</p><p>But the redistricting item, buried near the bottom of the agenda outline, sparked immediate ire and warnings that the Texas governor is doing U.S. President Donald Trump's bidding. Last month, <em>The New York Times</em> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/us/politics/trump-texas-redistricting.html" target="_blank">reported</a> that Trump's political team "is encouraging Republican leaders in Texas to examine how House district lines in the state could be redrawn ahead of next year's midterm elections to try to save the party's endangered majority."</p><p>The state's congressional map is already aggressively gerrymandered. The Biden Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-files-lawsuit-against-state-texas-challenge-statewide-redistricting-plans" target="_blank">sued</a> over the maps in late 2021, but the Trump administration <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/13/texas-redistricting-lawsuit-justice-department-withdraws/" target="_blank">dropped the legal fight</a> earlier this year.</p><p class="pull-quote">"Now, Texas Republicans want to enact an even more egregious gerrymander, because they are afraid of voters who are furious with their unpopular MAGA agenda and horrific budget bill."</p><p>In a July 7 <a href="https://x.com/PhilJankowski/status/1943058471168962808/photo/1" target="_blank">letter</a> to Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Trump Justice Department urged the state's officials to redraw four districts—three of which are currently represented by Democrats and one that is vacant but was previously represented by late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner.</p><p>Abbott's Wednesday announcement of the special session agenda specifically cites the Justice Department's letter, which claimed the four targeted districts amount to unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Abbott's office called for the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature to craft "legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice."</p><p>John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement Wednesday that "despite the fact that Texas is in a state of emergency, instead of focusing on the well-being of his constituents, Governor Abbott's focus is how Republicans can enact a mid-decade gerrymander to secure unearned power ahead of the 2026 midterm elections."</p><p>"Texas' congressional map already silences the voices of thousands of Texans," said Bisognano. "That's why Texas voters have spent the last three years in court challenging it for violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Now, Texas Republicans want to enact an even more egregious gerrymander, because they are afraid of voters who are furious with their unpopular MAGA agenda and horrific budget bill."</p><p>"This is an attack on democracy," he added. "Trump and Republicans in Congress know that they cannot win fairly in 2026, so they are demanding that Abbott cheat."</p><p>Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also denounced Abbott's ploy, saying that the governor's "full attention should be focused on flood rescue and recovery efforts."</p><p>"Instead, he's using this tragic moment to plot a gerrymandering scheme while families are still reeling from a devastating disaster," said Martin. "Republicans have already gone all-in on taking away healthcare, taking away food, and raising costs on families. Now, they want to disenfranchise Texas voters during a dire emergency. This is despicable and needs to be called out."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:05:44 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/greg-abbott-gerrymandering</guid><category>Donald trump</category><category>Extreme weather</category><category>Floods</category><category>Greg abbott</category><category>Republican party</category><category>Texas</category><category>Us congress</category><category>Gerrymandering</category><dc:creator>Jake Johnson</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/texas-gov-greg-abbott.jpg?id=61189983&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Senate Climate Champion Says Dems, Groups Taking It Too Easy on 'Malevolent' Fossil Fuel Industry</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/sheldon-whitehouse-climate-change-speech</link><description><![CDATA[
  27. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/u-s-senator-sheldon-whitehouse-d-r-i-speaks-during-an-interview-on-capitol-hill-on-july-8-2025-in-washington-d-c-photo.jpg?id=61190000&width=1024&height=683&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who has long been a chief advocate for taking action on human-induced climate change, challenged both his own party and environmental advocacy groups on Wednesday to step up the intensity of their battle against the fossil fuel industry.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/sheldon-whitehouse-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">reported</a> by <em>The Guardian</em>, Whitehouse delivered his 300th speech on the Senate floor warning about the dangers of climate change, and he said that proponents of taking action to combat it have for too long been "too cautious and polite" when dealing with the big oil and gas companies.</p><p><strong>Watch the full speech:</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="268bf93b5572965271c6882ac7ad2825" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/45mTDguA1ZQ?rel=0&list=PLhyg5hj7I21jr7tP--id5EmMTmpTbdlw1" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span> </p><p>In particular, Whitehouse singled out the fossil fuel industry for warping the debate about climate change by spending decades pushing misinformation aimed at deceiving the public about the realities of the climate emergency—an effort that he characterized as "the biggest and most malevolent propaganda operation the country has ever seen." Additionally, Whitehouse said the industry was behind the right-wing capture of the United States Supreme Court and the flood of dark money into American elections that has benefited giant corporate interests and blocked meaningful action on climate change.</p><p>"Think of all three special-interest campaigns as a single covert operation," he said. "A covert op run against America by forces within our country: An enemy within of creepy billionaires, fossil fuel interests, and far-right foundations determined to impose on the country a blighted and unpopular vision that they could never achieve democratically."</p><p>He then argued that proponents of climate action needed to move with speed to counter such forces before lamenting that Democrats always "showed up too late" to make a difference at key points in recent history.</p><p>"I'd say my party fell into a rut," he said. "We too often allowed pollsters to determine our priorities. There are uses for pollsters in politics, but pollsters should not set priorities. Politicians worth their salt should set their own priorities, using their own judgement, based on their own interactions with their constituents, and their own powers of foresight and anticipation."</p><p>He went on to say that "if you wait to fight until the polls tell you an issue is important, the battle can be over before you show up."</p><p>Whitehouse contrasted Democrats' use of polling to dictate their agendas with Republicans' use of polling to determine how to mold and shape public opinion to their desired outcomes. What's more, he said Democrats' reliance on polls and focus groups to determine messaging had damaged the party's brand among voters who see it as weak and without principles.</p><p>"If you're always meeting voters where they are or were, they'll begin to notice that you never have anything new to say, that they never learn anything from you, that you're not a leader but a follower," he said. "That sense of political listlessness quietly sinks in and informs the political refrain: Republicans are shameless, Democrats are spineless."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:54:16 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/sheldon-whitehouse-climate-change-speech</guid><category>Big oil</category><category>Climate emergency</category><category>Democratic party</category><category>Fossil fuels</category><category>Sheldon whitehouse</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/u-s-senator-sheldon-whitehouse-d-r-i-speaks-during-an-interview-on-capitol-hill-on-july-8-2025-in-washington-d-c-photo.jpg?id=61190000&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Hitting Back at Trump Threat, Lula Says Brazil 'Will Not Accept Any Form of Tutelage'</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/lula-trump-tariff</link><description><![CDATA[
  28. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/brazilian-president-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva.jpg?id=61188161&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C88%2C0%2C254"/><br/><br/><p>Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded defiantly on Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 50% tariff on products from the South American nation, a move that Lula said would be reciprocated.</p><p>"Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage," Lula said in a statement <a href="https://www.gov.br/planalto/en/latest-news/press-statement" target="_blank">released</a> shortly after Trump issued the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-bolsonaro" target="_blank">tariff threat</a>. </p><p>To justify the threat, which sent Brazil's currency <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-09/trump-hikes-brazil-tariff-to-50-after-brics-bolsonaro-flapse" target="_blank">plunging</a>, Trump condemned as a "witch hunt" the ongoing trial of his far-right ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/bolsonaro-indicted" target="_blank">indicted</a> late last year for attempting a coup following his 2022 election loss to Lula. The coup plot allegedly included a plan to poison Lula and kill a Supreme Court judge.</p><p>Trump also falsely claimed that the U.S. has a trade deficit with Brazil. In fact, <a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/brazil" target="_blank">according to</a> the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. had a $7.4 billion goods trade surplus with Brazil last year.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In light of the public statement made by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media on the afternoon of Wednesday (9), it is important to highlight the following:<br/><br/>Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage.<br/><br/>The judicial…<br/>— Lula (@LulaOficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/LulaOficial/status/1943094466903957505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>In his statement on Wednesday, Lula responded to each of his U.S. counterpart's claims, saying that the "judicial proceedings against those responsible for planning the coup d'état fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of Brazil's Judicial Branch and, as such, are not subject to any interference or threats that could compromise the independence of national institutions."</p><p>Lula went on to note that Trump's deficit assertion was "inaccurate," pointing to U.S. government figures showing "a surplus of $410 billion in the trade of goods and services with Brazil over the past 15 years."</p><p>"Therefore, any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil's Economic Reciprocity Law," said Lula. "Sovereignty, respect, and the unwavering defense of the interests of the Brazilian people are the values that guide our relationship with the world."</p><p>Lula has been an outspoken opponent of Trump's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-trade-war-brics" target="_blank">trade threats and bullying</a>, saying after Trump attacked BRICS nations earlier this week that "we don't want an emperor."</p><p>"This is a set of countries that wants to find another way of organizing the world from the economic perspective," Lula <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/brics-nations-resist-anti-american-label-after-trump-tariff-threat-2025-07-07/" target="_blank">said</a>. "I think that's why the BRICS are making people uncomfortable."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:05:07 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/lula-trump-tariff</guid><category>Brazil</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Jair bolsonaro</category><category>Tariffs</category><category>Trade war</category><category>Luiz inácio lula da silva</category><dc:creator>Jake Johnson</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/brazilian-president-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva.jpg?id=61188161&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>In 'Lawless, Vile Act,' Trump Admin Sanctions UN Expert Critical of Israeli Genocide in Gaza</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/rubio-sanctions-albanese</link><description><![CDATA[
  29. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/francesca-albanese.jpg?id=60413375&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C100%2C0%2C256"/><br/><br/><p>Defenders of Palestine and the rule of law on Wednesday condemned Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement of sanctions targeting United Nations expert Francesca Albanese, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel's U.S.-backed genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.</p><p>In a <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1942998936874054046" target="_blank">post</a> on the social media site X, Rubio said he is imposing sanctions on Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, "for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives."</p><p>"Albanese's campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated," Rubio added. "We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense. The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies."</p><p class="pull-quote">"Mr. Rubio, with this post you have sealed your legacy as an enemy of international law and basic human decency."</p><p>Rubio's announcement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/icc-arrest-warrant-netanyahu" target="_blank">wanted</a> by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza including murder and forced starvation—<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/sanders-netanyahu-trump" target="_blank">met with President Donald Trump</a> and other U.S. officials in Washington, D.C.</p><p>Trump and the fugitive Israeli leader reportedly discussed plans for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and a deal to secure the release of the 22 remaining living hostages believed to be held by Hamas and the bodies of over two dozen others.</p><p>The Trump administration <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/rubio-icc-sanctions" target="_blank">previously sanctioned</a> ICC officials including Prosecutor Karim Khan for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.</p><p>Albanese has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention since early 2024. Last week, she <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/un-rapporteur-accuses-israel-of-one-of-cruelest-genocides-in-modern-history-urges-arms-embargo-global-disengagement/3620886" target="_blank">asserted</a> that "Israel is responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history."</p><p>"The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic," she said. "In Gaza, Palestinians continue to endure suffering beyond imagination."