Saturday, June 08, 2024

Gaza: Joe Biden explains the exchange rate for Palestinian lives

 

As BREAKTHROUGH NEWS notes above, protests at the White House today over the ongoing genocide.  Megan Lebowitz (NBC NEWS) reports:

Thousands of people from cities across the country gathered outside the White House on Saturday to protest the Biden administration’s policies toward the Israel-Hamas war, many dressed in keffiyehs and red clothes to symbolize what they say is a red line that Israel crossed.

Hundreds of protesters held a red banner that stretched around the White House, urging President Joe Biden to change his approach to the war in Gaza.

“Biden, Biden you can’t hide, we are your red line,” protesters chanted.

The red line is in reference to remarks made by the White House and Joe last month that Israel would be in serious trouble, for real this time, we are telling Daddy as soon as he walks in the door, for real now, if they did not have a plan to avoid civilian casualties when they attacked Rafa. For real now. We're talking not only no more weapons but also no dessert!  Now march yourself on up to your room.
 
Strong words that never had any follow up.  THE HINDUSTAN TIMES notes, "Holding Palestinian flags and chanting 'From DC to Palestine, we are the red line,' the protestors demonstrated placards and banners with names of the Palestinians killed during Israeli offensive during the last nine months." Grace Newton (WTOP) reminds that "the president says Israel hasn’t crossed that line yet."  In the supposed land of the free, the police attacked the peaceful protesters.   Gloria Oladipo (GUARDIAN) reports:

Footage posted to social media showed police using pepper spray on protesters, who faced arrest at the mass demonstration.

At least one demonstrator also held a canister that released green and white smoke near the southern side of the White House.

The demonstrator, who was dressed as the superhero character Spiderman, shouted along with a crowd: “Biden, Biden, we can’t wait! We’ll see you at the Hague!”

The Hague is the Dutch city that is home to the international criminal court that prosecutes war crimes.

 

The 8-month-old conflict became the most destructive conflict of the 21st century, the Associated Press reported, with tens of thousands killed, most of them being women and children. The war left many parts of the city in ruins, leading to a collapse in its healthcare system, leaving 10 out of 36 of Gaza’s main hospitals somewhat functional, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.

Israel’s bombardment has leveled and destroyed over 60% of Gaza’s homes, forcing over 1.7 million Palestinians to flee, the Associated Press reported.

“How many more homes have to be destroyed, how many children need to be killed, until this [United States] government takes definitive action to stop Israel’s war crimes,” said Celine Qussiny of the Palestinian Youth Movement.


Four Israeli hostages were rescued today.  The rescue effort -- carried out by Israeli forces with US assistance -- is said to have left at least 200 innocent Palestinians dead.  If you're trying to figure out the currency rate, Joe Biden believes that one Israeli life is worth fifty Palestinians.  

And he wonders why he struggles to connect with voters.

Citing hospital workers, CNN's Jonny Hallam and Kareem Khadder note the death toll has risen to 236. THE TIMES OF INDIA notes, "Israel has heavily bombed Nuseirat, a historic Palestinian refugee camp."  ALJAZEERA notes:


In a post on social media, Francesca Albanese said she was “relieved” for the four Israeli captives, but added that Israel “could have freed all hostages, alive and intact, 8 months ago when the first ceasefire and hostage exchange was put on the table”.
“Israel refused in order to continue to destroy Gaza and the Palestinians as a people,” Albanese said.
“This genocidal intent turned into action,” she said.
“Israel has used hostages to legitimise killing, injuring, maiming, starving and traumatising Palestinians in Gaza.”





 
At WSWS, Tom Carter notes:

On Thursday, US congressional leaders announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress on July 24. This invitation, one of the highest honors that can be extended to a foreign head of state, identifies the entire US political establishment and both imperialist political parties with genocide.

The formal invitation dated May 31 was addressed to “His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu” on behalf of “the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.” It was signed by Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“We join the State of Israel in your struggle against terror,” the joint letter states, going on to “highlight America’s solidarity with Israel,” which is allegedly in the process of “defending democracy.”

Underscoring the analysis made on the World Socialist Web Site of the violence in Gaza as one front of an expanding global imperialist war, the brief joint letter goes out of its way to identify Israel as a key ally against “the growing partnership between Iran, Russia, and China.”

The bipartisan invitation to Netanyahu was extended exactly one week after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an emergency order under the 1948 Genocide Convention for Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive” in Rafah. The ICJ’s ruling was issued just days after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) sought arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, accusing them of “extermination” of civilians. 



Gaza remains under assault. Day 246 of  the assault in the wave that began in October.  Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion.  The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction.  But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets:  How to justify it?  Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence."   CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund."  ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them."  NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza."  The slaughter continues.  It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service.  Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide."   The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher.  United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse."  THE NATIONAL notes, "Gaza death toll reaches 36,801, with 83,680 injured."   Months ago,  AP  noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing."  February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home."  February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:

  



April 11th, Sharon Zhang (TRUTHOUT) reported, "In addition to the over 34,000 Palestinians who have been counted as killed in Israel’s genocidal assault so far, there are 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza who are missing, a humanitarian aid group has estimated, either buried in rubble or mass graves or disappeared into Israeli prisons.  In a report released Thursday, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said that the estimate is based on initial reports and that the actual number of people missing is likely even higher."
 

As for the area itself?  Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells."  Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War."


The ongoing slaughter leaves the government of Israel more and more distanced from the rest of the world.  THE NATIONAL reports:

Jordan has urged the UN and the international community to act after Israel's military strikes on Nuseirat.

In a translated tweet, Jordan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry criticised the “systematic targeting of Palestinian civilians” and said Israel was “violating international law”.

Ministry spokesman ambassador Dr Sufyan Al Qudah condemned Israel's "aggression" and the “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

He urged the international community, especially the Security Council, to take urgent action.

 

The following sites updated:




 

NEWS: Casar’s Grid Proposal Could Have Prevented Most of Winter Storm Uri Grid Collapse, says MIT study

 

NEWS: Casar’s Grid Proposal Could Have Prevented Most of Winter Storm Uri Grid Collapse, says MIT study

June 3, 2024
 

By interconnecting the grid, Texas could have prevented nearly 80% of ERCOT’s blackouts during Winter Storm Uri

WASHINGTON – Today, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Climate Policy Center published a research brief demonstrating that Congressman Greg Casar’s (D-Texas) Connect the Grid Act could have prevented almost all of the blackouts ordered by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) during Winter Storm Uri.

