literature.cafe

Summary

During a National Prayer Service, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde urged Donald Trump to show mercy to immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, prompting Trump to criticize her on Truth Social as a “Radical left hard line Trump hater.”

Trump dismissed the service as “boring” and accused Budde of politicizing religion.

Budde, known for her advocacy on justice issues, later explained her appeal aimed to encourage broader compassion.

Despite her message, Trump demanded a public apology, claiming her remarks were ungracious and uninspiring.

Remember, if a Nazi's head is approaching your fist at a high rate of speed, don't move your fist

The billionaire has described his grandfather as a risk-taking adventurer. A closer read of history reveals something much darker.

Why are the journalist bending over to Musk?

The new US President has used his first 24 hours to pull all US government support for the green energy transition. He wants to ban any new wind energy projects and withdraw support for electric cars. His new energy policy refused to even mention solar panels, wind turbines, or battery storage - the world's fastest-growing energy sources. Meanwhile, he wants to pour money into dying and declining industries - like gasoline-powered cars and expanding oil drilling.

China was the global leader in 21st-century energy before, but its future global dominance is now assured. There will be trillions of dollars to be made supplying the planet with green energy infrastructure in the coming decades. Decarbonizing the planet, and electrifying the global south with renewables will be the largest industrial project in human history.

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South Korea's birth rate is projected to rise in 2024 for the first time in nine years, driven by a 13.5% rebound in marriages in 2023, delayed due to the pandemic.

The country, with the world’s lowest fertility rate (0.72 in 2023), recorded a 3% increase in newborns (January–November 2024).

High cultural correlation between marriage and childbirth contributes to the trend.

Archived

Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde delivered a sermon calling for mercy on people who are scared. The new president was in the audience.

Here’s what she said:

“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families — some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals — they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples.

I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God, for the good of all people — the good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.”

The world’s addiction to fossil fuels is a “Frankenstein’s monster sparing nothing and no one”, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, told leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.

“Our fossil fuel addiction is a Frankenstein’s monster, sparing nothing and no one. All around us, we see clear signs that the monster has become master,” Guterres said in a speech days after 2024 was revealed to have been the hottest year on record and Donald Trump began his second term as US president by pulling the country out of the Paris climate agreement and pledging to “drill, baby, drill” for more oil and gas. The fossil fuel industry gave $75m (£60m) to Trump’s campaign.

Guterres said: “What we are seeing today – sea-level rise, heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts and wildfires – are just a preview of the horror movie to come.”

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a lawyer from Dnipro suspected of aiding Russian missile strikes against the city and then attempting to flee the country, the SBU said on Jan. 22.

The agency did not reveal the suspect's identity but described him as a "well-known local lawyer" and one of the most "deeply undercover FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service) agents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast."

Soldiers of the 8th Regiment of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces resisted a North Korean assault in Russia’s Kursk Oblast for eight hours before retreating, killing 21 and wounding 40 soldiers, the unit said on Jan. 22.

Summary

Dutch pension funds ABP and Bpf Bouw sold their Tesla shares, citing concerns over Elon Musk’s $56 billion bonus, which they deemed inconsistent with good governance.

ABP’s sale, worth $650 million at the time, sparked controversy, including criticism from Musk.

ABP defended the decision, emphasizing its long-term investment strategy and new policy to reduce its stock portfolio.

Other Dutch pension funds, while critical of Tesla's governance, have retained their shares for now.

Tesla has faced broader ESG-related divestments from other Dutch funds over labor practices and governance issues.

This is a new change because not enough people find their VIP features worth the money.

I'll be moving to TMDb instead. And you should know that Trakt would not exist without TMDb open and free database and API.

https://analognowhere.com/techno-mage/child-of-9/

Summary

Elon Musk faced backlash for performing a Nazi salute twice during Donald Trump's inauguration, with some media outlets downplaying the act as an "awkward gesture" or a "controversial hand gesture."

Journalists are calling out these outlets for their hypocrisy, highlighting the double standard in prioritizing pronoun usage over such a blatant display of Nazi symbolism.

Critics argue that media outlets should have the courage to call out the salute for what it is, emphasizing the importance of truthful reporting in the face of such actions.

Summary

South Korea will remove a concrete barrier at Muan International Airport following the December 29 Jeju Air crash, which killed 179 people.

The plane overshot the runway and collided with the barrier, causing an explosion.

Authorities will replace the structure with breakable materials and expand safety zones at seven airports.

A bird strike is also being investigated as a potential cause, with feathers found in the plane's engines.

This week's news:

• massive growth for Pixelfed, growing from 20k active users last month to almost 200k active users currently.
• NodeBB has officially launched their activitypub integration
• Meta will not commit or confirm a timeline for adding account migration to Threads

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said on Wednesday it plans to invest 450 million Euros ($468.59 million) to expand a wind farm near the Black Sea coast, boosting its capacity.

DTEK, most of whose thermal generation capacity has been damaged or destroyed by Russian bombardments, said it would expand its Tyligulska Wind Power Plant from 114 MW to 500 MW.

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