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This evening's music features doo wop singer Otis Williams and the Charms. Enjoy!

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy."

-- David Ogilvy

News and Opinion

Zen And The Art Of New York Times Headline Writing

The New York Times has just published one of the most insane headlines I have ever seen it publish, which is really saying something.

“Gaza’s Deadly Aid Deliveries,” the title blares.

If you were among the majority of people who only skim the headline without reading the rest of the article, you would have no idea that Israel has spent the last few days massacring starving civilians at aid sites and lying about it. You would also have no idea that it is Israel who’s been starving them in the first place.

Who keeps shooting and killing starving Palestinians during “aid deliveries”? Who starved them in the first place? pic.twitter.com/IljdDFmuT6

— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) June 4, 2025

The headline is written in such a passive, amorphous way that it sounds like the aid deliveries themselves are deadly. Like the bags of flour are picking up assault rifles and firing on desperate Palestinians queuing for food or something.

The sub-headline is no better: “Israel’s troops have repeatedly shot near food distribution sites.”

Oh? They’ve shot “near” food distribution sites, have they? Could their discharging their weapons in close proximity to the aid sites possibly have something to do with the aforementioned deadliness of the aid deliveries? Are we the readers supposed to connect these two pieces of information for ourselves, or are we meant to view them as two separate data points which may or may not have anything to with one another?

The article itself makes it clear that Israel has admitted that IDF troops fired their weapons “near” people waiting for aid after they failed to respond to “warning shots”, so you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what happened here. But in mainstream publications the headlines are written by editors, not by the journalists who write the articles, so they get to frame the story in whatever way suits their propaganda agenda for the majority who never read past the headline.

What are you doing @nytimes? What is this shit pic.twitter.com/X42jTdK06i

— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) May 22, 2025

We saw another amazingly manipulative New York Times headline last month, “Israeli Soldiers Fire in Air to Disperse Western Diplomats in West Bank,” about the IDF firing “warning shots” at a delegation of foreign officials attempting to visit Jenin.

This was a story which provoked outcry and condemnation throughout the western world, but look at the lengths the New York Times editor went to in order to frame the IDF’s actions in the most innocent way possible. They were firing into the air. They were firing “to disperse western diplomats”—like that’s a thing. Like diplomats are crows on a cornfield or something. Oh yeah, ya know ya get too many diplomats flockin’ around and ya gotta fire a few rounds to disperse ’em. Just normal stuff.

It’s amazing how creative these freaks get when they need to publicly exonerate Israel and its western allies of their crimes. The IDF commits a war crime and suddenly these stuffy mass media editors who’ve never created any art in their lives transform into poets, bending and twisting the English language to come up with lines that read more like Zen koans than reporting on an important news event.

It’s impossible to have too much disdain for these people.

Hand of Genocide:

US vetoes UNSC resolution for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, giving green light for continued genocide. pic.twitter.com/S3veRmFQUF

— PalMedia (@PalMediaOrg) June 4, 2025

US vetoes resolution for unconditional Gaza ceasefire at UN security council

The United States has vetoed a United Nations security council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza while the 14 remaining countries on the council voted in favour.

The vetoed resolution also called the situation in Gaza “catastrophic”, and demanded the “immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its safe and unhindered distribution at scale, including by the UN and humanitarian partners”.

It was the fifth time that the US has vetoed a security council draft ceasefire resolution in order to protect Israel. Washington vetoed a similar resolution in November, under the Biden administration, on the grounds that the ceasefire demand was not directly linked to the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.

The text was co-sponsored by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia. Russia, China, France and the UK also voted in favour.

The US representative, Dorothy Shea, called the draft resolution “unacceptable” saying that the United States “would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza”. Israel also welcomed the US veto.

U.S. Vetoes U.N. Gaza Ceasefire Resolution; Kathy Kelly & Veterans Enter 3rd Week of Hunger Strike

Gaza food hub stops operations for second day as access routes remain ‘combat zones’

A US-backed group operating food distribution sites in Gaza has announced that its operations would be suspended for a second day on Thursday, due to “maintenance and repair work”, as the Israeli army warned that roads leading to distribution centres were considered “combat zones”.

After Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians, killing at least 27 and injuring hundreds, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) pressed Israel to improve civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites.

GHF initially said its operations would be suspended for a single day, but after security talks with the Israeli army on Wednesday, the group posted a message on social media, saying operations would not resume on Thursday.

“Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is working to make the distribution of food boxes as safe as possible, despite the difficult circumstances. We strongly urge all those heading to our locations to follow the routes set by the IDF to ensure safe passage,” it said. It did not give any further details.

