Study: Pesticides rival smoking in raising risk of cancer

By Ernie Mundell, 

HealthDay News


Farmers and folks living in agricultural areas may be exposed to levels of pesticides that confer cancer risks that are higher than if they smoked, new research shows. 

Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

Farmers and folks living in agricultural areas may be exposed to levels of pesticides that confer cancer risks that are higher than if they smoked, new research shows.

These extra risks were most pronounced for certain cancers: non-Hopkins lymphoma, leukemia and bladder cancer, the researchers noted.

Various pesticides mix together to raise the odds for cancer, noted study lead author Isain Zapata.

"It is the combination of all of them, and not just a single one, that matters," said Zapata, who is an associate professor at Rocky Vista University's College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado.

His team published its findings Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society.

"In the real world, it is not likely that people are exposed to a single pesticide, but more to a cocktail of pesticides within their region," explained Zapata, so the new analysis tracked exposures to 69 common pesticides, based on usage data from the United States Geological Survey.

The research team's modeling created estimates of cancer risk. They revealed that for people regularly exposed, the lifetime risk of getting non-Hopkins lymphoma, leukemia and bladder cancer was greater from pesticides than if they had been smokers.

Speaking in a journal news release, Isain explained that "it is difficult to explain the magnitude of an issue without presenting any context, so we incorporated smoking data."

"We were surprised to see [risk] estimates in similar ranges," Zapata said.

Geography mattered, too: Not surprisingly, pesticide-linked cancer risks were highest in agriculturally rich areas of the United States, such as the Midwest.

The next time you pick up an ear of corn or a tomato at the supermarket, consider the source and the risks involved to workers, Zapata said.

"Every time I go to the supermarket to buy food, I think of a farmer who was part of making that product," he said. "These people often put themselves at risk for my convenience and that plays a role in my appreciation for that product. It definitely has had an impact on how I feel when that forgotten tomato in the fridge goes bad and I have to put it in the trash."

More information

Find out more about pesticides at Penn State Extension.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

NORAD intercepts Chinese, Russian bombers near Alaska


In a statement, NORAD said it detected, tracked and intercepted two Russian TU-95s and two Chinese H-6s in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, which is a strip of international airspace near where sovereign airspace ends that is monitored for aircraft. Two CF-18 Hornets, two F-35 Lighting II, and two F-16 Fighting Falcons fighter aircraft from NORAD positively identified and intercepted the aircraft on Wednesday. 

Photo via NORAD/UPI | License Photo

JULY 25, 2024 

July 25 (UPI) -- U.S. and Canadian fighter jets intercepted Russian and Chinese bombers operating off the coast of Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said.

The incident happened Wednesday, NORAD said in a statement, as tensions between Washington and both Moscow and Beijing climb.

NORAD said it detected, tracked and intercepted two Russian TU-95s and two Chinese H-6s in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, which is a strip of international airspace near where sovereign airspace ends that is monitored for aircraft.

NORAD said the activity was not viewed as a threat and that it "will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence."

An unidentified U.S. defense official confirmed to CBS News that this was the first time that Russian and China jointly entered the Alaska ADIZ, and the first time that China has entered the airspace with its H-6 bombers.

The incident comes just days after the Kremlin's Defense Ministry said it intercepted two U.S. B-52N bombers near Russia's borders on Sunday.

In February, the United States intercepted four Russian military aircraft near Alaska.

Under the effects of climate change, the Arctic has become an area of growing importance due to it being home to huge reserves of natural resources as well as over national security concerns.

In early 2018, China declared itself a near Arctic state, and the United States has for years been adjusting its Arctic policy over Russia's and China's growing encroachment in the region.

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Dujardin's mentor Hester 'condemns' dressage rider for abusing horse

Paris (AFP) – Charlotte Dujardin's Olympic teammate and mentor Carl Hester has signed a letter "universally condemning" the British rider for abusing a horse.

25/07/2024 - 

Britain's Charlotte Dujardin competes at the London 2012 Olympics 

JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP/File

Three-time gold medallist Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Games on Tuesday after a video emerged of her repeatedly whipping the animal on the legs.

Dujardin, the joint most-decorated British female Olympian, said she had made an "error of judgement" and was suspended by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).

The 39-year-old embarked on her dressage career under the tutelage of Hester, who part-owned Valegro, the horse on which she secured team and individual gold at the London 2012 Games.

