The Evening Blues - 6-3-19
Hey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features blues singer and harmonica player George "Wild Child" Butler. Enjoy!
George "Wild Child" Butler - My Baby Done Put Me Down
"We used to have a War Office, but now we have a Ministry of Defence, nuclear bombs are now described as deterrents, innocent civilians killed in war are now described as collateral damage and military incompetence leading to US bombers killing British soldiers is cosily described as friendly fire. Those who are in favour of peace are described as mavericks and troublemakers, whereas the real militants are those who want the war."
-- Tony Benn
News and Opinion
US Figure of Casualties in Iraq and Syria Hides True, 'Devastating Scale' of Civilian Deaths, Says Amnesty
The U.S.-led coalition that launched airstrikes against Iraq and Syria against ISIS admitted Friday that those attacks killed civilians, but the number they reported—1,302 deaths in a nearly five-year period—was immediately dismissed as too low by the human rights organization Amnesty International.
"While all admissions of responsibility by the U.S.-led coalition for civilian casualties are welcome, the coalition remains deeply in denial about the devastating scale of the civilian casualties caused by their operations in both Iraq and Syria," the group's senior crisis response advisor, Donatella Rovera, said in a statement.
The coalition, in a statement announcing the findings of its internal review, said that of the "34,502 strikes between August 2014 and the end of April 2019" it found that "at least 1,302 civilians have been unintentionally killed by coalition strikes." That number, while 1,302 people too many, is still far below projections from other organizations over the past.
"Even in cases where the coalition has admitted responsibility this has only happened after civilian deaths were investigated and brought to its attention by organizations such as Amnesty International and Airwars," said Rovera. In April, a study by Amnesty and Airwars projected that 1,600 civilians died in coalition airstrikes in the Syrian city of Raqqa alone from June to October 2017, a number that, in four months, is higher than the coalition's total findings for over four years across two countries.
"We hope to finally see an honest assessment of the devastating impact that U.S. lethal strikes have had on the civilians in Raqqa," Daphne Eviatar, director of Amnesty's Security with Human Rights program, said at the time. "The public deserves to know how many civilian casualties our government is responsible for, and the survivors deserve acknowledgement, reparations, where appropriate, and meaningful assistance to rebuild their lives."
US Warplanes Destroy Three Oil Tankers in Syria, Killing Four
On Friday, US warplanes attacked and destroyed three oil tankers that were traveling through Syrian Kurdish territory. At least four people were killed in the course of the attacks. ...
Since Syria lost all their oil-producing regions in the war, they have to import what minimal oil they can get to keep their economy and military going. But the US has imposed an oil embargo on Syria, in keeping with long-standing goals of regime change there. It seems the US ban on Syria having any oil is the basis for US warplanes attacking oil-containing vehicles in Syria.
Iraq Combat Veteran: Pardon of War Criminals Sends Disturbing Message to U.S. Military, World
Iran: Pompeo offer of talks without pre-conditions is 'word play'
The US is prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear programme but needs to see the country behaving like “a normal nation”, secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Sunday. Iran dismissed the offer as “word play”.
Tension between the two foes has increased sharply in the past month, a year after Donald Trump abandoned Iran’s 2015 deal with world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. ...
Asked about comments by President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday that Iran might be willing to hold talks if Washington showed it respect, Pompeo said: “We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no pre-conditions. We are ready to sit down.” But he said Washington would continue to work to “reverse the malign activity” of Iran in the Middle East, citing Tehran’s support to Hezbollah and to the Syrian government.
Responding to Pompeo’s latest remarks, Rouhani said it was up to the US to return to the negotiating table and resume compliance with the 2015 deal. “The other side that left the negotiating table and breached a treaty should return to normal state,” he said in comments reported on the government website.
US Yanks Funds for Anti-Iran Twitter Feed After Complaints
The State Department has suspended funding for an online project aimed at fighting Iranian disinformation after it tweeted harsh criticism of individual human rights workers, academics and journalists, some of whom are U.S. citizens.
The department said the work done by @IranDisinfo largely conformed to the guidelines it laid out for projects it funds to counter foreign government propaganda. But, it said it suspended the funding after discovering recent tweets that violated those terms and would not resume it until the contractor responsible for the account ensures that all future activity meets the guidelines.
