Gaza Civilian Death Toll Surpasses 60,000 Amid Catastrophic Humanitarian Collapse

Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 60,034 Palestinians have been killed and 145,870 wounded since the Israel–Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, with thousands still missing under rubble. UN agencies warn of a catastrophic humanitarian collapse as Israel's air and ground operations have displaced roughly 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents and devastated vital services.

Recent strikes killed at least 70 people in one day—including 58 shot near an aid convoy and 30 in Nuseirat shelters—underscoring dire conditions even as Israel implements 10-hour daily pauses and opens new aid corridors.

Civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Education Department has slowed sharply amid mass layoffs and dismantling efforts under the Trump administration. Official data show the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) logged just 65 resolution agreements this year—on pace for an 83% drop from last year's 380 and far below prior averages of 800–1,300 cases annually.

• Layoffs in March cut nearly half of OCR's staff, even as new complaints rose 9% to over 25,000.
• A July Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for further job cuts and outsourcing.

Advocates warn mounting backlogs and soaring caseloads per investigator will leave discrimination claims unaddressed.

Federal and state lawmakers are advancing legislation that directly undermines voter access and reverses the will of the electorate.

• At the federal level, House Resolution 22, the "SAVE Act," backed by Wyoming's Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, would force would-be voters to present passports or original birth certificates—documents that some 140 million Americans lack—when registering or updating registration. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters warns this could disenfranchise women, seniors, students, people of color and military families.

• In Missouri, legislators have repealed a paid-sick-leave law approved by 58% of voters, halted inflation-indexed minimum wages, and are poised to ban abortion despite a 52% voter mandate to restore reproductive rights. This pattern of undoing referendums has also targeted Medicaid expansion, redistricting reform, animal welfare and tenant protections.

These trends signal a broader rollback of democratic participation, mobilizing advocacy groups to push back with new ballot measures and calls for federal voting rights legislation.

Oklahoma City Council approved a one-year, $37,250 contract with Clearview AI on a 7–2 vote, despite the company's global legal controversies and privacy fines.

• Contract runs July 15, 2024–July 14, 2026.


• Two council members—JoBeth Hamon and James Cooper—voted against, citing insufficient vetting and resident privacy concerns.

Police say the AI tool will be used by 12 criminal analysts in specific investigations—such as child exploitation and human trafficking—with multiple approval layers and regular audits. Critics warn the move expands unchecked surveillance and risks bias against marginalized communities.