Hester, taking part in his seventh Olympics, won gold alongside Dujardin in the team dressage event in London, claiming a silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo.

The 57-year-old, who will compete for Team GB next week, is one of 10 signatories to a statement from the International Dressage Riders Club board addressing the incident involving Dujardin.

The group said they "universally condemn" the actions of Dujardin.

"The board members are resolute that equine welfare must always be placed uppermost and at all times," it said.

The letter added: "The IDRC board supports the actions taken by the FEI, the British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage to provisionally suspend Ms Dujardin.

"It notes that Ms Dujardin has stated she has no excuse for her actions and has also expressed her shame and regret."

A day after horse welfare charity Brooke dropped Dujardin as an ambassador, the London International Horse Show followed suit.

Two of Dujardin's sponsors confirmed they had ended their arrangements with her -- riding helmets manufacturer Charles Owen and Fairfax Saddles.

Dujardin could have become Britain's most decorated woman Olympian in Paris. A medal of any colour would have taken her clear of cyclist Laura Kenny, with whom she is currently tied on six medals.

She was due to compete in both the individual dressage and the team event alongside Hester and world champion Lottie Fry at the Paris Games.

Team GB confirmed on Wednesday that Dujardin had been replaced in the team by Becky Moody.

The dressage competition at Paris 2024 begins on July 30 at the Chateau de Versailles.

© 2024 AFP

Equestrian federation spells out horse welfare reforms in wake of horse-whipping video


A U.S. Olympic Eventing Team horse looks through a holding pen door at The Ark at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

 Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, riding Gio, competes in the equestrian dressage individual final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Tokyo. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain has withdrawn from the Paris Games after a video emerged that she says shows her behaving inappropriately while coaching other riders. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Hailey Burlock, groom for U.S. Olympic Eventing Team member Will Coleman, comforts Off The Record at The Ark at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

 July 25, 2024

VERSAILLES, France (AP) — The organization that oversees equestrian competition at the Olympics spelled out a series of reforms for horse welfare on the eve of the Paris Games and in the wake of an abuse case involving one of the sport’s best riders.

Executives from the Federation for Equestrian Sports, or FEI, held a roundtable discussion Thursday in which they outlined a comprehensive plan already in place to improve horse safety. It took on greater focus after three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin withdrew this week after video emerged showing her repeatedly whipping a horse.

“It’s an additional, I would say, justification, for me that we are doing the right thing by creating this plan,” FEI president Ingmar De Vos said. “I think it clearly illustrates that this plan that we have now created and the philosophy of ‘Be a Guardian’ is really what we need.”

The federation launched its “Be a Guardian” initiative last week, calling on members of the equestrian riding and training community to embrace their roles caring for horses. It also came with the development of the Equine Welfare Strategy Action plan, highlighting six priority areas and 30 recommendations on improvements.

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Asked why now and why they had not been introduced before, FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said this provides a more holistic approach about taking care of horses.

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“We didn’t invent the rules now that are applied today,” Ibáñez said. “These have been ongoing throughout the years. And what we’re doing now is strengthen them even more so. There’s always room for improvement, and there’s a lot to be improved, of course.”

De Vos said he was saddened and surprised by the video, which is part of an official complaint filed against Dujardin and was published by multiple media outlets Wednesday. Dujardin said Tuesday in a statement that the video is from four years ago, and it “shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session, adding it she was deeply ashamed and calling the actions “completely out of character.”

“One thing that’s been much discussed in the last few days is training methods, obviously, and one of the action points we have is on ethical training methods, and we will be looking to how horses are trained, what form they are trained, what they are ridden in and what is ethical,” De Vos said. “Where do we draw the lines with what we can do and cannot do with horses? That’s one of the key items.”

One of the immediate changes is the addition of an equine welfare coordinator on site at the Olympics for the first time. The FEI’s veterinary director, Goran Akerstrom, said the other areas of focus include recognizing physical and emotional stress and what horses do for the other 23 hours a day they are not training or competing.

“We have been almost completely focusing on the competition, but the horse lives mostly outside competition,” Akerstrom said.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a statement earlier this week said Dujardin’s case is a message to the International Olympic Committee to remove equestrian events entirely.

