White House Cites Iraq War Resolution for ISIS Strikes
President Obama has already asserted he does not need congressional approval to expand U.S. airstrikes into Syria. On Friday, the Obama administration says it derives legal authority for the war on the Islamic State from both the 2001 war on terror resolution as well as the 2002 vote authorizing the Iraq War. The White House made the claim despite Obama’s previous call for repealing the war authorization measures.
Lobster boat blockade
Two climate activists were set to go on trial in Massachusetts on Monday for blocking the shipment of 40,000 tons of coal to the Brayton Point power plant, a 51-year-old facility that is one of the region’s largest contributors to greenhouse gases. But in a surprise move, a local prosecutor Sam Sutter dropped the criminal charges and reduced three other charges to civil offenses, calling climate change one of the gravest crises our planet has ever faced.
James Foley’s Mother: U.S. Response to ISIS Has “Increased the Hate”
The mother of slain U.S. journalist James Foley says she is “appalled” by the U.S. government’s handling of her son’s imprisonment by ISIL militants. Diane Foley told CNN the government threatened her family with prosecution if they tried to raise money for Foley’s ransom. She also criticized the broader U.S. response toward ISIL, also known as ISIS.