Above Photo: A dried tree is pictured against the background of an oil torch. (Getty Images) Rapidly rising levels of atmospheric methane are “very bad news for humanity and the planet,” warned one observer. Fresh U.S. government data spotlighting the rapid growth of atmospheric methane concentrations in recent years has scientists increasingly concerned that the human-caused climate crisis has triggered a vicious feedback loop, potentially resulting in unstoppable planetary warming. Research published in January by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed that atmospheric concentrations of methane—a greenhouse gas that’s 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period—soared past 1,900 […]
Fear
45 posts
Above Photo: The US Justice Department launched the “China Initiative” in 2018 to fight suspected Chinese theft of technical secrets and intellectual property. (South China Morning Post / AP) Terrorizing Families And Ruthlessly Destroying Careers The Justice Department’s China Initiative Was Established By The Trump Administration To Crackdown On Chinese Economic And Scientific Espionage. However, Its Primary Targets Have Been Academics Prosecuted For Failing To Properly Disclose Their Connection To Chinese Universities On Grant Forms And It Has Led To Numerous Miscarriages Of Justice. On the Tuesday before Christmas, Dr. Charles Lieber, the former chair of Harvard’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology […]
Above Photo: Ian Prior, executive director of Fight for Schools, leads a rally against critical race theory in Loudoun County VA. Nathaniel Cline, Loudoun Times-Mirror. Critical Race Theory and Wokeness. Anti-Black racism is at the heart of the debate on Critical Race Theory and use of the word “woke” as a pejorative. The white peoples party, republicans, have new weapons, and democrats, the putative black peoples party, shove their constituents under the bus. Appeals to racism are once again the keys to electoral victory. Perpetual fear of something is characteristic of the white American psyche. Especially when the fear is about […]
Above Photo: Maize drying in San Cristóbal de las Casas, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. (Mauricio Ramos/IPS) Orange, California – Last month México’s Supreme Court provided hope for biodiversity, especially in the Global South, while flaming fear for seed companies. In a historic step, it ruled for corn advocates and against genetically modified (GMO) corn. The decision was a momentous act in country where maíz (corn) carries daily and sacred significance. This promises a way out of stale GMO debates that plague us. One side argues that genetic changes to seeds increase harvests. Seed companies and industrial agriculture make up this side. Another side says GMOs […]
Above Photo: A masked protester occupies a tree house in the path of the Trans Mountain expansion in Burnaby. Protesters say they fear being removed from their year-long treetop sites after crews erected fences and cut trees in their vicinity. Maggie MacPherson/CBC. A Spokesperson For The Project Says The Fences Are Essential For Safety. Activists aiming to stop the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in Burnaby say they fear being removed against their will after crews put up fencing and cut down trees in their vicinity on Tuesday and Wednesday. For more than a year, protesters have been occupying treetops in the Brunette River Conservation Area, which […]
An illustration from the May 26, 1882 issue of the San Francisco Illustrated Wasp depicts three ghoulish figures called malarium, smallpox and leprosy and one holding a sash that says “Chinatown.” (NMAH) The Long History of Blaming Immigrants in Times of Sickness “Fear and Scapegoating during a Pandemic” kicked off “Pandemic Perspectives: Stories Through Collections,” a twice-monthly online panel discussion organized by the curators and historians @amhistorymuseum. https://t.co/OosRSeBnda — Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) October 19, 2020 Health Editor’s Note: The xenophobia that has come from the COVID-19 pandemic was here long before we experienced the the current pandemic. How many times can […]
Hundreds of unemployed Kentucky residents wait in long lines outside the Kentucky Career Center in Frankfort for help with their unemployment claims on June 19. New research shows savings built up by the jobless are starting to run out. John Sommers II/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption John Sommers II/Getty Images Hundreds of unemployed Kentucky residents wait in long lines outside the Kentucky Career Center in Frankfort for help with their unemployment claims on June 19. New research shows savings built up by the jobless are starting to run out. John Sommers II/Getty Images When the coronavirus pandemic hit this spring, […]
Three days after being flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center because of the severity of his COVID-19 infection, President Donald Trump announced that he will leave the hospital—and urged people not to fear the virus that has already killed more than 200,000 Americans. “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M.,” Trump tweeted on Monday afternoon. “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” The […]
According to the head of the UK’s Armed Forces, General Sir Nick Carter, “Russia is spreading lies about COVID vaccines” in an effort to destabilise countries across the world and added that this is a propaganda tactic that reflects a strategy of “political warfare”. Political commentator George Szamuely has weighed in on whether these were typical unfounded Russophobic sentiments as well as on the prospect of a Russian vaccine in an interview with Sputnik. Sputnik: The UK’s Military Chief, General Sir Nick Carter has accused Russia of sowing disinformation about coronavirus vaccines he called it pro-Russian vaccine politics “and said it […]
