>>“Making it” means making it in the specifically American climate of cut-throat, unprincipled competition, where good guys not only always end up last but deserve to, where the prize is money and power, and though the price is the loss of character and humanity, few hesitate to pay it. But money and power are the highest good possible for an American to achieve, and to achieve it no holds are barred, all foul means are fair. If you “win” no questions asked. There is only one caveat: don’t get caught.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning about the Soviet Union, their trade unions, their working conditions, their technology, or what life was like for visitors.

Short video in link

Judges at the International Court of Justice have ordered Isn'treal to take steps to limit killings and acts of genocide in Gaza and to allow in humanitarian aid, but the court did not insist on a ceasefire.

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3431483

> Despite the mammal’s death with her unborn calf, the team believes that IVF methods can save endangered African northern white rhinos > > ! > FILE PHOTO. © TONY KARUMBA / AFP > > Scientists with the BioRescue research consortium in Kenya have recorded the world’s first pregnancy in a rhino following a successful embryo transfer, potentially paving the way to save Africa’s northern white subspecies from extinction. > > The embryo of a southern white rhino, created in vitro from egg cells and sperm, was transferred into a surrogate mother at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy last year, the team said in a statement on Wednesday. > > ”The BioRescue team confirmed a pregnancy of 70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo,” it announced. However, the mother rhino named Curra and her fetus have died from a bacterial infection. > > ”It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed under such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate Curra and her unborn calf, but I am certain that this proof of concept is a turn of the tide for the survival of the northern white rhino and the health of Central-African ecosystems,” BioRescue project chief Thomas Hildebrandt said. > > Fatu and her mother, Najin, are the world’s two remaining northern white rhinos, living on Kenya’s 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta wildlife conservancy, under protection from poaching. > > The northern white rhino was pronounced functionally extinct after the last male, Sudan, died in 2018. > > Last year, BioRescue announced that five new embryos had been created to rescue the endangered African mammal under the project, funded mainly by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. > > The consortium said 18 eggs had been collected from Fatu and fertilized with sperm from two different bulls to improve genetic diversity. The zygotes were then cryopreserved – a process that keeps them at low temperatures for later transfer to surrogate-identified wild southern white rhino females – as neither Fatu nor Najin are able to carry a pregnancy to full term. > > According to the scientists, the next step in the project will be to select and prepare a new teaser bull, which will reveal when potential surrogate mothers can be implanted with embryos.

Despite the mammal’s death with her unborn calf, the team believes that IVF methods can save endangered African northern white rhinos

! FILE PHOTO. © TONY KARUMBA / AFP

Scientists with the BioRescue research consortium in Kenya have recorded the world’s first pregnancy in a rhino following a successful embryo transfer, potentially paving the way to save Africa’s northern white subspecies from extinction.

The embryo of a southern white rhino, created in vitro from egg cells and sperm, was transferred into a surrogate mother at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy last year, the team said in a statement on Wednesday.

”The BioRescue team confirmed a pregnancy of 70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo,” it announced. However, the mother rhino named Curra and her fetus have died from a bacterial infection.

”It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed under such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate Curra and her unborn calf, but I am certain that this proof of concept is a turn of the tide for the survival of the northern white rhino and the health of Central-African ecosystems,” BioRescue project chief Thomas Hildebrandt said.

Fatu and her mother, Najin, are the world’s two remaining northern white rhinos, living on Kenya’s 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta wildlife conservancy, under protection from poaching.

The northern white rhino was pronounced functionally extinct after the last male, Sudan, died in 2018.

Last year, BioRescue announced that five new embryos had been created to rescue the endangered African mammal under the project, funded mainly by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The consortium said 18 eggs had been collected from Fatu and fertilized with sperm from two different bulls to improve genetic diversity. The zygotes were then cryopreserved – a process that keeps them at low temperatures for later transfer to surrogate-identified wild southern white rhino females – as neither Fatu nor Najin are able to carry a pregnancy to full term.

According to the scientists, the next step in the project will be to select and prepare a new teaser bull, which will reveal when potential surrogate mothers can be implanted with embryos.

Total household energy debt in the UK has reached nearly $3.8 billion and continues to grow, according to Citizens Advice

! © Getty Images / coldsnowstorm

More than 1.4 million people in the UK have been disconnected from the energy grid since November as consumers struggle to pay their bills this winter, according to new research by state-funded Citizens Advice.