The identity of the person or group contracted to run the account or how much money it had received was not immediately clear.
When its funding was suspended, the year-old account, which says it was created with the goal of "exposing and countering disinformation from the Islamic Republic of Iran," had only a modest audience with fewer than 2,000 followers. At least some of those followers are fierce opponents of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal from which President Donald Trump withdrew last year.
Worth a full read:
Foundation for Defense of Democracies Aligned with State Department to Attack Supporters of Iran Diplomacy
On Friday, the State Department suspended its funding for a mysterious website and Twitter account, IranDisInfo.org and @IranDisInfo, after the project attacked human rights workers, journalists and academics, many of whom are based inside the U.S. But the role of the U.S. government in financing IranDisInfo’s criticisms of Human Rights Watch and the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a group that has been outspoken in warning about the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive military posture towards Iran, appears to have been in collaboration with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
FDD pushes for military confrontation with Iran and has received funding from some of Trump and the GOP’s biggest campaign megadonors. While simultaneously denying their support for a war with Iran, FDD’s scholars have repeatedly urged U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic.
In 2011, FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz revealed that regime change in Tehran was his organization’s real mission. “The best way [to end Iran’s nuclear program] is to work toward changing the regime,” he said. Dubowitz’s FDD colleague Reuel Marc Gerecht quipped, “I’ve written about 25,000 words about bombing Iran. Even my mom thinks I’ve gone too far.” Unsurprisingly, Dubowitz and his FDD colleagues have been advising the Trump White House on their regime change strategy in Iran.
FDD’s involvement with IranDisInfo was thinly concealed. The website and Twitter account heavily promoted Mark Dubowitz and FDD advisor Saeed Ghasseminejad. Buried on FDD’s website is an “Iran Disinformation Project” that publishes the identical content from Ghasseminejad that was cross-posted on IranDisInfo’s website. And on at least five occasions FDD’s Twitter account promoted articles by Ghasseminejad “in @IranDisInfo.” Except the links didn’t send users to IranDisInfo’s website. Instead, the links were to FDD’s own “Iran Disinformation Project,” hosted on FDD’s website.
On Saturday, Dubowitz addressed the growing controversy over IranDisInfo, tweeting that “conspiracists” see “FDD’s hand in everything.” Ghasseminejad tweeted, “FDD is not involved in any way with the [Iran Disinformation Project].”
Brazil snubs Venezuelan opposition envoy as doubts rise on Guaido
Brazil withdrew an invitation to the envoy for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to present her diplomatic credentials, she said on Friday, and the government in Brasilia said it would decide later whether to accept them.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still recognises Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, his spokesman said. Guaido's envoy, Maria Teresa Belandria, played down the idea that the snub reflected scepticism from Bolsonaro's government.
Diplomatic analysts said mounting evidence that a change of government in Venezuela is not imminent may have Bolsonaro and his aides wondering if they overplayed their support for Guaido.
Former military officers making up about a third of Brazil's cabinet have been wary of provoking Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, warning against moves that could tip an economic and political crisis into violence across Brazil's northern border.
'Assange case is unlike anything I've seen in 20yrs of work with war victims' – UN rapporteur (GU)
BBC, Sky News Have Hidden Their Interviews With UN Expert On The Torture Of Assange
UN Special Rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer has said that on the 31st of May he gave video interviews with both Sky News and the BBC on his findings that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is the victim of psychological torture. As of this writing, footage of those interviews is nowhere to be found.
In response to a smear by virulent empire propagandist Idrees Ahmad about his conducting an interview with RT, Melzer tweeted that he has given interviews to both Sky News and BBC World, but that they seem not to have been aired.
For the record: On 31 May, I have also given similar exclusive TV interviews to both @SkyNews and @BBCWorld on #JulianAssange but it seems they decided not to broadcast them. https://t.co/WLhg7jYKxv
— Nils Melzer (@NilsMelzer) June 2, 2019
Indeed, there is as of this writing no video footage to be found anywhere of Melzer’s interviews with either of these outlets. If you search for online video footage of Nils Melzer conducting interviews on this subject, you’ll find videos from RT and Ruptly, you’ll find his excellent interview on Democracy Now which we discussed recently, but you won’t find videos from BBC World or Sky News, nor any record of any video interviews ever having been aired.
