502 lines
57 KiB
HTML
502 lines
57 KiB
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<html lang="" xml:lang="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
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<meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes" name="viewport"/>
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<title>29 May, 2022</title>
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<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<body>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How to Prevent Gun Massacres? Look Around the World</strong> - Australia, Britain, Canada, and other countries have enacted reforms that turned mass shootings into rare, aberrational events rather than everyday occurrences. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/how-to-prevent-gun-massacres-look-around-the-world">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Will an Emergency Law Used to Keep Out Migrants Become Permanent?</strong> - At the start of the pandemic, the Trump Administration invoked an obscure provision called Title 42 to effectively stop migration. Even as other COVID restrictions are lifted, anti-immigration politicians insist that it remain in place. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/will-an-emergency-law-used-to-keep-out-migrants-%20become-permanent">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>America’s Redistricting Process Is Breaking Democracy</strong> - Democrats have tried to keep up with Republican gerrymandering—and everyone is losing. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/americas-redistricting-process-is-breaking-democracy">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Staff of Uvalde’s Local Paper Cover the Worst Day of Their Lives</strong> - The paper’s employees lost neighbors, acquaintances, and a daughter in a school shooting. Then they had to report the story. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/the-staff-of-uvaldes-local-paper-cover-the-worst-day-%20of-their-lives">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Baby-Formula Blame Game</strong> - At a House committee hearing this week, the F.D.A. and Abbott passed the buck. With parents scrambling to feed their children, who’s responsible for the shortages? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-baby-formula-blame-game">link</a></p></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>The increase in US births in 2021, explained</strong> -
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<figure>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
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cdn.com/thumbor/ZF_H24E5fzL2eiT3yfmj_sM0Hn8=/136x0:5469x4000/1310x983/cdn.vox-
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cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70921994/GettyImages_1307193814.0.jpg"/>
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<figcaption>
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A newborn baby with mother. | Getty Images/Cavan Images RF
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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Births went up by 1 percent last year, but don’t think of it as a baby boom.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x3biLj">
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A total of 3,659,289 babies were born in the US in 2021, according to new data <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr020.pdf">released this week</a> by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. That’s 1 percent more than the 3,613,647 babies born in the US in 2020, which means that the natal class of 2021 is now what passes for a baby boom in the United States of America.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1b6Ss5">
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Indeed, 2021 represents the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/24/us-birth-rate-increases">first time since 2014</a> that the number of babies born in the US actually increased, bouncing back from a pandemic year in 2020 that saw the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-rates-science-coronavirus-pandemic-
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health-d51571bda4aa02eafdd42265912f1202">largest one-year drop</a> in births in nearly 50 years.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qdX0cz">
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The 2020 dip in births wasn’t much of a surprise to demographers. Despite the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/us/coronavirus-baby-boom.html">popular misconception</a> that events like blizzards and blackouts that keep couples homebound inevitably lead to more babies nine months later, the lockdowns of early 2020 were not particularly conducive to the conceiving of children. Surveys conducted during 2020 found that as many <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/report/early-impacts-covid-19-pandemic-findings-2020-guttmacher-survey-
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reproductive-health">as a third of American women</a> changed their reproductive plans because of the pandemic, while and as many as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01490400.2020.1774016">half of American adults</a> reported a decline in their sexual activity.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="A6yXLi">
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That 1 percent increase in births in 2021 stems in part from planned pregnancies delayed for a year or so, until the country saw improved epidemiological and economic conditions during the later stages of the pandemic, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/us/birth-rate-
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increase.html">stimulus and unemployment aid</a> from the government made would-be parents a little less apprehensive about bringing a new life into the world.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ElMvCZ">
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So the playgrounds and preschools might be a smidge more crowded over the next few years. But make no mistake: This is not a baby boom that is meant to last.
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</p>
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<h3 id="bQGMxx">
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<strong>A momentary bump amid a long-term decline?</strong>
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</h3>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UO90mh">
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Despite the 2021 bump, there were fewer babies born last year than in 2019 before the pandemic. Both the total number of births and the birth rate in the US have<strong> </strong>been on a general decline since 2007, when 4,316,233 members of Gen Z <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_24.pdf">entered the world</a>, the highest single number in US history.
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</p>
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<div id="TBoQ98">
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>Underground hip-hop is banned in Egypt. Now, it’s the soundtrack to Marvel’s Moon Knight.</strong> -
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<figure>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bPVQK-
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Xe87W1IDtvPoNa05pfA-0=/46x0:2187x1606/1310x983/cdn.vox-
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cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70921926/fhm1031_106_comp_wta_v0106_76d40e3c.0.jpeg"/>
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<figcaption>
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Oscar Isaac as Mr. Knight in Marvel Studios’ <em>Moon Knight</em>, exclusively on Disney+. | Courtesy of Marvel Studios
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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The Disney+ show is scored by subversive Egyptian rap of the Arab Spring.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3X695e">
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The soundscape transports you. The sharp electronic snare beats and deep bass rumble, with samples and autotuned lyrics in street slang, taking you to Cairo at night, floating down the Nile on a party boat with dangling neon lights and a tinny speaker. It’s loud.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mfgWa3">
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This genre of underground Egyptian rap is called mahraganat, and it elevates the <a href="https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/how-egypts-mahraganat-music-marvels-
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disneys-moon-knight">soundtrack</a> of the new Marvel series <em>Moon Knight</em>.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MNwOxB">
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Egyptian director Mohamed Diab has brought the controversial sound to the show, which stars Oscar Isaac as, among other roles, an antihero who struggles with <a href="https://www.polygon.com/23000498/moon-knight-marvel-comics-origin-powers-
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personalities">mental health issues</a>. (He is also the living avatar of an ancient Egyptian god.)
