(2018-10-22). SPLC statement on Trump administration's efforts to remove civil rights protections from transgender Americans. splcenter.org The Trump administration has apparently redoubled its efforts to exclude transgender Americans from the protection of federal civil rights laws.
(2018-10-22). The Despicable Campaign to Roll Back Transgender Protection. zcomm.org Yhanks to the concerted efforts of anti-transgender opponents using transphobic misinformation and scaremongering, Massachusetts will become the first state to question whether to uphold or repeal hard-won protections…
(2018-10-22). The Trump Administration Is Trying to Erase Trans People, but the Law Clearly Protects Them. aclu.org A recently leaked memo is attempting to undermine decades of court decisions saying federal law protects transgender and nonbinary people. | Over the weekend, The New York Times revealed that officials within the Trump administration are pushing for a definition of the term "sex" in federal civil rights laws that would eliminate non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Transgender people and their families understandably panicked at that news. | The reality, though, is that transgender pe…
(2018-10-22). FRSO leader condemns Trump administration's attacks on Transgender rights. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — Steff Yorek, the Political Secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, sharply condemned the Trump administration, October 22, for orchestrating attacks on the democratic rights of Transgender people. | According to widespread media reports, officials in the Trump admiration are moving to alter Title IX rules to exclude Transgender people for any legal protections. | "The reactionary and right-wing bigots of the Trump administration are preparing an attack on the democratic rights of Transgender people. They are attempting to erase people's existence, and roll back the framework fo…
(2018-10-22). 'The Price of Everything' Confronts an Art World Awash With Cash. truthdig.com Filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn and a "Guerrilla Girl" contemplate cultural representation amid scorched-earth capitalism, as artists like Jeff Koons (pictured) make bank in a speculative art market.
(2018-10-22). Hurricane Michael so powerful it revealed shipwrecks buried for 120 years (PHOTOS). rt.com 
Hurricane Michael's wrath was so fearsome that not only did it wreck the Gulf Coast, leaving a massive trail of destruction in its wake, but it unearthed shipwrecks that had been buried for the past 120 years.
(2018-10-22). Jair Bolsonaro Is a Looming Threat to Global Climate and the Amazon. truthout.org 
With less than a week to go until a runoff election, far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro ≠— who has affirmed his intention to withdraw Brazil from the Paris Climate Agreement — continues to be the rising political star in the world's eighth biggest economy, and the nation that stands as guardian to a major portion of the Amazon, the globe's largest remaining rainforest. | Not only did…
(2018-10-22). Turkey Puts Jamal Khashoggi's Fiancee Under 24-Hour Protection. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — Turkish authorities have put the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi under 24-hour police protection, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday, Reuters reports. Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post columnist, disappeared on Oct. 2 after he walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage to Hatice Cengiz. For weeks …
(2018-10-22). The Real Reason Why We're So Crazy and Miserable All the Time. theantimedia.com 
(CJ Opinion) — We are surrounded by screens full of voices that are always lying to us, and experts wonder why we're so crazy and miserable all the time. The screens tell us, "This is a perfectly normal and sane way of doing things. It is perfectly normal and sane to strip the earth bare and poison …
(2018-10-21). Canada Provides Safe Haven to White Helmet Terrorist Factions. globalresearch.ca Whereas there are untold numbers of Western-created refugees throughout the world, what author Franz Fanon appropriately named "The Wretched of the Earth", Canada has chosen to prioritize the "White Helmets" evacuated from Syria. | As with similar colonial narratives, the lies …
(2018-10-21). Action Alert: USA Today Says Climate Apocalypse Promises a Balmy Winter. fair.org 
USA Today (10/19/18) presents the upside of temperatures not seen since the Pleistocene Epoch. | The federal Climate Prediction Center foresees an El Niño system, a band of warm water that periodically appears in the Pacific Ocean, developing in time for this upcoming winter. This in turn means that 2019 will likely be the hottest year for the planet in recorded history, since we're already at near-record temperatures (2018 is on track to be the fourth-hottest year) and El Niño gives a
(2018-10-21). Letter from the US: Hurricanes, global warming and dire projections for the near future. greenleft.org.au 
Two big hurricanes hit southeastern United States in September-October. The first, Florence, devastated North and South Carolina with torrential rain, up to 40 inches in some locations over a few days. It caused huge flooding as rivers overflowed for weeks. | The second, Michael, hit Florida with very high winds. Near the coast, on the east side of the eye, sustained winds were 155 miles per hour when the storm made landfall. Together with the ocean storm surge, it made the coast look like it had been devastated in a bombing raid. | Michael was the third largest hurricane to hit the continental US in history. It…
(2018-10-21). Climate change poses 'existential threat' like Nazi Germany in WWII — Ocasio-Cortez (VIDEO). rt.com 
House of Representatives candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has likened climate change to Nazi Germany, saying the two pose a similar kind of "existential threat."
