tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131543582024-03-18T12:25:32.107-04:00Welcome to The NowCurrent News and Events with CommentaryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-21689013477721656122024-03-18T12:25:00.027-04:002024-03-18T12:25:00.252-04:00New British Weapon Looks Familiar (If You Grew Up Collecting 80's Toys)<p> First, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/europe/britain-air-defense-laser-dragonfire-intl-hnk-ml/index.html" target="_blank">the story</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">Britain this week showed off a new laser weapon that its military says could deliver lethal missile or aircraft defense at around $13 a shot, potentially saving tens of millions of dollars over the cost of missile interceptors that do the job now.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Newly released video of a test of what the United Kingdom’s Defense Ministry calls the DragonFire, a laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system, captured what the ministry says was the successful use of the laser against an aerial target during a January demonstration in Scotland.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">“It’s a potential game changer for air defense,” the video says as a bright laser beam pierces the night sky over a firing range in the remote Hebrides archipelago, creating a ball of light as it hits its target.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The Defense Ministry says the DragonFire can precisely hit a target as small as a coin “over long ranges,” but it did not offer specifics. The exact range of the weapon is classified, it said.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The laser beam can cut through metal “leading to structural failure or more impactful results if the warhead is targeted,” a UK Defense Ministry statement said.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">And it is claimed it also take out its targets for a tiny fraction of what current air defense missiles cost.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The Defense Ministry put the price of firing a 10-second laser burst at around $13. In contrast, the Standard Missile-2 used by the United States Navy for air defense costs more than $2 million per shot.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">“It has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out,” a January statement from the UK Defense Ministry said.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The cost of air defense missiles has become a hot topic in defense circles in recent years as low-cost drones have shown their effectiveness in on battlefields in Ukraine and in attacks by Houthi rebels against commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Analysts have questioned how long the US, UK and their partners can keep using multi-million-dollar missiles against Houthi drones that can in some cases be acquired for well under $100,000.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Meanwhile expensive air defense systems from Western allies have been crucial to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself from attacks by Russian missiles and drones.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>So here's a pic of the LDEW:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDX3iofMHOIhBbLYTvzrVqIvvP8HVJwvgc6wv3Sl-N7urTQFoe3QfCetdM3zoXCwav6DnpUiTHx0cuM6q2UHvFLokyOv7LMButZJ1HL0q5JTZXDQQBQrBR29D0PVqFa8dKAkF_hiOMUl9Zvy-WwLXXNjddr1yboMbnkIEQ_JP_Aa_BymJiFYi4w/s662/CNN-UKDragonfire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="662" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDX3iofMHOIhBbLYTvzrVqIvvP8HVJwvgc6wv3Sl-N7urTQFoe3QfCetdM3zoXCwav6DnpUiTHx0cuM6q2UHvFLokyOv7LMButZJ1HL0q5JTZXDQQBQrBR29D0PVqFa8dKAkF_hiOMUl9Zvy-WwLXXNjddr1yboMbnkIEQ_JP_Aa_BymJiFYi4w/s320/CNN-UKDragonfire.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Got it? Now here's where the reality of 2024 merges with <a href="https://www.3djoes.com/law.html" target="_blank">80's military fiction</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFJZ5CkAP118jGuKyDhmWO9UDbEI1Zi1UmeSBp0E1dI29H7Eo9vuVBgDb9SlARp03nzzseesdDiBppAYpEpMYrShxhOXijNzpCLjCcjuHgvqpbWc76il2Ui3ZPhd7IUdTkbwdhKqqKDsBKWq9An1qijhDU77sFYhn4Qfe6HZ6woV9DgrpLDsfUQ/s564/GIJoe-LAW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="564" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFJZ5CkAP118jGuKyDhmWO9UDbEI1Zi1UmeSBp0E1dI29H7Eo9vuVBgDb9SlARp03nzzseesdDiBppAYpEpMYrShxhOXijNzpCLjCcjuHgvqpbWc76il2Ui3ZPhd7IUdTkbwdhKqqKDsBKWq9An1qijhDU77sFYhn4Qfe6HZ6woV9DgrpLDsfUQ/s320/GIJoe-LAW.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Oh, and name "DragonFire?" That's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZdusKq308s&pp=ygURZ2kgam9lIGRyYWdvbmZpcmU%3D" target="_blank">same name of the weapon used</a> in the (DIC version) of the G.I. Joe cartoon.