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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
March 19, 2023
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/great-british-bake-off-pastry-crawl-london
As an unabashed Anglophile and food writer, one of my favorite methods of self-care is watching reruns of The Great British Bake Off. During the deepest stages of lockdown, watching contestants fumble their way through one of Paul Hollywood’s challenges—only to be rewarded in a later round with one of his coveted handshakes—was an incredible balm for my stress-addled soul. So, when I realized that a Great British Bake Off musical was in the works for March in London’s West End, I knew it was time to plan the ultimate pastry crawl in England’s capital—featuring a sufficient number of sweet treats to justify the trip, and culminating in a viewing of Bake Off the musical. Before I arrived, I consulted dozens of Best Of lists from magazines and food world luminaries, but my secret weapon was Crystelle Pereira, former GBBO finalist and fellow pastry nut. Pereira—bless her—not only sent me an extensive list of bakeries beforehand, but was also willing to put her cookbook testing on hold (Flavor Kitchen comes out in June) to accompany me on a massive, carbo-loading field trip.
Where to stay for a London pastry crawl
My planning started with finding a hotel. I wanted to be close to the West End in order to easily attend the musical, but I was also looking for a place with its own stellar pastry program. One name popped up again and again: The Corinthia. Not only a popular accommodation for actors while they’re starring in West End productions, the hotel also boasts one of the city’s most popular and indulgent afternoon tea services, plus phenomenal baked goods. The morning I arrived—after a rather bumpy red-eye flight—I was immediately swept off to the dining room, where a plate of buttery, shatter-crisp croissants was quickly procured. I then passed out on my plush king-sized bed, in a room that was ever so lightly scented with citrus. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better greeting to a city than that.
Eat your way through Covent Garden
I met up with Pereira to begin our tour in Covent Garden, home to some of the city’s more classic bakeries. According to Pereira, the lines at Arôme Bakery can often be out the door by 9 am, so it’s good to get an early start. Over a still-warm slice of their popular honey butter toast, I asked her why she thought the bakery scene was exploding in popularity as of late. “We are really fortunate in London that there is such a big influence of different cuisines. You have incredible Korean food, Middle Eastern food, food from all over,” she said. “And so what you’re starting to see, especially in recent years, is this rise in really innovative flavors.” To wit: our second pastry at Arôme was a savory sausage and cheese croissant, slicked with Japanese barbecue sauce; a tasty marriage of past and present England.
As a New Yorker, I found Covent Garden to be a unique mix of attractions. You have many of the performing arts theaters here, but unlike Times Square, there are also charming side streets with boutique shops, as well as many of the city’s best nightlife venues. And, of course, there is a preponderance of bakeries. After we left Arôme, we walked a few blocks to Buns From Home, a mini-chain with pillowy-soft cinnamon rolls and gargantuan “dessert buns.” We opted for the special of the week, a flaky pastry base overflowing with a whipped tahini cream, poached apples, and sesame crumble. To say it was triumphant would be an understatement. Then in quick succession, we swung by a number of tasty establishments. We stopped at famed restaurant St. John’s Neal’s Yard Bakery for a rhubarb donut, then Bageriet for classic Swedish cinnamon buns so redolent you could smell them down the block. We had ultra-flaky zaatar and Gruyère croissants at Chestnut Bakery before finally resting for a moment at Japanese patisserie WA Cafe, where we sipped black sesame lattes alongside a slice of matcha-chocolate gateau.
Visit buzzy bakeries in Dalston and Hackney............
snip
Live Your 'Great British Bake Off' Dreams on This London Pastry Crawl
With dozens of innovative bakeries and the premiere of the hit series' musical adaptation, there's never been a sweeter time to visit.https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/great-british-bake-off-pastry-crawl-london
As an unabashed Anglophile and food writer, one of my favorite methods of self-care is watching reruns of The Great British Bake Off. During the deepest stages of lockdown, watching contestants fumble their way through one of Paul Hollywood’s challenges—only to be rewarded in a later round with one of his coveted handshakes—was an incredible balm for my stress-addled soul. So, when I realized that a Great British Bake Off musical was in the works for March in London’s West End, I knew it was time to plan the ultimate pastry crawl in England’s capital—featuring a sufficient number of sweet treats to justify the trip, and culminating in a viewing of Bake Off the musical. Before I arrived, I consulted dozens of Best Of lists from magazines and food world luminaries, but my secret weapon was Crystelle Pereira, former GBBO finalist and fellow pastry nut. Pereira—bless her—not only sent me an extensive list of bakeries beforehand, but was also willing to put her cookbook testing on hold (Flavor Kitchen comes out in June) to accompany me on a massive, carbo-loading field trip.
