US Registration Directive Further Criminalizes Undocumented Immigrants.
> This week, the Trump administration announced that it will ramp up enforcement of a relatively obscure legal provision that requires undocumented immigrants in the United States to register with the government. > > This move risks adding another layer of fear and anxiety in immigrant communities where the Trump administration’s moves on immigration have already left many fearful to visit previously safe places to address essential needs like health and education. > > Those who fail to register could face fines or prosecution, compounding recent moves to criminalize immigration violations that should not be treated as crimes. Last month, President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, requiring detention for undocumented individuals who are merely charged with—not convicted of—low-level crimes. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted high-profile raids in major cities, leading to collateral arrests, including of US citizens. > > Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the objective of the new registration push is to push immigrants to self-deport. However, enforcing a registry requirement does not actually meet this goal. Instead, it threatens to facilitate the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations, as other activist groups have warned. ICE arrests and raids have disproportionately targeted communities of color, as would any program of mass deportation.
Elon Musk is firing thousands of workers – why this could be the biggest jobs cut in US history.
The Musk-led purge of public servants is causing concern among some Republicans as well as Democrats.
Trump Administration Guts Foreign Aid.
> The Trump administration’s termination of over 90 percent of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) programming and thousands of State Department foreign assistance programs will undermine human rights globally and imperil millions of people, Human Rights Watch said today.
Sorry Not Sorry: The Art of Saying Nothing in Apology Statements.
From corporate scandals to celebrity missteps, public contrition has lost all meaning
Reading time: 8 - 10 minutes. > From corporate scandals to celebrity missteps, public contrition has lost all meaning
A Runner Was Hit by a Car, Then by a Surprise Ambulance Bill.
A San Francisco man had friends drive him to the hospital after he was hit by a car. Doctors checked him out, then sent him by ambulance to a trauma center — which released him with no further treatment. The ambulance bill? Almost $13,000.
> Jagdish Whitten was on a run in July 2023 when a car hit him as he crossed a busy San Francisco street. Whitten, then 25, described doing “a little flip” over the vehicle and landing in the street before getting himself to the curb.
Global: Failure to consult Indigenous Peoples on future pandemics will further harm children's education.
The failure of governments around the world to consult Indigenous Peoples on Covid-19 school closures and other emergency pandemic responses violated their rights, as children continue to feel the effects five years after the first global lockdown, Amnesty International said in a new report today. I...
Trump to hit Canada, Mexico, China with new tariffs.
He blames all three countries for scourge of fentanyl flow into US
> U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would impose 25% tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico next week as he originally planned, contending the two neighboring countries are still not doing enough to curb the flow of drugs into the United States.
Local and State Police Are Joining Trump's 'Deportation Force'.
Texas law enforcement agencies and others around the nation are reviving a long-dead "task force" program that led to racial profiling in the past.
> Texas law enforcement agencies and others around the nation are reviving a long-dead "task force" program that led to racial profiling in the past.
Outcry builds as Thailand deports Uyghurs to China after 10 years in detention.
Critics of the move say the Uyghurs face torture and perhaps worse back in China
> BANGKOK — The United Nations led criticism Thursday of Thailand’s government over its deportation to China of 40 Uyghurs held for more than a decade in detention in Bangkok. The deportation came despite warnings that the Uyghurs face persecution and the risk of torture if handed over to Chinese authorities.
Not Working, Not Studying, Not Happy: Meet the NEETs.
Why are so many young people struggling to finish education or find a job?
Reading time: 8 - 10 minutes. > Why are so many young people struggling to finish education or find a job?
Why does it feel like evil is winning globally?
Why does it feel that the evil sides globally are winning. Even evil people are winning. Why?
Controversial Influencer Andrew Tate Reportedly Leaves Romania.
Controversial Internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother are reportedly on a private jet bound for the United States, leaving Romania where they have been embroiled in a legal case alleging human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
> Controversial Internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother are reportedly on a private jet bound for the United States, leaving Romania where they have been embroiled in a legal case alleging human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Records on Housing Discrimination, Medical Details — Even Domestic Violence.
While some agencies have resisted efforts by Elon Musk’s team to access confidential records, HUD has opened the door. The potential harm to privacy could be significant.
> While some agencies have resisted efforts by Elon Musk’s team to access confidential records, HUD has opened the door. The potential harm to privacy could be significant.
