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Uvalde school police officer set to appear in court on criminal charges over mass shooting response

Hundreds of law enforcement officers waited more than an hour to confront a gunman who killed 19 students and two teachers in 2022.

‘We try to find life from death’: The volunteer lifesavers of Jenin

Jenin, occupied West Bank, Palestine – On April 4 last year, Ahmad Nobane was trying to reach an injured person in the Jenin refugee camp to administer first aid. He had received messages on his mobile phone giving him the location of the victim and driven as far as he possibly could along the city’s narrow, destroyed streets. He had to get out and walk the final 300 metres (1,000ft) to reach the man lying on the ground. Then he felt the shot. Nobane, 22, had been hit by an Israeli sniper in the right side of his chest. Taking cover, he put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding – as he had been trained to do for others. His colleagues were able to reach him and help him into an ambulance. But the vehicle was stopped by the Israeli military, and soldiers fired warning shots at the ambulance. When the ambulance was finally allowed to move, Nobane was taken to the Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital, the facility raided by undercover Israeli operatives who targeted and killed three Palestinians inside it in January. He stayed for two days. It took six months of follow-up treatment to recover. Nobane is one of 23 young men and women who have trained as voluntary first responders in Jenin, and that incident was a year and a half ago, before the war on Gaza began and Israeli forces stepped up violent raids on towns and cities in the occupied West Bank. These days, the experience of coming under fire is all in a night’s work. Ahmad Nobane, 22, is a university student and a paramedic volunteer of the Jenin refugee camp’s first responders [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera] Using tuk-tuks as makeshift ambulances Nobane was just a newborn when his father was killed during the second Intifada in 2002, fighting the Israeli forces who were attacking their refugee camp in Jenin. Two years ago, he decided to join the volunteers in the camp who are dedicated to trying to save lives by training as first responders. After he recovered from the gunshot wound, he resumed his work as a volunteer as best as he could. “We try to find life from death,” Nobani tells Al Jazeera. A first aid kit used by the paramedic volunteers in the Jenin camp [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera] These days in Jenin, it’s hard to know exactly how many people may need their assistance on any given night. About 24,000 people are registered as living in this camp. But the frequent raids by Israeli forces have stepped up since the war in Gaza began in October, destroying homes and forcing many to flee. Since then, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed 536 Palestinians, including 131 children, in the West Bank and injured more than 5,500, including 800 children – more than one-third of them by live ammunition – according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In Jenin alone, at least 148 Palestinians have been killed, 320 wounded and 540 detained by Israeli forces since October 7, according to local journalist Ali Samoudi, one of those trying to keep count amid the chaos. A bandaging technique is demonstrated at the training centre for first responders in Jenin [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera] Our Palestine is making a desperate bid to keep those numbers down. The grassroots organisation was born inside the camp and is led by Nidal Naghnaghiye, 52, a community leader who has spent 17 years in Israeli prisons. It is the group responsible for organising the first aid volunteers. Working closely with the international organisation Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, the first responder volunteer team is headed up by Salah Mansour, 29, a lawyer. He is one of the 15 men and eight women who make up the group – all drawn from different professions and backgrounds and all now trained in first aid and ready to try to reach injured people wherever they might be. It’s important to keep the volunteers equipped and trained, Mansour says, because “we do not limit ourselves to working in the field. We also reach patients’ houses if needed.” “Many times, we have had to stay with a patient for more than two hours until security conditions improve to transport the patient.” One of the tuk-tuks operating as an emergency vehicle to transport patients in the camp [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera] Volunteers use MSF-supplied tuk-tuks as makeshift ambulances to transport the wounded, patients and first responders. They have one primary goal: Keep the patients alive for as long as it takes to reach a hospital, such as the Jenin Government Hospital, which is just metres from the Jenin camp but might as well be many kilometres away because of the time it takes to get through Israeli military roadblocks. In December, MSF reported that Israeli forces had shot dead an unarmed 17-year-old inside the hospital compound and were preventing ambulances from leaving it. Paramedics and ambulance drivers were stripped and forced to kneel on the ground, MSF said in a post on X. Ambulance workers, one with a bulletproof vest, wait at the entrance of the Khalil Suleimani Hospital, which is just metres from the refugee camp. But due to Israeli military checkpoints, transport of the injured by first responders is delayed [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera] With these sorts of obstacles, it’s all a case of making do inside the Jenin camp. The first aid volunteers work from a large hall that was once used by a civil society organisation but now serves as a training centre where the volunteers receive instruction from MSF on how to stem bleeding, safely move and lift victims and a host of other life-saving techniques. At the moment, all the training centre contains are a few bandages and some other medical supplies while volunteer tradesmen work in the corners carrying out routine repairs. At the moment, the training centre has only a few medical supplies [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera] ‘You are

