(2018-11-19). Meet the Prisoners Being Paid $1 an Hour to Battle the Deadly Climate-Fueled Fires of California. democracynow.org 
As the death toll from the Camp Fire rises to 77, California is combatting its deadliest fire in state history using prison labor. Some 1,500 of the 9,400 firefighters currently battling fires in California are incarcerated. They make just a dollar an hour, but are rarely eligible to get jobs as firefighters after their release. According to some estimates, California saves up to $100 million a year by using prison labor to fight its biggest environmental problem. In September the Democracy Now! team traveled to the Delta Conservation Camp in Northern California, a low-security prison where more than 100 men are…
(2018-11-19). Fracking Is Expanding Drastically in the Southwest. truthout.org 
There is an LED sign at a Chase Bank in downtown Midland, Texas, the heart of the Permian Basin, which quantifies the current oil boom. It alternates between current rig count, the price of oil, and the price of gasoline. On October 30, the day I arrived, the sign informed me there were 1,068 drilling rigs across the United States, of which 489 — nearly half — are in the Permian Basin. | Though the flashing sign is meant to celebrate the fracking boom, Sharon Wilson, Texas coordinator of Earthworks, sees it as a warning sign of the urgent need to cu…
(2018-11-17). US water suppliers cover up spikes in hormone-disrupting herbicide contamination, report claims. rt.com 
Taking advantage of regulatory loopholes, US water suppliers may be concealing alarmingly high concentrations of toxic herbicides in Americans' drinking water, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group.
(2018-11-19). On Earth, as in Heaven: the Utopianism of Edward Bellamy. counterpunch.org What did Jesus mean by the Kingdom of God, when he prayed two thousand years ago for it to come on earth? What might this Kingdom look like if it came much later than expected, long after the Roman Empire had faded into history, nation states had emerged as the new centers of earthly power, More
(2018-11-19). The Earth Is Eating Its Own Oceans. The Deep Water Cycle. globalresearch.ca As Earth's tectonic plates dive beneath one another, they drag three times as much water into the planet's interior as previously thought. | Those are the results of a new paper published today (Nov. 14) in the journal Nature. Using …
(2018-11-19). Amidst talk of US auto industry consolidation UAW pushes economic nationalism ahead of 2019 contracts. wsws.org The United Auto Workers has responded to the threat to jobs by aligning itself ever more closely with the Trump administration's America First nationalism and protectionism.
(2018-11-16). Climate Change and Wildfires: The New Western Travesty. counterpunch.org 
As my wife Chelsea and I drove through Arizona on our annual pilgrimage from California to Montana, orange smoke billowed along the darkened horizon, signals of hearts shattered and landscapes scorched. Days earlier nineteen hotshot firefighters died together as they battled the intense blazes near the mountain town of Yarnell. It was the most lethal wildfire America had witnessed in 80 years. More
(2018-11-16). Out-of-control system burns California. greenleft.org.au 
A combination of real estate capitalism and climate change has unleashed murderous fires in California, writes Phil Hearse. | Things are getting serious. On November 15, at least are 56 were confirmed dead with hundreds missing. Thousands of homes and businesses have burned down. Two major fires, in the north and south of the state, were still not under control. | The scenes could be the aftermath of a US or Russian bombing raid in the Middle East — bodies littered on the ground, people burned to death in their cars, families devastated with grief at the loss of homes and loved ones. | United States Preside…
(2018-11-16). California's wildfire and climate change warnings are still too conservative. mronline.org 
Another Hot, Dry Year Is Fueling The State's Deadliest, Most Destructive Wildfire. Scientists Say Wildfires Here Are Consistently Surpassing Their Projections. | Source
(2018-11-16). As Camp Fire Death Toll Rises, Meet the Prisoners Making $1 an Hour to Fight California's Wildfires. democracynow.org 
The death toll from the Camp Fire in California has risen to at least 63, with 631 people reported missing. As California continues to battle the deadliest fire in the state's history, we turn to the hidden heroes on the front lines the raging climate-fueled wildfires: prisoner firefighters. At least 1,500 of the 9,400 firefighters currently battling fires in California are incarcerated. They make just a dollar an hour battling on the front lines but are rarely eligible to get jobs as firefighters after their release. In September, the Democracy Now! team traveled to the Delta Conservation Camp about an hour nort…
(2018-11-16). Ari Berman on the State of Voting 2018, Jackie Prange on Keystone XL Re-Review. fair.org 
Media…
(2018-11-16). ICE Is Targeting Activists in Vermont. And the State's DMV Has Been Helping Them. aclu.org ICE partnered with the Vermont DMV to target farmworker rights' activists for political repression. | In October 2017, Vermont-based Migrant Justice scored a major victory in the organization's campaign to extend labor protections to undocumented farmworkers in the state. After years of public action and lobbying, they reached an agreement with Ben & Jerry's that established basic labor standards at the farms supplying dairy products to the company. Those standards included one day off a week, a minimum wage of $10 per…
(2018-11-16). Betsy DeVos Wants to Roll Back Civil Rights Protections For Students Filing Complaints of Sexual Harassment or Assault. aclu.org Our analysis of how DeVos' proposed rule would change how colleges and universities deal with allegations of sexual assault under Title IX. | The Department of Education headed by Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday released a proposed rule that, if implemented, would dramatically limit schools' obligations to students who experience sexual violence and would not further the stated goal of fair process. The ACLU is equally committed to ensuring students can learn in environments free from sexual harassment and violence and to guaranteeing fair process for both respondents and complainants. | The new rule preserv…
(2018-11-16). National Exclusive: Former Sen. Barbara Boxer's Son and California Powerbroker Found Bilking Indian Tribe. consortiumnews.com Darius Anderson and his business partner, Douglas Boxer, preyed upon Native American clients who were too intimidated by their political connections to seek recourse, writes investigative reporter Peter Byrne. Judges Find Breach of Contract and Trust By Peter Byrne Darius… Read more →
(2018-11-15). Why students are striking for climate action on November 30. greenleft.org.au 
This November 30, I, along with hundreds — possibly thousands — of high school students will be participating in a student strike for climate action. | Initiated by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC), the School Strike 4 Climate has gained momentum in recent weeks, with nearly thirty events being organised in capital cities and regional areas around Australia. | We are currently facing an unprecedented climate emergency. With 2018 (once again) being the hottest year on record, we face the prospect of an uncertain and dangerous future. | Climate change is "threatening water security", accord…
(2018-11-15). The Fire This Time. thenation.com The Fire This Time…
(2018-11-15). Headlines for November 15, 2018. democracynow.org GOP Halts Debate on Ending U.S. Support for Saudi-Led War in Yemen, Eleven Saudis Indicted in Murder of Journalist Khashoggi, Deadly Wildfires in California Kill At Least 59, Another 300 Missing, Two Prisoner Firefighters Among Those Injured Battling Wildfires, Report: Climate Change Could Intensify Hurricane Rainfall by 30%, Florida Recounts in Question as Multiple Counties Report Issues, NJ Elects First Democratic Korean-American Congressmember, Georgia: Voting Activists Arrested for Holding Balloons, Trump Claims Democratic Voters Put on Disguise to Vote Twice, Trump Threatens Violence Against Anti-Fascist Pro…
(2018-11-15). Prisoners Are Getting Paid $1.45 a Day to Fight the California Wildfires. aclu.org Incarcerated workers fighting wildfires deserve the same wages and protections that civilian workers receive. | As firefighters in California battle the deadliest wildfires in the state's history, they are joined by unlikely allies against the blaze. About 200 prisoners in California's Conservation Camp program are fighting the fires alongside civilian employees, earning just $1.45 a day for their work. Their pay as workers is a fraction of minimum wage. The hazard to their lives is real, as evidenced by a death toll that has…
(2018-11-14). Headlines for November 14, 2018. democracynow.org California Wildfires Kill 50 Across State as Blazes Rage On, Police Arrest 51 Activists Demanding Climate Action from Pelosi, Landmark Climate Lawsuit by Young Activists in Legal Limbo, Pentagon Chief Mattis to Visit 6,000 Troops at U.S.-Mexico Border, Congressional Progressives Appear to Downplay Plans to Abolish ICE, Congressional Race Results Still Uncertain One Week After Midterms, Georgia: Black Woman State Senator Arrested at Peaceful Voter Protest, Fates of Senior Trump Advisers in Doubt After Clashes with FLOTUS, Trump Lawyers Prepare Answers in Mueller Probe, CNN Sues Trump over Acosta Ban, Chicago: Poli…
(2018-11-13). Climate Scientist Who Fled CA Wildfire: We're Going to Keep Paying Price If We Ignore Climate Change. democracynow.org 
At least 44 people are dead and more than 200 remain missing as two massive wildfires, fueled by easterly winds and a historic drought, continue to rage in California. In Northern California's Butte County, the Camp Fire has become the state's deadliest fire in history, after the blaze swept through the town of Paradise, killing 42 people and destroying nearly 6,500 homes. In Southern California, a quarter-million residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were ordered to evacuate the Woolsey Fire—including the entire city of Malibu and parts of the San Fernando Valley. Governor Jerry Brown said Sunday t…
(2018-11-13). "An Incredible Victory": Opponents of Keystone XL Pipeline Praise Judicial Order Blocking Construction. democracynow.org 
On Thursday, a federal judge in Montana temporarily halted the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada's tar sands region in Alberta to refineries as far away as the Gulf of Mexico. The court's decision will require the Trump administration to review more thoroughly the potential negative impacts of the pipeline on the surrounding environment and climate change. President Obama halted the construction of the pipeline, which is being built by TransCanada, in 2015 following mass public protests, but Trump reversed the order shortly after he came into office. Environ…
(2018-11-13). As Fires Devastate California, 350.org Calls for Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Economy. democracynow.org 
California's Camp Fire has become the state's deadliest fire on record, decimating the town of Paradise, killing 42 people and destroying 7,200 structures. The fires in California are so large they can be clearly seen from space. Smoke and ash have left millions of Californians exposed to air quality rated at "unhealthy" or "very unhealthy" levels, with residents of Los Angeles, Sacramento and the Bay Area warned against spending time outdoors. We speak with May Boeve, executive director of 350 Action, who says, "We are really daunted by the reality of the climate impacts that are facing us."
(2018-11-13). NAACP Calls Mississippi Candidate Hyde-Smith's Hanging Comments "Sick" naacp.org BALTIMORE— (November 11, 2018) The NAACP issued the following statement regarding Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith recent statement on being invited to a public hanging. "Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's shameful remarks prove once again how Trump has created a social and political climate that normalizes hateful and racist rhetoric. We've seen this in Florida from Ron DeSantis […]
(2018-11-06). Five Questions For: Youth Climate Activist Jamie Margolin on #WalkoutToVote. progressive.org "We can't just go through their system as normal, trusting that they'll take care of us. So we're walking out."
(2018-11-05). Maduro: Venezuela Sitting on 2nd Biggest Gold Reserve on Earth. venezuelanalysis.com President Nicolas Maduro described the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela as "crazy" and "criminal."
(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…