Lovstuhagen

The New York Times released a blistering statement calling out President Biden for his unprecedented lack of media access during his first term in office.

"For anyone who understands the role of the free press in a democracy, it should be troubling that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term," the Times began its statement. "The president occupies the most important office in our nation, and the press plays a vital role in providing insights into his thinking and worldview, allowing the public to assess his record and hold him to account."

"Mr. Biden has granted far fewer press conferences and sit-down interviews with independent journalists than virtually all of his predecessors. It is true that The Times has sought an on-the-record interview with Mr. Biden, as it has done with all presidents going back more than a century. If the president chooses not to sit down with The Times because he dislikes our independent coverage, that is his right, and we will continue to cover him fully and fairly either way," it added.

The Times continued, "However, in meetings with Vice President Harris and other administration officials, the publisher of The Times focused instead on a higher principle: That systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability. That is why Mr. Sulzberger has repeatedly urged the White House to have the president sit down with The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNN and other major independent news organizations that millions of Americans rely on to understand their government."

39-year-old Elias Huizar, a former Yakima police officer, is facing a slew of charges including being accused of raping a 16-year-old girl on February 3rd after a night of drinking.

According to court documents filed by the Benton County Prosecutors Office, she's not the only minor he's had illegal sexual relations with.

The City of Yakima says Huizar hasn't been employed with the Yakima Police Department since February of 2022, but court documents say while he was employed with the department, he worked as a school resource officer at a middle school, where he met his first victim - although documents don't say if anything inappropriate happened at the time.

Later, according to court documents, Huizar reconnected with the girl, getting her pregnant at 15-years-old and she went on to have the baby at 16. Documents indicate she told investigators they stayed together as a couple after having their child.

Court documents say on February 2nd, 2024, Huizar and his now 17-year-old girlfriend invited her 16-year-old friend over. The three of them began drinking together and the two girls fell asleep after the 16-year-old friend became sick.

Eventually, documents say Huizar's 17-year-old girlfriend woke up to him sexually assaulting her friend and an argument broke out before they left the home in his truck - but he followed them until they contacted deputies who happened to be nearby and went back to the home.

Police say once they arrived at his house, he refused to cooperate and the SWAT team had to be called to arrest him. Court documents say it took around 2 hours to get him in custody and when they went inside the home, it appeared he was trying to clean the evidence left behind.

DPP government says more than 760 statues of Chiang, who ruled the island for nearly three decades, will be swiftly removed

The move is seen as a bid to erase his legacy and 'will be seen as an unfriendly gesture towards mainland China', analyst says

This is actually hilarious because Chiang is the Nationalist leader who opposed mainland China and the real reason why the countries are split.

This is just waffle inserted into the text to make it look like they are not actually erasing a major national figure that was foundational to the country.

I mean, sure, the reasons behind removing them otherwise (his violations of human rights) are completely valid, but I am just suggesting that this be covered honestly and we don't get the insane copium take that China will actually be mad that we tore down statues of the nationalist leader that fought them and led the effort to keep Taiwan separate from China.

Please.

lol.

Spare me.

A mass grave with nearly 300 bodies has been uncovered at a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, Gaza Civil Defense workers said Monday, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area earlier this month.

Col. Yamen Abu Suleiman, Director of Civil Defense in Khan Younis told CNN Monday that “today, 73 bodies were recovered” in the courtyard at the Nasser Medical Complex which brought the “total number to 283.”

Suleiman alleged that some of the bodies had been found with hands and feet tied, “and there were signs of field executions. We do not know if they were buried alive or executed. Most of the bodies are decomposed.”

CNN is unable to verify Suleiman’s claims and cannot confirm the causes of death among the bodies being unearthed.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment following the discovery of the mass grave including whether bodies that had been buried at the hospital had been disinterred for DNA tests, and whether they had been reburied. CNN has sent several questions to the IDF on Sunday and Monday.

As President Joe Biden and his Democratic colleagues continue to undermine the U.S.’ longtime strategic alliance with Israel, a recent event saw top faith leaders, Republican lawmakers, and conservatives gather to underscore a unified stance against the failed two-state solution, while promoting the idea of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) as integral to Israel, grounded in a religious and political opposition to Palestinian statehood.

A Tuesday event of the Keep God’s Land organization in Washington, DC, brought together 150 top Christian, Jewish, and conservative leaders to “make their voices heard in opposition to the Biden administration’s push for a unilateral decision of a two-state solution.”

The Leadership Reception, hosted by the Heritage Foundation, featured an array of special guests, including Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Heritage Foundation President and Army veteran James Carafano, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Israel365 founder Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Knesset Member Ohad Tal, and Trump’s faith adviser Pastor Paula White.

China’s rampant groundwater extraction is one of the primary factors for subsidence, researchers said. Cities have been pumping water from underground aquifers faster than it can be replenished, a situation exacerbated by climate change-fueled drought. Excessive pumping lowers the water table and causes the overlying land to sink.

The land is also sinking due to the growing weight of cities themselves. Soil can compact, naturally from the weight of sediments accumulating over time and from heavy buildings pressing down on the ground, causing the land to steadily sink.

Land subsidence isn’t just a problem in China. In the US, dozens of coastal cities, including New York City, are sinking. In the Netherlands, 25% of its lands have sunk lower than sea levels. And in Mexico City, likely the world’s fastest subsiding city, land is sinking at the speed of up to 50 centimeters, or nearly 20 inches, a year.

The impact of sinking is typically worse along the coasts, where the sea level is rising at the same time. This combination exposes more land, people and property to destructive flooding.

The study suggests roughly a quarter of China’s coasts will be lower than sea level because of subsidence and projected sea level rise, priming the area for colossal damage and putting lives at risk. Tianjin, Shanghai and areas around Guangzhou are significantly exposed to both issues, the study found.

Last year, Pakistan.

This year, Iran.

This article is actually four days old but I am glad I eventually saw it.

This really shouldn't be funny but it got me