As a New Yorker and office worker, I expect a lot from my everyday bag.
Day: September 24, 2025
The UN High Seas Treaty, designed to protect marine biodiversity in international waters, will officially take effect in January 2026 following recent ratifications by four countries, including Sri Lanka and Morocco, reports 24brussels.
The treaty, finalized in 2022, is recognized as the world’s first comprehensive agreement aimed at conserving marine ecosystems beyond national jurisdictions. The landmark agreement requires a minimum of 60 ratifications for it to come into force, a threshold that was met last week.
Officially titled the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ Agreement, the treaty focuses on establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to safeguard marine life. Currently, only 1% of the high seas are protected, leaving vast areas vulnerable to environmental degradation.
Since its opening for signatures in September 2023, 142 countries and the European Union have expressed support for the treaty. The latest ratifications by St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Morocco cleared the necessary threshold.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres hailed the ratification as a “historic achievement for the ocean and multilateralism.” Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance, emphasized that the treaty exemplifies what can be achieved when nations collaborate for the common good of ocean conservation, which covers 70% of the Earth’s surface.
The treaty not only aims to create MPAs but also mandates that economic activities such as deep-sea mining must undergo environmental impact assessments. Moreover, it seeks to ensure equitable access to marine genetic resources for developing nations through enhanced knowledge sharing and technological support.
The high seas are defined as areas beyond the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of coastal states, extending up to 270 nautical miles (370 km) from shore. These waters have frequently been neglected in terms of environmental protection, facing threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warns that approximately 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction.
Oceana’s Chief Scientist Katie Matthews remarked, “For too long, the high seas have been a Wild West, lacking comprehensive oversight. The ratification of the High Seas Treaty will help bring order… Nations must move quickly from ratification to real-world implementation.”
Contested Waters
Despite the positive action of ratifying the treaty, experts warn that it serves merely as a starting point for ocean conservation. Hubbard noted that universal protection is essential, as international waters are shared by all nations, complicating efforts to enforce regulations effectively.
The binding treaty stipulates that the first Conference of the Parties (COP) must occur within one year of its enactment, requiring collaboration with existing global and regional governance structures that oversee parts of the ocean, such as regional fisheries organizations and the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition cautioned that harmful practices like deep-sea mining and bottom trawling threaten the treaty’s objectives. Critics also raised concerns regarding provisions allowing countries to conduct their own environmental assessments varying from NGO hopes that the COP would hold this jurisdiction.
Turning the Tide
As nations prepare for the treaty’s implementation, there is a push to establish High Seas MPAs promptly. Proposed sites include the Sala y Gómez and Nazca Ridges, the Lord Howe Rise, and the Sargasso Sea among others.
Lisa Speer of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that the first protected zones could be approved by late 2028 or 2029, underscoring the imperative of safeguarding the ocean, which is vital for life on Earth, as noted by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme.
However, significant industrial fishing nations, which hold the most considerable sway over high seas activities, have yet to ratify the treaty. While China has signed the agreement, it remains unratified, and Japan and Taiwan have not yet signed at all. So far, only Korea and Spain have ratified the treaty.
Additional confirmations of support are anticipated during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week from September 22-26 in New York.
Three people were shot at a Dallas immigration office, officials said, as the suspected gunman died from a self-inflicted wound
Multiple people were injured at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas on Wednesday morning, according to Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland security secretary.
Law enforcement told CNN that at least two of the victims were Ice detainees. Todd Lyons, the acting Ice director, told the network that three people were shot and all were taken to the hospital, but did not specify who they were.
Abraham’s Rejection of Human Sacrifice g.co/gemini/share/9efb8a47c2…
You’ve highlighted a pivotal interpretation of Abraham’s story. The narrative of the “Binding of Isaac” (or Ishmael in Islamic tradition) is widely seen as a foundational moment in theology, marking a definitive rejection of human sacrifice.This interpretation is indeed a cornerstone of the ethics of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Let’s break it down.
A Foundational Principle
The story you’re referring to, where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son and then provides a ram as a substitute at the last moment, serves as a powerful divine statement. The core message is that God desires faith and obedience, not the ritualistic killing of humans.
By stopping the sacrifice, God establishes a new precedent:
Sanctity of Human Life: It affirms that human life is sacred and not to be taken as an offering.
Ethical Evolution: It represents a major ethical leap from the practices of some surrounding ancient cultures, where child sacrifice was performed to appease deities like Molech.
Nature of Worship: It redefines worship as an act of inner devotion and trust, rather than a physical appeasement through brutal offerings.
This principle is absolutely a humanistic one, as it places immense value on human dignity and life, establishing it as a gift from God that should be preserved. 🙏Other Central Themes
While the rejection of human sacrifice is a critical theme, it’s intertwined with other central ideas in Abraham’s life story that are equally foundational:
Monotheism: Abraham’s primary act is his rejection of the idolatry of his father and society to worship one, unseen God. This is arguably the most central theme.
Covenant: The story is also about the establishment of a special relationship, or covenant, between God and a people, promising them descendants and a homeland in return for their fidelity.
