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Reposted by Omar Sakr

Autonomy News @autonomynews.co · 18h

This story, published in July, becomes more relevant with every passing day as lawmakers and activists work to shutter clinics and restrict access to abortion pills.

We are careening toward a not-so-distant future where abortion is just a right on paper, even in the states where it's still legal:

The Plot to Effectively Ban Abortion Nationwide Is Unfolding Before Our Eyes

Lawmakers and activists are working to shutter clinics and restrict access to abortion pills. The end result would be catastrophic.

www.autonomynews.co

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Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 1d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 1d

Latest poll puts Greens just two points behind Labour. When I said we weren't here to be disappointed in Labour but to replace them, I meant it.

Join us and let's make hope normal again.

join.greenparty.org.uk

Poll from find out now showing greens on 15 and labour and Tories on 17. Reform on 32.

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 23h

Astonishing advance by the Greens, astonishing implosion of Labour. When will Starmer's government get the message that it is destroying its base with deeply unpopular, rightwing policies?

By chasing Reform, it legitimises the far right while delegitimising itself.

Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 1d

Latest poll puts Greens just two points behind Labour. When I said we weren't here to be disappointed in Labour but to replace them, I meant it.

Join us and let's make hope normal again.

join.greenparty.org.uk

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CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · 1d

We're now finding out that as many as 70,000 people had their government IDs provided to prove their ages leaked by Discord. Like I wrote last week, this is an inherent risk (and made greater by a rushed process) of getting platforms to do age checks

Discord says 70,000 users may have had their government IDs leaked in breach

The ID pics had been submitted as part of age-related appeals.

www.theverge.com

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Middle East Eye (Unofficial) @middleeasteye-rss.bsky.social · 4d

Palestinian aid seekers shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/palestinian-aid-seekers-shot-dead-israeli-forces-gaza

Palestinian aid seekers shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza

<article data-history-node-id="429713" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/palestinian-aid-seekers-shot-dead-israeli-forces-gaza" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/palestinian-aid-seekers-shot-dead-israeli-forces-gaza" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Palestinian aid seekers shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Israeli forces on Monday killed two Palestinians and wounded several others while waiting for aid in the southern Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera Arabic reported, quoting Nasser Medical Complex. </p> <p>Israeli forces also targeted the Al-Nasr and Tal al-Hawa neighbourhoods with air strikes, while shelling Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City. </p> <p>Gaza's Government Media Office said that Israeli forces have killed at least 76,600 Palestinians in Gaza since the beginning of the genocide.</p> </div> </div> </article>

www.middleeasteye.net

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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 6d

Rodney Taylor still needs our help!

He’s still locked in an ICE camp.

He’s still going without his new prosthetic legs.

He’s still facing deportation to Liberia.

He’s still having necessary disability accommodations ignored.

Please keep sharing his story. Public pressure works!

Help Rodney Taylor, a Disabled Double Amputee Being Held by ICE

Rodney has been in the country more than 40 years. He's in solitary confinement in Georgia, being denied disability accommodations and having his medical needs ignored. He must be released.

www.disabledginger.com

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British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 8d

Hwæt! 🐉

Ever wondered what the epic poem Beowulf sounds like spoken in Old English?

#NationalPoetryDay

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Fiona Katauskas @fionakatauskas.bsky.social · 8d

This is so insane. Public education needs a massive boost, not cuts. Almost all non-gov schools are religiously affiliated in some way- why are we outsourcing education to religious orgs? Education is compulsory- we should have pride in and strengthen our secular public schools, not undermine them.

Purplepingers ☭ @purplepingers.bsky.social · 8d

Labor during the election: “we’ll fully fund public schools”

Labor after the election: “actually we meant private schools soz”

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Naoise Dolan @naoisedolan.bsky.social · 8d

The Mikeno boat at the front of Sumud flotilla has now reached Gaza’s territorial waters. It’s so close. I’m praying to every deity and secular source of hope that a single one of our boats gets through

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 8d

I would like to live here pls.

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Reposted by Omar Sakr

Damon Young @damonyoung.com.au · 10d

Good morning, fiends and ghouls.

Wondering what my new philosophy book IMMORTAL GESTURES is all about?

Here’s a brief reading from the first chapter.