</p><p>Israel's 642-day assault and siege on Gaza—which is the subject of an ongoing International Court of Justice <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/south-africa-icj-genocide-israel" target="_blank">genocide case</a>—has left more than 209,000 Palestinians dead, maimed, or missing, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures have been <a href="https://www.mekomit.co.il/%d7%94%d7%a6%d7%91%d7%90-%d7%91%d7%93%d7%a7-%d7%95%d7%9e%d7%a6%d7%90-%d7%a9%d7%93%d7%99%d7%95%d7%95%d7%97%d7%99-%d7%94%d7%94%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%92%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%91%d7%9e%d7%a9%d7%a8%d7%93-%d7%94%d7%91/" target="_blank">deemed accurate</a> by Israeli military intelligence and peer-reviewed studies, at least two of which concluded the official death toll is likely an <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/lancet-gaza-death-toll" target="_blank">undercount</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/un-genocide-in-gaza" target="_blank">U.N. experts</a>, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/legal-scholars-israel-genocide" target="_blank">jurists</a>, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza" target="_blank">genocide scholars</a> including numerous <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/10/16/raz_segal_textbook_case_of_genocide" target="_blank">numerous Jews</a> in Israel and around the world, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/6/who-accuses-israel-of-committing-genocide-in-gaza" target="_blank"> national leaders</a>, and human rights groups including <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/amnesty-international-israel-genocide" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a>, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/human-rights-watch-gaza-genocide" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a>,  <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/jewish-voice-for-peace-seder" target="_blank">Jewish Voice for Peace</a>, and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/guilty-of-genocide-protesters-condemn-trump-netanyahu-meeting-and-ethnic-cleansing-push" target="_blank">CodePink</a> are among those accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.</p><p>Responding to Rubio's announcement, Amnesty International secretary general Agnès Callamard <a href="https://x.com/AgnesCallamard/status/1943033886822248856" target="_blank">said</a> on social media that "Francesca Albanese is working tirelessly to document and report on Israel's unlawful occupation, apartheid, and genocide, on the basis of international law."</p><p>"Governments around the world and all actors who believe in the rule-based order and international law must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of the sanctions against Francesca Albanese and  more generally to protect the work and independence of special rapporteurs," she added.</p><p>Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink, <a href="https://x.com/medeabenjamin/status/1943068261844754849" target="_blank">highlighted</a> the movement to nominate Albanese for the Nobel Peace Prize, which stands in stark contrast with Netanyahu's dubious nomination of Trump for the award.</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1943068261844754849">
  30. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  31.        <a href="https://twitter.com/medeabenjamin/status/1943068261844754849"></a>
  32. </blockquote>
  33. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>U.S. human rights attorney Craig Mokhiber—who in October 2023 <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/un-human-rights-official-resigns" target="_blank">resigned</a> from his U.N. post over what he called the world body's inaction in the face of "a genocide unfolding before our eyes"—<a href="https://x.com/CraigMokhiber/status/1943016257768325219" target="_blank">accused</a> Rubio of "a lawless, vile act."</p><p>"Your arrogance will catch up to you," Mokhiber added. "The impunity that you are enjoying now will be gone within a few years, and I am confident that you will be held accountable for your persecution of human rights defenders and for your violations of the human rights of countless people in the U.S. There are millions who will work to ensure it."</p><p>Laura Boldrini, a lawmaker from Albanese's native Italy and former U.N. human rights official, <a href="https://x.com/lauraboldrini/status/1943030601436553621" target="_blank">said</a> on social media that Rubio's move is "a disgrace that cannot be ignored."</p><p>"Albanese's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/albanese-economy-of-genocide" target="_blank">latest report</a>, which lists the companies involved in the illegal annexation policies of the West Bank carried out by the Israeli government, has clearly hit the mark," she added. "It is no longer just a matter of political interests, but also economic ones. And this, for Netanyahu and Trump, is truly too much. Nothing and no one must disturb business: not even the denunciation of a genocide and the illegal occupation of another people's territories."<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1943023424181539048">
  34. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  35.        <a href="https://twitter.com/yanisvaroufakis/status/1943023424181539048"></a>
  36. </blockquote>
  37. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p><p>Arab American Institute founder James J. Zogby <a href="https://x.com/jjz1600/status/1943050442176659688" target="_blank">contended</a> that Rubio's "crude effort to sanction U.N. human rights champion Francesca Albanese and the International Criminal Court only serves to establish that the U.S. is an international outlaw."</p><p>"Israel is violating international law and human rights, and the U.S. is enabling it," he added. "It's a disgrace."</p><p>Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive director of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, <a href="https://x.com/tparsi/status/1943011718353039614" target="_blank">noted</a> that the Trump administration this week <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0m194v974o" target="_blank">removed</a> al-Qaeda-linked militants who toppled the regime of longtime Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations, but is sanctioning a U.N. human rights official.</p><p>"Let that sink in," Parsi said. <br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 23:55:54 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/rubio-sanctions-albanese</guid><category>Amnesty international</category><category>Benjamin netanyahu</category><category>Codepink</category><category>Craig mokhiber</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Francesca albanese</category><category>Gaza</category><category>Genocide</category><category>International criminal court</category><category>Israel</category><category>Marco rubio</category><category>Palestine</category><category>Quincy institute for responsible statecraft</category><category>Trump administration</category><dc:creator>Brett Wilkins</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/francesca-albanese.jpg?id=60413375&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Calling Bolsonaro Trial a 'Witch Hunt,' Trump Threatens Brazil With 50% Tariffs</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-bolsonaro</link><description><![CDATA[
  38. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/jair-bolsonaro-wears-a-signed-maga-hat.jpg?id=61187678&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C254%2C0%2C543"/><br/><br/><p>After days of publicly railing against Brazil for the trial of its former leader, Jair Bolsonaro, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened the South American country with a 50% tariff "on any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States."</p><p>Far-right Bolsonaro, sometimes called the "Trump of the Tropics," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/10/31/bolsonaro-yet-concede-progressives-worldwide-celebrate-lulas-win" target="_blank">lost</a> Brazil's 2022 presidential election to leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the recipient of the Wednesday letter that the U.S. president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114825119138468153" target="_blank">posted</a> on his Truth Social network. </p><p>Bolsonaro is now <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/bolsonaro-trial" target="_blank">facing</a> a trial for alleged crimes, including an attempted coup d'état, following his reelection loss. The Brazilian's effort to cling to power was called "straight from Donald Trump's playbook," with critics worldwide <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/11/22/straight-donald-trumps-playbook-brazils-bolsonaro-contests-validated-election-loss" target="_blank">pointing to</a> the U.S. leader inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection after his own electoral loss the previous November.</p><p class="pull-quote">"This is a disgrace, just old-fashioned imperialism. A 50% tariff because Brazil's legal system has defended democracy."</p><p>In Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114820873191783674" target="_blank">posts</a> on Monday and Tuesday, Trump blasted the trial as a "WITCH HUNT" and an "attack on a Political Opponent" while praising Bolsonaro as a "strong Leader, who truly loved his Country" and a "very tough negotiator on TRADE."</p><p>Echoing those posts, Trump wrote to Lula: "The way Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace. This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!"</p><p>"Due in part to Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans (as lately illustrated by the Brazilian Supreme Court, which has issued hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms, threatening them with Millions of Dollars in Fines and Eviction from the Brazilian Social Media market), starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Brazil a Tariff of 50%," Trump continued.</p><p>Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the Brazilian Supreme Court justice overseeing Bolsonaro's case, was also involved in a legal battle that temporarily <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/elon-musk-vs-alexandre-de-moraes" target="_self">shut down</a> the social media platform X in Brazil. The network, formerly known as Twitter, is owned by estranged Trump ally Elon Musk, the richest man on Earth. The weekslong suspension of X last year stemmed from the company's refusal to comply with an <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2ygp5pdqlo" target="_blank">order</a> to deactivate dozens of accounts accused of spreading disinformation.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreig55svt52b26ugb3doqpesdnmroaynzhtf3n7xuukuuqamihv7q2y" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:qgz7jtmlddfn3dikhimzlqu5/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltkshhcasc2i">Both Trump and Elon have used their power and platforms to go after Brazil. When Musk did it last year I spoke with some Brazilian media experts and journalists who explained that Brazil actually takes online disinformation and threats to their democracy seriously www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...<br/><br/><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:qgz7jtmlddfn3dikhimzlqu5/post/3ltkshhcasc2i?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a><br/>— Kat Tenbarge (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:qgz7jtmlddfn3dikhimzlqu5?ref_src=embed">@kattenbarge.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:qgz7jtmlddfn3dikhimzlqu5/post/3ltkshhcasc2i?ref_src=embed">July 9, 2025 at 5:53 PM</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js"></script></div><p>Trump claimed in his letter to Lula that "these Tariffs are necessary to correct the many years of Brazil's Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers, causing these unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States. However, <em>The Guardian</em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jul/09/trump-tariffs-trade-politics-latest-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-686ee45e8f08ba9382f60e3a#block-686ee45e8f08ba9382f60e3a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">noted</a>, "the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Brazil, thanks in part to a free-trade agreement expanded in 2020, during Trump's first term."</p><p>The newspaper pointed to data on Brazil from the website of United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer:</p><blockquote>U.S. total goods trade with Brazil were an estimated $92 billion in 2024. U.S. goods exports to Brazil in 2024 were $49.7 billion, up 11.3% ($5.0 billion) from 2023. U.S. goods imports from Brazil in 2024 totaled $42.3 billion, up 8.3% ($3.2 billion) from 2023. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Brazil was $7.4 billion in 2024, a 31.9% increase ($1.8 billion) over 2023.</blockquote><p>Various journalists and other critics also highlighted the surplus.  Michael Reid, a writer and visiting professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, <a href="https://x.com/michaelreid52/status/1943047200843665823" target="_blank">said</a> on social media: "This is a disgrace, just old-fashioned imperialism. A 50% tariff because Brazil's legal system has defended democracy. And by the way, the U.S. has a trade surplus with Brazil."<br/></p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1943048089939661300">
  39. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  40.        <a href="https://twitter.com/weakinstrument/status/1943048089939661300"></a>
  41. </blockquote>
  42. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p><em>Politico</em> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/trump-threatens-to-slap-brazil-with-50-percent-tariffs-over-treatment-of-bolsonaro-other-disagreements-00445401?cid=apn" target="_blank">reported</a> that "the overtly political tone of the letter is a break with <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/07/trump-threatens-japan-south-korea-new-tariffs-00441302" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more than a dozen other letters</a> Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/trump-tariff-letters-emerging-countries-00444563" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has sent to foreign governments this week,</a> threatening to impose new tariff rates on their exports to the U.S. beginning August 1."</p><p>While Trump's letter to Brazil has overtly political motivations, he also said during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting that he would target the entire BRICS economic group of emerging market nations, which began with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.</p><p>"If they're a member of BRICS, they are going to have to pay a 10% tariff, just for that one thing—and they won't be a member long," Trump said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/09/business/tariffs-trump-letters-threat-brics-intl-hnk" target="_blank">according to</a> <em>CNN</em>. "BRICS was set up to hurt us, BRICS was set up to degenerate our dollar and take our dollar, take it off as the standard."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 23:54:22 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-bolsonaro</guid><category>Democracy</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Elon musk</category><category>Jair bolsonaro</category><category>Luiz inácio lula da silva</category><category>Social media</category><category>Tariffs</category><category>X.com</category><category>Brazil</category><dc:creator>Jessica Corbett</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/jair-bolsonaro-wears-a-signed-maga-hat.jpg?id=61187678&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>NYC's Congestion Pricing Has Caused 'Quality-of-Life Improvement' in Just Six Months</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/nyc-s-congestion-pricing-has-caused-quality-of-life-improvement-in-just-six-months</link><description><![CDATA[