</p><p> </p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-61571722519351638732024-03-17T08:48:00.001-04:002024-03-17T08:48:00.139-04:00Second Thought: "The Most Dangerous Thing In The Western Hemisphere"<p> Hint: It's who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X warned us about:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/33p-8QHZpzY" width="320" youtube-src-id="33p-8QHZpzY"></iframe></div><br /><p>In short: liberals hate friction and disruption, and do their best to minimize it while maintaining a claim that they want change. </p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-19041775881732872742024-03-16T11:08:00.001-04:002024-03-16T11:08:03.691-04:00Richard Medhurst: Hezbollah Fires Rockets At Israel; Becomes "Main Threat" Despite Not Targeting Civilians, According to Israeli Media<p>Compare how Israel reacts to the Hezbollah attack to how Palestinians have reacted to the Israeli attacks:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H4Vdtvph-mU" width="320" youtube-src-id="H4Vdtvph-mU"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-90666304391660239212024-03-16T09:52:00.001-04:002024-03-16T09:52:00.139-04:00Picture This: Even Sesame Street Recognizes "Shrinkflation" <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkykBRsnU6XaKp7J2NEPcrPzvsySbg-iAI1m8A-ZljowOB4XQvGoEd4rDyPD9MVs_Cjuu-XOwYy9hAUDQoz3wd7Ty3PkoDMkMYTb9QqTLY5KogCVmH6H40OlpBTfLyPGm4pCQdlWrrznci0mapV9y23BSWIu_WBSYduVfcO3VabtoX27J7zj17QA/s732/Twitter-CookieMonster_shrinkflation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="732" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkykBRsnU6XaKp7J2NEPcrPzvsySbg-iAI1m8A-ZljowOB4XQvGoEd4rDyPD9MVs_Cjuu-XOwYy9hAUDQoz3wd7Ty3PkoDMkMYTb9QqTLY5KogCVmH6H40OlpBTfLyPGm4pCQdlWrrznci0mapV9y23BSWIu_WBSYduVfcO3VabtoX27J7zj17QA/w417-h181/Twitter-CookieMonster_shrinkflation.JPG" width="417" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-76801965631568460922024-03-15T13:29:00.000-04:002024-03-15T13:29:00.136-04:00Mint Press News: Interview with Alana Hadid<p> Link <a href="https://www.mintpressnews.com/why-israel-fears-hadid-family-with-alana-hadid/286977/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p>Video: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MrKmO3d6ykU" width="320" youtube-src-id="MrKmO3d6ykU"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-56002054822804974202024-03-15T10:10:00.002-04:002024-03-15T10:10:00.147-04:00Rachel Blevins and Fiorella Isabel Talk About Russia-Related Rumors<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9urvg9IJnRM" width="320" youtube-src-id="9urvg9IJnRM"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-4851840092193142642024-03-15T08:40:00.006-04:002024-03-15T08:40:00.142-04:00Jimmy Dore: Breaking Points Shifts Tone on Joe Biden (For the Worse)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmyMvy8nFrM" width="320" youtube-src-id="FmyMvy8nFrM"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>So many people predicted that those who supported the Democratic primary challengers would shift to Biden once it became clear he would be the nominee (due in no small part to the DNC essentially ignoring the existence of challengers). In that sense, this isn't that surprising.</p><p>What's sad is that Krystal Ball (and those like her) will do this again and again every presidential cycle, while simultaneously fretting about what Democrats aren't doing for voters and pushing pseudo-populism. </p><p>Anyway, here's <a href="https://www.lisep.org/tru" target="_blank">another look at the true unemployment rate</a> for what it's worth.</p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-51795661892304371472024-03-14T14:46:00.004-04:002024-03-14T14:46:36.670-04:00Chuck Schumer Wags Finger At Israeli Prime Minister; Says Nothing About Stopping Weapons Sales<p> Saying "naughty-naughty" without the threat of taking away the allowance and toys does very little to deter violent behavior: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JEDXY0zHp0s" width="320" youtube-src-id="JEDXY0zHp0s"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The noticeable (and probably only) positive is that Schumer has pivoted (even if it took months of genocidal activity). Nevertheless, new elections will not matter much because even the "left" political element of Israel is not open to a two-state solution. At this point, the differences between the various parties is how they answer the question, "How do we get rid of the Palestinians?" Living peacefully together is not even an option. </p><p>America's true leverage is in their weaponry; cutting the country off is the best way to end the conflict and get all sides into a bargaining position. </p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-74473236706845943582024-03-14T14:13:00.000-04:002024-03-14T14:13:00.113-04:00Now That Elected Official Are Being Swatted, People Want Something Done<p> Almost <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2013/04/14/technology/security/swatting-caller-id/index.html" target="_blank">nine years after this story</a> (and sixteen years if you count what's in the story) where celebrities were the main targets and lawmakers were "scrambling for a potential solution," swatting is again front and center, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/politics/swatting-election-officials-invs/index.html">only this time it's public officials who are the targets</a>.</p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-18446760139946300652024-03-14T12:57:00.001-04:002024-03-14T12:57:00.133-04:00As If Warehouse Workers Didn't Have Enough to Worry About...<p><a href="https://scheerpost.com/2024/03/09/an-invisible-chemical-is-poisoning-thousands-of-unsuspecting-warehouse-workers/">Enter ethylene oxide</a>: </p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">The bruises on Alexandria Pittman’s body wouldn’t go away. Nor would the aches that plagued her at her new job at a distribution center in Lithia Springs, a small town 17 miles west of Atlanta, sorting and repackaging boxes containing medical devices. She was convinced the symptoms were connected to the job.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Pittman had applied to the position at the warehouse, run by the medical supply company ConMed, after learning about the opening from her fiancé, Derek Mitchell, who delivered products there. Every day she’d come home and complain to him about the mysterious aches and marks. At first, Mitchell tried to reassure her, guessing that the bruises were probably from bumping up against something. “I really didn’t think nothing of it,” he recalled. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Then, in the spring of 2019, came a surprising revelation. ConMed managers announced that the seemingly innocuous products in the boxes they were packaging had been sterilized with ethylene oxide, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers a carcinogen and is linked to lung and breast cancers as well as diseases of the nervous system. Suddenly, Pittman began connecting the dots between her symptoms and those of her colleagues. It would later emerge that at least 50 warehouse workers experienced a slew of health effects tied to ethylene oxide exposure, including seizures, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Ambulances were routinely called to the facility after workers collapsed, convulsed from seizures, or broke out in hives. Several — including Pittman — developed cancer. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Since ConMed came clean about the workers’ exposure to ethylene oxide, Pittman has suffered four strokes and had brain surgery. She’s currently undergoing chemotherapy for myeloma, according to multiple claims she has filed with the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation for help paying her medical bills. After the second stroke, Mitchell was unable to care for her, and she moved in with her mother where she now lives. Mitchell and Pittman had planned to marry, but the $5,000 ring Mitchell purchased now sits collecting dust. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">“It just corrupted everything that she ever wanted to do in life,” said Mitchell. “She can’t talk, and she’s being fed through a tube.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The ethylene oxide that Pittman and dozens of her coworkers were exposed to wasn’t supposed to have made it to the warehouse at all. At a sterilization plant 12 miles down the road, the chemical had been used to fumigate products before they were sent to the warehouse, a standard procedure for making sure that medical equipment is antiseptic and safe to use in hospitals across the country. More than 50 percent of all U.S. medical supplies are sterilized by ethylene oxide, due to the chemical’s unique ability to penetrate porous surfaces without causing damage.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5lG_YejG9E" width="320" youtube-src-id="M5lG_YejG9E"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-90565394325144799192024-03-14T09:34:00.005-04:002024-03-14T14:15:54.623-04:00Black Alliance For Peace Talks to Democracy Now! About Haiti<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mhXACYoudek" width="320" youtube-src-id="mhXACYoudek"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><div><br /></div><div>Jemima Pierre also spoke with Democracy Now! earlier about the impact of coups in Haiti:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_FC2MJS_seU" width="320" youtube-src-id="_FC2MJS_seU"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-3602668766086020752024-03-13T14:29:00.000-04:002024-03-13T14:29:00.133-04:00George Galloway and Abby Martin Discuss The Biden Administration Complicity in Palestine & Journalism<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7HVxHyx3A34" width="320" youtube-src-id="7HVxHyx3A34"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-37305653241495942712024-03-13T09:09:00.000-04:002024-03-13T09:09:04.476-04:00Less Retail Options For Poor and Working Class Is On the Horizon...