logo
Dem-run city's taxpayer-funded libraries to hold sinister anti-Israel CHILDREN'S workshops

Dem-run city's taxpayer-funded libraries to hold sinister anti-Israel CHILDREN'S workshops

Daily Mail​10-07-2025
Philadelphia's public libraries have been hosting anti-Israel 'storytime' workshops for kids that promote 'Palestinian liberation' and recently featured a children's book showing Israel wiped off the map.
Libraries in the Democrat-run city are planning at least six ' Palestine Story Time & Crafts' events this summer at various branches.
At one event in June, a library did a reading of 'A Map for Falasteen,' which states that Israeli soldiers came 'with their tanks and guns' and 'destroyed our villages,' the Washington Free Beacon reported.
The book also shows a colorful map of 'Falasteen' - the Arabic word for Palestine -that doesn't include Israel.
At another event, kids were given coloring pages featuring house keys on them.
The children were told the keys represent Palestinian families who were 'thrown out of their homes.'
A third event had children making paper birds decorated with the names of 'martyred children of the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza,' according to the Free Beacon.
The events are hosted by Families for Ceasefire Philly, which touts itself as '[f]amilies in Philly coming together to stop the genocide in Gaza.'
The events are hosted by Families for Ceasefire Philly, which touts itself as '[f]amilies in Philly coming together to stop the genocide in Gaza'
The group organized a rally in February where speakers said 'all glory to the martyrs,' and led workshops aimed at teaching people how to have conversations with kids about 'oppression,' 'genocide' and 'apartheid.'
The group is actively expanding its programs, advertising upcoming sessions on July 22, August 9 and August 16.
A advertisement for the August 9 event featured a photo of a child wearing a headscarf reading 'Jerusalem, we are coming' - a slogan used by terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, the Free Beacon reported.
The events have sparked major backlash from community members and Jewish leaders who are furious that tax money is paying for what they call anti-Jewish propaganda aimed at children.
'Libraries are [viewed as] safe places where parents and grandparents can take their kids and the programming is safe as milk,' Steve Feldman, executive director of the Zionist Organization of America's Philadelphia, told the Free Beacon.
'[They] shouldn't be used for programming that incites Jew-hatred and other forms of social engineering . . . They're not indoctrination centers.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Some workers would be excluded from student loan forgiveness program for 'illegal' activity
Some workers would be excluded from student loan forgiveness program for 'illegal' activity

The Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Some workers would be excluded from student loan forgiveness program for 'illegal' activity

Teachers, social workers, nurses and other public workers would be cut off from a popular student loan cancellation program if the Trump administration finds their employer engaged in activities with a 'substantial illegal purpose,' under a new federal proposal released on Friday. The Education Department took aim at nonprofits or government bodies that work with immigrants and transgender youth, releasing plans to overhaul the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Opponents fear the new policy would turn the loan forgiveness benefit into a tool of political retribution. The proposal would give the education secretary the final say in deciding whether a group or government entity should be excluded from the program, which was created by Congress in 2007 to encourage more college graduates to enter lower-paying public service fields. The proposal says illegal activity includes the trafficking or 'chemical castration' of children, illegal immigration and supporting foreign terrorist organizations. 'Chemical castration' is defined as using hormone therapy or drugs that delay puberty — gender-affirming care common for transgender children or teens. President Donald Trump ordered the changes in March, saying the loan forgiveness program was steering taxpayer money to 'activist organizations' that pose a threat to national security and do not serve the public. The public will be given 30 days to weigh in on the proposal before it can be finalized. Any changes would take effect in July 2026. Under current rules, government employees and many nonprofit workers can get their federal student loans canceled after they've made 10 years of payments. The program is open to government workers, including teachers, firefighters and employees of public hospitals, along with nonprofits that focus on certain areas. The new proposal would exclude employees of any organization tied to an activity deemed illegal. The Education Department predicts that fewer than 10 organizations would be deemed ineligible per year. It doesn't expect a 'significant reduction' in the percentage of borrowers who would be granted forgiveness under the program, according to the proposal. Yet the agency acknowledges that not all industries would be affected evenly. Schools, universities, health care providers, social workers and legal services organizations are among those most likely to have their eligibility jeopardized, the department wrote. It did not give more specifics about what 'illegal' actions those groups were taking that could bar them from the program. But the proposal suggests that performing gender-affirming care in the 27 states that outlaw it would be enough. If a state or federal court rules against an employer, that could lead to its expulsion from the program, or if the employer is involved in a legal settlement that includes an admission of wrongdoing. Even without a legal finding, however, the education secretary could determine independently that an organization should be ejected. The secretary could judge whether an organization participated in illegal activity by using a legal standard known as the 'preponderance of the evidence' — meaning it's more likely than not that an accusation is true. Once an organization is barred from the program, its workers' future loan payments would no longer count toward cancellation. They would have to find work at another eligible employer to keep making progress toward forgiveness. A ban from the Education Department would last 10 years or until the employer completed a 'corrective action plan' approved by the secretary. Critics blasted the proposal as an illegal attempt to weaponize student loan cancellation. Kristin McGuire, CEO of the nonprofit Young Invincibles, which advocates for loan forgiveness, called it a political stunt designed to confuse borrowers. 'By using a distorted and overly broad definition of 'illegal activities,' the Trump administration is exploiting the student loan system to attack political opponents,' McGuire said in a statement. The Education Department sketched out its plans for the overhaul during a federal rulemaking process that began in June. The agency gathered a panel of experts to help hash out the details — a process known as negotiated rulemaking. But the panel failed to reach a consensus, which freed the department to move forward with a proposal of its own design. The proposal released on Friday included some changes meant to ease concerns raised by the expert panel. Some had worried the department would ban organizations merely for supporting transgender rights, even if they have no direct involvement in gender-affirming care. The new proposal clarifies that the secretary would not expel organizations for exercising their First Amendment rights. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at

