FEED Validator

for Atom and RSS and KML

Congratulations!

This is a valid RSS feed.

Recommendations

This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.

line 2, column 0: description should not contain data-rm-shortcode-id attribute (3 occurrences) [help]
```
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="h ...
```
line 2, column 0: style attribute contains potentially dangerous content: position (9 occurrences) [help]
```
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="h ...
```

line 2, column 0: description should not contain iframe tag (3 occurrences) [help]

<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="h ...

line 2, column 0: description should not contain placeholder attribute (6 occurrences) [help]
```
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="h ...
```

line 20, column 0: description should not contain data-partner attribute [help]

<p>On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to strip out a 10-year AI moratorium fr ...

line 20, column 0: description should not contain data-twitter-tweet-id attribute [help]
```
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to strip out a 10-year AI moratorium fr ...
```
line 24, column 0: description should not contain script tag (3 occurrences) [help]
```
</blockquote>
```
line 28, column 0: description should not contain data-instgrm-captioned attribute [help]
```
At today’s high-level pledging <a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork ...
```
line 28, column 0: description should not contain data-instgrm-permalink attribute [help]
```
At today’s high-level pledging <a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork ...
```
line 28, column 0: description should not contain data-instgrm-version attribute [help]
```
At today’s high-level pledging <a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork ...
```

line 51, column 0: description should not contain data-bluesky-cid attribute [help]

<p>In response to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s just-released repo ...

line 51, column 0: description should not contain data-bluesky-embed-color-mode attribute [help]
```
In response to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s just-released repo ...
```

line 51, column 0: description should not contain data-bluesky-uri attribute [help]

<p>In response to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s just-released repo ...