So appears that these interviews were never aired at all, or, if they were aired, have had any record of them hidden from easy online visibility. In any case, this is a big deal. The BBC published one print article that contains a few small excerpts from a discussion with Melzer, but in terms of impact and quantity of information this comes nowhere close to a televised interview and online video footage.
'My country makes weapons': Reporting on France's role in the war in Yemen
Injured gilets jaunes protest in Paris against police violence
About 200 gilets jaunes have staged a “march of the mutilated” through central Paris. Among them were people seriously injured in demonstrations since the movement started last November. Several had lost an eye or limb in clashes with riot police. The marchers called for an end to “repressive ultra-violence” and a ban on police use of explosive grenades and rubber bullets.
The French interior ministry estimates 2,448 protesters and 1,797 police and gendarmes have been injured since the weekly protests began on 17 November. Investigations have been launched into 174 incidents; 57 have been completed and are awaiting a decision on whether there should be legal action.
Jérôme Rodrigues, who lost an eye after being hit by a flashball – or large rubber pellet – fired by police, and who attended the march on Sunday, said: “Several files concern the use of flashballs. No police officer or gendarme has been put under investigation.” ...
Laurent Nuñez, a junior interior minister, said the government had no intention of halting the use of flashballs and he had no regrets about police using them against gilets jaunes.
Jared Kushner expresses doubt that Palestinians can self-govern
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has expressed uncertainty over the ability of Palestinians to self-govern, in a rare television interview broadcast on Sunday night.
Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and an architect of the White House’s yet-to-be-released Middle East peace plan, told the “Axios on HBO” television program it would be a “high bar” when asked if the Palestinians could expect freedom from Israeli military and government interference.
The Palestinian leadership has boycotted a diplomatic effort that Trump has hailed as the “deal of the century.” Although Kushner has been drafting the plan for two years under a veil of secrecy, it is seen by Palestinian and some Arab officials as tilting heavily in Israel’s favour and denying them a state of their own.
Kushner again avoided saying explicitly whether the plan would include a two-state solution, the bedrock of US policy for decades, calling for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with its capital in East Jerusalem. But he said: “I do think they should have self-determination. I’m going to leave the details until we come out with the actual plan.”
Asked whether he believed the Palestinians were capable of governing themselves without Israeli interference, Kushner said: “That’s a very good question. That’s one that we’ll have to see. The hope is that they, over time, will become capable of governing.”
This is the racist subtext of so much conservative pro-Israel advocacy, but Jared is too inexperienced to know it’s supposed to stay subtext. https://t.co/MxbMf1nflO
— Matt Duss (@mattduss) June 3, 2019
Donald Trump to land in UK amid rising anger over trade demands
Donald Trump will land in the UK on Monday amid anger over comments made by his ambassador suggesting the NHS should be “on the table” in future trade negotiations. His visit also came as cabinet ministers vying for the Tory leadership suggested they could tear up plans for the Chinese tech giant Huawei to build parts of the UK’s 5G network, after the ambassador, Woody Johnson, warned it was “a big risk”.
Trump, who will meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace on the first day of his state visit, will be met by thousands of protesters in London the following day during a visit packed with pomp, pageantry and controversy that has seen numerous calls for its cancellation.
Johnson stoked opposition on Sunday after suggesting the UK would need to allow US agricultural products, including chlorinated chicken, on to the UK market as part of any post-Brexit trade deal, as well as US private sector involvement in the NHS.
Trump, who has endorsed the Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson, had been a vocal critic of the prime minister’s proposed Brexit deal, which would have kept a customs arrangement with the EU for free movement of goods, which the US believed would scupper any comprehensive deal.
'We’re flying the Trump baby blimp again – because the US president doesn’t deserve our respect'https://t.co/wkRNdWVgBk
— Trump Baby (@TrumpBabyUK) June 3, 2019
Donald Trump is like a 20th-century fascist, says London mayor Sadiq Khan
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has compared the language used by Donald Trump to rally his supporters to that of “the fascists of the 20th century” in an explosive intervention before the US president’s state visit to London that begins on Monday.
Writing in the Observer, Khan condemned the red-carpet treatment being afforded to Trump who, with his wife Melania, will be a guest of the Queen during his three-day stay, which is expected to provoke massive protests in the capital on Tuesday.
Khan said: “President Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years.
“Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but with new sinister methods to deliver their message. And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.”
