WSJ chart on the dramatic reduction in aid to Gaza after Israel upended the UN’s aid distribution system

As starvation worsens by the day in Gaza, the Netanyahu govt has been using food as a weapon of war — with complicity from Trump & U.S. taxpayer dollars. This is painful to listen to but here’s what a U.S. Army veteran & Green Beret who witnessed it first-hand recounted to me:

The dismantling of USAID and cuts to PEPFAR (along with a plan to transform the initiative) could lead to massive loss of life overseas. Developing nations depend on U.S. food and medical aid. Much of that assistance is in jeopardy. forbes.com/sites/joshuaco…

They're not soldiers. They're not part of the conflict. They're part of the lifeline. A record 383 aid workers were killed last year–simply for the crime of saving lives. This #WorldHumanitarianDay, I'm reminding the world that humanitarians are #NotATarget. My article in TIME

On our trip to the Middle East, Senator Jeff Merkley and I saw and heard firsthand how the Netanyahu government is engaged in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and America is complicit. Here are just a few takeaways:

152 U.S. Doctors who served in Gaza are calling on the White House to stop funding the genocide. gazahealthcareletters.org/usa-letter-oct…

We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries.   Failure to act now will only drive further instability, migration and conflict.   The latest Hunger Hotspots report: wfp.org/news/new-fao-w…

"When asked about Israel denying entry to some American and international health workers, Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, which oversees the center, declined to comment." Thanks to ⁦The Washington Post⁩ for covering this. washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/…

‘Nobody Wants to Take Responsibility for the Tragedy That’s Going on Here’ politi.co/495zsXL via POLITICO

Ever wondered what it would cost to end extreme poverty worldwide? In new work, we use advances in statistical learning to estimate these costs under realistic targeting constraints -- and the answer is much less than many assume. Covered today in Vox: vox.com/future-perfect…

I wish I could say Ray Takeyh is wrong. The reconsolidation of power by the regime and its unyielding posture at the negotiating table is all the more reason to take the path of full military confrontation for regime change.

I enjoyed the opportunity to speak and learn at this years World Forum on the Future of Democracy, AI / Tech and Humankind in Berlin.

Jean-Gabriel Leynaud discusses his new film of Mud and Blood on The Borgen Project Podcast. borgenproject.org/cinematographe…

Miners digging for world tech material are dying in Congo. Here’s why apnews.com/article/congo-…

John Oliver and his team did an amazing job of laying out the insanity of the White House and DOGE destroying USAID. youtube.com/watch?v=tU8S13…

It's hard to overemphasize this: US-Israeli violence does not keep Americans or Israelis safe. In fact, it's not even meant to.

Just yesterday the Netanyahu govt adopted a law to hang Palestinians who commit certain crimes in the West Bank but not Israeli settlers who commit the same crimes. Why are we sending a blank check of billions of $ to a govt that pursues these & other blatantly racist policies?

Unchecked impunity spreads death and destruction. It’s time for international investigation, sanctions, and accountability. #Tigray #Sudan #EndImpunity #HearHerCries #NameItGenocide António Guterres Volker Türk Karim A. A. Khan KC Ursula von der Leyen Secretary Marco Rubio UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 UK Parliament

This gets very little attention in the U.S. but the only thing keeping Netanyahu out of jail is him keeping wars going. Israel won't stop bombing countries (6 in the last 12-months) until he is out of office. #blockthebombs huffpost.com/entry/netanyah…

Lebanon airstrike casualties ‘still under the rubble’ as ambulances, hospitals face new threats news.un.org/en/story/2026/…