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Kamala Harris’ office denies claims that Israeli ceasefire speech was watered down by officials as criticism of Biden grows

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Fans are clowning Vice President Kamala Harris

Biden administration officials have rephrased key parts of Vice President Kamala Harris’ strongly worded speech wherein she sharply criticized Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas and called for a right away ceasefire to free the remaining hostages in Gaza, in keeping with government officials who spoke to NBC News.

Officials in Harris’ camp confirmed some changes to Harris’ fiery March 3 speech on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, but denied that her words had been watered down in any way, saying the core of her original message remained unchanged.

According to unnamed officials, the National Security Council received a draft of the speech before Harris delivered it. At that point, agency officials allegedly watered down key passages that condemned Israel for its worsening humanitarian crisis and called for increased funding for Palestinian civilians.

Fans are clowning Vice President Kamala Harris's dance moves after throwing a 50th anniversary hip-hop party at her home.
Fans are clowning Vice President Kamala Harris’ dance moves after hosting a fiftieth anniversary hip-hop party at her home. (Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

The first version of the speech directly called on Israel to right away allow more humanitarian aid to Gaza, with officials noting that Harris’s wording was firm but unlikely to cause any misunderstanding.

During the speech itself, Harris continued to be critical of Israel, describing the situation in Gaza as desperate and calling it a “clear humanitarian disaster.”

She confirmed that the Department of Defense had conducted the primary airdrop of humanitarian aid to Gaza last week, while stressing that the Israeli government must do more to guard refugees as greater than 30,500 Palestinians have been killed because the war began.

“They need to open new borders to get help,” Harris said. “They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid. They must ensure that humanitarian personnel, sites and convoys are not targeted. They must also work to restore basic services and promote order in Gaza so that more food, water and fuel can reach those in need.”

Most notably, within the speech, Harris called for a right away six-week ceasefire as part of an agreement to free dozens of hostages held captive because the war began on October 7.

“Given the enormous scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire of at least six weeks, as is currently being considered,” Harris said, drawing long applause. “Thanks to this, we’ll free the hostages and receive significant assistance. This will allow us to construct something more lasting that will ensure Israel’s security and respect for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity, freedom and self-determination.”

A day after the speech, Harris met with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz in Washington, as the White House seeks to pressure Israel to just accept one other ceasefire.

Negotiators also met this week in Egypt to debate a possible agreement with Hamas, which has sent delegates to Cairo for talks.

The sides had been trying to achieve an agreement before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10, which might make it easier to deliver more humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The proposal features a provision to exchange the remaining Israeli hostages for several hundred Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel, but first Israel demanded to know exactly what number of hostages are still being held.

Earlier, Israeli officials said militants had kidnapped about 240 Israeli civilians, while lower than half were released under an earlier ceasefire agreement, leaving about 134 in captivity.

Under the most recent proposal, Hamas has demanded temporary housing in Gaza until reconstruction is accomplished, as at the very least 60 percent of homes have been destroyed. The militants are also asking for the whole withdrawal of Israeli troops and for Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza to be allowed to return to their lands.

Earlier, Gantz vowed that “fighting will continue everywhere,” including Rafah – Gaza’s southernmost city where one million displaced Palestinians have been camped for weeks – unless Hamas releases the hostages before the beginning of Ramadan.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues attacks in Gaza, including last Saturday, which killed 11 people and injured at the very least 50, in keeping with the Gaza Ministry of Health. Another Israeli attack on the identical day in eastern Rafah killed 14 members of one family and left as many as 10 others trapped under rubble.

Also last week, Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian civilians as they tried to access food from an aid convoy in Gaza, resulting in the death of at the very least 115 people.

But on Sunday, the Israeli military said most civilians died in panic and that soldiers were “reacting” only to immediate threats.

Israeli hostilities proceed to place pressure on the White House to oppose its essential ally within the Middle East, while Israel faces regular anti-government protests as its public grows increasingly indignant over the resolution of the hostage crisis.

At the identical time, senators have increasingly called on Biden to take stronger motion to guard Palestinian civilians, and key Biden allies in Congress have threatened to chop military aid unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changes his uncompromising approach.

The criticism, which initially got here from Senator Bernie Sanders and a small group of progressive Democrats, has increased significantly in recent weeks as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise.

