Types of News: Brief Archives

17Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Ben & Jerry’s Cofounder Quits, Citing Lack of Freedom to Stand for Values

Censorship on Israel-Palestine Is At Center of Dispute with Corporate Owners September 17, 2025—In a blow to the concept of conscience capitalism, Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, resigned today, citing a sudden lack of freedom to pursue values of peace, justice, and human rights for which the company is known. A longstanding dispute with corporate owners, first Unilever and now Magnum, accelerated in 2024 when Ben & Jerry’s board called for a ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. It was one of the few companies that took a stand in the Israel-Hamas war and ensuing genocide. Unique Merger Granting Freedom When Greenfield and co-founder Ben Cohen sold their Vermont-based company to Unilever for $326 million in 2000, they negotiated a ...

Israel Is Committing Genocide, Scholars Body Declares

1Sep

By No Comments

Human rights, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Israel Is Committing Genocide, Scholars Body Declares

Association Calls on States to Prevent and Punish Israel for Its Genocide September 1, 2025—A leading international organization studying genocide declared that the Israeli government has “engaged in systematic and widespread crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide” in Gaza. The resolution by the International Association of Genocide Scholars adds to a growing collection of declarations and reports by international bodies, human rights organizations, scholars of holocaust studies, and investigative bodies that have concluded Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide. The IAGS approved its resolution on August 31, 2025. It is a strong indictment of Israel’s attacks against civilians in Gaza. It cites not only military actions, which have killed over 59,000 people—the actua...

Top Ten Deadliest Places for Humanitarian Aid Workers

21Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Infographic

Top Ten Deadliest Places for Humanitarian Aid Workers

520 Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Since October 2023 August 21, 2025—On Worldwide Humanitarian Day, diplomats and humanitarians in Geneva marked the rise of incidents against aid workers. The community saw another rise in violence this year, with 265 aid workers killed so far this year. That follows a spike in 2024 of 383 humanitarians killed. Aid workers are protected by International Humanitarian Law. The rise in violence against aid workers undermines that law. ‘Normalization of Violence’ Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, condemned “the normalization of violence against this community.” The worst place for humanitarian workers is the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza, where 520 aid workers have been killed since October 20...

Trump Deploys National Guard Soldiers to DC Against Homeless, Civilians

11Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trump Deploys National Guard Soldiers to DC Against Homeless, Civilians

August 11, 2025—In the latest display of executive power, President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., taking over the nation’s capital with military force. “This is liberation day in D.C., and we’re going to take our Capitol back. We’re taking it back…. I’m officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. You know what that is? And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control,” Trump said. “In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order, and public safety.” The White House declared a "crime emergency" and placed the District under the control of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The plan involves 800 National Guard troops charged with removing homel...

Extreme Famine Reaches Gaza Due to Israel’s Draconian Aid Restrictions

30Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Foreign Aid, International Development, Human rights, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Extreme Famine Reaches Gaza Due to Israel’s Draconian Aid Restrictions

Gaza Population Tips From Mass Starvation to Mass Death, Crisis Group Reports July 30, 2025--Stage 4 and 5 famine has reached the Gaza Strip, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform, the world's monitor on famine. The entire population faces acute food insecurity while a half a million people face starvation. "Nineteen months into the conflict, the Gaza Strip is still confronted with a critical risk of Famine. Over 60 days have passed since all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies were blocked from entering the territory. Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks," the IPC warning said. Defying international law against using starvation as a weapon of war, Israeli has repeate...

Israel Bombs Syrian Capital of Damascus, Amid Sectarian Conflict

16Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Geopolitics, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Israel Bombs Syrian Capital of Damascus, Amid Sectarian Conflict

Military Strikes Weaken Israel-Syrian Rapprochement Since Fall of Assad Image pulled from social media on X July 16, 2025—The Israeli government conducted military strikes against Syria today, hitting sites in the capital of Damascus and in the southern part of the country where sectarian clashes continue. The military strikes killed three people and injured 34 others, according to the Syrian government. The conflict weakens warming relations between Western countries, including the U.S. and European governments, with the new Syrian regime. They also suggest the rapprochement between Israel and Syria in the wake of the fall of the 24-year reign of the Bashar al-Assad regime may only be an illusion. The Assad regime fell to Israel and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels led...

Globally, Dissatisfaction With Democracy Grows

10Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Types of News: Brief

Globally, Dissatisfaction With Democracy Grows

July 10, 2025—An increasing number of people in Western democracies are expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of their representation in government, according to an annual survey by Pew Research. The survey shows that a median of 64 percent of adults is dissatisfied with the way democracies are working today, up from 49 percent in 2017. Pew’s research suggests that people still prefer the idea of representative government but are “frustrated with political elites or feel their views are not truly represented in government.” Survey countries included Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results varied widely with the highest dissatisfaction rates coming from the United States...

1Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief, United States

Senate Clears Trump’s Mega Budget Bill

Tax Cut Extension Would Increase the U.S. Debt by $4.2 Trillion July 1, 2025--The Senate approved President Trump's signature budget and policy bill today, as Vice President JD Vance broke a tie vote, clearing the bill for the House. The legislation, formerly known as the "Big, Beautiful Bill," would reduce taxes on the wealthy, cut the SNAP food aid program, and reduce the Medicaid healthcare for low-income people by $1 trillion. Furthermore, H.R. 1 would implement significant budgetary and policy changes. The new text totals 887 pages.The bill masks an estimated $3.3 to $3.8 trillion revenue loss to the federal budget. The bill, H.R. 1, would raise the current U.S. national debt of $37 trillion to historic new highs. The House passed a different version of the bill in May, rockin...

Less Than 4 Percent of People in Gaza Want Hamas to Lead, Poll Shows

12Jun

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Domestic Politics, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Less Than 4 Percent of People in Gaza Want Hamas to Lead, Poll Shows

June 12, 2025—Only 4 percent of the population in Gaza wants Hamas to remain in control, according to a recent poll commissioned by Zogby Reseach Services. In a poll conducted by Zogby for the Tony Blair Institute from April 9 to May 12, 2025, the majority of people in Gaza stated that they would prefer government by the Palestinian Authority (35 percent) or a transitional international coalition that works with local administrators (27 percent). Palestinian Authority Commits to Major Reforms & Elections It comes at a time when the PA outlined plans for reforms and governance. It also comes ahead of a major international conference for a two-state solution cosponsored by France and Saudi Arabia. Today, French President Emmanuel Macron released a letter from PA President Mah...

U.S. Removes Welcome for Students from China

29May

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Globalization, Disintegration, Nationalism, Populism, Types of News: Brief, United States

U.S. Removes Welcome for Students from China

State Department Announces 'Aggressive Revocation' of Visas for Chinese Students May 29, 2025—In another move to assert control over U.S. universities, the Trump Administration announced an aggressive policy to revoke visas for students from China. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department and the Department of Homeland Security would “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” He said the government would also scrutinize future visa applications from China and Hong Kong. The change in policy impacts more than 270,000 students of the 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. universities. Moreover, the decision is expected to have a detrimental financial impact ...