Congress Votes “No” on More Money to Israel and Ukraine

Many people on social media were panicking over the weekend about a provision in the defense bill that would codify military cooperation between the United States and Israel. Is that true? Is it in there? It is. Buried in the House version of the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act is Section 224: “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.” “Section 224 would require the Secretary of Defense to designate an executive agent responsible for coordinating and synchronizing defense technology cooperation between the United States and Israel. That cooperation would include research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation.” Supporters say this simply formalizes and streamlines an already close military relationship. Oh really? Israel has never committed ground troops alongside any of the wars that it supported for U.S. involvement. Americans fought and died in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan. Israel did not. The U.S. does collaborate with Israel on

Why is Google asking for approval to release millions of mosquitoes into California and Florida? The project is called the Debug Project, and it was developed by Verily, Google’s life sciences division. The idea is to breed male mosquitoes carrying a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia. When those males mate with wild female mosquitoes, the eggs fail to hatch, theoretically reducing populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes without spraying pesticides. The company is now seeking approval to release as many as 32 million mosquitoes over a two-year period. And what is so wrong with reducing mosquito populations? Maybe it’s not so much what is being done but who is doing it. Google emerged from university research programs that received federal funding and has long maintained close relationships with government agencies and defense contractors. So when the company says, “Trust us, we’re releasing millions of mosquitoes for your own good,”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t hiding his intentions for Gaza, and why would he when those with the power to stop him continue looking the other way. What are his intentions? He recently said, “At this point, we are fully in control of 60 percent of the territory of the Gaza Strip … and my directive is to get to … 70 percent.” Then, after someone in the room called for Israel to take “100 percent” of Gaza, Netanyahu responded, “First 70 percent. We’ll start with that.” Think about what that statement actually means. This isn’t being framed as a temporary military operation but more like a gradual takeover of an entire territory, killing its residents in the process, while the world sits back and lets it happen. And what’s left of Gaza at this point? About 81 percent of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been damaged, 22

For years, Americans have been told that foreign governments meddling in U.S. politics is one of the greatest threats to democracy. So what happens when a foreign government openly spends millions of dollars trying to shape American public opinion? According to newly disclosed foreign lobbying records, Israel funneled more than $15 million through a company run by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale as part of a major influence operation aimed at Americans. Parscale’s firm was hired to help push pro-Israel messaging through conservative media channels and digital campaigns. The filings show that millions of dollars were then distributed to political consultants, media strategists, advertising firms, and technology companies connected to some of Parscale’s closest Republican allies. Why was Parscale so heavily involved in promoting Israel’s interests? According to public filings, he was working as a registered foreign agent on behalf of the Israeli government. One company was said

Israel launched a deadly strike on the Lebanese city of Tyre this week after issuing evacuation warnings in the middle of the night. The attack followed a pattern of mass civilian killings, where residents are given last-minute warnings, with no time to flee to safety. Israel’s familiar messaging included: “Your presence near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, or their combat, means puts your lives at risk. Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may be subject to targeting.” Was Hezbollah operating out of refugee camps? Because entire residential buildings inside a Palestinian refugee camp were reduced to rubble, burying families, women, and children beneath their homes. As it stands, Israel has also issued a forced displacement order for all of southern Lebanon, which will most likely lead to yet another massacre the world will be expected to justify and forget. This isn’t just about Israel’s actions, though; the bombs, military aid,

President Donald Trump is up to his usual bully tactics again as he threatened military action against Oman, one of America’s own allies. The threats came after reports surfaced that Iran and Oman were discussing a possible agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. When asked by a reporter whether he would accept a short-term deal allowing Iran and Oman to control the Strait, Trump responded, “No, the Strait is going to be open to everybody.” He also added, “It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.” Raed Jarrar, the advocacy director at the U.S.-based rights group DAWN, said that Trump’s comments are similar to those of a “mafia boss,” and that “The UN Charter prohibits the threat of force against any state, and that prohibition binds the United States exactly as it binds everyone else.” Think