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How Israel Commodifies Mass Killing Through Its “Palestine Laboratory”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

For more than two months, the Israeli military has waged a scorched-earth campaign against Gaza, and the death toll has risen to over 18,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, violent Israeli government-armed and funded settlers continue their violent campaign to purge Palestinians from their homes as the Israel Defense Forces lay siege to Jenin and other cities. This week on Intercepted, Jeremy Scahill discusses the dystopian game show that Israel is subjecting Palestinians to in Gaza, kettling them into an ever-shrinking killing cage. While the scope of the war against Gaza is unprecedented, it has been preceded by a decadeslong cycle of regular Israeli ground and air attacks against the Palestinians of both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein discusses his groundbreaking new book, “The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World.” For two decade...

Column: Tomlin to the Commanders isn’t as crazy as you think

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin once said “never say never … but never” to leaving Pittsburgh, but could Washington change his mind? Rob Woodfork lays out how the Commanders could make a home run hire. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)When the Washington Commanders play their final game of the 2023 season against the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 7, Ron Rivera will coach the Burgundy and Gold on his 62nd birthday under the likely assumption it will be his final game at the helm — bringing to a close a 4-year tenure in which he never had a winning campaign.Managing partner Josh Harris will begin his first full year in control of the franchise, making crucial decisions about the direction of a team in dire need of an organizational enema after decades of ineptitude that even predates the previous owner. Presumably, a new lead football executive will be at the top of his to-do list. But there’s one man I think would signal a true shift that would take the Commanders from NFC Ea...

Will declaration on fossil fuels at UN climate talks lead to action? Consider 5 previous decisions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — United Nations climate negotiators on Wednesday declared the world must transition away from oil, gas and coal, a significant decision by nearly 200 countries in nearly 30 years of climate talks. But will countries keep their word, moving away from planet-warming fossil fuels and toward more green energies like solar and wind?History may provide some insight into that question. Below are five of the most important decisions to come from climate talks, and what has happened since.EMISSIONS CUTS IN KYOTOThe third climate summit took place in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 — one of the warmest years recorded in the 20th century.Known as the Kyoto Protocol, the agreement asked 41 high-emitting countries across the world and the European Union to cut their emissions by a little more than 5% compared to 1990 levels. Emissions cuts can come from many places, from deploying green energies like wind and solar that don’t produce emissions to making things that ...

WMATA violated First Amendment by rejecting Metrobus ads, lawsuit says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) policies behind the decision to reject a company’s advertisements for a Metrobus violated the First Amendment, the ACLU said in a lawsuit filed Monday.The suit, filed on behalf of the company WallBuilder Presentations, argues the transit agency’s advertising guidelines of violating free speech.The rejected Metrobus advertisements both show historic paintings, with a link to the company’s website and QR code that would take people directly there, according to Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel at the ACLU-D.C.One of the ads features George Washington kneeling in the snow, and the other has a scene from the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia, Spitzer said. The company wanted to send people to its website to learn about its views on the role of religion in the founding of the country, and the role it thinks religion should play in the country now, he said.But the transit agency rejected the ads, S...

A Russian missile attack on Kyiv injures more than 50 people as Ukraine pleads for more Western help

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s capital came under another ballistic missile attack early Wednesday, injuring at least 53 people on the ground, including six children, and damaging buildings, officials said.A series of loud explosions could be heard in Kyiv at 3 a.m. local time as the city’s air defenses were activated for the second time this week. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 10 ballistic missiles toward the capital and all were intercepted by air defenses.The attack on the capital underscored the continuing threat to Ukraine from the Kremlin’s missile arsenal in the 21-month war. Russia has in recent months been stockpiling its air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet, according to a recent assessment by the U.K. Ministry of Defense.That may herald another heavy winter bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid. Moscow last year targeted energy infrastructure in an effort to deny Ukrainians heat, light and running water and break their fighting spirit.Uk...

