When we kick off The Know Show this year, I always start with the question – what was your “moment” in the news last week? The big shock or surprise? Like me, you might find it a challenging question, because in the ‘good ‘’ol days’ there would typically be one story, now… take your pick. Hey, why not drop a comment and let me know what your story is?
I couldn’t come up with one this week, but a story that made me reel is this: ‘Segregated facilities’ are no longer explicitly banned in federal contracts : Shots – Health News : NPR. Of course we can say it won’t happen. But I have absolutely no doubt it will happen in many places, especially those dominated by white supremacists. Can you even imagine what it is like for the people of colour living in these places? It sickens me!
The removal of Venezuelans to El Salvador is another story that makes my heart hurt. If you’re part of the criminal gang the Trump administration claims to be deporting, you will probably be able to cope, because you’ve got your gang members to support you. But if you’re not? Just awful.
Here’s one guy – a gay make-up artist. Can you even imagine the horror he is experiencing right now? Here’s the full list of names of those deported.
Robert Reich is asking those of us not in the US to boycott traveling there – The case for boycotting the United States. I’m all for that, not to make Americans suffer, but because the world’s most powerful democracy is becoming an authoritarian state and upending the world order – which is already having huge ramifications on all of us – and so I will do my part.
Besides, based on what I share, it probably wouldn’t be safe for me to go to the US anyway. Here’s a story from a Canadian – I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped. While she had a terrible time, it is the other people she shared this space with who will face long-term suffering, and they don’t have a voice, they don’t have anyone fighting for them, and they certainly don’t have the ability to share their stories.
War continues, and so much for the peaceful President. Not only has Israel broken the ceasefire – not that the media is calling it that – but the US is now bombing the Houthis in Yemen, with women and children dying – US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen’s Houthis
The negotiations for the end of the Ukraine war continue, and it was this piece that got my attention – National Review Writer Roasts Trump Over ‘Endless Capacity to Absorb Humiliation’ by Putin.
Another heartbreak, and as someone living in the global south who has seen the desperate situation so many face every single day, it kills me. Nicholas Kristoff, opinion writer for the New York Times gives us the numbers – Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True.
- An estimated 1,650,000 people could die within a year without American foreign aid for H.I.V. prevention and treatment
- An estimated 500,000 people could die within a year without American funding for vaccines
- An estimated 550,000 people could die within a year without American funding for food aid
- An estimated 290,000 people could die within a year without American funding for malaria prevention
- An estimated 310,000 people could die within a year without U.S. funding for tuberculosis prevention
That’s 3.3 million people. Devastating.
Here he is talking about it
The release of the JFK files appears to be another distraction, but of course, the conspiracy theorists are out – again.
A terrible situation has emerged for researchers in Antarctica – Trapped Antarctic researchers reporting death threats from colleague.
This is a really interesting read – Gina Reinhart is the focus – Forget MAGA – the global project is Make Elites Great Again
Please watch this, it’s a very powerful and meaningful talk – Chris Hedges: On the Precipice of Darkness
Let’s move onto climate
We need to get the mega-trawlers out of the ocean. If we want to address climate change, life in the ocean must be given a chance to rebound. Besides, why eat seafood anyway? It’s full of microplastics, forever chemicals, pharmaceuticals and more, although we need to get that message to China – How China’s Expanding Fishing Fleet Is Depleting the World’s Oceans – Yale e360
This is such an interesting perspective I haven’t heard before. Based on the concept of fiduciary responsibility, the writer states “the answer is that there really is a fiduciary duty to destroy the climate when doing so will maximize profits for firms and investors.” Is There Really a Fiduciary Duty to Destroy the Climate? – CLS Blue Sky Blog.
If you’ve never come across the concept of fiduciary responsibility or duty, have a read of this for background. When contemplating this, I think it’s important we ask the question, if maximizing profits for firms and investors result in destroying the climate, are people in these professions only working with a short-term mindset? Because ultimately, destroying the environment will not maximize profits.
Canada has a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and he seems to be starting strong. One article caught my eye Mark Carney As Climate Radical? — Covering Climate Now. Here’s a quick snippet from the article: Over the past decade, Carney has repeatedly stated that the vast majority of Earth’s remaining reserves of oil, gas, and coal must be left in the ground, unburned — because burning them would risk a catastrophic overheating of the planet.
If you are an environmentalist, this will be worth watching in the forthcoming election. Will he hold the line? Will he backpedal or soften the message? Will he convince Canadians that this is the right path forward for the country and the world?
Someone winning an election taking this stance is something the world needs, so it would be amazing if it happened, wouldn’t it? I live in hope.
While not climate, another really interesting piece on Canada in regards to how the message from the Trump administration is priming Americans to hate the country and prepare it for war – Blame Canada – by Timothy Snyder – Thinking about…
I have to agree with Paul Hawken here, we don’t have a climate crisis, we ARE the crisis – ‘We don’t have a climate crisis — we are the crisis’: Environmentalist Paul Hawken on why honoring life is the best thing we can do against climate change | Live Science.