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Q1vW3i">
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Even though the Disney+ show was shot elsewhere and its topic was fantastical, the filmmaker behind <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764141/"><em>Cairo 678</em></a> wanted to show the reality of his country. “One challenge that was very important for me was how to portray Egypt,” <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moon-
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knight-directors-mohamed-diab-justin-benson-aaron/id715084602?i=1000555723025">said</a> Diab, “because we’re always seen in a way that is very orientalist, always seen in a way that is very stereotypical.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g2QTn9">
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In the third episode, a breezy Egyptian pop song wafts down the Nile and then cuts to a blaring mahraganat track, which starts a group of boaters dancing. The song is by Hassan Shakosh, who is <a href="https://egyptindependent.com/hassan-shakoush-
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appeals-to-lift-license-suspension-after-trading-jibes-with-reda-al-bahrawy/">censored</a> in Egypt.
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</p>
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<figure class="e-image">
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<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-
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cdn.com/thumbor/atUSvivGjOPzWGmybFnBQIEll5w=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
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cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23592339/1155983053.jpg"/> <cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/search/photographer?photographer=NurPhoto" target="_blank">NurPhoto</a> / Contributor</cite>
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<figcaption>
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Lighted boats at night on the river Nile, Cairo, Egypt, on July 12, 2019.
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nVzYU1">
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Shakosh precipitated a country-wide assault on the music. Two days after he <a href="https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/02/17/popular-mahraganat-music-is-now-banned-
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according-to-egypts-musical-syndicate/">performed</a> raunchy songs at a Valentine’s Day show at Cairo Stadium in 2020, the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate, the body that licenses all musicians in the country, <a href="https://www.al-
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monitor.com/originals/2020/02/egypt-bans-street-music-singers-following-controversy-over.html">banned</a> mahraganat performances. Yet through online streaming and digital distribution, Shakosh has become a superstar.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ERKUn3">
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For the musicians in Egypt taking rap in new directions, <em>Moon Knight</em> is a mainstream breakthrough, a chance for international audiences to understand a little more about the country. The underground genre has become a battleground in a country headed by an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/opinion/biden-egypt-human-
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rights.html">autocratic president</a> who has repressed all discursive politics. The regime has targeted <a href="https://prospect.org/world/new-generation-dies-egypt-prison-shady-habash/">young creatives</a> and <a href="https://www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/egypt-cybercrime-bill/">TikTok influencers</a>, so the spotlight on mahraganat matters.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eHPtrr">
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Mahraganat “reveals a struggle over what Egyptian culture is, and who has the right to shape it,” Andrew Simon, a historian at Dartmouth, told me. Its appearance in <em>Moon Knight</em> “is all much to the dismay of Egyptian authorities at a point in time when they’re actively trying to silence the genre.”
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</p>
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<h3 id="ynfFfv">
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Mahgaranat music came before the Arab Spring, and the insurrection took it viral
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</h3>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="opPGMC">
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The underground rap subgenre’s journey from Egypt’s urban corners into the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins in the early 2000s. At weddings in the back alleys of Egypt’s working-class landscape, emcees and deejays pioneered mahraganat, which means “festivals” in Arabic.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="f5ztZE">
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Weddings in city quarters are indeed street festivals. Raucous block parties take over whole backstreets, and everyone in the neighborhood is welcome. Traditionally, an ensemble would play music called <a href="http://www.aswandancers.org/shaabi-history">shaabi</a> (or “popular,” as in, “of the people”), which blends folkloric sounds, spiritual tunes associated with Sufism, and Egyptian pop traditions — and a lot of drumming and heavy dancing. But a full band can be expensive, so deejays and emcees started tooling around with MP3s and cheap software, passing around files in internet cafes. They brought an electronica sentiment to traditional shaabi sounds, soon adding layers of raps and chants on top.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZwGf2V">
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Those emcees hyping up the wedding crowds, and collecting some money for the newlyweds, forged a new genre. Then they started circulating it on mixtapes.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P4yQh8">
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“All these nerds behind their computers doing these strange loops” created a new musical vocabulary, Mahmoud Refat, founder of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWiOchXTUmmtGlQN06jMkg/featured">100Copies</a> label in Cairo, told me. “They used samples of these guys talking about the struggle, weddings, drugs, you know, like the tough life.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="K1iFXo">
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The song that blares on <em>Moon Knight</em>’s Nile boat is “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_cibhQu8HI">Salka</a>,” which translates roughly as “unobstructed.” The scene gestures toward mahraganat’s roots in the city’s alleys. “I haven’t heard that song since our wedding,” says the former mercenary Marc Spector (Isaac) to his archaeologist compatriot (May Calamawy).
