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At The Guardian, Jason Wilson [ [link removed] ]revealed [ [link removed] ] the identity of Christopher Booth, a far-right YouTuber known for promoting racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Booth’s channel, which amassed tens of thousands of followers, featured content targeting immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Jewish communities, often cloaked in pseudo-intellectual rhetoric and historical revisionism.
YouTube permanently banned Booth from the platform following a coordinated campaign by civil rights groups.
YouTube cited repeated violations of its hate speech policies, while watchdogs noted Booth’s influence on younger audiences through algorithmic amplification. Booth said he would move his content to alternative media site Odysee, echoing broader efforts by far-right influencers who flock to alternative platforms.
Booth’s rhetoric mirrored trends seen across the digital far-right ecosystem: repackaging hate as “free speech,” exploiting platform loopholes, and leveraging viral outrage to build loyal followings, according to The Guardian. The case underscored growing tensions between content moderation and claims of censorship, as well as the challenges of regulating decentralized online radicalization.
Booth’s ban marked a symbolic victory for anti-hate advocates, but experts warned that deplatforming alone won’t dismantle the broader infrastructure fueling far-right extremism online.
If You Read One More Thing: No Aid for BDS?
In her article for The New Republic, Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling [ [link removed] ]reported [ [link removed] ] that Donald Trump reversed course after backlash from MAGA influencers over a FEMA disaster aid condition tied to support for Israel.
Initially, federal grant notices required states to certify they wouldn’t boycott Israeli companies to receive aid, sparking outrage from far-right figures like Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes, who accused Trump of betraying “America First” principles.
The Department of Homeland Security later denied any such requirement existed, but a review revealed the original language had been quietly edited.
Houghtaling noted that while no states lost funding, DHS retained the authority to deny aid to entities affiliated with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
VA Moves to Severely Restrict Abortion Access for Veterans
Patricia Kime [ [link removed] ]covered [ [link removed] ] the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) sweeping rollback of abortion access at VA facilities for Military.com. The new policy banned nearly all abortions and eliminated coverage for the procedure for dependents under the VA’s Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a health benefits program in which the VA shares the cost of covered medical services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries.
The department stated it would revert to pre-2022 regulations, allowing abortions only when the pregnancy endangered the mother’s life, excluding cases of rape, incest, or health risks.
VA Secretary Doug Collins called the previous policy “legally questionable,” citing the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. The move drew criticism from veterans’ advocates and reproductive rights groups, who warned it would disproportionately harm low-income and rural veterans.
Deep Dive: Israel’s Killing of Aid Seekers a ‘War Crime’
In a scathing report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has [ [link removed] ]accused [ [link removed] ] Israeli forces of committing war crimes by routinely killing Palestinian civilians seeking food at US-backed aid distribution sites in Gaza.
The report documented at least 859 deaths between May 27 and July 31, most caused by Israeli gunfire at four distribution centers operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private contractor working in coordination with the Israeli military.
“The dire humanitarian situation is a direct result of Israel’s use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of war,” HRW stated, calling the policy “a war crime” and further accusing Israel of “intentional deprivation of aid and basic services,” which it said amounted to “the crime against humanity of extermination, and acts of genocide.”
Belkis Wille, HRW’s associate crisis and conflict director, condemned the militarized nature of the aid system: “Israeli forces are not only deliberately starving Palestinian civilians, but they are now gunning them down almost every day as they desperately seek food for their families.” She added, “US-backed Israeli forces and private contractors have put in place a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.”
The GHF system was introduced in May 2025 following an 11-week total blockade of Gaza, which left the population without food, medicine, or basic services.
Israeli authorities claimed the new system was necessary to prevent Hamas from diverting aid, but HRW cited reporting from The New York Times indicating that Israeli military officials had no evidence of systematic Hamas interference in UN aid deliveries.
The report urged the United States and Israel to suspend the GHF system immediately and called on other states to pressure Israel to lift its sweeping restrictions on aid entry.
“States should press Israeli authorities to immediately stop using lethal force as a method of crowd control against Palestinian civilians,” HRW said, advocating for the UN and other humanitarian organizations to resume large-scale, unrestricted aid distribution.
