Edit: The US has used its veto to block Palestinian full membership of the UN. The UK & Switzerland abstained. All other 12 nations on the Security Council voted for Palestine.

Analysis

Leaked cables had showed the White House opposed Palestinian statehood, despite Biden’s pledge to support a two-state solution.

The US was lobbying nations to reject Palestinian membership at the UN on Friday in the hope of avoiding the need to use its veto.

https://theintercept.com/2024/04/17/united-nations-biden-palestine-statehood/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter

#US #Palestine ..

Leaked Cables Show White House Opposes Palestinian Statehood

Despite Biden’s pledge to support a two-state solution, cables argue that Palestine should not be granted U.N. member status.

^{Ken Klippenstein (The Intercept)}

By the middle of the century, global emissions from plastic production could triple to account for one-fifth of the Earth’s remaining carbon budget, an analysis has found.

The stunning new estimates from provide yet more evidence the plastic industry is “undermining the world’s efforts to address #ClimateCrisis”, said Heather McTeer Toney, executive director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, which helped fund the new report.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/18/plastic-production-emission-climate-crisis

Plastic-production emissions could triple to one-fifth of Earth’s carbon budget – report

Exclusive: By the middle of the century, pollution from plastic industry could ‘undermine world’s effort’ to control climate crisis

^{Dharna Noor (The Guardian)}

Instead of banning tiktok, would it be better to amend section 310 of the Communications Act to include social media companies as "common carriers"?

I honestly don't know--I just know that there is plenty of precedent for banning foreign ownership of communications mechanisms.

So let's recognize sm as communications mechanisms and regulate them as we do other comms methods (radio in this case) instead of singling out one company?

More young, affluent women may be smoking - study

Younger women could benefit from targeted interventions to tackle the apparent rise, researchers say. #press

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68844329?utm_source=press.coop

Why a third term for Modi could be ‘catastrophic’ for India’s 200 million Muslims

As India heads into the world’s biggest election, Muslims tell Shweta Sharma of growing anxiety and fear of persecution after two terms of the Modi government marked by rising polarisation in the country #press

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/india-elections-muslims-violence-hindus-modi-b2521576.html?utm_source=press.coop

I feel that critters from German #folklore would be better known if they had snappier names. Or, in many cases, any names at all.

I know that the German language has a reputation for "having a word for everything", but the folk tales largely go for unnamed horrors. Which makes writing them up for #ttrpg monster manuals more difficult. 😉

South Korean Buddhist monks, including representatives from the Jogye Order and Bongeunsa Temple, retrieved Buddhist relics from the Goryeo Dynasty from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, during a visit on Tuesday.

http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=184945

S. Korean Buddhist Monks Reclaim Relics from Boston Museum

South Korean Buddhist monks have reclaimed Buddhist relics from the Goryeo Dynasty from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A delegation of the Jogye Order led by Venerable ...

^{world.kbs.co.kr}

#Trump

Via Charlie Sykes @SykesCharlie
·
22h
Real Man of Genius.

“The Cybertruck’s owners manual does caution against ever washing the truck in direct sunlight, and there is a section expressly mentioning that the truck has to be switched into ‘Car Wash Mode’ before washing to avoid damage to parts of the vehicle.”

https://jalopnik.com/tesla-cybertruck-no-match-for-car-wash-1851417011

Tesla Cybertruck No Match For Car Wash

"That's the only thing I've done that's different. Then I pulled it in the garage, and nothing."

^{Bradley Brownell (Jalopnik)}

Griftology.

Politico—The #Trump campaign is asking for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least 5 percent of the proceeds to the campaign.