Under Obama, federal rules pushed universities to build new bureaucracies to address sexual misconduct. Trump is doubling down on that tactic for antisemitism claims.

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Hundreds of AI-powered automated license plate reading cameras paid for by Lowes and Home Depot and stationed in the hardware stores parking lots are being fed into a massive surveillance system that law enforcement can access, according to records obtained using a public records request.The records, obtained from the Johnson County, Texas Sheriffs Office by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and shared with 404 Media, show the sheriffs office is able to tap into Flock license plate reading cameras at 173 different Lowes locations around the U.S. and that it can tap into cameras and gunshot-detecting microphones at dozens of Home Depot stores within Texas. The records are the latest to shed light on how expansive Flocks surveillance network has become, and highlights that it includes cameras that are operated by both police and private businesses.What we're learning is that two of the country's most popular home improvement stores are contributing to the massive surveillance dragnet coordinated by Flock Safety, Dave Maass, director of investigations at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told 404 Media. Do customers know that these stores are collecting their data and sharing indiscriminately? Probably not. Have these companies given thought about how this data might put their customers in danger, whether it's cops stalking their exes or aggressive ICE agents targeting yard workers? Probably not. If these companies want customers to feel safe in their homes, then they should make sure they're also safe where they buy their supplies."Flocks automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras are stationed along roads or at entrances to parking lots around the United States, and constantly scan the license plates of cars that drive by. Because there are Flock cameras around the country, Flock often has a snapshot of peoples movements which police can search, typically without a warrant.Government agencies that have Flock cameras can choose to contribute their data to either a statewide or nationwide network, meaning cops around the state or country can access them. Flock told 404 Media that Flock cameras operated by private companies have more restrictive sharing options.Flock said data sharing from private businesses to law enforcement is on a one-to-one basis, and that private businesses do not have national or statewide sharing options in the same way a law enforcement agency might. In other words, each business and agency would need to enter a data sharing relationship, according to Flock. Flock said that private businesses do not have access to law enforcement data.Because the Johnson County Sheriffs Office has access to Flock device data at hundreds of Lowes and Home Depot stores according to the public records, this means that both Home Depot and Lowes have some sort of arrangement, or multiple arrangements, with police to share access to their data at scale. Flock said that security teams at companies will sometimes work with law enforcement agencies on a regional basis but did not provide specifics on what those collaborations look like.Lowes did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the Johnson County Sheriffs Office.We have many initiatives in place to mitigate [retail crime] including human and technology resources to make theft in our stores more difficult, close partnerships with law enforcement and significant efforts working with federal and state task forces to fight this problem, a Home Depot spokesperson told 404 Media. We dont comment on specific security measures which would give criminals a roadmap to our practices. Home Depot did not respond to follow-up questions about the specifics of any Flock data sharing deal it may have with law enforcement.Do you know anything more about data sharing practices between private companies and the cops? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at jason.404. Otherwise, send me an email at jason@404media.co.Home Depots privacy policy notes that it uses ALPR cameras, and says it shares data with third parties For the purposes of (1) ensuring the safety and security of our customers, associates and third parties, (2) protecting our rights and property and the rights and property of our customers, associates and third parties, (3) complying with legal processes, or (4) satisfying other legal requirements.As we have previously reported, police generally do not get a warrant to search Flock cameras, and have a wide latitude to use the system to look up license plates. In June, we reported on a casual interagency law enforcement group in Oregon where police analysts offered to run searches for other agencies that did not have access to Flock. We have also reported that police around the country have done Flock searches for what they claim to be immigration enforcement or to help with specific ICE investigations, even though ICE does not have a contract with Flock. This is particularly notable considering that several high-profile ICE raids have taken place near Home Depot and Lowes stores.The Home Depot spokesperson said We arent notified that ICE activities are going to happen, were not involved in them, and in many cases, we don't know that arrests have taken place until after they're over. Were required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where we operate. In addition, I can confirm that ICE has no access to Flock data. The spokesperson did not respond to follow up questions about ICEs side-door access to Flock.Both Home Depot and Lowes have been using Flock cameras for years, but specifics about the extent to which they contribute to Flocks larger surveillance system has not been reported. Forbes previously reported that companies such as FedEx, Lowes, and the countrys biggest mall owner Simon Property are Flock customers. Reporters at several local media outlets have noticed Flocks license plate reading cameras in store parking lots and Flock has published case studies about crimes targeting Lowes and Home Depot that its cameras were used to solve. In March, Flock said that police arrested seven men accused of a $20 million Home Depot and Lowes gift card scam partly due to evidence provided through video cameras set up throughout these Lowes and Home Depot locations.The EFFs public records requests are focused on trying to obtain a list of all of the Flock cameras that different police departments have access to. In this case, the organization received a 173-page document that lists thousands of different entities that are searchable by the Johnson County Sheriffs Office.While this is just a snapshot of the cameras that a single law enforcement office in Texas can search, it reveals quite a lot about Flocks larger presence, and the entities that provide data to Flocks law enforcement users. Flock allows its customers to customize their camera sharing options. For example, police departments can choose to contribute to a statewide network meaning that other police departments in the state can search records of cars that drive by their cameras, or they can contribute to a nationwide network, meaning police departments around the country can search these records.Therefore, it is notable that Johnson County has access to Lowes Flock cameras from outside of Texas, which means that many Lowes stores are sharing access to their cameras to law enforcement across state lines. For example, it has access to cameras from Lowes store #0052, which is located in Danville, Illinois; Lowes store #0215 in Terre Haute, Indiana; Lowes store #0245 in Forsyth, Illinois; Lowes store #2305 in Rochester Hills, Michigan; and hundreds of others.Johnson County only has access to Home Depot stores from within Texas, suggesting that the company may only be sharing to agencies within the state that a store operates.The documents obtained by the EFF also show that Home Depot has enabled the companys Hotlist Tool, which allows police to add specific wanted license plates to a list. When a car on this list drives past a Flock Camera, the system can send an alert: Flock Safetys HotList alerts law enforcement in real time when a wanted vehicle is detected, a blog post about the feature states.Privately-owned cameras can be added to the LPR network, provided the private customer opts in and has an MOU agreement signed with their local law enforcement agency, the post adds. This partnership is a critical piece of our mission to shape a safer futurenot just by solving crime, but preventing it.None of the Lowes cameras listed in the documents the EFF obtained have the Hotlist feature enabled, while all of the Home Depot ones do. Several Home Depot stores have also connected Flocks gunshot detection technology, called Raven, to the system, the documents show.On the lossprevention subreddit, people claiming to be employees of Lowes and Home Depot have discussed using them at their stores: fucking love flock, one poster claiming to be a Home Depot employee said in a thread last year. Lowes APA [asset protection associate] here, another poster said. Its fun technology. Love getting alerts to my phone when Im walking the floor that a plate thats been flagged has entered the parking lot.Lowes and Home Depots contributions to Flocks surveillance system shows how private entities are increasingly sharing automated surveillance with law enforcement at scale. It also shows that Flocks own network does not only encompass cameras from police departments, but can at times be a public-private partnership between police and retail stores. This model, where retail stores proactively give surveillance footage or other surveillance data to police, is becoming more common. For example, a series of shopping malls provide access to their Vigilant ALPR cameras (a Flock competitor) to police.Joseph Cox contributed reporting.

Congress website for the U.S. Constitution was changed to delete the last two sections of Article I, which include provisions such as habeas corpus, forbidding the naming of titles of nobility, and forbidding foreign emoluments for U.S. officials.The last full version of the webpage, archived by the Internet Archive on July 17, still included the now-deleted sections. Parts of Section 8 of Article I, as well as all of Sections 9 and 10 of Article I are now gone from the live site. The deletions, as of August 6, are also archived here. The change was spotted by users on Lemmy, an open-source aggregation platform and forum.This webpage, maintained by the U.S. government, hasnt changed significantly in the entire time its been saved by the Internet Archives Wayback Machinesince 2019. The page for the Constitution on the National Archives website remains unchanged, and shows the entire document.The removed portion begins halfway through Section 8. It includes:To provide and maintain a Navy;To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;AndTo make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.Section 9The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.Section 10No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.As people in the Lemmy forum conversation note, this could be a glitch, or some kind of error with the site. But considering the page doesnt include many dynamic elements, and is mainly a text reprinting of the Constitution, a nearly 240-year-old document that hasnt changed since the addition of the 27th Amendment in 1992and that the page itself has barely changed at all in the six years its been archivedits a noteworthy and sudden move.The Trump administration does not have any control over Congressional websites, but the sudden disappearance of important parts of the Constitution is happening in the context of a broader government war on information.Since the Trump administration took office, official federal government websites with public information have come under attack, being taken offline entirely or altered to reflect this administrations values. This has included critical information promoting vaccines, HIV care, reproductive health options including abortion, and trans and gender confirmation healthcare being purged from the CDCs live website, thousands of datasets disappearing from Data.gov, and the scrubbing of various documents, employee handbooks, Slack bots, and job listings across government agencies. Some deleted pages across the government were restored following a court order, but the administration then added a note rejecting gender ideology to some of them.Habeas corpus, which is among the now-deleted provisions on the Constitution webpage, allows people to challenge their imprisonment before a judge. In May, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said before a congressional committee that Trump can remove the Constitutional provision of habeas corpus, calling it a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country and suspend their rights. Trump has said hes considering suspending habeas corpus for people detained by ICE.Thats incorrect, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan replied to Noem, calling habeas corpus the foundational right that separates free societies like America from police states like North Korea.

Scientists have discovered million-year-old artifacts made by a mysterious group of early humans on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, according to a breakthrough study published on Wednesday in Nature.The extraordinary find pushes the archaeological record of Sulawesi back by about 800,000 years, and confirms that hominins, the broader family to which humans belong, crossed treacherous ocean passages to reach the island, where they crafted simple tools.The tool-makers may have been related to a group of archaic humansnicknamed hobbits for their short staturethat lived on nearby Flores Island. But while the hobbits left behind skeletal remains, no fossils from the Sulawesi group have been unearthed. The tools, found at a site called Calio in South Sulawesi, are the only record of their existence for now.The discovery of these ancient stone tools at Calio is another important piece of the puzzle in our understanding of the movements of early hominins from the edge of the Asian landmass into the isolated zone of islands known as Wallacea, said Adam Brumm, a professor of archaeology at Griffith University and a co-author of the new study, in an email.A major question remaining is the identity of the archaic humans of Sulawesi, he added, noting that they might be Homo erectus, or descendents of this influential early human species that migrated from Africa to Asia. But until we have their fossils, who they were will remain a mystery. Stone tools dated to over 1.04 million-years-old, scale bars are 10mm. Image: M W MooreThe discovery was made by Budianto Budi Hakim, an Indonesian archaeologist who has spent decades searching for traces of archaic humans in Sulawesi. Hakim spotted one of the artifacts while scouring the regions sandstone outcrops, prompting an excavation that unearthed a total of seven flaked tools crafted from chert rock. The remains of extinct elephants and pigs were also found in the sedimentary layers at the site, hinting at an ancient origin.The team used two independent methods to date the tools, both of which placed their age at a minimum of 1.04 million years old, making the artifacts the earliest evidence for hominin occupation of Sulawesi by far.Budi has been searching for this evidence for much of his life, so it is very exciting indeed, said Brumm. But it is not so surprising that we now have evidence for hominins on Sulawesi by one million years ago; we have long suspected that there had been a very deep history of human occupation of this island based on the discovery (in 2010) of stone tools on Flores to the south that date to at least a million years ago. Sulawesi was probably where the first hominins to set foot on Flores actually came from, so it made sense to us that the human presence on Sulawesi would go back at least as far as a million years, if not considerably earlier.And personally, it did not surprise me that Budi unearthed this new find, he continued. He is a renowned figure in Indonesian archaeology and undoubtedly has the golden touch.The tools are sharp-edged flakes that were probably cut from larger rocks obtained from a nearby river channel. Like many tools made by hominins across time and regions, they would have been useful for cutting and scraping materials, though their exact purpose is unknown.The tools cant tell us very much about the behaviour or cognitive capacities of these early humans, other than that they were tool-makers who clearly understood how to choose stones with suitable properties and to fracture them in a controlled way to produce a supply of usable tools, explained Brumm. Over the past 2.5 million years, many different hominin species (including our own, Homo sapiens) have made stone tools that are essentially indistinguishable from the Sulawesi tools.In addition to their mysterious identity, it is unclear how these early humans crossed ocean waters to reach these island shores, given that the shortest distance between the Asian mainland and Sulawesi would have been 30 miles, at minimum.This is too far to swim (in any case the ocean currents are too strong), Brumm explained. It is also very unlikely these archaic hominins had the cognitive ability to develop watercraft that were capable of making sea voyages, or indeed of the advanced planning required to gather resources and set sail over the horizon to an unseen land.Most likely, they crossed to Sulawesi from the Asian mainland in the same way rodents and monkeys are suspected to have done; that is, by accident, perhaps as castaways on natural rafts of floating vegetation, he concluded.Its incredible to imagine these early humans getting caught up in tides or currents, perhaps stranded at sea for days, only to serendipitously wash up on a vast island that would become home to untold generations. Hakim, Brumm, and their colleagues hope to find more evidence of this long-lost population in the coming years, but for now, the stone tools offer a rare window into the lives of these accidental seafarers and their descendants.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02506-wFar from being relics of the past, atomic bombs must be managed as the embodiments of human-made catastrophe that they are.