Dujardin has been provisionally suspended from all events under FEI jurisdiction, pending results of the investigation. The FEI said Dujardin confirmed she is the person shown in the video and that she requested her own provisional suspension.
___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

US not the world's anti-doping policeman, says WADA chief Banka

Paris (AFP) – World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka said Thursday his organisation plans to review the USA's Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act to ensure it was compliance with the global watchdog's rules.

Issued on: 25/07/2024 - 

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka told AFP the landmark US law the Rodchenkov Act could be non-compliant with WADA's code 

© Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP


The 2020 law, named after Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, enables US authorities to prosecute individuals involved in international doping fraud conspiracies.

Conviction can result in fines of up to $1 million and prison sentences of up to 10 years.

The legislation however has become a bone of contention in the acrimonious feud between WADA and US authorities, with Banka telling AFP in an interview that it amounted to an "unfair" parallel anti-doping system.

"The United States cannot give themselves the right to investigate anti-doping cases in all countries in the world," Banka told AFP.

"This case is actually very concerning."

Banka was speaking the day after the International Olympic Committee, who are a stakeholder in WADA, had surprised many by throwing a curve ball at Salt Lake City.

Whilst Salt Lake was awarded the 2034 Winter Games, they were warned the decision could be reversed if US lawmakers and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) were not brought into line.

USADA chief Travis Tygart hit back accusing the IOC of "stooping to threats."

USADA and WADA have seldom seen eye to eye -- most recently over the 23 Chinese swimmers cleared to compete in 2021 -- and it appears the Rodchenkov Act will be their next battleground.

The law targets the entourages of athletes -- coaches, agents, dealers, managers and sports or government officials -- rather than athletes themselves, who are already subject to sanctions by WADA.

In 2023 Eric Lira a "naturopathic" therapist based in the city of El Paso, became the first individual to be convicted under the law for supplying drugs to Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Most recently Brent Nowicki, the CEO of World Aquatics, was subpoenaed to testify as part of a US criminal investigation into the affair of the Chinese swimmers.

Banka, though, made it clear on Thursday his unease at the Rodchenkov act.

"(The Americans) cannot give themselves the right to investigate anti-doping cases in all countries in the world," he told AFP.

"They can do that in accordance with their legislation. This is the question mark about the harmonisation of the system.

"They have to be part of the system. They cannot create a parallel anti-doping system managed by US. This is completely unfair."
'Mutual respect'

Banka, who has been in charge since January 2020, said if countries followed the USA's lead and enacted similar legislation, it would lead to chaos in the global anti-doping movement.

"What if China, Russia, I don't know, Poland, Germany create a law with the same impact, giving themselves the right to investigate anti-doping cases in all parts of the world?" he said.

"We're going to have a mess. So this is completely unfair and it's unacceptable."

Banka, a former 400 metres runner who won world relay bronze in 2007, says he does not care that it is an act of law in the United States.

"Our obligation is to look at the countries where the anti-doping regulations are implemented through the national legislation," he said.

"You know, from the past we had some non-compliance cases regarding to the national legislation in many countries.

"There is no difference for me between the countries.

"We need to protect the harmonisation of the system to really make sure that there is a level playing field for the athletes and the rules are equal for athletes from all countries in the world."

© 2024 AFP

What is WADA, why is the FBI investigating it and why is it feuding with US anti-doping officials?


Thomas Bach, left, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) waits for guests before a gala dinner at the Louvre Museum, at the Paris Olympic games,Thursday, July 25, 2024 in Paris, France. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

Witold Banka, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), attends a press conference at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)


BY GRAHAM DUNBAR
July 25, 2024

PARIS (AP) — The feuding this week among officials in the Olympics, the anti-doping world and the United States government over eradicating drugs from sports is hardly new. They’ve been going at it for decades.

The tension reached a new level on the eve of the Paris Games when the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City but inserted language in the contract demanding its leaders pressure the U.S. government to lobby against an anti-conspiracy law passed in 2020.

There’s virtually no chance that either the law will be overturned or that the IOC would pull the rug from Salt Lake City. Still, the rhetoric keeps flowing. A look at the main characters and issues:
What is WADA?

The World Anti-Doping Agency was formed after the International Olympic Committee called for changes in the wake of some of sports’ most sordid drug-cheating episodes — among them, Ben Johnson’s drug-tainted ouster from the Seoul Games in 1988 and a doping scandal at the 1998 Tour de France.
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Canadian lawyer Richard Pound, a heavyweight in the Olympic movement, became WADA’s founding president in 1999, launching the agency one year ahead of the Sydney Olympics.

