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Marc Lamont Hill, a professor at CUNY and a former correspondent for CNN, who was dismissed after calling for “a free Palestine from the river to the sea” during a speech at the United Nations, voiced his support for Hamas at a Congressional Black Caucus panel. The panel, which included Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush, was covered by the Washington Free Beacon.

“As a non-Palestinian, it is not my role to dictate how people achieve their freedom. It’s not my place to tell people how to be free,” Hill remarked, referring to Hamas as “the democratically elected group that has been consistently undermined.”

While Hamas won the 2006 elections in Gaza, it took control by force in 2007, ousting the Palestinian Authority in a violent coup, and has since ruled without holding further elections for over 17 years.

Hill went on to say, “When we talk about Hamas, don’t portray them as just irrational or crazy.” He added that Hamas should not be criticized without considering “the context of Israeli settler states that …. abuse, steal land, kill people, and don’t adhere to treaties.”

The panel, titled “The Struggle for Black and Palestinian Liberation,” included figures such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman, and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan.

Cori Bush was seen nodding in agreement as Hill defended Hamas, according to the Free Beacon. Hasan was the lone panelist to challenge Hill’s defense of the group.

Hill has a history of defending Hamas and its so-called ‘right’ to use violence. In 2014, he authored an opinion piece criticizing Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. This system, which is purely defensive and intercepts rockets targeting civilian areas, was seen by Hill as diminishing Hamas’s leverage against Israel.

In 2018, during a speech at the United Nations on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Hill argued against the “fetishization of non-violence” for Palestinians and called for “a free Palestine from the river to the sea.” This phrase, which calls for the destruction of Israel, is a slogan used by Hamas.

Less than a month after the October 7 attack in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and over 250 taken hostage, Hill appeared on Briahna Joy Gray’s “Bad Faith” show. He denied that Hamas is a terrorist organization and instead suggested it should be regarded as a legitimate “government.”

Earlier this month, Hill took issue with Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) over Torres’ defense of Israel and his criticism of Hamas’s violent methods. Hill dismissed Torres’ view, stating, “Making it seem as if Israel is some innocent nation-state surrounded by Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis is absurd.”

“You keep framing the free Palestine movement as if it’s inherently tied to violence, as if people under occupation and oppression don’t have the right to fight back,” he argued. “I’m not going to embrace this idea that we can only support Palestinians if they claim to be nonviolent. Sometimes violence is necessary. When faced with an oppressive, violent state, you absolutely must respond with violence.”

{Matzav.com}

Lakewood Alerts regrets to inform you of the tragic petirah of Mrs. Kreindel Yachat Pinkovics a”h, who was niftar Sunday morning. She was in her thirties. Mrs. Pinkovicz, née Weinberger, had collapsed several months ago days after the birth of her youngest child. Tragically, she never recovered. She is survived by her husband, R’ Binyomin yb”l, and five children. The Levaya will take place today at 12:00 PM at Khal Chasan Sofer, located at 490 Manetta Avenue in Lakewood. Kevurah will follow in Deans, NJ.

On Sunday, the IDF officially confirmed that Sergeant Ron Sherman, Corporal Nik Beizer, and Elia Toledano, whose remains were recovered last December, were killed by an IDF airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF explained that the investigation was carried out by officers from the Intelligence Directorate, operational commanders from the Israel Air Force (IAF), and officials from the Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters within the Intelligence Directorate. These teams reviewed the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three hostages, including the intelligence collected by the IDF since their abduction. The investigation, which was completed recently, followed thorough intelligence and operational efforts and took into account the security of the hostages.

The investigation’s findings indicate a strong likelihood that the hostages were killed as a result of a secondary effect from an IDF airstrike targeting Hamas Northern Brigade commander Ahmed Ghandour on November 10, 2023. While this assessment is highly probable based on the available evidence, it is not possible to conclusively determine the exact circumstances of their deaths. The assessment is informed by the location where their bodies were discovered relative to the impact of the strike, analysis of the strike’s effectiveness, intelligence data, pathological reports, and conclusions drawn by the Forensic Medicine Institute.

The investigation suggests that the three hostages were held within the tunnel network used by Ghandour. At the time of the strike, the IDF was unaware of the hostages’ presence in the targeted area. There was information indicating that the hostages might have been in a different location, leading to the area not being identified as one potentially housing hostages. During the conflict, the IDF has refrained from attacking locations suspected of housing hostages. The IDF utilizes a mechanism through the Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters to minimize harm to hostages and invests considerable effort in gathering information about their whereabouts.

On December 14, the remains of the three hostages were recovered from the tunnel where Ghandour was located, thanks to precise intelligence on their location, and were subsequently brought to Israel for burial.

The Sherman family has been at the forefront of the quest for clarity regarding their son’s death. They inscribed on his grave: “Abducted, abandoned, and sacrificed in Gaza by the failed government during the disaster of October 7th, 2023.”

{Matzav.com}

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday bringing back tough criminal penalties targeting large-scale stealing schemes and smash-and-grab robberies that have fueled voter frustration across the state. The new law requires prosecutors to start imposing harsher sentences again for those who damage or destroy property valued at more than $50,000 while committing a felony. A similar law expired in 2018. The new law will sunset by 2030. “California already has some of the strictest retail and property crime laws in the nation — and we have made them even stronger with our recent legislation,” Newsom said in a statement. “We can be tough on crime while also being smart on crime — we don’t need to go back to broken policies of the last century.” The decision to bring back tough penalties comes as Democratic leaders continue to work to prove that they are tough enough on crime while trying to convince voters to reject a ballot measure that would bring even harsher sentences for repeat offenders of shoplifting and drug charges. While shoplifting has been a growing problem, large-scale, smash-and-grab thefts, in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have become a crisis in California and elsewhere in recent years. Such crimes, often captured on video and posted on social media, have brought particular attention to the problem of retail theft in the state. The new law is part of a bipartisan legislative package of about a dozen bills aiming to crack down on thefts, making it easier to go after repeat shoplifters and auto thieves and increase penalties for those running professional reselling schemes. “Violent ‘sledgehammer crimes’ and flash-mob attacks by organized gangs must stop now,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who authored the bill, said in a statement. “Our business owners and workers should not have to live in fear that these crimes will come to their doorstep.” The measure is also supported by the California Retailers Association, which said the new penalties would serve as “a deterrent against ‘smash and grabs’ and retail crime.” But opponents, including criminal justice advocates and public defenders, said the new law will result in more people behind bars for non-retail theft crimes. The measure increases prison time for a wide range of felony charges, they said. That means a person could receive a tougher sentence for offenses such as damaging vehicles while driving under the influence under the new law. They also criticized the new law for modeling after a plan proposed in a tougher-on-crime ballot initiative, which Newsom and Democratic lawmakers spent months lambasting and unsuccessfully fighting to keep off the November ballot. The new law will expire in five years, while the ballot measure proposes a plan to make the harsher penalties permanent. “If we’re opposed to it being permanent, why aren’t we opposed to it being temporary?” said Taina Vargas, executive director of Initiate Justice Action, about the new law. “This makes it apparent that, you know, certain individuals in the Legislature and the governor just want to give off the impression of doing something.” How to tackle crimes in California has become increasingly difficult to navigate in recent years for state Democrats, many of whom have spent the last decade championing progressive policies to depopulate jails and prisons and […]

“Telling your wife your needs and wants” is a complete waste of time for married men who want happiness and I’ll tell you why. So many marriage experts claim they have the secret to a happy marriage and that it all comes down to communication, boundaries and bringing in more money. They tell you to help out more at home, talk about the past, go together to a marriage professional but never stop to take inventory of whether ANY of these methods are actually WORKING in creating happiness and joy! I am not saying those strategies don’t work at all, but they are the long… slow… painful way of having a happy home. And for the few that make it with these strategies, they’ve done it while he doesn’t get what he needs, and she doesn’t get what she needs.  Meanwhile, we’re helping our clients connect with their wives on the highest level, living lives full of happiness and excitement and it gets more and more joyful by the day where both husband and wife feel happiness and excitement… … all without needing their wife to meet them halfway! To check out how they do this, click below to watch my free presentation where I share all the details … you’re going to thank me for it! 5 Steps Married Men Use to Get Rid of Friction and Create Happiness and Excitement… Without Needing Their Wife to Meet Them Halfway!

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to “exact a heavy price” from the Houthis in Yemen and “change the balance of power” along Israel’s northern border following rocket attacks from Yemen and Lebanon.

“The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us. Those who need a reminder are invited to visit the port of Hodeidah,” said Netanyahu at the beginning of the weekly Cabinet meeting.

In July, a Houthi drone killed a man in central Tel Aviv, in response to which Israel struck Yemen’s Hodeidah port. The Iranian terrorist proxy has launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7.

On Sunday morning, the Houthis fired a surface-to-surface missile at Israel that detonated over the center of the country.

Hezbollah also launched dozens of rockets and a drone into northern Israel on Sunday, sparking several fires but causing no injuries.