Is God a Mushroom?
New research into the role of psychedelics upends our understanding of spirituality — and with it, our vision of the cosmos.
Reading time: 24 - 30 minutes. > New research into the role of psychedelics upends our understanding of spirituality — and with it, our vision of the cosmos.
The true cost of the huckleberry industry.
The Ḱamíłpa Band of the Yakama Nation has wanted an end to commercial picking of a critical cultural resource for years. Finally, the Forest Service is expected to make a decision.
Reading time: 37 - 46 minutes. > The Ḱamíłpa Band of the Yakama Nation has wanted an end to commercial picking of a critical cultural resource for years. Finally, the Forest Service is expected to make a decision.
Amid Unprecedented Wave of Elections, Political Violence and Armed Conflict Fueled 19th Consecutive Year of Decline in Global Freedom.
The 52nd edition of Freedom in the World finds that 60 countries experienced declines in their political rights and civil liberties, while only 34 registered improvements.
> - Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year in 2024. Sixty countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties, and only 34 secured improvements. > - During an unprecedented year of elections, many contests were marred by violence and authoritarian efforts to restrict voters’ choices. In over 40 percent of the countries and territories that held national elections in 2024, including Free countries such as France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States, candidates were targeted with assassination attempts or assaults, polling places were attacked, or postelection protests were suppressed with disproportionate force. Elections in authoritarian countries like Azerbaijan, Russia, Rwanda, and Tunisia were manipulated to prevent genuine opposition candidates from participating. > - Ongoing armed conflicts made the world less safe and less free. Civil wars and interstate conflict in Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine—as well as violence perpetrated by armed militias, mercenaries, and criminal organizations across Latin America and Africa—undermined security and prevented the exercise of fundamental rights. People in 20 percent of the world’s countries and territories now live without even the most basic protections from the illegitimate use of force. In many places, armed conflict fuels the spread of illicit trading in drugs and arms and provides safe havens for criminal organizations. > - Positive developments demonstrated the potential for democratic breakthroughs. Despite the overall decline in global freedom, bright spots emerged around the world as a result of competitive elections or following the collapse of long-standing authoritarian regimes. For example, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime in Syria after 13 years of civil war prompted immediate improvements in physical security, freedom of movement, and freedom of assembly in formerly regime-held areas. New governments in such countries will now face the difficult task of building and strengthening democratic institutions while also protecting individual rights. > - Largest increases and best overall scores: On Freedom in the World’s 100-point scale for political rights and civil liberties, Bangladesh (+5), Bhutan (+5), Sri Lanka (+4), and Syria (+4) recorded the largest gains for 2024. The best overall country scores were those of Finland (100), Sweden (99), New Zealand (99), Norway (99), Canada (97), Denmark (97), San Marino (97), the Netherlands (97), Ireland (97), and Luxembourg (97). > - Largest declines and worst overall scores: Kuwait (−7), Tunisia (−7), El Salvador (−6), and Haiti (−6) were the countries with the year’s largest score declines. The countries with the worst overall scores were Turkmenistan (1), South Sudan (1), Sudan (2), Eritrea (3), North Korea (3), Central African Republic (5), Tajikistan (5), Equatorial Guinea (5), Syria (5), Afghanistan (6), Azerbaijan (7), Belarus (7), and Myanmar (7). > - Status changes: Two countries, Bhutan and Senegal, improved from Partly Free to Free status, while Jordan crossed the threshold from Not Free to Partly Free. Four countries declined from Partly Free to Not Free: Kuwait, Niger, Tanzania, and Thailand.
Chinese dating simulator Love and Deepspace now has a period tracker – it signals a shift in mobile gaming.
A major update for dating simulation game Love and Deepspace has furrowed brows – it now includes a period tracker.
> This is the promise made by Love and Deepspace, a mobile romance game by the Chinese company Papergames. > > Some think video games are all guns and cars, but romance games or “dating simulators” are immensely popular, especially among young women. > > Love and Deepspace reached 50 million users across more than 170 countries and regions in January. Despite their popularity, dating sims, as they are known for short, usually fly under the radar in discussions about games. > > Meanwhile, a recent major update for Love and Deepspace has furrowed some brows by introducing an unusual new feature: a period tracker.
What will that achieve here exactly?