Headlines for July 21, 2026 | Democracy Now!
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HeadlinesJuly 21, 2026
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U.S. Bombs Iran for 10th Consecutive Night
Jul 21, 2026
The United States has carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with reports of explosions in Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Shiraz and Isfahan. In response, Iran’s military launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. assets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, claiming hits on U.S. radar, communications and air defense systems. Meanwhile, at least three oil tankers erupted in flames after coming under Iranian fire while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz
On Monday, the Pentagon identified two U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian strike on their base in Jordan. Private Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas, was just 19 years old. She was killed alongside First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii. They’re among at least 17 U.S. service members killed in action supporting President Trump’s attacks on Iran. This comes after The New York Times reported the Pentagon failed to disclose nearly 100 injuries to U.S. troops since July 7
Topics:
- Iran
- Pentagon
- Bahrain
- Jordan
Israeli Drone Strike Kills Family of 6 in Gaza City
Jul 21, 2026
In Gaza, health officials say an entire Palestinian family was wiped off the civil registry overnight in an Israeli strike on their home. The attack on Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood came without warning around 2 a.m., sending shrapnel flying into the tents of displaced Palestinians living nearby. It killed Firas al-Masri along with his wife, Salsabeel, their three daughters and son. This is the children’s grandfather, Abu Yusuf al-Masri
Abu Yusuf al-Masri: “We were unable to save our grandchildren and children from the flames and the devastation. Six people were martyred, most of them children and women, without mercy and without any prior warning. All these are crimes by the Israelis. When the world thinks there is a ceasefire or relative calm, there is no relative calm, and there is no safe place at all.”
Topics:
- Gaza
- Israel & Palestine
- Drone Attacks
Khalil al-Hayya, Who Survived Israeli Assassination Attempts, Selected as New Hamas Leader
Jul 21, 2026
In more news from Gaza, Hamas has selected Khalil al-Hayya as its new leader, filling a role left vacant for nearly two years after Israel assassinated its former head, Yahya Sinwar, in October of 2024. Al-Hayya was part of negotiations with President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff last October. Before that, he survived an Israeli airstrike on a residential complex in Qatar’s capital Doha last September. That attack killed one of al-Hayya’s sons
Topics:
- Gaza
- Hamas
- Jared Kushner
- Israel
- Qatar
Judge Halts Paramount Skydance’s $110 Billion Takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery
Jul 21, 2026
A federal judge has paused the $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance with Warner Bros. Discovery, granting a request from a coalition of 12 state attorneys general. The judge scheduled an August 3 hearing on the states’ motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the merger. The Writers Guild of America filed its own lawsuit against the merger, claiming that it would negatively impact union members’ wages and lead to job losses
Topics:
- Media Consolidation
- Corporate Power
- Unions
State Department Alleges Cuba Infiltrated U.S. Politics Through Left-Wing Groups
Jul 21, 2026
In a new report, the State Department has accused the Cuban government of waging a “sustained campaign of subversion against the United States.” The report claims Cuba has backed a number of groups in the United States, including the National Lawyers Guild, CodePink, Pastors for Peace and the National Network on Cuba
In a statement, CodePink said, “This latest attempt by the State Department is just one of many politically motivated witch hunts designed to silence antiwar voices who dare to challenge U.S. militarism. It’s about justifying even more aggression against Cuba while turning advocates for peace into suspects.” The 100-page report also includes quotes from earlier New York Times reporting, including a reference to Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!
Topics:
- Cuba
- Protests
Justice Department Activates Alien Terrorist Removal Court for First Time Ever
Jul 21, 2026
The Trump administration has activated the Alien Terrorist Removal Court for the first time since it was established by law in 1996. Congress approved the five-judge court for extraordinary cases when normal proceedings could expose classified material. It allows for the rapid deportation of foreign nationals deemed by the court to be “alien terrorists,” along with their immediate family members. Last week, the Justice Department submitted the first-ever application to the court, which has remained dormant for three decades. Details of the July 15 application are sealed, with a cover sheet marking its contents as classified. U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen, a George W. Bush appointee, subsequently issued an order asking the Trump administration to make a more “thoughtful” application.
Topics:
- Department of Justice
- War on Terror
- Immigrant Rights
- Mass Deportation
Open Letter by 120 Prisoners Alleges Human Rights Abuses at Arizona’s Eloy Detention Center
Jul 21, 2026
Image Credit: Kino Border Initiative
In Arizona, an open letter signed by 120 prisoners at the Eloy Detention Center alleges a range of human rights abuses, including severe medical neglect, verbal and physical abuse by guards, and poor mental healthcare. Prisoners say anyone complaining about poor conditions is sent to solitary confinement — called “The Hole.”