MOSCOW—The fighting in a mountain enclave in the Caucuses escalated Tuesday when Turkish-backed forces shelled five villages including the capital of Stepanakert, according to Armenian officials. Skirmishes broke out on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the weekend and the official death toll is over 100 as a decades-old dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh or the Republic of Artsakh erupted into violence. Artsakh is an ethnic Armenian pocket that was once part of Azerbaijan’s territory but now hews closely to Armenia against the wishes of Turkey, which has lucrative oil and gas deals with Azerbaijan and a long-standing enmity with Armenia. […]
This is a preview of Right Richter, our newsletter about the extreme right wing. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox, sign up for it here. The election is less than 40 days away. Donald Trump is refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. And now the Trumpworld hunt is on for material that can be used to discredit any election results that show Joe Biden winning the election. On to this week’s newsletter! This week: James O’Keefe and associates circle voter registration groups. Bogus ballot “destruction” story blows up on the right Liberal groups fear election infiltration from […]
Witchcraft or witchery is primarily a practice in tribal and indigenous communities to use supernatural means to heal diseases, harm enemies and make predictions for family or community. In India, it is practised in all tribal or indigenous dominated regions, despite prohibitions. Triveni Chanda and Anand Chanda from a socially deprived community make their living by farming in their meagre land in Gobar Landia Village of Ganjam district of India’s Odisha state. They also work as dayk labourers to supplement their income. Many villagers from Ganjam work in faraway places as migrant labourers according to a case study. Two sorcerers once visited […]
Jesus Gonzalez of Lexington, Ky., has been struggling to make ends meet after the $600 per week in extra federal unemployment benefits ran out. Stacy Kranitz for NPR hide caption toggle caption Stacy Kranitz for NPR Jesus Gonzalez of Lexington, Ky., has been struggling to make ends meet after the $600 per week in extra federal unemployment benefits ran out. Stacy Kranitz for NPR When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Jesus Gonzalez was about a year into starting a Cuban food catering and “pop-up” business in Lexington, Ky. It’s like “a food truck, but without a truck,” he says. His steadiest gig […]
A large group of shipping insurers will refuse to insure vessels participating in the construction of Nord Stream 2, as companies worry that providing services for builders puts them at risk of violating US sanctions. The decision made by the thirteen members of the International Group of P&I Clubs, who collectively provide marine liability cover for approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage, will seriously complicate the pipeline’s construction process, which is already 90% complete. On Monday, a circular sent by the group announced that they would no longer insure “activity involving or related to the Nord Stream 2 or TurkStream […]
Millions of gig workers have come to depend on a government lifeline that’s set to expire at the end of the year. Above, a man wearing a face mask walks past a sign saying “now hiring” on May 14 in Arlington, Va. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Millions of gig workers have come to depend on a government lifeline that’s set to expire at the end of the year. Above, a man wearing a face mask walks past a sign saying “now hiring” on May 14 in Arlington, Va. Olivier Douliery/AFP via […]
Slightly less than a month after the United Arab Emirates announced that they would normalise ties with Israel, there was another dramatic announcement, this time coming out of neighbouring Bahrain. On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that Bahrain had followed in the footsteps of the UAE and given a green light for the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel, with reports suggesting that Bahraini monarch Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa is expected to attend a ceremony at the White House slated for next Monday and will sign a peace pact with the Jewish state. Hub of Tolerance For Rabbi […]
By Deena Stryker and New Eastern Outlook of the Russian Academy of Science Fifty-seven years after Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech, thousands of black Americans turned out on the same Washington Mall to reaffirm that ‘Black Lives Matter’ on Saturday, August 29th, setting off speculation that the country may be descending into a kind of civil war. Black American history began with the importation of slaves from Africa by the first white settlers more than four hundred years ago. Yet neither the nineteenth century civil war that killed more Americans than all of the country’s foreign wars, nor the legislative […]
Before last night’s neon obscenity—a Trump rally on the South Lawn of the American White House—the 2020 Republican National Convention was close to cartoonish in its attempt to scare the country into voting for Donald J. Trump. It began as dark comedy with a cast of family members, supplicants, incompetents, political ne’er do wells and loud worshippers of a guy who never really believed he’d win on that long-gone night in November 2016 but now thinks he belongs on Mount Rushmore. As each day melted into the next, though, there were no laugh-lines. Only the specter of a dark hand with […]
