https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-kurds-syria-future_n_5da21abae4b02c9da04b4adb?fbclid=IwAR3GHFNk4Ei-PwC5TMv4iqmnIkeGlnX-c6vlQF-wZw-Ybw-iNNmf1FeysHo
"Kurds have come to deeply value their collective memory. The next generation won’t forget U.S. support for Turkey’s bloody move into Syria."
Friday, November 8, 2019
Tired of Winning: Trump Surrenders Northern Syria to Turkish Jihadists
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-syria-kurds-turkey-isis-898524/?fbclid=IwAR0nyj4BTDFCLUOOLY7mKRrDlkQ64kFcxCIhLeMAPFK23TND1WBc7QF1kE8
"It’s unreal how much damage and death Trump can cause with the drop of a single tweet"
"It’s unreal how much damage and death Trump can cause with the drop of a single tweet"
Look who met 3 weeks ago to discuss and make plans for Syria – Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/10/1891488/-Look-who-met-3-weeks-ago-to-discuss-and-make-plans-for-Syria-Putin-Erdogan-and-Rouhani?utm_campaign=trending&fbclid=IwAR3OVT8KonyUbGzHtSLep_0ttUY6yhChCSI59rn6n7eLGSsQIT16QhkbllQ
"None of it makes much sense unless you accept the fact that Putin is calling the shots. Everywhere."
"None of it makes much sense unless you accept the fact that Putin is calling the shots. Everywhere."
Pullback Leaves Green Berets Feeling ‘Ashamed,’ and Kurdish Allies Describing ‘Betrayal’
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/world/middleeast/kurds-syria-turkey-trump.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes&fbclid=IwAR2DOS44oGxRfqeLQQFLHvQqPSeQZGwfmIBwgIqyzAeXvBsmxn4sdsZbDS8
"But now, with the White House revoking protection for these Kurdish fighters, some of the Special Forces officers who battled alongside the Kurds say they feel deep remorse at orders to abandon their allies. “They trusted us and we broke that trust,” one Army officer who has worked alongside the Kurds in northern Syria said last week in a telephone interview. “It’s a stain on the American conscience.” “I’m ashamed,” said another officer who had also served in northern Syria. Both officers spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals from their chains of command. And the response from the Kurds themselves was just as stark. “The worst thing in military logic and comrades in the trench is betrayal,” said Shervan Darwish, an official allied with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces."
"But now, with the White House revoking protection for these Kurdish fighters, some of the Special Forces officers who battled alongside the Kurds say they feel deep remorse at orders to abandon their allies. “They trusted us and we broke that trust,” one Army officer who has worked alongside the Kurds in northern Syria said last week in a telephone interview. “It’s a stain on the American conscience.” “I’m ashamed,” said another officer who had also served in northern Syria. Both officers spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals from their chains of command. And the response from the Kurds themselves was just as stark. “The worst thing in military logic and comrades in the trench is betrayal,” said Shervan Darwish, an official allied with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces."
Trump’s Syria Fiasco Is Part of Putin’s To-Do List
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-j-trumps-syria-fiasco-is-part-of-vladimir-putins-to-do-list?ref=home&fbclid=IwAR1a6inldsmwPE4WxmX3w5mAe3i3D560Bx_K_Rm3GoE_I8IUMm_n91vQwqg
"Trump tried to keep his talks with Putin at Helsinki last year secret from his staff and the world, but Russia's president held up the checklist for the cameras. Syria was on it."
"Trump tried to keep his talks with Putin at Helsinki last year secret from his staff and the world, but Russia's president held up the checklist for the cameras. Syria was on it."
Erdogan And Putin Strike A Syria Deal, Taking The Gift Trump Offered Them
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/erdogan-putin-trump-syria-kurds_n_5daf4f3fe4b08cfcc3238b8c?fbclid=IwAR1ceurM9t35Djyeo6O7lfrAWNsyYbb-qtqfU-D0NPtg_CnVHbvbdUlkQTs
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reached an agreement on Turkey’s controversial military operation against the Kurds in Syria, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, announced on Tuesday."
"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reached an agreement on Turkey’s controversial military operation against the Kurds in Syria, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, announced on Tuesday."
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Senate Report On NRA/Russia Connections Brands the Gun Group a ‘Foreign Asset’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/senate-report-nra-russia-gun-foreign-asset-891859/?fbclid=IwAR2nLLQRHM-TUFhon7fPMutJuYG1MnRq9lg44aLXtqFNoPjUwQDAfVSjrHo
"A long-awaited Senate report into the connections between the National Rifle Association and Russia describes the NRA as a “foreign asset” and underscores the NRA’s connections to, and activities in, Russia could “jeopardize” the organization’s nonprofit status. The investigation, conducted by ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and the minority staff of the Senate Finance Committee, “confirms that the NRA, its officers, board members, and donors engaged in a years-long effort to facilitate the U.S.-based activities of Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin,” the report states. Butina and Torshin’s efforts to use the NRA as a conduit to influence top Republicans was the subject of an April 2018 Rolling Stone exposé, Inside the Decade-Long Russian Campaign to Infiltrate the NRA and Help Elect Trump, which is cited in the Senate investigation. Butina, arrested that July, is now serving time in federal prison for a conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent. Torshin, a former Russian senator and central banker, was hit with U.S. sanctions, as the report describes, “for the Russian Federation’s global malign activity, including attempting to subvert Western democracies.” Torshin is a gun enthusiast who first spearheaded a connection with NRA executives nearly a decade ago. According to the U.S. government, he then acted as the “handler” of Butina, an ambitious, young Russian gun-rights leader, who leveraged and deepened the Russian relationship with the gun group, in furtherance of their ultimate goal of gaining access to top GOP influencers, politicians, and even the Trump family. The Senate report validates the DOJ’s conclusion that “the activity of those Russian nationals… amounted to an illegal conspiracy to gain access to American organizations through the NRA.” But it also makes clear that the effort was reciprocal, specifically that the NRA “was engaged in a years-long effort to facilitate Butina and Torshin’s domestic activity."."
"A long-awaited Senate report into the connections between the National Rifle Association and Russia describes the NRA as a “foreign asset” and underscores the NRA’s connections to, and activities in, Russia could “jeopardize” the organization’s nonprofit status. The investigation, conducted by ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and the minority staff of the Senate Finance Committee, “confirms that the NRA, its officers, board members, and donors engaged in a years-long effort to facilitate the U.S.-based activities of Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin,” the report states. Butina and Torshin’s efforts to use the NRA as a conduit to influence top Republicans was the subject of an April 2018 Rolling Stone exposé, Inside the Decade-Long Russian Campaign to Infiltrate the NRA and Help Elect Trump, which is cited in the Senate investigation. Butina, arrested that July, is now serving time in federal prison for a conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent. Torshin, a former Russian senator and central banker, was hit with U.S. sanctions, as the report describes, “for the Russian Federation’s global malign activity, including attempting to subvert Western democracies.” Torshin is a gun enthusiast who first spearheaded a connection with NRA executives nearly a decade ago. According to the U.S. government, he then acted as the “handler” of Butina, an ambitious, young Russian gun-rights leader, who leveraged and deepened the Russian relationship with the gun group, in furtherance of their ultimate goal of gaining access to top GOP influencers, politicians, and even the Trump family. The Senate report validates the DOJ’s conclusion that “the activity of those Russian nationals… amounted to an illegal conspiracy to gain access to American organizations through the NRA.” But it also makes clear that the effort was reciprocal, specifically that the NRA “was engaged in a years-long effort to facilitate Butina and Torshin’s domestic activity."."
Russians Used Greed to ‘Capture’ NRA, Senator Alleges in New Report
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russians-used-greed-to-capture-nra-senator-ron-wyden-alleges-in-new-report?ref=home&fbclid=IwAR3Ld7v9gYyvW1swLho3G_1DU8XGZ4K7hD0GnOU9GUPfyN7QuTbvsqNyhfQ
"More than 4,000 pages of NRA records provided to Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the finance committee, documented deep connections between the beleaguered gun group and Maria Butina, who in December pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a Russian agent without registering with the Justice Department. Wyden’s report, released Friday and undertaken without the cooperation of committee Republicans, indicates that greed motivated some NRA officials to engage in the outreach. Butina also made clear to NRA officials long before their controversial Butina-facilitated December 2015 trip to Moscow that Alexander Torshin, her patron and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was a man with mysterious pull in the Kremlin. She emailed former NRA president David Keene in January 2015 that Torshin’s appointment to the Russian central bank was “the result of a ‘big game’ in which he has a very important role. All the details we can discuss with you only in person.” “During the 2016 election, Russian nationals effectively used the promise of lucrative personal business opportunities to capture the NRA and gain access to the American political system,” Wyden said. Representatives for the NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In addition to scrutinizing the December 2015 NRA trip, Wyden found that the NRA hosted former Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak for a three-hour tour of its headquarters in August 2015. Kislyak was a key figure in Russia’s 2016 election interference before former national security adviser Mike Flynn pleaded guilty to misrepresenting his conversations with him to the FBI. An NRA calendar entry provided to Wyden suggests that NRA leaders took Kislyak hunting at the Grand National Waterfowl Hunt weeks before the Moscow trip. Wyden’s report shows the NRA officials, donors, and supporters meeting with Russian officials under U.S. sanctions during the Moscow trip, something previously reported."
"More than 4,000 pages of NRA records provided to Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the finance committee, documented deep connections between the beleaguered gun group and Maria Butina, who in December pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a Russian agent without registering with the Justice Department. Wyden’s report, released Friday and undertaken without the cooperation of committee Republicans, indicates that greed motivated some NRA officials to engage in the outreach. Butina also made clear to NRA officials long before their controversial Butina-facilitated December 2015 trip to Moscow that Alexander Torshin, her patron and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was a man with mysterious pull in the Kremlin. She emailed former NRA president David Keene in January 2015 that Torshin’s appointment to the Russian central bank was “the result of a ‘big game’ in which he has a very important role. All the details we can discuss with you only in person.” “During the 2016 election, Russian nationals effectively used the promise of lucrative personal business opportunities to capture the NRA and gain access to the American political system,” Wyden said. Representatives for the NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In addition to scrutinizing the December 2015 NRA trip, Wyden found that the NRA hosted former Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak for a three-hour tour of its headquarters in August 2015. Kislyak was a key figure in Russia’s 2016 election interference before former national security adviser Mike Flynn pleaded guilty to misrepresenting his conversations with him to the FBI. An NRA calendar entry provided to Wyden suggests that NRA leaders took Kislyak hunting at the Grand National Waterfowl Hunt weeks before the Moscow trip. Wyden’s report shows the NRA officials, donors, and supporters meeting with Russian officials under U.S. sanctions during the Moscow trip, something previously reported."
Russian Operatives Popped Champagne, Said They ‘Made America Great’ After Trump Win
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/russian-interference-trump-election-senate-intelligence-committee_n_5d9cfb01e4b06ddfc50ff12e?fbclid=IwAR1q8bPmIWzlH_u0wJxT-Y7mwYk4UUlVQLkqm8H9EXJxBTNde-DeNWNaj7M
"Russian social media trolls working to boost the candidacy of now-President Donald Trump celebrated the real estate mogul’s win on election night 2016 with champagne, according to a message disclosed in a new report from the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee. According to the committee’s report, released Tuesday, an employee of Russia’s Internet Research Agency sent a message indicating that they “uncorked a tiny bottle of champagne” when they found out that Trump had won. “We uttered almost in unison: ‘We made America great.’” The exchange was highlighted by Bloomberg."
"Russian social media trolls working to boost the candidacy of now-President Donald Trump celebrated the real estate mogul’s win on election night 2016 with champagne, according to a message disclosed in a new report from the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee. According to the committee’s report, released Tuesday, an employee of Russia’s Internet Research Agency sent a message indicating that they “uncorked a tiny bottle of champagne” when they found out that Trump had won. “We uttered almost in unison: ‘We made America great.’” The exchange was highlighted by Bloomberg."
Maybe Team Trump should read the Senate Intel report on Russia
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maybe-team-trump-should-read-the-senate-intel-report-russia?fbclid=IwAR1km8A5CZmnEFoH1CWL50udtuaW02za7CwPuJ0_jHbROH5gclXmG03exmo
"The Senate Intelligence Committee even uncovered evidence that the day after the 2016 election, operatives at the Internet Research Agency “uncorked a tiny bottle of champagne, took one gulp each and looked into each other’s eyes.” They celebrated because Trump’s victory meant that the Kremlin’s campaign had succeeded. At a certain level, these topline findings probably seem unsurprising. In fact, you may not have even heard much about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s findings because they seem obvious: Russia attacked American elections; Moscow’s military intelligence operation relied on social media; and the purpose of the gambit was to elevate Donald Trump to power. This is entirely in line with our existing understanding of what transpired, though it’s helpful to have a bipartisan Senate report documenting what transpired in fresh detail."
"The Senate Intelligence Committee even uncovered evidence that the day after the 2016 election, operatives at the Internet Research Agency “uncorked a tiny bottle of champagne, took one gulp each and looked into each other’s eyes.” They celebrated because Trump’s victory meant that the Kremlin’s campaign had succeeded. At a certain level, these topline findings probably seem unsurprising. In fact, you may not have even heard much about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s findings because they seem obvious: Russia attacked American elections; Moscow’s military intelligence operation relied on social media; and the purpose of the gambit was to elevate Donald Trump to power. This is entirely in line with our existing understanding of what transpired, though it’s helpful to have a bipartisan Senate report documenting what transpired in fresh detail."
A GOP-led Senate intel committee report states the obvious: Russia favored Trump in 2016
https://www.vox.com/2019/10/8/20905160/senate-intelligence-russia-2016-election?fbclid=IwAR0YNTZJTyVaIjfQzRwp8f3WfeKnYg4Qfxaypn74pq4xAO9AZupGamuXX9I
"Even GOP-led Senate panels clearly show he had help during the 2016 election."
"Even GOP-led Senate panels clearly show he had help during the 2016 election."
Senate Republicans Say Russia Helped Trump—and Is Still Messing in US Elections
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/10/senate-intelligence-committee-report-social-media/?fbclid=IwAR0_ngi-9XZKcTO0tK-eviWmd6Q6LJ-dRpROoWAL37qvLXIAUdTbtnHmDo0
"In a report released Tuesday, the committee endorsed an Intelligence Community assessment issued in the last days of the Obama administration that Russian interference was intended to benefit Trump, a conclusion the president has never accepted."
"In a report released Tuesday, the committee endorsed an Intelligence Community assessment issued in the last days of the Obama administration that Russian interference was intended to benefit Trump, a conclusion the president has never accepted."
A new report describes Russia’s deception. The interference sounds just like Trump’s playbook.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-new-report-describes-russias-deception-it-sounds-just-like-trumps-playbook/2019/10/09/b52935f2-eac3-11e9-9c6d-436a0df4f31d_story.html?fbclid=IwAR29-vvgq31G6bVAQqwbp2rLQ49ywWV3NJzKLZULTVw8QUu6KJ5ak8thGNU
"PRESIDENT TRUMP’S lawlessness and nonstop lying about the matter of Ukraine have consumed Washington so completely that a new bipartisan report on Russian election interference has received less attention than it deserves. The kicker? The investigation directly contradicts the commander in chief’s fountain of falsehoods. The Senate Intelligence Committee released the latest installment this week of its comprehensive review of the Kremlin’s systematic attempts to sway the 2016 vote. The top-line finding is this: The Internet Research Agency, whose efforts the committee assesses were directed and supported by the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, sought to harm Hillary Clinton and elevate Mr. Trump. Assembled in one place, the details of Moscow’s deception are more startling than ever. Fraudulent news stories planted by paid trolls on Facebook often outperformed those from legitimate outlets. The top two in the three months leading up to the election featured Pope Francis endorsing Mr. Trump and Ms. Clinton selling weapons to the Islamic State. The Kremlin would often start with truthful or otherwise innocuous content and then deliver what it called payload posts. “Rise and shine — realize His blessing!” on a page called “Army of Jesus” preceded the missive “HILLARY APPROVES REMOVAL OF GOD FROM THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.” The Russians extended their reach beyond the online realm with rallies and spontaneous gatherings known as flash mobs, at one point attempting to draw a crowd in New York City by offering free hot dogs and at another paying participants to portray Ms. Clinton imprisoned in a cage. A protest against Islam in Houston by a made-up group called “Heart of Texas” and a manufactured pro-Muslim event held at the same time resulted in a confrontation that local news agencies covered live. The operation cost operatives in St. Petersburg only $200."
"PRESIDENT TRUMP’S lawlessness and nonstop lying about the matter of Ukraine have consumed Washington so completely that a new bipartisan report on Russian election interference has received less attention than it deserves. The kicker? The investigation directly contradicts the commander in chief’s fountain of falsehoods. The Senate Intelligence Committee released the latest installment this week of its comprehensive review of the Kremlin’s systematic attempts to sway the 2016 vote. The top-line finding is this: The Internet Research Agency, whose efforts the committee assesses were directed and supported by the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, sought to harm Hillary Clinton and elevate Mr. Trump. Assembled in one place, the details of Moscow’s deception are more startling than ever. Fraudulent news stories planted by paid trolls on Facebook often outperformed those from legitimate outlets. The top two in the three months leading up to the election featured Pope Francis endorsing Mr. Trump and Ms. Clinton selling weapons to the Islamic State. The Kremlin would often start with truthful or otherwise innocuous content and then deliver what it called payload posts. “Rise and shine — realize His blessing!” on a page called “Army of Jesus” preceded the missive “HILLARY APPROVES REMOVAL OF GOD FROM THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.” The Russians extended their reach beyond the online realm with rallies and spontaneous gatherings known as flash mobs, at one point attempting to draw a crowd in New York City by offering free hot dogs and at another paying participants to portray Ms. Clinton imprisoned in a cage. A protest against Islam in Houston by a made-up group called “Heart of Texas” and a manufactured pro-Muslim event held at the same time resulted in a confrontation that local news agencies covered live. The operation cost operatives in St. Petersburg only $200."
In 993 days, President Trump has made 13,435 false or misleading claims
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?fbclid=IwAR3TyuCMJzg0kFduXiTFFWSXCtJcVawhdONN_viGPyTyivi3OH0X0SqTcgQ
"In 993 days, President Trump has made 13,435 false or misleading claims"
"In 993 days, President Trump has made 13,435 false or misleading claims"
President Trump has made 13,435 false or misleading claims over 993 days
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/14/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/?fbclid=IwAR3BBHyxjldwqZYrfjVGTldSbcwjfLxnABBVaZKG0g0CLnFtKLdSvL63Na4
"As of Oct. 9, his 993rd day in office, he had made 13,435 false or misleading claims, according to the Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement he has uttered. That’s an average of almost 22 claims a day since our last update 65 days ago. One big reason for the uptick: The uproar over Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president on July 25 — in which he urged an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden, a potential 2020 election rival — and the ensuing House impeachment inquiry. We’ve added a new category of claims, Ukraine probe, and in just a few weeks it has topped 250 entries. In fact, Trump earned his fastest Bottomless Pinocchio ever with his repeated false statement that the whistleblower compliant about the call was inaccurate. The report accurately captured the content of Trump’s call and many other details have been confirmed, yet Trump has repeated this Four Pinocchio claim 29 times. (It takes 20 repeats of a Three or Four Pinocchio claim to merit a Bottomless Pinocchio, and there are now 27 entries.)"
"As of Oct. 9, his 993rd day in office, he had made 13,435 false or misleading claims, according to the Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement he has uttered. That’s an average of almost 22 claims a day since our last update 65 days ago. One big reason for the uptick: The uproar over Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president on July 25 — in which he urged an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden, a potential 2020 election rival — and the ensuing House impeachment inquiry. We’ve added a new category of claims, Ukraine probe, and in just a few weeks it has topped 250 entries. In fact, Trump earned his fastest Bottomless Pinocchio ever with his repeated false statement that the whistleblower compliant about the call was inaccurate. The report accurately captured the content of Trump’s call and many other details have been confirmed, yet Trump has repeated this Four Pinocchio claim 29 times. (It takes 20 repeats of a Three or Four Pinocchio claim to merit a Bottomless Pinocchio, and there are now 27 entries.)"
White House Letter Distorts Both Law and History on Impeachment
https://www.justsecurity.org/66534/white-house-letter-distorts-both-law-and-history-on-impeachment/?fbclid=IwAR3UxbY4puWRit_UPvK81Axh9ygtfWPlxITiJvWiVBY24k9ZKrOzR_iQXOY
"The White House letter of October 8 refusing all executive branch cooperation with the ongoing House impeachment inquiry is, simply put, a public relations exercise. The legal arguments it intersperses between insults to members of the House Democratic leadership and appeals to the President’s base voters are without foundation. The errors and mischaracterizations are so numerous that they cannot all be addressed in this space. Instead, I will consider only the fundamental misconceptions at the heart of the White House argument, as well as a single illustrative historical incident – the impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson."
"The White House letter of October 8 refusing all executive branch cooperation with the ongoing House impeachment inquiry is, simply put, a public relations exercise. The legal arguments it intersperses between insults to members of the House Democratic leadership and appeals to the President’s base voters are without foundation. The errors and mischaracterizations are so numerous that they cannot all be addressed in this space. Instead, I will consider only the fundamental misconceptions at the heart of the White House argument, as well as a single illustrative historical incident – the impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson."
