Charlie XCX - 360

Can They Get a Jumpsuit to Match His Skintone?

 

Dog Famous for the Doge meme Dies at Age 18

The world famous Shiba (named Kabuso) who became an internet sensation for the Doge meme has died aged 18.  Kabuso's owner, Atsuko Sato, posted an update to say she "fell into a deep sleep" on May 24.

In a post translated from Japanese on Google Translate, Sato said: "He passed away quietly. To everyone who loved him, thank you very much. I was the happiest owner in the world. Ladies and gentlemen, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to say thank you so much."

In a post on social media, Sato said: "She passed away gently as if she was sleeping while I stroked her."  For two years, Kabosu had been battling cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukaemia.  A farewell party was held for Kabosu over the weekend at Flower Kaori in Kotsu no Mori, Narita City.

Sato is reported to have adopted Kabuso in 2008 from a dog shelter after she was abandoned by a puppy mill along with 19 other Shibas.  She shot to internet fame when pictures of her went viral online and the Doge meme was made, particularly the one of her with paws crossed and side-eyeing the camera.

It even inspired the online currency Dogecoin in 2013 with a picture of Kabosu being used as the logo - it even inspired other dog-themed cryptocurrencies to be made. In 2021, the Doge meme was sold as a non-fungible token, or NFT, for $4m, making it the most expensive meme NFT to ever be sold.

 

Netanyahu Continues his Campaign of Violence Against Palestinians

An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah.  In grimly familiar scenes, Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after the strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety metal shelters ablaze.

Survivors said families were preparing to sleep when the strike hit.  "We were praying...and we were getting our children's beds ready to sleep. There was nothing unusual, then we heard a very loud noise, and fire erupted around us," said Umm Mohamed Al-Attar, a Palestinian mother in a red headscarf.  "All the children started screaming... The sound was terrifying; we felt like the metal was about to collapse on us, and shrapnel fell into the rooms."

The attack took place in the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood, where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago.  Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a fire raging in the darkness and people screaming in panic. A group of young men tried to haul away sheets of corrugated iron and a hose from a single fire truck began to douse the flames.  More than half of the dead were women, children, and elderly people, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise from people with severe burns.

Israel has kept up attacks despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" over Israel's latest attacks. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians." 

By daylight, the camp was a smoking wreckage of tents, twisted metal and charred belongings.  Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds.  Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze.  "The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said.

"What have they done to deserve this? Their children have been orphaned."

 

Trump Continues His Lack of Respect for Fallen Soldiers

Donald Trump commemorated Memorial Day, a holiday meant to honor fallen military members, with a rant aimed at “human scum,” including judges presiding over several of the former president’s trials.

In a Truth Social post, Trump specifically called out Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over Trump’s fraud trial, and Judge Juan Merchan, who is currently presiding over the Trump hush money trial. He also alluded to Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw the civil rape trial and defamation trial brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll. 

This type of ranting is fairly standard for Trump, and it’s not the first time he’s used a holiday as a way into an attack on his opponents.

On Jan. 1, 2019, Trump wished a happy new year to “THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA!” In a message posted to Truth Social on Dec. 25, Trump told several of his opponents to “ROT IN HELL” while wishing a “Merry Christmas to all.”

It’s not even the first time he’s marked a holiday meant to remember the dead with a tirade against his foes. In 2013, he sent “best wishes to all, even the haters and losers” on Sept. 11 in a tweet that has since been deleted.

 

 

Memorial Day Massacre That We Didn't Learn About in School

On May 30, 1937, the temperature in Chicago reached a balmy 88 degrees: a “perfect day for a picnic,” as some would later describe it. But 1,500 steel workers hadn’t gathered with their wives and children inside a dilapidated dance hall called Sam’s Place to enjoy a relaxing Memorial Day celebration. Sam’s was the headquarters of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee, an arm of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the workers were organizing a peaceful strike.