Khan, who has had a feud with Trump since becoming mayor in 2016, adds: “This is a man who also tried to exploit Londoners’ fears following a horrific terrorist attack on our city, amplified the tweets of a British far-right racist group, denounced as fake news the robust scientific evidence warning of the dangers of climate change, and is now trying to interfere shamelessly in the Conservative party leadership race by backing Boris Johnson because he believes it would enable him to gain an ally in Number 10 for his divisive agenda.”
Trump 'deadly serious' about Mexico tariff threat, White House aide says
Donald Trump is “deadly serious” about slapping tariffs on imports from Mexico, his chief of staff said on Sunday, even though the president “intentionally left the declaration sort of ad hoc” amidst fears of damage to the US economy if he follows through on his threat. Speaking to Fox News Sunday, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged there are no concrete benchmarks being set to assess whether Mexico is acting to reduce numbers of migrants from Central America entering the US via Mexican territory enough to satisfy the White House. ...
The president has been here before, issuing high-stakes threats over his frustration with the flow of migrants only to later back off. They include a threat earlier this year to seal the border with Mexico.
Republicans on Capitol Hill and allies in the business community have signaled serious unease with tariffs they warn will raise prices for consumers and hurt the economy. Some see the threat as a play for leverage and doubt Trump will follow through. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana on Sunday called the tariffs a “mistake” and said it’s unlikely Trump will actually impose them. The president “has been known to play with fire, but not live hand grenades,” Kennedy said on CBS’s Face the Nation.
“It’s going to tank the American economy,” he said. “I don’t think the president’s going to impose these tariffs.”
Trans Woman Dies in ICE Custody
A Salvadoran trans woman died in ICE custody on June 1, the first day of Pride Month. Johana Medina was a migrant from El Salvador. She was seeking asylum in the U.S. Known to her friends as Joa, Johana passed away Saturday night from complications due to HIV/AIDS. Her death was announced on the Diversidad Sin Fronteras Facebook page on Sunday.
In a statement, Casa Migrante trans leader Grecia, who was close with Johana, said that ICE agents ignored Johana's pleas for help as her illness became worse while in custody.
"For weeks, she pleaded for medical help, referring to health problems caused by complications with HIV/AIDS," said Grecia. "After two months of suffering, Joana became extremely ill and unconscious forcing ICE to take her to Las Palmas del Sol Hospital in El Paso, Texas."
Grecia visited Johana in the intensive care unit at the hospital and likened her friend's condition to that of Roxana Hernández, a trans woman who died in ICE custody in May 2018 under still unclear circumstances.
'Beyond Barbaric': Internal Govt Report Reveals Migrants Forced to Stand on Toilets for Breathing Space at Overcrowded US Detention Center
A federal immigrant detention facility in El Paso, Texas is so unsanitary and overcrowded that migrants held by the Trump administration were forced to wear "soiled clothing for days or weeks" at a time and stand on toilets to find breathing space in their cells. That's according to a not-yet-released report by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general, which was obtained exclusively by CNN on Friday.
According to CNN, the inspector general visited the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center unannounced earlier this month and found that the Border Patrol facility—which has a maximum capacity of 125 people—was holding around 750 migrants on May 7 and 900 on May 8. The report—which observers described as "absolutely appalling" and "horrific"—also detailed overcrowding in the detention center's individual cells.
CNN, citing logs from the inspector general, reported that a "cell with a maximum capacity of 12 held 76 detainees, another with a maximum capacity of eight held 41, and another with a maximum capacity of 35 held 155."
"We also observed detainees standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space, thus limiting access to the toilets," states the report.
When Trump administration officials were notified of the watchdog's findings, they appeared to place blame on the immigrants themselves.
Nebraska Is About to Force Abortion “Reversal” Information on Patients
Any woman who wants an abortion in Nebraska could have to receive information on how to “reverse” the procedure — something experts aren’t sure is scientifically possible.
The Nebraska Legislature passed a bill Thursday night that mandates the state’s Department of Health and Human Services provide the information, just in case a woman changes her mind about undergoing a medication abortion. The bill now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has openly declared Nebraska a “pro-life” state, according to the Lincoln Journal-Star.
