The linked original article is in German. This is a paraphrased English summary.

Ultra Fast Fashion by Temu and Shein endangers health, environment and climate. New test results from Global 2000/Friends of the Earth Austria show massive exceedances of hazardous chemicals in clothing. Read in the report, which chemicals we have found and why fast fashion is so dangerous.

In order for clothing to be offered for a few euros per piece, others bear the true costs, according to Global2000 in a study:

People along the supply chain work in exploitative conditions, harmful chemicals are used and Huge amounts of textile waste end up in landfills or in the environment.

[...]

In seven out of 20 articles, several limits were exceeded. Five samples are from Temu, two from Shein. Some examples are:

• Women’s wind jacket from Temu: Limit for PFCA-like substances (C9–C14) exceeded by 4,000 times. (PFOA and PFCA: Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) accumulate in the body and are associated with health risks such as cancer and thyroid disorders.)

• Hand warmer gloves from Temu and rainpants from Shein: exceeding the PFCA-like substances by 350 and 250 times respectively.

• Women’s boots from Shein: Outsole contained 360,000 mg/kg of DBP – 360 times the allowed value. (Phthalates: Plasticizers such as DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP and DNOP may not be sold in concentrations above 0.1% since July 2020). DNOP has been shown to be harmful to reproduction and some can be hormonal.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/52508818

https://archive.is/Z1ll2

They now lead more than half of all research projects with the United Kingdom, and are expected to lead an equal number of projects with Europe and with the United States in the next couple of years, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last week.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/52508818

https://archive.is/Z1ll2

They now lead more than half of all research projects with the United Kingdom, and are expected to lead an equal number of projects with Europe and with the United States in the next couple of years, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last week.

SponsorBlock, Timestamps, and Generated Summary below:

SponsorBlock Timestamp:

1. 0:00.000 - 0:08.200 Intermission
2. 0:08.200 - 2:08.700 Ukraine President Honors Nazi Brigades, Western Media Whitewashing
3. 2:08.700 - 2:13.500 Hook/Greetings
4. 2:13.500 - 2:35.500 Overview of Topics: Zohran Mamdani Election and Nick Fuentes
5. 2:35.500 - 15:19.000 Analysis of Zohran Mamdani's Election and the DSA Left
6. 15:19.000 - 15:30.200 Haz Al-Din Joins, Chairman of ACP
7. 15:30.200 - 1:11:10.000 Interview with Haz Al-Din: Critique of DSA and the Two-Party System
8. 1:11:10.000 - 1:26:35.000 The Psyop of Nick Fuentes and Controlled Opposition
9. 1:26:35.000 - 1:27:18.000 Concluding Thoughts and Rejecting the Managerial Class
10. 1:27:18.000 - 1:28:41.441 Unpaid/Self Promotion

Video Description:

Timestamps:

1. 0:00 Intro
2. 2:37 Zohran Mamdani’s Milqtoast Communism | Zohran Upholds the Welfare State
3. 17:19 The Problem With SocDems
4. 1:11:02 The Psyop of Nick Fuentes

Tags:

#usnews #uspolitics #ZOHRANMAMDANI #RevolutionaryBlackoutNetwork #ACP #nickcruse #hazaldin #Trump #workingclass #chinanews

Generated Summary:

Compact Overview

This is a summary of a political commentary stream by Nick Cruse, featuring a later interview with Haz Al-Din of the American Communist Party (ACP). The discussion is highly critical of "DSA" or "Democratic Socialist" politicians like Zohran Mamdani, framing them as controlled opposition for the Democratic Party that ultimately serves capitalist and imperialist interests. A parallel critique is leveled at right-wing figure Nick Fuentes, who is presented as a controlled opposition figure for the Republican establishment.

Summary with Timestamps and Segments

0:08 - 2:08 | Intro: Western Media Whitewashes Nazism in Ukraine

• Nick Cruse opens by arguing that Western media denies the significant presence of neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian military, which he states is a primary driver of the conflict with Russia.
• He claims the media has reversed its previous acknowledgment of this issue to support a proxy war against Russia, accusing them of "gaslighting" the public despite visible Nazi insignias on Ukrainian soldiers.

