Possible TikTok ban in US: What’s at stake and what comes next

March 13, 2024 by WDNY Radio

In this photo illustration, a TikTok logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — The high-stakes battle on Capitol Hill between lawmakers and TikTok over a potential ban of the popular social media app is set for a watershed House vote on Wednesday on a bill that could bar access to the platform in the United States.

TikTok, which boasts more than 170 million U.S. users, has emerged in recent years as a fixture of American life, shaping popular culture, supercharging the growth of the influencer economy and challenging some of the nation’s largest companies, such as Meta and Google.

A ban could carry far-reaching implications for everything from the discovery of music stars to the dominance of tech giants, to the fundamental issue of how millions of Americans spend their leisure time, experts told ABC News. A landmark First Amendment battle in response to such a measure could make its way to the Supreme Court, according to one expert.

“TikTok is a hugely popular app,” Matt Navarra, a social media industry analyst, told ABC News. “There would be a noticeable impact.”

The House is set to vote Wednesday on legislation that would force the sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The House Energy and Commerce Committee had unanimously voted to advance the bill, which gives ByteDance six months to divest from TikTok or face a U.S. ban. While it appears poised to pass in the House, it’s not yet clear if there would be the groundswell of support needed to get 60 votes for the legislation to advance in the Senate.

In response to ABC News’ request for comment, TikTok condemned the proposed bill as an infringement on the right to express oneself freely.

“This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country,” a TikTok spokesperson said.

The social media platform has faced growing scrutiny from some government officials over fears that user data could fall into the possession of the Chinese government and the app could be weaponized by China to spread misinformation.

There is little evidence that TikTok has shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government or that the Chinese government has asked the app to do so, cybersecurity experts previously told ABC News.

Still, there’s reason to believe the Chinese government could compel the company to share data on U.S. users or manipulate content on the app to forward a pro-China agenda, the cybersecurity experts added.

“Catastrophic” for some companies and a “gift” for others

Tens of millions of TikTok users in the U.S. spend an average of 82 minutes each day on the platform, according to a report released by market research firm SensorTower in 2022.

That sizable share of daily media consumption nationwide grants content creators on the platform considerable power to spread culture, promote political campaigns and sell products.

In the event of a TikTok ban, industries that advertise on the platform and creators who post on it would need to go elsewhere but may face difficulty replicating the appeal of the app, Tatiana Cirisano, a music industry analyst at data firm Mida Research, told ABC News.

“There’s this difficult-to-pin-down cultural capital that exists on TikTok,” Cirisano said. “It ends up being the place where current culture forms. That isn’t necessarily happening in the same way on other platforms.”

The music industry has come to depend on TikTok as a means of identifying talent, reaching new listeners and generating revenue through licensing agreements, Cirisano said.

“The industry would lose a very significant pathway to music discovery, especially for younger audiences,” Cirisano said.

On the whole, the prospect of a TikTok ban poses an imminent threat to creators who depend on it for their livelihoods, as well as businesses that rely on it to reach customers, Navarra said.

Roughly 5 million businesses have TikTok accounts, the company said last year. Many users have made their livelihood on the app, including some who make millions of dollars each year.

“For some small businesses and creators, the consequences will be catastrophic,” Navarra said.

However, rival companies such as Meta-owned Instagram and Google-owned YouTube could benefit significantly from a potential TikTok ban, Navarra added.

Creators would likely flock to Instagram and YouTube in search of different platforms, Navara said, bringing advertisers with them as they chased the audience likely to follow their favorite stars. The user growth would lead directly to higher ad revenue for Google and Meta.

“A large number of users and eyeballs and attention would be gifted to rival platforms,” Navarra said. “It would be a significant win.”

Court battle over the First Amendment

The potential ban of TikTok would likely elicit a legal challenge on First Amendment grounds that could reach the nation’s highest court, Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown University, told ABC News.

TikTok and its users could challenge the law as an infringement upon constitutionally protected freedom of speech, Chander said.

In opposition, Chander said, the U.S. government would likely argue that national security concerns should outweigh First Amendment protections.

“There would be substantial questions raised for the courts and ultimately the Supreme Court,” Chander said.

Last May, TikTok sued Montana in federal court over a ban of the app enacted by the state, saying the law violated the First Amendment rights of users. Months later, in November, a federal judge ruled in favor of TikTok and blocked the law before it took effect.

If the U.S. enacts a law banning TikTok, a federal judge may order a temporary pause while the legal challenge makes its way through the court system due to the wide-reaching ramifications of such a measure.

“The First Amendment concerns are clearly very serious,” Chander said. “And blocking the app would have enormous consequences for the livelihood of millions of people and the speech of millions of people.”

Ghislaine Maxwell asks court to overturn sex trafficking conviction and sentence

March 13, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005 in New York City. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Ghislaine Maxwell asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to overturn her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for recruiting and grooming the underage girls who Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused, arguing she was immunized by an agreement federal prosecutors in Florida arranged with Epstein in 2007.

“The plea agreement applies to preclude this prosecution,” defense attorney Diana Fabi Samson told a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “Denying the viability of this plea agreement strikes a dagger in the heart of the trust between the government and its citizens regarding plea agreements.”

Maxwell raised the same argument during trial and asked for a hearing to explore what the Florida prosecutors intended. The trial judge rejected that, ruling prosecutors in New York were not bound by the agreement.

On Tuesday, a prosecutor repeated the view that the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan was not bound by the prior agreement with Epstein and said, regardless, it did not apply to Maxwell.

“The central promise in the non-prosecution agreement is a promise by the Southern District of Florida not to prosecute Epstein in that district,” assistant U.S. attorney Andrew Rohrbach said. “This is a document entered into by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Florida intended to bind the Southern District of Florida and that district alone.”

In her written appeal, Maxwell’s attorneys argued she was made a “proxy” for Epstein, who died by suicide in prison while awaiting trial, to “satisfy public outrage” about his conduct. They also argued Maxwell was denied a fair trial, in part, because one of the jurors failed to disclose his own history of sexual abuse during jury selection.

Neither point came up during oral arguments.

Maxwell is currently incarcerated in a low-security prison in Tallahassee and eligible for release in 2037.

Putin claims waves of drones striking within Russia are Ukrainian attempt at election interference

March 13, 2024 by WDNY Radio

In this pool photograph distributed by Russia’s state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to TV host and Director General of Rossiya Segodnya (RIA Novosti) news agency Dmitry Kiselyov (not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12, 2024. (GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

(LONDON) — At least seven Russian territories were targeted by dozens of uncrewed drones on Tuesday, marking a second day of apparent Ukrainian strikes within Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said at least 58 drones were shot down by air defences overnight and into Wednesday morning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two days of attacks on Russian regions were an effort by Ukrainian forces and pro-Ukrainian Russians to prevent the holding of presidential elections. Voting in those elections is scheduled for the coming weekend.

“The main goal, I have no doubt about it, is to, if not disrupt the presidential elections in Russia, then at least somehow interfere with the normal process of expressing the will of citizens,” Putin said on Wednesday.

The drones shot down on Wednesday had targeted locations in Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Ryazan and the Leningrad region, Russian military officials said.

The ministry on Tuesday had said that it had destroyed dozens of other Ukrainian drones in several regions within Russia.

Team of US Marines sent to provide more security at US embassy in Haiti

March 13, 2024 by WDNY Radio

A protester burns tires during a demonstration following the resignation of its Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 12, 2024. (Clarens Siffroy/AFP via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A team of U.S. Marines has been sent to provide additional security at the U.S. embassy in Port au Prince, Haiti, according to a statement from U.S. Southern Command.

This new group of Marines is in addition to the tactical teams of Diplomatic Security personnel from the State Department that had already been sent to Haiti.

“At the request of the Department of State, the U.S. Southern Command deployed a U.S. Marine Fleet-Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) to maintain strong security capabilities at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and conduct relief in place for our current Marines, a common and routine practice worldwide,” U.S. Southern Command said. “The U.S. Embassy remains open, and limited operations continue, focused on assistance to US citizens and supporting Haitian led efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power.”