Where to stay for a London pastry crawl
My planning started with finding a hotel. I wanted to be close to the West End in order to easily attend the musical, but I was also looking for a place with its own stellar pastry program. One name popped up again and again: The Corinthia. Not only a popular accommodation for actors while they’re starring in West End productions, the hotel also boasts one of the city’s most popular and indulgent afternoon tea services, plus phenomenal baked goods. The morning I arrived—after a rather bumpy red-eye flight—I was immediately swept off to the dining room, where a plate of buttery, shatter-crisp croissants was quickly procured. I then passed out on my plush king-sized bed, in a room that was ever so lightly scented with citrus. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better greeting to a city than that.
Eat your way through Covent Garden
I met up with Pereira to begin our tour in Covent Garden, home to some of the city’s more classic bakeries. According to Pereira, the lines at Arôme Bakery can often be out the door by 9 am, so it’s good to get an early start. Over a still-warm slice of their popular honey butter toast, I asked her why she thought the bakery scene was exploding in popularity as of late. “We are really fortunate in London that there is such a big influence of different cuisines. You have incredible Korean food, Middle Eastern food, food from all over,” she said. “And so what you’re starting to see, especially in recent years, is this rise in really innovative flavors.” To wit: our second pastry at Arôme was a savory sausage and cheese croissant, slicked with Japanese barbecue sauce; a tasty marriage of past and present England.
As a New Yorker, I found Covent Garden to be a unique mix of attractions. You have many of the performing arts theaters here, but unlike Times Square, there are also charming side streets with boutique shops, as well as many of the city’s best nightlife venues. And, of course, there is a preponderance of bakeries. After we left Arôme, we walked a few blocks to Buns From Home, a mini-chain with pillowy-soft cinnamon rolls and gargantuan “dessert buns.” We opted for the special of the week, a flaky pastry base overflowing with a whipped tahini cream, poached apples, and sesame crumble. To say it was triumphant would be an understatement. Then in quick succession, we swung by a number of tasty establishments. We stopped at famed restaurant St. John’s Neal’s Yard Bakery for a rhubarb donut, then Bageriet for classic Swedish cinnamon buns so redolent you could smell them down the block. We had ultra-flaky zaatar and Gruyère croissants at Chestnut Bakery before finally resting for a moment at Japanese patisserie WA Cafe, where we sipped black sesame lattes alongside a slice of matcha-chocolate gateau.
Visit buzzy bakeries in Dalston and Hackney............
snip
March 18, 2023
This community’s quarter century without a newborn shows the scale of Japan’s population crisis
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/17/asia/japan-population-crisis-countryside-cities-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
When Kentaro Yokobori was born almost seven years ago, he was the first newborn in the Sogio district of Kawakami village in 25 years. His birth was like a miracle for many villagers. Well-wishers visited his parents Miho and Hirohito for more than a week – nearly all of them senior citizens, including some who could barely walk.
“The elderly people were very happy to see [Kentaro], and an elderly lady who had difficulty climbing the stairs, with her cane, came to me to hold my baby in her arms. All the elderly people took turns holding my baby,” Miho recalled. During that quarter century without a newborn, the village population shrank by more than half to just 1,150 – down from 6,000 as recently as 40 years ago – as younger residents left and older residents died. Many homes were abandoned, some overrun by wildlife.
Kawakami is just one of the countless small rural towns and villages that have been forgotten and neglected as younger Japanese head for the cities. More than 90% of Japanese now live in urban areas like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto – all linked by Japan’s always-on-time Shinkansen bullet trains.