E&E News: Blackouts could be slashed if Texas joins the U.S. grid — study

The research finds that if it was implemented before Winter Storm Uri in 2021, the Connect the Grid Act could have imported enough power to keep the lights on for millions of Texans — about 80% of the blackouts ordered by ERCOT would have been avoided if Casar’s bill were fully implemented. It also finds that if it was significantly interconnected, ERCOT could see an increase in net revenues and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

“This research proves what many Texans know: we didn’t need to lose electricity, money, and so many lives during Winter Storm Uri,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas). “The Connect the Grid Act would create more reliable electricity nationwide, while saving money and reducing carbon dioxide . I urge all of my colleagues to follow the science, and help us deliver power to the people.”

“Interregional transmission is one powerful tool for meeting the growing demand for electricity across the U.S. and improving resilience of the grid to extreme weather events,” said Juan Senga, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at the MIT Climate Policy Center. “In the case of Texas, interregional transmission can also lead to significant growth in wind generation capacity, the jobs that come along with that, and greater energy exports.”

Key Takeaways from the Research: 

  • The Connect the Grid Act would improve reliability.
    • If the Connect the Grid Act was implemented at the higher level of interconnection (36.7 GW of total transfer capacity), 79% fewer Texan households would have lost power during Winter Storm Uri.
  • The Connect the Grid Act would save money.
    • If implemented, $1.24 billion could be saved across the continental U.S. grid each year, and ERCOT would expect to see an increase in annual net revenues of about $123 million. 
  • The Connect the Grid Act would help fight the climate crisis.
    • The Connect the Grid Act would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the ERCOT system between 11.5 and 13.2 million metric tons CO2-equivalent every year and up to 31 million metric tons across the U.S. system.

About 90% of the state of Texas’s electricity is run solely through the Texas grid. Because millions of Texans are not interconnected to the national grid, they are susceptible to mass power outages in the extreme cold or extreme heat — when we need reliable energy the most. The remaining 10%, like El Paso in the West and Beaumont in the East, are connected to other grids and did not suffer mass power outages during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.

The state has long refused to connect its grid in an attempt to avoid federal standards and consumer protections. 

View the full MIT research brief here.

Resources: 

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Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio.  A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 118th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture.

Congressman Robert Garcia Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve TSA Screening Experience for Travelers

 

Congressman Robert Garcia Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve TSA Screening Experience for Travelers

June 5, 2024

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42), joined by co-leads Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-01) and Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), introduced the Supporting Passengers with Efficient and Effective Detention (SPEED) through Screening Act, which will require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop strategies to reduce intrusive pat-downs without reducing transportation security, with particular consideration of passenger populations who receive pat-downs at disproportionately high rates. Security pat-downs during travel can be inconvenient, humiliating, and uncomfortable for travelers, and this legislation aims to make the travel process more respectful while maintaining the highest standards of security. To read the full bill text, click here.
 
“No one likes having strangers from TSA pat them down while going through the airport, but it can be especially uncomfortable for minority communities, people with disabilities, and for those who wear religious garments. The SPEED through Screening Act will push the TSA to do everything they can to make the traveling experience more comfortable and pleasant without compromising safety,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “TSA has a responsibility to ensure their practices protect communities disproportionately targeted for security pat-downs while also protecting our national security. We must make sure folks feel respected as they undergo travel checkpoints, and don’t fear flying.”
 
“I’m proud to help introduce the bipartisan SPEED Through Screening Act, a crucial step towards making air travel more respectful and efficient. This commonsense bill requires the TSA to develop strategies to reduce invasive pat-downs, which can be uncomfortable and invasive for travelers,” said Congressman Nick LaLota. “This legislation prioritizes the well-being of all travelers and ensures that our travel process is secure and dignified. I look forward to working with Congressmen Garcia and McGarvey to get this bill signed into law and improve the lives of all Americans.”
 
“We’re long overdue to update and modernize TSA's screening processes. It’s possible to improve the passenger experience without compromising our security and safety,” said Congressman Morgan McGarvey. “I’m proud to partner with Rep. Garcia on this important issue and will continue working to ensure TSA has not only the most effective screening technology but treats every traveler with dignity and respect."
 
The Supporting Passengers with Efficient and Effective Detention (SPEED) through Screening Act will specifically require TSA to develop a strategy to reduce pat-downs without reducing security, with consideration for passenger populations who receive pat-downs at a disproportionately high rate; require TSA to develop a strategy to reduce the need for passengers to divest items when going through security; make a statutory change to allow for TSA to move forward with testing and operating standoff detection technology, which is a noninvasive technology that has the potential to improve the passenger experience; and require TSA to capture anonymized statistics regarding how it screens passengers to better understand the impacts of its screening operations.
 
According to the United States Government Accountability Office, some existing TSA practices can result in certain passengers being referred for additional screening more than others. These include minority communities, people with disabilities, and those who wear religious headwear, making these groups more susceptible to humiliating and invasive pat-downs even if they don’t pose a threat.


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Congresswoman Bush, Colleagues Reintroduce Resolution to Affirm Rights of Honduras’ Garífuna People

 June 05, 2024

Congresswoman Bush, Colleagues Reintroduce Resolution to Affirm Rights of Honduras’ Garífuna People

The Afro-Indigenous Garífuna people continue to face violent human rights abuses by the Honduran government and complicit multilateral institutions 

Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2024) — Representatives Cori Bush (MO-01), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jesus “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (NY-16) reintroduced a resolution that affirms the rights of the Afro-Indigenous Garífuna people in Honduras.  

“I am proud to reintroduce this resolution in solidarity with the Afro-Indigenous Garífuna community in Honduras, alongside Representatives Bowman, García, Omar, and Schakowsky”, said Congresswoman Bush. “Since we first introduced the resolution, the Garífuna people have continued to face systematic violations of their human rights. We have an obligation to put an end to this violence and oppression, advance policies that promote human rights, and speak up for Black and Indigenous communities in the United States and across the world. My colleagues and I proudly reintroduce this resolution to condemn systemic violence against the Garífuna people and ensure that the Honduran government and other complicit international institutions are held accountable.”

For years, Garífuna community members and leaders have been threatened, arrested, abducted and murdered. Most notably, in July 2020, four Garífuna men were abducted at gunpoint by men wearing uniforms bearing the logo of a Honduran security forces unit. Instead of calling for an investigation into those responsible, the Honduran Attorney General has called for criminal proceedings against leaders of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH).

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have determined that the Garífuna community’s rights have repeatedly been violated by the Honduran government, yet little has changed regarding their treatment. This resolution condemns the violence toward the Garífuna people while calling for accountability from the Honduran government and other international institutions for their role in these abuses. 