Who funds and runs WADA?

In 2024, the Montreal-based agency has a budget of about $53 million. The IOC’s contribution of $25 million is matched by the collective contributions of national governments worldwide.

Some say the IOC’s 50% contribution gives it too much say in WADA’s decision-making and a chance to run roughshod over the way it runs its business.

The power of governments is diluted because several dozen countries make up the other half of the funding, with no single nation accounting for much more than about 3% of the budget.

What does WADA do?

The agency describes its mission as to “develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.”

It does not collect and test urine and blood samples from athletes. It does certify the sports bodies, national anti-doping agencies and worldwide network of testing laboratories that do.

It drafts, reviews and updates the rules that govern international sports and manages the list of prohibited substances.

WADA also runs its own investigations and intelligence unit, which has broad scope to get involved in cases worldwide.
WADA vs. The IOC

An IOC vice president, Craig Reedie, was WADA’s leader in 2016 when the Russian doping scandal erupted weeks before the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Reedie and Pound, who had led a key investigation of the Russian cheating system, wanted Russia out of the Rio Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach did not.

At a heated IOC meeting in Rio, Bach won a near-unanimous vote that allowed Russia to compete. It was a severe undercutting of Reedie and, some say, WADA.
What is the Rodchenkov Act?

American authorities were upset with the IOC and WADA handling of the Russian case, so they moved to pass a law named after Grigory Rodchenkov, the former Moscow lab director who became a whistleblower and eventually fled to the United States as a protected witness.

The Rodchenkov Act gave the U.S. government authority to investigate “doping conspiracies” in sports events that involve U.S. athletes, which brings the Olympics and most international events under its umbrella.

It agitated WADA and IOC officials, who don’t want the U.S. enforcing its own anti-doping code. They lobbied against it, but in a sign of WADA’s standing in the United States, the bill passed without a single dissenting vote in 2020.
Why is this coming up now?

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities issued a subpoena to an international swimming official who could have information about the case involving Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete despite testing positive. WADA did not pursue the case.

With the Summer Games coming to Los Angeles in 2028, then the Winter Games in Utah in 2034, it will be hard for world sports leaders to avoid coming to the U.S., where they, too, could face inquiries from law enforcement.
___

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

GRAHAM DUNBAR
Dunbar is an Associated Press sports news reporter in Geneva, Switzerland. He focuses on the governing bodies, institutions and politics of international sports.

‘We love life’: Gaza’s war-weary footballers play on


By AFP
July 24, 2024


A crowd watches on as a footballer takes a penalty in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp - Copyright AFP Anthony WALLACE

On an improvised pitch in war-ravaged Gaza, a young player and goalkeeper block out the boisterous crowd and focus solely on the football as they square off.

The referee blows the whistle and the penalty-taker fires the ball into the makeshift goal, sparking wild celebrations as spectators swarm him.

For fans and players, Tuesday’s match in the Jabalia refugee camp was a welcome distraction from the pangs of hunger and exhaustion endured over nearly 300 days of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Referee Rami Mustafa Abu Hashish told AFP that football helped “restore a semblance of life” to Jabalia, devastated by Israeli bombardments and fighting which have laid waste to schools, stadiums and homes, and uprooted families many times over.

In the courtyard of a school-turned-shelter, the two sides vied for a trophy one player said was salvaged from the rubble.

The game created a festive atmosphere, with spectators pulling out chairs and leaning over the railings of the three-story compound to cheer.

A group of boys packed onto an empty lorry bed for a better view.

“We will play despite hunger and thirst, we will compete because we love life,” read one child’s sign in both English and Arabic.

– ‘Something out of nothing’ –

Jabalia was hit particularly hard in an Israeli offensive launched in May, part of a fierce campaign sweeping northern Gaza — an area the military had previously said was out of the control of Hamas militants.

As fighting rages, humanitarian agencies struggle to deliver aid and warn of a looming famine.

Residents have told AFP there is barely any food left in the north, and what little reaches them comes at an astronomical cost.

For the footballers, the match offered a rare escape from concerns about food and water shortages.

They have been unable to play since the October 7 outbreak of the war triggered by Hamas’s attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 44 the army says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 39,145 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

“Since the war on the Gaza Strip, we’ve stayed away from sports because all the clubs were destroyed, all the playgrounds were destroyed, but today, we made something out of nothing,” said Saif Abu Saif, one of the players.

The Gaza education ministry says 85 percent of educational facilities in the territory are out of service because of the war.

Many have been turned into shelters for war displaced as most of the besieged strip’s 2.4 million people have been uprooted multiple times.

Coach Wael Abu Saif said he was determined to attend Tuesday’s match despite still experiencing pain from wounds sustained in a February attack. Now in a wheelchair, he said he lost the use of both his legs.

“I’ve loved football since I was a child, I love tournaments, I love playing,” he told AFP.

“I want to prove to the whole world… that we continue to move forward with the most basic of our rights, which is to play football.”

Beijing deal for post-war Gaza leaves analysts sceptical


By AFP
July 24, 2024


Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stands between senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuk (R) and Fatah envoy Mahmud al-Aloul at the signing ceremony in Beijing - Copyright AFP Anatolii STEPANOV
Chloe Rouveyrolles-Bazire and Louis Baudoin-Laarman

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah movement has agreed with Hamas to form a “national unity government” in post-war Gaza, but analysts are sceptical about the significance of the Beijing-brokered deal.

The agreement, signed by more than a dozen Palestinian factions on Tuesday, aims to find common ground for future Palestinian political institutions, which are currently divided between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Analysts interviewed by AFP said they were still trying to assess the significance of the Chinese initiative but one said it risked being little more than a “piece of paper” given the Palestinian factions’ long history of failed reconciliation bids.



– What’s the Beijing deal?-



Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the agreement clears the way for an “interim national reconciliation government” for the West Bank and post-war Gaza.

“Today we sign an agreement for national unity… We are committed to national unity and we call for it,” Hamas envoy Musa Abu Marzuk said after Tuesday’s signing ceremony.

The idea of a post-war government of technocrats for Gaza has been floated since the first months of the conflict triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attacks on Israel on October 7 last year.

“Informal meetings between Fatah and Hamas are taking place all the time,” said Joost Hiltermann, Middle East director for the International Crisis Group.

The latest negotiations in China accomplished “little to nothing”, he told AFP.

Tahini Mustafa, a senior Palestinian analyst for the ICG, said the deal should be seen in the context of recent moves by some European governments to recognise the State of Palestine.

“There is now a rising global momentum around Palestinian self-determination that the Palestinians themselves are not able to capitalise on because they’re so divided amongst themselves,” he said.

– What are the obstacles? –

Hiltermann said determined Israeli opposition to any future role for Hamas was the most serious of an array of obstacles to the deal.

“An ideal deal would see Hamas enter the Palestine Liberation Organization in exchange for allowing the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza and oversee humanitarian aid and reconstruction,” he said.

The PLO is an alliance of largely secular Palestinian factions historically regarded by the international community as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

“Of course, there are many obstacles in the way of such a scenario, Israel being the main one,” Hiltermann told AFP.

Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures, and Foreign Minister Israel Katz again pledged Tuesday that “Hamas rule will be crushed”.

Gaza political analyst Mkhaimar Abusada criticised the “vagueness” of the accord’s wording.

“For a Palestinian in Gaza… the agreement in Beijing is just another piece of paper,” he said.

“There’s the idea of reforming the PLO but there’s no mention of how Hamas can be integrated into it.”

Some analysts questioned the genuineness of the rival factions’ desire to work together, amid Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 39,090 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

“The statement issued was not for the Palestinians; it was solely to please the Chinese friends,” said analyst Jehad Harb.

– What’s in it for China? –

Hiltermann said China’s dependence on imports of oil and gas from the region meant “it has a stake in stability in the Middle East”.

It had a track record of fence-mending in the region, after brokering a surprise reconciliation deal between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia in March last year.

Quentin Couvreur, a Chinese foreign policy researcher at Sciences Pos in Paris, said Beijing’s main goal was to promote a political solution that cast Washington’s dogged military support for Israel in an unfavourable light.

“The idea is to pose as a respectable, responsible superpower, and to denigrate the US,” he said.

