By Alan Jenn, University of California, Davis | – (The Conversation) – One big question keeps surfacing after the Biden administration announced plans to raise auto standards so sharply they would likely boost electric vehicle production to 67% of all new passenger vehicle sales in under a decade: Can automakers pull that off? The proposal […]
Archives for April 2023
Paris is Burning: France Braces for 7.2° F. Heating in its ‘Turning Point’ Strategy
By Claire Stam | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Shocked by recent heatwaves, floods, wildfires and ongoing droughts, France is currently rebooting its strategy to cope with the impacts of climate change. In a “turning point” in the country’s adaptation efforts, the plans will also include proposals on how to deal with 4 […]
Christian Archbishop slams Israel’s Restrictions on Worship at the ‘Festival of Lights’ as “Racist”
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On the Saturday before Orthodox Easter, which falls a week later than in the Western churches, typically 10,000 worshipers gather at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, waiting for the holy fire [to phos) to emerge. It is said to derive from the tomb in which Jesus was initially buried […]
Most Palestinians in East Jerusalem are sitting out Israeli Protests – but they are still Concerned about Plan to weaken Courts
By Derek Lief, University of Michigan | – (The Conversation) – Israeli protesters have been demonstrating against the Netanyahu government’s controversial efforts to radically overhaul the judicial system for nearly three months. And while the protests regularly bring out more than 100,000 people to the streets across Israel, few Arab faces have appeared among the […]
Florida Legislature approves extreme 6-week Abortion Ban, after Weeks of Protests and Debates
By: Danielle J. Brown – In less than a year, Florida has moved from a 15-week abortion ban to the passage of one of the most restrictive bans in the nation — a 6-week abortion ban. The state House approved the legislation after at least six hours of questions, amendments, debate, protests and a […]
US Military: Losing Wars is making Recruitment Harder
By Nan Levinson ( Tomdispatch.com ) – After more than 20 years of losing wars, recruiting for the U.S. Army is now officially a mess. Last year, that service fell short of its goal by 15,000 recruits, or a quarter of its target. Despite reports of better numbers in the first months of this year, Army […]
Peak Fossil Fuels? Wind, Solar advance 20% Globally, with World on Verge of CO2 Emissions Drop
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The energy analysis firm Ember reports its latest findings about global energy trends, and it is relatively optimistic. Wind and solar had provided 10% of the world’s electricity in 2021, but that went up to 12% in 2022, a 20% increase. If we look at each source in its own […]
Israel’s Extremist Ben-Gvir slams ban on Squatters from Al-Aqsa until end of Ramadan
( Middle East Monitor ) – Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed an Israeli government decision to ban non-Muslims, including illegal settlers, from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound until the end of Ramadan, Army Radio reported. Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque Ben-Gvir said that the decision to prevent settlers from entering […]
Arab Americans are a much more diverse Group than many of their Neighbors Mistakenly Assume
By Yasmin Moll, University of Michigan | – Marking April as Arab American Heritage Month – a time to learn about the history, culture and contributions of our nearly 4 million strong community – is gaining traction across the country. In 2022, Joe Biden made history as the first U.S. president to recognize the month, […]