(2018-07-28). Animal House at 40: Why the 'National Lampoon' of White Male Tribalism Is Still Relevant in the Trump Era. alternet.org 
The infinite cynicism with which "Animal House" pronounces the failures of post-war America remains unparalleled | When "Animal House" was released 40 years ago on July 28, 1978, the low-budget, guerilla-style tale of campus anarchy struck a nerve with audiences, becoming the highest-grossing comedy in Hollywood history and exerting a powerful influence on the culture. While it is remembered mostly for its comedy, "Anima. . .
(2018-07-27). Noam Chomsky on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Spectacular" Victory & Growing Split in Democratic Party. democracynow.org 
The 2018 midterm election season has been roiled by the internal divisions between the Democratic Party's growing progressive base and the more conservative party establishment. In New York City, this division came to a head with the most shocking upset of the election season so far, when 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez handily defeated 10-term incumbent Representative Joe Crowley, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. Ocasio-Cortez ran a progressive grassroots campaign as a Democratic Socialist advocating for "Medicare for All" and the abolition of ICE. For more on her victory and what it means for the…
(2018-07-27). The "Mulvaney Discount": Trump's Consumer Protection Czar Is Shrinking Fines for Law-Breaking Companies. theintercept.com In three recent settlements, Mick Mulvaney's CFPB has explicitly reduced the fine handed down against corporate offenders to a fraction of initial amount.
(2018-07-27). Many Russians Think Climate Change is Propaganda to Weaken Their Economy — RAI with A. Buzgalin (11/12). therealnews.com 
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Alexandr Buzgalin says Russian oligarchs find an oil based economy too profitable to consider transitioning away from it — with host Paul Jay
(2018-07-27). The Burning Hot Planet. counterpunch.org 
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(2018-07-27). Two Years On, No Clarity on Fate of Burundian Journalist. hrw.org 
More than two years have passed since Jean Bigirimana, a Burundian journalist for the newspaper Iwacu, went missing. The uncertainty surrounding his fate continues to send a chilling message to many in Burundi and highlights the impunity surrounding disappearances and other serious abuses. | iranian.com It was a lion's tail that made Trump roar. Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, in a televised speech this past Sunday, warned the US that it harmed its own interests by preventing Iran from exporting oil to the international market. "Do not forget that we have maintained the security of this waterway [Strait of Hormuz] throughout history. We […]
(2018-07-27). House Republicans Deeply Confused About Why Puerto Rico Might Benefit From Wind and Solar Power. theintercept.com 
Coal, oil, and gas simply must be a better solution for Puerto Rico, GOP representatives argued at a hearing this week. Anything else is just politics.
(2018-07-27). US Suddenly Buys More Ecuadorian Oil: Is Trump Also Buying Assange's Arrest? mintpressnews.com Over the last two weeks, the U.S. has imported a record amount of Ecuadorian oil, leading to speculation that a deal or pay-off may have been made to ensure Moreno's cooperation with Washington's long-standing efforts to have Assange arrested and extradited.
(2018-07-27). The Eye of a Tornado. counterpunch.org 
BàúCHEL AIR BASE, Germany The "Bàºchel Is Everywhere: Nuclear Weapons-Free Now!" peace camp here stands just across the road from the German NATO base which houses about 20 nuclear bombs belonging to the United States. (Spoiler alert: this so-called "nuclear sharing" is not legal.) The well-equipped anti-nuclear encampment is a 20-week-long public reminder to military More
(2018-07-27). Social media snafus: Are liberals more likely to be let off the hook than conservatives? (VIDEO). rt.com 
Another day, another celebrity gets embroiled in a social media furor of their own making, as figures from both sides of the political spectrum have their past and present tweets dragged in front of the court of human decency.
(2018-07-27). Two Years On, No Clarity on Fate of Burundian Journalist. hrw.org More than two years have passed since Jean Bigirimana, a Burundian journalist for the newspaper Iwacu, went missing. The uncertainty surrounding his fate continues to send a chilling message to many in Burundi and highlights the impunity surrounding disappearances and other serious abuses. | iranian.com It was a lion's tail that made Trump roar. Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, in a televised speech this past Sunday, warned the US that it harmed its own interests by preventing Iran from exporting oil to the international market. "Do not forget that we have maintained the security of this waterway [Strait of Hormuz] throughout history. We […]
(2018-07-26). Venezuela: Maduro Announces Economic Reforms Including Monetary Reconversion, Tax Breaks & Currency Control Changes. venezuelanalysis.com The measures also transfer an entire oilfield from PDVSA to the Central Bank.