A copy of the resolution can be found HERE. A copy of the one-pager can be found HERE.

“When I visited the Garifuna territory in Honduras, I was disturbed to learn about how our country’s policies and business practices are worsening conditions for Indigenous communities in Latin America,” said Congressman Bowman Ed.D. “Corporations and US-funded governments are degrading their environment, displacing Garifuna communities, and stoking violence. This is exploitation at the hands of Afro-Indigenous communities, and it must stop. The United States has an obligation to right these wrongs and support the human rights of the Garifuna people, which is why I am proud to join this resolution.”

“The Garífuna people have long endured human rights abuses, forced disappearances, and violations of their centuries-old land rights. They continue to be the targets of political violence, organized crime, and international corporations trying to take over their ancestral lands for tourism and resource extraction purposes.” said Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García. “This resolution calls for the U.S. to partner with international organizations and global allies to condemn this violence and affirm the rights of the Garífuna people.”

“When I traveled to Honduras, I saw firsthand the impact corporate interests and foreign governments have played in destabilizing the region. The indigenous Garífuna community in particular has experienced significant violence, land appropriation, and human rights abuses. Given our own history in the region, the United States must take an active role in ensuring that the rights of the Garifuna are protected—and support full accountability for past human rights abuses,” said Congresswoman Omar.

“The Garífuna people have lived in what is now known as Honduras since the 1600s and have since endured human rights abuses, displacement, and violence. Over the years, Garífuna community leaders have been threatened, arrested, abducted, and even murdered. These abhorrent abuses cannot be tolerated,” said Congresswoman Schakowsky. “Today, threats against their land and people persist. I am proud to co-lead this resolution that not only calls for the implementation of the 2015 Inter-American Court judgment restoring land rights to Garífuna communities, but also calls on the Biden Administration to engage with the Honduran government to safeguard the Garífuna people, their land, and their culture.”

Members of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) and Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective traveled to Washington this week for the reintroduction of the resolution. These grassroots organizations and their allies are working to protect the Garífuna people’s land rights and secure justice and accountability for the human rights violations they have faced. 

The lawmakers first introduced the resolution in December 2022, following a congressional delegation visit to Honduras in March 2021, working alongside partner organizations and members of the Garífuna community.

Endorsing organizations for the resolution include: Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective (WfPSC), Organización Fraternal Negra de Honduras (OFRANEH), Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN), Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) – Global Economy Program, Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN), The Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America (IFCLA), Environmental Justice and Infrastructure Initiative, InterReligious Task Force On Central America (IRTF), Latin America Working Group (LAWG), Cross Border Network for Justice and Solidarity, Portland Central American Solidarity Committee, Rights Action, SHARE Foundation, School of the Americas Watch (SOAW), Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA), Denver Justice and Peace Committee, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Pax Christi-Phoenix, Root Causes Initiative, Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA), Stanford Central American Student Association, Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights at University of Cincinnati College of Law, Nicaragua Center for Community Action, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team, Fr. Bill O’Donnell Social Justice Committee, Colectivo Voces Ecologicas COVEC, Midnight Books, Peace Circle Salisbury, and Alliance for Global Justice.

“Concerned about this alarming situation that threatens the future survival of the Garífuna people, we have called for solidarity to the world, allied organizations, individuals, and institutions. Specifically, to the people of the United States, who have expressed their solidarity and their support through letters to government officials, visits to our territory, and, today through a great act of solidarity and advocacy, a significant number of members of Congress of the U.S. House of Representatives, are preparing to circulate, present and discuss a Resolution to take urgent action on the difficult situation where the Garífuna people currently live,” said Miriam Miranda, General Coordinator of OFRANEH.

“IPS was proud to award OFRANEH with the Letelier-Moffitt International Human Rights Award in 2021, as part of efforts to bring necessary attention and support to their crucial struggle for land, self-determination and justice, especially given dire threats against the Garífuna people’s survival. This resolution is essential to continue building pressure against persistent threats, including from US firms such as Próspera that have brought arbitration against Honduras to a World Bank tribunal for the outrageous amount of nearly $11 billion dollars to try to impose their interests in territories directly affecting OFRANEH,” said Jenn Moore, Associate Fellow - Global Economy at the Institute of Policy Studies.

“Honduran authorities, as well as respective international financial institutions and U.S. agencies, must work to ensure compliance with the 2015 InterAmerican court rulings outlined in this important resolution. The recent formation of the Intersectoral Commission with participation from the Honduran government and OFRANEH is just the beginning of a long road of work to restore and guarantee Garifuna land rights in Honduras,” said Karen Spring, Co-coordinator, Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN).

“The recent threats and intimidation faced by Garifuna land defenders in Triunfo de la Cruz showcase the urgent need for the compliance of the 2015 Inter-American Court rulings. Likewise, it displays the great need to hold US-led international financial institutions & multilateral banks responsible for their complicity in the violation of Garifuna land rights, which continue to affect communities today. This resolution is an important tool to put pressure on all the actors involved in the human rights violations and dispossession of the Garifuna people, including the Honduran government, the US government, and international financial institutions,” said Jalileh Garcia, Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective.

ICYMI: Senator Baldwin Questions Wisconsin Doctor at Senate Hearing on Devastating Impacts of Abortion Bans

 06.04.2024

ICYMI: Senator Baldwin Questions Wisconsin Doctor at Senate Hearing on Devastating Impacts of Abortion Bans

Ahead of two-year anniversary, Wisconsin doctor testifies at Senate hearing on impact of overturning Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a hearing to discuss the dire impacts of Republican abortion bans in the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and nearly 50 years of precedent. The hearing featured Wisconsin Dr. Allison Linton, MD, OB/GYN and Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood Wisconsin, who discussed the toll overturning Roe v. Wade has taken on Wisconsin patients and providers.

“In Wisconsin and across the nation, the stark reality of post-Roe America has been dire—from endangering women’s lives to forcing providers to navigate impossible situations, women have been stripped of the right and freedom to control their bodies and decide what’s best for their families,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, we heard gut-wrenching testimony from Dr. Linton and other experts who are watching women suffer every day because they no longer have the right to control their bodies. I will not back down from this fight until we pass my bill to restore the right to abortion nationwide and allow women to make their own health care decisions without interference from judges or politicians.”

“Under the 1849 law, instead of being able to follow the medicine – offering patients all their options and letting them choose – we would call additional colleagues asking their opinions, we would discuss cases with our hospital’s lawyers,” said Dr. Linton.  “And far too often, we would have to look our patients in the eye and tell them that despite having the medical training to help them and knowing that an abortion was a safe and medically appropriate option, we couldn’t help them in their home state due to a law written over 170 years ago by legislators who likely had no medical training and certainly had no understanding of modern medicine.”

Senator Baldwin has been leading the fight to restore reproductive rights in the wake of the Dobbs decision, leading or co-sponsoring legislation to protect and expand access to reproductive health care:

  • Women’s Health Protection Act – Senator Baldwin re-introduced her Women’s Health Protection Act with a record number of co-sponsors – 48 Senators and 208 House members. The legislation creates federal rights for patients and providers to protect abortion access and creates federal protections against medically unnecessary restrictions that undermine Americans’ access to health care and intrude upon personal decision-making.
  • Right to Contraception Act – Senator Baldwin is a co-sponsor of the Right to Contraception Act, a bill to put into law Americans’ right to contraception, which the Supreme Court first recognized more than half a century ago in its Griswold v. Connecticut decision.
  • Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act – Senator Baldwin introduced this legislation to provide women the support they need to access reproductive health services by providing grants to organizations, including abortion funds, to offset the cost of travel-related expenses.
  • My Body, My Data Act – Senator Baldwin is also a co-sponsor of My Body, My Data to protect personal reproductive and sexual health data by minimizing the information collected and retained, and preventing that information from being disclosed or misused. This bill is aimed at preventing people getting, seeking, or facilitating reproductive health care from being at risk of having their digital footprints weaponized against them.
  • Protecting Service Members and Military Families’ Access to Health Care Act – With servicemembers stationed based on the needs of the nation and not personal preference, many serve in states that have banned, restricted, or worked to curtail access to abortion. In response, Senator Baldwin and her colleagues introduced legislation aimed at ensuring service members have access to comprehensive care, regardless of where they are stationed.
  • Reproductive Health Care Training Act – In June, Senator Baldwin introduced legislation to ensure that health care professionals can get the training and education they need to meet Americans’ dire reproductive health care needs. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, medical education institutions face additional obstacles in maintaining their accreditation and ensuring that residents and students receive proper training in abortion care.
  • Convenient Contraception Act – Alongside more than a dozen of her colleagues, Senator Baldwin introduced legislation that would improve access to contraceptive products, including over-the-counter contraceptives. The bill provides individuals covered by private health insurance with the option to receive up to a full year of safe, effective contraception at the time their prescription is issued instead of the current three-month supply or less that is standard in many states.

Full video of Senator Baldwin’s opening statement and questions are available here.

Full video of Dr. Linton’s testimony is available here.

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Murray, Duckworth, Booker Unveil Sweeping New Bill to Establish a Nationwide Right to IVF and Lower IVF Costs for Families—Legislation Will Receive a Vote in the Senate Next Week

 

Murray, Duckworth, Booker Unveil Sweeping New Bill to Establish a Nationwide Right to IVF and Lower IVF Costs for Families—Legislation Will Receive a Vote in the Senate Next Week

The Right to IVF Act represents the Senate Democrats’ commitment to make it easier for all Americans to access and afford IVF treatment needed to build their families

Washington, D.C. – As Republicans and the anti-abortion movement continue their state-by-state attacks on reproductive freedom in post-Roe America, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) this week unveiled a new, sweeping legislative package that would both establish a nationwide right to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART), and lower the costs of IVF treatment for the millions of families who need it to have their children. The Senate will vote on the IVF package—titled the Right to IVF Act—next week.

“Republican attacks on reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision have not stopped at abortion—their reckless crusade to criminalize basic reproductive health care and give embryos the exact same rights as living, breathing human beings has put IVF in jeopardy and endangered the lives of pregnant women,” said Senator Murray. “We saw what happened in Alabama, where families’ lives were thrown into chaos and their dreams of having children ripped away because of extreme Republican ideology—this should never happen anywhere in America. Unlike GOP legislation that would not protect IVF and is only a PR tool for Republicans to hide their extremism, our Right to IVF Act would actually protect Americans from attempts to restrict IVF and would allow more people to access these vital services at a lower cost. Importantly, this legislation includes my bill to help veterans and servicemembers access IVF—these are women and men who have sacrificed so much for our families and should never have to sacrifice their ability to start their own.”

“In the nearly two years since the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade, our nation has seen the horrific consequences of Republicans’ anti-science, anti-woman crusade that has put IVF at risk for millions of Americans who rely on it to start or grow their family,” said Senator Duckworth. “Struggling with infertility is painful enough—every American deserves the right to access the treatment and tools they need to build the family of their dreams without the fear of being prosecuted for murder or manslaughter. I’m proud to unveil this sweeping legislative package with my colleagues that would actually protect the freedom to receive or provide IVF nationwide, while making these treatments more affordable and accessible for the millions of American families—including military families and Veterans—who are experiencing infertility across the country.”

“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we must recommit ourselves to protecting reproductive freedoms and Americans’ right to make their own medical decisions, said Senator Booker. “Extreme court rulings have made it crystal clear that access to IVF treatments are under threat across America, which is why I am working with my colleagues to introduce this comprehensive package of bills that will ensure that the freedom to start and grow a family is protected and accessible to everyone in the United States.”

“In the nearly two years since the MAGA-right Supreme Court released the disastrous Dobbs decision, the Republican party has been on a relentless crusade to strip women of their reproductive rights,” said Leader Schumer. “Senate Democrats are fighting for women, for families, and for personal freedoms. IVF is just the latest example of Republicans vilifying something that has been an invaluable aide to countless American families and is widely supported by the American people. We must enshrine the right to these vital services and work to make sure that they are accessible for those who are experiencing infertility.”