Source: https://www.commondreams.org/rss.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title>Common Dreams</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/</link><description>Common Dreams</description><atom:link href="https://www.commondreams.org/feeds/feed.rss" rel="self"></atom:link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:38:41 -0000</lastBuildDate><image><url>https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMjEwMDM4OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTgxMjIyMDI1N30.ErOfRE5hvYF7nWXKN4iUp2dOTKR2-o5weET2FxMgj9A/image.png?width=210</url><link>https://www.commondreams.org/</link><title>Common Dreams</title></image><item><title>All You Fascists Bound To Lose</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/further/all-you-fascists-bound-to-lose</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/anti-ice-protester-confronts-california-police-in-june.jpg?id=61169839&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=334%2C0%2C335%2C0"/> We staggered through the darkest ever ostensible celebration of American independence mournfully grappling with what Rev. William Barber calls the "all-out attack on who we even claim we are trying to be." A tireless pillar of righteous rage, he takes a long, moral view and a tough, simple stand on fighting for our rights and moving forward from catastrophe: "All of us have to find our way together now." Hopefully, we'd add, with brass bands accompanying us.The good Rev. Barber, of course, <a href="https://ourmoralmoment.substack.com/p/july-4th-in-..." target="_blank">comes </a><a href="https://ourmoralmoment.substack.com/p/july-4th-in-..."> </a>to the fight against fascism armed with far more moral clarity and fortitude than most of the rest of us. His battle, both "a moral rebellion against Trump’s America" and against a deeper, longtime "architecture of inequality" since Frederick Douglas asked, "What to the slave is the 4th of July?" <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/05/reverend-william-barber-moral-movement" target="_blank">confronts </a>a politics wed to nationalism, capitalism, exploitation and, in an especially "unholy relationship," religion, even as masked goons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS9skmAiIXM" target="_blank">disappear </a>our neighbors.For the rest of us, Barber's resolve to bear witness, to build "a memory that resists the lie," takes many other, often mundane forms. We blunder forward as best we can. We seek strength and solace in small joys - friends, dogs, gardens, nature and solidarity - increasingly, at <a href="https://people.com/anti-trump-protests-fourth-of-july-photos-11766415" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protests</a> around the country, with music, often tubas. Kurt Vonnegut, always wise, was on it: "If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: ‘The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.'" In St. Louis, the Funky Butt Band <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dougweaverart/video/7515920438497774879" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sang </a>This Land Is Your Land. In Auburn CA, people <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGIdUMsqvNs&t=87s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sang </a>Les Miserables' soaring Do You Hear the People Sing? In <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/protest-music-1.7567329" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New York, </a>the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DK9ug66OWP5/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Street Beat</a> Brass Band play; in Minneapolis, since George Floyd's murder, it's <a href="https://brasssolidarity.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brass Solidarity </a>with This Little <a href="https://brasssolidarity.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Light</a> of Mine and I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free. In Atlanta on No Kings Day, exuberant tubas <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhBaJpzAR2k" target="_blank">drowned</a> out the Proud Boys with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4yDLRXu_S8&t=19s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bella Ciao, </a>a 19th-century Italian folk song turned anthem of freedom and resistance. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jhBaJpzAR2k?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhBaJpzAR2k" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a> In Somerville MA, the Good Trouble Brass Band has <a href="https://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/140999" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">joined forces </a>with the Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians (BABAM) for parades and protests in "a tradition of resilience and community" to contribute "something that is loud and joyful." And here in Portland ME we boast and love our Ideal Maine <a href="https://www.idealmaineband.org/" target="_blank">Social Aid & Sanctuary</a> Band - "Easy tunes with friendly people" - a community activist, consensus-governed band in the New Orleans street band tradition spreading joy and advocacy since 2017.They've played and marched at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU8eNqKuzvQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pride</a>, homelessness, voting rights, abortion rights, Veterans for Peace events; at puppet slams, neighborhood gigs like Porchfest; a fabulous, four-tiered May Day gala; food coop, bike coalition, park conservancy parties; at a small, moving, buoyant Kneeling Photo Art Project - "We Kneel For An Equitable Future" - four years ago during a COVID winter, in their masks and down coats and sailor caps. Searing echoes of make love and music, not war and fascism. <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sX9S2bAKso4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX9S2bAKso4" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a> Entirely aptly, these messengers of hope, rage joy offer diverse music, from Civil Rights- era anthems to old folk faves to Brass Band classics. Adding some spice is feverish new entrant from left field, Boston's Celtic punk rock band Dropkick Murphys. Longtime, blue-collar <a href="https://ghostcultmag.com/dropkick-murphys-share-their-single-and-video-wholl-stand-with-us-new-album-incoming/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">supporters </a>of workers' and veterans' rights, they've been bringing their furious energy to protests; says front man Ken Casey “I think everything we’ve been doing for the past 30 years was a kind of warm-up for<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/0..." target="_blank"> the moment </a>we’re in.”The hardscrabble Casey - from a recent show: "This Magger guy in the audience was waving his fucking Trump hat in people’s faces, and I could just tell he wanted to enter into discourse with me...I’m not going to shut up, just out of spite” - was raised by his grandfather. His foundational lesson: "If I ever see you bullying someone, I’ll kick the shit out of you. And if I ever see you back down from a bully, I’ll kick the shit out of you." On July 4th, they <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/0..." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">released</a> new album For the People. Its fiery first single, Who’ll Stand With Us? and a quick-cut, seething video are a<a href="https://genius.com/Dropkick-murphys-wholl-stand-wi..." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> gut-punch call-out </a>against fascist scumbags and oligarchs, with all the fury the moment demands. Just whew. Onward, evidently.Through crime and crusade Our labor, it’s been stolen We’ve been robbed of our freedom We’ve been held down and beholden To the bosses and bankers Who never gave their share Of any blood Of any sweat Of any tearsWho’ll stand with us? Don’t tell us everything is fine Who’ll stand with us? Because this treatment is a crime The working people fuel the engine While you yank the chain We fight the wars and build buildings For someone else’s gain.So tell me Who will stand with us? <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5BRHuiRyVEE?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe> - YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BRHuiRyVEE" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a> ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:38:41 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/further/all-you-fascists-bound-to-lose</guid><dc:creator>Abby Zimet</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/anti-ice-protester-confronts-california-police-in-june.jpg?id=61169839&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Governments are not powerless in the face of deep sea miners colluding with Trump</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/governments-are-not-powerless-in-the-face-of-deep-sea-miners-colluding-with-trump</link><description><![CDATA[
Governments still have a chance to protect the future of the deep ocean as the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) resumes today, with 37 now calling for a moratorium on deep sea mining – the only credible path to decisively resist predatory corporate seizure and prevent the irreversible harm the industry could unleash.This is the first time governments have gathered to discuss deep sea mining since The Metals Company (TMC) submitted the first ever application to commercially mine the international seabed. The move was encouraged by an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump aimed to fast-track deep-sea mining operations in both US and international waters, and has bolstered opposition to deep sea mining, not only to protect the environment but also to defend international cooperation and international law.[1]Greenpeace International campaigner Louisa Casson, who is attending the meeting, said: “We are witnessing the dangers that arise when nations take unilateral action without regard for collective consequences. We should learn from nature that ecosystems collapse without cooperation; our global systems are at risk when we fail to work together for the common good. The deep sea must not fall victim to predatory corporate seizure. It is time for governments at the ISA to commit to a moratorium—this is the only viable path to prevent the irreversible harm that deep-sea mining would unleash.”Nearly 200 governments have signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), often referred to as the “constitution of the ocean”, which establishes a global legal framework that prevents states from taking unilateral action to exploit them.In its latest financial filings, TMC acknowledged that many governments and the ISA are likely to view any deep sea mining permit issued under the Trump administration as a violation of international law.[2] This could result in lawsuits, being unable to sell minerals, and companies refusing to work with TMC throughout the supply chain. Pressure is already mounting on Allseas, a company headquartered in Switzerland with significant presence in the Netherlands, who own the deep sea mining ship and machinery that TMC intends to rely on for commercial operations, and are also one of its largest shareholders. Last week, <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/nl/algemeen/71309/allseas-ga-niet-met-trump-in-zee/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Greenpeace activists hung a banner from Allseas</a> office in Delft, urging the company to break ties with Trump.[3]Recently, Dutch media reported that Climate Minister Sophie Hermans is raising concerns directly with Allseas over their involvement with TMC, while the Swiss government outlined its expectations for companies registered or active in Switzerland to follow international law and norms.[4][5] Allseas’ CEO has stated that the company “would not do anything illegal”.Moreover, TMC’s strategic collaboration with PAMCO is coming under new scrutiny, with the Japanese metal processing company admitting that it “consider(s) the establishment of the business via a route that has earned international credibility to be a material issue”.[6]The ISA risks caving in to corporate pressure with the President of the Council, H.E. Duncan Laki, circulating instructions to ISA parties to speed up discussions in an attempt to finalize a Mining Code by this year, which would pave the way for commercial deep sea mining to begin in the international seabed.[7] These included strong limitations of intervention times or recourse to smaller meetings where observers were excluded. In response, Greenpeace has sent a letter to Secretary General Leticia Carvalho, warning that the ISA must not reward industry-led efforts to rush the adoption of the Mining Code.[8] Several governments have also voiced strong opposition, stating, “We categorically disassociate ourselves from any suggestion or interpretation that the Council is bound, legally or politically, to adopt the regulations by the end of the year.”[9] Other NGOs, Indigenous peoples and some States also addressed the issue.Louisa Casson added: “Governments are not powerless in the face of deep sea miners doing a doomed deal with Trump. They have both the authority and, now more than ever, the responsibility to act. With growing scientific concern, mounting public pressure, and unprecedented risks to fragile marine ecosystems, the time for courageous leadership is now”.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:30:56 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/governments-are-not-powerless-in-the-face-of-deep-sea-miners-colluding-with-trump</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Patriotic Millionaires: Another nail in the coffin of democratic capitalism</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/patriotic-millionaires-another-nail-in-the-coffin-of-democratic-capitalism</link><description><![CDATA[
After returning to the House of Representatives following its passage in the Senate on Tuesday, House Republicans voted today to pass their party’s massive tax and spending bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—by a vote of 218-214. The legislation now moves to President Trump for his official signature ahead of the July 4th holiday.In response, Erica Payne, Founder and President of Patriotic Millionaires, said: <blockquote>“As Patriotic Millionaires predicted back in January, this bill was always going to pass. Since then, we have seen cynical acts of performative politics, only for elected officials to sell out working people and hand over tax cuts to their wealthy donors and benefactors. This is another nail in the coffin for democratic capitalism. Lawmakers have no issue taxing working people into poverty as the cost of living continues to skyrocket if it means ensuring the investor class does not pay their share of taxes. This legislation just handed oligarchs the keys they needed to drive policy decisions and to subvert American democracy for their own financial gain, and we will all be worse off for it.” </blockquote> Morris Pearl, Chair of Patriotic Millionaires and a former Managing Director at