2:08 - 15:30 | Analysis of Zohran Mamdani's Election & The "DSA Left"

• Nick transitions to analyzing the election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York.
• He argues Mamdani's victory was a "rhetorical victory against Zionism" but is deeply critical of his politics.
• A key clip (2:38 - 3:34) is played where Mamdani, during a debate, states his first foreign visit would be to stay in New York City, not Israel. Nick claims this moment won him the election by contrasting him with opponents focused on Israel.
• Nick criticizes Mamdani as a "welfare capitalist" and "social democrat," not a true socialist. He accuses him of conceding to landlords and legitimizing Zionist talking points.
• A central clip (17:23 - 18:16) is played where Mamdani defines "democratic socialism" by quoting Martin Luther King Jr. on wealth distribution. Both Nick and Haz Al-Din later condemn this as a misrepresentation of socialism, which they define as a change in ownership and class power, not just redistribution.

15:30 - 1:11:04 | Interview with Haz Al-Din: Critique of the "Managerial Class" & The Two-Party System

• 15:30: Haz Al-Din joins the stream.
• 15:34 - 16:35: Brief discussion on Haz's recent trip to China, hosted by the Chinese Communist Party.
• 16:35 - 29:02: Nick and Haz analyze the Mamdani clip. Haz expresses strong disdain, stating Mamdani's definition of socialism is about "redistribution of wealth" from an imperialist system, not challenging ownership or imperialism itself.
• They argue that figures like Mamdani, Hassan Piker, and Sam Seder are "political prostitutes" whose real function is to channel left-wing energy back into the Democratic Party and prevent the rise of an independent, anti-imperialist workers' movement.
• This strategy is labeled as "political nihilism" because it has a history of failure (e.g., not stopping the Gaza conflict, not achieving Medicare for All) and no leverage against the capitalist class.
• They contend that social democratic reforms in history were only won due to the threat posed by the Soviet Union, and today's "DSA left" has no such power.

29:02 - 45:11 | The Case for a Third Party and Against "Political Nihilism"

• Nick and Haz challenge the notion that working within the two-party system is the only "realistic" option.
• They argue that the unaccountable "regime" of the two-party system is a "dictatorship" of the capitalist class.
• Haz asserts that real change requires building a threat to the entire system from outside, leading to an overhaul.

45:11 - 1:01:48 | Mamdani's Early Actions & The "Anti-Semitism" Hoax

• Nick plays clips of commentators like Sam Seder and Hassan Piker defending the strategy of working within the Democratic Party, which he and Haz mock as smug and unsuccessful.
• Nick shows that Mamdani has already distanced himself from some of his online supporters.
• The segment culminates with Nick showing Mamdani's first tweet as Mayor-elect, which condemned an alleged act of anti-Semitism.
• Nick frames this as the predictable next step: a "Muslim Zionist" being used to legitimize a crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech under the guise of fighting anti-Semitism. He and Haz suggest such incidents are often hoaxes perpetrated by Zionists themselves.

1:01:48 - 1:11:04 | Concluding Thoughts on the "DSA Left"

• Both express frustration that the working class continues to fall for what they see as a repeat of the Obama/AOC/Bernie "scam."
• Haz calls for self-criticism from the anti-establishment left, wondering how to better communicate that this is a "dead end" and break the cycle.

1:11:04 - 1:28:31 | The Psyop of Nick Fuentes

• Nick shifts to the right, arguing the establishment also uses controlled opposition like Nick Fuentes.
• He plays a clip of Lindsey Graham bragging about "killing all the right people" and Mark Levin threatening the "anti-Israel" crowd to show the establishment Republican position.
• Nick argues that Fuentes is then elevated by this establishment (through mentions and media profiles) to capture dissident right-wing energy.
• A key clip (1:22:25 - 1:23:04) is played where Nick Fuentes endorses regime change in Venezuela, exposing him, in Nick Cruse's view, as a neocon who ultimately serves imperialist interests, not the American working class.
• They conclude that Fuentes, who was at the January 6 riot and wasn't arrested, is a clear example of controlled opposition, unlike leftist dissidents who face state persecution.

1:26:35 - 1:28:31 | Stream Conclusion

• The stream ends with a final call to reject the "professional liberal managerial class" and to support anti-imperialist, working-class organizing outside the two-party system.

About:

Nick Cruse:

Citizen journalist Co-Founder #TenDemands Board Member: National RCV [https://www.breaktheduopoly.com/] KC Tenants KC Sunrise [https://allmylinks.com/socialistmma]^[[1] https://substack.com/@socialistmma]

Revolutionary Blackout Network (RBN):

Blacking Out Corporate Propaganda and Educating for a Revolution.

“You can jail a Revolutionary, but you can’t jail the Revolution.” -- Fred Hampton (1948 - 1969)

We should focus our actions, time, and resources on Direct Action, Mutual Aid, and Community Outreach. If you do engage in Electoral Politics do not support the Duopoly (Red or Blue Team). No War but Class War!

https://archive.is/isnJo

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/38563920

On the one hand this is disappointing news. On the other hand, making sure the game is as good as it can be when it comes out is a positive thing.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5485421

Archived version

...

One UK-based China scholar has since described being a victim of death threats and a smear campaign, while another was sanctioned for her work on human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and can no longer travel to China to conduct her research.

Others described “soft” or “indirect” pressure being brought to bear, leading academics to self-censor and risk-averse universities to avoid research that could bring them into conflict with China, which controls the flow of students to financially vulnerable UK universities.

...

Andreas Fulda, a political scientist and China scholar based at the University of Nottingham, is among those to have been targeted as a result of his critical scholarship and media commentary. At one point, “spoof” emails bearing his name were sent to his colleagues announcing his resignation and inviting them to his farewell drinks.

He does not know who sent the emails. There have also been death threats to him and his family. “What I’ve come to learn is that once you reach a certain perception threshold in the eyes of the Chinese security agencies, you are punished to dissuade you from airing your views,” he said.

...

Jo Smith Finley, a reader in Chinese studies at Newcastle University, was sanctioned by China in 2021 for her work on human rights abuses against the Uyghurs. She said: “Ever since then, Newcastle University has been walking a very difficult tightrope in its treatment of me, because I’ve become a liability in a context where universities are all dependent on Chinese student tuition fees.

...

Other academics in the field were reluctant to comment publicly. Against a backdrop of mass redundancies across the sector, one academic said: “I’m scared I will lose my job if I talk about my experiences of working on China in British universities.”

...

Universities UK, which represents the sector, said: “UK universities are committed to upholding free speech and academic freedom. They work hard to protect these fundamental freedoms and meet significant legal duties in this area set out by the Office for Students. This commitment extends to international research and partnerships with institutions around the world.

...

Some report the Cheney family hasn’t decided how to handle his remains, but may award Halliburton “a no-bid contract” for clean-up; his daughters, struggling with their loss, have taken to calling it “enhanced death.”

Europol supported the second phase of an investigation by the Moldovan Police and Ukrainian Police against Russian mercenaries. Europol’s Core International Crimes Team assisted national authorities in identifying suspects allegedly involved in war crimes. Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit also supported the action day, which focused individuals involved in war crimes committed during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Overall, the investigation led to the identification of a total of 654 members of the Russian private military companies Wagner and Redut involved in combat operations against Ukraine. These suspects include citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These individuals are believed to have committed war crimes such as acts of sexual violence, executions of prisoners of war and executions of civilians.

The action day on 29 October 2025 resulted in:

• 70 house searches in Moldova and Ukraine
• Seizures including firearms and cold weapons, ammunition, uniforms, chevrons with the symbols of the Wagner paramilitary company, as well as electronic equipment
• Collection of video material and photographic evidence suggesting the participation of citizens of Ukraine and Moldova in hostilities in the territory of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo while being part of this Russian private military company

During the investigation, Ukrainian authorities shared with concerned countries, via Europol’s secure channels, 280 names of foreign nationals suspected of involvement in combat operations. Since the beginning of the investigation, national authorities uncovered recruitment and training sites, mapped command structures, and documented war crimes including the executions of civilians, the use of banned weapons, and attacks on Ukrainian cities.

...

Meanwhile, Ukraine for the first time has extradited a captured Russian soldier for war crimes trial in Lithuania.

"For the first time since the start of full-scale aggression, Ukraine has handed over a Russian serviceman to a foreign state, Lithuania, for real criminal prosecution for war crimes," Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said on Telegram.

Kyiv is determined to hold Russian military figures personally responsible for the 2022 invasion and is seeking international justice for numerous alleged atrocities committed by the Russian army.

Officials said the extradited man — a sailor who had served in the Russian military police — was captured by the Ukrainian army in the Zaporizhzhia region near the southern village of Robotyne.

He was “involved in the illegal detention, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians and prisoners of war,” Kravchenko said.