They were striking because Republic Steel, the plant where they worked, had declared it would not recognize their new union. Unlike his counterparts at U.S. Steel, Republic’s president, Tom Girdler, felt no obligation to mollify the outrageous and insulting demands of his workers. A 40-hour work week? An eight-hour day? Time-and-a-half wages for overtime? That was preposterous. It was communism, and there was no way he’d stand for it. The country was still in the midst of an economic catastrophe, after all. Those people were lucky to have jobs in the first place. 

Instead, Girdler called on his friends in the Chicago police force, arming them with submachine guns, wooden ax handles, and tear gas, and let them set up a command post inside the gates of his massive steel plant on Chicago’s southeast side. If the workers tried to picket his plant, they’d be stopped before they even started. What happened next is now regarded as one of the ugliest episodes of anti-worker violence in American history. One lone cameraman, an employee of Paramount News, filmed what actually occurred that day, and the footage he took is the only reason that any national memory of the actual event still survives.

Enjoy the Holiday Weekend

Wallows - A Warning

Global Alert to Violence Against LGBTQ+ Community

The U.S. State Department has issued a worldwide caution security alert, saying it is aware of increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQ+ people and events.  "Due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against US citizens and interests, the Department of State advises US citizens overseas to exercise increased caution," the department said in a statement.

The alert comes two weeks before the start of LGBTQ+ Pride Month.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement people in the LGBTQI+ community continue to face insidious forms of stigma and discrimination.   "Even as more countries make meaningful advancements towards full equality, LGBTQI+ persons continue to be sentenced to death for daring to live their sexual orientation or gender identity, subjected to coercive conversion 'therapies' and 'normalization' surgeries, discriminated against while receiving health services, restricted from exercising fundamental freedoms, and denied the dignity of same-sex partnership and fulfillment of family," he said

These comments were made to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia. According to an October 2023 annual FBI report tracking hate crimes in the United States in 2022, there were 1,947 recorded incidents relating to an alleged victim’s sexual orientation in 2022, up from 1,711 in 2021, and 469 relating to an alleged victim’s gender identity, vs. 353 the year before. The gender identity category included 338 instances that were specifically anti-transgender and 131 that targeted someone who was gender non-comforming. 

 

Celebrating Gen-Z

Chicken a L'Orange

Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that he wanted to testify during his criminal trial in New York, that he had “no problem” with testifying, and even insisted that he would "absolutely" testify.  "I'm testifying. I tell the truth, I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case," Trump said. 

But the truth is that Trump isn’t going to testify. Because today, Trump’s defense team rested its case without Trump coming near the witness stand. 

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels was willing to tell the jury what she knew even though one of Trump’s attorneys outright accused her of lying. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen spent days on the stand undergoing tough cross-examination from Trump’s lead attorney.

But Donald Trump chickened out.  Closing arguments are expected to be heard next Tuesday, after which the jury will determine its verdict.

 

Awe-inspiring Crystal Cave Has a Deadly Secret

A stunning underground cavern, hailed as the "Sistene Chapel of crystals”, has been found to have a deadly secret. The cave, which is located in Chihuahua, Mexico, is filled with some of the largest natural crystals on the planet – with some as big as trees.

It lies some 980 feet beneath the earth and was discovered by chance in 2000.  Miners were drilling a tunnel into a lead, zinc and silver mine in the town of Naica, 65 miles southeast of Chihuahua City when they unearthed a chamber full of towering, milky white crystals.

These incredible formations, the largest of which measures more than 37 feet long and a 3 feet wide, are made of selenite gypsum, a sulphate mineral that forms from salts dissolved in groundwater, Live Science reports.  This mineral is so soft, you can scratch it with a fingernail and is often used by crystal lovers for meditation (it allegedly possesses “cleansing” and “charging properties”).