Palestinian teen describes Israeli strike on friends playing in street

NewsFeed Palestinian teenager Radwan al-Baghdadi says he feels alone after an Israeli air strike in Gaza killed his cousin and several of his friends while they played. Published On 25 Jul 202425 Jul 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

Netanyahu’s claims before the US Congress: Facts or falsehoods?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has addressed a joint session of the United States Congress as his country conducts a war on Gaza in which more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed. Netanyahu on Wednesday presented a defence of Israel’s war, launched on October 7, the day Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups carried out attacks on Israeli territory in which 1,139 people were killed. The prime minister spoke of a plan for what he termed a “de-radicalised post-war Gaza” but offered few details beyond the assertion that Israel would retain security control over the strip. Outside Congress, meanwhile, protesters called for him to be prosecuted for alleged war crimes as families of some Israeli captives held in Gaza were evicted from the building for demanding answers from the Israeli premier. So what were the key claims Netanyahu made in his speech, and how true were they? Al Jazeera fact-checks the prime minister’s address: On Rafah attacks Netanyahu: “Remember what so many people said? If Israel goes into Rafah, there’ll be thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of civilians killed. Well, last week, I went into Rafah. I visited our troops as they finished fighting Hamas’s remaining terrorist battalions. I asked the commander there, “How many terrorists did you take out in Rafah?” He gave me an exact number: 1,203. I asked him, “How many civilians were killed?” He said, “Prime minister, practically none. With the exception of a single incident, where shrapnel from a bomb hit a Hamas weapons depot and unintentionally killed two dozen people, the answer is practically none.” The facts: At least 45 people, including children, were killed in just one attack when Israel fired missiles at a camp housing displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city in late May. As horrific scenes from the massacre emerged, drawing worldwide condemnation, the United Nations said Rafah was like “hell on Earth”. By then, a majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people were crammed into the city and its neighbouring areas after fleeing other parts of the enclave because of the war and Israel’s orders to evacuate. From May 6 to Wednesday, Israel has killed more than 4,300 people in the strip while repeatedly targeting schools and Israeli-designated “safe zones”. Israel also killed dozens, if not hundreds, of people in Rafah in rocket attacks before its forces entered the city. And while Netanyahu said the Israeli military had killed 1,203 Palestinian fighters, there has been no independent verification of the assertion that those described as “terrorists” were indeed individuals belonging to armed groups. An Israeli offensive in #Rafah would mean more civilian suffering & deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people@UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people pic.twitter.com/8anQ8Eq6Gv — UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 6, 2024 On aid trucks to Gaza Netanyahu: “Israel has enabled more than 40,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza. That’s half a million tonnes of food. And that’s more than 3,000 calories for every man, woman and child in Gaza. If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren’t getting enough food, it’s not because Israel is blocking it. It’s because Hamas is stealing it.” The facts: At the beginning of the war, Israel implemented a full blockade of the already besieged Gaza, which included a ban on food, water, medicines and other essential supplies. While this was somewhat eased later under global pressure, the facts on the ground – as reported by the UN, Al Jazeera’s own coverage and other independent organisations – are far removed from the picture painted by Netanyahu. Before the war started, Gaza received an average of 500 aid trucks per day. Since the war started, the UN has recorded a total of 30,630 aid trucks — not 40,000 as Netanyahu said. That averages out to 104 trucks per day, only a fifth of the pre-war amount. And contrary to the Israeli prime minister’s claim that there was enough food for the people of Gaza, UN experts in July declared that famine had spread throughout Gaza. On anti-Israel protests Netanyahu: “We recently learned from the US director of national intelligence that Iran is funding and promoting anti-Israel protests in America. They want to disrupt America.”  “For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building – not that many, but they’re there – and throughout the city. Well, I have a message for these protesters: When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.” The facts: Netanyahu did not provide any evidence that Iran is funding protesters. On July 10, Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence, did say that Iran’s government was secretly encouraging American protests in an bid to spark outrage before US elections in November. “Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in its efforts to influence foreign affairs, aiming to sow discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions,” Haines said. But Haines did not mention funding. Antiwar protests erupted on college campuses across the US and around the world in April. Tensions escalated when New York police made mass arrests during protests at Columbia University. On targeting civilians Netanyahu: “The ICC [International Criminal Court] prosecutor accuses Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. What in God’s green earth is he talking about? The [Israeli military] has dropped millions of flyers, sent millions of text messages, made hundreds of thousands of phone calls to get Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way. But at the same time, Hamas does everything in its power to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way. They fire rockets from schools, from hospitals, from mosques.” The facts: As of Monday, the Israeli military had marked 83 percent of the Gaza Strip as unsafe for Palestinian civilians. This portion of the enclave has either been declared a “no-go

