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☆ Israel president says judicial compromise 'closer' as protests escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday said a compromise in the government's judicial overhaul plan could be imminent even as protests against the reform continued to spread. In a statement late on Monday, Netanyahu criticised the threats to refuse military service, which he said endangered Israel's existence. "There is room for protest, there is room for disagreements, for expressing opinions, but there is no room for refusal." Herzog last month floated a compromise plan to spare the country what he described as a "constitutional collapse". The judicial overhaul plan, which has already received initial parliamentary approval, would give the government greater sway on selecting judges and limit the power of the Supreme Court to strike down legislation.

☆ Are Butterflies Wildlife? Depends Where You Live.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

The creatures are simply left out of state conservation statues, or their situation is ambiguous. “State agencies are really at the forefront of conservation for wildlife,” said Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society, a nonprofit group that advocates for insect conservation. Sometimes, aquatic insects come under the purview of state wildlife agencies. But across the states without insect authority, officials are often reluctant to broach adding it, Mr. Winton said. Seven of the states without insect conservation authority are in the West, which has felt the effects of climate change intensely.

☆ Idaho lawmakers are seriously considering absorbing Oregon's conservative rural counties if they can secede from the blue state
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Greater Idaho movement seeks to redraw state boundaries so rural Oregon can join Idaho. Moving the state boundary would require the approval of Oregon, Idaho, and the US Congress. Matt McCaw, a spokeperson for the group behind the Greater Idaho movement, told Insider they were confident the bill would pass Idaho's Senate in the coming weeks as well. McCaw said the Greater Idaho proposal would be a solution to the "longstanding problem" of the urban-rural divide. Proponents of Greater Idaho have said their plan is a way to avoid conflict, but it's unclear the impact moving the border would actually have.

East Palestine, Ohio CNN —Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw defended his company’s actions since the disaster caused by the derailment of one of its trains in East Palestine, Ohio, and promised the railroad will pay for the cleanup. “Norfolk Southern is committed to the community and citizens of East Palestine,” Shaw told CNN Tuesday. “From day one I’ve made the commitment that Norfolk Southern is going to remediate the site,” Shaw said. Norfolk Southern “started as soon as the derailment occurred,” he said. If folks in this community want bottled water, they’re going to get it.”

☆ Israeli PM Netanyahu says 'Let's talk' as heat rises on judicial plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Tuesday for a dialogue with opponents of his proposals to overhaul the judiciary which have drawn mass protests and criticism from around the world. But as opposition grew on Tuesday, a day after a preliminary vote in parliament on part of the package, he offered to talk to critics to reach a consensus. "So I stand up and I call from here: Let's talk - here and now - without preconditions," he said in a video statement circulated on social media. Opinion polls show a majority want the reforms slowed to allow for dialogue with critics or shelved altogether. Reporting by James Mackenzie in Jerusalem Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ George Santos's elaborate lies has seen the Congressman compared with a 19th-century huckster. History bears that out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Allegra Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

My obsession is summed up pretty well by a tweet from @blagojevism: "George Santos is essentially a 19th-century character. Media depicting these characters found inspiration from real life: in a time before digital records and facial recognition, opportunity was everywhere. George Santos's brand of full-throated scammery is particularly American, something that belongs to this country as much as Abraham Lincoln and apple pie. The phrase "and if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you" comes from his legendary real-life method. But Santos, so far, has avoided jail time, giving him at least one leg up over the Yellow Kid.

☆ Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott on his relationship with Mitch McConnell after a failed challenge to lead Senate Republicans: 'Well, he just kicked me off a committee. So that was pretty petty.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Rick Scott said it was "petty" of Sen. Mitch McConnell to take him off the Commerce Committee. McConnell in a separate Fox News interview denied retaliation and said he had "no animus toward Rick Scott at all." And I gave it to two other senators, no particular reprisal in mind, no animus toward Rick Scott at all," he added. "That was the Scott plan. That was the Rick Scott plan.

☆ Zelenskyy wore his signature olive-green sweater to meet King Charles during his surprise visit to the UK. Here's why he is rarely seen without it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met King Charles III in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The Ukrainian leader wore his casual, olive-green crewneck during the meeting. Zelenskyy previously said he only plans on changing his signature look if Ukraine wins the war. Zelenskyy and King Charles met in the 1844 room of Buckingham Palace, where the king has previously had an audience with British prime ministers. In an interview with the Financial Times in December, the Ukrainian president said he plans to keep wearing his new outfit until after the war is over.

☆ Billionaire Ken Griffin is raising alarm over his desire to move a 100-year-old home off his $107 million Miami estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The billionaire Ken Griffin bought a historic Miami property for about $107 million in September. If the HEPB rejects the plan, Griffin could appeal to the Miami City Commission. A Citadel representative, Zia Ahmed, told the Journal that if Griffin were to move the house, "the utmost care and every precaution" would be taken. To Varas, the idea of moving the property to another piece of land was tantamount to "redacting history." Coconut Grove, the neighborhood in Miami where Griffin purchased a $107 million estate.