Separately, a spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command says “U.S. Southern Command is prepared with a wide range of contingency plans to ensure the safety and security of U.S. Citizens in Haiti.”

The Marines being sent to Haiti are what is known as a Marine FAST team — Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team — that have specific training in providing additional security at U.S. diplomatic posts anywhere in the world on short notice.

The deployment of Marines to the U.S. embassy is the second time this week that U.S. military forces have been called to assist U.S. embassy personnel in Haiti.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, U.S. military helicopters assisted in the evacuation of American non-essential personnel from the U.S. embassy according to a U.S. official.

A U.S. State Department official had earlier told ABC News that multiple specialized tactical teams from its Diplomatic Security Service had been securing the embassy and protecting the remaining staffers.

The official added that although some embassy employees were airlifted from Haiti this weekend, “a substantial complement of diplomats” are still at the embassy.

“This week, the Department of Defense doubled our funding for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, and we are working with Haitian, Kenyan, and other partners to expedite its deployment to support the Haitian National Police and to restore security in Haiti,” U.S. Southern Command continued. “The Department of Defense is postured to provide enabling support for the MSS, including planning assistance, information sharing, airlift, and medical support.”

Haiti has been engulfed in civil unrest over the past several weeks which led to Acting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announcing he would resign on Monday, saying he will cede power to a presidential council following weeks of soaring anti-government violence led by an alliance of gangs.

“My government will leave immediately after the installation of this council,” Henry said in his announcement.

Henry’s resignation comes as gangs have launched an armed rebellion in Port-au-Prince this month, attacking a series of government targets over the last two weeks. Gang leadership had called for Henry to resign, leading to rampant speculation over how he would respond.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday the U.S. “welcomes” the outcome of the meeting that created a transitional Presidential Council for Haiti, and commended Henry for “putting his country and Haitians first, agreeing to step down once this council is established.”

Biden and Trump become 2024’s presumptive nominees as rematch kicks off

March 13, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have clinched the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, respectively, after another round of voting on Tuesday, ABC News projects based on the ABC News delegate estimate.

That officially begins a nearly eight-month-long general election battle that has, in some ways, already been underway for several weeks. That follows one of the shortest highly contested presidential primaries since the modern nomination process took shape in the 1970s.

The rematch between Biden and Trump is expected to revolve around the same swing states and similar issues as in 2020, including immigration, the economy, and democratic values.

Abortion and reproductive access are also expected to be flashpoints along with inflation and foreign policy.

Democratic primary elections were held in three states on Tuesday: Georgia, Mississippi and Washington as well as in the Northern Mariana Islands and in voting by Democrats living abroad.

For Democrats, 254 delegates were at stake on Tuesday, and Biden needed to get 100 more in order to earn the 1,968 delegates needed to officially win the Democratic nomination this summer.

He tipped over the edge after the results of the Mississippi presidential primary were projected.

A Republican candidate needed to earn 1,215 delegates to also earn the GOP nomination awarded this summer.

Trump had 1,078 delegates heading into Tuesday’s round of contests, according to ABC News’ estimate, so he had to get 137 more to cross the threshold — which he did when Washington reported its results. Overall, 161 delegates were up for grabs on Tuesday.

Because former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Trump’s last major Republican opponent, continued to contest the GOP primary until Super Tuesday, the competitive period of this year’s Republican contest ended up falling short of setting any records.

The current record for the earliest end date of a contested presidential primary is March 3 in the 2004 Democratic contest, and the lowest number of voting states is 19 in the 2000 Democratic race.

RFK Jr. wants Aaron Rodgers or Jesse Ventura to be his running mate

March 12, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura top the list of Robert F. Kennedy’s potential running mates — though the independent candidate has not made a formal offer to either man.

In a text, Kennedy himself confirmed the news, which was first reported by The New York Times.

Kennedy is expected to select his running mate in the coming weeks, his campaign manager has told ABC News, due mostly to the requirement that he have one to apply for ballot access as an independent in certain states.

ABC is efforting comment from Rodgers and Ventura.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Gazans mark holy month amid struggles: ‘This Ramadan is not happy’

March 12, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(GAZA and LONDON) — The holy month of Ramadan is being marked across the Muslim world, but for people in Gaza, it’s a far more somber and muted time than in previous years, as the Israel-Hamas war approaches the six-month mark.

Much of the enclave’s population of 2.2 million people is now homeless, the United Nations has said, with many living in makeshift refugee camps. Food, water, medical supplies and other resources are scarce.

Many Gazans have been involuntarily fasting long before the holy month, which started on Monday, as they simply cannot find food. Part of the religious observance of Ramadan involves fasting from dawn to sunset.

“I see people walking in search of food, but their eyes are empty and their souls are dead,” Loujain Anan, a 25-year-old from Gaza City, told ABC News. Anan is one of the 1 million displaced people who have taken shelter in Rafah, the small town in southern Gaza that borders Egypt.

“A day is a struggle between me and memories. Our days have become about survival, not life. Remember that Gaza is not fine and this Ramadan is not happy,” Anan said.

Enough food ‘to feed entire population’ sitting outside Gaza as malnutrition death toll reaches at least 20: WFP
Anan said she’s haunted by her memories of previous Ramadans, telling ABC News: “A scene appears before me, of me, my family and friends, sitting in front of the television with a long meal of delicious and varied food in front of us.”

That’s in stark contrast to what she faces now, she said. “I feel my heart beating hard and very cold air hitting my bones, and I wake up on a cold mattress on an empty floor in a room that is not my room and a house that is not my home,” Anan said. “I see my mother and her friend placing a few lanterns on the table and decorations on the wall. I look at her but I feel nothing but the pain of memories.”

Anan is not the only Gazan struggling to embrace Ramadan this year.

“I cannot believe that we are living during the month of Ramadan under war and bombing,” Nabila Rabie, 62, told ABC News.

Rabie has been displaced from her home in Khan Younis and is now living in a tent in Al Mawasi in southern Gaza.

“I am tired of sleeping in the tent, life here is very difficult and impossible. I feel that my heart will stop due to the intensity of sadness over this tragic situation,” she said.

President Joe Biden had warned of a “very dangerous” situation if a cease-fire wasn’t reached by the start of Ramadan. An Israeli political official with knowledge of the negotiations recently told ABC News that progress toward reaching another cease-fire and hostage deal is slow.

Israel-Hamas truce talks stall as war in Gaza grinds on
Historically, Ramadan is a tense month in Israel, with Palestinians and Israeli police regularly clashing over access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam, which is in the same compound as Temple Mount — one of the holiest sites in Judaism.

Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization, called Ramadan “the month of victory, the month of jihad,” and in a video statement released Friday on Telegram, called for “our people to march on Jerusalem … to pray in the mosque … and to stop the occupation achieving its aims of controlling and dividing. Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to us.”

The comments have alarmed Israeli authorities, who are granting access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on a limited basis, allowing only Palestinian men over 55, women over 50 and children under 10 who have the correct travel permits to visit, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. The office said it would allow a similar number of worshipers into the mosque this year as it did in 2023, when it was estimated between 200,000 and 250,000 people worshiped there every Friday during Ramadan.

Further restrictions could reportedly be introduced for Friday prayers.

The tension is particularly heightened this year as Israel continues its aerial bombardment and ground operations in Gaza, following Hamas’ attack. Palestinian Islamist militants carried out an unprecedented incursion from Gaza into southern Israel by air, land and sea on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 253 others hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said it’s determined to destroy Hamas and plans to invade Rafah, where it says Hamas leaders are hiding and where Israeli officials believe some of the hostages are being kept in tunnels.

More than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 72,000 others have been injured in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Hundreds of truckloads of aid for Gaza stuck as more lives lost to malnutrition, some aid organizations say
For many in Gaza, the holy month of Ramadan is an unwelcome reminder of what they have lost.

“Now we miss everything. Our hearts are sad because this is a great loss. We lost our entire life and we are waiting to be relieved from this pain before our hearts explode from this tragedy,” 42-year-old Suhail Al-Akhras, who was displaced from Gaza City and has been living in Rafah’s tent city, told ABC News.

“I will miss everything during the month of Ramadan. I will miss sitting with my family. I will miss the iftar [breaking of the daily fast] table on which we put all the various types of food,” he said. His children will not be fasting this year, he explained, as there isn’t enough nutritious food for their evening iftar meal to properly replenish them.

Those in Gaza who feel weak due to undernourishment may forgo fasting, and those for whom fasting would pose a serious health risk must forgo fasting, Abbas Shouman, secretary-general of Al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars in Cairo, said, The Associated Press reported.

More than 500,000 people in Gaza face ‘catastrophic hunger’: UNRWA
Hunger in Gaza is at a “catastrophic level” and more than 90% of the population faces acute food insecurity, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said Tuesday.

Thousands in northern Gaza are malnourished and at risk of starvation, according to the U.N., and so would be unable to fast.

The World Food Programme, an arm of the U.N. that has been trying to get much-needed aid to the area, has called the situation “a humanitarian catastrophe.” More than half the population in Gaza faces “catastrophic hunger,” multiple U.N. organizations warned in January.

“Recently, children from Gaza City and its north came to our hospital suffering from malnutrition and severe dehydration,” Dr. Ahmed Al-Kahlot, head of the care and nursery department at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, told ABC News.

“Some of them died,” he added.

ABC News filmed inside the Kamal Adwan Hospital and captured distressing images of a 12-year-old boy who was severely malnourished and dehydrated. Muhammad Rajab was brought to the hospital two weeks ago and is still in critical condition, hospital staff said, telling ABC News they don’t have the right resources to treat him.

The neonatal unit at the hospital is operating far beyond capacity, with many newborns fighting for life, Al-Kahlot said. “Most of the cases you see are at risk of death at any moment,” Al-Kahlot added.

One mother who spoke to ABC News said her newborn was dehydrated. “Malnutrition negatively affects breastfeeding,” she said. “The baby does not get enough from breastfeeding so he became dehydrated.”

Her baby now has kidney issues, she said, and she’s very concerned. “What has this 1-month-old baby done to deserve this?” she said.

Overcrowded hospitals, few supplies causing ‘complete collapse’ of Gaza health system
While the situation doesn’t currently appear as extreme in Rafah as it is in northern Gaza, there’s little enthusiasm for the reflection and communality that traditionally comes with Ramadan.

“There is no joy, there is no food for breakfast and suhoor [the meal consumed early in the morning before fasting], there are no family gatherings, all my children were displaced in different areas in the Al-Mawasi area in tents,” Rabie told ABC News.

“We have had enough of destruction, death and hunger,” she added.

There are some people, however, who are trying to bring some Ramadan joy to the people of Rafah. Tents in the displacement camps have been decorated with lights, people are still trying to gather for evening prayer and iftar — the evening meal that breaks the fast.

To mark the start of Ramadan, Hala Abu Al-Lail, a young graduate of public relations and advertising, said she organized some games for the children in the camps.

“I loved to get them out of the atmosphere of war, support them psychologically, and provide entertainment,” she said, adding: “I am so happy because I saw them happy. They have not been happy for a long time, they are even sad about the joy.”

‘Uncommitted’ voters in Washington primary hope to keep pressuring Biden on Israel’s war in Gaza

March 12, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(OLYMPIA, Wash.) — Organizers in Washington state have been leading an effort to encourage Democratic voters to cast their ballots for the “uncommitted” option on Tuesday, in the latest example of a protest movement against President Joe Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The push to choose the uncommitted option, which is not available in every state, began in Michigan in February.

That resulted in some 101,000 uncommitted votes and two delegates won in Michigan, according to ABC News’ count and estimates.

In the weeks since, about 46,000 and 450 uncommitted votes were cast in Minnesota and Hawaii, respectively — enough to also send uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

The uncommitted campaign in Washington has a connection to Michigan: Activists from the “Listen to Michigan” campaign collaborated with advocates in Washington like Bothell City Councilmember Rami Al-Kabra.

Within a couple weeks, Al-Kabra told ABC News, the “Uncommitted WA” campaign began.

According to Al-Kabra, some voters in his community initially threw their primary ballots in the trash due to their extreme dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s support for Israel — but they have since ordered replacement ballots after learning about the “uncommitted” option.

“I feel that the policies in the past five months have been a betrayal of the work I personally did to help mobilize votes for him [Biden] here in the state of Washington” in the last presidential race, Al-Kabra said.

Sabrene Odeh, 29, a Palestinian American who is volunteering with the uncommitted campaign, said it’s a “tangible way to send a clear message” to the White House.

“Our votes must be earned,” she said. “And if we’re going to continue to feel as Palestinians that we are less than or disposable … then we’re going to stand in the way of all of our elected officials time and time again until they see the value in our lives.”

Broadly speaking, Biden has tried to balance his support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas fighters after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack with sympathy for the tens of thousands of people who have been killed amid Israel’s bombardment of the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

The president has also pushed for negotiations to implement temporary cease-fires in exchange for hostage releases and criticized Israel’s tactics as “over the top.” But he has not said he would condition aid to the country on an end to Israel’s retaliation or on negotiations with the Palestinians.

His critics, including among Arab and Muslim Americans, accuse him of being indifferent to their suffering and what they contend is Israel’s brutal military operation, which the White House says isn’t true. (Israel insists it takes steps to curb civilian deaths.)

More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 72,100 have been injured since the war was sparked by Hamas’ October attack, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

“When I see the videos and the pictures and everything that’s coming out of Gaza, I see myself, I see my family members,” said Odeh, the uncommitted voter in Washington.

She said that the protest movement extends far beyond the Arab American and Muslim American population.

Faheem Khan, another volunteer, echoed that, saying the uncommitted campaign reaches a diverse coalition of voters including many non-Muslim and non-Arab Americans.

Khan also pushed back on criticism from some Democrats that protesting Biden will aid former President Donald Trump’s reelection chances, given how close the election could be in some states.

In Michigan, for example, Biden only won in 2020 by about 155,000 votes compared with the 101,000 uncommitted votes there in February’s primary.

“I am more concerned that people who are anti-war sit out the election … and that would help Trump more than anything,” Khan said.

The campaign in Washington was endorsed by the largest local labor union in the state, United Food and Commercial Workers 3000, a chapter that represents 50,000 grocery, health care and retail employees.

The group cited two reasons for their support: Members are concerned regarding Biden’s political strength and ability to beat Trump, and they are angered by the administration’s unwillingness to call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

“It’s too risky for labor and it’s too risky for our democracy to give Trump any chance to win in November,” said Joe Mizrahi, the secretary-treasurer for UFCW 3000. “We need a different candidate to bring forward and to maintain those wonderful things that Biden has done or we need Biden to be aggressively making the case.”

A Seattle chapter of the American Federation of Teachers and Jewish Voice for Peace Action have also supported the uncommitted effort.

Since Washington conducts its elections by mail, organizers have warned that it may take several days to accurately count how many uncommitted ballots are received.

As of Monday, some 1.27 million total ballots have been returned, according to the Washington secretary of state.

Though Biden has handily won every state’s nominating contest so far and is set to clinch the party’s overall nomination, Al Kabra said he’s “hopeful” that the effort will garner significant reach.

“Early return ballot returns usually skew older and more center, and later ballot returns … are younger and more progressive,” he said.

State data shows that ballot returns have gotten smaller in the days closer to Tuesday.

For Washington to send uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Convention in the summer, the option will have to get at least 15% of the vote either statewide, as happened in Minnesota, or in a congressional district, as in Michigan.

When asked about the “uncommitted” voting effort taking place in Washington, Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hilt said he “shares the goal” of peace in the Middle East.

“The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” Hilt said in a statement to ABC News. “He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end.”

This is not the first time that Democratic voters have voted “uncommitted” in a presidential primary. For example, it happened when former President Barack Obama ran for reelection in 2012.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, an effort similar to the uncommitted campaign has emerged in Georgia, where the “Listen to Georgia” coalition has started a “Leave It Blank” campaign, telling voters not to fill in any bubble in an effort to pressure Biden to do more to support Gaza.

In Wisconsin on April 2, an advocacy group is likewise urging Democrats to vote “uninstructed.”