<p>Guessing the claims of <a href="https://welcome2thenow.blogspot.com/2023/08/theft-is-apparently-big-problem-for.html" target="_blank">"shrinkage" (read: theft)</a> were <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/investing/family-dollar-dollar-tree-closing-stores/index.html" target="_blank">only part of the real story</a>: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">Family Dollar, the struggling discount chain that caters to low-income customers predominantly in cities, will close about 1,000 stores as inflation takes a bite out of consumers’ wallets and low-cost-retailers’ profits.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Family Dollar will close 600 locations in the first half of 2024 and 370 stores over the next several years as store leases expire.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Dollar Tree, which owns Family Dollar, also said it will close 30 stores as leases expire.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar in 2015 for $8.5 billion. The combined company hoped that by joining forces, it could grow its customer base, reduce costs and fend off bigger retailers like Dollar General and Walmart. But Dollar Tree has struggled to integrate Family Dollar.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Family Dollar stores were in poor condition when Dollar Tree acquired the business in 2015, analysts say. Although Family Dollar has renovated thousands of stores in recent years, many stores under both banners are still poorly maintained</b>.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><i>The dollar and discount segments of retail have become more competitive in recent years due to the shrinking middle class, inflation and retail store closures.</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Many Family Dollar stores have been plagued by health and safety concerns for employees and workers.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Family Dollar was hit with a record fine this year for violating product safety standards after selling items that were stocked in a rat-infested warehouse filled with live, dead and decaying rodents. The $41.6 million fine was “the largest-ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case,” the Justice Department said.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Couple of Observations/Notes:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>It's been nine years since Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar and they still haven't brought the latter's safety standards up to par?</li><li> Last count there were 8,459 Family Dollar stores; this means that roughly 11% of the stores are closing.</li><li>If <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/better-wallet-dollar-tree-family-120336109.html" target="_blank">this comparison</a> is true, the biggest differences between the two (even after the purchase) were/are that Dollar Tree had a wider variety while Dollar Tree sold items at a lower price.</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-57636107865833506482024-03-12T11:43:00.002-04:002024-03-12T11:43:00.132-04:00Breakthrough News Interviews a Yemen Leader<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hfjlvXQ5xgY" width="320" youtube-src-id="hfjlvXQ5xgY"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-6967814400075615262024-03-12T09:29:00.003-04:002024-03-12T09:37:17.393-04:00Haiti's Leader Bows Out<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/americas/haiti-pm-ariel-henry-resigns-gang-violence-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">Guess the international support he was getting wasn't enough</a>:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">The embattled prime minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, has resigned after weeks of mounting chaos in the Caribbean nation, where gangs have been attacking government structures and social order is on the brink of collapse.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Henry said in a video address late Monday that his government would leave power after the establishment of a transitional council, adding, “Haiti needs peace. Haiti needs stability.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">“My government will leave immediately after the inauguration of the council. We will be a caretaker government until they name a prime minister and a new cabinet,” Henry said.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Henry’s adviser Jean Junior Joseph told CNN that Henry would remain in his role until the formation of a new interim government.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), meeting in Jamaica on Monday said it had agreed to set up a transitional council to lay the foundations for elections in Haiti.