If Ricketts signs the bill into law, Nebraska will become the fifth state to require people be informed about the possibility of abortion reversal. But Arkansas, Idaho, South Dakota, and Virginia require doctors to tell women they can reverse their abortions.
Lawmakers debated for over 10 hours Thursday about the merits of abortion reversal, which supposedly works by taking repeated doses of progesterone, a hormone that helps sustain pregnancy, in order to reverse the effects of a pill called mifepristone. (To end a pregnancy, people typically first take mifepristone and then take misoprostol several hours later.) It’s probably safe to take the repeated doses of progesterone, but it’s not at all clear whether they work to “reverse” abortions.
Clarence Thomas Cited This Author’s Book to Link Abortion to Eugenics. He Says “It’s Just Not True”
A Judge Just Saved Missouri’s Last Abortion Clinic — for Now
A judge just allowed Missouri’s only abortion clinic to temporarily stay open, just hours before the state would have become the first in decades without a functioning facility.
St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer sided with the St. Louis Planned Parenthood Friday afternoon — nearly 11 hours before the clinic would’ve been forced to stop performing abortions — in a tense fight that would’ve cost more than a million women their only option in Missouri. The ruling granted Planned Parenthood a temporary order that prevented the clinic’s license from expiring at midnight.
But the order, however, only extends their license for another week, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Planned Parenthood is scheduled to be back in the St. Louis courtroom June 4.
We’re Losing the War Against Measles
American cities have banned unvaccinated kids from schools and public spaces. They’ve issued summonses, threatened $2,000 fines, and curbed religious, philosophical, and moral exemptions. They’ve tried to stem the spread of misinformation on vaccines. They’ve begged. They’ve pleaded.
And yet, America is losing its war against measles.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that there've been at least 971 measles cases so far in 2019, surpassing the greatest number of cases this far into the year since 1992, when 963 cases were reported through May. That year ended with 2,126 total cases.
The CDC warned that due to intense, ongoing outbreaks in New York City and nearby Rockland County for the past eight months, the country is on track to lose the “measles elimination status” it reached in 2000, when widespread vaccination campaigns succeeded in stopping continuous disease transmission for more than a year across the U.S. ...
"We have the withholding of children from measles immunizations by parents in many parts of the country,” William Schaffner, an infectious-disease professor at Vanderbilt University, told the Washington Post. “This is not an access issue. These are middle-class populations with access to medical care. They’re withholding children from standard, routine pediatric healthcare.” Cities and states have limited tools to wield control during an outbreak.
'Read the Room': Hickenlooper Booed at California Democratic Convention for Decrying Socialism, Calling for Pragmatism
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper misread the room at the California Democratic Convention Saturday when he tried to convince the conference that moving to the left is the wrong electoral strategy for 2020. Hickenlooper, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, told the crowd at San Francisco's Moscone Center that looking to socialism for an answer to the problems the U.S. faces in 2019 is an error that could cost the party its chance at the White House next year.
"If we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals," said Hickenlooper, "socialism is not the answer."
Loud, sustained booing followed the comment, prompting Hickenlooper to tell the crowd they could re-elect President Donald Trump if they weren't "careful."
Presidential candidate @Hickenlooper was booed by some California Democrats when he suggested that “socialism is not the answer” to defeating @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/c8hPldIjiI
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) June 2, 2019
The crowd quieted until Hickenlooper began talking about "pragmatism" as the path forward, telling the crowd that big ideas for solving the country's most pressing issues simply aren't feasible. "We shouldn't try to achieve universal coverage by removing private insurance from over 150 million Americans," said Hickenlooper, as the crowd grew louder. "We should not try to tackle climate change by guaranteeing every American a government job."
Hickenlooper, who's raised 91 percent of his $2 million 2020 campaign haul thus far from big donors—including nearly $35,000 from the healthcare industry—once drank fracking fluid to prove the chemicals weren't dangerous to the environment.
After his remarks to the San Francisco crowd, Hickenlooper told The Hill that by "socialism" he meant any Democratic proposal Republicans would reject.
Ari Berman: GOP Docs Prove Census Citizenship Question Is About Preserving White Political Power
Did Brits warn about Steele's credibility, before Mueller's probe? Congress has evidence
One of the deepest, darkest secrets of Russiagate soon may be unmasked. Even President Trump may be surprised. Multiple witnesses have told Congress that, a week before Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, Britain’s top national security official sent a private communique to the incoming administration, addressing his country’s participation in the counterintelligence probe into the now-debunked Trump-Russia election collusion.
