Latest news with #Capitol
CTV News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
With growing urgency, more U.S. Jews urge Israel to ensure ample food deliveries to Gaza
In this image provided by Sue Dorfman, a group of Jewish clergy sit-in at the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to bring attention to the situation in Gaza, July 29, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (Photo by Sue Dorfman via AP) For most Jewish Americans, whatever their political persuasion, support for Israel has been a bedrock principle. Thus it's notable that a broad swath of U.S. Jews — reacting to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza — have been urging the Israeli government to do more to ensure the delivery of food and medicine. There is no overwhelming consensus. On the left, some U.S. Jews contend that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is guilty of genocide. On the right, some conservative Jewish news outlets have suggested that the widely verified food crisis in Gaza is a hoax. What is clear is that the ranks of American Jews alarmed by the current conditions in Gaza have swelled and now include major organizations that customarily avoid critiques of Israeli policies. What are major Jewish organizations saying? The American Jewish Committee — a prominent advocacy group that strives to broadly represent Jews in the U.S. and abroad — stressed in its statement that it 'stands with Israel in its justified war to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas.' 'At the same time, we feel immense sorrow for the grave toll this war has taken on Palestinian civilians, and we are deeply concerned about worsening food insecurity in Gaza,' said the AJC, urging Israel and other key parties 'to increase cooperation and coordination in order to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Palestinian civilians in Gaza.' The Rabbinical Assembly, a New York-based organization representing rabbis of the Conservative Movement, sounded a similar note. 'Even as we believe Hamas could end this suffering immediately through the release of the hostages and care for its civilian population, the Israeli government must do everything in its power to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need,' the assembly said. 'The Jewish tradition calls upon us to ensure the provision of food, water, and medical supplies as a top priority. Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, told The Associated Press he and his colleagues 'are proud, sad, and angry. ' 'We remain proud of Israel and its army, the only moral fighting force in the region striving to abide by internationally accepted laws of war,' he said via email. 'We are genuinely sad about the mounting human costs which — as intended by Hamas — this war is inflicting on Israelis and innocent Palestinians. And we are angry at those who only ascribe to Israel the worst intentions and all responsibility while ignoring Hamas' inhumanity.' A spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the staunchly pro-Israel group better known as AIPAC, welcomed Israel's latest moves to boost aid to Gaza. 'The true key to improving the humanitarian conditions is for Hamas to surrender power and free all 50 hostages, including the 2 Americans,' Marshall Wittmann said via email. Of major nationwide organizations, perhaps the most vehement statement came from the Reform Jewish Movement, which represents the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S. 'Hamas has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to sacrifice the Palestinian people in its pursuit of Israel's destruction, but Israel must not sacrifice its own moral standing in return,' the Reform statement said. 'No one should be unaffected by the pervasive hunger experienced by thousands of Gazans,' it continued. 'Nor should we accept arguments that because Hamas is the primary reason many Gazans are either starving or on the verge of starving, that the Jewish State is not also culpable in this human disaster.' Rabbis share their thoughts Over the past few weeks, as images and reports of starvation and violence in Gaza dominated the news cycle, Rabbi Jon Roos felt a shift in how the Israel-Hamas war is discussed in Jewish circles. 'There was a real change in the tone of the conversation, but also in the depth and content of it,' said Roos, who leads Temple Sinai, a Reform synagogue in Washington, D.C. 'I felt it from members of the congregation. I've felt it in the Jewish communal world.' The clergy of Temple Sinai signed onto a letter with more than 1,000 Jewish clergy calling on the Israeli government to 'allow extensive humanitarian aid' to enter Gaza. It stated that 'we cannot condone the mass killings of civilians … or the use of starvation as a weapon of war.' Roos said the Jewish community can hold two truths at once: that Oct. 7 was deplorable and so is the situation in Gaza. 'One of the critical parts of Judaism is that we really value that ability to hold nuance and two truths, even if they're both incredibly challenging and self-critical,' Roos said. Rabbi Aaron Weininger in Minnetonka, Minnesota, also signed the clergy letter. He leads Adath Jeshurun, a Conservative Jewish congregation. 