Thousands of people demonstrated in the pouring rain on Saturday protesting the clearance and demolition of a village in western Germany that is due to make way for the expansion of the coal mine Garzweiler. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined the demonstrators as they protested the clearance of Luetzerath, walking through the nearby village of Keyenberg. Protesters chanted “Every…
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Thousands of people demonstrated in a pouring rain on Saturday protesting the clearance and demolition of a village in western Germany that is due to make way for the expansion of the coal mine Garzweiler.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined the demonstrators as they protested the clearance of Luetzerath, walking through the nearby village of Keyenberg. Protesters chanted “Every village stays” and “You are not alone.”
Activists from climate action groups including Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion and Last Generation came from across the country to join the protest.
\u201cThe carbon needs to stay in the ground. #GretaThunberg in #Luetzerath #LuetziBleibt #LuetzerathUnraeumbar #AlleDoerferBleiben #LuetziLebt\u201d— Guenther Schneider (@Guenther Schneider) 1673708029
Thunberg criticized Germany’s Green Party on Saturday for supporting the demolition of the village of Lützerath.
German outlet dpa reported:
Making deals with fossil fuel corporations such as energy giant RWE – which has bought the site of Lützerath for mining – “show where their priorities are”, Thunberg said of the Greens, who form part of Germany’s coalition government, in an interview with dpa.
Leading Green politicians such as Economy Minister Robert Habeck have defended the demolition of Lützerath, arguing that the coal below is needed to maintain energy security in the current crisis.
“The coal that is in the ground here will not lower prices immediately. Anyone who thinks like that is simply out of touch with reality,” Thunberg said.
The Greens are also in power in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia, where the village of Lützerath has become the latest flashpoint for activists opposed to the government’s continued use of coal.
During a visit to Lützerath Friday afternoon, 20-year-old Thunberg said it was “horrible to see what’s happening here.”
“We expect to show what people power looks like, what democracy looks like. When governments and corporations are acting like this, destroying the environment, putting countless people at risk, the people step up,” she said.
The climate activist also referred to “outrageous … police violence” occurring at the site.
Thunberg held up a sign that read, “Keep it in the ground.”
Sara Ayech, Global Campaign Lead for Climate at Greenpeace International said Saturday: “We’re in 2023, in the middle of a climate crisis, and while destroying a village to expand one of the biggest carbon bombs in Europe should be considered criminal, it is still legal. Fossil fuel companies’ influence is so powerful that the ones considered criminals now are the ones fighting for climate justice. It is time to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.”
Environmentalists say bulldozing the village to expand the Garzweiler mine would result in huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
The local and national governments, both of which include the Green party, made a deal with fossil fuel giant RWE last year allowing it to destroy the village in return for a promise to end coal use by 2030, rather than 2038.
\u201cThere has been a shocking amount of police violence against people protesting for climate justice in #Luetzerath, Germany. #RWE\u2019s profits and political deals obviously matter more to those in power than a liveable future on this planet \ud83d\ude22. \n\nhttps://t.co/hUse8kfz4u\u201d— 350.org Deutschland (@350.org Deutschland) 1673710812
\u201c35.000 Menschen trotzen Wind und Regen – was ein riesiger Erfolg f\u00fcr die Klimaschutzbewegung! Gemeinsam streiten wir gegen die Kohlebagger und verteidigen die 1,5-Grad-Grenze in #Luetzerath. Auf dass #Luetzerathbleibt!\u201d— Christoph Bautz (@Christoph Bautz) 1673702878
\u201c35,000 people show solidarity with the activists in #Luetzerath \ud83d\udc9a\n\nThey demand that fossil fuel companies stop their climate killing activities \ud83c\udf0e\ud83d\udd25\u201d— Greenpeace e.V. (@Greenpeace e.V.) 1673705823
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After nearly a week of chaotic voting on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy of California was elected Speaker of the House of the 118th Congress just after midnight early Saturday morning after finally securing enough votes in the 15th ballot.
The final tally was 216 votes for McCarthy and 212 votes for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York, after 6 far-right holdouts, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), lowered the threshold to secure the speakership by voting “present” instead of registering a vote for another GOP member.
The 15th ballot followed a dramatic 14th ballot vote in which tensions soared on the floor of the House chamber.
The five-day battle for the speakership is over.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams.
This is a developing story… Please check back for possible updates…
Update (6:45 pm ET):
In a signal of what the U.S. House of Representatives could look for like the next two years, the chamber adjourned Tuesday evening after GOP Congressman Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed to secure the 218 votes needed to become the next speaker due to a revolt by several far-right Republicans.
During the third round of voting, the California Republican received only 202 votes. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla). joined with the 19 other Republicans who had backed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in the second round, while Democrats maintained their support for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
“Unfortunately, it’s the American people who will pay the price for House Republicans’ inability to govern.”
“If Americans had any doubt that the GOP is irretrievably broken, today’s House speaker debacle confirms it,” Stand Up America founder and president Sean Eldridge said in a statement after the chamber adjourned until noon Wednesday.
