(2018-07-03). Valley of Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Listed as UNESCO Heritage Site. telesurtv.net The area has been under state protection since 1998 and in 2012 was declared a biosphere reserve.
(2018-07-03). Heat Waves and Climate Change: Mass Media Fails to Make the Connection. therealnews.com 
The failure to link the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves means that the general population remains relatively unaware of the urgency of climate change, says Jennifer Marlon of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
(2018-07-03). Three Climatic Monsters with Asteroid Impact. counterpunch.org 
Three monster climatic events are currently shaping up to collide. It'll be like an asteroid collision. In that regard, this article, in two parts, explores real, already happening, indisputable climate change that is starting to take down ecosystems throughout the biosphere. It's happening now. For perspective on asteroids, the last one, 7 Ω miles wide, More
(2018-07-03). Ecology: The Keystone Science. counterpunch.org 
More>
(2018-07-03). US: Undocumented Crime Fighters Deserve Protection. hrw.org 
Alan "Superman" Gonzalez welding, June 5, 2018. | ©2018 Human Rights Watch | (New York) — Undocumented immigrants brave enough to come forward to report crime, need to know they can safely approach police without fear of deportation, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Congress should preserve and expand provisions in the Violence Against Women Act that allow courageous undocumented immigrants to safely report crime. | The U visa, created with strong bi-partisan support as part of the 2000 Violence Against Women Act, creates a path for crime victims who cooperate in investigations of serious crimes to apply for legal status in the US. The program is up for renewal this year. | Based on interviews with law enforcement in five states, immigration lawyers and crime victims, the 43-page report, "
(2018-07-03). Europe is Losing its Moral Compass in the Mediterranean. hrw.org 
Migrants are seen onboard the charity ship Lifeline at Boiler Wharf in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta June 27, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | As an American living in Italy, I feel almost choked by despair. The country of my parents ripped young children from their parents and put them in cages. The country of my children is condemning people to drown in the Mediterranean. | Over 200 people have drowned or gone missing off the Libyan coast in the last three days, including young babies, bringing the death toll so far this year to over 1,000. | The new Italian government closed its ports to rescue boats in June. After years of laudable efforts to save lives in the Central Mediterranean, the Italian state-run Maritime Rescue Coordination Center is denying any…
(2018-07-03). US: Renew 'Temporary Protection' for Yemenis. hrw.org 
Saudi-led coalition aircraft struck three apartment buildings in Faj Attan, a densely populated neighborhood in Sanaa, on August 25, 2017. Two of the buildings were completely destroyed and the third suffered extensive damage. | © 2017 Mohammed al-Mekhlafi | (Washington, DC) — The United States government should renew its grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Yemenis living in the US, Human Rights Watch said today. Anyone forcibly returned to Yemen faces serious risks to their personal safety from the ongoing armed conflict and laws of war violations by the warring parties. | The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to announce a decision on July 5, 2018, about whether to extend existing Temporary Protected Status for Yemenis. Since the department's last decision to continue the program for Yemenis in…
(2018-07-02). GM Crops in India: Approval by Contamination? counterpunch.org The regulatory system for GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in India is in tatters. So said the Coalition for a GMFree India (CGMFI) in 2017 after media reports about the illegal cultivation of GM soybean in the country. In India, five high-level reports have already advised against the adoption of GM crops: The 'Jairam Ramesh Report', imposing an indefinite moratorium on Bt More
(2018-07-02). DeVos Says Discrimination Is 'Not Necessarily' the Cause of Racist Policies. alternet.org 
The education secretary has been targeting minority students since she took the office. | Betsy DeVos has placed a two-year postponement on an Obama-era rule that would have gone into effect July 1. The rule was designed to protect minority special needs students from racist polices after some studies show minority students are placed in special education classes at a higher rate, and are disciplined at a higher rate than their non-minority peers. Despite the evidence, the Education Dept. has placed a notice in the Federal Register stating it believes "the racial disparities in the identification, placement, or discipline of children with disabilities are not necessarily evidence of, or primarily caused by, discrimination," as Politico reports. The rule is also designed to ensure that schools are funding special education classes appropriately. DeVos has been targeting minority students since she became Education Secretary. One. . .
