(2018-08-02). This Standing Rock Medic Bus Is Now a Traveling Decolonized Pharmacy. alternet.org 
Native herbalists are doing more than just healing sore muscles. | There was something familiar and comforting about the bus. A crowd of people painted green vines and flowers on the exterior as it sat parked in a field near Frank's Landing during the Indigenous Environmental Network's annual Protecting Mother Earth Conference, held earlier this month. This bus was indeed an old friend. It has a lot of history helping indigenous people; it. . .
(2018-08-02). Global Fires and Droughts: The Media Cover-up of Climate Change. globalresearch.ca Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | There was a time when the contamination of drinking water constituted a punishable crime. Nowadays those who willfully ignore or promote the destruction of the Earth's atmosphere and ocean acidification through …
(2018-08-02). Extreme Weather Is Exploding Around the World. Why Isn't the Media Talking About Climate Change? democracynow.org 
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(2018-08-02). "Losing Earth": How Humanity Came to Understand Climate Change & Failed to Act in Time. democracynow.org 
"Losing Earth." That's the title of The New York Times Magazine article by Nathaniel Rich published August 1 in a special edition of the magazine dedicated entirely to climate change. The story tracks the 10-year period from 1979 to 1989, the decade Rich claims that humankind first came to a comprehensive understanding of climate change but failed to address its extreme dangers while there was still time. The story was produced with the support of the Pulitzer Center. We speak with Nathaniel Rich, reporter-at-large for The New York Times Magazine.
(2018-08-02). Rob Nixon: Gov't Inaction on Climate Change Is "Slow Violence" That Hits World's Poor the Hardest. democracynow.org 
With unprecedented fires, floods and heat waves sweeping the globe, 2018 is on track to be the fourth-hottest year on record. The regions most affected by the disastrous effects of global warming are overwhelmingly not the countries that have contributed the most to climate change. According to the 2018 Global Climate Risk Index released by the public policy group Germanwatch, the nine countries most affected by climate change in the past 20 years are developing nations, including Honduras, Haiti, Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indian government says more than 500 people have died as a result of flooding and…
(2018-08-02). Bolivians Honour Mother Earth, Pachamama With Traditional Ceremony. telesurtv.net Pachamama is the highest divinity of the Aymara and Quechua peoples, the protector goddess of all material things.
(2018-08-02). Don't Worry, What We're Seeing and Reading is Not Happening. counterpunch.org 
Normally these are called "the dog days of summer" as political writers and politicians enjoy vacations from Congress and state legislatures. Even politicians on the stump spend summer hitting state and county fairs and waving from parade floats. But not this year. Our nation is roiling with political turmoil while the world is roasting in More
(2018-08-02). What Kills You When a Volcano Erupts? It's Not What You Think. alternet.org 
Imagine living in Pompeii, before volcanologists could monitor the telltale signs of an imminent explosion, such as tremors, fumes, heat and ground elevation. | The blockbuster movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom(2018) involves more than just dinosaurs wreaking havoc. Humans are sent in to rescue some prehistoric critters on the volcanic island of Isla Nublar, and chaos soon begins. The volcano erupts, and everyone runs away as a roiling cloud called a py. . .