The GHF had previously said it had asked the Israeli military to “guide foot traffic in a way that minimises confusion or escalation risks” near military perimeters, develop clearer guidance for civilians and enhance training to support civilian safety. “Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid,” said a GHF spokesperson.

Max Blumenthal : How Long Can Netanyahu Stay in Power?

International Red Cross Chief Says Gaza Conditions 'Worse' Than 'Hell on Earth'

The president of one of the world's top humanitarian groups said in an interview Wednesday that nearly 20 months after Israel began its relentless assault on Gaza, the international community is watching "a type of warfare... that deprives civilians of their dignity entirely."

Jeremy Bowen, international editor for BBC News, asked International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric about comments she made last month when she visited Gaza, several weeks into Israel's total blockade on humanitarian aid, and declared that the enclave had been transformed into "hell on Earth."

"Has anything changed?" asked Bowen.

"It has become worse," replied Spoljaric. "Humanity is failing in Gaza... We cannot continue to watch what is happening. It's surpassing any acceptable legal, moral, and humane standard."

"The fact that we are watching people being entirely stripped of their human dignity should really shock our collective conscience."

Mirjana Spoljaric, ICRC President, shared with @BowenBBC about the dire situation for civilians in Gaza and made a call for leaders to act now pic.twitter.com/aF99fzcGWP

— ICRC (@ICRC) June 4, 2025

Spoljaric's latest remarks came a week after the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began its aid operations, with proponents claiming the private company staffed by U.S. security contractors would save the lives of Gaza residents who have faced increasing starvation and malnutrition since the current blockade began in March—while ensuring Hamas did not steal or divert the aid. The United Nations has said there is no evidence Hamas has systematically diverted relief from civilians.

Fears about the GHF's plan—expressed by aid organizations, the U.N., and the former executive director who resigned the day before operations began—have been proven correct since the group opened its distribution sites in southern Gaza last week. At least 27 Palestinians were killed Tuesday at one of the aid sites when the Israel Defense Forces opened fire—yet another incident of the IDF killing of people trying to obtain aid.

The ICRC said its field hospital in Rafah received "a mass casualty influx of 184 patients" early on Tuesday morning.

"This includes nineteen cases who were declared dead upon arrival and eight more who died due to their wounds shortly after," said the group. "The majority of cases suffered gunshot wounds. Again, all responsive patients said they were trying to reach an assistance distribution site."

Mohamed Zidan, the husband of a woman named Reem al-Akhras who was killed in Tuesday's mass shooting, said the GHF operation was "not humanitarian aid—it's a trap."

"She went to bring us some food, and this is what happened to her," her son Zain Zidan toldAl Jazeera.

Journalist Rania Khalek condemned corporate news outlets for their reports of "conflicting accounts" as Israel said that the IDF fired only at "several suspects moving toward them."

"Outrageous," said Khalek. "The Israelis are proven liars, their narrative should not be given any legitimacy. CNN continues to cover for genocide, shameful."

After Israel repeatedly opened fire and killed dozens of hungry Palestinians lured to Israel’s fake food aid distribution sites, the project is suspended and Israel is calling the sites combat zones.

CNN says what took place is difficult to know bc of “conflicting accounts.”…

— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) June 4, 2025

Israeli forces also opened fire at one of the sites on Sunday, killing 20 people and wounding hundreds who had walked an average of 9.3 miles to the distribution hub, hoping to carry home food boxes weighing about 44 pounds, with enough food to last about three days before they would need to make the trek—and avoid IDF soldiers stationed at the sites—again.

On Wednesday, the GHF said its four distribution sites would be closed for the day to improve "organization and efficiency," while the IDF warned Palestinians to stay away from the sites and the roads leading to them, saying they had been designated "combat zones."

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres demanded an independent inquiry into the killing of Palestinians at food distribution sites.

"It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food," Guterres said.

Bibi Govt COLLAPSING As Dock Workers BLOCK Weapons

US Strikes on Yemen Oil Port That Killed 84 Civilians Called 'Apparent War Crime'

The April bombing of a Yemeni oil port by U.S. forces that killed and wounded hundreds of civilians and disrupted the delivery of lifesaving aid to one of the world's most war-torn nations was "an apparent war crime" that should be investigated, a leading international human rights group said Wednesday.

On April 17, a series of U.S. airstrikes destroyed the Ras Isa oil Port on the Red Sea north of Hodeidah, killing 84 people and wounding more than 150 others, according to first responders, local officials, and a probe by the U.K.-based independent monitor Airwars.

