COMMON DREAMS: Week in Review: US Veto, Spy Draft, and Democracy

 

After Israel bombed a clearly marked World Central Kitchen convoy and killed seven aid workers, President Biden proclaimed himself "outraged and heartbroken." Then he went right ahead with plans to ship Israel a massive new cache of 2,000-pound bombs and F-15 fighter jets that will be used to kill even more Palestinian civilians and aid workers. And yet, rather than calling out the shameless contradiction between President Biden's words and actions, corporate news outlets like The New York Times are actively helping the White House push the false narrative that, despite being Israel's primary weapons dealer, the U.S. is somehow powerless to do anything to stop the bloodletting. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 13,800 children. Another 8,000 are missing, likely dead and buried in the rubble. Famine has broken out in northern Gaza, and 1.8 million people — 80 percent of the population — are homeless. It is journalism's fundamental responsibility to explain what and why this nightmare is happening. As a reader-supported, independent news outlet committed to the progressive values of peace and human rights, Common Dreams is one of the few news outlets based in the U.S. willing and able to tell the truth about the ongoing slaughter in Gaza.   However, to continue our daily reporting on Israel's war on the people of Gaza, we need to raise $100,000 by May 1. Please donate $5, $10, $27, or whatever you can afford right now to help meet this critical goal.

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P.S. Common Dreams relies on sustaining donors to make long-term plans and improve our reporting. Will you become a monthly donor today?

Imagine a world in which independent media is gone... And the only news sources are controlled by a handful of giant corporations and oligarchs. It’s not some far-away dystopia. It’s happening now. Don't let it. Support our critical Spring Campaign now. DONATE Saturday, April 20, 2024 ■ The Week in Review US College Students Demonstrate in Solidarity With Palestinians, Columbia Protesters "Columbia University made a huge mistake calling the cops on student protesters," said one educator. "It has transformed the activism of hundreds of students into a student movement of thousands." By Julia Conley • Apr 19, 2024 Ahead of Plastics Treaty Summit, Studies Make Case for Stopping Pollution at the Source "Whether the treaty includes plastic production cuts is not just a policy debate," said one expert. "It's a matter of survival." By Julia Conley • Apr 19, 2024 Privacy Defenders Decry 'Spy Draft' in Section 702 Renewal Advanced by Senate "It's not about who RISAA allows the government to spy on, it's about who RISAA allows the government to force to spy," explained one critic. By Brett Wilkins • Apr 18, 2024 'The Opposite of Leadership': US Vetoes Palestine's UN Membership Palestine's permanent observer at the United Nations said the resolution's failure "will not break our will, and it will not defeat our determination." By Jessica Corbett • Apr 18, 2024 'The Pressure Is Working': Biden Weighs Climate Emergency Declaration Campaigners urged the president to "keep listening to the millions of young, people of color, and working-class voters who are demanding climate policy that meets the moment." By Jessica Corbett • Apr 18, 2024 Database Exposes 'Illicit Network Undermining Democracy Around the World' Yanis Varoufakis hailed the effort as "a treasure chest of well-researched reports on how the reactionaries of the world unite." By Brett Wilkins • Apr 17, 2024 Israeli Settlers, Soldiers 'Wiping Palestinian Communities Off the Map' in the West Bank "While the attention of the world is focused on Gaza, abuses in the West Bank, fueled by decades of impunity and complacency among Israel's allies, are soaring." By Jake Johnson • Apr 17, 2024 Democracy Defenders Stress NY Trump Trial 'Is About Voter Deception' "Trump engaged in criminal acts to cover up the truth just days before the 2016 election, and now he will finally face a jury of everyday Americans." By Jessica Corbett • Apr 15, 2024 20 Years Later, Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Get Their Day in Court "Meanwhile, the U.S. government STILL hasn't provided compensation or other redress to people tortured by U.S. troops in Iraq," said one observer. "These three men are the lucky few." By Brett Wilkins • Apr 15, 2024 VIEW ALL NEWS JOIN THE MOVEMENT As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. JOIN WITH US TODAY ■ Opinion Portraying Trump as the Fascist He Is Could Save US Democracy It comes down to Democratic framing, a truth-telling media, and the independent judiciary to convince the electorate that Trump is actually the biggest threat ever to the story of America. By Mark Green • Apr 18, 2024 If the US and UK Have Any Shame, They Will Welcome Palestine as a UN Member State It’s high time for the two powers that have done the most to wreck the Middle East to support the true path to peace. By Jeffrey D. Sachs,Sybil Fares • Apr 17, 2024 Raging Against White Rural Rage In their new book, Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman write as if economic class no longer exists or matters. By Les Leopold • Apr 17, 2024 A Brief History of Kill Lists, From Langley to Lavender The Lavender AI system is a new weapon developed by Israel, but the kind of kill lists that it generates have a long pedigree in U.S. wars, occupations, and CIA regime change operations. By Medea Benjamin,Nicolas J.S. Davies • Apr 16, 2024 The Case for Teaching at the End of the World When we embrace the work of teaching and learning alongside students, we begin to build the future we want, together. By Izzi Geller • Apr 16, 2024 The Neoliberal Bullies Have Controlled the World Long Enough We should seek to build societies in which aggression and dominance are not rewarded. By George Monbiot • Apr 14, 2024 VIEW ALL OPINION Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams · PO Box 443 · Portland, ME 04112-0443 · USA Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194