"It's the Sistine Chapel of crystals," Juan Manuel García-Ruiz, a geologist with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), who has studied the cave, told National Geographic in 2007. A number of crystal-filled caves have been discovered since mining operations began in Naica back in 1974-- but the Cave of Crystals, which is shaped like a horseshoe, is the biggest by far, with a maximum volume of more than twice an Olympic swimming pool (7,800 cubic yards).  The cavern, which is made of limestone, sits above a magma reservoir buried 2-3 miles beneath Naica, and is also on a fault line. 

Its crystals were formed when, 26 million years ago, magma rose from this reservoir, forcing mineral-rich waters upward through cracks in the rock, Live Science notes. Nevertheless, while conditions in the cave are ideal for crystals, they are deadly to humans.Hum idity stands at more than 90 per cent – a level at which sweating has no cooling effect on the body. Because of this, people need proper protection to stay in the cave for longer than 10 minutes.

 

Governor Gordo Still Stoking the Culture Wars

Ron DeSantis is continuing his ideological rampage, despite his embarrassing showing in the presidential race.    The goofy governor signed a new law this week which removes the phrase "climate change" from all Florida laws, and also bans power-generating wind turbines offshore or near the coast while reducing regulation on gas pipelines.

The move ignores the threat of climate change in Florida, which is the the hottest state in the mainland U.S.  The so-called "Sunshine State" experienced a record-breaking heat wave last summer as temperatures in its southern waters briefly topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C).

"Climate change is an indisputable fact, not a topic open for debate," said Frederica Wilson, a member of Florida's congressional delegation.  "The dire consequences of the climate crisis are evident every day in Florida, and attempts to undermine efforts to combat this existential threat are utterly reckless and irresponsible."

Of the state's 19.6 million people, 15 million live in coastal areas.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assessed the 2023 heat wave's impact at multiple locations along its 255-mile barrier reef -- home to sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, dolphins and many species of fish.  They found less than 22 percent of approximately 1,500 staghorn coral -- a species that is listed as a candidate for endangered species protection -- remained alive.

Temperatures have also been surging to hot levels even by central and South Florida standards. Last week Fort Lauderdale set an all-time May high-temperature record of 98 degrees.  Fueling the culture wars isn't going to protect Floridians from the harsh realities of climate change, I'm afraid.

Leader of the Supreme Court's GOP Cabal Called Out on His Judicial Activism

In what should be a surprise to no one, a Supreme Court that is openly scornful of the idea of holding Donald Trump accountable for his various crimes has revealed itself to be even more deranged than previously thought. On Thursday, The New York Times reported that in the days after January 6, 2021, the Capitol insurrectionists earned at least one supporter in a very notable place: Sam Alito’s front yard. Flying above the justice’s home in suburban Washington was an upside-down American flag, which had become a well-known symbol adopted by aggrieved Trump voters who believed the election had been stolen— and that the only way to restore the proper constitutional order was to hang Mike Pence.  The incident adds to concerns about an institution that’s increasingly seen as partisan and lacking strict ethical guidelines.

The revelation is the latest blow to a Supreme Court that was already under fire as it considers unprecedented cases against Trump and some of those charged with insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  The partisan display came at a time when the Supreme Court was considering an election case.  Alito, with no shame whatsoever, tried to blame it on his wife.  He claimed the flag was flown by her amid a dispute with neighbors over the neighbor's anti-Trump lawn sign.  So let me get this right-- Alito thought it was okay to violate judicial ethics because a neighbor was exercising their First Amendment rights?

 

Democrat Dick Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Alito to recuse himself from two cases currently pending before the Supreme Court that involve the 2020 election and the Capitol insurrection.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement: "Samuel Alito should apologize immediately for disrespecting the American flag and sympathizing with right-wing violent insurrectionists. He must recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump. Congress should immediately consider legislation to impose an ethical code of conduct on a runaway Supreme Court. The Constitution demands and the American people deserve more from a justice serving on the highest court in the land than baseless election denial."

