Staff (2018-05-17). The Steps Trump Has Taken to Undermine Student Debt Reform. truthdig.com In the 16 months since President Donald Trump took office, the nation's student debt burden has soared by $110 billion, to an astonishing $1.41 trillion. | The number of student debtors has continued to grow as well — to 45 million Americans, up 2 million since Trump's inauguration. | And last week, the administration began what reformers fear is the dismantling of an Obama-era initiative to crack down on lending abuses — an effort that in 18 months had forced the student loan industry to give back $750 million for alleged unfair and abusive marketing and collection practices. | The administration insists its reorganization of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's student loan office was routine: There was "no functional or even practical change" to the unit's mission of protecting and informing students, an agency spokesman said. | But critics said it…

Janine Jackson (2018-05-17). 'Most Americans Say They Want Protections for the Open Internet'. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Tim Karr about the fight for net neutrality for the May 11, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Don Fitz (2018-05-17). Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl: Reality and Unreality. counterpunch.org With the escalating doom of climate change hovering over us, it is tempting to push nuclear horror to the back of our minds. To those of us who grew up in the 1950s, it was omnipresent. Nuclear war could not exist without nuclear power and on April 26, 1986 the world experienced a form of More

Staff (2018-05-17). The Quest for Energy-Hungry Artificial Ways to Keep Ourselves Cool. truthdig.com One of the ironies of increasing climate change is the cooling crisis: the hotter the planet becomes, the greater our demand for ways to cool down. And most often, in rich countries, that means switching on the air conditioning, which in turn means using more electricity and emitting more fossil fuels to escape the heat we've emitted by burning so much already. | Just how serious that irony is in practice is clear from a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on the future of cooling. The Agency's executive director, Fatih Birol, sums up the problem in his foreword: "The world faces a looming 'cold crunch.' | "Using air conditioners and electric fans to stay cool accounts for nearly 20% of the total electricity used in buildings around the world today. And this trend is set to grow as…

Democracy Now! (2018-05-17). Headlines for May 17, 2018. democracynow.org Trump on North Korean Threats to Cancel Summit: "We'll See", U.N. Human Rights Council to Review Israel's Massacre in Gaza, Under Trump, Refugee Admissions to U.S. at Lowest Level in Decades, President Trump Calls Undocumented Immigrants "Animals", DHS Sought Negative Info on Haitians Ahead of Canceling Protections, Senate Approves Bill to Restore Net Neutrality Rules, Trump Financial Disclosure Reveals Stormy Daniels Payment, WHO Ships Experimental Vaccine to Congo as Ebola Outbreak Kills 23, Chile: Thousands March Against Campus Sexual Violence, Michigan State to Settle Larry Nassar Sexual Abuse Lawsuit for $500M, EPA Chief Pruitt & White House Sought to Block Chemical Release Study, Whistleblower Says Steve Bannon Sought to Suppress Black Vote, CIA Cites Hacker Joshua Schulte as Suspect in WikiLeaks Release, North Carolina: Thousands of Teachers March for School Funding, Brooklyn Man Exonerated 27 Years After Murder Conviction…

amnesty.org (2018-05-17). 5 LGBTI activists to look out for this IDAHOTB 2018. amnesty.org 17 May is the International Day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. Here are 5 brilliant lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex activists (LGBTI) who are making waves while taking a stand for their rights. | | Alessandra — "Winning against transphobia also depends on a change in the general attitude of the people." | Time and again, Alessandra Ramos Makkeda has been faced with the words: "We don't accept your kind here." She is a trans-woman and LGBTI activist in Brazil, the country with the highest murder rate of trans people in the world. According to a local NGO, 64 trans people were murdered there in 2018, as of 1 May. In 2017, the world recoiled in shock as a video of the torture and murder of a Brazilian trans woman went viral online; the assailants were…

Dina Radke, Media Matters (2018-05-16). The U.S. Senate Just Voted to Save Net Neutrality—Mainstream Media Was Too Trump-Obsessed to Care. alternet.org This is a really big deal, but you wouldn't know it from the reporting. | Today, senators voted on a resolution to undo a 2017 move by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to end net neutrality regulations, but major television and print media outlets have devoted little more than a few mentions to the issue. This dearth of coverage may stem in part from the distraction of President Donald Trump, as since his election, media outlets have been laser-focused on his statements and actions. Several significant Trump-related stories did break today, but it's nonetheless obvious that media outlets have done little to address their Trump obsession and prioritize the many other issues that matter to Americans. Net neutrality requires internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon to give their users equal access to all internet content. Upending. . .

