Top News: 'No Coincidence' Israel Invaded Rafah After More US Aid

 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 ■ Today's Top News  'Overdue But Welcome': Biden Reportedly Holds Back Bombs for Israel "The White House must leave no stone unturned in its effort to stop the Israeli government's offensive on Rafah—the hundreds of thousands displaced there do not have more time," said the head of Win Without War. By Jessica Corbett TikTok Sues US Government Over 'Unconstitutional' Potential Ban One expert said legislators' admissions "that the ban was motivated by a desire to suppress content about the Israel-Gaza conflict will make the law especially difficult for the government to defend," said one First Amendment expert. By Julia Conley Congress Urged to Tax Big Oil for Price Fixing and 'Issue Every American a Refund' The Groundwork Collaborative's leader also said that "the Department of Justice should criminally prosecute Scott Sheffield," the former Pioneer CEO whom the FTC blocked from joining ExxonMobil's board. By Jessica Corbett 750+ Jewish Students Affirm Support for Pro-Palestine Campus Protests The students' open letter—which circulated as U.S. President Joe Biden again linked campus encampments to antisemitism—urges institutions of higher learning to "take immediate action" to stop Israel's Gaza genocide. By Brett Wilkins 'Obscene': BP Has Paid Out $27 Billion to Shareholders Since Russia Invaded Ukraine "Instead of helping to rebuild Ukraine, ease the burden of high bills, or support countries suffering from the climate crisis, BP is making the rich richer," one campaigner said. By Olivia Rosane Tlaib Says 'No Coincidence' Israel Invaded Rafah After Congress Approved More Military Aid "For months, Netanyahu made his intent to invade Rafah clear, yet the majority of my colleagues and President Biden sent more weapons to enable the massacre," said U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. By Jake Johnson 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 ■ More News Rights Groups Urge Biden to Make Delayed Report on Israel's Use of US Arms Public excerpt:  Before Tuesday's reporting that the Biden administration will delay a highly anticipated report on whether Israel is using U.S. military aid in compliance with international law, a coalition of advocacy groups circulated a letter urging the White House to share the document with the public once it's published. In February, President Joe Biden issued National Security Memorandum (NSM)-20, which requires Secretary of State Antony Blinken "to obtain certain credible and reliable written assurances from foreign governments" receiving U.S. arms "that the recipient country will use any such defense articles in accordance with international humanitarian law" and then provide Congress with periodic reports "to enable meaningful oversight." The first report is due by Wednesday. However, four congressional aides toldPolitico Tuesday that publication would be postponed indefinitely. "It is not clear if your administration intends to... make this report available to the public," coalition members Amnesty International USA, Defending Rights & Dissent, Freedom of the Press Foundation, National Press Photographers Association, Radio Television Digital News Association, and Reporters Without Borders said in a letter to Biden drafted ahead of Politico's reporting. "We strongly urge you to make the report available to the public and the press to the greatest extent possible," the groups added. Access to the document, the coalition argued, "will allow the press to more fully and accurately report on how elected leaders are making decisions about military aid to foreign countries" and "will help Americans make informed judgments about our leaders' decisions on foreign military aid." NYC Driver Rams Into Anti-Genocide Protest, Hospitalizes One 'Derail Batory': Senate Urged to Reject Ex-Trump Official for Amtrak Board excerpt:  An alliance of unionized rail workers on Tuesday demanded that the U.S. Senate reject President Joe Biden's nomination of former Trump administration official Ronald Batory to serve on the board of Amtrak, the nation's passenger rail company. In a statement, Railroad Workers United (RWU) said Batory's tenure as head of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under former President Donald Trump "was marked by policies favoring 'operational efficiencies' (i.e., corporate profits) over the safety and well-being of rail workers and the public." "Notably, under his leadership, FRA attempted to override state laws mandating two-person train crews, promoting instead the adoption of single-person crews nationally," said RWU. "This push was part of a broader deregulation agenda, ostensibly aimed at reducing operational costs for the monopoly of carriers at the potential expense of safety and labor protections." "Moreover, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Batory oversaw the FRA's issuance of emergency waivers that suspended numerous long-standing safety regulations," the group added. "These waivers were granted rapidly with limited opportunity for stakeholder input, raising significant concerns among rail labor organizations about their sweeping breadth and the lack of stringent oversight, which could compromise rail safety and worker security." The statement urges rail workers across the country to contact their senators and demand they block Batory's nomination. "His record clearly demonstrates a prioritization of carrier profits over the safety of rail workers and the traveling public," said RWU, calling the Senate to "derail Batory." Outgoing UN Expert Calls for Global Grassroots Movement to Dislodge 'Diesel Mafia' VIEW ALL NEWS ■ Opinion Trump and O.J.: Delusional Psychos in Court Put America on Trial Just as O.J. became symbolic of the false promise of a color-blind America, so has Trump masqueraded as the champion of Americans underserved by democracy. By Robert Lipsyte Students Demanding Divestment: You’re on the Right Side of History To the brave students following in our noble tradition, I say, keep going. By Marjorie Cohn The Global Left Must Dare to Win on a Tight Deadline We must be honest and serious about what climate collapse means to our struggles for justice, peace and wages, bread, housing, education, and health for all. By João Camargo,Leonor Canadas 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