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Israel Massacres 11 Members of Palestinian Family in Deadliest Gaza Ceasefire Violation
Gaza officials said Israeli forces have broken the tenuous weeklong truce 47 times, killing 38 Palestinians and wounding 143 more.
Oct 18, 2025
Israeli forces killed 11 members of a Palestinian family attempting to return to their home in the flattened Gaza Strip on Friday evening in what local officials said was the deadliest violation of the shaky weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops fired a tank shell at a bus transporting members of the Abu Shaaban family, who were trying to return to inspect their home in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Among the 11 victims were three women and seven children ages 5-13.
The IDF claimed the "suspicious vehicle" crossed the so-called "yellow line," beyond which Israeli forces withdrew in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, and that warning shots were fired at the bus before troops acted to "remove the threat."
However, according to the Palestine Chronicle, Basal asserted that “the family could have been warned or dealt with in a way that did not lead to murder.”
“What happened confirms that the occupation remains thirsty for blood and determined to commit crimes against innocent civilians,” he added.
In the United States, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement:
The Israeli government's massacre of a family traveling to assess the remains of their home is the latest deliberate and blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. The Trump administration must demand that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu stop using American taxpayer dollars and American weapons to sabotage the ceasefire agreement that America brokered so that he can restart the genocide in Gaza.
The State Department and the United Nations must also investigate horrific signs of torture and extrajudicial killing found on the bodies of returned Palestinian hostages. Torturing people to death after kidnapping them and holding them without charge is another example of [breaking] not only international law, but also US law related to foreign aid recipients.
Gaza's Government Media Office said Saturday that Israeli forces have broken the truce 47 times, killing 38 people and wounding 143 others "in clear and blatant violation of the ceasefire decision and the principles of international humanitarian law."
Israeli forces have killed at least 68,116 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry—whose figures are likely a vast undercount. Leaked IDF data suggest more than 80% of those killed were civilians. More than 170,200 other Palestinians have been wounded, with approximately 9,500 others missing and believed dead and buried beneath rubble.
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'We the People Will Rule!': Millions Turn Out for 'No Kings' Protests Against Trump Tyranny
"As Trump and his henchmen take our democracy apart, we are called by our future to rescue it," a progressive congressional candidate in Maine said at one of more than 2,700 scheduled protests.
Oct 18, 2025
Democracy defenders took to the streets Saturday in big cities and small towns from coast to coast and around the world to protest President Donald Trump's authoritarianism and to show the world that "America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people."
Organizers said that more than 2,700 No Kings rallies are scheduled in every state and more than a dozen nations, in what could be the “largest protest in US history” in one day. Saturday's demonstrations followed June 14 No Kings protests that drew millions of people.
“I think that this is going to be a stronger push than the last one,” Hunter Dunn of 50501, a progressive organization that is one of the event's organizers, told The New York Times.
“I’m seeing more of an emphasis on the understanding that this is not just a sprint,” he added. “We are seeing a difference in the understanding of the general public, that this is a marathon.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) headlined a massive rally in Washington, DC.
" Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, called these rallies 'Hate America' events," Sanders told a huge crowd in Washington, DC. "Why does he have it wrong? Millions of Americans are coming out today not because they hate America, we're here today because we love America."
"Today... in this dangerous moment in American history, our message is... no, President Trump, we don't want you or any other king to rule us," Sanders continued. "We will not move toward authoritarianism in America. We the People will rule!"
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also spoke at the DC rally, telling the crowd that "the truth is that Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America."
"The truth is that he is enacting a detailed, step-by step plan to try to destroy all of the things that protect our democracy—free speech, fair elections, an independent press, the right to protest," Murphy continued.
"But the truth is also this: He has not won yet, the people still rule in this country," the senator added. "And today, all across America, in numbers that may eclipse any day of protest in our nation's history, Americans are saying loudly and proudly that we are a free people."
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) fired up an enthusiastic crowd in Seattle, affirming that "we will not back down, we will not give in" to Trump's authoritarianism and lawlessness.
"It would be easy to look around us at what's happening and throw up our hands, be angry, be frustrated, blame someone else, or just disengage, because there's too much hate and corruption, cruelty, and violence," Jayapal said.
She added that Trump is "clearly not well," calling him a "wannabe king who dehumanizes trans people and immigrants, and Black people, and poor people to distract you from his real agenda."
Jayapal decried a president "who sends National Guard troops and masked men into our cities, militarizing our streets, kidnapping and disappearing tens of thousands of people from our communities, and trying very hard to suppress our dissent."
"We are not caving in," she said. "Right now, let's show the power of this movement... We are the people's movement that will save our democracy."
Saturday's rallies were peaceful, joyous events, replete with signs inscribed with creative slogans like "Our Huddled Masses Will Defeat Your Fascist Asses" and "No Crown for the Clown!"
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— sharonfisher68.bsky.social (@sharonfisher68.bsky.social) October 18, 2025 at 8:11 AM
In Chicago, rallygoers erected a paper machete guillotine in Grant Park, where Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" blared from loudspeakers.
“No sign is big enough to list all the reasons I’m here," 26-year-old protester Mackayla Reilley told the Chicago Sun-Times. “With everything going on in Chicago, we have to protect immigrants [and] we have to stand up against Trump. We can’t normalize this type of polarization and this type of partisanship.”
"NO KINGS" PROTEST IN CHICAGO
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— Raider (@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social) October 18, 2025 at 11:21 AM
In Nashville, Tennessee, 9-year-old Iris Spragens who was attending a rally with her parents, told the Tennessee Lookout that she wished country music icon Dolly Parton were president.
