Israeli foreign minister calls for Hamas' surrender as military pounds Gaza

 Israel again called on Hamas to surrender on Sunday, as the military carried out strikes on Gaza’s largest urban centre where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are seeking shelter.

Foreign minister Gideon Saar told reporters in Jerusalem the war could end immediately if Hamas released the remaining hostages being held in Gaza and laid down its weapons.

“We will be more than happy to reach this objective with political means,” he said.

In response, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters it would not lay down its arms but would release all of the hostages if Israel agreed to end the war and withdraw its forces from Gaza, a stance that has long been the Palestinian militant group’s position.

Israel last month launched an assault on Gaza City, the major urban centre, and its forces are now just a few kilometres from the city centre.

Overnight, strikes killed 14 people across the city, local health officials said, including a strike on a school in southern Gaza City sheltering displaced Palestinians.

The military said it had struck a Hamas militant and that civilians had been warned before the strike was carried out.

Israeli forces would “continue to operate against the terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip in order to remove any threat to Israeli civilians,” a military spokesperson said.

The military pounded Gaza City over the weekend, destroying two high-rise buildings that were sheltering displaced Palestinians. The military said the buildings were being used by Hamas and that civilians were warned in advance.

Israel has not provided any evidence to show Hamas was using the buildings, an accusation the militant group denied.

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered the military last month to take Gaza City, where, according to a global hunger monitor, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are facing famine. Israeli officials acknowledge that hunger exists in Gaza, but deny the territory is facing famine.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military assault, launched after Hamas-led militants carried out the surprise October 7th, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people and saw another 251 abducted and taken into Gaza.

There are 48 hostages still held in Gaza. Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive. Most of the hostages who have been released were freed after indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has long insisted that for the war to end Hamas must release the hostages, disarm and take no future role in Gaza’s governance.

The militant group has said it would release all hostages if Israel agreed to end the war and withdraw its forces but has refused to discuss disarmament.

Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, speaking to reporters in Jerusalem alongside his Israeli counterpart, called on Israel to “change course” and stop its military campaign.

“We are extremely concerned about the humanitarian (situation),” he said, also calling for the hostages to be freed.

Many Palestinians have fled Gaza City in recent weeks, but others have refused to leave having already been displaced several times since the war started.

The military on Saturday warned civilians to leave for the south where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are already sheltering in cramped tent encampments along the coast.

US president Donald Trump, who had promised a swift end to the war during his presidential campaign, on Friday said Washington was in “very deep” negotiations with Hamas.

A Hamas official said he hoped Mr Trump was serious about reaching a deal, without directly acknowledging any negotiations.

Hamas has offered to release some hostages for a temporary ceasefire, similar to terms that were discussed in July before negotiations mediated by the US and Arab states collapsed.

The war has grown increasingly unpopular among some segments of Israeli society. On Saturday night, tens of thousands of protesters joined families of hostages at rallies, calling for an end to the war and demanding the release of the captives.

https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/09/07/gaza-strip-israel-hamas-war/

White House's Hassett says Fed needs to be fully independent from Trump

 A top aide to U.S. President Donald Trump who is on his short list to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve said on Sunday the central bank should be "fully independent of political influence," including from Trump.

"I would say 100% that monetary policy, Federal Reserve, monetary policy, needs to be fully independent of political influence, including from President Trump," White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CBS News' "Face The Nation" show.

"The fact is that we've looked at countries that have allowed the leaders to take over the central banks, and what tends to happen is that it's a recipe for inflation and misery for consumers."

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/white-houses-hassett-says-fed-needs-to-be-fully-independent-from-trump/articleshow/123748987.cms

U.S. probes malware email targeting trade talks with China, WSJ reports

U.S. authorities are investigating a bogus email from a Republican lawmaker that contained malware apparently aimed at giving China insights into the Trump administration's trade talks with Beijing, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The malware in the email purportedly sent by Representative John Moolenaar in July to U.S. trade groups, law firms and government agencies was traced by cyber analysts to a hacker group - APT41 - believed to be working for Chinese intelligence, the newspaper said.

Moolenaar, a harsh critic of Beijing, is the chairman of a congressional committee focused on strategic competition between China and the U.S., including threats to U.S. national security.

