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“We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and for the authorities to abide by their international obligations to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly.”
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“In contrast to President Trump and Republicans who gave giant corporations $2 trillion in tax breaks, President Biden delivered transformative middle-class relief,” said two senators.
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While the whistleblower said “a little stability” would benefit his family, one digital rights advocate noted that “if the Biden administration dropped the charges against Snowden, Putin wouldn’t be able to use him for a PR stunt.”
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“At a moment of rising geopolitical division, mistrust, and outright aggression, we are in danger of forgetting the terrible lessons of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Cold War, and inciting a humanitarian Armageddon,” warns António Guterres.
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“The fight is not over,” says one activist, but “from tax breaks to pollution and now to these recent financial downswings, we have all the evidence we need to understand that Driftwood will be a parasite.”
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The senator is circulating a “dear colleague” letter arguing that it’s time for lawmakers “to tell the fossil fuel industry that their short-term profits are not more important than the future of our planet.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“Thank you to these senators for their solidarity with frontline communities against more fossil fuel pollution!” said one activist.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“We cannot sit by idly and watch our government advance policies that will quite literally fan the flames of the climate crisis, which is already threatening humanity.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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One campaigner said the “reckless and dangerous” bill “would devastate communities and the climate while making a mockery of Congress and the Biden administration’s commitments to environmental justice.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“Raising interest rates puts the burden of fighting inflation on low-wage workers,” notes former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. “For once, let’s take aim at an actual driver of inflation: corporate profits.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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CREW argues there some current and future members of Congress should be disqualified from holding office, and failing to hold them accountable “imperils the very foundations of American democracy.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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The former president’s attorneys have hinted that he declassified seized documents while also insisting that Trump should not have to back up his public claims about doing so in court.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“We have to reject this dangerous movement across the country in November—our democracy depends on it,” warns the Washington Democrat.
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The IAEA director general said the “explosion near the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant all too clearly demonstrates the potential dangers also at other nuclear facilities in the country.”
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While pushing for a shift to green energy, the Sunrise Movement also said that “the catastrophic flooding and loss of power are the result of colonial policies that put profit over the people of PR.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“Their false claims do not add up and cannot be allowed to stall a rapid transition to 100% clean, renewable energy,” says the Food & Water Watch report.
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U.S. Sen. Ed Markey led six fellow Massachusetts Democrats in the House Friday in calling on the Treasury Department to investigate GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ apparent abuse of federal Covid-19 relief funds to send two flights of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard this week.
Markey and Reps. Jake Auchincloss, Bill Keating, Jim McGovern, Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley, and Lori Trahan sent a letter to the department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) given the governor’s use of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) “to cruelly relocate vulnerable immigrants from Florida to other states across the country.”
The lawmakers suggested the state’s “inhumane program” violates federal law and urged the OIG to not only investigate but also “take all necessary action — including potentially rescinding any misused funds — to stop this abuse of coronavirus relief programs.”
Reportedly lured in by the false promise of jobs, one migrant from Peru and 49 from Venezuela — including children — were flown to the Massachusetts island community on Wednesday. While residents welcomed them and rushed to provide food, clothing, and shelter, DeSantis has faced intense criticism for what the lawmakers and others have denounced as a “political stunt.”
.@GovRonDeSantis’s relocation program isn’t just bigoted and inhumane, it’s illegal—misusing federal COVID-19 relief funds for a cruel political stunt that unjustly and severely harms already disadvantaged people. @USTreasury must investigate. pic.twitter.com/FDMEWM430d
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) September 16, 2022
To pull it off, the lawmakers’ letter explains, “DeSantis tapped a $12 million program that the Florida Legislature created earlier this year to allow the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to ‘facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens out of Florida.’”
The letter highlights that “the $12 million was funded through ‘the interest earnings associated with the federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund,’ effectively using Covid-19 relief to score political points by exploiting vulnerable immigrants.”
This conflicts with Congress’ intent for the SLFRF, which was established with the American Rescue Plan Act, the letter argues:
As explained in the Treasury Department’s final rule implementing the Fund, the SLFRF was intended to “fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its public health and economic impacts; maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue resulting from the crisis; and build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity.” That rule further identified a limited set of uses for SLFRF funds, including replacement of lost public sector revenue, responding to the far-reaching public health and economic impact of the pandemic, providing premium pay for essential workers, and investing in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
While the rule was designed to provide flexibility to state and local governments, Congress neither intended to allow, or authorized, state governments to use the SLFRF funds for immigration enforcement. Nothing in the American Rescue Plan Act or Treasury’s final rule appears to allow states to use SLFRF funds to remove or relocate immigrants. Florida therefore appears to be illegally using taxpayer money for theatrics intended to criminalize and stigmatize immigrants in search of a better life in the United States.