(2018-07-02). Settlers Continue to Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque. imemc.org Scores of Israeli settlers, during the early hours of Monday, broke into courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque compound, via the Mughrabi Gate, under heavy protection of Israeli occupation police. | Jerusalemite sources reported that 51 settlers stormed the mosque's courtyards in groups and carried out provocative tours. | The sources added […]…
(2018-07-02). U.S. Courts Just Scoffed at the Chance to Hold Big Oil Accountable for Climate Change — Now What? alternet.org 
A judge has dismissed San Francisco and Oakland's lawsuit against Big Oil for climate change-related damages. | On June 25, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by San Francisco and Oakland against the five biggest privately owned oil companies for climate change-related damages. Why? He believes the problem is too big to be decided by the federal courts and that Congress and the administration should take care of it. Fat chance of that happening anytime soon, and the courts are at least partly to blame. In his ruling, U. S. District Judge William Alsup agreed with the plaintiffs that there is a "vast [scientific] consensus that the combustion of fossil fuels has . . . materially increased carbon dioxide levels," which has driven up average global temperatures and raised sea levels. Likewise, he noted that the oil companies "have allegedly long known the threat fossil fuels. . .
(2018-07-02). 143 Million Climate Refugees by 2050. therealnews.com 
A World Bank report: Groundswell, warns of the worsening impact of climate change in three regions of the world. It could lead to a tremendous humanitarian crisis says Kanta Kumari Rigaud, the lead author of the study
(2018-07-02). Diet, Ignorance and the Environmental Catastrophe. counterpunch.org Climate Change sounds vast and impersonal, but it's really a very personal matter; a global crisis caused by the individual actions humanity has collectively taken. All too often such actions proceed from a position of ignorance selfishness and habit, and are undertaken with little or no understanding of the effects on the natural environment. The More
(2018-07-02). Is the U.S. About to Give Up on Its Lawless and Catastrophic Adventure in Syria? alternet.org 
The sooner the U. S. closes up shop in Syria, the better. | The crisis in Syria, now seven years running, is on the brink of a decisive turn. In a short while, the Assad government will either succeed or fail in its efforts to restore Syrian sovereignty in the most significant areas of the country, the U. S. will acknowledge its years of disastrous mistakes or drift toward more or less open intervention, and Israel will either escalate or reduce its long-running aggressions on Syrian soil. It is now nearly three months since the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) drove the last Army of Islam jihadists from Eastern Ghouta, the Damascus suburb where scores of thousands were held prisoners, forced into basements, or shot if they availed of internationally agreed escape corridors. Those days in April are recalled now primarily for an alleged gas attack—the. . .
(2018-07-02). Uganda's Troubling Social Media Tax. hrw.org 
Ugandan lawmakers arrive at the parliament, in Kampala, Uganda September 21, 2017. | © 2018 Reuters | This weekend the Ugandan government began to implement a troubling new set of tax rules requiring social media users — including of popular apps like WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook – to pay a daily fee of 200 Ugandan Shilling (US$0.05). The levy will be collected through mobile money services run by local telecom companies, for which the new law — passed by Uganda's parliament back in May — also imposes a 1 percent tax for every transaction. | The government claims the taxes will raise revenue for the benefit of everyone in the country, but the new fees actually appear to be just another way for authorities to stifle free speech. Both government critics and the…
(2018-07-02). Poland's New Surveillance Law Targets Personal Data of Environmental Advocates, Threatening U.N. Climate Talks. theintercept.com 
A new Polish law with sweeping surveillance measures threatens free speech and the success of an important climate conference scheduled to take place in Katowice, Poland, later this year. | The conference, COP24, is billed as "Paris 2.0" — a crucial follow-up the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, where the Paris Climate Agreement was negotiated. Around 40,000 people from all over the world are expected flock to the industrial city in December, where participating countries will decide on the rulebook for implementing the historic climate accord. | In advance of the conference, a growing number of international NGOs and United Nations agencies have raised concerns about a law passed by Poland's parliament — a bill "on specific solutions related to the organization of sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the Republic…
(2018-07-01). Libya Has Reached Its Turning Point. The Battle for Oil, "US-NATO Go Home" globalresearch.ca The UN Security Council selected, unelected but anointed Libyan government in Tripoli (the GNA) rejects the elected parliament in Tobruk's decision announced by Field Marshall Haftar, to now keep funds of oil sales and not send such funds to …
(2018-07-01). A New Film Examines Sexual Violence as a Feature of the Bakken Oil Boom. theintercept.com "Nuuca" looks at attributes of the boom that go beyond emissions and oil spills: rising rates of sexual violence, trafficking, and harassment by oil workers.