'Zionism is big enough and strong enough to care about the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of Israelis and Palestinians. Naming their suffering doesn't weaken Zionism nor does calling on members of the government not to occupy Gaza. Signing the letter honors Zionism as compassionate and just,' he wrote in an email. The response of his community has been largely positive, with some disagreement — 'both with the idea of publicly disagreeing with the Israeli government and with the characterization of suffering in Gaza,' he wrote. 'But taking moral stands and holding disagreement have always been part of what it means to be a faith community.' Voices of protest On Tuesday, more than two dozen rabbis were arrested in the office of the Senate majority leader, John Thune, R-S.D., while demanding action by Congress to provide food aid for Gaza. 'All life is sacred, but Palestinian lives are not treated as such, and that is a blot on our collective humanity,' said one of the protesters, Alissa Wise, who is founding director of Rabbis for Ceasefire. 'We are here to insist on the sanctity of life of every Palestinian, of every Israeli, of all of us.' Also arrested was a New York-based rabbi, Andrue Kahn. He is executive director of the American Council for Judaism, which rejects the concept of Zionism. In an email, Kahn said an increasing number of U.S. Jews, including rabbis, are now more willing to speak out about Gaza's plight and demand policy changes from Israel. 'The horrors of starvation of so many people … has led to the dam bursting for many people, and the political spectrum of those speaking out has broadened,' he wrote. Defenders of Netanyahu's policies A Jewish member of Congress, Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., incurred criticism after suggesting in a post on X last week that the reports of a Gaza food crisis were false. 'Release the hostages. Until then, starve away. (This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.),' his post said. Two U.S.-based Jewish news outlets also have depicted the food crisis as exaggerated. 'The reality is clear — food and medicine are entering Gaza, but Hamas seizes them for its own purposes. The international community's fixation on blaming Israel ignores this fundamental truth,' said an article in The Jewish Voice. Supplementing its news articles making similar points, the Jewish News Syndicate on Wednesday ran a column by Mitchell Bard, executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. 'True supporters of Israel are not fair-weather friends who abandon their ally out of fear of what their friends will think of them or the need to feign moral superiority,' he wrote. 'Israelis are not children in need of a public scolding from the Diaspora. They need solidarity, not sanctimony.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. David Crary And Tiffany Stanley, The Associated Press
GMA Network
17 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Israeli consul visits wake of Negrense OFW killed in missile attack
Israeli Consul Moti Cohen arrived in the Province of Negros Occidental to visit personally the wake of Leah Mosquera in San Enrique town. Mosquera is the Negrense overseas Filipino worker (OFW) rushed to the hospital after a missile attack by Iran on Israel on June 15, 2025. She stayed in the hospital for weeks as she underwent an operation at the Shamir Medical Center. She was on comatose, and passed away on July 13, 2025. According to the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Cohen condoled personally with Mosquera's family in San Enrique. Cohen also assured financial assistance and humanitarian aid to Mosquera's family. Capitol has also handed over financial assistance worth P190,000 to her family. Mosquera worked for 13 years as a caregiver in Israel. Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Department of Migrant Workers - Negros Island Region Director Glenda Aligonza, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 6 Director James Mendiola, and Provincial Public Employment Services Office (PESO) Head Karen Dinsay welcomed Cohen in Negros Occidental. Mosquera's interment is set on August 16, 2025.
GMA Network
19 hours ago
- Health
- GMA Network
'Health Caravan' at core of Cebu Province's 456th Founding Anniversary
Cebu Province has set aside P25 million for its 456th Founding Anniversary in August 2025, but Governor Pamela Baricuatro intends to spend more of the budget on a "Health Caravan" as the center of the commemoration. The caravan seeks to offer a medical mission that does not end in consultation services, but includes major surgical services or medical operations in meaningful collaboration with hospitals, organizations, and communities in the medical sector. Capitol eyes major surgical services for about 500 patients in each venue, as the medical mission would move around different areas in the province. However, the patient must go through pre-screening before the major surgical procedure to ensure patient wellbeing, said Dr. Elisse Nicole Catalan, Capitol pro bono consultant on health services, and daughter of the governor. The Cebu Provincial Government emphasized that the medical mission would fulfill initially the Baricuatro administration's campaign promise on prioritizing health and wellness of constituents. Further, Capitol has announced the approval of anniversary bonus for Capitol employees worth P30,000 for workers on regular status, and P20,000 for job order (JO) status.