Please share with other curious nerds. 🙏

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 8d

I forgot about the Great American Liberal Exodus to this bin. Ugh. The reality is that no nation on Earth deserves and needs to be isolated more than America, and all efforts - cultural, political, economic - should be bent toward that. Your hideous power embeds “repressive regimes” everywhere.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 8d

Wow saying these Americans are representative of a far more villainous nation than Saudi Arabia - which America supports financially and militarily as a close ally, and whose religious fundamentalism, racism, and patriarchal garbage is also mirrored - was too much lmao.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

Again, this is not a relevant distinction because I’m not arguing it’s okay in either direction - in fact, I’d say it isn’t okay either way. I’m saying I’m sick and tired of American bullshit. The US is every bit as worthy of contempt and refusal as Saudi Arabia.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

It’s so transparent.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

Now I don’t actually care about these points or any of these celebrities, I am simply pointing out the slimy and racist rhetoric that tries to single out Saudi Arabia as uniquely evil, when in fact it is an ally of both the US and Israel for a reason - because their evil is in fact aligned.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

“Oh no the real problem is these rich celebrities are hypocrites” (lol) and “they accepted state restrictions on their speech!” Lmao. Where the fuck have you people been? Because all over the West, people have been fired and attacked for criticising Israel and the genocide.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

Bunch of people trying to come in here and talk about a range of other nonsense while accusing me of missing the point lmao. Children. I beg you to learn to read. It’s an immediate block for anyone trying to waste my time. I am speaking to the literal issue named in the article.

The actor-comedian described rather nervously warming up for the event with a set in Bahrain to get a feel for what an audience in the region would find funny (and acceptable) and then performing at the Saudi Arabia festival's opening night on Friday.

The event has been billed by organizers as the biggest comedy festival in the world. But its performers (which also include Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, and about 50 others) have come under intense criticism - even from some other comics - given the kingdom's history of oppression and human rights abuses.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

First of all, I named the literal issue in the article. You named something else entirely—and it’s equally stupid.

Reposted by Omar Sakr

Out-Spoken Press @outspokenpress.bsky.social · 9d

DEADLINE EXTENDED
If you’re a poet of Arab heritage, writing in English anywhere in the world, with a poetry manuscript - you now have until 15 October to enter the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize!

> $2000
> US publication with Noemi Press
> UK publication with Out-Spoken Press

noemipress.submittable.com

Are you a writer of Arab heritage with a poetry manuscript?
DEADLINE EXTENDED - ENTER BY 15 OCTOBER
$2000 PRIZE
plus
US PUBLICATION
with Noemi Press
and
UK PUBLICATION with Out-Spoken Press
NOEMI
GUEST JUDGE:
Farid Matuk
SERIES EDITORS:
Fady Joudah, Hayan Charara
OUT SPOKEN PRESS
Etel Adnan Poetry Prize
For a first or second book by a writer of Arab heritage
NOEMIPRESS.SUBMITTABLE.COM

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

Even with the USrael’s genocide, even with Trump and his coterie of deranged clowns disappearing people on American streets, even with its whole sordid history of international oppression - invading, bombing, undermining, sanctioning others - Americans still think they’re the default “good”. Delulu.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

To be clear: fuck Saudi Arabia. It’s an evil kingdom—just as the US is an evil empire. The reality is they are perfect bedfellows.

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Omar Sakr @omarsakr.bsky.social · 9d

The notion that American comedians shouldn’t perform in Saudi Arabia because of its government’s human rights abuses is hilarious. In this scenario, are we to believe that Americans are paragons of virtue? There’s no populace more wretched, no govt anywhere with more blood on its hands than the US.

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 9d

The Saudis didn’t pay big money for famous American comedians because they were super eager for comedy, they paid for PR like this.

Bill Burr Defends Performing at Controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival: “They’re Just Like Us”

The actor-comedian details his experience at the event: "Definitely one of the top three experiences I've ever had ... I think it's going to lead to a lot of positive things."

www.hollywoodreporter.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 9d

That's the definition of fascism from Robert Paxton, one of the preeminent historians of the subject, from his book ANATOMY OF FASCISM which came out more than two decades ago.

George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 9d

Oh yes, this is clearly now.

A post on X by Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan
) expresses frustration, asking how anyone can read a definition of fascism and not be alarmed, emphasizing that it is happening now. The post includes a quote from Cody Johnston (@drmistercody
) from one day ago, defining fascism as a form of political behavior marked by an obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victimhood, and compensatory cults of unity, energy, and purity. The definition describes a mass-based party of nationalist militants working with traditional elites, abandoning democratic liberties, and pursuing redemptive violence for internal cleansing and external expansion without ethical or legal restraints.

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