The bombings were part of the Trump administration's response to resistance by Houthi rebels to Israel's annihilation of Gaza, which has included ballistic missile strikes targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping related to the key U.S. ally.

"U.S. forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years," U.S. Central Command said at the time, adding that "this strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen."

However, the first four U.S. strikes on the port happened while workers were still on the job. Officials said first responders including paramedics and rescue workers who rushed to the scene were killed in subsequent strikes, known as "double taps" in military parlance.

Human Rights Watch said Wednesday that of the strikes' victims, "49 were people who worked at the port, several were truck drivers, and two were civil defense personnel. Others may have been workers' family members. Three were identified as children."

"The list contained one person identified as a 'colonel,' but who was not necessarily a military member," HRW continued. "The Hodeidah branch of the government-owned Yemen Oil Company posted photographs of 49 employees they said were killed."

In new investigation, @hrw finds that the US attack on Ras Issa Port in #Yemen in April is an apparent war crime. The port is critical as an entry point for aid + commercial imports. According to @airwars, at least 84 civilians were killed, 150 injured.https://t.co/97CksDJPp3

— Niku Jafarnia (@NikuJafarnia) June 4, 2025

HRW Yemen and Bahrain researcher Niku Jafarnia said Wednesday that "the U.S. government's decision to strike Ras Isa Port, a critical entry point for aid in Yemen, while hundreds of workers were present demonstrates a callous disregard for civilians' lives."

"At a time when the majority of Yemenis don't have adequate access to food and water, the attack's impact on humanitarian aid could be enormous, particularly after Trump administration aid cutbacks," Jafarnia added.

U.S. airstrikes on Yemen, which averaged around a dozen per month during the final year of the Biden administration, soared to more than 60 in March under President Donald Trump, according to the Yemen Data Project.

Other recent U.S. massacres in Yemen include a series of March 15 strikes on residential areas in the capital Sanaa that killed at least 53 people including numerous women and children, an April 20 strike on the Farwah market in the Shuub neighborhood of the capital Sanaa that killed at least 12 people and wounded 30 others, and the April 28 bombing of a detention center for African migrants in the city of Sa'ada that left at least 68 people dead and dozens more wounded.

These strikes came after President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth loosened the U.S. military's rules of engagement to allow the bombing of a wider range of targets and people. In March, Hegseth announced that the Pentagon's Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Office and Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was established during the Biden administration, would be closed.

Hegseth—who has supported pardons for convicted U.S. war criminals—lamented during his Senate confirmation hearing that "restrictive rules of engagement" have "made it more difficult to defeat our enemies," who "should get bullets, not attorneys," according to his 2024 book The War on Warriors.

The U.S has been bombing and conducting ground raids in Yemen since the beginning of the so-called War on Terror launched by the George W. Bush administration in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Airwars says hundreds of Yemeni civilians have been killed in 181 declared U.S. actions since 2002.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama announced that U.S. forces would provide "logistical and intelligence support" to the Saudi-led coalition intervening in the ongoing Yemeni civil war on behalf of the national government as it battled Iran-backed Houthi rebels. That assistance included refueling Saudi and Emirati warplanes that were bombing Yemeni targets and killing thousands of civilians while a blockade fueled famine and illness that claimed hundred of thousands of lives.

"The U.S. has been implicated in laws-of-war violations in Yemen since it began 'targeted killing operations' in 2002 against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," HRW said Wednesday. "Those strikes continued until at least 2019 and killed many civilians, including 12 people attending a wedding in 2013. To Human Rights Watch's knowledge, the U.S. has never acknowledged or provided compensation for civilians harmed in this or other unlawful attacks."

The Pentagon has only acknowledged 13 civilian deaths caused by U.S. military action in Yemen since 2002. The Trump administration has been especially tight-lipped about civilian casualties resulting from its operations, a stance some critics have called ironic given that top administration officials including Hegseth discussed highly sensitive plans for attacking Yemen on a Signal group chat in which a journalist was inadvertently included.

"The recent U.S. airstrikes in Yemen are just the latest causing civilian harm in the country over the past two decades," Jafarnia said. "The Trump administration should reverse past U.S. practice and provide prompt compensation to those unlawfully harmed."