Building on the lawmakers’ previous efforts to protect and strengthen access to IVF, this pro-family, pro-freedom legislative package includes:

  • Senator Murray and Duckworth’s Access to Family Building Act, which would establish a nationwide right for patients to access IVF and other ART services, a right for doctors to provide IVF treatment in accordance with medical standards as well as a right for insurance carriers to cover IVF without prohibition, limitation, interference or impediment. By establishing a statutory right, this would pre-empt any state effort to limit such access and ensuring no hopeful parent—or their doctors—are punished for trying to start or grow a family.
    • In February, Senator Duckworth sought unanimous consent to pass this legislation and Republican U.S. Senator of Mississippi Cindy Hyde-Smith blocked it.
  • Senator Murray’s Veteran Families Health Services Act, which would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services that are covered under servicemembers’ and Veterans’ health care to include—among other things—the option for individuals to cryopreserve their gametes (freeze their eggs or sperm) ahead of deployment to a combat zone and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance.
    • In March, Senator Murray sought unanimous consent to pass this legislation and Republican U.S. Senator of Oklahoma James Lankford blocked it.
  • Senator Booker’s Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act, which would increase affordability of fertility care—including IVF—by requiring employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public insurance plans to cover fertility treatments. Additionally, it would standardize a baseline of high-quality fertility treatment coverage under private health insurance plans, while protecting Americans against excessive out-of-pocket costs.
  • Senator Duckworth’s Family Building FEHB Fairness Act, which would require Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program—the largest employer-sponsored health insurance plan in the world—carriers to cover IVF and ART to help more hardworking Americans start and grow their families.

A summary of the bill can be found HERE.

The Right to IVF Act is supported by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

“The 1 in 6 people who struggle with infertility and want to pursue medical treatment like IVF to build their family, face far too many obstacles,” said President and CEO of RESOLVE Barbara Collura. “While lack of comprehensive insurance coverage continues to be the biggest obstacle, the threat to the availability of IVF continues to grow. Year after year, RESOLVE’s brave advocates ask Congress to pass pro-family legislation that will help them build their family. And today, the U.S. Senate has heard our pleas. We are thrilled to see the Senate take up the Right to IVF Act, legislation which would not only protect IVF across the U.S. but bring real access to so many including our veterans, service members, and federal employees who want a chance at parenthood. Our community can’t wait any longer – let’s pass the Right to IVF Act.”

“ASRM applauds the introduction of the Right to IVF Act. This omnibus package of pro-family building bills will create a statutory right for healthcare professionals across the country to provide IVF and increase access to IVF for the patients who our members serve,” said ASRM President Dr. Paula Amato. “For decades, ASRM has led the call for federal protections for IVF and insurance coverage for IVF for all Americans, including service members, veterans, and federal employees. This package is truly IVF for all, and we urge the U.S. Senate to pass it right away.”

###

Iraq snapshot

Friday, June 7, 2024.  The CIA grasps how crazy War Criminal Benjamin Netanyahu actually is, the physical attacks on journalists (and the Israeli government's intimidation of them) continues, more sir strikes (War Crimes), the useless Jill Stein continues to try to hijack the Green Party, and much more.


Yesterday, the Israeli government added to their long list of War Crimes. with their attack Thursday on a United Nations school housing refugees. 



From last night's THE NEWSHOUR (PBS):


  • Nick Schifrin:

    The classroom, that became a shelter is now shattered. Two Israeli munitions hit their target, a room designed for the displaced, where they slept and where many have lived for months.

    Outside the local hospital, a mother's grief. Frial Zedan lost her 17-year-old son, Mahmoud.

  • Frial Zedan, Mother (through interpreter):

    There's nothing here but people, just people trying to live. Why are you doing this to us?

  • Nick Schifrin:

    Mahmoud's sister, Seham, is inconsolable.

  • Seham Zedan, Sister (through interpreter):

    Why would they bomb the school? Why would they bomb any school? Where do we go? There's no place to go to where they don't drop missiles down on us. Where do we go?

  • Nick Schifrin:

    In another family, too young to understand why, old enough to mourn.

    Palestinian health officials affiliated with Hamas say a dozen victims were women and children. But the Israeli military said, and informed the U.S. in a private briefing, that the classroom had been taken over by 20 to 30 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants who had participated in the October 7 terrorist attacks, planned — quote — "imminent attacks," and turned the three classrooms in the U.N. school into their command-and-control.

    Israel said it dropped small bombs that did not damage nearby rooms, or kill civilians. And, in a briefing, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari displayed the names of Hamas members who'd been killed.

  • Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Spokesperson, Israeli Defense Forces:

    Hamas hopes the international law and public sympathy will provide a shield for their military activities, which is why they systematically operate from schools, U.N. facilities, hospitals, and mosques.

  • Nick Schifrin:

    Today, State Department spokesman Matt Miller called on Israel to be transparent.

  • Matthew Miller, State Department Spokesman:

    Even if the intent is what the IDF has said publicly, that they were trying to use a precision strike just to target 20 to 30 militants, if you have seen 14 children die in that strike, that shows that something went wrong. That said, these are all facts that need to be verified. And that's what we want to see happen.

  • Nick Schifrin:

    Back in the hospital, Samia Al-Maqadmeh cradles her son Imad, who was rescued from the rubble.

    Imad Al-Maqadmeh, Wounded in Airstrike (through interpreter): What did we do? There are no armed people in the school. There are children who play, like us, children. Why did they bomb us? I want to know why. Where should we go?


  • On the dead, AP notes, "Casualties from the school strike — including three women and nine children — were taken to a hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah, as documented by hospital records and an Associated Press journalist. The hospital has already been overwhelmed by a stream of ambulances since Israeli forces launched a new offensive in central Gaza this week."  On the US State Dept, Matt Murphy and George Wright (BBC NEWS) add:


    In Washington, Mr Miller said the US has seen reports that 14 children were killed in the strike.

    "If that is accurate that 14 children were killed, those aren’t terrorists," he said.

    "And so the government of Israel has said they are going to release more information about this strike... We expect them to be fully transparent in making that information public.”

    The latest deaths come just a week after 45 people were killed in an Israeli strike in the Gazan city of Rafah.


    The violence continued today with FRANCE 24 reporting this morning:



    On today's violence, Mina Aldroubi (THE NATIONAL) adds:


    At least 23 Palestinians were killed early on Friday in Israeli strikes on refugee camps across Gaza, with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar vowing the militant group will fight on until its ceasefire conditions are met.

    The attacks killed five people in Nuseirat camp, including Mayor Iyad Al Maghari, and at least six in Maghazi camp, in central Gaza, the Wafa news agency reported.

    Mr Al Maghari was killed when Israeli forces attacked a municipal office in central Gaza.


    Around the world, people call for an end to this violence, an end to this ongoing slaughter.  The NAACP is using its voice to call for a cease-fire.



    Brett Wilkins (COMMON DREAMS) explains:


      Citing Israel's killing of over 36,000 Palestinians in Gaza and its defiance of a World Court order to stop attacking Rafah, the NAACP on Wednesday joined the hundreds of human rights and civil society organizations urging the Biden administration to halt weapons transfers to Israel.

