(2018-08-04). Earth's Carbon Concentrations Soar to Levels Not Seen in 800,000 Years. truthout.org 
As temperatures bust heat records across the globe and wildfires rage from California to the Arctic, a new report produced annually by more than 500 scientists worldwide found that last year, the carbon dioxide concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere reached the highest levels "in the modern atmospheric measurement record and in ice core records dating back as far as 800,000 years." | While the most significant jump was the global average for carbon dioxide (CO2)—which, at 405.0 parts per million (ppm), saw a 2.2 ppm increase from the previous year—concentrations of other dominant planet-warming greenhouse gases, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), also hit "record highs," according to State of the Climate in 2017 released Wednesday. | Considering those rates, Greg Johnson, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle,
(2018-08-04). Afghanistan: The Taliban Have Fought the U.S. to the Negotiating Table. globalresearch.ca Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | "Attempting to control rural areas in Afghanistan always eventually ends up boiling down to personal survival." — Evan McAllister, former Marine staff sergeant, New York Times, July 28, 2018…
(2018-08-04). This Idea Helped Rescue a City of 3.8 Million From a Water Crisis. truthout.org 
July 10, 2018 — Twenty-five years ago, Chennai, a city on the southeastern coast of India, could barely supply enough water to its 3.8 million citizens. Many of its families depended on water drawn into plastic pots from public stand pipes and pumps. There was not enough water to go around, and municipal supply was unpredictable, with the taps running only intermittently. | People who could afford to do so began to hire private water tankers. Others drilled deep boreholes that tapped discontinuous and unsustainable aquifers in the bedrock of the soil — over 60 meters (200 feet) under the surface. A very small proportion of the population had access to freshwater in subsurface aquifers close to ground level. Today the population of Chennai has more than doubled. The city gets water from four large suburban reservoirs and two desalination plants. River-water &ne…
(2018-08-04). Pompeo Warns Russia, China to Heed Sanctions Against North Korea. truthdig.com The U.S. secretary of state speaks out after the United Nations reports that North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and is violating U.N. sanctions through illicit ship-to-ship transfers of oil and in other ways.
(2018-08-04). Fighting for a Way of Life in the Arctic. progressive.org The coastal plain, opened for oil drilling by the Trump Administration, is the birthplace and nursery for the Porcupine caribou herd, and land that the Gwich'in call, "The Sacred Place Where Life Begins."
(2018-08-04). Head of German secret service advised far-right Alternative for Germany. wsws.org The president of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution met with then-AfD Chairperson Frauke Petry in 2015 to advise her on how to avoid surveillance by the state.
(2018-08-03). Body of Olivia Lone Bear Found in North Dakota as Native Women Face Crisis. truthout.org After an agonizing 9-month search, the body of Olivia Lone Bear was found Tuesday in a pickup truck submerged in a lake right by her house on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The mother of five went missing in late October in New Town, North Dakota. Her disappearance has sparked renewed attention to the disproportionately high rates of disappearance, rape and murder of Native American women across the United States. These already-alarming rates are particularly high in areas of oil extraction, like North Dakota's Bakken Shale, which is the origin point for the Dakota Access pipeline. We speak with Olivia Lone Bear's brother Matthew, who spent the last nine months searching for his sister. We also speak with Mary Kathryn Nagle, a citizen of Cherokee Nation and a partner at Pipestem Law, a law firm dedicated to the restoration of tribal sovereignty and…
(2018-08-03). Capitalism Killed Our Climate Momentum, Not "Human Nature" theintercept.com 
Nathaniel Rich, in his massive New York Times Magazine article, argues "human nature" kept "us" from fixing climate change in the 1980s. He's dead wrong.
