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Republicans stand a good chance of erasing the Democrats’ narrow 51-49 Senate majority in November, a hard reality that complicates Harris' transition planning. Members of Harris’ transition team have studied that one — the handoff from Ronald Reagan to George H.W. Harris' team is operating under an unusually compressed timeline and is still building the basic apparatus needed to vet potential hires and staff an administration. Last month, Harris' campaign appointed Yohannes Abraham to run the team that is preparing for a transfer of power. He came to his new role with direct experience, having been executive director of Biden’s transition in 2020.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Kamala Harris, Harris, who’ve, Joe Biden, Biden, undercutting, —, Barack Obama, Robert Gates, George W, Bush's, Gates, ”, It’s, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, They've, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Donald Trump, Yohannes Abraham, Abraham, Trump, “, she’s, Max Stier, There’s, Christine Wormuth, Kathleen Hicks, Michèle Flournoy, Rosa Brooks, ” Brooks, ” Harris, William Burns, Burns, who've, he's, Rohini Kosoglu, Harris ’, Julianne Smith, Phil Gordon, Sens, Chris Murphy, Chris Coons, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Samantha Power, Walz, Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, it’s “, Gina Raimondo, Joe ”, ” Raimondo, Raimondo Organizations: Republican, Biden, Senate, NBC, Trump, Pentagon, Democratic, Senate Democrats, Republicans, University of Virginia's, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Partnership for Public Service, Army, CIA, White House, NATO, United Nations, U.S . Agency for International Development, Transportation, Biden's Cabinet, Fox News Locations: Washington, George H.W ., U.S, Indonesia, Connecticut, Delaware, United, Biden's

☆ Fact check: Walz makes false claims about Vance, Trump and Project 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Two of Walz’s false claims are related to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation think tank’s detailed right-wing blueprint for the next Republican administration. Project 2025 has been the subject of multiple false or misleading claims from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign this summer. Project 2025 does not propose to make people register with any federal agency when they get pregnant. Project 2025 is firmly anti-abortion; it proposes, among other things, to criminalize the mailing of abortion medication and devices. In fact, Vance made the comment before Project 2025 was even created.

Persons: Tim Walz, Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Donald Trump ., Kamala Harris ’, Walz, Trump, “, ”, ” Walz, Roger Severino, ” –, Walz didn’t, –, Vance, Harris Organizations: Washington CNN, Minnesota Gov, Democratic, Republican, Heritage Foundation, Trump, for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Department of Health, Human Services, United States Agency, International Development’s, Gender, “, Women, USAID, ” CNN, Federal, Biden Locations: North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Raleigh , North Carolina

WASHINGTON — Thousands of overseas American diplomats are at risk of a sharp pay cut at the beginning of October unless Congress passes a legislative fix in the coming weeks. And a 22% reduction in their pay would be a needless and demoralizing harm. “The Department of State continues to work with Congress on the urgent need for an extension,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. The pay snafu, first reported by Politico, is the unintended consequence of a funding structure that requires action from Congress. With the fate of their wages tied to the funding fight, American diplomats could be left in the lurch.

Persons: Sen, Chris Coons, it’s, ” Coons, Ben Cardin, he’s, “ We’re, ” Cardin, there’s, ” AFSA, Hakeem Jeffries, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, “, ”, Tom Yazdgerdi Organizations: WASHINGTON, Capitol, Foreign Relations, NBC News, Overseas, Washington , D.C, State Department, American Foreign Service Association, Congress, Senate Foreign, National Defense, U.S . Agency for International Development, Democratic, Republican, Senate, Department of State, Politico Locations: Washington ,, D, American, United States

☆ The ‘fearless young activists’ thrown in jail for climate campaigns in Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“We demand that our friends in Mother Nature Cambodia, and all political prisoners, be released immediately,” said Fridays for Future, the youth-led global climate strike movement founded by Thunberg, in a statement. “Like what we are seeing with dictators in other countries, Cambodia is becoming more repressed,” said Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, a Spaniard who co-founded Mother Nature Cambodia over a decade ago, alongside local Cambodian activists. Environmental activists stage a mock funeral procession in the streets of Phnom Penh. Video footage showed activists Mother Nature Cambodia activists Ly Chandaravuth, Long Kunthea, Thun Ratha, Phuon Keoraksmey and Yim Leanghy surrounded by dozens of armed police officers and dragged away into waiting cars, bound for prisons across the country. “This week, a new generation of Cambodian activists was born – one that did not exist back in 2012,” he said.

