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This evening's music features Texas blues guitarist Albert Collins. Enjoy!

"Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim."

-- Bertrand Russell

News and Opinion

Court Rules That EPA’s Delay “Exposed a Generation of American Children” to Brain-Damaging Pesticide Chlorpyrifos

After 14 years of legal battles, a federal court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to take actions that will likely force the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos off the market. The federal agency has for years been considering mounting evidence that links the pesticide to brain damage in children — including loss of IQ, learning difficulties, ADHD, and autism — but, as the court acknowledged, has repeatedly delayed taking action.

“Rather than ban the pesticide or reduce the tolerances to levels that the EPA could find were reasonably certain to cause no harm, the EPA sought to evade through delay tactics its plain statutory duty,” Judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote in his decision, which was released today by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. “During that time, the EPA’s egregious delay exposed a generation of American children to unsafe levels of chlorpyrifos,” he wrote, and ordered the EPA to issue a final regulation within 60 days.

While Rakoff stopped short of requiring the EPA to immediately ban the pesticide, he gave the agency little choice in how to respond. “The EPA’s obligation is clear: it must modify or revoke chlorpyrifos tolerances and modify or cancel chlorpyrifos registrations,” Rakoff wrote in his ruling in the case, which was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Pesticide Action Network, United Farm Workers, and other groups.

The decision marks the culmination of a prolonged and bitter legal battle over one of the most widely used and dangerous pesticides in U.S. agriculture. More than 5 million pounds of chlorpyrifos were applied to crops in 2017, according to the most recent data. Exposure to the pesticide through residue on food and drift near fields where it was applied has wreaked devastation on developing children. According to a team of researchers led by Leonardo Trasande, organophosphate pesticides, of which chlorpyrifos is the most widely used, accounted for an estimated $594 billion in societal costs, including added health care and education, between 2001 and 2016.

The EPA was poised to ban chlorpyrifos in 2016, but the Trump EPA changed course the next year without providing any scientific justification for its decision. The reversal, made under EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, has been tied to a $1 million contribution to President Donald Trump’s inaugural fund from Dow Chemical Company, now known as Corteva, which was the primary producer of chlorpyrifos.

Biden administration eyes major rollback in Iran sanctions to revive nuke deal

The Biden administration is considering a near wholesale rollback of some of the most stringent Trump-era sanctions imposed on Iran in a bid to get the Islamic Republic to return to compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear accord, according to current and former U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter.

As indirect talks continue this week in Vienna to explore the possibility of reviving the nuclear deal, American officials have become increasingly expansive about what they might be prepared to offer Iran, which has been driving a hard line on sanctions relief, demanding that all U.S. penalties be removed, according to these people.)

American officials have refused to discuss which sanctions are being considered for removal. But they have said they are open to lifting any sanctions that are inconsistent with the nuclear deal or that deny Iran the relief it would be entitled to should it return to compliance with the accord. Because of the complex nature of the sanctions architecture, that could include non-nuclear sanctions, such as those tied to terrorism, missile development and human rights. ...

Administration officials deny they will remove all non-nuclear sanctions, but have declined to identify those which they believe Trump improperly imposed on terrorism and other grounds.

Our Warplanes Can Reach Iran, Israeli Minister Warns Amid Nuclear Talks

An Israeli cabinet minister sharpened his country's warnings against what it would deem a bad new nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, saying war with Tehran would be sure to follow. ...

Reiterating Israel's position that it does not consider itself bound by the diplomacy, Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said: "A bad deal will send the region spiralling into war."

"Anyone seeking short-term benefits should be mindful of the longer-term," he told Reuters. "Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear arms. Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our planes can reach everywhere in the Middle East - and certainly Iran."

Iran welcomes Saudi change of tone, sees 'new chapter'

Iran on Thursday welcomed a "change of tone" from Saudi Arabia that could clear the way to a new era of cooperation between the rival regional powers.

The Islamic republic has been "a pioneer on the path to regional cooperation and welcomes the change of tone from Saudi Arabia", said foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Tuesday in a television interview for "a good and special relationship" with Tehran, after sources said the two countries had held secret talks in Baghdad.

Khatibzadeh, in a statement, said that "by adopting constructive stances... the two countries... can enter a new chapter of interaction and cooperation to reach peace, stability and regional development, by overcoming differences".

George Bush Complains About "Misinformation!" -- Not Kidding.

U.S. begins Afghanistan withdrawal, deploys military assets to protect troops

The White House confirmed Thursday that the U.S. military has begun its withdrawal from Afghanistan and proactively deployed additional troops and military equipment to protect forces in the region.

"Potential adversaries should know that if they attack us in our withdrawal, we will defend ourselves, [and] our partners, with all the tools at our disposal," White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling on Air Force One.

"While these actions will initially result in increased forces levels, we remain committed to having all U.S. military personnel out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021," she said, adding that the Biden administration is intent on a "safe and responsible" exit from the war-torn country.

The Pentagon has temporarily provided B-52H Stratofortress aircraft to U.S. Central Command, the combatant command that oversees American operations in the Middle East. A U.S. Navy carrier strike group is also in the region to provide support.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has previously said that Defense Department leadership will continue to assess the need for additional military capabilities as the departure of U.S. and coalition forces proceeds.

NYT Declares WAR On Twitch Streamers

White House investigating ‘unexplained health incidents’ similar to Havana syndrome

The White House has said it is investigating “unexplained health incidents” after a report that two US officials in the Washington area experienced sudden symptoms similar to the “Havana syndrome” symptoms suffered by American diplomats and spies abroad.

The wave of mysterious brain injuries, beginning in Cuba in 2016, are deemed by the National Academy of Scientists to be most likely the result of some form of directed energy device, and the CIA, state department and Pentagon have all launched investigations.

The wave of mysterious brain injuries, beginning in Cuba in 2016, are deemed by the National Academy of Scientists to be most likely the result of some form of directed energy device, and the CIA, state department and Pentagon have all launched investigations.

CNN reported on Thursday that two possible incidents on US soil are part of the investigation. One took place in November last year near the Ellipse, the large oval lawn on the south side of the White House, in which an official from the national security council suddenly fell sick. The other was in 2019 and involved a White House official walking her dog in a Arlington suburb of Washington. That incident was reported in GQ magazine last year.

Bill Gates Denies Vaccine To Poor Countries

Amazon’s sales up 44% as US economy soars 6.4% in first quarter

Amazon’s sales increased 44% to $108.5bn in the first three months of the year as the company’s pandemic boom continued into 2021. ... Amazon made a profit of $8.1bn for the quarter – $2.7bn a month – beating analysts’ forecasts after a series of better than expected results from tech companies and others.

While Amazon profited throughout the coronavirus downturn, there are now signs that the economic recovery is spreading.

The news came after the commerce department said the US economy took off in the first quarter, soaring 6.4% on an annual basis as rising vaccinations, a massive round of government stimulus and a steady recovery in the jobs market helped reverse some of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The annualized rate suggests the US economy is firmly on the road to recovery. In normal times US gross domestic product (GDP) – the broadest measure of the economy – grows at about 2-2.5% a year, but the pandemic triggered wild swings as the country went into lockdown and businesses shuttered.

Bone Rooms: How Elite Schools and Museums Amassed Black and Native Human Remains Without Consent

After Protests over Unauthorized Use of MOVE Child’s Bones, U. of Pennsylvania & Princeton Apologize

Anti-War Group Releases Activist Guide to End Militarized Policing in US

In an effort to curtail police militarism, anti-war group Win Without War on Thursday released an activist guide titled Stop Militarizing Our Communities: 5 Things You Need to Know About the 1033 Program.

The activist guide was authored by Tanaya Sardesai, a student at Pomona College and a former intern at Win Without War, and centers on the Department of Defense's 1033 program, which is responsible for supplying military weaponry to domestic law enforcement.

"Foreign policy and domestic policy are intertwined," said Sardesai. "Violence committed against communities of color abroad fuels violence against communities of color at home. We must end state violence and knee-jerk militarism, wherever it occurs. Ending the 1033 program is a small but necessary step toward that."

The 1033 program, also referred to as the Law Enforcement Support Office Program, is characterized by Win Without War as a byproduct of colossal U.S. Pentagon budget and a hyper-militarized foreign policy that perpetuates ongoing conflicts around the world.

"Militarism abroad and militarism at home are inseparable," explained the group in a statement. "One of the key ways our endless wars have blown back to exacerbate violence and undermine human security in the United States is through the DoD's 1033 program."

The guide elucidates the correlation between U.S. foreign policy and police militarization and concludes both systems are designed to sustain weapon manufacturers profits, the prison system, and the defense industry—at the expense of the working class and marginalized communities.

According to the guide, the 1033 program provides free military-grade weapons to local police officers and incentivizes their use by contractually requiring the weapons be used within a year or returned to the federal government. There is little oversight required under 1033 contracts and equipment often goes missing or is used improperly without accountability.

Police officers do not receive mandatory federal training under the program, leaving local agencies to train weapon recipients with little guidance.

"This further reinforces the 'us vs. them' mentality that is responsible for such devastation around the world," explains the guide. "A lack of instruction exacerbates these issues by imbuing officers with the confidence to use deadly weapons without training."

Sardesai notes that militarization has also expanded its reach to the U.S. education system, as school districts across the country have received millions of dollars of equipment from the 1033 program, including firearms, utility trucks, and rifles.

In 2017, the Government Accountability Office created a fictitious law enforcement agency and was able to obtain $1,200,000 worth of military gear from the 1033 program, suggesting a grossly inadequate vetting system.

In response to these issues, grassroots organizations are mobilizing around the U.S. to end the 1033 program and small legislative strides are being made.

The FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (pdf) included a provision to provide more oversight of the 1033 program and limit particular weapons from being used by police forces. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (pdf), which the House passed in March 2021, included a section that would limit the 1033 program.

"This must only be the beginning," said Win Without War. "The Senate must act now. President Biden must put a moratorium on the 1033 program."

‘He did not deserve to die’: anger and protest over Andrew Brown’s killing by police

Raising signs, flags and fists, about 200 protesters walked through the streets of Elizabeth City in North Carolina on Wednesday night following a judge’s ruling, which denied the immediate release of police video footage of the killing of Andrew Brown last week. The evening’s march wound its way through the flat streets of the majority Black city of roughly 18,000 in the state’s coastal plain near the Outer Banks.

The crowd blocked off several intersections, chanting “release the tape” and “20 seconds, not enough,” in reference to the short clip of body-camera footage that Brown’s family have been permitted to see. “You’re just making it worse by not being transparent,” said Dustin Sidebottom, 50, an Elizabeth City resident who had been arrested protesting on Tuesday but was back on Wednesday, waving a large Black Lives Matter flag.

Sidebottom said officials’ handling of the Brown case had created a breach of trust that will be extremely difficult to repair. “No matter what he did, he did not deserve to die,” he added.

Attorneys representing Brown’s family argue that full release of the footage is critical to maintaining the integrity of the investigation into his death, and providing some sense of justice. “Government officials need to be held accountable and the only way to hold them accountable is through transparency,” attorney Wayne Kendall said. “We can’t have a free and open society unless we have disclosure of the actions of public officials.”

Why a filibuster showdown in the US Senate is unavoidable

As Republicans have pushed more than 360 bills across the country to restrict access to the ballot, the president and Democrats have strongly condemned those efforts, but they’ve been unable to stop them. Even though Democrats control both chambers of Congress in Washington, they can’t pass a sweeping voting rights bill because they don’t have enough votes to get rid of the filibuster, an arcane senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance legislation. A showdown over the filibuster has loomed over the first 100 days of the Biden administration, but during the next 100 days, it’s clear that a showdown over getting rid of the procedure is unavoidable.

Amanda Litman, the executive director of the Run for Something, a group that recruits candidates for state legislative races, told me this week she thinks some Democrats still don’t fully appreciate how dangerous and consequential the GOP’s ongoing efforts are. “This is really an existential crisis. It’s a five-alarm fire. But I’m not sure it’s quite sunk in for members of the United States Senate or the Democratic party writ large,” she told me.

“If the Senate does not kill the filibuster and pass voting rights reforms … Democrats are going to lose control of the House and likely the Senate forever. You don’t put these worms back into a can. You can’t undo this quite easily,” she added. ...

But the window for Democrats to have the most impact with their legislation is rapidly closing. The decennial process of redrawing district lines is set to take place later this year, and a critical portion of the Democratic bill would set new limits to prevent state lawmakers, who have the power to draw the maps, from severely manipulating districts for partisan gain. While it’s probably already too late to set up independent redistricting commissions for this year, Democrats could still pass rules to prevent the most severe partisan manipulation.

Justice Dems' Absurd Gushing Over Biden Shocks The Conscience

Hundreds report abnormal menstruation after being teargassed during Portland protests

More than a thousand people reported lasting health effects after being exposed to teargas during protests in Portland, Oregon, last summer, according to a newly published scientific study. Nearly 900 people reported abnormal menstrual cycles, including intense cramping and increased bleeding, that began or persisted days after their initial exposure to the teargas. Hundreds of others complained of other negative health impacts, including severe headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and mental health concerns.

The new research, based on an online survey of more than 2,200 people, challenges claims that the health consequences of being teargassed are minor and temporary, said Dr Britta Torgrimson-Ojerio, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente Northwest and the lead author of the study.

It is also the first published, peer-reviewed study to confirm a link between teargas and abnormal menstruation, a connection that was widely discussed by American protesters on social media and in news reports last year. Participants in racial justice protests against police violence last summer in Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Rochester and other cities told media outlets that their exposure to teargas had been followed by unexpected bleeding, unusually painful cramps, and other disruptions of their typical menstrual cycles.