It's clear where Alito's political leanings are, and he is not shy in letting his religious and conservative politics influence his decisions-- he should resign.

Thomas Rhett - Beautiful as You

Worshippers Die After Being Locked Inside a Burning Mosque

At least 11 worshippers have been killed and dozens others injured after a man attacked a mosque in Nigeria's northern Kano state.  A man allegedly sprayed the mosque with petrol and locked its doors before setting it on fire, trapping about 40 worshippers, according to reports.  Police say they have arrested a 38-year-old suspect.

The incident happened when people were attending morning prayers in Gezawa area of Kano state. Residents said flames engulfed the mosque after the attack with worshippers heard wailing as they struggled to open the locked doors.Neighbors rushed to help those trapped inside. 

The attack was triggered by a family dispute over the sharing of inheritance.  Police said the suspect confessed that his actions were part of a dispute over inheritance, claiming he was targeting some family members who were inside the mosque.  “What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism, rather it was a skirmish that arose as a result of inheritance distribution," Umar Sanda, a local police chief, told journalists after visiting the scene. 

Initial reports said one worshipper had died from the attack but the death toll later rose after more victims died while receiving treatment at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano.  More victims, including children, are still receiving treatment at the hospital, according to police. 

 

Idiot NFL Kicker Wants to Take Women Back 200 Years

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave one of the most ugly and misogynistic graduation speeches:

"I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you. Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.  I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and a mother.  I’m on this stage, and able to be the man I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.  I’m beyond blessed with the many talents god has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

The team thus far has been silent about Butker's comments which don't stop with his antiquated views of a woman's role in society. He also went on an anti-LGBTQ rant.  Speaking of Pride month, Butker said: “Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.”

Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn posted on social media: "Harrison Butker doesn’t represent Kansas City nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members."

Of course, right-wing and white nationalist platforms that usually tell athletes of color to shut up and dribble are now (in this case) championing Butker's remarks.  Butker represents a segment of the population that wants to go backwards, particularly with women's rights. These people are getting bolder and more hateful.  The goal is to wrench power from a society that has become more pluralistic and diverse, and put it back into the hands of a small group of men. And these neanderthals aren't talking about men of color having all this power.  Butker gives the entire game away with this part of his speech:

"To the gentlemen here today, part of what plagues society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities,' Butker said. "As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.  Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy."

People like Butker should only feel threatened because of their ignorance and hate.  There is no emasculation of men-- it's a totally fabricated thing.  Men aren't losing power. Women don't need to stay in the kitchen, unless they want to.  The only thing we need to be afraid of are people like Butker who want to take America back in time.

 

Cannon Fodder

Trump Is Expected to Lose Even Before His Defense Starts

The prosecutors in the Hush Money trial are expected to wrap their case after Michael Cohen's testimony this week. So how is it going so far? For once, Trump claims to be happy with his lawyers’ performance after a long history of fractious relationships with his attorneys. But the problem is that they are not doing a particularly good job defending him-- in fact, Trump’s legal team has made several considerable, and at times baffling, missteps over the course of the trial that have increased the odds of a conviction.

Most devastatingly, lead attorney Todd Blanche, in his opening statement, repeated Trump’s claim that he never had a sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels. That was followed by days of testimony last week that — if you believe Daniels’ very persuasive account — effectively demonstrated that a central plank of Trump’s defense is a lie and has been a lie for years, and that the jury cannot trust even Trump’s lead counsel to tell them the truth.

Prosecutors had no choice but to put Daniels on after Blanche affirmatively called her a liar in his opening statement, and they had to elicit considerable detail about the sexual encounter in order to establish her credibility in response to Blanche’s attack inside the courtroom and Trump’s years of attacks outside of it. Not only was that the appropriate way for the government to defend the integrity of its investigation and its witness, it was also an unmissable opportunity for them to tank the credibility of Trump’s entire legal defense.