BlackRock, said: <blockquote>“Republicans placed their bets on corporations and the ultra-wealthy over working people, most of whom will suffer from the outrageously uneven playing field they have created. Throughout all of these changes to the tax code and beyond, wealthy people will be fine in the short term, but the damage done to working people, and eventually to our whole society, will be irreparable. By passing this bill, Republicans caused and created real harm that cannot be understated. They put us further down a path towards oligarchy that will now be much harder to get off. Republicans must come to terms and realize that in their pursuit to give the ultra-wealthy tax cuts, they also co-signed onto the beginning of the end of American democracy. We cannot and will not let them absolve themselves of the economic ruin they will bring to working people across the country.” </blockquote>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:18:35 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/patriotic-millionaires-another-nail-in-the-coffin-of-democratic-capitalism</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>House Republicans Betray Their Constituents, Vote To Gut Health Care and Raise Grocery Costs</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/house-republicans-betray-their-constituents-vote-to-gut-health-care-and-raise-grocery-costs</link><description><![CDATA[
Following Senate Republicans’ lead, House Republicans voted today in favor of a tax and budget scheme that will: <ul><li>Kick <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61533" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">17 million of Americans</a> off of their insurance,</li><li>Leave <a href="https://x.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/1939447782772736345" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">4 million children</a> without access to nutrition assistance and <a href="https://www.urban.org/research/publication/changes-snap-and-medicaid-would-have-implications-student-access-school-meals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">7.5 million</a> at risk of losing free and reduced lunch at school,</li><li>Drive up costs on everything from groceries, energy to education,</li></ul> All to pay for tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-rich, including many House Republicans <a href="https://cashincongress.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">themselves</a>. Today’s vote follows a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/03/trump-presidency-news-big-bill/#link-4LKIEKD47RFO5ADQCUTT3EFNBI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historic</a> speech from Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries warning of the bill’s devastating consequences for millions of Americans. The passage of this bill comes after months of “concerns” from congressional Republicans and explicit acknowledgment of the fact that this bill would gut healthcare and raise costs for their own constituents, with a decisive number of House Republicans previously <a href="https://accountable.us/congressional-republicans-who-vowed-to-not-cut-medicaid-cuts-voted-to-cut-medicaid-and-could-benefit-from-tax-scam/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vowing</a> to never vote to cut Medicaid. As it turns out, those congressional Republicans lied to us.<blockquote>Today’s party-line vote by House Republicans to rip healthcare away and raise grocery costs for tens of millions of Americans is as devastating as it is enraging. For months, a decisive number of House Republicans voiced their concerns, acknowledging that this bill would make people poorer and sicker, only to vote in favor of this bill. It’s a cruel betrayal and proof positive you cannot trust career politicians who will put their interests over those of their own constituents' health care and wallets.” — Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk</blockquote> A reminder that more than 70% of congressional Republicans are poised to financially benefit from their tax and budget scam, per <a href="http://accountable.us" target="_blank">Accountable.US</a>’s <a href="http://cashincongress.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CashinCongress.org</a> database, while their most vulnerable constituents can expect to lose their healthcare. ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:17:50 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/house-republicans-betray-their-constituents-vote-to-gut-health-care-and-raise-grocery-costs</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Megabill Is On its Way to Trump: Here’s What its Tax Changes Mean for Families Across the U.S.</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/megabill-is-on-its-way-to-trump-heres-what-its-tax-changes-mean-for-families-across-the-u-s</link><description><![CDATA[
The House of Representatives today narrowly passed a massive tax and spending reconciliation bill that now heads to President Trump’s desk. Please see below for a statement from ITEP and our latest updated analysis of how the bill’s tax provisions will affect families at different income levels nationally and in every state.STATEMENT from AMY HANAUER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE ON TAXATION AND ECONOMIC POLICY:“This abominable bill will make history – in appalling ways. Never before has legislation taken so much from struggling families to give so much to the richest. It makes the biggest cuts to food aid for hungry families, executes the largest cuts to health care ever, adds trillions to the national debt – all to give $117 billion to the richest 1 percent in a single year. It’s no wonder that this bill is also extremely unpopular. Historians – and voters – will look back at this as a dark day in U.S. history.”BY THE NUMBERS:<a href="https://itep.org/analysis-of-tax-provisions-in-senate-reconciliation-bill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Analysis of Tax Provisions in the Senate Reconciliation Bill: National and State Level Estimates</a>The megabill’s tax impact is highly regressive, a regressivity that is amplified by the legislation’s deep cuts to health care, food assistance, and other services: <ul><li>More than 70 percent of the net tax cuts would go to the richest fifth of Americans in 2026, only 10 percent would go to the middle fifth of Americans, and less than 1 percent would go to the poorest fifth.</li><li>The richest 5 percent alone would receive 45 percent of the net tax cuts next year.</li><li>The richest 1 percent of Americans would receive an average net tax cut of $66,000, many, many times more than the average tax cut received by other income groups.</li><li>The richest 1 percent of Americans would receive a total of $117 billion in net tax cuts in 2026. The middle 20 percent of taxpayers on the income scale, a group that has 20 times the number of taxpayers as the richest 1 percent, would receive less than half that much, $53 billion in net tax cuts that year.</li><li>The $117 billion in net tax cuts going to the richest 1 percent next year would exceed the amount going to the entire bottom 60 percent of taxpayers (about $77 billion).</li><li>The effects of President Trump’s tariff policies alone offset most of the tax cuts for the bottom 80 percent of Americans. For the bottom 40 percent of Americans, the tariffs impose a cost that is greater than the tax cuts they would receive under this legislation.</li><li>Even foreign investors who own shares in U.S. companies would benefit more than many Americans. These foreign investors would enjoy $32 billion in tax cuts in 2026 compared to just $1.5 billion for the bottom 20 percent of Americans.</li><li>The legislation provides the greatest rewards to high-income people living in states that have low state and local taxes on the wealthy. In these states, high-income people are not much affected by the cap on deductions for state and local taxes, which the Senate bill would make permanent. The states where the richest 1 percent of residents receive the largest average net tax cuts would mostly be states that have particularly unfair tax systems because they have no personal income tax.</li></ul>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:16:38 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/megabill-is-on-its-way-to-trump-heres-what-its-tax-changes-mean-for-families-across-the-u-s</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>House GOP Passes Largest Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP In History to Fund Billionaire Tax Cuts</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/house-gop-passes-largest-cuts-to-medicaid-snap-in-history-to-fund-billionaire-tax-cuts</link><description><![CDATA[
