(2018-07-18). Red Fawn Fallis and the Felony of Being Attacked by Cops. counterpunch.org 
What happened to Standing Rock water protector Red Fawn Fallis is what has happened to many women political dissenters who go up against Big Government/Corporate power. After she was viciously tackled by several police officers (caught on video), she was brought up on serious charges of harming those who harmed her. More
(2018-07-18). The Human Cost of Getting Used to Trump. truthdig.com In the detention centers and the separation of immigrant families, we can see how the fragile protections of the Constitution and the courts and the ideals of our nation are endangered by a reckless president.
(2018-07-18). Cooling a Warmer World Heats It Even More. truthdig.com Air conditioning is already a political hot potato. Refrigeration could soon be a burning issue. Cooling a warmer world will cost the earth in climate terms.
(2018-07-18). Oil-rich Neuquén, Argentina — Site of a New U.S. Military Base. globalresearch.ca Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | 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 …
(2018-07-18). Lawsuit Challenges Trump's Massive Offshore Drilling Sale in Gulf of Mexico. truthout.org Environmental and conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, challenging federal lease sales for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico that represent the largest offering to the oil and gas industry in United States history. | As part of President Trump's "America-First Offshore Energy Policy," federal regulators are offering every available acre of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling companies at an auction in New Orleans next month, only excluding waters off the coast of Florida protected by Congress for tourism and other reasons. The Gulf is already one of the most heavily drilled offshore regions in the world. | The government is putting 77.3 million acres of Gulf waters up for grabs offshore of five states. Environmentalists say opening the rest of the Gulf up to drilling will reduce competition…
(2018-07-18). Singapore: Drop charges against peaceful activists and politician. amnesty.org Amnesty International calls on the Singapore government to drop contempt charges against peaceful activist, Jolovan Wham and politician John Tan following a hearing at the High Court on 17 July 2018. The charges against both individuals are the first use of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act to suppress freedom of expression. Charges have also been brought against local artist and activist Seelan Palay for a peaceful protest he staged outside Parliament, further evidence of the country's ongoing crackdown on dissent.
(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 U.S. and Canada Are Preparing for a New Standing Rock Over the Trans Mountain Tar Sands Pipeline. theintercept.com 
Managing the perceived security threat of Indigenous-led anti-pipeline movements has become a priority on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.
(2018-07-17). Trump and Sessions Don't Realize That Republican Policies Are Behind the Explosive Growth of Violent Prison Gangs. alternet.org 
Republicans who are applauding Trump and Sessions for being "tough on crime" need to take a close look at the history of prison gangs in California. | President Donald Trump has not been shy about using the Mara Salvatrucha, a. k. a. MS-13, and Mexican drug cartels to terrify his base and warn them that only Republicans offer genuine protection from all the gang members and drug dealers he insists are coming across the border in droves. And A. . .
(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). Trump and the big, bad bugs that could kill millions. peoplesworld.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, Tehran, 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. | Bad bugs are coming, and they are stronger and nastier than they have ever been. A few—like malaria and yellow fever—are ancient nemeses, but they're increasingly immune to standard drugs and widening their reach behind a warming climate. Others—like Ebola, SARS, MERS, and Zika—are new, exotic, and fearsome. And antibiotic resistant bacteria threaten to turn the clock back to pre-penicillin days, when a cut could be a death sentence. | Trump's disdain…
(2018-07-17). Cuba prepares to legalize private property, setting stage for socialist market. peoplesworld.org 
Cuban media summarized planned constitutional reforms at the weekend as directed at "consolidating and giving continuity to a socialist, democratic, prosperous, and sustainable system." | According to Granma, newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, the new constitution will recognize "new forms of ownership" including private property—the current one only recognizes "state, co-operative, farmer, personal, and joint-venture" property. | But it sets the role of the market "in correspondence with the Cuban economic and social socialist development model," defining state companies as the "main subjects of the national economy" and placing limits on the rights to transfer property ownership, with the state holding preferential rights to acquire property when needed. It maintains "the socialist property of all the people as the fundamental means of production and planning." | Commitments to sustainable development, protecting the environment, and fighting climate change will now…
(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). 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 Leav…
(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). "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). 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 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…
(2018-07-16). 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 servi…
(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. |
(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). 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.
(2018-07-12). 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.
(2018-07-10). 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.
(2018-07-09). 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…
(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…
(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.
(2018-07-05). 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.