Bernie Sanders

July 31 (UPI) — The U.S. Senate has approved weapons sales to Israel, despite the fact that a majority of Senate Democrats voted against the measure.

Twenty-seven of the 47 Democrats voted Wednesday in favor of two resolutions to block U.S. military sales to Israel, a change from the historically typical bipartisan support such resolutions are expected to receive.

The resolutions were sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who said in a press release Wednesday that “the members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted to stop sending arms shipments to a Netanyahu government which has waged a horrific, immoral, and illegal war against the Palestinian people.”

“The tide is turning,” he added. “The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza.”

Sanders’ resolutions may have failed, but the 27 senators in support is the most he has received in the three times he sponsored them. His first attempt in November of last year received 18 Democratic votes, and a second attempt in April scored 15.

However, 70 senators voted against Sanders’ first resolution that sought to block over $675 million in weapons sales to Israel.

His second resolution, which would have prohibited the sale of thousands of assault rifles, lost more support as it was defeated by a 73-24 margin.

Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., voted in support of Sanders’ resolutions for the first time.

“Tonight I voted YES to block the sale of certain weapons to Israel to send a message to Netanyahu’s government,” she posted to X Wednesday. “This legislative tool is not perfect, but frankly it is time to say ENOUGH to the suffering of innocent young children and families.”

“Tonight, I voted in favor of blocking the Trump Administration from sending more weapons to Israel,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., in an X post Wednesday, after voting yes for the first time.

“My votes tonight reflect my deep frustration with the Netanyahu government’s abject failure to address humanitarian needs in Gaza and send a message to the Trump administration that it must change course if it wants to help end this devastating war,” she concluded.

“The Democrats are moving forward on this issue, and I look forward to Republican support in the near future,” Sanders further noted in his release.

July 2 (UPI) — Paramount has reached a settlement with Donald Trump, who sued CBS News for $20 billion over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.

The move is expected to further raise concerns with press freedom and democracy advocates who have characterized Trump’s lawsuit as frivolous, a attack on the free press and unprecedented, while some Democrats have warned that it may violate bribery laws.

The announcement comes a day after both sides of the lawsuit asked the court to stay ongoing proceedings in the case “because the parties are engaged in good faith, advanced, settlement negotiations,” which the court agreed to on Tuesday.

On Tuesday night, Paramount said it agreed to pay $16 million, excluding legal fees, to Trump’s future presidential library to settle the lawsuit, The New York Times reported.

No apology was included in the settlement, Paramount said it agreed to release written transcripts of future 60 Minutes interviews with presidential candidates.

UPI has contacted Paramount for confirmation and comment.

60 Minutes is a program on CBS News, whose parent company is Paramount.

Trump filed the lawsuit against CBS News in October as he was running for president, taking issue with the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Harris, which Trump described as being deceptively doctored.

The lawsuit focuses on an answer Harris gave to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a preview of the interview that ran on Oct. 5, Harris was edited giving one answer. Then during the 60 Minutes episode that aired the next night, she was seen giving another answer. A transcript of the entire interview later published by CBS News shows that both responses came from the same, longer answer that Harris gave to the question.

Trump and his legal team accused CBS News in the lawsuit of “substantial news distortion calculated to (a) confuse, deceive and mislead the public, and (b) attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party.”

While many in the legal community believed that Trump’s lawsuit would fail, as nothing factually incorrect was reported during the interview, it came as Paramount was seeking a multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media and the deal has been pending review by the Federal Communications Commission.

In May, amid speculation that Paramount was seeking to settle with Trump, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Ron Wyden of Oregon, along with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, sent Shari Redstone, chairwoman of Paramount, a letter warning her that under the federal bribery statute, it is illegal to corruptly give anything of value to public officials to influence their official acts.

“Because the merger will involve the transfer of ownership of CBS broadcast licenses, the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must review the deal and has an opportunity to block it. Paramount appears to be attempting to appease the administration in order to secure merger approval,” the senators said.

“Paramount’s apparent capitulation to President Trump is a sharp contrast from its earlier position that it would ‘vigorously defend’ against the lawsuit.”

Ahead of Paramount’s announcement, the Freedom of the Press Foundation issued a petition urging CBS to not settle.

“Freedom of the Press Foundation has announced plans to file a shareholder derivative suit against Paramount’s directors and officers if they settle,” it said.

Trump is known as litigious, bringing lawsuits against those he feels have done him wrong, including news organizations.

In December, ABC News agreed to pay Trump $15 million in a defamation suit against the network after George Stephanopoulos repeatedly said in an interview that Trump was found “liable for rape” when a jury had found the president liable for sexual abuse.

He has also filed a $49 million lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward over allegedly unauthorized use of audio recordings.

June 24 (UPI) — New Yorkers are facing scorching temperatures Tuesday as they head to the polls in local elections that include the hotly contested Democratic primary race for New York City mayor between former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani.

According to returns released as of 3 p.m. EDT, by the Board of Elections, more than 326,000 New Yorkers had voted Tuesday. More than 384,000 cast their ballot during early voting last week, which is more than double the number of early votes during the 2021 primaries for mayor.

Temperatures reached into the triple-digits Tuesday, hitting 102 degrees at John F. Kennedy International Airport, as voters in New York City braved the heat to cast their ballots. One polling site in Brooklyn had no air conditioning, leaving it up to poll workers to bring their own electric fans from home as New York’s Board of Elections provided only paper fans.

“I went to the management office and they said they didn’t convert it from heat to A/C. The air conditioning system wasn’t converted,” said a poll coordinator at the Taylor Wythe Community Center polling site. “It was supposed to be converted in April.”

One voter criticized New York City’s government for not doing better.

“Where are my tax dollars going?” said a woman, who did not want to give her name. “It’s 2025, who lets people work in this heat with no A/C?”

Primary elections in New York City use ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to express their preferences beyond just a single choice in an effort to prevent runoff elections. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated first, until one candidate secures 50% of the votes. New York City’s last mayoral primary took several weeks to be decided.

The turnout and interest in the Democratic race for New York City’s mayor comes as two very different candidates are pitted against each other, with nine other candidates trailing far behind the two frontrunners.

Mamdani, 33, has been a New York State representative for the 36th district of Queens since 2021. During his run for mayor, Mamdani has called for free city buses, public child care, a rent freeze and affordable housing. He has received endorsements from progressive politicians, including Democrats Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and he has been accused of being anti-Semitic while arguing he is only holding Israel accountable.

Just after 5 p.m. EDT, Mamdani reminded voters, in a post on X, that there were “less than four hours to go” before the polls close.

If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor. He has criticized a super PAC, backing Cuomo, for being Islamophobic for altering images of him in a campaign mailer.

“Fix the City” PAC defended the mailers.

“Every Fix the City ad and mailer presents Mr. Mamdani unaltered; the photos, policies and plans are his,” said Liz Benjamin, a spokesperson for the PAC.

“When you strip away his Hollywood tinsel, what you realize is that Mr. Mamdani has repeatedly embraced the rhetoric of hate,” Benjamin added. “It is far past time to disavow his own calls to ‘globalize the intifada,’ which many understood is an invitation to violence.”

Cuomo, 67, resigned as governor of New York in 2021 after more than a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment. Last month, the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into the former governor over accusations he lied to Congress about the number of nursing home deaths in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, Cuomo urged New Yorkers to vote early to beat the heat and reminded residents, in a post on X, that the polls are open until 9 p.m. The Board of Elections says results in the first round of voting should be released by 10 p.m. EDT.

“It’s Election Day. Together, we will save our city,” Cuomo wrote.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is not on Tuesday’s ballot since he is running for re-election as an Independent after dropping out of the Democratic primary in April.

“No such thing as a slow day in NYC! Temps hitting 100 degrees, so we’re keeping everyone cool and healthy. Primary Day across the five boroughs,” Adams wrote Tuesday in a post on X. “Drink your water and stay cool, everyone.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, speaks during a press conference on March 6, 2025. Sanders will support a pair of progressive candidates running in Democratic primaries against more established candidates. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

June 17 (UPI) — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has thrown support to a pair of progressive candidates running in Democratic primaries against more established candidates.

Sanders is expected to officially endorse Zohran Mamdani in the party’s mayoral primary in New York City on Tuesday.

A Brooklyn native, Sanders joins Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. in support of Mamdani, a left-wing Democrat who must compete against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary. Current mayor Eric Adams is running for reelection as an independent.

“Our nation faces a fundamental choice: Will we continue with a corporate-dominated politics driven by billionaires or will we build a grass-roots movement fueled by everyday people, committed to fighting oligarchy, authoritarianism and kleptocracy?” Mr. Sanders has said about Mamdani.

“The New York City Democratic primary presents a clear choice as to the path forward,” he added.

Sanders has also announced his support for Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who seeks to unseat current Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich.

“As a Member of Congress, Donavan will fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, fully fund our public schools, invest in public housing and support Medicare for all,” said Sanders of McKinney. “A former union leader, he has dedicated his life to standing with working people, and is ready to lead the struggle against Donald Trump, the oligarchy, and the corporate interests who prioritize profits over people.”

McKinney, who also has the support of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said in a statement that “Senator Sanders has long been a progressive champion for working class Americans, and I am honored to receive his endorsement.”

Sanders had also announced in May he had partnered with the Run for Something young candidate recruitment organization, which posted to X in May that “His message is clear-run for office-and we’re here to make sure new leaders have the tools to win.”

May 14 (UPI) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. defended proposed 2026 budget reductions during separate House and Senate committee budget hearings on Wednesday.

Kennedy started the morning by fielding questions from members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.

Chairman Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., opened the hearing by acknowledging President Donald Trump‘s efforts to enforce the border and its effect on community health and safety.

“The president’s success in securing our border directly benefits public health by reducing the incoming flow of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, which has fallen by 54% since this time last year,” Aderholt said. “That’s no small thing.”

He also commended the Trump administration for reducing the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border and said he wants to hear Kennedy’s ideas for reforming the Department of Health and Human Services and its sub-agencies.

‘Disastrous’ program funding reductions

Ranking Member Rep. Rose DeLauro, D-Conn., was less conciliatory and referred to the Trump administration’s budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services as “disastrous.”

DeLauro said the proposed budget would reduce funding for health programs by $33 billion.

The proposed HHS budget for the 2026 fiscal year is $93.8 billion, which is a 26.2% reduction from the current budget and includes funding reductions across most programs.

“I view it as a disgrace,” DeLauro said. “Under your budget proposal, Americans would die needless and preventable deaths.”

DeLauro cited funding cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and accused Kennedy and the Department of Government Efficiency Director Elon Musk of “eliminating entire divisions without consideration for what is being lost.”

The cuts “affect families and communities” and “are dangerous,” DeLauro said.

Kennedy said his goal is to make America healthy again by focusing on the “chronic disease epidemic.”

HHS also seeks to deliver more effective and efficient services for Americans who rely on Medicaid, Medicare and other programs while reducing costs for taxpayers, Kennedy said.

During the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee budget hearing Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy said states and localities can do a better job of responding to disasters at the state and local levels than the federal government.

He cited Florida’s success in handling hurricanes Helene and Milton last year, with no lives lost there, as an example and said the federal government should focus on national disasters.

Drug prices and healthcare as a human right

Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., asked Kennedy if he is willing to work to make drug prices in the United States the lowest in the world, to which Kennedy said he is.

Sanders then asked Kennedy if healthcare is a “human right.”

Kennedy said healthcare is not part of the rights enumerated in the Constitution and called it more of a philosophical matter.

Sanders responded by saying “every other country guarantees healthcare” as a right and said Americans don’t want the choice to be uninsured or not have the ability to see a doctor.

Kennedy said “Obamacare” is not working and he and President Trump want to enable everyone to be insured and have access to quality healthcare.

Sanders then cited proposed cuts to programs that serve middle-class and poor Americans and claimed they would end healthcare coverage for 13 million Americans.

Kennedy said the cuts only are for waste and denied they would affect coverage for Americans.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., followed Sanders and cited examples of wasteful programs that the proposed budget would eliminate.

They include a recent study on the effects of cocaine on lab rats and another study that showed about half of biological males who medically transition to female believe they can get pregnant, the senator said.

Gain-of-function research and COVID-19

Paul also said bipartisan support exists for better controlling gain-of-function research on Ebola, avian flu and other infectious diseases and the potential dangers they pose to Americans.

The senator cited a research study that would put Ebola in an aerosol as a potential biological weapon, which he said could be potentially very dangerous to the general public.

Paul asked Kennedy if HHS would be transparent in gain-of-function research regulations and protect Americans from potentially deadly outbreaks.

Kennedy said HHS would be “absolutely transparent” in regulating gain-of-function research and “bring the public in on the debate.”

He also said National Institutes of Health research “almost certainly” caused the COVID-19 pandemic through gain-of-function research.

Lack of access to critical care

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she opposes staffing reductions at the NIH and cited a constituent with stage-four cancer who recently was told her treatment would be delayed by four weeks due to staffing shortages.

Kennedy offered to intervene on that person’s behalf and ensure she receives needed care right away.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., accused Kennedy of “hiding information” from the American people and asked if he believes lead poisoning is a problem.

Kennedy said he thinks it’s a very serious problem, but Baldwin said “the entire lead-poisoning program staff has been fired.”

She asked if Kennedy intends to eliminate the program that helps communities address lead poisoning, which he said will not happen.

She also said HHS has provided about $1 billion less in Head Start program funding and asked why there are funding delays.

“There should not be any delays,” Kennedy said. “The funding is there.”

He suggested staffers who want to make the Trump administration look bad are slowing down disbursements for Head Start and similar programs.

The House and Senate hearings were held before a vote on a proposed 2026 federal government budget measure that Trump has referred to as “one big, beautiful bill.”

Protesters arrested for disrupting hearing

While the Senate hearing was underway, Ben & Jerry’s co-owner and co-founder Ben Cohen and six others were arrested for disrupting the hearing, Axios reported.

Cohen and the others were protesting the United States’ support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

The protesters yelled, “RFK kills people with hate!” before Capitol Police escorted them from the room.

They were arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing proceedings or incommoding.

Some protesters also were charged with assaulting a police officer or resisting arrest, but Cohen was not among those so charged.