The Israel Defense Forces said last night that the Israeli Air Force had struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the Beqaa and Baalbek areas, deep inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah has attacked Israel hundreds of times since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023. In October, Israel evacuated some 60,000 residents of communities near the Lebanese border, who remain in state-subsidized accommodations.

“I’m attentive to the residents of the north,” Netanyahu told ministers on Sunday. “I’m talking with them and with community leaders in the north. I see their distress, I hear their cries,” he said, adding, “The status quo will not continue.”

This, he said, “requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes. I am committed to this, the government is committed to it and we will not settle for less than that.”

The prime minister invited Israel’s enemies to study the condition of Hamas in Gaza, where Israel has killed some 17,000 terrorists since Oct. 7, according to the IDF.

“Anyone who attacks us will not escape our reach. Hamas is already learning this in our determined action that will lead to its destruction and the release of all our hostages,” said Netanyahu. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, issued a warning that an all-out war initiated by Israel could result in the displacement of “hundreds of thousands” more people. His remarks come in response to ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, where around 100,000 people have already been displaced due to the conflict. Speaking in Beirut, Qassem said, “We have no intention of going to war, as we consider that this would not be useful.” However, he made it clear that if Israel were to launch a full-scale offensive, Hezbollah would not hesitate to retaliate. “If Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it — and there will be large losses on both sides,” Qassem said, signaling the potential for widespread devastation in the event of a conflict. Qassem added, “If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home… we issue this warning: prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Yesterday, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister wrote on X that his country would not support a ‘day after’ plan for the Gaza Strip unless Israel agreed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Back in July, the UAE announced it would be willing to support a multinational armed force in Gaza, as an intermediate step before the official establishment of a Palestinian state. This announcement was considered monumental, as the UAE became the first Arab country to signal support for a ‘day after’ plan.

However tying such a plan to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state makes such a plan unlikely to come to fruition. Prime Minister Netanyahu likes to speak of a solution where the Palestinians have the benefits of a State, without the power to hurt Israel. Other parties in his coalition speak much more forcefully against the idea of creating a Palestinian state. Additionally, following the Hamas massacre on October 7th, left-wing Israeli support for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the foreseeable future declined.

Back in May, the UAE rejected a proposal by Bibi to support local Gazan clans in governing the strip following the war.

{Matzav.com} 

Blue-collar workers from Boeing walked picket lines in the Pacific Northwest instead of building airplanes on Friday after they overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have raised their wages by 25% over four years. The strike by 33,000 machinists will not disrupt airline flights anytime soon, but it is expected to shut down production of Boeing’s best-selling jetliners, marking yet another setback for a company already dealing with billions of dollars in financial losses and a damaged reputation. The company said it was taking steps to conserve cash while its CEO looks for ways to come up with a contract that the unionized factory workers will accept. Late Friday, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said it would convene new talks early next week. “FMCS has been in contact with both IAM and Boeing to support their return to the negotiation table and commends the parties on their willingness to meet and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution,” the agency said in a statement. Boeing stock fell 3.7% Friday, bringing its decline for the year to nearly 40%. The strike started soon after a regional branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers reported that in a Thursday vote, 94.6% of participating members rejected a contract offer that the union’s own bargaining committee had endorsed, and 96% voted to strike. Shortly after midnight, striking workers stood outside the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, with signs reading, “Have you seen the damn housing prices?” Car horns honked and a boom box played songs including Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.” Many of the workers who spoke to reporters said they considered the wage offer inadequate given how much the cost of living has increase in the Pacific Northwest. John Olson said his pay had increased just 2% during his six years at Boeing. “The last contract we negotiated was 16 years ago, and the company is basing the wage increases off of wages from 16 years ago,” the 45-year-old toolmaker said. “They don’t even keep up with the cost of inflation.” Others said they were unhappy about the company’s decision to change the criteria used to calculate annual bonuses. The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would have risen to $106,350 by the end of the proposed four-year contract, according to Boeing. Under the rejected contract, workers would have received $3,000 lump sum payments and a reduced share of health care costs in addition to pay raises. Boeing also met a key union demand by promising to build its next new plane in Washington state. However, the offer fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40% over three years. The union also wanted to restore traditional pensions that were axed a decade ago but settled for an increase in new Boeing contributions to employee 401(k) retirement accounts of up to $4,160 per worker. The head of the union local, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden, said the union would survey members to find out which issues they want to stress when negotiations resume. Boeing responded to the strike announcement by saying it was “ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.” “The message was […]

Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund is allocating 225 million shekels (more than $60 million) in emergency aid to local authorities in northern and southern Israel as the conflict along the country’s borders continues into its 11th month.