That has left rural areas and industries like agriculture, forestry, and farming facing a critical labor shortage that will likely get worse in the coming years as the workforce ages. By 2022, the number of people working in agriculture and forestry had declined to 1.9 million from 2.25 million 10 years earlier. Yet the demise of Kawakami is emblematic of a problem that goes far beyond the Japanese countryside. The problem for Japan is: people in the cities aren’t having babies either.
‘Time is running out to procreate’.........
snip
related
It’s ‘now or never’ to reverse Japan’s population crisis, prime minister says
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/23/asia/japan-kishida-birth-rate-population-intl-hnk/index.html
Japan’s prime minister issued a dire warning about the country’s population crisis on Monday, saying it was “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions” due to the falling birth rate. In a policy address to lawmakers, Fumio Kishida said it was a case of solving the issue “now or never,” and that it “simply cannot wait any longer.”
“In thinking of the sustainability and inclusiveness of our nation’s economy and society, we place child-rearing support as our most important policy,” the prime minister said. Kishida added that he wants the government to double its spending on child-related programs, and that a new government agency would be set up in April to focus on the issue.
Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with the Ministry of Health predicting it will record fewer than 800,000 births in 2022 for the first time since records began in 1899. The country also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world; in 2020, nearly one in 1,500 people in Japan were age 100 or older, according to government data.
These trends have driven a growing demographic crisis, with a rapidly aging society, a shrinking workforce and not enough young people to fill the gaps in the stagnating economy. Experts point to several factors behind the low birth rate. The country’s high cost of living, limited space and lack of child care support in cities make it difficult to raise children, meaning fewer couples are having kids. Urban couples are also often far from extended family who could help provide support.
snip
Japan's rural communities are dying out. The problem is, so are its cities
video at the linkThis community’s quarter century without a newborn shows the scale of Japan’s population crisis
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/17/asia/japan-population-crisis-countryside-cities-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
When Kentaro Yokobori was born almost seven years ago, he was the first newborn in the Sogio district of Kawakami village in 25 years. His birth was like a miracle for many villagers. Well-wishers visited his parents Miho and Hirohito for more than a week – nearly all of them senior citizens, including some who could barely walk.
“The elderly people were very happy to see [Kentaro], and an elderly lady who had difficulty climbing the stairs, with her cane, came to me to hold my baby in her arms. All the elderly people took turns holding my baby,” Miho recalled. During that quarter century without a newborn, the village population shrank by more than half to just 1,150 – down from 6,000 as recently as 40 years ago – as younger residents left and older residents died. Many homes were abandoned, some overrun by wildlife.
Kawakami is just one of the countless small rural towns and villages that have been forgotten and neglected as younger Japanese head for the cities. More than 90% of Japanese now live in urban areas like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto – all linked by Japan’s always-on-time Shinkansen bullet trains.
That has left rural areas and industries like agriculture, forestry, and farming facing a critical labor shortage that will likely get worse in the coming years as the workforce ages. By 2022, the number of people working in agriculture and forestry had declined to 1.9 million from 2.25 million 10 years earlier. Yet the demise of Kawakami is emblematic of a problem that goes far beyond the Japanese countryside. The problem for Japan is: people in the cities aren’t having babies either.
‘Time is running out to procreate’.........
snip
related
It’s ‘now or never’ to reverse Japan’s population crisis, prime minister says
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/23/asia/japan-kishida-birth-rate-population-intl-hnk/index.html
Japan’s prime minister issued a dire warning about the country’s population crisis on Monday, saying it was “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions” due to the falling birth rate. In a policy address to lawmakers, Fumio Kishida said it was a case of solving the issue “now or never,” and that it “simply cannot wait any longer.”
“In thinking of the sustainability and inclusiveness of our nation’s economy and society, we place child-rearing support as our most important policy,” the prime minister said. Kishida added that he wants the government to double its spending on child-related programs, and that a new government agency would be set up in April to focus on the issue.
Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with the Ministry of Health predicting it will record fewer than 800,000 births in 2022 for the first time since records began in 1899. The country also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world; in 2020, nearly one in 1,500 people in Japan were age 100 or older, according to government data.