Guess Who Else Trump Is Colluding With
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/10/trump-colluding-turkey-erdogan-kurds-syria.html?fbclid=IwAR0QHQM-wbI6KVfTI6nPACIsxY5Ses3gMPPzUUoSqNN8M--L3gDvnYNMVjA
"It’s hard to keep track of President Donald Trump’s betrayals of his country. First he solicited Vladimir Putin’s help in the 2016 election. Then he teamed up with Kim Jong-un to lie about North Korea’s arsenal. Then he covered up intelligence about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in the murder of a U.S. resident. Then he pressed Israel to deny entry to members of Congress. Then he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democrats. In the midst of all this madness—most recently, the administration’s stonewalling of a congressional inquiry into Trump’s coercion of Ukraine—the president has ordered American forces to get out of the way of a Turkish invasion in Syria. The troop withdrawal looks like a distraction, but it isn’t. Trump is colluding with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just as he has colluded with other authoritarians against the United States. The timeline of their relationship tells a story of disloyalty to America and its allies. Turkey infiltrates the Trump campaign. On July 19, 2016, Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president. Six days later, a Turkish-Dutch businessman opened secret talks with Trump’s foreign policy adviser, Michael Flynn. The businessman’s goal, in collaboration with Turkish officials, was to build support in Washington for the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish dissident living in Pennsylvania. On Aug. 9, Flynn signed a $600,000 contract to execute the lobbying operation. He was introduced to Turkish government ministers who supported it. For the rest of the presidential campaign, Flynn worked, in effect, as a Turkish agent. Flynn spikes a plan to arm the Kurds. In December 2016, President Barack Obama decided to arm Kurdish forces—whom Erdogan regarded as enemies of Turkey—for an allied attack on the ISIS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria. Since Trump was the president-elect, Obama’s aides consulted Trump’s designated national security adviser, Flynn, about the plan. Flynn told them not to proceed."
"It’s hard to keep track of President Donald Trump’s betrayals of his country. First he solicited Vladimir Putin’s help in the 2016 election. Then he teamed up with Kim Jong-un to lie about North Korea’s arsenal. Then he covered up intelligence about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in the murder of a U.S. resident. Then he pressed Israel to deny entry to members of Congress. Then he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democrats. In the midst of all this madness—most recently, the administration’s stonewalling of a congressional inquiry into Trump’s coercion of Ukraine—the president has ordered American forces to get out of the way of a Turkish invasion in Syria. The troop withdrawal looks like a distraction, but it isn’t. Trump is colluding with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just as he has colluded with other authoritarians against the United States. The timeline of their relationship tells a story of disloyalty to America and its allies. Turkey infiltrates the Trump campaign. On July 19, 2016, Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president. Six days later, a Turkish-Dutch businessman opened secret talks with Trump’s foreign policy adviser, Michael Flynn. The businessman’s goal, in collaboration with Turkish officials, was to build support in Washington for the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish dissident living in Pennsylvania. On Aug. 9, Flynn signed a $600,000 contract to execute the lobbying operation. He was introduced to Turkish government ministers who supported it. For the rest of the presidential campaign, Flynn worked, in effect, as a Turkish agent. Flynn spikes a plan to arm the Kurds. In December 2016, President Barack Obama decided to arm Kurdish forces—whom Erdogan regarded as enemies of Turkey—for an allied attack on the ISIS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria. Since Trump was the president-elect, Obama’s aides consulted Trump’s designated national security adviser, Flynn, about the plan. Flynn told them not to proceed."
Fox Legal Analyst: Trump’s Behavior ‘Criminal And Impeachable’
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-napolitano-trump-impeach-criminal_n_5d962e32e4b0f5bf79712dcb?fbclid=IwAR0NNahh3CmTylaNctTSGSx1Vg85Qhphh0CRjnwngl6V2fSJ5T-RCICTREo
"In an opinion column published on the Fox website late Wednesday, Napolitano assessed Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25, 2019, in which Trump asked Zelensky “do him a favor” immediately after mentioning U.S. aid to the country. Trump had ordered the aid withheld from Ukraine just days before the phone call, though it had already been appropriated by Congress. “That conversation manifested both criminal and impeachable behavior,” Napolitano wrote. “The criminal behavior to which Trump has admitted is much more grave than anything alleged or unearthed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and much of what Mueller revealed was impeachable"."
"In an opinion column published on the Fox website late Wednesday, Napolitano assessed Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25, 2019, in which Trump asked Zelensky “do him a favor” immediately after mentioning U.S. aid to the country. Trump had ordered the aid withheld from Ukraine just days before the phone call, though it had already been appropriated by Congress. “That conversation manifested both criminal and impeachable behavior,” Napolitano wrote. “The criminal behavior to which Trump has admitted is much more grave than anything alleged or unearthed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and much of what Mueller revealed was impeachable"."
Donald Trump was impeachable the day he took office: Two and a half years later, we're finally there
https://www.salon.com/2019/09/28/donald-trump-was-impeachable-the-day-he-took-office-two-and-a-half-years-later-were-finally-there/?fbclid=IwAR3vF5PgrpTP6MbsaMJaUbAqBX1o3akVLmrEfeAnX9hOUA0YD0ZJ0gXBt9k
"He knew things we didn’t know on that day about what he had done to get elected. He knew about the meeting in Trump Tower held by his own son and son-in-law and campaign manager and several Russians who had come offering “dirt” on his opponent, Hillary Clinton. He knew that people from his own campaign had met with a Russian national and given him polling data from Midwestern states that were being closely contested. He knew that elements of the Russian government were involved in supporting his campaign by placing ads on social media platforms in the very Midwestern states covered by the polling data they had been given. He knew that emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee by Russian intelligence operatives had been released to divert attention from the so-called “Access Hollywood” tape. And he knew that during the transition, the man who would become his national security adviser had met with the Russian ambassador and spoken with him by phone immediately after President Obama had imposed sanctions on Russia for interfering in our elections, assuring him that the Russians had nothing to worry about because Trump would lift the sanctions when he became president. Trump was impeachable after his own inauguration, and on the day he asked James Comey to shut down the investigation of Michael Flynn, his national security adviser, who was accused of having lied about his conversation with the Russian ambassador about lifting the sanctions on Russia."
"He knew things we didn’t know on that day about what he had done to get elected. He knew about the meeting in Trump Tower held by his own son and son-in-law and campaign manager and several Russians who had come offering “dirt” on his opponent, Hillary Clinton. He knew that people from his own campaign had met with a Russian national and given him polling data from Midwestern states that were being closely contested. He knew that elements of the Russian government were involved in supporting his campaign by placing ads on social media platforms in the very Midwestern states covered by the polling data they had been given. He knew that emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee by Russian intelligence operatives had been released to divert attention from the so-called “Access Hollywood” tape. And he knew that during the transition, the man who would become his national security adviser had met with the Russian ambassador and spoken with him by phone immediately after President Obama had imposed sanctions on Russia for interfering in our elections, assuring him that the Russians had nothing to worry about because Trump would lift the sanctions when he became president. Trump was impeachable after his own inauguration, and on the day he asked James Comey to shut down the investigation of Michael Flynn, his national security adviser, who was accused of having lied about his conversation with the Russian ambassador about lifting the sanctions on Russia."
The Impeachment Story Is Simple. Republicans Are Trying To Confuse You.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ukraine-whistleblower-complaint-republicans_n_5d9628e2e4b02911e1178599?fbclid=IwAR0WakMedj4qlxulKqQayJ_zn-J6ytHZ_6SnyVHjb7M0FZv0pJ_sdjQ1uLc
"The story behind why Democrats are moving forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is simple. The president repeatedly pressured a foreign government to meddle in the 2020 U.S. election to help him win. It’s all there in the White House summary of Trump’s July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president. It’s corroborated by the subsequent whistleblower complaint. And Trump keeps telling other countries to do it, too, on live television. The Republican strategy to respond to this is to create total confusion, namely by focusing on the arcane legal process of whistleblower law. Not only are their claims false, they are irrelevant to the facts of Trump’s abuse of power."
"The story behind why Democrats are moving forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is simple. The president repeatedly pressured a foreign government to meddle in the 2020 U.S. election to help him win. It’s all there in the White House summary of Trump’s July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president. It’s corroborated by the subsequent whistleblower complaint. And Trump keeps telling other countries to do it, too, on live television. The Republican strategy to respond to this is to create total confusion, namely by focusing on the arcane legal process of whistleblower law. Not only are their claims false, they are irrelevant to the facts of Trump’s abuse of power."
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Scientists Astonished After Finding Microplastics In Arctic Snow
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/microplastics-snow-arctic-alps-precipitation_n_5d59289be4b0d8840ff48b4f?fbclid=IwAR1eI5E6A-9ABG_KoggDHLGxhq4QahqpJVpREs_7xZ8LEilo6pq5aCZWzYI
"Scientists in Germany are raising the alarm after finding a significant amount of microplastics in snow samples in the Alps and the Arctic — two of the most pristine locations on Earth. In a study published in the journal Science Advances last week, the researchers said their findings point to a troubling possibility: that plastics aren’t just polluting our lands and clogging our waterways, but befouling the air around us as well. “I was really astonished concerning the high concentrations” of microplastics found in Arctic snow, study co-author Gunnar Gerdts told the Los Angeles Times. Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic that often originate from larger debris that have degraded over time. Gerdts’ team said it found up to 14,400 microplastic particles per liter of melted Arctic snow ― a staggering amount for a remote region where few humans reside. “We found a lot of microplastics, like record concentrations,” Gerdts said of the Arctic snow, “and the question arose: From where does the microplastic originate?” There are just two possibilities, he noted: “from the water or from the air.” While it’s known that microplastics and other plastic debris is transported by ocean currents, scientists have become increasingly convinced that small plastic fragments are also being carried through winds and precipitation."
"Scientists in Germany are raising the alarm after finding a significant amount of microplastics in snow samples in the Alps and the Arctic — two of the most pristine locations on Earth. In a study published in the journal Science Advances last week, the researchers said their findings point to a troubling possibility: that plastics aren’t just polluting our lands and clogging our waterways, but befouling the air around us as well. “I was really astonished concerning the high concentrations” of microplastics found in Arctic snow, study co-author Gunnar Gerdts told the Los Angeles Times. Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic that often originate from larger debris that have degraded over time. Gerdts’ team said it found up to 14,400 microplastic particles per liter of melted Arctic snow ― a staggering amount for a remote region where few humans reside. “We found a lot of microplastics, like record concentrations,” Gerdts said of the Arctic snow, “and the question arose: From where does the microplastic originate?” There are just two possibilities, he noted: “from the water or from the air.” While it’s known that microplastics and other plastic debris is transported by ocean currents, scientists have become increasingly convinced that small plastic fragments are also being carried through winds and precipitation."
