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Ten Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on Saturday in one of the bloodiest days for the Israeli military since the beginning of its war with Hamas.
An additional soldier died of wounds sustained in battle earlier in the week.
The casualties came as Israel is negotiating with Hamas over a potential ceasefire that would see the release of hostages held by the terror group. Israel reportedly expects Hamas to reject the ceasefire offer, made with U.S. support. The incidents also came on the first day of a pause Israel announced that will stop fighting along a key southern Gaza road every day from morning to evening to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Following the deaths, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting the war in the face of international pressure. He called the casualties “heart-rending.”
“Despite the heavy and unsettling price, we must cling to the goals of the war: The destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the return of all of our hostages, making certain that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel and the return of our residents securely to their homes in both the north and the south,” he said.
Eight of the 10 casualties occurred in Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where Israel is battling what it says are Hamas’ remaining organized forces. An explosive hit an Israeli armored personnel carrier, killing all of the soldiers inside. Israeli media reported that the explosive was either placed on the vehicle, or came from an antitank missile.
Two more casualties came in a tank explosion in northern Gaza, where Israel has been fighting vestiges of Hamas’ forces for months after focusing its firepower there earlier in the war. The soldiers killed on Saturday range in age from 19 to 49.
In total, Israel says more than 300 of its soldiers have been killed in the invasion of Gaza after Hamas killed 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage in its Oct. 7 invasion of Israel. More than 37,000 people have since been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Israel says more than a third of that number are combatants.
Israel has faced mounting international pressure over the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis spurred by the war. On Sunday, the arm of the Israel Defense Forces that coordinates humanitarian aid announced “a local, tactical pause of military activity for humanitarian purposes” from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day along a central road in southern Gaza.
The military has faced accusations of not doing enough to facilitate aid, and the office, called COGAT, said the decision was “an additional step in the humanitarian aid efforts that have been conducted by the IDF and COGAT since the beginning of the war.”
But it is unclear how long the daily pause will last. Netanyahu claimed that he was unaware of the decision and his office called it “unacceptable.” According to Haaretz, Netanyahu’s office said “that there has been no change in the IDF’s policy and that the fighting in Rafah would continue as planned.”
This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
The post 10 Israeli soldiers killed in separate incidents in Gaza in deadliest day for military since January appeared first on The Forward.
The post 10 Israeli soldiers killed in separate incidents in Gaza in deadliest day for military since January first appeared on The News And Times.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — You can now grow what you bowl with new legislation in New York.
The New York State Cannabis Control Board — the approval and oversight body of the Office of Cannabis Management — this month approved regulations that will allow adult New Yorkers to cultivate weed plants in their homes.
“We’re very excited that these regulations are now moving forward, and the office will be putting out some further guidance on our website, just around the parameters and the rules and regulations, so folks know what is and what is not allowed,” said OCM Chief Operating Officer Patrick McKeage.
Here’s what you need to know to grow, according to a written statement.
Can I grow?
If you’re over 21-years-old, you can grow your own weed at home. However, if you’re under 21 and need weed for medical issues, “a parent/guardian can assign a designated caregiver to grow on your behalf.”
What can I have growing at home?
If you don’t have weed money for dispensary prices, don’t stress. You can cultivate three mature plants and three immature plants at a time, with a maximum of six mature plants and six immature planets per household.
The statement offered ways to cultivate weed at home with safety in mind, as well:
- Using LED lights can help cut back on energy costs and reduce the risk of an electrical overload that could lead to a fire.
- Keep your growing area well-ventilated so that fungus or mold doesn’t grow or infect your crop. Fans, dehumidifiers, and the like are suggested.
- Keep your plants out of the public’s purview so that thieves aren’t tempted to snake some of your weed.
- Keep your weed away from pets and children.
- Don’t try to extract your weed’s properties via a flame.
How much weed can I have at home?
At home, “you can have up to five pounds of trimmed cannabis and the equivalent weight in concentrates in or on the grounds of their private residence.” Keep in mind that though you can have five pounds at home, you can only have 24 ounces of weed concentrates or three ounces of weed on your person while out and about in New York state.
Additionally, whatever you grow at home is meant for you, and you alone: “It is illegal to sell, trade or barter with homegrown cannabis,” the statement warned.
Where can I grow at home?
You can grow your weed wherever you’d like in or on your property, so long as you “own or rent” something “like a room, home, apartment, mobile home, co-op or other residential spaces. Landlords can only refuse to lease space to or penalize a tenant if they risk losing federal benefits.”
Keep in mind that “you must take reasonable measures to prevent cannabis odor from becoming a nuisance to neighboring residents, such as co-planting items like lavender in an outdoor garden or using a carbon filter for indoor cultivation.”
How can I get seeds to grow weed?
You can grab weed seeds from “commercial retailers,” the statement said. Immature plants, on the other hand, “can be purchased from New York licensed dispensaries, microbusinesses, or other entities authorized by the Office of Cannabis Management.”
President Joe Biden delivered a series of stark warnings about what a second Donald Trump term could hold during a star-studded Los Angeles fundraiser Saturday evening, framing the 2024 presidential election as an inflection point in American history.
“Institutions matter,” the president said. “What (Trump) did on January 6, and now he’s literally saying if he doesn’t win there’ll be a bloodbath — it’s outrageous. What he’s talking about is outrageous.”
The fundraiser, which featured former President Barack Obama, raised more than $30 million for Biden’s reelection efforts, a campaign official told CNN. The conversation between Biden and Obama was moderated by television host Jimmy Kimmel.
Biden specifically argued on Saturday evening that the next four years could see openings on the Supreme Court, potentially leading to the appointment of more conservative justices if Trump is reelected.
“The idea that if he’s reelected he’s going to appoint two more flying flags upside down,” Biden said in an apparent reference to a flag that once flew outside the home of Justice Samuel Alito. Asked by Kimmel whether he considered this the scariest part of a second Trump term, Biden responded, “It is one of the scariest parts.”
“The Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter as it is today, I mean never,” the president said, discussing the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and how Justice Clarence Thomas said other rulings could be reconsidered, including on contraception. Someone in the crowd interjected, “including gay rights,” to which Biden responded, “Not on my watch.”
The Biden campaign has been looking to boost his financial war chest amid signs Trump is narrowing the money gap. Biden has led Trump in fundraising for most of the year, but the former president has seen a significant influx in cash come his way since securing the Republican nomination in March. Trump outraised Biden for the first time in April.
“We don’t have to just vote against something in this election,” Obama said. “We have someone to worry about. And there’s a whole agenda that we should be concerned about. But we can take pride in affirming the extraordinary work that Joe has done.”
Obama lamented how some in the country have “normalized behavior that used to be disqualifying,” referencing Trump’s recent conviction in his criminal hush money trial.
“We have the spectacle of the nominee of one of the two major parties siting in court and being convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts,” Obama said to applause. “His foundation is not allowed to operate because it was engaging in monkey business. … You have his organization being prosecuted for not paying taxes,” Obama said.
Biden interjected, “He paid none.”
When Kimmel asked Biden about “Trump amnesia,” Biden said: “All you got to do is remember what it was like” during Trump’s four years, pointing to Trump’s recommendation that people inject bleach to cure Covid-19.
Obama also urged “those who are conservatively predisposed” – who may not agree with Democrats – to consider the “core values” that shaped the country, like “basic honesty.”
Kimmel asked Obama how he felt about Trump saying he’s done more for Black people than any president in history. Obama replied “One thing he did, for example, was make them feel even better about the first Black president.”
George Clooney and Julia Roberts opened up the night’s program. Barbra Streisand introduced first lady Jill Biden while Jason Bateman, Jack Black, Kathryn Hahn and Sheryl Lee Ralph also entertained the crowd.
As he spoke about a potential second Trump term, Kimmel asked Biden, “What are some things a president can do to, let’s say, a talk show host who has been making fun of him every single night?”
“Ever heard of Delta Force?” Biden joked before striking a more serious tone, “The idea that he’s actually threatened retribution. This is the United States of America. Did you ever think you’d ever, ever, ever hear anything like this? Retribution, that’s what he’s going to do, he’s going to get back at people,” he said.
Kimmel also noted that Biden has said he wanted to restore the soul of the country. “It looks like we might need an exorcism. Is that why you visited the pope?”
“Yeah,” Biden said.
