The inaugural Princeton GAASA Conference will be an enriching and dynamic event that brings scholars, activists, historians, and community leaders together to discuss African American history in the state of New Jersey. This year's conference theme is "Institutional Memory and African American History in New Jersey" which brings crucial narratives of African American contributions to the state to the forefront of public consciousness. This event aims to deepen the understanding of African American life, promote meaningful dialogue, and inspire actionable change. The conference will take place on the campus of Princeton University on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

The inaugural Princeton GAASA Conference will be an enriching and dynamic event that brings scholars, activists, historians, and community leaders together to discuss African American history in the state of New Jersey. This year's conference theme is "Institutional Memory and African American History in New Jersey" which brings crucial narratives of African American contributions to the state to the forefront of public consciousness. This event aims to deepen the understanding of African American life, promote meaningful dialogue, and inspire actionable change. The conference will take place on the campus of Princeton University on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

The inaugural Princeton GAASA Conference will be an enriching and dynamic event that brings scholars, activists, historians, and community leaders together to discuss African American history in the state of New Jersey. This year's conference theme is "Institutional Memory and African American History in New Jersey" which brings crucial narratives of African American contributions to the state to the forefront of public consciousness. This event aims to deepen the understanding of African American life, promote meaningful dialogue, and inspire actionable change. The conference will take place on the campus of Princeton University on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

The inaugural Princeton GAASA Conference will be an enriching and dynamic event that brings scholars, activists, historians, and community leaders together to discuss African American history in the state of New Jersey. This year's conference theme is "Institutional Memory and African American History in New Jersey" which brings crucial narratives of African American contributions to the state to the forefront of public consciousness. This event aims to deepen the understanding of African American life, promote meaningful dialogue, and inspire actionable change. The conference will take place on the campus of Princeton University on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

The inaugural Princeton GAASA Conference will be an enriching and dynamic event that brings scholars, activists, historians, and community leaders together to discuss African American history in the state of New Jersey. This year's conference theme is "Institutional Memory and African American History in New Jersey" which brings crucial narratives of African American contributions to the state to the forefront of public consciousness. This event aims to deepen the understanding of African American life, promote meaningful dialogue, and inspire actionable change. The conference will take place on the campus of Princeton University on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

The health benefits of hot peppers are well-documented, and their popularity in various forms of cuisine is increasing rapidly. The chemical responsible for both the heat and the health benefits is called capsaicin. Before the invention of refrigeration, adding spicy elements to food was a common practice in warm climates to prevent spoilage. Capsaicin, found ... Read more

The post Extremely Spicy Peppers Health Benefits appeared first on Star Two.

Another great batch of movies for your Monday.
( Photos: 1, Comments: 1 )

As the country’s civil war decimated elephant populations, the proportion of tuskless females rose dramatically. A new study explains why the tuskless trend continued in peacetime.

To combat climate change, scientists are working to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The renowned arranger, composer and producer worked with countless artists, including Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson. Jones died Nov. 3. Originally broadcast in 2001.

teaser here

Netflix explained, "We launched this licensed collection of films in 2021 for three years. Those licenses have now expired."

Cerca de 44% das mulheres que foram às urnas deram seu voto ao republicano - uma margem maior do que ele conseguiu entre esse público em 2020 e 2016, segundo a boca de urna.

Após cinco anos de pesquisa usando técnicas como imagem digital e inteligência artificial, oito restauradores começarão a "Operação Night Watch" de restauração da obra de arte

In this video, Armed Scholar expounds on the recent decision by the US Supreme Court concerning our border and the flooding of illegal immigrants, including the Biden administration, through the Department of Homeland Security, concerning programs set up that promised citizenship to illegal aliens. The decision was handed down following the 2024 elections, striking down …

In the 2024 election, Donald Trump easily carried many predominantly Hispanic rural areas like Hidalgo County, Texas, and some mostly non-white precincts, such as mostly Asian areas of Brooklyn. As journalist Josh Kraushaar noted, “Trump carried PASSAIC County, New Jersey. Majority/Hispanic electorate and home to a sizable Orthodox Jewish constituency. Was a Dem stronghold for […]

The post Prominent law professor blames Harris loss on ‘white supremacy’ and ‘toxic masculinity’ appeared first on Liberty Unyielding.