Distribution will be based on factors such as population size, distance from the border, socio-economic status and the percentage of evacuated residents. Most of the funding—160 million shekels (nearly $43 million)—will go to communities in the south.

Projects focus on land preparation for housing and agriculture; the development of security and agricultural roads; the construction of public buildings; the creation of green spaces; educational programs; infrastructure development; reforestation; and critical support for the rehabilitation and recovery of affected residents.

Also planned is an investment of up to 30 million shekels ($8 million) in upgrading the Evron Reservoir to help divert water from the Ga’aton River, significantly reducing the risk of flooding in Nahariya, which has previously suffered severe damage. The reservoir will also provide water for agriculture in the Ma’ale Yosef and Mateh Asher regional councils.

Ifat Ovadia-Luski , chairwoman of KKL-JNF, said the organization “stands firmly with the residents of northern and southern Israel. We are committed to ensuring the continued survival and prosperity of these frontier communities. The assistance we provide is part of our broader efforts to restore vital infrastructure, support local agriculture and strengthen community resilience.”

She added, “We are driven by a deep sense of national responsibility, working to maintain rehabilitation projects, ensure food security and support agricultural efforts.”

(JNS)

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The Attorney General of the state of Ohio, Dave Yost, discusses the struggles facing Springfield due to the migrant influx, and considering litigation.

Iran launched a satellite into space Saturday with a rocket built by the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, state-run media reported, the latest for a program the West fears helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program. Iran described the launch as a success, which would be the second such launch to put a satellite into orbit with the rocket. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch’s success. Footage later released by Iranian media showed the rocket blast off from a mobile launcher. An Associated Press analysis of the video and other imagery later released suggested the launch happened at the Guard’s launch pad on the outskirts of the city of Shahroud, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) east of the capital, Tehran. The launch comes amid heightened tensions gripping the wider Middle East over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, during which Tehran launched an unprecedented direct missile-and-drone attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Iran continues to enrich uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, raising concerns among nonproliferation experts about Tehran’s program. Iran identified the satellite-carrying rocket as the Qaem-100, which the Guard used in January for another successful launch. Qaem means “upright” in Iran’s Farsi language. The solid-fuel, three-stage rocket put the Chamran-1 satellite, weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), into a 550-kilometer (340-mile) orbit, state media reported. The rocket bore a Quranic verse: “That which is left by Allah is better for you, if you are believers.” A state-owned subsidiary of Iran’s Defense Ministry and experts at the Aerospace Research Institute built the satellite with others to “test hardware and software systems for orbital maneuver technology validation,” state media said, without elaborating. Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, praised the launch in a statement and said scientists successfully overcame “the atmosphere of extensive and oppressive international sanctions.” The U.S. State Department and the American military did not immediately respond to requests for comment over the Iranian launch. The United States had previously said Iran’s satellite launches defy a U.N. Security Council resolution and called on Tehran to undertake no activity involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. U.N. sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired last October. Under Iran’s relatively moderate former President Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic slowed its space program for fear of raising tensions with the West. Hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who came to power in 2021, has pushed the program forward. Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May. It’s unclear what Iran’s new president, the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, wants for the program as he was silent on the issue while campaigning. The U.S. intelligence community’s worldwide threat assessment this year said Iran’s development of satellite launch vehicles “would shorten the timeline” for Iran to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile because it uses similar technology. Intercontinental ballistic missiles can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. Iran is now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear weapons, if it chooses to produce them, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly has warned. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. However, U.S. intelligence […]

Four leaders of the Islamic State were killed by U.S. and Iraqi security forces in a combined raid carried out in western Iraq last month, including the head of the extremist group’s operations in the country, U.S. military officials announced Friday.

The dramatic operation Aug. 29 resulted in the deaths of 14 Islamic State operatives and was designed to “disrupt and degrade” the terrorist group’s ability to organize and launch attacks throughout the region and beyond, U.S. Central Command said at the time.

The four leaders killed were identified as Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, who was in charge of all Islamic State operations in Iraq; Abu Hammam, who oversaw all operations in western Iraq; Abu Ali al-Tunisi, who oversaw technical development; and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi, who was responsible for military operations in western Iraq, according to a statement Friday from Centcom, which coordinates American military activity throughout the Middle East.

The raid last month began with “consecutive and surprise airstrikes” on four Islamic State hideouts in the early hours, The Washington Post previously reported, and took place east of Wadi al-Ghadaf, a river bed that runs through the Anbar desert, in an area Iraqi officials identified as al-Hazeemi. The operation destroyed four “highly camouflaged hideouts,” as well as weapons and ammunition used by the Islamic State, and documents and digital devices found were seized.

