Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Drop Site News:
"Multiple credible sources – including UN agencies, 12 major international NGOs, and journalists on the ground – report that most of Gaza’s 2.2 million people are now surviving on just one meal per day or less due to Israel’s total blockade on food and other essentials since March 2.

The CEOs of 12 major aid organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE, NRC, and others, said in a joint statement on April 17, 2025: “Survival itself is now slipping out of reach and the humanitarian system is at breaking point.

Every single person in Gaza is relying on humanitarian aid to survive. That lifeline has been completely cut off since a blockade on all aid supplies was imposed by Israeli authorities on 2 March.  We have supplies ready. We have trained medical staff. We have the expertise. What we don’t have is the access – or the guarantee by Israeli authorities that our teams can safely do their jobs.”
https://substack.com/@ryangrim/note/c-110594748

-->This Sunday, the NYT has a front page that covers stories about the Pope's death to cooking mango buns. Gaza doesn't make the front page at all, except for an article on Israel's use of AI on the battlefield. The NYT is still the Empire's newspaper.

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Mondoweiss:
"Last week, without much fanfare, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his nominee for the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. The man he picked was Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, an ultra-orthodox member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a long-time friend of Miriam and the late Sheldon Adelson, and a leading Trump campaigner and fundraiser in the far-right sector of the American Jewish community.

Kaploun is certain to deepen the Trump administration’s efforts to criminalize even the most minor criticism of Israel, let alone any objection to its ongoing genocide in Gaza and escalating atrocities in the West Bank. He is a strong supporter of the crackdown on free speech and freedom of education by the Trump administration, and, in his new role, is certain to redouble his efforts to advocate for coercive and restrictive measures in defining antisemitism as criticism of Israel and little else.
Ironically, his nomination—which still requires confirmation in the Senate—has already gone a long way toward demonstrating the fact that antisemitism emanates not from Palestine advocates but, overwhelmingly, from the same place it always has: the extreme right, the sector of American society that, like Kaploun himself, so passionately supports Donald Trump."
https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/meet-trumps-radical-new-antisemitism-envoy/

-->The NYT didn't cover this story. What a shame too, since it exposes where antisemitism in this country is really coming from.

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Common Dreams:
"Study Estimates Fossil Fuel Giants Have Inflicted $28 Trillion in Climate Damage Worldwide. As people around the world cope with the worsening effects of planetary heating, 'the veil of plausible deniability doesn't exist anymore scientifically' for fossil fuel giants.

As planetary heating has fueled increasingly damaging hurricanes, wildfires, and dangerous heatwaves, fossil fuel giants have long been shielded by plausible deniability: Despite scientists' consensus that oil, gas, and coal extraction are polluting the planet and causing global temperatures to rise, they couldn't prove that specific corporations were to blame for worsening climate destruction.
A study published on Wednesday could change that.

Using modeling techniques that have been utilized for more than a decade to explain how climate change is fueling weather disasters, researchers at Dartmouth College estimated that 111 of the world's largest fossil fuel companies have caused $28 trillion in heat-related climate damages so far—slightly less than the value of all goods and services produced in the United States last year."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/polluter-pays-principle

-->Well, the "veil of plausible deniability" is still going strong at the NYT. It didn't cover this story.

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Common Dreams:
"Weeks after the Rutgers University Senate passed a resolution to form a 'mutual defense compact' with other Big Ten schools, at least four other schools have pushed forward their own proposals. ... aiming to band together with other universities to protect from the Trump administration's attacks on academic freedom and free speech.
 
Labor unions, Palestinian rights groups, and other advocacy groups on Thursday held rallies and events to mark the Day of Action for Higher Education, with students and faculty at more than 150 schools demonstrating against President Donald Trump's funding cuts; attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives; targeting of academic freedom; and deportation operations in which a number of student organizers have been rounded up in recent weeks. ...

Like the mutual defense compact proposal that's now gained traction at several schools, the day of action is partially a response to Trump's demand that universities collaborate with the administration to punish students who took part in nationwide Palestinian solidarity protests last year."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/campus-protest

-->Don't look to the NY Times to cover student resistance to Turmp's fascist aspirations. The fact that colleges are now resisting Trump is big news, but not to the Empire's newspaper.

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Drop Site:
"On March 25, Francine Katsoudas, an executive at an American multinational digital communications technology conglomerate, Cisco, announced new 'guardrails' restricting internal discussions and debates on the Middle East—and specifically on Palestine. 'Some topics are just simply too hard, too painful, too divisive, and they take our focus away from our ability to drive Cisco business, and one example specifically would be the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,' Katsoudas said in a company-wide call. 'We have made the decision that this topic cannot be discussed, cannot be debated in company or organization-wide meetings,' she added.

Hours after the group call with Katsoudas, an employee who was outspoken on Palestine was fired. The reason given for termination, they described to Drop Site, was that their 'comments contribute to a harmful work environment and harms other employees'—but that the company added it was not due to her 'personal viewpoint.' They provided Drop Site with an HR email and notes corroborating their account, but requested anonymity to minimize risk to their future employment and general safety. A week later, Cisco deleted the largest pro-Palestine WebEx chat room, Bridge To Humanity (B2H), and its associated educational website. Cisco did not respond to a request for comment."
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/cisco-israel-tech-internal-speech-palestine-gaza

-->There is no free speech for Cisco employees. Why wouldn't more US media carry this story of corporate censorship?

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Common Dreams:
"With Nationwide Actions on Saturday, Anti-Trump Protests Show No Sign of Slowing Down. Events on Saturday included marches as well as direct community-oriented actions, including neighborhood cleanups and food drives.

Two weeks after millions of people attended 'Hands Off' protests across the United States, expressing outrage over President Donald Trump's unlawful deportation operation, abandonment of due process for hundreds of migrants, and spending cuts in the interest of enriching the wealthiest Americans, organizers with the '50501' movement called for 11 million people to take to the streets again on Saturday—and early reports suggested the public remains mobilized against the administration.
 
With Trump intensifying his attacks on federal workers, the environment, freedom of speech, and migrants in recent weeks, organizers said hundreds of events were planned on Saturday—and the protests reflected the wide array of policies that have left Americans angry and fearful about who could be victimized next by the administration."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/50501-movement-protest

-->Always aware the rich people don't like rallies, The NYT hasn't been covering these rallies so much. And when the newspaper does, it is more about Bernie Sanders than about his egalitarian ideas.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Common Dreams:
" 'I think when we talk about America is a democracy, I think we should rephrase it, call it a pseudo-democracy.' That's what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday morning in response to questions from CBS News about the state of the nation, with President Donald Trump gutting the federal government from head to toe, challenging constitutional norms, allowing his cabinet of billionaires to run key agencies they philosophically want to destroy, and empowering Elon Musk—the world's richest person—to run roughshod over public education, undermine healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and attack Social Security.

Taking a weekend away from his ongoing 'Fight Oligarchy' tour, which has drawn record crowds in both right-leaning and left-leaning regions of the country over recent weeks, Sanders said the problem is deeply entrenched now in the nation's political system—and both major parties have a lot to answer for.

'One of the other concerns when I talk about oligarchy,' Sanders explained to journalist Robert Acosta, 'it's not just massive income and wealth inequality. It's not just the power of the billionaire class. These guys, led by Musk—and as a result of this disastrous Citizens UnitedSupreme Court decision—have now allowed billionaires essentially to own our political process. So, I think when we talk about America is a democracy, I think we should rephrase it, call it a 'pseudo-democracy.' And it's not just Musk and the Republicans; it's billionaires in the Democratic Party as well.' "
https://www.commondreams.org/news/bernie-sanders-2671682239

-->Sanders is one of the visionaries of our nation's turn from being a democracy to being an oligarchy. Like most visionaries, the NYT rarely prints what Bernie Sanders actually has to say. How often does the NYT report what Noam Chomsky has to say? The NYT is the newspaper of the empire.

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Global Delinquents:
"On March 13th, the UN Human Rights High Commission published a horrifying report exposing in oft-emetic detail how the Zionist entity has employed 'sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians' on an industrial scale since the Gaza genocide erupted in October 2023. The UN concludes these hideous acts are a central component of Israel’s 'broader effort to undermine [Palestinians’] right to self-determination,' their systematic nature pointing unambiguously to endorsement by Tel Aviv’s military and political leaders.

The report records, 'sexual and gender-based violence is by no means a new element of the Israeli occupation.' However, in the wake of October 7th, there has been a 'sharp increase in sexual violence against Palestinian women and men', both by Zionist Occupation Forces and settlers. The UN encountered no obstacles collecting voluminous highly incriminating evidence of this vile abuse. In addition to a welter of victim and witness testimony, perpetrators often voyeuristically captured themselves and their confederates openly committing these crimes on camera.

Frequently, these abhorrent images were pridefully posted on the culprits’ personal social media accounts. Such actions amply attest to the culture of total impunity in which ZOF soldiers literally rape and pillage. 'Despite the abundance of witness and digital evidence of Israeli soldiers committing crimes in Gaza,' the UN found 'there have been no meaningful efforts by Israel to hold the perpetrators accountable.' Requests submitted to Tel Aviv for clarity on investigations into sexual violence committed by Occupation Forces have been ignored."
https://www.kitklarenberg.com/p/un-exposes-systematic-israeli-rape

-->The NYT role in the holocaust of the Palestinian people is to leave out stores like this. Maybe it is just too condemning of this genocidal regime. Our newspaper of record will always be known for its role in covering up Israel's slaughter.