ABC News’ Libby Cathey contributed to this report.

VA to expand IVF policies to include single, same-sex married veterans

March 12, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The department of Veterans Affairs will soon provide in vitro fertilization to eligible veterans who are single or in same-sex marriages — coming after criticism of the agency’s lack of reproductive benefits for some veterans.

The VA announced Monday that it will also provide IVF to veterans using donated sperm or eggs.

This announcement comes after lawsuits filed against the Department of Defense and VA in New York and Boston last year argued that some VA policies, including IVF care, were exclusionary to LGBTQ+ members of the military.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement that the expansion of care has long been a priority for the VA. He added that “raising a family is a wonderful thing.”

“I’m proud that VA will soon help more Veterans have that opportunity,” McDonough said in the statement.

Before Monday’s announcement, the VA only provided IVF care to veterans who were legally married and could biologically produce their sperm and eggs. Federal law states that all veterans who receive IVF must have fertility issues because of a health condition caused by their military service.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., has worked to ensure more inclusive reproductive assistance for veterans. She previously introduced the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2023 intended to improve the reproductive assistance offered under DOD and VA health care for veterans.

Following the VA’s announcement, Murray applauded the VA for its decision. Murray said she will seek unanimous consent to push legislation forward to ensure IVF care and family-building assistance for all U.S. service members.

“VA’s announcement is an important step forward that will help more veterans start and grow their families — and it’s especially timely as IVF is under attack from the far right,” Murray said in a statement.

Under current policy, VA health care covers up to $2,000 in adoption expenses, but does not cover surrogacy for veterans who have a service-connected disability that caused infertility.

McDonough said they are “working urgently” to implement these new policies as soon as possible.

“VA is taking immediate steps to implement this policy and expects to be ready to deliver this care to Veterans nationwide in the coming weeks,” the VA said in its statement.

White House announces $300 million military aid package for Ukraine

March 12, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With new aid for Ukraine stalled in Congress since December, the White House on Tuesday announced it had cobbled together another $300 million in military assistance to use as a stopgap measure.

“The package includes munitions and rounds to help Ukraine hold the line against Russia’s brutal attacks for the next couple of weeks,” President Joe Biden said in a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the White House, adding, “we must act before it literally is too late.”

National security adviser Jake Sullivan detailed the package at White House briefing, saying that the aid comes as Ukraine “does not have enough ammunition to fire back.”

“So today, on behalf of President Biden, I’m announcing an emergency package of security assistance of $300 million worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine’s pressing needs,” Sullivan said.

The package will include anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition, artillery rounds, and anti-armor systems.

“It is assistance that Ukraine desperately needs to hold the line against Russian attacks and to push back against the continuing Russian onslaught in the East and in other parts of,” Sullivan said.

When pressed by ABC News’ Karen Travers about how quickly this aid could get to Ukraine, Sullivan said “we can move this stuff fast.”

“We have proven that over time, we have built a logistical pipeline and backbone to be able to do that,” Sullivan said. “I can’t give you a precise estimate for operational reasons, but it’s going to move very quickly.”

This funding comes as a $95 billion foreign aid package that includes nearly $60 million in funds for Ukraine has been stalled in the House for nearly a month. That bill passed the Democrat-controlled Senate in early February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has not brought the package to the floor for a vote.

Sullivan said that past contracts were negotiated “well,” leaving more savings on the table for this new aid package.

“And to put a fine point on it, we’re able to use these cost savings to make this modest amount of new security assistance available right now without impacting U.S. military readiness, and the president has directed his team to use these cost savings.”

But Sullivan also made clear that this package did not supplant further funding that would come from congressional action.

“It goes without saying, this package does not displace and should not delay the critical need to pass the bipartisan national security bill,” Sullivan said.

One official told ABC News that this package was one calling this drawdown package a “one-time shot.”

Sullivan also told Karen that the administration does not anticipate another opportunity like this.

“Well, as my friends at DOD like to remind me, we can’t plan on cost savings. So, we can’t plan on any future drawdowns being available on the basis of cost savings. So, we’re not anticipating that. It’s not built into what we’re looking for.”

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

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