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Every atrocity in history begins with someone deciding who counts as a human. Marcus AureliusFor an almost incalculable number of years spanning centuries (including more modern times), tensions between Arabs and Jews have spilled over from the Middle East into the streets and onto college and university campuses in the United States and throughout the world. Related Lets end the blaming and break the Palestinian-Israeli impasse as We the People Heres a plan for getting past the blame and starting an era of peace based on fairness and humanity. This overt tension has been most particularly profound since Hamas attacked and invaded southern Israel during a youth concert for peace on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people of several nationalities, wounding many more, and kidnapping an estimated 250 hostages.Since the incursion, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reportedly killed over 65,000 Palestinians and starved many more within the Gaza Strip and on the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River territory, including mainly innocent civilians who were not involved in the October 7 attack. The bombing of medical facilities, homes, and other shelters has caused severe conditions, including the depletion of food, drinking water, and fuel, as well as rampant disease. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Do Netanyahu and his governments policies and actions toward the Palestinian people mirror the oppressive treatment Jews have suffered for literally 3,000 years? Are these policies actually self-defeating for the nation of Israel?The history of the Middle East, and especially between Palestinians and Jews, abounds with blame, recrimination, retaliation, and a perpetual, escalating cycle of mistrust and violence. And there is indeed plenty of justifiable blame to go around on multiple levels and sides.But as we blame and blame and blame and then expect different results we are certainly left with insanity resulting in increasing tensions, violence, death, and the possibility of an ever-widening breakout of war and destruction.If one views the conflict, however, as a binary with either the Palestinians or the Israelis as either the victims only or the oppressors only, then one does not fully understand the histories or the issues. We must, instead, think in more nuanced and non-binary ways. Benjamin Netanyahu, a warlord with no interest in peaceBenjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, addresses the U.S. Congress on July 24, 2024 in Washington. | Josh Morgan / USA TODAY NETWORK via iMAGN imagesIn 2015, only hours after the Likud Partys won the most seats in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) 30 seats, compared to the 24 seats won by the partys closest competitor, the Zionist Union Party (formerly the Labor Party) the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the U.S. sent an email message to millions of U.S. residents congratulating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the outcome, which would result in his re-election for a fourth term. The announcement included a congratulatory petition for people to sign, and stated in part, The people of Israel have spoken: Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu was just reelected to office, in a sweeping victory for those who value freedom and democracy around the world.In 2022, the Republican Party issued a similar response after Netanyahu, the Likud partys continuing leader, secured a clear parliamentary majority with his right-wing and religious allies, ending a period of political stalemate and allowing him to return to the premiership for an unprecedented sixth term. Republicans celebrated the victory, and many of them had consistently expressed strong support for Netanyahu and the state of Israel.Yes, the 2015 election was a sweeping victory, but not for those of us who truly value freedom and democracy around the world. Right-wing politicians who run and rule by fear and division stand as the only winners in this travesty: those hardliners who promote intolerance, hatred, xenophobia, and racism those deciding who counts as a human, as to Marcus Aurelius would say. Israels policies still embolden the terrorist state of Iran and its proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis) to further threaten and attack Israel and Western countries in Europe and the United States.Only four days prior to the 2015 election, Netanyahu and his Likud Party were trailing in the polls. Just 48 hours before the election, Netanyahu, as a last-ditch desperate effort, finally told his truth: that he would never support the establishment of a Palestinian state on his watch, while supporting the increase of Israelis so-called settlements on the West Bank.Netanyahu-watchers had long suspected his disingenuous interest in a two-state solution.In his campaign, Netanyahu turned Israeli democracy into a platform of hate and suspicion by warning his right-wing supporters that the opposition parties had been busing legally registered and politically left-leaning Israeli Arabs to the polls in droves.Over the entirety of Netanyahus rule, we have seen that his brand of extremism is based on divisions, which is a terrible thing for Israel, for the Middle East, and for the world. Netanyahu speaks directly in racist terms about Palestinians. He rarely uses the dog whistle of talking in coded language.Members of Netanyahus ruling coalition promoteno real alternatives to negotiated settlements other than war. To remain in power, Netanyahu talks tough to exert his brand of hyper-masculine bravado, just like every other warlord going back through time. One does not have to ride a horse shirtless and order the invasion of Ukraine like Russian President Vladimir Putin to fall into this category.Benjamin Netanyahu does not seek peaceful means to resolve conflict. What was true from ancient times remains true today, from the ancient Persians, Assyrians, Canaanites, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, Celts, Scandinavians, Christian Crusaders, Ottomans, Islamic Jihadists, Fascists, Nazis, nationalists and neo-nationalists of every stripe: Warlords dont have use for peace because peace doesnt have use for warlords.Has the abused child become the child abuser?Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents, which were hit from an Israeli airstrike, inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital compound, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Sep 27, 2024 | Shutterstock Scan the psychological literature and youll find numerous case studies of abused children who grow to become child abusers those tormented children eventually become tormentors themselves.On the other hand, other studies document abused children who eventually stopped the cycle of abuse as adults some who work to make the world physically and psychologically safer for everyone. I have to ask myself, Have some of us taken on the characteristics of our abusers by perpetuating the abuse? And what role does internalized oppression play in this equation?Do Netanyahu and his governments policies and actions toward the Palestinian people mirror the oppressive treatment Jews have suffered for literally 3,000 years? Are these policies actually self-defeating for the nation of Israel?Israels murder of innocent civilians and humanitarian atrocities has turned Israel into a pariah nation around the world!Netanyahu and his governments current course have threatened the viability of the release of Hamass Israeli hostages. The current course could further destroy the possibility of enacting theAbraham Accords, a treaty for mutual cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors.Although recently weakened by Israeli attacks, Israels policies still embolden the terrorist state of Iran and its proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis) to further threaten and attack Israel and Western countries in Europe and the United States. And Israels policies could push the more moderate Arab states such as Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others to move closer politically and ideologically into Irans arms.Israels policies have furthered Netanyahus goal of killing, at least for the near future, the possible creation of a safe and stable Palestinian homeland, which, ironically, if implemented, could help to guarantee Israels security needs too.The resulting humanitarian crisis has further distanced the remainder of the world from supporting Israel, while ensuring even more mass protests around the world against the mass casualties inflicted by the Israel Defense Forces on civilian populations in Gaze and the West Bank even larger than the ones we saw during the past few years on college and university campuses and in cities.Israels murder of innocent civilians and humanitarian atrocities has turned Israel into a pariah nation around the world! A concentration camp by any other nameDisplaced Palestinians in Al-Mawasi crowd to get rice meals from (Al-Takiya) due to the lack of flour and also the lack of entry of aid, in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 29, 2024 | ShutterstockA concentration camp is a camp in which people are imprisoned or confined, commonly in large groups, without trial. Usually, those people belong to groups the government does not like.Throughout the collective history of concentration camps, we can identity some general conditions: brutal working conditions, insufficient supplies of food, clean water, sanitation, rampant disease, inadequate medical services and medications, lack of freedom of movement outside the limits imposed by occupying forces, rescinded human and civil rights, and in many instances, military incursions, armaments, bombardments, and death.When the topic of concentration camps arises, most people think of the series of armed encampments constructed and maintained under the Nazi regime in Germany and throughout its conquered territories during the 1930s until the end of World War II in 1945.The establishment of concentration camps constructed to constrain the Palestinian people