DEVELOPMENT

Some examples of benefits that hosting the Games will bring include expansion of public transportation by 15 percent, the availability of public swimming in the Seine once it is cleaned up, and the installation of pedestrian paths.

The Paris 2024 Olympic goal is to halve the carbon footprint of the Olympic Games compared to past Games.

The problem is Olympic development is in a class by itself. This kind of legacy development has brought benefits but it has always been contentious in terms of the use of public space, social impacts, equity concerns, and cost overruns versus benefits in the short and long term.

For instance, part of the cost overruns in the London Olympics were due to a growing fear of terrorist activity. In the case of Paris there are potentially costly old and new social problems to address in competition with the goal of lowering the carbon footprint.

A Stitch in Time

ARTWORK BY VARTIKA SHARMA

Embroidery as a art form has traditionally followed
the lives and history of the Palestinian people.

Wafa Ghnaim’s book,Tatreez &Tearelates how embroidery is a story telling tool told through unique stitches representing centuries of hope and suppression felt in the lived-in lives of Palestinian people, as recorded by mothers and daughters, over time.

During an interview with Samantha Grasso, Lina Barkawi, a Palestinian embroidery artist , relates how the world’s largest embroidery company, Dollfus-Mieg et Compagnie (DMC), which commands the largest share of the market in Palestine, not only chose to ignore the “conflict” that is in reality genocide. The corporation chose to misrepresented the heart of the story telling behind the Palestinian art by blindly representing non-Palestinian embroidery as Tatreez. Grasso became an activist to fight this cultural identify theft, not only for Palestinians but for indigenous peoples around the world, discourse blog,

The Keffiyeh (Wikipedia) is typical wear for Palestinians. Once worn to protect farm workers, the headwear became an emblem for a Palestinian history of struggle. The factories that produce Keffiyeh have all but disappeared in the Gaza strip and West Bank. The Hirbawi family, owners of a remaining business established in 1961 must fight for survival.
“ Hirbawi’s brand manager Nael AlQassis said, ’ While we continue to live and fulfill our duties, there’s a profound sense of just going through the motions, struggling to feel alive amidst the ongoing crisis’”, atoms.earth.
As commercial wear around the neck for instance, the Keffiyeh is controversial as a cultural appropriation. On the other hand symbolically wearing the keffiyeh is welcomed when viewed as a sign of support for Palestine.

 

In the Intercept, October 7 survivors are suing pro Palestinian campus protesters claiming that students are Hamas's propaganda division.

 

In the New York Times, May 10 - Signifying growing global solidarity with Palestine the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting Palestinian statehood in a 143 to 9 vote with 25 nations abstaining. The United States voted no.

As part of the sweep of encampments across the country New School faculty members set up the first in the nation faculty led encampment on May 8 at the University Center building on Five Avenue, New York City. Twelve protesters were arrested outside the site. In a joint statement the faculty group said, "the students don't stand alone."

 

Nakba Day (catastrophe) held on May 15 is a continuing event commemorating decades of mass expulsion from their homes beginning in 1947. It is marked this year by the horrors of unfolding events happening in Gaza. The Israeli celebration of the founding of "a national home" following the holocaust was held on May 14.

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MIGRATION

In Common Dreams, a record 76 million people were internally displaced in 2023 largely due to violence related to wars according to an IDMC annual report titled "Global Report on Internal Displacement".

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ENVIRONMENT

The barred owl had generally been a sedentary species. However, that changed as the species leap-frogged across the country aided by development that brought more homes and importantly more trees. The barred owl then settled in the relatively narrow habitat that belonged to the Northern Spotted Owl which depends on old growth forests for survival.

The barred owl is a different species but shares the same genus with the Spotted owl. While some hybridization has taken place, for the most part the slightly bigger, more adaptable, and more prolific barred owl is viewed as threatening the already vulnerable Northern Spotted Owl with extinction.

The Wildlife Fish and Game Service proposes a mass killing of almost half a million barred owls. The questionable ethics of the agency's proposed solution is a source of conflict.

The meanings that drive the conflict, particularly in terms of climate change, have broader implications about what constitutes an invasive species and meanings of extinction in human terms versus what could be considered to be a natural adaptive strategy on the part of wildlife.

Photo s.g. crowell

Grants Pass Oregon wants stricter laws including fines and possibly jail sentences for those occupying public land as a means to address a severe shortage of public housing. One complainant said the city doesn't build public housing since this might attract more homelessness. Some members of the homeless population and their advocates and caregivers are fighting back.

A ProPublica 2021 investigation found that child support payments totaling $1.7 billion annually were taken from families and redirected into state coffers. ProPublic credits its past reporting on the issue with a change in policy as at least six states have rewritten their laws and policies to allow the money to flow directly to families due child support and legislation is now on the books in several other states.

A Department of Labor Statistics report shows that food prices increased 2.2 percent from February 2023 to February 2024. Predictions are a continued climb in 2024 prices with a drop in 2025 prices. However, forecasts are unclear. For instance, according to a 2023  report  by Senator Bob Casey D-PA) , complaints emerging from grocery store aisles about rising food prices are a response to an overabundance of corporate greed.

Salmon species are threatened by hazards such as dams and water pollution . However, Atlanta Salmon however are rebounding in Maine's Sandy River as the climate warms. This population growth is being encouraged through different programs.

On May 6, 2024 the United Nation reported that the Board of the Fund for Responding to the Conference of the Parties' (COP) Loss and Damage agreement held a historic first three-day meeting held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Objectives were identified and a fund was established. The next step is to ensure that the World Bank commits to serving as a financial intermediary fund host. The deadline for the confirmation is June 12.

The role of the World Bank has been controversial.

MEDIA

In freedom forum, one in five local TV stations across the country had news crews attacked on the job during 2020, a local news professional group found that the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker had documented 438 physical attacks on journalists during 2020, and more than 60 through the first half of 2021, including reporters thrown to the ground, pepper sprayed and punched in the face. In CPJ, The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that an unprecedented number of arrests and assaults of journalists occurred mostly at the hands of law enforcement.

On April 1 Israel's parliament passed a law allowing temporary shutdowns of foreign media outlets considered to be a threat to security. Al Jazeera was banned a month later. The media outlet has and is generally considered to be a trusted source reporting on Palestinian and Israeli news as well as comprehensive on the ground reports on Gaza for readers around the globe