(2018-07-17). Even Fox Commentators Agree: Putin's Helsinki Hustle Humiliated Trump. truthout.org
| "I'm here today to continue the proud tradition of bold American diplomacy," said Donald Trump at the outset of his July 16 press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. It went downhill rapidly from there. | "Proud" is not the word being bandied about in most corners of the United States today. "Mortified" and "Terrified" would be closer to the mark. In the roiling aftermath of Trump's performance with Putin in Finland, the people of this country — especially the ones who supported Trump — have come face to face yet again with the…
(2018-07-17). The Environmental Law at the Center of a Lawsuit Against Trump Administration. truthout.org Legal wrangling over the future of a landmark conservation law signed 100 years ago centers on the question of whether "inadvertently" killing birds is illegal. | Environmental groups are suing the Interior Department over its reversal of a longstanding policy that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits killing birds, even unintentionally, if the deaths were avoidable. | Since the 1970s, the federal government had used the act to compel companies to halt or fix industrial practices that killed large numbers of birds. The Nixon administration first used it to get electric companies to redesign power poles to stop electrocuting eagles and other raptors in the Rocky Mountain West. Since then, Republican and Democratic administrations relied on the threat of fines and prosecution to stop birds from being trapped in oil company wastewater pits, snarled in fishing lines and injured…
(2018-07-17). Percentage of Americans Who Believe Climate Change Is Real Reaches New High. truthout.org 
Source: National Surveys on Energy and the Environment, Issues in Energy and Environmental Policy, No. 37, July 2018. | Over the course of the last decade, the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (NSEE) has surveyed Americans to determine if they believe there is solid evidence of global warming. | The most recent NSEE survey, conducted during April and May of 2018, found that 73% of Americans now think there is solid evidence of global warming — a level higher than the previous record of 72%, revealed during the fall of 2008. This survey is the fifth straight survey in which at least 70% of Americans thought there is evidence that temperatures on the planet are rising. | Source: National Surveys on Energy and the Environment, Issues in Energy and Environmental Policy, No. 37, July 2018. | A solid majority…
(2018-07-17). Trump & The Big Bad Bugs. counterpunch.org 
When people contemplate potential disasters ignited by the Trump administration's foreign policy, places like the South China Sea, Central Asia, or the Korean Peninsula come first to mind. Certainly a dustup with Beijing, Teheran or Pyongyang is a scary thing to contemplate. But the thing that should also keep people up at night is Washington's approach to international health organizations and the President's stubborn refusal to address climate change. More
(2018-07-17). Thing-Makers, Tool Freaks and Prototypers: How the Whole Earth Catalog's Optimistic Message Reinvented the Environmental Movement in 1968. alternet.org 
The Whole Earth Catalog was a blueprint for sustainability that envisioned humans living in balance with nature. Its creative spirit was welcomed in a year riven by war, assassinations and riots. | In the fall of 1968 a Stanford-trained biologist, organizer of the legendary Trips Festival and Merry Prankster named Stewart Brand published the first Whole Earth Catalog. Between 1968 and 1972, the Catalog reached millions of readers and won the National Book Award. The title and iconic cover image of this counterculture classic celebrated the first publicly released NASA photographs showing the whole planet Earth from space. These images profoundly changed the way humans thought about the environment. And the Catalog played an important role in that change. Today many know Brand and his Catalog as part of the information revolution and the cyberculture it spawned. As an. . .
