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Niche news network, Sky News Australia, has conducted a forensic analysis of their ratings and the results indicated that their ridiculously low ratings were a result of putting out a crappy product rather than cancel culture. ”This came as a... Read More ›

By performing tricks for birds, monkeys, and other creatures, researchers hope to learn how they perceive and think about their world.

The post Abracadabra! How Magic Can Help Us Understand Animal Minds appeared first on Nautilus.

In the NY Times post-verdict survey of 2,000 people they’d surveyed before there was a perceptible shift toward Biden. It was only a couple of points but what’s meaningful about it is who shifted. Nate Cohn wrote: Perhaps not surprisingly, the swings were relatively pronounced among young, nonwhite, less engaged and low-turnout voters. In fact, 20 percent of Mr. Trump’s previous supporters who are Black now say they back Mr. Biden. Only 2% of non-Black swing voters shifted to Biden. Apparently, Trump’s racist belief that Black voters would like him more because he’s a convicted criminal may not be such a great idea after all. Dan Pfeiffer writes: This comports with my most optimistic take on this election. Trump’s lead is very fragile because it depends on people who disagree with him on most issues, don’t particularly like him, and have a history of voting for Democrats, including Joe Biden. The defining characteristic of the persuadable voter universe is their disdain for politics and their abstention from political news.

The federal judge hearing a human rights case disputed allegations he might not be impartial but recused himself out of an “abundance of caution.”

The post Judge Who Went on Israel Junket Recuses Himself From Gaza Case appeared first on The Intercept.

Coleen Rowley joins Mnar Adley to discuss the bipartisan support for Israel in Washington, the decline of the American empire, the US addiction to forever wars, and the ongoing attack on whistleblowers like herself.

The post FBI Whistleblower Exposes Israel’s Chokehold on American Politics appeared first on MintPress News.

I linked to this in passing in an earlier post but I thought you should be able to read the whole thing with a gift link. These Republicans have worked themselves into a frenzy, the likes of which I haven’t seen since Benghazi and “her emails.” It’s pretty shocking. An excerpt: The intensity of anger and open desire for using the criminal justice system against Democrats after the verdict surpasses anything seen before in Mr. Trump’s tumultuous years in national politics. What is different now is the range of Republicans who are saying retaliation is necessary and who are no longer cloaking their intent with euphemisms. Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to Mr. Trump who still helps guide his thinking on policy, blared out a directive on Fox News after a jury found Mr. Trump guilty of falsifying financial records to cover up a 2016 campaign hush-money payment to a porn actress. Mr. Miller posed a series of questions to Republicans at every level, including local district attorneys. “Is every House committee controlled by Republicans using its subpoena power in every way it needs to right now?” he demanded.

The Armavir Incident - the destruction on 23 May of a key part of Russia’s nuclear defence - means the Doomsday clock is ticking closer to midnight. Continue reading »

Les sanglots longsDes violonsDe l’automneBlessent mon coeurD’une langueurMonotone.

Australians used to be scared off voting Labor by Coalition predictions of debt, deficit, and disaster. Labor used to shame Liberals and Nationals with promises of spending to end child poverty, close the indigenous gap, and create a clever country. All that was before AUKUS. Now, fiscal rectitude and value for taxpayers’ money are forgotten. Continue reading »

Gaza sympathisers are uniting in the US and across the Global South as Washington’s unwavering support of Israel’s ruthless war against the Palestinians galvanises many people around the world. Despite numerous foreign policy missteps, the US continues to portray itself as the champion of freedom and rights. But the Gaza crisis may ultimately shatter America’s Continue reading »

Dongya Huang from Sun Yat-sen University reveals the real relationship between enterprises and the state. The relationship between states and enterprises has always been a hot topic in Chinese studies overseas. As someone who has worked in a government relations position for a Chinese Internet platform, I find this subject particularly intriguing and relevant to Continue reading »

The Greens, a party with whom Labor may well have to negotiate with to form government after the next election, have the knack of getting up the noses of both Labor and the Coalition by accusing both major parties of doing little or nothing to effect an end to the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, Continue reading »

The Indonesian government’s TVRI channel is supposed to have negotiated an MOU with the ABC to swap programmes. A great idea – benefits all. That’s the initial reaction. However, if there’s no catering for the two nations grossly different values the scheme could collapse through fear, distrust, inertia and censorship. On TV screens in Indonesia Continue reading »

How should we interpret the significance of the drills? Did China overreact to Lai Ching-te’s inaugural speech? Good evening. I’d like to introduce a fresh newsletter by Fred Gao. Fred has translated the latest episode of a renowned Chinese podcast, “Leftright,” titled “Lobbying Within the System.” In this episode, Professor Huang Dongya delves into the Continue reading »

The latest Budget in New Zealand appeared to have been driven by the old idea that small government is the best government. Thousands of public service jobs have been slashed while the government reduced its own revenue by cutting taxes. The tax cuts were an election pledge. The National Party’s view was that as incomes Continue reading »

In her work, ‘On Death and Dying’ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote of the stages one goes through on being told one is dying. She called these ‘Five Stages of Grief,’ of adjusting to reality: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Such is descriptive of the attitude of much of the West to the rapidly changing world Continue reading »

Facing legal troubles, Trump is ready to sacrifice American foreign policy for billionaire Israeli mega-donor Miriam Adelson's support.

The post Sold to the Highest Bidder: Trump to Greenlight Israeli Annexation for Campaign Funds appeared first on MintPress News.

Government employees are using their official badges to demonstrate against U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

The post “Not the Career in Public Service I Signed Up For”: Federal Workers Protest War appeared first on The Intercept.

The U.S. has trained 15 coup leaders in recent decades — and U.S. counterterrorism policies in the region have failed.

The post After Training African Coup Leaders, Pentagon Blames Russia for African Coups  appeared first on The Intercept.

Oral Deposition Testimony, Sierra Madre Wedding Centre vs Mike Sacks, Feb 4, 1993

PLAINTIFF: Please spell your name and list your occupation.

DEFENDANT: Mike Sacks. M-I-K-E S-A-C-K-S. Wedding planner.

PLAINTIFF: And how long have you worked as a wedding planner?

DEFENDANT: Since May. This was my first wedding.

PLAINTIFF: Were you familiar with the rock group Guns N’ Roses before being hired?

DEFENDANT (laughing): No. I’m more of a “jazz head.” I’d never heard of the Guns and the Roses.

PLAINTIFF: But you’re familiar with them now.

DEFENDANT (laughing): Oh yes, indeed!

PLAINTIFF: How were you approached?

Ruby's not big on being told to keep quiet in this clip from BBC & Disney+'s Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson-starring Doctor Who Ep. 6: "Rogue."