Venezuelan Men Wrongfully Sent to CECOT Prison in El Salvador File Lawsuit Against Two U.S. Aviation Firms

A group of Venezuelan men who were wrongfully removed from the United States and sent to the notorious Salvadoran CECOT prison have filed a lawsuit against the two U.S. aviation firms that charted the three flights to El Salvador last year. The suit accuses CSI Aviation and GlobalX of violating the men’s civil rights, as well as U.S. and international law, for transporting them to El Salvador, where many described facing torture. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month by several groups, including the Kennedy Human Rights Center, and was first reported by The Guardian. In March of last year, more than 230 Venezuelan men were rounded up and deported to El Salvador after the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act, accusing the men, without evidence, of being gang members. www.democracynow.org

Protesters in Houston Demand Justice After the ICE Killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

In Houston, Texas protests continued this weekend in response to the ICE killing of 52-year-old Mexican father Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Dozens of groups and businesses led an economic blackout Friday, while hundreds of protesters marched to Houston’s City Hall Saturday demanding justice and for the ICE agents involved in the fatal shooting to be identified. Advocates have also called for the release of key witnesses from ICE custody — one of whom is Salgado’s younger brother, Victor. This comes as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a white powder found in Salgado’s van was not drugs, but an electrolyte salt mixture to stay hydrated while working in construction during Houston’s scorching summer. The substance was the subject of an unsealed FBI search warrant. David Donatti, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement, “By taking the unusual steps of securing and then unsealing their search warrant, the government has demonstrated that it is more interested in creating a false narrative than in seeking the truth. The Salgados deserve real answers about what happened to their father, and we reiterate our call for an independent and complete investigation.” The Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday held an oversight hearing in Houston on Salgado’s ICE killing, where two of his sons, Ronaldo and Lorenzo Jr., testified. Click here to see our coverage of the case. www.democracynow.org

Paramount Skydance Postpones Merger with Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount Skydance announced that it was halting its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery until July of next year after a lawsuit from Democratic states. Paramount is also facing a lawsuit from the Writers Guild of America, which argues that the merger would lead to job losses for screenwriters and journalists. Paramount Skydance is run by David Ellison, whose father, Larry Ellison, is the billionaire founder of Oracle and a prominent ally and financial backer of President Trump. Under the proposed deal, CNN and CBS News, streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+, as well as film and television studios, would all be combined under a single entity controlled by the Ellisons. www.democracnynow.org

Trump Teases Another Presidential Run at White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was held Friday, three months after it was disrupted by a gunman. During an hour-long speech, President Trump attacked journalists, comedians, Democrats, as well as members of his own Cabinet. He even joked about running for president again. President Donald Trump: “I want to save your ratings. I’m pleased to announce my intention to — and this is somewhat of a scoop — my intention to run for a fourth term as president of the United States. I will be doing that. I will be having an official — in fact, I think I have. Yeah, I won. I won three times. Now I’m going to do it again. Thank you. I’m going to do it.” www.democracynow.org

Israeli Settlers Torch Mosques in Violent Attacks on Palestinian Towns and Villages in the Occupied West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers torched two mosques over the weekend in the latest wave of violent attacks on several Palestinian towns and villages. This is a resident of Qusra. Amad Albaik: “This is a religious crime. It is a moral crime and all. They are thieves, and you can call them with all the bad descriptions, because there is no human on the planet that torches a religious place.” This comes as Israeli military forces on Saturday detained over 70 Palestinians in raids across the occupied West Bank. The arrests and attack on the mosques followed the killing of at least four Palestinians in the town of Tal on Friday, when Israeli settlers and soldiers opened fire on residents attempting to protect their homes. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed. Several Israeli activists were arrested in Tel Aviv over the weekend during a protest against intensifying Israeli settler violence on Palestinians. Some of the protesters held signs that read “resist Zionist terror.” Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has condemned the Israeli settler attacks as “pogroms against defenseless civilians.” www.democracynow.org

Israel Kills Two Hamas Security Officials in Gaza

In Gaza, two Hamas security officials were killed Sunday in an Israeli strike. Al Jazeera reports Israeli forces targeted their vehicle while traveling through Deir al-Balah. The head of police in northern Gaza was also killed in a separate Israeli attack on Saturday. This all comes as a new report warns more than two-thirds of Palestinians in Gaza are likely to suffer from acute hunger by the end of this year as humanitarian aid organizations face funding shortages, while Israel continues to restrict the entry of food and other lifesaving supplies. Currently, about 1.2 million people in Gaza face acute hunger; that figure could rise to more than 1.4 million Palestinians by December. In related news, Israel has approved the deployment of an international security force into Gaza as part of President Trump’s so-called ceasefire agreement. The unit will reportedly include about 200 members from countries including Uganda and Morocco. www.democracynow.org

Three People Killed in Shooting at a Food Festival in Seattle

In Seattle, three people were killed and four others wounded in a shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival on Sunday. The injured included a 2-year-old boy. Police are searching for one suspect and have another in custody. www.democracynow.org