Giving 'Upper Hand to Corporate Polluters,' EPA Drops Surprise Inspections
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/19/giving-upper-hand-corporate-polluters-epa-drops-surprise-inspections?fbclid=IwAR0ab1h2Z_UbtGDcCPdP5q5S3ggVfLHHGDEgZpDFZlGntGFxeLWoXkxu1a0
"President Donald Trump's EPA is provoking criticism once again, this time over a new "no surprises" policy stopping unannounced visits to power, chemical, and waste facilities. "The Trump @EPA is just chucking aside any flimsy pretense that they care about upholding environmental laws, enforcing against big polluters, or protecting Americans," tweeted John Walke, Clean Air Director and senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Giving a courtesy heads up to suspected *ongoing* lawbreakers is beyond the pale even for the Trump @EPA"."
"President Donald Trump's EPA is provoking criticism once again, this time over a new "no surprises" policy stopping unannounced visits to power, chemical, and waste facilities. "The Trump @EPA is just chucking aside any flimsy pretense that they care about upholding environmental laws, enforcing against big polluters, or protecting Americans," tweeted John Walke, Clean Air Director and senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Giving a courtesy heads up to suspected *ongoing* lawbreakers is beyond the pale even for the Trump @EPA"."
Trump Pushes to Open the World’s Largest Remaining Temperate Rainforest to Logging and Mining
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/trump-open-alaskas-tongass-national-forest-worlds-largest-remaining-temperate-rainforest-logging-mining.html?fbclid=IwAR0NytRqVXRzb1UiqYAQik995vrnG-vZCsXq31shnAC8cxo8tGYe3Nuivw4
"There are many reasons the rise of right-wing populism is global threat, but perhaps the most lasting—and worrying—impact the ascendancy of this new breed of nihilist, know-nothing leader will have is on the environment. At the very moment when human ingenuity and collective will are required to stave off serious climate consequences, we have a rising tide of global leadership that believes in nothing. They certainly don’t believe in something they can’t touch or sell or kill—or understand. The deep cynicism of the likes of President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro comes at a time when belief, political bravery, and transformative leadership are required. But instead of big, broad-minded thinking, we get a president in Brazil who’s setting fire to the Amazonian rainforest for sport and an American president who, well, doesn’t believe in anything he can’t pawn. It seems unsurprising, then, that a week after Brazil’s space agency announced that fires in the Amazon were burning at a record rate—an 83 percent increase from before Bolsonaro took power—to the tune of 72,843 fires detected so far this year, on Tuesday we hear that the Trump administration is reportedly pushing to open up Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest, to logging, mining, and energy extraction. “President Trump has instructed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to exempt Alaska’s 16.7-million-acre Tongass National Forest from logging restrictions imposed nearly 20 years ago, according to three people briefed on the issue, after privately discussing the matter with the state’s governor aboard Air Force One,” the Washington Post reports."
"There are many reasons the rise of right-wing populism is global threat, but perhaps the most lasting—and worrying—impact the ascendancy of this new breed of nihilist, know-nothing leader will have is on the environment. At the very moment when human ingenuity and collective will are required to stave off serious climate consequences, we have a rising tide of global leadership that believes in nothing. They certainly don’t believe in something they can’t touch or sell or kill—or understand. The deep cynicism of the likes of President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro comes at a time when belief, political bravery, and transformative leadership are required. But instead of big, broad-minded thinking, we get a president in Brazil who’s setting fire to the Amazonian rainforest for sport and an American president who, well, doesn’t believe in anything he can’t pawn. It seems unsurprising, then, that a week after Brazil’s space agency announced that fires in the Amazon were burning at a record rate—an 83 percent increase from before Bolsonaro took power—to the tune of 72,843 fires detected so far this year, on Tuesday we hear that the Trump administration is reportedly pushing to open up Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest, to logging, mining, and energy extraction. “President Trump has instructed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to exempt Alaska’s 16.7-million-acre Tongass National Forest from logging restrictions imposed nearly 20 years ago, according to three people briefed on the issue, after privately discussing the matter with the state’s governor aboard Air Force One,” the Washington Post reports."
Trump moves to allow logging in the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-moves-to-allow-logging-in-the-worlds-largest-intact-temperate-rainforest-3802173b038f/?fbclid=IwAR0aY0k_Vgi2qJ9wRS273SNUeJ--_IN6vEZe3oV4z-x06pVmukDxxa6ti4s
"On Tuesday, the president instructed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to allow logging in the 16.7 million acre Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska, the nation’s largest national forest. Together with British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest in Canada, the Tongass encompasses the largest intact temperate rainforest on Earth. The move would undo logging restrictions that have been in place for nearly 20 years, according to The Washington Post, impacting more than half of the national forest."
"On Tuesday, the president instructed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to allow logging in the 16.7 million acre Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska, the nation’s largest national forest. Together with British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest in Canada, the Tongass encompasses the largest intact temperate rainforest on Earth. The move would undo logging restrictions that have been in place for nearly 20 years, according to The Washington Post, impacting more than half of the national forest."
With Amazon in Flames, Trump Moves to Open 16.7 Million-Acre Alaskan Rainforest to Corporate Exploitation
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/28/amazon-flames-trump-moves-open-167-million-acre-alaskan-rainforest-corporate?fbclid=IwAR2nvpeSd_v2aCiJWcbjzg1xrNnWldf_GQA6jhGVMwa2HOsHQ4cMDkU8pZY
"President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open Alaska's 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest—the planet's largest intact temperate rainforest—to logging and other corporate development projects"
"President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open Alaska's 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest—the planet's largest intact temperate rainforest—to logging and other corporate development projects"
How Ohio’s Chamber of Commerce Killed an Anti-Pollution Bill of Rights
https://theintercept.com/2019/08/29/lake-erie-bill-of-rights-ohio/?fbclid=IwAR3njbcZDESAsjLJGCLlhU68QFeR-l555dOlMI3VAxD59nMEUIVH6ssrvbI
"EARLIER THIS SUMMER, environmental activists in Ohio were alarmed by the passage of a mysterious state budget amendment that would close a new avenue for residents to sue polluters. The provision invalidated a landmark anti-pollution initiative passed by Toledo voters just a few months before. Now, emails obtained in a public records request reveal that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce secured the cooperation of a key Republican lawmaker in a successful effort to slip the amendment into an appropriations bill at the eleventh hour. The emails depict the chamber’s environmental policy director requesting a last-minute meeting with state Rep. Jim Hoops to discuss the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, the newly minted ballot initiative allowing citizens to sue polluters on behalf of Lake Erie. A legislative aide responded quickly, scheduling a same-day meeting. Despite the chamber director’s admission that his proposal would need to be submitted after the legislature’s deadline, the aide produced draft amendment language to share with him three weeks later. The chamber’s subsequent revisions made their way into the final bill, effectively nullifying the Lake Erie Bill of Rights."
"EARLIER THIS SUMMER, environmental activists in Ohio were alarmed by the passage of a mysterious state budget amendment that would close a new avenue for residents to sue polluters. The provision invalidated a landmark anti-pollution initiative passed by Toledo voters just a few months before. Now, emails obtained in a public records request reveal that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce secured the cooperation of a key Republican lawmaker in a successful effort to slip the amendment into an appropriations bill at the eleventh hour. The emails depict the chamber’s environmental policy director requesting a last-minute meeting with state Rep. Jim Hoops to discuss the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, the newly minted ballot initiative allowing citizens to sue polluters on behalf of Lake Erie. A legislative aide responded quickly, scheduling a same-day meeting. Despite the chamber director’s admission that his proposal would need to be submitted after the legislature’s deadline, the aide produced draft amendment language to share with him three weeks later. The chamber’s subsequent revisions made their way into the final bill, effectively nullifying the Lake Erie Bill of Rights."
How This Brazilian City Became Ground Zero For The Amazon’s Deforestation Crisis
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brazil-amazon-fires-altamira_n_5d697bcce4b0cdfe056fe726
"Rampant corruption, environmental indifference and a thirst for growth helped Brazil ignore a brewing crisis in Altamira."
"Rampant corruption, environmental indifference and a thirst for growth helped Brazil ignore a brewing crisis in Altamira."
Trump Wants to Log Alaska’s Tongass, World’s Largest Intact Temperate Rainforest
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/trump-pushes-to-log-the-worlds-largest-temperate-rainforest.html?fbclid=IwAR3buDDTGRtpu2XWM1_NmNoxxk1PDbI3fcVT40HmNzHbS7Q8QUsKvMs1Ggc
"One Trump staffer who spoke with the paper said forest policy has become “an obsession of his,” while Trump himself has said he has recently taken an interest in “forest management.” But as with many of his interests, the president hasn’t taken all that much time to learn about forest health: In a visit to Paradise, California, after last year’s deadliest fire season in history, Trump suggested the U.S. could limit the state’s wildfire crisis by spending “a lot of time on raking.” Trump’s interest in forestry also involves his usual vindictiveness: Disapproving of California’s fire-management system, he reportedly wanted to cut its federal funding last year. Like other “obsessions” in which the president’s limited financial acumen crashes into his limited understanding of the natural world, his hope for Tongass National Forest is to open it up as a vast logging opportunity. But the timber industry represents less than one percent of southeastern Alaska’s labor force: Seafood processing and tourism, industries immeasurably benefited by an intact Tongass, represent 8 percent and 17 percent of the region’s jobs. The forest’s impact on salmon fisheries alone should be enough to let it be. Chris Wood, the president of the environmental group Trout Unlimited and a former Forest Service staffer who helped implement the “roadless rule” under Clinton, told the Post that the agency has “realized the golden goose is in the salmon, not the trees.” According to the Post, “about 40 percent of wild salmon that make their way down the West Coast spawn in the Tongass: The Forest Service estimates that the salmon industry generates $986 million annually. Returning salmon bring nutrients that sustain forest growth, while intact stands of trees keep streams cool and trap sediment.” Other wildlife rely on the massive forest — it is more than double the size of the next largest national forest — as the Tongass’s remaining old-growth trees provide critical habitat for brown bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, and northern goshawks."