Most significantly, then-British national security adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant claimed in the memo, hand-delivered to incoming U.S. national security adviser Mike Flynn’s team, that the British government lacked confidence in the credibility of former MI6 spy Christopher Steele’s Russia collusion evidence, according to congressional investigators who interviewed witnesses familiar with the memo. ...
Congressional investigators have interviewed two U.S. officials who handled the memo, confirmed with the British government that a communique was sent and alerted the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the information. One witness confirmed to Congress that he was interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller about the memo. ...
The revelation of a possible warning from the British government about Steele surfaces less than a month after a long-concealed document was made public, showing that a State Department official in October 2016 met with Steele and took notes that raised concerns about the accuracy of some information he provided.
Ecological Importance and Human Rights Be Damned, Trump Admin Says Fossil Fuel Pillaging in Arctic Refuge Coming Soon
Environmental and indigenous activists are hoping to make sure the Trump administration's promise to soon sell oil leases in the previously protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is never fulfilled.
Republicans laid the groundwork for the fossil fuel leases in the refuge's 1.6 million-acre coastal plain in a "deplorable" provision in their 2017 tax law. The administration followed through in December with a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for granting the leases. And with a final draft EIS expected in August, an administration official said Thursday that an oil sale would happen before the year's over. Speaking at an oil industry conference in Anchorage, Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Joe Balash said, "Once we have a final EIS, we will be in a position to issue a record of decision and notice of lease sale. And that lease sale will happen in 2019." ...
A group of teachers and scholars wrote earlier this year about the potential threats, noting that the draft EIS failed "to address the ecological impacts of drilling":
Fossil fuel development in the Coastal Plain would devastate an Arctic nursery of global significance. It would violate human rights, jeopardize food security, and threaten the health and safety of Indigenous communities. It would contribute to the escalating crises of climate change and biological annihilation. The Arctic Refuge is an irreplaceable ecological treasure.
Given such impacts, oil giants including BP and Chevron were targeted during shareholder meetings this week, where demonstrators demanded they not drill in the public lands. Bank behemoths that would finance the extraction have been targeted as well.
A Polar Bear, a Giant Penis, and This Message Greet Trump in UK: 'Climate Change Is Real'
Outlines of a giant human penis and a large polar bear were the iconographic symbols that accompanied the words, 'Oi, Trump — Climate Change Is Real,' in a message that was mowed into large fields near the Stansted airport in the United Kingdom with the hopes that the U.S. president would see it during his landing on Monday morning.
Give us a wave when you fly over tomorrow !! @realDonaldTrump #climatechange #ClimateChangeIsReal pic.twitter.com/IzsT2XVpAn
— born_eco (@born_eco) June 2, 2019
With Trump's arrival generating plans for massive street protests, the provocative greeting—similar to the giant 'Baby Trump' blimp which has become so popular in recent years—is additional evidence of how reviled and little-respected the president is among many in Britain. ...
The president did land on Monday morning as scheduled, though it remains uncertain as of this writing whether or not Trump witnessed the message.
Massive protests in London are expected for Tuesday.
Science institute that advised EU and UN 'actually industry lobby group'
An institute whose experts have occupied key positions on EU and UN regulatory panels is, in reality, an industry lobby group that masquerades as a scientific health charity, according to a peer-reviewed study. The Washington-based International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) describes its mission as “pursuing objectivity, clarity and reproducibility” to “benefit the public good”.
But researchers from the University of Cambridge, Bocconi University in Milan, and the US Right to Know campaign assessed over 17,000 pages of documents under US freedom of information laws to present evidence of influence-peddling.
The paper’s lead author, Dr Sarah Steele, a Cambridge university senior research associate, said: “Our findings add to the evidence that this nonprofit organisation has been used by its corporate backers for years to counter public health policies. ILSI should be regarded as an industry group – a private body – and regulated as such, not as a body acting for the greater good.” ...
ILSI was caught up in a separate controversy, when the Guardian revealed that ILSI Europe’s vice-president Prof Alan Boobis chaired a UN panel that found glyphosate was probably not carcinogenic to humans. The final panel report included no conflict of interest statements, even though ILSI Europe had received donations of $500,000 (£344,234) from Monsanto, which uses glyphosate in its RoundUp weedkiller, and $528,500 from its industry representative, Croplife International.
Corporate figures from companies including Monsanto, Kraft and Nestlé have sat on ILSI’s board, although Kristin DiNicolantonio, ILSI Global’s communication director, said they did so “in an individual capacity”.
Also of Interest
Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.
Speeding into the Void of Cyberspace as Designed
Ryan Grim on the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi, and 2020 Campaign
Pompeo Threatens Germany Over Possible Huawei Telecom Deal
Bilderberg Ahoy! Pompeo and Kushner join the billionaire boat club
Israeli forces and settlers enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
UN Torture Report: ‘Demonized’ Assange Has Faced ‘Psychological Torture’
Assange won’t face charges over role in devastating CIA leak
UK Foreign Secretary Defends Torturing Journalists, Then Says We Must Protect Journalists
God, Gas, and Cash: How Texas Fell in Love With Israel — and Then Trampled on the Constitution
March Warming in Alaska Led to Eight Deaths, Disrupted Fishing
A Little Night Music
Wild Child Butler - These Mean Old Blues
George "Wild Child" Butler - Put It All In There
George "Wild Child" Butler - Jelly Jam
George "Wild Child" Butler - No One Woman's Man
George "Wild Child" Butler - Moaning Morning
George "Wild Child" Butler - Hold Me Baby
George "Wild Child" Butler - Rent Money Gone Again
Wild Child Butler - Axe and The Wind
George "Wild Child" Butler - Do Something Baby
Wild Child Butler - Everybody Got A Mojo
Comments
Good evening, joe and bluzerz!
Isn't the news getting more fun? I love it that baby Kush is getting out there and expressing his opinions, no matter whether he is correct or not! Imagine his glee at getting to actually give this gift to his favorite "uncle" Bebe who used to sleep in his room when visiting the US. Baby Kush must be soiling himself in excitement.
Tariffs in Mexico - yippee! - we get to pay more for everything! Soon we won't be able to afford anything! Do we think the American consumer will wake up when this happens? DOUBTFUL!
Okay, had my fun with the crap in our America.
Have a pleasant tomorrow.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
evening ra...
it appears that kushner doesn't have any more diplomatic tact than his father-in-law does. they make quite a pair.
heh, by the time trump is done with his petulant frenzy, most of the world will be sanctioned by the u.s. - sooner or later this is going to start hurting most people in the wallet, which i rather suspect will not go well for the trumpster.
Here’s crossing my fingers!
Er, uh, umm
Well, pretend these are crossed!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Let's change the country from Israel to Russia
Some republicans went to Russia over the 4th of July two years ago and lots of people think that they went because they had been summed by Putin. Apparently people think that because Russia also hacked the RNC computers, but didn't release the contents it means that Vlad has been blackmailing them and that's why they aren't standing against Trump.
But not many people bat an eye when most of congress goes to Israel and have passed legislation making it illegal to boycott Israel. We put sanctions on Russia...give Israel $3.8 billion a year. Russia was bad for annexing Crimea, but Texans have been helping build Israel's illegal settlements. Go figure..
Just what battlefield are Israel's troops fighting on? They didn't send any to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria or any other country that we've got troops in. The only battlefield Israelis fight on is from afar against the Palestinians.
ByeDone is on record saying that if Israel didn't exist then we would have to create it. Hey remember when Vlad went before congress and told congress that they had to block Obama's coup on Ukraine? And he received a standing ovation? Yeah me neither...and yet.
Psst..speaking of neo Nazis in Ukraine. Did you know that Bibi is just quite okay with them and has been helping to arm them? Shhh.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
evening snoopy...
heh. the rules are what we say they are. they need not be consistent and we will change them whenever we damned well please.
How Does a Country Prepare for War? By Demonizing the Other Side
As John Kenneth Galbraith once said, "Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite."
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma
evening jnh...
heh, and apparently the u.s. is very good at doing that since it has been at war for 222 out of 239 years.
thanks for the excellent cartoon!
Hola, Joe! Well, the Dem Medigap 'reform' proposals
have begun to have the effect that I've feared--skyrocketing premiums. Got the bad news in the mail, today.