“Political arsonists control the House majority,” Eldridge added. “Whether they ultimately choose Kevin McCarthy or another extremist speaker of the House, the MAGA agenda will be the same: sow chaos, waste taxpayer dollars on sham investigations into President [Joe] Biden, and block progress on the pressing issues facing our nation. Unfortunately, it’s the American people who will pay the price for House Republicans’ inability to govern.”
Recalling her warning from just after the November midterms about “Republicans in ruin,” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) took the opportunity to contrast Democratic and GOP House leadership.
\u201cUnder Democrat leadership, the House passed landmark legislation in the 117th Congress to help families and working people.\n\nOne day into the 118th Congress and GOP control, Republicans can’t even elect a Speaker. We’re now on the third vote with no end in sight.\u201d— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal) 1672780884
“Thinking about how Democrats have delivered for the people time and again,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) similarly said. “Meanwhile, Republicans can’t even deliver for themselves.”
Several other progressives in the chamber also piled on, such as Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who tweeted that “this is embarrassing for McCarthy, and yet another display of Republican dysfunction.”
\u201cDem mood rn: Rep. Jamaal Bowman is shouting \u201cy\u2019all don\u2019t get shit done! This is unbelievable!\u201d as he leaves the House chamber\u201d— Nicholas Wu (@Nicholas Wu) 1672784994
“Based on what is going on today, their ability to govern and pass legislation on their own, I think is tenuous at best,” Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) told Politico. “When you bend everything to an ideological position, as opposed to the work of Congress, this is what you end up with.”
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) quipped that “Republicans want to run the country. They can’t even figure out who they want to run their party.”
\u201cWhat goes round comes round. The right-wing habits of chaos and betrayal the GOP unleashed against the American Republic on Jan. 6 are now destroying Lincoln\u2019s party. The sedition you feed is the sedition that feeds on you.\u201d— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@Rep. Jamie Raskin) 1672785662
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) tied Tuesday’s events to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, taking aim at ex-President Donald Trump and Steve Bannon, his former White House chief strategist.
“This once-in-a-century humiliation of a party’s nominee for speaker is chickens coming home to roost for McCarthy, who whitewashed right-wing insurrectionism on the House floor,” said Raskin. “Nobody’s getting killed now, but the House GOP now sleeps in the bed they made with Trump and Bannon.”
\u201cChaos on day one because MAGA Republicans have decided that Trumper Kevin McCarthy is not even extreme enough to be their speaker.\u201d— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib) 1672781125
“Still not sworn in because the Republicans are having a hard time picking their leader,” Congressman-elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) tweeted Tuesday. “This is a snapshot of how they’ll operate for the next two years.”
Earlier:
With several far-right allies of former President Donald Trump leading a charge to block U.S. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become speaker of the chamber, the California Republican repeatedly fell short of the votes he needed to prevail on Tuesday.
During both rounds of voting, McCarthy got only 203 votes from his fellow Republicans, several short of the 218 votes needed to win the leadership position. In the second round of voting, GOP Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio) received 19 votes.
That came after Jordan secured just six votes in the first round, when 10 Republicans supported Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.) while Reps. Byron Donalds (Fla.) and Jim Banks (Ind.) as well as former Rep. Lee Zeldin (N.Y.) each received one vote.
Defectors included outspoken backers of Trump—who urged members to support McCarthy—including GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) and Matt Gaetz (Fla.), who nominated Jordan for the second round even though the Ohio Republican had already spoken in support of McCarthy.
For both rounds, every Democrat backed Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who ended up with more votes than McCarthy but did not win the majority needed for the speakership. Jeffries is expected to become the House minority leader.
Leading up to the first vote, McCarthy agreed to some demands by his detractors, who include members of the House Freedom Caucus. He agreed to include in the House rules a stipulation that members can vote to unseat the speaker at any time, but refused to pledge to hold votes on some bills proposed by ultra-conservative members. He also did not pledge that the party’s political action committee would decline to fund primary challengers.
No other members can be sworn in until the speaker is elected, and the House will not be able to proceed with any official business until the matter is resolved.
The second round of voting began shortly after McCarthy lost the first round, with Jordan once again giving a nominating speech in support of the California lawmaker.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) tweeted that McCarthy’s failure to win the leadership post shows “the rise of the extreme MAGA caucus [has] already had ramifications.”
“House Republicans are showing the American people that they can’t govern,” said Lieu.
Anticipating the revolt by some House Republicans, The Washington Post noted last week that “the last time a speaker election took more than one ballot was in 1923, when Speaker Frederick Gillett (R-Mass.) was reelected on the ninth ballot.”
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Friday for a windfall profits tax on oil companies that would go directly back to California residents.
While crude oil prices are down nationally, big oil companies have increased gas prices in California by a record 84 cents per gallon in just the last 10 days.
“Crude oil prices are down but oil and gas companies have jacked up prices at the pump in California. This doesn’t add up,” said Newsom. “I’m calling for a windfall tax to ensure excess oil profits go back to help millions of Californians who are getting ripped off.”