"One Trump staffer who spoke with the paper said forest policy has become “an obsession of his,” while Trump himself has said he has recently taken an interest in “forest management.” But as with many of his interests, the president hasn’t taken all that much time to learn about forest health: In a visit to Paradise, California, after last year’s deadliest fire season in history, Trump suggested the U.S. could limit the state’s wildfire crisis by spending “a lot of time on raking.” Trump’s interest in forestry also involves his usual vindictiveness: Disapproving of California’s fire-management system, he reportedly wanted to cut its federal funding last year. Like other “obsessions” in which the president’s limited financial acumen crashes into his limited understanding of the natural world, his hope for Tongass National Forest is to open it up as a vast logging opportunity. But the timber industry represents less than one percent of southeastern Alaska’s labor force: Seafood processing and tourism, industries immeasurably benefited by an intact Tongass, represent 8 percent and 17 percent of the region’s jobs. The forest’s impact on salmon fisheries alone should be enough to let it be. Chris Wood, the president of the environmental group Trout Unlimited and a former Forest Service staffer who helped implement the “roadless rule” under Clinton, told the Post that the agency has “realized the golden goose is in the salmon, not the trees.” According to the Post, “about 40 percent of wild salmon that make their way down the West Coast spawn in the Tongass: The Forest Service estimates that the salmon industry generates $986 million annually. Returning salmon bring nutrients that sustain forest growth, while intact stands of trees keep streams cool and trap sediment.” Other wildlife rely on the massive forest — it is more than double the size of the next largest national forest — as the Tongass’s remaining old-growth trees provide critical habitat for brown bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, and northern goshawks."
The Trump Administration Has a Multi-Pronged Strategy to Make the Planet Uninhabitable
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a28859487/trump-epa-methane-emissions-climate-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR2QDB_mpbaUpoX68JL7roUUfB7PJqGuALYKyD2WGJtIQmmAnfw52lKOpzI
"This is not the first example of this phenomenon, of course. You might have noticed that line in the Times piece about vehicle emissions standards, which the Trump administration is trying to gut, once again over the complaints of industry (in that case, auto manufacturers). Vehicle emissions account for one-fifth of U.S. carbon pollution, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, so that is also extremely unhelpful. Add to that the administration's decision to kill the Clean Power Plan, aimed at reducing emissions from power plants, and replace it with a weaker plan, and you've got a truly multi-pronged effort to make the planet inhospitable to human life. We are running out of things to f**k up at this point."
"This is not the first example of this phenomenon, of course. You might have noticed that line in the Times piece about vehicle emissions standards, which the Trump administration is trying to gut, once again over the complaints of industry (in that case, auto manufacturers). Vehicle emissions account for one-fifth of U.S. carbon pollution, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, so that is also extremely unhelpful. Add to that the administration's decision to kill the Clean Power Plan, aimed at reducing emissions from power plants, and replace it with a weaker plan, and you've got a truly multi-pronged effort to make the planet inhospitable to human life. We are running out of things to f**k up at this point."
Why should Wisconsin drain Lake Michigan for Foxconn?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-should-wisconsin-drain-lake-michigan-for-foxconn/2019/08/28/b717ed40-c99e-11e9-a1fe-ca46e8d573c0_story.html?fbclid=IwAR357WcIZQegvf9B1lyjTIoIA-Nc0pDEMUb9h8zBPzyYro13qBDmGNdb33I
"The Great Lakes — five inland seas holding one-fifth of all the fresh water on Earth — are vast, but they are not limitless. So it is alarming that Wisconsin intends to send water out of the basin not because public health demands it but because a private company wants it. This cuts against the understanding of the lakes as a public trust and, in an era of nationwide water insecurity, sets a dangerous precedent. Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, is building a plant to make LCD screens in Mount Pleasant, Wis. The state that landed Foxconn with environmental waivers and about $4 billion in incentives decided that it was fine for it to have Great Lakes water, too. In 2018, Wisconsin granted a permit for Racine and Foxconn to use 7 million gallons a day from Lake Michigan, taking it outside the area where water naturally returns to the Great Lakes watershed. The diversion sidesteps a key piece of water policy that is commonly called the Great Lakes Compact. The compact, along with Ontario and Quebec’s parallel agreement, is a protocol for when water can be taken outside the basin — which is to say, almost never. But there are exceptions for cities and counties that straddle the watershed boundary. With its groundwater contaminated by naturally occurring radium, Waukesha, Wis., went through an intensely scrutinized application to take water from Lake Michigan. It took seven years, including legal appeal, before the diversion was finalized. Mount Pleasant, a village of 27,000 people, is a straddling community, so the Foxconn diversion would be expected to go through similarly tough scrutiny. But Mount Pleasant didn’t make the diversion request. It was made instead by Racine, a neighboring city on the lakeshore. As an in-basin community, Racine merely asked the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to expand its service area, and the DNR agreed."
"The Great Lakes — five inland seas holding one-fifth of all the fresh water on Earth — are vast, but they are not limitless. So it is alarming that Wisconsin intends to send water out of the basin not because public health demands it but because a private company wants it. This cuts against the understanding of the lakes as a public trust and, in an era of nationwide water insecurity, sets a dangerous precedent. Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, is building a plant to make LCD screens in Mount Pleasant, Wis. The state that landed Foxconn with environmental waivers and about $4 billion in incentives decided that it was fine for it to have Great Lakes water, too. In 2018, Wisconsin granted a permit for Racine and Foxconn to use 7 million gallons a day from Lake Michigan, taking it outside the area where water naturally returns to the Great Lakes watershed. The diversion sidesteps a key piece of water policy that is commonly called the Great Lakes Compact. The compact, along with Ontario and Quebec’s parallel agreement, is a protocol for when water can be taken outside the basin — which is to say, almost never. But there are exceptions for cities and counties that straddle the watershed boundary. With its groundwater contaminated by naturally occurring radium, Waukesha, Wis., went through an intensely scrutinized application to take water from Lake Michigan. It took seven years, including legal appeal, before the diversion was finalized. Mount Pleasant, a village of 27,000 people, is a straddling community, so the Foxconn diversion would be expected to go through similarly tough scrutiny. But Mount Pleasant didn’t make the diversion request. It was made instead by Racine, a neighboring city on the lakeshore. As an in-basin community, Racine merely asked the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to expand its service area, and the DNR agreed."
'Sociopathic Disregard for Our Future': Trump EPA Set to Gut Restrictions on Planet-Warming Methane Emissions
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/29/sociopathic-disregard-our-future-trump-epa-set-gut-restrictions-planet-warming?fbclid=IwAR2ROZyo7E1pwLZZWhnVeUatyb4p96CVzbaqFtN66xdIc1IRdvN2BRHKGfc
"Amid dire scientific warnings that the international community must act immediately to slash greenhouse gas emissions, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency is reportedly set to take another step in the opposite direction Thursday by unveiling a rule that would gut restrictions on the fossil fuel industry's methane pollution."
"Amid dire scientific warnings that the international community must act immediately to slash greenhouse gas emissions, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency is reportedly set to take another step in the opposite direction Thursday by unveiling a rule that would gut restrictions on the fossil fuel industry's methane pollution."
Trump’s EPA Sides With Water Polluters In Major Hawaii Case
https://www.dcreport.org/2019/08/09/trumps-epa-sides-with-water-polluters-in-major-hawaii-case/?fbclid=IwAR3rqRIuwxsfH_DlIL3nOB713HSX4hRFWhkK8GVWXNt6adWiw9LIzqVGBtw
"If you like sewage, chemical wastes or radioactive molecules in your drinking water the Trump Administration has your back. It’s part of Team Trump’s determined efforts to remake the Environmental Protection Agency into the Environmental Pollution Agency. Soon the U.S. Supreme Court, urged on by Team Trump, may give its stamp of approval to effectively undo many benefits of the 1972 Clean Water Act in a case from the Hawaiian island of Maui. Environmental groups are seeking to stop Maui County from injecting pollutants into the ground, where they mix with groundwater and then flow to the ocean. The groups say the practice evades current pollution laws that bar the fouling of surface waters. The Trump Administration, reversing the Obama Administration’s stance, is on the polluters’ side."
"If you like sewage, chemical wastes or radioactive molecules in your drinking water the Trump Administration has your back. It’s part of Team Trump’s determined efforts to remake the Environmental Protection Agency into the Environmental Pollution Agency. Soon the U.S. Supreme Court, urged on by Team Trump, may give its stamp of approval to effectively undo many benefits of the 1972 Clean Water Act in a case from the Hawaiian island of Maui. Environmental groups are seeking to stop Maui County from injecting pollutants into the ground, where they mix with groundwater and then flow to the ocean. The groups say the practice evades current pollution laws that bar the fouling of surface waters. The Trump Administration, reversing the Obama Administration’s stance, is on the polluters’ side."
Groups Sue Trump's EPA in Response to 'Nauseating' Approval of Bee-Killing Pesticide
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/20/groups-sue-trumps-epa-response-nauseating-approval-bee-killing-pesticide?fbclid=IwAR25135GyxOr0ObKMqZh72s5i-RVpD0qtsZDzE7KrGleiNYf03lmEOeODVs
"A pair of environmental groups on Tuesday filed suit against the President Donald Trump administration over the Environmental Protection Agency's recent approval of expanded use of the bee-killing pesticide sulfoxaflor across 200 million acres in 12 states. The Center for Food Safety and the Center for Biological Diversity filed the suit (pdf) in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals against the EPA and agency administrator Andrew Wheeler."
"A pair of environmental groups on Tuesday filed suit against the President Donald Trump administration over the Environmental Protection Agency's recent approval of expanded use of the bee-killing pesticide sulfoxaflor across 200 million acres in 12 states. The Center for Food Safety and the Center for Biological Diversity filed the suit (pdf) in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals against the EPA and agency administrator Andrew Wheeler."
Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-methane-rule-climate-crisis-878427/?fbclid=IwAR0Sxl1kTRgTYFBAJnIkqx_46qe0QchEIS54V9Gu7kXinqO-eoeLYkeQBH4
"The EPA is proposing to deregulate the oil and gas industry, to no longer require that new natural gas wells, pipelines and storage facilities include technology to detect and limit leaks of methane — a powerful greenhouse gas, with 28 times the heat trapping effect of carbon dioxide. (Methane is the primary component of natural gas. Thanks to fracking, the United States is the global leader of natural gas production.) The Trump EPA is now governed by climate deniers. Anne Isdal, a former deputy to the Texas land commissioner, is acting administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation told the Wall Street Journal that the purpose of the proposed rule “is to get to the fundamental basis of whether [methane] should have been regulated in the first place,” telling the paper, “I don’t see that there’s going to be some big climate concern here.” The proposed rule would undo methane limits finalized by the Obama administration in 2016. Since those leak monitoring rules were imposed, scientists have discovered that the U.S. oil and gas industry is leaking 60 percent more of the dangerous gas than previously understood — enough to “substantially erode the potential climate benefits” from substituting natural gas for coal. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month found that the leaks create the greenhouse equivalent of 69 million cars — not nice. That figure relied on the EPA’s formulas for measuring methane’s climate impacts. Using metrics favored by the United Nations’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the automobile-equivalent rises to 94 million — or nearly a third of the cars now on the road in the United States."