Adam Johnson (2018-05-16). NYT Edit Board Are Last Humans on Earth Who Believe US Neutral in Israel/Palestine Conflict. fair.org The fact that the United States favors Israel in its decades-long "conflict" with the Palestinians is not a subjective or abstract question; it's a well-established empirical fact. The US gives over $3 billion a year in military aid to Israel (more than the US spends on aid for the last seven countries it's bombed combined), and defends it from sanction almost uniformly at the UN Security Council. Israel's support from the US Congress borders on sycophantic. The US, on the other hand, gives no military aid to Palestine, and opposes resolutions that even acknowledge Palestine exists—much less support its resistance to Israeli occupation. The US gives some aid to the Israeli-approved and corrupt Palestinian Authority, but this largely serves to buy off the docile and unpopular PA. New York Times editorial ( 5/14/18): "For generations…

Ryan Grim (2018-05-16). Qatari Investor: Michael Cohen Asked Me for a Million Dollars. theintercept.com In the blink of a Michael Avenatti tweet, Ahmed al-Rumaihi has suddenly found himself internet-famous. It began on Sunday evening, when the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels posted a screenshot of video footage from Trump Tower's lobby, recorded on December 12, 2016. | Viral speculation followed, with online detectives identifying al-Rumaihi, the former head of a $100 billion wing of the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, in the image and linking him to a Russia-Qatar deal to sell a portion of the oil company Rosneft, which had been referenced in the Steele dossier, a set of raw intelligence reports compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. | From there, Slate took over, headlining a piece late Monday night: "Michael Cohen's Meetings With Michael Flynn and a Qatari Diplomat Might Be the Key to Unlocking the Steele Dossier."

amnesty.org (2018-05-16). Ukraine: Des menaces pèsent sur la tenue du Festival pour l'égalité des droits. amnesty.org La police ukrainienne de la ville de Tchernivtsi, dans l'ouest du pays, a conseillé aux organisateurs du Festival pour l'égalité des droits de déplacer l'événement du centre-ville vers un lieu non dévoilé, au motif que des groupes d'extrême-droite ont proféré des menaces et sont déterminés à perturber le festival. La police a ajouté qu'elle n'est pas en mesure de déployer un nombre suffisant d'agents pour assurer la protection de l'événement, alors que selon certaines informations, des membres de différents groupes d'extrême-droite de toute l'Ukraine s'apprêtent à rallier Tchernivtsi au moment du festival.

Democracy Now! (2018-05-16). Norman Finkelstein: Palestinians Have the Right to Break Free of the "Unlivable" Cage That Is Gaza. democracynow.org This spring's mass nonviolent protests in Gaza come as the human rights conditions in the "open-air prison" have even further deteriorated. Last year, the United Nations issued a report warning Gaza is already "unlivable." The majority of its water is contaminated, and electricity is limited to only a few hours a day. About half the population is children. Almost all are refugees who are prevented from ever leaving the tiny Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated places on Earth. For more, we speak with Norman Finkelstein, author and scholar whose most recent book is titled "Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom."

amnesty.org (2018-05-16). Zambia: Musician and activist 'Pilato' must be released immediately and unconditionally. amnesty.org The arrest of musician and activist Fumba Chama, also known as 'Pilato', is a shocking demonstration of how far the Zambian government is prepared to go to strangle all criticism and crack down on freedom of expression, Amnesty International said today. | | Pilato was arrested at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport this afternoon on his return home after spending four months in Johannesburg, South Africa. He left Zambia in early January after receiving threats in response to his song Koswe Mumpoto (rat in the pot), which was interpreted as criticising President Edgar Lungu and his ruling Patriotic Front (PF) ministers. | A warrant for Pilato's arrest was issued on 5 February after…