These trends have driven a growing demographic crisis, with a rapidly aging society, a shrinking workforce and not enough young people to fill the gaps in the stagnating economy. Experts point to several factors behind the low birth rate. The country’s high cost of living, limited space and lack of child care support in cities make it difficult to raise children, meaning fewer couples are having kids. Urban couples are also often far from extended family who could help provide support.
snip
March 18, 2023
Events in Georgia represent a setback for Russia’s meddling in the post-Soviet neighbourhood. But they are no sign it will end.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/moldova-first-domino-in-a-russian-plan-for-escalation
Refugees from eastern Ukraine seeking to cross the border into Moldova the day after the invasion began—the Kremlin’s designs on the country are not, though, humanitarian
One of the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine is that the Kremlin has lost a lot of its influence in former Soviet countries. This creates opportunities to limit Moscow’s ability to leverage its once dominant role to further its war aims. However, it also means that Russia is likely to raise the stakes and try to escalate tensions and confrontation across the region. For the past several weeks, Moldova has been at the centre of such efforts by the Kremlin. And this may just be an indication of how Russia envisages the next stage of its confrontation with the west.
Even before the start of the war in Ukraine, there were signs of the countries of central Asia beginning to assert their individual and collective interests more strongly, a trend which has accelerated since February 2022. Notably, as China’s role in the region has grown, partly as a result of the void created by Russia, the United States has rekindled its relationships with key partners in central Asia, especially Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in yet another sign of Russia’s diminishing stature.
In the south Caucasus, Turkey has challenged Russia’s erstwhile dominance of the region. Ankara has openly backed Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia (a Russian client) over Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish control over key pipeline infrastructure, such as the trans-Anatolian gas pipeline which connects Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz region with the European trans-Adriatic pipeline at the Greek-Turkish border, provides a critical alternative to oil and gas—from Russia or transiting through Russia.
At the same time, the European Union has played a more proactive role as a mediator in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is much to the detriment of Moscow, which used to be the key power broker in this conflict. The limits of Russian influence became obvious recently in Georgia. The government there, after three days of increasingly violent protests, had to withdraw a bill in parliament that would have severely restricted civil and political liberties in ways eerily reminiscent of Russia’s ‘foreign agents’ law.
snip
Moldova first domino in a Russian plan for escalation?
Events in Georgia represent a setback for Russia’s meddling in the post-Soviet neighbourhood. But they are no sign it will end.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/moldova-first-domino-in-a-russian-plan-for-escalation
Refugees from eastern Ukraine seeking to cross the border into Moldova the day after the invasion began—the Kremlin’s designs on the country are not, though, humanitarian
One of the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine is that the Kremlin has lost a lot of its influence in former Soviet countries. This creates opportunities to limit Moscow’s ability to leverage its once dominant role to further its war aims. However, it also means that Russia is likely to raise the stakes and try to escalate tensions and confrontation across the region. For the past several weeks, Moldova has been at the centre of such efforts by the Kremlin. And this may just be an indication of how Russia envisages the next stage of its confrontation with the west.
Even before the start of the war in Ukraine, there were signs of the countries of central Asia beginning to assert their individual and collective interests more strongly, a trend which has accelerated since February 2022. Notably, as China’s role in the region has grown, partly as a result of the void created by Russia, the United States has rekindled its relationships with key partners in central Asia, especially Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in yet another sign of Russia’s diminishing stature.
In the south Caucasus, Turkey has challenged Russia’s erstwhile dominance of the region. Ankara has openly backed Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia (a Russian client) over Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish control over key pipeline infrastructure, such as the trans-Anatolian gas pipeline which connects Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz region with the European trans-Adriatic pipeline at the Greek-Turkish border, provides a critical alternative to oil and gas—from Russia or transiting through Russia.