Today, President Trump and his billionaire-backed Republican-controlled Congress successfully passed their reconciliation bill, passing the largest cuts in Medicaid and SNAP history while slashing billions from other essential programs to fund massive tax giveaways for billionaires and large corporations. The bill will raise average Americans’ costs by causing <a href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/571213e9-247f-4821-858c-2bac03d3bc89/6.30---jec-minority-health-insurance-losses.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">17 million</a> Americans to lose their health insurance and<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/06/29/trump-tax-medicaid-snap/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 2 million</a> to lose access to food assistance. Throughout the opaque legislative process, the Republican majority in both houses didn’t hold a single hearing on their legislative proposals, and forced their members to vote under the cover of night and during weekend sessions, reflecting the GOP majority’s pattern of minimizing public attention to a wildly unpopular legislative package.“Today, Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have finally achieved their craven goal of delivering massive tax giveaways to the billionaires and wealthy corporations that fund their campaigns at the cost of average Americans,” said ATF executive director David Kass. “This bill represents a massive transfer of wealth from the working class to the top 1%. It enacts the largest Medicaid and SNAP cuts in history while adding over $3 trillion to the national debt. Furthermore it makes the tax code more complex with new special interest tax breaks and handouts to the ultra wealthy. In the coming years, Democrats must prioritize repealing and replacing these disastrous policies to protect American families from rising costs and loss of healthcare coverage. We need to create a truly fair tax system and an economy that works for all Americans, not just the wealthy few.”]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:15:50 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/house-gop-passes-largest-cuts-to-medicaid-snap-in-history-to-fund-billionaire-tax-cuts</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Congress Passes Reconciliation Bill That Hurts People, Recklessly Undermines Economy</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/congress-passes-reconciliation-bill-that-hurts-people-recklessly-undermines-economy</link><description><![CDATA[
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed President Trump’s domestic agenda bill, sending it to the Oval Office for his signature.Below is a statement by Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.“Thanks to this bill, millions of people will lose access to federal safety net programs, like food assistance and health care, to fund tax cuts that benefit the ultra-wealthy. The bill also trades the health and well-being of people across the country for the profits of oil, gas and coal companies. Our country will be paying the price for these reckless policies for decades to come.“In passing this bill, lawmakers repeatedly overrode the needs and interests of their constituents. When benefits are lost, when energy prices spike, when major clean energy and clean transportation investments are canceled, when jobs are cut, when climate-exacerbated extreme weather disasters hit, people should know who they have to thank.“This bill is a damning indictment of Congress' priorities and values. Our country needs policymakers willing to confront the challenges of our time and fight for a better tomorrow, not sell out America for the benefit of a few.”]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:15:11 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/congress-passes-reconciliation-bill-that-hurts-people-recklessly-undermines-economy</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Sierra Club Statement as Congress Prepares to Pass Trump Plan to Raise Electricity Costs, Endanger Health, and Kill Jobs</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/sierra-club-statement-as-congress-prepares-to-pass-trump-plan-to-raise-electricity-costs-endanger-health-and-kill-jobs</link><description><![CDATA[
This morning, despite widespread public opposition to the many clear dangers of the bill, House Republicans are expected to cast the final vote to pass Donald Trump’s reckless budget reconciliation package that will endanger public health, kill clean energy jobs and their economic benefits, and raise costs for working families and small businesses—all to hand big tax breaks to billionaires and corporate polluters.The final text—the product of a legislative process coordinated by Republicans that seemed designed to do the most harm possible to working families—would expand on- and off-shore drilling, end nearly all clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, gut fuel efficiency standards for cars, stifle industrial innovation, and give massive handouts to fossil fuel companies and polluters.Several studies of the legislation found that termination of the clean energy tax credits repealed in this bill could raise the average American family’s energy bills by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/04/climate/electricity-prices-republican-big-beautiful-bill.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as much as $400 per year</a> by 2035. Additional analyses <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61537" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">released</a> earlier this week by the non-partisan CBO estimates that the bill will add $3.4 trillion in debt and result in more than 12 million Americans losing their health care coverage.In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:“This is a sad and scary day for all who work to build up our communities, care for our friends and neighbors, and wish to leave this planet in a better place for future generations. Instead of working to make life better for American families and communities, what Donald Trump and his loyalists in Congress have delivered today will mean higher energy costs for working families and small businesses, the end of life-saving health care that millions rely on, and ceding the race to build the clean energy economy of tomorrow to China. Trump and Congressional Republicans have advanced the most anti-environment, anti-job, and anti-American bill in history. The Sierra Club will not forget it. America will not forget it.”]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:13:47 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/sierra-club-statement-as-congress-prepares-to-pass-trump-plan-to-raise-electricity-costs-endanger-health-and-kill-jobs</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Trump’s Budget Bill is Direct Attack on Health and Safety of Most Americans</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/trumps-budget-bill-is-direct-attack-on-health-and-safety-of-most-americans</link><description><![CDATA[
Today Congress is poised to pass the Republicans’ massive budget reconciliation bill. The legislation will then go directly to President Trump for his signature. The House rushed to hold the final vote before an arbitrary July 4 deadline urged by Trump. In addition to eliminating healthcare for an estimated 17 million people, the law will have <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2025/06/04/trumps-big-ugly-bill-budget-reconciliation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">devastating impacts</a> on food, water, and climate safety and security in the United States – while providing trillions in tax breaks that largely benefit corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Among the harms, this bill will:<ul><li>Completely strip Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) access for more than 2 million vulnerable Americans. The bill cuts $186 billion, an approximate 20 percent cut – the largest cut to the program in U.S. history. As many as <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/by-the-numbers-senate-republican-leaderships-reconciliation-bill-takes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">5 million people</a>, including about 1 million children, live in households that could lose some or all of their hunger and nutrition assistance.</li><li>Mandate more oil and gas sales on public lands and offshore, drastically increasing pollution and climate risks for all Americans.</li><li>Increase subsidies for oil extraction by $14 billion through changes to the <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2025/04/24/45q-is-congress-s-choice/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">45Q tax credit</a> for carbon capture and utilization, on top of provisions in the bill that create tax loopholes that would allow the carbon capture industry to escape federal income taxes.</li><li>Repeal major clean energy and environmental justice programs, including funding to address air pollution at schools, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, and Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants. </li><li>Create a pay-to-play scheme to fast track environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. </li></ul> In response, Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter said: <blockquote> “As we approach Independence Day, Republicans in Congress have passed a budget that is a direct attack on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness we should be celebrating. This draconian budget will mean more hunger, more premature death from lack of healthcare, and more people’s lives and homes devastated by climate disasters. This is a massive handout to big corporations and billionaires at the expense of ordinary people. Extravagant White House celebrations won’t save the millions of people impacted by this terrible bill. “Congress acted on Trump’s artificial deadline to get this bill passed by July 4th, but there is nothing patriotic or freeing about this direct attack on American’s safe food, clean water and a livable climate.” </blockquote>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:11:46 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/trumps-budget-bill-is-direct-attack-on-health-and-safety-of-most-americans</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>The ‘Big, Beautiful’ Blunder: a bill that will live in infamy</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/the-big-beautiful-blunder-a-bill-that-will-live-in-infamy</link><description><![CDATA[
In response to the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” in the United States Senate, Greenpeace USA Deputy Climate Program Director, John Noël, said: “This is a vote that will live in infamy. This bill is what happens when a major political party, in the grips of a personality cult, teams up with oil company CEOs, hedge fund donors, and climate deniers. All you need to do is look at who benefits from actively undercutting the clean energy industry that is creating tens of thousands of jobs across political geographies. “The megabill isn’t about reform—it’s about rewarding the super rich and doling out fossil fuel industry handouts, all while dismantling the social safety nets on which millions depend for stability. It is a bet against the future.”]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:10:41 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/the-big-beautiful-blunder-a-bill-that-will-live-in-infamy</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Oxfam reaction: Financing for Development Conference in Seville</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/oxfam-reaction-financing-for-development-conference-in-seville</link><description><![CDATA[
In response to the conclusion of the Fourth Financing for Development Conference in Seville, Spain, FFD Global Policy Lead Hernan Saenz said: “Seville was a key moment in an ongoing journey to fight inequality, achieve gender justice and reform the international debt architecture under the UN. The conference showed that considerable challenges remain to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. But it also paved the way for governments to build more coalitions to tax the super-rich and finance care, and put equality, democracy and sustainability at the core of their efforts. In a context of geopolitical uncertainty, multilateralism is the way ahead.” “Despite the lacklustre ambition of the Compromiso de Sevilla where rich countries shirked their responsibility to act on the debt crisis and continued to embrace the private finance first approach to development, this conference also showed what international cooperation can achieve when there is political will for it. Our new research found that the new wealth of the top 1% surged by over 33.9$ trillion since 2015. This is enough to end annual poverty 22 times over, yet over three billion people still live in countries that spend more on debt repayments than on education or health. Therefore, we welcome the new alliance to tax the super-rich launched by Spain and Brazil, with the support of South Africa and Chile. "We also welcome the new care financing initiative by Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. These coalitions provide much needed political ambition and have the potential to deliver vital funding towards the Sustainable Development Goals and fight extreme inequality, which disproportionately impacts women and girls. “We are very concerned by the limitations placed on civil society over the course of the conference to do what we came here to do: tell truth to power. Civil society organizations are the backbone of democracy. The UN was built to defend human rights - if it cedes to the global trend of shrinking civic space, it will undermine its legitimacy.” ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 18:50:13 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/oxfam-reaction-financing-for-development-conference-in-seville</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Supreme Court Will Hear Challenges to Bans on Athletic Participation by Transgender Students</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/supreme-court-will-hear-challenges-to-bans-on-athletic-participation-by-transgender-students</link><description><![CDATA[