Pope Francis delivered the first-ever papal address at a G-7 conference on Friday, warning about the ethical pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
The pope told the council of world leaders in Fasano, Italy, that AI offers immense benefit to the human race, but also threatens to dehumanize society.
“The question of artificial intelligence, however, is often perceived as ambiguous: on the one hand, it generates excitement for the possibilities it offers, while on the other, it gives rise to fear for the consequences it foreshadows,” Pope Francis said in his remarks.
POPE FRANCIS WARNS AI EXPLOITED BY ‘TECHNOCRATIC SYSTEMS’ COULD ‘POSE A RISK TO OUR SURVIVAL’
He continued, “In this regard, we could say that all of us, albeit to varying degrees, experience two emotions: we are enthusiastic when we imagine the advances that can result from artificial intelligence but, at the same time, we are fearful when we acknowledge the dangers inherent in its use.”
Comparing AI to primitive flint knives and nuclear energy, the pontiff acknowledged that every development in human technology has presented opportunities for both self-improvement and violence.
The pontiff warned that an irresponsible pursuit of AI technology without ethical barriers could exacerbate modern “throwaway culture” and dehumanize vulnerable societies unable to resist technocratic systems due to poverty or technological illiteracy.
POPE ISSUES WARNING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, FEARS ‘LOGIC OF VIOLENCE’
“Due to its radical freedom, humanity has not infrequently corrupted the purposes of its being, turning into an enemy of itself and of the planet,” Pope Francis warned. “The same fate may befall technological tools.”
Specifically, the pope warned that AI compromises the integrity and human dignity necessary for children’s education, the criminal justice system, and warfare.
“We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines,” he told the world leaders. “We need to ensure and safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it.”
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“Much needs to change, through fundamental reform and major renewal. Only a healthy politics, involving the most diverse sectors and skills, is capable of overseeing this process.”
Pope Francis has been an outspoken skeptic of artificial intelligence since the technology received widespread attention last year.
He speculated in December 2023 that global “technocratic systems” could exploit the efficiencies of AI without regard for the larger impacts on the poor, sacrificing humanity for efficiency.
Pope Francis delivered the first-ever papal address at a G-7 conference on Friday, warning about the ethical pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
The pope told the council of world leaders in Fasano, Italy, that AI offers immense benefit to the human race, but also threatens to dehumanize society.
“The question of artificial intelligence, however, is often perceived as ambiguous: on the one hand, it generates excitement for the possibilities it offers, while on the other, it gives rise to fear for the consequences it foreshadows,” Pope Francis said in his remarks.
POPE FRANCIS WARNS AI EXPLOITED BY ‘TECHNOCRATIC SYSTEMS’ COULD ‘POSE A RISK TO OUR SURVIVAL’
He continued, “In this regard, we could say that all of us, albeit to varying degrees, experience two emotions: we are enthusiastic when we imagine the advances that can result from artificial intelligence but, at the same time, we are fearful when we acknowledge the dangers inherent in its use.”
Comparing AI to primitive flint knives and nuclear energy, the pontiff acknowledged that every development in human technology has presented opportunities for both self-improvement and violence.
The pontiff warned that an irresponsible pursuit of AI technology without ethical barriers could exacerbate modern “throwaway culture” and dehumanize vulnerable societies unable to resist technocratic systems due to poverty or technological illiteracy.
POPE ISSUES WARNING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, FEARS ‘LOGIC OF VIOLENCE’
“Due to its radical freedom, humanity has not infrequently corrupted the purposes of its being, turning into an enemy of itself and of the planet,” Pope Francis warned. “The same fate may befall technological tools.”
Specifically, the pope warned that AI compromises the integrity and human dignity necessary for children’s education, the criminal justice system, and warfare.
“We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines,” he told the world leaders. “We need to ensure and safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Much needs to change, through fundamental reform and major renewal. Only a healthy politics, involving the most diverse sectors and skills, is capable of overseeing this process.”
Pope Francis has been an outspoken skeptic of artificial intelligence since the technology received widespread attention last year.
He speculated in December 2023 that global “technocratic systems” could exploit the efficiencies of AI without regard for the larger impacts on the poor, sacrificing humanity for efficiency.