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Common Dreams:
"Emails Show Trump Official Targeted Maine Social Security Services as Political Revenge. 'Trump is clearly comfortable weaponizing Social Security for political purposes, and we fear that this is only the beginning,' said one critic.

The top Democrat on the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Wednesday led calls for the resignation of acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek following the revelation of internal emails confirming that the SSA canceled contracts with the state of Maine as political payback after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills publicly defied President Donald Trump in support of transgender student athletes.

The emails—which were obtained by House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.)—show that Dudek ordered the cancellation of enumeration at birth and electronic death registration contracts with Maine, even though SSAd subordinates warned that such action 'would result in improper payments and potential for identity theft.'

'These emails confirm that the Trump administration is intentionally creating waste and the opportunity for fraud.' "
https://www.commondreams.org/news/leland-dudek-resign

-->The NYT didn't print this story. The paper rarely comes out in favor of Social Security. Let's face it, Wall St. is dying to get its hands on the trillions in this program.

Wednesday, April 02, 2025

The Guardian UK:
"Who is Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist who broke the Signal leak scandal? Though exactly how Jeffrey Goldberg ended up on a Signal group chat to discuss what were meant to be secret plans to bomb Yemen remains a mystery, posterity may render it one of recent US history’s most serendipitous chance encounters.

Had the fates been conspiring to add a journalist to the forum whose presence would inflict the maximum discomfort to Trump and his circle, they could hardly have chosen a more fitting candidate. ... At the same time Goldberg is also widely criticized by some on the left of US media and politics for his views on Israel, his past record serving in the Israeli military and his hawkish views on Iran and his support for the US invasion of Iraq.

However, since becoming the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief in 2016, he has built a track record of unearthing stories that have managed to specifically get under Trump’s skin with the type of journalism loathed by the president’s 'Make America Great Again' (Maga) followers.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/27/who-is-jeffrey-goldberg-atlantic-signal-chat-leak

-->Again we have to go to the Guardian for the complete story. Goldberg served in the IDF and has been a consistent champion of the US wars in the Middle East. Since 2016, His journalism has upset some Maga followers. Why does the NYT leave all this out of its coverage?

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Common Dreams:
"Jewish Groups Denounce Latest 'Cynical' GOP Hearing Equating Criticism of Israel With Antisemitism. 'Israel is a nation state, not a Jewish person, said Rabbis for Cease-Fire. 'Criticism of Israel's genocidal assault is not equivalent to antisemitism.'

Following the Republican Party's latest hearing on antisemitism on college campuses—part of a campaign in which discrimination against Jewish people has been conflated with calls for Palestinian liberation and opposition to Israel's U.S.-backed killing of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza—the rights organization Rabbis for Cease-Fire on Thursday said it rejected 'the basic premises' of the hearing.

The hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday, titled 'Antisemitic Disruptions on Campus: Ensuring Safe Learning Environments for All Students,' was part of an effort to 'instrumentalize concern for Jewish safety to shield Israel from accountability,' said the group.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/congress-antisemitism

-->The NYT did cover statements by Rabbis for Cease-Fire, but conveniently left out any mention of the group's warning about conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

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Mondoweiss:
"Colonial violence is on display from Gaza to U.S. universities

As global attention is drawn elsewhere, Israel has resumed its full-scale assault on Gaza. Tareq Hajjaj reports on the deepening catastrophe: water and electricity have once again been cut off to over 2 million Palestinians, plunging Gaza into darkness pierced only by the flash of Israeli bombs. On the ground, Palestinians face a grim ultimatum: death or displacement. Chris Hedges describes it as the 'final stage of genocide'—a campaign of total erasure.

This push is not just military. Qassam Muaddi unpacks Israel’s latest plan to facilitate the 'voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from Gaza—another euphemism for ethnic cleansing. The world must not be fooled by the language of bureaucracy.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces are intensifying violence, turning refugee camps into battlefields. Felix Nobes documents how even Palestinian sports, a source of pride and resistance, are being systematically dismantled."
https://newsletters.mondoweiss.net/emails/webview/59730/150219247528707703

-->Mondoweiss coverage of Palestine is an example of how a free press should operate. The NYT coverage is the exact opposite. The paper offers readers pages on Ukraine, but disturbingly little on the hunger and slaughter going on in Gaza as well as the West Bank. Soon, we will see the broken bodies of Palestinians being starved to death. They are the same pictures that came to us from Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau. They are America's shame, and its no wonder that the NYT would try to divert our attention.