‘Colombian drug lord’: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu compares Jagan Mohan Reddy to Pablo Escobar

In the assembly, Naidu released a white paper in which he asserted that Andhra Pradesh had turned into the “Ganja capital” during Reddy’s tenure.

5 key takeaways of Biden’s address to the nation from the Oval Office

President Biden delivered an approximately 11-minute address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday.  While sitting behind the Resolute Desk, surrounded by portraits of American presidents, Biden spoke of his decision to discontinue his re-election campaign and laid out his plan for the remainder of his term.  The 81-year-old president, after recovering from a reported COVID-19 case last week, also spoke repeatedly about “defending democracy.”  Here are five key takeaways from the address that comes at a pivotal moment of the election cycle as Vice President Harris, with Biden’s endorsement, vies to become the Democratic nominee for president.  BIDEN ADDRESSES DECISION TO DROP OUT OF 2024 RACE, INTENDS TO COMPLETE TERM IN WHITE HOUSE 1. Biden offers an explanation about deciding to step aside from the race  The president said that when he was elected to office, he promised to “always level with you, to tell you the truth.”  That truth, Biden said, is that the “sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us,” and those dedicated to the “cause of American democracy must unite to protect it.”  “In recent weeks, it’s become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believed my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said. “That includes personal ambition. So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation. You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and place for new voices. Fresh voices. Yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”  2. Biden vows to reform the Supreme Court  The president laid out his plan for the remaining six months of his first term.  “I’m going to call for Supreme Court reform because this is critical to our democracy, Supreme Court reform,” Biden said, without elaborating.  He also vowed to “continue to lower costs for hard-working families,” grow the economy, defend personal freedoms and civil rights “from the right to vote to the right to choose.” The president said he would continue work on the “cancer moonshot,” which was part of his 2020 campaign promise to end cancer as we know it and mobilize the federal government to speed progress in cancer research.   TRUMP SLAMS BIDEN’S ‘TERRIBLE’ OVAL OFFICE ADDRESS ON ABRUPT EXIT FROM 2024 RACE: ‘IT WAS A COUP’ 3. Biden condemns political violence, without directly addressing the assassination attempt on former President Trump.  “I’ll keep calling out hate and extremism. Make it clear [that] there is no place, no place in America for political violence or any violence that ever. Period,” Biden said, while listing priorities for the rest of his term.  Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, sending a unifying shock wave throughout the Republican Party, which formally named him their nominee the following week.  4. Biden references “kings and dictators” when reiterating his support for Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee  “I’d like to thank our great Vice President, Kamala Harris. She’s experienced. She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people. When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin’s hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office, alongside the busts of Doctor King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez,” Biden said.  The president recalled how, when Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he was asked whether the country would be a monarchy or a republic.  Franklin famously was quoted as responding, “a republic, if you can keep it.”  Biden also touted his more than 50 years of service to the nation.  “The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do,” he said. Biden has previously accused Trump of wanting to be a dictator. Biden noted the country emerged from the “worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, [and] the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”  5. Biden boasts that he is the first U.S. president of this century without Americans at war anywhere in the world “I will keep working to ensure America remains strong, secure in the leader of the free world. I’m the first president of this century to report to the American people that the United States is not a war anywhere in the world,” Biden said. The claim comes as the Biden administration received heavy criticism over its botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.  During his debate against Trump last month, Biden made the stunning omission of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate when claiming no U.S. troops were killed while he was in office.  Biden in his Oval Office address also vowed to “keep rallying a coalition of proud nations” to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from taking over Ukraine, promised to make NATO “more powerful and more united than any time in all of our history” and said he would support allies in the Pacific, claiming that it is no longer “conventional wisdom” that China would surpass the United States.  Regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden vowed to “end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages to bring peace and security to the Middle East.” 