The United Nations’s World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) State of the Global Climate Report is out for 2024 – here’s the link. A few “highlights:”
- 2024 was the hottest on records going back 175 years – also each of the last 10 years has been in the top 10 warmest years on record – a trend that is unprecedented, as previously such a time period has always been punctuated by colder years
- The team were also shocked by the way the final months of 2024 remained hot, even as the natural warming effect of the transient El Nino weather phenomenon subsided
- Concentrations of carbon dioxide – the key driver of global warming – are at the highest levels in the last 800,000 years
- Each of the past eight years has smashed new records for heat in the oceans
- The 18 lowest levels of sea ice in the Arctic in summer have all been in the past 18 years
- Glaciers have lost more ice in the last three years than in any other three-year period on record
- The rate of sea level rise has doubled since satellite measurements began
When I think of the future, I always think of our children. What you and I enjoyed as kids is no longer available to them. The water is filthy and full of novel entities, and in summer, they will spend it indoors if they are lucky to be born in a wealthy nation, with heatwaves expected to be seven times more severe for the average five year old today. What are we doing?
Here’s the most extreme temperatures ever recorded!
Some other news worth noting
Glacier meltdown risks food and water supply of 2 billion people, says UN | Glaciers | The Guardian
Record numbers forced to flee climate disasters: UN | The Straits Times
Bangkok Post – Thailand’s heat index reaches danger levels
Even better, just don’t go. Everywhere humans show up, they destroy Visiting Antarctica or the Arctic? Here’s how to minimise your impact
And finally, a classic example of how stupid we are, building a world not fit-for-purpose. Our defence, banking, communications and more rely on these satellites, but our pollution is putting it at risk. Heathrow Airport is showing us how unprepared it is for infrastructure breakdown, imagine the impact when it’s not an airport, but the whole world’s information infrastructure?
Greenhouse gases reduce the satellite carrying capacity of low Earth orbit | Nature Sustainability
Information war
You might have seen this image getting more attention on social media, and if you haven’t read the article, here it is –The right dominates the online media ecosystem, seeping into sports, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical spaces | Media Matters for America.
I shared another version of this late last year, and I do so again, because it’s really important. In the US, the left leaning media has been decimated, so when you hear about the fake news media, know there is almost no media left in this fight. Trump certainly succeeded there.
But Americans and many other people around the world, are not getting their news from mainstream media anyway, they get it from influencers. A few quick stats.
- Right-leaning online shows had at least 480.6 million total followers and subscribers — nearly five times as many as left-leaning
- Right-leaning online shows accounted for roughly 82% of the total following of the online shows assessed
- Comparatively, left-leaning online shows had nearly five times less
- Nine out of the 10 online shows with the largest followings across platforms were right-leaning
- According to a 2023 Pew Research study, 87% of people who hear news discussed on podcasts said they expect it to be mostly accurate and 31% said they trust podcasts more than other news sources
- By appearing on these shows ahead of the 2024 election, Trump reached an audience of 23.5 million American adults in an average week — compared to Harris’ 6.4 million — according to Edison Podcast Metrics.
Here’s the big problem. First up, it’s critical to remember that the right-leaning media landscape is not all bad, but this is where the money is being made. I hear left-leaning politicians talking about needing to get on the Joe Rogan Show. No, that is not the right strategy. We need an equally powerful left-leaning media landscape, and it needs the same level of funding.
A lot of people doing this work are not getting any money at all, but they do it because they believe in what they’re fighting for. However, to succeed and continue, people need to pay the rent to, so if you get funded, you can commit for the long term and get balance back in the conversation.
Second, we need to protect the left-leaning voices. Whether it’s being relentlessly attacked by trolls or bots (especially women and minority groups), algorithm suppression which means less exposure versus right leaning voices – a HUGE issue – or having voices silenced by aggressive regimes and the US is now one of those regimes.
The right is apparently all about free speech, but that’s just more gaslighting, because it’s suppressing voices who express different views or anyone who holds them to account. A few recent pieces, and I definitely recommend everyone watch this space.
- Trump Threatens Media, Opponents With Legal Action in DOJ Speech | Truthout
- With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left – The New York Times
- Trump campaigned as a protector of free speech but critics say his actions threaten it | PBS News
- Kash Patel threatens to take legal action against MSNBC commentator
You might not fully grasp the AI story – how it will change the world – but this news, man, this is not good. Under Trump, AI Scientists Are Told to Remove ‘Ideological Bias’ From Powerful Models | WIRED. A couple of quick quotes, but really worth understanding.
“Unless you’re a tech billionaire, this is going to lead to a worse future for you and the people you care about. Expect AI to be unfair, discriminatory, unsafe, and deployed irresponsibly.”
The researcher who warned that the change in focus could make AI more unfair and unsafe also alleges that many AI researchers have cozied up to Republicans and their backers in an effort to still have a seat at the table when it comes to discussing AI safety. “I hope they start realizing that these people and their corporate backers are face-eating leopards who only care about power,” the researcher says.
Alright, that’s enough for now. There’s lots to catch up on, so get stuck in. Please remember, it’s time to pay attention to the information that matters and a lot of the information we are consuming, does not matter.
Favorite visual or meme
Thank the Goddess for humor!
Be safe out there activists. You’ll all be labelled Domestic Terrorists soon.
Chortle, but not really…
The irony!
Let’s not forget the playbook enveloping the world. Come on Australia!!
My content and my pals
It was The Know Show yesterday, and we had a far-ranging philosophical conversation about the issues impacting the world, joined by the lovely John Dykes as our guest. Have a listen.
Do you understand the impact when we lose our glaciers? It’s not just sea level rise, billions will face starvation.
The inspiration for the theme of The Know Show this week. What fork will we choose?
Dig into the news
Plenty more to read, listen to or watch, so do click through to the reads at the image below, and a reminder, this platform has articles going back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you.
Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.
Cheers
Andrea
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