Robert Hunziker (2018-05-14). Climate Crisis Clobbers Trump Denials. counterpunch.org 
Photo by Bert Kaufmann | CC BY 2.0 | Harken! A Trump appointee agrees that climate change is not a hoax. Granted, that is unimaginable, but it is the real thing. An ongoing climate crisis in America's Southwest brings this rare specimen into the limelight. | The climate crisis star of the year is Brenda Burman, commissioner of The Bureau of Reclamation, a division of the Department of Interior, who, in her confirmation hearings said: "I believe that climate change is not a hoax." After all, in her youth she did serve as a park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park; she's an outdoorsperson. | She comes to the forefront via an ongoing dire ultra scary southwestern drought. According to The Bureau of Reclamation (Trump's Bureau) it's the worst drought in over 1,200 years. (Source: Eric Holthaus, Look! A Federal Agency is…
truth-out.org (2018-05-14). Tick-Borne Illness Has Tripled, but the CDC Refuses to Blame Climate Change. truth-out.org We count on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to look out for our public health interests — whether responding to outbreaks or identifying emerging threats. These should be nonpartisan activities, but there are signs that the Trump administration's antipathy to climate science is creeping into CDC policy. And that's bad news for all of us — including climate change skeptics. | That point was made clear in a recent CDC report about the rise of tick-borne illnesses. While many people associate ticks with Lyme disease, they can also cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, dengue, Zika, West Nile and a number of other illnesses. | Epidemiological evidence suggests that some tick-borne illnesses are becoming more common and spreading out of their traditional range. One reason for the shift is environmental pressure, as development expands into…
Patrick Cockburn (2018-05-14). If Europe Wants To Remain On The World Stage, It Must Resist Trump On Iran. iranian.com "Iraq is at the muzzle of the gun," says Ali Allawi, Iraqi historian and former minister, speaking of the increased turmoil expected to follow the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement. It is not only Iraq which is in danger: an escalating confrontation between the US and Iran will affect the whole region, but […]
Human Rights Watch (2018-05-14). Philippines Acts to Combat Violence Against Children. hrw.org 
Mourners watch as Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old student who was shot during anti-drug operations is buried in Caloocan, Metro Manila, Philippines August 26, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | The Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence against Children, formulated by the government's Council for the Welfare of Children and UNICEF, the United Nations children's organization, outlines and harmonizes the roles of different agencies to enforce child protection measures. It seeks to "break the cycle" of violence by ensuring access to services, building the capacity of children to protect themselves, improving legislation, and serving as a guide for policymakers and donors. | "It is concerning that violence pervades on children, committed by people they trust," said Julia Rees of UNICEF Philippines, referring to findings of a study commissioned by the agency…
amnesty.org (2018-05-14). Civil Socieities call regarding the security of citizens, Human Rights and Rule of Law in Tanzania. amnesty.org We, the undersigned Civil Societies Organizations (CSOs) in this petition, are seriously concerned by the current situation of human rights violations, rule of law and the security of citizens in Tanzania. CSOs are independent and autonomous entities established by different laws of Tanzania. These organizations implement various activities in ensuring sustainable development for our nation. CSOs have been a catalyst of development in Tanzania because of the social service delivery role they have been playing to improve people's lives and above all protection of human rights.
Democracy Now! (2018-05-14). Headlines for May 14, 2018. democracynow.org Israeli Soldiers Kill Dozens of Palestinians as U.S. Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Trump Admin Threatens to Sanction European Firms Doing Business with Iran, In Reversal, Trump Trying to Save Chinese Company Hit by U.S. Sanctions, Report: Trump Admin Eliminates NASA Program to Monitor Carbon & Methane, Afghanistan: Taliban Kill More Than 100 Afghan Soldiers & Police in Last Week, Pakistan Prevents U.S. Diplomat from Leaving, After He Killed 1 in Car Crash, Burundi: 26 Killed in Attack on Village, Days Before Controversial Referendum, Iraq: Early Election Results Show Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Lead, Indonesia: ISIS Claims Responsibility for String of Attacks on Churches, 1974 CIA Memo: Brazil's Former Dictator Personally Approved Summary Executions, White House Refuses to Apologize for Aide's Comments Mocking John McCain, American Bishop Michael Curry to Deliver Sermon at British Royal Wedding, Trump Admin Rolls Back Protections for Transgender Prisoners…
Human Rights Watch (2018-05-14). US Bureau of Prisons Policy Change Endangers Transgender Prisoners. hrw.org 
An illustration depicts a transgender woman housed in a men's immigration detention facility. | © 2016 Brian Stauffer for Human Rights Watch | The Trump administration's decision to change the policy of the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for housing transgender prisoners is dangerous, wrongheaded, and unnecessary. | Because being transgender is a known risk for being sexually victimized in confinement, the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and Department of Justice guidance issued in 2016 called for individual determinations of housing, program, and other assignments in correctional facilities. That means an individual assessment must be made, taking many factors into account, including the person's own views about their gender and safety. It also made assigning a transgender prisoner to housing, programs, or other services based solely on their sex assigned at birth is…
wsws.org (2018-05-14). US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal drives Ankara into a corner. wsws.org Washington's reimposition of punishing economic sanctions on Iran, and its plans to force other countries to follow suit, threatens to roil the already crisis-ridden Turkish economy.
wsws.org (2018-05-12). Eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues into second week. wsws.org At least 1,700 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as the island has been rocked by a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions over the past week.