    The leading U.S. civil rights group noted Israel's defiance of the International Court of Justice's May 24 order to stop attacking the southern Gaza city of Rafah and the Israel Defense Force's (IDF) May 26 bombing of a refugee encampment there that killed and wounded hundreds of Palestinians, including many women and children.

    "The total death toll of Gazans has reached over 36,000 with another 81,000 injured," the NAACP said. "Nearly 500 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 117 children, have also been killed." 


    Violence in this ongoing slaughter also includes attacks on journalists. At the end of last month, Reporters Without Borders  filed another complaint with the International Criminal Court, "RSF has filed this third complaint with the Hague-based ICC because the number of journalists killed in Gaza by the IDF is continuing to grow after passing the 100 mark, in an eradication of the Palestinian media. The complaint, which follows those filed on 31 October and 22 December, details eight new cases of Palestinian journalists killed between 20 December and 20 May, as well as the case of a journalist who was injured. All concerned journalists were killed (or injured) in the course of their work. RSF has reasonable grounds for thinking that some of these journalists were deliberately killed and that the others were the victims of deliberate IDF attacks against civilians."  On Wednesday, a Flag Day parade turned into another excuse for violence as an angry mob of Israelis began attacking Palestinians and journalists (and Palestinians who were also journalists.  DPA noted, "A reporter from Israel's liberal Haaretz newspaper wrote on the social media platform X that a colleague was attacked after defending fellow journalists. Five people were detained in the incident, police said."  Allyson Horn, Haidarr Jones and Orly Halpern (Australia's ABC) explain, "Violence has erupted at Israel's annual Jerusalem Day march, with some Jewish Israelis attacking Palestinians and journalists, including an ABC News team, while chanting offensive slogans."  Today, Thomas Helm (THE NATIONAL) reports:


    Israeli police detained Palestinian journalist Saif Al Qawasmi shortly after he was attacked by an extremist mob in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

    Al Qawasmi, a freelance photographer for several Arab outlets, was held for about an hour and a half after an Israeli ultranationalist told police he was a member of Hamas, Haaretz reported.

    The arrest came shortly after Al Qawasmi was assaulted by dozens of mostly teenage Israelis, who surrounded him close to Damascus Gate.

    The image quickly became emblematic of the horrors Palestinian residents of Jerusalem’s Old City face during the annual Flag March, a deeply contentious parade through the Muslim Quarter.

    The Haaretz report – written by journalist Nir Hasson, who was also attacked trying to protect Al Qawasmi – said there was no evidence any of Al Qawasmi’s attackers had been summoned by police.


    Yesterday, journalist Abu-Bakr Bashir contributed an essay to The Committee To Protect Journalists which concludes with this:


    When I lived in Gaza, I was worried about my life and my children’s future. Now in London, I worry about Gaza and the future of journalism there. In addition to those journalists who have been killed, dozens have fled; these losses are catastrophic to the journalistic profession there. Eight months into the war, I have so many questions: Who will guide the young journalists entering the profession? How objective can they be given the brutal conditions and lack of guidance? Will the world listen to them, let alone believe their narrative?  And at the end of this, will there be young men and women willing to go into journalism in Gaza? Who will tell Gaza’s story?


    This morning, 

                 

    A CIA assessment circulated among US officials this week concluded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likely judges he can get away without defining a post-war plan — even as the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to pressure him to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.

    Netanyahu “probably believes he can maintain support from his security chiefs and prevent defections” from the right wing of his coalition by discussing the future of Gaza in “vague terms,” the June 3 report, reviewed by CNN, reads.

    The assessment — which has not been previously reported — represents one of the most up to date intelligence assessments about Netanyahu’s mindset that has been circulated among senior US officials, according to a source familiar with internal reporting.

    It comes amid a clear shift in how the Biden administration views Israel: less as a trusted partner and more as an unpredictable foreign government to be analyzed and understood.     


    The CIA?  It's lousy when it comes to predictions but it is often very sharp on analysis.  Then again, since people try to pretend the CIA is about flowers and love (Gloria Steinem infamously stated that their objectives aligned with her own), the CIA may have a bad rap when it comes to their predictions.  The CIA is not about making livers better, it is about sewing unrest.  And when one of this plots and schemes explode somewhere in the world and garners attention, efforts are made to insist that this was never the goal and, woopsie, a mistake was made.  Most likely, it was not.

    So debate how strong they are on predictions, but grasp that they can do strong analysis and have.


    We were the first to note Nouri al-Maliki's paranoia.  This was when he became Iraq's prime minister.  As we noted then, he was made prime minister -- by the US government -- due to the CIA assessment on how vast his paranoia was.


    Now that should have led the US government to refuse to unleash Nouri on the Iraqi people.  However, it's not about what's good for humanity when it comes to the CIA or the US government.  More important to them was having someone that they could control.  Nouri's paranoia meant that they could play him like a puppet.  


    And they did.  But that paranoia they harnessed?  It evolved into paranoia against the US government.  

    They were slow and stupid to realize it had happened.  In fact, in 2010, the US government made the decision to overturn the election results in Iraq (via The Erbil Agreement) and give Nouri a second term.  He was already known for his secret prisons and jails, for his attacks on journalists, for so many appalling actions.  But Samantha Power and others advocated to then-President Barack Obama for Nouri to have a second term. And then all hell broke loose including, but not limited to, the rise of ISIS.


    So here we stand now with a CIA assessment of War Criminal Netanyahu.  Let's hope smarter brains our in the room as the administration debates what to do next.

    Lives are at stake -- not that lives have really mattered that much in the decision making in the past.


    Here's DEMOCRACY NOW!'s Thursday report on the strike on the UN school:


     

    AMY GOODMAN: An Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza has killed at least 40 people, including 14 children, according to the government media office in Gaza. Nearly 80 Palestinians were also wounded in the predawn strike on the Al-Sardi School, which is run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, known by its acronym UNRWA. The Israeli military claimed it targeted Hamas militants operating in the school, but provided no evidence to back up its claim.

    UNRWA schools across Gaza have functioned as shelters for displaced Palestinians since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. Last week, Israeli airstrikes hit close to an UNRWA facility in the southern city of Rafah, where tens of thousands had sought shelter, setting tents ablaze and killing at least 45 people. Over 36,600 people have been killed in Israeli military air attacks in Gaza over the past eight months, with over 83,300 injured.

    For more, we’re joined by UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai. She joins us from Amman, Jordan.

    Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Tamara. Can you explain what happened at about — what was it? About 1:30 in the morning Gaza time.

    TAMARA ALRIFAI: Yes. Hi, Amy, and thank you so much for giving UNRWA always a space and a platform on Democracy Now!

