More from Mahmoud Bennett
-
Sacheen Littlefeather’s sisters claim she faked her Native American ancestry
The siblings of Sacheen Littlefeather are accusing the actress of faking her Native American ancestry. The late actress is known for famously taking the stage for Marlon Brando in 1973 to decline the Best Actor Oscar. In an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Littlefeather’s sisters Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi said that their sister’s… -
Liz Truss is out as UK prime minister, but still raking it in for life
British Prime Minister Liz Truss has quit her position after just 44 days in office. But she’s not walking away empty handed. Thanks to the country’s “Public Duty Cost Allowance,” Truss will be able to claim up to $130,000 in yearly taxpayer-funded allowance for her entire lifetime. The money will go to reimbursing any official duty… -
Climate activists target Volkswagen, glue hands to facility floor
Nine environmental activists in Germany have glued themselves to the floor at a Porsche pavilion in a hunger strike, protesting what they call a climate emergency. The target this time is Volkswagen. The activists are calling on Germany to introduce cheaper public transport tickets and to set speed limits on the country’s highways to reduce carbon… -
Federal debt relief for farmers draws comparisons to student loan forgiveness
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will provide $1.3 billion in debt relief for about 36,000 farmers across the country. The relief will be funded by the Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed back in August. USDA officials said farmers and ranchers have faced incredibly tough circumstances over the past few years and that… -
Exploding drones are hitting Ukraine’s capital
Explosive suicide drones have been raining down on Ukraine’s capital in recent days, setting buildings on fire and forcing people to run for cover. It’s Russia’s latest tool targeting civilians in Kyiv. Known as the Shahed-136, these self-destructing suicide drones are different from traditional military drones. They’re a lot smaller and are designed to crash… -
Climate protesters throw soup on Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ painting in London
Vincent Van Gogh’s 1888 masterpiece “Sunflowers” painting, one of the Dutch artist’s most iconic works estimated to be worth around $81 million. The two people behind the move have been arrested after opening up two cans of Heinz tomato soup and splattering it across the work of art at London’s National Gallery. The suspects are… -
Report: Animal populations shrunk 69% over the past 50 years
These are dark times for animal populations around the world, according to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund. Over the past 50 years, wildlife numbers have suffered a devastating decline, the WWF study revealed. The organization said the monitored populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have seen a devastating 69% drop… -
TikTok is planning to open US fulfillment centers, hints at e-commerce plans
Social media giant TikTok is heating up competition in the U.S. A new report indicates the Chinese-owned platform is setting up its own product fulfillment centers in America to expand into the e-commerce space. The company posted several job openings on LinkedIn, seeking out industry veterans in Seattle and Los Angeles to support the new warehouses.… -
New Zealand’s climate fight includes taxing cattle urine, burps
New Zealand has long committed itself as a world leader in the fight against climate change. Now the nation plans to take its efforts a step further with a new tax on burps from cattle. On Tuesday, the country introduced a controversial greenhouse emissions plan to tax farm animal burps and pee to reduce greenhouse… -
Canada may soon put speech limits on online platforms
When it comes to free speech, every country has a limit. For Canada, publicly inciting hatred is a criminal offense that could land you two years in prison. Now the country is considering further speech limitations on online platforms. Canada’s criminal code defines hatred as “communicating statements in any public place, that incites hatred against… -
‘Weapons of war have changed’: New Zealand PM warns about speech threats
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a dire warning to world leaders. She proclaimed the “weapons of war have changed” during her speech to the United Nations General Assembly. “A bullet takes a life. A bomb takes out a whole village. A lie online or from a podium does not,” Ardern told the U.N.… -
The UN partners with Google to filter ‘distorted’ climate change results
During a panel on disinformation at the World Economic Forum, the United Nations’ under-secretary-general for global communications spoke about the U.N. partnering with Google on climate change. In April, the U.N. announced it had teamed up with the tech giant to push “verified climate information.” Under-Secretary General Melissa Fleming said the move was a response… -
Disinformation and online rhetoric: How do Western governments censor information?
The role of government officials in content moderation in the West has come under heightened scrutiny in recent years as leaders attempt to censor the public. From the White House coordinating with Twitter and Facebook to combat disinformation, to Canada’s recent crackdowns on hate speech — governments in the West have adopted varying approaches to…