New Mexico Republican political candidate gets 80 years for shootings at Democrats' homes
New Mexico Republican political candidate gets 80 years for shootings at Democrats' homes

The Guardian

time23 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

New Mexico Republican political candidate gets 80 years for shootings at Democrats' homes

A failed political candidate in New Mexico has been sentenced to 80 years in federal prison for his convictions in a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in the aftermath of the 2020 election. A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Peña in March of conspiracy, weapons and other charges in the shootings in December 2022 and January 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque, including the current state house speaker. Prosecutors, who had sought a 90-year sentence, said Peña has shown no remorse and had hoped to cause political change by terrorizing people who held contrary views to him into being too afraid to take part in political life. Peña's lawyers had sought a 60-year sentence, saying their client maintains that he is innocent of the charges. They have said Peña was not involved in the shootings and that prosecutors were relying on the testimony of two men who bear responsibility and accepted plea agreements in exchange for leniency. 'Today was a necessary step toward Mr Peña's continued fight to prove his innocence,' said Nicholas Hart, one of Peña's attorneys, after Wednesday's sentence. 'He looks forward to the opportunity to appeal, where serious issues about the propriety of this prosecution will be addressed.' The attacks took place as threats and acts of intimidation against election workers and public officials surged across the country after Donald Trump and his allies called into question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors said Peña resorted to violence in the belief that a 'rigged' election had robbed him of victory in his bid to serve in the state legislature. The shootings targeted the homes of officials including two county commissioners after their certification of the 2022 election, in which Peña lost by nearly 50 percentage points. No one was injured, but in one case bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator's 10-year-old daughter. Two other men who had acknowledged helping Peña with the attacks had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges and received years-long prison sentences.

Trump and Putin meet in Alaska — follow live
Trump and Putin meet in Alaska — follow live

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Trump and Putin meet in Alaska — follow live