At the same time, the European Union has played a more proactive role as a mediator in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is much to the detriment of Moscow, which used to be the key power broker in this conflict. The limits of Russian influence became obvious recently in Georgia. The government there, after three days of increasingly violent protests, had to withdraw a bill in parliament that would have severely restricted civil and political liberties in ways eerily reminiscent of Russia’s ‘foreign agents’ law.
snip
March 17, 2023
https://archive.is/E9tVK
A view of the P4 lab inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology is seen after a visit by the World Health Organization team in China's Hubei province on Feb. 3, 2021. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
For the second time in a week, a new poll shows Americans leaning strongly toward the belief that the coronavirus leaked from a lab rather than occurring naturally. The Quinnipiac University poll shows Americans side with the former view by 64 percent to 22 percent. And just last week, an Economist/YouGov poll showed an even stronger split in favor of a lab leak: 66-16.
The polls come shortly after it was reported that the Energy Department concluded the virus was probably a function of a lab leak. Republicans have played up that conclusion as they’ve ramped up congressional probes of the virus’s origins and related issues — even as the Energy Department’s conclusion is described as “low confidence,” and intelligence agencies as a whole remain decidedly split on which theory is more likely.
There is no question that the lab leak theory is ascendant in Americans’ minds, despite the scientific community and some in the media having cast plenty of doubt upon it early on. But it’s also true that this has clearly been an attractive theory for many Americans for a long time.
The first big-name pollster to test this question was the Pew Research Center. It asked the question in mid-March 2020, shortly after the first covid deaths in the United States were reported. At the time, 43 percent believed the virus came about naturally, but about 3 in 10 thought it was created either intentionally or accidentally in a lab. And as soon as a few months later, those views were effectively tied in Americans’ minds in another poll in September 2020, after President Donald Trump and others had promoted the theory. A Public Religion Research Institute poll then showed 50 percent thought it was developed intentionally in a lab, while 49 percent thought it developed naturally.
snip
How the covid lab leak became the American public's predominant theory
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/16/lab-leak-theory-polling/https://archive.is/E9tVK
A view of the P4 lab inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology is seen after a visit by the World Health Organization team in China's Hubei province on Feb. 3, 2021. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
For the second time in a week, a new poll shows Americans leaning strongly toward the belief that the coronavirus leaked from a lab rather than occurring naturally. The Quinnipiac University poll shows Americans side with the former view by 64 percent to 22 percent. And just last week, an Economist/YouGov poll showed an even stronger split in favor of a lab leak: 66-16.
The polls come shortly after it was reported that the Energy Department concluded the virus was probably a function of a lab leak. Republicans have played up that conclusion as they’ve ramped up congressional probes of the virus’s origins and related issues — even as the Energy Department’s conclusion is described as “low confidence,” and intelligence agencies as a whole remain decidedly split on which theory is more likely.
There is no question that the lab leak theory is ascendant in Americans’ minds, despite the scientific community and some in the media having cast plenty of doubt upon it early on. But it’s also true that this has clearly been an attractive theory for many Americans for a long time.
The first big-name pollster to test this question was the Pew Research Center. It asked the question in mid-March 2020, shortly after the first covid deaths in the United States were reported. At the time, 43 percent believed the virus came about naturally, but about 3 in 10 thought it was created either intentionally or accidentally in a lab. And as soon as a few months later, those views were effectively tied in Americans’ minds in another poll in September 2020, after President Donald Trump and others had promoted the theory. A Public Religion Research Institute poll then showed 50 percent thought it was developed intentionally in a lab, while 49 percent thought it developed naturally.
snip
March 17, 2023
https://globalextremism.org/post/youtubes-decision-to-reinstate-donald-trump-is-dangerous/
Once again we are witnessing a tech company put profit above the safety of its users and elections and democracies around the globe. The only thing surprising about YouTube’s decision to let Donald Trump return to the platform is that it’s last in line, especially given its history of weak and inconsistent enforcement of its content rules when it comes to the politically powerful. When YouTube suspended Trump two years ago after he incited a violent insurrection, they didn’t even remove his incendiary videos. They just wouldn’t let him add more, but the videos inciting protests, declaring that the 2020 election was rigged, and Trump’s demonizing language of marginalized communities have been available all along. With Trump’s 2.6 million followers, YouTube’s move to welcome him back shows its willingness to be complicit in the spread of hate and extremism. Especially with the 2024 elections around the corner, how can YouTube be so sure that “the risk of violence has decreased.” After all there was political violence, such as the brutal assault on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, around the midterms and major law enforcement agencies still cite white supremacy as the number one domestic terrorist threat – a movement that includes groups that were inspired to violence by Trump in the January 6 insurrection.
In addition to Trump’s content leading up to the Jan. 6th insurrection, the company has a track record of allowing hate and disinformation to spread on the platform. For instance, since the racist Buffalo shooting, the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, a conspiracy that has motivated both that killing and other mass murders and dozens of deaths around the world has proliferated on the platform. Other politicians who are also given a pass on YouTube are some of the most dangerous purveyors of the replacement theory. For example, Rep. Brian Babin of Texas has a channel where he posts his TV appearances, including this Newsmax clip where he blatantly pushes the conspiracy. Another example is JD Vance of Ohio who posts his political ads, including this one that asks viewers if they hate Mexicans. None of these videos are flagged. One reason for this is YouTube’s misguided policy on politicians which allows violative content to remain if YouTube deems it educational, documentary/news, scientific or of artistic value. The implications of this decision are far-reaching, and will inspire authoritarian-leaning political figures around the world to continue using YouTube to build their hate-filled campaigns.
Politicians aren’t the only ones who get a pass. The extreme far-right purveyors of the replacement theory like Generation Identity (GI), a transnational white supremacist network that specifically targets young people for recruitment, have dozens of YouTube channels with hundreds of videos, some monetized.
YouTube needs to clean up its act. And the decision to let Trump back on is a step in the wrong direction. The bottom line is that Trump is a proven dangerous threat to our democracy. If that’s not enough for YouTube to continue to ban him, then what is? YouTube, like Facebook and Twitter under Elon Musk, has made a decision that could cause irreversible harm to democracies everywhere.
snip
YouTube's Decision to Reinstate Donald Trump is Dangerous
https://globalextremism.org/post/youtubes-decision-to-reinstate-donald-trump-is-dangerous/
Once again we are witnessing a tech company put profit above the safety of its users and elections and democracies around the globe. The only thing surprising about YouTube’s decision to let Donald Trump return to the platform is that it’s last in line, especially given its history of weak and inconsistent enforcement of its content rules when it comes to the politically powerful. When YouTube suspended Trump two years ago after he incited a violent insurrection, they didn’t even remove his incendiary videos. They just wouldn’t let him add more, but the videos inciting protests, declaring that the 2020 election was rigged, and Trump’s demonizing language of marginalized communities have been available all along. With Trump’s 2.6 million followers, YouTube’s move to welcome him back shows its willingness to be complicit in the spread of hate and extremism. Especially with the 2024 elections around the corner, how can YouTube be so sure that “the risk of violence has decreased.” After all there was political violence, such as the brutal assault on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, around the midterms and major law enforcement agencies still cite white supremacy as the number one domestic terrorist threat – a movement that includes groups that were inspired to violence by Trump in the January 6 insurrection.
In addition to Trump’s content leading up to the Jan. 6th insurrection, the company has a track record of allowing hate and disinformation to spread on the platform. For instance, since the racist Buffalo shooting, the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, a conspiracy that has motivated both that killing and other mass murders and dozens of deaths around the world has proliferated on the platform. Other politicians who are also given a pass on YouTube are some of the most dangerous purveyors of the replacement theory. For example, Rep. Brian Babin of Texas has a channel where he posts his TV appearances, including this Newsmax clip where he blatantly pushes the conspiracy. Another example is JD Vance of Ohio who posts his political ads, including this one that asks viewers if they hate Mexicans. None of these videos are flagged. One reason for this is YouTube’s misguided policy on politicians which allows violative content to remain if YouTube deems it educational, documentary/news, scientific or of artistic value. The implications of this decision are far-reaching, and will inspire authoritarian-leaning political figures around the world to continue using YouTube to build their hate-filled campaigns.
Politicians aren’t the only ones who get a pass. The extreme far-right purveyors of the replacement theory like Generation Identity (GI), a transnational white supremacist network that specifically targets young people for recruitment, have dozens of YouTube channels with hundreds of videos, some monetized.
