The Biden administration faces calls to reconsider its latest round of support to Ukraine.

A member of Minnesota's congressional delegation, along with international relief groups, says this is the wrong choice of weapons to use against Russian forces.

Late last week, the Pentagon confirmed it was sending so-called "cluster" munitions to Ukraine to help with its counteroffensive.

Megan Rodgers, U.S. policy and advocacy manager for the group Nonviolent Peaceforce, said these weapons are indiscriminate - when they're dropped over an area, they disperse hundreds of smaller bombs that can cover a city block, leaving civilians in harm's way.

And she said there are long-term concerns, too.

"Oftentimes, they fail to explode within those cities or areas for years to come," said Rodgers, "with the possibility of exploding later, and then causing some really devastating harm to civilians."

Organizations monitoring these weapons say as many as 86,000 civilians have been killed by them since World War Two.

U.S. defense officials acknowledge the risk, but argue there could be greater civilian harm from attacks by Russia if the weapons aren't sent.

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar - D-Minneapolis - is co-sponsoring a proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to thwart these types of transfers.

Omar echoes other concerns about the potential harm. Meanwhile, Rodgers noted that through a treaty, dozens of countries have taken steps to prohibit the use of cluster munitions.

"There's a 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions and over 123 signatories," said Rodgers. "So, individual countries have signed this, and it completely bans the use, production, and transfer and stockpiling of those weapons."

Rodgers said nearly two dozen of the signatories are NATO members, potentially complicating U.S. relations with those countries.

She added that still making use of these devices runs counter to a federal law prohibiting the transfer of weapons that have a failure rate beyond 1%.

Defense officials counter that Ukrainian forces will be using these devices in their home country, so will be motivated to do so in a way that minimize the risks.

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, now the GOP's vice-presidential candidate, cited campaign commitments as his reason for not attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress on Wednesday. Many lawmakers of both parties also boycotted the speech because of their stance on Netanyahu's leadership.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said in a post on X that "I don't feel like being a prop so I won't be attending," arguing that the speech is an attempt to boost the prime minister's domestic political standing.

Kent State student Yaseen Shaikh traveled to protest the visit, calling it a charade and noting the visit comes at a unique time for Americans, too.

"The timing of the elections in relation to this visit couldn't be more interesting. It's become a lot about kissing up to Netanyahu and the Israeli lobby to influence this election as well as to influence Netanyahu's PR in Israel. We know the theatrics," Shaikh said.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also missed the address but have a planned meeting to discuss cease-fire operations in the Middle East today. And Netanyahu plans to meet GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson invited the P.M. to come to Congress in light of student demonstrations around the country, but some student groups participated in counter events at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., spoke at an event called "Peace is Possible: An Alternative Vision for Israel and Palestine" as Netanyahu delivered his speech.

Ohio Student Association member Aimee Flores said funds should go toward student debt relief and affordable education rather than on weapons for Israel.

"There is absolutely no reason that Ohio citizens should be living below the poverty line, having to worry about predatory student loans, or issues of homelessness or unhousing, when we are able to invest thousands or millions of dollars overseas into funding a genocide," Flores said.

As the political tension surrounding the speech continues, the impact of these events on upcoming elections remains to be seen. Palestinian activist Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon gave a message of hope at the counter event. Both lost family members since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.


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CLARIFICATION: Parts of this story were rephrased to clarify that the United States does not send nuclear weapons to Israel or any other nation. (12:32 p.m. MDT, July 8, 2024)

A Knoxville-based environmental group is sounding the alarm about the country's increased spending on weapons being deployed in defense of Israel.

The proposed U.S. defense budget allocates over $60 billion for nuclear weapons programs, a 4% increase over the previous year.

Tanvi Kardile with the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance said a $14 billion package was passed recently to provide additional weapons to Israel.

The alliance isn't taking sides in the conflict in Gaza, and supports calls for divestment from all nuclear weapons.

"The U.S. budget for weapons just keeps getting higher and higher each year," said Kardile. "This year, there's an $850 billion defense budget. And this has gone up by 31% from last year, and $69 billion of those would go for nuclear weapons operations."

U.S. policy is not to send American nuclear weapons to any other nation. And although most experts say Israel has its own nuclear arms, the nation has never admitted it.

American nuclear arms - including submarine missiles - have been deployed in the Mediterranean and could be used in defense of Israel. The U.S. also supplies it with extensive, conventional weapons.

Kardile said the alliance sees the increase in spending as a taxpayer burden, and notes the government could be using those dollars for healthcare, education, public transportation, and fighting homelessness - which would help people in Tennessee and across the country.

Besides the tax implications, Kardile said her group is concerned with the ongoing risks closer to home - tied to enriching uranium and other activities at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

She added that the projected cost of expanding the facility is up to $9.3 billion.

"It's also a big burden on the people of Tennessee because it is a public health risk, environmental risk as well," said Kardile. "So, this issue directly affects Tennesseans."

The U.S. Department of Energy says the Y-12 complex "plays a key role in strengthening national security," and that nuclear weapons are a deterrent to the nation's enemies.

But Kardile said major defense contractors have seen their stock prices skyrocket as they continue to profit from the war in Gaza, and from weapons sales in general.

Haitian-led groups in Massachusetts are calling for a temporary pause in deportations as political instability and violence engulf the island.

They said anything less would be a death sentence. Armed gangs now control most of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, cutting distribution of medical and food supplies.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. said the U.S. must help restore security and save lives.

"Stabilizing Haiti is not just the right thing to do," Pressley stated. "It is essential to addressing the migrant and asylum-seeking crisis here at home."

Massachusetts has one of the largest Haitian diasporas in the country, and Haitians now make up the vast majority of asylum-seekers currently residing in the state's shelter system.

The United Nations reports nearly 400,000 Haitians have been displaced by the recent violence, with many seeking shelter in public buildings. Heavily-armed groups set fire to more than 20 school classrooms in the capital last month and are recruiting children.

Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, said American-made weapons are fueling the crisis.

"Haiti does not produce arms, does not produce ammunition," Jozef pointed out. "All of those are coming from the outside."

Aid groups say weapons are often hidden among donations in shipping containers traveling from U.S. ports. Jozef, along with other Haitian-led groups, is asking House Republicans to unblock $40 million in requested State Department funding for an international security force to help restore order and safe routes for relief groups to operate.


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