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">“We are pleased to announce the commitment to transitional governance arrangement which paves the way for a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance and action plan for near-term security and the road to free and fair elections. It further seeks to assure that Haiti will be governed by the rule of law,” said Guyana leader and CARICOM Chairman Irfaan Ali in a news conference, flanked by other Caribbean leaders.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">When the worst of the violence erupted last week, Henry was in Kenya to sign an agreement to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean nation to restore the security situation of which his government has lost control.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">He was unable to return to Haiti as the security situation deteriorated around the airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince. A plan to travel via the neighboring Dominican Republic was abandoned after the government there refused permission for his plane to land. He has been in the US territory of Puerto Rico since last week.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The United States will contribute $300 million to the Kenyan-led multinational security mission, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after attending the CARICOM meeting on Monday. He also announced an additional $33 million in “humanitarian assistance for the people of Haiti.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Henry was under pressure from the United States to secure a political settlement, but it is far from clear who will step in. One name touted is Guy Philippe, a rebel leader recently deported from the US to Haiti after serving a prison sentence for money laundering.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Henry, who came to power unelected in 2021 following the assassination of Haiti’s then-president, failed to hold elections last year, saying the country’s insecurity would compromise the vote. But his decision only further enraged protesters who had for months demanded he stand down as Haiti slid further into poverty and rampant gang violence.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Since Henry’s trip to Kenya, Port-au-Prince has been gripped by a wave of highly coordinated gang attacks on law enforcement and state institutions, which has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.</span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>UPDATE: African Stream has an interesting video about Haiti's history:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iYm3fx5lw1U" width="320" youtube-src-id="iYm3fx5lw1U"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-89601767966233661582024-03-11T11:57:00.003-04:002024-03-11T11:57:26.746-04:00Israel Attacks Gaza City on 1st Day of Ramadan<p> For some reason the mainstream media is covering it, but the <a href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/gaza-live-blog-new-massacres-of-first-day-of-ramadan-israel-guterres-should-resign-al-aqsa-under-attack-day-157/" target="_blank">Palestine Chronicle</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/3/11/israels-war-on-gaza-live-ramadan-begins-with-no-end-to-israels-siege" target="_blank">Al-Jazeera</a> are.</p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-64941105877471118822024-03-11T10:42:00.004-04:002024-03-11T10:42:28.349-04:00If The United States Really Want to Stop the Violence In Palestine, Why Are They Still Selling Weapons?<p><a href="https://scheerpost.com/2024/03/07/us-has-secretly-sent-israel-over-100-weapons-shipments-in-last-150-days/" target="_blank">Something doesn't add up</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">U.S. officials have secretly sent Israel over 100 shipments of weapons, amounting to thousands of bombs and arms, just since October 7, arresting new reporting finds as the Biden administration scrambles in public to contain a splintering of his Democratic base amid its support of Israel’s genocide of Gaza.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that members of Congress were informed of the sales, which were all separate, by U.S. officials in a recent classified meeting. This is far more weapons sales than previously made public by officials; before this, only two arms transfers to Israel were publicly reported, both having been approved by President Joe Biden invoking emergency powers to bypass Congress and both garnering strong opposition by pro-Palestine advocates.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The cache of weapons includes precision-guided munitions, small diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms (like firearms), and more, The Post reported. They have been sent as experts have repeatedly said that Israel is committing war crimes in its indiscriminate bombing campaign in Gaza, and despite U.S. laws prohibiting military assistance being sent to countries committing human rights violations.