The Supreme Court today granted certiorari in two federal court cases involving transgender youth challenging bans on their participation in local school and college sports.“Like any other educational program, school athletic programs should be accessible for everyone regardless of their sex or transgender status. Trans kids play sports for the same reasons their peers do–to learn perseverance, dedication, teamwork, and to simply have fun with their friends,” said Joshua Block, Senior Counsel for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. “Categorically excluding kids from school sports just because they are transgender will only make our schools less safe and more hurtful places for all youth. We believe the lower courts were right to block these discriminatory laws, and we will continue to defend the freedom of all kids to play.”“Our client just wants to play sports with her friends and peers,” said Lambda Legal Senior Counsel Tara Borelli. “Everyone understands the value of participating in team athletics, for fitness, leadership, socialization, and myriad other benefits. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit last April issued a thoughtful and thorough ruling allowing B.P.J. to continue participating in track events. That well-reasoned decision should stand the test of time, and we stand ready to defend it.”Earlier this year, efforts to enact a national ban failed in the U.S. Congress. Since 2020, 27 states have banned transgender youth from playing school sports. Many of these bans allow for <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2023/10/04/parents-criticize-completely/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">invasive forms</a> of <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/31/sex-testing-rules-harm-women-athletes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sex testing</a> that put all female student athletes at risk and open the door for any school official or adult to question and harass young women.In Florida, a 15-year-old junior varsity volleyball player was the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2024/trans-sports-girls-florida-bans/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subject of a police investigation</a> after an anonymous accusation, prompting local officials to draft a 500-page report investigating her medical history, body weight, and anatomy. In Utah, a teenage basketball player was accused of being transgender by a member of the state board of education, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/utah-school-board-official-falsely-suggested-teen-girl/story?id=107100300" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leading to threats of violence against her and her family</a>, and <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-03-03/maine-lawmakers-social-media-post-targeting-high-school-athlete-brings-interest-in-anti-doxing-bill" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a teenager in Maine</a> faced a similar attack from a state senator. In May, President Donald Trump bullied<a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/ab-hernandez-kcra-interview-trans-athlete/64999556" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> a 16-year-old transgender girl</a> for participating in a high school track meet.Many <a href="https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/press_release/billie-jean-king-megan-rapinoe-layshia-clarendon-and-brianna-turner-join-more-than-150-athletes-and-the-womens-national-basketball-players-association-in-supporting-trans-youth-participati/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">women athletes</a> have spoken out against bullying and discrimination against transgender student athletes. This includes Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, Dawn Staley, Sue Bird, and Brianna Turner, as well as leading organizations fighting for gender equality in athletics including the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association, and the National Women’s Law Center.The two cases the Supreme Court has agreed to hear include: <ul><li><a href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Little v.</a> <a href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hecox</a>, a challenge brought by one transgender and one cisgender student athlete against Idaho’s 2020 ban on transgender athletes and requirements for sex testing</li><li><a href="https://lambdalegal.org/case/bpj-v-west-virginia-state-board-of-education/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">West Virginia v.</a><a href="https://lambdalegal.org/case/bpj-v-west-virginia-state-board-of-education/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> B.P.J.</a>, a challenge brought by a teenage transgender girl against West Virginia’s 2021 ban on transgender athletic participation</li></ul> The two cases charge the bans with violating the rights of transgender and cisgender female students under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution. In addition, West Virginia v. B.P.J. argues that the bans violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs. Federal courts have blocked enforcement of these bans in both lawsuits.These cases are part of the ACLU’s <a href="https://www.aclu.org/defending-our-rights/court-battles/supreme-court" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket</a>.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 18:49:48 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/supreme-court-will-hear-challenges-to-bans-on-athletic-participation-by-transgender-students</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Designed To Enact Suffering</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/further/designed-to-enact-suffering</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/post-by-dhs-ghouls-celebrating-alligator-alcatraz.jpg?id=61137515&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=494%2C0%2C494%2C0"/> Plunging to new lows of "cartoonish cruelty" in our fascist reality show, MAGA just voted for our "most deeply immoral piece of legislation," depriving millions of food and health care as their fuehrer celebrated the launch of a scorched-swamp, mosquito-infested concentration camp - "Let's feed people to alligators!" - to detain millions more for overlooking the paperwork in their search for a better life. And there's merch! Fact: "Snakes in the Everglades got nothin' on the vermin in our government."The Senate's barely-there <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress..." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">approval</a> - fuck Shady Vance - of Trump's heinous <a href="https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/athena/files/2025/07/01/686415cae4b0f166350da4ed.