(2018-06-30). Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Continues to Disrupt Marine Life. globalresearch.ca Featured image: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, found to be partially caused by lax safety regulations, killed 11 people and injured 16. (Photo: Florida Sea Grant/Flickr/cc) | Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi have studied the microbes found on several …
(2018-06-30). GM Crops in India: Approval by Contamination? asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2018-06-30). US Sanctions Against Iran Aimed at Regime Change. globalresearch.ca The Trump administration further spelled out this week the draconian sanctions it intends to enforce on Iran. A senior State Department official told the media the US would take measures against any country that failed to reduce its oil imports …
(2018-06-30). US sanctions against Iran aimed at regime change. wsws.org Companies that fail to stop buying Iranian oil by November 4 face being excluded from the US financial system.
(2018-06-29). Amnesty International calls on Burundi to match rhetoric with effective human rights protection. amnesty.org Amnesty International welcomes Burundi's acceptance of 125 recommendations, but regrets that the government rejected almost as many. While Burundi has agreed to implement a number of recommendations on important points of principle, such as the need for accountability, it has not accepted recommendations on the practical steps needed to ensure that these principles are realized.
(2018-06-29). "I will fight to my last breath" – Esther Kiobel on her 22-year battle to get Shell in court. amnesty.org Esther says Amnesty activists have given her the strength to carry on fighting for justice | A year ago today, Esther Kiobel stood on the steps of the Palace of Justice in The Hague. It had taken over twenty years to get there, but she had just filed a landmark case against the oil giant Shell over what she says is its role in the 1995 execution of her husband Dr. Barinem Kiobel. Dr Kiobel, a former government official, was hanged by the Nigerian military government in connection with widespread protests against oil pollution in the Niger Delta. | "We love him to death," Esther says of her late husband more than two decades after she last saw him in prison. "His spirit is still crying, looking for justice." | In the 1990s, Ogoniland, the oil-rich region of the Niger Delta where the…
(2018-06-28). Justice Anthony Kennedy's Retirement: End of Roe v. Wade? therealnews.com 
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement will represent a major blow to liberal precedents, as Trump will appoint a new justice now who will work to reverse them. Legal abortion, affirmative action, death penalty protections, will probably all be overturned, says Prof. Francis Boyle
(2018-06-28). Elon Musk & the farting unicorn: Cartoon dispute drags Tesla boss into 'compensation' row. rt.com 
Elon Musk has become embroiled in an intellectual property row after telling an artist it would be "kinda lame" if he sought compensation over allegations Tesla reproduced his work without permission.
(2018-06-28). Trump's "Shithole Countries" Remark Is at the Center of a Lawsuit to Reinstate Protections for Immigrants. theintercept.com 
When President Donald Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and an assortment of African nations as " shithole countries" during a closed-door meeting with congressional leaders and Cabinet members in January, he may have unwittingly planted the seed for the unraveling of a critical part of his deportation agenda. | Last Friday, in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the first hearing was held for a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's revocation of Temporary Protected Status for over 200,000 foreign nationals from four countries who currently live in the United States. The lawsuit alleges that Trump's rhetoric demonstrates that his administration's cancellation of TPS was motivated by bigotry, rather than policy concerns. | "The Trump administration's decision to end TPS for people from these countries was motivated by its racism against non-white, non-Europeans immigrants," said Ahilan Arulanantham, legal director at the American…
(2018-06-27). US Pushing Allies To Halt Iran Oil Imports, No Exceptions. iranian.com The United States is pushing countries to halt imports of Iranian oil from November, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday, and it will not grant any waivers to sanctions, a hardline position the Trump administration says is meant to cut off funding to Iran. US President Donald Trump in May said his administration […]
