5 vital stories to know this week [5/19]
President Biden will continue to fund Israel with weapons despite its military invading Rafah, where millions of displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Here are five things you need to know this week.
Biden Moves Forward on $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel
The Biden administration informed Congress this week that it plans to send more than $1 billion in new weapons to Israel, despite the U.S. being opposed to a full-scale invasion of Rafah by the Israeli military, which Biden called a “red line.” The package includes $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and $60 million for mortar rounds, according to AP.
Context: Human rights agencies claim a military siege on Rafah would worsen the humanitarian crisis as the city is mostly comprised of refugees, including women and children.
Trucks are rolling across a new US pier into Gaza. But challenges remain to getting enough aid in.
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid began moving into Gaza on Friday using a temporary pier built by the U.S., delivering desperately needed supplies to Gaza. The pier was a State of the Union commitment by President Biden to ensure innocent Palestinians are getting the proper resources amid reports of mass starvation.
To know: Human rights agencies, including the UN and Amnesty International, say airdrops and the U.S.’s pier are not enough to avoid mass starvation in Gaza.
Target cutting number of stores carrying Pride-themed merchandise after 2023’s backlash
Target will cut parts of its LGBTQ+ themed merchandise during Pride Month in June after facing backlash for the clothes last year. Although Target will offer the full assortment of merchandise online, it will use store-wide data to decide which locations will carry the products, citing concerns from last year over the destruction of property and harassment of employees from customers. Target also saw a drop in sales for its second quarter last year. Now, it will release the clothing apparel in 2,000 stores nationwide.
WATCH: Biden delivers Morehouse commencement speech as some students and faculty express pro-Palestinian messages
President Biden was met with backlash when speaking at Morehouse College’s commencement ceremony, due to his administration’s support of Israel during its war on Gaza. Many students did not stand when the President arrived or turned their backs during his speech. Morehouse valedictorian DeAngelo Fletcher called for a ceasefire in Gaza while speaking ahead of President Joe Biden's commencement address.
Newsletter Moved To Sunday. More Columns Coming Soon.
Dear reader, our weekly round-up will officially be launched on Sundays instead of Fridays. This change comes from the survey results we polled a few weeks ago. Our columns will start again towards the summer! Thank you so much for your patience as we re-launch our media company with the limited resources we have.