Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In Iran since the presidency of Hassan Rouhani (2013-2021), the ruling elite has debated whether a grand bargain with the United States is possible. Those who believe that the US is not an honest or reliable partner for any deal-making are taking some delight in Trump’s humiliating treatment of Ukrainian […]
Archives for March 2025
Israeli Authorities Block Health Care Workers from Entering Gaza
By Emina Ćerimović Associate Director, Disability Rights Division ( Human Rights Watch ) – Israeli authorities denied an orthopedic surgeon entry into Gaza last week, preventing her from providing crucial treatment to children with disabilities. One of her patients, Minah, a 3-year-old girl with a clubfoot condition, has been left without necessary treatment for months. […]
Who Should Pay for Climate Disasters?
By Sonali Kolhatkar | ( Otherwords.org ) – Rebuilding from California’s recent wildfires will cost more than a quarter of a trillion dollars — an unprecedented amount. The estimated damage from Hurricane Helene in the Southeast is almost as much, on the order of $250 billion. Who will pay for that damage? It’s a question […]
The West has Long Demanded of Palestinians what Trump Demanded of Ukraine — and More
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – David Smith of The Guardian reminds us that Trump is a fan of World Wrestling Federation matches, in attempting to explain the sad spectacle at the White House on Friday. Trump is demanding that Volodymyr Zelenskiyy, the president of Ukraine, “make peace” with Russia, accusing him of risking plunging the […]
The lost ‘Arab’: Gaza and the evolving Language of the Palestinian Struggle
( Middle East Monitor ) – Language matters. Aside from its immediate impact on our perception of great political events, including war, language also defines our understanding of these events throughout history, thereby shaping our relationship with the past, the present and the future. As Arab leaders are mobilising to prevent any attempt to displace […]
Trump’s war on Climate Science is pushing us into a Dystopian Future
By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Flinders University (The Conversation) – US President Donald Trump’s latest war on the climate includes withdrawing support for any research that mentions the word. He has also launched a purge on government websites hosting climate data, in an apparent attempt to make the evidence disappear. Yes, it’s bad, especially for […]