Why Trump's Iran Policy Is Bound To Fail
Sina Toossi | iranian.com | 2018-07-31
On May Day 1946, the British consul in the southwestern Iranian city of Khorramshahr noted a troubling development. An Iranian woman had taken to a local podium and proclaimed that the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) was exploiting the "jewel of Iran" and spending more on dog food than salaries for its Iranian workers. She demanded equal pay […] | The post Why Trump's Iran Policy Is Bound To Fail appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/07/30/why-trumps-iran-policy-is-bound-to-fail/
Judge Orders an Independent Monitor to Evaluate Border Facilities Detaining Migrant Kids
Gabe Ortiz, Daily Kos | alternet.org | 2018-07-30
The decision comes following allegations of abuse and inhumane conditions. | Following allegations of abuse and sub-standard conditions, Judge Dolly Gee has mandated the appointment of an independent monitor to evaluate conditions in facilities temporarily holding migrant children: The independent monitor's role will be limited by the judge: confined to Customs and Border Protection detention facilities along the border in the Rio Grande valley in Texas. The monitor will also only assess accusations of ill treatment made to Judge Gee in a June 2017 motion. "There continue to be persistent problems," she said. "There seems to be disconnect between what both sides see at these facilities. " Under her order, the Trump administration and plaintiffs have until August 10 to agree on "a qualified candidate for the monitor job. Failing that, she said, they should each submit two candidate names and then. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/judge-orders-independent-monitor-evaluate-border-facilities-detaining-migrant-kids
Sessions Announces Religious Liberty Task Force to Protect the Christian Right to Discriminate
Kerry Eleveld, Daily Kos | alternet.org | 2018-07-30
Women and LGBTQ people will find themselves in the crosshairs. | Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a Religious Liberty Task Force Monday to make certain religious groups (i. e. Christians) maintain protections when their beliefs run in conflict with government regulations. The Washington Times writes: "A dangerous m. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/sessions-announces-religious-liberty-task-force-protect-christian-right
Trump Is in Major Legal and Political Trouble — His Desperate Attempts to Escape Could Lead America to Catastrophe
Thom Hartmann, Independent Media Institute | alternet.org | 2018-07-30
We should prepare for any drastic measures from war to martial law that Trump may undertake to escape his crises. | Is it now time to imagine how far Trump and his Republican cronies in Congress might be able to push things? And how we, as Americans, might respond? This isn't the first time such a question has been raised. A bit more than a week before the election of 2016–a week before Trump won the election–one of the few people on earth wh. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trump-major-legal-and-political-trouble-his-desperate-attempts-escape-it-could
Venezuela Introduces New Measures to Halt Hyperinflation: Will they Work?
Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-07-30
Venezuela's hyperinflation is now exceeding 200% per month. President Maduro plans to introduce a new currency that is tied to Venezuela's oil basket, but will the measures work and how has inflation affected the general population? We discuss these issues with Cira Pascual Marquina of Venezuelanalysis.com and TRNN's Greg Wilpert | The post Venezuela Introduce…
therealnews.com/stories/venezuela-introduces-new-measures-to-halt-hyperinflation-will-they-work
Blue Lives Matter claims Facebook's 'fake news' rules have halved its audience
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-30
Blue Lives Matter, a group advocating for greater protections for police in the US, has claimed that Facebook's new rules to combat fake news has almost halved the number of people it can reach on the platform.
rt.com/usa/434659-blue-lives-matter-facebook/
State of emergency in Michigan county as tested water is 20 times the safe level for PFAS chemicals
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-30
A state of emergency has been declared in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, after high levels of man-made PFAS chemicals were found in the drinking water in two towns. The contaminants pose severe health risks and can lead to cancer.
rt.com/usa/434600-parchment-water-contamination-emergency-pfas/
'Every necessary precaution': Fear of Ebola spreading places Denver hospital on lockdown
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-30
A possible Ebola infection has prompted Denver Health Medical Center to go into temporary lockdown, as medical staff in hazmat suits handled a patient who recently returned from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
rt.com/usa/434601-denver-ebola-possible-contamination/
Noam Chomsky on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Spectacular" Victory & Growing Split in Democratic Party
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-07-27
The 2018 midterm election season has been roiled by the internal divisions between the Democratic Party's growing progressive base and the more conservative party establishment. In New York City, this division came to a head with the most shocking upset of the election season so far, when 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez handily defeated 10-term incumbent Representative Joe Crowley, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. Ocasio-Cortez ran a progressive grassroots campaign as a Democratic Socialist advocating for "Medicare for All" and the abolition of ICE. For more on her victory and what it means for the…
democracynow.org/2018/7/27/noam_chomsky_on_alexandria_ocasio_cortezs
The "Mulvaney Discount": Trump's Consumer Protection Czar Is Shrinking Fines for Law-Breaking Companies
David Dayen | theintercept.com | 2018-07-27
In three recent settlements, Mick Mulvaney's CFPB has explicitly reduced the fine handed down against corporate offenders to a fraction of initial amount. | The post The "Mulvaney Discount": Trump's Consumer Protection Czar Is Shrinking Fines for Law-Breaking Companies appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/07/27/mick-mulvaney-consumer-protection-corporate-fines/
Trump, Iran, And The Mother Of All Tales
Shervin Malekzadeh | iranian.com | 2018-07-27
It was a lion's tail that made Trump roar. Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, in a televised speech this past Sunday, warned the US that it harmed its own interests by preventing Iran from exporting oil to the international market. "Do not forget that we have maintained the security of this waterway [Strait of Hormuz] throughout history. We […] | The post Trump, Iran, And The Mother Of All Tales appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/07/26/trump-iran-tales/
The Eye of a Tornado
John Laforge | counterpunch.org | 2018-07-27
BàúCHEL AIR BASE, Germany The "Bàºchel Is Everywhere: Nuclear Weapons-Free Now!" peace camp here stands just across the road from the German NATO base which houses about 20 nuclear bombs belonging to the United States. (Spoiler alert: this so-called "nuclear sharing" is not legal.) The well-equipped anti-nuclear encampment is a 20-week-long public reminder to military…
counterpunch.org/2018/07/27/the-eye-of-a-tornado/
US Suddenly Buys More Ecuadorian Oil: Is Trump Also Buying Assange's Arrest?