(2018-07-17). Oil-rich Neuquén, Argentina is the Site of a New U.S. Military Base. mintpressnews.com 
Obsessive media focus on President Trump's personal indecencies undoubtedly contributes to important news stories not seeing the light of day. In that regard, it's no wonder the U.S. public is generally unaware of U.S. military interventions in parts of the world, particularly in Latin America. That way, U.S. imperial excess gets a pass. | Political ramifications would be more likely if stories like two recent good examples from Argentina were known about. One of them is a warm-up to the other, which is the main show here. | On July 12, a Hercules C-130 U.S. military transport plane landed at a military base near Buenos Aires with at least eight U.S. Special Forces troops on board, along with "arms, explosives, and head gear." They will be preparing 40 police officers from Argentina's "Special Group for Federal Operations" to take charge of security for…
(2018-07-17). Refiner in China Replacing US Imports with Iranian Crude. Beijing Slaps Tariffs on American Crude Oil. globalresearch.ca Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | An independent Chinese refiner has suspended crude oil purchases from the United States and has now turned to Iran as one of its sources of crude, media reports cited an …
(2018-07-17). Headlines for July 17, 2018. democracynow.org Standing Next to Putin, Trump Lashes Out at Intelligence Agencies, Judge Orders 1-Week Halt to Deportation of Reunified Migrant Families, Israel Tightens Blockade of Gaza, Passes Bill to Ban Critical Groups in Schools, Protests Continue in Oil-Rich Region of Southern Iraq, Egypt Passes Law to Give Military Officers Immunity for 2013 Killing of Protesters, Organization of American States: Death Toll in Nicaragua Rises to 273, Amazon Workers in Germany, Poland & Spain Strike to Protest Working Conditions, Uber Under Federal Investigation for Gender Discrimination, NYC Tenants Say Kushner Co. Harassed Them into Leaving Rent-Controlled Apartments, NYPD May Soon Open Disciplinary Probe into Eric Garner's Death…
(2018-07-17). Oil Underground in Neuquén, Argentina — and a New US Military Base There. counterpunch.org Obsessive media focus on President Trump's personal indecencies undoubtedly contributes to important news stories not seeing the light of day. In that regard it's no wonder the U.S. public is generally unaware of U.S. military interventions in parts of the world, particularly in Latin America. That way U.S. imperial excess gets a pass. Political ramifications More
(2018-07-17). Miracle or hoax? US church believes Virgin Mary statue is 'weeping' rose-scented oil. rt.com 
The Catholic Church is investigating after reports that a Virgin Mary statue in the US is crying 'tears' of rose-scented oil. The church will now try to figure out if is a hoax, however nothing seems amiss with the bronze statue.
(2018-07-16). Russia-US Summit Should Lead to Action on Earth-defining Issues. Disarming Their Respective Doomsday Machines. globalresearch.ca Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | In an ideal world, the Russia-United States summit in Helsinki would have focused primarily on taking concrete steps towards disarming their respective Doomsday Machines. That is, Russia and America's thousands of …
(2018-07-16). With Trump and Russia, Cool Heads Are Needed to Protect Our Election Systems from Foreign Interference. alternet.org 
It may be tempting to jump on any bandwagon that connects Russia to our voting systems, but clear evidence is needed to protect against any problem. | We have a president who is publicly at odds with many U. S. intelligence agencies and the U. S. Senate finding that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. It's a heated topic that has been at the center of the national dialogue for almost two years now and has done much to undermine the public's faith in our voting and elections systems. Cool heads and some deliberation are needed for any constructive conversation about this issue and any others that relate to voting, lest the public have any greater reason to be disillusioned by the election process. Unfortunately, the leader of a key organization in election protection and an important Democratic U. S. senator both took the wrong. . .
(2018-07-16). Oil-rich Neuquén, Argentina—site of a new U.S. military base. peoplesworld.org 
Obsessive media focus on President Trump's personal indecencies undoubtedly contributes to important news stories not seeing the light of day. In that regard, it's no wonder the U.S. public is generally unaware of U.S. military interventions in parts of the world, particularly in Latin America. That way, U.S. imperial excess gets a pass. Political ramifications […]…
(2018-07-16). "Not Enough!" counterpunch.org The State of Israel has no oil wells. It has no gold mines. What has it got? It has the ownership of the remembrance of the Holocaust. That is worth a lot. Everyone who wants to clean himself from the stain needs a certificate from the State of Israel. Such a document is worth very More
(2018-07-16). Israel Is Divided Over a Bill to Establish Jewish-Only Communities. truthdig.com The Israeli parliament is considering a bill that would legalize Jewish-only communities and codify the existing de facto segregation of the country's Jewish and Muslim communities. It's a move that, as The Guardian reports, has earned comparisons to South African apartheid. | The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been arguing over what's been dubbed the "nation-state bill" for the past five years. As Haaretz points out, " Israel has always understood itself to be a Jewish state," but "politicians — specifically those on the right — have been pushing for legislation that would make that fact irrefutable." | The delay is partly due to Israel's coalition-style government. Although the current governing coalition is fairly conservative, its political parties take differing positions on the bill. | The parties have argued over several issues—whether Arabic can be a national…
(2018-07-16). Turkey Stops Registering Syrian Asylum Seekers. hrw.org 
Two Syrians walk along a fence near the Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep province, Turkey, November 30, 2016. Syrians who arrived in Turkey since late 2017 have been unable to register for temporary protection and receive basic services. | © 2016 Umit Bektas/Reuters | (Istanbul) — Turkish authorities in Istanbul and nine provinces on or near the Syrian border have stopped registering all but a handful of recently arrived Syrian asylum seekers. The suspension is leading to unlawful deportations, coerced returns to Syria, and the denial of health care and education. | The European Commission has recently praised Turkey's asylum system and plans to release the second batch of ‚Ǩ3 billion under its March 2016 migration deal which includes support for refugees in Turkey. European Union institutions and governments have stayed publicly silent on…
(2018-07-15). How Twitter Degrades Discourse and Encourages Distortions: Illustrated by Ex-Pentagon Official Ryan Goodman. theintercept.com 
There are multiple reasons why political discourse is degraded by the fact that it now plays out primarily on Twitter, reasons that are inherent in that site's format and functionality: the elimination of nuance due to space constraints; mob behavior coercing adherence to group-think orthodoxies; the addict-like, insatiable craving for retweets and likes, which the brain processes as approval and for which it thus produces chemical rewards of ecstasy and a sense of worth; and highly tribalist fiefdoms where it's remarkably easy to create self-affirming bubbles in which one only hears from those who affirm, cheer, and validate, rather than challenge and dispute what one believes and what one wishes to believe is true. (I say this not as some above-it-all sociologist magically immune to those dynamics, but as someone who uses Twitter as a necessary part of my work and am thus,…
(2018-07-15). Hawaii gets new island as erupting volcanic crater continues to spew lava into sea. rt.com 
Lava flows that have been cascading into the sea have formed a brand new, small island off the coast of Hawaii after a crater at Mount Kilauea exploded with the force of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake.
(2018-07-14). The Pros And Cons Of Iran's Oil Threat. iranian.com As the Iranian economy begins to feel the growing pain of American-led sanctions, the question of a proper counterstrategy to minimize the damage and to ensure the sustainability of Iran's economic well-being looms large. There is no denying the existential threat to the Iranian economy posed by these sanctions that have already resulted in significant […]
(2018-07-14). Eritrea: Peace with Ethiopia must be catalyst for human rights change. amnesty.org Eritrea's improved relationship with neighbouring Ethiopia presents a good opportunity to advance the protection of the vast array of human rights that the Eritrean people have long been denied including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, movement, and fair trial, Amnesty International said ahead of President Isaias Afwerki's historic visit to Addis Ababa this weekend. | Amnesty International calls on the Eritrean authorities to immediately end human rights violations and abuses, including persecution of religious minorities and forced military conscription. | | "The end of hostilities with Ethiopia is a joyous…
(2018-07-13). Mueller indictment 'aims to spoil' Trump-Putin summit – Russian Foreign Ministry. rt.com 
The indictment of 12 Russians for allegedly hacking the Democratic Party in 2016 appear to be politically motivated, with the goal of spoiling the upcoming Helsinki summit, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. |
(2018-07-12). James Alex Fields, worried about self-incrimination, gets lawyer for protection in civil cases. splcenter.org ‚ÄãJames Alex Fields, Jr., a neo-Nazi sympathizer accused of driving his car into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, was granted an attorney to advise him in a federal civil suit.
(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.
(2018-07-12). Trump tells NATO allies to spend more… like thrifty Pentagon buying $1.2k mugs & $10k toilet seats? rt.com 
Toilet seat covers that cost $10,000? Coffee mugs for $1,200 apiece? No wonder NATO countries aren't too keen to follow US military spending benchmarks. Even the Pentagon is looking for better deals and 3D printing for savings.
(2018-07-12). Thai Court Acquits Migrant Workers of Defamation. hrw.org 
A worker tends to chickens at a farm in Thailand. | © 2007 Sukree Sukplang / Reuters | In an important verdict for the protection of labor rights and freedom of expression in Thailand, a magistrates court in Bangkok on Wednesday acquitted 14 Burmese migrant workers of criminal defamation charges for filing a complaint against their employer with the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT). | The court found the workers had filed their complaint in good faith in order to protect their rights, as guaranteed by the Thai constitution and international conventions. | In their complaint to the NHRCT in July 2016, the workers alleged that the Thammakaset chicken farm in Lopburi province had subjected them to grueling work conditions, including forced labor. Three months later Thammakaset responded with a…
(2018-07-12). Musk looks at Flint water crisis after being berated for 'impractical' help in Thai cave rescue op. rt.com 
After his offer of a 'kid-size' submarine to Thai cave rescuers was berated as "impractical," Elon Musk is taking on the Flint water crisis, saying there's "no kidding" in his promise to fix the lead contamination problem there.