Currently, even President Biden’s closest ally in Congress, Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, believes it’s needed to take a stronger stance against Netanyahu’s government over its conduct through the war.

Military support for Israel “becomes unsustainable when Israel demonstrates that it is not willing to listen to us,” Coons told reporters after the shooting of innocent civilians during a failed aid convoy on Feb. 29.

On Thursday, the United States dropped aid to Gaza for the third time ahead of Biden’s State of the Union address, where he plans to announce the creation of a port to deliver food, medicine and other aid to civilians.

Meanwhile, the amendments to Harris’ speech concerned the tone of the speech quite than changing US policy towards Israel.

The White House said Harris’ ceasefire remarks, which received wide media coverage, echoed Biden’s earlier comments and reaffirmed the administration’s position calling on Israel to cut back its recalcitrant military campaign.

Asked whether the vice chairman’s speech was toned down to alleviate possible disagreements amongst allies, communications director Kirsten Allen replied: “That’s not true.”

“The vice president felt it was important, in light of recent events, to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and to reiterate our administration’s call on Hamas to accept the terms of the hostage agreement,” she said in a separate statement to NBC.

It is standard practice for administration officials to submit their public comments on foreign policy to the National Security Council and the West Wing, and within the case of Harris’ speech, several changes were made, some even on the last minute.

The speech was still widely seen as powerful and effective, though Harris largely reiterated the Biden administration’s recent policy stance toward Israel and called for no latest compromises from Netanyahu’s hard-line government, which has called Hamas’ demands in the present negotiations “delusional.”

Still, Harris’s relentless speech on the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday – a pivotal moment within the civil rights movement – gained widespread attention, with extensive national media coverage and hundreds of individuals who shared clips of the speech online.

“She did what she does best, which is take policy issues, present them in a way that people could understand them, and then address them with her own passion and her own sense of what’s right,” said Leah Daughtry, a Democrat political strategist who urged for a everlasting ceasefire, According to NBC. “Everything happened in such a way that we still talk about it.”

Despite pressure from activists and spiritual leaders, the Biden administration has not yet called for a everlasting ceasefire in Gaza.

The apparent move to tone down Harris’ speech comes as the White House stays wary of openly criticizing Israel even as President Joe Biden teeters on attempting to sway intransigent Israeli leaders while negotiating a hostage take care of Hamas militants.

Last Friday, Biden spoke to reporters within the Oval Office, where he made clear he would support a right away six-week ceasefire as part of the hostage deal.

“We are trying to negotiate an agreement between Israel and Hamas,” Biden said. “The return of the hostages and a right away ceasefire in Gaza for at the very least the subsequent six weeks. And allow aid to flow through the complete Gaza Strip, not only south, but across the complete Gaza Strip.

Two days later, Harris disagreed during her rousing speech in Selma.

After the speech, she was quick to notice that she and Biden were on the identical page.

“The president and I have been aligned and consistent from the very beginning,” Harris told reporters. “Israel has the right to defend itself. Far too many Palestinian civilians, innocent civilians, have been killed.”

Before the speech, Biden faced growing criticism for his handling of the war, with many believing Vice President Harris desired to take a stronger stance against the fighting in Gaza but was not in a position to, in keeping with a Democrat who worked on Biden’s 2020 campaign. in a position to do that. , who spoke to NBC on the condition of anonymity.

The source said Harris has made significant efforts to present herself as a more compassionate voice, attempting to connect with Muslim and Arab Americans as well as other Democrats who’re increasingly concerned concerning the worsening situation in Gaza after 22 weeks of war.

“Her hands are tied,” a source told NBC. “People don’t attack her because they know it’s not her policy. This is Biden’s war. This is a failure for Biden.”

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Politics and Current

Trump says he cannot guarantee that tariffs will not raise prices in the US and does not rule out retaliation

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Donald Trump, Donald Trump Meet The Press, Trump tariffs, Will tariffs raise prices, Trump immigration policy, Trump abortion, Trump health care, Trump revenge prosecutions, theGrio.com

WASHINGTON (AP) – Donald Trump he said he couldn’t guarantee that his promised rates regarding key US foreign trade partners there will be no raise prices for American consumers and again suggested that some political rivals and federal officials who handled court cases against him must be imprisoned.

The president-elect also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere in a wide-ranging interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday.

