•  The Biden Administration canceled $7.4 billion in Federal student loan debt, affecting 277,000 people. The Gun Show loophole has been closed. Vendors who sell guns through shows, private purchases, and online will be required to register with the government and conduct background checks on buyers.

• Conservatives blocked legislation that would have renewed Section 702 of FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Act. (702 allows the collection and use of electronic communications stored by US Internet service providers of non-US persons without a warrant from a court. It was put in place to give the government power to monitor foreign terrorists –  but does not require that the surveillance target be a suspected terrorist.)

• UNICEF Convoy hit by Israeli gunfire, preventing delivery of aid to northern Gaza where 1 in 3 children are facing starvation.

• Biden hosts Japanese and Filipino leaders as the US expands its military presence near southeast China. Protestors flooded the streets in the Philippines against the military buildup.

• “It’s a mistake,” said President Biden and called for a ceasefire and more humanitarian food and medical aid for six to eight weeks after Israel’s Netanyahu regime killed seven World Central Kitchen workers.  He called Netanyahu and warned the US would have to change its policy if Israel did not change its policy in Gaza. Israel responded by pledging to open new aid crossings; however, there has been no change in the volume of humanitarian supplies and no change in the flow of weapons from the US or Britain to Israel. Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives approved $14.5 billion in military aid. (The US supplies 69% of Israel’s arms imports, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.)

• 33,400 Palestinians killed, 76,000 wounded by Israeli army in Gaza. Famine sets in; Airstrikes and killings continue.  Worldwide protests of hundreds of thousands of people calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and end of apartheid of Palestinians, including 10,000 in Israel calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Netanyahu, ceasefire, and return of hostages.

• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says the date for the attack on Rafah has been set and objects to the return of Palestinians to their homes in north Gaza.  8,000 Palestinians arrested since October 7th Hamas attack on Israel killing 1,200 and capture of 134 hostages.

• Negotiations with Cairo stalled with Israeli demand that any return of Palestinians to their homes include restrictions banning any Palestinian men from returning.

• US Defense Secretary tells Congress, “There is no evidence of genocide in Gaza”. Fifty protestors were arrested. US doctors returning from Gaza call for end of US culpability in genocide. Over 50% of victims are children of elementary school age or younger. Incoming trucks of food and medicine were prevented from reaching refugees by Israeli troops.

• Veterans of the Israeli army “Breaking the Silence” on a tour of US college campuses, speak for peace, ceasefire, humanitarian aid, return of hostages, and call for the end of the occupation of Palestine.

• Arizona Supreme Court ruling holds up an 1864 law put in place before women could vote and before Arizona was a state, that pregnant women and doctors could be arrested for abortion.

•  USEPA puts a limit on PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

• Leaked video of RFK Jr. New York campaign director Rita Palma speaking to a local Hudson Valley Republican group urging them to vote for RFK. Jr. stated that a vote for RFK Jr. would prevent Biden from gaining enough electoral votes – pushing the presidential decision to a Republican-controlled congress that would select Trump – a good strategy to eliminate mutual Trump/RFK Jr. enemy Biden.

Sources: