Pro-Hamas protesters arrested at SUNY college must enroll in crime prevention course or face jail time: DA



A district attorney in one New York county wants to help some pro-Hamas protesters avoid jail and will allow them to enroll in a crime prevention course instead.

Around 5 p.m. on May 2, a group of pro-Hamas protesters set up an encampment on the campus of SUNY Purchase, located in Westchester County, about 25 miles north of Columbia University, which recently had pro-Hamas protests as well. The Purchase protesters were reportedly warned at least 10 times that evening that they had to leave the area when quiet hours began at 10 p.m.

Members of Raise the Consciousness cheered after they heard that school administrators had supposedly agreed to 'every single demand' they had made.

They refused, and Purchase College President Milagros Peña claimed in an email that some protesters even "repeatedly" pulled campus fire alarms, causing further disturbances to their fellow students and area residents. So, by 10:15 that night, police broke up the encampment and arrested 68 individuals, all said to be students and faculty members.

As the vast majority of those 68 individuals are first-time offenders and have been charged with trespassing, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah has offered them a deal. They can avoid jail time so long as they complete a three-hour “Fresh Start” course.

Rocah first developed the Fresh Start course in 2021 to help non-violent, first-time offenders. The Fresh Start program consists of a three-hour group discussion regarding "the nature of the criminal justice system" and how group members "came to be involved in it," Lohud reported.

Rocah reiterated that only those arrestees who are first-time offenders are eligible for the program. Rocah's office will decline to prosecute those who complete the program, effectively dismissing the charges against them, Lohud said. It is unclear whether any students or faculty members have accepted the arrangement.

Many in the Purchase community certainly seem to believe the arrestees' civil rights had been violated on the night of May 2. Sabrina Thompson, a junior at the college and a member of the student protest group Raise the Consciousness, called the arrests "unconstitutional," and a letter sent to the school on behalf of campus faculty likewise slammed the "violent and disproportionate actions" of law enforcement.

President Peña has since met with protest representatives and agreed to a continued dialogue about their respective concerns. Members of Raise the Consciousness later cheered after they heard that school administrators had supposedly agreed to "every single demand" they had made.

Peña, however, emphasized that she has not agreed to divest Purchase from Israel.

"Our progress together must be built on a relationship of trust," Peña said in a statement. "We reaffirm that everyone on this campus has the right to work and learn in a safe environment, free from discrimination and harassment. Our commitment is to provide an equitable educational environment, as per our legal, moral, and ethical duty, and I will continue to partner with all in the campus community who share this commitment."

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Ranking Insane Liberal Freakouts From Elon Musk’s Twitter Purchase | Ep 489

Ranking Insane Liberal Freakouts From Elon Musk’s Twitter Purchase | Ep 489

Biden admin to purchase 500M doses of Pfizer COVID vaccine to give to other countries: reports



President Joe Biden is set to announce plan for the U.S. government to purchase 500 million doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for the purpose of sending the vials to other countries who are in need of vaccines, according to several reports.

Biden is expected to unveil the deal during this week's G-7 summit of the world's most developed economies with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.K., where the event is being held.

What are the details?

NBC News reported that according to three people familiar with his thinking, Biden will announce his plan to buy the 500 million doses "to donate to other countries struggling with a limited supply."

"Of the doses, 200 million will be donated this year and 300 million will be donated across the first half of next year," the outlet reported, adding that "the doses will be distributed through COVAX — a humanitarian program run in part by the World Health Organization that aims to distribute vaccines fairly — to 92 low-income countries, as well as the African Union."

Politico also cited three unnamed sources in its report on the plan while reporting that "the new order would nearly double the government's original agreement to buy up to 600 million Pfizer doses" and "it has so far secured 300 million for the U.S. population, but American demand has dropped off in recent weeks while calls for overseas donations have increased."

The Washington Post also claimed three people familiar with the plan told them about it, but that the White House declined to comment on Wednesday.

The newspaper reported that Biden "hinted he would be announcing his global plan as he boarded Air Force One to Britain on Wednesday" when he told reporters, "I have one, and I'll be announcing it."

While in the air on the trip to the U.K., national security adviser Jack Sullivan told the press:

"The president is focused on helping to vaccinate the world because he believes it is the right thing to do; it's what Americans do in times of need. When we have the capacity, then we have the will, and we step up and we deliver. And he said in his joint session that we were the arsenal of democracy in World War II, and we're going to be the arsenal of vaccines over the course of the next period to end this pandemic."

Anything else?

The world's wealthy nations have faced increasing pressure to distribute coronavirus vaccines to less fortunate countries.

In May, a slate of celebrities gathered for Global Citizen's "VAX LIVE" concert, where they called "on world leaders to step up for equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine."