Welcome to The Now

BreakThrough News speaks with a member of the Center for Research of The Congo on this question: 

  Not who you think : Every year companies in the US spend around $8 billion on DEI efforts, according to research by the consulting firm McKinsey. With all the financial investment, time and attention put into advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in corporations, it is crucial to understand who benefits from these efforts. In 2019 a report entitled Being Black in Corporate America, released by global nonprofit, think tank, and advisory Coqual, found that Black professionals are more likely to encounter prejudice and microaggressions than other ethnic groups. They are also less likely than their white counterparts to have access to senior leaders and managerial support. The report lays out employees' everyday experiences of systemic racism in workplaces and the consequences it creates for those trying to advance to senior leadership positions. For example, Black professionals are nearly four times as likely as white professionals to say they've experienced racial pre...

 

 

  Via CNN : About 90 Patriot missiles from Israel are being sent to Ukraine in a transfer facilitated by the United States, according to a US defense official. The missiles had been in storage in Israel, which operated Patriot air defense systems for more than 30 years before retiring them in April. Discussions about transferring the missiles from Israel to Ukraine have been ongoing since last summer, when Biden administration officials were hopeful the effort might allow the unused missiles to be sent to Kyiv to aid in its war with Russia. Ukraine was desperate for more Patriot missiles as Russia launched barrages of missiles and drones, repeatedly overwhelming the country’s air defense systems. But Israeli assistance to Ukraine has been very limited, and Israel’s leaders have been careful not to overly criticize Russia. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to walk a fine line with Russian President Vladimir Putin, making it difficult to finalize the transfer of missiles . ...

  Rachel Blevins reminds us that this shows how unprepared the US is: And Danny Haiphong gives his take: Basically, "DeekSeek" is "reefer" in this clip:

 From the Brennan Center's Thomas Wolf : Turning to the history and text of the 14th Amendment: Before that amendment was ratified, America had a racialized class system in which enslaved people were denied the most basic rights granted by our founding documents. The Supreme Court blessed this system with its infamous Dred Scott decision, which ruled that enslaved people and their children could never be citizens. The Civil War was waged to put an end to this state of affairs. And, as a condition of their readmission to the Union, former slaveholding states were required to accept the principles reflected in the 14th Amendment. Among them, a plain statement of who is a citizen: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” In other words, if you’re born here, you’re one of us. It doesn’t matter who your parents were, whether they were free or enslaved, American...

 

 The days of war over land/territory should be in America's rear view mirror, but to keep things going, precious resources are still needed. Resources that exists in other countries, where the current leadership is not inclined to just give America what it wants. Meanwhile, nations once thought too weak to ever survive, yet alone build and become leaders on the world stage, have risen as an alternative to America. It's at this point, during the United States' geopolitical temper tantrum, where the rest of the world finds itself. BreakThrough News' Rania Khalek and her guest Vijay Prashad discuss aspects of the United States using force when it doesn't get it's way:

 The founder of The Electronic Intifada was arrested a few days ago , and recently deported .

 

 Probably the biggest reason that this Bishop's plea, will admirable, ultimately fell on deaf ears: This is why liberals and Democrats have trouble declaring the moral high ground on conservatives and Republicans; ultimately they all ignore the suffering while bowing to power. The later may be more blunt in their disdain for the weak and have-nots, but the former are, at worst, enablers to the system. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Rachel Blevins breaks the situation down:

 Hint: not what you may think.

 

 

Mr. Bishara is not confident that Benjamin Netanyahu can be trusted: Norm Finkelstein reminds us that the promise of  "rebuilding" has been made many times before, yet never happened:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I mean, excluding that " Friends " was basically a rip-off of the concept:

 

 

 

 

 There are reasons (and Trump being Trump, they are mostly transactional and capitalistic):

 

 

 Much like AOC and Kyrsten Sinema, the closer Gabbard got to power the more she was willing to compromise:

 

 

 

 

 Dan Cohen and Rachel Blevins discuss this and " mass graves :"

 

  Story also here . Transcript of the segment can be found here . Full episode can be found here .

 Glenn Greenwald explains:

As people ask why fire hydrants are dry , keep in mind that one couple controls a bulk of the water in the state:

 Link here .

 

 

 

All it takes is a shift in political power for some to change their stance: Rule of thumb: it you can't advocate for the right to free speech for people/ideas you don't like, you are not really for free speech. 

 

 

 aka, "Spies are writing the news:"

 

 Via Caitlin Johnstone:

 

 From CNN : Dominique Hackey was waiting to cradle his preemie son for the first time when a nurse delivered devastating news: The newborn’s left leg was fractured. In an instant, Hackey’s world shattered. His wife, Tori Hackey, had just been discharged after giving birth to fraternal twins, Micah and Noah. The boys, born in September 2023 at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, are the couple’s first children. Because they were born at 28 weeks and weighed only about two and three pounds, respectively, the twins had remained in the neonatal intensive care unit — with Micah barely hanging on, Hackey said. And now, seven days after birth, the healthier twin’s leg was bruised and broken, he said. “I was confused and heartbroken,” he said. “I’m a first-time parent. I have no background in the medical field. You’re telling me my baby has a fracture? How did it happen? They had been scanned before, and they’d have said something if anything had popped up (at that time).” Out...

  Bonus: Due Dissidence did an excellent recap of the online drama that led to this:

 

 Hint: She's in her 80's at an assisted living facility:

  CNN story here . Due Dissidence also has a video on the story:

 

 

 

 

 

  R.I.P. to Jeff Baena , writer-director and husband to actress Aubrey Plaza. More about Noushin Faraji , the hairstylist who is suing Fox Sports for "sexual battery" and making Joy Taylor look like an opportunistic hypocrite .  Threats of tariffs from incoming president Trump and the prospect of losing to the opposition party may spell the end of Justin Trudeau's tenure . 

 Via Jimmy Dore:

 

 

Wow : Beijing has imposed sanctions on twenty-eight U.S. defense companies. Chinese firms are prohibited from exporting dual-use items to these entities. Dual-use items can be utilized for both military and civilian purposes. On Thursday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on its website that it has added twenty-eight American companies to its export control list. This list includes major defense contractors such as General Dynamics, L3 Harris, Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, and smaller firms like Intercoastal Electronics and Systems Studies & Simulation. The Ministry stated, “Under the new rule, Chinese companies are prohibited from exporting dual-use items to these 28 U.S. entities. Any ongoing related export activities should be immediately halted.” They added that in exceptional cases where exports are deemed necessary, companies must submit an application to the Ministry for approval. These sanc...

 

 For those who travel, take note : Visitors heading to Hong Kong from New Year’s Day onwards will have to pay more for hotel accommodation and air travel under revised tax and fee arrangements to help boost public coffers. Authorities on Wednesday reintroduced a 3 per cent Hotel Accommodation Tax that had been waived since 2008, while all travellers using the airport will have to pay higher flight fares due to an increase in security fees.

 More than they should have:

 

 Despite being attacked by the US , Yemen continues to fight in support of the people of Gaza: