Latest news with #TheFreePress
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Only Trump can finish what Israel started, former Israeli defence minister says
Yoav Gallant, Israel's former minister of defence, says this week is the one where US president Donald Trump has to make a decision to intervene in Israel's current war on Iran. "Should he, or should he not, use American air power to finish the job Israel has very nearly completed, ensuring that Iran never possesses nuclear weapons?" Gallant and British historian Niall Ferguson wrote in a piece in The Free Press. The two indicated that the support of allies, especially the US, has been essential for Israel. "Now, with a single exertion of its unmatched military strength, the United States can shorten the war, prevent wider escalation, and end the principal threat to Middle Eastern stability," they added. Gallant and Ferguson stress that a US intervention would "send a signal to those other authoritarian powers who have been Iran's enablers that American deterrence is back." Gallant has an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant against him for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump administration tightens social media vetting for foreign students
WASHINGTON: The United States is restarting student visa appointments but will significantly tighten its social media vetting in a bid to identify applicants who are hostile towards the United States or pose a threat to national security, according to an internal State Department cable reviewed by Reuters. U.S. consular officers are required to conduct a "comprehensive and thorough vetting" of all student and exchange visitor applicants to identify those who "bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles," said the cable, which was dated June 18 and sent to U.S. missions on Wednesday. On May 27, the Trump administration ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepared to expand social media vetting of foreign students. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said updated guidance would be released once a review was completed. The cable, which was signed by Rubio, directed officers to look for "applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism, especially when it is associated with violence or with the views and activities described above, you must consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the United States." A State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said under new guidance, consular officers will ask for access to applicants' social media accounts. "To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be asked to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to 'public.' Posts may resume scheduling F, M, and J visa applications," the official said. "The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country." Rubio, Trump's top diplomat and national security adviser, has said he has revoked the visas of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, including students, because they got involved in activities that he said went against U.S. foreign policy priorities. Those activities include support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza. The change was earlier reported by The Free Press. Trump's critics have said the administration's actions are an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In a cable in late May, Rubio had asked U.S. consular missions around the world to begin additional vetting of visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose. The Trump administration has been in a multifront dispute with the nation's oldest and wealthiest university. The directive said that would serve as a "pilot for expanded screening and vetting of visa applicants", raising the possibility of the measures being used as a template for applicants to other universities. In the same cable, consular officers were directed to consider questioning the credibility of an applicant if the individual's social media accounts were private, as that may be reflective of "evasiveness". Activities deemed antisemitic or anti-American are increasingly a red flag for the administration in its visa determination process. Such activities were raised as a source of concern by the State Department in a separate internal cable dated June 14 that recommended 36 more countries be added to Trump's travel ban.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
U.S. tightens visa vetting with social media checks
WASHINGTON: The United States is restarting student visa appointments but will significantly tighten its social media vetting in a bid to identify applicants who are hostile towards the United States or pose a threat to national security, according to an internal State Department cable reviewed by Reuters. U.S. consular officers are required to conduct a "comprehensive and thorough vetting" of all student and exchange visitor applicants to identify those who "bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles," said the cable, which was dated June 18 and sent to U.S. missions on Wednesday. On May 27, the Trump administration ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepared to expand social media vetting of foreign students. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said updated guidance would be released once a review was completed. The cable, which was signed by Rubio, directed officers to look for "applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism, especially when it is associated with violence or with the views and activities described above, you must consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the United States." A State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said under new guidance, consular officers will ask for access to applicants' social media accounts. "To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be asked to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to 'public.' Posts may resume scheduling F, M, and J visa applications," the official said. "The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country." Rubio, Trump's top diplomat and national security adviser, has said he has revoked the visas of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, including students, because they got involved in activities that he said went against U.S. foreign policy priorities. Those activities include support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza. The change was earlier reported by The Free Press. Trump's critics have said the administration's actions are an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In a cable in late May, Rubio had asked U.S. consular missions around the world to begin additional vetting of visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose. The Trump administration has been in a multifront dispute with the nation's oldest and wealthiest university. The directive said that would serve as a "pilot for expanded screening and vetting of visa applicants", raising the possibility of the measures being used as a template for applicants to other universities. In the same cable, consular officers were directed to consider questioning the credibility of an applicant if the individual's social media accounts were private, as that may be reflective of "evasiveness". Activities deemed antisemitic or anti-American are increasingly a red flag for the administration in its visa determination process. Such activities were raised as a source of concern by the State Department in a separate internal cable dated June 14 that recommended 36 more countries be added to Trump's travel ban.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Former Wayne County CFO convicted of assault and domestic violence
Tony Saunders II, the former Wayne County Chief Financial Officer arrested twice last year for abusing his wife, was convicted June 13 of assault charges that could put him behind bars. Saunders, who Wayne County Executive Warren Evans has credited with helping the county avoid bankruptcy when he served as the chief financial officer, appeared before Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Nanci Grant and pleaded no contest to a felony charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence, second offense. A no contest plea in a criminal matter is like pleading guilty, but does not count as an admission of guilt in a civil lawsuit. Saunders acknowledged agreeing to the terms of the plea deal that was revealed during the hearing, which was conducted on Zoom, while his victim, Tatiana Grant watched. The Free Press doesn't typically name victims of sexual and domestic violence, but Grant agreed to share her identity with the public to raise awareness of domestic violence issues. Grant called the plea deal "a long overdue step toward justice." "For far too long, Mr. Saunders inflicted harm without consequence," Grant said in a statement. "Today, he is finally being held accountable for his pattern of abuse against women. I sincerely hope that his upcoming sentence, beyond incarceration, is inclusive of mental health treatment." Saunders' attorney Gerald Gleeson said in a statement that "Mr. Saunders feels true remorse and is committed to his recovery. "He resolved the allegations against him today, and he will continue to take the necessary steps of recovery going forward." Saunders was first arrested by Detroit Police on Jan. 10, 2024 after he beat Grant, grabbed her phone so she couldn't call for help, and threatened to kill her, her daughter and himself. Saunders was convicted of domestic violence last year after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge. 'I recall nearly two dozen incidents where he physically assaulted me," Grant told 36th District Court Judge Lynise Bryant at Saunder's sentencing in Detroit. "As a result, I have permanent scars on my face and body." More: Why I went to court for a politico, a pastor and a wannabe Wayne judge Todd Perkins, who was then representing Saunders, told judge Bryant his client was in treatment and was volunteering at Mariners Inn, a residential treatment center for addicts and homeless people located in Midtown Detroit. Bryant sentenced Saunders to two years probation, 80 hours of community service and counseling. Between his arrest and conviction in Detroit, Saunders was arrested in Troy on June 23, 2024 for assaulting Grant in her apartment. The charges in that case revealed that Saunders had a domestic violence incident back in 2004, which put him at risk of a stiffer sentence if convicted of assaulting Grant. According to a PPO application Grant filed last year against Saunders, she picked him up in an Uber on June 23, 2024 after he borrowed her car but couldn't find it. "I could tell by his mannerisms he was under the influence of alcohol," Grant wrote. "He fell asleep on the couch, and I went through his phone. Then I accused him of cheating, consuming alcohol and not taking his mental health medication."She said Saunders "became enraged" and attacked her, punching and choking her. As they fought in her bedroom, knocking over furniture, she tried to stop him, but the fight moved into the living room, then back to the bedroom. She wrote that he banged her head into a wall in a hallway, leaving a hole in the drywall. The hallway is where she told Saunders to call his attorney because she was going to call 911. "Then he said, 'Okay, I am going to kill you,'" Grant wrote, adding that he went to the kitchen in search of a knife. "I had to fight him to prevent him from opening the knife drawers," she wrote. "Because he could not grab the knives, he grabbed a pair of metal tongs to kill himself. He had the tongs in his hands and said, 'I just need my shoes.' " After forcing Saunders out of the apartment, Grant called police. More: My year in review: Exposing politicians playing games and public officials' shame Saunders was charged with felony assault and was scheduled to go on trial June 30, but instead pleaded no contest on June 13 to a felony assault and a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. Gleeson told Grant the sentencing guidelines range from 0 to 17 months behind bars. Saunders' sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on July 23 in Oakland County Circuit Court. Grant said she wants his sentence to include jail time.M.L. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter, director of student investigative reporting program Eye On Michigan, and host of the ML's Soul of Detroit podcast. Contact him at mlelrick@ or follow him on X at @elrick, Facebook at ML Elrick and Instagram at ml_elrick. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Wayne County CFO convicted of assault and domestic violence