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</p>
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<figure class="e-image"></figure></li>
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</ul>
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<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S5dQRRqTLNR3M0pz54xZbTmnmv8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
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cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23592285/hsk_103_22211_r_eaef58d4.jpeg"/> <cite>Gabor Kotschy/Marvel Studios 2022</cite>
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<figcaption>
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May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly and Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant in Marvel Studios’ <em>Moon Knight</em>.
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</figcaption>
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<div id="rpeUmc">
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bottom: 56.25%;">
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZzJD5c">
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The lyrics are about a Ferrari speeding through the usually standstill traffic of Cairo’s megalopolis: “Strong, nobody but us / Strong, strong / Sweet, nobody but us / Sweet, sweet / Foot the gas on the highest gear / I’m the teacher and everybody’s at their desk / Unobstructed.” (The song appeared in an Egyptian <a href="https://m.facebook.com/FbRapMusic/videos/1409605852726590/?refsrc=deprecated&_rdr">advertisement</a> for an app called Hala, which is like Uber but for motorcycles.)
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AVp8ne">
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Tarek Benchouia, a PhD candidate at Northwestern University who studies mahraganat, describes it as a complex, ever-changing form that has integrated aspects of rap and hip-hop, Jamaican dancehall, and local traditions. “It’s a very similar story to the story of hip- hop,” he told me. “Because that’s where hip-hop comes from, in the Bronx in the ’70s. It’s a deejaying culture that’s playing block parties. So it’s interesting how they have similar genealogies but they sound very different.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7qI8WB">
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During Egypt’s 2011 people-power revolution that ousted longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak, mahraganat became a sonic companion to the uprising — music that captured the angst and anger at the crippling economic circumstances that fomented the youth movement. Many in the international media mistakenly described it as music of the revolution because mahraganat’s popularity <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/world/middleeast/egypts-chaos-stirs-musical-
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revolution.html">accelerated</a> so rapidly after 2011. “[T]he insurrection had made many people more willing to listen to what was novel, full of youthful energy, and ‘street,’” anthropologist Ted Swedenburg <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv14h4pr?turn_away=true">notes</a>.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OItH0r">
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Benchouia says the music’s undertones are of a piece with the revolution. “It’s nuanced in its critique of what it means to be poor and, usually, male in urban Egypt. A lot of the anger and frustration that boils over in the revolution is also being explained in mahraganat,” he told me.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j9aqgT">
|
|||
|
|
But irreverence and self-effacement are key. “There’s a little bit of poking fun at the revolution at the same time,” said Benchouia, and some mahraganat songs <a href="https://egyptrevolution2011.ac.uk/items/show/228">played off</a> of popular chants from the Tahrir Square protests. There’s a line in “Salka” that goes, “We made the music / we’re not copying it [from the West] / We don’t make it better than it is / Or make a big deal of it.” The anti-establishment rhythms of mahraganat spread on the sound systems of <a href="https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/60673/Toktok-Egypt-s-14-year-controversy">toktoks</a>, <a href="https://www.madamasr.com/en/topic/microbus/">microbuses</a>, and eventually taxis, in urban centers and on the margins of Egyptian official culture.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Fhh3TR">
|
|||
|
|
In 2013, the military overthrew Egypt’s <a href="https://prospect.org/world/mohamed-morsi-postscript/">first democratically elected leader</a>. Former Gen. Abdel- Fattah Al-Sisi now runs the country more brutally than Mubarak ever did. Amid a <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/09/egypt-unprecedented-crackdown-on-freedom-of-expression-under-
|
|||
|
|
alsisi-turns-egypt-into-openair-prison/">clampdown on political expression</a>, mahraganat music has become even more popular. Hit songs are being DIY-recorded in rappers’ wardrobes and bedrooms. Tens of millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify hold out a challenge to the regime’s traditional, nationalistic music tastes.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TC4gD4">
|
|||
|
|
Mahraganat’s founding artists have established themselves in and out of Egypt. In 2018, two key figures, Sadat and Alaa 50 Cent, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buxccDwjkdA">collaborated with Cypress Hill</a> in a song that blended the California group’s connection to weed culture with the Egyptian rappers’ passion for hashish.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="I5HVwY">
|
|||
|
|
Much of mahraganat music is not overtly political in the sense of it being about rising up against the regime or protesting policies, but it is deeply political in the grievances expressed about the economic and social conditions that hamper Egypt’s working classes. The lyrics are also introspective — verging from macho to campy — about masculinity and authenticity.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NEILxr">
|
|||
|
|
The gritty brand of rap captures the fraught politics of disenchantment, youth culture, and dissatisfaction with the lack of opportunity that sets the backdrop to the Marvel series. In <em>Moon Knight</em>’s Cairo scenes, the street sellers seem to be just getting by and youngsters appear to be out of work.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<div id="ByAAyc">
|
|||
|
|
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;">
|
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|
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|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5DDCdp">
|
|||
|
|
The credits of <em>Moon Knight</em>’s second episode feature the song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_vtOKcfCG8">The Kings</a>,” by Ahmed Saad along with two mahgaranat singers, 3enba and Yang Zuksh. It’s more of a rap hybrid, which is the direction the genre is headed. The chorus sums up the gangland vibes that are performatively flexed by the underground singers and shouting out their neighborhood, surrounded by their crew: “Bro / Papa / Here comes the gang / We live / Simply / You can make it if you want to / I don’t need anyone / I take care of myself.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GHy1sH">
|
|||
|
|
In the next episode, Oscar Isaac wakes up in Cairo.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<h3 id="sucGSW">
|
|||
|
|
What the censorship of Mahraganat — and its presence in <em>Moon Knight</em> — says about Egypt
|
|||
|
|
</h3>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8H78d7">
|
|||
|
|
The brash sensibility of mahraganat has long challenged the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate. The gatekeeping professional organization holds the power to grant the licenses needed for musicians to perform at concerts, nightclubs, and even restaurants in the country. The syndicate is backed by the Sisi government and, some say, has become a proxy for the culture war against Egypt’s young rappers.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tf2XFl">
|
|||
|
|
In February 2020, the syndicate announced that licenses to perform would no longer be given to mahraganat artists, effectively banning it from live shows. “This type of music is based on promiscuous and immoral lyrics, which is completely prohibited, and as such, the door is closed on it. We want real art,” singer Hany Shaker, the syndicate’s head, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-musical-syndicate-bans-popular-mahraganat-genre-music">said</a>. A parliamentary spokesperson <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200218-mahraganat-music-more-dangerous-than-
|
|||
|
|
coronavirus-says-egypt-parliament-spokesman/">called</a> mahraganat more dangerous than Covid-19.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2Hbgu4">
|
|||
|
|
“Most of the songs that Diab used in this show are from singers banned from singing in Egypt,” novelist and critic Ahmed Naji told me. “It created a lot of controversy and created a huge buzz.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NttHHz">
|
|||
|
|
At least <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/16/world/middleeast/egypt-mahraganat-music.html">19 musicians</a> were denied licenses in 2021, including Shakosh. Saad, whose hit song “Kings” is in <em>Moon Knight</em>, was <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/2021/11/04/hany-shaker-on-mahraganat-music-because-its-popular-
|
|||
|
|
on-youtube-doesnt-make-it-good/">fined</a> for defying the ban. In March, two other singers were <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/27/egypt-two-singers-convicted-morality-charges">convicted</a> of “violating family values.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DqRb1z">
|
|||
|
|
But mahraganat artists work around the rules and post straight to Spotify or YouTube, onto algorithms that put them alongside Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne, or hold shows in Egypt’s unofficial venues. They play gigs around the Middle East, and are developing partnerships with American and European artists. “We are having investors coming directly to us. We are having Hollywood coming directly to us. We have Sony Music,” Rafat told me. “But it doesn’t link to the Egyptian scene. It doesn’t link to the Egyptian music economy.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fFJcv5">
|
|||
|
|
For Simon, author of a book on Egyptian sonic cultures called <a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=31649"><em>Media of the Masses</em></a>, the fault lines are not just about free expression but about class. The censorship of mahraganat is about who in Egypt — with hierarchies enforced by the regime — is allowed to create art. “These ‘vulgar’ songs, what’s really the underlying thing is the fact that working-class Egyptians are creating Egyptian culture,” he told me. “Whereas from the perspective of local authorities, they’re supposed to be cultural consumers, not cultural producers.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DiT68a">
|
|||
|
|
Censorship of art is a flashpoint in Egypt that Diab himself has grappled with as the space for expression in Egypt has contracted since the 2013 military takeover. Diab’s most recent film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5599692/"><em>Clash</em></a> is the claustrophobic story of conflicting political activists, Muslim Brotherhood protesters who demonstrated against Sisi, and secular critics, journalists, and others caught in the wrong place. They’re all locked together in the back of a large police van, as Cairo convulses with political carnage during the coup. The regime saw his depiction of the <a href="https://www.madamasr.com/en/2016/08/11/feature/culture/clash-an-awkward-movie-that-suits-an-awkward-
|
|||
|
|
situation/">complexity of Egyptian politics</a> as criticism. When it premiered in 2016, it was only in Egyptian theaters for a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/egypts-hit-clash-an-oscar-2017-hopeful-
|
|||
|
|
censorship-battles-953358/">truncated run</a>.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2biZSt">
|
|||
|
|
The mahraganat tracks in <em>Moon Knight</em> have brought to life scenes of contemporary Egypt at a particularly difficult time for Egyptians. The Sisi government has jailed <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/24/egypt-political-prisoners-sissi-fear/">tens of thousands</a> of political prisoners. One of the most prominent voices of the 2011 revolution, activist and blogger <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/03/egypt-prison-alaa-abdelfattah/">Alaa Abd El-Fattah</a>, is seven weeks into a hunger strike, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/05/egyptian-revolution-alaa-abd-el-
|
|||
|
|
fattah-review/629862/">in protest</a> of the sordid conditions in his prison cell.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LJiWkD">
|
|||
|
|
The series <em>Moon Knight</em> is violent in the way superhero comics are — superficially and sensationally. In Diab’s attempt to bring audiences into the real Egypt, however, he has also shined a light on the actual violence of everyday life in Egypt today, where producing underground rap can lead to fines or jail time, where free expression is all but outlawed.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li><strong>Days after school shooting, Republicans defend gun rights at NRA convention</strong> -