The seven Massachusetts Democrats aren’t the only high-profile figures calling for a probe.
DeSantis’ Democratic challenger for governor, Charlie Crist, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, have both openly supported involvement by the U.S. Department of Justice, with the latter suggesting in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that the Florida Republican’s actions could qualify for kidnapping charges.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday compared DeSantis and GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott relocating asylum-seekers to actions of human smugglers.
“These vulnerable migrants were reportedly misled about where they were headed — told they would be headed to Boston, misled about what they would be provided when they arrived, promised shelter, refuge, benefits, and more,” Jean-Pierre said. “These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers in places like Mexico and Guatemala. And for what? A photo-op.”
The White House rips into GOP governors’ ‘political stunts’ with migrants:
‘These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers … And for what? A photo op? Because these governors care about creating political theater [rather] than creating actual solutions’ pic.twitter.com/FkxdozwwAl
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 16, 2022
Axios reported that flight records indicate the planes chartered by DeSantis flew from San Antonio, Texas to Florida’s panhandle before landing in Massachusetts. After spending two nights at a Martha’s Vineyard church, the migrants on Friday were offered temporary housing on Joint Base Cape Cod.
“We are grateful to the providers, volunteers, and local officials that stepped up on Martha’s Vineyard over the past few days to provide immediate services to these individuals,” said Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican. “Our administration has been working across state government to develop a plan to ensure these individuals will have access to the services they need going forward, and Joint Base Cape Cod is well-equipped to serve these needs.”
Meanwhile, in Florida, faith and immigrant leaders came together Friday to call out DeSantis.
“Why does this feel so wrong?” Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) spokesperson Stephanie Wall asked of the governor’s stunt just weeks away from his election. “Because it is wrong. Gov. DeSantis, this is anti-family, anti-freedom, anti-faith, and anti-opportunity.”
HOPE CommUnity Center founder Sister Ann Kendrick said that “I think Jesus would be crying” and thanked the “good, hard-working people of Martha’s Vineyard… for stepping up and helping those immigrants who were lied to.”
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Lawmakers from Massachusetts urged the Treasury Department to investigate the Florida governor “effectively using Covid-19 relief to score political points by exploiting vulnerable immigrants.”
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“Workers, patients, and taxpayers need to know the truth about unnecessary charges and understaffing,” said SEIU, welcoming Rep. Bill Pascrell’s call to investigate HCA Healthcare.
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“The former president’s attempt to remove qualified experts and replace them with political loyalists threatened our national security and our government’s ability to function the way the American people expect it to,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, the bill’s sponsor.
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“Contrary to conventional wisdom, the U.S. defense budget does not need to continue to grow,” says a new Cost of War Project report, arguing that it can and should “instead be trimmed.”
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“Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people,” said Yvon Chouinard. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.”
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“Big Oil’s reckoning couldn’t come a moment too soon,” said Jennifer K. Falcon of Ikiya Collective and Fossil Free Media. “Our window to avoid utter chaos is closing rapidly.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“This cruel ban insults West Virginia doctors, endangering their patients’ lives while subjecting them to appalling government surveillance, and threatens to put other medical providers in prison simply for providing healthcare,” said one activist.
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“There is a pervasive misconception that switching to clean, green energy will be painful, costly, and mean sacrifices for us all—but that’s just wrong,” said Oxford professor and study co-author Doyne Farmer.
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“Looks like removing crushing debt burdens for families is a political winner after all,” said the Groundwork Collaborative executive director.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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After withholding raises from unionized employees earlier this year, “Starbucks is doubling down on the illegality,” said one critic.
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“We feel like this is the only thing we can do,” said one nurse. “Hospitals tell us it’s our fault, but we’ve been actively involved and getting nowhere.”
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“If you want to address human health, you have to address climate health first,” said Charles Swanton, who led the research team.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams – Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.
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“We are at a precipice and we’re counting on the American people to come through — and I have hope that people will realize that we have to turn this clock back.”
That’s what U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told MSNBC’s Ali Velshi Saturday in an interview about how rhetoric from former President Donald Trump and his political allies — including their “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen by Democrats — connects to threats against both American democracy and individual lawmakers, including her.