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Senate Approves Trump's Pick for Top Counterterrorism Post
The Senate on Wednesday narrowly confirmed Joe Kent, President Trump's contentious choice to be the nation's top counterterrorism official, installing a pick who has embraced conspiracy theories and had links to extremist groups. Mr. Kent, a former Army Green Beret and paramilitary officer, was approved as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center on a 52-to-44 party-line vote. His confirmation came despite his promotion of conspiracy theories, including that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Mr. Trump. He has said that the F.B.I. played a role in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and should be dismantled. He repeated the accusations at his confirmation hearing in April. Mr. Kent has also attracted scrutiny over his associations to white supremacists and far-right extremist organizations. He later sought to distance himself from extremist groups as a congressional candidate, telling one news outlet ahead of Election Day in 2022 that he did not support them. Earlier this year, Mr. Kent, serving as the acting chief of staff to the director of national intelligence, ordered a senior analyst to redo an assessment of the relationship between Venezuela's government and a gang after intelligence findings undercut the White House's justification for deporting migrants, according to officials. Mr. Trump's use of an 18th-century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to send Venezuelan migrants to a brutal prison in El Salvador without due process relied on a claim that U.S. intelligence agencies thought was wrong. But behind the scenes, Mr. Kent told a career official to rework the assessment, a direction that allies of the intelligence analyst said amounted to pressure to change the findings. Democrats on Wednesday criticized Mr. Kent's nomination to lead the counterterrorism center, which was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, and analyzes and shares counterterrorism information to address threats to the United States. 'At a time when domestic violent extremism is one of the fastest-growing threats to the homeland, we are being asked to put someone in charge of counterterrorism who has aligned himself with political violence, promoted falsehoods that undermine our democracy and tried to twist intelligence to serve a political agenda,' Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said on the Senate floor. Mr. Kent has a compelling personal story. He enlisted in the Army shortly before the Sept. 11 attacks. He served 11 combat deployments as a Green Beret, then retired and joined the C.I.A. His wife, Shannon, a Navy cryptologist, was killed in 2019 along with three other Americans when a suicide bomber detonated his vest outside a restaurant in Manbij, in northern Syria.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Senate Democrat leader says attempt to force release of Epstein files not a ‘stunt' but effort to ‘compel transparency'
Update: Date: 2025-07-30T16:28:17.000Z Title: Chuck Schumer Content: Rarely used 'rule of five' requires government agencies to provide relevant information if at least five members of the committee request it Chris Stein (now); Shrai Popat and Joe Coughlan (earlier) Wed 30 Jul 2025 18.25 CEST First published on Wed 30 Jul 2025 12.12 CEST From 6.20pm CEST 18:20 At the Capitol, Senate minority leader is outlining his attempt to force attorney general Pam Bondi to release the files related to the investigation of disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. 'We're invoking federal law and using our authority as a check on the executive to compel transparency,' Schumer said. 'Today's letter matters. It's not a stunt, it's not symbolic, it's a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law, and we expect an answer from DOJ by August the 15th. That's what accountability looks like. This is what oversight looks like, and this is what keeping your promises to the American people look like.' He noted that both Bondi and Donald Trump had previously said they want the case file's released: This is not complicated. After promising full transparency for years, every single time Trump, his administration, Republican leaders have had a chance to be transparent about the Epstein files, they've chosen to hide. The evasions, the delays, the excuses, they are not just odd, they're alarming. It begs the question, if there's nothing to hide, why all the evasiveness? Trump should stop hiding from the truth, he should stop hiding from the American people. 6.25pm CEST 18:25 Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the Senate homeland security committee, shared more about how the letter works, and what it demands. 'We are using very unique statutory authority that is granted only to our committee, to Homeland Security and Government Affairs. The statute that we are invoking requires the administration to hand over documents … requested by any five members of the Senate Committee,' Peters said. 