By Harold Hutchison Former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf told CNN host Jim Acosta Tuesday that the incoming Trump administration would “initiate a pretty large program” to locate children the Biden-Harris administration lost track of. At least 85,000 children placed into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) are unaccounted for, […]

The post Former Trump Official Reminds Jim Acosta Of ‘Over 330,000 Children’ Biden-Harris Admin Lost Track Of At Border appeared first on Liberty Unyielding.

(Official editorial of the Washington Examiner Oct. 30. NOTE: Hours after this editorial was published, the Supreme Court did exactly as the editorial board suggested.)  The Supreme Court should decide […]

The post Supreme Court should let Virginia manage its voter rolls appeared first on Quin Hillyer.

Scientists launched an investigation after being baffled by seismic signals picked up across the world

A public hearing is set to examine the events surrounding the catastrophic failure of Oceangate’s submersible.

James Anderson speaks to BBC Radio 4's Amol Rajan on how his England career came to an end and his potential return to cricket in the IPL aged 42.

Gun barrels are made of metal, and like any other metal object, they just love to get rusty. After you use the gun for a while, they start acting like a toddler who needs nonstop attention. If you leave them unattended for a while, you’ll come back to see that the shiny barrel is cluttered […]

The post How To Remove Rust From A Gun Barrel? [Updated 2023] appeared first on Patriot Outdoor News.

Alastair King is the 696th person to be appointed as the lord mayor of the City of London.

What was known as Armistice Day became Remembrance Sunday following the end of World War Two.

President Trump officially announced that he has selected Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to fill the vacancy of late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court, setting up a bitter Senate confirmation battle with just five weeks left until Election Day. “I stand before you today to fulfill one of my highest […]

The post Trump Officially Nominates Amy Coney Barrett To Fill Supreme Court Vacancy appeared first on Hispolitica.

President Trump on Friday shared a pre-recorded video message on Twitter saying he is “doing very well” and thanked Americans for their overwhelming support following his early morning announcement of his COVID-19 diagnosis. pic.twitter.com/B4H105KVSs — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020 “I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support,” Trump said in the […]

The post Trump Tweets First Video Remarks Since Revealing COVID-19 Diagnosis appeared first on Hispolitica.

Nadezhda Buyanova denied making the remarks and called the case absurd.

Is the Premier League title race down to two teams after just 11 games? BBC Sport looks at the chances of the top four.

After every round of Premier League matches this season, Troy Deeney gives us his team of the week. Do you agree with his choices?

Kieran McKenna describes Ipswich's 2-1 victory at Tottenham - their first Premier League win in 22 years - as a "massive moment" and validation for the players' hard work.

The trends of the Premier League season so far that make for interesting reading.

Illustrator, writer, and filmmaker Mordicai Gerstein died earlier this month. He leaves behind an amazing body of work which is sure to be read and appreciated; several have already been anointed as modern classics.

Lulu Delacre’s recent book, Cool Green (Candlewick) takes readers on a trip around the world, led by a grandfather with his granddaughter, introducing readers to a range of trees in lyrical text punctuated by fascinating information accompanied by informative and varied illustration. It’s a gorgeous book and Lulu has answered questions that I posed to her.

It was out of fear for his mental health and to avoid the perpetuation of an ongoing wrong that a judge ordered that one of the five men charged with the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa be removed from solitary confinement.

Jon Stewart tears apart the denials and false claims Trump supporters make about their terrible candidate and wonders how anyone can remain undecided.

At the top of this piece by Stewart sits the strange claim MAGAs keep making that Vice President Harris isn't clear about her plans. — Read the rest

The post Jon Stewart on the bewildering denial in remaining an undecided voter appeared first on Boing Boing.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is his pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, […]

The post Trump Makes His Pick for US Ambassador to Israel as Conflict in Gaza Remains Heated appeared first on The Western Journal.

