Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback

Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback

CATANIA (Reuters) -International nonprofit organisation Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said one of its vessels left the Italian port of Catania on Sunday, heading for Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, after a previous attempt failed due to a drone attack on a separate ship in the Mediterranean. The crew of volunteers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, set sail on the Madleen, carrying barrels of what the group called "limited amounts, though symbolic", of relief supplies. Another vessel operated by the group, the Conscience, was hit by two drones just outside Maltese territorial waters in early May. FFC said Israel was to blame for the incident. Israel has not responded to requests for comment. "We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity," Thunberg told reporters at a conference before the departure. She added that "no matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocised". FFC said the trip "is not charity. This is a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel's illegal siege and escalating war crimes". The situation in Gaza is the worst since the war between Israel and Hamas militants began 19 months ago, the United Nations said on Friday, despite a resumption of limited aid deliveries in the Palestinian enclave. Under growing global pressure, Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza, allowing limited U.N.-led operations to resume. On Monday, a new avenue for aid distribution was also launched - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - backed by the United States and Israel, but with which the U.N. and international aid groups have refused to work, saying it is not neutral and has a distribution model that forces the displacement of Palestinians. (Reporting by Danilo Arnone in Catania and Giulia Segreti in Rome; Editing by David Holmes)

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June 01, 2025

Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback

Nonprofit ship sets sail for Gaza after drone attack setback CATANIA (Reuters) -International nonprofit organisation Freedom Flotilla Coalit...

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People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange

People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, hit back at a Republican colleaguewho went viralafter telling a town hall audience member that "we all are going to die" in response to concerns over Medicaid cuts. "I think everybody in that audience knows that they're going to die," Murphy told CNN's Dana Bash. "They would just rather die in old age at 85 or 90, instead of dying at 40." The comment come after Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, addressedfederal cuts to Medicaid– which Republicans have proposed as part of PresidentDonald Trump'ssweeping tax bill – during a town hall in Parkersburg, Iowa, on May 30. As she was speaking, someone shouted from the audience, "people will die!" Ernst then told the auditorium, "People are not – well, we all are going to die. For heaven's sakes, folks." Medicaid, the program that provides health insurance to more than 71 million low-income Americans, would undergobig changesunder the bill that passed in the House last month. That includes new work requirements for some adults beginning in December 2026, more frequent eligibility checks and disincentives for states to cover unauthorized migrant children, among other provisions. Collectively, the Medicaid proposal would save at least $625 billion and cause 7.6 million Americans to lose their health insurance over the next 10 years, according to initial estimates by the nonpartisanCongressional Budget Office. Still, Ernst shared asarcastic apology videoafter facing criticism from Democrats over her response to the town hall attendees' concerns. "Hello everyone," she said in a video posted to social media. "I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall." "I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth," she added. "So, I apologize. And I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well." Republicans have said the proposed changes to Medicaid protect the program for those who need it, and their legislation is curbing waste and fraud. Democrats, like Murphy,argue the falloutwill be felt by Americans across the country. "When rural hospitals close because of this bill, when drug treatment clinics close in Iowa and rural America because of this bill, more people will die at a younger age," Murphy alleged in the interview on June 1. Though Republicans control the Senate, the legislation isn't expected to sail through the upper chamber. Several Senate Republicans, including Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky,argue the billcomes with too high a price tag. "This is our moment," Johnson told CNN's Jake Tapper in May. "We have witnessed an unprecedented level of increased spending ... This is our only chance to reset that to a reasonable pre-pandemic level." House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and other champions of the legislation argue the legislation is an investment in America's economy. But it's expected to addaround $3.3 trillionto the nation's deficit over the next 10 years and swell the federal government's debt. Contributing: Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register; Riley Beggin This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dem Chris Muphy hits Republican Joni Ernst town hall Medicaid comment

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June 01, 2025

People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange

People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, hi...

