Nous Sommes Al Bab?

Cries of solidarity such as “Je Suis Charlie” don’t seem to apply when the U.S. kills civilians in Syria; an Oklahoma state senator wants to ban hoodies in public; meanwhile, for the first time in recent Egyptian history, two dozen men were acquitted of “charges of homosexuality.” These discoveries and more below.

U.S. Airstrike in Syria May Have Killed 50 Civilians A U.S.-led coalition airstrike killed at least 50 Syrian civilians late last month when it targeted a headquarters of Islamic State extremists in northern Syria, according to an eyewitness and a Syrian opposition human rights organization.

U.S. Culture Industry Has Fewer Jobs but More Money Arts and culture matter much more to the economy than previously known, according to a new report issued by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In 2012, creative industries generated $698.7 billion in added value (total sales minus the cost of production), making up 3.8% of the U.S. national GDP (more than the industries of construction, transportation, travel, tourism, or agriculture).

U.S. Arts Attendance on a Downward Trend, NEA Studies Find New studies released today by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and based on surveys carried out in 2012 claim that arts attendance in the U.S. has continued to drop over the past two decades, but both struggle to incorporate digital activities into their findings.

Oklahoma Republican Proposes Bill Banning Hoodies in Public The new year brought a new legislature in Oklahoma, and it’s wasting no time destroying what’s left of civil liberties in the deep-red state.

Outing Torture Queen Bikowsky Dear Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, So many people want to be famous. Not you.

9 Points to Ponder on the Paris Shooting and Charlie Hebdo As a person of faith, times like these try my soul.

The Boko Haram Death Toll News came from northeast Nigeria on January 3rd that the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram had attacked Baga, a fishing town of ten thousand people on the shores of Lake Chad that has been raided by the militants before.

HarperCollins Must Not Contribute to Delegitimization of Israel Before the HarperCollins Middle East Atlas story is deleted from email inboxes, it pays to spend another moment ruminating on the damage caused by companies that ought to know better.

The American Absence in Paris The U.S. sent its ambassador to a unity march that drew 40 world leaders and more than a million French citizens. The White House voiced regret for the slight on Monday.

Egyptian Court Acquits 26 Men Charged With ‘Debauchery’ No trial court has ever cleared Egyptians of charges of homosexuality in a high profile case, say human rights activists.

Je suis Bibi! Netanyahu Brings Likud to Paris How PM Netanyahu elbowed his way into the front row at Sunday’s rally in Paris.

Clouds Like Blood: How a 19th-Century Volcano Changed the Color of Sunsets The eruption of Krakatoa on August 26–27, 1883, completely collapsed its Indonesian island, blasting the stratosphere with volcanic dust and sulphur dioxide.

Mourning the Parisian Journalists Yet Noticing the Hypocrisy As the editor of a progressive Jewish and interfaith magazine that has often articulated views that have prompted condemnation from both Right and Left, I had good reason to be scared by the murders of fellow journalists in Paris.