Centcom described the militants as “armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts.”

Seven American troops were wounded in the operation, defense officials said, a relatively high number compared with other missions.

The United States maintains about 2,500 service members in Iraq and another 900 troops in neighboring Syria. They are tasked with stomping out the remnants of the Islamic State and have increasingly had to contend with a surge in attacks by other adversaries, including Iranian-backed militants, since Israel began its military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

(c) Washington Post

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu threatened to strike a severe blow against the Houthis in Yemen in the wake of their launch of a surface-to-surface missile at Israel early Sunday morning. Speaking at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu began with a reminder that Iran is behind all the Houthis’ strikes against Israel. “We are in a multi-front battle against the evil axis of Iran that is striving for our destruction,” he said. “This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should have known already that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us. Anyone who needs a reminder is welcome to visit the port of Hodeidah. In July, Israel carried out heavy airstrikes against Houthi targets in the Hodeidah port area in western Yemen in response to the terror group’s launch of a drone that struck Tel Aviv two days earlier, completely disabling the port. “Anyone who attacks us will not escape our reach,” Netanyahu threatened. The IDF said several attempts were made to shoot down the hypersonic missile with the Arrow and Iron Dome defense systems. According to an initial investigation, the missile fell apart in the air. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saria claimed responsibility for the launch of the ballistic missile, bragging that the terror group launched a new hypersonic missile at a military target in the Tel Aviv area that traveled 2,040 kilometers in 11.5 minutes and “caused fear among the Zionists and forced over two million of them to flee to shelters for the first time in its history.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Vice President Kamala Harris is facing sharp criticism after conducting an interview with Philadelphia’s Action News 6, where she dodged key questions and offered vague, disjointed responses on pressing issues like inflation. The interview, her first solo media appearance since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, has been described by critics as another instance of Harris delivering what has been dubbed “word salad.” During the nearly 11-minute interview, anchor Brian Taff opened with a question on how Harris planned to tackle inflation. Instead of directly addressing the economic issue, Harris pivoted to a personal story. “I grew up as a middle-class kid. My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard,” Harris began, before shifting to a discussion of lawns and dignity, but not the economy. Her answers failed to outline any specific plan for lowering inflation, though she did highlight policies like providing a $25,000 handout for new homeowners and tax breaks for small businesses. When asked how she differs from President Joe Biden, Harris offered little clarity, stating, “I’m obviously not Joe Biden, and I offer a new generation of leadership,” but failing to elaborate on any specific differences. Similarly, she skirted a question on why former President Donald Trump appeals to many Americans, offering broad statements about unity rather than addressing Trump’s popularity directly. Perhaps her most straightforward response came when discussing gun violence. Harris, who described herself as a licensed gun owner, reassured that she would not take “anyone’s guns away” but advocated for stronger background checks and a ban on assault weapons, which she referred to as “literally tools of war.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

David Rubenstein, the Jewish co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group and owner of the Baltimore Orioles, has committed to donate $1.5 million to the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the cultural institution, which is part of the Baltimore Jewish Federation, announced on Thursday.

“Happy to support the Jewish Museum of Maryland,” Rubenstein wrote on social media. “Through modern and compelling exhibits, more people will learn from and be inspired by Maryland’s Jewish history.”

The museum stated that the new David M. Rubenstein Exhibition Arcade will form “the epicenter of the museum’s front of house, a central public space that branches out into galleries, an audio/video production studio and a library.”

The gift “will ensure the museum’s architecture and technologies support the museum’s evolution as a cultural institution delivering a dynamic range of ways the public can engage with Maryland’s Jewish history and culture,” stated Sol Davis, the museum’s executive director.

(JNS)

The U.S. State Department announced new sanctions on Russian state media Friday, accusing a Kremlin news outlet of working hand-in-hand with the Russian military and running fundraising campaigns to pay for sniper rifles, body armor and other equipment for soldiers fighting in Ukraine. While the outlet, RT, has previously been sanctioned for its work to spread Kremlin propaganda and disinformation, the allegations announced Friday suggest its role goes far beyond influence operations. Instead, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, RT is a key part of Russia’s war machine and its efforts to undermine its democratic allies. RT has also created websites posing as legitimate news sites to spread disinformation and propaganda in Europe, Africa and elsewhere, officials said. They say the outlet has also expanded its use of cyber operations with a new unit with ties to Russian intelligence. (AP)