"The EPA is proposing to deregulate the oil and gas industry, to no longer require that new natural gas wells, pipelines and storage facilities include technology to detect and limit leaks of methane — a powerful greenhouse gas, with 28 times the heat trapping effect of carbon dioxide. (Methane is the primary component of natural gas. Thanks to fracking, the United States is the global leader of natural gas production.) The Trump EPA is now governed by climate deniers. Anne Isdal, a former deputy to the Texas land commissioner, is acting administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation told the Wall Street Journal that the purpose of the proposed rule “is to get to the fundamental basis of whether [methane] should have been regulated in the first place,” telling the paper, “I don’t see that there’s going to be some big climate concern here.” The proposed rule would undo methane limits finalized by the Obama administration in 2016. Since those leak monitoring rules were imposed, scientists have discovered that the U.S. oil and gas industry is leaking 60 percent more of the dangerous gas than previously understood — enough to “substantially erode the potential climate benefits” from substituting natural gas for coal. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month found that the leaks create the greenhouse equivalent of 69 million cars — not nice. That figure relied on the EPA’s formulas for measuring methane’s climate impacts. Using metrics favored by the United Nations’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the automobile-equivalent rises to 94 million — or nearly a third of the cars now on the road in the United States."
EPA Moves to Loosen Methane Rules as Trump Opens Alaskan Rainforest
https://truthout.org/articles/epa-moves-to-loosen-methane-rules-as-trump-opens-alaskan-rainforest/
"Climate disruption is not lurking in some faraway land of maybe; it was here yesterday and the day before, and last week, and last year. It is here today, and will be here tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives. It will never get better, and is going to get worse, but if we heed the stop signs, we have the chance to, perhaps, keep it from driving us into extinction. Clearly, the president of the United States doesn’t see it that way. “I’m an environmentalist,” said Donald Trump after blowing off a G7 meeting on the climate crisis. “A lot of people don’t understand that. I think I know more about the environment than most people.” In his mind, nuking hurricanes and buying Greenland to plunder its newly ice-free resources is what environmentalists do. Now, Trump the “environmentalist” has also reportedly ordered Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to open Alaska’s 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest — the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world — to logging, energy and mining projects. Not satisfied with his quest to erase Barack Obama from the history books, Trump has begun erasing Clinton-era environmental protections like the one that has defended Tongass for 20 years. “Trump has taken a personal interest in ‘forest management,’” reports The Washington Post, “a term he told a group of lawmakers last year he has ‘redefined’ since taking office.” Trump did not stop with Tsongass. On Thursday, his administration announced it intends to roll back regulations on the release of methane by the oil and gas industry. Methane is a highly dangerous greenhouse gas that has “80 times the heating-trapping power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years in the atmosphere,” according to The New York Times. There is near-universal fear among environmental scientists that melting Arctic permafrost — exacerbated by the ongoing fires — will release a methane bomb into the atmosphere, creating a feedback loop that will drastically worsen climate disruption."
"Climate disruption is not lurking in some faraway land of maybe; it was here yesterday and the day before, and last week, and last year. It is here today, and will be here tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives. It will never get better, and is going to get worse, but if we heed the stop signs, we have the chance to, perhaps, keep it from driving us into extinction. Clearly, the president of the United States doesn’t see it that way. “I’m an environmentalist,” said Donald Trump after blowing off a G7 meeting on the climate crisis. “A lot of people don’t understand that. I think I know more about the environment than most people.” In his mind, nuking hurricanes and buying Greenland to plunder its newly ice-free resources is what environmentalists do. Now, Trump the “environmentalist” has also reportedly ordered Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to open Alaska’s 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest — the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world — to logging, energy and mining projects. Not satisfied with his quest to erase Barack Obama from the history books, Trump has begun erasing Clinton-era environmental protections like the one that has defended Tongass for 20 years. “Trump has taken a personal interest in ‘forest management,’” reports The Washington Post, “a term he told a group of lawmakers last year he has ‘redefined’ since taking office.” Trump did not stop with Tsongass. On Thursday, his administration announced it intends to roll back regulations on the release of methane by the oil and gas industry. Methane is a highly dangerous greenhouse gas that has “80 times the heating-trapping power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years in the atmosphere,” according to The New York Times. There is near-universal fear among environmental scientists that melting Arctic permafrost — exacerbated by the ongoing fires — will release a methane bomb into the atmosphere, creating a feedback loop that will drastically worsen climate disruption."
Look No Further Than Brazil’s Amazon Fire for the Dangers of Deregulation
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/08/look-no-further-than-brazils-amazon-fire-for-the-dangers-of-deregulation/?fbclid=IwAR3dYNTQkfod8G2nXHszl5VR2xaUlR4hKqQLmfK2uwvjsGd5Ru2uDZtCxCc
"Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took power this year promising to open the Amazon rainforest to industry, roll back environmental and indigenous protections, and stack his Cabinet with ideologues who dismiss climate change as a Marxist hoax. But the record wildfires now raging in the Amazon offer a terrifying rebuke and serve as a stark reminder of what’s at stake as Bolsonaro’s policies allow ranchers, loggers, and miners to destroy the world’s largest forest and repository of carbon dioxide at an unprecedented pace."
"Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took power this year promising to open the Amazon rainforest to industry, roll back environmental and indigenous protections, and stack his Cabinet with ideologues who dismiss climate change as a Marxist hoax. But the record wildfires now raging in the Amazon offer a terrifying rebuke and serve as a stark reminder of what’s at stake as Bolsonaro’s policies allow ranchers, loggers, and miners to destroy the world’s largest forest and repository of carbon dioxide at an unprecedented pace."
Beyond Brazil, Unprecedented Fires Are Engulfing Bolivian Forests
https://truthout.org/articles/beyond-brazil-unprecedented-fires-are-engulfing-bolivian-forests/
"Up to 800,000 hectares of the unique Chiquitano forest were burned to the ground in Bolivia between August 18 and August 23. That’s more forest than is usually destroyed across the country in two years. Experts say that it will take at least two centuries to repair the ecological damage done by the fires, while at least 500 species are said to be at risk from the flames."
"Up to 800,000 hectares of the unique Chiquitano forest were burned to the ground in Bolivia between August 18 and August 23. That’s more forest than is usually destroyed across the country in two years. Experts say that it will take at least two centuries to repair the ecological damage done by the fires, while at least 500 species are said to be at risk from the flames."
Of Course Trump Praised Jair Bolsonaro While the Whole World Condemns His Treatment of the Amazon
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a28832920/president-trump-praise-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-wildfires/?fbclid=IwAR1bwxAlGhTz1iyI1hD6TuAkjaUZBR6wT4GQ8ypTsJhGzsraYZLubarUNrY
"The United States president also found time to offer his public support for Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president who's under international pressure now that the Amazon is on fire after he embraced a program of ruthlessly exploiting the rainforest, which is a giant carbon sink that produces 20 percent of Earth's oxygen. It's no surprise to see Trump backing another authoritarian leader—it's kind of his thing. We scarcely talk about it anymore, but the President of the United States almost exclusively attacks the democratic leaders of nations that are our traditional allies while paling around with brutish strongmen. The list of the latter includes Kim Jong-un of North Korea, who orchestrates a system of human-rights abuses against his citizens, but also wrote Trump a beautiful letter; Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, who's backed extrajudicial executions of anyone accused of running drugs, but whom Trump said is doing an "unbelievable job"; and of course, his Good Friend Vlad. Bolsonaro, for his part, is a real nasty piece of work. He's spoken of "cleansing" the Brazilian political left, the kind of terminology that never ends well. He told a female Brazilian lawmaker that he "wouldn't rape you because you're not worthy of it," which of course echoes our own president's dismissal of women who've accused him of sexual assault: "She wouldn't be my first choice." More than all that, he openly embraced Brazil's legacy of fascist military dictatorship."
"The United States president also found time to offer his public support for Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president who's under international pressure now that the Amazon is on fire after he embraced a program of ruthlessly exploiting the rainforest, which is a giant carbon sink that produces 20 percent of Earth's oxygen. It's no surprise to see Trump backing another authoritarian leader—it's kind of his thing. We scarcely talk about it anymore, but the President of the United States almost exclusively attacks the democratic leaders of nations that are our traditional allies while paling around with brutish strongmen. The list of the latter includes Kim Jong-un of North Korea, who orchestrates a system of human-rights abuses against his citizens, but also wrote Trump a beautiful letter; Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, who's backed extrajudicial executions of anyone accused of running drugs, but whom Trump said is doing an "unbelievable job"; and of course, his Good Friend Vlad. Bolsonaro, for his part, is a real nasty piece of work. He's spoken of "cleansing" the Brazilian political left, the kind of terminology that never ends well. He told a female Brazilian lawmaker that he "wouldn't rape you because you're not worthy of it," which of course echoes our own president's dismissal of women who've accused him of sexual assault: "She wouldn't be my first choice." More than all that, he openly embraced Brazil's legacy of fascist military dictatorship."
Brazil Isn’t the Only Far-Right Government Destroying the Planet
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/08/26/brazil-isnt-only-far-right-government-destroying-planet?fbclid=IwAR36_cttzIGSwII4MK7aiAyJNHe50TnK2KLN1GvfX8Q5492W1hkWkNERZl0
"It’s no coincidence that forest destruction has increased under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who assumed office in January. Bolsonaro has promised to exploit the Amazon for agribusiness, mining, and other commercial activities. To do so, his administration has undermined laws protecting both forests and the people who live there—and launched openly racist attacks on indigenous peoples to marginalize them. When confronted with evidence of his own misdeeds, Bolsonaro has done what authoritarians always do—shoot the messenger. He’s called deforestation data from his own government “fake news” and fired the head of the agency that produced it. He is even claiming (without evidence) that the fires were started by NGOs to tarnish Brazil’s reputation. Sound familiar? Here in the United States, the Trump Administration has repeatedly attempted to undermine the science on climate change, spread misinformation about wildfires, and retaliated against government scientists who work on climate change. Where Bolsonaro deregulates the rainforest, Trump deregulates coal emissions (even as the government’s own analysis shows the extra pollution will kill up to 1,600 people). Where Bolsonaro demonizes NGOs, Trump-allied state governments are criminalizing peaceful protests against fossil fuel infrastructure. As in Brazil, the anti-extraction protests being targeted for criminalization in the United States are often indigenous-led. Meanwhile the Trump administration is systematically handing over sacred indigenous lands to oil and gas companies. And don’t forget about trying to sabotage international climate agreements. The United States is the world’s largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, yet Trump walked away from the Paris climate accord early in his term. Joining us as a climate “rogue state,” Bolsonaro’s Brazil tried to undermine the global climate talks in Poland last December."
"It’s no coincidence that forest destruction has increased under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who assumed office in January. Bolsonaro has promised to exploit the Amazon for agribusiness, mining, and other commercial activities. To do so, his administration has undermined laws protecting both forests and the people who live there—and launched openly racist attacks on indigenous peoples to marginalize them. When confronted with evidence of his own misdeeds, Bolsonaro has done what authoritarians always do—shoot the messenger. He’s called deforestation data from his own government “fake news” and fired the head of the agency that produced it. He is even claiming (without evidence) that the fires were started by NGOs to tarnish Brazil’s reputation. Sound familiar? Here in the United States, the Trump Administration has repeatedly attempted to undermine the science on climate change, spread misinformation about wildfires, and retaliated against government scientists who work on climate change. Where Bolsonaro deregulates the rainforest, Trump deregulates coal emissions (even as the government’s own analysis shows the extra pollution will kill up to 1,600 people). Where Bolsonaro demonizes NGOs, Trump-allied state governments are criminalizing peaceful protests against fossil fuel infrastructure. As in Brazil, the anti-extraction protests being targeted for criminalization in the United States are often indigenous-led. Meanwhile the Trump administration is systematically handing over sacred indigenous lands to oil and gas companies. And don’t forget about trying to sabotage international climate agreements. The United States is the world’s largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, yet Trump walked away from the Paris climate accord early in his term. Joining us as a climate “rogue state,” Bolsonaro’s Brazil tried to undermine the global climate talks in Poland last December."
Top Financier of Trump and McConnell Is a Driving Force Behind Amazon Deforestation
https://theintercept.com/2019/08/27/amazon-rainforest-fire-blackstone/?fbclid=IwAR0CRWv6MzYD4diOgngc1bC1sEMdmvGsckBqx7U7lduSQIezP8o5Sx8lQuY
"TWO BRAZILIAN FIRMS owned by a top donor to President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are significantly responsible for the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest, carnage that has developed into raging fires that have captivated global attention."
"TWO BRAZILIAN FIRMS owned by a top donor to President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are significantly responsible for the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest, carnage that has developed into raging fires that have captivated global attention."
The Amazon rainforest’s worst-case scenario is uncomfortably near
https://www.vox.com/2019/8/27/20833275/amazon-rainforest-fire-wildfire-dieback?fbclid=IwAR2cP6pmak_TYrrarMP-2S4faia0KCh87eFi7YEIS0bCl93ZEpYAWQJ7Hmw
"Wildfires and deforestation are pushing the Amazon rainforest toward a dieback scenario: an irreversible cycle of collapse."
"Wildfires and deforestation are pushing the Amazon rainforest toward a dieback scenario: an irreversible cycle of collapse."
Saturday, August 24, 2019
GOP Lobbyists Help Brazil Recruit U.S. Companies to Exploit the Amazon
https://theintercept.com/2019/08/23/gop-lobbyists-help-brazil-recruit-u-s-companies-to-exploit-the-amazon/?fbclid=IwAR0neg-wVjBRYB_HG6qnF8oxuWxi4Nd7Op5oD4d8vReoH1OTbm7gk6RGY4w
"THIS SUMMER, fires are being used to clear wide swaths of the Amazon at an unprecedented rate. One-fifth of the Amazon has already been destroyed in the past 50 years; further industrialization of the rainforest risks destroying another fifth, a loss that would be catastrophic for the global ecosystem. The disaster is widely blamed on interests seeking to clear the world’s largest rainforest for cattle ranching, mining, and export-focused agribusiness. Documents reveal that those interests are being pushed in the U.S. by Republican lobbyists, friendly with President Donald Trump’s administration, who entered into talks with the Brazilian government to promote corporate investment in the Amazon. The crisis in the Amazon comes as Brazil is now governed by an administration openly hostile to environmental concerns and Indigenous communities. President Jair Bolsonaro, a former Army captain once viewed as a fringe figure in Brazilian politics, has been referred to himself as “Captain Chainsaw” for his drive to promote logging and agribusiness in the Amazon."
"THIS SUMMER, fires are being used to clear wide swaths of the Amazon at an unprecedented rate. One-fifth of the Amazon has already been destroyed in the past 50 years; further industrialization of the rainforest risks destroying another fifth, a loss that would be catastrophic for the global ecosystem. The disaster is widely blamed on interests seeking to clear the world’s largest rainforest for cattle ranching, mining, and export-focused agribusiness. Documents reveal that those interests are being pushed in the U.S. by Republican lobbyists, friendly with President Donald Trump’s administration, who entered into talks with the Brazilian government to promote corporate investment in the Amazon. The crisis in the Amazon comes as Brazil is now governed by an administration openly hostile to environmental concerns and Indigenous communities. President Jair Bolsonaro, a former Army captain once viewed as a fringe figure in Brazilian politics, has been referred to himself as “Captain Chainsaw” for his drive to promote logging and agribusiness in the Amazon."
Brazil’s Amazon Fires Highlight The Threat Of Deregulation Amid Climate Change
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brazil-amazon-rainforest-fire-climate-change_n_5d5dc2b5e4b02cc97c87eb98?fbclid=IwAR2rMUfXKTRUOWrAPIXL2JQYmbNuKrR-okI9P_RpPudxJDcfPBe6-TnkPZY
"Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took power this year promising to open the Amazon rainforest to industry, roll back environmental and indigenous protections and stack his Cabinet with ideologues who dismiss climate change as a Marxist hoax. But the record wildfires now raging in the Amazon offer a terrifying rebuke and serve as a stark reminder of what’s at stake as Bolsonaro’s policies allow ranchers, loggers and miners to destroy the world’s largest forest and repository of carbon dioxide at an unprecedented pace."
"Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took power this year promising to open the Amazon rainforest to industry, roll back environmental and indigenous protections and stack his Cabinet with ideologues who dismiss climate change as a Marxist hoax. But the record wildfires now raging in the Amazon offer a terrifying rebuke and serve as a stark reminder of what’s at stake as Bolsonaro’s policies allow ranchers, loggers and miners to destroy the world’s largest forest and repository of carbon dioxide at an unprecedented pace."
Leaked Documents Show Brazil’s Bolsonaro Has Grave Plans for Amazon Rainforest
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/08/22/leaked-documents-show-brazils-bolsonaro-has-grave-plans-amazon-rainforest?fbclid=IwAR1Ts6UroBICrp0AK6YYKIgjTyJGLQzq7iSB5o27jH22bhIZB4YcWsBvjf4
"Leaked documents show that Jair Bolsonaro's government intends to use the Brazilian president's hate speech to isolate minorities living in the Amazon region. The PowerPoint slides, which democraciaAbierta has seen, also reveal plans to implement predatory projects that could have a devastating environmental impact. The Bolsonaro government has as one of its priorities to strategically occupy the Amazon region to prevent the implementation of multilateral conservation projects for the rainforest, specifically the so-called “Triple A” project."
"Leaked documents show that Jair Bolsonaro's government intends to use the Brazilian president's hate speech to isolate minorities living in the Amazon region. The PowerPoint slides, which democraciaAbierta has seen, also reveal plans to implement predatory projects that could have a devastating environmental impact. The Bolsonaro government has as one of its priorities to strategically occupy the Amazon region to prevent the implementation of multilateral conservation projects for the rainforest, specifically the so-called “Triple A” project."
On the Front Lines of Bolsonaro’s War on the Amazon, Brazil’s Forest Communities Fight Against Climate Catastrophe
https://theintercept.com/2019/07/06/brazil-amazon-rainforest-indigenous-conservation-agribusiness-ranching/?fbclid=IwAR1Atn4BB3GhYxUMA3Ux9GtyyG87MVIxStARCB8NMGMNoKwZAst8HxojCOI
"Imazon, a Brazilian research center, reports deforestation in the first months of 2019 jumped more than 50 percent compared to the amount during the same period in 2018. Half of this deforestation has occurred illegally in protected areas, including hundreds of Indigenous lands that cover a quarter of Brazil’s Amazon and provide a crucial buffer for much of the rest. (In the rainforest bastion state of Amazonas, Indigenous lands account for close to a third of the standing forest.)"
"Imazon, a Brazilian research center, reports deforestation in the first months of 2019 jumped more than 50 percent compared to the amount during the same period in 2018. Half of this deforestation has occurred illegally in protected areas, including hundreds of Indigenous lands that cover a quarter of Brazil’s Amazon and provide a crucial buffer for much of the rest. (In the rainforest bastion state of Amazonas, Indigenous lands account for close to a third of the standing forest.)"
The Amazon Is Dying and Bolsonaro Is Fanning the Flames
https://truthout.org/articles/the-amazon-is-dying-and-bolsonaro-is-fanning-the-flames/
"According to INPE, deforestation across the Amazon had already accelerated by 60 percent in June, compared to the same time period last year, as radical right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro’s horrific environmental policies began to take effect. Last month, Greenpeace labeled Bolsonaro and his right-wing government a “threat to climate equilibrium,” while the World Wildlife Fund, like many scientists, has warned that if the Amazon reaches a tipping point, it could become a dry savannah and will no longer be capable of supporting much of the wildlife that exists there today. Instead of sequestering carbon and generating water and rainfall, the Amazon will instead become a net emitter of carbon, and the planet will lose most of its oxygen-producing function. Meanwhile, the loss of the Amazon’s biodiversity will be beyond devastating for the planet. Bolsonaro, like Trump in the U.S., has worked at breakneck speed to eliminate environmental regulations. He has opened up the Amazon for logging, agribusiness and mining since he took power this January."
"According to INPE, deforestation across the Amazon had already accelerated by 60 percent in June, compared to the same time period last year, as radical right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro’s horrific environmental policies began to take effect. Last month, Greenpeace labeled Bolsonaro and his right-wing government a “threat to climate equilibrium,” while the World Wildlife Fund, like many scientists, has warned that if the Amazon reaches a tipping point, it could become a dry savannah and will no longer be capable of supporting much of the wildlife that exists there today. Instead of sequestering carbon and generating water and rainfall, the Amazon will instead become a net emitter of carbon, and the planet will lose most of its oxygen-producing function. Meanwhile, the loss of the Amazon’s biodiversity will be beyond devastating for the planet. Bolsonaro, like Trump in the U.S., has worked at breakneck speed to eliminate environmental regulations. He has opened up the Amazon for logging, agribusiness and mining since he took power this January."
