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☆ What intersectionality actually means and why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here’s what you should know about intersectionality – what exactly it means, and why it matters. Co-founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the phrase intersectionality in 1989. As part of that larger movement, terms like intersectionality and intersectional feminism became much more prevalent in left-leaning circles. People practice Judaism differently, and thus different sects may face different problems. In that group alone, there may be LGBTQ+ men, men from lower economic backgrounds or men with disabilities.

☆ Yemen's slide into political crisis and war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

* 1994: Civil war in which Saleh prevents south, angered by what it sees as its lower status, from splitting with north. The Houthis seize the capital Sanaa in September 2014 with help from Saleh and demand a share of power. * 2015: Hadi tries to announce a new federal constitution opposed by the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saleh, who arrest him. He escapes, pursued by the Houthis, triggering Saudi intervention in March at the head of a military coalition. The coalition drives the Houthis and Saleh loyalists from Aden in south Yemen and from Marib, northeast of Sanaa.

☆ Lebanon in confusion as daylight savings dispute deepens divisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It said it would turn clocks forward on Saturday night and other Christian organisations, parties and schools announced similar plans. Businesses and media organizations, including two of Lebanon's main news channels LBCI and MTV, announced they too would enter daylight savings on Saturday night. But later that day, Mikati issued the decision to stay in winter time. Independent MP Waddah Sadek said on Twitter decisions were taken without "any consideration for the consequences or confusion that they cause". Some Twitter users shared an old recording of famed Lebanese composer and musician Ziad Rahbani speaking about daylight savings.

☆ Lebanon has two times of day amid daylight savings dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIRUT, March 26 (Reuters) - Lebanon woke up in two time zones on Sunday amid an escalating dispute between political and religious authorities over a decision to extend winter time for a month. Businesses and media organizations, including two of Lebanon's main news channels LBCI and MTV, announced they too would enter daylight savings on Saturday night as calls for disobedience gained steam. LBCI said in a statement that it would disobey Mikati's decision because it would have harmed its work, adding: "Lebanon is not an island". But later that day, Mikati issued the decision to stay in winter time. Some Twitter users shared an old recording of famed Lebanese composer and musician Ziad Rahbani speaking about daylight savings.

☆ Trump holds first election rally in Waco overshadowed by legal threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. In an email, a Trump campaign spokesperson said Waco was chosen because it is situated between several major population centers and has the infrastructure to host a large event. Trump has sought to paint the Manhattan case as politically motivated, raised money off it and used it to rally supporters to his side. The city of Waco said it was expecting 15,000 people to attend the rally. In an editorial, the Houston Chronicle said the decision to host the event in Waco during the anniversary of the Waco siege represented far more than a dog-whistle message to far-right and conspiratorial Trump supporters.

☆ Trump compares investigations into him to 'Stalinist Russia'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Trump told supporters gathered at Waco’s airport on Saturday that the investigations swirling around him were “something straight out of the Stalinist Russia horror show.”“From the beginning it’s been one witch hunt and phony investigation after another,” he said. “I’m not a big fan,” Trump said of DeSantis, accusing of him of plotting to slash social security. Several times Trump repeated the false claim that his election loss in 2020 was due to a systemic fraud orchestrated by the Democrats. He described some American officials and senior U.S. politicians - including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell - as a bigger threat to America than China or Russia. “Either the Deep State destroys America or we destroy the Deep State,” Trump said.

☆ Trump loyalists flock to Waco for election rally overshadowed by legal threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WACO, Texas (Reuters) -Die-hard fans of Donald Trump flocked to the ex-president’s election rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, brimming with defiance as their favored candidate faced overlapping threats of criminal indictment. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoSeveral thousand Trump supporters lined up outside the Waco Regional Airport waiting to go through security and enter the event, with the first speaker scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT (1900 GMT). Fifty-seven-year-old Laurie Hansen said Trump was “the best president ever.”“He’s the only one who can bring our country back,” she said. In an editorial, the Houston Chronicle said the decision to host the event in Waco during the anniversary of the Waco siege represented more than a dog-whistle message to far-right and conspiratorial Trump supporters.

☆ Trump casts 2024 contest in apocalyptic terms, slams prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“The Biden regime’s weaponization of law enforcement against their political opponents is something straight out of the Stalinist Russia horror show,” Trump said. Trump depicted the United States as a failed state whose economy was in freefall - a description at odds with the country’s record-low unemployment rate. Several times Trump repeated the false claim that his election loss in 2020 was due to a systemic fraud orchestrated by the Democrats. “Either the Deep State destroys America or we destroy the Deep State,” Trump said. Speaking ahead of Trump’s speech, Matt Schomburg, 45, said he believed the rally was a way to energize his supporters for the 2024 race.