has been a complex process.Some were designated as forced hard labor encampments, while the Nazis constructed others as massive death factories for the murder of those the regime considered undesirable. The first of these was Camp Dachau, set up in March 1933 on the heels of Hitlers ascension to power.Here, the Nazi authorities and military personnel searched for, arrested, and imprisoned individuals and groups that the regime regarded as enemies of the state and as antithetical to the goals of Nazism people such as communists, socialists, and Jehovahs Witnesses, and those it defined as racially impure, non-Aryan, subhuman, including Jews, male homosexuals, Roma and Sinti, people with disabilities, and others.While these are arguably the most widely known concentration camps, the history of concentration camps is much more extensive than we might think. Governments set up encampments in differing forms and configurations, calling them different names for example, reeducation camps, internment camps, ghettos, prison campus, work camps, death camps, relocation camps, gulags, detention camps, and many others.To paraphrase The Bard, A concentration camp by any other name is still as horrific. Are there any hopes for peace inside Gaza and the West Bank? | ShutterstockAs a queer person and primarily as a Jew it hurts me to feel compelled and justified in listing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River not as virtual concentration camps, but instead as actual ones, because these areas meet most of the conditions for concentration camps listed above.As Jews with our long and tortured history of forced conversion, expulsion from our lands, and eventual murder we should by now understand the concept of oppression by committing to a moral mandate of never treating people as we were so cruelly and brutally treated.Never again must also apply to Israels murder of civilians in the Gaza Strip and to the theft of land in the West Bank by so-called setters, which is simply a sanitized name for Jewish extremist land thieves.The United States and other Western nations have, for the most part, provided Israel with unconditional support through their shipments of armaments, other goods, and funds during times of peace and war. The establishment of concentration camps constructed to constrain the Palestinian people has been a complex process. As the various forms of camps established by several governments through time, each one remains somewhat distinct, but all are in so many ways and forms very similar.There is an unlimited amount of blame to go around. The process in the establishment of the modern state of Israel by the western powers with the United Nation was tilted against the best interests and needs of the Palestinian people.Israeli governments, past and present, created tight quarters for the millions of Palestinians. The Israeli government has severely restricted essential goods, services, and humanitarian aid from entering the Strip, has blockaded coastal ports, and has bombed and destroyed residential areas, killing thousands of innocents during hostile times. The Hamas governing body has remained intransigent by refusing to recognize the state of Israel. Hamas has continued to lob missiles into Israeli territories, killing and injuring many over the years. Hamas has also refused to negotiate in good faith with Israeli officials to attain a sustained peace settlement.Hamas has manipulated its own civilians as human shields from Israeli bullets and bombs. It has squandered incoming aid for its own uses by building underground tunnel shelters for its fighters and diverting funds intended for humanitarian relief for the purchase of armaments rather than food, shelter, and medicine.Most other Arab nations have subsequently abandoned the plight of the Palestinian people over the many years of struggle. The United States and other Western nations have, for the most part, provided Israel with unconditional support through their shipments of armaments, other goods, and funds during times of peace and war. These governments have placed insufficient pressure on Israel to proceed both with restraint and plans to negotiate for the eventual freedom for the Palestinian people, in either a one-state democratically free country or a two-state solution.When the peoples of three monotheistic religious groups claim these highly contested territories astheirown God-given inheritance, it seems the only thing holy that can possibly come from the so-called Holy Lands is that throughout millennia, warring factions have created holy hell there.And as the cycle continues, so too does the killing on every side, with each side evoking the name of their God.For, in the insightful words of the great Mark Twain, History doesnt repeat itself, but It often rhymes.A central tenet of Jewish tradition isTikkun Olam, meaning the transformation, healing, and repairing of the world so that it becomes a more just, peaceful, nurturing, and perfect place. I ask us, then, to join and go out into our lives, and work forTikkun Olam. Let the abuse stop here.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded to criticism he received for comments he made about transgender peoples participation in sports. Buttigieg got mixed reactions for his discussion of transgender sports bans last month in an interview with NPRs Morning Edition. He said that the issue should be approached with compassion for transgender people and empathy for people who are not sure what all of this means for them. Related The Supreme Court will hear trans sports ban cases, which could spell doom for trans rights The conservative Court will have to decide if trans women are legally women. This could lead to segregation for trans people. He said that the issue raises serious fairness issues that pro-LGBTQ+ advocates should address but that the issue should ultimately be left up to sports leagues and school boards and not politicians least of all politicians in Washington trying to use this as a political pawn. He also said that there is nuance in the issue, that different sports may need different rules for transgender participation and that school sports are different from adult professional or amateur sports. He faced criticism from some on the left for saying that there are serious fairness issues at play here, while others praised his stance for laying out opposition to federal or blanket bans on trans people playing sports. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The issue came up again in a recent interview with TikTok influencer Aaron Parnas, who said that Buttigieg received some pushback within the Democratic Party.Whats your response to folks who say you kind of played into a wedge issue for Republicans, that this isnt an issue impacting the overwhelming majority of Americans and its one that ultimately kind of leaves trans Americans behind? Parnas asked.Well, again, I think we do need to lead with compassion on this, Buttigieg responded, saying that the issue is usually just brought up to divide. Its especially hurtful for trans people and people with transgender members of their family who witness themselves or people they love being used as a political football. And, look, there have always been attempts in politics to get ahead by demonizing or dismissing entire groups of people, he continued, adding that the current administration is demonizing one of the most vulnerable minorities in this country.Parents who have questions or people who wonder what this means, if this comes up, for example, in the context of a sports league that they or a family member is playing in Its extremely rare, but when it happens, theyre going to have questions about how to make sure that thats fair. And we should take those questions seriously and face those together.He then repeated that the issue should be handled by communities and by sports leagues and not by politicians.Buttigiegs response follows that from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who said in March that trans people participating in sports is deeply unfair. Newsom discussed the issue again in July, explaining more about how he came to that conclusion, admitting that it was good human beings as opposed to conservatives he talked to who were concerned about it and who pushed him to take a stance against trans peoples participation in sports. Newsom has a long record of supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and Buttigieg himself is gay, but the issue of sports participation seems to be one that prominent Democrats are either not discussing or taking a more conservative approach to. A 2024 YouGov poll asked adult Americans their positions on 20 different issues related to transgender peoples rights. Trans youths access to gender-affirming care and sports participation were the issues that got the least support from the public. Hate crimes protections, employment discrimination protections, and military service got the most support. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02253-yExperiments reveal that high-energy plasma events in the Solar System and beyond might be driven by magnetic fluctuations and turbulence that happen on very small scales.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09194-6The science fiction science method simulates future technologies and collects quantitative data on the attitudes and behaviours of participants in various future scenarios, with the aim of predicting impacts of future technologies before they arrive.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09357-5A novel multistep strategy reveals how parent-of-origin effects shape complex traits in large-scale biobanks.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02255-wLithium in the brain has been found to protect against cognitive decline. Restoring lost lithium could be a new angle from which to tackle Alzheimers disease.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09359-3Estimating lateral subsidies by river and groundwater using a global hydrology model and incorporating them into the conventional global humidity index reduces aridity in the receiving lowlands and better explains ecosystem patterns.