Delegates at UN climate talks in Dubai agree to ‘transition away’ from planet-warming fossil fuels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — United Nations climate negotiators directed the world on Wednesday to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a move the talks chief called historic, despite critics’ worries about loopholes.“Humanity has finally done what is long, long, long overdue,” Wopke Hoekstra, European Union commissioner for climate action, said. After nearly 30 years of talking about carbon pollution, climate negotiators in a key document explicitly took aim at what’s trapping the heat: the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.Within minutes of opening Wednesday’s session, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled approval of the central document — the global stocktake that says how off-track the world is on climate and how to get back on — without asking for comments. Delegates stood and hugged each other.“It is a plan that is led by the science,’’ al-Jaber said. “It is an enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake, a historic package to accelerate clim...

Dictionary.com’s word of the year is a common one. But it doesn’t mean what you think

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

(CNN) — “Hallucinate” is Dictionary.com’s word of the year — and no, you’re not imagining things.The online reference site said in an announcement Tuesday that this year’s pick refers to a specific definition of the term pertaining to artificial intelligence: “to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.” In other words, it’s when chatbots and other AI tools confidently make stuff up.Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at Dictionary.com, told CNN this particular definition of “hallucinate” was added to the site earlier this year, though its use in computer science dates at least as far back as 1971. As staff at the online dictionary considered contenders for the defining words of 2023, Barrett said it became clear that AI was increasingly changing our lives, working its way into our language as well.“When we looked at the different words associated with artificial intelligence, we saw that ‘hallucinate’ really encapsulat...

Residents gearing up for CAMACOL’s annual food drive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

In anticipation of the holiday season, South Florida residents are already forming lines along Northwest 16th Avenue as they gear up for CAMACOL’s food distribution. For almost four decades, CAMACOL has been a beacon of hope, providing food baskets to families in need. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. at CAMACOL headquarters, located at 1401 West Flagler Street and 14th Avenue. Food baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and among those eagerly awaiting their turn is Jose Leonarte, who has been a participant for 49 years.“Every year I do this you know for my family and you know they giving a good basket, good product for the whole family and I’m glad for that with the CAMACOL do that every year,” he said.Wednesday’s Holiday Food Basket Giveaway holds special significance as it honors Mario O. Gutierrez, past President of CAMACOL and PepsiCo executive. Gutierrez’s vision initiated this food drive almost four decades ago, start...

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford steps down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

LONDON — Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Labour leader of Cardiff’s devolved government, has announced his intention to step down.The first minister resigned as Welsh Labour leader Wednesday with immediate effect. He said he will then step down as first minister following a leadership election in the new year.“Nominations for my successor as Welsh Labour leader will open shortly and I’m confident the process can be concluded by the end of the spring term,” Drakeford told a hastily arranged press conference. “That will enable the name of the winner of that contest to be put to the Senedd [Welsh parliament] before the Easter recess.” Drakeford has served as first minister for exactly five years, winning a new term as leader of the devolved government in Welsh parliament elections in 2021. He had already signaled his intention to quit before 2024 and said he would serve only five years at the top of Welsh politics. A figure from Labour’s left wing, Drakeford was...

Ruff day in Strasbourg: European Paw-liament goes barking mad

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:10 GMT

It’s not uncommon for lawmakers to howl at each other during tense sessions in the European Parliament, but at Wednesday’s plenary meeting actual barking momentarily interrupted the proceedings.Shortly after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded a speech to the body, a dog’s barking rang out in the hemicycle, prompting confused looks among lawmakers including Renew Europe group Chair Stéphane Séjourné and the European People’s Party’s Dolors Montserrat.European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, meanwhile, couldn’t contain her laughter. “Dear colleagues, we must have a support animal in the house,” she said, breaking into giggles.The barks ringing out during a session attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made the situation all the more absurd. In Spain, the Socialist leader is jokingly referred to as Perro Sanxe — “Sánchez the dog” — a nickname that emphasizes his canny, underdog q...