*Blaming High School History | Protests in Iran | China’s Global Warming Problem

“To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” – Albert Camus

“Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present.” – Ibid.

Iranians Protest Lack of VIsion and Leadership in the Country: Iran, population 80 million, has long been one of the calmest nations in the Middle East. But a growing number of demonstrations and strikes is exposing significant stress and fissures within the country over the weak economy, strict Islamic rules, water shortages, religious disputes and local grievances. The Trump administration is delighted to see the civil unrest, hoping it will put pressure on Iranian leaders. The country’s currency has lost nearly 80 percent of its value in the year since President Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions.

Political activists concede that Iran’s leadership is not under real threat, as demonstrations have been relatively isolated, sporadic, scattered and much smaller than the anti-government demonstrations in 2009. One well-known activist said of the flare-ups: “There is no vision, no leadership, and the protests will not lead to any chain reaction across the country, at this point.” But the general dissatisfaction has caused merchants in parts of the country to close their shops and take to the streets. Truckers who went on strike in May for higher wages restarted their strike last week, leaving some gasoline stations empty. A socialist banned from leaving Iran because of his writings, said of the leadership: “There is incompetence on all levels. Our leaders keep hoping for some form of an international breakthrough, a deal that will solve everything, but in reality they have no strategy.”

Global Warming & China: New scientific research just published shows that the deadliest place on the planet for extreme future heat waves will be the North China Plain, one of the most densely populated regions in the world and the most important food-producing area in the huge nation. Unless there are heavy cuts in carbon emissions, humid heat waves that kill even healthy people within hours will strike the area repeatedly toward the end of this century, meaning it will be uninhabitable. (Guardian)

China Flexes in Africa: The extent of Chinese infrastructure projects in Africa is already astounding, and there is so much more to come. Open for business is Kenya’s 290-mile railway, connecting Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa, and there are plans to extend that network into South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Also now in operation is the 470-mile electric railway from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to the port in neighboring Djibouti. And ready to get under way is the $10 billion project that will make Tanzania’s tiny fishing village of Bagamoyo Africa’s largest port, and transform the entire coastline to the south. (Guardian)

An Ugly Aftermath to Indonesia’s Earthquake: After the Indonesian earthquake, under-equipped rescuers have struggled to reach possible survivors due to a shortage of digging equipment. At least ninety-eight people have been reported dead and hundreds more have been injured. Rescuers have reportedly been digging with their hands to reach some survivors, while other remain missing or trapped beyond their reach. One of the most disaster-prone areas in the world, Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire. (Guardian)

Yemen’s Worsening Humanitarian Crisis: A civil war suddenly broke out on the streets of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, leaving fifty-five people dead and over a hundred and seventy others injured. With the orchestrator unknown and no identifiable target, this battle is characteristic of the civil war which has ravaged the country since 2015. There have been thousands of casualties in just three years, and Yemen has been classified by the United Nations as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. (NYT)

India’s Uncounted Millions: The tragic fate that struck the Rohingya minority in Myanmar could be awaiting some four million people in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list of people who can prove they came to the state by March 24, 1971, a day before neighboring Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan. After the announcement of independence, millions of Bangladeshi migrants fled to India, with many settling in Assam. In 1985 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed an agreement called the Assam Accord, which called for the expulsion of all who couldn’t prove their arrival before March 24, 1971. Over 32 million people submitted documents to the NRC to prove their citizenship. Now four million of them are considered illegal Bangladeshi migrants and have been excluded from the published list.

Indian officials say that no one will face immediate deportation, but the move has sparked fears of a witch hunt against Assam’s ethnic minorities. Critics say the NRC is being used as a pretext by Hindu nationalists and Assamese hardliners to target the state’s Bengali community, many of whom are Muslims. One Bengali campaigner contends what the NRC is doing is just a ruse to commit atrocities. “They are openly threatening to get rid of Muslims, and what happened to the Rohingya in Myanmar, could happen to us here,” he said.

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– Police in New Mexico have rescued eleven malnourished children from a remote desert compound. Aged one to fifteen, the children were poorly dressed, kept in squalid conditions, and “looked like Third World refugees.” So far, only two armed men were arrested at the compound, both charged with multiple counts of child abuse, and local authorities have sworn to bring whoever perpetrated such heinous crimes to justice. (BBC)

– After his most recent online escapades, an insider source has reported that President Trump should refrain from tweeting any further about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting. It seems the White House might be a bit tired of having to paint over his online footsteps, since he’s been rapidly tapping away on Twitter about the Mueller probe case and the recently leaked tapes of his conversation with Michael Cohen. (CNN)

– Chicago police reported that this past weekend, sixty-six people have been shot, with twelve casualties. Despite the violent weekend, the Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson has stated that the city government alongside the police department was working toward a safer city for the future. (CNN)

– “Why Hawaii has America’s Lowest Rates of Gun Violence: It’s a Combination of Relative Prosperity, Isolation, Unique Culture—and Tough Laws.” (Zocalo Public Square)

– “How History Classes Helped Create a ‘Post-Truth’ America: The author of Lies My Teacher Told Me discusses how schools’ flawed approach to teaching the country’s past affects its civic health.” Here’s a fantastic quote from the interview: “History is by far our worst-taught subject in high school; I think we’re stupider in thinking about the past than we are, say, in thinking about Shakespeare, or algebra, or other subjects.” (Vox)

– “Kiki, do you love me?” The top-trending challenge of late-July/early-August has been the Kiki-Challenge, in which participants dance to Drake’s “In My Feelings.” (Oftentimes getting out of their cars while it continues to drive and dancing in the middle of the street because… social media trends.) A new video has emerged however, and it may be the mother of all Kiki challenges, as two people from Lambadi Pally India shake their booties to Drake’s trending tune next to a team of oxen. Not sure about Kiki, but the Internet is definitely loving them. (NYT)

– “What Goes on Outside Trump Rallies Is an American Nightmare: The real action at these events happens away from the stage, where protesters decry Trump and his supporters heap abuse on them.” (Vice)

– “The Children at the Trump Rallies: What is it like to see young people exposed to so much anger? Heartbreaking, says a Times photographer.” Though the ‘real action’ takes place away from the stage, there’s plenty of anger to go around during rallys too. (NYT)

–  “Melania Trump Contradicts Her Husband on Lebron James: The first lady’s spokeswoman on Saturday said Trump is supportive of James’ work with children.”In addition, she also stated that the First Lady was supportive of everyone having an open dialogue about issues facing children today. (CNN)

– “Majority Of Black Americans Value Social Media For Amplifying Lesser-Known Issues.” Much like the #BlackLivesMatter movement raised awareness, many hashtags and trends have sparked via social media and public news outlets which many see as progressive for society. Maybe Lebron James or Melania Trump will start the next big movement. (NPR)

– How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions: Jerome Jacobson and his network of mobsters, psychics, strip-club owners, and drug traffickers won almost every prize for 12 years, until the FBI launched Operation ‘Final Answer.’ And based purely on the aforementioned essay, the rights to the story were quickly bought and “Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Are [now] Making a McDonald’s Monopoly Crime Ring Movie.” (Daily Beast & Eater)

– “A Sunflower Farm Invited Tourists. It Ended Up Like a ‘Zombie Apocalypse.’’’ The story of what happens when farmers try to become a tourist attraction… Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, would you like to buy this story? (NYT)

“The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” – Albert Camus

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