Netanyahu Admits He Wants to Occupy Gaza

8.5.25

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco—your one stop shop for all the latest happenings in the U.S. Let’s break down the news from this weekend in politics and entertainment.

Israel advances full occupation of Gaza….Prime Minister Netanyahu is moving forward with plans to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, aiming to compel the release of Israeli hostages. The Red Cross has been engaged for humanitarian coordination, while Hamas demands permanent aid corridors and cessation of airstrikes for relief distribution. About 20 hostages are still believed alive in Gaza.

Common Sense take: Netanyahu’s idea of diplomacy is bulldozing Gaza into submission while claiming it’s all about saving hostages. This isn’t a rescue mission, it’s collective punishment dressed up as national security. If 20 hostages are still alive, flattening the territory around them is a reckless way to prove it. And if the Red Cross has to negotiate basic humanitarian access, that tells you everything about the actual priorities on the ground.

Renewed trade tensions with India….President Trump has threatened substantial new tariffs on Indian imports, criticizing India’s Russian oil purchases and reselling practices. New Delhi condemned the move as “unjustified” and vowed to protect its economic interests. The tariffs, if implemented, could strain U.S.–India relations at a time when both nations are navigating complex global alliances and energy dependencies.

Common Sense take: Trump threatening India with tariffs over Russian oil is just too ironic. He’s spent years cozying up to dictators, and now he’s pretending to be the world’s moral compass? Please. India’s not backing down and Trump’s trade tantrums could just tank prices and hurt American consumers, again.

Grand jury probe into intelligence officials….The Justice Department has subpoenaed former Obama-era officials (including James Clapper, John Brennan, and James Comey) investigating allegations they improperly linked then-President‑elect Trump to Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Common Sense take: It’s Trump’s greatest hits: investigate the investigators, cry witch hunt, and hope no one remembers the actual mountain of evidence tying his campaign to Russia. Dragging Obama-era officials back into the mud is just the latest episode in his terrible reality show where the only consistent plot is distraction and punishing anyone who told the truth about him.

Stock futures climb….U.S. futures are up ahead of the open, bolstered by strong tech gains. Palantir shares surged over 6% on upbeat Q2 earnings and raised sales guidance. AMD is set to report later today, while TSMC dealt with a major security breach involving its 2 nm chip process. Vertex Pharmaceuticals plummeted 14% after discontinuing a pain drug trial despite solid earnings.

Common Sense take: The stock market’s doing its usual balancing act — tech is up, Big Pharma's having a tantrum, and somewhere, your 401(k) has probably moved three inches. Palantir's doing well, but Vertex tanked because their miracle drug turned out to be a failure. Meanwhile, AMD and TSMC are trying to out-do each other while fending off hackers and leaks.

August streaming slate looks promising…Platforms are rolling out these major titles in August:

• Netflix returns with Wednesday (Season 2 starting Aug  6) and the thriller Hostage. Also, The Thursday Murder Club adapts Helen Mirren’s hit novel.

• Hulu premieres Alien: Earth (sci-fi horror, Aug  12) alongside King of the Hill.

• Apple TV+ premieres Chief of War (Jason Momoa), and HBO Max brings back Peacemaker (Aug  21)

That’s all for today. Check back tomorrow for the next edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco.