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Oakland, Ca. (Feature; Special to Informed Comment) – Clarence and Ginni Thomas have been the “King and Queen of Conflict of Interest” since his controversial confirmation. The extent and brazenness of Thomas’ public graft is astonishing. His long-time benefactor and “sponsor” Harlan Crow is no garden variety Republican donor or “kingmaker,” but a Nazi-loving, autocrat-worshipping, […]

Batteries

Chinese-made EVs are Conquering the world’s largest Auto Market, as BEV sales Soared 87% in ’22

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – EV sales have taken off in China, the world’s largest auto market, according to Reuters. Moreover, Chinese makers of electric vehicles are outshining most of their rivals. BYD’s sales are up a startling 69% this year even though the overall market is a bit sluggish. Tesla sales are up 27%. […]

Climate Crisis

India lets 2 Gigawatt Solar Tender, as Solar soared 27% in 2022

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – India has invited bids on a 2 gigawatt solar power tender. The country has 64 gigawatts of installed solar capacity now. With other sources, especially wind, it has 169 gigawatts of renewable energy today. India’s goal is to have 500 gigawatts from low-carbon sources by 2030. So it is about […]

Featured

Assault on Religious Freedom: Violent Crackdown by Israeli Police on Christian Worshipers in Jerusalem

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Arabic press is reporting violent assaults Saturday evening by Israeli police against Palestinian Christian worshipers in Jerusalem attempting to make their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the “Saturday of Light” commemoration. The police attacks took place at the entrance to the Church of the Holy […]

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US in Eclipse: 240,000 Palestinians worship at al-Aqsa in Jerusalem as Iran, Lebanon, Show Solidarity on Jerusalem Day

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Quds (Jerusalem) Day is commemorated on the last Friday of Ramadan, and was held yesterday. “Al-Quds” is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, meaning “the Holy.” Revolutionary Iran established this custom, and some of the biggest Quds Day crowds gathered in Tehran. Demonstrations were held, however, all over the Muslim world. […]

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Christian Archbishop slams Israel’s Restrictions on Worship at the ‘Festival of Lights’ as “Racist”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On the Saturday before Orthodox Easter, which falls a week later than in the Western churches, typically 10,000 worshipers gather at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, waiting for the holy fire [to phos) to emerge. It is said to derive from the tomb in which Jesus was initially buried […]

Climate Crisis

Peak Fossil Fuels? Wind, Solar advance 20% Globally, with World on Verge of CO2 Emissions Drop

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The energy analysis firm Ember reports its latest findings about global energy trends, and it is relatively optimistic. Wind and solar had provided 10% of the world’s electricity in 2021, but that went up to 12% in 2022, a 20% increase. If we look at each source in its own […]

Climate Crisis

Scotland, aiming at 40 GW of Offshore Wind, has just installed the Deepest Fixed-bottom Wind Turbine in the World

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The small country of Scotland, with a population of about 4.5 million, has forged ahead with renewable energy at a much faster pace and to greater effect than most other industrialized countries. Virtually all of its electricity consumption can now be met from wind, solar, or hydro, though because it […]

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Thousands of Fascist Israeli Militiamen, led by Cabinet members, march in Palestinian West Bank for Illegal Squatter-Settlement, as 27 Palestinians are Wounded and 100 are Tear-gassed

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that on Monday about 17,000 Israeli squatters marched through the Palestinian West Bank to the shuttered illegal squatter-settlement of Evyatar on Mount Sabih near the hamlet of Beita in the vicinity of Nablus, demanding its revival. Some 27 Palestinian counter-protesters suffered injuries from rubber-tipped […]