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special economic envoy, posted a video to X of an encounter with a black bear hours before the summit began. 'Hopefully a good sign,' Dmitriev wrote. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. The bear is widely recognised as a symbol of Russia, and has been depicted in cartoons, articles and dramatic plays since the 16th century. A moose and a black bear were also spotted roaming the grounds outside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday. It's far from an uncommon site in Anchorage; the city is home to about 1,500 moose and as many as 350 black bears. The Trump administration is considering sanctions against the Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire, according to Bloomberg. The report, which cites unnamed sources, noted that measures aimed at squeezing the Russian energy sector may be implemented gradually. US officials have largely avoided targeting Russia's oil sector over fears that doing so could raise domestic energy prices. Fox News has released a brief clip of an interview with Trump conducted by its chief political anchor Bret Baier on board Air Force One. 'Hillary Clinton said that if you got this deal done and not capitulate to Putin, she would nominate you for the Nobel peace prize,' Baier said. Trump responded: 'Well that was very nice. I may have to start liking her again.' • How Trump hopes to win the Nobel peace prize Trump and Putin appeared to engage in a friendly discussion on their way to the summit without the presence of interpreters, leading many to wonder about the Russian leader's proficiency in the English language. Putin rarely speaks English in public, but world leaders including George W Bush and Tony Blair have remarked that he is capable of holding informal conversations. There are clips online of the Russian leader greeting people, making jokes and giving brief remarks in English. During a series of interviews in 2017 with the American film-maker Oliver Stone, Putin used English and Russian interchangeably. In 2021 his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, claimed he was so proficient that he often corrected his own interpreters. Putin is fluent in German, having been stationed in Dresden, East Germany, from 1985 to 1990 while serving as a KGB officer. 1: Yury Ushakov, a top foreign policy aide in the Kremlin 2: Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister 3: An unidentified translator 4: President Putin 5: President Trump 6: A second unidentified translator 7: Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state 8: Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy The two sides are in a room and talking about the war in Ukraine. Here are five things they are likely to be discussing — and one they almost certainly won't be. The two leaders have arrived at a building on the military base where they will hold a three-on-three meeting. As they took their seats in front of a blue backdrop with the words 'Pursuing Peace', US reporters shouted questions at Putin, asking: 'Mr Putin, will you commit to not killing any more civilians?' and 'President Putin, why should President Trump trust your word now?' Putin made an inaudible comment, and put his hands round his mouth in a gesture that appeared to indicate he could not hear what was being said. 'Thank you very much,' Trump said, before the press was ushered out of the room. Despite assurances from the White House that the two leaders would not hold one-on-one talks, the two men drove off accompanied only by Secret Service agents. Putin could be seen smiling in the backseat of the US president's armoured limousine, known as the Beast. Trump said earlier today that he would know within a few minutes of meeting Putin if the meeting would be a success. The two leaders disembarked from their respective planes and walked down a red carpet on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Trump applauded his Russian counterpart before shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. The two leaders stood on a stage marked 'Alaska 2025', as Putin ignored reporters' questions whether he would agree to a ceasefire. The two leaders then entered a US presidential limousine. Putin's plane has just landed at Elmendorf-Richardson base in Anchorage, a few minutes ahead of schedule. Trump is yet to emerge from Air Force One, and has apparently been waiting for Putin's arrival. The US president has been meeting on board the aircraft with Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Alaska's Republican senators, as well as Mike Dunleavy, the state governor, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. What does the Russian leader want from these talks? Marc Bennetts analyses his motivations, from land deals to history lessons — and why he is already at an advantage. Shortly before Trump arrived in Alaska to meet his Russian counterpart, President Zelensky released a videotaped statement in which he reiterated that Russian military strikes were continuing across Ukraine. 'On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes,' he said. 'Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end, and we count on a strong position from America. Everything will depend on this.' Trump will no longer have a one-on-one meeting with President Putin, the White House has said. Instead, the US president will be accompanied by Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio for a three-on-three meeting. The two Russians joining Putin will be Sergey Lavrov, his foreign minister, and Yury Ushakov, his top foreign policy aide. This meeting will be followed by a working lunch at which Trump, Witkoff and Rubio will be joined by Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary and Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff. Trump has landed in Anchorage for his summit with Putin. Air Force One touched down at 10.25am local time (7.25pm BST). Two podiums are set up in a ballroom on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in front of the words 'Pursuing Peace' (David Charter writes in Anchorage). The arrangement suggests a joint press conference will take place later with both Trump and Putin. About 300 journalists, photographers and TV camera crews crammed into a media tent next door awaiting the arrival of Air Force One. One half of the room is for 'US Press', including international media based in the United States, and one half for 'RU Press'. The day began for media members covering the summit with a 5am local time meet up in a shopping centre car park on the edge of Anchorage to load into buses for the short drive into the base. After a few hours of delays and a thorough screening with security wands, bag searches and sniffer dogs, we arrived in the media tent at 9.45am local time (6.45pm BST). Trump made a series of comments about the summit earlier today as he took questions from reporters on Air Force One. Here is a summary: On a ceasefire: 'I want to see a ceasefire. This has nothing to do with Europe, Europe's not telling me what to do. But they're going to be involved in the process obviously, as well as Zelensky. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don't know if it's going to be today, but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today. Everyone said it can't be today, but I'm just saying I want the killing to stop. On territorial concessions: The president said these would be discussed at the meeting but would have to be approved by Ukraine. 'I have to let Ukraine make that decision,' Trump said. 'I think they'll make a proper decision, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table.' On security guarantees for Ukraine: 'Along with Europe and other countries, not in the form of Nato. Because that's not going to, you know, there are certain things that aren't going to happen. But yeah, along with Europe, there's possibility [of security guarantees].' On continuing Russian drone strikes: '[Putin] is trying to set a stage. In his mind, it helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him,' Trump said. 'But in his mind that helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing. Maybe it's a part of the world, maybe it's just his fabric, his genes, his genetics. I'll be talking to him about it.' On 'economic incentives': 'I notice he's bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good. I like that because they want to do business, but we're not doing business until we get the war settled. We have the hottest country on Earth. We have the hottest economy on Earth. 'He wants a piece of that, because his country is not hot economically. In fact its the opposite. I want everybody to do well. But the war's got to stop and the killing's got to stop.' Putin and Trump arrived in Alaska with several key members of their administrations in tow. The US contingent is full of familiar faces. The delegation from the Kremlin, however, may surprise — it includes a poet, Harvard student and sanctions-buster, as Marc Bennetts explains.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store