Category World News

Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent member of the United States, has once again called for an end to Washington’s “complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people.” He has described Israel’s attack on Gaza as a genocide.

A UN Commission of Inquiry report that established Israel’s role in the genocide in Gaza was released the day after Sanders made his statement on Wednesday.

The US senator cited Israeli officials’ calls for the destruction and eradication of Gaza as well as the rising death toll and famine there.

The goal is stated clearly. Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, Sanders said, “and it’s unquestionable.”

The former US senator is the first to refer to the Israeli offensive as a genocide and continues to be a force in the progressive movement. Previously, the House of Representatives had several members do so.

Genocide is defined as “acts committed with the intention to completely or partially destroy a national, racial, or religious group,” according to the UN.

One of the most grave crimes against international law is the claim that Israel is trying to eradicate Palestinians from existence, in addition to the fact that it is in violation of international law.

Israel is committing a genocide, according to Becca Balint.

Rep. Becca Balint, a Jewish representative for Vermont’s northeastern state, also alleged that Israel had committed a genocide in Gaza on Wednesday.

In an op-ed, Balint wrote that as I write this, babies and young children are starving while the extremist Israeli government holds back aid and commits violent acts against civilians.

The suffering goes beyond the tragic loss of life that comes with war, according to the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s actions, which appear to be a deliberate, systematic destruction of the Palestinian people.

Sanders called for ending Washington’s military assistance to Israel in his statement, which has been leading numerous efforts to stop the transfer of US weapons to Israel.

He retorted, “The United States must not continue to send a lot of billions of dollars and weapons to Netanyahu’s genocidal government.”

We must exert every bit of our influence to demand an immediate ceasefire, a sizable amount of humanitarian aid, and first steps to establish a Palestinian state of their own because we have named it a genocide.

He also warned that Gaza’s atrocities extend far beyond the area.

The key to preventing the world from entombing in barbarism, where horrific crimes against humanity can be committed with impunity, he said.

Sanders, an independent who supports Democrats, previously objected to calling the Israeli war a genocide, arguing that the term is valid.

The key phrase here is “what the hell do we do about it”: “Not what you call it, it’s horror.” Last month, Sanders told CNN.

Many of his base were upset by his evasive response.

UN report

However, the UN Commission of Inquiry has supported the assertion that Israel is indeed pushing to destroy the Palestinian people. This is in line with the growing consensus among experts, academics, and human rights organizations.

The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide has four of the five genocide methods that the Israeli military employs, according to the commission’s findings.

According to its report, Israel is: killing members of the group [Palestinians], inflicting severe bodily or mental harm on the group, purposefully causing its complete or partial physical destruction, and imposing measures to stop group births.

Through the official statements made in front of Israelis, it also revealed that Israel has “specific intent” to end the Palestinian people.

“The bombing’s victims were not targeted or targeted as individual civilians.” In contrast, victims were targeted in total because of their Palestinian identity, according to the report.

Since conducting military operations in Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Israeli government has stated that it has been aware that the means and methods of war used by the Israeli government, including those used in children, are intended to cause a large number of Palestinian deaths.

Israel refuted the findings and accused the report’s authors of being anti-Semitic.

More than 65, 000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, and the majority of the area has been depopulated.

@SenJeffMerkley and I traveled to the Middle East, where we first learned how the Netanyahu government is conducting a brutal ethnic cleansing in Gaza and where America is at war.

Just a few takeaways: pic https://twitter.com/pjLAI7auz7

Only about 20 of the 535 members of Congress, out of 535 in the House and Senate, have acknowledged that Israel is killing Palestinians in spite of the growing body of evidence.

Israel has been the target of growing criticism in Congress, particularly from the Democratic side, severing its decades-long bipartisan support from Capitol Hill.

Sanders’ proposed legislation to stop weapons flow to Israel was supported by 27 senators, the majority of whom were Democratic caucus members in July.

After making a report out last week, two Democratic senators, Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley, claimed the Israeli government had threatened Palestinians in Gaza as part of a strategy to ethnically cleanse the area.

As a result of a sluggish labor market that stifles economic growth, the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, moving them to 4.25 percent.

On Wednesday afternoon, the US central bank, the Fed, made its announcement.

The odds were set at 96%, according to CME FedWatch, a group that monitors the likelihood of monetary policy decisions. One hundredth of a percentage point is equivalent to one basis point.

The Fed’s benchmark rate, which had been held steady since December, had previously fallen by 25 basis points, the third cut since last year.

Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, has argued that the Fed has been cautious because of the economy’s uncertainty, arguing that continuing to hold rates gave policymakers flexibility as the world changed.

Following a string of sluggish job reports that indicated a slowdown in inflationary pressures and a slight decline in growth in the labor market, the cut comes as a response to shifting economic conditions.

“Recent indicators indicate that economic activity increased more slowly in the first half of the year. Employment has decreased, and unemployment rates are still low despite a rise in employment. According to a press release from the central bank, inflation has increased and is still somewhat elevated.

“The uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook persists.” The Committee considers the risks that exist on both sides of its dual mandate to be increasing, and it is aware of them.

Following the rate cut, Powell addressed a press conference by saying that the combination of the effects of tariff and immigration policies is “unusual.”

According to Powell, “the labor market is really cooling off.”

The Fed’s statement in its news release also stated that it was willing to make additional interest rate cuts “as appropriate if risks arise” that might interfere with its dual goals of achieving maximum employment and lowering inflation to 2 percent.

As economic uncertainty weighs on the US labor market and the broader economy as the cost of goods and services rises under tariff-driven pressures, investors had been anticipating the central bank’s decision to cut interest rates two or three times for the rest of the year.

Political pressure

The Fed, which has long emphasized its independence from political pressure, is being pressured to make the most of the latest cuts. However, US President Donald Trump has publicly criticised the central bank for months and has made fun of Powell because of his cautious approach to rate reductions.

In response to allegations of mortgage fraud, former US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, was appointed as the Republican-led White House’s replacement.

A US appeals court forbade Trump from removing her on Monday. The administration has stated that it will contest the decision.

“Last year, the president legitimately removed Lisa Cook.” The administration will challenge this decision on appeal on Tuesday, according to White House spokesman Kush Desai.

Adriana Kugler had been a temporary Fed official until January, but Adriana Kugler had to wait until then to take the oath as the White House searched for a permanent replacement.

Miran pledged to act independently, but his close ties to the Trump administration and his work as a fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute have sparked doubts. His Senate confirmation was largely racial, 47–48, and Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to oppose him.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer characterized Miran as “nothing more than Donald Trump’s mouthpiece at the Fed.”

The Fed’s news release on Wednesday revealed that Miran had voted for a 25 basis point cut while the other members had pushed for a larger rate cut.

In response to a question, Powell responded, “There wasn’t widespread support at all for a 50 basis point cut today.”

Powell was asked if Miran, who has maintained his position at the White House, would threaten the bank’s political independence, but he objected and said the Fed still maintains its independence.

Markets react

Washington, DC – A former CDC director testified before a Senate committee that she was fired because she refused to categorically approve any vaccine advisory committee recommendations or fire career vaccine scientists.

Susan Monarez’ testimony before the Senate health committee comes just weeks after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the head of Health and Human Services, fired her after only 29 days in office.

Additionally, it comes as concerns grow about Kennedy’s leadership, who has spearheaded the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which critics claim has brought on misinformation and skepticism about vaccines.

According to Monarez, Kennedy instructed her to “commit to approuving every ACIP recommendation, regardless of the scientific evidence,” when she was speaking to lawmakers.

She added that he gave me the directive to fire career officials without cause who are in charge of vaccine policy. I responded that I had no way to fire scientific experts and that I could not pre-approve recommendations without examining the evidence.

Kennedy told her to resign if she could not, according to Monarez, adding that he had spoken with the White House on the subject several times. If “he believed he could not trust me,” Montarez said he had the right to fire her. He did it a few days later.

Under Kennedy’s leadership, the CDC, which is tasked with recommending vaccine recommendations and ensuring safety, Monarez framed her firing as part of a wider roll-back of scientific rigor throughout her testimony. The CDC director typically gives the panel’s recommendations independent approval.

In June, Kennedy gutted all 17 ACIP members, claiming that the panel was “plagued with persistent conflicts of interest” without providing any additional evidence. He has gradually replaced the panel with new members, including a number of individuals who have previously made unfounded claims about vaccines.

Kennedy defended his administration’s handling of the HHS and his personnel changes in a statement to the same Senate committee earlier this month, calling Monarez “untrustworthy” and making claims that she had lied.

According to him, “These adjustments were absolutely necessary to restore the agency’s status as the world’s gold standard public health agency.”

Later this week, the ACIP panel will convene to discuss the timing and dosage of vaccines for children, including those for COVID, hepatitis B, and measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MRMRV).

According to Monarez, Kennedy’s modifications’ risks weren’t “theoretical.”

There is a real risk that recommendations could be made to limit access to vaccines for children and others in need, according to what I observed while serving, she said.

These recommendations could be implemented without the presence of a permanent CDC director, she said.

Refused to act as a rubber stamp

The Republican-controlled committee’s refusal to allow Monarez to testify at all highlighted Kennedy’s public statements and HHS leadership.

Bill Cassidy, the Republican committee chair, opened the hearing by praising Monarez and posing questions about her motives for firing her. Cassidy is a physician and has previously been critical of Kennedy’s views.

He noted that Monarez’s firing was unusual because he was the first CDC director to have the nomination for the position by Trump and was the first to be required by a law passed in 2023. Following that, a 51-47 vote along party lines approved her.

He cited Monarez’s “unquestionable scientific credentials” by Kennedy himself and her role as an “incredible mother and dedicated public servant” by President Donald Trump.

“Like what occurred,” you ask? Were we unsuccessful? Was there a mistake we made? he stated.

Sanders, an independent who supports Democrats, had a less shrewd stance.

Sanders responded, “I believe the answer is fairly obvious.”

Dr. Monarez was fired because she disobeyed Secretary Kennedy’s dangerous policy, which significantly restricted the use of effective and safe vaccines that would threaten the lives of American citizens and people all over the world.

Debra Houry, a former CDC chief medical officer, resigned in protest of her dismissal, and Monarez. According to Houry, both said they had to respond to false information that was spread by Kennedy, including a claim that the MMRV vaccine “had fetal parts” in April.

Monarez claimed that Kennedy had directly told her that “CDC employees were killing children and they don’t care.”

Some Republicans accused Monarez of disobeying Kennedy’s MAHA mission by using the exchange to raise concerns about the current vaccine schedules for children.

Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, grilled Maneras on the scientific background of some vaccines, particularly the COVID and Hepatitis B vaccines for young people in one exchange.

“We need to regain public health trust. We must engage in discussion about the actual science in order to accomplish this,” Paul said.

She said she concurred with Monarez.