Ron Jacobs (2018-05-11). An Ideology of Self-Righteousness. counterpunch.org 
Rolf Petri begins his introduction to his new book A Short History of Western Ideology by quoting Samuel Huntington from his too-often-quoted essay titled "The Clash of Civilizations." The essence of that essay was simple: the future of history will be the struggle between different earthly civilizations. More to the point, the likely conflict would More
Patrick Cockburn (2018-05-11). If Europe Wants to Remain on the World Stage, It Must Resist Trump on Iran. counterpunch.org 
"Iraq is at the muzzle of the gun," says Ali Allawi, Iraqi historian and former minister, speaking of the increased turmoil expected to follow the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement. It is not only Iraq which is in danger: an escalating confrontation between the US and Iran will affect the whole region, but More
RT (2018-05-11). Trump's environment czar Pruitt in trouble over ethics. rt.com 
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, who is under scrutiny for his lavish spending habits at taxpayers' expense, must answer to ethics concerns, the White House has said.
RT.com
wsws.org (2018-05-11). Japan, China and South Korea hold talks on North Korea and trade. wsws.org While North Korea dominated the summit, concerns over US protectionist measures may result in improved relations between the three Asian neighbors.
Human Rights Watch (2018-05-11). Philippine Chief Justice Ouster an Assault on Rights, Democracy. hrw.org 
Ousted Philippine Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno speaks to supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court building on Taft Avenue, metro Manila, Philippines May 11, 2018. | The Philippine Supreme Court's unprecedented and nefarious removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno constitutes a frontal assault on human rights protections and democratic rule. | The court, by an 8 to 6 vote, approved a government-filed petition questioning the validity of Sereno's appointment. But Sereno's ouster was about much more. Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte declared Sereno an " enemy" and called for her impeachment for her criticism of his murderous "war on drugs" and other abusive policies. | Sereno, 57, is just the latest in a growing list of institutions and individuals — including Philippine media outlets and
Democracy Now! (2018-05-11). Immigration Officials Are Using Pseudoscience to Justify Jailing Teenage Asylum Seekers with Adults. democracynow.org 
This week, the Trump administration announced it will detain asylum seekers and separate them from their children at the border. A case in California shows how some minors who arrived alone to seek asylum have been put in adult detention. Immigration authorities in California are refusing to release an Afghan asylum seeker from an adult detention center, even though a federal court had determined he is a child. His lawyers say the teenager, who has been held in adult detention for five months, is 17 years old. But ICE used a disputed "pseudoscience" age test based on a dental exam to insist he is over 18. The teen, who uses the name Hamid for privacy and protection, says he fled Afghanistan using a forged passport after the Taliban murdered his father. On Tuesday, Hamid spoke to Democracy Now! in his first phone interview from the Mesa Verde detention center in Bakersfield, California. We speak to his attorney Mariel Villarreal in New York.
RT (2018-05-10). #NappingWhileBlack: Yale embroiled in race row after bizarre dorm incident. rt.com 
The dean of Yale says the prestigious university needs to make efforts to be more inclusive after a white graduate student called the police on a black student who fell asleep on a couch in a common area of their campus residence.
RT.com
wsws.org (2018-05-09). Christian Petzold's Transit: The condition of refugees as hell on earth. wsws.org The fate of refugees is the subject of Transit, the latest film by prominent German director Christian Petzold, which featured at the 2018 Berlinale and is now on public release in Germany.
Democracy Now! (2018-05-09). Primary Day: Blankenship Out in WV; Consumer Watchdog Wins in Ohio; Pence's Brother Wins in Indiana. democracynow.org 
Voters in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina headed to the polls Tuesday to decide a number of key primaries. In West Virginia, the state's Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won a closely watched U.S. Senate primary, defeating U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins and former coal baron Don Blankenship. Blankenship had served a year in prison after 29 miners died in the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. He faced intense criticism after releasing an ad attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his "China family." Patrick Morrisey will now face the conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in November. In Ohio, Richard Cordray defeated former Congressmember Dennis Kucinich in the state's Democratic primary for governor. Cordray served as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He will now face Mike DeWine in November to determine who will replace outgoing Ohio Governor…
RT (2018-05-09). Americans released by North Korea land on US soil. rt.com 
Donald Trump is receiving US citizens at the Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC after they were freed from North Korean captivity with the help of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who negotiated their release.
RT.com
RT (2018-05-08). 'Heinous acts': US Olympic committee accused of sex trafficking in new lawsuit. rt.com 
The US Olympic Committee is embroiled in a fresh misconduct controversy as a new lawsuit alleges that it knowingly allowed the sex trafficking and abuse of Taekwondo athletes for more than 20 years.
RT.com
Democracy Now! (2018-05-07). Nearly 90,000 Hondurans May Be Deported to Danger and Poverty as Trump Ends Their Protected Status. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration announced Friday it is ending temporary protected status for nearly 90,000 Hondurans now living in the United States, saying they must return home. TPS is an immigration status granted to foreign nationals who can't safely return to their home countries, and allows them to legally live and work in the United States. Hondurans were first given TPS in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch devastated the country. Critics note Honduras remains the one of the world's most violent countries. The Trump administration has also ended protections for El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan. Only South Sudan and Syria were renewed. An estimated 300,000 people will be impacted overall. We get response from Patricia Montes, an immigrant from Honduras and executive director of Centro Presente in Boston, Massachusetts, which has worked with members from Honduras and Central America since the 1980s. She also has family members who will lose their temporary protected status.