'This letter demands that the Justice Department produce documents that attorney general Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have publicly already confirmed they have in their possession. We all know in fact that the attorney general said, quote, she said they're sitting on her desk. It should be pretty easy to turn over documents that are sitting on the attorney general's desk.' 6.20pm CEST 18:20 At the Capitol, Senate minority leader is outlining his attempt to force attorney general Pam Bondi to release the files related to the investigation of disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. 'We're invoking federal law and using our authority as a check on the executive to compel transparency,' Schumer said. 'Today's letter matters. It's not a stunt, it's not symbolic, it's a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law, and we expect an answer from DOJ by August the 15th. That's what accountability looks like. This is what oversight looks like, and this is what keeping your promises to the American people look like.' He noted that both Bondi and Donald Trump had previously said they want the case file's released: This is not complicated. After promising full transparency for years, every single time Trump, his administration, Republican leaders have had a chance to be transparent about the Epstein files, they've chosen to hide. The evasions, the delays, the excuses, they are not just odd, they're alarming. It begs the question, if there's nothing to hide, why all the evasiveness? Trump should stop hiding from the truth, he should stop hiding from the American people. 6.16pm CEST 18:16 California's Democratic governor Gavin Newsom has indicated he may push to redraw his state's congressional maps if Texas Republicans approve new maps that could net the GOP five more House seats. Writing on X after Texas Republicans released their proposal for redistricting the state's House seats, Newsom said: Donald Trump asks for 5 seats and Greg Abbott automatically bends the knee. The 2026 election is being rigged. California won't sit back and watch this happen. If California Democrats want to redraw their congressional maps in the party's favor, they will first have to ask voters to cancel a constitutional amendment that created an independent redistricting commission – potentially a tall ask. 5.57pm CEST 17:57 Top Senate Democrats will hold a press conference in a few minutes about their attempt to use a rarely-invoked law to force attorney general Pam Bondi to hand over the Epstein files. Senate minority leader is due to speak, as well as Gary Peters, the ranking member of the homeland security committee, and other Democrats on the panel. We will let you know what they have to say. 5.42pm CEST 17:42 Here's a rundown of the news so far today: We're preparing for an interest-rate decision from the Federal Reserve at 2pm, and a press conference with chair Jerome Powell 30 minutes after the announcement. It comes as Donald Trump continued to urge Powell to cut the rate on social media. Trump also announced a 25% tariff on India, writing on Truth Social that the US has done 'relatively little business' with the country. Trump also said that India would be subject to a further penalty for buying substantial amounts of Russian military equipment and energy. Senate Democrats will at noon hold a press conference after writing a letter to attorney general Pam Bondi to release the full and unredacted Epstein files. They're invoking a rare and obscure law known as 'rule of five', which states that a government agency must provide information if five or more Senate committee members request it. Beyond Washington, Texas Republicans released a proposed new congressional map for the state. This comes at the urging of Trump, and much earlier than usual. Typically, the state redraws their map every 10 years. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries is talking with Democratic legislators in Texas amid the redistricting battle ensuing in the state. He's expected to hold a press conference tomorrow as Democrats try to stave off a rewritten map that would cost them a House majority. 5.25pm CEST 17:25 Texas Republicans have released their new proposed congressional map today. It could add up to five Republican seats if passed. Donald Trump has pressured lawmakers in the state to redraw the map in order to protect the slim majority that Republicans hold in the House as the 2026 midterms loom. Currently, Republicans hold 25 of Texas's 38 congressional seats, while Democrats hold 12. Democratic strongholds like California and Maryland have threatened to redraw their maps in response. Updated at 5.36pm CEST 4.59pm CEST 16:59 Democratic Texas congressman Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has responded to a proposed redistricting map published by Punchbowl News. He issued the following statement: Merging the 35th and the 37th districts is illegal voter suppression of Black and Latino Central Texans. By merging our Central Texas districts, Trump wants to commit yet another crime— this time, against Texas voters and against Martin Luther King's Voting Rights Act of 1965. United, we will fight back with everything we've got. Updated at 5.02pm CEST 4.34pm CEST 16:34 While Senate Democrats are on Capitol Hill and pressing for the Epstein files release, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is in Austin, Texas, for closed-door meetings with state Democrats, according to Politico. This comes as Donald Trump pushes Republican legislators in Texas to redraw their congressional district map earlier than usual. Normally, Texas would reconfigure its map every 10 years – aligned with the census. Per Politico, Jeffries will hold a press conference in Texas tomorrow, along with a number of media appearances across cable TV. Updated at 5.00pm CEST 4.10pm CEST 16:10 Later today we'll find out the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision, and we can also expect to hear from chair Jerome Powell shortly after. Earlier today, Donald Trump pushed again for the Fed to lower the interest rate on Truth Social: 'No Inflation! Let people buy, and refinance, their homes!' Updated at 4.26pm CEST 3.45pm CEST 15:45 Announcing the tariff on Truth Social today, Donaldt Trump said that 'while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them.' Trump added that India will also pay a 'penalty' for their role as a substantial buyer of Russian military equipment and energy. 'At a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE,' he wrote. Our colleagues are providing live updates here. Updated at 4.00pm CEST 3.25pm CEST 15:25 The US GDP grew at a faster rate than expected this quarter – 3%. That's higher than the 2.3% Dow Jones estimate for this April to June period. For more up-to-date news, follow our Business Live blog here. Updated at 4.00pm CEST 3.06pm CEST 15:06 Ed Pilkington Transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to the sex trafficking indictments of the sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, include the testimony of just two law enforcement witnesses, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has said, as it argues for the documents' release. Top DoJ officials disclosed in a filing late on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court that separate grand juries convened to consider the criminal investigations of Epstein and Maxwell, and had heard from only two witnesses. The revelation was made in the course of court wrangling over whether the transcripts of the proceedings should be unsealed, amid the continuing furor over the Epstein scandal which has roiled Donald Trump's second term. The Trump administration is urging the two federal judges who presided over the Epstein and Maxwell grand juries, Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer, to release the testimony, in an attempt to calm the uproar. The Trump administration has come under intense pressure from the president's own base of supporters who were infuriated by the DoJ's decision not to release any additional Epstein files about the late, disgraced financier's crimes involving the sex trafficking of girls. The decision jarred with the previous stance of senior administration figures, including Trump himself and the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, who had hyped the expected release of more details of the New York financier's businesses, travels and associations, including a possible list of his financial clients, which all further stoked conspiracies around the well-connected Epstein. Tuesday's submission states that the grand jury tasked with considering the criminal case against Epstein heard only from an FBI agent when it met in June and July, 2019. A similar grand jury for Maxwell heard from the same FBI agent and a New York Police Department detective when it met in June and July, 2020 and in March, 2021. The memorandum was signed by Jay Clayton, US attorney for the southern district of New York, and included the names of Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche. Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges, officials say, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell's links to famous people, such as royals, presidents and billionaires, including Trump. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with Epstein in the sexual trafficking of minors. She was convicted in December 2021 on charges that she lured teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Last week, she sat for two sets of interviews with Justice Department officials, including Blanche, in Florida, where she is serving her time in a federal prison, and answered questions 'about 100 different people,' her attorney said. Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he had cut off their relationship long ago. But he faces ongoing questions about the Epstein case. On Tuesday Trump spoke about connections between Epstein and the president's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. He claimed he evicted the financier from the resort because Epstein 'stole' young female staffers from him, including Virginia Giuffre who went on to be a key witness against Epstein and Maxwell. Giuffre died in April. Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress but with conditions, including being granted immunity. Her lawyer has written to the House committee which has subpoenaed her saying that a deposition without immunity would be a 'non-starter'. The DoJ memorandum says unsealing the transcripts is 'consistent with increasing calls for additional disclosures in this matter.'