YES! California, the 5th largest economy in the world, is calling for a Big Oil windfall profits tax. This is a clear signal to Biden and Democrats to make this a national priority. Let’s get this done. https://t.co/j6HrN9RdB7
— Jamie Henn (@jamieclimate) September 30, 2022
California lawmakers are not due back in session until January 2023, which would be the earliest Californians could see any movement on this.
Governor @GavinNewsom is right: greedy oil companies are fleecing Californians. While families struggle to pay at the pump, Big Oil is reaping record profits. My bill to hold these corporations accountable passed the House, but the Senate won't act. I'm proud California will. https://t.co/nPV0ZtJJ7c
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) September 30, 2022
Calls for windfall profits taxes have increased globally in recent weeks.
On Friday, the European Union agreed to impose a new windfall profits tax on fossil fuel companies reaping massive profits from the high price of oil and natural gas.
And on September 20th, in his opening remarks to the UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on “all developed economies” to tax fossil fuel companies to help those suffering from the climate and cost-of-living crises.
Guterres’ windfall tax proposal would direct those funds: “to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis; and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices.”
Guterres accused oil and gas giants of “feasting on a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} in subsidies and windfall profits whereas family budgets shrink and our planet burns.”
Also last week, a report authored by world-renowned economists and advocates called on governments to enact windfall profit taxes and other “emergency” measures to avert a global recession.
The United Kingdom, meanwhile, approved a 25% windfall tax on oil and gas firms in May — but new right-wing Prime Minister Liz Truss has made clear she opposes windfall taxes and won’t support any new ones.
UK isolated as EU agrees €140 billion windfall tax on energy firms to reduce bills & ease the cost of living crisis
Meanwhile Liz Truss is letting UK energy companies make staggering profits to reward bosses & shareholders at the expense of consumers! https://t.co/f36GOm9Gkp
— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) October 1, 2022
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“The accountability our democracy desperately needs for its survival might, just might, be a real possibility,” said the head of a watchdog group.
But thanks to Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), there was a huge, last-minute win for the private equity and hedge fund industries
‘Republicans told millions of Americans who use insulin to go to hell.’
“We must ask: What have we learned from the mushroom cloud that swelled above this city?”
Ukraine said parts of the facility were “seriously damaged” by Russian military strikes.
Late Friday night, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed legislation making the state the first in the nation to pass extreme abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Earlier, the Indiana senate approved the near-total ban on a 28-19 vote just hours after the House passed it in a 62-38 vote.
Before the Governor signed the bill, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement in response:
“The extremist lawmakers who forced this bill through a special session clearly could not care less about what their constituents want or need. It’s appalling that they’re going to these lengths to block people from accessing abortion care, and they should be ashamed of themselves. Governor Holcomb has a chance to veto this legislation and protect reproductive freedom for millions of Hoosiers—he should take it. NARAL Pro-Choice America and our over 63,000 members in the state will be watching.”
The ban, which takes effect Sept. 15, includes some exceptions. Abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest, before 10-weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the mother; and if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly.
Under the bill, abortions can be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning all abortion clinics would lose their licenses. A doctor who performs an ‘illegal’ abortion or fails to file required reports would lose their medical license.
“We are backsliding on democracy,” said Democratic Sen. Jean Breaux of Indianapolis. “What other freedoms, what other liberties are on the chopping block, waiting to be stripped away?”
Outside the chambers, activists loudly chanted over lawmakers’ remarks, carrying signs like “Roe roe roe your vote” and “Build this wall” between church and state.
Dark day for Indiana. Over 400K women live in “contraceptive deserts.” Comprehensive sex ed in schools is not required. The law contravenes true religious liberty. Tragic for Hoosier women.
Indiana adopts near-total abortion ban as governor signs SB 1 https://t.co/SuXabkQiE8
— Brian Steensland (@BrianSteensland) August 6, 2022
Indiana’s near-total abortion ban is officially law
Women will be forced to carry DEAD FETUSES to term
We now have fewer rights than non-viable fetuses
Do not mince words. These freaks don’t deserve the veneer of respectability
ChristoFascism is a cancer & it’s metastasizing
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) August 6, 2022
BREAKING: Indiana lawmakers have passed a complete ban on abortion with few exceptions, making it the first ban on abortion to be passed after the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
This ban will have life-altering consequences and serious health risks for people in Indiana.
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 6, 2022
Protest now at Indiana Statehouse aimed at trying to stop Gov Holcomb and lawmakers from passing abortion restrictions next month during special
legislative session. pic.twitter.com/kiB7g2MgRy— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) June 25, 2022
Massive protest at the #Indiana Senate, where the #Republican #Supermajority is prepared to pass an all-out #abortion ban.#BansOffOurBodies #VoteThemOut#FireToddYoung #inlegis pic.twitter.com/l4tg4HX1Yo
— Thomas McDermott (@tommcdermottjr) July 30, 2022
‘The extremist lawmakers who forced this bill through a special session clearly could not care less about what their constituents want or need.’
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