(2018-08-03). The End of the Line — A Climate in Crisis. counterpunch.org 
The world of academia is starting to pick up on the concept that humanity is unknowingly cruising on a train ride to doomsday, a surefire encounter with collapse of society based upon climate crises brought on by exponential climate change. The depth of the problem: It's inevitable and inescapable. Nonetheless, people do not want to More
(2018-08-03). You Can't Sue Fossil Fuel Industry Over Climate Change. counterpunch.org "Turns out cities can't sue oil companies for climate change" reads the title of an article in Wired.Com magazine. Well, obviously; the purpose of the US judiciary is to protect massed capital from popular democracy. The truth is that climate change denial is primarily a failure of the U.S. Government (and other governments), from — More
(2018-08-03). Mass Media Fail to Link Heat Waves and Climate Change. therealnews.com 
Even though studies show that human-caused climate change is doubling the likelihood of heat waves, major news outlets consistently fail to make the link, which makes dealing with the problem far more difficult than it should be
(2018-08-03). Body of Olivia Lone Bear Found in N. Dakota as Native Women Face Crisis of Murders, Disappearances. democracynow.org 
After an agonizing 9-month search, the body of Olivia Lone Bear was found Tuesday in a pickup truck submerged in a lake right by her house on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The mother of five went missing in late October in New Town, North Dakota. Her disappearance has sparked renewed attention to the disproportionately high rates of disappearance, rape and murder of Native American women across the United States. These already-alarming rates are particularly high in areas of oil extraction, like North Dakota's Bakken Shale, which is the origin point for the Dakota Access pipeline. We speak with Olivia Lone Bear'
(2018-08-02). "Losing Earth": How Humanity Came to Understand Climate Change & Failed to Act in Time. democracynow.org 
"Losing Earth." That's the title of The New York Times Magazine article by Nathaniel Rich published August 1 in a special edition of the magazine dedicated entirely to climate change. The story tracks the 10-year period from 1979 to 1989, the decade Rich claims that humankind first came to a comprehensive understanding of climate change but failed to address its extreme dangers while there was still time. The story was produced with the support of the Pulitzer Center. We speak with Nathaniel Rich, writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine.
(2018-08-02). Extreme Weather Is Exploding Around the World. Why Isn't the Media Talking About Climate Change? democracynow.org 
Major corporate broadcast networks reported on July's 2-week global heat wave at least 127 times, but mentioned climate change only once. That's according to a report by Media Matters, which tracked coverage of the extreme weather by ABC, CBS and NBC. We host a panel discussion on the media's role in the climate change crisis, the fossil fuel industry and global warming-fueled extreme weather across the globe. We speak with Nathaniel Rich, writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine. His piece "Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change" was published August 1 in a special edition of The New Yo…
(2018-08-02). Rob Nixon: Gov't Inaction on Climate Change Is "Slow Violence" That Hits World's Poor the Hardest. democracynow.org 
With unprecedented fires, floods and heat waves sweeping the globe, 2018 is on track to be the fourth-hottest year on record. The regions most affected by the disastrous effects of global warming are overwhelmingly not the countries that have contributed the most to climate change. According to the 2018 Global Climate Risk Index released by the public policy group Germanwatch, the nine countries most affected by climate change in the past 20 years are developing nations, including Honduras, Haiti, Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indian government says more than 500 people have died as a result of flooding and…
(2018-08-01). Can Baltimore Take on Big Oil? therealnews.com 
Baltimore City Solicitor Andre Davis explains why the city is suing big oil companies and responds to critics who say the suit doomed to fail
(2018-07-31). The Baltimore Bureau Podcast Show July 30, 2018. therealnews.com 
Dharna, Eze, and Khalilah discuss movements to fight climate change and to create a Black arts & entertainment in Baltimore, Afro-Latina day, and the history of "activist entrepreneurs"
(2018-07-31). Portland mayor's office violated Constitution by denying ICE protection during protest, union claims. rt.com 
Portland mayor's office violated the US Constitution by telling police not to interfere with a protest against federal immigration policies, a letter sent by their union said.
(2018-07-30). Noam Chomsky: Survival of Organized Human Life Is At Risk Due to Climate Change & Nuclear Weapons. democracynow.org 
At least eight people have died in California as climate change-fueled wildfires rage statewide. In total, firefighters are battling 17 wildfires blazing across California, engulfing more than 200,000 acres and forcing mass evacuations, including in Yosemite National Park. The fires come amid a surge of deadly extreme weather worldwide, including in India, where more than 500 people have died as a result of flooding and heavy rains in recent weeks. Scientists have linked increased flooding and rainfall to climate change. For more, we speak with world-renowned political dissident, author and linguist Noam Chomsky.
