Morocco signs ‘normalisation’ agreement with Israel in ceremony attended by king

Morocco formally signed a normalisation agreement with Israel during a visit to the presidential palace by an Israeli delegation on Tuesday. Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani signed the declaration in the presence of King Mohammed VI, who announced the resumption of ties with the occupying state. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior White […]

Morocco signs ‘normalisation’ agreement with Israel in ceremony attended by king Read More »

Middle East, USA

Trump questions loyalty of Pence as GOP hardliners push to overturn election results

President Donald Trump is reportedly questioning the loyalty of Vice President Mike Pence as the commander-in-chief pushes ever more extreme measures to overturn his election loss. After another round of White House scheming with right-wing allies, Trump is focused on the vice president’s largely ceremonial role of presiding over a Jan. 6 session of Congress

Trump questions loyalty of Pence as GOP hardliners push to overturn election results Read More »

USA

Israel parliament dissolves, sparking fourth election in two years

Israel’s parliament dissolved on Wednesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fractured ruling coalition failed to pass a budget, triggering a fourth election in two years and renewing an unprecedented political crisis. The coalition led by Netanyahu and his former election rival, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, had been inching towards collapse for weeks, undermined by mutual

Israel parliament dissolves, sparking fourth election in two years Read More »

Middle East

Trump rejects Covid relief bill, calling it ‘a disgrace’

Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected a $900 billion bipartisan Covid stimulus package, calling it “a disgrace” and demanding that lawmakers more than triple relief payments to Americans. While he did not explicitly say he would not sign the bill, which passed overwhelmingly Monday in both houses of Congress, Trump made clear

Trump rejects Covid relief bill, calling it ‘a disgrace’ Read More »

USA

San Diegan wins posthumous plaudits for his rendition of a Chinese musical

Romance of the Western Chamber is a 2 1/2- hour musical based on a play that first appeared in China as Xi Xiang Ji in the 13th century. It is a lovely love story of a poor 23-year-old man and rich 19-year-old woman who fell in love at first sight. The original play ran for about 20 hours. It was the most famous love story in Chinese literature and was made into a movie and several Beijing operas. It was adapted and turned into a musical by the late Dr. Howard Rubenstein, a San Diego physician and playwright who wrote ten very interesting plays. Rubenstein revised the play into modern English, reduced its time, and had Max Lee write music for it.

San Diegan wins posthumous plaudits for his rendition of a Chinese musical Read More »

International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Radical Housewives: NYC Jewish Women’s Activism

The Real Housewives franchise may celebrate affluent women in various regions throughout the United States, but it’s fair bet none of them ever led a fight for fair working conditions on the Lower East Side, including protesting soaring prices of food or unfair rents. For that, it took Jewish women, most of them housewives and mothers, who organized themselves into a fighting force that today would be almost unimaginable. Their story was told recently by Jennifer Young, a historian, writer, and former Director of Education at the YIVO Institute, who was asked by the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy to speak on “Radical Housewives: Jewish Women’s Activism on the Lower East Side and Beyond.”

Radical Housewives: NYC Jewish Women’s Activism Read More »

Jewish History, USA

Biden says huge cyberattack cannot go unanswered

Wilmington (United States) (AFP) – President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that the perpetrators of a massive cyberattack on the US government, unofficially blamed on Russia, must face consequences, and assailed President Donald Trump over his response to the threat. “We can’t let this go unanswered,” Biden said in pre-holiday remarks to the American people.  “That

Biden says huge cyberattack cannot go unanswered Read More »

International, USA

Fauci hails ‘veil of protection’ from COVID-19 as he gets vaccinated on live TV

Dr. Anthony Fauci eagerly rolled up his sleeve Tuesday — and promised protection is on the way for everyone. The nation’s top infectious disease doctor hailed a coming “veil of protection” for the nation against the pandemic as he became the latest top official to be vaccinated against COVID-19. “As a symbol to the rest

Fauci hails ‘veil of protection’ from COVID-19 as he gets vaccinated on live TV Read More »

USA

Movie review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor (how could it?), but sincerity, spectacle remain superpowers

Filmmaker Patty Jenkins had a profound cinematic experience as a young girl watching Richard Donner’s “Superman,” which inspired in her a kind of wonder and hope that she wanted to share with others through the magic of the movies. That sense of hope is a keystone of her work in “Wonder Woman” and its sequel,

Movie review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor (how could it?), but sincerity, spectacle remain superpowers Read More »

Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Harris campaigns for Democrats in Georgia ahead of Jan. 5 runoffs

COLUMBUS, Ga. — Vice President-elect Kamala Harris joined a parade of high-profile politicians rallying Georgia voters with a visit Monday urging Democrats to vote before the Christmas holiday for U.S. Senate Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. In her first visit to Georgia since Democrats flipped the state in November, Harris challenged voters to

Harris campaigns for Democrats in Georgia ahead of Jan. 5 runoffs Read More »

USA

Pat Robertson Calls Trump ‘Erratic,’ Says President Needs To ‘Move On’ From Election Loss

Back in October, former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson said that God told him Donald Trump would win the election. He encouraged people to get out and vote before adding, “It’s going to lead to civil unrest, and then a war against Israel and so forth,” but the televangelist is now singing a different tune.

Pat Robertson Calls Trump ‘Erratic,’ Says President Needs To ‘Move On’ From Election Loss Read More »

USA

Alex Padilla named as California’s next U.S. Senator; Shirley Weber to replace him

Two chairs in the California game of political musical chairs have now been filled. Alex Padilla, the California Secretary of State, has been appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to fill out the remainder of the U.S. Senate term of Vice President-elect Kamilla Harris. It is the first time that a Latino will have represented California in the Upper House of Congress. Padilla, like Harris, is a Democrat. He will face the voters in the 2022 elections, coinciding with the time Harris’ first and only Senate term would be near its conclusion. To replace Padilla as Secretary of State, Newsom chose Assemblywoman Shirley Weber of San Diego, who previously had served our city as a member of the San Diego Unified School District board and as a professor at San Diego State University. Her colleague, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who had announced she plan to campaign for the job, graciously commented: “While I would’ve loved the opportunity to serve, I fully appreciate the need to amplify Black women in our state. Shirley Weber is an icon and will serve California well.” [Donald H. Harrison]

Alex Padilla named as California’s next U.S. Senator; Shirley Weber to replace him Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, USA