Leaders of the African nation of Namibia are calling for direct talks with Germany over reparations and the return of ancestral lands seized by white setters after the genocide committed against the Herero and Nama tribes in the early 1900s. During that time German settlers pushed indigenous tribes off their land—which became German dominated South West Africa, today the nation is called Namibia.
(“Namibia Calls for Reparations, Talks With Germany,” Foreign Policy, March 13, 2024)
Twenty years ago , the pesticide acephate was banned in the European Union. The bug killer, used on celery, tomatoes, cranberries and other fruits and vegetables, has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Acephate belongs to a class of compounds linked to autism, hyperactivity and lower scores on intelligence tests in children.
(“10 Times as Much of This Toxic Pesticide Could End Up on Your Tomatoes and Celery Under a New EPA Proposal,” ProPublica, April 24, 2024)
The Economist magazine reports that from 2010 to 2020, a quarter of all US counties lost population, a trend expected to increase as overall U.S. population growth slows. During the Covid pandemic, many rural communities and states shrank. Over 500,000 more people died in 2020 than in 2019, and the birth rate fell.
(“Emptying and Fuming,” Economist, April 18, 2024)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo.