MICHIGAN â On Tuesday, August 4th, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for Michiganâs United States Senate seat, prevailing in the most expensive Senate primary in American history. The race drew record breaking outside spending from AIPAC and corporate special interests, totaling nearly $70 million, Abdul having been outspent 11:1.
An average of $95 was spent for every vote against Abdul, more than 10 times as much as Abdulâs $9 per vote average.
(May 21, 2026)
Theyâre mad at Massie. Why? One Republican out of 217 who hasnât taken money from the Israeli lobby. Why are they so mad at him? Why was it so important for the Israeli lobby to spend tens of millions of dollars to crush this guy?
It wasnât stopping really the status quo in any way. He did help get some of the Epstein files released, and God bless him for that. He tried his hardest. But one man against 216 other members of his party is not going to get very far by definition, so why donât you just leave him alone? Why force the issue?
This included a media campaign in the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, The Guardian and latterly CNN; private warnings by David Cameron, then foreign secretary, who told him Britain would defund the ICC and withdraw from the Rome Statute if the warrants were issued; Republican senators who told him: „Target Israel and we will target you“, and being named publicly as a suspect before he had even had the chance to defend himself by the president of the Assembly of State Parties (ASP), Finland‘s Paivi Kaukoranta.
Danon threatened Mamdani with the same fate as Khan. „@NYCMayor Zohran Mamdani, take note: using Israel as a political weapon will not shield you from accountability,“ Danon posted.
Doch Richter des Gerichtshofes stellten nach Darstellung von Khans Verteidiger fest, dass „kein Fehlverhalten oder eine Pflichtverletzung“ nachgewiesen worden sei.
Vor dem Hintergrund dieser AffĂ€re hatte die US-Regierung kĂŒrzlich ihre Attacken gegen das Gericht noch verstĂ€rkt. Die USA verhĂ€ngten bereits Sanktionen gegen Richter und Mitarbeiter. Die USA und Israel gehören dem Gericht nicht an.
(July 20, 2026)
Over the past year, he has submitted four expert‘s opinions commissioned by Khan‘s legal team to the 21-member bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), criticising the manner in which the investigation into misconduct allegations facing the prosecutor was conducted, and the subsequent handling of the process by the bureau.
In his latest submission on 28 June, obtained by Middle East Eye through independent sources, Swanson denounced the 8 June decision by the bureau, which suspended the prosecutor after concluding by a majority that he committed âserious misconductâ.
The bureauâs decision departed from the unanimous conclusion of a panel of three judges it appointed, which in March concluded that the facts presented in the UN investigation „do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant framework“.
âThe Assembly has decided by a majority of 82 States Parties thatâŠprosecutor Karim Kahn committed serious conduct and a serious breach of dutyâŠand to remove [him] from office,â the Assembly president announced, calling for the dignity and privacy of all those involved.
Assembly of States President PĂ€ivi Kaukoranta said 82 of â the courtâs 125 member states voted in â favor of the prosecutorâs â removal, concluding that Khan âcommitted serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty.â
The vote will take place during a special session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), the ICC‘s governing body, at UN headquarters in New York.
The 125 member states will decide by secret ballot, with an absolute majority of at least 63 votes required to remove Khan from office.
In May 2024, Khanâs office requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza war.
The ICC later issued warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. The move drew fierce condemnation from Israel and the US, culminating in US sanctions targeting several ICC officials, including Khan.
Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are set to gather at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for a controversial vote which could see the court‘s chief prosecutor Karim Khan dismissed from his job over alleged misconduct claims.
It will be the first time in the ICC‘s 24-year history that member states have been asked to decide whether to remove a sitting chief prosecutor from office.
The Assembly of States Parties (ASP), the courtâs governing body that is made up of its 125 members, will vote by secret ballot requiring an absolute majority of 63 states to remove the prosecutor.
Khanâs lawyers said they have been denied accreditation to attend Fridayâs session and to mount a defence prior to the vote. They added that the president of the ASP âhas closed every formal channelâ through which they can address the assembly, and has asked all state parties not to meet with the legal team.
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Javan, a newspaper affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, wrote on Tuesday that confirming details surrounding the attacks, discussing the day the former leader was killed or revealing that the foreign minister had no contact with new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei were not matters that should have been disclosed publicly.
Omid Memarian, an Iran analyst at DAWN, said one possible manifestation of the kind of influence Araghchi described would be officials advocating policies that prolong the war despite the damage continued conflict causes to the Islamic Republic‘s own interests.
„Some of the decisions they are making are exactly the things that Israelis might wish for,“ Memarian told Iran International.
„When it comes to Iran‘s national security and national interests, they don‘t make sense,â he added.
