Good morning 99percenters!
Morning news dump and music by Merle Travis.

With War Now Displacing 60 Million, Time for World to 'Reaffirm Its Humanity'
In rare joint call, head of both UN and International Red Cross say human conflict is reaching unprecedented proportions

Citing nearly unprecedent levels of conflict and instability across the world, the heads of both the United Nations and the International Red Cross on Saturday issued a rare joint call warning that nations and global leaders must dramatically step up efforts to scale back wars and miltary actions that are causing massive human suffering while ripping apart families, communities, entire nations, and regions.

Good morning 99percenters!
Morning news dump and music by Johnny Sansone

US Invasion of Syria Begins

As previously warned about in June of 2015, the United States has announced that it will officially begin ground operations in Syria through the use of special forces. The Washington Post in its article, "Obama seeks to intensify operations in Syria with Special Ops troops,"would report that:

Greetings, what a great week! Yesterday was our 32nd wedding anniversary, last night my Pittsburgh Panthers played the UNC Tarheels, tomorrow is Halloween and Sunday is Sweeties birthday.

This one is one of those songs that sounds good LOUD. Turn it up @ 0:45 and let it rip.

Good morning 99%'ers!

This Saturday is Halloween when all the little ghosts and goblins come around to your door begging for candy.

OT 10/26

As a west coaster, I do this in advance, which makes it difficult to be current on current events. So for inspiration I see what's up with this date using da kine wiki and other stuff which google dredges up. This has good points and bad points.

Morning 99percenters!
Sunday morning news dump and music by Savoy Brown.

U.N. Report Calls on Governments to Protect Whistleblowers, Not Prosecute Them

The U.N. envoy charged with protecting free speech around the globe has declared that confidential sources and whistleblowers are a fundamental element of a healthy democracy and that governments must protect them rather than demonize them. The report by David Kaye, the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, also sheds light on the punitive treatment of whistleblowers in the United States, most notably former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is living in Russia as a fugitive from the U.S. government.

Leaked Doc Shows 'Toxic Trade Deal' Putting Environmental Safeguards on the Chopping Block
'This sustainable development proposal is anything but sustainable.'—Ilana Solomon, Sierra Club

A leaked of draft of negotiating text from a pending EU-U.S. trade deal shows that the bloc is ready to empower corporate polluters while going back on its promise to uphold environmental protections, groups on both sides of the Atlantic warn.

Good Morning, 99%'ers! Today's Open Thread is what I started to write about last week and then let the Floridiots distract me. Enjoy.

Monday 10/19/2015

Selective review of October 19 in history, cherrypicked from Wikipedia:

Not a good day for Carthage. In 202 BC during the Second Punic War Roman legions under Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal Barca, leader of the army defending Carthage, at the Battle of Zama. Then, in 439 the Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, took Carthage.

Good morning 99percenters!
Morning news dump and music by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.

150 Countries Pledge to Curb Carbon Emissions

Some 150 countries representing around 90 percent of the world’s carbon emissions have now filed pledges to curb them, dramatically increasing the chances of a deal at the Paris climate summit in December.

The promises made so far would still put the world on track for a dangerous global warming rise of 3°C (around 9°F). But they could be adjusted in the future to meet the 2°C target recommended by international scientists, the EU’s climate commissioner, Miguel Cañete, told a U.N. conference in Rabat, Morocco.