“We don’t want Trump to be king because he can be mean to a lot of immigrants and he kicks out a lot of immigrants,” Spragens said.
Nashville, c’td#NoKings
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— Radley Balko (@radleybalko.bsky.social) October 18, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Wendy MacConnell, a grandmother who also attended the Nashville protest, told the Lookout that Trump and Republicans are "trying to whitewash this to make it seem like America doesn’t want this—but look around, look around at all these people."
In Pueblo, Colorado, around 2,000 people rallied at the Pueblo County Government Lawn.
“What the community is doing here today is coming together and saying we won’t take this, we want to be listened to and the people we elect should be listening to the people who vote them in,” 23-year-old Sydney Haney told KRCC, explaining that she was attending to protest US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) abducting members of her community and attacks on the Constitution, reproductive rights, and healthcare.
In Bangor, Maine, progressive congressional candidate Matt Dunlap told the crowd: “A dangerous time is again upon us. It is bad, and it can get worse, as Trump and his henchmen take our democracy apart, we are called by our future to rescue it."
“We can and must do more," Dunlap added. "We owe it to ourselves and the future of this nation to be bold and not afraid, to be hopeful and not despondent, to strive for our independence and reject subjugation by a king.”
In Atlanta, protester Linda Kelley told Fox 5 that "we are so close to being Germany, 1938, and it’s so terrifying."
"I never thought in my lifetime we’d be somewhere like this," she added. "People don’t realize what will happen if we don’t stand up."
Democratic San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre told KPBS in downtown San Diego that “I am here today in solidarity, so that we cannot continue to accept that our constitutional rights continue to be eroded and taken away from us."
“We have the right to free speech, we have the right to free press, we have the right to have our families not be separated in the dark of night and dragged away," Aguirre added.
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'Naked Corruption': Trump Commutes Fraud Sentence of Ex-GOP Congressman George Santos
"Trump says it plainly: Crimes don’t count if you 'vote Republican,'" said one Democratic congressman. "Just like his pardons of those who violently attacked police."
Oct 18, 2025
Continuing his pattern of pardoning allies and prosecuting adversaries, President Donald Trump on Friday commuted the prison term of former Republican Congressman George Santos, who was less than three months into a seven year sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
"George Santos was somewhat of a 'rogue,' but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren't forced to serve seven years in prison," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
Once again, Trump randomly attacked Sen. Richard Blumenthal's (D-Conn.) admitted lie about taking part in the US invasion and occupation of Vietnam. Blumenthal was a Marine stationed stateside during the war, in which Trump—who has been derided as "Capt. Bone Spurs"—avoided serving.
"This is what a wannabe king does."
"He never went to Vietnam, he never saw Vietnam, he never experienced the Battles there, or anywhere else," Trump said of Blumenthal. "His War Hero status, and even minimal service in our Military, was totally and completely MADE UP."
"This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!" the president added. "George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!"
Santos was subsequently released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey after 10:00 pm Friday.
According to a copy of the commutation posted on social media, Santos will also no longer have to pay $370,000 in court-ordered restitution to victims of his fraud. Trump's action does not erase Santos' conviction.
Santos, 37, resisted pressure to resign from Congress over lies about his education, employment, family, religion, residence, net worth, and more.
As The New York Times reported Friday:
Mr. Santos claimed that he was descended from Holocaust refugees. His mother, he said, had been in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He claimed to be a college volleyball star. And Mr. Santos boasted of extensive Wall Street experience that allowed him to report loaning his campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars. None of that was true.
Between May and October 2023, Santos was indicted on 23 criminal counts including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States.
In December 2023, House lawmakers voted 311-114 to remove the freshman lawmaker from office. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was among the 112 Republicans and two Democrats who voted against expulsion. Santos became just the sixth lawmaker to ever be booted from the House.
In August 2024, Santos pleaded guilty to two felony counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The following April, he was sentenced to 87 months behind bars and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture totaling nearly $600,000.
Trump's commutation of Santos' sentence follows a series of high-profile acts of clemency. Most notorious among these was his blanket pardon earlier this year of more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, for which the president—himself a 34-count convicted fraudster—was impeached for a historic second time. He was not convicted by the Senate either time.
George Santos is the 10th GOP Congressman to get a pardon or clemency from President Trump. The other nine were also all convicted of various criminal charges:
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— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Friday's commutation also stands in stark contrast with the Trump administration's recent indictments of political foes including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Critics were quick to note this pattern, which Congressman Don Beyer (D-Va.) called "naked corruption."
"George Santos pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud, a small part of his lying and stealing that really hurt people," Beyer wrote on social media. "Trump says it plainly: Crimes don’t count if you 'vote Republican.' Just like his pardons of those who violently attacked police."
Wow, Trump just commuted disgraced former Congressman George Santos’ sentence.He must really want to distract from the Republican shutdown and the Epstein files.
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— Rep. Ted Lieu (@reptedlieu.bsky.social) October 17, 2025 at 4:46 PM
West Coast Trial Lawyers president Neama Rahmani said on X following Trump's announcement: "It's weeks away, but Trump is handing out pardons like Halloween candy. Disgraced former Rep. George Santos is the latest beneficiary, showing once again that flattering the president gets you everywhere."
"Sneaking it in on a Friday night means it will get less press too," Rahmani added. "I can’t wait for Santos’ first cameo appearance post-federal prison. Is Diddy the next recipient of Trump’s clemency?"
Congressman Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) also reacted to Trump's commutation on X, writing, "This is what a wannabe king does."
"Join us tomorrow at a No Kings rally near you," Pocan added, referring to the more than 2,700 pro-democracy demonstrations set to take place Saturday from coast to coast and around the world.
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