(Guardian UK) A person using a flamethrower set fire Saturday to a Pan-African flag flying on a pole outside the headquarters of the Uhuru Movement, a Black international socialist group based in Florida.

Security video released by the group shows the driver of a white Honda sedan pulling up outside the group’s St Petersburg headquarters, removing a flamethrower from the trunk and shooting a tower of fire at the flag flying about 30ft (9 meters) above the ground.

The group said the man stopped when a worker inside the building yelled at him.

The video shows the man putting the flamethrower back in the trunk and then driving away. A photo supplied by the group shows the flag with a large hole. ..............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/02/pan-african-flag-fire-florida

People’s History of Fourth of July
A collection of more than a dozen people's history stories from July 4th beyond 1776. The stories include July 4th anniversaries such as when slavery was abolished in New York (1827), Frederick Douglass's speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" (1852), the Reconstruction era attack on a Black militia that led to the Hamburg Massacre (1876), protest of segregation at an amusement park in Baltimore (1963), and more.


1827: Slavery Abolished in New York.

On July 4, 1827, slavery was abolished in New York, following a gradual emancipation law that went into effect in 1799. However, as historian James Horton explains in a PBS interview, New York continued to benefit economically from the system of human bondage. “New York really provided much of the capital that made the plantation economy in the South possible.”

Learn more in these two resources by Alan Singer, the book New York and Slavery: Time to Teach the Truth and an article, “Reclaiming Hidden History: Students Create a Slavery Walking Tour in Manhattan” about how he and his students organized a tour of the hidden history of slavery in New York.

1831: William Watkins Speaks for Black Americans on Independence Day



William Watkins wrote an “Independence Day” lamentation and reflection for Black Americans under the penname of “A Colored Baltimorean” on July 4, 1831 (published in the Genius of Universal Emancipation):



Johns Hopkins University professor Martha Jones, PhD, writes that “It was a moment filled with despair and hope in equal measure. His despair was a response to the rise of a colonization movement and Black laws — schemes aimed at so degrading the lives of former slaves that they would seek refuge in Liberia, Canada, or the Caribbean. Watkins’ hope was rooted in a budding social movement, that of abolitionism. There, he found seeds of a radical vision that might remake the place of Black people within the United States.”

....(snip)....

1833: Mohegan William Apess Jailed for Defense of Native Land

William Apess, Mohegan revolutionary and author, worked with the Wampanoag to defend their rights. They would lead what would be called the Mashpee Revolt in 1833 to address the wood poaching issue in their forest.

They posted signs declaring it their land. They also petitioned Harvard for the reclamation of their meetinghouse. They exposed Harvard’s missionary, the Reverand Phineas Fish, as exploiting the land he was allotted as part of his religious work and demanded he be removed from his post. ............(more)

https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/peoples-history-of-fourth-of-july/

(Guardian UK) In the months following the 2020 US presidential election, rightwing TV news in America was a wild west, an apparently lawless free-for-all where conspiracy theories about voting machines, ballot-stuffed suitcases and dead Venezuelan leaders were repeated to viewers around the clock.

There seemed to be little consequence for peddling the most outrageous ideas on primetime.

But now, unfortunately for Fox News, One America News Network (OAN), and Newsmax, it turns out that this brave, new world wasn’t free from legal jurisdiction – with the three networks now facing billion-dollar lawsuits as a result of their baseless accusations.

In June, Dominion Voting Systems, which provided voting machines to 28 states, was given the go-ahead to sue Fox Corp, the parent company of Fox News, in a case that could draw Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan, into the spotlight.

In the $1.6bn lawsuit, Dominion accuses Fox Corp, and the Murdochs specifically, of allowing Fox News to amplify false claims that the voting company had rigged the election for Joe Biden. .................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jul/04/fox-oan-newsmax-lawsuits-election-fraud-claims

Investigate Ron Johnson’s Role in the January 6 Coup Attempt
The senator played a part in Trump’s scheme, and his actions need to be investigated by the January 6 Committee and the Department of Justice.

By John Nichols
JUNE 30, 2022


(The Nation) The House’s inquiry into the January 6 Capitol attack is shedding light on the role members of Congress played in Donald Trump’s scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Americans now know that several Republican members of Congress were so wrapped up in Trump’s coup attempt that they sought preemptive pardons to protect them from prosecution for what they obviously understood to be a criminal conspiracy.