Springbok team doctor Jerome Mampane says that injured utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is recovering well.

Beijing briefing: Party power remains a male preserve The World Today mhiggins.drupal 27 September 2022

Yu Jie explores why so few women have won leadership roles in Communist China.

UPDATE: Since this article was published at the end of September, the incoming members of the Politburo and the Standing Committee were announced at the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress on October 22. The party broke more than two decades of convention by not appointing any women to the Politburo or its Standing Committee. The sole woman among the outgoing 19th CCP Politburo, Sun Chunlan, will retire. Only 33 women rank among the 376 members of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which elects the Politburo - less than one in 10.

As the curtain of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress gets ready to rise, the lack of female representation in Beijing’s corridors of power attracts international attention once again.

Female participation in Chinese finance, science, sports or other aspects of society is relatively healthy. Yet there has never been a single woman at the apex of power in the party nor any who has held a seat on the Politburo Standing Committee, the supreme decision-making body for the party and the state.

Historically, China has been run by a number of powerful women starting in 307BC during the first imperial era of the Middle Kingdom. In the Qin Dynasty the Queen Dowager Xuan held de facto power for 35 years during the Warring States period.

More than 2,000 years later, Empress Dowager Cixi wined and dined her European visitors at the Imperial Summer Palace. She was also responsible for the demise of the late Qing Dynasty. Their legacies continue to fascinate and inspire stories in contemporary China.

In modern times, Mao Zedong, one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party, proclaimed that ‘women hold up half of the sky’. While Chinese law states that women and men should have equal rights in all aspects of political life, the reality is that women remain marginalized in politics, even after the economic and social transformation seen in the past few decades. Chinese men continue to dominate political power.

The top three party, military or state leadership positions have never been filled by a woman and none of China’s 26 ministers is female. There is only one woman among the 31 party bosses that control China’s provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions and only one woman among the 25 members of the all-powerful Politburo, and she oversaw the government’s response to the Covid pandemic. She is Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, a former party boss of Fujian Province. Among the 371 members of the Central Committee, which elects the Politburo, there are only 30 women, which is less than one in 10.

Women are less likely to join the Communist Party

It is difficult to explain why female participation in the Chinese elite politics is so low but social convention certainly plays its part. Despite increasing financial independence and much improved career prospects, Chinese women are still expected to run the household and look after the children while holding down a full-time job. This surely reduces opportunities to seek public offices.

Although unspoken, China’s experience of handing power to a woman may be another reason why the party is hesitant to put a female in charge. Jiang Qing, better known to the outside world as Madame Mao, was China’s de-facto First Lady until 1976. She was one of the architects of the ‘Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution’, which ushered in a decade of chaos and political upheaval and brought the country to a standstill.

Successive leaders have been determined to prevent a repeat of this misfortune so no woman has been chosen for a top leadership role. But perhaps the main reason for the absence of women in top positions is the way people move up the party ranks.

Women make up around 49 per cent of China’s 1.4 billion population, yet they account for only about 30 per cent of the Chinese Communist Party membership. Once inside the party they are often handed less competitive positions. Rising through the ranks requires party members to achieve certain career breakthroughs. Such success makes them eligible to participate in high politics.

The majority of China’s top leaders have served as a party chief of a province or municipality, a position women rarely achieve. Consequently, few female candidates are considered eligible for more senior roles.

By the time they qualify for Politburo membership, too often they are fast approaching the retirement age for Chinese women politicians: 55. As it is rare to secure a spot on the Politburo under that age, women are virtually ruled out from joining this exclusive group of 25 people.

The Iron Lady of China

There has been one exception since the early 2000s. Vice-Premier Wu Yi, who is known as the Iron Lady of China, was described by Forbes magazine as the third most powerful woman in the world. She led China into the World Trade Organization and successfully bid for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. However, her success has been an exception, not a rule.

While Chinese women have been given a nominal egalitarian status with female astronauts, female Olympic champions and female Nobel Prize laureates in place, beneath the surface older practices of patriarchy still hold firm. Liberated or not, the quest for a Chinese female leader under the Communist Party is a long way off.

