What happens when a powerful nation cannot afford to lose a war it has already lost? It is now two and a half years since Moscow sent two draft treaties, one to Washington, one to NATO in Brussels, as the proposed basis of talks toward a new security settlement — a renovation of relations between Continue reading »
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As Rishi Sunak faces calls to strip her of the whip, Liz Truss claims without evidence that ceasefire protests are funded by authoritarian states, amid a litany of strange proposals
“We must journey forth,” commanded the good Wizard Byroncorn to Luanne Wyldsmith, the graceful ager and chosen one, user of hyaluronic face potions and seeker of bargain discounts. “Why do you dally so?”
“If we wait until tomorrow’s pay period,” replied Luanne Wyldsmith, “I can use my membership card points to book our next stay at the inn.”
“My lady, the dragon warlocks grow nearer as we speak. Every moment we delay is a moment we may not get back.”
“If I book with the rewards program, I go up another tier. It comes with a lot of perks.”
The chosen one had spoken. They would wait until the morrow to seize the best deals on travel and accommodations.
- - -
“Can we take a break?” panted Luanne. “My pack is so heavy, and I didn’t get a chance to stretch today.”
Luanne never made time to stretch, but that was not the point.
“It’s a day’s walk if we intend to reach the Fey Highlands by nightfall,” Byroncorn testily replied.
Trump pins his hopes on one juror who might just be MAGA The Bulwark reports: “Whatever happens happens,” Trump told one person recently. “I have no control.” But there is one clear hope MAGAville clings to: a hung jury that results in a mistrial. If that happens, Trump allies suspect that it will be chiefly due to the one juror who has made friendly eye contact with Trump from time to time as the jury enters the room and walks right past the defense table. “There are eight people on that jury who definitely hate Trump. If there’s one person who doesn’t, it’s [this] juror,” said one court attendee who, like others for this story, relayed their observations on condition of anonymity to The Bulwark, which is also protecting the privacy and safety of the juror in question by not disclosing identifying details.
Medea Benjamin uncovers the truth behind Senator Graham’s tirade against the ICC’s investigation into Israeli war crimes. Explore the hypocrisy and threats aimed at preserving impunity for US and Israeli leaders.
The post War Crimes and Whitewashing: Lindsey Graham’s Attack on the ICC appeared first on MintPress News.
Labour figures from across Keir Starmer's party are furious about her treatment by the leadership
Tell a better story “The best arguments in the world won’t change a person’s mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.” ― Richard Powers, The Overstory Actor Robert De Niro appeared Tuesday with retired Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, Jan. 6 combat veterans, outside the Manhattan courthouse where closing arguments were underway in Donald Trump’s falsified business records trial. The Ink explains why the stunt was significant: When we spoke with writer and policy wonk Heather McGhee earlier this month, she pointed out that Democrats have a serious “meaning making” problem. Which is to say, Trump understands what Democratic leaders tend not to: that in today’s media environment and attention economy, an effective candidate needs not only to seek votes but also, crucially, to be an active, vigorous participant in the cultural process through which voters construct meaning. Voting is downstream; meaning making is upstream. Authoritarian leaders tend to be deft at working at both points of the river.
On 30 January 2024 a rare unanimity was evidenced at the Scottish Parliament. Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) gathered to debate a motion brought by Richard Leonard, Labour MSP for the Central Region, to remember miners’ leader Michael ‘Mick’ McGahey on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his passing. The motion was signed by representatives from […]
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new initiative led by Programs Manager, Joi Garrett. This program is designed to support the success of Drupal Local Associations by engaging directly with community leaders who work to promote the Drupal project in their global regions.
Connecting Communities
The heart of the Local Associations Initiative lies in fostering meaningful connections. We recognize the efforts of local leaders and the unique challenges they face. By hosting a series of virtual meetings, we aim to create a platform for leaders to share their experiences, successes and challenges. These sessions will not only provide valuable insight to the state of various local associations but help to strengthen our global community.
The Conservative "machine" will target voters with messages that speak to them, which appear to come from sources they trust. Here's what to watch out for
Autocracy, theocracy, and antidemocracy join hands Finding boldfaced italics in a column in a major newspaper is highly unusual. But these are unusual times. A former U.S. president faces a jury verdict in a criminal trial for the first time in our history. His flag-draped followers believe themselves the apex of patriotism even as the self-styled Real Americans™ dedicate their lives to a man starstruck by dictators, who incites mobs to violence, who derides the sacrifices of soldiers, who flaunts flouts the law and is prepared to void the country’s constitution if it serves personal ambition. His acolytes around the country are not as lazy as he, no. They are putting plans in motion to destroy the country. Patriotically, of course. Inspired by Dear Leader, they mean to shoot America in the middle of Fifth Avenue and expect no blowback. The bolded text that grabs my attention is in a Washington Post column by Jennifer Rubin commenting on the Ken Burns commencement address mentioned here on Sunday. Burns dropped his accustomed political neutrality to raise an alarm about the 2024 presidential election.
Though her family sometimes received food stamps and occasionally had their utilities cut off, Marcie Alvis Walker’s parents led her to believe that they were an average middle-class Black family. They encouraged her to pursue her dreams and told her that if she worked hard enough, she’d achieve them. The small catch was that Walker’s dream was an elusive one for any cash-strapped and undereducated Black woman: being a New York Times–bestselling author. Now, as a published non-bestselling author, she wishes she’d had a backup plan.
I rock large appliances and furniture back and forth, ensuring that my body is beneath them.
I remove all tags from my towels and mattresses before purchasing.
I light lighters ANYWHERE.
I lean small children against window screens while the window is open.
I press irons up to my face to see if they’re hot enough to iron my clothes. Then I leave them hot and face down on top of my linen shirts while I make a smoothie.
While I’m making that smoothie, I leave the cord dangling where small children can grab it (at least, those children that haven’t yet fallen out of a window).
Back to that iron I left on: if the shirt I’m wearing seems wrinkled, I iron it while I’m still wearing it.
I ingest anything liquid from any container or receptacle.
I take all the small parts I can find and mix them in with baby toys.
If the iron or blender—or really any device—ever has a problem, I will attempt to repair it while it is plugged in, turned on, and moving parts are still moving.
I remove my safety belt and exit all moving vehicles before they have come to a complete stop.
The LBC presenter has announced he is quitting the station in a bid to stand for the Conservative party in the general election
Having a figure such as Kuenssberg in such a prominent position during the upheavals of the past 14 years helped the BBC appease its implacable Conservative enemies, writes former BBC producer and journalist Patrick Howse
Labour MP writes to PM Sunak over Liz Truss appearing on Lotus Eaters, a show founded by Carl Benjamin, who stated he "wouldn’t even rape" her