By Ana Santos Rutschman, Lisa Vertinsky, and Yaniv Heled On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn announced that the FDA had issued emergency use authorization for investigational convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19. Plasma is the liquid part of blood. Sometimes, for treatment purposes, it is taken from people who have been infected with but recovered from a disease, because it contains antibodies that fought the disease. Doctors then inject this so-called convalescent plasma into patients who currently have a disease in hopes that the antibodies in the plasma can help […]
From COVID-19 relapses to election insecurity, these factors drive defensiveness up and demand down. We live in an economy organized around consumption and perpetual growth. In that context, factors that cause consumers to be fearful, reduce spending, increase savings, move less and generally slow down can wreak havoc. In this episode, NLW discusses four factors shaping and driving consumer anxiety, including: Source link
As Moscow announced the beginning of post-registration trials of anti-COVID vaccine Sputnik V on 26 August, the US added a group of Russian research institutes, including the one testing the anti-coronavirus drug, to its sanctions list. International observers have discussed the US move unveiled amid the global effort to curb the pandemic. According to a statement, released by the US Department of Commerce on Wednesday, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has amended the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding sixty entities under the destinations of nine countries to its sanctions list. These entities have been determined “to be acting contrary […]
An economic historian and one of Foreign Policy’s “Top Global Thinkers of the Decade” discusses post-COVID-19 global economics and politics. Our guest today is Adam Tooze. Adam holds the Shelby Cullom Davis Chair of History at Columbia University and serves as director of its European Institute. He is known for his books “The Deluge: The Great War, America and the Remaking of the Global Order” and “Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World.” In this conversation, Adam Tooze and NLW discuss: Source link
The changes that were recently made to the USPS and which sparked Democrat outrage have already been suspended, but Donald Trump’s opponents still fear that this will not be enough to vote the incumbent president out. US Democratic Party officials are rushing to come up with new election strategies for the November presidential election as they fear that mail-in voting might not give them victory, citing concerns over the US Postal Service’s (USPS) ability to process all the votes in a timely manner. These concerns stem from mail-in voting being in greater demand than before due to the coronavirus pandemic and […]
By Arthur Allen, Kaiser Health News Thousands of letters stuffed with money flooded Jonas Salk’s mailbox the week after his polio vaccine was declared safe and effective in 1955. Everybody wanted his vaccine. Desperate parents clogged doctors’ phone lines in search of the precious elixir; drug companies and doctors diverted doses to the rich and famous. Some of the first batches of the vaccine were disastrously botched, causing 200 cases of permanent paralysis. That barely dented public desire for the preventive. Marlon Brando even asked to play Salk in a movie. Eight years later, with polio a fading threat, the first […]
Last week, Bill Maher closed his HBO show Real Time with a mock-eulogy for President Trump, joking that he taught his children “the wrong lessons of life,” including to “see the worst in people, and treat them all equally based strictly on how much money they make and what they look like.” He closed the speech with, “He died as he lived: wearing makeup and lying in front of all of us. So fly free, whiny little bitch. Fly free. May you find the peace your Twitter thumbs never could.” Trump, who once sued Maher for $5 million (and lost) for […]
New Delhi (Sputnik): At least five Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politicians have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir in past one month by terrorists. The local leaders of the BJP which is gearing up for upcoming elections, first time after the change of special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, have come under attack in the disputed region. Abdul Hamid Najar, 38, succumbed to a gunshot wound after being taken to hospital on Monday after he was attacked by a gunman in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. The district president of the BJP was attacked on Sunday while […]
LONDON (Sputnik) – UK scientists have warned that the second wave of coronavirus could be more than twice the size of the first if no effective testing and contact tracing system is in place before schools reopen in September. “To prevent a second COVID-19 wave, relaxation of physical distancing, including reopening of schools, in the UK must be accompanied by large-scale, population-wide testing of symptomatic individuals and effective tracing of their contacts, followed by isolation of diagnosed individuals”, a new modelling study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health on Monday, said. The research conducted by scientists from the London […]
