2020-04-04: News Headlines

Dan Bacher (2020-04-04). As Delta smelt nears extinction, CDFW issues incidental take permit for endangered fish. indybay.org The incidental take permit was issued as the Delta smelt, once the most abundant species on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, continues its steep slide towards extinction. For the second year in a row, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in its annual fall midwater trawl survey in 2019 found zero Delta smelt during the months of September, October, November and December.

John Nichols (2020-04-04). 'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'. thenation.com 'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-03). News Guild, journalists' union, sets out to save newspapers. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Emphasizing their role in getting reliable information out to the public, the News Guild is setting out to save endangered newspapers across the country. The coronavirus pandemic has only added to the danger of extinction faced by many newspapers, the union says. While social media has exploded — along with opinion sites and siloes that …

Kevin Potter (2020-04-03). Austria's 'Unsozial' Capitalists in a Time of Crisis. mronline.org In a move seemingly reserved only for cartoonish villains, one of Austria's best-known millionaires, Attila Doƒüudan, CEO of DO &CO—one of the largest culinary companies in Austria, and who employs over 11,000 people worldwide—has used the COVID-19 crisis to orchestrate a widespread layoff campaign against all restaurant employees within Austria.

Tracy Keeling (2020-04-03). In one stunning sentence, Noam Chomsky nails the most overlooked element of the pandemic. thecanary.co Renowned US intellectual, author, and commentator Noam Chomsky addressed the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in a recent interview. Amid a global panic over the disease, he nailed the most overlooked element of the emergency. | Crucially, he pointed out that though coronavirus "can have terrifying consequences" there "will be recovery". But there are other threats — the climate crisis and nuclear war — where recovery is impossible if we don't tackle them urgently.coronavirus… can have terrifying consequences, but there will be recovery, while the [other threats], there won't be recovery, it's finished…

commondreams (2020-04-03). 350.org to Trump: Meet with People Impacted by the Pandemic, Not Polluters Wreaking Havoc on Our Climate. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Kathleen Wallace (2020-04-03). The Highly Contagious Idea. counterpunch.org The COVID-19 pandemic has laid waste to the notions of American Exceptionalism (other than perhaps an exceptional level of infection) and the unsustainable practice from the last couple of decades that reality is essentially what you force it to be. It's the magical thinking that if you manufacture enough consent, eventually that square peg will

David Rosen (2020-04-03). Coronavirus and the State-of-Emergency Pandemic. counterpunch.org You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that [is] it's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not before. — Rahm Emanuel A silent pandemic is sweeping the nation and across the globe, the panic of the ever-expanding authoritarian state. The coronavirus medical emergency

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-04-03). 'We Need People's Bailout, Not Polluters' Bailout': Climate Groups Move to Preempt Big Oil Giveaway Amid Pandemic. commondreams.org "Oh, so we have to pay our rent, but now Big Oil doesn't have to pay anything for destroying our public lands? Cool, cool." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/flares.jpg

news.un (2020-04-02). Key COP26 climate summit postponed to 'safeguard lives'. news.un.org With no end in sight to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the UN climate change talks which were due to take place in Scotland later in the year, have been postponed until October 2021.

John Nichols (2020-04-02). 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'. thenation.com 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'

imperial.ac.uk (2020-04-01). Traces of ancient rainforest in Antarctica point to a warmer prehistoric world. imperial.ac.uk Researchers have found evidence of rainforests near the South Pole 90 million years ago, suggesting the climate was exceptionally warm at the time.

Media Lens (2020-03-31). "Can I Keep You Safe? Your Future Is Uncertain": Climate And The Fate Of Humanity. dissidentvoice.org In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the most immediate objective is to slow its spread, minimise the death toll and help people through the crisis. But, despite government promises to support citizens who are now losing their jobs and income, the underlying establishment concern will be as it always has been: to preserve the …

Staff (2020-03-26). "Chaotic Situation": India Begins Lockdown of 1.3 Billion Residents as Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads. democracynow.org As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, we look at India, which is now under the largest lockdown in human history, with 1.3 billion people ordered to shelter in place. As the country's economy and daily life come to an abrupt halt, hundreds of millions of Indians who live hand to mouth have been left without the means to support their families. We speak with Amitav Ghosh, whose books include "Gun Island" and "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable."

Lawrence Wittner (2020-03-02). Could the climate crisis be "The Good News of Damnation"? zcomm.org There really is no other solution to the onrushing climate catastrophe than for people and nations to forget their tribal animosities and start behaving as part of a world society…

CounterSpin (2020-02-21). Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity. fair.org There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …