The Guardian UK:
"Israeli ministers have approved the wording of a new law that would downgrade Arabic as an official language and which states that the right to self-determination in Israel 'is unique to the Jewish people', despite the country’s sizeable non-Jewish minority.
The go-ahead for the nation state bill by the ministerial committee for legislation means it will now move forward to a vote by the country’s parliament. The bill has to pass several stages in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, for it to become law and could also be challenged in the courts.
Critics say the law is discriminatory and could undermine Israel’s balance of being both a Jewish and democratic state by harming the rights of minorities.
Hebrew and Arabic are both Israel’s national languages, but the bill states that Hebrew would be the lone national language, downgrading Arabic to 'a special status in the state' whose 'speakers have the right to language-accessible state services'."
-->Yes, apartheid gallops ahead in Israel. But the NYT, ever protective of Israel's image in the US, didn't cover the story.
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The Guardian UK:
"More than 20 states have proposed bills that would crack down on protests and demonstrations since Donald Trump was elected, in a move that UN experts have branded 'incompatible with US obligations under international human rights law'.
The proposed laws would variously increase the penalties for protesting in large groups, ban protesters from wearing masks during demonstrations and, in some states, protect drivers from liability if they strike someone taking part in a protest.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said more than 30 separate anti-protest bills have been introduced since 8 November in 'an unprecedented level of hostility towards protesters in the 21st century'. Their introduction comes amid a huge increase in activism and engagement, much of it inspired by Trump’s election to the presidency."
-->The NYT didn't cover this dangerous turn in US politics, making laws against political demonstrations. Our newspaper of record has always been against political activism in the streets, and this is just another example. This same week, the NYT enthusiastically reported on street demonstrations in Venezuela, Poland, and Russia. CIA run street demonstrations always get prime coverage.
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Common Dreams:
"The city of Flint, where the pipes have still not been fixed and the water crisis is ongoing, is threatening to place tax liens on people's homes for non-payment of water bills, according to a local news source.
NBC affiliate 25News reported Tuesday that more than 8,000 people have received notice from the city that they are 'at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure if they don't pay up on their water bills' by May 19. ...
Melissa Mays, a Flint mother and water activist, told the station of the notice: 'I got scared, for probably the first time since this all started this actually scared me.' Mays plans to 'go against what she believes' and pay the $900 she owes in order to ensure she doesn't lose her home ..."
-->Paying for poisoned water in Flint? The NYT wasn't interested in this story.