US-China tensions are nowhere near a decrement, as Washington has yet again poked the Dragon by clamping down on the popular Chinese app TikTok over national security concerns. American observers have discussed the string of US anti-Beijing measures, the risks these steps are fraught with, and whether the countries will return to working relations. The latest ban has come on the heels of a series of anti-China measures, including sanctions against senior officials of the People’s Republic and an abrupt closure of China’s Consulate in Houston. The Economist notes that although China and America “are not about to take up arms”, […]
Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest in 2019 prompted speculation that powerful people would fall, as many politicians and celebrities flew on the plane where the financier is said to have abused dozens of girls. Epstein didn’t appear in court, as he killed himself awaiting trial. According to rumours, Maxwell, his alleged accomplice, risks repeating his fate. Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is being moved from cell to cell ahead of a court hearing, as authorities fear for her life, the Mail on Sunday reported, citing an anonymous source. “[The authorities] are terrified someone will try to kill her so they keep moving her […]
President Trump participates in an event on how to safely re-open schools during the coronavirus pandemic at the White House Tuesday. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Trump participates in an event on how to safely re-open schools during the coronavirus pandemic at the White House Tuesday. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Presidents seeking a second term generally campaign on a unifying message, highlighting the work they’ve done and what they hope to accomplish for the American people in the years ahead. President Trump is choosing instead to reprise the most divisive and racialized themes of his 2016 […]
Lauren Van Netta in her apartment in New Orleans. “We don’t have a whole lot of options that don’t involve risking our lives,” she says. “We need help. We really do.” Lauren Van Netta hide caption toggle caption Lauren Van Netta Lauren Van Netta in her apartment in New Orleans. “We don’t have a whole lot of options that don’t involve risking our lives,” she says. “We need help. We really do.” Lauren Van Netta Many people with underlying medical conditions are worried about what’s going to happen at the end of the month. It’s not currently safe for many of […]
Youth from across Philadelphia gathered in front of City Hall June 9 to protest police brutality and voice their concerns and vision for the future. According to recent research cited by the CDC, nearly half of all Americans between 18 and 29 report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Cory Clark/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Cory Clark/NurPhoto via Getty Images Youth from across Philadelphia gathered in front of City Hall June 9 to protest police brutality and voice their concerns and vision for the future. According to recent research cited by the CDC, nearly half of all Americans between […]
If you love The Daily Beast’s royal coverage, then we hope you’ll enjoy The Royalist, a members-only series for Beast Inside. Become a member to get it in your inbox every Sunday. Meghan’s ‘brand’ focus, Harry’s ‘cabin fever’ Yet another royal book is published, filled with juicy takes on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dramatic exit from royal life, and the consequences for them and the royal family. Source link
A mother in South Africa reflects on raising children at a time of crisis — and how to teach them the value of human connection at a time of disconnectedness. (Image credit: Koketso Moeti ) Source link
Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be able to work independently without fear of sanctions, the UK’s foreign secretary said in an apparent jab at Washington, which threatened the body for probing US troops. “The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court in tackling impunity for the worst international crimes,” Dominic Raab said. “We will continue to support positive reform of the court, so that it operates as effectively as possibly. ICC officials should be able to carry out their work independently and impartially, and without fear of sanction.” Earlier the Donald Trump administration said any ICC officials engaged […]
In a redux of trading from the early days of the coronavirus crisis in March, bitcoin tumbled Thursday in tandem with a sell-off on Wall Street – rekindling an ongoing debate over the cryptocurrency’s use as a store of value. Prices for bitcoin fell 6.37% to about $9,100, as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index of large U.S. stocks lost 5.7%. You’re reading First Mover, CoinDesk’s daily markets newsletter. Assembled by the CoinDesk Markets Team, First Mover starts your day with the most up-to-date sentiment around crypto markets, which of course never close, putting in context every wild swing in bitcoin and […]
An Iraqi soldier stands guard near a U.S. military air carrier at the Qayyarah Airfield West, before the U.S. transferred the base to Iraqi forces in March. Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images An Iraqi soldier stands guard near a U.S. military air carrier at the Qayyarah Airfield West, before the U.S. transferred the base to Iraqi forces in March. Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images A U.S. military contractor in Iraq has abruptly laid off the majority of the U.S.-led coalition’s Iraqi interpreters. The move has left many fearing retaliation from ISIS and […]