☆ Billionaire Ken Griffin wants to relocate a historic Miami home he purchased for $107 million. Preservationists say it could set a dangerous precedent.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The billionaire Ken Griffin bought a historic Miami property for about $107 million in September. A Citadel representative, Zia Ahmed, told the Journal that if Griffin were to move the house, "the utmost care and every precaution" would be taken. To Varas, the idea of moving the property to another piece of land was tantamount to "redacting history." Coconut Grove, the neighborhood in Miami where Griffin purchased a $107 million estate. Preservationists told the Journal that the home was a testament to the grand-estate days of Miami's early history when Coconut Grove experienced an economic boom.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy strips citizenship of several former politicians
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends an International Human Rights forum, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 9, 2022. LVIV, Ukraine, Feb 5 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revoked the citizenship of several former influential politicians on Saturday in the latest of steps to "cleanse" the country from pro-Russian influences. Zelenskiy would not list the names, but said they had dual Russian citizenship. According to Ukrainian state media, the list includes several top politicians from the office of Viktor Yanukovych, who served as Ukraine's pro-Russian president from 2010 until he was removed from office in 2014. Reporting by Nick Starkov, David Ljunggren and Lidia Kelly; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kazakh yurts in Ukraine irk Russia as crowdfunded aid pours in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"They asked us to comment and we said we saw no reason to do that," a Kazakh foreign ministry spokesman said. A year ago - just before Russia invaded Ukraine - Astana demonstrated its reliance on Moscow by briefly inviting in Russian troops to help put down street unrest. A poll carried out late last year showed 22% of Kazakhs supported Ukraine, against 13% for Russia, while 59% remained neutral. Her "Nation's Future" group started collecting aid the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, and has raised about $1.5 million in cash and donated items from about 20,000 people. "We are helping ourselves in the first place by helping Ukraine, we are supporting our independence, our decolonisation, and the image of our country."

☆ You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction“People feel a kind of longing for a belonging to the natural world,” says the author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer. I am deeply aware of the fact that my view of the natural world is colored by my home place. But I don’t think that’s the same as romanticizing nature. Of course the natural world is full of forces that are so-called destructive. The story that we have to illuminate is that we don’t have to be complicit with destruction.

☆ Officers fired after Tyre Nichols's death were 'directly responsible' for his abuse, police chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

In a video statement, Memphis Police Chief C.J. The five officers terminated last week "were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr. Nichols," Davis said. “I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels,” she said. Authorities have provided few details about the stop that led to Nichols’ death. A forensic pathologist hired by Nichols' family found he “suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” a lawyer for his family said Tuesday.

☆ Australia limits alcohol sales in Alice Springs amid crime wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new rules in the town of Alice Springs, 2,000 km northwest of Sydney, and the surrounding region, mean that the sale of takeaway alcohol will be restricted on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and sales will be reduced on other days. A fifth of the citizens of Alice Springs are Indigenous. Community leaders across Australia have long identified alcohol abuse as a huge factor behind violence and health problems. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who met politicians, police and community leaders in Alice Springs earlier on Tuesday, said the steps on alcohol had to be seen in a broader context. Domestic violence, assaults and property damage in Alice Springs rose between 43% and 60% in the 12 months to November 2022, according to the latest crime statistics from the territory government.

Family members of Tyre Nichols are set to meet with officials Monday to view footage of the traffic stop that led to his death, three days after he was hospitalized in critical condition. Nichols' family scheduled a press conference to follow their viewing of the video of the traffic stop. Family members and local activists hold a rally for Tyre Nichols at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 16, 2023. Tyre Nichols. Courtesy familyNichols' case is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Justice, which announced it was launching a civil rights inquiry into the traffic stop.

☆ A former Long Island GOP congressman says the 'lack of trust' in embattled Rep. George Santos is a 'prescription for disaster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Rep. Peter King in a New York Times op-ed questioned the effectiveness of George Santos. How do committee members sit still for this guy in their midst?" "Except perhaps for a few ineffective congressional outliers, I can't imagine a member of either party working or cooperating with Mr. Santos," the former congressman wrote. "And when you don't have that, you're just faking your way through the workday — something Mr. Santos is apparently pretty good at." "As long as Mr. Santos remains in Congress, he is dead man walking and will be unable to get anything done for his constituents.

☆ 5 Memphis police officers fired after traffic stop leads to hospitalization, death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Five Memphis police officers were fired Friday after the chief said they violated department policies during a traffic stop in Tennessee this month that ended with the hospitalization and death of a 29-year-old man. “The Memphis Police Department is committed to protecting and defending the rights of every citizen in our city,” Davis said. In an emailed statement, Memphis Police Association President Lt. Essica Cage-Rosario cited an ongoing criminal investigation into Nichols’ death and declined to comment on the officers’ firing. Courtesy familyIn a statement, lawyers for the family said the officers' firing was a first step toward justice for Nichols and his family. A "confrontation" followed, the department said at the time, and officers pursued Nichols when he fled on foot.