Dragging us to Armageddon

Kremlin and Trump aides raise nuclear war fears after Ukraine drone strike

As Vladimir Putin pledges to retaliate against Ukraine for last weekend’s unprecedented drone attack, Kremlin advisers and figures around Donald Trump have told the US president that the risk of a nuclear confrontation is growing, in an attempt to pressure him to further reduce US support for Ukraine.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and an important intermediary between the Kremlin and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, called the Ukrainian drone strike an attack on “Russian nuclear assets”, and echoed remarks from Maga-friendly figures warning of the potential for a third world war. “Clear communication is urgent – to grasp reality and the rising risks before it’s too late,” Dmitriev wrote, adding a dove emoji.

Ukraine claimed that the strike damaged more than 40 Russian planes, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M heavy bombers that have been used to launch cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities throughout the war, killing thousands and damaging crucial infrastructure that delivers heat and electricity to millions more.

But those planes can also carry weapons armed with nuclear warheads, and are part of a nuclear triad along with submarine and silo-based missiles that form the basis for a system of deterrence between Russia and the United States.

After a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, Trump said: “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”

South Korea’s New President Says He Will Seek Talks With the North

South Korea has elected a new president after months of political turmoil sparked by former President Yoon Seok-yeol’s declaration of martial law in December 2024, which led to his impeachment.

South Koreans went to the polls on Tuesday and elected Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, who officially started his term early Wednesday morning, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The Democratic Party’s victory over Kim Moon-soo, the candidate representing Yoon’s People Power Party, was seen as a reckoning for the martial law declaration. The final results showed that Lee received 51.7% of the votes, while Kim trailed behind with 39.3%.

In a victory speech to his supporters, Lee vowed to seek talks with North Korea, a break from his predecessor’s approach that provides President Trump with the opportunity to revisit the diplomacy with Pyongyang that he pursued during his first term.

Mahmoud Khalil, Trapped in “Immigration Gulag” for Nearly 3 Months, Challenges Deportation Efforts

Senator Rand Paul: Neocons HIJACKED Trump's Bill

Trump’s tax bill would add $2.4tn to US debt, says non-partisan analysis

Donald Trump’s signature tax bill would blow a $2.4tn hole to America’s national debt over the next decade, according to a congressional budget office analysis, which came as Elon Musk called for a new bill.

The non-partisan budget office said on Wednesday that Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” would decrease federal revenues by $3.67tn while cutting spending by $1.25tn through 2034, as the national debt currently stands at $36tn. ...

The legislation extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while making deep spending reductions, primarily through cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs, and passed the House by a single vote last month with no Democratic support. On Tuesday, the Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor-Greene admitted she had missed a section of the bill text that was meant to regulate AI over the next 10 years, something she says would have made her vote against it. The week prior, the Nebraska representative Mike Flood said he glossed over another part of the bill about federal judges enforcing contempt orders.

The CBO analysis found the bill would leave 10.9 million more Americans without health insurance by 2034, including 1.4 million people “without verified citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status” who would lose coverage under state-funded programs.

Economy SEIZES As Trump BEGS China For Deal

Linda McMahon unsure if teaching Black history flouts Trump’s anti-DEI policy

Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said on Wednesday she was unsure if teaching students about two of the most notorious racist episodes in US history would fall foul of the Trump administration’s onslaught against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Testifying before the House of Representatives’ education and workforce subcommittee, McMahon appeared uncertain of her facts when confronted by Summer Lee, a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania. Lee asked her about the 1921 Tulsa race massacre and Ruby Bridges, a civil rights worker who as a six-year-old, braved a screaming mob to become the first Black child to attend a previously all-white school.

The exchange occurred after Lee asked her if teaching an African American history course would breach the administration’s anti-DEI policies.

“I do not think that African studies or Middle East studies or Chinese studies are part of DEI if they are taught as part of the total history package,” she said. “So that if you’re giving the facts on both sides, of course they’re not DEI.”

Lee said she was unsure what both sides of a Black history course would be and raised the questions about Tulsa and Bridges, prompting McMahon to respond that she would “look into them”. That in turn led to Lee asking: “Do you know what the Tulsa race massacre is?” McMahon replied: “I’d like to look into it more.”

Trump signs order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the US

Donald Trump has signed a proclamation banning travel from 12 countries and restricting travel from seven others, reviving and expanding the travel bans from his first term.

The nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be “fully” restricted from entering the US, according to the proclamation. Meanwhile, the entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted.

The US president said that he “considered foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism goals” in deciding the scope of the ban. Trump had cued up the ban in an executive order signed on 20 January, his first day back in the White House, instructing his administration to submit a list of candidates for a ban by 21 March.

