Sunday, June 8
Snapshot
HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images
This year’s Hajj saw 1,673,230 Muslims participate, the lowest turnout for the Islamic journey to Mecca over the past 30 years, excluding the period during the Covid-19 pandemic. The worshippers seen above who gathered to pray around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, on Thursday, had to contend with temperatures that rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
After 1,300 pilgrims died last year, Saudi authorities said that for this year, they expanded the rubberized and cooled roads that can reduce surface temperatures by several degrees and would use drones to monitor those taking part. Last year, temperatures climbed as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit, as climate change has made the pilgrimage more dangerous.—DL
Robert Reich
Sunday thought
Time for non-violent civil disobedience
Friends,
What is our moral responsibility as citizens of the United States when the President of the United States moves to deploy thousands of American soldiers against us?
Trump signed a memo late yesterday ordering 2,000 members of the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles County after federal immigration agents in riot gear squared off with hundreds of protesters for a second consecutive day.
Trump’s action is extreme although technically legal. Governor Gavin Newsom did not call in the Guard. Title 10 of the United States Code allows a president to federalize the National Guard units of states to suppress “any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy.” In a presidential memo, Trump said, “To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”
Why is he doing it, and why now?
At A Glance
Demystifying sunscreen—and why it's recommended year-round.
How Alfred Hitchcock blew Martin Scorsese's mind.
The incredible, hidden engineering within gas stations.
Silicon Valley startups testing for genetic superbabies.
Explaining the rise in adult sports leagues.
Why is the Open Era of tennis called that?
A 101 on ketchup, including its history as a medicine.
The unique, self-governing Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.
The time the NHL played ice hockey outside.
When German U-boats lurked in US coastal waters.
What does Mars sound like?
How Red Bull's aggressive marketing boosted its growth.
The addictiveness of revenge.
Who were the girlboss-era founders?
The "dirty side" of a hurricane.
In The NEWS
Russia strikes Ukraine in retaliation for surprise operation.
Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine overnight Thursday, firing over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles at Kyiv and multiple other cities, killing at least four people and wounding dozens. Russia's attack came days after Ukraine launched its largest long-range drone strike on 41 Russian warplanes at four military bases (see previous write-up).
US sanctions ICC judges, partly over Israeli war crimes probe.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court in response to the court's investigations into alleged war crimes by Israel during its conflict with Hamas as well as previous inquiries into US military actions in Afghanistan. The sanctions freeze the judges' assets in US jurisdictions and restrict their financial operations. The EU threw its support behind the global war crimes court Friday. See an overview of the ICC here.
Deported man from Maryland to return to US to face federal charges.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March and will return to the US to face criminal charges of transporting illegal immigrants. Garcia's deportation became a flashpoint in the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration due to a previous court order prohibiting the 29-year-old from being sent back to his home country. (Note: There are conflicting reports about his alleged membership in the MS-13 gang and his legal status in the US.)
David Beckham to be knighted by King Charles next week.
Beckham, 50, is set to receive a knighthood in King Charles' upcoming birthday honors list next week, recognizing his two-decade soccer career and contributions to British society. In 2003, Beckham was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, a common starting point on the path to knighthood. Beckham's wife and former Spice Girls singer, Victoria, will be known as Lady Beckham.
US jobs growth slows in May amid tariff uncertainty.
US employers added 139,000 nonfarm jobs last month, higher than the 125,000 jobs economists had estimated but lower than the downwardly revised 147,000 jobs in April. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%. Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% month over month in May and 3.9% year over year; both figures surpassed expectations of 0.3% and 3.7%, respectively.
Omada Health shares close up 21% Friday in Nasdaq debut.
Omada's stock rose $150M, valuing the digital chronic care company at roughly $1.3B. Omada is this year's second major digital health initial public offering, following Hinge Health, a digital physical therapy startup. Hinge Health debuted on the NYSE last month, achieving a valuation of roughly $2.6B.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Faith - Spirituality - Belief
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Sundays are usually a day of rest and relaxation; a day to spend with the family; a church service day, or a reflection of spirituality.
When I was growing up, my family went to church 52 Sundays a year even when on vacation. This was mandatory until I graduated from high school.
After I got married, we attended church for a while, stopped, then started again because the minister would give us free counseling if we attended his church. We still got a divorce.
During my second marriage, we attended church for a while until the minister was let go because he had been convicted of more than THREE DUIs. It was the minister whose sermons were so provocative that we couldn't wait to hear the next one.
MY RELIGIOUS FAITH/BELIEF... has changed over the years and while I believe in some sort of supreme being who might be considered THE CREATOR, I have given up and turned my back on institutionalized religion.
I have read the Bible cover to cover, taken notes, and discovered numerous inconsistencies that have never been explained or addressed by ministers. The Bible's timeline says the Universe is only 6000 years old when science has proven that is not true.
How come the Bible never addresses that inaccuracy???
"My Kingdom is not of this world..." Jesus said which gives me the impression it is somewhere out there in the vast universe or perhaps in another dimension.
It is this statement that makes me think God/Jesus are EXTRATERRESTRIALS perhaps from our future before the end of the life/universe occurs to do entropy.
If would be nice for RELIGION to just tell us the truth and see if we want to belief in it or not...
Science says the universe started with a BIG BANG, meaning that something came from nothing and that does not make much sense either.
Our universe could just be a repeating scenario of creation - growth - stabilization - decline - ending - creation.
All of which is set into motion by some extraterrestrial who survived the first cycle...
Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side We Often Overlook
Since mindfulness is something, you can practice at home for free, it often sounds like the perfect tonic for stress and mental health issues. Mindfulness is a type of Buddhist-based meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you're sensing, thinking, and feeling in the present moment.
The first recorded evidence for this, found in India, is over 1,500 years old. The Dharmatrāta Meditation Scripture, written by a community of Buddhists, describes various practices and includes reports of symptoms of depression and anxiety that can occur after meditation.
It also details cognitive anomalies associated with episodes of psychosis, dissociation, and depersonalization (when people feel the world is "unreal"). In the past eight years there has been a surge of scientific research in this area. These studies show that adverse effects are not rare.
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