It pertained to Mr M, but, from convo with insurer this afternoon, I can expect my premium to go up, as well, when it's time for it to renew. (His renewal date is 1 July, mine is several months from now.) It's funny, we had hoped that we might escape some of the expected fallout, since he didn't get notice last week. Normally, the notice is given a minimum of 30 days in advance. Having received the notice today, means that it fell short a couple of days. Unfortunately, that's not grounds for nullification of the premium increase. I wish!
I 'think' I've already posted the screenshot from Bernie's UMFA Bill about the proposed change in Medigap regulations, that will cause the premiums to skyrocket. (I sometimes get confused as to what I've Tweeted, and what I've posted here.) The same 'reform' is also in Jayapal's Bill. And, in at least some of the Public Option proposals. (Pretty certain it would likely pertain to all of the Buy-In/Public Option bills, but, have only had time to check out 5 of them, thus far.)
[BTW, apologize in advance for typos. Typing with a huge bandage on my right index finger just ain't gettin' it--so frustrating!]
I might add, this can be true, whether or not the new regulations are ever legislated. Sorta like the "Cadillac Plan" (tax) proposal regarding the ACA, which was legislated, but, is still temporarily 'on hold.'
For instance, employers/insurers jacked up premiums, and cut coverage, in anticipation of the Cadillac Tax. And, they continue to do so. OTOH, unless it's (the Cadillac Tax) fully 'repealed,' it will continue to destabilize the group health insurance market (from the standpoint of group health enrollees). Which means that group plan premiums will continue to skyrocket, with no end in sight. Phew!
Going to try something different (for me) soon. Thought I'd mention it, since don't want someone to think body snatchers have invaded. Like you (and a few others)--may start dropping 'caps.' Also, may use abbreviated phrases, somewhat similar to what I'd probably Tweet. Don't know how long it'll last, but, guess it's worth a try.
Heh, hope you had a nice and relaxing break, and, a very enjoyable visit with relatives. If anyone's deserving of one, it's you. Also, hope you Guys avoided severe weather--we've been very lucky. After a hot spell, it's cooled quite nicely. No tornado or flood warnings--nada. We are very grateful, and relieved.
Everyone have a nice evening!
[Edited: Added 'the,' deleted 's.']
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
I do hope that you reallize that
A
drop cap is
You see them in those illuminated texts, protruding well above and below the line and covered in filagree and shit.
This is the best i can do in this editor, the letter A and the words "drop cap is" should all be on the same line.
Heh.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks, EL. Well, you're correct--believe I misspoke,
in that I was actually 'attempting to say' that I'm considering commenting "using all lower case letters."
Heck, it would take me all day to do what you just illustrated. (not that it doesn't look snazzy) Plus, I think that's only appropriate for books.
Anyhoo, thanks for setting me straight!
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
evening mollie...
sorry to hear about your troubles with the health insurance shkrelis. i guess you haven't told them what we all really think of them since your bandage is on your index finger rather than the middle finger.
we are a long way off from any sort of national healthcare plan and it looks like this time we better all have our torches and pitchforks at the ready.
omitting the caps can really speed up your typing, i've found.
glad to hear that you guys were not in the way of the recent nasty weather. the weather here has been pretty good. we only had one day with really strong winds lately and the nearest recent tornado was down around washington d.c. we had some pretty obnoxiously warm days last week, but today was gorgeous, temps in the low 70's and tomorrow is supposed to be only a little warmer. i'm hoping to get out and go for a nice long walk in the woods tomorrow.
have a great evening!
Good evening Joe. Thanks for the news and blues and hope
that you managed to sneak in a few minutes rest over the last few days.
Welcome back and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
evening el...
thanks, i had a pretty restful weekend after seeing folks off. the house seems pretty quiet now, but that's not a bad thing.
have a great evening!
great tunes JS!
Great blues... he was the real deal to the bone!
It is great to see this exposed, wonder how much USA MSM coverage it will get? Just another corrupt self-serving corporate lobbying 'think tank'. What a bunch of F'rs.
Nice to see they have made their decision and are just waiting for paperwork to come in. I have seen things in EIS's that make biologists heads spin. I can just imagine the one this admin would produce. A science shitshow.
Thanks for the blues!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
evening dystopian...
heh. i am thinking that the next eis produced by a trump agency may be the first eis ever composed utilizing a 64-color box of crayola crayons exclusively.