Persons: Greta Thunberg, ”, Thunberg, Mu Sochua, “, ” “, ” Mu Sochua, Chantha Lach, Hun Sen –, Hun Manet, Hun Sen, Alejandro Gonzalez, Davidson, Pen Bona, Ole von Uexkuell, Magnus Lejhall, Gonzalez, Valeria Mongelli, –, Ly Chandaravuth, Long, Phuon Keoraksmey, Yim, Pilorge, lèse, Thameen Al, Kheetan Organizations: CNN, Nature Cambodia, Reuters, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, Nature, TT, Agency, AFP, Getty, Facebook, Court, Cambodian League, Promotion, Human, Journalists, ” United Nations Human Rights Locations: Cambodia, Nature, Reuters Cambodia, Nature Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodian, Sweden, Stockholm, Sihanoukville, Thun

☆ Australian billionaire proposes secure gate system to supply aid to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —An Australian billionaire is offering to build a secure gate system on the Israel-Gaza border that he says could allow 10,000 metric tons of food aid to be delivered each day to starving Palestinians. He’s also committed $5 million to improve the Jordanian humanitarian land corridor by building storage warehouses to allow more aid to pass to Gaza. Cargo trucks carrying humanitarian aid move through security inspections before crossing into the Gaza Strip, in Kerem Shalom, Israel on March 14. The IDF has repeatedly said hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid have been entering the Gaza Strip, but aid organizations say the supplies are not reaching civilians in need. The passage of aid into Gaza has become gridlocked by Israeli inspections, and in some cases the temporary closure of access points.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Andrew Forrest, Antony Blinken, He’s, ” Forrest, Minderoo, Forrest, Israel, Fortescue, Marcus Yam Organizations: Australia CNN, Minderoo Foundation, United Nations, US, CNN, Cargo, Los Angeles Times, Israel Defense Forces, Ministry of Health, IDF, United Nations Security, Systems, NET, US Agency for International Development Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, Egypt, Kerem Shalom, airdrops

☆ US officials who resigned over Biden’s Gaza policy are working together to put pressure on admin
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A group of US officials who publicly resigned over the Biden administration’s Gaza policy are banding together to support ongoing dissent and put pressure on the government to change course. Many of the officials who resigned publicly said they would instead seek to have an impact outside the government. Some of those who publicly resigned had particular breaking points; others said it was the collective toll of incidents throughout the conflict. Biden administration officials have said that they respect differences of opinions. Many officials told CNN they spoke with other officials who had resigned publicly to seek advice before going public with their own resignations.

Persons: Joe Biden, Josh Paul, Harrison Mann, Tariq Habash, Annelle Sheline, Hala Rharrit, Lily Greenberg, Alex Smith, Stacy Gilbert –, Josh Paul CNN “, ”, Paul, …, ” Mann, Gilbert, “, Israel, Stacey Gilbert, Stacey Gilbert “, ” Gilbert, Biden, Matthew Miller, Samantha Power, ‘, Smith, Mann, ” Smith, Alex Smith CNN, Greenberg, ” Lily Greenberg, didn’t, ” “, ” Greenberg Organizations: CNN, Biden, Israel, State Department, ”, US Agency for International Development, USAID, NPR, Interior Department, Army, Defense Intelligence Agency Locations: Gaza, Israel, –, United States

☆ Biden's $1 billion weapons package to Israel is coming back to haunt him
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAhead of Israel's assault on Rafah, President Joe Biden issued several stark warnings to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A $1 billion arms dealThe statement suggests Biden will continue to move forward with a $1 billion weapons package to Israel. As BI previously reported, the weapons deal could be seen as an attempt to heal Biden's relationship with Netanyahu and to halt accusations that the US is emboldening Iran. For instance, Biden previously withheld a shipment of bombs before announcing that the planned weapons deal would go ahead.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Matt Miller, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Andrew Payne, Payne, Dave Harden Organizations: Service, CNN, Business, MSNBC, Gaza Health Ministry, IDF, Associated Press, State Department, Wall Street Journal, Getty, Washington Post, City University of London, Trump ., US Agency for International Development, West Bank, BBC Locations: Rafah, Israel, Gaza, Tal al, Anadolu, Iran

The distribution comes several days after the US military’s pier operation launched and got off to a rocky start. “Such challenges with internal distribution are not new or unique to aid delivery from the sea,” Cooper said. The US military is also going to continue airdropping aid into Gaza, Cooper confirmed. Dieckhaus said Thursday that there are “thousands and thousands of tons” of aid in Cyprus awaiting processing to be brought across the pier. On Wednesday, “the UN reported 215 private sector trucks entering Gaza through Kerem Shalom and 115 humanitarian assistance trucks through Zikim/Erez West,” USAID said.

