In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: War; death] A 72-hour ceasefire started today in Israel and Gaza, which will be followed by talks in Egypt to negotiate a definitive end to the war. "The likelihood of Israel agreeing to a longer-term ceasefire appeared to increase on Tuesday as Israeli radio stations reported that ground forces had completed their main Gaza war mission of destroying cross-border tunnels. At least 32 of the underground passages and dozens of access shafts had been located and blown up, Israel Radio and Army Radio said. A member of the Hamas delegation in Cairo, Bassam Salhi, said it was 'clear now that the interest of all parties is to have a ceasefire. It's going to be tough negotiations because Israel has demands too.'" Israel has reportedly withdrawn its military from Gaza, which is a good sign.

[CN: War; death] In Afghanistan, a man in an Afghan army uniform "opened fire on international troops [at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul], killing at least one U.S. officer, in what appears to be the country's latest so-called 'insider attack,' according to a U.S. official and the German military. ...[A]nother 15 international soldiers, including several Americans, were wounded in the attack."

[CN: Guns] RIP James Brady, who, after surviving being shot during an assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan, advocated for better gun laws.

[CN: War on agency] Andrea Grimes details the goings-on during hearings in federal court where expert witnesses have testified how "HB 2, Texas' omnibus anti-abortion law, has negatively affected the ability of pregnant people who live in south and west Texas to access legal abortion care."

(I really don't want to get too hopeful that the tide is turning in the war on agency, but I am hesitantly encouraged by some signs that the tide is beginning to turn. Just barely.)

[CN: Transphobia; rape; dehumanization] At the Advocate, Julia Serano rebuts that heinous "What Is a Woman?" article the New Yorker published last week. (I'm not going to link directly to the original article, but there is a link in Serano's rebuttal, if you're inclined to read it.)

[CN: Sexual violence; exploitation] Aljazeera America has a two-part video series on US Olympic hopefuls who are sexually abused by their coaches and discuss how they have "been abandoned by a system that values winning over protecting children against rape." Part One is here; Part Two is here.

[CN: Extreme weather] Hurricane Iselle is headed for Hawaii, "with forecasters warning that the islands could face a one-two punch as Tropical Storm Julio is trailing not far behind. It is extremely rare to have such major storms in such quick succession, according to Weather Channel lead meteorologist Kevin Roth. He said the most recent example was in 1982 when two significantly weaker tropical storms and depressions hit ten days apart. 'In 75 years of reliable data you only have one case where they were even 10 days apart,' he said. And for Hawaii to be facing two spaced just two to three days apart? 'This is unprecedented in the satellite era,' Roth added." Fuck.

[CN: Transphobia; carcerality; sexual violence] Sign the petition here to ask the US Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release Marichuy Leal Gamino, "a transgender woman who has been detained by ICE for over a year at the for-profit private Eloy detention center in Arizona. At Eloy, she has been imprisoned with men and was recently raped by her cellmate." If they cannot protect her, they need to free her. It's that simple.

Sylvester Stallone is still making Expendables movies, and is now planning an all-female spin-off titled The Expendabelles. Epic eyeroll. Wait, it gets worse: "The only potential castmember named was Sigourney Weaver, whom Stallone said he would love to see lead The Expendabelles as his onscreen wife. 'We've got a situation where we're in unchartered waters. Do we put all women actresses together, would that really work? Or do we have some women who are actually really known to be tough fighters,' he said, hinting that the plot could see Weaver get half The Expendables team as part of a messy divorce. 'So she'd get the house, the kids and my mercenaries!'" Would it really work to put "all women actresses" together? Good grief.

Here is a great story about Pilots N Paws, an organization that helps deliver pets in need of new homes to rescue organizations that are willing to take them. Giant Paw Prints rescue and Smoochie Pooch grooming are both local to me (and I know the terrific owner of Smoochie Pooch), and they do such good work in this community. ♥