(2018-06-26). For WaPo, Subsidizing Bus Fare Is a Lot Like Giving the Rich $5 Trillion. fair.org 
Mexican presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador "bears more than a passing political resemblance to President Trump," according to the Washington Post editorial page ( 6/17/18). | According to the Washington Post ( 6/17/18), Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the frontrunner in Mexico's July 1 election, "bears more than a passing political resemblance" to US President Donald Trump. | Indeed, they are practically the same person: In the late 1970s, AMLO—as López Obrador is sometimes called— was "taking on Mexico's state-run oil company, Pemex, setting up protest camps outside its offices to force it to pay compensation to indigenous communities and campesinos whose lands it had polluted." | Around the same time, in 1975, Donald Trump was busy settling a lawsuit with the US Justice Department that accused the company he owned with his father of refusing to rent or…
(2018-06-26). Headlines for June 26, 2018. democracynow.org Mattis: U.S. Preparing to Imprison Immigrant Children on Two Texas Military Bases, Border Patrol to Stop Handing Immigrant Parents Over for Prosecution, In El Paso, Immigrant Parents Demand Return of Their Children, AP: Algeria Has Expelled 13,000 Migrants into Sahara Desert, Newly Released Scott Pruitt Emails Show More Ties to Lobbyist, Fossil Fuel Industry, NOAA Proposed Dropping "Climate" from Mission, Judge Dismisses Cities' Effort to Force Fossil Fuel Companies to Pay for Climate Change, Trump Attacks & Threatens Rep. Maxine Waters, PA: Family Holds Funeral for Antwon Rose, Unarmed Black Teen Killed by Police, Mexico: 2 More Political Candidates Assassinated in Lead-Up to Presidential Election, Brazilian Radio Journalist Jairo Sousa Assassinated in Pará, Argentina: Unions Launch 24-Hour General Strike to Protest Austerity, FDA Approves Cannabis-Based Drug for the First Time…
(2018-06-25). FDA approves America's first marijuana-based medication. rt.com 
In a breakthrough for medical marijuana use, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the US' first drug made from cannabis oil, designed to treat two rare forms of epilepsy. |
(2018-06-22). WaPo Can't Believe White Supremacist Senate Candidate Really Means It. fair.org 
Washington Post ( 6/15/18) takes on Corey Stewart and his "combative style." | A few things about Virginia Republican Senate candidate Corey Stewart: | He described as "one of my personal heroes" Wisconsin congressional candidate and self-described "pro-White Christian" Paul Nehlen, who suggests deporting all Muslims, and whose overt and various hatreds have led Breitbart to break ties with him, along with a Twitter ban. | Stewart joined his endorser Jason Kessler at a rally for Kessler's group, Unity and Security for America, last year. Kessler, of course, was the organizer of the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, with the Nazi salutes and the "blood and soil" chanting, and the murder of counter-protester Heather Heyer. After the Charlottesville rally, Stewart declared there was "no reason to apologize." | A self-described "proud Southerner" who was born and raised in…
(2018-06-21). Headlines for June 21, 2018. democracynow.org Trump Signs Executive Order to Jail Immigrant Families Together, Without Limit, House to Debate Anti-Immigrant Bills Providing $25B to Militarize Border, Migrant Children Secretly Transported to NYC Foster Care in Dead of Night, Reveal: Migrant Youths Sent to Detention Centers with Abuse Histories, Airlines Refuse to Transport Separated Migrant Children, Portland ICE Office Closes Amid 24/7 Protest over Family Separations, Scathing New Report Gives U.S. "F" Grade over Refugee Treatment, Hungary Approves Law Criminalizing Those Who Help Migrants, U.N. Investigators: Syrian Gov't Committed War Crimes in Eastern Ghouta, EPA Releases Long-Suppressed "Nightmare" Study on Water Contamination, Nearly 100 U.S. Meteorologists to Stage On-Air Climate Change Protest, Climate Change Fuels Floods in Texas, Ivory Coast, India, Bangladesh, Former Archbishop of D.C. Removed over Sexual Abuse Accusations, Disney Raises 21st Century Fox Takeover Bid to $71 Billion, UNC Student Faces Possible Expulsion over Confederate Statue Protest…
(2018-06-07). Maduro & Workers Push to Stimulate Venezuela's Oil Industry amid Collapsing Production. venezuelanalysis.com It is alleged that PDVSA does not possess sufficient stocks to fulfill its June export orders.