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">This is a staggering cache of weapons sent to assist in the genocide over such a short period of time, amounting to about one weapons deal every 1.5 days of Israel’s assault. U.S. officials were able to avoid reporting the sales publicly because they fell under certain value thresholds that would require them to be brought to the attention of Congress, sources told The Post.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">These weapons are almost certainly being used to decimate Gaza, where Israel has already killed over 31,000 Palestinians over just the course of five months with its brutal bombing, disease and starvation campaign. Previous reports have found that, just in the first six weeks of Israel’s current assault, it dropped 22,000 bombs provided by the U.S. on Gaza.</span></p></blockquote><p></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-36542033391989285012024-03-11T10:13:00.001-04:002024-03-11T10:13:00.133-04:00Rachel Blevins: What Does Victoria Nuland's Retirement Mean? <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qodouuaiPgs" width="320" youtube-src-id="qodouuaiPgs"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-59507242464895585572024-03-10T14:18:00.000-04:002024-03-10T14:18:00.144-04:00Flashback: Survivor of the USS Liberty Attack Is Interviewed<p> Most people aren't aware of what is called an "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMzvgCLtCG8&pp=ygUUVVNTIExpYmVydHkgaW5jaWRlbnQ%3D" target="_blank">incident</a>" a.k.a, when the Israeli Air Force attacked a US Naval vessel. Well, one survivor (which is significant because there weren't supposed to be any) spoke to The Real News Network eight years ago:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LMzvgCLtCG8" width="320" youtube-src-id="LMzvgCLtCG8"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and here's Part 2:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jJr3gNNn05g" width="320" youtube-src-id="jJr3gNNn05g"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-74286414982839179122024-03-09T09:45:00.001-05:002024-03-09T09:45:00.151-05:00Chris Hedges: How Private Equity Conquered America<p>Imagine being a company that doesn't really use their own money, but raises money (with the promise that those who contribute will benefit) to buy other companies:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shv9g-4xXww" width="320" youtube-src-id="shv9g-4xXww"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-14849640477359485842024-03-08T14:33:00.001-05:002024-03-08T14:33:00.247-05:00Black Agenda Report Talks About "Abandon Biden" & Haiti<p> Considering that <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article286352120.html" target="_blank">the Biden Administration is working Kenya</a> to deal with the apparent unrest in Haiti, the <a href="https://www.blackagendareport.com/black-agenda-radio-march-1-2024" target="_blank">two segments</a> are probably more linked then originally intended. </p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-68687282468514744592024-03-08T09:41:00.001-05:002024-03-08T09:41:00.138-05:00Why Would IDF Soldiers Show Pictures of Themselves Looting?From "sleeping" in a baby crib to taking high heel shoes, it's very odd behavior:<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7YGnEpMwdCk" width="320" youtube-src-id="7YGnEpMwdCk"></iframe></div><br /> </div>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-30468139192827749862024-03-07T18:35:00.002-05:002024-03-08T18:17:37.625-05:00Texas-Based Real Estate Company Is Selling Palestinian Land From Canada?<p> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/real-estate-thornhill-event-1.7133251" target="_blank">Odd But True</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">Pro-Palestinian supporters are calling for a second real estate event planned north of Toronto to be called down over concerns it involves the selling of land in the occupied West Bank.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">On Sunday, dozens of people gathered near the Aish Hatorah synagogue in Thornhill, Ont., to protest an event that organizers say was aimed at helping people in the Toronto area buy property in Israel. They were met with pro-Israeli counterprotesters and Jewish leaders took issue with the Sunday protest taking place outside a synagogue.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">But pro-Palestinian protesters say companies associated with the event market property in the West Bank, where over two million Palestinians live under Israel's military occupation, according to the United Nations (UN).</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">A similar event is expected to take place Thursday at another synagogue in the area. It is unclear whether the two events are connected.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">"We weren't there because it's a synagogue, we were there because we were protesting against a real estate show," said Ghada Sasa, who was at the protest over the weekend. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">"[These events] shouldn't be allowed to happen when they're explicitly advertising land on occupied territory."