(2018-07-05). Where Did Tax Benefits Trump Promised Average Americans Go? Straight to Big Oil, Big Pharma and Their Crappy Insurance. alternet.org 
"American families are seeing this tax cut law for what it is—a scam. " | Any tax cuts working families received this year after the Republican Party pushed through its tax law have likely been canceled out by higher costs of gas, healthcare, and other necessities, according to Americans for Tax Fairness (AFT), due to President Donald Trump's policies. The average American family is paying $420 more per year for fuel than they did before Trump entered office in January 2017, the group said this week, while Trump's changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will cost middle class households an average of $2,000 more in healthcare costs than they paid previously. While traveling around the country selling their tax proposal, Republicans including Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis. ) promised an average tax cut of $1,182 for the average American family—far. . .
(2018-07-05). Trump to Saudi Arabia: Lower Oil Prices or We Won't 'Defend' You. mintpressnews.com 
The situation has put Saudi in a precarious position and it's probably one which the Kingdom has not foreseen having pushed the US to take such a hard line against the Iranians.
(2018-07-05). US Refineries Persist in Using Toxic Acid, Despite Safer Alternatives. truthout.org Fifty refineries across the United States use hydrofluoric acid. Because this highly toxic substance can travel for miles in the form of a potentially fatal ground-hugging cloud, however, use of the chemical continues to prove highly controversial — rarely more so than now, given recent accidents at some of these refineries and potential rule changes that call into question the chemical's long-term future in the oil refining industry. | In January 2017, California regulators announced that they were taking steps to potentially phase out a modified version of the acid being used at the two refineries in the state, but the rule is still being thrashed out, and it's too soon to say whether an outright ban on hydrofluoric acid will be enacted there. | Hydrofluoric acid is used as a catalyst to transform crude oil into high-octane gasoline. If released…
(2018-07-05). Twitter accuses Republican senators of defiling America after spending July 4 in Moscow. rt.com 
A group of Republican senators have been accused of treason after spending July 4 in Moscow. Real patriots spend Independence Day eating potato salad on US soil, according to astute Twitter users.
(2018-07-04). Americans ask Russians to fix their space-toilet. rt.com 
When you want a job done right, send in the Russians. NASA has renewed a contract with Russian firm Energia to maintain and repair toilets on board the US segment of the International Space Station. |
(2018-07-04). An American Century of Brutal Overseas Conquest Began at Guantánamo Bay. theintercept.com It is a testament to the Washington establishment's rhetorical dexterity that it labeled Guantánamo Bay home of the world's most dangerous terrorists. U.S. leaders meant, of course, to refer to the hundreds of non-Americans detained at the base over the past 16 years. But a closer look at the history of Guantánamo tells a different story — one in which the United States, beginning 120 years ago this June, used the enclave in southeastern Cuba to launch decades upon decades of terroristic overseas conquest. | Cuba was the intended target of many such terror plots. Long before Donald Rumsfeld homed in on the country to imprison "enemy combatants" in the aftermath of 9/11, then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy sought to visit " the terrors of the earth" on Cuba as part of Operation Mongoose, a covert CIA effort to overthrow leader Fidel…
(2018-07-04). France: Child Migrants Left Adrift in Paris. hrw.org 
Child protection authorities in Paris are using flawed age assessment procedures for unaccompanied migrant youths, excluding many from care they need and are entitled to. Hundreds of unaccompanied children sleep on the streets of Paris each night, according to estimates from lawyers and nongovernmental organizations. | (Paris) — Child protection authorities in Paris are using flawed age assessment procedures for unaccompanied migrant children, excluding many from care they need and are entitled to, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Hundreds of these young migrants find themselves homeless, often condemned to sleep on the streets of Paris. |
| The…
(2018-07-04). Cosmic radiation from giant star system heading towards Earth — NASA (VIDEO, PHOTO). rt.com 
A star system containing two gigantic suns is blasting cosmic rays into space and NASA scientists have found that the radiation is making its way towards Earth on intergalactic winds.
(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 
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(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: Undocumented Crime Fighters Deserve Protection. hrw.org 
Undocumented immigrants brave enough to come forward to report crime, need to know they can safely approach police without fear of deportation. Congress should preserve and expand provisions in the Violence Against Women Act that allow courageous undocumented immigrants to safely report crime. | (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…
(2018-07-03). Afghanistan's Ceasefires Expire; Attacks on Civilians Resume. hrw.org 
Afghan Sikh men carry the coffin of a bombing victim in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, July 2, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | The two headlines could not have been more jarring. | "Casualties drop by half last month compared to June 2017," the nongovernmental Afghan Civilian Protection Advocacy Group reported on July 1, a decline attributed to overlapping unilateral ceasefires by the Afghan government and the Taliban. | "Suicide Attack Targets Sikhs in Jalalabad," screamed a headline just hours later, a story that documented a devastating suicide bombing that killed 19 people. Among the dead was Avtar Singh, the only Sikh candidate for the October parliamentary elections; another prominent Sikh civil society activist; and other Hindus and Sikhs from among Afghanistan's smallest minority communities. | Although Sikhs and Hindus have lived in Afghanistan for…
(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…
(2018-07-03). Headlines for July 3, 2018. democracynow.org Pompeo to Head to North Korea for Third Time, U.N. Urges Jordan to Open Border as 270,000 Syrians Flee Fighting in Daraa, Federal Judge: U.S. Can't Arbitrarily Detain Asylum Seekers, HHS Refuses to Say How Many Separated Children Remain in Custody, 18 Arrested in Los Angeles at ICE Protest, 3-Year-Old Ethiopian Refugee Dies After Stabbing at Birthday Party in Idaho, Trump Refuses to Lower Flags for Victims of Capital Gazette Shooting, Rhode Island Files Landmark Lawsuit Against 21 Oil Companies, EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Keeps Secret Calendar to Hide Meetings with Industry Figures, "I Urge You to Resign": A Mother Confronts Pruitt at Restaurant, Trump Meets with Four Possible Supreme Court Nominees, Michael Cohen Indicates He Will Work with Prosecutors, Trump Urges NATO Allies to Increase Military Spending, New Charges Against Harvey Weinstein Could Result in Life Sentence, Thailand Races to Rescue Youth Soccer Team Trapped in Cave, Report: Melania Trump Made Over $100K in Royalties from Photos Licensed to Media…
(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). 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 …
(2018-06-29). "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). 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.
(2018-06-27). 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…
(2018-06-22). 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…
(2018-06-07). 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.