☆ Trump loyalists decry 'witch hunt' at Waco election rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WACO, Texas (Reuters) -Die-hard fans of Donald Trump flocked to the ex-president’s election rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, brimming with defiance as their favored candidate faces legal peril from prosecutors and mixed polling ahead of next year’s Republican primary elections. People cheer ahead of the first campaign rally for the re-election campaign of former U.S. President Donald Trump at Waco Regional Airport in Waco, Texas, U.S., March 25, 2023. “You have to understand: they are not just coming after President Trump, they are coming after you, and President Trump is just the only one standing in their way,” she said. The former president is seeking to turn the hush money case in New York to his advantage by raising money off it and using it to rally supporters. Schomburg said he thought Trump was trying to send a message by holding the rally in Waco.

☆ Staring down a possible indictment, Trump holds a rally in Waco. A Texas newspaper said the choice isn't a dog whistle but an 'air horn' to far-right groups.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Thirty years ago, federal agents seized the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Trump's scheduled rally in Waco falls in the middle of the anniversary of the months-long standoff. The New York Times reported that Trump's visit to Waco falls on the 30-year anniversary of the Branch Davidian siege. Although no indictment has been announced, Trump has continued to rally his supporters and make allusions to violence. Trump supporters like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida as well as conservative pundits like Dan Bongino have spoken out in support of Trump.

☆ Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick takes credit for arranging Trump's debut 2024 campaign rally: 'I picked Waco'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump's first official rally for his 2024 presidential bid kicked off on Saturday in Waco, Texas. Some have been alarmed by the symbolic link between Trump and a deadly cult siege 30 years ago. Dan Patrick told rallygoers he was responsible for the location. "I picked Waco," the MAGA-aligned Texas lieutenant governor told rallygoers awaiting Donald Trump's arrival on Saturday night. Trump campaign staff pushed on any symbolic link, touting instead that recent polling shows central Texas strongly supports Trump.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential "death & destruction" if he faces criminal charges, hours after New York prosecutors probing his hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels said they would not be intimidated. for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?" Trump has denied ever having an affair with Daniels, and has called the payment a "simple private transaction." He has said he did not commit a crime and has called the investigation politically motivated. The Manhattan grand jury probing Trump is not due to reconvene until next week.

☆ Trump holds first 2024 campaign rally in Waco on the 30th anniversary of the city's deadly cult siege — and urges fans to 'take our nation back' ahead of a possible indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump is holding his 2024 campaign kick-off event Saturday in Waco, Texas. Cult leader David Koresh fought federal agents there in 1993 in a standoff where nearly 100 died. Trump is bracing for indictment any day now and has urged supporters to protest if he's arrested. Trump beat President Joe Biden there by 23 points the last time around, collecting nearly two-thirds of the total votes. Trump campaign aides did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the timing or planning surrounding the upcoming Waco trip.

☆ Factbox: Who has run Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BAGHDAD, March 16 (Reuters) - The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was designed to pave the way for a thriving democracy but the mostly ineffective governments elected since 2003 have left many Iraqis disappointed. Sadr led an armed insurgency against the U.S. occupation of Iraq after American and international troops toppled Saddam. But the tables turned in 2003 with the U.S.-led invasion that ushered in Shi’ite dominance leaving Sunnis, vulnerable. Sunnis have been divided by clan and ideological rivalries since 2003, which Sunni voters complain makes them weak against Shi'ite rivals. Halbousi, an engineer from western Iraq, has formed good relations with Shi'ites and Kurds who helped him become speaker.

☆ Iraqis recount their struggles after Saddam Hussein's fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Amina Ismail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

But he says ridding the nation of Saddam has just created anarchy for others to bleed the country dry. Under Saddam's rule minorities were tolerated and not singled out for their religious beliefs, but were oppressed if they opposed the government. After the fall of Saddam, they were targeted by Islamists for their religious beliefs and labelled apostates or devil worshippers. A CHRISTIAN: PASCALE WARDAWhen U.S.-led forces invaded, Iraqi Christian Pascale Warda was in London lobbying European leaders to depose Saddam. It was the same under Saddam," said Warda, who had several members of her family executed by the state.

☆ Factbox: Jehovah's Witnesses: some facts about their history and community in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 10 (Reuters) - Here are some facts about the Jehovah's Witnesses and their community in Germany, shaken by a mass shooting at a Jehovah's Witness hall in Hamburg on Thursday. - The first German branch was founded in 1902 in Elberfeld in west Germany - before the "Watch Tower Society" was renamed Jehovah's Witnesses. - Jehovah's Witnesses have struggled to have their beliefs and practices accepted in some parts of the world. - Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted in Nazi Germany for their refusal to swear allegiance to the Nazi regime or join the military. On Dec. 25, 2022, a couple attempted arson with explosives at a Jehovah's Witness' Kingdom Hall in Thornton in the U.S. state of Colorado.

