Gaza’s Looming Cancer Epidemic: The Many Ways Bombs Can Kill

Source: TomDispatch
by Joshua Frank

“A week after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, a large explosion incinerated a parking lot near the busy Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, killing more than 470 people. It was a horrifying, chaotic scene. Burnt clothing was strewn about, scorched vehicles piled atop one another, and charred buildings surrounded the impact zone. Israel claimed the blast was caused by an errant rocket fired by Palestinian extremists, but an investigation by Forensic Architecture later indicated that the missile was most likely launched from Israel, not from inside Gaza. In those first days of the onslaught, it wasn’t yet clear that wiping out Gaza’s entire healthcare system could conceivably be part of the Israeli plan. After all, it’s well known that purposely bombing or otherwise destroying hospitals violates the Geneva Conventions and is a war crime, so there was still some hope that the explosion at Al-Ahli was accidental.” (09/04/25)

https://tomdispatch.com/gazas-looming-cancer-epidemic/

Steve Trinward

Colombia: Soldiers doused with gasoline, set on fire during mission to destroy recreational pharmaceuticals facility

Source: CBS News

“Two Colombian soldiers were seriously injured after being doused with gasoline and set on fire when an anti-drug operation was attacked in southeastern Colombia, the army said Wednesday. The incident occurred during an operation to destroy a cocaine laboratory in a rural area of the northern Putumayo department, which borders Ecuador. A riot took place during which a ‘group of civilians attacked the uniformed officers with fire to impede the procedure,’ the military said in a statement Wednesday. … The army vowed action against the Comandos de Frontera, a dissident faction that rejected the 2016 peace accord between the government and the FARC guerrilla group, accusing them of orchestrating the attack and ‘coercing’ the civilian population in the area.” (09/04/25)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/soldiers-doused-gasoline-set-fire-cocaine-lab-colombia/

Thomas L. Knapp

DC grand jurors are flexing their constitutional muscle

Source: Washington Post
by Paul Butler

“As a prosecutor, I appeared many times before grand juries. Honestly, it was like a spa day. Prosecutors are officially ‘legal advisers’ to the grand jury but, as a practical matter, we run the show. Defense attorneys are not allowed in the room, and even if we are aware of evidence suggesting a suspect might be innocent, we’re not legally required to present it. It’s a mini-trial, but without the inconvenience of a defense, judge or high burden of proof. To say that it’s rare for a grand jury to decline to indict would be a gross understatement. In 25 years at the U.S. Justice Department, former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance never saw it in any her cases, nor did law professor Randall Eliason in his 12 years as a federal prosecutor. But it happened seven times in recent weeks in D.C.” (09/04/25)

https://archive.is/PzuSr

Thomas L. Knapp

AI has come to reshape education

Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lika Kobeshavidze

“In the last few years, everything has changed for college students. Applications capable of writing assignments suddenly became a part of everyday life. What is the real impact of artificial intelligence (AI)? Is it a convenient tool for personalized learning or a path to academic dishonesty? Out of nowhere, AI became students’ best friend. A tool created in 2022 is now a daily habit. Professors may see dishonesty, but students see efficiency. Is AI additional help or a shortcut to avoid learning? The real problem is a decline in educational standards. Will over-reliance on AI make students smarter, or does it come with darker consequences?” (09/04/25)

https://fee.org/articles/ai-has-come-to-reshape-education/

Thomas L. Knapp