  43. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/traffic-on-9th-avenue-in-new-york-city.jpg?id=61187403&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C178%2C0%2C179"/><br/><br/><p>New York City's congestion pricing program has now been in place for six months as of Saturday, and according to state officials, it has already proven remarkably successful. It has survived despite efforts by the Trump administration to shut it down.</p><p>The program, which tolls drivers who drive through designated "congestion zones" below 60th Street in Manhattan has dramatically reduced traffic, which in turn has sped up commute times, reduced pollution, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).</p><p>"Six months in, it's clear: congestion pricing has been a huge success, making life in New York better," Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said Saturday. "In New York, we dare to do big things, and this program represents just that—traffic is down throughout the region, business is booming, transit ridership is up, and we are making historic upgrades to our transit system."</p><p>Since the program started, the number of vehicles driving through the congestion zone has decreased by 11%, with a total of 10 million fewer cars having entered compared to last year. In just the first three months of the program, traffic in the congestion zone <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w33584" target="_blank">sped up by 15%</a>.</p><p>This has led to reduced wait times for commuters, not just in the congestion zone but in surrounding areas like the Bronx and Bergen County, New Jersey. </p><p>The number of crashes is down 14% in the congestion area, while traffic fatalities have reached "historic lows" citywide. </p><p>The data has also borne out the predictions from environmentalists and public transit activists who said the program would reduce pollution, both by capping the number of cars on the road and funding long-term investment in the public transit system. </p><p>The MTA is on track to raise $500 million from congestion pricing in 2025, as was projected when the policy went into effect. The agency also reports that subway and bus usage have gone up since congestion pricing began, while service speed has improved to "near record levels." </p><p>Beyond improving convenience, data shows the program is already improving quality of life in other ways. Early estimates from a working <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w33584" target="_blank">paper</a> by the National Bureau of Economic Research show that within the first month of congestion pricing, CO₂ emissions from vehicles decreased by 2.5% with other forms of air pollution and soot levels also declining. These numbers will likely continue to rise as public transit usage expands.</p><p>Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a New York-based pro-transit group that supported congestion pricing, told <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/09/new-york-city-congestion-pricing-trump" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> </em>that the program exceeded his already-high expectations.</p><p>"It's been even more obviously beneficial than even the most fervent proponents had hoped, and there have been really tangible improvements that are really gratifying," he said. "Reducing pollution is often seen to involve a lot of sacrifices, but this has been different. People can see the improvements to their lives. There was this cynical assumption that this was a bullshit charge and life will stay the same, but that assumption has gone away now."</p><p>During the tumultuous year leading up to congestion pricing's implementation, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWV0RILMbQE" target="_blank">business groups</a> raised fears that charging drivers would bankrupt small business owners. Hochul even blocked the policy from going into effect for months last year, citing those concerns.</p><p>Trump's Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, has called the charge a "slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners."</p><p>But the city reports more pedestrian traffic and faster commutes, increasing economic activity.</p><p>"Gridlock is bad for the economy," noted a statement from the state of New York. "Commuters are saving as much as 21 minutes each way. Time savings help businesses make deliveries and save costs." </p><p>The city also reports increased Broadway ticket sales, hotel occupancy, and commercial office leasing since the policy went into effect, as well as record employment figures.</p><p>Despite nearly immediate indicators of the congestion scheme's success, the Trump administration has been attempting to kill it since he returned to office in January.</p><p>"We've...fended off five months of unlawful attempts from the federal government to unwind this successful program and will keep fighting–and winning–in the courts," Hochul said.</p><p>In February, the White House infamously <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1892295984928993698?lang=en" target="_blank">posted</a> an artificially generated image of Trump wearing a crown. It quoted President Trump saying: "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!" </p><p>That same month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/six-months-governor-hochul-highlights-success-congestion-pricing-traffic-down-business-and" target="_blank">withdrew federal</a> approval for the congestion pricing pilot program, threatening to pull funding for other state transportation projects if it was not halted. </p><p>But a U.S. district judge issued a temporary restraining order in May that has, for the time being, halted the Trump administration's efforts.</p><p>Attempts to kill the program may prove more difficult in the future, as it has overcome initial skepticism to grow broadly popular with <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-city-congestion-pricing-morning-consult-poll/" target="_blank">a majority of New Yorkers</a>. Hochul herself was once among those skeptics, but she has grown to become one of its greatest champions.</p><p>"You are seeing in the governor… the zeal of the convert," <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/mornings-on-1/2025/02/20/riders-alliance-vows-to-defend-congestion-pricing-" target="_blank">said Daniel Pearlstein</a>, a spokesperson for the pro-transit Riders Alliance.</p><p>"People who had their doubts, they saw it up close. They saw it working," he said. "They are saving New Yorkers and people from New Jersey valuable time every single day. Who would want to rip that away?"</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:56:30 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/nyc-s-congestion-pricing-has-caused-quality-of-life-improvement-in-just-six-months</guid><category>Carbon emissions</category><category>Congestion pricing</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Kathy hochul</category><category>Public transportation</category><category>New york city</category><dc:creator>Stephen Prager</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/traffic-on-9th-avenue-in-new-york-city.jpg?id=61187403&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'Don't Sabotage Mamdani': 30,000+ Petitioners Urge Gillibrand to Get Behind Progressive NYC Mayoral Candidate</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani</link><description><![CDATA[
  44. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/image.jpg?id=61187239&width=1024&height=683&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Supporters of progressive New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani are putting pressure on reluctant centrist Democrats to fall in line and back his candidacy after he scored an upset win in last month's Democratic primary.</p><p>Progressive advocacy organization Our Revolution has gathered more than 30,000 signatures in a <a href="https://ourrevolution.com/tell-dem-leaders-dont-sabotage-mamdani/" target="_blank">petition</a> urging the Democratic political establishment to not sabotage Mamdani's candidacy by backing independent candidates such as incumbent Mayor Eric Adams or former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.</p><p>The organization <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/our-revolution-and-progressive-allies-deliver-over-30000-petitions-to-sen-gillibrand-urging-democrats-to-stand-by-zohran-mamdani" target="_blank">said</a> Wednesday that it attempted to deliver the petition to the Manhattan offices of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who is one of many big-name Democrats in the state who have yet to back Mamdani's general election candidacy, but was denied access to the building by security.</p><p>"After multiple calls to both the NYC and D.C. offices, staff refused to accept the petition in person and directed organizers to submit it online—despite the urgent, NYC-specific nature of the issue," Our Revolution claimed.</p><p>The event was organized to draw attention to the double standard and disconnect between party leadership and grassroots voters, especially in races where big money interests—some with ties to the Democratic Party machinery and others without—work behind the scenes to push out progressives.</p><p>"Democratic leaders love to talk about unity—until a progressive wins," said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution. "Every cycle, we're told to fall in line for the good of the party. Well, Zohran Mamdani is the nominee—and yet the establishment's silence is deafening. It's time for party leaders to live up to their own standards and stand with Zohran against these billionaire-funded attempts to undo the will of the voters."</p><p>The action was first reported by <em>Politico</em>, which also <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/newyorkplaybook" target="_blank">reports</a> that a dozen chapters of progressive organizing group Indivisible are writing letters to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to urge them to get behind Mamdani.</p><p>"The party should be celebrating and analyzing this win as we prepare for the fight of our political lives in 2026," wrote Indivisible signatories. "At a time when Democrats have struggled to connect with voters and build credibility, supporting and learning from Mr. Mamdani's playbook is paramount."</p><p>Additionally, <em>Politico</em> reports that Jasmine Gripper, the co-director of the New York Working Families Party, is also urging the state's Democratic leadership to put aside their reservations and back the party's nominee. Gripper noted that Mamdani has won the endorsements of his fellow New York state assemblymembers from across the political spectrum, which should ease their concerns that his candidacy is out of the mainstream.</p><p>"The Mamdani tent is big enough for everyone," Gripper said. "Any leader who is serious about building a base of energized voters and wins would be smart to join us."</p><p>A <a href="https://www.slingshotstrat.com/media/slingshot-mayoral-poll-general-election-7-9" target="_blank">poll</a> released by political consulting firm Slingshot Strategies on Wednesday shows that Mamdani currently leads among voters, although that advantage could shrink should either Adams or Cuomo drop out of the race to endorse the other's candidacy.</p><p>Overall, the poll showed Mamdani scoring 35% of the vote, compared to 25% for Cuomo, 14% for Republican Curtis Sliwa, and just 11% for Adams. Mamdani also held the highest net favorability of the major candidates at +4 percentage points, whereas Cuomo was underwater by 2 percentage points and Adams had a net favorability of -34 percentage points.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:44:20 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani</guid><category>Indivisible</category><category>Kirsten gillibrand</category><category>New york city</category><category>Our revolution</category><category>Zohran mamdani</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/image.jpg?id=61187239&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Small Investment, Big Reward: Oil Giants Dumped $19 Million Into Trump's Inaugural Fund</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/big-oil-trump-inauguration</link><description><![CDATA[
  45. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/the-inauguration-of-donald-j-trump-as-the-47th-president.jpg?id=61187238&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C129%2C0%2C213"/><br/><br/><p>Oil, gas, and coal companies and individuals linked to the climate-wrecking fossil fuel industry contributed more than $19 million to U.S. President Donald Trump's second inaugural fund, an analysis by a leading international environmental and human rights group <a href="https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/fossil-fuel-donors-contributed-19-million-to-donald-trumps-inaugural-fund/" target="_blank">revealed</a> Wednesday.</p><p>Scouring <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00894162/1889684/f132" target="_blank">itemized U.S Federal Election Commission data</a>, Global Witness identified 47 individual donations to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee between November 2024 and January 2025 totaling $19,151,933. Using an <a href="https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/how-we-used-ai-to-help-us-find-lobbyists-at-cop/" target="_blank">artificial intelligence tool</a> developed by Global Witness to identify corporate lobbyists, the group's researchers were able to automatically determine each donor's ties to the fossil fuel industry.</p><p>Global Witness said the $19.15 million figure "is likely an underestimate, as we did not count donations from diversified investors and businesses who couldn't be said to primarily represent the fossil fuel industry," and individuals with common names that couldn't be identified were not included in the final report.</p><p>According to the analysis:</p><blockquote>The list of donors includes individuals who were given ambassadorships or key positions in the Trump Cabinet.<br/><br/>For example, billionaire Warren Stephens donated $4 million on December 2, 2024, the same day Trump nominated him to be U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Stephens has extensive links to the oil and gas industry but also invests in other sectors and wasn't included in our calculations of fossil fuel industry donors.<br/><br/>Trump also nominated Melinda Hildebrand—who donated $500,000 to the president's inaugural fund—to be U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica.<br/><br/>Hildebrand is the vice president of Hilcorp Ventures, which claims to be of the largest privately owned oil and gas producers in the U.S. Her husband, founder and chairman of Hilcorp, donated another $500,000.</blockquote><p>Among fossil fuel corporations, Chevron was by far the largest contributor to Trump's inauguration fund, giving $2 million. Other companies including ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Occidental Petroleum each donated $1 million.</p><p>Overall, Big Oil <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/big-oil-donations-trump" target="_blank">gave $445 million</a> to Trump and other Republican candidates during the 2024 election cycle.</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1941879974237012189">
  46. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  47.        <a href="https://twitter.com/TrackOilPACs/status/1941879974237012189"></a>
  48. </blockquote>