☆ Egypt reopens newly restored historic mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Egypt's historic mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, named after the sixth Fatimid caliph and located in old Cairo, was reopened for visitors on Monday, Feb. 27 after renovations. The renovation project for Egypt's fourth oldest mosque and its second largest began in 2017 with a budget of 85 million Egyptian pounds ($2.8 million). The renovation, done in collaboration between Egypt’s antiquities authority and Bohra Shia sect, included architectural restoration as well as maintenance to protect the walls of the mosque from the effects of moisture and salts. Reporting by Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Writing by Farah Saafan, Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File PhotoFeb 7 (Reuters) - A special panel named by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation Tuesday into recent Reuters reports on rights abuses by the country’s army. Nigerian military leaders said the abortion program did not exist and that children were never targeted for killing. The U.S. defense and state departments, the United Nations Secretary-General, the German foreign minister, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch all called for Nigeria to investigate the Reuters findings. In a 2002 paper, two Nigerian scholars called the body "a red herring” to distract from human rights violations. In 2013, the military allegedly killed as many as 200 civilians in the town of Baga, in northeastern Borno state.

LIMA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - As deadly protests rage across Peru, a political battle is unfolding inside the halls of Congress, walled off from the streets by hundreds of police, armored vehicles and a maze of gates. Despite the violence, and despite polls that show the majority of Peruvians want the election brought forward, Congress appears to be in deadlock. Reuters spent the last week inside the 130-seat Congress in capital Lima, talking to lawmakers to ask why Peruvian politics seems to be in such a mess. "There is little agreement within political parties as to what to do," said Peruvian political analyst Andrea Moncada. "If we have elections in a year or by some miracle by the end of this year, the parties registered to participate are the same ones that are in Congress right now."

[1/3] George Bezdjian, whose daughter Jessica died in 2020 port explosion, holds her picture during a protest against steps taken this week to hamstring a probe into the 2020 port blast, in Beirut, Lebanon January 26, 2023. With friends and allies of Lebanon's most powerful factions, including Hezbollah, among those charged, the establishment struck back swiftly on Wednesday, when the prosecutor general charged Bitar with usurping powers. With deep fissures in the judiciary exposed, the tussle adds to the unravelling of a state accelerated by a three-year-long financial crisis, left to fester by the ruling elite. Attempts by a Lebanese judge to investigate Salameh have hit obstacles in Lebanon, where politicians have big sway over the judiciary. In opposing Bitar, Hezbollah has accused the United States of meddling in the investigation and Bitar of political bias.

☆ One of Elon Musk's top lieutenants at Twitter says she 'grew up in a cult'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Esther Crawford, a leader at Elon Musk's Twitter, said on social media that she "grew up in a cult." Crawford has become a key player in Musk's takeover and went viral for sleeping in the office. She also was a social media strategist for Weight Watchers between 2007 to 2012. At Twitter, she serves as the director of product management and has quickly become one of Musk's top executives at the company. Since, she has survived multiple rounds of layoffs at the social media company.

☆ 2 years after the Jan. 6 insurrection, election deniers are still in the building — and holding the speakership hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of 20 ultra-conservative Republicans continues to stonewall his leadership ambitions. More than half denied the 2020 election result and a handful are mentioned in the now-dissolved January 6 committee's report. But several of the political personalities at the heart of that attack are the same ones now holding the speakership hostage. All three lawmakers denied allegations that they were involved in planning the event. Meanwhile, the FBI seized the phone of Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania in August of last year.

☆ Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict seals a contradictory legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Donna B. Doucette | Donna B. Doucette Has Been The Executive Director Of Voice Of The Faithful Since She Also Serves On The Leadership Team Of The Association Of U.S. Catholic Priests. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It’s as if Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is being laid to rest Thursday in Vatican City, has two legacies instead of one. Despite this promise and the potential for transparency, Benedict continued the church’s centuries-old preference for handling abuse cases privately. Benedict, for example, was the first pope to acknowledge the crimes of clergy sexual abuse and attempt to make amends institutionally. We quickly grew to a worldwide presence as the scope of the clergy abuse problem became apparent. Perhaps, using the contradictions and collisions of Benedict’s work, the Spirit has set in motion the 21st century path of the Catholic Church, which Pope Francis is calling us to embrace: synodality.

☆ The 20 Republicans holding the speakership hostage are employing Trumpian tactics while blatantly ignoring Trump's advice, extremism expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of 20 Republicans are wielding an inordinate amount of power as negotiations continue. An extremism expert told Insider the holdouts are employing "Trumpism" without Trump's influence. "The influential part of these 20 votes don't care whether they control the House speakership or not," he told Insider. The former president issued a last-minute plea on Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to set aside their differences and make McCarthy speaker. Ward warned that this chaos will be just the beginning should the 20 Republicans ultimately get their way.

☆ ‘Women Talking’ Review: Speaking Without Saying Much
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

‘Women Talking” begins in the gruesome aftermath of a hideous mass rape and a question being urgently discussed among a group of women victims: What to do about it? “What follows is an act of female imagination,” a portentous caption informs us at the outset of this impassioned and scathing film. A sort of #MeToo reworking of “Twelve Angry Men,” “Women Talking” takes place mostly in a barn in which the female members of an ultra-conservative religious sect (suggesting Mennonites) are holding a vote to decide among three options. One is to stay and do nothing, but this will require publicly forgiving the men (currently being prosecuted by government authorities) who attacked them. The second is to start a physical battle with the men as a group for enabling the rapists.

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