Published on Tuesday, the study shows that over 3 million people have been cut off from energy in the last year because they could not afford to top up their prepayment meter. The average energy debt had increased to £1,835 ($2,332) by the end of 2023, up from £1,579 a year earlier. As the total energy debt pile – currently at £2.9 billion – continues to rise, it is weighing down millions of consumers and risks becoming unsustainable for the sector, the researchers warned.

Data shows that over 5 million people live in homes with an energy debt, and are at greater risk as a result of actions to reduce costs, including turning off the heating or skipping meals.

“The rest of winter looks set to be even worse, with prices rising 5% this month and colder weather seeing typical household energy usage reach its highest point,” Citizens Advice wrote. “We estimate that over 2 million people will disconnect because they can’t afford to top up by the end of winter.”

The report comes as the energy price cap in Britain has risen this month. With the situation predicted to ease somewhat from April, bills will still be 40% higher than they were in 2021, Citizens Advice wrote. “We risk an annual winter crisis unless action is taken to help those struggling most,” the report warned.

Germany's rail network has been brought to a standstill after the country's leading train drivers union launched a six-day-strike as part of a long-running pay dispute.

The decision marks the longest strike in the history of state rail firm Deutsche Bahn and comes after months of shorter bouts of industrial action.

Passengers are being warned of major disruption, with thousands of services being cancelled across the country's high-speed, intercity, regional and metro networks. Affected ticket holders are being given the option to rebook with no penalty or a full refund.

The strike, which began at 2am local time on Wednesday morning is expected to last until Monday evening, follows intense negotiations between union leaders and Deutsche Bahn's management over salary increases for drivers.

With platforms largely empty at key rail hubs in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich, passengers were left scrambling trying to find alternative means of transportation.

"I'm a little frustrated because trains which were announced as running this morning as part of the emergency schedule at the end never arrived. It's annoying but I have to live with it," said stranded passenger Torsten Ilgenstein.

"Six days is exaggerated, quite honestly. Especially in the current situation, we don't need a six-day train strike," said Andrea Kretschmer.

More pay, less hours

Drivers are asking for higher salaries to compensate for rising inflation, and to have their working hours reduced from 38 to 35 a week with no loss of wages.

Executives from Deutsche Bahn have criticised the demands.

"This six-day GdL strike is the longest in Deutsche Bahn's history. We tried to avert it up to the very last moment but the GdL refused and escalated the situation. There are currently massive restrictions to train services across the country," said company spokesperson Anja Broeker.

GdL union leader Claus Weselsky told German broadcaster ARD defended the disruption, saying the current offers put on the table by the rail company weren't adequate.

"We have to strike longer and harder because the railway management is resistant to advice," he said.

"Sand in the gears"

Freight train drivers have also joined the strike, with analysts warning disruption to the logistics sector could spell trouble for Europe's biggest economy.

"The strike itself will not trigger a recession, but it will throw sand in the gears of an engine that is not running smoothly anyway. And all of us know that we are currently facing a number of burdens. We really don't need this on top," said Michael Groemling, an economist with the Cologne Institute for Economic Research.

The management of Deutsche Bahn has also sharpened its rhetoric against the union about the impact its decisions are having on the economy.

"This six-day GdL strike has massive implications on the economy. If you will, the GdL is also on strike against the economy in Germany and Europe. Cancellations can already be felt in European freight traffic and as far as the economic impact is concerned, we must count on it being massive," said Broeker.

Construction and real estate are among the hardest hit sectors, researchers say

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The number of UK businesses on the brink of bankruptcy skyrocketed by more than a quarter at the end of last year amid a “debt storm” triggered by a series of interest rate hikes, a report from a group of insolvency specialists revealed on Monday.

The latest ‘Red Flag Alert’ released by Begbies Traynor Group found that 47,477 firms in Britain were in “critical” financial distress in the final quarter of last year, as more companies struggled with inflation and borrowing costs. The figure was a 26% increase compared to the 37,772 firms that reported a “critical” level of distress in the previous three months.

The surge marked the second consecutive quarter-on-quarter period in which critical financial distress has risen by 25%, the report noted. A significant percentage of businesses facing these conditions are expected to enter insolvency over the course of the next year.

According to Julie Palmer, a partner at Begbies Traynor, soaring interest rates, “rampant” inflation and weak consumer confidence amid rising and “unpredictable” input costs have created a “perfect storm” for British businesses.

The Bank of England has steadily raised interest rates from 0.1% at the end of 2021 to the current 5.25% in an effort to tame inflation.

“Hundreds of thousands of businesses in the UK, who loaded up on affordable debt during those halcyon days, are now coming to terms with the added burden this will have on their finances,” Palmer added. “For tens of thousands of British businesses who should be looking ahead with some degree of optimism, the new year will bring a fight for survival.”

Macroeconomic turmoil is impacting “every corner” of the UK economy, Palmer said, noting that the most serious concerns are in the construction and real estate sectors. They represent nearly 30% of all businesses in critical financial distress, according to Begbies. Researchers pointed out that all of the 22 sectors assessed saw an increase in “critical” financial distress last year.

The report also showed that almost 540,000 British companies were in “significant” distress in the final quarter of last year, up 12.9% from the third quarter. Begbies Traynor warned that insolvency rates in the UK are likely to speed up in 2024.

Players and supporters say the 3-0 win is an embodiment of the Palestinian spirit and determination.

! Palestine's Mohammed Saleh reacts after their win against Hong Kong [Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters]

Doha, Qatar – Palestine started their last group match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with their hopes of qualifying for the next round hanging by a thread, but ended it with an emphatic 3-0 win over Hong Kong and by sealing a last-16 spot.

The compact Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium turned into a Palestinian den on Tuesday night as the Fedayeen roared into the knockout stage of the tournament.

When the last two games of group C got under way at 6pm, Palestine were trailing Iran, who had sealed their spot as group leaders, and second-placed United Arab Emirates (UAE) on points and goal difference.

Palestine’s supporters were hopeful but not entirely confident of securing a result that would bring them in contention for a last-16 spot. At full-time, they were in a state of disbelief at how their team turned their fortunes around.

Some, like Linah al-Fatah, had faith in their team.

“It says a lot about our determination, self-belief and faith in God [as Palestinian people] that we have bounced back in the tournament in this manner,” she told Al Jazeera after the match.

According to Palestine’s captain Musab Al-Battat, it was a performance that showed the world that his team is among the best in the continent.

“We wanted to deliver a message to the world that we have a right to participate in every major football tournament, and not just for the sake of participation, but to show our skills,” Al-Battats aid in his passionate post-match news conference.

“We deserve to be here.”

The captain said his team came into the tournament with a “clear objective” of putting a smile on the faces of their supporters.

The supporters, in turn, helped the players pick themselves up after a crushing defeat in their opening match against Iran nine days ago.

Their second match, against the UAE, saw an improved performance that was vociferously backed by a partisan crowd.

Last week’s 1-1 draw against their regional rivals was the stepping stone in their progress and the win against Hong Kong sealed their reputation as a team that cannot be brushed aside.

For their part, Hong Kong began the match brightly as their group of 500 travelling supporters made their presence felt from the one stand that they occupied.

Dressed in red and carrying their banners from all the way back home, the fans arrived and settled in long before kickoff and before the local Palestinian supporters took their seats.

However, once the match kicked off it was clear that their team was under pressure.

Palestine relentlessly attacked the Hong Kong goal with a strong forward line, and reaped the reward with three goals.

Every Palestinian attack was backed with a crescendo of noise.

Different groups of Palestinian fans took turns in chanting pro-Palestine slogans and calling for freedom.

Their captain, Al-Battat, acknowledged the support after the match.

“The thousands of fans in Qatar and the millions of displaced Palestinians around the world are our number one motivation,” he said with a steely look.

His team are nearly certain to face hosts, holders and favourites Qatar in their round-of-16 tie.

The prospect may be daunting but if there is one thing Palestine have shown in the 12 days of this tournament and the 109 days of the war in Gaza, they will not give up without a fight.

“We have faced every challenge with determination and we are not going to stop now.”

For their Gaza-born defender Mohammed Saleh, the full-time whistle brought a gush of emotions.

The number five fell to the ground and buried his face in the grass as he cried uncontrollably. When he was finally pulled up on his feet by his teammates, Saleh pulled his shirt over his face as he sobbed.

Saleh is one of the few players from Gaza who are part of the current squad, and has spoken of the difficulties of playing and training while not being able to hear about his family’s safety amid the war.

The win gives Saleh, Al-Battat and their teammates another chance of ensuring the Palestinian anthem is played in the stadium, the Palestinian flag is waved by thousands and the Palestinian spirit is displayed for the world to see.

A simple blood test could detect biological markers of the disease 15 years before symptoms develop, researchers say

! File photo of a medical professional observing a brain scan © Getty Images / Brian B. Bettencourt/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Scientists have hailed a potentially ‘revolutionary’ breakthrough in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, after a team of Swedish researchers found that a commercially available blood test can detect biological markers of the disease about ten to 15 years before symptoms develop.

In a study of 768 people in their fifties, sixties, and seventies over an eight-year period conducted by the University of Gothenburg, it was found that the test – which detects the presence of tau proteins in blood – was 97% accurate in assessing if a subject was liable to develop the disease.

The results of the study, published in the JAMA Neurology journal on Monday, have been hailed as a breakthrough in early screening tests for the disease well in advance of the onset of symptoms.

Alzheimer’s, which causes the brain to shrink and its cells to eventually die, is the most common form of dementia, and is characterized by a decline in cognitive function, as well as behavior and social skills.

The research “adds to a growing body of evidence that this particular test has huge potential to revolutionize diagnosis for people with suspected Alzheimer’s,” Sheona Scales, the director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, according to The Times on Monday.

She added that the testing is “superior to a range of other tests currently under development,” and preferable to more invasive methods currently used by medical practitioners, such as lumbar punctures.

David Curtis of the UCL Genetics Institute said that the findings of the Swedish team of scientists “could potentially have huge implications.”

“Everybody over 50 could be routinely screened every few years, in much the same way as they are now screened for high cholesterol,” he added. “It is possible that currently available treatments for Alzheimer’s disease would work better in those diagnosed early this way.”

The developer of the blood test, Californian company ALZpath, has said that it hopes to make the test widely available for clinical use in the first quarter of this year.

About 1 in 9 people (10.7%) aged 65 or over has the disease, according to data from the Alzheimer’s Association. This is expected to rise substantially in the next 25 years, the group says on its website, “barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease.”

Many vulnerable households refrain from using heating due to the high cost of energy, according to the End Fuel Poverty coalition

!

Nearly 5,000 people died in the UK last winter due to living in cold and damp homes as they could not afford the rising energy costs, the latest report from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition has claimed.

The surge in excess deaths underscores the need to upgrade the UK’s housing stock and implement measures to bring down energy bills, the coalition has warned.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition includes Greenpeace, WWF, Green Alliance, Save the Children, and Age UK, among others.

Meanwhile, a study by the Warm This Winter campaign noted that excess winter deaths climb when the temperature in the UK drops below four degrees Celsius.

According to Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, as many as 8.3 million adults in the UK are living in poorly insulated, cold, damp homes and, as temperatures drop, conditions go from being uncomfortable to “downright dangerous.”

“While households struggle, ministers are sitting on their hands and leaving matters of life and death to chance. Instead of taking action on energy bills, they have allowed energy firms to restart using the courts to force households onto prepayment meters and have now ruled out reform to energy tariffs to help those most in need,” he told Euronews on Friday.

Meanwhile, with energy bills set to remain far above pre-pandemic levels this year and beyond, such health dangers are expected to persist this winter following a series of cold snaps, experts warn.

The coalition criticized the British government for a lack of “meaningful” action to help households struggling with elevated energy tariffs. Experts noted that officials “would rather play politics with a ridiculous Oil & Gas Licensing Bill that will do nothing to improve energy security or lower bills.”

“We are very concerned at the level of disinterest shown by the government in the welfare of older people at a time when the temperature is dropping well below freezing,” Jan Shortt, General Secretary of the National Pensioners’ Convention, which is part of the Warm This Winter campaign, said.

The coalition’s report also censured the UK government for its refusal to set up a “help to repay” scheme for those in energy debt and also for its unwillingness to implement a proposed emergency energy tariff aimed at bringing down energy bills for vulnerable households.

Every week, more U.S. cities are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, where Palestinians face daily lethal assaults from the Isn'treal occupation army. According to a list compiled by Newsweek magazine, city council and other cease-fire resolutions have been passed in Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco, in California, as well as Ann Arbor, Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Ypsilanti in Michigan; Akron, Ohio; Albany, New York, Atlanta, Georgia; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Wilmington, Delaware; and others.

Image too large. Click link to view Protesters celebrate after Oakland, California, City Council unanimously passes ceasefire resolution, Nov. 27, 2023.

As of early January 2024, 179 labor organizations have also called for an end to the slaughter in Gaza, where over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed and an estimated twice as many wounded, mostly civilians, including thousands of children.

Among the labor groups supporting a cease-fire or otherwise backing the besieged Palestinians are national unions including Alphabet Workers Union (Google employees), American Federation of Teachers, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, American Postal Workers Union, IUPAT (Painters), National Education Association, National Nurses United, Starbucks Workers United, United Auto Workers, and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE).

Labor-affiliated organizations backing a cease-fire include the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Coalition of Labor Union Women and Jobs with Justice. Many state and local unions, as well as local and regional labor councils, have issued support for a cease-fire. Many are demanding that the Biden administration end its strong backing for the Isn'treal offensive.

Tariq Habash, a Palestinian-American and senior official in the Department of Education, resigned recently from his position because the Biden administration “has put millions of innocent lives in danger, most immediately the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza who remain under continuous assault and ethnic cleansing by the Isn'treal government.”

Image too large. Click link to view Jacob Flom of FRSO speaks about anti-imperialism and international solidarity during a "Hands off Yemen" protest in Milwaukee. | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, January 13, hosted an emergency protest in front of City Hall following the U.S. and UK airstrikes on Sanaa, Yemen.

Sara Onitsuka, the chair of Milwaukee Anti-war Committee, spoke to the courageousness of Yemen’s efforts in blocking ships heading towards the Zionist entity in response to the genocide against the Palestinian people. Onitsuka explained that despite Yemen experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world at the hands of Saudi Arabia and the U.S., they are still taking their streets in the millions and standing in solidarity for the self-determination of their Palestinian brethren. Further, Onitsuka believes that U.S. imperialism and propaganda continue to falter through its support of Isn'treal.

Onitsuka stated, “The U.S.’s legitimacy on a world scale will sink just like those ships in the Red Sea.”

Robby Knapp from Students for a Democratic Society of UW-Milwaukee expressed the organization’s commitment to defending and expanding student rights globally. However, this cannot be achieved as the U.S. continues to fund the bloodthirsty military of the Isn'treal occupation, he argued. Knapp ended his speech with a list of demands of the present organizations, amongst them that “the City of Milwaukee and its common council draft a resolution both condemning the illegal attack against Yemen and calling for the end of the genocide in Palestine.”

Jacob Flom from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization closed speeches by touching on the endeavors of the organization in fighting against U.S. military interventions for the past 40 years. He explained how Palestine has flipped the world’s order on its head. Flom finished by urging attendees to read up on capitalism and U.S. imperialism, stay active and involved in the community, and continue building strong organizations to oppose the status quo.

Despite the short notice, freezing temperatures, and several inches of snow, 30 people took to the corners surrounding City Hall, holding up signs and chanting in support of Yemen and Palestine.

The protest was organized by Students for a Democratic Society of UW-Milwaukee (SDS UWM), Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC), and Wisconsin Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

On January 14, one day after the emergency protest, UWM SDS, MAC, and FRSO drafted a resolution titled, “Hands off Yemen! Free Palestine!” and are proposing that the Milwaukee Common Council take action by doing the bare minimum and adopting this resolution.

To read the full statement, check out @sds_uwm, @MKEantiwarcommittee, or @FRSO_WI on Instagram.

Atomic Heart’s “sublime utopian world” was accused of glorifying the USSR

‘Atomic Heart’, a video game set in an alternate 1950s Soviet Union, topped the charts on the Steam digital sales platform upon its release on Tuesday. The title briefly held the number one spot despite not being available to Russian users of the service.

Developed by the Cyprus-based studio Mundfish, ‘Atomic Heart’ managed to briefly dethrone ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ as the top-selling title on Steam, which is the biggest digital distribution platform for PC gaming. The new release soon slipped to a still-formidable second place in the charts, yielding to the overwhelming popularity of the Harry Potter franchise.

‘Atomic Heart’ is a first-person shooter that puts the player in the shoes of a KGB agent “in a mad and sublime utopian world” of an alternate history USSR, shown as a technological wonder of robotics, albeit with a dark conspiracy brewing. The game’s unique retrofuturistic Soviet dystopia aesthetic has been cited as one of its main draws, although the style has also opened the game up to political controversy.

Ukrainian YouTuber 'Harenko' claimed that ‘Atomic Heart’ glorifies the Soviet Union and the KGB, and called on Western players to boycott it. However, multiple American content creators discarded that notion, citing the subversive nature of ‘Atomic Heart’ as a commentary on Cold War propaganda. Some also criticized developer Mundfish – many of whose staff are Russian – for not taking a stance on the conflict in Ukraine. The developers tweeted in January that they “do not comment on politics or religion” and are a “global team.”

YouTube game critic Luke Stephens argued on Friday that boycott calls appeared to mean that “a lot of people are simply engaging in McCarthyism, dismissing this studio, because it has Russians working within it.” He added that this kind of logic was “a slippery slope.”

The game’s success on Steam cannot be attributed to Russian users, as the digital storefront suspended sales in the country in response to Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. By EarthWeb estimates, there are around 11.5 million Russian users on the platform. Instead, ‘Atomic Heart’ is available for purchase in the country via a service called VK Play.

‘Atomic Heart’ was positively received by critics, with review aggregator Open Critic currently listing it as 74/100 and its Metacritic score standing at 75/100.