Trump has torn up the record books when it comes to mass- shootings and numbers killed during his term in office. (ODT)
Key points:
Guns were the weapon used in all bar eight of the mass killings to take place
The number of people killed was 211, just 13 shy of 2017 when the worst massacre in US history took place
The Walmart shooting in El Paso, Texas saw more people killed than any other mass killing this year
Tag: 2017
A report published recently by Swiss bank UBS shows the world’s wealthiest are now worth $9.1 trillion, enough to spend $1 million per day for 30,000 years.
In 2017, more than 2,000 billionaires around the world became even wealthier, pushing their collective fortunes to historic levels. According to a report recently published by Swiss bank UBS and accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), no other year in recorded history, including the industrial revolution and the Gilded Age, has seen such a massive increase in wealth of the global elite.
Just over 2,150 people have seen their wealth increase by 20 percent, many doing so through various forms of inheritance and asset transfers.
“Our lives should be subject to constant reflection, otherwise the way forward is locked into the constraints of today’s thoughts.”
As I write I reflect on the year 2017. I can only conclude that it is another wasted in the advancement of our nation. I try to think of things positive that I might share but I cannot. I stop, hesitate, because marriage equality must surely go down as a magnificent victory for the people. I can’t even count how many pieces I wrote on the subject. Yes, it was a victory for the people, we did it in spite of the politicians not doing what they were elected to do.
We showed what we are capable of doing when we turn our collective attention to the common good.
Nora Barrows-Friedman Activism and BDS Beat 28 December 2017
The movement for Palestinian rights continues to grow across the world. (Alisdare Hickson/Flickr)
It took just four days for a world famous singer to cancel her Tel Aviv show in response to her fans’ urging her to respect the international picket line.
Lorde’s decision on Christmas Eve to pull the Tel Aviv show from her world tour – remarking that booking the gig in the first place “wasn’t the right call” – completed a successful year for the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.
2017 saw artists, performers, athletes, politicians, cultural workers, faith-based organizations, students, academics, unions and activists grow the movement for Palestinian rights.
Israel has been taking notice, of course.
via What were the top BDS victories of 2017? | The Electronic Intifada
Halfway through 2017, the year is the second hottest on record, even without an El Niño to help boost its temperature.
Source: At Midway Point, 2017 Is 2nd-Hottest Year on Record | Climate Central
2017 set a new record for the lowest winter ice levels on both poles, as confirmed by data from NASA, NOAA, and the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Source: The Extent Of Winter Ice At The Poles In 2017 Is Deeply Disturbing | IFLScience
Bill Gates tops Forbes’ billionaires list again, President Donald Trump slips 220 spots and Gina Rinehart has the best year of all female billionaires listed.
One Nation is like a box of fine cigars, enjoyed only by a discerning few, while others reject them on the grounds of health and taste
By Sam Pizzigati | ( Institute for Policy Studies) | – – Donald Trump and the business kingpins populating his …
Source: Remember when Dems were blasted for Class War? Meet Trump’s Cabinet
Police were out in force in Melbourne’s CBD tonight to curb New Year’s Eve trouble and show safety in numbers after the thwarted Christmas Day terror attacks.
Source: Police move in to prevent New Year’s Eve strife in Melbourne