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Trump’s foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Every president thinks they can change the world – and Donald Trump has an even greater sense of personal omnipotence than his recent predecessors. But it's not working out too well for the 47th president. Trump might intimidate tech titans to toe the line and use government power to try to bend institutions like Harvard University and judges, but some world leaders are harder to bully. He keeps being ignored and humiliated by Russian President Vladimir Putin who is defying the US effort to end the war in Ukraine. Russian media is now portraying Trump as the tough talker who always blinks and never imposes consequences. The president also thought that he could shape China to his will by facing down leader Xi Jinping in a trade war. But he misunderstood Chinese politics. The one thing an authoritarian in Beijing can never do is bow down to a US president. US officials say now they'refrustratedthat China hasn't followed through on commitments meant to deescalate the trade conflict. As with China, Trump backed down in his tariff war with the European Union. Then Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong enraged the president by coining the termTACO trade— "Trump Always Chickens Out." Everyone thought that Trump would be on the same page as Benjamin Netanyahu. After all, in his first term he offered the Israeli prime minister pretty much everything he wanted. But now that he's trying to broker peace in the Middle East, Trump is finding thatprolonging the Gaza conflict is existential for Netanyahu's political career,much like Ukraine for Putin. And Trump's ambition for an Iranian nuclear deal is frustrating Israeli plans to use a moment of strategic weakness for the Islamic Republic to try to take out its reactors militarily. Powerful leaders are pursuing their own versions of the national interest that exist in a parallel reality and on different historical and actual timelines to shorter, more transactional, aspirations of American presidents. Most aren't susceptible to personal appeals with no payback. And after Trump's attempts to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, the lure of the White House is waning. Trump spent months on the campaign trail last year boasting that his "very good relationship" with Putin or Xi would magically solve deep geopolitical and economic problems between global powers that might be unsolvable. He's far from the first US leader to suffer from such delusions. President George W. Bush famously looked into the Kremlin tyrant's eyes and "got a sense of his soul." President Barack Obama disdained Russia as a decaying regional power and once dismissed Putin as the "bored kid in the back of the classroom." That didn't work out so well when the bored kid annexed Crimea. More broadly, the 21st century presidents have all acted as though they're men of destiny. Bush came to office determined not to act as the global policeman. But the September 11 attacks in 2001 made him exactly that. He started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — which the US won, then lost the peace. And his failed second term goal to democratize the Arab world never went anywhere. Obama tried to make amends for the global war on terror and travelled to Egypt to tell Muslims it was time for "a new beginning." His early presidency pulsated with a sense that his charisma and unique background would in itself be a global elixir. Joe Biden traveled the globe telling everyone that "America is back" after ejecting Trump from the White House. But four years later, partly due to his own disastrous decision to run for a second term, America — or at least the internationalist post-World War II version – was gone again. And Trump was back. Trump's "America First" populism relies on the premise that the US has been ripped off for decades, never mind that its alliances and shaping of global capitalism made it the most powerful nation in the planet's history. Now playing at being a strongman who everyone must obey, he is busily squandering this legacy and shattering US soft power — ie. the power to persuade — with his belligerence. The first four months of the Trump presidency, with its tariff threats, warnings of US territorial expansion in Canada and Greenland and evisceration of global humanitarian aid programs show that the rest of the world gets a say in what happens too. So far, leaders in China, Russia, Israel, Europe and Canada appear to have calculated that Trump is not as powerful as he thinks he is, that there's no price for defying him or that their own internal politics make resistance mandatory. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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June 01, 2025

Trump’s foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling up Every president thinks they can change the world – and Donald Trump has an even greate...