Trump often mixed declarations with reservations, at one point warning that “everything is changing.”

Take a have a look at a few of the issues covered:

Trump wonders whether trade penalties could raise prices

Trump threatened widespread trade penalties but said he didn’t imagine it economists’ predictions that the additional costs of imported goods for U.S. businesses would result in higher domestic prices for consumers. He broke his promise that American households would not pay more for purchases.

“I can not guarantee anything. “I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, apparently opening the door to accepting the reality that import fees typically operate once goods reach the retail market.

That’s a special approach from Trump’s typical speeches during the 2024 campaign, when he presented his decisions as a surefire approach to curb inflation.

In the interview, Trump defended the tariffs in general, saying the tariffs “make us rich.”

He announced that on the first day of his term in January he would impose a 25% tariff on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs equivalent to fentanyl into the United States. He also threatened to impose tariffs on China to force the country to limit fentanyl production.

“I just want to have a level, fast but fair playing field,” Trump said.

Trump suggests revenge against his opponents without claiming to have an interest in revenge

He has made conflicting statements about how he would approach justice after winning the election, although he was convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and charged in other cases with handling national security secrets and efforts to overturn his loss to a Democrat in 2020 Joe Biden.

“Frankly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power.

The president-elect has emphasized his case that he could use the justice system against others, including special counsel Jack Smith, who prosecuted the case involving Trump’s role in the siege on January 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon convicted supporters for the role they played in the riot, saying that he will take these actions on his first day in office.

As for the idea of ​​revenge triggering potential criminal prosecutions, Trump said: “I actually have every right to accomplish that. I’m a top law enforcement officer, you recognize that. I’m the president. But that doesn’t interest me.”

At the same time, Trump named lawmakers on the House special committee that investigated the rebel, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, R-Mississippi, and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.

“Cheney was behind this… as was Bennie Thompson and everyone on this committee,” Trump said.

Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue the cases, he replied “No” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly investigate his political enemies.

But at one other point, Trump said he would go away the issue to Pam Bondi, his pick for attorney general. “I want her to do whatever she wants,” he said.

Many leading Democrats have taken such threats, no matter Trump’s inconsistencies, seriously enough that Biden is considering issuing a blanket, preventive pardon to guard key members of his outgoing administration.

Trump appeared to backtrack on his campaign rhetoric calling for an investigation into Biden, saying, “I have no intention of going back to the past.”

Swift motion is coming on immigration

Trump has repeatedly mentioned his guarantees to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport tens of millions of people who find themselves in the U.S. illegally as a part of a mass deportation program.

“I think you have to do this,” he said.

He has suggested that he would try to make use of executive motion to finish “birthright” citizenship, under which individuals born in the U.S. are considered residents – although such protections are provided for in the Constitution.

Asked specifically about the future of people that were delivered to the country illegally as children and have been protected against deportation in recent years, Trump said: “I want to work something out,” indicating he may look to Congress for an answer.

But Trump also said he “don’t want to break up families” with mixed legal status, “so the only way not to break up the family is to keep them together and send them all away.”

Sweet news: Dark chocolate may be the secret to reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Trump commits to NATO, setting conditions, but criticizes Putin and Ukraine

Trump, long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their very own defense, said he would “absolutely” remain in the alliance “if they pay their bills.”

Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he was dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wanted the United States to be treated “fairly” on trade and defense issues.

He wavered on NATO’s priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

Trump suggested that Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. help to defend against Putin’s invasion. “Probably. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said about Washington cutting aid to Ukraine. Separately, Trump did called for a right away ceasefire.

Asked about Putin, Trump initially said he had not spoken to the Russian leader since last month’s election, but then insisted: “I haven’t spoken to him lately.” Trump said under pressure, adding that he didn’t need to “impede negotiations.”

Trump says Powell is protected at the Fed, but Wray is not at the FBI

The president-elect has said he has no intention, at the least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before the end of Powell’s term in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents must have more to say on Fed policyincluding rates of interest.

Trump has not provided any job guarantees to FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term ends in 2027.

Asked about Wray, Trump said, “Well, it seems pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump’s nominee select the head of the FBI, then “he’s going to take another person’s place, right? Someone is that this person you’re talking about.

Trump is absolute on Social Security, not abortion and medical insurance

Trump promised that the government’s efficiency efforts under Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would not threaten Social Security. “We do not affect social safety, except that we make it more effective,” he said. He added that “we’re not raising the age or anything like that.”

He didn’t speak in much detail about abortion or the long-promised amendment to the Affordable Care Act.

On abortion, Trump continued its inconsistencies and said he “probably” won’t try to limit access to abortion pills, which currently cause most abortions, in keeping with the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But when pressed on whether he would commit to the position, Trump replied: “Well, I agree. That is, do things change. I think they are changing.”

A repetition of his line Debate on September 10 v. Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again stated that he had “concepts” for a plan to switch the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.”

He added that any version of Trump would supply insurance coverage for Americans with pre-existing health conditions. He did not explain how such a project would differ from the establishment or the way it could fulfill his desire for “better health care for less money.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Politics and Current

St. Day Louis Marks Wesley Bell in honor of the first black prosecutor

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Wesley Bell, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney


December 6 in St. Louis has officially been declared Wesley Bell Day to honor the county’s first black prosecutor.

According to Local leaders held a celebratory event at the St. County Department of Justice. Louis, after which County Executive Sam Page made a press release. Bell made history along with his appointment to this position, which he has held since 2019.

He called the recognition “a great honor” that belongs to the community he serves.

“For me, this is a testament to the men and women of the St. County Prosecutor’s Office. Louis, who wake up every day with the idea of ​​public safety, with the idea of ​​treating our victims with the dignity and respect they deserve, and keeping this region safe. In this way, it is a great honor for us,” he said.

Bell took over as St. County prosecutor. Louis after defeating longtime Democratic incumbent Bob McCulloch in the primary. After McCulloch’s controversial decision to not prosecute the officer who fatally shot Black teenager Michael Brown in 2014, Bell ran a campaign that prioritized criminal justice reform. His platform included community policing and progressive marijuana policies that were passed shortly after taking office.

During his tenure, Bell established the Diversion Commission and the Incident Review Unit. The unit enables people wrongly convicted to submit a request to the prosecutor to reconsider their case. Bell sees the measure, a first in the nation, as a step toward criminal justice reform.

But Bell will transcend local politics to assist his St. Louis on a national scale. He was recently elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Missouri’s 1st District.

“This job, and my future job, is about work,” he added. “It’s about representing the interests of my constituents. People here in this region.

Although Bell will proceed to serve St. Louis in a distinct capability, the race to appoint his successor continues, and the escalating dispute between Page and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson continues. Page has already announced his selection of the next prosecutor, but the GOP leader said he plans to make the nomination.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Politics and Current

68-year-old black Georgia man knocked to the ground and brutally arrested at a red light fights for justice after three-year legal nightmare

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Black Man Thrown to Ground and Arrested during Minor Traffic Stop is Finally Going to Trial – Three Years After His Arrest

It’s taken greater than three years, but Jeffrey Lemon finally got his day in court.

A 68-year-old Black man was arrested in Georgia under questionable circumstances in 2021 after Clayton County sheriff’s deputies threw him to the ground and put a knee on his back after he was accused of running a red light in suburban Atlanta County.

He was charged with obstruction and red light violations, in addition to possession of a small amount of marijuana, which police present in a pipe in the trunk of his automobile after his arrest. He ended up spending two nights in jail.

A Black man thrown to the ground and arrested during a minor traffic stop will finally face justice - three years after his arrest
Jeffrey Lemon (left) was brutally arrested in 2021 by Georgia State Sheriff’s Deputy Jon House (right) after stating that he was falsely accused of running a red light. It was over three years before he was given the likelihood to prove his innocence in court, and only because his lawyer filed a motion for a speedy trial. (Photo: Jeffrey Lemon and Facebook)

But the case dragged on for greater than three years until his attorney filed a motion for a speedy trial last month. The trial is scheduled to start Monday, and Lemon hopes prosecutors will drop the case without forcing a trial.

“I hope they throw everything away, but it’s a corrupt system, so I don’t know what to expect,” Lemon told Atlanta Black Star in a phone interview.

Lemon also said he was offered a plea deal late Thursday wherein prosecutors would drop the marijuana and red light charges if he pleaded guilty to the obstruction charge, but he declined to take the deal because he plans to file a lawsuit if he’s cleared of all charges. .

