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HeadlinesMarch 13, 2024

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Biden & Trump Set for Rematch in November

Mar 13, 2024

Following Tuesday’s primaries, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump appear set for a rematch in November after both candidates secured enough delegates to win their parties’ nomination. It will be the first presidential rematch in the United States since 1956. Biden and Trump both won races Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state, where over 7% of Democratic voters chose “uncommitted” as part of an ongoing protest over Biden’s support for Israel’s assault on Gaza.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Accuses Israel of Using Starvation as Weapon of War

Mar 13, 2024

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war by blocking aid from entering Gaza. Josep Borrell spoke on Tuesday.

Josep Borrell: “But this is a humanitarian crisis, which is not a natural disaster. It’s not a flood. It’s not an earthquake. It’s man-made. And when we look for alternative ways of providing support, by sea or by air, we have to remind that we have to do it because the natural way of providing support, through roads, is being closed, artificially closed, and starvation is being used as a war arm. And when we condemn this happening in Ukraine, we have to use the same words for what’s happening in Gaza.”

Senators Urge Biden to Cut Military Aid to Israel for Blocking U.S. Aid from Entering Gaza

Mar 13, 2024

On Tuesday, the World Food Programme managed to deliver aid to Gaza City for the first time in nearly one month. The agency said famine is imminent in northern Gaza unless aid deliveries increase exponentially.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a group of senators led by Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley and Chris Van Hollen is calling on Biden to cut off military aid to Israel if it continues to block U.S. humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. The senators cited the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act, which bars military aid to countries that restrict the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.

Earlier today, at least four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on an UNRWA aid distribution office in Rafah.

U.N.: More Children Have Been Killed in Gaza Than in All Other Wars over Past Four Years

Mar 13, 2024

Health officials in Gaza say Israeli attacks killed another 88 people over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll since October 7 to over 31,200, including more than 12,300 children. The U.N. relief agency, UNRWA, says more children were killed in the first four months of Israel’s assault on Gaza than in all other wars over the past four years combined.

Israel Kills Four in Occupied West Bank

Mar 13, 2024

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed at least four Palestinians, including a 13-year-boy, as it carried out raids on Jenin, Tulkarem, Ramallah and other cities. According to health officials, at least 427 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7.

Israel Expands Attacks on Lebanon; Hezbollah Launches 100 Rockets Over Border

Mar 13, 2024

Israel is expanding attacks deep inside Lebanon. Earlier today, an Israeli drone attacked a car in the city of Tyre, killing at least one person. On Tuesday, a pair of Israeli airstrikes killed two and wounded nine in northeastern Lebanon. Israel also struck areas near the Lebanese city of Baalbek on Monday. Hezbollah responded by launching 100 rockets at northern Israel on Tuesday in what has been described as its heaviest barrage since the war in Gaza began. We’ll have more on Lebanon and Gaza after headlines.

Kenya Halts Plan to Deploy Police to Haiti Until New Government Is in Place

Mar 13, 2024

Kenya has announced it is halting plans to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti until a new government is in place. The announcement came hours after Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign following an armed uprising against his rule. Caribbean leaders, the U.S. and Canada have proposed setting up a seven-member presidential panel that would appoint a new interim prime minister. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller spoke on Tuesday.

Matthew Miller: “Under the terms of the agreement that was announced yesterday, we expect that the members of the transitional council will be appointed in the next 24 to 48 hours, and then they will take the step to appoint an interim prime minister in the near future after that.”

Ukraine Drones Attack Russian Oil Refineries as Putin Says Russia Is Ready to Use Nukes

Mar 13, 2024

Ukrainian drones have attacked three Russian oil refineries as part of a major attack on critical Russian infrastructure. Russian forces said 58 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight. This comes as the Biden administration has announced it will send a new $300 million weapons package to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in a new interview that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened.

President Vladimir Putin: “From the technical point of view, of course we are ready. The missiles are constantly combat ready. This is firstly. Secondly, and this is accepted by everybody, our nuclear triad is more modern than any other triad. Actually, only us and the Americans have a triad. And we have advanced much more than them. Our triad and the whole nuclear element is more modern.”

Top Aide to Alexei Navalny Attacked in Lithuania

Mar 13, 2024

Police in Lithuania are investigating an attack on the former chief of staff of Alexei Navalny, the late Russian opposition leader. On Tuesday, Leonid Volkov was assaulted with a hammer and had tear gas sprayed in his eyes outside his home in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The attack comes just weeks after Navalny died in a Russian Arctic prison. Leonid Volkov spoke to Reuters just hours before the attack on Tuesday and directly accused Putin of ordering Navalny’s killing.

Leonid Volkov: “But in the moment, this dying dinosaur is very strong and can cause enormous damage. That’s what we’ve seen in the last two years in Ukraine, and that’s what we’ve seen in the situation of the murder of Alexei Navalny. And we have absolutely no doubt. Like, it’s beyond reasonable doubt that it was Putin’ s personal order to kill him on February 16th.”

The attack occurred ahead of this weekend’s election in Russia. Volkov and Navalny’s wife Yulia have called on Russians to join an election day protest at polling places at noon on Sunday.

Democratic and Republican Lawmakers Criticize Special Counsel Robert Hur

Mar 13, 2024

Special counsel Robert Hur testified before Congress Tuesday about his report on President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents. Republican lawmakers criticized Hur for not filing charges against the president, while Democrats accused him of unfairly maligning the president. In his report last month, Hur described Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Democrats say a newly released transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden shows the president’s memory was far stronger than Hur indicated — at one point during the interview, Hur described Biden’s memory as “photographic.” Democratic Congressmember Adam Schiff criticized Hur about his report.

Rep. Adam Schiff: “What you did write was deeply prejudicial to the interest of the president. You say it wasn’t political, and yet you must have understood. You must have understood the impact of your words.”

Robert Hur: “Congressman, what you are suggesting is that I shape, sanitize, omit portions of my reasoning and explanation to the attorney general for political reasons.”

Rep. Adam Schiff: “No, I suggest that you not shape your report for political reasons, which is what you did.”

Robert Hur: “That did not happen, Congressman. That did not happen.”

House to Vote on Banning TikTok

Mar 13, 2024

In news from Capitol Hill, the House is expected to vote today on a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on the popular social media app TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The bill attempts to force ByteDance to sell TikTok or be banned. Backers of the bill claim TikTok poses a national security threat. On Tuesday, a group of lawmakers spoke out against the legislation. This is Congressmember Maxwell Alejandro Frost.

Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost: “I am highly concerned about our data being collective and being misused by both foreign adversaries and also domestic companies. But this bill does not fix that problem, let’s be honest here. This bill doesn’t fix it.”

Rep. Ken Buck to Leave Congress Next Week in Blow to GOP

Mar 13, 2024

In other congressional news, Republican Representative Ken Buck of Colorado has announced he is leaving Congress at the end of next week in a move that will further erode the Republican’s slim majority in the House.

Florida Settles “Don’t Say Gay” Lawsuit

Mar 13, 2024

Florida’s school teachers will be allowed to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity — under the condition the topics are not a part of formal classroom instruction. The clarification came as part of a lawsuit settlement reached by Florida’s education officials and a group of LGBTQ+ rights advocates and families. Opponents of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law had argued the measure’s vague language sparked fear and confusion among educators and students, who were unsure if even sharing personal details about their lives, such as drawing a picture of their same-sex parents for a school project, would be a violation of the law.

Columbia Sued for Banning Students for Justice in Palestine & Jewish Voice for Peace

Mar 13, 2024

The New York Civil Liberties Union and Palestine Legal have filed a lawsuit against Columbia University for suspending two pro-Palestine student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The groups were suspended last November after organizing peaceful protests against Israel’s occupation and war on Gaza.

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