(2018-10-19). In the Wake of Nepal's Incomplete Revolution: Dispatch by a Far-Flung Bolivarian. counterpunch.org Revolutions and even near-revolutions are earthmoving events that leave a profound mark on any society. They change basic norms, redefining the social modus operandi, and just as often turn against their own children like the mythical Saturn. In Nepal, one can see how an almost-brought-to-completion revolution — led by a powerful and creative Maoist movement — More
(2018-10-19). Build More Gardens, Phase out Cars. counterpunch.org 
Because plants convert CO2 (a greenhouse gas) into oxygen, gardens combat global warming. Right? Isn't this, as Sherlock Holmes would say, elementary? So why then is the mayor of a major coastal city, one whose very existence is threatened by global warming, intent on destroying community gardens? Could it be because the mayor of New More
(2018-10-19). The Climate Won't Stop Changing In 2100. thenation.com The Climate Won't Stop Changing In 2100…
(2018-10-19). Identity Crisis: Elizabeth Warren's Claims Cherokee Heritage. counterpunch.org 
Elizabeth Warren recently released DNA results as evidence she has a Native American ancestor. Trump, meanwhile, has been referring to Warren as "Pocahontas" to ridicule that claim. The two show useful examples of different kinds of racism. Trump's racism is obvious. He's using the name Pocahontas as a racial slur. He means to target Warren, More
(2018-10-19). Native American Sovereignty Is Under Attack. Here's How Elizabeth Warren's DNA Test Hurt Our Struggle. theintercept.com 
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks to the Boston Globe's editorial board at the newspaper's office in Boston, Mass., on Oct. 16, 2018. | Pocahontas" — about her claims with a million-dollar wager: Take a DNA test to prove she's "an Indian." It was an obvious ploy, and Warren took the bait. | Yet her reaction hurt more than she might realize. Reducing Native American identity to "race," whether through biology or the law, is harmful to Native sovereignty and nationhood, despit…
(2018-10-19). The Harvard case on racial preferences and the antidemocratic character of affirmative action. wsws.org Affirmative action policies seek to conceal the class division in society while permitting the political right to pose as defenders of equal protection.
(2018-10-18). Why Coverage of Indigenous Issues Is So Lousy. fair.org 
Long ago and far, far away, in a Canadian prairie city and a prior life as a local and regional reporter for TV news, I wondered why we covered Indigenous issues so badly. I presented this question to reporters, editors and producers in print and broadcast newsrooms, including my own, throughout the city. This in a city where roughly one-quarter of the local population was Indigenous, living literally on the other side of the tracks. | Not a single person I interviewed argued against my premise. Everyone agreed our coverage was "lousy," and got worse throughout the province, the further away from the city you wer…
(2018-10-18). NSW pushes new coalmine. greenleft.org.au 
The New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment recommended approval of a new thermal coalmine to the Independent Planning Commission on October 9. | The open-cut underground mine proposed by South Korean company KEPCO would be built near Bylong, 55 kilometres northeast of Mudgee and is intended to operate for 25 years, extracting 6.5 million tonnes of coal each year. | Lock the Gate spokesperson Carmel Flint said the recommendation to support the Bylong mine is wrong. | "Not only will this mine put the climate at risk, but new research shows it will take South Korean mining giant KEPCO one step closer…
(2018-10-18). Nuclear Power & Climate. zcomm.org The great environmental challenge of our time is to understand that the many sources of biodestruction are interconnected and must be confronted simultaneously, rather than disparaging one danger to focus on another…
(2018-10-18). As 2018 Midterms Approach, Native American Women Are Running for Office in Record Numbers. democracynow.org 
A record number of Native American women are running for office in the midterm elections. At least four candidates are vying to become the first Native American women elected to Congress, including Deb Haaland in New Mexico and Sharice Davids in Kansas. Three Native women are running for governor, and 31 are running for seats in state legislatures. In Fargo, North Dakota, we speak with Tara Houska, national campaign director for Honor the Earth and an Ojibwe lawyer. In Anchorage, Alaska, we speak with Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today. He's a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. In Seattle, Washingto…
(2018-10-18). Native Americans React to Elizabeth Warren's DNA Test: Stop Making Native People "Political Fodder" democracynow.org 
