As Jews around the world gather for the Passover seder, they'll have plenty of bitter topics to discuss. Around my table, we'll hope for peace in Middle East and a future when Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side, we'll remember the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict, including those often forgotten in today's heated discourse—the hostages still held in Gaza, and we'll argue about the protesters on many college campuses, who are lucky enough to live in a society where you're allowed to protest. (As is the case in Israel, where many are protesting some of the same policies.) You're not, however, allowed to intimidate, threaten, or attack others based on their ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs, and some of these protests have morphed into antisemitism. For example, "at Yale, a Jewish student reporting on protests was jabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag on Saturday night. The incident occurred after a group of Pro-Palestinian demonstrators allegedly formed a human chain around two visibly Jewish students trying to enter campus." Antisemitism shouldn't surprise anyone. It's been around since before Moses led the Israelites through the desert. But it should be controlled on campuses, while allowing students to continue the longstanding college tradition of peaceful protest. So far, that needle is not being thread, as acts that go beyond peaceful have been committed and colleges have arrested hundreds of their own students. And now, Columbia has canceled in-person classes for the week. In this political climate (with even Congress involved), it's apparently impossible to simultaneously protect speech and students. So this Passover we ask, how is the protest different from all other protests? For an answer, let's head to my alma mater and the birthplace of campus protesting. Here's UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ with an interesting explanation of what's gone wrong. "'This is very different because this is student against a student,' Christ said in an interview in February. 'It’s faculty against faculty. It’s internally the most divisive protest issue that I’ve seen.' Christ’s career at UC Berkeley spans nearly four decades." On Passover, we tell the story of four children: The wise one, the wicked one, the simple one, and the one who doesn't know how to ask. They're all well-represented on college campuses these days. 2A Bird Out of Hand"H5N1, one of the many viruses that cause bird flu, had already killed at least 24,000 South American sea lions along the continent’s coasts in less than a year. Now it had come for elephant seals. Pups of all ages, from newborns to the fully weaned, lay dead or dying at the high-tide line. Sick pups lay listless, foam oozing from their mouths and noses. Dr. Uhart called it 'an image from hell.'" NYT (Gift Article): Bird Flu Is Infecting More Mammals. What Does That Mean for Us? "H5N1, an avian flu virus, has killed tens of thousands of marine mammals, and infiltrated American livestock for the first time. Scientists are working quickly to assess how it is evolving and how much of a risk it poses to humans." 3Flank Stake"Johnson received a key intelligence briefing from CIA Director Bill Burns, who painted a picture of the dire situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and the global consequences of inaction, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. The briefing left a lasting impression, and Johnson became increasingly convinced the fate of Western democracy was on his shoulders." How Mike Johnson came to embrace Ukraine aid and defy his right flank. The House chose democracy over authoritarianism. Let’s hope this starts a trend. 4Trial and AirSo here's something you may have done: A show you heard good things about was playing on a streaming service where you're not yet subscribed. So you signed up (either for a month or for a free trial), binged the show, and canceled the service. That worked so well, you started to wonder why you should pay every month for any service when there are really only a few of their shows a year you actually want to watch. So you started canceling and resubscribing as necessary. Well, you're not alone. NYT (Gift Article): Americans’ New TV Habit: Subscribe. Watch. Cancel. Repeat. 5Extra, ExtraPecker Unleashed: "This was a planned, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior. It was election fraud, pure and simple." The Trump trial is underway. Both sides gave opening statements and the people called David Pecker. (Which seems like a pretty rude thing for the people to call David.) A lot of the early testimony will be about Pecker and the National Enquirer's catch and kill business. NYT Magazine(Gift Article): What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise. 6Bottom of the NewsWe're living in the age of food delivery. But the battle to get your order to you fast (maybe too fast) started a long time ago. The Hustle with a look back at a guarantee that became deadly. The failure of the Domino’s 30-minute delivery guarantee.
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