Closest candy store

Israel advanced plans for the construction of more than 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, a rights group said, a day after the military demolished homes in an area where hundreds of Palestinians face the threat of expulsion. It was a jolting illustration of Israel's policies in the territory it has occupied for nearly 55 years. Critics, including three major human rights groups, say those policies amount to apartheid, a charge Israel rejects as an attack on its very legitimacy. Hagit Ofran, an expert on the settlements at the anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now, said a military planning body approved 4,427 housing units at a meeting on Thursday that she attended. Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment. It's the biggest advancement of settlement projects since the Biden administration took office. The White House opposes settlement construction and views it as an obstacle to any eventual peace agreement with the … [Read more...] about Rights group: Israel approves over 4,000 new settler homes

Bette Midler has faced criticism for encouraging mothers to “try breastfeeding ,” during the current baby formula shortage in the United States. The 76-year-old actor discussed breastfeeding in a recent post on Twitter , responding to MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle’s tweet about a what she’s learned about the baby formula production market through the shortage. “The baby formula shortage reveals an amazing secret oligopoly: Three American companies control over 90 per cent of the market,” Ruhle wrote. “Hugely restrictive regulations (thanks to big 5 lobbying) prohibit foreign formulas.” “Name another industry/sector/product like this,” she added. In response, Midler tweeted: “TRY BREASTFEEEDING! It’s free and available on demand.” Recommended Hocus Pocus sequel, starring original cast, coming to Disney+ in 2022 Bette Midler apologises after ‘outburst’ in which she called West Virginia ‘poor, illiterate’ Bette Midler, Berry Gordy … [Read more...] about Bette Midler faces backlash for telling mothers to ‘try breastfeeding’ their babies amid formula shortage

Starbucks on Monday became the latest major U.S. company to offer coverage for travel costs for employees seeking abortions out of state. The Seattle-based coffee giant follows the likes of Amazon , CitiGroup, Tesla , and Yelp, which have made similar pledges as numerous states work to roll back abortion rights or ban the practice outright. The coverage Starbucks plans to offer will be part of its benefits package for employees, and will therefore also be extended to dependents, according to U.S. News. "Regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality health care," Sara Kelly, Starbucks acting executive vice president of partner resources, said in a letter announcing the new coverage. In the letter, Kelly referred to the leaked Supreme Court opinion draft, written by Justice Samuel Alito , indicating that the court will soon overturn the landmark 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade , which guaranteed access to … [Read more...] about Starbucks breaks silence on abortion issues, will pay employee travel costs

Russian President Vladimir Putin 's reliance on oligarchs could prevent him from reviving the Soviet Union, experts said. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some raised concerns that Putin could be seeking to revive the Soviet Union. But a return to Soviet-style economics could threaten the wealth of his allies in Russia's oligarchical class, so it's unlikely he would seize their assets, Bryon Moraski, a professor of Russian politics at the University of Florida explained to Newsweek . Putin relies on both popular and elite support for legitimacy, Moraski explained. This means that any efforts to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs could cause him to lose the support of his closest allies, potentially leaving him in a difficult position as the president. "There wouldn't be an ideological reason for Putin to go through some kind of process for the redistribution of property," Moraski said. Brian Taylor, a professor of Russian politics at Syracuse University, offered … [Read more...] about Putin allies’ wealth will keep him from reviving USSR

The suspected Buffalo shooter reportedly saw New York's strict gun laws as an advantage in the recent attack that left 10 people dead. According to the Buffalo News, law enforcement officials said that they believe an online manifesto was written by the suspected shooter, identified as 18-year-old Payton Gendron. In the manifesto , Gendron allegedly wrote about how he planned to "kill as many Blacks as possible" in the attack and decided to carry it out in New York due to its strict open carry gun laws, which would make it harder for someone to stop him, the Buffalo News reported. The Giffords Law Center states that New York State residents are prohibited from openly carrying a loaded handgun outside of their homes without a carry license. "The state also prohibits any person from possessing a 'loaded' short-barreled shotgun or rifle or an assault weapon outside of his or her home or place of business," the Giffords Law Center said. "New York does not issue licenses to carry … [Read more...] about Buffalo shooter saw New York’s gun laws as his advantage

The gruesome video filmed by a gunman during a mass shooting at a supermarket that left 10 people dead could still be found on social media two days after the attack. The shooter's footage was still being shared on Twitter on Monday, 48 hours after he filmed the violent deaths of his victims at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday. Facebook 's moderators have also been battling to remove links to the violent footage on their platform. Police described the mass shooting as "racially motivated violent extremism," after 11 of the 13 victims were revealed to be Black. Officers arrested 18-year-old Payton Gendron of Conklin, New York, outside the store on suspicion of murder. Facebook and Twitter have been criticized for not making sure that the footage hasn't been fully removed from their sites. Newsweek was easily able to find and view the footage via the two sites; it has reported the posts to moderators. A Meta spokesperson for Facebook told Newsweek … [Read more...] about Facebook, Twitter Battling Buffalo Shooting Video 48 Hours On

A bizarre new article from North Korean state media bragged about leader Kim Jong Un 's personal assistance in creating the nation's baby formula recipe, in what appeared to be a dig at U.S. formula shortages. A translation of a Voice of Korea article published Tuesday local time said that Kim oversaw the production of baby formula by taste-testing batches and offering advice on how the product could become better. The article was translated into English by KCNA Watch, a South Korea-based outlet that monitors and translates media from the North. The article stated that Kim placed a call to a senior official of the Pyongyang Municipal Committee around 4 a.m. on September 15, 2021, to discuss the production of formula. "Kim Jong Un said he had just tasted the diluted dry milk produced in Pyongyang City for trial and pointed out the shortcomings one by one," it said. "He told the senior official that it is necessary for the officials of the relevant sector to study such … [Read more...] about North Korea brags about baby formula in apparent dig at U.S. shortage

A Florida couple with five-month-old twins said they spent nearly six hours searching for baby formula and were only able to purchase four cans. This, as a U.S. shortage of the product sends concerned parents scrambling to feed their infants. Erik and Kelly Schmidt, both 35, told MarketWatch that their local Central Florida Target store was empty-shelved when they went to buy their usual baby formula this week. The couple then embarked on a full day's journey to find formula, resulting in hours of driving to different Targets, Walmarts, and grocery stores nearby. However, with each store they visited, the pair were forced to leave empty-handed. "It's pure panic, " Kelly Schmidt told the news outlet, while Erik added that they were finding "absolutely nothing." Eventually, the Schmidts found that the grocery store chain Aldi carried a baby formula similar to their usual brand. Erik Schmidt then traveled to three different Aldi stores before he found one with the right … [Read more...] about Florida parents spend 6 hours searching for baby formula, find 4 cans

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden has turned to one of his most trusted and long-serving foreign policy advisors as his choice for secretary of State. Biden is expected to nominate Antony Blinken, 58, a veteran diplomat and former senior official at the State Department and National Security Council, perhaps on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the Biden transition planning. For the record: 7:33 a.m. Nov. 24, 2020 An earlier version of this article said Antony Blinken was the descendant of Holocaust survivors. His stepfather was a Holocaust survivor. Blinken is seen as someone who could easily win Senate confirmation even if Republicans still control the chamber in the next Congress. Given the depth of his experience, he could hit the ground running, current and former diplomats said. Blinken was a deputy national security advisor and deputy secretary of State in the Obama administration as well as national security advisor to Vice President Biden … [Read more...] about Biden’s longtime advisor Antony Blinken emerges as his pick for secretary of State

After a full two years of idling rooms, dwindling guests, and shrinking services, hotels across Asia are turning on the fairy lights once again. Returning guests gratefully collapsing at the altar of this renewed five-star devotion would do well to examine the miracles of 2022 with a healthily jaundiced eye. As with the nouvelle cuisine trap, the art of the restart revolves around the promise rather than any proffered tangibles. That one buttered pea rolling around your expensive bone china plate in an orgy of solitary ecstasy and the boast of a brand marquee that excites smartphone shutters, is considered enough to silence any dissenting murmurs. But we do recall that 500-thread count linen in finest Egyptian cotton, the Bose surround sound, the Carrara marble that moans, “prego” every time you step on it with calloused feet, and the butler service (to turn on your taps): “I know naathing... I’m from Barthelona.” Well, perhaps we might do the flamenco as someone explains to me … [Read more...] about The disappearing hotel: Where has all the service – and the butter – gone?