Latest news with #Nazi-aligned
Geek Dad
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Review – JSA #8: The Wrath of Wotan
JSA #8 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: JSA is one of those properties that has a long, storied history – something Jeff Lemire always likes to explore. Last issue, we ended the funeral for Wildcat with a huge twist – Ted Grant in the afterlife, being reunited with his deceased partners from the original WW2 JSA for one last mission. And in this issue, we get our glimpse of what that mission stems from. In the dying days of World War II, with Hitler defeated, the JSA were deputized to track down the Spear of Destiny – a cursed artifact that has played a key role in several major DC stories over the years. And it's currently in the hands of Johnny Sorrow and the sorcerer Wotan, two of the JSA's deadliest villains. And as the JSA takes on this Nazi-aligned cult of villains – backed up by a band of Valkyries – Ted Grant gets closer to something no mortal should see. The last mission. Via DC Comics. It's been hinted since the start of this series that the JSA were up against something far bigger than standard supervillains, and this issue confirms it – with a great splash page of a quartet of ancient eldritch Gods who are looking to rip a hole in time and space. Lovecraftian beings are not easy to pull off, but guest artist Gavin Guidry creates some truly creepy beasts. While this issue is a little light on major developments – especially since it takes place almost entirely in the past, save for the last two pages – it doesn't feel like it's filler at all. It gives us a spotlight on Wildcat, who has a bigger presence in the title since he died than he did in the first arc of the series – as well as some JSAers who haven't been prominent in the comics in many years. Lemire seems more interested in looking back into the history of the JSA than Johns did, and that's a key part of what makes this property stand out. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Dorka turns 102, recalls life under communist regime
Refugee Dorka Ganeva turned 102 late last month, 50 years after arriving in Christchurch to escape the Bulgarian communist regime. In a two-part series starting today, she talks to reporter Dylan Smits about resisting the communists after World War 2 Dorka's room at Radius St Helenas rest home is filling up with congratulatory cards and well wishes from the Bulgarian Embassy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Mayor Phil Mauger, and Seniors Minister Casey Costello. 'It feels very good,' she said of the cards. 'My life in Bulgaria was very frightening, so since I moved to New Zealand, I've recovered from the trauma. 'It's a sign of of respect. Those are some very smart people who sent the cards.' Dorka has lived peacefully in New Zealand for 50 years, but it was not always that way. At her advanced age, she is frail and has lost much of her hearing, but she still recalls her family's ill-treatment at the hands of the communist regime. Born in Varna, Bulgaria, on May 23, 1923, Dorka grew up in the small village of Kesarevo. Her childhood was happy in the independent Kingdom of Bulgaria, following the end of Ottoman rule. Her father managed the general store while her mother taught at the intermediate school. Despite national economic and political difficulties, Dorka's youth was happy. She studied at a girls' boarding school in Sofia during her high school years, where her love for art and literature blossomed. 'I enjoyed school very much and made friends for life.' Her future husband Stefan, a family friend 16 years her senior, opened a bank in Kesarevo to serve workers and peasants. He would visit her in Sofia while she studied. 'He was very kind to me and I didn't just like him, I adored him. With time we grew closer and closer.' An idealist and vegetarian, Stefan believed in humanitarianism. Though not political at first, he increasingly engaged in pro-democracy activism as Bulgaria came under authoritarian rule. First it was the Nazi-aligned military government, then the Soviet-installed communist regime. At 17, Dorka moved to Veliko Tarnovo for further study. World War 2 would break out soon after. She married Stefan in July 1942. Their first son, Kamen, was born in April 1943. While Dorka lived quietly in Kesarevo, Bulgaria was pressured by Nazi Germany to deport its Jewish population. She was moved by the public resistance. The Bulgarian government ultimately refused to deport its 50,000 Jews, due to pressure from religious leaders and parliament. As German soldiers passed through Bulgaria, she wondered: 'How could they send these young men to kill innocent people? Are they capable of committing such cruelties?' The family's troubles started when Stefan defended a bank employee accused of aiding the communist resistance. Though successful, Stefan was branded an 'enemy of the people,' a label that haunted the family under both fascist and communist regimes. When the Soviet Union invaded in September 1944, the situation worsened. Stefan was ousted from his banking job by the communists for allegedly supporting fascism, despite his opposition to it. Their daughter Maria was born two months after the invasion. The family became subsistence farmers, relying on a small flock of sheep. In 1946, Stefan ran in Bulgaria's post-war elections as part of the democratic opposition. 