Spreading Love Through Media, the Regrantor Way

I just watched a recommended video on gratitude that was sponsored by the Greater Good Science Center and decided to look into it. Their ‘Spreading Love Through the Media’ project reads less like a public service and more like a soft attempt to redirect attention away from the material conditions people are living under. When institutions with elite backing promote ‘connection’ and ‘empathy’ as the antidote to a world shaped by inequality and conflict, it becomes hard not to read it as a subtle form of deflection—an invitation to feel better instead of look closer.

“Yeah, I can tell it from your mouth that you / You got the devil in your eyes, so I’m / Not gonna waste all of my time on ya”

Spreading Love Through Media, the Regrantor Way

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Something is sus in the new footage of ICE agent’s shooting of Renee Good + Alpha News’ ties 💰

Something is sus in the new footage of ICE agent Jonathan Ross shooting Renee Good

WaPo: How Renee Good ended up in a fatal encounter with ICE in Minneapolis

A recording released Friday by Alpha News appears to show the moments immediately before the shooting from the perspective of the ICE officer who shot Good. In the video, Renee Good can be heard speaking to an ICE officer through the open driver’s side window, saying, “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you,” as the officer circles her vehicle while filming with a phone camera in his hand.

[2015] At some Minnesota news sites, partisans write the checks

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Exploring Billionaire Influence on Education: The Case of Beloit College

In my research on how billionaires influence education, I’ve primarily focused on Beloit College, a place I once considered attending. A key area of interest is the complex ways in which billionaires have shaped the college’s curriculum—an extensive topic that requires significant time and exploration. Interestingly, despite its location in a relatively small city compared to major metropolitan areas like New York or Chicago, Beloit has seen its share of high-profile alumni (including the problematic Judith Miller). Fun fact: I used to handle after-hours phone calls for Beloit College, and occasionally, Paul Newman would call the President of the College, as his first wife was an actress from Beloit. Additionally, I discovered an unexpected historical aspect: the college’s collaboration with the U.S. government on various initiatives, particularly the Student Association for the Study of Hallucinogens (STASH). However, finding detailed information about STASH online has proven challenging, indicating that further investigation may necessitate a visit to the college’s archives. This collection of insights points to a surprisingly rich and intriguing history for the institution.

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Pentagon Appointee Opposes ‘Belligerent Military Initiatives’ Aimed at China

The Pentagon official tasked with overseeing U.S. defense policy toward Southeast Asia recently advised against pursuing hawkish defense policies and a major trade war against China, a marked contrast with top Trump appointees.

John Andrew Byers, a longtime history professor who oversaw the Charles Koch philanthropic network’s grants promoting libertarian foreign policy stances at universities, was sworn in this week as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia — a role that immediately thrusts him to the center of America’s response to China’s ongoing military pressure campaign targeting the Philippines, with which Washington holds a mutual defense treaty.

Pentagon Appointee Opposes ‘Belligerent Military Initiatives’ Aimed at China

Related:

Lowy Institute: Trump’s grand bargain? The Philippines caught between US and China by Richard Heydarian

CGS non-resident fellow Andrew Byers co-authors article with The American Conservative

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia: Andrew Byers

What’s in Store for VA Disability Benefits with New Office of Management and Budget Chief?

What’s in Store for VA Disability Benefits with New Office of Management and Budget Chief?

Vought, confirmed Thursday in a 53-47 Senate vote, spearheaded a 2023 report by the Center for Renewing America think tank that called for reducing VA disability compensation for veterans who reach Social Security retirement age and eliminating unemployability benefits for these veterans as well.

The report also proposed cutting disability compensation to veterans with ratings lower than 30% and dropping disability compensation for veterans whose health conditions aren’t directly related to military duty.

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