Reiterating that he has not yet seen Mojtaba Khamenei, the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Araghchi described decisions to enter or end a war as âcollective,â noting that negotiations with the United States were not his personal initiative. He emphasized that decisions on war and peace are made within the Supreme National Security Council.
According to the Iran International website, Araghchi made the remarks during an interview on the programme The Story of the War. He said he was at Khameneiâs headquarters on 28 February when the site came under attack.
Araghchi said the attack on the headquarters was carried out through a security breach, adding: âThat breach still exists, and it also affects the direction and mechanisms of decision-making.â
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He also said he had not met Mojtaba Khamenei during that period, adding that only a small number of people had been able to see him.
Previously, the procedure was expected to consist of a two-stage vote in which members would first vote on whether misconduct had occurred and its gravity, with a second vote on removal triggered only if they found „serious misconduct.“
The ASP, which is made up of diplomatic representatives from the international court‘s 125 member states, is due to vote on Khan‘s future at the United Nations‘ headquarters in New York City on 24 July.
It comes after the bureau, a body of diplomats from 21 member states, determined by a two-thirds majority last month that Khan had committed „serious misconduct.“
This was despite a judicial panel, appointed by the bureau to review the findings of a United Nations investigation into complaints against Khan, concluding that the evidence against him was insufficient to establish any level of misconduct.
The push to put a billionaire tax to a popular vote in blue California has exposed deep divides on the left, even as Democratic politicians across the country rally around calls for the wealthy to pay more. The issue is pitting the populist mood of the public against many Democratsâ fears that the measure will push the ultrawealthy to join a broader exodus from the state and take their tax dollars with them.
(June 25, 2026)
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West President Dave Regan refused to back down on the billionaire tax.
(January 12, 2026)
The conversations, reported here for the first time, have occurred intermittently for months as SEIU-UHWâs ballot initiative targeting billionaires migrated from the backrooms of California politics to the center of a raging debate about Silicon Valley and income inequality, sparking tech titansâ wrath and vows to move out of state.
âWeâve been at this for four months,â Newsom said in an interview with POLITICO, describing an âall-handsâ effort that has included him meeting one-on-one with SEIU-UHWâs leader, Dave Regan.
A compromise does not appear imminent. A union official cast doubt on the possibility of a deal, saying the two sides do not currently have another meeting scheduled and framing a ballot fight as an inevitability.
(April 28, 2004)
The CTG was formed in September 2001. Since then it has provided threat assessments to key EU policymakers. Those assessments are based on information provided by member services having access to all relevant intelligence. CTG also provides a forum for experts to develop practical collaboration and an understanding of the terrorist threat.
US Representative Rashida Tlaib rejected Republican representative Brian Mastâs claim that Lebanese civilians killed by Israel are âterroristsâ.
The exchange occurred on Wednesday night during a US House of Representatives session following Tlaib‘s resolution to withdraw US troops from Lebanon, which Mast called âreckless and unseriousâ.
âEleven children killed, injured every 24 hours in Lebanon. Are those children Hezbollah? Are those children terrorists?â Tlaib shot at Mast who continued to dismiss Tlaib and her call to protect civilians in Lebanon.
Track AIPAC, an American online project that tracks US political donations by organisations that are part of the Israel lobby, including Aipac, reported that Mast received $881,227 from pro-Israel PACs as of April 2026.
Electoral reforms are necessary but insufficient. The deeper problem is not the ballot â it is the collapse of the organized civic life that once connected voters to the institutions that govern them. Rebuilding that infrastructure is not a workaround. It is the most important work we can be doing today, not just for California but for America.
James is an eighth-generation Texan, former middle school teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian. As a state representative, heâs led the fight against the billionaire mega-donors and puppet politicians who have taken over Texas.
Now, heâs running for U.S. Senate to take his fight against corruption to Washington and win power back for working people.
Israel is pressing the US to restart heavy airstrikes on Iran that would involve the targeted killing of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of Tehranâs lead negotiators, and attacks on the countryâs oil infrastructure, Capital & Empire reported on Thursday.
The report, which cited US sources familiar with a classified report circulating within the US intelligence community, said Israel is aggressively pushing for the US to abandon talks with Iran and insisting that destroying oil infrastructure in the country could bring about regime change while also downplaying the impact the renewed full-scale war will have on the global economy.
(May 26, 2026)
âThis is the first time Iâve ever seen IEs [or independent expenditures] have this kind of an impact on a governorâs race,â said veteran GOP strategist Martin Wilson, who has worked on every California gubernatorial contest since 1978 and worked on an outside effort backing San JosĂ© Mayor Matt Mahanâs 2026 bid for governor. âItâs totally unprecedented.â
Yet Lead Left PAC has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Galindoâs behalf ahead of Tuesdayâs primary runoff. Democrats are accusing Republicans of orchestrating the effort.