Election integrity group dishes out $50K to whistleblowers, 6-figure Olympics ad buy: ‘We’re watching’

A newly formed election watchdog nonprofit organization has started paying out tens of thousands of dollars in “bounties” to election whistleblowers as part of its unique goal of promoting election integrity by encouraging whistleblowers to come forward.  The Fair Election Fund, a recently formed national election integrity watchdog group, is announcing this week it is awarding an initial $50,000 in “bounties” to whistleblowers who have reported first-hand knowledge of voter fraud or irregularities across four states, including North Carolina and Michigan. The Fair Election fund was set up earlier this year pledging millions of dollars to promote election integrity by paying and protecting whistleblowers on the front lines who are able to identify issues at polling places and election offices. The group says it has heard from numerous whistleblowers across the country reporting issues receiving multiple ballots, delayed ballots, mailing address errors, independent parties blocked from overseeing counting, receiving ballots without requesting one and other issues. WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT NEW LIBERAL MAJORITY REVERSES RULING THAT BANNED MOST BALLOT DROP BOXES IN SWING STATE “The Fair Election Fund is thrilled that our incentives are working and we’re learning more about systemic problems with our election system, but this is just the beginning,” Doug Collins, former congressman from Georgia and Fair Election Fund Senior Advisor, said in the press release. “The Fair Election Fund today is sharing the stories of the first brave whistleblowers who stepped up and exposed the wrongdoing they saw in the election process and we are grateful for their contribution. We must shine a light on these abuses and root out election fraud before Americans head to the polls this November.” ARIZONA ELECTION WORKER SEEN STEALING FROM SENATE SECURITY DESK DAY BEFORE ELECTION CENTER THEFT: OFFICIALS The group says in the press release that the “success” of the “initial bounties” shows the need for the group to expand, which it will do into key swing states in a six-figure digital ad buy during the Olympics.  The new ad, titled “We’re Watching,” will run in the swing states of Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina and tells the story of a Connecticut Democratic operative recently charged in an absentee ballot stuffing investigation. “Voting is our most sacred right as Americans, And when the stakes are this high,” the ad states. “We can’t afford to let our guard down. When bad actors try to mess with our elections, they should know we’re watching, and they will be caught.”

House Dem from border district dodges questions on Harris’ immigration record: ‘Was she a border czar?’

FIRST ON FOX: Texas Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez declined to answer when asked this week whether Vice President Kamala Harris did a “good job” as the “border czar” overseeing President Biden’s immigration agenda. “Do you think Kamala Harris did a good job as border czar?” Gonzalez, who represents Texas’ 34th Congressional District, was asked in a House office building on Tuesday. “I don’t know that she was a border czar, was she a border czar?” Gonzalez asked, seemingly echoing media outlets attempting to walk back that job title description now that Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. “She was a border czar, a couple years ago, do you think she did a good job as the border czar?” Gonzalez was asked again. CREATOR OF IMMIGRATION CHART THAT ‘SAVED’ TRUMP’S LIFE FROM WOULD-BE ASSASSIN CREDITS ‘PROVIDENCE’ “You should know that,” Gonzalez responded before walking away. Fox News Digital reached out to Gonzalez’s office for further comment but did not receive a response. TRUMP EYES MULTIPLE BORDER VISITS AS HE DRAWS CONTRAST WITH ‘RADICAL LEFT’ HARRIS Gonzalez is the second House Democrat in as many days to not directly answer a question about Harris’ performance on immigration since she was tapped by Biden in 2021 to help tackle the border issue. Republicans and mainstream news media outlets quickly dubbed her the “border czar,” which Democrats have pushed back on. Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes also declined to provide an answer on Tuesday when asked in the House office building about the job that Harris did on illegal immigration. Harris’ record on immigration is likely to become a main talking point with Republicans looking to rally voters against her now that she is likely to become the Democratic nominee for president. Republican Senate candidates in swing states have already released ads slamming Harris on immigration and linking her record to down-ballot incumbents, including Ohio GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno in an ad released on Wednesday.

