In Washington, D.C., organizers expect tens of thousands of protesters to march on Capitol Hill today as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of Congress. Demonstrators are demanding an end to U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza and for Netanyahu to be arrested and tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their demand comes just weeks after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced he was seeking an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Dozens of Democratic members of Congress plan to boycott Netanyahu’s speech; meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed Netanyahu back to the halls of Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson: “I’m happy to welcome Prime Minister — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what will be his fourth address to a joint session of Congress. He will set the record, surpassing Winston Churchill, as the foreign leader who’s addressed Congress the most times.”

Speaker Johnson blasted Vice President Kamala Harris for planning to skip Netanyahu’s speech, calling her expected absence “outrageous” and “inexcusable.” Harris plans to meet privately with Netanyahu on Thursday, as does President Biden.

Meanwhile, Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders condemned Netanyahu as a “war criminal” who never should have been extended an invitation to speak to the U.S. Congress. Sanders spoke from the Senate floor on Tuesday.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: “It will be the first time in American history that a war criminal has been given that honor. Frankly, this invitation to Netanyahu is a disgrace and something that we will look back on with regret.”

On Tuesday, ahead of Netanyahu’s address to Congress, hundreds of demonstrators organized by Jewish Voice for Peace flooded the Cannon Rotunda at the Capitol. They wore red T-shirts reading “Not In Our Name,” unfurled signs reading “Let Gaza Live!” and “Jews say stop arming Israel.” This is protester Talia Eraester.

Talia Eraester: “We’re here to say that we don’t want our tax dollars funding genocide. We are willing to put our bodies on the line to say that our Jewish values and our values as people mean that we cannot be funding this.”

Four hundred Jewish activists, including over a dozen rabbis, were arrested. With more large-scale protests planned for today, the U.S. Capitol Police swore in 200 New York police officers who deployed to Washington, D.C., ahead of Netanyahu’s speech. We’ll have more on the protests after headlines.

Family members of Israelis held hostage by Hamas rallied on the National Mall Tuesday. Protesters wore T-shirts reading “Sign the deal NOW” and displayed images of loved ones. They’re demanding U.S. and Israeli officials finalize a ceasefire and prisoner exchange to bring all the hostages home. This is Alon Gat, whose sister Carmel was taken hostage on October 7.

Alon Gat: “And we think that here in the States, Biden and the other people here need to push harder on Netanyahu and to push on Hamas to get to this deal, because our loved ones won’t last another two months there, another three months there, maybe even not two weeks. So we need them back.”

The Palestinian Health Ministry says the death toll from Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip has passed 39,100, after one of the bloodiest ground assaults of Israel’s nine-month-old military campaign. Gaza officials say at least 121 people, most of them women and children, have been killed since Israel launched its latest offensive in Khan Younis, where an estimated 150,000 people were forced to flee within a single day.

This week, Israel’s Knesset advanced a trio of bills that would ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees — known as UNRWA — and declare it a “terrorist organization.” Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 195 United Nations staff members. Drop Site News reports at least 172 family members of UN staffers have also been killed.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in less than 12 hours, including a 16-year-old who was shot dead in the Qalandiya refugee camp. 

President Biden returned to the White House Tuesday after testing negative for COVID-19. Biden is planning a primetime address from the Oval Office this evening where, for the first time, he will explain his decision not to seek reelection in November.

On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for her first campaign rally since she replaced Biden as the Democrats’ presumptive nominee. Harris further cemented her status as the front-runner when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed her candidacy. Since Biden stepped down, Kamala Harris has raised more than $120 million, a record in presidential campaign fundraising history.

Republican elected officials continue to attack Harris based on her race and gender. This is Tennessee Congressmember Tim Burchett speaking with CNN’s Manu Raju.

Rep. Tim Burchett: “Biden said — first off, he said he’s going to hire a Black female for vice president, and that not just — he just skipped over — what about — what about white females? What about any other group? It just — when you go down that route, you take mediocrity, and that’s what they have right now as a vice president.”

Manu Raju: “So, are you suggesting she was a DEI hire?”

Rep. Tim Burchett: “One hundred percent she was a DEI hire.” 

Separately, Wisconsin Republican Congressmember Glenn Grothman said Democrats were only supporting Harris “because of her ethnic background.” On Tuesday, National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson told a closed-door meeting of GOP lawmakers they should criticize Harris over Biden administration policies and should avoid racist and sexist attacks.

New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez will resign on August 20 following his conviction by a federal jury on 16 corruption counts earlier this month. Menendez was found guilty of bribery, wire fraud, extortion, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. Menendez faces years in prison when he is sentenced in October. New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy will appoint a replacement to carry out the remainder of Menendez’s term, which expires in January. 

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday over security failures ahead of the July 13 Trump assassination attempt, when a 20-year-old would-be assassin fired eight bullets from an assault rifle in under six seconds before he was killed. Cheatle’s resignation came a day after she faced intense questioning by both Democrats and Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, with lawmakers of both parties calling for her to step down.

In Kenya, youth-led nationwide protests have entered a sixth week as police continue to violently crack down on demonstrators. Armed forces on Tuesday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-government protesters in Nairobi. Dozens have been killed by police since last month, but protesters are not standing down, vowing a “total shutdown” of Kenya as they seized control of Nairobi’s main international airport.

In Ethiopia, at least 229 people, including children, have been killed in two landslides triggered by torrential rains in the remote southern region of Gofa. The death toll is expected to rise as the search for survivors continued for a second day. Heavy rains in the region have worsened due to the climate crisis, while other parts of Ethiopia experience severe drought. The United Nations warns millions of Ethiopians face malnutrition due to climate-related events.

In more climate news, scientists have confirmed that Monday was the hottest day ever recorded globally as deadly heat waves continue to scorch large swaths of the world. Monday’s record broke the previous all-time high temperature set just one day earlier. Carlo Buontempo, director of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, said the latest record is unlikely to stand for long, as the climate crisis continues to worsen.

Carlo Buontempo: “It is something we need to get used to, because as the climate keeps warming as a consequence of the increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we are bound to see a new record being broken in the next few months, in the next few years.”

Gaza has also been hit by a blistering heat wave, worsening living conditions for Palestinians who have been repeatedly displaced due to Israel’s war.