Arresting deputies Jon House and Demetrius Valentine each resigned after the incident, but House, who initiated the traffic stop, was rehired three months later.

“The arrogance I experienced from Officer J. House and Sgt. Valentine… completely disregarded me as a human being,” he wrote in a letter wherein he presented his version of the arrest.

Lemon’s arrest got here a month after the death of Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill was accused faces federal charges after he was accused of tying pretrial detainees to a restraint chair for hours in violation of their civil rights. Hill was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison in March 2023, but he was released after serving lower than a 12 months.

Throughout this time, nonetheless, Lemon’s case has remained pending, which he believes is because the officers try to cover up their illegal behavior and prevent him from filing a lawsuit.

Arrest

The incident occurred on May 27, 2021, when Lemon was driving his Camaro on Valley Hill Road and noticed a Clayton County sheriff’s deputy behind him, who turned out to be House.

He stated that he was in the left inside lane and needed to enter the right outside lane to make a right turn in front of him, nonetheless, when he stopped his automobile at a red light, the deputy pulled the patrol automobile next to him into the right lane.

He said the deputy then refused to move forward when the light turned green, stopping Lemon from entering the lane.

Lemon said he waited a few seconds, hoping the deputy would move, but then moved to the next intersection when it became clear the deputy was not going to move.

He testified that when he turned right at the next intersection, the light turned green, but the deputy stopped him and accused him of running a red light.

Lemon told the deputy that he didn’t run the red light, but gave him his license, but the deputy began accusing him of trying to avoid him, and that is when he realized the deputy was trying to escalate the interaction, and as he tried to call his daughter and friend, but he didn’t. they replied.

He then called 911 because he feared for his life when the deputy began accusing him of things he didn’t do, and that is when House called for backup.

Valentine arrived and threatened to taser him if he didn’t get out of the automobile, so he complied under duress, which occurred when Valentine tackled him to the ground and House put his knee on his neck.

“I felt humiliated,” he said. “For the guy to come up and not try to have any dialogue. He just immediately walked up and said, “Get your ass on the ground before I kick you.”

He said that when he was arrested, he was on his way to rent a latest house, so he had $1,800 in money with him, but authorities didn’t allow him to use the money to bail, forcing him to stay in jail for two days.

“They didn’t want to take the money, so I had to carry it in my shoe throughout my stay in prison,” he said.

He said the aggressive arrest put him in a state of so-called cervical stenosis, where he’s currently in constant pain and has already spent hundreds of dollars on medical bills.

Report

The House deputy describes the arrest in a very different light, stating in his report that he became suspicious when Lemon failed to stop at the intersection after the light turned green, believing he was doing all the pieces in his power to avoid being stopped.

He further claimed that as Lemon moved forward, turning right, he ran a red light and that is when House stopped him.

However, this claim contradicts his initial claim because if Lemon was truly trying to avoid being stopped, he would never have run a red light knowing the deputy was behind him.

House also claimed that he began to fear for his life after he noticed a knife in the center console of Lemon’s vehicle and then called for backup and ordered him out of the automobile, but Lemon stated that the knife was never there.

“There was no knife,” Lemon said. “I would like to see their list of things they faraway from my automobile. This will show there was no knife.

House stated in his report that he found pot in the trunk while taking a listing of things in the automobile, which he ordered confiscated. He also claimed that “evidence was dropped in the sheriff’s office room,” but didn’t specifically mention the alleged knife placed in the room.

Valentine resigned two weeks later without explanation, according to personnel records obtained by Atlanta Black Star. He was then hired by the nearby Fairburn, Georgia Police Department the following month.

Personnel records obtained from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office show House resigned in November 2021 because he was dissatisfied with “a change in the mission of this agency that does not align with my personal goals.”

House was then hired by the nearby Riverdale Police Department, only to resign from the job three months later because “the city-provided health insurance is expensive and does not provide adequate health care for my family,” according to a resignation letter obtained by Atlanta. Black Star.

He was then rehired by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in March 2022 and stays employed.

Lemon believes there may be body camera and dash cam video that might prove his innocence, but when Atlanta Black Star asked public authorities for any available footage of the arrest, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said “no records exist” ” regarding arrest.

“That sounds like another lie,” Lemon said.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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