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Created
Sun, 20/08/2023 - 02:00
How would you know what’s in the backpack? Does this mean anyone with a backpack is shot on sight? Or is it that if the border patrol seizes someone with a backpack and finds fentanyl that they summarily execute them? This is psycho talk and its common in this Republican primary campaign. The people cheer and shout with unbridled glee at the notion of killing immigrants and invading Mexico. Former President Donald Trump, who has previously called for building a wall along the southern border and giving drug dealers the death penalty, has also proposed creating a naval blockade of Mexico to prevent drugs like illicit fentanyl from entering the U.S. His leading opponent in the 2024 GOP nomination race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, promised last week to use “deadly force” against anyone caught smuggling drugs across the border. On Capitol Hill, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and John Kennedy (R., La.) have both voiced support for military operations in Mexico. Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio) said in a recent interview on NBC that cartels should be considered terrorist organizations, meriting a military response.
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Sun, 20/08/2023 - 00:30
A scourge on democracy Seems as if our northern neighbors are better prepared. We’re still hoping for the best in November 2024. Global News: Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada has been considering a “game plan” for how it would respond if the United States takes a far-right, authoritarian shift after next year’s presidential elections. “We are certainly working on scenarios,” Joly said in French during an interview with a Montreal radio station Wednesday. Joly added that Ottawa’s close political and economic ties to the U.S. means that “we must certainly prepare several scenarios.” She suggested Canada has a game plan in mind but wouldn’t get into details. I wouldn’t. But it’s nice to know someone in charge is thinking ahead. Too bad it’s not happening south of the 49th parallel. Just warning speeches from scholars but no preparations. The U.S. embassy in Ottawa declined comment.
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Sat, 19/08/2023 - 21:35

19 August marks an ignominious anniversary: the 70th anniversary of the coup against Mohammed Mossadegh and the snuffing out of Iranian democracy. Popularly remembered largely as a CIA-led operation, the plot to oust Mossadegh was as British as it was American; while the United States has long acknowledged culpability, Whitehall remains resistant to do likewise. […]

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Sat, 19/08/2023 - 20:15

Yesterday’s Financial Times reports that the Labour Party is preparing a major rollback on workers’ rights. This is significant news – after years of abandoned pledges under Keir Starmer’s leadership, employment rights was the last bastion of transformative policy in the party programme. Now it appears that too might be sacrificed. I was a political […]

Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 20:15

Yesterday’s Financial Times reports that the Labour Party is preparing a major rollback on workers’ rights. This is significant news – after years of abandoned pledges under Keir Starmer’s leadership, employment rights was the last bastion of transformative policy in the party programme. Now it appears that too might be sacrificed. I was a political […]

Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 16:23

This summer, violent mobs associated with the US-backed Tigray People’s Liberation Front assaulted Eritrean festivals across the US and Europe. Western media is now spinning the targeted mob violence as legitimate protest against Eritrea’s government. For 40 years, Eritrean Festivals have been held around the world to sustain the diaspora community’s connections to their homeland and to one another. But this year, a violent, well-coordinated international campaign of sabotage left festival goers badly injured and property damaged. Major Western media […]

The post Western media glorifies TPLF mob violence against Eritrean festivals first appeared on The Grayzone.

The post Western media glorifies TPLF mob violence against Eritrean festivals appeared first on The Grayzone.

Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 09:30
Baby sloth! The team at Roger Williams Park Zoo is elated to announce the birth of a baby sloth! The adorable newborn is born to mom Fiona and dad Westley and is currently resting comfortably while staying close to mom. The incredible staff of zookeepers and veterinarians are maintaining a watchful eye over the mother and baby, ensuring their well-being as they bond behind the scenes. With the assistance of the mother’s affection, daily monitoring, and supplemental feeding from the keepers, the little one is steadily growing and gaining strength. This birth holds great significance for the Zoo and the global sloth population. The Zoo is an active participant in the Linne’s Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan, which prioritizes breeding to guarantee the survival of the species. The young sloth is yet to be named, but more updates will be coming soon, so stay tuned!
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Sat, 19/08/2023 - 07:06

Researchers are rediscovering the forgotten legacy of a pioneering Black scientist who conducted trailblazing research on the cognitive traits of bees, spiders, and more.

The post Charles Henry Turner’s Insights Into Animal Behavior Were a Century Ahead of Their Time appeared first on Nautilus.

Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 06:30
The dystopian future of modern America Does Elon Musk know that his precious Republicans are waging a war against electric cars? They are… Electric vehicle drivers in Texas have started to get some bad news in the mail. Starting in September, they’ll have to pay the state an extra $200 each year to register their climate-friendly cars and trucks. And if they want to buy a new EV, that will cost $400 upfront. State lawmakers imposed the new fee on EVs this spring to replace gasoline taxes lost to the switch to battery-powered vehicles. Supporters say it ensures every driver pays their fair share. But the fee is nearly double what an average driver would pay in taxes at the pump, according to consumer advocates. Those moves have some EV advocates fuming — and will create new barriers to one of President Joe Biden’s signature climate policies. Unchanged since 1991, Texas’ gas tax is one of the cheapest in the country. Now, its new EV fees are among the most expensive. That’s no accident, experts and advocates say.
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Sat, 19/08/2023 - 05:01

Official documents reviewed by MintPress show that the government of Taiwan is attempting to drum up anti-China hostility, intimidate American politicians and is even working with the FBI to spy on Chinese Americans.

The post Documents Show Taiwan Working With FBI to Prosecute Chinese Americans, Intimidate US Politicians appeared first on MintPress News.

Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 05:00
Matt Gaetz puts it right out there Impeachment is on the way because it’s an election year and Republicans want to harm Joe Biden with a massive smear. They aren’t trying to hide it. Representative Matt Gaetz has finally said the quiet part out loud: Republicans don’t have enough evidence to impeach and convict Joe Biden. They just want to make him look bad enough that he loses the 2024 election. Republicans have insisted for months that Biden is guilty of corruption and influence peddling overseas, despite producing no actual evidence. Many in the GOP, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are starting to suggest opening an impeachment inquiry into Biden so that they can access more information and witnesses that will supposedly lead them to the truth. But Gaetz said that Republicans should go straight to impeachment proceedings, not just an inquiry. “The purpose of that impeachment, from my standpoint, is not to force a vote that loses,” he said during a Twitter Space on Monday night.
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Sat, 19/08/2023 - 04:59
Since the Labor government endorsed Scott Morrison’s AUKUS Defence Policy, many former Labor leaders, diplomats and academics have questioned whether there has been adequate assessment of the many risks associated with this secret deal that has not been formally assessed for its impact on Australians. Open Letter to all ALP members at the ALP National Continue reading »