It was a historic weekend.
It marked at least a temporary pause in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians returned to what was left of their homes and villages, reunited with displaced children and family members, and celebrated the return of 1,700 Palestinian prisoners (many of them children) from Israeli torture cells. Under the deal, 250 people serving life sentences and some 1,700 Gaza residents held without charge since Oct. 7, 2023, were to be released. (Washington Post)
Israel were also joyous over the return by Hamas of 20 living hostages taken in the October 7th raid.
Trump received a standing ovation from the Israeli Knesset for a speech that, in the words of Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, “turned the genocide upside down,” declaring victory for himself, the U.S., and Israel. That phrase captures the grotesque inversion: while Gaza’s death toll surpassed 67,000, Trump praised Israel’s “restraint” and framed the war as a moral victory, even as Palestinian families were reuniting with loved ones who had endured years of administrative detention, torture, or solitary confinement.
Trump’s remarks, which included urging Israel to pivot from military victory to peace, were seen by critics as reframing the narrative to absolve Israel of responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He also joked about pardoning the international criminal, Netanyahu, over corruption charges, further sharpening the contradictions within Israel.
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Tear gas was still hanging in the air as Albany Park neighbors and elected officials hugged and cried, processing the scene they had just witnessed Sunday afternoon after at least four vehicles full of federal agents had taken a man and tear-gassed their neighborhood.
“We chased federal agents out of Albany Park today,” one person shouted to a cheer from the dozens of residents who were out on the street. (Sun-Times)
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The government shutdown entered its third week, leaving 750,000 workers furloughed and essential services paused. So far, it’s been a dream come true for Trump. He has openly declared his intent to use the shutdown to permanently cut programs favored by Democrats, calling it “a little taste of their own medicine.” (Substack)
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Then there was this…
Kristi Noem’s stare-down with a man in a chicken suit at the Broadview detention center.
She stood on a rooftop, observing protesters below, and MAGA influencers hailed it as a moment of extraordinary heroism against a powerful and implacable enemy. — TNR
Weekend Quotables
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
The principle of “the Palestinians governing Palestine,” a consensus reached by the international community, must be upheld, and any arrangements regarding Gaza’s future should respect the will of the Palestinian people, Wang said. — Joint press conference with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis
J.D. Vance on NBC
Q: “Are you seriously looking at invoking the Insurrection Act? Vance: The president is looking at all of his options. Right now, he hasn’t felt he needed to. But we have to remember we are talking about this because crime has gotten out of control in our cities. Q - Crime is down in both Chicago and Portland. Vance: Crime is down in Chicago and Portland often because they are so overwhelmed at the local level, they are not even keeping the statistics properly.” — Meet the Press
Demi Palecek, Illinois National Guard Staff Sergeant
Palecek said if she were called up to protect agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she would not comply.
“Absolutely, I’d refuse. There’s no way,” Palecek said, adding she is also encouraging others in the National Guard to follow suit.
“I want all members to say no,” Palecek said. “This is against what we signed up for. We’re here for humanitarian things, we’re here to help and protect the people, not to be used and weaponized against our own communities to terrorize them.” — Sun-Times
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
“No Kings means no paychecks. No paychecks and no government.” — Fox News
Laura Loomer
“America First is whatever Trump says it is.” — X