As I take on the role of a teacher, I am beginning to realise just how much of our documents aren't accessible. The university is pushing us to make everything accessible without a sensible pathway, but I'm going to try my best and make sure my students can access my documents without hindrance.

Currently I am trying to make my PDFs UA2 compatible using LaTeX. I also want to make sure my documents are colour blind friendly. A colour-blind simulator software would be great.

Is there like an "accessibility" suite one can self host to pass documents to check for various accessibility parameters?

here’s what Democrats would need to remove Trump from office through the two constitutional mechanisms:

PATH 1: IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL

Requirements:

• House of Representatives: Simple majority (218 votes out of 435) to impeach
• Senate: Two-thirds supermajority (67 votes out of 100) to convict and remove

Current Status (after 2024 elections):

• Republicans: 220 seats
• Democrats: 215 seats

Roadmap for Democrats:

Step 1: Win the House (2026 Midterms)

• Democrats need to gain 3 seats to reach 218 and control the House
• This would allow them to impeach Trump with a simple majority
• Based on yesterday’s results and historical midterm patterns, this is very achievable

Step 2: Win 2/3 of Senate (Much Harder) Current Senate: 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats (including independents who caucus with Dems)

To reach 67 votes for conviction, Democrats would need:

• Current 47 Democratic votes
• +20 additional votes to reach 67

This means either:

• Win 20 more Senate seats (impossible in 2026 - only 35 seats up)
• Win enough seats AND convince multiple Republicans to vote for conviction

The Senate Math is Brutal:

• Even if Democrats won EVERY competitive race in 2026, they’d likely max out around 51-52 seats
• They would still need 15-16 Republicans to vote to convict Trump
• Trump was impeached twice before and acquitted both times, with minimal Republican defection

PATH 2: 25TH AMENDMENT, SECTION 4

Requirements to Initially Remove:

• Vice President JD Vance must agree
• Majority of Cabinet (currently 8 out of 15 Cabinet secretaries) must agree
• Both must submit written declaration to Congress

If President Contests (which Trump certainly would):

• Congress must vote within 21 days
• Two-thirds vote required in BOTH House AND Senate to keep president removed
• That’s 290 votes in House and 67 votes in Senate

Why This Won’t Work for Democrats:

1. Vice President JD Vance would never invoke it - he’s Trump’s chosen VP and politically aligned
2. Trump’s Cabinet is appointed by and loyal to Trump
3. Even if somehow invoked, Trump would contest it
4. Democrats would need the same impossible 2/3 supermajority in both chambers to sustain removal

Important Note: The 25th Amendment was designed for medical incapacity (coma, severe illness), NOT for removing an unpopular or incompetent president. It has never been used to remove a president against their will.

THE REALISTIC ASSESSMENT

What’s Actually Achievable:

1. 2026 House Win ✓ Likely

• Democrats flip 3+ seats
• Gain subpoena power, investigative authority
• Could impeach Trump again

1. 2026 Senate Supermajority ✗ Nearly Impossible

• Would need to win almost every race AND get Republican crossovers
• Even in a massive “blue wave,” Democrats unlikely to reach 67 votes

1. 25th Amendment ✗ Impossible Under Current Conditions

• Requires Trump’s own VP and Cabinet to turn against him
• Still requires 2/3 of Congress

Bottom Line: Democrats could realistically impeach Trump again after winning the House in 2026, but removal from office via conviction or 25th Amendment is essentially impossible without massive Republican cooperation, which is extremely unlikely given Trump’s control over the GOP base.

The more realistic Democratic strategy would be:

• Win House in 2026 → Investigate and check Trump’s power
• Win more Senate seats (even if not 67) → Block appointments and legislation
• Focus on winning the 2028 presidential election

Sources:

• Wikipedia: Impeachment in the United States
• US Senate: About Impeachment
• Constitution Center: 25th Amendment
• Wikipedia: 25th Amendment
• Cornell Law: 25th Amendment
• Bipartisan Policy Center: 25th Amendment FAQ
• Congress.gov: Presidential Disability Under 25th Amendment

Archived version

When Russian soldiers spilled into Ukraine in February 2022, reports soon followed of rampant looting in captured towns. Homes, museums, theaters — even schools — were stripped of everything from food and clothing to computers and washing machines. The stories of theft and destruction revealed the brutality of Moscow’s invasion. Today, a growing body of evidence shows that the Russian military has also inflicted some of this cruelty on its own people. On November 5, 2025, after a region-wide manhunt, soldiers in Belgorod captured one of their own, Alexey Kostrikin, who murdered a local homeowner and raped his wife in late October before killing again on November 3.

Kostrikin is one of more than 170,000 violent criminals recruited from prisons and pretrial detention centers to fight in Ukraine. According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, he joins the more than 1,130 ex-con veterans who came back from the front in the war’s first two years only to resume a life of crime.

...

Many civilians living near the Ukrainian border fear looting by Russian soldiers more than Kyiv’s attacks. Some residents have stayed in their homes despite the shelling and loss of access to food and medicine.

...

This is in the native phone app. I'm in the US. Definitely didn't have this feature before. It announces when you start recording.

I know it's been a thing with some other phones and in other countries, but hey it's cool to have it on my Pixel 8.

From the video, it appears that the drone is a very large one.

https://www.nu.nl/321294/video/grote-drone-verstoort-vliegverkeer-bij-luchthaven-zaventem.html

The group "Muslim Interaktiv" called for setting up a caliphate in Germany, abolishing democracy. The German interior ministry has banned the association, which was popular mainly with very young people.

The German Interior Ministry on Wednesday banned the group "Muslim Interaktiv," which calls for a worldwide caliphate and rejects the democratic order enshrined in Germany's constitution, the Basic Law.

A ministry press release described the association "Muslim Interaktiv" as "opposed to the constitutional order and the idea of international understanding," adding: "The association will be dissolved. The assets of Muslim Interaktiv will be confiscated."

The association views the Muslim community in Germany as a minority that is discriminated against and ostracized from society. Founded in 2020, authorities believe the group is affiliated with the Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) organization, which was banned in 2003 after promoting violence and the killing of Jewish people.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5484182

Archived version

TikTok is under investigation in France for failing to vet material that promotes suicide on the Chinese video-sharing platform.

Paris prosecutors said in a Tuesday statement that they are probing ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok’s algorithm and compliance with requirements to oversee the site and report suspected offenses committed through their services.

The crackdown follows a French parliamentary committee report that criticized lax controls on minors’ access, a lack of moderation, and an algorithm driving vulnerable people to suicide by locking them into a content loop. Arthur Delaporte, the lawmaker who headed the inquiry committee, brought the matter to the attention of prosecutors, according to the statement.

...

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said she had tasked a special police unit known as the Brigade de lutte contre la cybercriminalité with leading the inquiries.

...

European Union regulators also have TikTok in their cross-hairs. Regulators said last month that the app and Meta Platforms Inc. have both breached rules designed to tackle illegal or harmful online content, according to early findings from the bloc.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5484182

Archived version

TikTok is under investigation in France for failing to vet material that promotes suicide on the Chinese video-sharing platform.

Paris prosecutors said in a Tuesday statement that they are probing ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok’s algorithm and compliance with requirements to oversee the site and report suspected offenses committed through their services.

The crackdown follows a French parliamentary committee report that criticized lax controls on minors’ access, a lack of moderation, and an algorithm driving vulnerable people to suicide by locking them into a content loop. Arthur Delaporte, the lawmaker who headed the inquiry committee, brought the matter to the attention of prosecutors, according to the statement.

...

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said she had tasked a special police unit known as the Brigade de lutte contre la cybercriminalité with leading the inquiries.

...

European Union regulators also have TikTok in their cross-hairs. Regulators said last month that the app and Meta Platforms Inc. have both breached rules designed to tackle illegal or harmful online content, according to early findings from the bloc.

Archived version

TikTok is under investigation in France for failing to vet material that promotes suicide on the Chinese video-sharing platform.

Paris prosecutors said in a Tuesday statement that they are probing ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok’s algorithm and compliance with requirements to oversee the site and report suspected offenses committed through their services.

The crackdown follows a French parliamentary committee report that criticized lax controls on minors’ access, a lack of moderation, and an algorithm driving vulnerable people to suicide by locking them into a content loop. Arthur Delaporte, the lawmaker who headed the inquiry committee, brought the matter to the attention of prosecutors, according to the statement.

...

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said she had tasked a special police unit known as the Brigade de lutte contre la cybercriminalité with leading the inquiries.

...

European Union regulators also have TikTok in their cross-hairs. Regulators said last month that the app and Meta Platforms Inc. have both breached rules designed to tackle illegal or harmful online content, according to early findings from the bloc.

FIFA? The notoriously corrupt ~~soccer~~ football people?