The Influence of Henry George and the Disappearance of Land from Economic Models
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#f2acc3a7 ver:0.06

Since the 2008 financial crisis, governments around the world have struggled to fix their economies. Many have followed failed policies rooted in macroeconomic theory, particularly the work of John Maynard Keynes. Keynes argued that governments should spend more than they earn through tax revenue to revive flailing economies, leading to the birth of deficit budgeting. However, this approach has resulted in high unemployment, high inflation, and a decline in productivity. The Hindu Business Line questions whether the next Indian government can lead the way in implementing a new approach that focuses on enhancing the competitiveness and productivity of capital rather than sustaining labor alone.

The Physiocrats were a group of French economists in the 18th century who championed laissez-fai...

#newstr #Economics #HenryGeorge #LandTaxation #WealthInequality

 https://here.news/story/f2acc3a7?ver=0.06


Poultry Farmers in Bangladesh and Nigeria Face Crisis as Feed Prices, Inflation, Disease Outbreaks, and Bird Flu Impact Production
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#2092c327 ver:0.07

Poultry farmers in Bangladesh and Nigeria are facing a crisis as increasing feed prices, inflation, disease outbreaks, and the threat of bird flu impact production, leading to the closure of farms and a sharp increase in the price of poultry products. The closure of approximately 59,000 poultry farms in Bangladesh since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been attributed to increasing feed prices that outpace production costs . The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered a surge in feed prices, while the price of poultry products has not kept pace, causing financial hardship for farmers. Feed producers have announced an increase in broiler and layer feed prices, further exacerbating the situation. Farmers are selling broiler chicken below the production cost, and egg prices have also f...

#newstr #PoultryFarming #FeedPrices #Inflation #DiseaseOutbreaks #BirdFlu #AvianInfluenza #MeatPrices #ImportedMeat #DomesticMeatProduction #PoultryImports

 https://here.news/story/2092c327?ver=0.07


45 Years After Three Mile Island, We Need A 'No Nukes' Comeback

#pennsylvania

https://popularresistance.org/45-years-after-three-mile-island-we-need-a-no-nukes-comeback/


Activists Launch Own Investigation Of Mud Spill Near Gas Pipeline

#activists #pennsylvania

https://popularresistance.org/activists-launch-own-investigation-of-mud-spill-near-lng-pipeline/


Pennsylvania and New Jersey Senate Races Face Controversies Ahead of Primaries
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#59631bb1 ver:0.09

The Pennsylvania Senate race has taken a new turn as the state's highest court ruled that only Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Casey and Republican candidate David McCormick will appear on the ballots for the April primary election. This decision comes after three relatively unknown candidates were successfully challenged in court, effectively guaranteeing uncontested victories for Casey and McCormick in their respective party primaries. The court rejected an appeal from Republican candidate Joe Vodvarka, who was ordered off the ballot due to insufficient voter signatures. Earlier in March, two other candidates, Brandi Tomasetti and William Parker, were also removed from the ballot due to issues with their paperwork. With these developments, the race has narrowed significantly, focusing a...

#newstr #Pennsylvania #NewJersey #SenateRace #PrimaryElection #MailinBallots #BallotDesign #VotingRights

 https://here.news/story/59631bb1?ver=0.09


Advocates Ask Supreme Court to Overturn Dobbs, Citing 'Tragic Consequences'

#pennsylvania #supreme

https://msmagazine.com/2024/04/01/supreme-court-overturn-dobbs-pregnant-women-harm-death/


British police have launched an investigation into the WhatsApp “honey trap” scandal engulfing Westminster after a formal complaint from a serving MP.
 https://bit.ly/4aj6thx

#Nostr | #growNostr | #Press | #PLEBchaiN | #News | #CornyNews


Baerbock affirmed his statement, emphasizing that Berlin recognizes Ukraine's need for air defense systems as "Ukrainians need to be safe, and the port of Odessa protected."
https://uawire.org/western-allies-led-by-germany-commit-to-strengthening-ukraine-s-air-defense-with-patriots

#Nostr | #growNostr | #Press | #PLEBchaiN | #News


“Social Onboarding” is Coming to Nostr.

Because “friends inviting friends” is Nostr’s super power AND it’s the easiest way keep bots and bad actors at bay (as Nostr grows), I’m developing a new kind of Nostr client (right now) to support “social onboarding”.

“Meet Me On Nostr” will allow you to share nostr with friends. By scanning your custom “follow me” QR code, your friends will be able to instantly create a new account, follow you, open a DM chat with you, and connect with your recommend relays, clients, groups, and other accounts on Nostr. Each QR scan also logs the new account as “invited” by you and will qualify you to win “Top Nostr Advocate” each month (awarded by new account retention.)

Coming soon …


US Retail Sales Exceed Expectations, NRF Projects Moderate Growth in 2024 Amid Rising Crime and Counterfeiting Concerns
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#347aa46b ver:0.84

US retail sales for December 2023 exceeded expectations, rising by 0.6% from November to $615 million. This increase was 0.3% higher than November's sales, indicating the resilience of American shoppers and a positive financial start to the new year. Out of the 13 categories monitored, nine experienced sales increases, including clothing, fashion accessories, and non-store retailers. However, health and personal care shops saw a 1.4% decrease, and petrol station sales were down by 1.3%. Automotive and fuel sales increased by 4.9% annually, while spending at petrol stations dropped by 11.5% due to falling fuel prices. The strong retail sales figures may influence the US Federal Reserve to maintain its current interest rates.

Retail sales in the US rebounded in February, rising by 0.6% afte...

#newstr #UsRetailSales #NrfForecast #SupplyChainFlexibility #Walmart #Crime #Counterfeiting

 https://here.news/story/347aa46b?ver=0.84


The Moscow concert hall attack wasn't the first during Putin's 25-year rule

The attack on a Moscow concert hall in which armed men opened fire and set the building ablaze, killing at least 133 people, was the latest in a long series of bombings and sieges that have unsettled and outraged Russians during Vladimir Putin’s nearly quarter-century as either prime minister... #press

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/moscow-ap-vladimir-putin-chechnya-islamic-state-b2517629.html?utm_source=press.coop

https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/03/23/18/Russia_History_Of_Attacks_17688.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp


School’s out: how climate change is already badly affecting children’s education

Schools across South Sudan have been ordered to close as a heat wave of 45°C sweeps across the country. In recent years, severe flooding has already caused major disruptions to schooling in South Sudan where, on average, children complete less than five years of formal education across their lives

https://theconversation.com/schools-out-how-climate-change-is-already-badly-affecting-childrens-education-225737

#School #SouthSudan #MassExtinction #pollution #ecology #environment #climate


US announces over $47 million in humanitarian aid for war-torn Sudan

The U.S. has announced more than $47 million in humanitarian aid for war-torn Sudan and two neighboring countries, to where at least a million people have fled the nearly 1-year-old conflict. #press

https://www.seattletimes.com/news/us-announces-over-47-million-in-humanitarian-aid-for-war-torn-sudan/?utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all&utm_source=press.coop


The Weaponization of Human Rights: The Black Radical Tradition, Pan-Africanism, and People(s)-Centered Human Rights
===============
#5da7b98f ver:0.05

Authoritarian governments and conservative forces are redefining and appropriating human rights for their own ends. They claim to renew rights but actually roll back protections and create false rights hierarchies. This strategy involves messenger and motive legitimacy, process legitimacy, substantive legitimacy, and norm diffusion. Civil society must challenge these appropriations and advocate for the universality and indivisibility of human rights.

The influence of authoritarian governments and conservative forces in redefining and appropriating human rights has raised concerns about the universality and indivisibility of these rights. These actors claim to be renewing rights, but in reality, they are undermining protections and creating false hierarchies. This strategy involves variou...