"There's nothing better than seeing your kids do what they love to do best," Tkachuk said of his All-Star sons.

Documents examined by researchers show how one company in China has collected data on members of Congress and other influential Americans.

It feels like Im at a bougie store, but Im not paying bougie prices, one shopper said of the discount grocer, which is set to open hundreds of stores as consumers look to save and buy organic.

When his wife died, the paleontologist Barry James poured his grief into the reconstruction of a triceratops skeleton that they had started together.

WASHINGTONDescribing the shift as a troubling indicator for the health of the nations system of governance, watchdog group Freedom House published a report Wednesday downgrading the United States from a democracy to whatever political system lobsters have. Persistent executive overreach and erosion of civil liberties mean that America now looks less like a traditional federal republic and much more like whatever political label you might apply to a writhing pile of lobsters on the oceans floor, said policy expert Alan Beaumont, who stressed that declines in various democratic indices had reduced the country to a state closer to the underwater free-for-allthat could be described as the crustaceans political system. Our nation already passed the tipping point where we might hope to match the deliberative bicameral legislativeprocess of, say, shore crabs. At this juncture, theres just too much scuttling in American politics to call it anything other than a flawed lobster republic. Beaumont added that this reflected a broader national trend of democratic backsliding that left the government of places like El Salvador resembling whatever the hell barnacles are doing.The post Watchdog Group Downgrades U.S. From Democracy To Whatever Political System Lobsters Have appeared first on The Onion.

Rachel and John initially worried this purchase was a colossal mistake. The kitchen counters were literally just plywood, furniture was painted around, and the house was a bit of a disaster. But it was also weird in lots of good ways.READ MORE...

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While the number of reported hate crimes and the overall number of violent crimes in the U.S. decreased last year, advocates say the number of hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ Americans remains troublingly high.On Tuesday, August 5, the FBI released its annual report on crime statistics in the U.S., which showed that violent crime decreased by about 4.5% last year compared to 2023. Similarly, reported hate crimes were down by about 1.5% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Related HRC blames anti-LGBTQ+ politicians for national rise in hate crimes Hate crimes against us are not yet showing signs of subsiding, the Human Rights Campaign noted despite greater acceptance of queer people generally. That slight decrease, however, follows a record number of hate crimes reported in 2023. As Axios notes, the 2024 total is the second-highest since the FBI began tracking data on hate crimes.Similarly, reported incidents of hate crimes based on sexual orientation bias and gender identity bias only saw a slight drop in 2024. Of the 11,323 incidents of single-bias motivated crimes reported last year, 17.2% (1,950) were motivated by sexual-orientation bias. Thats down just under 1 percent from 2023. The drop in incidents motivated solely by gender identity bias was even less, from 492 (4.3%) reported in 2023 to 463 (4.1%) in 2024. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Of the 2,278 single-bias hate crime offenses based on sexual orientation reported last year, over half (51.8%) were classified as involving anti-gay male bias. While the overall number of sexual orientation-based hate crime offenses was down slightly from 2023s total of 2,402, the number of offenses involving anti-gay male bias was up from 49 percent in 2023.Offenses based on gender identity dropped only slightly as well, from 547 reported in 2023 to 527 in 2024. The number of anti-transgender offenses decreased from 401 to 382, while the number of offenses targeting gender-nonconforming people remained about the same. The 2024 numbers are based on data collected from 16,419 law enforcement agencies that participated in the FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Programs Hate Crime Statistics Data Collection. Of those agencies, only 19 percent reported incidents of hate crimes occurring in their jurisdictions in 2024. But as anti-violence advocates have long noted, police departments often significantly undercount the number of hate crimes due to bias or underreporting by queer people who may distrust law enforcement.Responding to the 2024 report on Tuesday, HRC President Kelley Robinson said the FBIs data reveals a national emergency hiding in plain sight, and laid the blame for the continued prevalence of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes at the feet of the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers across the country.Everyone deserves to be safe in this country and have the chance to thrive. But anti-equality politicians continue to spread lies about LGBTQ+ people, trying to push us out of more and more corners of society, Robinson said in a statement. Those smears come with a cost. The FBI has exposed a chilling reality: our community remains a target of violence and that is unacceptable. LGBTQ+ people, just like everyone else, should be free to live our lives, pursue our careers and education, build our homes and pursue our American Dreams, without the threat of violence hanging over our heads. This FBI data is clear: we need more support from our political leaders, not animosity and attacks that seek to demonize us.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