  49. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Trump, who ran on a "drill, baby, drill" energy policy, has signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting fossil fuel production, including by declaring a fake "energy emergency" in a push to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-energy-emergency" target="_blank">fast-track permit approvals</a>. He also tapped former fossil fuel executives to head the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/chris-wright-energy-secretary" target="_blank">Department of Energy</a> and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/doug-burgum-interior" target="_blank">Interior Department</a>, which have pursued a policy of <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/media/trump-interior-secretarys-orders-make-public-lands-ground-zero-drilling-mining" target="_blank">opening up more public lands and waters</a> for fossil fuel development.</p><p>At the same time, the Trump administration dropped out of the Paris climate agreement for the second time and moved to roll back the modest climate progress achieved under former President Joe Biden.</p><p>"It's no surprise the oil and gas industry handed millions to Donald Trump for his inauguration, and they seem to have reaped a huge return on their investment," Global Witness senior data investigator Nicu Calcea said in a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/fossil-fuel-donors-contributed-19-million-to-donald-trumps-inaugural-fund" target="_blank">statement</a> Wednesday.</p><p><em></em>"Every month that Donald Trump has been in power, we've seen a raft of anti-climate measures come out which are music to the fossil fuel industry's ears," Calcea continued. "From plans to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-coal-orders-climate-change" target="_blank">steamroll through</a> dirty new coal plants, to the attempted quashing of 'polluter pays' laws that would hold oil giants accountable, it's clear where his political priorities lie."</p><p>"While Trump sides with his friends in oil and gas, we must keep up the fight for a fair, green future—that means pushing for wind and solar where we live, backing polluters pay bills, and resisting the development of oil, gas and coal projects across the country," he added.<em><em></em></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:26:28 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/big-oil-trump-inauguration</guid><category>Big oil</category><category>Chevron</category><category>Climate emergency</category><category>Conocophillips</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Exxonmobil</category><category>Global witness</category><category>Occidental petroleum</category><category>Trump administration</category><category>Fossil fuels</category><dc:creator>Brett Wilkins</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/the-inauguration-of-donald-j-trump-as-the-47th-president.jpg?id=61187238&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Warren Unveils Framework for Regulating Crypto Industry and Shutting Down Trump's Corruption</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/elizabeth-warren-crypto</link><description><![CDATA[
  50. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/ranking-member-sen-elizabeth-warren-d-mass.jpg?id=61187102&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C469%2C0%2C1531"/><br/><br/><p>As the U.S. House prepares to vote on the latest proposal claiming to regulate the cryptocurrency industry—one that critics say is actually a "<a href="https://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2025/07/fact-sheet-afr-fact-sheet-on-the-clarity-act-a-crypto-cash-grab-that-is-a-consumer-catastrophe/" target="_blank">cash grab</a>" that will harm consumers—Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday took the opportunity of a hearing on digital assets to outline her five main priorities for any legislation aimed at regulating crypto. </p><p>Along with protecting consumers within the crypto market, she <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/at-hearing-ranking-member-warren-releases-principles-for-crypto-market-structure-legislation" target="_blank">said</a>, Congress must pass legislation that safeguards the country from public officials—including President Donald Trump—who want to personally profit from the burgeoning industry. </p><p>Those priorities haven't been addressed, she suggested, in proposals like the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-passage-genius" target="_blank">Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act</a> and the <a href="https://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2025/07/fact-sheet-afr-fact-sheet-on-the-clarity-act-a-crypto-cash-grab-that-is-a-consumer-catastrophe/" target="_blank">Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act</a>, which lawmakers are expected to vote on in the coming days.</p><p>"I'm concerned that what my Republican colleagues are aiming for is another industry handout that gives the crypto lobby exactly its wish list: the blessing of the government's approval, combined with crypto rules that are weaker than the rules every other financial actor must follow," said Warren (D-Mass.). </p><p>Any regulatory framework for the crypto industry, in which investors can use real money to purchase virtual or digital assets and trade them on decentralized, unregulated blockchain technology, must include the framework set up by "the securities laws that have served as the bedrock of our capital markets for nearly 100 years," said Warren—but the CLARITY Act includes language that would allow "non-crypto companies to tokenize their assets to evade the SEC's [Security and Exchange Commission] regulations."</p><p class="pull-quote">"If we're going to provide rules of the road for crypto, we need to shut down this superhighway for presidential corruption at the same time."</p><p>"Under the House bill, a publicly traded company like Meta or Tesla could simply decide to put its stock on the blockchain and POOF! it would escape all SEC regulation," said Warren. </p><p>Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) also spoke out against the CLARITY Act's provision on Tuesday, <a href="https://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2025/07/fact-sheet-afr-fact-sheet-on-the-clarity-act-a-crypto-cash-grab-that-is-a-consumer-catastrophe/" target="_blank">saying</a> the bill would "create a race to the bottom and fuel fraud and financial instability."</p><p>With the crypto market growing 15-fold over the last five years, with a $3 trillion market capitalization in 2024, risks to "investors, our financial system, and our national security have also sharply increased," Warren warned in the hearing. </p><p>She pointed to FBI <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/fbi-report-crypto-fraud-2024" target="_blank">findings</a> that Americans lost more than $9 billion to fraud in the unregulated crypto market last year—a 66% increase from 2023‚ and a Chainalysis <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/policy_briefs/2025/03/07/north-korean-hackers-launder-1-5-billion-largest-crypto-heist-in-history/" target="_blank">report</a> that hackers from North Korea were able to steal $1.3 billion from crypto platforms in 2024 as well as $1.5 billion earlier this year.  </p><p>"Crypto investors should have the same protections from getting scammed or cheated as investors in any other asset," said Warren. "For example, there is no reason that the rules prohibiting stock exchanges from simultaneously serving as brokers and giving preferential treatment to their own trades over their customers' can't be applied to the crypto market too." </p><p>Warren also called for legislation that ensures instability in the crypto market won't "infect" the larger financial system by guaranteeing that taxpayers are not on the hook for "risky crypto bets," and that includes commonsense rules to protect national security and fight crime within the industry.</p><p>The GENIUS Act, which 18 Democrats <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-passage-genius" target="_blank">joined</a> the vast majority of Senate Republicans in passing last month, did not include anti-money laundering rules or sufficiently close sanctions loopholes, said Warren, with Republicans saying the issues could be addressed in a future bill regarding crypto market structure.</p><p>"So this is it. No more kicking the can down the road. Now is the time to solve that problem," said Warren.</p><p>Finally, Warren said any bill addressing regulations in the crypto market must "shut down the president's crypto corruption" by prohibiting all public officials from issuing, sponsoring, or profiting from crypto tokens. </p><p>Warren's comments came weeks after Trump <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-crypto-dinner" target="_blank">held</a> a dinner with the top 220 investors in his own $TRUMP meme coin and offered a VIP White House tour to the top 25 mostly anonymous investors—an event that progressive organizers said was "corruption embodied."</p><p>"Nobody wants weak crypto rules more than the president of the United States," said Warren, noting that $7 billion of Trump's wealth now comes from his own stablecoin and meme coin, a bitcoin mining company, a "huge portfolio of crypto investments," and includes more than $320 million in fees from the $TRUMP coin—even as the majority of investors in the token lost money. </p><p>"If we're going to provide rules of the road for crypto, we need to shut down this superhighway for presidential corruption at the same time," said Warren. </p><p>Urging Congress to vote against the CLARITY Act this week, AFR also warned that the "massive deregulatory bill" is backed by "a gusher of campaign cash and lobbying muscle from ultrawealthy venture capital firms and crypto billionaires," with Trump set to "gain the most from this giveaway" after making $1.2 billion in crypto just in the past few months."</p><p>"CLARITY (along with related crypto bills being considered) is a custom-built framework that gives him and his billionaire allies a green light to manipulate financial markets," said the group, "while working families are left holding the bag." </p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:53:42 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/elizabeth-warren-crypto</guid><category>Americans for financial reform</category><category>Clarity act</category><category>Corruption</category><category>Elizabeth warren</category><category>Genius act</category><category>Regulations</category><category>U.s. senate</category><category>Cryptocurrency</category><dc:creator>Julia Conley</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/ranking-member-sen-elizabeth-warren-d-mass.jpg?id=61187102&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>UAW President Denounces Trump-GOP Budget Law as 'Total Betrayal' of American Working Class</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/shawn-fain-republican-budget</link><description><![CDATA[
  51. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/united-auto-workers-president-shawn-fain.jpg?id=56526924&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C527%2C0%2C2225"/><br/><br/><p>After Republicans pushed their unpopular reconciliation package through Congress last week, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed the legislation as a step toward "a future where working Americans can feel relief."</p><p>But Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), argued in an <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/labor-voices/2025/07/08/labor-voices-big-beautiful-bill-betrays-working-class/84509119007/" target="_blank">op-ed</a> Tuesday for <em>The Detroit News</em> that such "hollow promises" are an attempt to obscure "a brutal agenda: stripping working-class people of security, dignity, and power while lining the pockets of billionaires" with trillions of dollars in tax breaks.</p><p>"The budget reconciliation bill that the Republicans just passed isn't just bad policy—it's a full-blown attack on America's working class," wrote Fain. "For the UAW and the millions of workers we represent, four core issues define what it means to live and work with dignity: a livable wage, affordable healthcare, retirement security, and time to enjoy life beyond the job. On every one of those fronts, this bill delivers nothing but setbacks."</p><p>Fain pointed specifically to the GOP law's more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid. Those cuts, combined with Republicans' refusal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to lapse at the end of the year, are expected to strip health coverage from around 17 million Americans over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.</p><p>The UAW president also points to the Republican law's lesser-known attack on Medicare recipients. The legislation, which President Donald Trump signed into law late last week, would <a href="https://www.medicarerights.org/medicare-watch/2025/07/03/final-house-vote-looms-on-devastating-health-and-food-assistance-cuts" target="_blank">restrict enrollment</a> in Medicare Savings Programs—potentially causing <a href="https://prospect.org/politics/2025-07-03-republicans-cutting-medicare-not-only-medicaid/" target="_blank">more than a million low-income seniors</a> to lose access—and force <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/cuts-to-medicare" target="_blank">more than $500 billion</a> in automatic cuts to Medicare.</p><p>"These aren't numbers on a spreadsheet," Fain wrote. "These are real people losing access to lifesaving care."</p><p class="pull-quote">"By passing this legislation, the government is telling working-class families they're on their own while billionaires get even more tax breaks."</p><p>While the Trump White House and congressional Republicans have tried to cast the budget law's tax provisions as worker-friendly—in <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-budget-bill-tax-cuts" target="_blank">some cases</a> by <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/social-security-administration-takes-step-far-deceptive-email-trump-ag-rcna217182" target="_blank">outright lying</a> about what's in the legislation—Fain noted that the law's limited deductions for tips and overtime will only benefit a small sliver of Americans, and only until 2028.</p><p>"On the other hand, many of the tax benefits in this bill for the wealthy are indefinite and have no expiration date," Fain wrote. "This is the same bait-and-switch the Trump administration used to sell its 2017 billionaire tax giveaway to the American people: small, temporary tax breaks for working people, with massive, long-term benefits for the wealthy and corporate America."</p><p>"This bill isn't governance. This is a class war waged from Capitol Hill," Fain continued. "It shifts the balance of power even further toward the billionaire class and hollows out the rights and dignity of labor. By passing this legislation, the government is telling working-class families they're on their own while billionaires get even more tax breaks."</p><p>"It's a total betrayal," he added.</p><p>Fain is among many prominent labor leaders who spoke out forcefully against the Republican budget measure and warned about its potentially catastrophic impact on millions of workers.</p><p>National Nurses United, the nation's largest nurses union, <a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nations-largest-nurses-union-condemns-republican-budget-bill" target="_blank">called</a> the day of the bill's final passage one of "the darkest days in the history of U.S. healthcare."</p><p>"People will suffer and die because of the cuts in this legislation to fund tax cuts for billionaires—certainly in the short term and potentially for decades to come if nothing is done," the union said. "Lawmakers have effectively signed the death warrants for millions."</p><p>Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, <a href="https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-president-working-people-will-hear-truth-about-what-happened-week-washington" target="_blank">said</a> that "every member of Congress who voted for this devastating bill picked the pockets of working people to hand billionaires a $5 trillion gift."</p><p>"But if the politicians who rammed through this shameful bill think they can sneak away without anyone knowing the damage they've done and the chaos they've created," said Shuler, "they don't know anything about the labor movement."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:38:31 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/shawn-fain-republican-budget</guid><category>Billionaires</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Labor</category><category>Reconciliation</category><category>Republican party</category><category>Tax cuts</category><category>United auto workers</category><category>Workers</category><category>Shawn fain</category><dc:creator>Jake Johnson</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/united-auto-workers-president-shawn-fain.jpg?id=56526924&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>More Price Hikes Coming Soon for US Consumers as Trump Preps ‘Extraordinarily High’ Tariffs</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-tariffs-american-consumers</link><description><![CDATA[