|
|||
|
|
<figure>
|
|||
|
|
<img alt="Donald Trump and NRA CEO and Executive VP Wayne LaPierre" src="https://cdn.vox-
|
|||
|
|
cdn.com/thumbor/qT2w0Kb_0PTpH9CIfIAMDejAOno=/0x0:4789x3592/1310x983/cdn.vox-
|
|||
|
|
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70920979/1399662476.0.jpg"/>
|
|||
|
|
<figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
Former President Donald Trump spoke at the NRA’s annual convention in Houston this week amid public criticism against the event after the Uvelda school shooting. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images
|
|||
|
|
</figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
</figure>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
Former President Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz were among those dismissing calls for tougher gun laws.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4osbYo">
|
|||
|
|
“The rate of gun ownership hasn’t changed. And yet acts of evil like we saw this week are on the rise,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told crowds at the National Rifle Association’s convention in Houston this week. Cruz’s claim about stagnant gun ownership, which is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/us/politics/fact-check-trump-cruz-nra.html">factually misleading</a>, is among the trove of inaccurate claims made by Republican officials at the NRA’s annual gathering this year, making clear that the string of mass shootings in recent weeks has not influenced their pro-gun convictions, in spite of several slated speakers pulling their participation.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Yhit7n">
|
|||
|
|
The NRA kicked off its annual convention — featuring firearms exhibitions and speaking appearances from pro-gun Republican officials — on Thursday, only days after a gunman killed 19 school children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde. The group’s decision to go ahead with its yearly gathering drew thousands of protesters outside of the convention’s venue.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i8E4YA">
|
|||
|
|
Texas governor hopeful Beto O’Rourke, the former Democratic presidential candidate <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/25/beto-orourke-
|
|||
|
|
greg-abbott-uvalde-shooting/">who confronted</a> current Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, over the school shooting at a press conference this week, was among the protesters.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WRbnp5">
|
|||
|
|
“I hope you agree with me, that the time for us to have stopped Uvalde was right after Sandy Hook,” O’Rourke <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-
|
|||
|
|
texas/article/Protesters-gather-outside-NRA-convention-in-17203581.php">told</a> the crowd. “The time for us to have stopped Uvalde was right after Parkland. The time for us to have stopped Uvalde was right after Santa Fe High School. The time for us to stop mass shootings in this country is right now, right here, today.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4K2xCi">
|
|||
|
|
An estimated 4,000 protesters showed up outside of Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday when ex-President Donald Trump and a string of high-profile Republican officials — including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem — were expected to speak at the gun-lobbying event.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<div id="GBW4wB">
|
|||
|
|
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
|||
|
|
At Discovery Green across the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston where people have gathered to protest the NRA’s annual convention set to take place there following the Robb Elementary School schooting in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week. <a href="https://t.co/YsVBI8qnOX">pic.twitter.com/YsVBI8qnOX</a>
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
— Ariana Garcia
|
|||
|
|
<ol class="example" type="1">
|
|||
|
|
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Ariana_noGrande/status/1530235378183069696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></li>
|
|||
|
|
</ol>
|
|||
|
|
</blockquote></div></li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aj0scC">
|
|||
|
|
Multiple elected officials pulled out of their planned appearances at the NRA convention last minute, following heavy criticism.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IXpYQ4">
|
|||
|
|
“While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde,” Texas<strong> </strong>Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement <a href="https://twitter.com/DanPatrick/status/1530191083426271233">posted</a> on Twitter.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ng3LCH">
|
|||
|
|
Gov. Abbott, who was scheduled to speak at the convention’s marquee “Leadership Forum,” opted instead to address attendees through a pre-recorded message. Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Dan Crenshaw — both Texas Republicans — also backed out of the NRA gathering citing scheduling conflicts.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ftn2ua">
|
|||
|
|
Despite the controversy surrounding its gathering, NRA leadership and its supporters remained steadfast in their pro-gun stance, even as the public calls for stricter gun laws.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U6FlQV">
|
|||
|
|
In his opening remarks, NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre acknowledged the “21 beautiful lives ruthlessly and indiscriminately extinguished by a criminal monster” while still arguing that “restricting the fundamental human rights of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves is not the answer.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<h3 id="3XSk5k">
|
|||
|
|
Trump mocked Republicans who pulled out of the NRA convention
|
|||
|
|
</h3>
|
|||
|
|
<figure class="e-image">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt="Trump standing
|
|||
|
|
at the podium against a dark blue backdrop." src="https://cdn.vox-
|
|||
|
|
cdn.com/thumbor/CYPHdl98-CQBHb0v9pPS6BU15UE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
|
|||
|
|
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23594400/1399664344.jpg"/> <cite>Brandon Bell/Getty Images</cite></p>
|
|||
|
|
<figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
Trump took a swipe at GOP elected officials for canceling their appearances at the NRA convention in Houston.
