logo
Watershed moment on Gaza

Watershed moment on Gaza

Axios2 days ago
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) referred to Israel's war in Gaza as a "genocide" during an event in her district yesterday.
Why it matters: Clark is easily the highest-ranking member of Congress to use that word to describe the situation in Gaza.
According to the news outlet Zeteo, 13 other House members have used the word "genocide" — a dozen progressive Democrats plus right-wing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Clark is the No. 2 to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has been critical of the Israeli government at times but generally supportive of the country throughout his career.
What they're saying: "Whip Clark's position on the war has not changed," Clark spokesperson Joy Lee said in a statement.
"Security and peace for the Palestinian and Israeli people can only be achieved through a permanent ceasefire, the immediate return of the remaining hostages, and a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"It should not be controversial to say that Israeli children did not deserve to be kidnapped and murdered by Hamas, nor should it be controversial to say that Palestinian children, who bear no responsibility for Hamas' atrocities, do not deserve to be killed by war or starvation."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump criticizes ‘fake news,' Democrat, Zelensky in series of posts
Trump criticizes ‘fake news,' Democrat, Zelensky in series of posts

The Hill

time42 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Trump criticizes ‘fake news,' Democrat, Zelensky in series of posts

President Trump late Sunday in a pair of posts on Truth Social ripped the media and a prominent Democrat for criticisms of his summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump met with Putin in Alaska, and will meet Monday with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as he seeks to find a way to end the more than three-year war between those two countries. Media criticism of the summit has focused on the lack of clear accomplishments from the meeting, and Trump's decision to literally roll out a red carpet for the Russian leader. 'The Fake News has been saying for 3 days that I suffered a 'major defeat' by allowing President Vladimir Putin of Russia to have a major Summit in the United States,' Trump wrote. 'Actually, he would have loved doing the meeting anywhere else but the U.S., and the Fake News knows this. It was a major point of contention! If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and controlled media would have said what a terrible thing THAT was. These people are sick!' Trump then criticized Democrats and the media for wanting crime in D.C., an apparent reference to his decision to federalize the local police force and call in the National Guard to the nation's capital. Trump then turned to criticism of Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who earlier on Sunday had described Trump's decision to federalize D.C. police as a 'stunt.' 'The very unattractive (both inside and out!) Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, said 'Putin got everything that he wanted.' Actually, 'nobody got anything,' too soon, but getting close. 'Murphy is a lightweight who thinks it made the Russian President look good in coming to America. Actually, it was very hard for President Putin to do so. This war can be ended, NOW, but stupid people like Chris Murphy, John Bolton, and others, make it much harder to do so,' Trump wrote, referencing his former national security adviser. Murphy on Sunday said Trump called in the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and federalized the police because he 'didn't like the fact that the walls were closing in on him, that his own base was questioning why he wouldn't release the Epstein files, why he was protecting very powerful people.' Murphy made those remarks in an interview with NBC News's Kristen Welker on 'Meet the Press.' Murphy had also criticized the summit, saying Trump was effectively elevating Putin on the global stage. Trump in a third post also criticized Zelensky, again suggesting that ending the war with Russia was all on his shoulders. 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote. He blamed former President Obama for Russia having taken over Crime in 2014, and appeared to blame the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 on Ukraine's discussions about entering NATO. Russia unilaterally invaded Ukraine in 2022, after previously taking over Crimea, recognized as part of Ukraine, in 2014.

Opinion - Why in the world is Trump punishing Moldova with tariffs?
Opinion - Why in the world is Trump punishing Moldova with tariffs?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Opinion - Why in the world is Trump punishing Moldova with tariffs?

