The Saudi government admits that Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in its consulate in Istanbul, Turkey by its own agents but has yet to offer any official indications about the fate of his body. So added to the terrible grief felt by the family over the murder is their humiliation as they cannot even offer a proper burial for their loved one. Khashoggi’s family is not alone in this suffering. At the start of 2016, Sheikh Nimr al Nimr was executed and his body never given to his family for burial. In fact, this cruel practice of not returning a body of an executed prisoner or of someone killed in a police raid is estimated to have taken place over 30 times in the last two years. It is brutal and immoral and should stop. The U.S. government which counts the Saudi monarchy as a close ally must pressure the Saudi government to release the body of Khashoggi. He was a resident of the United States and a journalist for one of the U.S.’ most famous newspapers. Certainly, our government which sells the Saudis so many weapons and supports its war in Yemen has enormous influence over the kingdom and can demand this act of decency.

In Pursuit of Justice; to Preserve and Promote Democracy and its Essential Principles -- in particular, Pursuit of Truth and Justice through Freedom of Speech and the Press -- for all Posterity, Lest We Forget What those Principle Are; to Honor the Sacrifices and Courage that Countless Journalists have made, and continue to make, in Relentless Pursuit of Democracy's Principles and Ideals of Truth and Freedom; and to Boldly Reassert : Democracy does Not Submit to the Threats and Outrages of Tyrannical Rule and Rulers.

I want every citizen to call their Senator and DEMAND action. Demand that Congress investigate Donald Trump, who is protecting this hostile foreign power from this flagrant and heinous murder. The Saudi's got an "all clear" from the White House - who delivered this message, Kushner? Did Kushner tell the Prince - have at it, kill all the reporters you want, just keep buying our weapons? I want the Senate to immediately draft and present a bill for signature imposing sanctions, prohibiting the sale of arms, ejecting all Saudi's diplomats, and refusing entry to all Saudi citizens. Enough.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, was just apparently killed on the eve of his wedding— and news reports suggest that the Saudi government was responsible. If that’s true, this is the latest in a long line of actions by the Saudi government cracking down on dissidents and murdering civilians. But U.S. news outlets have consistently propped up the image of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as a reformer, giving him a free pass to continue executing Saudi activists, bombing Yemeni children in school buses, and using starvation as weapon of war in Yemen. The New York Times and all other media sponsors have already pulled out of the Saudi government's upcoming high-powered investment conference in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi's apparent murder. But Fox Business is still planning to sponsor the conference, giving a seal of approval to bin Salman’s repressive regime. Add your name to demand #JusticeforJamal and insist Fox Business stop enabling Saudi government repression.

The Saudi regime is brutal––and has recently been accused of possible war crimes by the U.N. for Saudi-led attacks in Yemen––but the United States supports it with huge amounts of military aid and sales of weaponry. America has blood on its hands--and that of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi was recently added to the list.