UK 13:18 GMT 08.06.2020Get short URL While incumbent US President Donald Trump appears to have good personal relations with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, relations between the two nations have not always fared as well, often mired in disagreements, specifically on London’s decision to allow Huawei in the country’s 5G networks. Several former British diplomats have commented on the possible implications of the presidential election in the US on the UK, revealing that the victory of either of the two candidates will bear bad news for London. In comments made for Cambridge University’s Centre for Geopolitics, several diplomats highlighted the destructive role […]
MINNEAPOLIS—Edward walked up to an SUV full of four armed white men on Monday night, pumped his shotgun, and told them to get out of his neighborhood. The men—who he said were armed with hunting knives and wearing tactical vests—told him they were from a suburb south of the city. After repeatedly asking them what they were doing and why they were in the Field neighborhood of South Minneapolis, Edward signaled to his wife, who retrieved the weapon and gave it to her husband. “I just figured I’d respond using the language and methods that they use, and it worked,” Edward, […]
Unmarked Security Forces In DC Spark Fear By Katie Bo Williams, Defense One. June 5, 2020 Unmarked Security Forces In DC Spark Fear2020-06-052020-06-05https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.pngPopularResistance.Orghttps://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/06/unidentified-militarized-police-in-washington-dc-june-2020-from-twitter-e1591369195204.jpg200px200px Above photo: Unidentified militarized police in Washington, DC June 2020, from Twitter, see Tweet below. Mistaken for mercenaries, armed personnel from federal agencies refuse to identify themselves to street protestors and media. The presence of unmarked federal law enforcement officers, dressed in paramilitary uniforms and wearing no identifying insignia, quickly spread among protesters marching through Washington, D.C.’s streets on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing concerned protesters and officials to ask: Who are they? In some locations, security personnel refused to identify themselves […]
At the end of a day in which Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) was forced to excoriate his colleague Rand Paul (R-KY) for blocking an anti-lynching bill, he spoke frankly and emotionally about his own experience with racism and the police on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Booker began by saying he almost feels “embarrassed” that he wasn’t with the protesters in Lafayette Park this week to “confront what has been, in my opinion, in my lifetime, one of the greatest affronts of our most sacred principles and ideals.” For President Trump to speak “from one side of his mouth” about […]
Tracee Ellis Ross stars in The High Note as a legendary singer who is running out of ideas. Meanwhile, her personal assistant, played by Dakota Johnson, has too many. Maarten de Boer/Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Maarten de Boer/Courtesy of the artist Tracee Ellis Ross stars in The High Note as a legendary singer who is running out of ideas. Meanwhile, her personal assistant, played by Dakota Johnson, has too many. Maarten de Boer/Courtesy of the artist Over her decades-long career, Tracee Ellis Ross has starred in beloved shows such as Black-ish and Girlfriends. But as she sees […]
The Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies are worried that conspiracy theories, bizarrely linking the Covid-19 pandemic to the 5G technology rollout, could inspire more vandalism and violence in the US. The DHS, FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center issued a joint warning to US law enforcement officials about the growing threat this week, while a separate DHS intelligence report, obtained by ABC News, noted that the widening online “misinformation campaigns” have “already prompted arson and physical attacks against cell towers in several US states.” We assess conspiracy theories linking the spread of COVID-19 to the expansion of the […]
Russian Olympic figure skating gold medalist Adelina Sotnikova has discussed her fears of returning the ice after undergoing spinal surgery earlier this year. Sotnikova, 23, propelled herself to national sweetheart status by becoming Russia’s first ever ladies’ singles figure skating gold medalist at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. But while that victory made Sotnikova a houshold name in her homeland, it failed to inspire further success as the Moscow-born star faced problems on and off the ice in the ensuing years. Sotnikova officially announced her retirement from professional skating in March of this year, although she hadn’t competed internationally since […]
Los Angeles County vote center worker Steven Toro stands outside a temporary polling place in Palmdale, Calif., for a special election in the state’s 25th Congressional District. The coronavirus pandemic has upended the race between Democrat Christy Smith and Republican Mike Garcia. Libby Denkmann/KPCC hide caption toggle caption Libby Denkmann/KPCC Los Angeles County vote center worker Steven Toro stands outside a temporary polling place in Palmdale, Calif., for a special election in the state’s 25th Congressional District. The coronavirus pandemic has upended the race between Democrat Christy Smith and Republican Mike Garcia. Libby Denkmann/KPCC Ahead of a May 12 special election […]