Akbar Shahid Ahmed

I'm humbled to be writing a book on the Biden administration & Gaza — a chronicle of the choices, missteps and complicity after Oct. 7 that led to massacres, a historic protest movement & a more dangerous world for us all Thanks to all who've backed my work. Let's keep talking.

In Gaza, there’s “a sharp rise in the # of children rushed to hospitals because of malnutrition. Their bodies are shutting down—they can’t breathe, their immune systems are collapsing & they are highly vulnerable to infection...This is a man-made hunger crisis”—⁦@RESCUEorg⁩

One month since his release, Mahmoud Khalil is on Capitol Hill today talking to lawmakers about Palestinian rights, the domestic crackdown on dissent over Gaza & the US responsibility for bloodshed under both Trump and Biden. Full story coming soon.

"The Biden admin was well aware Israel, private-sector Israelis + Americans were working on a plan to impose a new aid delivery system [now killing Palestinians]... some were supportive, most skeptical. But they did not directly interfere in the project." washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/…

Last week, the EU celebrated an agreement with Israel to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground and refrained from taking any action under the Association Agreement. This week, the EU is imploring Israel to stop killing Palestinians who are seeking humanitarian aid.

From 10:30 ET on, I'll be on @1a on @NPR to discuss Trump's chaotic firing of 1353 staff at the State Department & the broad, lasting implications the overhaul will have for US foreign policy. Tune in if you can! the1a.org

I'll be live on @NPR's 1A at 10:30am ET tomorrow to discuss Trump's mass firings at the State Department & the dire implications for US foreign policy + global affairs Tune in if you can + reach out if there's info the public should know about/there are angles you want covered🙏🏽

“We didn’t have much in those days but UNICEF was there.. seeing its logo on sacks my parents carried into our shelter brought me joy. As did the relief on their faces knowing at least for a little while, they [could] feed their child”—⁦@igorbobic⁩ huffpost.com/entry/trump-cu…

New: I teamed up with @elenalingshao and @nytgraphics to map more than 100 public TV and radio stations that are at risk of closing as a result of tonight's vote: nytimes.com/interactive/20… This is a time bomb that will go off in the fall, when the last federal grants run out.

Sen Murkowski notes that public radio stations took lead in warning public of tsunami threat after a big quake just as Senators were debating killing federal funds for public broadcasting (fwiw initially RT'd by accident when trying to QT...)

"'I worked in Iran for 42 years, so hard that my knees are broken & for what?' Abolfazl Hajizadegan, a sociologist in Tehran, said Iran was using Afghans as scapegoats to deflect blame for intelligence failures that enabled Israel to infiltrate widely." nytimes.com/2025/07/16/wor…

“GHF, which has become Israel’s preferred aid mechanism..has opened just 4 sites in the enclave. These are rarely open on the same day. They draw huge crowds who..queue up in caged alleys & flood in to grab in a ‘free for all’ lacking orderly distribution” on.ft.com/4nTBmQC

Incredible scenes outside the State Department today, as the Trump-Rubio firings eliminated government officials with decades of experience & in offices that were seen as safe. Folks walked out the door with awards for their service.

Useful perspective on today’s big NYT story about Netanyahu: