Israeli Government Kept Young Palestinian Suspects in Outside Cages, Group Alleges

A human rights group in Israel has denounced the country’s government, saying it “tortured” Palestinian children; a Reddit user publishes his unexpected $55,000 hospital bill for an appendectomy; meanwhile, Fukushima’s Daiichi Unit 3 will not explode, despite reports to the contrary. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Israel Government Tortures Palestinian Children by Keeping Them in Cages, Human Rights Group Says An Israeli human rights organisation has accused the government of torturing Palestinian children after it emerged some were kept for months in outdoor cages during winter.

Issac Asimov’s Predictions in 1964 of the World in 2014 The New York World’s Fair of 1964 was dedicated to “Peace Through Understanding.”

How Has Your Generation Voted? The Pew Research center has updated their terrific graphic showing how each generation of Americans have voted, relative to the rest of the country, over the last two decades.

Migration Flows in the United States An interactive graphic that shows migration patterns among states in 2012.

I Was an NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards and a Bigot Chris Kluwe was the punter for the Minnesota Vikings for eight years.

Why Twitter Doesn’t Make a One-State Solution Any More Likely The American student had a question that boiled down to this: Would Twitter and Facebook change the dynamic between Israelis and Palestinians and make a one-state solution possible?

How Do E-Books Change the Reading Experience? The advantages of e-books are clear. E-books are immediate.

Goodbye, Cameras This past October, just before the leaves changed, writer Craig Mod went on a six-day hike through the mountains of Wakayama, in central Japan, tracing the path of an ancient imperial pilgrimage called the Kumano Kodo.

Rethinking TV News, Part I: What’s Broken, What’s Possible Most TV news sucks.

Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 Not Going To Explode Beginning on Monday December 30, 2013, the Internet has been flooded with conjecture claiming that Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 is ready to explode.

In Defense of an Academic Boycott of Israel On December 16 the American Studies Association announced that its membership had voted to endorse an academic boycott of Israel, the second and most high-profile U.S. scholarly association to do so thus far.

Backlash Against Israel Boycott Puts American Studies Assn. on Defensive With its recent vote to boycott Israel’s higher-education institutions to protest that nation’s treatment of Palestinians, the American Studies Association has itself become the target of widespread criticism and ostracism.

Reddit User Posts $55,000 Hospital Bill for Appendectomy When a 20-year-old man got over the pain of having his burst appendix removed in October, he got hit with a hospital bill he wasn’t expecting.

Happy News Year: ‘The News Dissector’ Looks Beyond The Top Stories of the Year to Examine the News System At year end, the news agenda fills up with stories on top stories, a chance for networks to repackage footage or highlight favorite newsmakers.

Lauded public health researcher also worked for industry, revealing entanglements of science At a memorial service held last month in her favorite classroom, Patricia Buffler was hailed as a champion of children.

Meet our Modern-Day Scrooges, Proud as Can Be The holiday season is that time of year when the news pages take on a softer edge, as editors, photographers, and reporters strive to convey the spirit of fellowship and concern for the less fortunate embodied by the Salvation Army bell-ringers and the end of year charity appeals that fill out mailboxes and in-boxes.