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Bill Clinton and James Patterson on their new thriller, "The First Gentleman"

Bill Clinton and James Patterson on their new thriller, "The First Gentleman"

Seems that there is always a lot going on behind the walls of the White House where truth can often be stranger than fiction. But fiction can be pretty compelling, too. In the new novel"The First Gentleman"(to be published June 2 by Little, Brown & Co.), the commander in chief is a woman, and her husband is accused of murder. It's the third collaboration from best-selling author James Patterson and his co-writer, President Bill Clinton. Was there a scenario in the book that Patterson couldn't have written without Clinton's help? "Oh, I couldn't have doneanyof it without him," Patterson said. "I would have been lost. But the other thing, you know, look, I mean, he's the expert on the first gentleman. You know, he was almost a first gentleman!" "Yeah, I thought about it for years. And it's the only political job I ever wanted and I didn't get!" Clinton smiled. "'Cause I really thought Hillary should be president." Clinton would have been the veryfirstfirst gentleman had his wife, Hillary, won the 2016 election. And he says back then he did a lot of thinking about what his role would be as a presidential spouse: "How could I do this job in a way that I would be on-call to help if she needed me, but I wouldn't get in the way?" "That's the way I feel about this relationship: How can I help without getting in the way?" Patterson said. "I'm kind of the first gentleman of our [relationship]!" "If you believe that, I got some land in Arizona I want to show you!" Clinton laughed. And sometimes, their made-up White House looks almost like real life. In the book, the president keeps working through an agonizing personal crisis. During his 1999 impeachment proceedings, President Clinton kept working, too, with some of the very people who were trying to kick him out of the White House. "And they were amazed by it," he said. "They'd come and do business with me, [and] as far as they knew, I couldn't remember what was going on. And we would try to hammer out deals."In the midst of impeachment? "Because that's what I got hired to do," Clinton said. "The American people don't pay you to have personal feelings. They pay you to deliver for them." Clinton and Patterson have been delivering since 2018,with their first book about a president gone missing, and in 2021 their second about the president's daughter getting kidnapped. Both were bestsellers. But for them, it's really not all about work. Asked how their relationship has evolved over their three books together, Clinton replied, "We've played a lot more golf." Patterson said, "He's been president more times, but I have more holes-in-one." "Oh God. Well, I have one; he hasnine," said Clinton. "How many Americans have nine holes-in-one?" "I know. That's sick," Patterson said. "Remember I'm a fiction writer." "Makes the craziness stop for a little while" I asked, "There's so much political drama in the world today, real-life political drama. Do you think that there's an appetite for political thrillers, for fictional political thrillers?" Patterson said, "I think so, 100%. I mean, one of the nice things here is you escape, but you don't totally escape reality. It's like, 'Yeah, I love this. I can't put it down.' Or 'I keep reading,' or in some cases to me what's even better, which is you don't want it to end. "I think it's useful, and 'cause so many people are wandering around, they go, 'Oh my God, oh my God, please make it stop'? This makes it stop for a little while, makes the craziness stop for a little while for people." Clinton said, "One reason I hope there's an appetite is… I hope that people will still believe in our democratic system enough to stick with it and keep pushing to make it work." During the summer, Patterson lives at his home on the Hudson River; the president is about five miles away. Asked what they may have learned about each other during the writing process, Patterson offered, "the notion … of not worrying about stuff that we can't do anything about. And if wecando something about it, try to do it." Their new book comes out tomorrow and they hope it's another bestseller. But if you spend any time at all with Patterson and Clinton, you get the sense that their partnership is about something money can't buy. I asked, "Back when you wrote your first book together, The New York Times said that the two of you'complete each other in the Jerry Maguire sense.'" "Well, we kinda do," Patterson said. "This has been driving me for months now, which is: my time here is short. What can I do most beautifully? And in this case, doing another book with my friend is a beautiful thing to do." READ AN EXCERPT:"The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson WEB EXCLUSIVE:Watch an extended interview with Bill Clinton and James Patterson For more info: "The First Gentleman: A Thriller"by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (‎Little, Brown & Co.), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available June 2 viaAmazon,Barnes & NobleandBookshop.orgjamespatterson.comClinton Foundation Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Jason Schmidt. Fans turn out for estate sale at home of Tom Petty Trump says Musk is "not really leaving" as DOGE savings lag behind projections How a toddler's brave walk into the darkness to get help inspired his family

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June 01, 2025

Bill Clinton and James Patterson on their new thriller, "The First Gentleman"

Bill Clinton and James Patterson on their new thriller, "The First Gentleman" Seems that there is always a lot going on behind the...