</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Sasa said the issue is personal to her as her grandfather's family was "expelled" from the land in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which was when the state of Israel was established. They've since not been allowed to return, she said.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">She is calling for an immediate "injunction" against upcoming real estate events selling land on occupied Palestinian territory.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b>The UN, alongside Canada, consider Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to be in violation of international convention</b>, with the federal government saying they "constitute a serious obstacle to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace." </span></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>A Muslim man living in Canada <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240304-man-prevented-from-entering-event-he-registered-for-because-he-is-not-jewish/" target="_blank">tried to participate (i.e., purchase land), but he was rejected</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nb7cbiwumGw" width="320" youtube-src-id="nb7cbiwumGw"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>UPDATE: Sabby Sabbs also did a video on this:<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zMxVjo0zzyc" width="320" youtube-src-id="zMxVjo0zzyc"></iframe></div><br /> <br /><p><br /></p></div>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-2071608202883171322024-03-07T14:05:00.001-05:002024-03-07T14:05:00.137-05:00Lee Camp: CNN Can't Accept Nina Turner's Explanation On Why "Uncommitted" Emerged the Democratic Michigan Primary<p><a href="https://welcome2thenow.blogspot.com/2024/03/black-agenda-report-abandon-biden.html" target="_blank">CNN has proven to be stubborn about this</a>, but it's still entertaining to see them act shocked that genocide may cause people to hold their vote:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F3GlBRlB6vI" width="320" youtube-src-id="F3GlBRlB6vI"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13154358.post-23377701713777527392024-03-07T12:44:00.001-05:002024-03-07T12:44:00.267-05:00CT Town Musing Over Phone Ban For Schools<p><a href="https://ctmirror.org/2024/03/05/ct-cellphone-school-ban-ned-lamont/?utm_source=Connecticut+Mirror+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=4c6f146f49-CT+Mirror+Morning+Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_571d22f8e4-4c6f146f49-68286070&mc_cid=4c6f146f49&mc_eid=aef54e6332" target="_blank">Hmmm</a>...</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">Gov. Ned Lamont’s suggestion last month towards the end of his annual State of the State address that kids lock away their smartphones during the school day unexpectedly generated a wave of applause that still is resonating.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">“I’m getting a lot of feedback, more feedback on this than anything I’ve done in a while,” Lamont said Tuesday on a school tour. “And I think it really has hit a chord with parents and teachers, and the kids are OK with it.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Lamont, Attorney General William Tong and education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker visited Illing Middle School in Manchester, where school administrators are three months into a smartphone experiment begun before Lamont mused that schools might do well to emulate Beyoncé.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The singer is one of the performing artists who sometimes require phones be locked in Yondr pouches, small neoprene bags that allow patrons to keep their phones but not use them to take calls or make recordings or photographs during performances.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Manchester spent about $30,000 on Yondr pouches, which can be quickly sealed in the morning and opened in the afternoon with magnetic locks, to enforce a ban at Illing on the use of smartphones during the school day.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">It’s a pilot program that teachers and students say is producing benefits beyond a greater degree of engagement in class. They say there is less drama, fewer incidents of digital bullying and a restoration of the privacy that eroded when every kid carried a device that could record video and audio.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Going by their Wikipedia page, Yondr doesn't seem to be on the Stock Market. I bring this up because part of the solution revolves using one particular product, meaning that if this catches on and other schools and states follow suit Yondr could stand to make a lot of money. </p><p>Also, there's no mention of "private schools" in this article, so there's that. </p>Prymehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04588832297719895529noreply@blogger.com0