|
|||
|
|
</figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
</figure>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="o8U3BC">
|
|||
|
|
This year’s four-day event — the first NRA convention since the annual gathering’s prior postponements due to the pandemic — featured a line-up of high-profile speakers from the Republican party railing against public calls for tougher gun laws.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AvHWYZ">
|
|||
|
|
Sen. Cruz, who is considered a potential contender for the GOP’s presidential ticket in 2024, dismissed enacting stronger gun policies such as universal background checks on gun purchases and banning assault rifles. Instead, Cruz blamed America’s gun violence epidemic on things like video games, declining church attendance, and social media.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xX89OO">
|
|||
|
|
“Tragedies like the event of this week are a mirror forcing us to ask hard questions, demanding that we see where our culture is failing,” Cruz <a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-nra-convention-212dfd1b57474f1ab208d4a72521a010">said</a>. “We must not react to evil and tragedy by abandoning the Constitution or infringing on the rights of our law-abiding citizens.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bFbh64">
|
|||
|
|
Trump’s speech, meanwhile, was peppered with the typical jabs and gimmicks that colored his presidency. Firearms and other lethal weapons were <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/05/27/fact-check-guns-banned-from-trump-nra-speech-over-secret-
|
|||
|
|
service-policy/9947390002/">banned</a> from the general hall assembly during Trump’s speech, based on security protocols from the US Secret Service.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5DRMUe">
|
|||
|
|
Trump began his speech by mocking Republican officials for pulling out of the event.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tc5L9w">
|
|||
|
|
“Unlike some others, I didn’t disappoint you by not showing up today,” Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/nra-convention-houston-texas-mass-shooting-2022-05-27/">told</a> the crowd. He then read out the names of the Uvalde shooting victims — each followed by a gong sound.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6O703h">
|
|||
|
|
During his speech, Trump reinforced the same talking points Sen. Cruz did, focusing on other societal ills like “broken families” and mental health as the primary problems facing Americans. Trump also called for toughening school security measures — <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/2017/03/gun-free-zone-facts/">falsely claiming</a> that gun-free zones made schools less safe — and praised Texas law enforcement despite reports revealing local police’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/5/27/23143997/the-uvalde-police-keep-changing-their-story">questionable response</a> to the Uvalde school shooting.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B6dFJt">
|
|||
|
|
During his appearance, Trump invited Jack Wilson, a man who had stopped a shooting at a Texas church in 2019, to join him on stage. Wilson <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-
|
|||
|
|
updates/nra-convention-houston-texas-mass-shooting-2022-05-27/">said</a> he “didn’t kill — I took out evil” and praised Trump, saying “you’re still our president.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VnaHDW">
|
|||
|
|
The doubling-down on rhetoric about protecting the public’s right to bear arms by NRA leadership and its supporters, even as another group of schoolchildren is massacred by an assault weapon-wielding gunman, is part of a historical trend in the US response to mass shootings, as <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23142829/uvalde-robb-elementary-mass-shooting-gun-politcal-
|
|||
|
|
science">reported</a> by Vox.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Bx4lXD">
|
|||
|
|
In 2020, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272719301446?via%3Dihub">study</a> in the Journal of Public Economics found that state-level responses following mass shootings heavily tilted toward loosening, not tightening, gun regulations.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SRrOvF">
|
|||
|
|
As the authors wrote: “In states with Republican-controlled legislatures, a mass shooting roughly doubles the number of laws enacted that loosen gun restrictions in the year following the incident. We find no significant effect of mass shootings on laws enacted when there is a Democrat-controlled legislature.” The researchers also noted no significant effect on the number of tighter gun laws, meaning the country’s frequent mass shootings did little in the way of broadly spurring better gun control laws.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<h3 id="cl89gr">
|
|||
|
|
Controversy over the gathering is the latest to hit the NRA
|
|||
|
|
</h3>
|
|||
|
|
<figure class="e-image">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt="A crowd of protesters gathered
|
|||
|
|
around an outdoor stage." src="https://cdn.vox-
|
|||
|
|
cdn.com/thumbor/196eUz8rvKw8-l8UBTGaoiBsyiE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
|
|||
|
|
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23594406/1240942098.jpg"/> <cite>Cecile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images</cite></p>
|
|||
|
|
<figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke (pictured speaking) was among thousands of protesters outside the NRA convention venue in Houston, Texas.
|
|||
|
|
</figcaption>
|
|||
|
|
</figure>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bFwOqO">
|
|||
|
|
The NRA has been one of the most influential lobbying groups in the US for decades. During the 1970s, the organization <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-nra-evolved-from-backing-a-1934-ban-on-machine-guns-to-blocking-nearly-all-
|
|||
|
|
firearm-restrictions-
|
|||
|
|
today-183880?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20May%2026%202022%20-%202303722926&utm_content=Daily%20Newsletter%20May%2026%202022%20-%202303722926+CID_7d3dd27e400566725aa9042ad8b2ec54&utm_source=campaign_monitor_us&utm_term=tracing%20the%20NRAs%20long%20history">evolved</a> from its original purpose as a gun safety advocacy group into a guns-first lobbying force. Since then, in order to maintain influence, the NRA has pushed legislation to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/04/05/599773911/how-the-nra-
|
|||
|
|
worked-to-stifle-gun-violence-research">slow down</a> gun violence-related research and increase accessibility to gun ownership.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6DcTJJ">
|
|||
|
|
At the same time, the NRA has weathered increasing instability, brought on by factors both internal and external. A <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/27/nra-president-oliver-
|
|||
|
|
north-convention-indianapolis-speech-power-struggle/3598606002/">power struggle</a> began to foment inside the organization in 2019 after then-NRA president Oliver North accused current CEO Wayne LaPierre of money embezzlement. Although the NRA continued to secure the support of conservative lawmakers in pushing its legislative agenda, internal discord fractured the group.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vwrLde">
|
|||
|
|
In spite of legislative wins, the NRA has experienced a massive loss of income in recent years. In 2018, The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-nra-just-reported-losing-
|
|||
|
|
dollar55-million-in-income">reported</a> the NRA experienced a $55 million decline in income, based on its tax records from the year prior. The organization also recorded a decline of about <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/11/29/671799992/nra-2017-tax-records-reveal-decline-in-income">22 percent</a> in membership dues that same year. More recently, between 2016 to 2020, the NRA’s revenue dropped 23 percent from roughly $367 million to $282 million, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nra-national-rifle-association-
|
|||
|
|
membership-revenue-2022/">CBS News</a>. Additionally, contributions from its members and private companies have slipped 15 percent during that same period.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X8j2Cz">
|
|||
|
|
Beyond its internal woes, the NRA has also faced litigation. In August 2020, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit to dissolve the organization completely based on alleged mishandling of the nonprofit group’s finances by its executives. A judge <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bid-shutter-nra-rejected-judge-lawsuit-group-can-proceed-
|
|||
|
|
rcna18500">blocked</a> New York’s lawsuit to disband the NRA but ruled to allow the AG’s complaint over alleged illegal financial activities by NRA leadership to continue.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lnoh53">
|
|||
|
|
Separate from the NRA’s battles to maintain its influence, public opinion among Americans has shifted to becoming friendlier toward gun control proposals. Although opinions around gun law reforms have fluctuated in recent years, overall polls show a growing number of Americans support tougher gun laws.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tyYG6n">
|
|||
|
|
A <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000180-fe72-d0c2-a9ae-
|
|||
|
|
ff7250f80000&nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=0000014e-f115-dd93-ad7f-f91513e50001&nlid=630318">survey</a> by the Morning Consult and Politico, conducted last week after the Ulvade school shooting, showed 73 percent of survey- takers “strongly support” universal background checks.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<div id="wAKi8m">
|
|||
|
|
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
|||
|
|
I’m a gun owner, and a hunting guide, and a combat veteran. I also believe <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="NRA">@NRA</span></a> is one of the most irresponsible and destructive lobbies in America. This culture of make-believe special operators, supported by politicians, is insane. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GunOwnersForSafety?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GunOwnersForSafety</a>
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">— Nate Fick (<span class="citation" data-cites="ncfick">@ncfick</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncfick/status/1530188603829194752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></p>
|
|||
|
|
</blockquote>
|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nnHzrZ">
|
|||
|
|
Additionally, 84 percent of respondents stated they would support “preventing sales of all firearms” to people flagged as “dangerous” to law enforcement by mental health providers.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jaAf7E">
|
|||
|
|
The overwhelming public support for better gun control laws shouldn’t come as a surprise after decades of repeated mass shootings in the US. As this <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/mass-shootings-america-sandy-hook-gun-
|
|||
|
|
violence">interactive data map</a> by Vox shows, as of July 2020, over 2,600 more mass shootings have happened in the decade since the Sandy Hook school shooting.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FpviDV">
|
|||
|
|
Still, despite overwhelming public support for stricter gun control regulations, pro-gun lawmakers appear unmoved in shifting toward gun law reforms, likely due to the millions of dollars worth of campaign donations from the NRA. According to Brady, one of the country’s largest gun violence prevention groups, the NRA <a href="https://elections.bradyunited.org/take-action/nra-donations-116th-congress-
|
|||
|
|
senators">spent</a> $3.2 million toward campaign contributions for pro-gun lawmakers in 2019 and $2.2 million in campaign donations in 2020.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DXejg4">
|
|||
|
|
Despite setbacks the group has endured,<strong> </strong>some believe the NRA’s biggest legacy will outlast the organization itself, and that will likely continue to prevent any meaningful progress on the country’s gun reforms.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eaMkBs">
|
|||
|
|
“Ultimately, the NRA is a profoundly weaker and more divided organization than it once was,” <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/27/nra-civil-war-ideology-
|
|||
|
|
voters-republican-politicians-00035589?utm_source=pocket_mylist">wrote</a> Frank Smyth, an investigative journalist and author of the 2020 book The NRA: The Unauthorized History, for Politico. “But its legacy, even if it fails to survive, will be the culture and ideology of gun rights it helped cultivate, and that is a potent thing for many conservative voters and the Republican politicians who chase them.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sethu 15th</strong> - Sports Bureau</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India lose friendly against Jordan ahead of AFC Asian Cup qualifier</strong> - Despite the returning Sunil Chhetri, India goes down 2-0 against Jordan in the Qatar Sport Club Stadium, 10 days ahead of their third round of AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Cambodia scheduled for June 8</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Legendary jockey Lester Piggott dies aged 86</strong> - Piggott rode his first winner, The Chase, at Haydock in 1948 when just 12 years of age and his last win came with Palacegate Jack at the same track in 1994, a few weeks short of his 59th birthday. He retired for a final time in 1995.</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Leclerc puts Ferrari on pole in Monaco Grand Prix as Perez crashes</strong> - In three previous starts on Monaco’s city streets, Leclerc retired twice with crash damage and failed to start</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>UEFA Champions League | Real Madrid beats Liverpool 1-0 for 14th European Cup title</strong> - Real Madrid became European champion for a record-extending 14th time after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Stay away from anti-social elements, tribal youth told</strong> -</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>359 students to be given gold medals at open university convocation</strong> - 19,363 to receive their degrees at the TNOU convocation; a BCA student from Coimbatore wins ₹25,000 cash prize from the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Teenmaar Mallanna detained during farmers’ meet, let off</strong> -</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Halt Haritha Haaram in podu lands: BJP</strong> -</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>West Kallada sets a goal of graduating all residents</strong> - Grama panchayat joining hands with Sree Narayana Guru Open University to achieve the feat</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Putin urged to hold ‘direct, serious negotiations’ with Zelensky</strong> - In a lengthy call with Russia’s leader, France and Germany urge “serious” talks as fighting rages.</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Russia won’t use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, says ambassador to UK</strong> - Andrei Kelin tells the BBC tactical nuclear weapons have “nothing to do” with operations in Ukraine.</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine: Two sisters fled their home, but carried on their martial arts training</strong> - Two sisters, who are world champions in mixed martial arts, want to compete for Ukraine.</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid: Reds beaten in Paris as Vinicius Jr hits winner</strong> - Liverpool’s hopes of being crowned champions of Europe for a seventh time ends in heartbreak at the hands of Real Madrid in Paris.</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Palme d’Or: Triangle of Sadness wins top prize in Cannes for Ruben Ostlund</strong> - Ruben Ostlund’s Triangle of Sadness takes the Palme d’Or on a good night for South Koreans too.</p></li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The mystery of China’s sudden warnings about US hackers</strong> - China has recently begun saber-rattling about American cyberespionage. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1856999">link</a></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Who owns 4chan?</strong> - 4chan’s relationship with a Japanese toymaker has remained remarkably murky. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1856881">link</a></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The best Memorial Day sales we can find on gadgets, games, and tech gear</strong> - Dealmaster includes MacBooks, Bose headphones, lots of PlayStation deals, and more. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1857105">link</a></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>We tasted the expanded collection of Star Trek wines and found them… wanting</strong> - <em>Picard</em>’s John de Lancie (aka Q) joined Ars for an informal Star Trek-themed wine tasting - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1856835">link</a></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sony accelerates push into car sector in diversification drive</strong> - Wants to supply electric and autonomous vehicle sensors by 2025. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1857027">link</a></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li><strong>A homeless man asked me for money I had 20 dollars in my pocket and didn’t want it to just go towards crack and alcohol</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
|||
|
|
<div class="md">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
So I gave it to the homeless man
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Slit23"> /u/Slit23 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/uzxtmm/a_homeless_man_asked_me_for_money_i_had_20/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/uzxtmm/a_homeless_man_asked_me_for_money_i_had_20/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><strong>A domestic abuser, a klansmen, and a murderer walk into a bar.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
|||
|
|
<div class="md">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
Bartender: what will it be, officer?
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/audio_inferno"> /u/audio_inferno </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v07dqo/a_domestic_abuser_a_klansmen_and_a_murderer_walk/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v07dqo/a_domestic_abuser_a_klansmen_and_a_murderer_walk/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><strong>A chicken walks over to a duck standing on the side of the road. The duck is considering crossing to the other side.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
|||
|
|
<div class="md">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
“Don’t do it, pal,” the chicken says. “You’ll never hear the end of it.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/iam_stupid23"> /u/iam_stupid23 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v02apg/a_chicken_walks_over_to_a_duck_standing_on_the/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v02apg/a_chicken_walks_over_to_a_duck_standing_on_the/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
|||
|
|
<li><strong>A duck walks into a store…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
|||
|
|
<div class="md">
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
He shouts at the proprietor, “Hey! Got any duck food?”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The store proprietor answers, “No, we don’t.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The next day, the duck returns, and asks, “Hey! Got any duck food?”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The store proprietor says, “I told you yesterday, we don’t have any duck food. Now please leave.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The next day, the duck return, and asks, “Hey! Got any duck food?”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The store proprietor says, “For the last time, we don’t have any duck food! And if you come back here and ask again, I’m gonna nail your feet to the floor!”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The next day, the duck returns, and asks, “Hey! Got any nails?”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
|
|
The store proprietor answers, “No, we don’t.”
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
|||
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The duck replies, “Good! Got any duck food?”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/jfincher42"> /u/jfincher42 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v01e7s/a_duck_walks_into_a_store/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v01e7s/a_duck_walks_into_a_store/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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<li><strong>If Joe Biden’s wife is called the first lady, what do we call his mother?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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<div class="md">
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Joe mama.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/vank1219"> /u/vank1219 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v0852n/if_joe_bidens_wife_is_called_the_first_lady_what/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/v0852n/if_joe_bidens_wife_is_called_the_first_lady_what/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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