IN THE NEWS

Rabbi who boasts of bulldozing Palestinian homes will light torch for Israel’s national day

Emma Graham-Harrison © The Guardian
April 21, 2026

An extremist rabbi known for razing civilian homes in Gaza will light a torch at Israel’s independence day celebration on Tuesday, a role human rights campaigners said marked the embrace of genocide as the official “spirit of the nation”.

Avraham Zarbiv is one of 14 people chosen for their “extraordinary contribution to society and the state”, alongside a scientist, a Michelin-starred chef, a leading doctor, members of the security forces and entrepreneurs.

... full article

No matter what cause one defends, it will suffer permanent disgrace if one resorts to blind attacks on crowds of innocent people.

-Albert Camus

Palantir Posts Manifesto Lamenting Post-War “Neutering” of Nazi Germany

By Sharon Zhang , © Truthout
April 20, 2026

Major military contractor and surveillance giant Palantir has posted a chilling manifesto on social media that calls for tech companies like itself to play a larger role in a dystopian future where imperialist and white supremacist powers are unleashed and Americans are increasingly subject to the whims of the surveillance state.

The post contains 22 points it says were summarized from a 2025 book, The Technological Republic, written by Palantir co-founder Alex Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska, head of corporate affairs and legal counsel to the company’s CEO.

... full article

Trump’s cabinet picks seem designed to unwind government itself, leaving the average citizen completely exposed and vulnerable to full exploitation by corporate interests.

-Joy Reid

These Middle Eastern News Sites Are Actually U.S. Government Propaganda Operations

Sam Biddle © The Intercept
April 20, 2026

Al-Fassel and Pishtaz News look like typical news websites. They have neatly designed homepages and active social media accounts, where they share reporting and videos on Middle Eastern geopolitics in Arabic and Farsi, respectively, as well as English. Al-Fassel’s X account states the publication’s mission is “to investigate events of great significance that are often overlooked by local and regional media, and to shed light on them.” The Pishtaz News X account says it was established “to investigate and expand upon important news that local and regional media often overlook.”

... full article

The myth of unlimited production brings war in its train as inevitably as clouds announce a storm.

-Albert Camus

‘It’s All About Keeping Wages at Poverty Levels to Overpay Their CEOs’:

Janine Jackson © FAIR
April 20, 2026

In 2025, the Economist explained to readers “How Walmart Became a Tech Giant—and Took Over the World.” The answer, well, founder Sam Walton, a “trucker-capped, pickup-driving penny-pincher,” had a simple idea: “Keep costs low, pass savings on to customers, win market share, harness scale to further lower costs, and listen as the cash registers sing.”

Early this year, Inc. Magazine gave us “One Bold Decision Helped Make Walmart a Trillion-Dollar Company.” That story says:

... full article

Evil, when we are in its power, is not felt as evil, but as a necessity, even a duty.

-Simone Weil