President Trump's tariff blasts continue. The White House released its latest list on July 31 and it is clear that no nation is safe — not allies, enemies, neighbors or distant lands. No menacing power escapes the vigilance of the president's team, ever alert to those 'ripping off' the United States of America. Case in point: Moldova. Dominating both sides of the Dniester River — well, one side actually — this Eastern European colossus of 2.3 million people (about the size of Houston) could inflict mortal damage on the American economy. In 2024 alone, the U.S. bought nearly $136 million (with an 'm') worth of goods from the Moldovans, whereas they bought only $51 million from us. With the U.S. economy valued at more than $30 trillion (with a 'T') we could probably only bear such abuse for … well, forever. In a July 9 letter to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Trump made clear that America will not be bullied by Moldova any longer. He imposed a tariff of 25 percent on every bottle of wine or fruit juice the Moldovans force us to buy. Calling the deficit with Moldova a 'major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!' the president warned of even higher tariffs if Moldova retaliates or tries to send goods into the U.S. through transshipment. The letter accuses Moldova of taking advantage of us for 'many years.' Tariff rates are one of Trump's favorite weapons, employed under the dubious premise that the U.S. faces a trade deficit 'emergency.' The legality of such action aside — the Supreme Court has yet to rule — the president uses this weapon for a variety of non-economic goals. He has threatened Canada for indicating it might recognize a Palestinian state, and Brazil to try to save former President Jair Bolsonaro from prosecution. Moldova has committed no such offenses — at least none charged — but Trump wants trade with Moldova and a host of other countries to be based on 'reciprocity.' Whatever the precipitating dynamics, punishing Moldova for its involvement in international trade serves no reasonable Western security or broader policy interests. It undermines them. Sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova has a long history of not being a country. The people of this region, who were unwillingly traded between Romania and Russia for nearly a century, gained independence from a collapsing Soviet Union in 1991. With a population that is 75 percent Moldovan-Romanian, some within the Russian and Ukrainian minorities feared the country's absorption into neighboring Romania. During a brief internal war in 1992, Moscow positioned a 'peacekeeping force' on the eastern side of Dniester River to guard the self-proclaimed state of Transnistria — which is still there, not recognized even by Russia. This force is small, locally recruited and considered less than formidable. But it is part of a sustained campaign by Moscow to prevent Moldova from embracing the West. This same motive drove Vladimir Putin to unleash a brutal invasion and occupation of much larger Ukraine. If victorious there, he is unlikely to be more accommodating toward Moldova. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, and its elected leaders and population have been seeking stability. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was quickly granted candidate status, and negotiations for membership began. In 2024, the country reelected pro-EU President Sandu and in a referendum enshrined the country's 'European course' in its constitution — despite massive Russian interference and disinformation. The EU has not been cowed by Moscow and developed a generous aid and development package. Most Moldovan goods enter the world's largest trading bloc duty-free, a policy that was further extended to agricultural products last month. Under President Biden, the U.S. had been similarly supportive, providing more than $400 million in military and humanitarian aid in part to help reduce the country's dependence on Russian gas. Trump sees no need for aid to Moldova, or indeed for most foreign assistance. Other moves supporting Trump's 'America First' orientation also penalize Moldova. Eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development meant the loss of virtually all projects in Moldova — including for democracy promotion and economic and energy development. At the same time, cutting resources for election monitoring and an independent press leaves the field open for Russian interference. Such indifference, along with Trump's shifting attitude toward Ukraine and transactional foreign policy, leaves Moldova exposed. A study by the Stimson Center concluded, 'With a White House that seems increasingly eager to align its perspectives with Moscow at the expense of traditional allies, its willingness to support Moldova's democratic transformation in the face of Russian opposition is now uncertain.' Neighboring Romania, a member of both the EU and NATO, has a huge stake in the fate of Moldova. An intimidated or occupied satellite country — a second Belarus — on the Alliance's more than 400-mile border would dramatically change the strategic equation. This should get Washington's attention — at least of those willing to honor the American commitment to NATO. Preserving an independent and economically healthy Moldova thus serves European and American interests. Increasing the cost of doing business with the U.S. and damaging democratic efforts there does not. Supporting Moldova costs the U.S. very little. Excusing a tiny trade deficit to a strategically important democracy does not make Americans suckers. Helping Moldova does not require a military commitment. The country has been cooperating with NATO but is constitutionally neutral. Rather than punishing the country, the U.S. could and should offer support. This could be based on a view of the geopolitical map — or, even better, from an appreciation of a resilient people's desire for democratic choice. Ronald H. Linden is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Pittsburgh, where he directed the Center for European Studies and the Center for Russian and East European Studies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

Newsom lashes out at universities for agreeing to 'sell their soul' to Trump for federal funding
Newsom lashes out at universities for agreeing to 'sell their soul' to Trump for federal funding

Fox News

timean hour ago

  • Fox News

Newsom lashes out at universities for agreeing to 'sell their soul' to Trump for federal funding

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., accused major universities such as Columbia and Brown of "selling their souls" to the Trump administration after agreeing to multimillion-dollar settlements. Several universities had federal research grants cut or frozen either for failing to address antisemitism or for promoting so-called "woke" policies, according to the administration. Though some schools have agreed to pay large settlements to restore funding and close additional investigations, Newsom reiterated that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will not follow suit. "UCLA is not going to sell their soul like Harvard or Brown or Penn or Columbia," Newsom said on "Pod Save America" Thursday. "Shame on all of them. We're not. And we're going to fight like hell to protect our democracy, our liberties, our freedoms. I love Republicans. I love Democrats. I don't care what your party affiliation is. I honestly don't. I care about this country and our democracy. I care about the rule of law." He called out Harvard over reports suggesting the university was close to reaching a $500 million settlement to regain access to more than $2.6 billion in federal funding. "And let me make this crystal clear to everyone watching and make it crystal clear to the folks at Harvard," Newsom said. "We will never ever sell our soul to Donald Trump. Harvard, I pray you are listening. How could you? Of all institutions, on tens of billions of dollars, what's the point of your damn endowment if you cannot stand on principle?" While speaking in San Francisco earlier this month, Newsom made a similar declaration, insisting that UCLA would not pay a settlement under his watch. "We're not Brown, we're not Columbia, and I'm not going to be governor if we act like that," Newsom said. "Period. Full stop, I will fight like hell to make sure that doesn't happen." The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from UCLA, along with the creation of a $172 million claims fund for alleged Title VII violations under the Civil Rights Act. UCLA has already paid $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Jewish students and faculty members over the school's handling of anti-Israel protests, including its failure to stop protesters from setting up what Jewish students and faculty described as a "Jew Exclusion Zone" on campus.

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