(2018-07-11). Ex-UCLA basketball star Knight found dead days after posting heartbreaking video online. rt.com 
The body of former UCLA basketball player William 'Billy' Knight has been found on a roadway in Phoenix, Arizona just days after he posted a video online saying "this is probably my last message on Earth."
(2018-07-10). What a Foiled Plot to Execute Muslims Reveals About Islamophobia in France. thenation.com What a Foiled Plot to Execute Muslims Reveals About Islamophobia in France appeared first on The Nation.
(2018-07-09). CIA-Linked Military Contractor Used Arizona "Black Site" to Secretly Jail Dozens of Migrant Children. democracynow.org 
A major U.S. military and CIA contractor has been detaining dozens of migrant children inside a vacant Phoenix office building with dark windows, no kitchen and only a few toilets, according to a new investigation by Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Reveal learned about what some are calling the "black site" for migrant children after one local resident filmed children in sweatsuits being led into the building. The building was leased in March by MVM, a defense contractor that Reveal reports has received nearly $250 million in contracts to transport immigrant children since 2014. We speak with the lead reporter on this story, Aura Bogado, in Oakland, California. She is the immigration reporter for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
(2018-07-06). As Scott Pruitt Resigns, Former EPA Officials Warn His Radical, Anti-Science Agenda Harmed Nation. democracynow.org 
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned, amid an onslaught of financial and ethics scandals and widespread opposition to his campaign to roll back key environmental protections. President Trump announced Pruitt's resignation via Twitter. Trump later told reporters, "Scott Pruitt did an outstanding job inside of the EPA. We've gotten rid of record-breaking regulations, and it's been really good." At the time of his resignation, Pruitt was facing more than a dozen federal investigations into ethical misconduct, ranging from lavish spending to asking subordinates to help his wife find a job. Just earlier this week, CNN reported Pruitt kept a secret calendar and schedule in an attempt to hide his meetings with many industry executives.
(2018-07-06). New EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler, Former Coal Lobbyist, Aims to Continue to Dismantle EPA from Inside. democracynow.org 
Following Scott Pruitt's resignation, EPA Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler will become the agency's acting administrator. Wheeler is a former lobbyist for Murray Energy, the nation's largest underground coal mining company. He's also the former chief of staff for Oklahoma Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, who is known as the most notorious climate-denying lawmaker in Washington. In one of his most famous stunts, Inhofe brought a snowball onto the Senate floor in 2015 in order to prove that global warming was a hoax.
(2018-07-06). Headlines for July 6, 2018. democracynow.org EPA Head Scott Pruitt Resigns Amid Mounting Corruption Scandals, Former Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler Named Acting EPA Administrator, HHS Administrator Says "Under 3,000" Separated Children in U.S. Custody, Guatemalan Immigrant Mother Reunites with Daughter After 55 Days, U.S. Army Discharges Immigrants Promised a Path to Citizenship, Statue of Liberty Climber on Protest: "I Went as High as I Could", Bill Shine Named WH Comms Director Despite Fox News Sex Harassment Record, Trump Mocks Sen. Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas," Attacks #MeToo, China Retaliates as U.S. Imposes $34 Billion in Tariffs on Chinese Goods, South Korean Peace Activists Call for Removal of THAAD Missiles, U.N. Envoy to Yemen Hopeful over Peace Talks, Trump Administration Extends TPS for Yemenis But Won't End Travel Ban, Thai Diver Dies Amid Effort to Rescue Boys Trapped in Cave, Fourth Ohio State Wrestler Says Rep. Jim Jordan Failed to Stop Sexual Abuse, Ed Schultz, Longtime Liberal TV News Host, Dies at 64, British Columbia: Greenpeace Ends 35-Hour Blockade of Oil Tanker, London Mayor Approves "Trump Baby" Blimp at July 13 Protest…
(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.