House Republicans replace American flags at Union Station after anti-Israel protests

House Republicans visited Union Station late Wednesday night and replaced the American flags anti-Israel protesters had burned and replaced with Palestinian flags earlier in the day. House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke with the press as the American flags were being put back up. The anti-Israel protesters descended on the nation’s capital as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address before Congress. At Union Station, protesters removed all three American flags flying outside the historic metro transit hub. They flew Palestinian flags in their place and burned at least one of the American flags that were taken down. Protesters also covered nearby monuments in grafitti. “We recognize that they flew Palestinian flags on these polls. It is outrageous,” Johnson said. “They were pulled down thankfully.” PROTESTERS CHANT ‘FREE PALESTINE’ AS NETANYAHU ADDRESSES CONGRESS Footage shows members of Congress running American flags back up all three polls with assistance from police. HARRIS BOYCOTTS NETANYAHU, SNUBS ISRAELI LEADER’S WARTIME ADDRESS TO GIVE SORORITY SPEECH Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the protests in a statement on Thursday. “Defacing public property, desecrating the American flag, threatening Jews with violence and promoting terrorist groups like Hamas is not acceptable under any circumstance.There is a difference between lawful expression and disorderly conduct. Anyone who violates the law must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Jeffries wrote. A man who walked by the protest and remarked that he was Jewish and was offended by the language was then chased down the street, yelled at and called “Hitler” by agitators. He and a woman were later let inside a building to get away from the protesters. When a Fox News reporter asked why they followed the man, one said it was because he was White and Jewish. Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters had gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue and 3rd Street, outside the Gallery of Art. The protest organizers included Answer Coalition and Code Pink. There were numerous speakers from various organizations, including one from the Party for Socialism and Liberation. ‘CHICKENS FOR KFC’: NETANYAHU RIPS CEASE-FIRE ACTIVISTS IN SPEECH TO CONGRESS AS TLAIB SILENTLY PROTESTS Johnson denounced the protesters as “terrorists” in a statement on social media. U.S. Capitol Hill Police claimed the Union Station flags were out of their jurisdiction and were therefore unprotected. “No flags under our protection have been removed or vandalized. Our officers will enforce the law if anyone attempts to remove a flag in USCP jurisdiction. To clear up inaccurate reporting,” they said in a statement. Fox News’ Meghan Tome and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Biden says ‘The choice is up to you, the American people’ while saying he won’t seek re-election

President Biden publicly addressed the nation on Wednesday night for the first time after announcing Sunday that he had withdrawn from his pending re-election. He cited things he has done since being inaugurated — like battling COVID-19 and trying to help the country recover from what he called the “worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.” Biden also said the election is up to the “American people,” just a moment after he gave a slight endorsement to Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. BIDEN ENDS BID FOR SECOND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE AS HE DROPS OUT OF HIS 2024 REMATCH WITH TRUMP “In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I made my choice. I’ve made my views known,” Biden said from the White House. “I would like to thank our great vice president, Kamala Harris. She is experienced, she is tough, she is capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. “Now the choice is up to you, the American people. When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office, alongside the busts of Dr. King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez.” AMID CONCERNS ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL ACUITY, EXPERTS REVEAL HOW COGNITIVE TESTS WORK AND WHAT THEY REVEAL Biden, who is 81 and has faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over his physical appearances and mental acuity after the first presidential debate, did not mention any personal reasons for why he is stepping away. “In recent weeks, it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition,” the president said. “So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation. I know there was a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now. “Over the next six months, I will be focused on doing my job as president. That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families, grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose. I will keep calling out hate and extremism, making it clear there is no place, no place in America for political violence or any violence ever, period. I’m going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence, our planet from climate crisis as an existential threat.” Biden won the needed votes to clinch delegates for re-election. Now, it seems like Harris will be the presumed Democratic candidate to run against former President Trump in the general election this fall.