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This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 1)

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 1)

The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.  "Sunday Morning" alsostreams on the CBS News appbeginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) Hosted by Jane Pauley COVER STORY:Elon Musk on DOGE and why he doesn't want to "take responsibility for everything the administration's doing"|Watch VideoSince joining the Trump administration with a mandate to shrink government, Elon Musk – the world's richest man, and a key funder of Donald Trump's run for office – led his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to fire workers, close offices, and cut off funding for innumerable programs. He also saw his own fortunes decline, as his work became the target of lawsuits – and his Tesla brand suffered a huge backlash. Sitting down with "Sunday Morning" correspondent David Pogue, Musk discussed his efforts behind DOGE and the firestorm surrounding it; and his opinion of Trump's controversial budget bill, now before Congress. For more info: SpaceXDepartment of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ALMANAC:June 1 (Video)"Sunday Morning" looks back at historical events on this date. ARTS:The wonderfully weird world of artist Luigi Serafini (Video)Rome artist Luigi Serafini became a cult rock star of the art world with the 1981 publication of his surreal and whimsical book, "Codex Seraphinianus." Filled with uncanny creatures and unintelligible language, the book's inspiration came, Serafini muses, either from aliens, or his cat. Today, Serafini's apartment is an embodiment of his humorous, reality-bending worldview – one from which he is in danger of being evicted. Correspondent Chris Livesay reports. For more info: Luigi Serafini (Wizard Gallery)Exhibition:"From Serafini to Luigi: The Egg, the Skeleton, the Rainbow,"at the Labirinto della Masone, Fontanellato, Emilia-Romagna (through July 13)"Codex Seraphinianus: 40th Anniversary Edition"by Luigi Serafini (Rizzoli), in Hardcover, available viaAmazon,Barnes & NobleandBookshop.org MUSIC:"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane on his other love: Sinatra|Watch VideoSeth MacFarlane gained success as a young man with the animated comedy hit "Family Guy." But his other love is the Great American Songbook, which he features in his nightclub act. He is now releasing a new album, "Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements," in which MacFarlane performs songs that had been arranged for Frank Sinatra but never previously recorded. He talks with correspondent Luke Burbank about how his career aspirations once diverged from music to animation – and how they swerved back. Seth MacFarlane performs "Give Me the Simple Life," from his album "Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements": For more info: Seth MacFarlane on Instagram"Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements"by Seth MacFarlane is available June 6"Family Guy"on FoxVibrato Grill Jazz Club, Beverly Hills, Calif. BOOKS:Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern on projecting "A Different Kind of Power"|Watch VideoJacinda Ardern was 37 when she was elected prime minister of New Zealand, becoming the world's youngest female head of government. After leaving office two years ago, she moved to Boston, where she's serving as a fellow at Harvard University. She's also written a new book, "A Different Kind of Power." Ardern talks with "Sunday Morning" national correspondent Robert Costa about her experience leading a nation (including passing a ban on semi-automatic firearms); the importance of exhibiting kindness and empathy in politics; and the challenges of being a working mother, after giving birth while in office. For more info: "A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir"by Jacinda Ardern (Crown), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available June 3 viaAmazon,Barnes & NobleandBookshop.orgThe Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern, senior fellow, Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard University PASSAGE:In memoriam (Video)"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including actress Loretta Swit, who starred as Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the TV series "M*A*S*H." TV:The return of "The Gilded Age" (Video)The HBO series "The Gilded Age," a dramatization of the clash between Old Money elites and New Money robber barons in late-19th century New York City, is returning for its third season. Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with stars Morgan Spector and Denée Benton about playing a rapacious captain of industry and a journalistic advocate for equal rights in an era of great social upheaval in America. Rocca also talks with Morgan Library & Museum director Colin Bailey and history professor Edward O'Donnell about how the Gilded Age wealthy pulled the levers of powers, and its impact on rich and poor Americans. To watch a trailer for Season 3 of "The Gilded Age," click on the video player below: For more info: "The Gilded Age"premieres June 22 on HBO and streams on HBO MaxThe Morgan Library & Museum, New York CityHistorian Edward O'DonnellMorgan Spector on InstagramDenée Benton on Instagram BOOKS: Bill Clinton and James Patterson on their new thriller, "The First Gentleman" | Watch VideoAfter collaborating on two #1 New York Times bestsellers, former President Bill Clinton and author James Patterson have teamed up for their third book: "The First Gentleman," in which the commander-in-chief is a woman – and her husband stands accused of murder. The two sat down with correspondent Tracy Smith to describe how their writing process, and their friendship, has evolved, and whether – at a time of so much political craziness – there is an appetite for a Washington-based thriller. READ AN EXCERPT:"The First Gentleman" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson For more info: "The First Gentleman: A Thriller"by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (‎Little, Brown & Co.), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available June 2 viaAmazon,Barnes & NobleandBookshop.orgjamespatterson.com HARTMAN: A three-year-old's lesson: "Don't be afraid"Three-year-old Bridger Peabody, of Strasburg, Colo., had a fear of the dark. But when his grandmother fell and hit her head, he overcame his fear to venture outside, into the darkness, to retrieve her phone from the car. Steve Hartman reports on a child's true courage. POLITICS:Bill Clinton on opposing President Trump's agenda: "We cannot throw the legacy of this country away"|Watch VideoFormer President Bill Clinton sat down with correspondent Tracy Smith to discuss the Trump administration's attempts to defy court orders, and what he thinks is preventing President Trump from expanding his power. Clinton also talks about the Democratic Party's opposition to Trump; his own recent health scare; and former President Joe Biden. For more info: Clinton Foundation COMMENTARY: Faith Salie offers her two cents on the end of the pennyThe U.S. Treasury announced that, by early next year, it will cease making new pennies, which cost almost four times to make what they are actually worth. But "Sunday Morning" contributor Faith Salie says that, while phasing out the one-cent coin might make sense, its loss is more than what we can calculate. FROM THE ARCHIVE:Nancy Giles on the history of the penny (Video) For more info: faithsalie.com NATURE: Fur seals WEB EXCLUSIVES: GALLERY:Summer music heats up 2025Live performances are in full swing this summer. Scroll through our concert gallery, featuring pictures by CBS News photojournalist Jake Barlow and photographers Ed Spinelli and Kirstine Walton. FROM THE ARCHIVES:Meet the grandson of our 10th president (YouTube Video)President John Tyler, who was born in 1790, had a son when he was 63 years old; his son was 75 when Harrison Ruffin Tyler was born in 1928 – three generations that spanned more than 200 years, by the time "Sunday Morning" correspondent Mo Rocca caught up with Harrison (then 83) in this report that originally aired Feb. 19, 2012. [Harrison Tyler died on May 25, 2025, at age 96.] MARATHON:2025 Tony-nominated shows and performers (YouTube Video)It's time to celebrate the best of Broadway! Watch "Sunday Morning" interviews with the creatives on stage and behind the scenes of this year's Tony Award-nominated shows. [And don't miss the Tony Awards ceremony broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ June 8.] The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison. DVR Alert! Find out when "Sunday Morning" airs in your city "Sunday Morning" alsostreams on the CBS News appbeginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) Full episodes of "Sunday Morning" are now available to watch on demand on CBSNews.com, CBS.com andParamount+, including via Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon FireTV/FireTV stick and Xbox. Follow us onTwitter/X;Facebook;Instagram;YouTube;TikTok;Bluesky; and atcbssundaymorning.com. You can also download the free"Sunday Morning" audio podcastatiTunesand atPlay.it. Now you'll never miss the trumpet! Fans turn out for estate sale at home of Tom Petty Trump says Musk is "not really leaving" as DOGE savings lag behind projections How a toddler's brave walk into the darkness to get help inspired his family

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June 01, 2025

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 1)

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 1) The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays begi...

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