On this Jamaican Independence Day, a moment for celebration, reflection, and cultural pride, filmmaker and author Max-Arthur Mantle is boldly reclaiming the narrative around Jamaican queerness with his upcoming feature film, BATTY BWOY!. The film, currently in pre-production, is a groundbreaking cinematic project that centers the Black, queer Caribbean experience through the story of Mark [...]The post BATTY BWOY! is Bringing Queer Caribbean Stories to the Big Screen: A Defiant Love Letter to Jamaica on Independence Day first appeared on GLAAD.

When American Idol first aired in 2002, it didnt just launch a wave of pop stars, it quietly marked a moment of queer history. Among the shows earliest finalists was Jim Verraros, who would become one of the first openly gay contestants on a major reality competition series. At just 19, Verraros stepped into a [...]The post Idol Alum Jim Verraros is Ready to Reclaim the Spotlight with Brand New Music first appeared on GLAAD.

Emerald sequins, ruby shoes, and a flash of farm-country pride turned Hudson, New York, into its own Oz on June 21 as OutHudson, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life of Hudson and Columbia Countys LGBTQ+ community, rolled out the 15th-annual Columbia County Pride Parade and Festival. Marchers, floats, and brass bands spilled from 7th Street Park, followed the line of Warren Street, and finished at Promenade Hill, where the river view doubled as a technicolor backdrop for an afternoon party fueled by Hudson Brewing taps and Coopers Daughter cocktails.This years tagline, Theres No Place Like Hudson, proved prophetic. Crowds lined the route to cheer everything from drag queen Glindas to Madame Morrible lookalikes. Four Grand Marshals led the way, each flaunting a different facet of local queer life. Juilliard alum Pretty Woman, known for her monthly Queer Night and annual All The Bodies pride party, helped turn the party up, while drag personality Trixie Starr, who helped launch the first OutHudson parade in 2010, joined for another round of festivities. Brooklyn drag king and two-time Glam winner ShowPonii served black and emerald swagger, and hometown performer Girlgantua Jones gave us pink princess realness as Glinda.The theme inspired celebrations of fantasy, friendship, and fierce individuality. The party fully embraced all the glitz and glam of Oz, as well as the timeless queer connections of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Wiz and yes, of course, Wicked. Vendors and advocacy groups kept the post-parade lawn buzzing until sunset, proving once again that Hudson doesnt borrow big-city shine, but rather manufactures its own. If brains, heart, and courage are the measures, Pride 2025 showed this river town has all three in abundance, backed by a killer soundtrack.Scroll through to see some of our favorite highlights from this years event!

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09324-0Assessment of the stellar obliquities of a sample of resolved protoplanetary disk systems indicates that one-third of Sun-like stars are born with misaligned planet-forming disks, suggesting that the origin of starplanet configurations, including many misaligned planetary orbits, may be primordial.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09345-9Observations from laboratory experiments involving two flux ropes show that electron beams induce magnetic turbulence and abruptly merge into a single structure, altering the magnetic topology in the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) regime a process supported by three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09335-xLithium has an essential role in the brain and is deficient early in Alzheimers disease, which can be recapitulated in mice and treated with a novel lithium salt that restores the physiological level.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09378-0EpsteinBarr virus infection generates a neuroinvasive B cell subset, which recruits activated T cells to the central nervous system, promoting multiple sclerosis.

Nature, Published online: 06 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02471-4Studies in rodents and humans suggest that low levels of the metal contribute to cognitive decline.

Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles tendon in May in the semifinals vs. the New York Knicks, was at New England Patriots training camp on Wednesday without his walking boot.

Former world No. 1 and seven-time major singles champion Venus Williams said she was uncertain about her future beyond the upcoming US Open but teased she wasn't done with the sport just yet.

Rookie outfielder Roman Anthony and the Red Sox are finalizing an 8-year, $130 million extension that could escalate as high as $230 million, sources told ESPN.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb and others are near the top of Madden NFL 26's wide receiver rankings.

The gunman was quickly apprehended, the authorities said and a lockdown of the base was lifted.

Health care. Food. Outdoor recreation. Wildfire protection. The arts. President Trumps new domestic policy law will have wide-ranging effects in New Mexico, which depends heavily on federal funding.

Stu Sternberg used quantitative wizardry to turn the Tampa Bay Rays into a perennial contender. But the fans were the one equation he could never solve.

A radioactive wasp nest was discovered at a U.S. Department of Energy facility in South Carolina that was once involved in the production of parts for nuclear weapons. What do you think?Ill get my big broom.Phil Nemeth, Toll CollectorCant wait to see the media try to twist radioactive wasps into a bad thing.Mia Coates, Franchise GatekeeperRadioactive wasps have an important role to play in any post-apocalyptic ecosystem.Dave Munch, Fiddle InstructorThe post Radioactive Wasp Nest Discovered Near Nuclear Waste Storage Site appeared first on The Onion.