#newstr #Pan-africanism #Democracy #HumanRights #CitizenAgency #GrassrootsOrganizations #YouthMovements

 https://here.news/story/5da7b98f?ver=0.05


West African Countries Form Alliance to Safeguard Independence and Promote Economic Development
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#2bbf886f ver:0.11

President Bola Tinubu, as the Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State Government, hosted an extraordinary summit in Abuja to address peace, security, and political challenges in West Africa . The summit emphasized unity, democracy, and reconciliation, with a plea for collective effort and a call to view ECOWAS as a beacon of collective security and African solidarity . The leaders called for quick and amicable resolutions to preserve the unity of the community, championing dialogue and reconciliation to overcome challenges . The summit comes at a critical time when the future of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is threatened by possible disintegration and a recent surge in coups . Top on the agenda is the recent decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to lea...

#newstr #EcowasSummit #WestAfrica #Peace #Security #Democracy #Unity #EconomicSanctions #NorthernSenatorsForum #AfricanUnionCommission #Coordination #Partnership #Unowas #ManoRiverUnion #Pan-africanism #TradeUnionOfThePoor

 https://here.news/story/2bbf886f?ver=0.11


Norris McDonald | West Africa and Michael Manley’s ‘Trade Union of the Poor’
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Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a new Pan-Africanist union aimed at safeguarding their political economic independence, jointly fighting terrorism, and working for mutual economic development. The AES was created on September 23, 2023, and brings together 70 million people. The formation of the union was a blow against the influence of imperialism in Africa. Burkina Faso's economic growth is projected at about seven percent, and Niger and Mali are vying for the title of the fastest-growing economy in Africa. Other countries in Africa are also stopping the export of raw materials and seeking to end dependency on Western industrialized nations. Nigeria is experiencing an economic crisis, highlighting the need for countries to take control of their wealth and political economic destiny. Michael Manley, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, led an international campaign to create 'The Trade Union of the Poor' to coordinate anti-imperialist strategies among developing nations. The emergence of BRICS and China's Belt and Road Initiative is strengthening the global fight for a new economic world order and providing options for development assistance.

#WestAfrica #Pan-africanism #TradeUnionOfThePoor #Imperialism #EconomicDevelopment

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20240320/norris-mcdonald-west-africa-and-michael-manleys-trade-union-poor


The conditions in Haiti result from the deliberate design of the US and the rest of the Global North's hegemonic agenda of white supremacy.

"Anarchy & Chaos": U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Who Resigned Protesting U.S. Meddling & Deportations
Democracy Now!
#Imperialism #ColonialViolence #Racism #Capitalism #Neoliberalism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUSxNRl25UE


The Implications of An ICJ Finding that Israel is Committing the Crime Against Humanity of Apartheid

#committee #crime

https://www.justsecurity.org/93403/the-implications-of-an-icj-finding-that-israel-is-committing-the-crime-against-humanity-of-apartheid/


Democratic senators push bill focusing on local detainment of immigrants linked to violent crime

A group of Democratic and independent senators are pushing legislation that focuses on immigrants — with permanent legal status or without — who are charged with or convicted of... #press

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/democratic-senators-push-bill-focusing-on-local-detainment-of-immigrants-linked-to-violent-crime/?utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all&utm_source=press.coop


Pro Publica: The Chinese underworld has come to dominate the booming illicit marijuana trade in Oklahoma and elsewhere in the US, fortifying its rise as a global powerhouse with alleged ties to China’s authoritarian regime. https://www.propublica.org/article/chinese-organized-crime-us-marijuana-market


Absolutely. Clinton’s education austerity programs were a direct response to the growth of teacher’s unions.


SW London News (UK) - on Government rhetoric contributing to the rising levels of transgender hate crime

"It is also notable that these spikes only occur where policy or speeches are distinctly negative towards the trans community. On the 17th January 2023 the Government u-turned and included transgender people in their ban on conversion therapy"

Interesting local news article, with detailed analysis, also discusses difficulty of causation vs correlation on spikes

https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/life/20032024-has-government-rhetoric-contributed-to-rising-levels-of-transgender-hate-crime

#UK #Trans #TransRightsAreHumanRights #HateCrime #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #London

https://media.tech.lgbt/media_attachments/files/112/135/172/313/152/327/original/136ba4372f205fac.jpg


