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the Guardian
Qatar and Egypt urge Israeli withdrawal to secure next step in Gaza peace deal
Mediators of delicate truce say troop removal and deployment of international force crucial to second phase
 Qatar and Egypt, designated as guarantors of the Gaza peace plan Israel has nominally acceped, call on Israel to withdraw its army from Gaza and allow the agreed-on international peace force to take over Gaza. If Israel does this, that will mean an end to the bloodshed in Gaza (though not the sickness, hunger and cold). Otherwse, Israel will be visibly
the Guardian
‘Mouthpieces for Trump’: inside the rightwing takeover of the Pentagon press corps
Pentagon press passes once held by credentialed journalists are now in the hands of rightwing pundits and Trump allies
2025: November - February Political Notes
 Pentagon "press conferences" are now limited to right-wing extremists that will support the bully's militarist policy 110%. Since that happened, the major US media have become mostly subservient themselves, on the big issues, but they remain willing to criticize smaller details of government actions.
US citizens: phone our congresscritter and say to impeach Hegseth. The main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121. If you message Congress, please spread the word!
the Guardian
The Guardian view on US-Russia talks on Ukraine: a warning to Europe to move faster on security cooperation | Editorial
Editorial: Washington’s betrayal of its allies has been averted for now, but preparations must be made for a world where its support cannot be re...
 *Washington's betrayal of its [European] allies has been averted for now,* but Europe must prepare for a world where it cannot trust the US as an ally.
Glossary
the Guardian
Trump says he will repeal Biden-era fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks
Move marks president’s latest effort to dismantle pollution regulations and support for cleaner-running vehicles
 *[The saboteur in chief] says he will repeal Biden-era fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks.* He must be working an hour a week to maximize use of fossil fuels.
the Guardian
Chatbots can sway political opinions but are ‘substantially’ inaccurate, study finds
‘Information-dense’ AI responses are most persuasive but these tend to be less accurate, says security report
 Chatbot slop that contains a lot of supposed information can persuade people, but that supposed information tends often to be false.
Glossary
the Guardian
UK farmers lose £800m after heat and drought cause one of worst harvests on record
Many now concerned about ability to make living in fast-changing climate after one of worst grain harvests recorded
 Global heating seems to have greatly damaged Britain's grain harvest, enough that farmers are considering giving up.
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The Intercept
Video of U.S. Military Killing Boat Strike Survivors Is Horrifying, Lawmakers Reveal
“What I saw in that room is one of the most troubling scenes I’ve ever seen in my time in public service.”
the Guardian
Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shaky
Pentagon’s Law of War manual clearly prohibits attack, but justification for whole campaign also faces tough questions
 *[Congressional representatives] who saw a video of a U.S. attack on wounded and helpless people clinging to the wreckage of a supposed drug boat on September 2 described the footage as deeply disturbing.* *Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US "drug boat" war is legally shaky.* Not to mention that any murder is
Tell Federal Agencies: Protect Endangered Wildlife, Not Industry Interests
This is urgent. The Trump administration has introduced four new rules that would severely weaken the Endangered Species Act — the law that has k...
Online Letter Campaign, no JavaScript
 US citizens: call on federal agencies to protect endangered wildlife, not business interests. See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
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the Guardian
How three Uyghur brothers fled China – to spend 12 years in an Indian prison
Arrested in 2013 on India’s Himalayan border after fleeing Beijing’s ‘genocide’ against Muslims in Xinjiang, the siblings have been impriso...
2023: July - October Political Notes
 Three Uyghur brothers have been jailed in India for 12 years, without a trial, for crossing the China-India border unknowingly since there was nothing to say it was a border. The greatest danger to them is that India may expel them to China, which