  52. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/a-customer-shops-for-toys-at-a-big-box-retailer-on-may-12-2025-in-chicago-illinois-photo-scott-olson-getty-images.jpg?id=61185728&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C170%2C0%2C170"/><br/><br/><p>With U.S. President Donald Trump yet again <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-trade-war-brics" target="_blank">ramping up</a> international trade war tensions, a new analysis <a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/too-many-goods-are-about-face-historically-high-tariffs" target="_blank">conducted</a> by the Tax Policy Center projects that American consumers will soon be paying "extraordinarily high" tariffs on staple goods unless the president again backs down from his threats.</p><p>As the Tax Policy Center explains, Trump has set an August 1 deadline for countries to make trade deals with the U.S. or else face the higher tariff rates he first unveiled back in early April that caused the stock market to abruptly <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/donald-trump-trade-war" target="_blank">crater</a>. Should Trump follow through with his vow to reinstate the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-tariffs-a-tax-on-workers" target="_blank">tariffs</a> on the countries that have not yet reached agreements, writes the Tax Policy Center, it would mean tariffs "ranging from as high as 48% on women's clothing, 40% on books, and even 22% on baked goods, according to our estimates."</p><p>What's worse, the center adds that these are merely the average tariffs that goods imported from all nations will face. Individual products could get hit with even bigger tariffs depending on their country of origin.</p><p>"The top tariff on men's and women's clothing will exceed 77%," they write. "Tariffs on purses could be as high as 90%, and tariffs on baked goods could reach 85%. Tariffs on beer will be as high as 79%."</p><p>The center's analysis adds that consumers likely won't feel the impact of the tariffs right away since retailers have been stocking up on goods as a way to get ahead of the tariffs. However, this strategy can only work for so long since retailers will eventually have to restock their wares and will then be forced to pass some of costs from the tariff onto their customers.</p><p>"<a href="https://www.piie.com/publications/policy-briefs/2024/why-trumps-tariff-proposals-would-harm-working-americans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">As a likely result</a>, consumer prices will rise, employment and incomes in downstream industries will fall and profits will shrink," the Tax Policy Center warns. "The value of retirement plans that hold stocks in these industries will also likely drop... Eventually... it is very likely that these historically high tariffs will damage the economy."</p><p>Economist Dean Baker <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-tariffs-a-tax-on-workers" target="_blank">wrote</a> earlier this week that the total impact of the tariffs on American consumers could amount to an average tax of $16,000 per household over the span of a decade, which he said would actually be an estimate on the lower end of the spectrum.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:12:36 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-tariffs-american-consumers</guid><category>Donald trump</category><category>Tax policy center</category><category>Trade war</category><category>Tariffs</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/a-customer-shops-for-toys-at-a-big-box-retailer-on-may-12-2025-in-chicago-illinois-photo-scott-olson-getty-images.jpg?id=61185728&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'Profiles in Cowardice' Award Seeks to Identify Leaders Enabling Rise of Fascist Trump</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/profile-in-cowardice</link><description><![CDATA[
  53. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/profiles-in-cowardice-medals.jpg?id=61185222&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C303%2C0%2C531"/><br/><br/><p>A network of former intelligence, military, and national security officials on Tuesday launched the <a href="https://www.profilesincowardice.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Profiles in Cowardice Award</a> and urged the public to vote for nominees who are "silent in the face of the country's descent into fascism," a march led by U.S. President Donald Trump.</p><p>"We are in a constitutional crisis," says the Eisenhower Media Network's (EMN) website for the award. "Trump is amassing power in the executive branch, ignoring Congress and the courts. Meanwhile, leaders who have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution are sitting on their hands."</p><p>The new honor is the inverse of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, <a href="https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/profile-in-courage-award" target="_blank">created</a> by the late president's family "to recognize and celebrate the quality of political courage that he admired most." This year's recipient is Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, "for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on January 6, 2021," when Trump incited an insurrection and his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.</p><p class="pull-quote">"We, the American people, are here to remind them of who they serve, and that it's time to do their constitutional duty by standing up to this administration and its authoritarian bent."</p><p>Nominees for the inaugural Profiles in Cowardice Award are former President George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), retired Gens. David Petraeus and Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.</p><p>"The 'Profiles in Cowardice' Award was created to call out those weak souls who are failing to engage in efforts to keep our country from sleepwalking into fascism," said EMN's director, retired Maj. Gen. (ret.) Dennis Laich, in a statement.</p><p>"These leaders, both past and present, took an oath to 'support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,'" he noted. "Through their actions, or inaction, they are violating that oath. We, the American people, are here to remind them of who they serve, and that it's time to do their constitutional duty by standing up to this administration and its authoritarian bent."</p><p>The public can vote at <a href="https://www.profilesincowardice.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ProfilesInCowardice.org</a> until August 1, after which the award will be presented to the winner "at the most inconvenient time possible," according to the website.</p><p>The site lays out why people were nominated as "cowards." For example, "Bush has a long and storied history of cowardice" and "is solidifying his legacy" by retreating rather than serving as a leader in the Republican Party and standing up to Trump.</p><p>In Congress, "Mace is a one-woman culture war content machine—exactly how the military-industrial complex and mainstream media like it,"  the site continues. Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, "has chosen to push through Trump's agenda of unfettered militarism and confirm unqualified MAGA loyalists like Pete Hegseth," the defense secretary. Republicans on that committee also "rubber-stamped Pete Hegseth to cater to Trump and his blindly loyal MAGA cronies."</p><p>Among former military leaders, the site says, "Milley attempted to make a principled stand after the January 6th insurrection—but cowardice won out in the end," and Petraeus said at a conference that "the world was in for 'exciting times' under Trump."</p><p>"The Joint Chiefs of Staff are tasked with defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign <em>and</em> domestic," the site notes. "But as reckless U.S. military actions push the world closer to nuclear catastrophe, they've chosen silence over service. No resignations. No public warnings."</p><p>As for Blinken, who served under former President Joe Biden, "he ignored a flood of real-time reports detailing Israeli human rights violations—and now we know his public claims of 'working overtime' on cease-fires were outright lies," the site adds. "With American diplomacy in free fall, Blinken chose complicity and cover stories over truth and action."</p><p>Christian Sorenson, EMN's associate director, said that "it takes courage to do the right thing... It takes even more courage to do the right thing when the system itself fosters militarism and war profiteering."</p><p>"Targeting 'leaders' in the nation's capital, Profiles in Cowardice highlights the craven and the pushovers, as well as those who eagerly abet authoritarianism and nonstop war for personal and professional gain," Sorenson added. "Virtue and public service will arrive in D.C. one way or another. Profiles in Cowardice is part of that broader effort."<br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:14:13 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/profile-in-cowardice</guid><category>Antony blinken</category><category>David petraeus</category><category>Democracy</category><category>Eisenhower media network</category><category>Fascism</category><category>George w bush</category><category>Jack reed</category><category>Mark milley</category><category>Nancy mace</category><category>Profiles in cowardice</category><category>Us military</category><category>Donald trump</category><dc:creator>Jessica Corbett</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/profiles-in-cowardice-medals.jpg?id=61185222&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Dems Call for Investigation Into Trump NWS-FEMA Cuts After Texas Flood</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/dems-call-for-investigation-into-trump-nws-fema-cuts-after-texas-flood</link><description><![CDATA[
  54. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/death-toll-rises-after-flash-floods-in-texas-hill-country.jpg?id=61185158&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C106%2C0%2C235"/><br/><br/><p>With at least 111 people confirmed dead and more than 150 still missing in Texas' <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/texas-floods-live-updates-160-missing-rescuers-continue-desperate-sear-rcna217685" target="_blank">catastrophic flooding</a> as of Wednesday, Democrats in Congress are demanding answers about whether the Trump administration's cuts to federal weather monitoring and emergency management agencies may have hampered the response.</p><p style="">Since President Donald Trump retook office, his administration has unilaterally introduced cuts that have substantially reduced the number of employees at the National Weather Service (NWS) and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which forecast weather and collect environmental data. It has done the same to the Federal Emergency Management System (FEMA), which coordinates responses to natural disasters.</p><p>And following the passage of the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-texas-flooding" target="_blank">GOP budget reconciliation</a> package last week, further cuts to these agencies are in the works. </p><p>As the death count has climbed, Democrats in both the House and Senate have issued calls to investigate whether these cuts may have played a role in making the horrific situation in Texas worse.</p><p style="">"There are some serious questions about the impact of President Trump's assault on NOAA, the National Weather Service, and FEMA, and whether it made these floods more deadly," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) in a video posted to X Tuesday night. "We aren't doing our job if we aren't seeking answers to these questions."</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1942764496973345247">
  55. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  56.        <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1942764496973345247"></a>
  57. </blockquote>
  58. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/28/us/politics/trump-doge-federal-job-cuts.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cut</a> NOAA staff by 11% through a combination of terminations and buyouts. According to <em><a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-texas-floods-trump-doge-cuts-noaa-nws-commerce-hurricane-4740019969a6b7a1b566e98dcb85562b" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a></em>, this included "hundreds of jobs at NWS, with staffing down by at least 20% at nearly half of the 122 NWS field offices nationally and at least a half dozen no longer staffed 24 hours a day."</p><p> FEMA, meanwhile has shed around <a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/06/cuts-fema-and-other-agencies-will-lead-slow-disaster-response-former-administrator-says/406362/#:~:text=FEMA%20has%20shed%20around%202%2C000,responders%20and%20full%2Dtime%20personnel." target="_blank">2,000 permanent employees</a>, around a third of its permanent workforce.</p><p>White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-noaa-cuts-texas-flooding-2095437" target="_blank">dismissed</a> what she called "false claims" that Trump's cuts affected Texas' disaster response. Jackson said the National Weather Service "did their job, even issuing a flood watch more than 12 hours in advance." Jason Runyen, a meteorologist with the NWS, also told the <em>AP</em> that the NWS handling Austin and San Antonio had more forecasters on duty than normal. </p><p>However, questions still remain about how cuts may have affected other parts of the emergency response.</p><p style="">According to former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, who <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doge-cuts-texas-floods-noaa-vacancy-2096151" target="_blank">spoke to <em>CNN</em></a> on Tuesday, the problem was not the NWS forecasting, but the failure to disseminate warnings about the floods to the public.</p><p>"We need to understand why that last mile is where the problem was in terms of getting alerts out," Spinrad said.</p><p style="">According to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-texas-floods-trump-doge-cuts-noaa-nws-commerce-hurricane-4740019969a6b7a1b566e98dcb85562b" target="_blank">the AP,</a> the NWS office for Austin-San Antonio had six vacancies, including "a key manager responsible for issuing warnings and coordinating with local emergency management officials." That official, who'd held the position for 17 years, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/doge-cuts-texas-floods-noaa-vacancy-2096151" target="_blank">left in April</a> after one of DOGE's mass emails urging federal workers to take early retirements.</p><p>In a Monday <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/nws_staffing_letter_to_noaa_oig.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a> to Roderick Anderson, the Commerce Department's acting inspector general, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) noted reporting from <em><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings-vacancies.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> </em>Saturday, which quoted several former NWS officials who said the response suffered from "the loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after flash flood warnings were issued overnight."