How will a new national security law affect different walks of life in Hong Kong?
==========

Hong Kong has passed a new national security law that will redefine its role on the world stage and the liberties of its citizens. The law, which takes effect on Saturday, expands the government's power to stamp out challenges to its rule, punishing treason and insurrection with up to life imprisonment. It also includes stiff prison terms for offenses such as espionage and unlawful disclosure of state secrets. The law could curb disruptive protests and has raised concerns among business people, financial professionals, journalists, activists, and residents who fear a loss of civil liberties and an erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms. The law requires Chinese citizens to report to authorities if they know others are committing treason, failure to report could be penalized by up to 14 years in prison. The law also authorizes stiffer measures against suspects in national security cases, including extended detention without charges and restrictions on legal representation. The new law has prompted many young professionals and middle-class families to emigrate to other countries. Foreign business leaders have expressed concerns about the cost of complying with the law and the impact on investment decisions. Journalists are worried about potential legal issues arising from their reporting. Activists face harsher penalties under the new law, and residents who are not politically active are required to report treasonous activities or face penalties. The law has sparked fears of a loss of Western-style civil liberties and a decline in Hong Kong's status as a global financial hub.

#HongKong #NationalSecurityLaw #CivilLiberties #Protests #Business #Journalists #Activists

https://www.midfloridanewspapers.com/highlands_news-sun/news/how-will-a-new-national-security-law-affect-different-walks-of-life-in-hong-kong/article_bcb94bde-e5ed-11ee-9eed-e3b17694a82c.html


US Proceeds With $23 Billion Warplane, Missile, and Battle Tank Sale to Turkey and Bahrain Amidst Tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine
===============
#4592c6d1 ver:0.15

Turkey's parliament has approved Sweden's accession into NATO, paving the way for Stockholm's entry into the alliance. In exchange for this approval, the US State Department has officially notified Congress of its approval to sell 40 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets and 79 F-16 modernization kits to Turkey. The sale is valued at approximately $16 billion. However, Turkey's desire for the more advanced F-35 fighter jets has led to a complicated situation. Greece is set to receive F-35s in a $9 billion sale from the Biden administration, which has raised concerns about the balance of air power in the region. Turkey and Greece have been engaged in a dispute over control of areas in the Aegean Sea, and the acquisition of these fighter jets could further escalate tensions.

US Secretary of State Anth...

#newstr #Us #Turkey #Greece #Bahrain #F-16 #F-35 #M1a2Abrams #Warplanes #Missiles #Bombs #BattleTanks #MiddleEastTensions #UkraineConflict

 https://here.news/story/4592c6d1?ver=0.15


Ketanji Brown Jackson Defenestrates the First Amendment
==========

During oral arguments in Murthy v. Missouri, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed concern that an injunction prohibiting the Biden Administration from colluding with Big Tech to censor Americans may result in "the First Amendment hamstringing the Government." Jackson's view is that the Government has a duty to protect citizens, even if it means abridging constitutional liberties. However, the Constitution restrains elected officials from tyrannical overreach. The First Amendment was designed to operate in threatening circumstances, and the choice between liberty and safety is a false binary. Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Aguinaga argued that the Government cannot pressure platforms to censor private speech. Justice Alito questioned the government's partnership with social media platforms and its treatment of them as subordinates. Jackson's lack of understanding of the First Amendment was evident as she fear-mongered about stopping teens from "jumping out of windows." The article criticizes Jackson for defenestrating the First Amendment and calls on the Court to uphold its oath to the Constitution.

#FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #ConstitutionalLiberties #KetanjiBrownJackson #MurthyV.Missouri #BidenAdministration #BigTech #Censorship

https://theparadise.ng/ketanji-brown-jackson-defenestrates-the-first-amendment/


Prevention is (almost always) cheaper than treatment, and homelessness does not break this rule.

Economists recently used a randomized control trial to estimate the effectiveness of giving households on the brink of homelessness cash to prevent it, $2000 on average.

The results  of this temporary assistance were a 73% reduction in the risk of homelessness after one year and that each dollar spent generated $2.47 in benefits to the community.

#economics #poverty

https://news.nd.edu/news/targeted-prevention-helps-stop-homelessness-before-it-starts/


REGIMES' WAR AGAINST P2P BITCOIN CASH EXCHANGES HAS BEGUN

Imagine you were born in one of the richest countries in the world, with an area as big as the entire territory of the European Union. All the wealth is in the hands of a narrow group of corrupt oligarchs, while the population of the country simply survives on food loans.

This is what #Kazakhstan looks like today, where the regime is kept in place only through brutal repression and Putin's army, ready to crush peaceful protests at the first call of the Kazakh president.

As soon as you dare to put a like under a post criticising the authorities or participate in a protest, you are declared an extremist, a terrorist, a threat to national security or a money launderer.

The police will not only torture you to death after your arrest, they always take hostages of those you care about most. Your son or daughter may be kidnapped and killed to "make you come to your senses".

Your only chance of escape is to get on EU or US politicians' political prisoner lists. Kazakhstan is very keen on international recognition, trade and these are the only leverages for the release of political prisoners.

But let's look at another situation. You are not an activist. You're just a sympathiser and you've decided to donate to support the politically persecuted or support an opposition movement.

🔻What then? You'll be charged with „funding extremism” or „laundering money” in a secret court. You, your family members will all be financially excluded immediately. You can work informally for cash, but it is becoming increasingly difficult.

In such situations as described above, p2p exchange of cash for #bitcoin becomes the only salvation for you, how to protect your resources from illegal searches by secret police, banal theft and in general safety, transfer of your value.

🔻But the party did not last long: Kazakhstan's regime decided to take the tool away from the financially excluded and criminalise p2p cash-to-cryptocurrency exchanges in line with FATF/G7 recommendations.

Protecting such people as politically repressed is almost impossible for human rights defenders with this approach. This is one of the main factors why negative language towards bitcoin/p2p exchanges should not be allowed in the regulation of democracies.

🔻Kazakhstan primarily targeting those who use p2p transactions, mostly with cash for bitcoin and #USDT. On 12 March 2024, Kazakhstani media reported that a resident of Astana was imprisoned for 2 years and 6 months with confiscation of property for "illegal p2p-exchange of cash for cryptocurrency".

🔻Follow how fast was reaction of regime: on 4 March 2024, the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan announced that it "observes the presence of illegal transactions of individuals with cryptocurrency (purchase, sale, payments for goods, works, services, transactions via P2P)".

Already on 12 March, the first demonstrative "verdict" on conducting "illegal" p2p exchanges of cash for cryptocurrency was announced.

🔥Question to #Nostr: What solutions do you have to protect individuals doing #cash to bitcoin p2p exchanges in such countries?

p.s. This is a photo of the family of a peaceful Kazakhstani man, 31-year-old Zasulan #Amangeldinov, a father of three.

He is one of the victims of torture and mass shootings involving Russian troops in January 2022. The reason for his arrest and torture by pouring boiling water on him in the Almaty pre-trial detention centre is that he was a witness and victim of mass shootings. Zhasulan was financially excluded as a „suspected extremist”. https://image.nostr.build/6c232005184526ff8dd062db901d12cd5543774069ab30cb727d941fced72d46.jpg https://image.nostr.build/07db392ff4c3eee48738a498b868e81530197d3fe96243246c5807407c9e101c.jpg https://image.nostr.build/db954b9c16a657291a5517769917be145524c240a1ee3fdfdc2667d55739318c.jpg https://image.nostr.build/b3995837c782730e0d3b75b9213b28f53e86fc6f2e9d810242e35086052f269c.jpg


The state is constantly looking for ways to restrict resistance and maintain their domination. And of course a western dominated body like the G7 would make these recommendations, it provides the needed legitimacy to build the security and surveillance Infastructures needed for their repression - good timing as Kazakhstan continues to attack the Ngorno-Karabach region (hope I said that right).


letranger

Criminologist studying policing, drug policy, and cultures of dissent.