'From that moment onwards, our lives became a nightmare,' said Dorka. Police began harassing the family, often entering their home and conducting searches for anything incriminating. One night, they came to arrest Stefan. He was in the backyard, but Dorka lied, saying he was at the barbershop, giving him time to escape. She was summoned by the mayor and interrogated, but she held firm. Pregnant with their second son, Stojan, she told them: 'Even if I knew where my husband was I wouldn't tell you.' She later learned the police officer present wanted to beat and imprison her but refrained because she was pregnant. Shortly before the election, the government stopped arresting opposition candidates to maintain a facade of fairness. Stefan returned home and Dorka gave birth, but their house was attacked by communist youths who threw rocks through their front windows during a political meeting. 'When I went to check the children in their bedroom, I saw a large rock had landed right next to my baby Stojan's head. He was only 3-months-old. It was very lucky he wasn't killed.' Stefan won his seat and the opposition won the election, but the communist authorities overturned the results. Stefan was forced to go into hiding again, fearing arrest. 'We lived through so much fear and troubles. It was difficult to get through every day knowing they could arrest my husband,' said Dorka. Eventually, Stefan surrendered, hoping for a fair trial. Ten days later, Dorka was told he had been sent to a work camp. 'I was completely shocked by the news. I could not say a word and left the room. I was distraught. I don't remember how I managed to get back home.' For two years, Dorka managed the farm and raised her children as a solo mother. 'Despite anxiety, fears and hard work, we somehow got through that first year without Stefan,' she said. He endured harsh conditions in a mining camp with scarce food and regular abuse. When Dorka was finally allowed to visit, she barely recognised him. 'I was frightened. He was only skin and bones. His lovely hair was shaved off.' Toward the end of the second year of his imprisonment, an official visited to tell her Stefan had been released. 'That was the happiest moment of my life. I was in seventh heaven,' said Dorka. Shortly after, the couple were summoned to the mayor's office. A representative from the Interior Ministry apologised and offered Stefan a high-ranking job as deputy commerce minister – on the condition he join the government-aligned political party. They refused. 'He was a man of principle,' said son Kamen, now 82. 'He sacrificed a lot for his beliefs. He did not want to be part of that system.' Refusing the position eliminated the family's last hope of safety in Bulgaria. In the years that followed, escape became their only option. • Next week, the suspicious death of Dorka's husband, and escaping Bulgaria in 1975
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump ‘does not care about Jewish students,' Sen. Wiener says in response to defunding threat
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has slammed President Donald Trump's targeting of several Northern California universities over antisemitism claims as insincere. The Trump Administration issued a list of universities that were subject to investigation and potential defunding. The list included the University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles, and California State University, Sacramento, 'supposedly on the basis of antisemitism,' Wiener said. The Trump Administration on Friday announced it would be withholding $400 million from Columbia as part of the investigation. Waymo rolls out service to parts of Silicon Valley through Waymo One Wiener, who is co-chair of the Jewish Legislative Caucus, issued a statement condemning Trump's moves. 'President Trump and his Administration claim they are investigating UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Sacramento State, in addition to scores of other universities across the county, due to antisemitic targeting of Jews on those campuses,' Wiener said. 'Each of these universities will no doubt be expected to bend the knee to Trump in order to keep their funding, just like Disney, Meta, Amazon, Target, Google, and other corporations have bent the knee. These bullying tactics are drawn straight from the authoritarian playbook.' Wiener admitted that antisemitism had been a problem on the campuses, citing 'utterly despicable targeting, harassment, intimidation, and even violence' against Jewish students and faculty. The situation, however, while not resolved, has improved on the campuses, according to Wiener. 'It is extremely clear to me that President Trump's targeting of the UC and CSU has nothing to do with antisemitism and everything to do with an attack on higher education writ large,' Wiener said. 'The Trump Administration is the most antisemitic administration in modern U.S. history, and it has no credibility whatsoever in seeking to root out antisemitism.' Wiener cited a number of factors in branding the Trump Administration as antisemitic, including Elon Musk doing a Nazi salute during the inauguration and efforts by the administration to support a Nazi-aligned party in Germany. 'We need to be very clear-eyed in assessing this federal investigation,' Wiener said. 'The Trump Administration does not care about Jewish students or faculty.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
