Report: Israel has launched defamation proceedings against the NYT over a column that alleged "widespread sexual abuse of Palestinians by Israeli prison guards, soldiers & settlers."
Israel is highly unlikely to win the case:
The NYT “does not have to prove that it was true", only that they believed it was true. "It could turn out they made a mistake.“
#NYT #USPol #EUPol #IsraeliCrimes #palestine #palestinePrisoners #news .
Report: "Tobacco industry scores FDA win days after $5 million donation to Trump super PAC"
Apr 30: Reynolds donates $5 million to MAGA Inc
May 2: Reynolds execs lunch with Trump, who calls FDA & Health Secretary complaining about e-cigarette regulation.
Less than a week later, the FDA changes the guidelines in favour of Big Tobacco.
Source: Drop Site News May 20
#BigTobacco #USPol #EUPol #TrumpCorruption #FDA #Health #autocracy #news .
Interview: "Dictatorship in Action” Trump's $1.8B slush fund & bar on IRS scrutiny
Trumps so-called “anti-weaponization” fund will pay criminal Trump supporters to intimidate people.
And the order to not investigate the Trump family’s dealings “screams that Donald Trump is, in fact, a criminal-level tax cheat.”
~David Cay Johnston
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/20/trump_irs_deal_corruption_johnston
#USPol #EUPol #IRS #Autocracy #Jan6 #news #TrumpCorruption .
In a shocking and unprecedented move, the Justice Department issued a memo Tuesday saying the IRS is “forever barred” from investigating past tax returns of President Trump, his family, company and “related companies.” It came just a day after the department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to “compensate” people prosecuted for supposedly political reasons by the Biden and Obama administrations — a move expected to benefit January 6 insurrectionists, other Trump allies and even Trump himself. It’s all part of an agreement between the Department of Justice and President Trump’s personal attorneys in exchange for Trump dropping a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — President Trump’s former personal attorney — will appoint the commission overseeing the Justice Department’s new fund. “This is dictatorship in action,” says reporter David Cay Johnston. He calls the “anti-weaponization” fund “a slush fund to pay a criminal enforcement arm, a violent arm of Trump supporters to intimidate people” and says the order to not investigate the Trump family’s dealings “screams that Donald Trump is, in fact, a criminal-level tax cheat.”
Report: US removes sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a week after a federal judge said the sanctions restricted her freedom of speech.
"US District Judge Richard Leon issued a temporary injunction against the sanctions in response to a case filed by Albanese’s husband and daughter in February."
#USPol #EUPol #FrancescaAlbanese #USSanctions #Democracy #Fascism #palestine #news .
Analysis: "Western leaders play their part in our charade democracies"
"Our enemies are the super-rich & their servants, who are deeply invested in the maintenance of the current system because it richly rewards them."
They will throw everything they can "to prevent change, even if the current trajectory is towards humanity’s immolation."
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2026-05-20/western-leaders-charade-democracies/
#USPol #EUPol #Democracy #USImperialism #oligarchy #climateCatastrophe .
Report: "Israel pushes for war"
Some in Israel "would like to cut their losses & walk away," says fmr negotiator Daniel Levy.
But Netanyahu & most of the mainstream "want to double down & use all that US hardware... to seriously degrade Iran.”
“This stops when the US says it stops,” Levy says. As Trump said of Netanyahu after their Tuesday call, he’ll “do whatever I want him to".
#USPol #USIsraelRelationship #EUPol #IranWar #news #USImperialism #IsraeliWarmongering .
Report: Palantir is embedding itself in major newsrooms
Palantir serves the US Army, police, intelligence & ICE, Israel's occupation & genocide, the NHS, & security & defence agencies across the globe.
Several major media organisations have partnered with Palantir, incl Axel Springer, Fox News, & Ringier. "Axel Springer stands in unconditional solidarity with the State of Israel," says a company press release from Oct 9, 2023.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/how-palantir-becoming-embedded-major-newsroom-operations
Report: ICC prosecutor's office seeks arrest warrant for Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Charges include "forced displacement as a crime against humanity & war crime, the transfer of Israel’s own population as a war crime, & persecution & apartheid as crimes against humanity."
There may be two more warrant applications, including for national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
#USPol #EUPol #ICC #Smotrich #news #palestine #GazaGenocide #Apartheid .
Report: "The US has imposed sanctions on four activists involved in flotilla missions seeking to break Israel’s 19-year siege on Gaza."
The sanctions were announced on Tuesday after at least 430 flotilla activists were abducted by Israel.
The US accused, without evidence, flotilla organisers of "trying to reach the Palestinian territory in support of Hamas”.
#USPol #EUPol #GlobalSumudFlotilla #news #palestine #USSanctions #BreakTheSiege .
DrALJONES
BobBelcher