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2018-07-27
Over the last two weeks, the U.S. has imported a record amount of Ecuadorian oil, leading to speculation that a deal or pay-off may have been made to ensure Moreno's cooperation with Washington's long-standing efforts to have Assange arrested and extradited. | The post US Suddenly Buys More Ecuadorian Oil: Is Trump Also Buying Assange's Arrest? appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/as-us-buys-more-ecuadorian-oil-is-trump-also-buying-assanges-arrest/246613/
House Republicans Deeply Confused About Why Puerto Rico Might Benefit From Wind and Solar Power
Kate Aronoff | theintercept.com | 2018-07-27
Coal, oil, and gas simply must be a better solution for Puerto Rico, GOP representatives argued at a hearing this week. Anything else is just politics. | The post House Republicans Deeply Confused About Why Puerto Rico Might Benefit From Wind and Solar Power appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/07/27/puerto-rico-energy-sources-prepa-republicans/
Social media snafus: Are liberals more likely to be let off the hook than conservatives? (VIDEO)
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-27
Another day, another celebrity gets embroiled in a social media furor of their own making, as figures from both sides of the political spectrum have their past and present tweets dragged in front of the court of human decency.
rt.com/usa/434414-tweets-liberals-conservatives-outrage/
Venezuela: Maduro Announces Economic Reforms Including Monetary Reconversion, Tax Breaks & Currency Control Changes
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2018-07-26
The measures also transfer an entire oilfield from PDVSA to the Central Bank.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/13967
It's all about friction — new theory explains Yellowstone supervolcano's power
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-26
New research proposes that the movement of ancient plates of rock is what powers Yellowstone Park's supervolcano — the one that could devastate life on earth and blanket cities hundreds of miles away in dense suffocating ash.
rt.com/usa/434381-yellowstone-volcano-friction-explosion/
Human rights group says activists targeting American Indians deserve hate label
Bill Morlin | splcenter.org | 2018-07-25
Groups throughout the United States that favor stripping away tribal sovereignty from American Indians are practicing a brand of hate that deserves higher recognition, the Montana Human Rights Network says in a new briefing paper.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/07/26/human-rights-group-says-activists-targeting-american-indians-deserve-hate-label
Man's Facebook rant about ex pops up on her feed, court rules it violated restraining order
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-25
Unintended communication through social media may amount to a violation of a restraining order and does not get First Amendment protection, Maine's Supreme Court has ruled, in an appeal case.
rt.com/usa/434176-facebook-posts-first-amendment/
Prosecutors want to classify evidence in case against accused 'Russian agent' Maria Butina
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-25
US federal prosecutors want to seal evidence in their case against Maria Butina, the Russian national who has been charged with conspiracy against the United States and failure to register as a foreign agent.
rt.com/usa/434258-maria-butina-protection-order-evidence/
Nuclear watchdog warns of radioactive leak at South Carolina fuel factory
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-25
Radioactive uranium has leaked through a three-inch hole in the floor at a nuclear fuel factory in South Carolina, contaminating the soil below the plant, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission says.
rt.com/usa/434236-uranium-leak-south-carolina/
Climate change events linked to higher rates of suicide — study
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-24
A new study has drawn a link between hotter-than-average weather and a rise in suicide rates. Experts believe the findings are particularly alarming, as climate change threatens even more extreme weather events in the future.
rt.com/usa/434160-climate-change-suicide-rise/
Trump Admin Closes Venezuela Sanctions Loophole in Favour of US Bondholders
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2018-07-20
The measure opens the way for seizures of Venezuela's US-based oil assets should the Maduro government default on PDVSA bond payments.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/13955
Glimmers of Economic Recovery amid Mixed Reports about Venezuelan Oil Production
Cira Pascual Marquina | venezuelanalysis.com | 2018-07-20
Lower levels of oil production have been reportedly offset by rising prices and reduced domestic consumption.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/13958
Venezuela's Defunct National Assembly Attempts to Privatise Oil Industry
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2018-07-12
Grassroots movements have frequently denounced de facto back-door privatisation in PDVSA.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/13935
Trump Head Fakes to Center, Emails Base to Say Kavanaugh is Hard Right
Jud Lounsbury | progressive.org | 2018-07-10
Ah yes, heading back to the good ol' days when the Constitution's "equal protection" language somehow co-existed with Jim Crow and women not being able to vote or hold office.
progressive.org/dispatches/trump-head-fakes-to-center-emails-base-scotus-kavanaugh-is-hard-right-180710/
China Approves US$5Bn Loan for Venezuelan Oil Development
TEV | venezuelanalysis.com | 2018-07-05
Venezuelan officials said Chinese cooperation opens up alternative networks outside the sanctions of the United States.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/13918