YouTube needs to clean up its act. And the decision to let Trump back on is a step in the wrong direction. The bottom line is that Trump is a proven dangerous threat to our democracy. If that’s not enough for YouTube to continue to ban him, then what is? YouTube, like Facebook and Twitter under Elon Musk, has made a decision that could cause irreversible harm to democracies everywhere.
snip
March 17, 2023
Trump is looking/sounding as unhinged and desperate as I have ever seen him (MSNBC showed new vids)
March 17, 2023
Chicago mayoral election: Vallas supporters disrupt Johnson presser criticizing his education record
video at the link
https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-mayoral-election-brandon-johnson-paul-vallas-public-schools/12964351/
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Paul Vallas' education record came under fire from Brandon Johnson Thursday in a news conference that was disrupted by some of Vallas' supporters.
Johnson went after Vallas in the presser at Rainbow PUSH headquarters with the help of supporters from Philadelphia and New Orleans, where Vallas ran the public school systems after leaving Chicago Public Schools in 2001.
"We still are in Philadelphia trying to recover a school district that was destroyed years ago. The buck stops here," said Kendra Brooks, Philadelphia City Council member.
"Here's one thing I need to make sure that we're clear about: not just our belief in public education, but to make sure that we are investing in public education," Johnson said. When Vallas supporters tried to ask questions on his behalf and then take over the microphone, Johnson's supporters chanted them down. Police were called, but there were no arrests.
snip
March 17, 2023
https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/3/16/23642927/supreme-court-abortion-matthew-kacsmaryk-mifepristone-texas-trump
If you’ve followed the fight over where and whether abortion should remain legal in the United States, you’ve probably heard the name “Matthew Kacsmaryk.” Kacsmaryk is a former lawyer for a religious right law firm, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to a federal court in Texas. He is widely expected to issue a decision ordering the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of mifepristone, a medication used in more than half of all abortions within the United States.
The Trump judge held a hearing on Wednesday to hear arguments in a case seeking to remove the widely used drug from the US marketplace, and a Washington Post reporter at the hearing says that he “appeared to seriously entertain claims that mifepristone is unsafe.” That won’t surprise anyone familiar with this judge’s record of partisan rulings.
https://twitter.com/CAKitchener/status/1636076762533617667
Make no mistake, there is no legal basis whatsoever for a federal judge to endorse a lawsuit trying to ban this medication, which has been lawful in the United States since 2000. But if Kacsmaryk rules as he is expected to rule in this lawsuit, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, that will immediately test whether the rule of law still exists in a judiciary dominated by Republican appointees.
Here’s what happens next in the federal court system: There will likely be two parallel appeals processes — a relatively quick process seeking to temporarily block Kacsmaryk’s order, and then a much more drawn-out process seeking to permanently reverse his decision.
snip
Will anybody stop that Trump judge from banning abortion pills?
The federal courts are dominated by Republicans, so the appeals process could be rough.https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/3/16/23642927/supreme-court-abortion-matthew-kacsmaryk-mifepristone-texas-trump
If you’ve followed the fight over where and whether abortion should remain legal in the United States, you’ve probably heard the name “Matthew Kacsmaryk.” Kacsmaryk is a former lawyer for a religious right law firm, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to a federal court in Texas. He is widely expected to issue a decision ordering the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of mifepristone, a medication used in more than half of all abortions within the United States.
The Trump judge held a hearing on Wednesday to hear arguments in a case seeking to remove the widely used drug from the US marketplace, and a Washington Post reporter at the hearing says that he “appeared to seriously entertain claims that mifepristone is unsafe.” That won’t surprise anyone familiar with this judge’s record of partisan rulings.
https://twitter.com/CAKitchener/status/1636076762533617667
Make no mistake, there is no legal basis whatsoever for a federal judge to endorse a lawsuit trying to ban this medication, which has been lawful in the United States since 2000. But if Kacsmaryk rules as he is expected to rule in this lawsuit, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, that will immediately test whether the rule of law still exists in a judiciary dominated by Republican appointees.
Here’s what happens next in the federal court system: There will likely be two parallel appeals processes — a relatively quick process seeking to temporarily block Kacsmaryk’s order, and then a much more drawn-out process seeking to permanently reverse his decision.
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