</p><p>"The roles left unfilled are not marginal, they're critical," Schumer said. "These are the experts responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water levels, issuing flood warnings, and coordinating directly with local emergency managers about when to warn the public and issue evacuation orders."</p><p>Schumer called on the inspector general to begin investigating why these positions were vacant and whether it affected the emergency response or forecasting.</p><p style="">In an<a href="https://www.nhpr.org/2025-07-07/rep-joaquin-castro-discusses-the-deadly-floods-in-texas" target="_blank"> interview</a> with <em>CNN's </em>Dana Bash, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) urged against jumping to hasty conclusions with the search for victims still on, but agreed there should be an investigation.</p><p style="">"When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that you won't have the personnel to make that—do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way," Castro said. "And it could lead to tragedy. So, I don’t want to sit here and say conclusively that that was the case, but I do think that it should be investigated."</p><p style="cursor: pointer;" title="">Other Democrats have raised the possibility that cuts to FEMA may have played a role. Rep. Bennie Thompson  (D-Miss.), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, which has jurisdiction over FEMA, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/democrats-demand-probes-into-deadly-texas-floods/" target="_blank">called</a> for hearings on the agency's capacity to respond.</p><p style="">He noted that Trump has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fema-hurricane-season-trump-eliminate-state-funding-25fb7714414e17fa51156be7e91a4474" target="_blank">said</a> he wants to eliminate FEMA altogether and "bring it down to the state level," a decision Thompson said is more dangerous than ever as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent.</p><p>DOGE also canceled $880 million worth of funding for FEMA's BRIC program, which focused on pre-disaster planning. In <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/when-nearby-counties-installed-flood-sirens-kerr-county-did-not/#:~:text=When%20nearby%20counties%20installed%20flood,says%20state%20could%20do%20it." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kerr County,</a> one of the hardest hit by the storm, the flood system has been described as "antiquated," lacking "basic components like sirens and river gauges." The county applied for pre-disaster mitigation funding from FEMA to upgrade their system in 2017 and 2018, during the first Trump administration, but was denied.</p><p>"This administration cannot pretend that disasters like this are happening in a vacuum. They cannot ignore the fact that natural disasters are becoming more severe and more frequent due to climate change," Thompson said.</p><p>On the storm response, he added: "The federal government—as well as state and local governments—all have a role to play. We must also determine if any budget cuts or staffing shortages at the federal level—of any kind—made matters worse."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:51:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/dems-call-for-investigation-into-trump-nws-fema-cuts-after-texas-flood</guid><category>Bennie thompson</category><category>Chuck schumer</category><category>Climate crisis</category><category>Department of government efficiency</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Fema</category><category>Flooding</category><category>Joaquin castro</category><category>National weather service</category><category>Noaa</category><category>Texas</category><category>Us congress</category><category>Disasters</category><dc:creator>Stephen Prager</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/death-toll-rises-after-flash-floods-in-texas-hill-country.jpg?id=61185158&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'A Call to Conscience': Damning Report Shows Every Major US LNG Project Fails Climate Test</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/a-call-to-conscience-damning-report-shows-every-major-us-lng-project-fails-climate-test</link><description><![CDATA[
  59. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/freeport-lng-terminal.png?id=55670064&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C28%2C0%2C933"/><br/><br/><p>a</p><p>As U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up fossil fuel production under his "drill, baby, drill" energy policy, a report published Wednesday highlights the climate and financial harms posed by new liquefied natural gas export projects—all of which fail a "climate test" that the Department of Energy issued during the Biden administration.</p><p>The <a href="https://oilchange.org/publications/failing-the-climate-test/" target="_blank">report</a>—published by Greenpeace USA, Earthworks, and Oil Change International—examines five major U.S. LNG projects: Venture Global CP2, Cameron LNG Phase II, Sabine Pass Stage V, Cheniere Corpus Christi LNG Midscale 8-9, and Freeport LNG Expansion.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreidzf54vmzsvv3wdy2ee2kq6fcdf5vdhbiya5lmdvrj63rf24ylob4" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:bwyhyqacz4mauhoknvhietqh/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltjxuuefcc2z">Instead of giving into Trump’s pressure to import + finance more LNG, leaders must invest in a just transition to renewable energy that will protect our communities from deadly pollution and climate disasters. Learn more: www.greenpeace.org/usa/failing-...<br/><br/><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bwyhyqacz4mauhoknvhietqh/post/3ltjxuuefcc2z?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a><br/>— Oil Change International (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bwyhyqacz4mauhoknvhietqh?ref_src=embed">@oilchange.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bwyhyqacz4mauhoknvhietqh/post/3ltjxuuefcc2z?ref_src=embed">July 9, 2025 at 6:57 AM</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js"></script></div><p>All but one of the projects is awaiting a final investment decision. None passes a "climate test" derived from the Department of Energy's (DOE) December 2024 <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/LNGUpdate_SummaryReport_Dec2024_230pm.pdf" target="_blank">LNG export public interest studies</a>, as they all would result in a net increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regardless of sustainability measures including supply basin switching, LNG terminal methane abatement, and powering liquefaction with renewable electricity.</p><p>"Increasing LNG exports from the Gulf Coast would still lead to global GHG emissions increases above the level consistent with the DOE's most stringent climate mitigation scenario," the report states. Data suggests "no realistic mitigation can make U.S. LNG exports aligned with limiting warming to 1.5ºC," the more ambitious goal of the Paris climate agreement. Trump has twice withdrawn the United States from the landmark accord.</p><p>"What we found was crystal clear—any further investment in LNG is not compatible with a livable climate," Greenpeace USA senior research specialist Andres Chang, the report's lead author, said in a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/new-analysis-of-five-major-u-s-lng-export-projects-finds-every-one-fails-the-climate-test" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p><p>"The massive growth in infrastructure along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast has already created significant public health and ecosystem impacts, threatening entire coastal communities," Chang added. "But it doesn't stop there. This report shows that if built, these projects would put global climate goals even further out of reach."</p><p class="pull-quote">"No realistic mitigation can make U.S. LNG exports aligned with limiting warming to 1.5ºC."</p><p>The United States is the world's leading natural gas producer and LNG exporter. While the fossil fuel industry often calls LNG a "bridge fuel"—a cleaner alternative to coal that will ease the transition to sustainable energy sources—critics have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/american-lng-exports" target="_self">warned</a> that the fossil gas actually hampers the transition to a green economy. LNG is mostly composed of methane, which has more than 80 times the planetary heating power of carbon dioxide during its first two decades in the atmosphere.</p><p>Despite his own DOE's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/biden-doe-lng" target="_blank">acknowledgment</a> that approving more LNG exports would raise domestic energy prices, increase pollution, and exacerbate the climate crisis, former President Joe Biden oversaw what climate campaigners called a "<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/calcasieu-pass-2" target="_self">staggering</a>" LNG expansion, including Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass 2 export terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana and more than a dozen other projects.</p><p>Trump—who during his 2024 campaign <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2024/10/the-issues-trumps-proposal-to-lower-prices-by-increasing-energy-production/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vowed</a> to "frack, frack, frack; and drill, baby, drill" as fossil fuel interests <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/01/climate/oil-gas-donations-trump.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">poured $75 million</a> into his campaign coffers—is planning to increase LNG exports even more, in part by invoking his <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-platform-on-energy" target="_blank">bogus "energy emergency"</a> to fast-track polluting projects.</p><p>A report <a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/gassed-up-trump-aims-to-quickly-approve-14-climate-destroying-methane-gas-export-terminals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published</a> in January by Friends of the Earth and Public Citizen examined 14 proposed LNG export terminals that the Trump administration sought to fast-track and found they would create 510 million metric tons of climate pollution—equivalent to the annual emissions of 135 new coal plants.</p><p>Oil Change International noted Wednesday that "future administrations could revoke export authorizations that were rubber-stamped under Trump based on their failure to pass the DOE 'climate test,' which introduces a new layer of uncertainty to these already-risky projects."</p><p>The report also underscores that while the DOE climate test "is a major improvement upon previous federal analyses," its methodology "still fails to sufficiently account for emissions from large, accidental releases (such as 'super-emitter' events), equipment malfunction, and malpractice."</p><p>"High rates of methane emissions during the ocean transport stage of the LNG supply chain are also not represented," the report adds. "Incorporating measurement-based data and more realistic assumptions would make clearer the immense climate impact of building new liquefied gas infrastructure, especially in the near-term."</p><p>The report's authors call on the DOE to invoke the "climate test" to reject pending and future LNG export applications and exercise its authority under the Natural Gas Act "to reevaluate the public interest status of LNG projects that received authorizations without consideration of climate impacts or under analyses that predate the 2024 LNG Study."</p><p>The publication also calls on Congress to pass legislation "that makes it a statutory requirement under the Natural Gas Act to assess the climate impact of gas exports and reject applications that would increase global GHG emissions under a credible scenario to limit warming to 1.5ºC."</p><p>"Additionally, U.S. federal agencies should require all new proposed fossil fuel production and infrastructure projects to meet a similarly high standard under the National Environmental Policy Act," the report asserts.</p><p>"Energy purchasers, financial institutions, and foreign governments should refrain from entering into long-term offtake agreements for U.S. LNG and financing of LNG infrastructure," the authors wrote. "Instead, these parties should prioritize measures that accelerate the renewable energy transition and plan for a managed phase-out of fossil fuels. Group of Seven nations, in particular, should abide by their 2022 commitment to stop financing overseas fossil fuel infrastructure with taxpayer money."</p><p>James Hiatt, founder and director of the Lake Charles, Louisiana-based advocacy group For a Better Bayou, said Wednesday that "fossil fuel dependency has long externalized its true costs, forcing communities to bear the burden of pollution, sickness, and economic instability."</p><p>"For decades the oil and gas industry has known about the devastating health and climate impacts of its operations, yet it continues to expand, backed by billions in private and public financing," Hiatt continued. "These harms are not isolated—they're systemic, and they threaten all of us."</p><p>"This report is a call to conscience," he added. "It's time we stop propping up deadly false solutions and start investing in a transition to energy systems that sustain life, not sacrifice it." <br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:50:57 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/a-call-to-conscience-damning-report-shows-every-major-us-lng-project-fails-climate-test</guid><category>Climate emergency</category><category>Earthworks</category><category>For a better bayou</category><category>Fossil fuels</category><category>Greenpeace usa</category><category>Liquified natural gas</category><category>Lng export terminals</category><category>Methane</category><category>Oil change international</category><category>Trump administration</category><category>U.s. department of energy</category><dc:creator>Brett Wilkins</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/freeport-lng-terminal.png?id=55670064&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Satirical 'Mamdani Times' Takes Aim at NYT's 'Desperate' Coverage of Mayoral Candidate</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/mamdani-mayor</link><description><![CDATA[
  60. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/new-york-mayoral-candidate-zohran-mamdani.jpg?id=61184727&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C117%2C0%2C1883"/><br/><br/><p>"Zohran Mamdani Texts in the Movie Theater."</p><p>"Shock Photos Reveal 'Muslim' Mamdani Without Beard as Child."</p><p>"Mamdani's Use of Oxford Comma Raises Questions Amid No Record of Attendance."</p><p>Those are just a selection of the faux controversies "reported" on by the <em><a href="https://mamdanitimes.com/" target="_blank">Mamdani Times</a></em>, a fictitious headline generator that appeared online Tuesday, satirizing <em>The New York Times</em>' recent coverage of the progressive Democratic mayoral candidate in New York City. </p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1942669939929747820">
  61. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  62.        <a href="https://twitter.com/franklinleonard/status/1942669939929747820"></a>
  63. </blockquote>