(2018-07-30). Blue Lives Matter claims Facebook's 'fake news' rules have halved its audience. rt.com 
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.
(2018-07-30). State of emergency in Michigan county as tested water is 20 times the safe level for PFAS chemicals. rt.com 
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.
(2018-07-30). 'Every necessary precaution': Fear of Ebola spreading places Denver hospital on lockdown. rt.com 
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.
(2018-07-27). Noam Chomsky on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Spectacular" Victory & Growing Split in Democratic Party. democracynow.org 
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…
(2018-07-26). Venezuela: Maduro Announces Economic Reforms Including Monetary Reconversion, Tax Breaks & Currency Control Changes. venezuelanalysis.com The measures also transfer an entire oilfield from PDVSA to the Central Bank.
(2018-07-26). Headlines for July 26, 2018. democracynow.org 900+ Immigrant Families Still Separated at Deadline for Reunification, 8 Arrested at Protest of Chase Bank's Ties to Immigration Detention, Trump Says He's Reached a Deal to Halt Trade War with EU, White House Bars CNN Correspondent After She Questions Trump, Pakistan: Imran Khan Poised to Become PM as Opposition Rejects Vote, Syria: 216 Killed in ISIS Attacks on Southern City, Saudi Arabia Halts Oil Shipments as Yemeni Rebels Attack Tankers, Gaza: Israeli Strikes Kill 3 Palestinians as Ceasefire Breaks, U.N. Agency for Palestinians Lays Off Hundreds as U.S. Cuts Funding, White House Delays Planned Putin-Trump Me…
(2018-07-25). Trump's War on the Environment, from Attacking California Fuel Standards to Destroying Public Lands. democracynow.org 
While climate change denier Scott Pruitt has been ousted as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency over a slew of corruption scandals and his close ties to industry lobbyists, the Trump administration's war on the environment and environmental regulations continues unabated. For more on the government's attacks on public land protections and key regulations like California's fuel emissions standards, we speak with Kierán Suckling, executive director and a founder of the Center for Biological Diversity.
(2018-07-25). As Heat Wave Sweeps the Globe, New Study Warns of Deadly Link Between Rising Temps and Suicide. democracynow.org 
As deadly fires and heat waves kill scores across the globe, a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change reports that when there are abnormally hot temperatures, there also tend to be higher suicide rates. The study warns up to 26,000 more people could die by suicide in the United States by 2050 if humans don't reduce emissions of greenhouse gas pollution. We speak to Dr. Sanjay Basu, co-author of the new study and assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University.
(2018-07-25). Profit Over Grizzlies: Trump Admin Tries to Gut Endangered Species Act for Oil & Mining Interests. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has announced plans to gut the Endangered Species Act, ordering federal agencies to consider economic impacts before listing animals to be protected under the law. The newly proposed guidelines by the Interior Department would allow corporations involved in mining, drilling or other forms of extraction to proceed with projects that would otherwise be prohibited. The Trump administration's proposed rules are among several recent attacks endangering the Endangered Species Act. Earlier this month, the Congressional Western Caucus introduced a package of nine bills to "modernize" the ESA. In…
(2018-07-20). Trump Admin Closes Venezuela Sanctions Loophole in Favour of US Bondholders. venezuelanalysis.com The measure opens the way for seizures of Venezuela's US-based oil assets should the Maduro government default on PDVSA bond payments.
(2018-07-20). Glimmers of Economic Recovery amid Mixed Reports about Venezuelan Oil Production. venezuelanalysis.com Lower levels of oil production have been reportedly offset by rising prices and reduced domestic consumption.
(2018-07-12). Venezuela's Defunct National Assembly Attempts to Privatise Oil Industry. venezuelanalysis.com Grassroots movements have frequently denounced de facto back-door privatisation in PDVSA.
(2018-07-10). Trump Head Fakes to Center, Emails Base to Say Kavanaugh is Hard Right. progressive.org 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.
(2018-07-05). China Approves US$5Bn Loan for Venezuelan Oil Development. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuelan officials said Chinese cooperation opens up alternative networks outside the sanctions of the United States.