Ongoing repression in Palestine conducted by the Israeli Defense Forces, is supported by the US government to the tune of millions of dollars a day. Ten million is the figure I find most often. These soldiers, under orders, have targeted unarmed civilians, killing 172 of them outright but intentionally maiming and crippling thousands of others as a sadistic entirely unwarranted act of brutality. No strong denouncement of this brazen terrorism comes from the halls of Congress or from the Oval Office. Rather...the money continues to flow. We demand that our leaders stop supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people, that they denounce these clear crimes against humanity and that they take action in support of a free Palestine.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama is coming to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on September 7, to receive an award for “ethics in government.” [1] Barack Obama’s career in government has a gruesome moral stain, for which he still has the opportunity to make restitution. In March 2015, as President of the United States, Barack Obama approved U.S. military intervention in Yemen on behalf of Saudi Arabia. The subsequent unnecessary and unjustified Saudi war and blockade in Yemen has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with millions of human beings pushed deliberately to the brink of starvation, a “famine” imposed by Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Britain akin to the British-imposed “Great Famine” in Ireland between 1845 and 1849. Obama’s unnecessary and unjustified military intervention on behalf of the Saudis in Yemen was and remains unconstitutional and illegal. It occurred and is ongoing without having been authorized by Congress, in flagrant violation of Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. “It’s not a radical idea” to speak out against this ongoing, illegal U.S.-enabled Saudi atrocity. Senator Bernie Sanders said on September 1: “We must end U.S. support for this disastrous war in Yemen. It is also long past time that we begin to take a very hard look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia.” [2] Barack Obama isn’t President of the United States anymore. But that doesn’t end his personal moral responsibility for the ongoing atrocities of the U.S.-backed Saudi famine-war in Yemen. The atrocities of the U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen continue today. Just last month the U.S. helped Saudi Arabia blow up a bus full of schoolchildren, which Saudi Arabia still claims was a “legitimate military target.” UN investigators say Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have killed thousands of civilians in Yemen in airstrikes, tortured detainees, raped civilians and used child soldiers as young as 8, actions which are likely war crimes. [3] Barack Obama is speaking out now about “American values.” He could speak out now about ending this war. Helping Saudi Arabia blow up buses full of schoolkids isn’t an “American value” that the majority of Americans would ever vote for, if they were ever allowed to vote on it. If Obama spoke out now for ending the biblically-catastrophic Saudi war in Yemen, it would pressure Democratic leaders in Congress push for a vote to end the war. Obama’s silence on the atrocities of the war helps to perpetuate those atrocities. After the Saudis bombed the bus full of kids, liberal foreign policy expert Micah Zenko wrote: “The only reason that I can guess why the United States continues to arm, train, and provide essential logistical support for the air campaign in Yemen, is that this support has occurred during both Democratic and Republican administrations; as we learned in Vietnam previously and Afghanistan every day, where poor strategic decisions are made and sustained by administrations of both major political parties, there is no political advantage for the party out of power to critique current policy.” [4] Obama could personally change this dynamic by speaking out now. Some Obama Administration officials have already admitted that it was a moral mistake for the Obama Administration to enable Saudi Arabia’s famine-war in Yemen. Samantha Power, who as Obama’s Ambassador to the UN defended the war, said last December, "The US is … wrong (as were we in last admin) to keep supporting Saudi-led coalition as it kills civilians w/ impunity & blocks medicine/food/fuel supplies in face of looming famine." [5] Urge Barack Obama to speak out in Urbana on September 7 for ending the biblically-catastrophic U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1. “Obama to speak Sept. 7 at UI,” Julie Wurth and Ben Zigterman, Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, 8/30/2018, http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-08-30/obama-speak-sept-7-ui.html 2. “We must end U.S. support for this disastrous war in Yemen,” Senator Bernie Sanders, 1 Sep 2018, https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1036064182259593216 3. “War Crimes Report on Yemen Accuses Saudi Arabia and U.A.E.,” Nick Cumming-Bruce, New York Times, Aug. 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/world/middleeast/un-yemen-war-crimes.html 4. “America Is Committing War Crimes and Doesn’t Even Know Why,” Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy, August 15, 2018, https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/15/america-is-committing-awful-war-crimes-and-it-doesnt-even-know-why/ 5. “Power: Trump wrong to continue supporting Saudi-led coalition in Yemen,” Julia Manchester, The Hill, 12/17/17, http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/365316-power-trump-wrong-to-continue-supporting-saudi-led-coalition-in

UN investigators say Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have killed thousands of civilians in Yemen in airstrikes, tortured detainees, raped civilians and used child soldiers as young as 8, actions which are likely war crimes. Their report said Saudi and Emirati airstrikes had hit residential areas, markets, funerals, weddings, jails, boats and medical facilities. They accused Saudi-UAE of routinely having failed to consult their own “no-strike list” of civilian sites in Yemen, including refugee camps and hospitals. The chair of the experts panel that produced the report said “there is little evidence of any attempt” by Saudi-UAE to minimize civilian casualties. [1] The UN report on Saudi-UAE war crimes in Yemen makes a mockery of claims by Defense Secretary James Mattis that the Pentagon is helping Saudi Arabia and the UAE reduce civilian casualties. On the contrary: by arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE, by refueling their warplanes during their bombing runs, by providing targeting intelligence, and by providing diplomatic protection for their war at the UN, the Pentagon is complicit in Saudi-UAE war crimes. But incredibly, Mattis insists that “we have not seen any callous disregard by the people we're working with,” and so the Pentagon “will continue to work with them." [2] Congress can stop this crime. In violation of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s Yemen war was never authorized by Congress. That means that under the War Powers Resolution, any Member of Congress can force a vote on ending the war, as Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy did in March. [3] Urge your Representative and Senators to force a vote on ending the war by signing our petition. References: 1. “War Crimes Report on Yemen Accuses Saudi Arabia and U.A.E.,” Nick Cumming-Bruce, New York Times, Aug. 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/world/middleeast/un-yemen-war-crimes.html 2. “US to Continue Backing Saudi Coalition in Yemen War,” Associated Press, Aug. 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/08/28/us/politics/ap-us-mattis.html 3. “Why Congress must vote on the United States’ role in Yemen,” Mike Lee, Bernie Sanders and Chris Murphy, Washington Post, February 28, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-congress-must-vote-on-the-united-states-role-in-yemen/2018/02/28/2ce853b4-1cc8-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html

Seth Frotman, the federal government’s top student loan consumer watchdog just resigned. His letter of resignation blames the Trump administration for abandoning students and student loan borrowers at a time when exploding college costs and corporate malfeasance are harming Americans more than ever. As Student Loan Ombudsman at the CFPB, he worked tirelessly to hold big banks and student loan companies accountable. He remained dedicated to the mission of advocating for America’s 45 million student loan borrowers. Students, student loan borrowers, and their families rely on an independent, government agency to protect them from financial crimes. Since its creation, the CFPB has played a vital role in not only defending America’s consumers but defending the American Dream itself. From defending military families to holding bad-acting student loan servicers accountable and returning millions of dollars to Americans who fell victim to for-profit colleges, the CFPB has been consumer's strongest advocate. However, the actions being taken by the current administration are hurting student loan borrowers in the following ways: Preventing the enforcement of consumer protection laws - Recently appointed leaders at the CFPB have abandoned the Bureau’s commitment to fairly enforce the law. They folded under political pressure and stopped CFPB oversight of the largest student loan companies. By doing so they have undermined their own mission to oversee the student loan industry and put millions of borrowers at risk of being defrauded. Undermining the CFPB’s political independence - The CFPB’s recent actions have shown that its current leaders have prioritized the goals of the Trump administration over the interests of consumers and student loan borrowers. Recently, the Bureau blocked efforts to call attention to ways that the Trump administration was hurting families taken-advantage of by for-profit colleges. Those in government whose job it is to stand up for student loan borrowers are being silenced by political appointees. Weaking efforts to hold bad actors accountable - The current leadership at the CFPB has completely abandoned students and borrowers. When the nation’s biggest banks were accused of scamming students on campus, the Bureau’s new leaders tried to bury the information. These actions put into question the future of the lawsuit against student loan servicer Navient. Students will be left vulnerable to predatory practices while the CFPB turns a blind eye. We demand that Congress put a stop to the undermining of the CFPB by restoring the Bureau’s original principles: protecting consumers and students from bad actors, remaining independent from any administration, and enforcing the laws that hold these values in place.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed to rename the Russell Senate Office Building to the McCain Senate Office Building. There are more appropriate ways to remember John McCain. The Senate office buildings are for everyone. We can name other things for McCain, things that would be more appropriate than a Senate office building used by everyone, including Americans who oppose unconstitutional and endless wars. If Schumer’s proposal is adopted, that’s a legacy for decades. If we’re going to rename the Russell building, Paul Wellstone would be a more appropriate choice. Wellstone voted against the Iraq war, even though he was up for re-election and feared doing so could cost him the election, and Wellstone died in the line of duty, in a way, killed in a plane crash on his way to meet voters in rural Minnesota. On war and peace, McCain was a divisive figure. On some of the most important war and peace issues of our time, he advocated divisively for more war. He was an eager advocate of the Iraq war. [1] He sang and laughed about bombing Iran. [2] He championed the unauthorized, unconstitutional, biblically-catastrophic U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen. [3] He called Members of Congress “wacko” because they backed the filibuster of John Brennan as CIA director over the unconstitutional drone strike policy. [4] The Brennan filibuster was supported by the ACLU. The filibuster sought to enforce the War Powers Clause of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution: Congress, not the President, is supposed to decide when to use military force. Those are the people McCain derided as “wacko”: people who oppose unconstitutional and endless wars. McCain called people protesting Henry Kissinger’s role in war crimes “low life scum.” [5] Decades after the Vietnam War, John McCain insisted on referring to Vietnamese people as “gooks.” [6] Many Americans who lost friends and family members in U.S. wars, or who organized and protested against these wars, don’t see John McCain as representing our America. We don’t want to be at war everywhere all the time. We also pay taxes and vote. The Senate office buildings belong to us too. Senator Schumer should take us into account before naming a Senate office building for John McCain. References: 1. “McCain's record on Iraq: eager to attack,” Alexander Lane, PolitiFact, August 21st, 2008, https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/aug/21/barack-obama/mccains-record-on-iraq-eager-to-attack/ 2. “Jesting, McCain Sings: 'Bomb, Bomb, Bomb' Iran,” Don Gonyea, NPR, April 20, 2007, https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9688222 3.“Five Democrats Join John McCain to Arm Saudi Arabia’s War on Yemen,” Michael Sainato, The Observer, 6/14/17, http://observer.com/2017/06/democrats-trump-administration-arms-sale-saudi-arabia-yemen/ 4. “McCain calls Paul, Cruz, Amash ‘wacko birds’,” Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, March 8, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2013/03/08/mccain-calls-paul-cruz-amash-wacko-birds/ 5. “John McCain tells protesters at hearing: 'Get out of here, you lowlife scum',” Associated Press, January 29, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/29/john-mccain-henry-kissinger-protest-lowlife-scum 6.“John McCain Wasn’t a Hero,” Branko Marcetic, Jacobin, 8.27.2018, https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/08/john-mccain-was-not-hero-obituary-war-racism-sexism