'Our Lungs Are on Fire': Climate Campaigners Rally at Brazilian Embassies to Protest Destruction of Amazon Rainforest
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/23/our-lungs-are-fire-climate-campaigners-rally-brazilian-embassies-protest-destruction?fbclid=IwAR1yT--Wbh-DEHLQNz89OFUDgALmeWZedGDHinlv-8upwHeMGYMmcC7CQYg
"Climate campaigners demonstrated outside the Brazilian embassies in London, Paris, and Madrid on Friday to protest what they say is the Bolsonaro regime's role in dozens of fires that have ravaged large swathes of the Amazon rainforest over the past three weeks."
"Climate campaigners demonstrated outside the Brazilian embassies in London, Paris, and Madrid on Friday to protest what they say is the Bolsonaro regime's role in dozens of fires that have ravaged large swathes of the Amazon rainforest over the past three weeks."
Can humanity survive without the Amazon rainforest?
https://www.salon.com/2019/08/22/can-humanity-survive-without-the-amazon-rainforest-maybe-not-experts-say/?fbclid=IwAR0xUJ5jPabscd0WEPpuFVDdkEd0rOJ-kraF92q3nYc96NGPHeuTvSfgOpw
"In July alone, the Amazon lost 519 square miles of rainforest, an area more than twice the size of Tokyo, due to deforestation. “This devastation is directly related to President Bolsonaro's anti-environmental rhetoric, which erroneously frames forest protections and human rights as impediments to Brazil's economic growth,” Christian Poirier, Amazon Watch's Program Director, said in a statement. “Farmers and ranchers understand the president's message as a license to commit arson with wanton impunity, in order to aggressively expand their operations into the rainforest"."
"In July alone, the Amazon lost 519 square miles of rainforest, an area more than twice the size of Tokyo, due to deforestation. “This devastation is directly related to President Bolsonaro's anti-environmental rhetoric, which erroneously frames forest protections and human rights as impediments to Brazil's economic growth,” Christian Poirier, Amazon Watch's Program Director, said in a statement. “Farmers and ranchers understand the president's message as a license to commit arson with wanton impunity, in order to aggressively expand their operations into the rainforest"."
Amazonia is burning—because that's exactly what 'Brazil's Trump' promised
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/8/23/1880843/-Amazonia-is-burning-because-that-s-exactly-what-Brazil-s-Trump-promised?fbclid=IwAR1UrgQVgkyrbM35FiSGGWJOGjZ6ZnXr6UTGrtyGjLrdtARl2cS9SqMrnCA
"The very first rule of understanding an autocracy is to Believe the Autocrat. When someone promises that they will destroy whole peoples and intentionally wreck the environment—believe them. When Jair Bolsonaro was running for president of Brazil, he told people to call him “Captain Chainsaw,” saying openly that he would promote the destruction of the Amazon rain forest. Now he’s destroying the Amazon rain forest."
"The very first rule of understanding an autocracy is to Believe the Autocrat. When someone promises that they will destroy whole peoples and intentionally wreck the environment—believe them. When Jair Bolsonaro was running for president of Brazil, he told people to call him “Captain Chainsaw,” saying openly that he would promote the destruction of the Amazon rain forest. Now he’s destroying the Amazon rain forest."
The right-wing populist wave is a threat to the climate
https://www.vox.com/2019/8/22/20828297/amazon-rainforest-fire-bolsonaro-brazil-populism?fbclid=IwAR0v_LUCjg9AKw3MSAGtV5RzwbFJiFmceWUY_H8_ptNcFe0XDEddmZBOm0A
"The Amazon rainforest is on fire — and the consensus is that Brazil’s far-right populist leader, Jair Bolsonaro, is to blame. Bolsonaro, who took office in January and has been referred to as “Captain Chainsaw,” gutted funding for agencies protecting the massive rainforest, essentially giving wink-and-nudge approval for illegal loggers to do their thing. Fire is used as a tool for clearing Amazon land for ranching, and the more trees are cut down, the more vulnerable the rainforest is to wildfires. There have been almost twice as many fires detected in 2019 so far as there were in the entirety of 2018. It’s hard to overstate how threatening this policy is to the climate. The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest: its trees scrub the Earth of a significant amount of CO2 and have captured a huge amount of carbon and methane within their branches and roots. If you lose the trees, a lot of greenhouse gases get released and it becomes harder to capture emissions from other sources. Continued fires and clear-cutting in the Amazon could cripple the fight against climate change. All of this goes to underscore an important and poorly understood point: The wave of right-wing populism sweeping the world is not only dangerous for the countries who succumb to it, or even to immigrants wishing to move to those nations. It’s a fundamental threat to progress against climate change — and thus the entirety of the human race."
"The Amazon rainforest is on fire — and the consensus is that Brazil’s far-right populist leader, Jair Bolsonaro, is to blame. Bolsonaro, who took office in January and has been referred to as “Captain Chainsaw,” gutted funding for agencies protecting the massive rainforest, essentially giving wink-and-nudge approval for illegal loggers to do their thing. Fire is used as a tool for clearing Amazon land for ranching, and the more trees are cut down, the more vulnerable the rainforest is to wildfires. There have been almost twice as many fires detected in 2019 so far as there were in the entirety of 2018. It’s hard to overstate how threatening this policy is to the climate. The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest: its trees scrub the Earth of a significant amount of CO2 and have captured a huge amount of carbon and methane within their branches and roots. If you lose the trees, a lot of greenhouse gases get released and it becomes harder to capture emissions from other sources. Continued fires and clear-cutting in the Amazon could cripple the fight against climate change. All of this goes to underscore an important and poorly understood point: The wave of right-wing populism sweeping the world is not only dangerous for the countries who succumb to it, or even to immigrants wishing to move to those nations. It’s a fundamental threat to progress against climate change — and thus the entirety of the human race."
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Trump's 2,000 Conflicts of Interest (and Counting)
https://www.citizensforethics.org/2000-trump-conflicts-of-interest-counting/?fbclid=IwAR0cgWB7ceFW9YFBn6UgzxiaBVpMZi_ywy8WF6mkUN4Php4N-bnxrv6PJbY
"During his run for president, Donald Trump promised that he would “drain the swamp” in Washington by rooting out corruption and wrenching power from lobbyists and special interests. In the two and a half years since he assumed the office of President of the United States, he has done exactly the opposite: placing former lobbyists in positions of power while giving foreign governments and special interests the opportunity to purchase access to his administration by patronizing his businesses. Instead of limiting Washington corruption, President Trump has pushed it into uncharted territory, innovating forms of corruption."
"During his run for president, Donald Trump promised that he would “drain the swamp” in Washington by rooting out corruption and wrenching power from lobbyists and special interests. In the two and a half years since he assumed the office of President of the United States, he has done exactly the opposite: placing former lobbyists in positions of power while giving foreign governments and special interests the opportunity to purchase access to his administration by patronizing his businesses. Instead of limiting Washington corruption, President Trump has pushed it into uncharted territory, innovating forms of corruption."
Trump’s Anti-Obamacare Insurance Plans Are Ripping People Off
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/08/trumps-anti-obamacare-insurance-plans-are-ripping-people-off/?fbclid=IwAR3kurxRqLXFBgKdH9Phdu7ECCATqZVLPsaD__lzJeNMu7OlpNpuhEEatR4
"On average, the report found that, among the five health insurers that earn the most in short-term insurance premiums, 39.2 percent of premiums were going to pay for patients’ medical care. “Short-term health plans’ loss ratios are lower because they don’t cover nearly as many benefits,” Modern Healthcare writes. “Unlike Affordable Care Act-compliant plans, short-term plans can deny coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions and charge more based on health status. They are not required to and often don’t cover the 10 essential health benefits, including maternity care and prescription drugs.” ACA-compliant plans are required to spend 80 percent of premiums on medical care. Essentially, Obamacare set a cap on the percentage of profit health insurance companies can make off premiums, forcing them to spend the vast majority of their funds on actual medical services. If an insurance company ends up charging higher premiums than that 80 percent rate, the insurers have to send out rebates."
"On average, the report found that, among the five health insurers that earn the most in short-term insurance premiums, 39.2 percent of premiums were going to pay for patients’ medical care. “Short-term health plans’ loss ratios are lower because they don’t cover nearly as many benefits,” Modern Healthcare writes. “Unlike Affordable Care Act-compliant plans, short-term plans can deny coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions and charge more based on health status. They are not required to and often don’t cover the 10 essential health benefits, including maternity care and prescription drugs.” ACA-compliant plans are required to spend 80 percent of premiums on medical care. Essentially, Obamacare set a cap on the percentage of profit health insurance companies can make off premiums, forcing them to spend the vast majority of their funds on actual medical services. If an insurance company ends up charging higher premiums than that 80 percent rate, the insurers have to send out rebates."
Trump dismisses farmers’ concerns over trade war as his agriculture secretary insults them
https://thinkprogress.org/as-trumps-trade-war-undermines-american-farmers-his-agriculture-secretary-mocks-them-for-whining-1cc57272a1bc/?fbclid=IwAR1Gh2LmrSToOA4SabMbGWiGd5bmb7UiXkZudtOnPZxdFp3HtznF3_hSG6Y
"President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to pursue trade wars with China has increased America’s trade deficit and harmed American farmers who rely on exports to earn a living. As the president continued to lie this week about how his policies have hurt those farmers, his cabinet secretary responsible for overseeing farming came under fire for calling them a bunch of whiners. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who previously admitted that U.S. growers were paying the price for the administration’s trade policies and were “one of the casualties there of the trade disruption,” insulted them last week at a Farmfest event in Minnesota. “I had a farmer tell me this in Pennsylvania,” Perdue told the audience at a listening session hosted by House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN). “He said ‘What do you call two farmers in a basement?’ I said ‘I don’t know, what do you call them?’ He said ‘A whine cellar.'” That attempt at humor was reportedly met with some laughter but also booing. Despite the dire effects of his ongoing trade war, Trump has touted his repeated tariff threats against countries like China as beneficial to the country."
"President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to pursue trade wars with China has increased America’s trade deficit and harmed American farmers who rely on exports to earn a living. As the president continued to lie this week about how his policies have hurt those farmers, his cabinet secretary responsible for overseeing farming came under fire for calling them a bunch of whiners. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who previously admitted that U.S. growers were paying the price for the administration’s trade policies and were “one of the casualties there of the trade disruption,” insulted them last week at a Farmfest event in Minnesota. “I had a farmer tell me this in Pennsylvania,” Perdue told the audience at a listening session hosted by House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN). “He said ‘What do you call two farmers in a basement?’ I said ‘I don’t know, what do you call them?’ He said ‘A whine cellar.'” That attempt at humor was reportedly met with some laughter but also booing. Despite the dire effects of his ongoing trade war, Trump has touted his repeated tariff threats against countries like China as beneficial to the country."
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