(2018-08-02). US Meddling in Cambodian Elections is Foiled. globalresearch.ca It would be unthinkable for an American opposition party run openly out of Moscow to compete in American elections. It would be even more unthinkable for the Russian government to declare US elections illegitimate for disallowing a Moscow-backed party from …
(2018-08-01). Standing Rock Medic Bus Is Now a Traveling Decolonized Pharmacy. truthout.org 
There was something familiar and comforting about the bus. A crowd of people painted green vines and flowers on the exterior as it sat parked in a field near Frank's Landing during the Indigenous Environmental Network's annual Protecting Mother Earth Conference, held earlier this month. | This bus was indeed an old friend. It has a lot of history helping indigenous people; it served as a kitchen and then a treatment center for the Medic + Healer Council at the Standing Rock water protector camps. Now it's been transformed into a bus for the Canoe Journey Herbalists, who are currently accompanying the approximately two-week-long annual Native American traditional canoe gathering along the Pacific coast of Washington and Canada. The journey is expected to culminate in a final stop in Puyallup, Washington, on July 28. Over 100 canoes from more than 70…
(2018-08-01). How BRICS Plus Is Challenging America's Economic War on Iran. mintpressnews.com The key take away from the BRICS summit in Johannesburg is that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — important Global South players — strongly condemn unilateralism and protectionism. | The Johannesburg Declaration is unmistakable: "We recognize that the multilateral trading system is facing unprecedented challenges. We underscore the importance of an open world economy." | Closer examination of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech unlocks some poignant details. | Xi, crucially, emphasizes delving further into "our strategic partnership." That implies increased BRICS and Beyond BRICS multilateral trade, investment and economic and financial connectivity. | And that also implies reaching to the next level;It is important that we continue to pursue innovation-driven development and build the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution ( PartNIR) to strengthen coordination on macroeconomic policies, find more complementarities in our development strategies, and reinforce the competitiveness…
(2018-08-01). Here Are 6 of the Summer of 2018's Worst Weather-Related Nightmares. alternet.org 
While the Trump administration scoffs at climate change, the planet burns, floods and drowns. | Scott Pruitt may very well go down in history as the worst administrator in the 48-year history of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nominated by President Donald Trump in February 2017 and confirmed by the Republican-controlled U. S. Senate in a 52-46 vote, the scandal-plagued Pruitt is a (2018-08-01). Coalition Slams Delta Tunnels Finance Authority's Request for $1.6 Billion Loan from Trump. counterpunch.org The Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), an alliance of the counties of Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano and Yolo, on July 23 issued a statement opposing the Delta Conveyance Finance Authority's (DCFA) request for a $1.6 billion loan from the Trump Administration through an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program for the construction of Governor Jerry More
(2018-08-01). Donald Trump vs. the Koch Brothers: Major Rift or Bannon-Staged Stunt? truthout.org The last we heard of Trump's former "populist" muse Steve Bannon, he was across the Atlantic, plotting with Britain's recently departed foreign secretary Boris Johnson about plans to challenge Prime Minister Theresa May and enact a "hard Brexit" plan. He's turned up all over Europe the last few months, talking up far-right politicians and lending his support to anti-immigrant platforms. He's even started an official nationalist movement which he's cleverly called "The Movement." | Bannon's just following through on what many of us assumed was his long-term goal after Donald Trump's likely defeat in the 2016 presidential election. When Bannon and his team unexpectedly pulled off the win, he was elevated to one of the most powerful jobs on earth and then, months later, was banished for speaking out of turn about the president.
(2018-08-01). An Engineer, an Economist, and an Ecomodernist Walk Into a Bar and Order a Free Lunch . . . counterpunch.org 
Humanity's and the Earth's prospects have been dimming for the past year and a half. But they've been bleak for a long time; as little was being done about the global ecological crisis before January 2017 as has been done since. Neither then nor now has the national or world power structure acknowledged that deep reductions in human resource use and economic activity, but with sufficiency for all, are necessary. Instead, the most popular proposed "solutions" would double down on human ingenuity and market forces, the two factors that have been central to creating our predicament in the first place. (2018-08-01). Can Baltimore Take on Big Oil? therealnews.com 
Baltimore City Solicitor Andre Davis explains why the city is suing big oil companies and responds to critics who say the suit doomed to fail
(2018-08-01). Iraq's oil union defends protesters. peoplesworld.org 
As uncertainty continues over the results of Iraq's May 12 election, the deterioration in social services that brought about the victory of the Sairoon coalition has impelled thousands of people to take to the streets to protest the increasingly difficult conditions of their lives. Throughout July…
(2018-08-01). As Climate Turns Deadly, Media Are Stuck in Denial. truthdig.com Their failure to connect the dots between extreme heat and global warming is a fatal mistake, and we're all paying the price.