Another major misstep occurred in the form of defense lawyer Susan Necheles’ cross-examination of Daniels. Necheles went to considerable lengths to suggest that Daniels had been motivated by money when she agreed to keep her story quiet in the run-up to the 2016 election. But that doesn't actually matter-- to prevail on the charges, the prosecutors only needed Daniels' testimony to establish that she and Trump had sex.  And if Trump doesn't testify, then Daniels' testimony goes unrebutted. 

It is also very bad when the witness manages to embarrass the cross-examiner, as Daniels did on multiple occasions. Trump’s legal team appears to have assumed that Daniels was dumb. What emerged instead from Daniels’ time on cross-examination was a woman who is resourceful, sharp and quick-witted. She effectively turned the tables on Necheles, likely making her more sympathetic and credible in the eyes of the jury.

The government’s case also began with some witnesses (the former publisher of the National Enquirer David Pecker and Daniels’ former lawyer Keith Davidson) who Trump’s legal team should have portrayed as peripheral to the government’s case, and as lacking any direct knowledge of Trump’s conduct in connection with the alleged falsification of business records (the actual core of the case). Instead, Trump attorney Emil Bove pursued oddly long and wandering lines of cross-examination that scored few clear and relevant points for the jury to take away.

As the government’s case draws to a close after Cohen’s testimony, the most important decision will be: should Trump's lawyers put him on the stand in his own defense?  The answer is clearly “no,” and no competent defense lawyer would advise him to take the stand under the circumstances.  The prosecutors have a wealth of material with which to discredit him on cross-examination, including a long history of lying that has been substantiated by major court rulings and jury verdicts in civil proceedings against him in the past year.

Trump is also thin-skinned and incapable of answering difficult questions straightforwardly — very bad traits for any witness on cross-examination.  In addition, Trump has testified in his defense twice in the last six months, and both were a disaster.  It won't be long before we find out if Trump will be a three-time loser.

Brain Worm or Brain Fart?

It's ethically wrong and unfair to make light of someone's private medical status. But it's now confirmed that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a dead worm in his brain. In a 2012 deposition from his divorce that’s been reviewed by The New York Times, Kennedy said his doctors had noticed a spot on his brain scans and thought he might have a tumor, but one doctor later offered a second opinion, claiming that the spot “was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.” 

About the same time RFK Jr learned of the parasite, he said, he was also diagnosed with mercury poisoning, most likely from ingesting too much fish containing the dangerous heavy metal, which can cause serious neurological issues. “I have cognitive problems, clearly,” he said in the 2012 deposition. “I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me.”

The Times also reported that atrial fibrillation, “a common heartbeat abnormality that increases the risk of stroke or heart failure,” has been a decades-long issue for Kennedy, and led to “at least four” hospitalizations.

But RFK Jr.’s biggest problem isn’t the dead worm in his brain—or the cognitive issues that may have resulted from either the worm or his mercury poisoning—it’s all the bad ideas in his head that are still very much alive.

Campus Protests Cap Off Senior Year for College Students

In January 2020, they were seniors in high school. Graduation was just around the corner. But so was a deadly pandemic. By mid-March, Covid had upended daily life and many students were forced to spend their final months of school at home. Proms were cancelled.

Four years later, those same students are now in college about to graduate. And once again, they face a similar souring of what would normally be a festive occasion.  Pro-Palestinian protests have erupted at over 130 college campuses across the US, as organizers demand their universities cut ties from companies linked to Israel. They've set up vast encampments in the middle of university grounds and defied multiple warnings to disperse, sparking police raids and over 2,000 arrests.  Three seniors explain how they're dealing with this tumultuous ending of their academic careers - for the second time.

Kate Hudson - Gonna Find Out

Russian Morale in Ukraine War Continues to be a Problem

Russian police are searching for a Russian soldier suspected of shooting dead six of his comrades in eastern Ukraine, according to reports. The manhunt comes as a Russian officer went on trial for killing seven soldiers under his command after he threw a grenade into a room last year.