The results of the Portland study, including the new link between teargas and menstruation, are an important contribution to the scientific research on teargas, which has primarily been tested on younger men in military and police settings, said Sven-Eric Jordt, a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University.

“At this time, we don’t know how teargas causes these [menstrual] irregularities,” Jordt told the Guardian. “It is possible that pain, stress, dehydration and exertion play a role. Alternatively, teargas degradation products in the human body may have endocrine effects.”

US Senate votes to reinstate methane rules loosened by Trump

Congressional Democrats are moving to reinstate regulations designed to limit potent greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields, as part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to tackle climate change.

The Senate approved a resolution Wednesday that would undo an environmental rollback by Donald Trump that relaxed requirements of a 2016 Obama administration rule targeting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling.

The resolution was approved, 52-42. Three Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rob Portman of Ohio – joined Democrats to approve the measure, which only needed a needed a simple majority under Senate rules.

The legislation now goes to the Democratic-controlled House, where it is expected to win approval.

Indigenous chief to request UN peacekeepers to prevent lobster fight boiling over

After a violent clash over lobster fishing on Canada’s east coast last year, a First Nations chief says he will request United Nations peacekeepers to keep his people safe on the water this summer – predicting tensions will reach a boiling point. When the Sipekne’katik First Nation sought to harvest lobster outside of the fishing season defined by federal authorities, commercial harvesters launched a series of protests that turned physical when traps were removed, harvesters assaulted and lobster pounds vandalized. ...

The Sipekne’katik chief, Mike Sack, said his First Nation is moving forward with plans to again open a self-regulated lobster fishery in Nova Scotia this June in defiance of the commercial season enforced by Canada’s fisheries department. “We’re going to send a letter off to the United Nations and hope that they can come and keep the peace … and just ensure that our people are not mistreated,” Sack said during a press conference last week.

Sipekne’katik first opened its self-regulated lobster fishery in St Mary’s Bay last September, citing their right to support themselves through fishing under a treaty from the 1700s. This right was affirmed in a supreme court of Canada case more than two decades ago and interpreted as a right to fish for a “moderate livelihood”, although that has never been properly defined.

In a statement this March, the fisheries minister, Bernadette Jordan, was supportive of rights to a moderate livelihood fishery, but said all lobster fisheries must operate within the established season, ending in May, for conservation reasons. ...

“Once [Minister Jordan] came out and said no fishing out of season, to me she empowered commercial fisherman. What happened last year, it’s going to be a lot worse,” Sack said. “The biggest thing we’re trying to do is have it so our people can fish and come out of poverty without being in danger,” he said. “The species are the last thing we want to harm, it’s not going to happen, our ancestors wouldn’t be happy with us.”

Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Biden Lied About Yemen

Watchdog: US Aid to Venezuela Was Used to Push Regime Change

NATO Nations Wage Hidden War in Mali

“A Threshold Crossed”: Israel Is Guilty of Apartheid, Human Rights Watch Says for First Time

Largest Since the Cold War: Massive US-Led War Games Move to the Balkans

Ukrainian ultranationalist lobby flaunts influence over Biden, blocks top Russia expert’s appointment

Energy Dept. warns nuclear waste tank may be leaking in Washington state

Matt Taibbi: Why “Securing Democracy” Will Be Taught in Journalism Schools

New Jersey Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Kept Quiet in State Prisons

Alex Oh: The Strange Case of the SEC Enforcement Chief Who Beat a Hasty Exit After Six Days on the Job

Covid has forced a neoliberal retreat. But state intervention isn’t always progressive

Top Court Rules Germany's Climate Law Inadequate to Protect Future Generations

‘Insanely cheap energy’: how solar power continues to shock the world

Campaigners Welcome Imminent Closure of New York Nuclear Plant

From dust bowl to California drought: a climate scientist on the lessons we still haven’t learned

Stinging wasps are precious, not pointless, say scientists

Washington Post Officially Stops Counting Biden's Lies

David Sirota: Biden Claims Health Care Is A Human Right. His Plans Say Otherwise

Krystal and Saagar: Ultra-Rich Now In SIX FIGURE Bidding War Over Trees

Krystal and Saagar: FBI CAUGHT Spying On Americans Without A Warrant, Again

Rising: James Carville Says 'Wokeness Is A Problem And We All Know It'

A Little Night Music

Albert Collins - My Woman Has A Black Cat Bone

Albert Collins - Cold Cold Feeling

Albert Collins - Avalanche

Albert Collins - I Got A Problem

Albert Collins - Do The Sissy

Albert Collins - Honey Hush

Albert Collins & Rory Gallagher - Funk Jam

Albert Collins - Bending Like A Willow Tree

Albert Collins Live At Montreux 1979