The email was the latest alleged Beijing-linked hacking operation aimed at giving China insight into recommendations to the White House for contentious trade talks with China, said the Journal, quoting people familiar with the matter.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The first email, the Journal said, was sent just before U.S.-China trade talks in Sweden that led to an extension of a truce on tariffs until early November, when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping could meet at an Asian economic summit.

"Your insights are essential," said the email that asked recipients to review proposed legislation attached to it.

Opening the draft legislation would have allowed the malware to give the hackers extensive access to the targeted groups, the newspaper said, adding that it could not be determined if the attacks had succeeded.

The newspaper said that the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police were investigating the email.

It quoted an FBI spokeswoman as saying that the bureau was aware of the email and was "working with our partners to identify and pursue those responsible." The Capitol Police declined to comment, it said.

In a statement to the Journal, Moolenaar called the attack another example of Chinese cyber operations aimed at stealing U.S. strategy. "We will not be intimidated," he said.

The fake email came to light when staffers of Moolenaar's committee started receiving puzzling inquiries about it, said the Journal, quoting people familiar with the matter.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/u-probes-malware-email-targeting-152759599.html

'Bessent: U.S. and European Union must partner to 'collapse' Russian economy'

 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled on Sunday that the U.S. is open to partnering with European countries to impose more sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil in an attempt to “collapse” the Russian economy and brushed aside concerns that the U.S. was entering a recession.

“We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our European partners to follow us,” Bessent told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

“We are in a race now between how long can the Ukrainian military hold up, versus how long can the Russian economy hold up?” Bessent added. “And if the U.S. and the [European Union] can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in total collapse, and that will bring [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin to the table.”

Last month, the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on India, some of the highest tariffs the U.S. has imposed on any foreign nation, citing the country’s continued purchases of Russian oil amid the war in Ukraine.

Bessent’s comments come just hours after Russia launched its largest air attack of the war overnight, killing at least four people and setting fire to a government building in Kyiv.

The remarks also come just weeks after Trump flew to Alaska to meet with Putin for the first time in his second term. Days later, the American president hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House to discuss a potential end to the war.

Since then, it appears that talks of a ceasefire or an end to the war have stalled, and Russia has continued its onslaught of airstrikes on Ukraine.

Last week, NBC News reported that Trump has grown pessimistic about efforts to end the war, though he joined European leaders on phone calls where he urged them to join the U.S. in putting pressure on China for supporting Russia’s war effort.

Bessent also spoke about President Donald Trump’s economic agenda, dismissing concerns about tariffs and about last week’s August jobs report. The treasury secretary also dismissed concerns that it was a sign of a “jobs recession” in the U.S.

Bessent on Sunday also spoke about the Trump administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court seeking to overturn a circuit court decision that ruled against the president’s far-reaching tariffs.

“I am confident that we will win at the Supreme Court,” the treasury secretary told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.

He added, however, that if the Supreme Court rules against Trump, “there are numerous other avenues that we can take” to continue to impose tariffs on foreign nations.

But those other avenues, Bessent added, would “diminish President Trump’s negotiating position.”

In a ruling signed by seven judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the court said Trump had misused his authority when imposing tariffs on foreign nations under the guise of the president’s emergency powers. The court said that only Congress has the power to impose such sweeping tariffs.

Asked whether the Trump administration would be ready to issue refunds for the tariff revenue it has collected if the Supreme Court ruled against it, Bessent said, “We would have to.”

“We would have to give a refund on about half the tariffs, which would be terrible for the Treasury,” Bessent said, adding later: “If the court says it, we’d have to do it.”

Still, the treasury secretary largely defended Trump’s tariff agenda on Sunday, telling Welker earlier in the program that tariffs are not a tax on the American people and pointing to other markers of success in the economy.

“If things are so bad, why was the GDP 3.3%? Why is the stock market at a new high? Because, you know, with President Trump, we care both about big companies and small companies,” Bessent told Welker.

"When I was here in April, the sky was falling with the tariffs, that everyone is leaving the U.S. Since then, the U.S. bond market has been the best-performing bond market in the developed world, and from Barclays Bank to Goldman Sachs to others are saying it is the tariff income and the fiscal improvement that we are seeing,” the treasury secretary added. “That’s what President Trump is talking about.”

Bessent also referred to what he called an economic "panic" in April when responding to last month's jobs report, which showed lower-than-expected growth in the jobs market.

Responding to economic analysts who said the U.S. is now in a "jobs recession," Bessent disputed that, pointing to new highs in the stock market as a sign of a healthy economy.

"When I was here with you in April, there was a panic, because the stock market had gone down," Bessent told Welker. "A lot of other mainstream media people were in a complete lather over the stock market performance."

"President Trump ... held the views on tariffs. He was proven right. We had the quickest stock market recovery in history," the treasury secretary added. "We're at new highs in August, and we -- look, we're not going to do economic policy off of one number. We believe that good policies are in place that are going to create good, high-paying jobs for the American people."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/treasury-secretary-us-eu-collapse-russian-economy-tariffs-bessent-rcna229616

Released Comey Memos Reveal Obama Admin's Endorsement Of Russian Hoax

  by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,

Newly unclassified memos from disgraced former FBI Director James Comey confirmed that the Obama administration not only welcomed the Russia meddling hoax but also discussed potential post-election actions.

Journalist Catherine Herridge first shared the October 2016 memos on X on Friday after FBI Director Kash Patel approved their declassification.

In one memo, Comey asked, “What is the goal? Informing US people? Disrupting Russians.”

Elsewhere, he contemplated potential steps after President Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

“What are the circumstances in which we can imagine taking any action after the election,” Comey wrote.

“I can’t picture it so why threaten any.”

One note, titled “My Thoughts,” referenced the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein and former Rep. (now Sen.) Adam Schiff, both California Democrats, as putting the FBI “in odd spot.”

The context behind this last note is unclear.

On another page, Comey used the acronym “COS,” likely referring to a chief of staff.

He also entertained the Russia meddling theory.

“Russians have a view on who should win,” he wrote, adding:

“SR (Susan Rice/National Security Adviser) •Need IC (intelligence Community) to do their best lay down of what we could say publicly.”

The memos suggest the outgoing Obama administration embraced the idea that Russia wanted Trump to win the election—a theory that later evolved into claims that Trump colluded with Russia.

No evidence has ever been produced to substantiate this claim.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/released-comey-memos-reveals-obama-admins-endorsement-russian-hoax

Putin Invited Zelensky To Moscow, Who Responds "I Can't Go To Capital Of This Terrorist"

 Russian state media sources have of late been alleging a secret Western plot to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. These reports have continued through August and into September, but the scenario has obviously not come to fruition.

A prime candidate to replace him would be former chief of the armed forces, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny - who Zelensky fired last year and shipped off to London to be ambassador there. Since then, Ukraine's military has been doing even worse on the battlefield, according to The Wall Street Journal and many other reports.

Getty Images

Russia's TASS has claimed there's a specific plot afoot, reporting a so-called "triumvirate" consisting of Andriy Yermak (head of the Ukrainian presidential office), Kyrylo Budanov (military intelligence chief), and Gen. Zaluzhny (former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the UK), are actively working with the US and UK to replace President Zelensky with Zaluzhny.

Ukrainian media has also picked up on this, but has dismissed it as Russian wartime propaganda:

The SVR said the “conspiracy” was the underlying cause “…of the recent scandalous attempt by ‘Kyiv’s president’ to restrict the powers of the local anti-corruption mechanisms.” This was in reference to the proposed legal attempts to limit the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

But Zelensky has, under pressure from Western partners, dutifully reversed his legal move against said anti-corruption bodies. 

Several reports by the end of July indicated he "backtracked" amid domestic and international criticism. Still, the Russian media reports claimed this revealed cracks in his support base, emboldening those plotting against him.

But given Zelensky's recent appearance in Paris for a collective defense conference alongside President Macron, and given he's readying a plan with NATO allies for 'security guarantees' - it doesn't seem like he's going anywhere soon.

President Putin has repeatedly called Zelensky out as 'illegitimate' - but still while in Beijing this past week indicated he's open to inviting him to Moscow for talks.

Putin caveated that this would have to be premised on real progress at the negotiating table, however. He actually appeared to throw out an open invitation, at least according to US officials who informed Zelensky of the overture. 

Watch: Zelensky rejects the invite...