âYou have an openly bigoted person who has no business in elected office getting boosted by a Republican PAC,â Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said. âSo the Republican leadership here, of course, is going to go to great lengths to hide that.â
The district is a Trump +10, and Galindo would certainly be a weaker opponent for the GOP in November than Garcia.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, the GOP super PAC aligned with House Republican leaders, has declined to say if itâs behind Lead Left PAC.
Galindo caught Democrats off guard when she placed first in the March 3 primary, despite spending just a few thousand dollars on her campaign. After a mysterious super PAC spent nearly $1 million boosting her bid, Democrats were forced to grapple with the possibility that she could win the nomination â an outcome the party worried could jeopardize its chances in the district and tie them to rhetoric theyâve denounced.
Trump handpicked and endorsed Ed Gallrein, whose victory demonstrated the presidentâs influence over GOP voters and growing frustration with Massieâs opposition to Trump. In recent weeks several other Republicans have been defeated by Trump-endorsed challengers, including Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and several Indiana state senators who defied him on redistricting.
As the Israel lobby attempts to end his political career, the Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has introduced a bill that would require lobbyists working for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly known as AIPAC, to register as foreign agents.
The bill, known as the Americans Insist on Political Agent Clarity (AIPAC) Act, would amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA), which requires those working to influence government policy on behalf of a foreign power to register with the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
(April 22, 2026)
The manifesto published by Palantir Technologies is neither a technical document nor an economic vision. It is an explicit political document announcing a new phase in the trajectory of digital capitalism, a phase in which it has abandoned its claim to neutrality and decided to unmask itself, revealing its full ideological face. Palantir is not an isolated case in the global technological landscape. It is one of several major technology companies that sell their technologies to systems of repression and human rights violations, and has been condemned by international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, for its role in enabling forced deportations, mass surveillance, and the persecution of dissidents.
Most damning of all, documented reports have revealed a direct partnership between this company, alongside other Western technology companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, and the Israeli military, providing data and targeting systems that were used in military operations on Gaza, making it an actual partner in documented war crimes against Palestinian civilians.
Democrats in the House are preparing to force a vote on another War Powers Resolution as early as next Wednesday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that, this time, he is optimistic the effort to cease American hostilities in Iran will win the votes of the Democratic holdouts on the Massie-Khanna effort earlier this month.
Jeffries was referring to Democrats who voted against the WPR introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massieâs (R-KY), which failed 212-219 in a March 5 vote on the House floor, favoring instead a proposal by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).
The most striking moment of the interview came when Kent recounted his final meeting with Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was instrumental in the current administrationâs rise and the selection of JD Vance as Vice President.
âThe last time I saw Charlie Kirk on this Earth was in June, in the West Wing,â Kent told Carlson. âHe looked me in the eye and he said⊠âJoe, stop us from getting into a war with Iran.ââ
According to Kent, Kirkâwho was assassinated on September 10, 2025âwas one of the few top-tier advisors vocally urging the President to avoid a Middle Eastern conflagration and to ârethinkâ the unconditional nature of the U.S.-Israeli partnership.
Joe Kent publicly announced his resignation as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center on March 17, stating that he âcannot in good conscienceâ support the U.S.âs war with Iran.
Kirk was shot dead during a public appearance in Utah on September 10, 2025. A day after his resignation, Kent appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show, where he claimed that his investigation into the killing was blocked.
Joe Kent is a former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and the Presidentâs principal counterterrorism advisor, who served 20 years in the U.S. Army with 11 combat deployments fighting terrorist networks with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Army Special Forces, and U.S. Army Special Operations Command, earning six Bronze Stars. Joe is also a Gold Star husband whose first wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, also served and was killed while fighting ISIS in Syria in 2019.
Trump aides and allies denounced Kent as a leaker immediately after his resignation became public.
Kent wrote in his resignation letter that Iran poses âno imminent threat to our nationâ and accused Trump of initiating the war âdue to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.â
The FBI and the White House declined to comment.
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, talks to Tucker Carlson about Iran and his resignation letter. Ana Kasparian discusses on The Young Turks.
âThere was no intelligence that said, hey, on whatever day it was, March 1st, the Iranians are going to launch this big sneak attack, theyâre going to do some kind of a 9/11, Pearl Harbor, etc. Theyâre going to attack one of our bases. There was none of that intelligence,â Kent said.
Trump and the the White House have repeatedly cited an imminent threat posed by Iran as an impetus for launching strikes against the country.
Kent further argued that the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died last month in joint US and Israeli strikes, had been moderating the countryâs nuclear program.