Eighteen-year-old Natalee Ann Holloway disappeared on the island of Aruba on May 30, 2005, and was declared dead on January 12, 2012. A plea deal reached with Dutch national Joran van der Sloot, 36, on Wednesday brings some justice to the family of young Natalee Holloway. As part of the plea deal, van der Sloot admitted to brutally killing Holloway because she refused his … [Read more...] about Eighteen Years Later, Some Closure for the Family of Natalee Holloway
America dodges bullet (for now): Jim Jordan out as GOP’s House Speaker designate losing vote by large margin
America has -- for now -- dodged a bullet. Rep. Jim Jordan, who played a role in trying to overthrow the government to install Donald Trump after Joe Biden was elected -- the quintessential ideologue and partisan to whom "compromise" is a dirty word -- has been axed by the Republican Party as its Speaker of the House designate. And he lost bigly. House Republicans, … [Read more...] about America dodges bullet (for now): Jim Jordan out as GOP’s House Speaker designate losing vote by large margin
Another ex-Trump lawyer pleads guilty in Georgia election case
Published by AFPWashington (AFP) - A second Donald Trump campaign lawyer reached a plea deal on Friday that would see him testify for the prosecution in the case alleging the former US president led a criminal conspiracy to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Kenneth Chesebro, 62, was indicted in the southern state in August along with the former president and 17 … [Read more...] about Another ex-Trump lawyer pleads guilty in Georgia election case
Does chicken soup really help when you’re sick? A nutrition specialist explains what’s behind the beloved comfort food
A bowl of chicken soup typically contains protein, vegetables and soothing broth. Westend61 via Getty Images Colby Teeman, University of Dayton Preparing a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they’re sick has been a common practice throughout the world for centuries. Today, generations from virtually every culture swear to the benefits of … [Read more...] about Does chicken soup really help when you’re sick? A nutrition specialist explains what’s behind the beloved comfort food
THE ARSONIST (CARTOON)
IF LINCOLN HAD BEEN TRUMP (CARTOON)
COLLEGE SUPPORT FOR HAMAS (CARTOON)
UN’s Guterres calls for Gaza ceasefire as Security Council’s humanitarian pause bid fails.
A United Nations Security Council resolution calling for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid to people in Gaza was blocked by a United States veto because it refused to mention Israel’s right to self-defense. It also ignored Hamas’ use of Gaza’s civilian population as human shields while perpetrating terrorist acts. The rejection on Wednesday of humanitarian pauses is … [Read more...] about UN’s Guterres calls for Gaza ceasefire as Security Council’s humanitarian pause bid fails.
There Are No “Two Sides” in Gaza
by David Anderson It was tempting to think that anti-Semitism was if not a thing of the past at least in abeyance. That said, most conspiracy theories are at base anti-Semitism: there's always the "international bankers" "pulling the levers" "controlling the media" nonsense about. All of these harken back to older anti-Semitic ideas via the long route. Hamas takes the … [Read more...] about There Are No “Two Sides” in Gaza
Demonizing the Other
How can humans be so cruel in the way they treat other humans. I am speaking specifically about the way Hamas militants massacred Israeli civilians and children in addition to soldiers in their surprise attack on southern Israel last week. Shooting babies and toddlers, women and the elderly in addition to soldiers was not enough. They had to decapitate some of the children and … [Read more...] about Demonizing the Other
Murc’s Law describes news framing that makes Democrats responsible for Republican antics, chaos and dysfunction
I am alternately flummoxed, frustrated and furious at news headlines, lead paragraphs and interviewer questions that position Democrats as responsible for Republican chaos. I began publicly railing about (or documenting, a more appealing verb) biased news framing fairly recently. For example: https://twitter.com/kegill/status/1713847073513341338 Today I learned that … [Read more...] about Murc’s Law describes news framing that makes Democrats responsible for Republican antics, chaos and dysfunction
Deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust spurs a crisis of confidence in the idea of Israel – and its possible renewal
Family and friends of those taken hostage by Hamas during an attack on Israel react during a press conference on Oct. 13, 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Leon Neal/Getty Images Avner Cohen, Middlebury Institute of International Studies Living for 75 years within a hostile neighborhood has required the state of Israel to provide security against external … [Read more...] about Deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust spurs a crisis of confidence in the idea of Israel – and its possible renewal
HOUSE SPEAKER (CARTOON)
ROBERT DE NIRO YOU’RE NAÏVE
by Don Hermann Columnist That’s what ran through my mind as I read your post in The Moderate Voice. In effect, you’re saying disregard past problems. Extend the Welcome Mat. Make peace. Commendable? Could Mr. De Niro be experiencing senility issues? As no surprise, Donald Trump’s name came up. You described a sick, disturbed, frightened individual. My words, Trump … [Read more...] about ROBERT DE NIRO YOU’RE NAÏVE
Gangsters are the villains in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ but the biggest thief of Native American wealth was the US government
An Osage delegation with President Calvin Coolidge at the White House on Jan. 20, 1924. Bettman via Getty Images Torivio Fodder, University of Arizona Director Martin Scorsese’s new movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” tells the true story of a string of murders on the Osage Nation’s land in Oklahoma in the 1920s. Based on David Grann’s meticulously … [Read more...] about Gangsters are the villains in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ but the biggest thief of Native American wealth was the US government
HAMAS VERMIN (CARTOON)
GOP CAPITOL BOZO (CARTOON)
THE WORLD IS ON FIRE, BUT AMERICA IS STUCK WITH ITS DYSFUNCTIONAL CULT OF SABOTEURS AND LIARS
Last week the MAGA brats in the U.S. House ousted their Speaker and basically crashed the chamber because that’s what nihilists do, they seek and destroy. But now come the consequences. A major Middle East crisis has rocked the world, and, for the gang that can’t govern, play time is suddenly over. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs … [Read more...] about THE WORLD IS ON FIRE, BUT AMERICA IS STUCK WITH ITS DYSFUNCTIONAL CULT OF SABOTEURS AND LIARS
Israel-Gaza conflict: when social media fakes are rampant, news verification is vital
Mitali Mukherjee, University of Oxford As news of Palestinian militant group Hamas launching a deadly attack on Israel and Israel’s threat of retaliation began to filter across news networks and social media platforms, a wave of misinformation and fake videos rose alongside. In a “tech-first” society, it is increasingly difficult to differentiate between authentic … [Read more...] about Israel-Gaza conflict: when social media fakes are rampant, news verification is vital
Understanding Israel’s actions doesn’t equal approval of them.
Understanding Israel's actions doesn't equal approval of them. The difference between the two gets lost sometimes. Fans of the original Star Trek series should know the difference. In the episode "A Taste of Armageddon", Spock clarifies the difference. In that particular episode, Kirk and Spock are listening to a political leader of a planet that is at war with another … [Read more...] about Understanding Israel’s actions doesn’t equal approval of them.