Newscoop: Long Stories Short

World In Brief

Following Mark Zuckerberg's decision last week to eliminate fact checking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, he announced yesterday that Meta is also terminating its diversity, equity and inclusion (programs.

On the day that Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term widely seen as stolen, the US announced a $25 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

With evacuation orders expanding in LA, and a forecast for more strong winds, Canada has sent firefighters and equipment to assist in fighting the fires.

In hearing oral arguments today, the US Supreme Court was seen as skeptical of TikTok's legal challenge to a new law forcing it to shut down in the U.S. by Jan 19th.

A peer-reviewed study published in the respected Lancet journal indicates that the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli violence in Gaza as of October is thought to exceed 70,000. That does not include deaths due to disruption to health care, disease, or to insufficient food and clean water.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that despite an ICC arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza, Netanyahu will be allowed to travel to the 27 January anniversary events at Auschwitz.

The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today on whether to overturn or delay a ban on TikTok as requested by the US government.

In order to “Trump-proof” aid to Ukraine, NATO has taken over air defenses in Poland, transitioning the assistance from US-led to NATO-led.

Status of the major LA fires: Palisades Fire: 19,978 acres burned and 6% contained Eaton Fire: 13,690 acres and 0% contained Hurst Fire: 771 acres and 37% contained Kenneth Fire: 1,000 acres and 35% contained Lidia Fire: 394 acres and 75% contained

In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court on Thursday said that Donald Trump can be sentenced Friday in the New York hush money case — making him the first US president in history to enter office as a convicted felon.

On Tuesday, a New York appeals court judge rejected Donald Trump's second attempt to postpone sentencing in his hush money case and stop the case during an appeal. Most unusual was Trump's phone call to Supreme Court Justice Alito, just hours before filing an emergency request with SCOTUS to block the NY sentencing.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to Donald Trump's proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" by suggesting that North America be called "Mexican America," as in an 1814 founding document.

After Donald Trump expressed interest in taking control of Greenland, Germany and France warned him that "the inviolability of borders" applied also to the US.

Status of the major LA fires, as of Jan 8th, 10:30 pm local time: Palisades Fire: At least 15,832 acres and 0% contained Eaton: 10,600 acres and 0% contained Hurst: 855 acres and 10% contained Lidia: 348 acres and 40% contained Sunset: 60 acres and 0% contained

The fires in LA have already burned more than 27,000 acres, with fires breaking out in more locations, and more than 100,000 people under evacuation orders.

MENA

Antony Blinken’s Mental Prison

The Beinart Notebook

+3 glocal

Climate

Will Biden Ignore Corporate Prosecution Of Environmental Activist?

Breaking Points

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Tech/Sci

With Gaza war and Trump’s return, Silicon Valley embraces a military renaissance

+972 Magazine

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Europe

The Budapest Memo holds keys to ending the Ukraine war

Responsible Statecraft

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MENA

Iraq once devastated Iran with chemical weapons as the world stood by

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

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MENA

UNRWA Preparing to Shutter Gaza, West Bank Operations Over Israeli Laws

Common Dreams

+4 glocal

MENA

Veteran Israeli Negotiator Gershon Baskin: Netanyahu Remains Obstacle to Ceasefire Deal

Democracy Now!

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Newstream

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How @realDonaldTrump could succeed with Iran where other U.S. presidents failed:

1- Avoid basing policies on narratives and analyses that portray Iran as weak or vulnerable.
Underestimating Iran’s resilience and power will lead to miscalculations, with serious consequences for…
— Reza Nasri (@RezaNasri1) January 6, 2025

Scenes from the massive rally that healthcare workers staged outside the US embassy in London to demand Free Dr Hussam AbuSafiya. pic.twitter.com/OFgSy66bUt
— Sara Rey (@SaraReyi) January 5, 2025

Ta-Nahesi Coates is not equivocating on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians#Palestine #FreePalestine #Israel #humanrights pic.twitter.com/X91oO4qHcL
— Newscoop (@newscoop) January 5, 2025

Forests are our shields against the climate crisis. They are unique, irreplaceable ecosystems that are home to millions of people and billions of species.

Nature is vital to survival. Protect it.#ActOnClimate #climate #biodiversity #rewilding #conservation pic.twitter.com/tqp7xNtCrq
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) January 4, 2025

The last photo of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, detained after refusing to abandon his colleagues and patients.

In just one image, we see both the power of Palestinian humanity and the moral weakness of all those complicit in genocide.

End all arms sales to Israel, now. pic.twitter.com/zxDqgUt1S9
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 29, 2024

The more repressive Israel grows, the more important groups like @btselem--which fight occupation and apartheid—become. Please consider supporting them. https://t.co/g2kciRsPYQ
— Peter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) December 30, 2024

Healthcare staff across the world call for the immediate release of Kamal Adwan Hospital chief Dr Hussam Abu Safiya #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya pic.twitter.com/fqPrgKHlmZ
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) December 31, 2024

This is not just great progress for Zimbabwe, it is also a beacon of hope for the abolitionist movement in the region, and a major milestone in the global collective pursuit for an end to this ultimate cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.https://t.co/B4wrU1pb4A
— Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) December 31, 2024

Jimmy Carter:

"The word 'apartheid' is exactly accurate…they are absolutely & totally separated…the Israelis completely dominate the life of the Palestinian people."

"There are powerful political forces in America that prevent any objective analysis…"pic.twitter.com/58qIJBWcmy
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) December 29, 2024

Where is the world? Humanity is dead https://t.co/Mxaa5LFxhV
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) December 28, 2024

WHERE IS HUMANITY pic.twitter.com/9t0qYLGtFq
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) December 25, 2024

@ryangrim @TheProspect @alon_mizrahi
For all the student protestors, journalists, NGOs, indie news outlets, and the few policymakers of conscience who continue swimming against the strong tide of corruption, greed and now genocide...

"...so the country won't change me." pic.twitter.com/OvxYggYT9f
— Newscoop (@newscoop) December 23, 2024

Stunned that this story has not gotten more attention!

The US prepared a rebel force to join the offensive that overthrew Assad.

It indicates not only that DC knew about the offensive led by (HTS), but that it had precise intelligence about its scale.https://t.co/LEkACIK8jN
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) December 20, 2024

For me, the background of this image is just as horrible as what we see in the front. This line of photographers, clearly used to these scenes by now, forced to constantly share with a completely indifferent world some of the most horrific scenes humans ever watched, featuring… https://t.co/GcnjkOtM4N
— Alon Mizrahi (@alon_mizrahi) December 18, 2024

this is what it must have felt like to hear robin hood stories in like 1370 https://t.co/bQ5MTRxoSl
— katewagner.bsky.social (@mcmansionhell) December 8, 2024

Not a single mention of Israel/Gaza. We see you, we hear you, and if you think this is good for you and for the EU, you are delusional. https://t.co/NjINeLSxe7
— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) December 16, 2024

Democrat Josh Shapiro: “In America we don't kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences."

Also Josh Shapiro: Signing missiles that will be used to kill people in cold blood. pic.twitter.com/ZGMINxAPD4
— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) December 10, 2024

In a new article in the Guardian, human rights leader @RepMcGovern urges President Biden to stand up to @Chevron and pardon me after I was illegally detained for 993 days by the oil company.

“No corporation is above the law.” ⤵️⤵️ pic.twitter.com/KSgMmJTRFy
— Steven Donziger (@SDonziger) December 13, 2024