Native Americans across the country are criticizing Senator Elizabeth Warren's decision to use a DNA test to assert her Native American heritage. Chuck Hoskin Jr., secretary of state of the Cherokee Nation, said, "Sovereign tribal nations set their own legal requirements for citizenship, and while DNA tests can be used to determine lineage, such as paternity to an individual, it is not evidence for tribal affiliation. Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong." We host a roundtable discussion of Native American activists a…
(2018-10-18). Sen. Warren's Claim to Native Heritage Didn't Aid Her Career, But Did It Keep Women of Color Out? democracynow.org 
Senator Elizabeth Warren has come under fire since releasing a DNA test Monday showing Native American ancestry. The announcement responded directly to President Trump, who has frequently attacked Senator Warren by calling her "Pocahontas." A Stanford professor of genetics says there is "strong evidence" of Native American lineage in Warren's family tree dating back six to 10 generations. At multiple points in her career, Warren identified as Native American, but she says she did not use the claim to advance her career. We speak with Annie Linskey, Washington, D.C., deputy bureau chief for The Boston Globe. She e…
(2018-10-18). Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education. aclu.org Activist Edward Blum has been trying to destroy race-conscious college admissions for a long time. | In a federal lawsuit that went to trial this week, the organization Students for Fair Admissions is challenging Harvard University's admissions practices, arguing that the consideration of race in the process violates the Equal Protection Clause. | So what's at stake in this case? A lot. | Just two years ago, in Fisher v. the University of Texas, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the consideration of race as part of a holistic admissions pr…
(2018-10-18). Secret Government Report Shows Gaping Holes in Privacy Protections From U.S. Surveillance. aclu.org 
The Trump administration released a report from federal privacy watchdog after the ACLU filed a Freedom of Information Act request. | On Tuesday, in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, a federal privacy watchdog released an important report about how the U.S. government handles people's personal information that it sweeps up in its surveillance. Despite requests from Senator Ron Wyden and the European Union, the Trump administration had refused to make the report public [m…
(2018-10-18). 'It'll change back?' Trump mocked for his 'natural instinct for science' on climate change. rt.com 
While a sobering new UN report on climate change indicates humans might have little time to change our ways to avoid environmental catastrophe, President Trump isn't worried, pointing to scientists "on both sides of the picture."
(2018-10-17). 'Their Policies Toward Indigenous People and Toward the Land Need to Change' – CounterSpin interview with Amrah Salomon on Indigenous Peoples Day. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Amrah Salomón about the limits of Indigenous Peoples Day for the October 12, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-10-16). Ari Berman: Republicans in North Dakota Are Attempting to Disenfranchise Thousands of Native Voters. democracynow.org 
The Supreme Court has ruled it will allow the state of North Dakota to enforce a new voter ID requirement that will make it harder for Native Americans to vote during the midterm elections. The state's new voter ID law requires voters to show identification demonstrating a residential street address, but this has already rendered many tribal IDs invalid, since many Native Americans who live on reservations depend on post office boxes to receive mail. The law could make a difference in the close race between Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp and her Republican challenger Kevin Cramer. The race is expected to help…
(2018-10-15). Headlines for October 15, 2018. democracynow.org Trump Rejects Ending Saudi Arms Sales over Journalist's Disappearance, Corporate Executives Pull Out of Saudi Investment Summit, Yemen: U.S.-Backed, Saudi-Led Airstrike Kills 19 and Injures 30, U.S. Death Toll from Hurricane Michael at 19 as Dozens Remain Missing, Trump Doubles Down on Climate Change Denial on "60 Minutes", Senate Confirms Former BP Oil Defender as Top Environmental Lawyer, Tens of Thousands March in Europe Demanding Action on Climate, Somalia: Al-Shabab Suicide Bombers Kill 20, Injure 40, Nigeria: Anti-Boko Haram Militia Releases Children It Held Captive, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill 7 Palestinians…
(2018-10-14). Five Questions For: Author Suzanne Gordon on the VA as a 'Model for American Health Care'. progressive.org "Many liberals and progressives who don't buy the propaganda about climate, or about education, buy the propaganda about the VA."
(2018-10-12). Teresa Basilio on Puerto Rico Communication Failure, Amrah Salomon on Indigenous Peoples Day. fair.org 
Media…
(2018-10-11). Hurricane Michael Pummels Communities in Florida, a State Led by a Climate Change-Denying Governor. democracynow.org 
At least two people have died since Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida and Georgia on Wednesday. It is the third most powerful storm to ever hit the U.S. mainland, and meteorologists say it is supercharged by warmer-than-usual water in the Gulf of Mexico. But Florida Governor Rick Scott has a long history of denying climate change. In 2011, his administration reportedly banned state employees in Florida's Department of Environmental Protection from using the terms "climate change," "global warming" and "sea level rise." We speak with Gloria Horning, a social and environmental justice advocate. She serves…
(2018-10-10). Ex-NASA Scientist Dr. James Hansen: We Need to Act Now to Preserve Our Planet for Future Generations. democracynow.org 
As Hurricane Michael barreled down on Florida, famed climate scientist Dr. James Hansen traveled to Minnesota earlier this week to testify on the imminent danger of climate change. He was supposed to be an expert witness at the trial for the "valve turners," the anti-pipeline activists who staged an unprecedented coordinated action to shut down the flow of oil from Canada to the United States in 2016. But the judge ruled she would not allow witnesses like Dr. Hansen to testify on the clear and present danger posed by climate change. On Tuesday, valve turner activists Annette Klapstein and Emily Johnston were acqu…
(2018-10-10). Valve Turners on Trial: Judge Acquits Three Climate Activists Who Shut Down Tar Sands Pipelines. democracynow.org 
A month before the 2016 election, anti-pipeline activists staged an unprecedented coordinated action to shut down the flow of oil from Canada to the United States. On October 11, 2016, activists in North Dakota, Washington, Montana and Minnesota turned the manual safety valves on four pipelines, temporarily halting the flow of nearly 70 percent of the crude oil imported to the United States from Canada. They came to be known as the "valve turners." What followed was a lengthy legal battle that ended with some of the activists in jail. But on Tuesday, three valve turners who broke into an oil pipeline facility in…
(2018-10-10). Rashid Khalidi: From Iran to Palestine, Nikki Haley Put a Nice Face on Trump's "Horrific" U.S. Policies. democracynow.org 
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has announced she is resigning her post at the end of the year. The former South Carolina governor—one of the few women in Trump's Cabinet—gave no reason for her departure. During Nikki Haley's time as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the United States withdrew from the Paris climate accord; the U.N. Human Rights Council; the Iran nuclear deal; UNRWA, the U.N. agency that provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians; and UNESCO, the U.N. educational and cultural agency. We speak with Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said professor of Arab studies at Columbia…
(2018-10-09). Climate Scientist: As U.N. Warns of Global Catastrophe, We Need a "Marshall Plan" for Climate Change. democracynow.org 
A new report from the United Nations' climate panel warns humanity has only a dozen years to mitigate global warming and limit the scope of global catastrophe. Otherwise, millions will be imperiled by increasing droughts, floods, fires and poverty. The sweeping report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urges immediate and unprecedented changes to global policy in order to keep global warming at a maximum of 1.5 ∫C. We speak with Kevin Anderson, Zennstrà∂m professor in climate change leadership at the Centre for Environment and Development Studies at Uppsala University and chair of ener…
(2018-10-04). Venezuela to Donate US$10m to Indonesia Earthquake Victims. venezuelanalysis.com President Maduro confirms they will use funds from the "solidarity fund" to aid victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck the island of Celebes in late September.
(2018-10-02). Losing Legal Protections, Immigrants Facing Deportation Share Their Stories. progressive.org Many migrants with Temporary Protected Status have called the U.S. home for over a decade. Some have joined a twelve-week, cross-country "Journey for Justice" tour to let people know why they want to stay.