Since the start of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there have been repeated claims of low morale among Russian troops, with the reasons ranging from unhappiness with training and equipment, to questioning the leadership of superiors.

Moscow's war effort has been boosted by convicts who have been offered freedom if they serve for six months, although Russia's forces are now said to be relying less on prisoners from the country's penal colonies.

One convict, a 57-year-old junior sergeant named Yuri G., has gone on the run after shooting six servicemen of the howitzer artillery battalion in Ukraine's so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which Putin has claimed to have annexed.

Russian platoon commander, Sergeant Dmitry Lobovikov killed seven of his subordinates and injured at least 10 others during New Year celebrations on January 13 and 14, 2023. He was unhappy with what he saw when he went to check on the troops at his barracks and took out an RGD-5 grenade, pulled out its pin and asked one of the soldiers to put it back in place.  The soldier replied that he had not learned how to do it. After cursing him, Lobovikov went into the corridor and threw the grenade into the next room where soldiers from another platoon were sleeping, detonating gas cylinders, killing seven men and destroying part of the barracks.  Lobovikov was detained and charged with murder, attempted murder, intentional infliction of bodily harm, intentional destruction and damage to property, as well as illegal possession of an explosive device.

Brain Drain

Chinese Drug Cheating Poses a Threat to Paris Olympics

Chinese drug cheats and officials willing to turn a blind eye threaten to make the Paris 2024 Olympics a “train wreck,” the top U.S. anti-doping regulator said. Travis Tygart’s remarks cast another shadow over Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s ongoing visit to France where he is meeting President Emmanuel Macron, less than three months before the Olympics begin.

Last month, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD published a bombshell investigation revealing 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for prohibited drugs before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but were still permitted to take part in the Games, with several winning medals.  The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the global drugs regulator for sport, accepted an explanation from Beijing’s domestic watchdog, CHINADA, pinning the swimmers’ failed tests on a contaminated hotel kitchen where the banned drug trimetazidine, known as TMZ, was present.

Clean athletes and top figures fighting for drug-free sport are incensed at the revelations about the Chinese athletes at the Tokyo Games. Few more so than Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency.   “Because of the cover-up that happened by China, and WADA allowing it, now that it’s come to light it’s going to be a train wreck waiting to happen going into Paris,” Tygart said during an exclusive interview with POLITICO.

 

Netanyahu Takes Al-Jazeera Off the Air, Saying it's a "Security Threat"

Israel's government has shut down the operations of the Al Jazeera television network in the country, branding it a mouthpiece for Hamas.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet agreed to the closure while the war in Gaza is ongoing.

Police raided the Qatari broadcaster's office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem on Sunday. Al Jazeera called claims it was a threat to Israeli security a "dangerous and ridiculous lie".   The channel said it reserved the right to "pursue every legal step".

Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said equipment had been taken in the raid.  A video posted by the minister on X shows police officers and inspectors from the ministry entering a hotel room.  According to Reuters news agency, the Israeli satellite service Yes displayed a message that read: "In accordance with the government decision, the Al Jazeera station's broadcasts have been stopped in Israel." The channel is still accessible through Facebook in Israel.

The shut down of Al Jazeera in Israel has been criticized by a number of human rights and press groups.  The group said that claims that the broadcaster was a propaganda tool for Hamas were "unfounded", and that Sunday's ban was less about security concerns and more to "serve a more politically motivated agenda, aimed at silencing critical voices and targeting Arab media".

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) urged the Israeli government to reconsider its decision, saying the shut down of Al Jazeera in the country should be "a cause for concern for all supporters of a free press".  The FPA said in a statement that Israel now joins "a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station", and warned that Mr Netanyahu has the authority to target other foreign outlets that he considers to be "acting against the state".

The Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna echoed the same concerns, saying: "The Israeli cabinet must allow Al Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime."