    What we understood from our colleagues in Gaza, given how patchy telecommunication is, is that, indeed, an Israeli strike hit one of our shelters. Originally, this was a school, but since the beginning of the war, this school in Nuseirat in the middle part of Gaza, like many, many other UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip, have housed people who have been repeatedly displaced as the conflict in Gaza evolved, evicting them and forcing them to leave their homes, leave loved ones and leave their things behind. The strike happened around 2 a.m. And from what we understand, there are between 35 and 45 people killed. Many of them are children.

    We also remind that this being an UNRWA shelter, up to 6,000 people had sought refuge and safety inside that school, just like many, many other displaced people of the 2 million population of Gaza have been seeking a safe haven — but it hasn’t been safe — inside UNRWA shelters. I say that it’s not safe, because more than 170 UNRWA buildings, most of them serving as shelters, have been hit since the beginning of the war, killing more than 450 people. And by the way, we have lost — UNRWA has lost so far 193 of my colleagues, all of them killed since the beginning of this war.

    AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go to a post on social media where Israeli military spokesperson Peter Lerner said Israel intentionally targeted the school, and wrote, quote, “We assess that: 20-30 terrorists were in the compound at the time of the strike. We targeted: Precision strikes on the specific classrooms. What were the terrorists doing in a @UN school: The compound was used for staging attacks and as a forward operating base,” end-quote. Your response, Tamara?

    TAMARA ALRIFAI: We had 6,000 people, who had been displaced several times since the war started in October, sheltering in our schools. Most of them, more than half of them, were women and children. We’ve been hearing about precision strikes and about reports that some of the UNRWA or U.N. installations have been used by Palestinian armed groups. We hear about this every time a strike kills scores of civilians in or near our buildings. International law is clear. International humanitarian law calls for the protection of civilians, of people, of women, of children. During this conflict, the U.N. has paid the highest toll ever in such a short period. Eight months is not short, but 193 UNRWA staff killed and 450 people in our shelters is huge.

    AMY GOODMAN: And what happened in Rafah last week with the Israeli airstrike, that the Israeli military did not deny, that led to the deaths of 45, at least, Palestinians who were in this tent camp, who had fled there because they were told that this area would be safe?

    TAMARA ALRIFAI: Exactly what you’re saying, Amy. Since the beginning of this war, Gazans have been issued what the Israeli government calls evacuation orders. In reality, these are orders for forced displacement. So, this sea of people in Gaza has moved since the beginning of the conflict from the north of the Gaza Strip or Gaza City to the middle areas, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, and then they were forced to move again, in the direction of the conflict, to Rafah, where people were told that they would be safe. Until last month, Rafah housed 1.5 million people, all of them displaced several times, and all of them were told that if you go to Rafah, you would be safe.

    Then, as of the 6th of May, the Israeli government decided on a land, ground invasion of Rafah, therefore pushing people to move again. Many of them had nowhere left to go. The tents became very, very rare in Rafah. No one had personal belongings. But mostly, there was nowhere safe, because strikes continues, aerial bombings continued. So, there was nowhere safe. There still is nowhere safe. And what happened to these people in the tents is apocalyptic, like my colleagues from MSF say, and a reminder that nowhere is safe in Gaza.

    AMY GOODMAN: The issue of hunger. The U.N. World Food Programme has issued a dire warning, stating, quote, “Over one million people — half the population of Gaza — are expected to face death and starvation by mid-July” if the war doesn’t end. If you can talk about what UNRWA has been able to do in helping to relieve the suffering, given how many countries have pulled out of funding of UNRWA because Israel said that UNRWA, some of the workers, had been tied to the October 7th attack, though not presenting any evidence, leading to a number of countries restoring funding to UNRWA, though the U.S. hasn’t?

    TAMARA ALRIFAI: So, let’s start with the good news. All of the 16 countries that had suspended funding resumed funding to UNRWA, except the U.S. and the U.K.. The U.S. and the U.K., though, are big donors to UNRWA, so that leaves us with a huge funding gap. Having said that, we’ve been receiving a lot of support from private individuals, private foundations, celebrities, in a sign of acknowledgment of the irreplaceable role that UNRWA has been playing since the beginning of the conflict.

    UNRWA is the largest humanitarian operation. We also cooperate very closely with other U.N. agencies, particularly the World Food Programme, on distributing food. The distribution of food, of wheat flour, of clean drinking water has not stopped since the beginning of the war, despite extremely challenging humanitarian circumstances, that include very, very patchy opening of the crossings, the land crossings, whether it’s Rafah from the Egyptian side or Karem Abu Salem, Kerem Shalom, from the side of Israel. Land crossings are the safest and the fastest ways to get aid into the Gaza Strip. We’ve all been discussing for the longest time how many trucks a day have gone in. I want to say that the last month has been awful. Most of the days in May have seen zero trucks going in for the U.N., and on the best day, we’ve seen 77 trucks — 77 trucks with food, nonfood, mattresses, tents, clean water, medicines, medical supplies for a population of nearly 2 million people, or a bit over 2 million, completely under siege since the latest military operation started in the May.

    So, yes, UNRWA has long warned from malnutrition and an imminent famine. UNICEF just recently said that nine out of 10 children in Gaza fall way below their needed calorie intake daily. And now with the scorching heat of nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Gaza, lack of clean drinking water, we have started to see infants dying of dehydration.

    AMY GOODMAN: Finally, this breaking news, the United States and 16 other countries calling on Israel and Hamas to accept the latest ceasefire-hostage deal, not clear exactly what the details are. What would this mean in Gaza right now?

    TAMARA ALRIFAI: A ceasefire is what everyone in Gaza needs right now, just to take a breath and have some respite. But in addition to the ceasefire, there has to be a much increased flow of humanitarian assistance going in, and there has to be a plan to resume some sense of normality in the Gaza Strip, particularly for traumatized children. And for that, a resumption of any kind of learning will help the children, not only lagged behind, but it will also help restore some kind of mental well-being. A ceasefire is what everyone needs in Gaza now.

    AMY GOODMAN: Tamara Alrifai, we want to thank you for being with us, spokesperson for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, speaking to us from Amman, Jordan.