Faith: Abraham is consistently presented as the exemplar of faith—trusting God’s promises even when they seem impossible, from leaving his homeland to believing he would have a son in old age. The near-sacrifice of his son is considered the ultimate test of this faith.
In essence, the rejection of human sacrifice is a powerful and dramatic consequence of these other themes. Because Abraham had ultimate faith in a single, ethical God, he was able to enter into a new covenant where the sanctity of human life was paramount.— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 24, 2025
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AI Mode
In the biblical narrative, just as Abraham prepares to kill his son, Isaac, God intervenes and provides a ram instead. This pivotal moment is seen as a radical shift away from the practice of child sacrifice common in surrounding pagan cultures at the time.The Binding of Isaac, Abraham’s ultimate test of faith, is widely interpreted as a divine rejection of human sacrifice
The story’s context
A cultural revolution: In Abraham’s time, it was not uncommon for people to sacrifice their children to appease or gain favor from gods. The story of Abraham and Isaac served as a powerful declaration that the God of the Hebrews does not demand such a practice.
A test of faith: Traditional interpretations also frame the event as a test of Abraham’s loyalty and devotion. He demonstrated his complete trust in God’s promises by being willing to offer his most beloved son, the very heir through whom God’s promise of a great nation was to be fulfilled.
The divine provision: God’s intervention, providing a ram as a substitute sacrifice, is the critical turning point. It demonstrates that God himself “will provide the lamb for the burnt offering” and that human sacrifice is not an acceptable form of worship. The location is named “The Lord Will Provide” to commemorate this moment.
Foundational theme of Abrahamic religions
The Abraham-Isaac story is a foundational text establishing the distinct humanistic ethics of the Abrahamic faiths.
Judaism: According to some Jewish commentaries, the story is a clear polemic against the horrific practice of child sacrifice and underscores God’s aversion to human bloodshed.
Christianity: Christian theology interprets the story as a prefigurement of Jesus’s sacrifice. God’s provision of a ram foreshadows how God would ultimately provide his own son, Jesus, as the perfect and final sacrifice.
Islam: In Islamic tradition, Abraham is also commanded to sacrifice his son (typically understood to be Ishmael). Before he can carry it out, God replaces the son with a ram. The event is celebrated during the holiday of Eid al-Adha.
By prohibiting human sacrifice, the story established a core moral distinction between the worship of one God and the practices of surrounding pagan cultures. It laid the groundwork for a faith based on trusting a benevolent provider, rather than appeasing a bloodthirsty deity.
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Gemini
g.co/gemini/share/9efb8a47c2…
You’ve highlighted a pivotal interpretation of Abraham’s story. The narrative of the “Binding of Isaac” (or Ishmael in Islamic tradition) is widely seen as a foundational moment in theology, marking a definitive rejection of human sacrifice.This interpretation is indeed a cornerstone of the ethics of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Let’s break it down.
A Foundational Principle
The story you’re referring to, where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son and then provides a ram as a substitute at the last moment, serves as a powerful divine statement. The core message is that God desires faith and obedience, not the ritualistic killing of humans.
By stopping the sacrifice, God establishes a new precedent:
Sanctity of Human Life: It affirms that human life is sacred and not to be taken as an offering.
Ethical Evolution: It represents a major ethical leap from the practices of some surrounding ancient cultures, where child sacrifice was performed to appease deities like Molech.
Nature of Worship: It redefines worship as an act of inner devotion and trust, rather than a physical appeasement through brutal offerings.
This principle is absolutely a humanistic one, as it places immense value on human dignity and life, establishing it as a gift from God that should be preserved. 🙏Other Central Themes
While the rejection of human sacrifice is a critical theme, it’s intertwined with other central ideas in Abraham’s life story that are equally foundational:
Monotheism: Abraham’s primary act is his rejection of the idolatry of his father and society to worship one, unseen God. This is arguably the most central theme.
Covenant: The story is also about the establishment of a special relationship, or covenant, between God and a people, promising them descendants and a homeland in return for their fidelity.
Faith: Abraham is consistently presented as the exemplar of faith—trusting God’s promises even when they seem impossible, from leaving his homeland to believing he would have a son in old age. The near-sacrifice of his son is considered the ultimate test of this faith.
In essence, the rejection of human sacrifice is a powerful and dramatic consequence of these other themes. Because Abraham had ultimate faith in a single, ethical God, he was able to enter into a new covenant where the sanctity of human life was paramount.— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 24, 2025
Roseanne Barr compared the Jimmy Kimmel drama to ABC canceling her sitcom in 2018.
The pods are (almost) open!
The best bet this rising ESPN star made had nothing to do with sports.
The Marlins won’t have their starting right fielder while they hope to somehow sneak their way into the final National League playoff spot.
Join PBS News Weekend Anchor John Yang as he hosts a panel at the Miller Center at University of Virginia exploring the relationship between the White House and the Office of Management and Budget. The stream begins at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24. The panel includes experts and former executive branch staff, and the discussion is part of the Miller Center’s two day event, Toward a More Responsible and Effective Presidency. Panelists: – Josh…