“It’s a lot of rhetoric, it’s a show of diplomacy … but in the middle and long term, I’m more sceptical over whether it will solve the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

Thousands protest Netanyahu outside US Capitol


By AFP
July 24, 2024

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest near the US Capitol before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Erin Schaff
Nicholas ROLL

Thousands of demonstrators marched towards the US Capitol on Wednesday to protest Benjamin Netanyahu and call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as the Israeli premier prepared to address the US Congress.

Crowds carrying Palestinian flags and signs ranging from left-wing slogans to Bible verses gathered near the Capitol calling for a ceasefire and the arrest of Netanyahu, as prosecutors seek a warrant for him at the International Criminal Court.

Small clashes broke out as police fired pepper spray on some protesters to redirect the demonstration as it neared the seat of US government, which was the scene of a riot by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.

Several demonstrators could be seen washing their eyes and faces after the scuffle.

“The hypocrisy of our politicians today has gone beyond any limits,” Mo, a 58-year-old protester, told AFP.

Netanyahu was addressing a joint session of Congress in a high-profile speech. America is Israel’s steadfast ally in its war against Hamas.

Relations have grown strained as the civilian death toll in Gaza has grown, leading to protests in the United States and increasing criticism from President Joe Biden’s administration, although little has changed in the way of US military support.

Ahead of Netanayahu’s speech, security was reportedly increased at the Capitol, much of which was closed to the public on Wednesday, according to publication The Hill.

Meanwhile, a group of congressional political staffers was planning a walkout, one told AFP without offering more details.

Protesters gathered Wednesday were calling for a ceasefire while also criticizing Netanyahu’s appearance in the United States and Israel’s longstanding policies toward Palestinians.

“Seek peace and pursue it,” read one sign, quoting a Bible verse, while others were designed as criminal “wanted” signs, with photos of Netanyahu in place of a mugshot.

“Arrest that war criminal,” read another.



– ‘Stop US aid’ –



Palestinian and Jewish organizers stood on a stage and denounced both the United States and the Israeli government for “genocide,” calling for a “citizen’s arrest” of Netanyahu.

“Stop US aid to Israel,” 24-year-old protester Yudyth Hernandez told AFP from the crowd, saying instead such money would be better used to “fund our schools.”

“We are horrified by the destruction of the health system in Gaza,” Karameh Kuemmerle, of the organization Doctors Against Genocide, told AFP.

“And we are here to show our opposition to having the criminal Netanyahu come to our capital and being greeted by the politicians who sent him weapons to kill children in Gaza,” the doctor, who traveled to Washington from Boston, said.

Speaking from the stage, Mark Diamondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, which along with six other major US unions recently called for a ceasefire, said taxpayer money “should never be used to bomb, maim and kill innocent children, women and men.”

Israel has recently intensified its attacks on Gaza and Netanyahu has insisted that only piling on military pressure can free the hostages and defeat Hamas, which launched a shock attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, including 44 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 39,145 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Police use pepper spray, arrest 6 protesters during Netanyahu's Capitol speech

By Mike Heuer
JULY 24, 2024 

1 of 6 | Capitol Police deployed pepper spray when some pro-Palestinian protesters became violent during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo

July 24 (UPI) -- Capitol Police arrested six people for disrupting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon. They also used pepper spray on protesters outside the event.

The six people attended the joint session, and five of them wore shirts in the House Gallery that read "Seal The Deal Now" in reference to a potential cease-fire and hostage-return deal between Israel and Hamas.

Five of those arrested were in the House Gallery while a sixth was arrested afterward. All are charged with illegally disrupting a congressional event.

"All of them were immediately removed from the Gallery and arrested," Capitol Police spokeswoman Brianna Burch said on social media. "Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is against the law."

Local law in Washington, D.C., makes it illegal to "parade, demonstrate or picket within any of the Capitol Buildings."

One of the six arrested is Carmit Palty Katzir, who is an Israeli whose father and bother were held hostage and killed by Hamas in Gaza.

Capitol Police also used pepper spray to disrupt protesters outside the Capitol's House chamber while Netanyahu addressed the joint session of Congress.

Capitol Police said some in the crowd grew violent while at the intersection of Constitution Avenue NW and 1st Street.

"The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line," Capitol Police said in a post on X. "We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line."

Netanyahu is staying at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., where someone on Tuesday released maggots, meal worms and crickets onto carpeting and a table reserved for the Israeli prime minister and his staff.

