The Wall St. Journal’s Callum Borchers wrote about the new moves among corporations to end their DEI programs. It seems like it’s coming in an avalanche — McDonalds, Walmart, Meta and many others have announced in recent days that their commitment to making their workplaces more diverse and equitable is over. But that means mediocre white guys no longer have any excuse: I wondered how these self-described DEI casualties are feeling. So, I spoke this week with the aggrieved engineer and seven others who contacted me with stories about doors allegedly closed on them because they were the wrong race or gender. Most feared for their jobs and insisted I not name them publicly. They generally believe they’re more likely to get hired or promoted in an environment where Donald Trump is president, Robby Starbuck’s name-and-shame threats loom over corporate America, and Mark Zuckerberg heralds “masculine energy” on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Their optimism isn’t unbridled, however.
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“TikTok is still three days away from a likely ban in the United States, but many users are already bidding the app farewell and seeking out alternatives.” — CNN
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Everything in the United States was fine until TikTok came along. Before 2016, our country had practically zero problems. But in 2018, TikTok became the most downloaded app in the United States, and that’s when all the problems really began.
Sure, TikTok has some real problems, like the Chinese government accessing millions of Americans’ data. But who are we kidding? Our government already does that. We’re mostly just jealous that they thought of it before we did. No, the real problem with TikTok, and the real reason we have no choice but to ban the app entirely, is that it’s bringing Americans together.
After 15 months of the most horrific live-streamed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Israel has been forced into an interim ceasefire. How long it will last is anyone’s guess but Israel’s contempt for any restraining agreements doesn’t offer much hope. The deal to stop the bombs and to allow food and medical aid into Gaza Continue reading »
The long-overdue ceasefire in Gaza may be the beginning of a new chapter, and hopefully one that heralds freedom for the people of Palestine. It certainly will provide relief and respite, but we all know that the work of true peace building is only starting and the old work towards justice and liberation continues on Continue reading »
American presidents are big on talking about what they believe to be their legacy, even if there is no substance to the claims they make. With Joe Biden, it is crystal clear what he can claim as his legacy: the genocide that has resulted in close to 70,000 Palestinian lives being snuffed out. The announcement Continue reading »
Despite the decades both major parties have spent ingratiating themselves with the leaders of the United States, Australia is unlikely to receive any favours from the Trump administration. For once the clichés about turning points and game changers seem appropriate, even understated. Just when you might have been forgiven for thinking the international situation couldn’t Continue reading »
Last week, news headlines heralded the disaster of 24 lives lost in Californian wildfires. Yet the same media outlets petered out the news of thousands more being killed by deliberate man-made bombing, starvation and destruction of homes and hospitals by Israel in Gaza. There’s coverage of very wealthy celebrities who have lost their homes in Continue reading »
The law and politics can be callous. And it certainly has been in the case of 56-year-old Dan Duggan, a former US Marines pilot, now an Australian citizen. Five days before Christmas the federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced Mr Duggan would be extradited to the United States to face charges relating to allegations, vehemently denied Continue reading »
High house prices are usually reckoned to be a product of supply, demand and the self- interests of the finance industry. This piece sets out a case for a fourth factor – post de-regulation regulatory stupidity. I have illustrated issues with examples from Gippsland in Victoria, but I suspect that the problems are nationwide. Once Continue reading »
Peter Ford served in the UK Foreign Ministry for many years including being UK Ambassador to Bahrain (1999-2003) and then Syria (2003-2006). Following that, he was representative to the Arab world for the Commissioner General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency. He was interviewed by Rick Sterling on Jan 6, 2025 Rick Sterling (RS): Continue reading »
Israel and Hamas have reportedly agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal, which is scheduled to take effect January 19. The deal as written is apparently virtually identical to the one Hamas agreed to last May, which Netanyahu then sabotaged with the complicity of the Biden administration. As usual, Israel appears to be ramping up its aggressions to kill as many people Continue reading »
Having denied Chinese firms access to advanced foreign semiconductors, Washington is launching probe into ‘subsidised’ domestic production. Last month, the United States launched another round of export controls on semiconductors by denying their sales to dozens of Chinese companies. It was quickly followed by an announcement from US Trade Representative Katherine Tai that she had Continue reading »
That pig Donald Trump demanded that they raise the flags that are lowered for Jimmy Carter for him and his submissive pet Mike Johnson saluted smartly and said yes sir. They will be raised for Dear Leader. You can bet Nixon didn’t think much of Truman. But even he didn’t deign to disrespect him the way Trump is disrespecting Carter.
Force likely to allow Gaza demonstration near Broadcasting House following criticism from MPs and campaign groups
A clear and present danger After the obligatory niceties and review of his accomplishments in office, President Joe Biden’s farewell address from the Oval Office got to the nub of it: America is at risk. That is, from “the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultrawealthy people.” Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. We see the consequences all across America. And we’ve seen it before. More than a century ago, the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trusts. They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had. Workers want rights to earn their fair share. You know, they were dealt into the deal, and it helped put us on the path to building the largest middle class, the most prosperous century any nation the world has ever seen. We’ve got to do that again.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” So declared Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ah, if only it had proved to be so. Although my respect for MLK is enduring, when it comes to that upward-trending curve connecting past to present, his view of human history has proven to be all too hopeful. At best, history’s actual course remains exceedingly difficult to decipher. Some might say it’s downright devious (and, when you look around this embattled planet of ours today, from the Ukraine to the Middle East, deeply disturbing). Let’s consider a specific, very recent segment of the past. I’m thinking of the period stretching from my birth year of 1947 to this very... Read more
Source: Surprise! appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
I just have one question…. Give Trump’s cabinet nominees this much: they were thoroughly coached for their confirmation hearings. Whenever a Senate committee member this week asked Fox News weekend co-anchor Pete Hegseth (nominee for secretary of defense) to answer allegations of drunkenness or whatever, his default answer was “anonymous smears.” Over and over. Despite senators telling him to his face that the committee has documents naming the people, including Fox co-workers, who made those allegations. When Democratic senators on Wednesday asked Pam Bondi (nominee for attorney general) if she agreed with positions taken by her prospective employer (Donald Trump), the former Florida attorney general defaulted multiple times to variations on “I’m not familiar with the statement.” To date, no Democrat has as I suggested asked any Trump nominee if they had reason to doubt their qualifications for the job, and if they did, why they accepted anyway. But another question that came up a couple of times in Bondi’s hearing was whether she would admit that President Trump lost the 2020 election.
Donald Trump’ın Kasım 2024’teki ABD başkanlık seçimlerindeki zaferi, Ukrayna savaşını sona erdirmeye yönelik liberal senaryoyu yırtıp attı. Bu senaryo, Ukrayna’ya işgal altındaki Kırım ve Donbass topraklarını geri almak olarak belirtilen zafere ulaşana kadar koşulsuz maddi ve manevi destek sunmaktı. Trump’ın seçilmesinden önce bile senaryo, Ukrayna’ya Rusya ile barış görüşmelerinde mümkün olan en iyi pazarlık pozisyonunu … Continue reading Ukrayna: Savaş mı barış mı? – Article in Karar – 13/01/2025
Title idea: The Kandahar Paramour
Protagonist name ideas:
- Ethan Sharp?
- Grayson Grimm?
- Hunter Savage?
Character: Layla. Divided loyalties. C-cup.
Flashback: Bad guys kill protagonist’s fiancée (HOT/WHITE/ETC.)
Title idea: The Baghdad Seduction: Seduction in Baghdad
More protagonist names:
- Jack Skinner?
- Jack Killgore?
- Jackson “Jack” Jackington (THIS ONE)
Idea: Layla knows jiu-jitsu (STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER)
Jackson’s character traits:
- Jawline
- Marksmanship
- Approachable brutality
Possible bad guys: Jihadists? China? Are there Chinese jihadists? (GOOGLE)
There’s no reason that a Canadian app store would have to confine itself to Canadian software authors, either. Canadian app stores could offer 5% commissions on sales to US and global software authors, and provide jailbreaking kits that allows device owners all around the world to install the Canadian app stores where software authors don’t get ripped off by American Big Tech companies.
- by Aeon Video
- by Max McGuinness
- by David Benatar
Chris Deluzio keeps winning a Republican district in the nation’s most pivotal swing state — could he point the way forward for his floundering party?
A deep dive with the young Pennsylvania representative whose populist economic message is beating the political odds.