The killings occurred in the so-called “Netzarim Corridor,” a central Gaza zone where displaced Palestinians were funneled to receive aid. HRW emphasized that the location and structure of the distribution centers forced civilians to cross active war zones, often under drone surveillance and sniper fire. The report described the system as a “death trap,” noting that it violated core principles of humanitarian law, including impartiality and accessibility.
The findings reflect broader trends in far-right digital discourse and militarized humanitarianism. Online influencers aligned with nationalist and pro-Israel ideologies have increasingly framed Palestinian suffering as collateral damage or justified retaliation, echoing state narratives that conflate humanitarian aid with security threats.
Meanwhile, critics argue that the GHF system mirrors dystopian models of aid control, where access to food becomes a tool of population management and forced displacement.
HRW’s report also referenced binding rulings from the International Court of Justice in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, which ordered Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid and refrain from acts that could constitute genocide. The continued operation of the GHF system, HRW argued, directly contravenes those rulings.
The report concluded with a stark warning: “This is not collateral damage — it is a deliberate strategy to create conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza in whole or in part.” HRW called for international accountability and a complete overhaul of the aid system, emphasizing that humanitarian relief must be delivered in accordance with international law, not dictated by military objectives.
As Gaza becomes what the UN has called “the hungriest place on earth,” the HRW report adds to mounting evidence that the crisis is not merely a consequence of war, but a calculated policy of deprivation and lethal enforcement. The international community, HRW urged, must act swiftly to end the bloodshed and restore humanitarian norms.
Show Us the Receipts
At Inkstick, Winthrop Rodgers [ [link removed] ]reported [ [link removed] ] that US aid cuts under the Trump administration jeopardized Iraq’s demining efforts, particularly in the Kurdistan Region. The funding halt disrupted operations by groups like the Swiss Demining Foundation, forcing hundreds of trained deminers out of work and leaving communities vulnerable to unexploded ordnance. The report highlighted how the US — once the world’s largest funder of humanitarian mine action — had contributed over $5 billion since 1993. The sudden withdrawal of support, triggered by a White House review of foreign aid, halted progress in areas recently liberated from ISIS, threatening both safety and agricultural development.
Katy Fallon [ [link removed] ]reported [ [link removed] ] for Inkstick on the plummeting support for the UK Labour Party just a year after its landslide 2024 victory. Polls showed the far-right Reform UK leading Labour by nine points amid criticism that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had embraced anti-migrant rhetoric and militaristic policies. Fallout intensified when Labour suspended MPs for opposing welfare caps, prompting Zarah Sultana to resign and announce a new left-wing party with Jeremy Corbyn. Despite internal dissent and declining public support, Labour continued policies alienating its progressive base, including designating Palestine Action a terrorist group following protests against UK arms sales to Israel.
At The World, Joyce Hackel [ [link removed] ]examined [ [link removed] ] the growing complexity of defining antisemitism amid global tensions. She reported that the war in Gaza and rising far-right movements had intensified debates over what constitutes antisemitism, especially when it intersects with criticism of Israel. Hackel featured commentator Peter Beinart, who argued that opposing Israeli policies or questioning the legitimacy of a Jewish state was not inherently antisemitic. He emphasized the importance of distinguishing between bigotry and political critique, comparing it to criticism of other nations without targeting their people.
Support Inkstick’s Award-Winning Journalism
If you missed the news, Inkstick’s Things That Go Boom podcast recently won [ [link removed] ] an International Women’s Podcast Award. Then, one of the podcast’s episodes was shortlisted for a national Insight Award for Explanatory Journalism from the Institute for Nonprofit News.
We’re proud of these accomplishments, but that doesn’t mean our nonprofit newsroom is content. We are still taking on the military-industrial complex, exposing authoritarians and their backers, and reporting on the lived consequences for the people enduring conflict the world over. If you read Inkstick, listen to our podcast, or follow us on social media, you probably already know we don’t accept funds from corporations or defense contractors. To help us keep this work up, you can donate [ [link removed] ] directly to Inkstick or upgrade your Substack subscription to a paid one.
Critical State is written by Inkstick Media in collaboration with The World.
The World is a weekday public radio show and podcast on global issues, news, and insights from PRX and GBH.
With an online magazine and podcast featuring a diversity of expert voices, Inkstick Media is “foreign policy for the rest of us.”
Critical State is made possible in part by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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