(2018-07-31). How BRICS Plus Clashes With The US Economic War On Iran. iranian.com The key take away from the BRICS summit in Johannesburg is that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — important Global South players — strongly condemn unilateralism and protectionism. The Johannesburg Declaration is unmistakable: "We recognize that the multilateral trading system is facing unprecedented challenges. We underscore the importance of an open world economy." Closer examination […]
(2018-07-31). The world burns as global warming crisis explodes. peoplesworld.org 
With summer at its crest, with climate change continuing to burn deadly swaths across the globe amid relentless heat waves, wildfire outbreaks are occurring worldwide. Parts of the Arctic are on fire! Specifically in Sweden: The Nordic country is grappling with a heretofore unseen threat as flames encroach with such v…
(2018-07-31). The Baltimore Bureau Podcast Show July 30, 2018. therealnews.com 
Dharna, Eze, and Khalilah discuss movements to fight climate change and to create a Black arts & entertainment in Baltimore, Afro-Latina day, and the history of "activist entrepreneurs"
(2018-07-31). Portland mayor's office violated Constitution by denying ICE protection during protest, union claims. rt.com 
Portland mayor's office violated the US Constitution by telling police not to interfere with a protest against federal immigration policies, a letter sent by their union said.
(2018-07-30). From Frankfurt with Love. counterpunch.org 
Today the global situation is perilous. There is an overwhelming inertia at play here and the momentum is leading us off the rails. Or, rather, on the rails to 21st century concentration camps…as the threats of global warming, nuclear war, and worldwide pollution hang overhead as a modern-day sword of Damocles. To repeat a Benjamin quote which many have noticed for its prescience: "Marx says that revolutions are the locomotives of world history. But the situation may be quite different. Perhaps revolutions are not the train ride, but the human race grabbing for the emergency brake." (2018-07-30). Venezuela Introduces New Measures to Halt Hyperinflation: Will they Work? therealnews.com 
Venezuela's hyperinflation is now exceeding 200% per month. President Maduro plans to introduce a new currency that is tied to Venezuela's oil basket, but will the measures work and how has inflation affected the general population? We discuss these issues with Cira Pascual Marquina of Venezuelanalysis.com and TRNN's Greg Wilpert
(2018-07-30). Blue Lives Matter claims Facebook's 'fake news' rules have halved its audience. rt.com 
Blue Lives Matter, a group advocating for greater protections for police in the US, has claimed that Facebook's new rules to combat fake news has almost halved the number of people it can reach on the platform.
(2018-07-30). Australian Coroner's Report Documents a Refugee Tragedy. hrw.org 
Hamid Khazaei was a fit and healthy young man when he arrived on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island in September 2013, transferred there by the Australian government under its draconian asylum-seeker policy. | Less than a year later, the 24-year-old Iranian was dead from septicemia after a sore on his leg became infected. | democracynow.org 
At least eight people have died in California as climate change-fueled wildfires rage statewide. In total, firefighters are battling 17 wildfires blazing across California, engulfing more than 200,000 acres and forcing mass evacuations, including in Yosemite National Park. The fires come amid a surge of deadly extreme weather worldwide, including in India, where more than 500 people have died as a result of flooding and heavy rains in recent weeks. Scientists have linked increased flooding and rainfall to climate change. For more, we speak with world-renowned political dissident, author and linguist Noam Chomsky.
(2018-07-30). 'Every necessary precaution': Fear of Ebola spreading places Denver hospital on lockdown. rt.com 
A possible Ebola infection has prompted Denver Health Medical Center to go into temporary lockdown, as medical staff in hazmat suits handled a patient who recently returned from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(2018-07-30). State of emergency in Michigan county as tested water is 20 times the safe level for PFAS chemicals. rt.com 
A state of emergency has been declared in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, after high levels of man-made PFAS chemicals were found in the drinking water in two towns. The contaminants pose severe health risks and can lead to cancer.
(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). 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). 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.
(2018-07-26). 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). 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'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…
(2018-07-20). 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.
(2018-07-20). 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.
(2018-07-12). 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.