(2018-07-26). Headlines for July 26, 2018. democracynow.org 900+ Immigrant Families Still Separated at Deadline for Reunification, 8 Arrested at Protest of Chase Bank's Ties to Immigration Detention, Trump Says He's Reached a Deal to Halt Trade War with EU, White House Bars CNN Correspondent After She Questions Trump, Pakistan: Imran Khan Poised to Become PM as Opposition Rejects Vote, Syria: 216 Killed in ISIS Attacks on Southern City, Saudi Arabia Halts Oil Shipments as Yemeni Rebels Attack Tankers, Gaza: Israeli Strikes Kill 3 Palestinians as Ceasefire Breaks, U.N. Agency for Palestinians Lays Off Hundreds as U.S. Cuts Funding, White House Delays Planned Putin-Trump Me…
(2018-07-26). More than 20 killed and hundreds missing from dam disaster in Laos. wsws.org An earth-filled dam collapsed on July 24, sending around 5 billion cubic metres of water into the valley below.
(2018-07-26). It's all about friction — new theory explains Yellowstone supervolcano's power. rt.com 
New research proposes that the movement of ancient plates of rock is what powers Yellowstone Park's supervolcano — the one that could devastate life on earth and blanket cities hundreds of miles away in dense suffocating ash. |
(2018-07-25). Human rights group says activists targeting American Indians deserve hate label. splcenter.org Groups throughout the United States that favor stripping away tribal sovereignty from American Indians are practicing a brand of hate that deserves higher recognition, the Montana Human Rights Network says in a new briefing paper.
(2018-07-25). Trump Expected to Roll Back California's Clean Air Plan. therealnews.com 
The Environmental Protection Agency will revoke California's exception to the Clean Air Act that had allowed it to set higher clean air standards than the rest of the nation. This means auto manufacturers will be allowed to follow lower fuel efficiency standards and do not need to sell as many electric vehicles. We talk to…
(2018-07-25). Trump's War on the Environment, from Attacking California Fuel Standards to Destroying Public Lands. democracynow.org 
While climate change denier Scott Pruitt has been ousted as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency over a slew of corruption scandals and his close ties to industry lobbyists, the Trump administration's war on the environment and environmental regulations continues unabated. For more on the government's attacks on public land protections and key regulations like California's fuel emissions standards, we speak with Kierán Suckling, executive director and a founder of the Center for Biological Diversity.
(2018-07-25). As Heat Wave Sweeps the Globe, New Study Warns of Deadly Link Between Rising Temps and Suicide. democracynow.org 
As deadly fires and heat waves kill scores across the globe, a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change reports that when there are abnormally hot temperatures, there also tend to be higher suicide rates. The study warns up to 26,000 more people could die by suicide in the United States by 2050 if humans don't reduce emissions of greenhouse gas pollution. We speak to Dr. Sanjay Basu, co-author of the new study and assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University.
(2018-07-25). Profit Over Grizzlies: Trump Admin Tries to Gut Endangered Species Act for Oil & Mining Interests. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has announced plans to gut the Endangered Species Act, ordering federal agencies to consider economic impacts before listing animals to be protected under the law. The newly proposed guidelines by the Interior Department would allow corporations involved in mining, drilling or other forms of extraction to proceed with projects that would otherwise be prohibited. The Trump administration's proposed rules are among several recent attacks endangering the Endangered Species Act. Earlier this month, the Congressional Western Caucus introduced a package of nine bills to "modernize" the ESA. In…
(2018-07-25). Prosecutors want to classify evidence in case against accused 'Russian agent' Maria Butina. rt.com 
US federal prosecutors want to seal evidence in their case against Maria Butina, the Russian national who has been charged with conspiracy against the United States and failure to register as a foreign agent. |
(2018-07-25). Man's Facebook rant about ex pops up on her feed, court rules it violated restraining order. rt.com 
Unintended communication through social media may amount to a violation of a restraining order and does not get First Amendment protection, Maine's Supreme Court has ruled, in an appeal case.
(2018-07-25). Nuclear watchdog warns of radioactive leak at South Carolina fuel factory. rt.com 
Radioactive uranium has leaked through a three-inch hole in the floor at a nuclear fuel factory in South Carolina, contaminating the soil below the plant, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission says.
(2018-07-24). Climate change events linked to higher rates of suicide — study. rt.com 
A new study has drawn a link between hotter-than-average weather and a rise in suicide rates. Experts believe the findings are particularly alarming, as climate change threatens even more extreme weather events in the future.
(2018-07-22). Russophobia digest: 5 top Russia scares launched by MSM this week. rt.com 
Russia has lately been accused of numerous deadly sins, as politicians and media throw around scary-sounding but unverified stories and opinions. To help you plot a course in the roiling sea of Russophobia, RT has compiled a list.
(2018-07-20). Glimmers of Economic Recovery amid Mixed Reports about Venezuelan Oil Production. venezuelanalysis.com Lower levels of oil production have been reportedly offset by rising prices and reduced domestic consumption.
(2018-07-20). Trump Admin Closes Venezuela Sanctions Loophole in Favour of US Bondholders. venezuelanalysis.com The measure opens the way for seizures of Venezuela's US-based oil assets should the Maduro government default on PDVSA bond payments.
(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…
(2018-07-12). Venezuela's Defunct National Assembly Attempts to Privatise Oil Industry. venezuelanalysis.com Grassroots movements have frequently denounced de facto back-door privatisation in PDVSA.
(2018-07-10). 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.
(2018-07-05). 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.