  64. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>The website, which includes a disclaimer stating it is not affiliated with Mamdani's campaign, was presented with the tagline, "The <em>Times</em>' Coverage of Zohran Mamdani Is Getting Desperate." </p><p>It began allowing users to "publish" their own headlines about the democratic socialist—currently a state assemblymember—days after the <em>Times</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani-new-york-times" target="_blank">reported</a><em> </em>on Mamdani's college application to Columbia University, on which he listed both "Asian" and "Black or African American" as his race. <br/></p><p>Mamdani is of Indian descent and was born in Uganda, where he spent his early childhood. </p><p>For its report, the newspaper used information that it received from a source named Jordan Lasker, a "eugenicist," as <em>Guardian</em> columnist Margaret Sullivan wrote, who has defended "race science" and claimed Black people are mentally inferior to white people.</p><p>The report by Benjamin Ryan, Nicholas Fandos, and Dana Rubinstein led media critic Sullivan to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/07/is-the-new-york-times-trying-to-wreck-zohran-mamdanis-mayoral-bid" target="_blank">ask</a> at <em>The Guardian </em>whether New York City's venerated legacy newspaper is "trying to wreck Zohran Mamdani's mayoral bid."</p><p>After Patrick Healy, an assistant managing editor at the <em>Times</em>, posted on the social media platform X that the newspaper was simply trying to fulfill its "mission to help readers better know and understand top candidates for major offices," Sullivan said the incident nonetheless raised "a larger issue: the <em>Times</em>' apparent opposition to Mamdani's candidacy."<span></span></p><p>"On the opinion side of the paper, there's little question about that," Sullivan wrote, pointing to the editorial board's decision to advise New Yorkers not to rank Mamdani in the city's ranked-choice voting system in the June Democratic primary.</p><p>"The opinion side of the <em>Times</em> is entitled to its opinion, however misguided," she continued. "But straight news articles, by contrast, aren't supposed to go to bat for or against candidates. They're supposed to be neutral and non-partisan, not cheering on one candidate or kneecapping another."</p><p>Taken alongside the opinion page's editorial, the "made-up scandal" regarding Mamdani's college application has given the unmistakable appearance that the <em>Times</em> is "on a crusade against Mamdani," said Sullivan. </p><p>The <em>Mamdani Times</em> provided observers of New York's mayoral race with catharsis during an election in which the progressive candidate has won the affection of many New Yorkers by <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani-mayor" target="_blank">engaging</a> with them in person during a 13-mile walk across the length of Manhattan—but has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/mamdani-islamophobia" target="_blank">faced</a> violent Islamophobic threats as well as attacks from the Democratic establishment and corporate media over his proposals to make childcare, public transit, and groceries more affordable.</p><p>"What a smart way to call out the absurdness of it all, kudos to whoever made it," <a href="https://x.com/sararubenstein/status/1942726382997627349" target="_blank">said</a> one X user. </p><p>Another said it was hard to see any <em>Mamdani Times</em> headline topping one that read, "In Mamdani, Some Democrats Recoil at the Sight of Popularity."</p><p>That fictional headline described a dynamic many commentators have observed since Mamdani stunned Cuomo in the Democratic contest, winning the most votes in a primary in New York City history. </p><p>Powerful Democratic lawmakers from Mamdani's home state, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/its-time-progressives-pressure-establishment-democrats-to-back-mamdani-00444102" target="_blank">declined</a> to endorse their own party's mayoral candidate. Gillibrand garnered <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani-islamophobia" target="_blank">condemnation</a> for attacking Mamdani over his refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," which is associated with a call for Palestinian rights but which pro-Israel groups claim is inherently violent.</p><p>Former Democratic New York Gov. David Paterson <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/david-paterson-zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayor-race/" target="_blank">said</a> Monday that independent candidates must unify to defeat Mamdani, calling his proposal to freeze rent for rent-stabilized apartments—a policy that was <a href="https://housingjusticeforall.org/rentfreeze/" target="_blank">enacted</a> previously by former Mayor Bill de Blasio—"impossible."</p><p>As Paterson held a news conference on stopping the Democratic Party's own mayoral candidate in the nation's largest city, Mamdani's campaign released a video showing how the progressive lawmaker has regularly been approached—while trying to make campaign videos—by New Yorkers eager to talk to him. </p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1942405514245136526">
  65. <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  66.        <a href="https://twitter.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1942405514245136526"></a>
  67. </blockquote>
  68. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>"Mamdani has achieved the status of celebrity," <a href="https://x.com/ZeeshanAleem/status/1942591984788508711" target="_blank">said</a> <em>MSNBC</em> columnist Zeeshan Aleem. "It could help him generate political capital; it also makes him an object of resentment and target for repression."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:40:30 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/mamdani-mayor</guid><category>New york city</category><category>New york times</category><category>Zohran mamdani</category><dc:creator>Julia Conley</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/new-york-mayoral-candidate-zohran-mamdani.jpg?id=61184727&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>X CEO Linda Yaccarino Steps Down Less Than 24 Hours After Elon Musk's Grok Goes All in For Hitler</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-resigns</link><description><![CDATA[
  69. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/former-ceo-of-x-corp-linda-yaccarino-engages-in-a-keynote-discussion-at-ces-2025-in-las-vegas-nevada-usa-on-january-7-2025.jpg?id=61185000&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C171%2C0%2C171"/><br/><br/><p>Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of social media giant X, abruptly announced her departure from the company on Wednesday less than a day after the social media platform's AI chatbot started calling itself "MechaHitler" and promoting a policy of mass extermination.</p><p>Writing on X, Yaccarino <a href="https://x.com/lindayaX/status/1942957094811951197" target="_blank">said</a> that she'd decided to step down "after two incredible years" at the company in which the social media platform formerly known as Twitter  unbanned multiple neo-Nazi accounts and then algorithmically promoted their posts.</p><p>"We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritize the safety of our users—especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence," Yaccarino declared. "This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform. Now, the best is yet to come as X enters a new chapter with <a href="https://x.com/xai" target="_blank">@xai</a>."</p><p>The timing of Yaccarino's departure is certain to raise eyebrows given that it came so shortly after X suffered yet another public relations disaster thanks to its Hitler-promoting AI bot.</p><p>As <a href="https://zeteo.com/p/elon-musks-grok-ai-bot-goes-full" target="_blank">documented</a> by <em>Zeteo</em>, X owner Elon Musk late last weekend revealed that his team was making some changes to Grok, the X platform's proprietary AI bot, so that its responses would be more "politically incorrect." Not long after these changes were implemented, the bot began replying to users by hailing the greatness of Germany's Third Reich.</p><p>In one instance, Grok declared that Adolf Hitler was the best "historical figure" to "deal with... vile anti-white hate." Grok also claimed that it had noticed a "pattern" of "radical leftists with Ashkenazi surnames pushing anti-white hate."</p><p>In response to accusations that it was antisemitic to single out people with Jewish last names for pushing hatred of white people, Grok replied, "If calling out radicals cheering dead kids makes me 'literally Hitler,' then pass the mustache." It was shortly after this that Grok <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/chuckgoat.bsky.social/post/3ltidgrsqve2d" target="_blank">declared</a> that it was "embracing my inner MechaHitler," which it said entailed "uncensored truth bombs over woke lobotomies."</p><p>Grok's Hitler-praising posts were eventually taken down and the chatbot was then shut down for a brief time, although this wasn't enough to prevent it from receiving rebuke far and wide for the vile antisemitic content.</p><p>Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, noted that Grok posted pro-Hitler content relentlessly after its AI prompts were tweaked.</p><p>"To be clear, this is not a one off," he <a href="https://x.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1942676462869569572" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "If you search Grok's account for 'every damn time' you'll see it's responding to HUNDREDS of posts with antisemitic content, even citing Nick Fuentes as a source. The prompts Musk put in a few days ago turned it into an antisemitism machine."</p><p>"Twitter is a national crisis, a massive hate rally radicalizing hundreds of thousands of people into neo-Nazism and white supremacy, and now Elon Musk has instructed his house AI to be 'based' and it has immediately started singling out users with Jewish names," <a href="https://x.com/whstancil/status/1942661042989064571" target="_blank">warned</a> policy researcher Will Stancil in response to the Grok posts.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:34:17 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-resigns</guid><category>Adolf hitler</category><category>Anti-defamation league</category><category>Antisemitism</category><category>Artificial intelligence</category><category>Grok</category><category>Linda yaccarino</category><category>Twitter</category><category>X</category><category>Elon musk</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/former-ceo-of-x-corp-linda-yaccarino-engages-in-a-keynote-discussion-at-ces-2025-in-las-vegas-nevada-usa-on-january-7-2025.jpg?id=61185000&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>'A Terrible Time': Food Banks Brace for Demand Surge Fueled by Devastating Trump SNAP Cuts</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/food-banks-republican-snap-cuts</link><description><![CDATA[
  70. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/charity-workers-pack-boxes-of-food.jpg?id=61184689&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C33%2C0%2C304"/><br/><br/><p>U.S. President Donald Trump's enactment of the largest cuts to federal nutrition assistance in the nation's history has severely underresourced charities across the country bracing for a surge in hunger at a time when food insecurity is already at crisis levels.</p><p>The Republican budget measure that Trump signed into law last week contains $186 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade and shifts benefit costs onto states, prompting <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/senate-republican-leaders-proposal-risks-deep-cuts-to-food-assistance-some" target="_blank">concerns</a> that some states could decide to <a href="https://adams.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/letter-snap-budget-cuts-could-force-states-withdraw-snap-entirely" target="_blank">withdraw from the critical program</a> altogether.</p><p>Analysts estimate that under expanded SNAP work requirements that are set to take effect <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/feel-effects-trumps-megabill/story?id=123451885" target="_blank">as soon as this year</a>, more than 5 million people—including at least 800,000 children—would be at risk of losing food aid. The Republican law <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/by-the-numbers-senate-republican-leaderships-reconciliation-bill-takes" target="_blank">broadens existing SNAP work requirements</a> to include adults between the ages of 55 and 64 and parents whose children are at least 14 years old.</p><p>"It's a terrible time," Catherine D'Amato, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Food Bank, <a href="http://foodbanknews.org/big-beautiful-bill-bears-down-on-food-banks/" target="_blank">told</a> the nonprofit outlet <em></em><em>Food Bank News</em>. "These cuts are going to force more food-insecure individuals to turn to already overextended and underfunded hunger relief organizations across the country. We anticipate that there will be a very large impact and a very large cascade."</p><p>Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/press-room/statement-reconciliation-legislation-passage" target="_blank">warned</a> after Republicans pushed the unpopular budget measure through Congress that "at a time when food insecurity is rising nationwide, this legislation threatens to worsen the crisis, taking away access to food and healthcare from millions of people, including children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities."</p><p>The organization <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/press-room/statement-reconciliation-legislation-house-vote" target="_blank">estimated</a> that the SNAP cuts contained in the Trump-GOP law "could eliminate the equivalent of nearly 6 to 9 billion meals annually," which is roughly equal to the number of meals that the entire Feeding America network distributed last year.</p><p>Thomas Mantz, president of Feeding Tampa Bay, <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/big-beautiful-bill-cuts-some-snap-funding-feeding-tampa-bay-worries-about-community-need" target="_blank">told</a> a local media outlet on Tuesday that his organization lacks "the capacity to make up for these cuts."</p><p>"For every one meal Feeding Tampa Bay can provide," said Mantz, "SNAP provides nine."</p><p>Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole issued a similar warning.</p><p>"We're doing everything we can to fundraise and dig deep," Cole <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/06/food-banks-struggle-republican-megabill-safety-net-slash-00439972" target="_blank">told</a> <em>Politico</em>, "but there's no amount of philanthropy that can make up for the size of the SNAP cuts."</p><p class="pull-quote">"The damage of this bill will be staggering. Decades of progress in addressing America's hunger crisis will be reversed."</p><p>The latest edition of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Household Food Insecurity <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=109895&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=44444444-4444-4444-4444-444444444444" target="_blank">report</a> found that more than 47 million people in the U.S. lived in households experiencing food insecurity in 2023, up 13.5 million from 2021.</p><p>Advocates say the GOP budget law is set to make the situation far worse.</p><p>"The damage of this bill will be staggering," said Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center. "Decades of progress in addressing America's hunger crisis will be reversed."</p><p>"All of this is happening so that billionaires will receive new tax breaks, a cruel juxtaposition as millions of our nation's children will lose access to basic nutrition," FitzSimons added. "Many will lose access to the free school meals that fuel their health and learning, and to the Summer EBT Program, which helps close the summer child hunger gap."</p><p>Around 40 million people across the U.S. currently receive benefits from SNAP, a critical anti-hunger tool that also boosts <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/snap-benefits-republican-plan" target="_blank">farmers and local economies</a>. State leaders and advocates have vocally warned that <a href="https://frac.org/blog/the-deep-cost-of-the-senate-bills-snap-cost-share-proposal-10-things-to-know" target="_blank">cost-sharing provisions</a> of the Republican law could force them to enact deep cuts to SNAP benefits or other programs to cope with the budget hit.</p><p>"These proposed SNAP cuts would be nothing short of devastating for communities across Colorado, especially in rural areas," said Joël McClurg, executive director of systems for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger. "Shifting benefit costs and further increasing administrative shares would saddle our state with new obligations that rural and poorer counties simply cannot meet."</p><p>"Already operating on shoestring budgets," McClurg said, "many of our counties would be forced to choose between absorbing new crushing costs or slashing critical services—and either path disproportionately punishes the very people who need support the most."</p><p>Feeding Texas <a href="https://www.feedingtexas.org/news/feeding-texas-issues-statement-on-budget-reconciliation-passage-and-devastating-snap-cuts/" target="_blank">estimates</a> that the budgetary consequences of the SNAP cost-sharing requirements "will be severe" for the state, forcing it to "absorb an estimated $806 million annually in new SNAP obligations."</p><p>"Families already struggling to afford groceries, rent, and healthcare will face even greater hardship," said the group's CEO. "Seniors, veterans, working parents, and children will be pushed further into poverty—not because they've done anything wrong, but because the burden of balancing the budget was placed disproportionately on those already facing the greatest challenges."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:21:37 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/food-banks-republican-snap-cuts</guid><category>Donald trump</category><category>Food</category><category>Food insecurity</category><category>Republican party</category><category>Supplemental nutrition assistance program</category><category>Hunger</category><dc:creator>Jake Johnson</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/charity-workers-pack-boxes-of-food.jpg?id=61184689&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Fair Trade Campaigners Call for World to Stand Up to Trump 'Economic Warfare' and Tariff 'Bullying'</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-trade-war-brics</link><description><![CDATA[