☆ The world's oceans are key to slowing the climate crisis, and this year is critical to guaranteeing their longevity
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Freya Graham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But oceans are an important carbon sink — some more effective than rainforests. Leaders at Davos said the role of the ocean in combating climate change has been underestimated. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Understanding 'blue carbon'Plants and trees that grow in coastal waters, such as mangroves, kelp, and seagrass, are all forms of "blue carbon," which means they absorb and store carbon. The Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at COP15 in Montreal in December 2022, was a big step forward for oceans.

☆ Thousands sign petition to save 'sacred' Japan stadium where Ruth once played
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Thousands of baseball fans have signed a petition to save an iconic Tokyo stadium nearly a century old where Babe Ruth once played and which inspired best-selling author Haruki Murakami to first pick up a pen. "The citizens of Tokyo are going to regret it," said Robert Whiting, who has written books on Japanese baseball and who over the weekend started an online petition to save the stadium, which "reeks of history." "They're going to lose a really beautiful, quiet, relaxing spot and a great place to watch a baseball game," he told Reuters. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played there in 1934 as part of a Japanese tour, making the stadium only one of a handful remaining where Ruth played. By noon on Tuesday, Whiting's petition, addressed to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike and several others, had almost 10,000 signatures.

☆ Zimbabwe police arrest 25 opposition members ahead of presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HARARE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean police on Saturday fired teargas at an opposition party gathering in Harare and arrested 25 of its members, including two members of parliament, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said. The arrests come after a wave of politically motivated violence against opposition supporters in rural Zimbabwe, raising fears of repression ahead of the presidential election this year. Police confirmed the arrests of members of the Citizens Coalition for Change, Zimbabwe's main opposition political party, and said a detailed statement would be released following investigations. Police allegedly fired teargas at the gathering, and beat up several opposition members before they were bundled into a police truck, she added. The opposition party, born out of the old Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), enjoys massive urban support and is seen as a threat to ZANU-PF's 43-year-old stranglehold on power.

MEXICO CITY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Mexican drug cartel leader Ovidio Guzman, a son of incarcerated kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has been arrested by Mexican authorities, five officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ovidio. Local government urged people to stay indoors and said schools and administrative offices were closed due to the violence. "We ask the citizens of Culiacan not to leave home due to the blockades that have occurred in different parts of the city," Culiacan Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez wrote on Twitter. Joaquin Guzman, 65, was convicted in New York in 2019 of trafficking billions of dollars of drugs to the United States and conspiring to murder enemies.

The disharmony between the Justice Department’s case and the Biden administration’s gun safety efforts as well as the fears and pressure that a lost appeal could damage gun safety laws are at the crux of the survivors' acrimony. Why are you doing all this (gun reform) and yet you’re fighting it over here?’” said Juan “Gunny” Macias, a survivor who was shot numerous times in the attack and viewed the president’s gun safety priorities as dissonant with the potential Justice Department appeal. The Justice Department has received two extensions to file its appeal brief, now due next week, and is unlikely to receive another one. “I assume the Justice Department is taking this position because the lawyers are looking for the best legal avenues that will give them the outcome they want,” he said. That’s what creates problems like the ones we’re facing.”For fear of what an appeal could mean for U.S. gun laws, a coalition of 37 gun safety organizations sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland in October about the Justice Department’s intention to appeal.

☆ Peru president Boluarte backs investigation into protest deaths
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIMA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said Thursday she will provide all the necessary resources to the prosecutor's office to investigate over two dozen deaths during protests that have rocked Peru following the ouster of her predecessor Pedro Castillo. Interior Minister Victor Rojas said in a conference alongside Boluarte on Thursday he had information that the protests could reignite on Jan. 4. Boluarte, who was vice president under Castillo, assumed the presidency earlier this month after Castillo was ousted and arrested for attempting illegally dissolve Congress. Another leftist bloc of Latin American countries including Cuba and Venezuela said days later it rejected "the political framework created by right-wing forces against Constitutional President Pedro Castillo." Castillo's family received asylum in Mexico, while Mexican authorities are in talks with Peru to offer Castillo political protection as well, Mexico has said.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu must manage right-wing firebrands on return to power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The new government is determined to restore ... quiet and personal security to the citizens of Israel," Netanyahu told parliament on Thursday before his swearing in. For Netanyahu, who described himself in his recent autobiography as "conservative but decidedly not extreme", such allies are likely to provide challenges aplenty in the months ahead as even Israel's closest allies watch with unease. To complicate matters further, Netanyahu is himself fighting corruption charges alleging he unlawfully received gifts and granted regulatory favours in return for positive news coverage. A resumption looks increasingly unlikely, with some members of Religious Zionism talking openly about annexing the West Bank, dashing whatever hope remains of a Palestinian state. The United States, Israel's closest ally, has been circumspect in offering criticism although officials including President Joe Biden have pointedly repeated Washington's support for the two-state solution.

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