The UN's Human Rights office also called the Israeli government to reverse the ban, saying, "A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza."

For years, Israeli officials have accused the network of anti-Israeli bias.  Al Jazeera has also accused Israel of deliberately targeting its staff. Journalists including Hamza al-Dahdouh, the son of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh, have been killed by Israeli strikes. Israel denies targeting journalists.

"Israel's suppression of free press to cover up its crimes by killing and arresting journalists has not deterred us from performing our duty," the network said in its response to Sunday's ban.

 

Yadda Yadda Yoda

Happy Star Wars Day!

Imagine Dragons - Eyes Closed

Wally the "Emotional Support" Alligator

An emotional support alligator was taken by pranksters and then dumped in a swamp, his owner said. Known as WallyGator, this surprisingly cuddly creature has been helping Joie Henney relieve his depression for almost ten years.

Henney’s beloved knobbly reptile was taken while on vacation to Georgia by someone looking to play a prank.  In the aftermath Wally was picked up by local animal control and released into a swamp at a “remote location/”  Henney said that his cold-blooded pal was taken by someone who then dropped him into another person’s yard, probably to scare them.  When he was discovered, alarmed residents contacted Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources who sent a trapper, who caught and released Wally into a swamp with 20 other alligators.

Henney said the trapper rated his chances of finding Wally as “slim to none” but is planning to search the swamp for his companion regardless.  “We just pray with other alligators present that Wally is OK” he said on social media.

WallyGator and Henney first made headlines when the pair were denied entrance to watch the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball in September 2023.  Henney believes Wally has helped him out of a deep emotional depression over the years. "I've never met an alligator that will not bite you," Henney told CBS Evening News in 2022. "You fool around the head like this (Joe puts his hand in Wally's mouth), their instinct is to grab you [with their teeth] - but he does not do it.   "You can reach in and rub his tongue, he refuses to close his mouth, but we don't know why," added Henney.  Wally, who is about nine years old and 6ft (182cm) in length has an estimated bite of 3000 pounds per square inch.

 

OK-- Everybody Back to Class!

More than 400 protesters were arrested yesterday, most of them at Columbia University and City College of New York. More widely, more than 1,500 people have been arrested on college and university campuses since April 18 as schools prepare for spring commencement ceremonies.

Approximately 300 people were arrested by the New York Police Department on the Columbia University and City College campuses. New York Mayor Eric Adams said the entry at Hamilton Hall in Columbia was led by people "who are not affiliated with the university." Those arrested are facing charges from trespassing to criminal mischief.  Final exams begin Friday and deadlines for submission of grades for graduates has been moved from May 10 to May 13.

On April 22, 133 individuals were arrested at NYU's Gould Plaza on campus and 65 were current students, faculty and staff, the university said in a news release earlier today.

The New York Police Department arrested individuals Wednesday afternoon after dispersing a protest encampment on the campus of Fordham University Lincoln Center, the NYPD said in a social media post.

Hours after authorizing police to force out a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus, the leader of the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced that “illegal activity has been resolved,” with about 30 protesters cited. The encampment at the Madison campus violated school policy and state law.

At Tulane university, 14 people were arrested at the campus, and the encampment there has now been removed. 

The Emory Police Department (EPD) arrested a convicted felon, who had crossed state lines to come to the university’s campus amid protests, according to a release from Emory University.

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, in Arcata announced it will hold a modified in-person commencement on May 11 after law enforcement regained control of two buildings early Tuesday following a multi-day occupation that prompted a campus lockdown.

Police and supporting law enforcement agencies dispersed an on-campus protest at University of South Florida, with 10 people taken into custody.  Police found that one of those arrested was carrying a concealed firearm.

The University of Georgia Police Department arrested 16 people during a pro-Palestine protest. About half of those arrested were students, with the others listed as "visitors."  All were charged with criminal trespassing.