Zelensky countered by saying Putin should come to Kyiv, but practically speaking that's not going to happen, given it would be a security nightmare for the Kremlin, and given it would be seen as bowing to Ukraine's demands.

"He can come to Kyiv," Zelensky said. "I can't go to Moscow when my country's under missiles, under attack, each day. I can't go to the capital of this terrorist."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-invited-zelensky-moscow-who-responds-i-cant-go-capital-terrorist

Walz’s Dream Act Nightmare

 While the majority of Americans are calling for more immigration enforcement, left-wing politicians and their fellow travelers in academia carry on in denial of this reality and pretend their outdated ideas have popular support.

The latest example of this delusion can be found in Minnesota, where current governor and failed vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, along with the state legislature, proudly award in-state tuition to illegal aliens while making American citizens from other states pay bloated out-of-state tuition fees. The Department of Justice has responded with a lawsuit to stop the policy.

The practice of granting in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens while charging out-of-state U.S. citizens higher fees is not only discriminatory but also a direct violation of federal statutes. Minnesota’s policy, along with similar ones in other states, has helped create a de facto two-tiered society where illegal aliens are granted privileges that exceed those afforded to U.S. citizens.

The core issue lies in Minnesota’s statutes, including the Minnesota Dream Act and the North Star Promise program, which allow illegal aliens who meet certain residency criteria—such as attending a Minnesota high school for three years and graduating—to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. In some cases, these students also qualify for free tuition if their families earn less than $80,000 annually. Meanwhile, U.S. citizens from other states face tuition costs that can be more than double, with in-state tuition averaging $12,873 and out-of-state tuition at $26,719 for the 2024-2025 school year.

In its brief supporting the Justice Department’s case, attorneys from my organization, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), argued that the state’s policy violates the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. This federal law prohibits states from offering in-state tuition to illegal aliens based on residency unless the same benefit is extended to all U.S. citizens, regardless of their state of residence. Minnesota’s attempt to sidestep this law by tying tuition benefits to high school attendance rather than residency is a clever device that FAIR calls out as a flimsy workaround.

Minnesota is not alone in this practice. At least 23 states including California, New York, Kansas, and Nebraska, as well as the District of Columbia have similar policies. California’s AB 540, for example, allows alien students who meet residency requirements to pay in-state tuition, while out-of-state U.S. citizens face significantly higher costs. These policies create a perverse incentive structure, rewarding illegal presence while penalizing American citizens who reside outside the state.

The Trump administration’s lawsuit follows successful challenges in Texas, where the state repealed its in-state tuition policy for illegal students hours after a federal lawsuit was filed, and in Florida, which ended its policy in February of this year. The message is clear: States cannot flout federal law to grant illegal aliens benefits while at the same time withholding them from citizens.

Lost on politicians in Minnesota and other states sharing this progressive mindset regarding illegal immigrants is that their actions create a stunning hypocrisy. They argue that foreigners breaking our laws—who belong outside of our national borders—should receive tuition benefits, while simultaneously arguing that U.S. citizens who happen to live outside of their states’ borders should not get those benefits.

While activists push the personal stories of immigration “dreamers” to evoke sympathy, the law is clear, and fairness must prevail. Illegal aliens, regardless of circumstance, are not entitled to benefits that discriminate against American citizens. As FAIR’s brief argues, Minnesota’s policy not only violates federal law but also undermines the principle that legal residency in the United States should confer equal treatment. Moreover, the financial burden for this unwarranted, illegal largesse is significant. In Minnesota, 139 undocumented students received $383,273.90 through the North Star Promise scholarship in the past school year alone. This diverts resources from American citizens who face higher costs for the simple reason that their families live across state lines.

The broader implications of these policies extend beyond tuition. They signal a troubling willingness by state governments and institutions to prioritize political agendas over the rule of law. The denizens of Walz’s administration, like those who populate academia, seem more concerned with bending the knee to progressive, anti-borders ideals than they are with upholding fairness. The Trump administration’s legal challenges, including those in Minnesota, Kentucky, and Texas, are a necessary correction. They remind us that federal law exists to protect American citizens first, not to subsidize benefits for those who bypass legal immigration processes.

https://chroniclesmagazine.org/web/walzs-dream-act-nightmare/