But nothing that has come out so far has provided a clearer insight into the plotting than the revelations regarding the activities of US Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and his aides and associates on the day of January 6, 2021. As was revealed last week during an extraordinary session of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, a top aide to Johnson contacted a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence shortly before the certification of the Electoral College votes that would confirm the election of Democrat Joe Biden.

The Johnson aide indicated that the senator was interested in delivering to the vice president—who would preside over the proceedings—alternative lists of electors from the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan. The fake electors were pledged to Trump, who lost the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots nationwide and who lost Wisconsin, Michigan, and three other states that had voted for the Republican four years earlier.

....(snip)....

Confronted by reporters on Capitol Hill about the news, Johnson claimed he was ignorant of most of the details. The senator told CNN’s Manu Raju he didn’t know who had delivered the lists of fake electors to his office. But he did admit, “I was aware that we got this package and that somebody wanted us to deliver it, so we reached out to Pence’s office.” He also acknowledged that, at an incredibly volatile moment, he and his aides failed to vet the package that was to be delivered to the vice president.

“We got handed an envelope that was supposed to go to the Vice President,” Johnson said. He claimed, “I wasn’t involved,” and said, “[There’s] no conspiracy here. This is a complete non-story, guys. Complete non-story.”

But, of course, it was a story. And Johnson was lying about it. Several days after the committee released the text messages, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted, “After initially claiming to be ‘basically unaware’ of an effort by his staff to get fake presidential elector documents to Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Thursday he coordinated with a Wisconsin attorney to pass along such information.” Specifically, the paper reported, Johnson “acknowledged he coordinated with Dane County attorney Jim Troupis and his chief of staff by text message that morning to get to Pence a document Troupis described as regarding ‘Wisconsin electors.’” .............(more)

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/ron-johnson-january-6/

Cockroaches are evolving to prefer low-sugar diets. That could be bad news for humans
Pest control practices will have to evolve just as fast to kill the much-hated insects

By PAMELA APPEA


(Salon) Apparently, humans aren't the only animals going keto. The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), one of the most common pests in the world, is evolving to have a glucose-free diet. Unlike many humans, it's not because they're suddenly watching their figure; rather, German cockroaches have inadvertently outwitted human pest control tactics by evolving to dislike sugar, specifically glucose. That could have huge implications for the population of cockroaches worldwide, which is of particular concern given their propensity to spread bacteria and disease.

The not-so-sweet insight emerged from new research coming out of North Carolina State University, where scientists study roach reproductive habits and evolutionary adaptations. There, Dr. Ayako Wada-Katsumata and a team of entomology researchers found evidence of significant changes involving sugar-averse German cockroaches and mating habits.

According to Dr. Coby Schal, professor of Urban Entomology, Insect Behavior, Chemical Ecology, Insect Physiology and head of the eponymous Schal Lab at North Carolina State University, the team's new research shows that cockroaches have begun to deviate significantly compared to previously observed roach-mating behavior. Female lab roaches, housed in North Carolina lab originating from a Florida-strain, included a significant population of glucose-averse roaches; glucose is a simple sugar that is intrinsic to the processes of plant and animal life.

Surprisingly, researchers found these roaches were unwilling to complete traditional roach mating behavior (accepting what the research study refers to as "nuptial gifts" or "nuptial feedings." ) Further, these glucose-adverse female roaches chose not to complete the mating process, meaning there wouldn't be any reproduction. ............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/07/03/cockroaches-are-evolving-to-prefer-low-sugar-diets-that-could-be-news-for-humans/

(Detroit Free Press) After months of effort that included a last-minute push by volunteers to ensure accuracy, Arabic-language ballots for Dearborn and Hamtramck voters appear to be finally ready in time for the August primary, officials announced Friday.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a news release that for the first time in Michigan's history, there will be ballots and election instructions available in the Arabic language. The names of the candidates will remain in English, but other parts of the ballot will be in Arabic.

The move comes after Dearborn City Councilman Mustapha Hammoud introduced a resolution in March calling for Arabic ballots in a city that has the highest percentage of Arab Americans among cities in the U.S. Hamtramck followed suit with a similar resolution in April, but it was unclear at the time whether the cities and Wayne County could create them before the printing deadlines for the Aug. 2 election.

