Tuesday, October 17, 2023
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from the URL Media network.
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As Israel prepares a possible ground invasion in the Gaza Strip to root out Hamas militants after an unprecedented attack on Oct. 7, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday to send the clearest message that the United States is behind Israel in its fight to defend and protect its citizens in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., many participants in a survey conducted by NPR/PBS News Hour and Marist on Oct. 11 said the U.S. government should publicly support Israel, despite a difference of opinion across generational and political lines.
Amid the complexities of the conflict, our partner Documented spoke to Arab and Jewish New Yorkers last Friday, who gathered outside City Hall to show solidarity with the more than 2 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza who have been organizing to seek refuge. They also expressed their fear of returning to a post-9/11 America where Islamophobia, surveillance and persecution are routine for Muslim, Middle Eastern and South Asian Americans.
Yesterday, our podcast partner, Immigrantly, issued a statement on its social media “[condemning] violence against Israelis while at the same time recognizing Palestinian suffering.” In the global struggle for liberation, many of us who are both directly and indirectly impacted by this crisis are contemplating how to both condemn Hamas and support the people of Israel and Palestine.
What's Your View?
With the information you’ve seen, watched and heard so far in the news and on your feeds, what is your honest opinion — should the U.S. continue to publicly support Israel in the ongoing Israel-Palestinian crisis?
Indigenous actors opt out of “Killers of the Flower Moon” premiere: Native American actors from the film "Killers of the Flower Moon" have opted out of the film's Hollywood and New York City premieres — and from promoting the film — in solidarity with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that began on July 14. The plot revolves around the murders of Indigenous Osage people in 1920s Oklahoma, and the FBI's investigation into their deaths. Native News Online >
The Department of Education is launching an AI lab: Last year, the Department of Education (DOE) banned the use of ChatGPT within schools but has now reversed its decision in an effort to remain hip to changes in technology. Earlier this month, spokesperson Nicole Brownstein said DOE will launch an Artificial Intelligence Policy Lab in collaboration with national experts and school districts to address cybersecurity, responsible AI use in education, AI in lesson planning, and the ethics of using tools like ChatGPT for school assignments. Epicenter-NYC >
Are Google and Meta declaring war on the media?: By catering to readers' cognitive biases and designing algorithms based on their behavior and preferences, Google and Meta (Facebook & Instagram) are isolating users who may fall susceptible to developing radical ideologies. La Noticia >
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