Why is Israel demolishing towns and refugee camps in the West Bank? The IDF’s war with Hamas is in Gaza but violence against Palestinians has ramped up in the West Bank too. This week, the IDF notified Palestinians of their intent to demolish another refugee camp due to its “clear and necessary operational need.” This is the latest in a string of demolitions. The IDF says that it is to “preserve its freedom of operation.” Does that mean “take over”? Because I’m pretty sure the Trump administration told them that they had better not take over the West Bank. It looks to me like they’re doing it anyway. And violently. New video shows a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank gunned down by Israeli settlers. He had been at the funeral of another Palestinian teenager who also was shot by the IDF. The IDF says that he had been rioting by throwing rocks but, as usual, the incident is “under investigation.” These are unarmed teenagers targeted by a military because of who they are. If we are horrified that the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre were targeted for their identity, we should spare equal outrage for this as well, no? It appears Israel wants to carry out these actions with minimal scrutiny. On Tuesday, a delegation of Canadian politicians attempted to enter the West Bank, but Israel denied them entry, claiming they posed a threat to public safety. The post Why Israel Doesn’t Want Outside Eyes on the West Bank appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump escalated rhetoric and military pressure on Venezuela this week, touting a blockade on oil tankers and accusing the country of threatening U.S. interests. If you’re tired of this, you should know that on Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on a War Powers Resolution which would “direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.” Meaning: Knock it off in Venezuela. This has nothing to do with a drug war, nothing to do with U.S. security, and everything to do with regime change and resource control. No one voted for this. Congress never authorized it. This is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) which has received 31 co-sponsors, including three Republicans: Reps. Thomas Massie (KY), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), and Don Bacon (NE). If you understand that the bombing raids in Venezuela are not about the drug war in the U.S., you should call your House representative and demand that they vote in favor of this. Will the Trump administration, which promised no new wars, be bound by this? Technically, yes but presidents have historically tried to evade War Powers resolutions by redefining or rebranding military missions. The Trump administration could attempt the same. Whether that works would depend entirely on whether Congress is willing to enforce its own authority. The post Will Congress Finally Reclaim Its War Powers? appeared first on Redacted.

After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, hundreds of people were fired, suspended, or publicly shamed for comments deemed celebratory or callous. Phrases like “zero sympathy,” “this made me giggle,” or even literary quotes about reading obituaries with satisfaction were enough to cost people their jobs. Conservatives largely applauded those punishments, insisting that celebrating or rationalizing political violence crossed an unforgivable line. Now consider what happened this weekend. Actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were brutally murdered, reportedly by their own son. It is a horrific crime. Whatever anyone thinks of Reiner’s politics, (he was an outspoken critic of President Trump), there is no moral universe in which implying he somehow deserved this is acceptable. And yet that is exactly what President Trump did. In a Truth Social post, he suggested that Reiner’s “hatred” and so-called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” contributed to his death. He doubled down on that when asked by reporters. Strip away the phrasing and the message is unmistakable: this is what happens to hateful people. This is what Matthew Dowd was fired from MSNBC for. Here’s the problem. President Trump just did the very thing his supporters demanded liberals be canceled for after Charlie Kirk’s death. Free speech principles don’t change based on who’s speaking. You can defend Trump’s right to say it but you cannot defend the double standard. The post Celebrating Death, Condemned — Until Trump Did It appeared first on Redacted.

Two members of the Iowa National Guard were killed in Syria, reportedly “by a member of the Syrian government’s security forces.” The two servicemen were identified as 29-year-old Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and 25-year-old Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar. Why is the U.S. National Guard in Syria? The simple answer is that the U.S. presence there is illegal. Congress never declared war on Syria, never passed a Syria-specific authorization, and the Syrian government never invited U.S. forces onto its territory. The more complicated answer is that the U.S. military footprint began in 2014 under President Obama Complicated answer: The U.S. occupation of Syria began in 2014 under President Obama to prevent the Assad government from accessing the oil fields on the Eastern shore of the Euphrates. During this period, the U.S. and its allies backed al-Qaeda-linked factions such as al-Nusra, creating the absurd reality of fighting al-Qaeda in Afghanistan while empowering its offshoots in Syria. This is when the Obama PR machine came up with the word “moderates.” They were affiliated with al-Qaeda, sure, but they were “moderates.” Now that the U.S. has completed the regime change that it sought, they are still there, to quote Syrian journalist Kevork Almassian, “to facilitate the transition of Syria into a client state.” Is this America first? No. The mission never offered any benefit to the American people. And it’s worth remembering that in 2023, then-Congressman Matt Gaetz introduced a War Powers resolution requiring U.S. troops to withdraw from Syria. Congress voted it down and now two Americans are dead.I hope those deatheaters can live with themselves. The post An Illegal War Claims Two More American Lives appeared first on Redacted.

The European Union is reportedly going to ditch plans to stop making gas-powered cars by 2035. Because that was never a viable plan. European MEP Manfred Weber says that the EU will announce this walk-back this week. The original plan, sold as a climate necessity, has run headlong into economic reality: cost, infrastructure limits, energy supply problems, and growing public backlash. European automakers have warned for years that a full transition to electric vehicles by 2035 was unrealistic without massive subsidies, abundant cheap electricity, and charging infrastructure that simply does not exist, especially outside major cities. Consumers have also pushed back, balking at higher prices, shorter ranges, battery degradation, and dependence on Chinese supply chains for critical minerals. Now, as energy prices remain volatile and Europe continues to struggle with grid capacity and industrial competitiveness, Brussels appears to be quietly retreating from its most aggressive green targets. Instead of an outright ban, policymakers are signaling a more “technology-neutral” approach, which is code for “we fold because we didn’t think this through.” Reality, once again, is forcing ideology to blink. The post Europe Hits the Brakes appeared first on Redacted.