The public tends to believe that archaeologists want to excavate interesting sites that come to their attention. This is true in many cases. But almost no archaeologist has a paid job that lets them excavate interesting sites that come to their attention. This is confusing and frustrating to the public.
A girl flees to her house during the storm & is received by an older woman in this c1760 CE #Mughal#IndianMiniaturePainting of Madhu Madhavi #Ragini from a #Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) now at Victoria and Albert #Museum London
In 2017, Andrew Intrater donated $250,000 to Trump’s inauguration fund
and, a few months later, donated $35,000 to Trump’s reelection campaign.
Intrater is a cousin of Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch who was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 for his connections to Putin.
We know that oligarchs play an integral role in funding Russian influence operations.
One oligarch revealed to special counsel Robert Mueller that Putin held quarterly meetings with his oligarchs to discuss strategic spending.
In 2018, a Texas-based firm donated money to House Speaker #Mike#Johnson.
That firm is 88 percent owned by three Russians.
And last week, we learned that Trump Media received loans from a Russian bank to help the company stay afloat before it went public and at a time when no U.S. bank would lend to Trump.
Any donations that might have been made through anonymous LLCs to PACs
—perhaps with attached quid pro quos
—are likely to remain opaque, due to the Supreme Court’s #CitizensUnited decision.
And we cannot say if the financial transactions we do know about are nefarious.
But the pattern paints a disturbing picture, particularly given many 🔸House Republicans’ rabid opposition to Ukraine aid 🔸and Trump’s reported Ukraine peace plan, which would 🔹cede Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine to Russia. 🔹
A similar plan was floated by Paul #Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign chairman, and his partner Konstantin #Kilimnik, a Russian intelligence operative, during the 2016 election.
Among the entities promoted by the Voice of Europe propaganda network was Hungary’s Center for Fundamental Rights, which “considers preserving national identity, sovereignty, and Judeo-Christian social traditions as its primary mission.” #CFR is funded by the government of Viktor Orbán and has twice organized a conference in Budapest for the Conservative Political Action Committee, which helps shape policy on the American right.
The #Heritage#Foundation
—which has spearheaded #Project2025, the authoritarian blueprint for a future Republican administration
—has become increasingly cozy with Hungary, and even hosted Orbán privately last month.
It is quite possible, perhaps even likely, that some people who are 🔥on the Russian payroll were at the Heritage event, their role to influence and build support for pro-Russian policies.
We now have overwhelming evidence of 💥vast pro-Russian influence operations throughout Europe 💥that seek to exploit politicians, media personalities, and others—and some of these efforts have been successful.
Here in the United States, while a pattern has emerged, we don’t know the full extent of the influence yet.
👉But it would be foolish, not to mention dangerous, to think we are immune.
THE ROUTLEDGE INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF HERITAGE AND POLITICS by Bozoğlu, Gönül; Campbell, Gary; Smith, Laurajane; Whitehead, Christopher (editors) #Routledge#Books
I am reading this book. Very interesting, but very expensive (cheaper ebook version).
"The Routledge International Handbook of Heritage and Politics surveys the intersection of heritage and politics today and helps elucidate the political implications of heritage practices. It explicitly addresses the political and analyses tensions and struggles over the distribution of power."
Here's wishing #EidMubarak to all those celebrating today.
As the month of #Ramadan (#Islamic fasting month) comes to an end, #Muslims worldwide thank the Almighty by offering prayers at Mosques & #Eid celebrations.
Riding a Blue Ram, he is looking out for the Sun or the Moon which he will devour to replace his head which was cut off by the #Hindu God #Vishnu for eating His food and thus causing #SolarEclipse2024 & Lunar eclipse some other time.
This little chapel is one of the most complete Saxon churches surviving in England. It was built in 1056 so is pre-Norman. In the C17th it was incorporated into a farmhouse, because why wouldn't you?
No internal shots because it's not dramatic internally but if like me all your spidey senses start screaming in old bldgs then there's a lot to see.
Jean-Marie Le Pen: les enjeux derrière son placement sous protection juridique
Les facultés du fondateur du Front national sont considérablement altérées. Ses trois filles gèrent à présent ses intérêts. Cette décision pourrait avoir des répercussions sur les procédures judiciaires le visant. Elle relance aussi les questions autour de son #héritage.
Singapore’s stunning architecture shows influences & styles from different periods. Eclectic styles & hybrid forms from the colonial era to the more modern architecture inspired by trends from around the world. One never ceases to be amazed by both heritage & innovation.
And in other news, here is a fresh story about #HeritageCrime#HeritageVandalism in our immediate neighbourhood. When they say that Wales is the playground of English tourism, it's not really logical, because you wouldn't treat a playground as a trash dump, would you?
If Donald Trump returns to the White House, close allies want to dramatically change the government's interpretation of #Civil#Rights-era laws to💥 focus on "anti-white racism" 💥rather than discrimination against people of color.
Trump's Justice Department would push to #eliminate or #upend programs in government and corporate America that are designed to counter racism that has favored whites.
Targets would range from decades-old policies aimed at giving minorities economic opportunities, to more recent programs that began in response to the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd.
Trump campaign spokesperson #Steven#Cheung told Axios: "As President Trump has said, all staff, offices, and initiatives connected to Biden's un-American policy will be immediately #terminated."
Longtime aides and allies preparing for a potential second Trump administration have been laying legal groundwork with a flurry of lawsuits and legal complaints — some of which have been successful.
A central vehicle for the effort has been #America#First#Legal, founded by former Trump aide #Stephen#Miller, who has called the group conservatives' "long-awaited answer to the ACLU."
America First cited the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in February in a lawsuit against CBS and Paramount Global for what the group argued was discrimination against a white, straight man who was a writer for the show "Seal Team" in 2017.
In February, the group filed a civil rights complaint against the NFL over its "Rooney Rule."
The rule — named for Dan #Rooney, late owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers — was instituted in 2003 and expanded in 2022.
It requires NFL teams to interview at least two minority candidates for vacant general manager, head coach and coordinator positions.
American First argued that "given the limited time frame to hire executives and coaches after the season, this results in fewer opportunities for similarly situated, well-qualified candidates who are not minorities."
In 2021, Miller's group successfully sued to block the implementation of a $29 billion pandemic-era program for women- and minority-owned restaurants, saying it discriminated against white-owned businesses.
"This ruling is the first, but crucial, step towards ending government-sponsored racial discrimination," Miller said then.
Other Trump-aligned groups are preparing for a future Trump Justice Department to implement — or challenge — policies on a broader scale.
The #Heritage#Foundation's well-funded "#Project2025" envisions a second Trump administration ending what it calls "affirmative discrimination."
Part of the plan, written by former Trump Justice Department official #Gene#Hamilton, argues that "advancing the interests of certain segments of American society ... comes at the expense of other Americans — and in nearly all cases violates longstanding federal law."
Hamilton is America First Legal's general counsel.
Such groups have gained momentum with the #Supreme#Court's turn to the right
— most notably its recent rejection of affirmative action in college admissions.
The court ruled that programs designed to benefit people of color and address past injustices discriminate against white and Asian Americans.
In 2021, a federal judge blocked a $4 billion program to help Black farmers
2024 Archives, History and Heritage Advanced (AHHA) Internship Program on site at the Library of Congress in DC aims to hire Black, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous, & communities of color historically underrepresented in the United States & in the Library’s collections. For juniors, seniors, graduate students, or recent grads. 10 weeks, 20 hours a week, $17.22 per hour
Nice piece by @parismarx about the importance of physical media. and the right to control, for equitable access. The cloud is by definition somebody else’s property and this has real repercussions beyond mere entertainment. Too many in #heritage#opengov and lots of other sectors think that putting something online alone makes it findable and reusable.
A remarkably well preserved 2nd century CE Stucco head of #Buddha from the ancient region of #Gandhara#Afghanistan which has defied exposure to the elements of nature (hence very rare) from the Richard C Blum & Senator Dianne Feinstein Collection of #Himalayan#Art will be on Bonhams auction on 20th March estimate $30,000 - $50,000