Adding to the problem was a poorly-done Arabic translation by an outside company contracted with the city of Dearborn, said Arab American leaders. .............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2022/07/01/arabic-language-ballots-may-soon-available-dearborn-hamtramck/7791654001/

A second visitor to Yellowstone National Park in three days has been gored by a bison, according to officials.

It was the third attack in less than a month.

A 71-year-old Pennsylvania woman was attacked Wednesday at Storm Lake in Yellowstone by a bison, said a park statement.

She sustained “non life-threatening” injuries, and was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Cody, Wyoming. She’s expected to make a full recovery.

She and her daughter “inadvertently” approached the animal as they were returning to their vehicle at a trailhead, which caused the bull to charge, according to the statement.

On Monday, a 34-year-old Colorado man was gored in a terrifying attack as he intervened to protect his child during a family outing at the Old Faithful geyser. The bull charged the group as they watched the geyser from a boardwalk, and it knocked down the child. ...........(more)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/second-bison-goring-three-days-yellowstone_n_62bfb298e4b014f50a321c72

The Declaration of Independence Has Always Been a Tremendous Bluff
On Independence Day we should celebrate the people with the guts to call it like it is.

By Charles P. Pierce
Jul 1, 2022


(Esquire)

That’s some kind of paragraph right there. It is, of course, it’s always a tremendous bluff, something that was not lost of people at the time. Dr. Samuel Johnson famously remarked,



Good question. Ball’s in your court, TJ.

All the best parts of this country’s history came about from people with the guts to call that enormous bluff, and they should be the people we celebrate every Independence Day. The list is far too long for our purposes here, but there’s no question that, on this weekend every year, we should revere Susan B. Anthony, and Harvey Milk, and Russell Means, and John Lewis far more than we do Edward Rutledge, Joseph Hewes, or Button Freaking Gwinnett. Those people risked their lives and their freedom in the job of helping Thomas Jefferson not look like a ridiculous hypocrite in history. He owes them big time.

Also, as the Fifth Dimension showed us, you can sing it if you want to. ...........(more)

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a40486497/july-4-founding-fathers-real-heroes/

SARASOTA, FL — A naked man walking down the highway and climbing a tractor-trailer truck disrupted I-75 traffic in Sarasota Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

A Facebook post by an administrator in the Sarasota Traffic Facebook group indicated the incident happened in the southbound lanes near the Fruitville Road exit.

Deputies responding to calls about the naked man took him into protective custody without incident and brought him to a nearby hospital for a mental health evaluation, Doug Jones, creative communications specialist for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, told Patch.

“While we don’t know what may have precipitated this man’s actions, it’s apparent that he was exhibiting abnormal behavior,” he said. “This was a very dangerous situation for the man and the motorists traveling the interstate at that time. We’re thankful we were able to resolve the situation safely.” ...............(more)

https://patch.com/florida/sarasota/naked-guy-climbing-tractor-trailer-disrupts-i-75-traffic-sheriff

(Detroit Metro Times) Cold Truth in Midtown has some of the best vegan soft serve in Detroit. But people are losing their shit trying to cancel them after the ice cream spot said in a social media post that it refuses to serve police wearing “heavy duty tactical gear.”

On Thursday, Cold Truth posted an Instagram story showing a Detroit Police car parked on the wrong side of the street in front of the shop. The caption read, “we can tolerate the parking however you please, but we will not serve anyone wearing body armor.”

Apparently, this pissed off some sensitive Blue Lives Matter types who are now calling Cold Truth “disgusting” and vowing never to eat the shop’s delicious soft serve again. Fine by us. That just means maybe the line will be shorter next time we go. (Sometimes the line goes down the block, and they sell out before we can get our fix.)

The hypocrisy of people who cry about toxic “cancel culture“ now trying to cancel an ice cream shop is so stupid, it’s hilarious. Who’s the snowflake now?

Vows to boycott the shop grew after Cold Truth posted a statement on their Facebook page, upholding their stance. ..............(more)

https://www.metrotimes.com/food-drink/people-are-really-trying-to-cancel-detroits-cold-truth-over-refusing-to-serve-police-in-body-armor-30455156