Advocates have for months raised alarms that a blanket ban will once again tear families apart. The bans on travel from Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela could be especially impactful in US communities with huge immigrant populations from those countries. Having instituted a travel ban on Muslim countries early in his first term, Trump trailed his plans for a new ban during his election campaign against Kamala Harris last year.

“I will ban refugee resettlement from terror-infested areas like the Gaza Strip, and we will seal our border and bring back the travel ban,” Trump said in September. “Remember the famous travel ban? We didn’t take people from certain areas of the world. We’re not taking them from infested countries.”

How 60 species are just one cyclone away from extinction

Hurricane Dorian is thought to have been one of the worst natural disasters for the Bahamas, leaving at least 70,000 people homeless and causing more than $5bn (£3.7bn) in damage in 2019. But it wasn’t just people who suffered. For one forest dwelling songbird – the Bahama nuthatch – this hurricane spelled the end.]

Now a new study reveals that a significant number of species that are endemic to a single island, like the Bahama nuthatch, are at increasing risk of extinction from severe tropical cyclones, with an estimated 60 species potentially one cyclone away from being wiped out.

Canadian wildfires prompt air-quality alerts across five US states

Smoke from wildfires in Canada is spreading across multiple states in the US including the eastern seaboard, prompting multiple states to issue air-quality alerts. Officials in New York, New Jersey, Iowa, New Hampshire and Maine issued alerts due to smoke from fires in Canada.

The poor air quality stretching across the US came as a result of dozens of wildfires burning across Canada as the country’s annual wildfire season roars into destructive action.

The fires, which have been sparked by both humans and natural causes, have prompted at least 25,000 residents in three Canadian provinces to evacuate in recent days.

On Wednesday afternoon, a map from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow forecast showed large swaths of moderate to unhealthy air quality across the east, midwest and southern parts of the US, featuring smoke and dust.

Also on Wednesday, the New York state department of environmental conservation issued an air-quality advisory from 11am to 11pm for multiple counties including parts of New York City.

White House threatens to pull billions from California’s high-speed rail project

California’s years-long effort to construct a high-speed rail faces yet another hurdle as the Trump administration said the project had no “viable path” to move ahead and threatened to pull billions of dollars in federal funding. Sean Duffy, the US transportation secretary, released a compliance review report that said the project was in default of the terms of its federal grant awards, and said it had been beset by mismanagement, waste and ever-growing costs. “Here’s the cold, hard truth – there’s no viable path to complete the rail project on time or on budget. California is on notice,” Duffy said, adding that “it could soon be time” for funds to move to other projects.

High-speed rail, long available in Japan and Europe, has been a dream for decades in California with supporters hopeful it could reduce the environmental impact in a state known for its rampant car use, connect the state and drive economic development with the creation of thousands of jobs. In 2008, California voters approved $10bn in funding for the bullet train, which was supposed to bring passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours and be completed by 2020 at a total cost of $33bn.

Seventeen years on, the project’s estimated cost is expected to exceed $100bn. The state has now focused not on the original route designed to connect California’s metropolitan areas, but on a 171-mile stretch in the Central valley, which is expected to be completed by 2033 at a cost of more than $35bn. The entirety of the line received environmental clearance for construction in 2024 and the project finally began laying down track this year. Frustrations over the delays and growing costs have mounted.

Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Palestinian Red Crescent details medic’s account of 15 colleagues’ slaughter

Ms Rachel says she’ll risk career to advocate for children in Gaza

102 Palestinian aid-seekers killed by Israel in Gaza in 8 days

Israeli Forces Kill 95 Palestinians in Gaza Over 24 Hours

US firm behind GHF operations quits as lethal aid scheme claims more Palestinian lives

Ominous Warning From Israel as Freedom Flotilla Approaches Gaza

Lobbying for Israeli Arms in the UK Shadows

Ray McGovern: Putin Would Not Rise to the Bait

Biden said ‘Russia should be destroyed’ – Brazil’s Lula

Rob Urie: What Do the Western Drone Attacks Mean for US – Russia Relations?

When Financiers Win, They Lose

A Little Night Music

Otis Williams and The Charms - Two Hearts

Otis Williams & The Charms - Gum Drop

Otis Williams & The Charms - Whadaya Want?

Otis Williams And His Charms – Ko Ko Mo

Otis Williams and The Charms - Hearts Of Stone

Otis Williams and his Charms - In Paradise

Otis Williams & His Charms - United

Otis Williams And His Charms – Bazoom (I Need Your Loving)

Otis Williams And His Charms - One Night Only

Otis Williams and the Charms - Whirlwind