New Statesman
11-06-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Blind support for Israel has muzzled Bari Weiss's Free Press
Photo byfor The Free Press In the United States today, there are few more powerful or influential media start-ups than Bari Weiss's the Free Press. Founded in 2021 and run through Substack, the Free Press today boasts more than 750,000 subscribers, at least 100,000 of whom pay. Weiss, 41 and a former New York Times columnist, is a media mogul for the new age, and her reporters and columnists regularly publish pieces that are widely praised or reviled – either way, the work is rarely ignored. Weiss and her publication have been popular with those who resented the leftward cultural drift of the 2010s and craved a home for combative centrism. Before Donald Trump returned to the White House, so-called heterodox intellectuals and writers were in the ascendancy, defending free expression against the excesses of the left. Weiss, their leader, denounced self-censorship and ideological conformity, and her news organisation's website vowed to uphold 'honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence'. The Free Press's site still reads: 'We always aim to highlight multiple perspectives on complicated subjects. And we don't allow ideology to stand in the way of searching for the truth.' But that isn't true. Weiss's Free Press has one red line: Israel. The organisation is unapologetically hawkish and anti-Palestinian, and has little to say about the attacks on free expression the Trump administration has unleashed on pro-Palestinian activists. Whereas other prominent heterodox writers and publications have been willing to criticise the Trump administration and Benjamin Netanyahu's Israel, Weiss has stayed mum. Weiss's values have been made plain – she once declared herself 'guilty as charged' to being a 'Zionist fanatic'. She seems to have little interest in rethinking a conflict that has led to the deaths of more than 50,000 Gazans. Recent evidence of the Free Press's propagandising includes a column by Michael Ames which declared war-torn Gaza wasn't at risk of a famine – though he concedes 'it was never in doubt that the Israel-Hamas war brought immense human suffering to Gaza, including from food shortages'. There is something insidious about squabbling over the definition of a 'famine' while referring to 'food shortages'. At the time, a total Israeli blockade of aid deliveries to Gaza was approaching its third month. Israel has since allowed small amounts of aid into the Strip, but distribution has been marred by chaos and shootings that have killed dozens of Palestinians. Even centrist and conservative institutions have acknowledged the disaster that is unfolding in Gaza. Glenn Loury, the American economist who has long been a prominent voice among the heterodox elite, has come out against Israel's conduct in the war. So has Andrew Sullivan, the leading political commentator who has also railed against 'woke' (and Trump) a great deal over the last few years. The Free Press stands apart. The greater question is how sustainable this will be. Weiss found her success speaking to disaffected liberals who believed that on cultural issues the Democratic Party had swerved too far left. The Free Press was a clearing house for readers who were anxious and aghast over the dominance of identity politics in academia, the media, and elsewhere; the audience demand was real, and business for Weiss boomed. With the Democrats out of power and woke on the retreat, the Free Press's purpose grows less clear. It has relatively little to say about Trump's frontal assault on democratic institutions or his systematic violations of free speech. Meanwhile, its defence of the Israeli government holds little appeal for anyone who isn't a hardcore Republican or ardent Zionist. Neoconservatives have also found a home in the Free Press, which fills a niche but demonstrates how out of step the publication is with current trends. Fiscally conservative economics paired with muscular military interventions around the globe are not popular with Republicans or Democrats in America. Trump's ascension can be read, in part, as a repudiation of neoconservatism. Meanwhile, many of the Maga-curious independents who gave Trump another shot last year are drifting leftward again. The Trump chaos is too much to stomach. He has lost popularity faster than any president in modern times. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Weiss's ideology has prevented her publication from adequately covering the failures of the new US administration. Weiss is blinded by her uncompromising support for the Israeli government. Netanyahu can do no wrong. To punish Hamas, all of Gaza must be punished, and there's seemingly no limit to the amount of suffering inflicted on civilians in retaliation for the 7 October attacks. It's hard to think of another recent war that has lacked such a sense of proportion. The ultra-religious, ethno-nationalist right wing governs Israel, and that is not going to change in the foreseeable future. Any commentator who cannot acknowledge that reality is lying to their audience or lying to themselves. That is where Weiss and the Free Press have now gone. They cannot comprehend that Israel has abandoned all pretext of a two-state solution, that the annexation of the West Bank and ethnic cleansing in Gaza are Netanyahu's only goals, and that Israel may, in time, become a genuine pariah state – which would be disastrous for the Israelis themselves and do the Jewish diaspora, to which I belong, no favours. Or the Free Press can comprehend all of this, and simply does not care. [See also: Syria may be broken, but it's energised by hope] Related
