Following every Israeli war on Gaza, numerous narratives emerge. Some claim victory for one side and defeat for the other, while others—knowingly or unknowingly—attempt to exploit the aftermath for their own purposes.
The latter is not always nefarious, as the humanitarian calamities resulting from Israel's actions are undeniable—especially as Israel and its allies often use aid to Palestinians as bargaining chips for political concessions or to exert pressure on the Strip and its leadership.
This dynamic often results in the exploitation of Palestinian suffering to raise funds, sometimes by organizations with high overhead costs, leaving independent researchers puzzled over the discrepancies between the funds collected and the funds allocated.
Additionally, Gaza lacks an independent commission to track all received funds and their usage, which leads to controversies and public accusations at times.
Exploiting Gaza
NBC News just reported that President Biden has commuted the sentence of Leonard Peltier and he will spend his final days in home confinement.
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Ahead of President Trump’s inauguration and Martin Luther King Day, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance has words of encouragement and support for Ohio’s immigrants.
Said Maryam Sy, Organizing Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance (OHIA), “Migration stories are tales of courage and love that strengthen our communities daily. Let's unite to protect everyone's dignity and rights, and build a welcoming home for all, regardless of background or journey. We are all part of the same human family, and we should strive to treat each other with love, kindness, and respect.”
Maryam interviewed 255 people who were deported, most under the previous Trump administration, for OHIA’s #ReuniteUS project. Read and listen to their stories.
This article first appeared on Ohio Capital Journal
An Ohio woman who was criminally charged after having a miscarriage in her home has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Warren, city police officers, a local hospital and its owners.
Brittany Watts filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division claiming violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment, along with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), a law that establishes the right for anyone to be admitted to a hospital in an emergency situation regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status, and for them to receive “necessary stabilizing treatment,” according to Watts’ attorneys from the firm Loevy & Loevy.
This article first appeared on Reel Time with Richard Ades.
This is the time of year when critics get a chance to catch up on recent flicks they might have missed, courtesy of studios in search of buzz and, hopefully, award nominations. While I don’t claim to be clairvoyant when it comes to the latter, I can confidently say this: If the Oscars and other competitions gave out prizes for bravery, these three films and their creators would win hands down.
One filmmaker displays creative courage by breaking the mold in a familiar genre, while the others put their liberty and even their lives at risk in order to bring their truths to the screen.
Let’s look at them one by one.
Biopic with a difference
By now, we all know the drill when it comes to film biopics: The would-be celeb claws his or her way to the top, but success comes at a steep cost. Friends are abandoned, spouses are cheated on, and alcohol and/or drugs are abused.
Several times during his confirmation hearings this week, Pete Hegseth invoked his “lord and savior, Jesus.” Yet he employed the reference more as a shield or lifeline than an indication of Christian humility or kindness. A big part of what made Hegseth so objectionable was his utter lack of humility; throughout, he exhibited the bravado and smug self-satisfaction of a schoolyard bully. His target was anything that could be described as “left-wing woke.” The irony is that if Jesus were alive today, He would be “woke.”
What exactly are Republicans afraid of? What are they critical of when they smear someone (or something) as “woke”?