In conversation with David Miliband: Finding a new approach to tackle conflict, climate and extreme poverty 11 September 2024 — 5:00PM TO 5:45PM Anonymous (not verified) 15 August 2024 Chatham House and Online

David Miliband discusses how the climate crisis, extreme poverty and conflict are becoming inextricably linked and how the global community must respond.

Combatting the climate crisis, ending protracted conflicts, and alleviating poverty are three of the greatest priorities for international action. However, these three challenges become increasingly concentrated in a handful of countries. The subsequent feedback loop makes addressing these challenges even more complex.

The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC’s) work in crisis-affected communities highlights this new geography of crisis. Just 16 countries, which are both climate-vulnerable and conflict-affected. This represents 43% of all people living in extreme poverty, 44% of all people affected by natural disasters and 79% of all people in humanitarian need. This trend towards the concentration of crisis is only deepening. In three decades, the number of conflict-affected, climate-vulnerable states has increased from 44% to more than two-thirds.

Affected countries - like Sudan, Myanmar, and Syria - are also among the least supported financially. Debt burdens are siphoning away critical resources needed for adaptation and resilience. Humanitarian aid budgets are being slashed by donor governments. The private sector refuses to invest in these communities they view as too risky. And the international financial institutions meant to alleviate poverty and spur climate action are not well-designed to work with crisis-affected states or local communities. With the upcoming COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan focused on the New Collective Quantified Goal for climate finance, vulnerable communities will be watching closely whether they will get support in their fight against the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

Conflict, the climate crisis, and extreme poverty are taking their toll. But how can the world best respond?

Key questions to be discussed during the session include:

• At a time of political disruption, how does the West engage with vulnerable countries? What actions should be prioritised in providing support to such countries?
• Can global institutions evolve to better protect vulnerable and displaced people from conflict and climate-risk, particularly as geopolitical rivalries reduce space for cooperation?
• What is the UK’s role in supporting climate action in fragile states and how does this align with its agenda on the Sustainable Development Goals and extreme poverty?

Steven A. Carr
Mar 1, 2014; 13:907-917
Technological Innovation and Resources

Egypt’s purchase of a Chinese fighter jet is a reminder Cold War tactics are back in the Middle East Expert comment LJefferson 18 October 2024

The Egyptian army is a formidable force lacking air superiority capabilities to match its size and ambitions. China understood this predicament and offered to help.

The reported agreement for Egypt to buy the Chinese Chengdu J-10C 4.5 generation fighter jets is part of a broader shift from focusing on modernizing ground troops to bolstering the air force. The details of the deal have not yet been published. Nonetheless, it reveals Egypt has two motivations beyond backing its arsenal with another fighter jet.

Elusive Western technology

The most important motivation for Egypt’s military diversification strategy (and the biggest source of frustration) is the perceived Western technology starvation.
   
A quick examination of the map around Egypt shows that the most significant perceived threats to its national security are located in remote places where Egypt doesn’t traditionally enjoy ground troops’ presence. These include Ethiopia, the Southern Red Sea, Libya and the vulnerability a potential Israel–Iran regional war would create. From the generals’ perspective in Cairo, this list is more than a catalyst to build a modern and capable long arm.

The race started in 2015 after the Obama administration paused an arms transfer to Cairo in 2013 that included four F-16C Block 52 fighter jets amid toppling the Muslim Brotherhood government. The psychological effect of Washington’s decision in Cairo increased Egypt’s risk tolerance towards challenging its military ties with the US by diversifying away from it. 

Egypt ordered the MiG-29M2 fighter jets from Russia and the French Rafales this same year. In 2018, Egypt negotiated a $2 billion deal with Russia to purchase the Su-35 fighter jet, seen in Washington as crossing a red line and triggering a warning to Egypt that it would impose sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). This caused the deal to collapse.

The main factor of the US military sales in the Middle East is the upholding of the Israel Military Qualitative Edge principle over its neighbours. This principle requires the US to ensure Israel is superior over other regional countries’ strategic military capabilities, especially in air power.

For Egypt, this has long been a strategic vulnerability. The US turned down multiple requests by Egypt to purchase the active radar long-range AIM-120 AMRAAM fire-and-forget missile that can be launched from the F-16 fighter jets, the main striking force in Egypt’s arsenal. 

Unlike the Gulf and other states (such as Jordan and Turkey), Egypt was only allowed the old AIM-7 Sparrow and the AIM-9 Sidewinders, which are shorter in range and technologically inferior. Israel also allegedly pressured the Trump administration to refuse Egypt’s request to buy the F-35 stealth fight jets in 2019.

The US and Israel reportedly pressured France to not sell to Egypt the MBDA’s Meteor 100 km air-to-air missile with the Rafale fighters. Instead, Egypt received the 80 km MICA missile as part of the deal to buy 30 Rafales in 2021. Acquiring this advanced radar system and long-range missiles was likely behind Cairo’s deal to purchase 24 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Italy in 2022. However, it is unlikely that they will come with the full package.

Egypt thought the Chinese J-10C Vigorous Dragon fighter may solve this predicament. The Chinese fighter has a beyond-visual range AESA radar and can carry the PL-15 200 km air-to-air missile, similar to the Rafale’s Meteor. The J-10C’s price tag is attractive for Egypt at $40-50 million, much less than the F-16 and Rafales.

The Chinese fighters are also a hedge against Russia’s sanctioned fighter jets, traditionally a second choice for the Egyptian air force.

Risky manoeuvres 

This doesn’t mean Egypt is on a path to abandon its weapons purchases from its Western partners. Egyptian weapons procurement policy is not only motivated by technical considerations. It also serves political objectives. Egypt still receives $1.3 billion every year in military and economic aid from Washington. Regime security and backing are two objectives that will likely encourage Cairo to rely on Western weapons systems for decades. 

However, from Egypt’s military perspective, the time may have come to resort to the Cold War tactics of diversification and counterbalancing. Being forced to accept old technology during the significant modernization of its air force creates a technical and operational necessity to seek this technology elsewhere. 

The regional uncertainty since Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel and the war that followed in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Israel’s intermittent confrontations with Iran makes make it imperative for the Egyptian strategic planners to take risky manoeuvres while targeting specific capabilities they seem desperate to acquire. 

The threat to deploy CAATSA sanctions against Egypt in 2019 makes the J-10C deal with China an interesting case study for all Middle Eastern allies of the West. It shows an uptick in Egypt’s risk tolerance to overcome its technological dilemma. It allows other countries considering the Chinese fighters (mainly Saudi Arabia) to gauge Washington’s reaction and design their future approach accordingly.   

Another motivation is to pressure the US, UK, and their allies to reconsider their implicit embargo on certain advanced technology by showing that Cairo now has alternatives. This tactic seems to work. General Frank McKenzie, the former head of US Central Command, said during a congressional hearing in 2022 that Washington will finally provide Egypt with the F-15 heavy-weight air superiority fighter, a longstanding demand by Cairo.

Building favours

The J-10C fighter jet ticks all the boxes: It satisfies Cairo’s diversity strategy and technological needs. It is under the sanctions threshold since it is less technologically savvy than the most controversial J-20 5th generation fighters, the equivalent to Russia’s SU-35. And it takes Egypt’s military partnership with China to a new level.

The rumour that the Chinese fighters are bought to replace the ageing versions of Egypt’s significant F-16 fleet is a source of pride for Beijing since its military technology started to be seen as a competitor to Western technology. A heavyweight military power like Egypt relying on Chinese fighters would almost certainly boost China’s share in the regional weapons market, just like Cairo’s purchase of the Rafale boosted its popularity globally.

Oswald Quehenberger
Nov 1, 2010; 51:3299-3305
Research Articles

JF Oram
Dec 1, 1996; 37:2473-2491
Reviews

Robert W. Mahley
Jan 1, 1999; 40:1-16
Reviews