The Huffington Post: Understanding Homonationalism: Why Are There Gay People Supporting Trump?

In an election year where the GOP has adopted what’s been rightfully called the most extreme anti-LGBT party platform in history, some gay people ― notably white, cisgender, gay men ― are coming out of the woodwork to offer their support for Donald Trump and to display their disdain for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. [...]

Homonationalism, coined by Rutgers University professor Jasbir K. Puar in 2007 is, to put it simply, the intersection of gay identity and nationalist ideology.

As gay people have become “normalized” in American consciousness through recent historical milestones like the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2010 and the legalization of same-sex marriage in June 2015, these victories have created space for the homonationalist American who abandons intersectional activism and advocates racist, xenophobic, capitalistic self-interest.

Homonationalism involves conceptually realigning the ideas invested within the realm of LGBT activism to fit the goals and ideologies of neoliberalism and the far-right. This reframing is used primarily to justify and rationalize racist and xenophobic perspectives.

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The Guardian: Britain's view of its history 'dangerous', says former museum director

Neil MacGregor, the former director of the British Museum, has bemoaned Britain’s narrow view of its own history, calling it “dangerous and regrettable” for focusing almost exclusively on the “sunny side”.

Speaking before the Berlin opening of his highly popular exhibition Germany – Memories of a Nation, MacGregor expressed his admiration for Germany’s rigorous appraisal of its history which he said could not be more different to that of Britain.

“In Britain we use our history in order to comfort us to make us feel stronger, to remind ourselves that we were always, always deep down, good people,” he said. “Maybe we mention a little bit of slave trade here and there, a few wars here and there, but the chapters we insist on are the sunny ones,” he said.

MacGregor warned: “This sort of handling of history is dangerous as well as regrettable”.

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Deutsche Welle: US delivers stinging rebuke to Israel over West Bank home plan

In an unusually strong rebuke, the US accused Israel of breaking its trust over plans for a new West Bank settlement.

The White House on Wednesday condemned Israel as plans emerged for new settlement homes deep into the West Bank.

In its notably forthright response, the Obama administration lashed out at the proposal for some 300 housing units.

Spokesman Mark Toner said the plan undermined hopes for peace, and that it was "another step towards cementing a one state reality of perpetual occupation." [...]

US officials have, in recent weeks, adopted a stronger line in its dealings with Israel. Washington claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is recklessly accelerating the home-building program despite international concern.

The Middle East Quartet - a contact group including the EU, Russia, United States and the United Nations - in July called on Israel to halt settlement building.

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Inhabitat: Poland unveils glowing bright blue bike lane that’s charged by the sun

Poland just unveiled an amazing new bike path that glows bright blue at night! The path near Lidzbark Warminski is illuminated by phosphor, a synthetic material that lights up after it’s charged by sunlight. Studio Roosegaarde’s Starry Night bike lane inspired TPA Instytut Badań Technicznych Sp. z o.o to create the glowing bike path. [...]

According to Next Nature Network, the luminophores, or “particles” in the bike lane material can emit a variety of colors, and the designers picked blue to best fit in with the surrounding landscape. They also researched the sustainability of the materials they utilized, and how to make the materials as cost effective as possible since the bike lane does cost more than traditional lanes.

While the Starry Night bike path provided inspiration, the technology utilized in the Polish bike lane is quite different from the Van Gogh-themed lane. Studio Roosegaarde’s bike lane drew on LEDs powered by a solar array and “light-collecting paint.” TPA Sp. z o.o.’s bike lane doesn’t require any power sources. The bike lane is still being tested, as it is not known how long the lane will last before it begins to wear out.

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The Guardian: Angela Merkel takes significantly tougher Brexit stance

Angela Merkel has significantly stiffened her rhetoric on Brexit, telling an audience of German business leaders that any exception to the EU’s single market rules would represent “a systemic challenge for the entire European Union”. [...]

The applause for Merkel’s comments put a further question mark over the argument of British pro-Brexit politicians that German businesses will inevitably pressure their government to preserve their trade links with the UK and resist tariffs.

Markus Kerber, the leader of Germany’s largest industry group, said last week that trade, investments and single market solidarity with the rest of the EU were more important than the volume of business German companies do with Britain. [...]

The tone of Merkel’s remarks in particular stands in sharp contrast to the conciliatory language coming out of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of the referendum, when leading politicians pleaded for London to be given more time to think through the consequences of the vote.

Jens Spahn, a senior member of her Christian Democrat Union party, confirmed the tough line, including no pre-negotiations before article 50 is triggered.

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