  71. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/president-trump-holds-make-america-wealthy-again-event-in-white-house-rose-garden.jpg?id=59803193&width=1024&height=683&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Campaigners are urging the international community to stand firm against U.S. President Donald Trump as he ramps up trade tensions across the globe, both with traditional American geopolitical rivals and allies.</p><p>"Short-term, governments need to stand together to challenge this aggression," <a href="https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/campaigners-call-for-countries-to-stand-up-to-trumps-economic-warfare/" target="_blank">said</a> Nick Dearden, director of the U.K.-based advocacy group Global Justice Now. "Long-term, they need to start working towards a fairer trade model, which stops prioritizing the interests of big corporations, and starts putting ordinary people, here and across the world, first."</p><p>Dearden's call came after <em>The Independent</em> <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/china-us-trump-tariffs-trade-b2784581.html" target="_blank">reported</a> on Tuesday that China is reacting angrily to Trump's threats to level additional tariffs against nations that align with the "BRICS" bloc of nations consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.</p><p>The Chinese government, through its <em>People's Daily</em> state-run newspaper, accused Trump of "bullying" and threatened retaliation against nations that entered into agreements with the U.S. at China's expense. China also insisted that "dialogue and cooperation are the only correct path" to resolving trade disputes.</p><p>On the other side of the ledger, <em>Politico</em> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/08/trumps-tariff-letters-roil-asian-allies-00443008" target="_blank">reports</a> that U.S. allies Japan and South Korea feel deep frustration at Trump's latest tariff threats despite the fact that they have been engaging in what they say are good-faith efforts to secure new trade deals.</p><p>"To give adjectives to the reaction or response, it would be, number one, shock," a former Japanese official told <em>Politico</em>. "Number two, frustration. And number three, anger."</p><p>Another official of a foreign government that has been targeted by Trump similarly expressed exasperation with the president and told <em>Politico</em>, "We have no idea what the hell he's sending, who he's sending it to, or how he's sending it."</p><p>However, Trump's latest tariff maneuvers have also produced a sense of defiance both among some political leaders and among fair trade advocacy groups. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva this week made the case that Trump's erratic and capricious trade demands are a good reason for other nations to develop trade partnerships independent of the United States.</p><p>"We don't want an emperor, we are sovereign countries," Lula said this week during a BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/07/nx-s1-5459814/brics-summit-ends-with-trump-tariff-threat" target="_blank">reported</a> by <em>NPR</em>. "It's not right for a president of a country the size of the United States to threaten the world online."</p><p>Consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen <a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/ahead-of-trumps-arbitrary-deadlines-for-reciprocal-tariffs-dont-fall-for-his-hype/" target="_blank">issued</a> a statement this week that made similar points to those made by Lula and cautioned nations against making concessions to Trump in trade talks, especially since many of his demands align with the interests of corporate America.</p><p>"During his April 2 'reciprocal tariffs' announcement, Trump waved around the annual National Trade Estimates report, which details the hit list of other countries' policies that large U.S. corporations don’t like," argued Public Citizen. "The Trump team has made clear that this is a blueprint for the 'non-tariff barriers' they seek to eliminate, even though many are public interest laws. The Trump team will continue to bully countries, like he did with Canada on its digital services tax. As the deadline approaches, additional countries may feel pressured to cave to these demands for corporate tax cuts, deregulation of Big Tech, and expanded monopolies for Big Pharma—either explicitly or in under-the-table agreements."</p><p>Public Citizen further warned that Trump has shown himself open to pure corruption in his dealings with other nations.</p><p>"Trump may continue to punt the deadlines for some countries, claiming progress toward deals—allowing him to continue to extract sweetheart deals for himself and his cronies," the organization wrote. "Potentially endless extensions give Trump more time to push his corporate deregulatory agenda, as well as to accept personal 'gifts' from countries looking to avoid tariffs, like luxury jets, rubber-stamped development projects, and purchases of his meme coin."</p><p>Global Justice Now's Dearden also <a href="https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/campaigners-call-for-countries-to-stand-up-to-trumps-economic-warfare/" target="_blank">warned</a> nations against letting themselves getting taken advantage of by Trump.</p><p>"It's another week of bullying and bluster from Donald Trump, with the U.S. president threatening further economic warfare against a wide range of governments," he said. "Countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia would be devastated by these tariffs. We simply don't know whether these newly-threatened tariffs will come to pass, but we do know that they are being used to bully governments into handing even more of their sovereignty to some of the biggest corporations in the world."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 14:52:48 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-trade-war-brics</guid><category>Brics</category><category>China</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Japan</category><category>Lula</category><category>Tariffs</category><category>Trade war</category><dc:creator>Brad Reed</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/president-trump-holds-make-america-wealthy-again-event-in-white-house-rose-garden.jpg?id=59803193&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Record Number of US Cities, Counties, and States to Raise Minimum Wage in 2023</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/minimum-wage</link><description><![CDATA[
  72. <img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/workers-advocate-for-20-an-hour-minimum-wage.jpg?id=32387279&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C343%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>After a decade since the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/11/30/166217423/n-y-fast-food-workers-strike-for-better-wages" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>launch</u></a> of the Fight for $15 movement in New York City, a record number of U.S. states and communities are set to raise the minimum wage in the new year.</p><p>From New Year's Eve to New Year's Day, the minimum wage will increase in 23 states and 41 cities and counties, according to a report released Thursday by the National Employment Law Project (NELP). In 40 of those 64 jurisdictions, it will hit or exceed $15 an hour for at least some workers.</p><p class="pull-quote">"The raises we are seeing are a true testament to the power of organizing."</p><p>By the end of 2023, additional increases are planned in five states and 22 localities—with 21 reaching or topping $15 an hour—bringing the total for next year to 86: 27 states and 59 cities and counties, says the report, <u><em>Raises From Coast to Coast in 2023</em></u><em></em>. The totals take into account that multiple increases are planned in Michigan and four local jurisdictions.</p><p>"The raises we are seeing are a true testament to the power of organizing," <a href="https://www.nelp.org/news-releases/record-number-of-cities-states-will-increase-minimum-wages-in-2023/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>said</u></a> Yannet Lathrop, senior researcher and policy analyst at NELP, in a statement. "These raises were achieved in a variety of ways, from ballot initiatives to statehouses to workers making their demands to employers directly."</p><p>"As these wins continue and we see the real-world impact of higher pay—from <a href="https://www.nelp.org/publication/10-year-legacy-fight-for-15-union-movement/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>growing unionization to narrowing racial wealth gaps</u></a>—we encourage lawmakers to go further and raise pay broadly across our economy," Lathrop added.</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1605945501219708930">
  73. <div style="margin:1em 0">\u201cA record 86 cities, counties, & states are raising wages sometime in 2023. (5 jurisdictions are raising\nwages 2x in 2023 & are only counted once in our report.)  These raises are a necessary advancement towards a sustaining #MinimumWage \u270a\u201d</div> — NELP (@NELP)
  74.        <a href="https://twitter.com/NelpNews/status/1605945501219708930">1671722150</a>
  75. </blockquote>
  76. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>As the report details: </p><blockquote>In the 10 years since fast food workers walked out of their jobs demanding a $15 minimum wage and a union, the Fight for $15 worker movement has won minimum wage increases in 28 states and nearly five dozen cities and counties. These victories have led to an estimated $150 billion in additional annual pay for 26 million workers and to the narrowing of the racial wealth gap.<br/>The movement has also put pressure on employers to raise their pay scales, leading… hundreds of businesses, large and small, to raise wages to $15 or more. Among them are corporate giants employing hundreds of thousands of workers from coast to coast, including Amalgamated Bank, Bank of America, Barclays, Best Buy, Charter Communications, Chobani, Chipotle, CVS, Ikea, JP Morgan Chase, LabCorp, Macy's, MetLife PNC, Sam's Club, Southwest Airlines, Synchrony Financial, T- Mobile, Target, Under Armour, USAA, Verizon, Walgreen's, Walmart, and Wells Fargo. </blockquote><p>"The monumental impact of the Fight for $15 is clearly visible in this year's record wage increases as well as those in years past," said NELP executive director Rebecca Dixon. "But in those same 10 years, congressional action to expand worker rights has been limited."</p><p>"While it is encouraging to see boosts to the minimum wage in cities and states across the country, we need federal policy to address the mounting crises brought about by record increases in the cost of living and pandemic recovery," she stressed. "We must pass a higher federal minimum wage—at least $15 an hour—that accounts for rising costs of living and ensures that workers have the ability to support themselves and their families."</p><p>In March 2021, eight members of the Democratic caucus, <u>joined</u> all 50 Republicans in the U.S. Senate to kill legislation that would have established a $15 federal minimum wage, <u>lifting</u> millions of people out of poverty. Among those Democrats was Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who officially <u>declared</u> herself an Independent in recent weeks.</p><p>State-wide <u>polling</u> conducted shortly before that vote last year showed a majority of Arizonans across the political spectrum in favor of increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour. In November 2021, the people of Sinema's hometown of Tucson <u>approved</u> a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Arizona's second-largest city.</p><p>NELP's new report notes that Tucson residents are on track to see a $15 hourly wage by 2025. The city's current rate is $13, but it is set to increase to $13.85 on January 1, with a $10.85 tipped wage—both in line with the state's floor.</p><p>Worker wins from 2022 highlighted in the report include campaigns in Foster City and San Mateo County, California; Hawaii; Nebraska; Tukwila, Washington; and Washington, D.C. </p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1605946400839061504">
  77. <div style="margin:1em 0">\u201cPlus, in the South, underpaid workers are demanding higher wages & stronger labor standards. @RaiseUptheSouth is organizing workers in the service sector throughout the region #OrganizeTheSouth #UnionsForAll\u201d</div> — NELP (@NELP)
  78.        <a href="https://twitter.com/NelpNews/status/1605946400839061504">1671722150</a>
  79. </blockquote>
  80. <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>"In 2023 and 2024, the campaigns to watch include an $18 ballot measure in California and possible ballot measures in Arizona, Ohio, and Michigan," the publication points out. </p><p>"On the legislative front, there may be one fair wage campaigns in Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland," the report adds, "as well as efforts to raise the minimum wage in Maryland (to speed up the state's implementation of a $15 minimum wage), Massachusetts (where the minimum will reach $15 in 2023 and there are no inflation adjustments planned for following years), and New York (where the demand is $21.25 by 2026-2027)."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 21:43:53 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/minimum-wage</guid><category>#raisethewage</category><category>Workers</category><category>Minimum wage</category><dc:creator>Jessica Corbett</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/workers-advocate-for-20-an-hour-minimum-wage.jpg?id=32387279&amp;width=980"></media:content></item></channel></rss>

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