The interview came just two days after Jayapal released audio of some threatening voicemails she has received and The Washington Post published a detailed account of her experience on July 9, when an armed man who lives just seven blocks away yelled obscenities outside her Seattle home. According to the newspaper, Brett Forsell’s pistol was seized by police and he is now out on bail.
“This is not normal. We should not accept it as normal,” Jayapal said after Velshi aired some of the messages. “Where the hell are we as a country when this is becoming normalized? And so that’s part of the reason I did the story and that I released some of the voicemails — those are just a fraction of what we’ve received, along with death threats and many other things.”
“I think it’s important that people understand the connections between the Big Lie, January 6th, and what happened at my house, and see how these things are affecting each of us individually and then all of us as a society,” she continued, referencing when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol last year. “I wanted people to be aware of what we’re dealing with so that we can reject it and say we gotta put whatever has been unleashed back away and not allow this to be normal.”
Asked by Velshi how her experience with threats of violence has changed over the years, Jayapal responded that “it’s completely different over the last… four to five years — really since Donald Trump was in the White House and actually allowing and promoting this kind of violence and political rhetoric, racism, and sexism.”
Citing her own experiences at protests, she stressed that “there’s a big difference between protesting peacefully — free speech peacefully — and showing up for harassment with a gun at somebody’s house in the middle of the night, constantly coming by and yelling racist, sexist, xenophobic things.”
“I think that what has changed is there’s a sense that everything is so unfair and it’s been propelled by Donald Trump — the institutions are unfair — that the only recourse is to violence, and that is an extremely dangerous thing and we saw it come to fruition on January 6th, and now in ways that… I’ve seen outside my door, ” she added. “It is particularly bad if you’re a woman of color.”
The pair discussed some recent actions by Trump-friendly politicians — including a June advertisement by Eric Greitens, who lost the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri, about hunting “RINOs,” or “Republicans in name only.”
Jayapal called it “absolutely terrifying” and acknowledged some of what’s faced by Republicans like Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the only two members of the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack. Kinzinger is not running for reelection in November and Cheney lost her primary contest against a Trump-backed candidate.
Velshi and Jayapal also noted U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) repeatedly saying that “there’ll be riots in the streets” if Trump — whose Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, was raided last month by federal agents executing a search warrant — is prosecuted for mishandling classified documents.
“I find Sen. Graham’s comments stunning — a sitting U.S. senator essentially calling for riots in the street,” said Jayapal. “This is a very Trumpian, MAGA tactic: When you are being threatened with justice, that you call for riots or violence. That is what led to January 6th.”
“MAGA,” or “Make America Great Again,” was a Trump slogan for the 2016 presidential race.
“We’re in a very dangerous place… and I think it is important that we understand what’s at stake,” Jayapal said about two months out from the midterm elections. “It’s important that we vote for people who do not subscribe to the Big Lie, whether Republican or Democrat — that we vote for people who are going to protect our institutions of democracy.”
FiveThirtyEight on Tuesday published an analysis revealing that among the Republican nominees for the U.S. House and Senate as well as governor, secretary of state, and attorney general on the ballot in November, 195 are 2020 election deniers, 61 are “doubters,” and 115 did not have a discernible position and declined to clarify.
Jayapal expressed hope for the future, highlighting that some Trump-endorsed candidates — such as Sarah Palin, who just lost a special election in Alaska for an open U.S. House seat — are being rejected by voters.
Pointing out that Kansas voters last month opposed a measure that would have paved the way for an abortion ban in the state in the wake of the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court reversing Roe v. Wade, Jayapal argued that “we are seeing a rejection of the extreme MAGA positions across the country.”
“I think Americans will reject this,” she said. “We have to make it clear what the stakes are and we have to talk about what Democrats have done — the remarkable things that we have been able to accomplish with very small majorities.”
“All of that is important, but we do need to lay out what is at stake for our democracy and I think the January 6th committee is also doing that and the Justice Department with the raid at Mar-a-Lago and all of the things that we are finding out about nuclear secrets, other things that would’ve been unimaginable even five years ago,” the congresswoman continued.
“We’ve got to get people in government who actually believe in government,” she added, “and who believe in democracy, believe in voting, believe in our Constitution.”
Jayapal’s comments came after President Joe Biden, in a prime-time speech earlier this month, warned Americans about how MAGA Republicans and Trump — who’s expected to run for president in 2024, despite being the target of multiple legal probes — threaten U.S. democracy.