Topics:
- Department of Homeland Security
- Prison
- Mass Deportation
- Torture
- Healthcare
- Mental health
Former Army Vet Arrested After Setting Fire Near Manhattan ICE Office
Jul 21, 2026
Image Credit: via Social Media
Here in New York, police say a former Army veteran has been taken into custody after using fireworks to start a fire outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, where many immigrants have been held in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. According to the FBI, 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca doused a stairwell with gasoline and ignited it; he also fired five to seven pellets from an airsoft gun. The Department of Homeland Security described him as an “anti-ICE rioter.” This is James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
James Barnacle: “Mr. Arrabaca came armed with bad intentions. I will say that 26 Federal Plaza has long been a target of extremists, of terrorists. And today, the extremism was brought here.”
26 Federal Plaza became infamous last year as masked federal agents repeatedly arrested immigrants who had come for mandatory check-ins and court appointments. Last summer, a judge ordered the Trump administration to address prolonged confinement at jails inside 26 Federal Plaza, citing severe overcrowding, medical neglect and limited access to food, water, sanitary products and a place to sleep
Topics:
- Department of Homeland Security
- New York
- Mass Deportation
- FBI
- Police Brutality
- Prison
- Human Rights
Trump Announces 50% Tariff on Imports from Canada
Jul 21, 2026
President Trump said Monday he would impose tariffs of 50% on a wide range of goods imported from Canada. The duties are set to take effect in 30 days, with exemptions for Canadian fuel, fish, fertilizer and critical minerals. Trump announced the tariffs after threatening to sanction Canada for wildfire smoke drifting over much of the U.S., and after declaring that Canada unfairly discriminated against U.S. autos, alcohol and dairy products
Topics:
- Canada
- trade
- Donald Trump
Death Toll from Ebola Outbreak in the DRC Surges to 930
Jul 21, 2026
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the death toll from the Ebola outbreak has surged to 930, with over 2,300 confirmed cases. It comes as the World Health Organization warned last week that Ebola is spreading in the DRC faster than in any previous outbreak. Meanwhile, in Kenya , activists are accusing authorities of violating a court order that halted the setup of a U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine center following reports that Americans were being quarantined in the country. Local residents have protested against the facility recently, leading to the deaths of two people when the protests turned violent.
Topics:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ebola
- Kenya
- Protests
More Than 500 Rohingya Refugees Feared Dead After Boats Capsize Off the Coast of Burma
Jul 21, 2026
The U.N.’s refugee agency warns more than 500 Rohingya refugees are missing and feared dead, after a pair of boats capsized off the coast of Burma. The 530 asylum seekers departed on June 29 from Burma’s Rakhine state, where Rohingya Muslims have suffered pogroms and other major human rights abuses amid fighting between Burma’s military junta and separatist fighters. Even before the latest tragedy, it’s believed nearly 300 people have gone missing or lost their lives so far this year while fleeing violence off the coast of Burma.
Topics:
- Burma
- Refugees
Youth-Led Protesters Rally Against Modi’s Right-Wing Government
Jul 21, 2026
In India, tens of thousands of youth-led protesters have rallied against the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for the resignation of India’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Protesters are blaming him for the leak of national exam questions that were circulated on social media, forcing millions of students to retake the exam. Some students ended up dying by suicide after studying for the exam for years. Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the so-called Cockroach Janta Party, blamed India’s Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ordering a bloody crackdown on protesters.
Abhijeet Dipke: “Today, what the Delhi police have done, the way they beat students, the way they hit them in their heads, it was very shameful. Due to this, the country’s reputation is being damaged worldwide. And we all know why Delhi police did all of this: because they received orders from Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.”
Topics:
- India
- Student Protests
- Protests
- Narendra Modi
- Education
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Declares His Nation Will No Longer Hold Elections
Jul 21, 2026
Image Credit: Canal 6
In Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega has declared his nation will no longer hold elections. Ortega made the announcement during a Sunday evening speech in Managua commemorating the 1979 Sandinista Revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza
President Daniel Ortega: “There won’t be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power. … The days when parties backed by the Yankees and the Somocistas would return to power are over. Never again.”
It was Ortega’s first public appearance in two months. In 2021, he secured a fourth term as president following a monthslong crackdown on dissent, during which dozens of opposition figures, including seven presidential hopefuls, were arrested. A United Nations report earlier this year found President Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, whom he named co-president, eliminated all checks and balances on their power to build an authoritarian state in Nicaragua
Topics:
- Nicaragua
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