In times like this, it’s impossible to write a blithe summary of the week’s world news in a few sentences. It would almost be offensive to even try. But that’s not what we do in the web’s top three. Instead, we take you to some deep dives.
The news is exhausting, and so fast-moving that we can find ourselves missing the slow and thoughtful. This weekly update can provide that for you. We do this by distilling the best of the web and recommending just three links every week that you absolutely must see. No fluff, no fuss, just three exceptional reads. Here are this week’s recommendations:
In Support of Boycott, Divest, Sanction and a Free Palestine (The Crimson Editorial Board / The Harvard Crimson)
Israel remains America’s favorite first amendment blindspot. Companies that choose to boycott the Jewish state, or otherwise support the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement face legal repercussions in at least 26 states. Even for journalists, openly condemning the state’s policies poses an objective professional risk. Only last year, the Associated Press prompted outcry after firing a news editor over college-age tweets critical of Israel. The controversial decision followed a long-established pattern: Dare question Israel’s policies or endorse Palestinian freedom and you will be shunned from the newsroom, past accomplishments or legitimate arguments be damned. For college students like ourselves, speaking bluntly about events in the region can prompt online harassment or even land you on a blacklist.
Hit and run: What kind of man would run over me and my dog and leave us both for dead? (Dusty Rhodes / Illinois Times)
After his arrest in November, I went to court and sat in the front row so I could get a good look at him on the TV screen. You know that face that basketball players make when the ref calls a foul and they try to look like “What? I didn’t even touch that guy!”? That’s the face Hughes made when he heard the charges against him, like it was crazy to say he collided with a squad car or had dope in his vehicle or a loaded gun in his apartment. The judge set his bond at $500,000, with the stipulation that anyone bailing him out would have to prove their money had been legitimately acquired. He’s been sitting in jail ever since.
How I Exposed Jimmy Savile (Mark Williams-Thomas)
Image: Mariah Hewines