Persons: Brad Cooper, ” Cooper, Cooper, Daniel Dieckhaus, “, Dieckhaus, Erez West, Erez East, ” Organizations: CNN — Aid, US Agency for International Development, USAID, United States Central Command, Pentagon, Management, UN Locations: Gaza, Hamas, Cyprus, Kerem Shalom, Rafah, Erez, United States, Israel

Several desperate Gazans intercepted trucks delivering aid from the pier over the weekend, leading the UN to suspend the delivery operations until the logistical challenges are resolved. The amount of aid getting to the Gaza shoreline from its initial staging area in Cyprus has also fallen short of initial Pentagon estimates. The pier was finally anchored to Gaza last week as the humanitarian situation in the enclave has only worsened. The US has also made a number of air drops of humanitarian aid into Gaza in partnership with the Royal Jordanian Air Force. And we understand the desperate need of the Palestinian people right now,” Ryder said of efforts to get aid into Gaza.

Persons: Pat Ryder, Ryder, Brad Cooper, ” Mounir, ” Ryder, we’re, Sonali Korde, Lloyd Austin, ” Organizations: CNN, UN, Pentagon, United Nations, Defense Department, US Naval Forces Central Command, US Agency for International Development’s Bureau, Humanitarian, Defense, Royal Jordanian Air Force, US Central Command Locations: Gaza, Israel, Cyprus, Rafah

☆ Middle East Crisis Temporary Pier Is Anchored in Gaza to Deliver Aid, U.S. Military Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. officials had said last week that the floating pier and causeway had been completed, but that weather conditions had delayed their installation. An American ship loaded with humanitarian aid, the Sagamore, set off for Gaza from Cyprus last week, and the aid was loaded onto a smaller vessel that had been waiting for the pier to be installed. Aid groups say the devastation in Gaza after seven months of Israeli bombardment, strict Israeli inspections and restrictions on crossing points are limiting the amount of aid that can enter Gaza. The Pentagon has said that the pier could help deliver as many as two million meals a day. An aid group, World Central Kitchen, built a makeshift jetty in mid-March to deliver aid by sea to Gaza for the first time in nearly two decades.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown, “ It’ll, ”, “, that’s, Nadav Shoshani, Dan Dieckhaus, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Helene Cooper Organizations: U.S, Israel, U.S . Central Command, United Nations, Central Command, U.S ., Pentagon, Joint Chiefs, Staff, NATO, Israeli Navy, Division, Food, U.S . Agency for International Development Locations: Rafah, Israel, Gaza, An American, Cyprus, Brussels, Kerem

☆ Biden's move to send $1 billion in weapons to Israel could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe US plans to send more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel despite growing tensions between President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Getting the weapons to Israel could be a lengthy process. AdvertisementBiden later warned he would withhold additional weaponry if Israel went ahead with a widespread ground assault on the city. Seth Binder, an expert on US weapons sales with the Middle East Democracy Center, told the Journal that Biden's apparent U-turn weakens his influence over Netanyahu. Analysts say that Biden's handling of the Gaza war is among the issues corroding his support among them.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Israel, Nathan Howard, Netanyahu —, Seth Binder, Netanyahu, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, he's, Dave Harden Organizations: Service, Israel's, Officials, Street Journal, Business, CNN, White, Getty, Middle East Democracy Center, Washington Post, Pentagon, Israel, Gaza, US Agency for International Development, West Bank, BBC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Washington , DC, Iran, Lebanon, Damascus, Syria

☆ Israel's attack on Rafah shows the troubling limits of Biden's influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewEarly on Tuesday, Israeli tanks seized control of the vital Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. But throughout its eight-month war, Israel has shown that it is willing to reject and ignore the advice of its most important international ally, the US. Israel on Monday warned civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate, indicating that an attack may be imminent. His coalition is fragile, and he relies on the support of far-right lawmakers who are demanding an attack on Rafah. AdvertisementThe Gaza war has repeatedly threatened to spill into a wider regional conflict, and scenes of new civilian suffering in Rafah could intensify that threat.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matt Duss, Biden, John Kirby, Netanyahu, Israel Biden, Israel, JIM WATSON, He's, Aaron David Miller, Dave Harden Organizations: Service, Hamas, Israeli, Business, Washington, Center for International, House, Monday, Biden, Getty, US, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Wall Street, New York Times, US Agency for International Development, West Bank, BBC Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Rafah, Ukraine, Israel —, Qatar, New York City, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia

How the U.S. Humanitarian Pier in Gaza Will WorkA humanitarian pier the U.S. military will bring to the Gaza Strip is currently being assembled and is expected to be ready to receive initial shipments of food and other aid early next month, according to military officials. Pier At the pier, loaded aid trucks are driven to Gaza’s shore. Gaza Strip EMPTY TRUCKS return to the pier Humanitarian partners will pick up aid near the shore to take it into the Gaza Strip. Pier At the pier, loaded aid trucks are driven to Gaza’s shore. Gaza Strip EMPTY TRUCKS return to the pier Humanitarian partners will pick up aid near the shore to take it into the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Juan Camilo Jimenez Garces, Trucks, OCHA, U.N, David Satterfield, Israel Organizations: United Nations, U.S . Agency for International Development, Military, Aid, Spanish, BANK, New York Times Ships, Army, New York Times, Food, WFP GAZA, United Nations Office, Humanitarian, New York Times Aid, Hamas, U.S Locations: U.S, Gaza, Larnaca, Cyprus, Dubai, Kenya, Europe, CYPRUS Larnaca, BANK GAZA, ISRAEL EGYPT, LEBANON, Israel, United States, Med, ISRAEL Rafah, Shalom, Egypt, Israel’s

☆ Southern Africa’s drought and floods could push tens of millions into hunger
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Sarah Dean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The country’s top priority “is securing food for all Zimbabweans,” the president told journalists at the state house in Harare. Kb Mpofu/ReutersIn Zambia, Malawi and Central Mozambique, extreme drought has damaged more than 2 million hectares of crops, Oxfam said. Zambia declared its drought a disaster on February 29. In Mozambique — a country accounting for only 0.2% of global emissions — 3 million people face hunger, according to Oxfam. The country’s capital, Maputo, experienced devastating floods in March, after Tropical Storm Filipo hit followed a few weeks later by further intense rainfall.

Persons: South Africa CNN —, Emmerson Mnangagwa, El Niño, Zimbabwe —, Filipo, ” Teresa Anderson, Machinda Marongwe, ” Marongwe Organizations: South Africa CNN, Oxfam, Reuters, Democratic, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, United States Agency, International, Systems Network Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Harare, “, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, Pumula East, Bulawayo, Central Mozambique, ” Southern Africa, Maputo

☆ 7 Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Were Known for a Passion for Helping Others
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They are the latest casualties in the growing toll of aid workers killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, and they are among more than a dozen workers who have been killed while doing their jobs. Gaza has been the deadliest place for aid workers since the Oct. 7 attacks. According to the Aid Worker Security Database, a compilation of data on attacks funded by the United States Agency for International Development, 203 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the war started. All were Palestinian, except for six of the World Central Kitchen workers most recently killed, who were citizens of Australia, the United States, Canada, Poland and Britain. As of Monday, 176 workers from UNRWA, the U.N. agency dedicated to Palestinians, have been killed, according to the group.

Persons: humanitarians Organizations: Central Kitchen, Aid Worker Security, United States Agency for International Development, Central Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Deir al Balah, Australia, United States, Canada, Poland, Britain

CNN —Israeli forces last week launched another military operation on Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, bringing the sprawling medical facility north of the enclave back into the spotlight. Here’s what we know:Why are the Israeli forces raiding Al-Shifa again? Palestinian residents leave the area with a few items after Israeli forces besiege the Al-Shifa hospital with tanks and heavy gunfire in Gaza City, Gaza on March 18, 2024. Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty ImagesResidents of the area around Al-Shifa told CNN there was heavy firing in the vicinity. Meanwhile a doctor who cared for patients trapped inside Al-Shifa told CNN he fears two severely malnourished siblings will not survive due to lack of care and medication.

Persons: Shifa, ”, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, Israel, Dawoud Abo, –, Mohammad Al Shawwa, Al Shawwa, “, ” Al Shawwa, Al Shawwa’s, Dr Ali Alghaliz, Rafiq Dughmosh, Rafif Dughmosh, Alghaliz, Mahmoud, Rafiq, “ Rafiq, Dr Ali, ” Alghaliz, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ” Ghebreyesus, Jake Sullivan, Lloyd Austin, Jacquelyn Martin, ” Sullivan, Samantha Power Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Al, United Nations, IDF, Defense Ministry, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Shifa, Dawoud Abo Alkas, Getty, Islamic, Al Ahli Baptist Hospital, Aid, Health Organization, WHO, National, US, Pentagon, US Agency for International Development, USAID Locations: Al, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, “, –, Anadolu, Al Ahli, Israel’s, Shifa, Rafah, ”

☆ Middle East Crisis Deaths of Palestinians Desperate for Food Prompt Fresh Calls for Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Injured Palestinians at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City after Israeli forces opened fire as a crowd gathered near an aid convoy. The deaths of scores of Palestinians seeking food aid in northern Gaza on Thursday were met with mounting international calls for a cease-fire and for Israel to take immediate measures to increase the flow of supplies into the territory. Officials in Gaza and the Israeli military offered diverging accounts, with Israel saying most of the deaths had been caused by a stampede. The Gazan health ministry said Israeli forces had carried out a “massacre,” injuring 700 in addition to those killed. The aid group Doctors Without Borders said it hadn’t been able to reach its physicians and other staff working in northern Gaza because of unreliable communications but that irrespective of the details, the Israeli military was accountable.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, ”, Samantha Power, “, Israel, hadn’t, Isabelle Defourny Organizations: “, United States Agency for International Development Locations: Al, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, France

☆ US looking into possible airdrops of aid into Gaza, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The United States is looking into possible airdrops of aid into Gaza as the humanitarian crisis there deepens and assistance fails to reach the people in the war-torn strip, two US officials told CNN on Wednesday. One US official said the prospect of airdrops is being seriously considered based on the conditions on the ground. Earlier this week, Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar and France airdropped relief aid on various areas in the Gaza Strip in a sign of how desperate the situation has become. “We are talking to Israeli officials about the need to open up far more crossings, far more passages into Gaza, so that vitally needed humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged,” Power said. “This is a matter of life and death.”Power met on Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, one of the US officials told CNN.

Persons: Axios, Samantha Power, ” Power, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant Organizations: CNN, United Nations, US Agency for International, Israeli Locations: United States, Gaza, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, France, Israel

☆ As the Election Comes Into Focus, Pressure Builds in the West Wing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former adviser to President Biden has compared life in the White House to dog years: Every day feels like a week, every year like seven. And then there are times like these when it can feel as though an entire term plays out every few days. The past couple of months have become a particularly stressful period in the White House. The secretary of state has protesters camped outside his house throwing fake blood at his car. For some working in the West Wing or its nearby environs, it can be hard just to catch a breath.

Persons: Biden Organizations: U.S . Agency for International Development, White House Locations: Israel

☆ First on CNN: Top US humanitarian official to travel to Middle East this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US government’s top humanitarian aid official will travel to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan this week in an effort to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that is veering into catastrophe. Power will “underscore the importance of protecting civilians and aid workers in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the spokesperson said. Power is the latest Biden administration to travel to the region to emphasize the US’ strong concerns over the deepening humanitarian crisis in the war-torn strip. Although the Biden administration has become increasingly critical of the toll of the Israeli offensive, it remains at odds with the international humanitarian community and nations like Jordan by vetoing calls for an immediate ceasefire. Ongoing outrage over the administration’s continued support for the Israeli military offensive threatens to be a political problem for Biden in an election year.

Persons: Samantha Power, “, Biden, –, Joe Biden, vetoing, ”, ” Christopher Lockyear Organizations: CNN, West Bank, US Agency for International Development, USAID, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Biden, UNRWA, Congress, United Nations, Doctors, UN Locations: Israel, Jordan, Gaza, ”, Rafah, Michigan, States

☆ Only the U.S. can force peace in the Middle East and it should pressure Israel, Lebanon foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lebanon's foreign minister called on the U.S. to pressure Israel and bring an end to its bloody war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has now entered its fifth month. "We want peace, I think the Palestinians are ready for peace and Americans should — [they are] the only country that can really enable peace," Bou Habib told CNBC's Silvia Amaro. "But they should exert some pressure over Israel like what happened in the 70s, Kissinger was there, and he exerted pressure on Israel to do the peace." Recent bills in the U.S. Congress have allocated tens of billions more in military aid since the Hamas terror attack of Oct. 7 that killed roughly 1,200 people. If the U.S. can't play a prominent role in stopping the hostilities, "then the war will continue," Bou Habib said.

Persons: Abdallah Bou Habib, Bou Habib, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Kissinger, Henry, Israel, Israel's Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, CNBC, Munich Security, Congressional Research Service, U.S . Agency for International Development, Washington, U.S, Congress Locations: Israel, Washington, U.S, Gaza

☆ More than 400 personnel take part in Ukraine aid oversight, US watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —More than 400 personnel take part in the oversight of Ukraine aid, according to a new report from a US government watchdog, underscoring the massive effort to manage billions of dollars in US assistance. In total, the report said there are more than 400 personnel working across the US, Germany, Ukraine and Europe to audit and evaluate US assistance to Ukraine. The report comes as some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have demanded more oversight over Ukraine aid before they agree to any additional funding. The State Department watchdog has more than 100 staff members working on Ukraine oversight, three of whom are in Kyiv. The USAID watchdog has another 80 personnel working on Ukraine.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, – Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, State Department, United States Agency for International, Representatives, Ukrainian, Operation Atlantic, NATO, The Defense Department Office, The State Department, USAID, Ukraine – Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Ukrainian, Germany, Russia, Crimea, Kyiv, Romania, North Korea, Iran

☆ US Won't Restart UNRWA Aid Until Investigation Completed -Officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Andrea ShalalWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration plans to wait for an internal investigation of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees to conclude before resuming aid to the organization, U.S. officials told Arab-American community leaders in Michigan. UNRWA officials say they expect the U.N. oversight office's preliminary investigation report to take several weeks. "They did tell us in that meeting that they ... expect that the president will be shifting his language," Alawieh said. ... We're looking for action from President Biden that saves lives." Israel began its military offensive after militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages on Oct. 7.

Persons: Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Biden, Samantha Power, Joe Biden's, Ali Dagher, Abbas Alawieh, Alawieh, Israel, Andrea Shalal, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United Nations, Michigan . U.S . Agency for International, Reuters, Israel Locations: American, Michigan ., Michigan, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Lebanese, Dearborn, Arab, Detroit

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday sought to downplay sharp criticism levied against Israel by President Joe Biden and a senior national security official over how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has conducted Israel's four-month-old war aimed at rooting out Hamas militants from Gaza. The White House National Security Council confirmed that Finer’s comments, as reported by the Times, were accurate. Hamas, however, has demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and end the war as part of a hostage deal. Biden said he still is hopeful that a deal can be worked out that might create a path to ending the war. Biden enjoyed a roughly 3-to-1 advantage in Dearborn and 5-1 advantage in Hamtramck, and he won Wayne County by more than 330,000 votes.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Biden, ”, Jon, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Adrienne Watson, “, ” Biden, “ I’ve, Samantha Power, Steven Benjamin, Tom Perez, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Donald Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Israel, New York Times, White House National Security Council, Times, Associated Press, National Security, U.S . Agency for International Development, Public, Intergovernmental Affairs, Biden, Michigan, Democrats, Wayne County Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, U.S, Egypt, Qatar, Michigan, Detroit, Eastern, Wayne County, Dearborn, Hamtramck, Wayne

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is sending several senior aides to Michigan to meet with Arab American and Muslim leaders, according to three people familiar with the matter, as his administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war frustrates members of a key constituency in a 2024 battleground state. Also expected to attend are Tom Perez, who leads the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, as well as Mazen Basrawi, the White House liaison to American Muslim communities, and aides Jamie Citron and Dan Koh. Siblani was one of the few Arab American leaders to meet with Rodriguez when she visited Dearborn at the end of January. The White House says administration officials have been in regular contact with Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan and across the country. He did not meet with Arab American and Muslim community members.

Persons: Joe Biden, Samantha Power, Jon, Steven Benjamin, Tom Perez, Basrawi, Jamie Citron, Dan Koh, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, ”, Osama Siblani, “ I’m, ” Siblani, Siblani, Rodriguez, Alabas Farhat, “, ” Farhat, Farhat, “ it’s, Debbie Dingell, Biden, I’ve, ” Dingell, Biden hasn't, Abdullah Hammoud, ” ___ Cappelletti Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Agency for International Development, Public, White, Intergovernmental Affairs, Biden, Arab American News, Associated, AP, U.S . Rep, Health Ministry, CNN, United Auto Workers, Palestinian, UAW, Dearborn Locations: Michigan, Israel, American, Detroit, Dearborn , Michigan, Gaza, Dearborn, White, Arab, Eastern, The U.S, Warren, Lansing , Michigan

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