Australia's wildfires, tensions in the Progressive Caucus, the decade in LGBTQ rights
OVER THE BREAK
Five people were stabbed inside a rabbi's home during a Hanukkah celebration
Last weekend, as people gathered to celebrate the seventh night of Hanukkah in a New York suburb, five people were stabbed at a rabbi's home. All victims were hospitalized for their injuries.
The stabbing occurred in Rockland County's Monsey, an area that is home to thousands of Orthodox Jews. The suspect, identified as Grafton Thomas, fled the scene, and was later arrested. He faces five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary.
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council said all five stabbing victims were Hasidic Jews. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the incident "an act of domestic terrorism," noting it was about the 13th anti-Semitic attack in the state in the last few weeks.
Police recovered journals with anti-Semitic sentiments and conspiracies from the suspect's home.
Suspect Grafton Thomas, 37. Julius Constantine Motal / AP STAYING ON TOP OF THIS The Progressive Caucus doesn't want to just be a social club anymore
A year ago, a slew of newly-elected progressives rolled into Congress and began pursuing the mission of pushing the Democratic Party to the left on health care, economic and racial justice, and climate change.
That year has had a number of notable victories — nearly every Democrat voted with progressives to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 nationwide, and a majority of Democrats now support Medicare for All.
But even with those wins, the caucus finds itself at a tipping point around a central question: Now that they have power, how do they wield it? Addy Baird wrote about these tensions.
SNAPSHOTS The US Army has banned soldiers from using TikTok. Weeks after the Navy made a similar decision, the US Army has banned service members from using the Chinese-owned short-form video app on government-issued phones.
Police officers used cardboard signs taken from homeless people as a gag gift for their supervisor. The police chief in Mobile, Alabama apologized after two officers posed for a picture holding what one of them called a "homeless quilt" — confiscated cardboard signs from people asking for a handout.
The Chinese scientist who made the first genetically engineered babies is going to prison. A Chinese court sentenced biomedical scientist He Jiankui and two accomplices to prison for "illegal medical practice" for genetically engineering three babies.
Bumble accidentally blocked Sharon Stone's account after people mistakenly flagged it as fake. Bumble confirmed to us that her profile is authentic and that the whole incident was not part of a promotional campaign. Let Sharon Stone date!!
The last day of the 2010s in Australia was marked by red skies and emergency warnings. It was one of the worst days yet in Australia's devastating fire season — with two months of summer still to go. The photos of kids surviving the bushfire season are quite striking.
 Finn Burns, 11, drives a boat with his mother and brother onboard, to safety in Mallacoota. Allison Marion / ABC Gippsland A LAST LOOK BACK Two end-of-decade pieces you shouldn't miss
I know we're in a new decade now, but the ways the 2010s changed us will stick around for a long time. These two essays are worth your time:
👉 The US didn't only stop defending LGBTQ rights around the world — it's now a part of the problem. The 2010s brought LGBTQ rights to the forefront, just as the US stepped back from defending them.
👉 The rise — and rise — of mass surveillance. As advanced levels of mass surveillance became standard everywhere, we got used to giving up our privacy. Where does that take us next?
CATS OUT Universal has abandoned its Academy Award campaign for Cats, shocking everyone who heard it was even a plan
Since the last time we spoke, The movie Cats, based on the musical Cats, uh, you might say, underperformed. After dismal reviews, the movie opened to just $6.5 million in its first weekend. Despite its star-studded cast, things did not go well for Cats.
Critics described the film as a "descent into madness" and a sight "no human should see." So upon hearing that Universal pulled the movie from its awards season contenders, people lost their mind at the courage it took to even think it could win an award. May we all be that bold in 2020.
Spend a few minutes thinking about your intentions for today, Elamin BuzzFeed, Inc.
111 E. 18th St.
New York, NY 10003
Unsubscribe |
Post a Comment