    Gaza remains under assault. Day 245 of  the assault in the wave that began in October.  Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion.  The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction.  But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets:  How to justify it?  Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence."   CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund."  ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them."  NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza."  The slaughter continues.  It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service.  Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide."   The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher.  United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse."  THE NATIONAL notes, "Gaza death toll reaches 36,731, with 83,530 injured."   Months ago,  AP  noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing."  February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home."  February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:

      



    April 11th, Sharon Zhang (TRUTHOUT) reported, "In addition to the over 34,000 Palestinians who have been counted as killed in Israel’s genocidal assault so far, there are 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza who are missing, a humanitarian aid group has estimated, either buried in rubble or mass graves or disappeared into Israeli prisons.  In a report released Thursday, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said that the estimate is based on initial reports and that the actual number of people missing is likely even higher."
     

    As for the area itself?  Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells."  Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War."


    We need to wrap up.  Let's do so with the US Green Party.  Let's start with this Wednesday press release from the Green Party of Michigan:


    Presidential Preference Poll, Let your voice be heard !!!

    ***

    Hi Greens, Its that time again to vote for the candidates who will represent us in the upcoming election. We are asking you to participate in a Presidential poll to help our national delegates who will vote in the national convention August 15-18. We need to know which Presidential candidate best represents our members here in Michigan. If you are a member of GPMI and would like to have your voice heard please follow one of the links below and follow instructions.

    On our website
    Presidential Preference Poll

    download the PDF here
    Presidential Poll document PDF

    download word doc here
    Presidential Poll

    I would also like to remind you that our State Wide convention is just around the corner and will be in person and online. Please join us to vote for your favorite candidates.

    June 15 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm EDT
    GPMI Convention
    Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing
    5509 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Lansing, MI, 48911

    ***

    The Green Party of Michigan is constantly searching for new and innovative ways to continue serving Michiganders, keeping candidates on the ballot, and to move our party forward without corporate money which invites corruption.

    We need the support of the people like you. Consider making a donation today (or become a monthly donor in the amount of your choice!) to help sustain our fight for Green politics and against our broken two-party system.

    ***

    Contact GPMI for questions

    Phone: (313)-815-2025

    Email: meetings@migreenparty.org ; webstewmigp@gmail.com

    Sponsoring Group: Green Party of Michigan












     


    Michigan's Green Party is asking its members who they support for the nomination.  That's because -- despite the lies of Jill Stein to the press that she's got the delegate count so she's the nominee -- the nominee will be decided at the July convention.  It has been a party of the people and it has been concerned with serving their members which is why someone -- today or in the past -- could show up at the national convention and inspire the crowd enough that they could get the nomination.  Even if they hadn't run a campaign (the way some wanted Jesse Ventura to do in 2020, just show up at the convention and see if they'd vote him their nominee).  Jill Stein isn't just a failure, she's also a liar.  She is not yet the presidential nominee of the Green Party for 2024.  She may become that, but she's not there yet.  She's lying the same way she lied for Cornel West and to Cornel West and her pathetic attempts to play Wounded White Woman Wound By The Bad Black Man are patently racist and deeply offensive. For more on the way she's tried to cast herself as the poor White woman that some Black man looked at, see Ava and my "Media: They loved him when he stayed in the lane they put him in."


    Ann's "Moron Jill Stein" went up Wednesday night and includes:


    Now she's set to be named the presidential nominee in 2024.  


    If she is?

    I'm not voting for her.

    She will be a three time loser.  She is 74-years-old.

    Are we a political party or not?

    If we are a real political party, then we're not running the same old person over and over and over.

    And I'm really tired of her White face.  We should be working to expand choices.  Having the same White woman fail in three presidential races does not show expansion or growth.  There's a White woman named Kat, for example.  She's being doing strong work for the party since 2008.  Kat Swift.  I always have to look her up, I don't know why.  But she is great, she has energy.  I believe I met her at the 2008 convention but it might have been four years later.

    Are we a real political party or are we the Merry Jill Stein Do Nothings?

    And why am I writing about this useless trash tonight?

    How about she's eyeing a running mate?

    We are the Green Party.  Which Green is she going to choose?

    Oops!  Not a Green at all.


    Yasmeen Abutaleb (The Washington Post) reports: she's told Democrat Abdullah Hammoud she'd like him to consider being her running mate.  He's the Mayor of Dearborn and he's a Democrat.

    So we can't get anyone but crusty ass Jill -- despite having a big political party and despite Jill having run twice already for president -- and now you're telling me that instead of building up the party by choosing a Green who's younger -- aren't we all younger than Jill at this point? -- she's trying to recruit a Democrat?


    We don't have a party.

    And Jill's a f**ing idiot whom we should all be laughing.  From the article:

    Stein’s campaign manager, Jason Call, confirmed that she met with Hammoud last week and asked whether he would “consider joining her campaign as her running mate.”

    Hammoud, however, is too young to qualify as a vice-presidential candidate. Under the Constitution, the president must be at least 35 years old — and therefore so must the vice president, since that person must be ready to step into the Oval Office at any moment.

    The mayor turns 35 in March, meaning he will not meet the age requirement by Jan. 20, 2025, the date of the next presidential inauguration.


    Do you get what a stupid moron Jill Stein is?  She's an embarrassment to the party and has been since 2012 but I guess we're not a real political party after all.  Not only am I not voting for her, I also will not be a Green anymore.  In 2028, if they want to try to lure me back in, the presidential nominee better be no older than 50 and better be a Green Party member.  

    They have turned this party into a joke.


    Jill is a moron and if she becomes the nominee, if she's named as such in the party convention, that is not a good look for the party.  It's amazing, isn't it, how many want to look the other way.  Hey, Cindy Sheehan, remember you using your podcast to promote crazy b.s. about the Green Party and about Howie Hawkins' win?  Howie campaigned. That's how he won.  He got the votes.  Jill just anointed herself.  And you can see who's working the plantation when it comes to so-called Black voices.  They let her trash Conrel, they let her lie about Cornel.  That's how they use their platforms.


    Jill is over seventy years old and was the nominee in 2012 and 2016.  There's no new blood in the Green Party?  Clearly not if anti-vax Jill is named the 2024 presidential nominee.  In fact, that is an announcement -- naming Jill the presidential nominee that the Green Party is dead.  The only reason for that attention seeking whore to run for a third time was to raise the profile of another Green by making them her running mate. Yet, right out of the gate, she stabs the party in the back and tries to bring on a Democrat.  


    Exactly how much does the Green Party intend to take from this trash that left them hugely in debt following her 2016 campaign failure?


    We need to wrap up, I'm running late this morning.  Be sure to check out Jeffery  St. Clair's latest column ("Snatch-and-Grab Israeli Style: Disappearing into the Gulag") at COUNTERPUNCH.  Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "A Message From Governor Greg Asshole" which went up last night.  The following sites updated: