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The Nuclear Accord and the “Death to America” Chants in Iran

Reese Erlich Global Post
Last month in Vienna the US and Iran agreed to unprecedented inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities in return for lifting of sanctions. Yet, at Friday prayers and political rallies, hardline Iranians continue to shout "death to America," as they have for decades. Conservative US politicians cite the chant as proof Iran remains hostile to the US and can't be trusted to implement the nuclear accords. But Iranians have a very different interpretation of the slogan.

On the Iran Deal, American Jewish ‘Leaders’ Don’t Speak for Most Jews

Todd Gitlin and Steven M. Cohen The Washington Post
More than three-fifths of American Jews who express an opinion support the Iran deal, compared with a bit more than half of Americans overall. But among the official “Jewish leaders,” this is hardly the case. Plainly, the idea that American Jews speak as a monolithic bloc needs early retirement. So does the idea that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads, or represents, the world’s Jews.

Petition for Jon Stewart to Moderate Presidential Debate Attracts 175,000

Nicky Woolf The Guardian
The petition says, “Jon Stewart is more than qualified to tackle the moderating job. Mr Stewart has interviewed 15 heads of state, 22 members of the United States Cabinet, 32 members of the United States Senate, 7 members of the United States House of Representatives, and scores of other political leaders from this country and around the world while establishing himself as the most trusted person in (satirical) news.”

WeTheProtestors Launches Campaign Zero (Police Violence)

wetheprotestors.org
WeTheProtestors.org, a group that has played a prominent role in organizing the protests against police violence and especially the disproportionate use of force against African Americans in the year since the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, has put forward a set of ten specific policy proposals aimed at ending police violence, including limiting police interventions, improving community interactions, and ensuring accountability

Obesity Breakthrough: Genetic Alchemy Can Turn Bad Fat Cells to Good

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century, affecting more than 500 million people worldwide and costing at least $200 billion each year in the United States alone. It contributes to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Scientists have now uncovered a genetic circuit that controls whether our bodies burn or store fat. Manipulating that genetic circuit may offer a new approach for obesity treatments.

Friday Nite Videos -- August 21, 2015

Portside
Meet the Undocumented Immigrant Who Works in a Trump Hotel. Damsel in Distress: Tropes vs Women in Video Games. John Oliver: Sex Education. Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Brief History of Everything. Bad Lip Reading of the Republican Debate.

Cornel West: The Fire of a New Generation

George Yancy and Cornel West The New York Times
In Ferguson, the rallying cry - This is what democracy looks like - which echoes W.E.B. DuBois and the older generation's critique of capitalist civilization and imperialist power. And you also had people chanting -We gon' be alright - which is from rap artist Kendrick Lamar, who is concerned with the black body, decrepit schools, indecent housing. This chant is in many ways emerging as a kind of anthem of the movement for the younger generation.

Top Jewish Leaders Back Iran Deal in New York Times Ad; 340 Rabbis Back Iran Deal in Letter to Congress

Nathan Guttman; Jewish Telegraph Agency Jewish Daily Forward
Prominent Jewish Americans, including former officials of AIPAC, in a full-page ad in the New York Times,urged Congress to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -the agreement between Tehran and six world powers. Many of the signers have devoted decades to building and enhancing Israel's security and strengthening the US-Israel alliance, designed to counter claims by some on the American right that no supporter of Israel could endorse the agreement.