NEW YORKArguing that producers should consider their audience before catering to the whims of the woke internet mob, Fox News host Jesse Watters decried Tuesday the casting of an Indian man in the lead role of the film Sankranthiki Vasthunam. I dont know about you, but I like my Tollywood films all-American, said a visibly agitated Watters, claiming that DEI had ruined the Telugu-language action-comedy film that made waves this year in Indias second-largest film market. Why cast Daggubati Venkatesh when we all know they couldve just as easily gone with Chris Pratt? The role of Yadagari Damodara Raju has always been a white man, as far as Im concerned. And we all know Pratt has the chops to carry both the wild Tollywood action sequences and Rajus lively banter with his ex-girlfriend Meenakshi, who, for the record, shouldve been played by Scarlett Johansson. So unless every white actor from Hollywood to Hyderabad turned the role down, I dont see any reason why they needed to virtue signal with an Indian guy no one has heard of except for fans of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu. Watters went on to state that the makers of 2025s highest-grossing Telugu film would pay for their woke stunt at the box office.The post Fox News Decries Woke Casting Of Indian Man As Star Of Sankranthiki Vasthunam appeared first on The Onion.

CLEVELANDIn response to the rising cost of living, a lack of job options, and decreased educational opportunities, a consortium of leading mental health experts met this week and advised struggling Americans to try crying about it like a little baby. Whether inflation is making it hard for you to afford groceries or youre drowning in medical debt, we highly recommend you try bawling your eyes out and going wah wah wah, said Anthony Marlow, a psychologist at Case Western Reserve University who explained that just five minutes per day of wallowing in their problems and saying Im a poor widdle baby, Im a poor widdle baby could give distressed Americans a much-needed break. Instead of doomscrolling in bed, why not put down your phone, take a breath, and start whimpering about how the bank foreclosed on your home and youre soooo sad? Or if youre one of the millions of American feeling isolated and lonely, why not throw yourself a little pity party to feel better about being such an unlovable fucking loser? The psychologist went on to recommend that any mental health experts who disagreed with his advice go whine about it to their fucking mommy.The post Mental Health Experts Advise Struggling Americans To Try Crying About It Like Little Baby appeared first on The Onion.

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Donald Trump effectively named himself head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Summer Games on Tuesday, with the creation of a federal task force to oversee the XXXIV Olympiad. At the top of his agenda: barring transgender athletes from the event. Related Fencer takes a knee rather than compete against trans opponent USA Fencings decision to disqualify her has Martina Navratilova fuming. The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics, said Trump, who was disappointed with the reaction to his declaration from the officials and reporters assembled in the room. Only a few people then clapped, according to LeMonde.The president said there will be a very strong form of testing to determine the sex of athletes, adding, and if the test doesnt come out appropriately, then they wont be in the Olympics. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In one of many questions that seemed designed to curry favor with Trump and advance his anti-trans crusade, he was asked by another reporter variously identified by different media outlets as a correspondent from MAGA mouthpiece LindellTV or One America News Will the DOJ [Department of Justice] consider pressing charges against any man that tries to masquerade as a woman coming into this country to beat up American athletes?Trump replied, I would have to ask the attorney general about that.Question: Will the DOJ consider pressing charges against any man that tries to masquerade as a woman coming into this country to beat up American athletes? Trump: I would have to ask the attorney general about that pic.twitter.com/8MLBFFgdOA Acyn (@Acyn) August 5, 2025 Sex testing at the Olympics was discontinued at the Sydney 2000 games after decades of use that proved problematic.Gender screenings for a major sporting event were first used in 1966 at the European Track and Field Championships. They required women athletes to walk nude or almost nude before judges. Over the years, the gender testing evolved to physical/medical examinations and then chromosome tests.In reality, gender verification tests are difficult, expensive, and potentially inaccurate, Myron Genel, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at the Yale School of Medicine told The Journal of the American Medical Association after the practice was discontinued in Sydney. The endocrinologist said the tests routinely misidentified women athletes born with relatively rare genetic abnormalities that affect the development of testes and ovaries, or the expression of secondary sexual characteristics. In short, the tests will likely prove that many of the cisgender female athletes have biological features that make them intersex.Some women, who usually have XX chromosomes, might have X and Y chromosomes, like men, yet their bodies are resistant to testosterone. They have testes, but usually they do not descend, and their external genitalia is entirely female, he explained. They are women, he said, but a chromosome test would reflect their genetic makeup as male.Ironically, men with a rare sex variation called Klinefelters Syndrome, who have two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome rather than the usual XY combination, would reflect a female genetic makeup because of their extra X chromosome. At the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, eight of 3,387 female athletes tested positive as men. Most were found to have testosterone resistance, and all were ultimately permitted to compete.Gender verification certificates came with the privilege. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to discontinue sex testing soon after.At the task force signing event, Trump praised Gene Sykes, chair of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) board of directors, for the USOPCs move to effectively bar trans women from competing in womens sports.The committee recently amended its athlete safety policy to suggest compliance with Trumps Keeping Men Out of Womens Sports directive issued in February. USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201, the policy reads.Following Trumps Olympic takeover, Fox News checked in with womens fencer Stephanie Turner, who made headlines earlier this year when she took a knee to protest an opponent she already knew was trans. Enforcement of this policy is going to be essential, Turner said.You cant rely on documentation anymore. You cant rely on a drivers license, you cant rely on birth certificates, because those can all be edited.During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Trump bullied cisgender Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, falsely claiming that shes transgender, even though no legitimate tests have proven the claim. His and other right-wing commentators claims of her trans identity led to worldwide online bullying and harassment against the boxer.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.