Ramzy Baroud (2018-05-15). My Home is Beit Daras: Our Lingering Nakba. counterpunch.org When Google Earth was initially released in 2001, I immediately rushed to locate a village that no longer exists on a map, which now delineates a whole different reality. Although I was born and raised in a Gaza refugee camp, and then moved to and lived in the United States, finding a village that was More

Chloe Farand (2018-05-15). Empire Oil: London's Dirty Secret. globalresearch.ca The UK likes to brag about its credentials as a global climate leader. But a new DeSmog UK investigation reveals that beneath the green veneer lies some dirty business. | At the centre of it all is the City of London …

Robert Hunziker (2018-05-14). Climate Crisis Clobbers Trump Denials. counterpunch.org Photo by Bert Kaufmann | CC BY 2.0 | Harken! A Trump appointee agrees that climate change is not a hoax. Granted, that is unimaginable, but it is the real thing. An ongoing climate crisis in America's Southwest brings this rare specimen into the limelight. | The climate crisis star of the year is Brenda Burman, commissioner of The Bureau of Reclamation, a division of the Department of Interior, who, in her confirmation hearings said: "I believe that climate change is not a hoax." After all, in her youth she did serve as a park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park; she's an outdoorsperson. | She comes to the forefront via an ongoing dire ultra scary southwestern drought. According to The Bureau of Reclamation (Trump's Bureau) it's the worst drought in over 1,200 years. (Source: Eric Holthaus, Look! A Federal Agency is…

Patrick Cockburn (2018-05-14). If Europe Wants To Remain On The World Stage, It Must Resist Trump On Iran. iranian.com "Iraq is at the muzzle of the gun," says Ali Allawi, Iraqi historian and former minister, speaking of the increased turmoil expected to follow the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement. It is not only Iraq which is in danger: an escalating confrontation between the US and Iran will affect the whole region, but […]

Human Rights Watch (2018-05-14). Philippines Acts to Combat Violence Against Children. hrw.org Mourners watch as Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old student who was shot during anti-drug operations is buried in Caloocan, Metro Manila, Philippines August 26, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | The Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence against Children, formulated by the government's Council for the Welfare of Children and UNICEF, the United Nations children's organization, outlines and harmonizes the roles of different agencies to enforce child protection measures. It seeks to "break the cycle" of violence by ensuring access to services, building the capacity of children to protect themselves, improving legislation, and serving as a guide for policymakers and donors. | "It is concerning that violence pervades on children, committed by people they trust," said Julia Rees of UNICEF Philippines, referring to findings of a study commissioned by the agency…

amnesty.org (2018-05-14). Tanzania: Civil Societies call regarding the security of citizens, Human Rights and Rule of Law in Tanzania. amnesty.org We, the undersigned Civil Societies Organizations (CSOs) in this petition, are seriously concerned by the current situation of human rights violations, rule of law and the security of citizens in Tanzania. CSOs are independent and autonomous entities established by different laws of Tanzania. These organizations implement various activities in ensuring sustainable development for our nation. CSOs have been a catalyst of development in Tanzania because of the social service delivery role they have been playing to improve people's lives and above all protection of human rights.

Human Rights Watch (2018-05-14). US Bureau of Prisons Policy Change Endangers Transgender Prisoners. hrw.org An illustration depicts a transgender woman housed in a men's immigration detention facility. | © 2016 Brian Stauffer for Human Rights Watch | The Trump administration's decision to change the policy of the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for housing transgender prisoners is dangerous, wrongheaded, and unnecessary. | Because being transgender is a known risk for being sexually victimized in confinement, the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and Department of Justice guidance issued in 2016 called for individual determinations of housing, program, and other assignments in correctional facilities. That means an individual assessment must be made, taking many factors into account, including the person's own views about their gender and safety. It also made assigning a transgender prisoner to housing, programs, or other services based solely on their sex assigned at birth a…

Democracy Now! (2018-05-14). Headlines for May 14, 2018. democracynow.org Israeli Soldiers Kill Dozens of Palestinians as U.S. Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Trump Admin Threatens to Sanction European Firms Doing Business with Iran, In Reversal, Trump Trying to Save Chinese Company Hit by U.S. Sanctions, Report: Trump Admin Eliminates NASA Program to Monitor Carbon & Methane, Afghanistan: Taliban Kill More Than 100 Afghan Soldiers & Police in Last Week, Pakistan Prevents U.S. Diplomat from Leaving, After He Killed 1 in Car Crash, Burundi: 26 Killed in Attack on Village, Days Before Controversial Referendum, Iraq: Early Election Results Show Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Lead, Indonesia: ISIS Claims Responsibility for String of Attacks on Churches, 1974 CIA Memo: Brazil's Former Dictator Personally Approved Summary Executions, White House Refuses to Apologize for Aide's Comments Mocking John McCain, American Bishop Michael Curry to Deliver Sermon at British Royal Wedding, Trump Admin Rolls Back Protections for Transgender Prisoners…

wsws.org (2018-05-14). US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal drives Ankara into a corner. wsws.org Washington's reimposition of punishing economic sanctions on Iran, and its plans to force other countries to follow suit, threatens to roil the already crisis-ridden Turkish economy.

wsws.org (2018-05-12). Eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues into second week. wsws.org At least 1,700 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as the island has been rocked by a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions over the past week.

Democracy Now! (2018-05-11). Immigration Officials Are Using Pseudoscience to Justify Jailing Teenage Asylum Seekers with Adults. democracynow.org This week, the Trump administration announced it will detain asylum seekers and separate them from their children at the border. A case in California shows how some minors who arrived alone to seek asylum have been put in adult detention. Immigration authorities in California are refusing to release an Afghan asylum seeker from an adult detention center, even though a federal court had determined he is a child. His lawyers say the teenager, who has been held in adult detention for five months, is 17 years old. But ICE used a disputed "pseudoscience" age test based on a dental exam to insist he is over 18. The teen, who uses the name Hamid for privacy and protection, says he fled Afghanistan using a forged passport after the Taliban murdered his father. On Tuesday, Hamid spoke to Democracy Now! in his first phone interview from the Mesa Verde detention center in Bakersfield, California. We speak to his attorney Mariel Villarreal in New York.

RT (2018-05-11). Trump's environment czar Pruitt in trouble over ethics. rt.com The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, who is under scrutiny for his lavish spending habits at taxpayers' expense, must answer to ethics concerns, the White House has said.
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RT (2018-05-10). #NappingWhileBlack: Yale embroiled in race row after bizarre dorm incident. rt.com The dean of Yale says the prestigious university needs to make efforts to be more inclusive after a white graduate student called the police on a black student who fell asleep on a couch in a common area of their campus residence.
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RT (2018-05-09). Americans released by North Korea land on US soil. rt.com Donald Trump is receiving US citizens at the Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC after they were freed from North Korean captivity with the help of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who negotiated their release.
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Democracy Now! (2018-05-09). Primary Day: Blankenship Out in WV; Consumer Watchdog Wins in Ohio; Pence's Brother Wins in Indiana. democracynow.org Voters in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina headed to the polls Tuesday to decide a number of key primaries. In West Virginia, the state's Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won a closely watched U.S. Senate primary, defeating U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins and former coal baron Don Blankenship. Blankenship had served a year in prison after 29 miners died in the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. He faced intense criticism after releasing an ad attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his "China family." Patrick Morrisey will now face the conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in November. In Ohio, Richard Cordray defeated former Congressmember Dennis Kucinich in the state's Democratic primary for governor. Cordray served as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He will now face Mike DeWine in November to determine who will replace outgoing Ohio Governor…

Democracy Now! (2018-05-07). Nearly 90,000 Hondurans May Be Deported to Danger and Poverty as Trump Ends Their Protected Status. democracynow.org The Trump administration announced Friday it is ending temporary protected status for nearly 90,000 Hondurans now living in the United States, saying they must return home. TPS is an immigration status granted to foreign nationals who can't safely return to their home countries, and allows them to legally live and work in the United States. Hondurans were first given TPS in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch devastated the country. Critics note Honduras remains the one of the world's most violent countries. The Trump administration has also ended protections for El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan. Only South Sudan and Syria were renewed. An estimated 300,000 people will be impacted overall. We get response from Patricia Montes, an immigrant from Honduras and executive director of Centro Presente in Boston, Massachusetts, which has worked with members from Honduras and Central America since the 1980s. She also has family members who will lose their temporary protected status.