If antisemitism has long plagued France, dating back to the Middle Ages, it's now metastasizing in new, alarming ways, according to a recently published book by French journalist Nora Bussigny. Titled "Les Nouveaux Antismites" ("The New Antisemites"), it exposes virulent Jew-hatred endemic to many far-left organizations in France, infiltrated by Bussigny as part of a lengthy undercover investigation. Using a false identity, Bussigny uncovered pervasive antisemitism and anti-Zionism, now a common denominator among diverse groups that often disagree on other matters. "I saw with my own eyes to what degree Islamists, far-left so-called progressive' militants and feminist, LGBT and ecological activists are closely linked in their shared hatred of Jews and Israel," Bussigny told The Times of Israel during a recent interview on Zoom. Read more
The post-1945 financial order: Europe buys US debt, America stations troops in Europe. Simple. Elegant. Mutually beneficial for seventy years.
When (Z) served as a TA for History of Religions (back then, History 4), and for History of Christianity (back then, History 161), the phrase that professor S. Scott Bartchy surely used more than any other was "radical inclusivity." That is the nutshell version of how Jesus' version of Judaism was different from what came before. He largely rejected various forms of ritual purity (particularly keeping kosher) and said, "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." Yehshua ben Yosef did not prefer to figure out who was in the tent, and who was outside, but instead to try to make the tent as big as is possible (and to treat even those who are outside the tent with kindness and decency).
This Week in Schadenfreude: Kennedy Center Performers Keep Opting Out It's been long enough since we wrote a "schadenfreude" (excepting the bonus schadenfreude earlier this week) that we did not realize that the last one was ALSO about the Kennedy Center. We guess that institution has become a vergence in the schadenfreude force.
New documents show the crew on board the United States' newest aircraft carrier are growing increasingly frustrated by design flaws that lead to regular failures in the ship's toilet system.
The U.S. Department of Justice has formally moved to block the appointment of an independent monitor or special master to oversee the release of Epstein-related records in the long-closed criminal case of Ghislaine Maxwell"arguing that no federal court has the authority to compel such disclosures. In a six-page letter filed tonight, to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, prosecutors contend that recent efforts by members of Congress to force production of the so-called "Epstein files" amount to an improper attempt to reopen a concluded criminal case and to create a form of judicial oversight that Congress itself did not authorize. In short, the government's filing makes clear that"absent new legislation explicitly authorizing court enforcement"the DOJ believes no court can force it to produce the Epstein files, regardless of public pressure or congressional intent.
The first US-brokered sale of Venezuelan crude oil under Donald Trump's new energy plan went to Vitol, a global oil trading firm whose senior US-based trader was a major donor to Trump's 2024 re-election campaign.
Vitol Full of Crooks
An 11-year-old boy faces homicide charges after shooting and killing his father in Perry County, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Police said Clayton then entered the bedroom and shouted, "Daddy's dead." Troopers at the scene also said they heard Clayton tell his mother, "I killed Daddy." Read more
The US State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for
The US State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for
In the two years since the Connecticut Department of Transportation released guidance for cities and towns interested in installing speed or red-light cameras, fewer than 10% of the state's municipalities have submitted and won approval of their plans.
The Justice Department (DOJ) is investigating whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, impeded federal immigration enforcement through public statements they made, two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.
"Jan 16, 2026
Stranger Things
Let's talk for a minute about Kristi Noem, and the reason we need to do so is because of something she said yesterday, Thursday, January 15th.
Noem was speaking to reporters outside the White House, and she was asked if she expects Americans to be carrying around proof of citizenship in case they are stopped for questioning.
Listen carefully to what she said." Read more
Artist Marina Abramovi said that a public performance art piece where she had nine orgasms did have a "terrible" effect on her. She's the woman who once let people do "whatever they wanted" to her for several hours which ended up putting her life in danger as her audience almost killed her, until the moment the performance was over and she walked away with everyone fleeing at her movement. Among her other works is "The Artist is Present," in which she spent two-and-a-half months sitting in a chair in New York City's Museum of Modern Art where anyone could join her for a silent conversation. Read more
Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading calls for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Trump Mobile for failing to ship gold phones, months after collecting deposits.
Diversity-training programs purport to teach participants how to be better colleagues to people from different backgrounds and to eliminate unconscious bias and make workplaces more welcoming. But in too many places, these trainings"and the broader DEI structures of which they are part"have instead mandated ideological conformity, enforced with the leverage every employer holds over its workers