"We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal," a Watergate Hotel spokesperson told The Hill. "We are cooperating with authorities, who are handling the situation."

Members of the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement posted a video of the maggots, meal worms and crickets on social media.

The group said fire alarms were triggered for about half an hour inside the Watergate Hotel to ensure Netanyahu and his staff did not get any rest.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had invited Netanyahu to address the joint session of Congress.

'Dripping with irony': Police union mocked after endorsing convicted felon Trump at rally

Leigh Tauss
July 24, 2024

RAW STORY


(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

A national coalition of police unions offered its endorsement to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during his Charlotte campaign rally Wednesday, and keyboard warriors on social media were quick to point out the irony.

“A convicted felon whose insurrection sent 149 cops to the hospital,” quipped podcaster Fred Wellman in an X post.

This is the second time Trump has received the endorsement from the National Association of Police Organizations, which represents more than 241,000 police officers.

During his rally, Trump introduced NAPO president Mick McHale by promising to “give our police back their power,” and “the respect they deserve. “

Read also: Trump-endorsing police union turns on him for saying cop 'choked' in Tulsa shooting

McHale took the stage and shook Trump’s hand. As he offered Trump the organization’s formal endorsement and listed off several GOP-backed police initiatives , Trump stood over his shoulder grimacing.

“We are proud and pleased to support your campaign and we are here for anything, anything that you ever may need,” McHale said.

Travel blogger Marat Oyvetsky said the endorsement was “dripping with irony.”


“Probably part of their Catch and Release Program!” Oyvetsky wrote in an X post.

“Some police think they’re above the law and that citizens are dumbasses. Trump thinks the same way,” remarked labor activist Gailen David on X. “They’re an embarrassment to those police who serve honorably.”

Watch the clip below or at this link

 

Microsoft’s World of Warcraft development workers are unionizing


 Gamers test out computer games at the Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 22, 2017. More than 500 workers behind the popular video game franchisee “World of Warcraft” are joining the Communications Workers of America, the union announced Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Microsoft subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft’s publisher, has recognized the union. (Oliver Berg/DPA via AP, File)

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
 July 25, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 500 workers behind the popular video game franchisee “World of Warcraft” are unionizing.

The game’s development team employees — which include designers, engineers, artists, quality assurance testers and more — are joining the Communications Workers of America, the union announced Wednesday. CWA says Microsoft subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft’s publisher, has recognized the union.

The World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild - CWA Union is the first wall-to-wall union seen at Activision Blizzard and the largest of this kind at a Microsoft-owned studio to date, according to CWA. It also builds on an expansion of organized labor seen among Microsoft video game workers since the tech giant’s $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard last year.

Gaming workers have been able to organize thanks to a “labor neutrality” agreement that took effect with the acquisition. In an unusual arrangement for the industry to help address concerns about the merger made back in 2022, Microsoft pledged to stay neutral if Activision Blizzard workers in the U.S. and Canada seek to organize into a labor union.

With Wednesday’s World of Warcraft news, alongside other recent organizing efforts, CWA says more than 1,750 video game workers at Microsoft now have representation with the union.


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“What we’ve accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning,” Eric Lanham, a World of Warcraft test analyst and member of the newly-formed guild said in a statement — noting that the next step is a strong contract. “We know that when workers have a protected voice, it’s a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience.”

Tom Smith, senior director of organizing at CWA, added that Wednesday’s news “marks a key inflection point” in the broader industrywide efforts to organize video game workers.

Also on Wenesday, CWA announced that a group of 60 quality assurance workers at Blizzard Entertainment in Austin, Texas, also joined the union and were recognized by Microsoft. These quality assurance workers — who work on franchisees like Diablo and Hearthstone — and World of Warcraft’s development employees both had their unions confirmed by a neutral arbitrator after a majority signed authorization cards or cast support through an online portal, CWA said.

In a statement to The Associated Press Thursday, a spokesperson for Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said the company continues “to support our employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace” and will negotiate with the CWA in good faith to work towards a collective bargaining agreement.

The World of Warcraft workers’ union representation marks a “significant milestone” in a journey that dates back to a 2021 employee walkout at Activision Blizzard’s headquarters, CWA noted Wednesday. That protest was in response to a sweeping sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit brought forth by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which was settled following the Microsoft acquisition last year.