Yemen's civil war has become the world's largest humanitarian crisis, and U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill. There's no clear stake for the United States in this conflict, but nonetheless we keep funneling millions to a conflict that has had dire consequences for civilians in Yemen.

Last year in Yemen, more than 60 children between the ages of 8 and 14 were hit by an airstrike led by the Saudi coalition with American bombs. [1] The students were on a field trip. Twenty-nine people—mostly children—were killed. [2] This type of callous disregard for human lives has been at the forefront of the Saudi-led, U.S.-supported war in Yemen. All while the Department of Defense and the Trump administration take Congress's silence as tacit approval to continue participating in a conflict that was never authorized by the House or Senate. [3] Not only has the fighting caused civilian casualties, these attacks are responsible for one of the worst humanitarian crises right now, according to the U.N. Millions of people in Yemen are on the brink of starvation because of ongoing attacks by Saudi Arabia and its allies. Our tax dollars and U.S. bombs are contributing to this unnecessary ongoing conflict. This can't continue to happen on our watch. Most recently, the Senate passed the Yemen War Powers resolution to bring this conflict to an end. It's time for the House to do the same. Tell them what you know: The U.S. is supporting a coalition that is bombing children in Yemen, and that support must end now. Children should have the ability to be children no matter where they are in the world. The reckless actions of our government and Saudi Arabia shouldn't take that away. Stop the war. Save the kids. Sources: 1. "Airstrike by U.S.-backed Saudi coalition on bus kills dozens of Yemeni children," The Washington Post, August 9, 2018 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/airstrike-by-us-ally-on-bus-carrying-yemeni-children-kills-and-wounds-scores/2018/08/09/c047e55e-bbc6-42ff-a5db-4bd2e629f0b6_story.html?utm_term=.4b7a9b57d331 2. "Saudi-led strike kills dozens of children on school field trip in Yemen," CNN, August 10, 2018 https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/09/middleeast/yemen-bus-intl/index.html 3. "Pentagon to Congress: You Can’t Stop Us from Fueling Saudi Arabia’s War in Yemen," Project on Government Oversight, March 9, 2018 http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/pentagon-to-congress-you-cant-stop-us-from-fueling-saudi-arabias-war-in-yemen.html