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">900-page bill</a> represents the largest transfer of wealth to the rich in U.S. history along with the largest cut to Medicaid and food assistance, all in the obscene name of (partly) funding a $975 billion tax break for the already richest 1%. The bill, "a tipping point between normality and fascism," also pours over $170.7 billion into "a campaign of extermination against immigrants that evokes the greatest human rights atrocities of the past," funding the hiring of vastly more Nazi thugs to terrorize, humiliate and put in cages millions of brown people who do much of this country's work. It will kick about 16 <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61534" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">million people</a> off health insurance by cutting over $1 trillion from Medicaid, because who needs health insurance. It will throw millions of poor families, veterans, the elderly and disabled off SNAP by cutting $285 billion in f<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-big-beautiful-bill-senate-tax-medicaid-cuts-rcna216024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ood assistance,</a> because who needs food. It will cut funding to rural hospitals, nursing homes, student loans, wind and solar energy - electric bills will soar 30% - costing millions of jobs and adding almost <a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/cbo-score-shows-senate-obbba-adds-over-39-trillion-debt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$4 trillion </a>to the national debt, to be paid by our children and grandchildren, one of many excellent reasons it's said to be the most unpopular legislation since passage of the economically disastrous Embargo Act of 1807.Bernie Sanders calls it, "The most dangerous piece of legislation in the modern history of our country.” Decrying the GOP's "obsession" with stripping people of health care, Maine Sen. Angus King calls it "disgusting..I have never seen a bill this irresponsible, regressive and downright cruel." To longtime Sen. Chris Murphy, it's "the most deeply immoral piece of legislation I have ever voted on in my entire time in Congress." Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said passage of a bill "cooked up in back rooms, cloaked in fake numbers (that) loots our country (for) the least deserving people you could imagine feels (like) a crime scene...When I first got here, this chamber filled me with awe and wonderment. Today, I feel disgust.”The bill is so bad the GOP delayed cuts to Medicaid until after the mid-terms, and had to bribe its own members with perks to pass it; Alaska's Lisa Murkowski won the <a href="https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220450660" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220450660" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I Got Mine, </a>Jack award by getting exemptions for her state and then complaining about how bad the bill is. To many, even worse than its craven kowtowing to oligarchs is its grotesque billions <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/ho..." target="_blank">bestowed </a>on a brutal, unprecedented white nationalist drive to dehumanize, criminalize and rip apart millions of families deemed undesirable by the color of their skin - and, eventually, likely their political persuasions - by making ICE, America's SS, the highest-funded law enforcement agency in a now-barbaric federal government.The bill <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/U.S%20IMMIGRATION%20AND%20CUSTOMS%20ENFORCEMENT_Remediated.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boosts </a>the ranks of roaming Nazi henchmen by nearly 50%, with $8 billion slated to hire 10,000 more over five years (with signing bonuses!). ICE detention will get $45 billion more, a staggering 365% increase; "removal" gets $14.4 billion, a 500% surge; enforcement (see henchmen) almost $30 billion, up threefold, but we definitely can't afford to feed hungry kids. Billions more will build new camps, ramp up flights, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5048548-trump-border-czar-100k-beds-ice-agents-mass-deportations-immigration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">double</a> beds to 100,000, and round up more (hungry) terrified kids to meet a goal of 3,000 arrests a day. Of those, despite the absurd, enduring claim of targeting "the worst" violent criminals, maybe 8% have committed crimes; even <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/65-people-taken-ice-had-no-convictions-93-no-violent-convictions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ICE data </a>shows over 93% are guiltless of anything but crossing the border.The rabid stalking of migrants has given Republicans "license to be as openly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/16/judge-rebuke-trump-nih-cuts-00409095" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> racist </a>as possible." Moving on from pet-eating Haitians, Scott Bessent<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/3456810/republicans-zohran-mamdani-bogeyman-evangelical-summit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> sneered </a>New York is turning into "Caracas on the Hudson"; on an image of its new mayor Zohran Mamdani eating with his hands, Texas' Brandon Gill, who's evidently never met a burger,<a href="https://x.com/RepBrandonGill/status/1939489434983883116?utm_source=www.thehandbasket.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=alligator-alcatraz-immigrant-prison-camp-is-florida-s-sadistic-one-stop-shop-for-mass-deportation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> sniped, </a>"Civilized people in America don't eat like this - go back to the Third World"; and Trump already threatened to arrest "communist" Mamdani, blathering, "A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally." (Not.) Witless Tommy Tuberville <a href="https://www.al.com/politics/2025/06/tuberville-says-inner-city-rats-live-off-the-american-taxpayers-trump-should-send-them-back-home.html?utm_source=www.thehandbasket.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=alligator-alcatraz-immigrant-prison-camp-is-florida-s-sadistic-one-stop-shop-for-mass-deportation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">called </a>the residents of sanctuary cities "inner-city rats" we should "send back home"; Paul Krugman, home-grown but Jewish with a bi-racial wife: "We’re all rats now."Thus do we have once-vibrant Hispanic communities from New York to L.A. now largely<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/us/latinos-los-angeles-immigration.html?unlocked_article_code=1.S08.RrMO.JH09_okSdNXz&smid=url-share" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> shut down, </a>with frightened residents carrying passports to the corner store, keeping their kids inside until dark, or not venturing out at all for fear of abduction by masked gangs. Farmworkers across the country, up to 80% foreign-born and perhaps half undocumented, are also<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/immigration-raids..." target="_blank"> staying home:</a> "If they show up to work, they don’t know if they will ever see their family again." In California, which grows much of our fruit and vegetables, those crops can go bad in one day as farmers struggle to harvest what they've grown. Experts say that many, already barely breaking even, will likely fold.Meanwhile, ICE's daily <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/03/ice-iran-donna-kashanian" target="_blank">atrocities</a> - and the ensuing<a href="https://digbysblog.net/2025/07/02/state-sponsored-terrorism/" target="_blank"> trauma</a> - go on apace. A 75-year-old Cuban man here for 60 years died in custody, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/30/us-ice-detention-deaths" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">13th death </a>this year; Tom Homan <a href="https://x.com/BulwarkOnline/status/193975911673115..." target="_blank">shrugged</a>: "People die in ICE custody." Jacked-up <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:dw2ayzj7ay2s3zo52rpzx4u5/post/3lstvdlktmk2d?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fdigbysblog.net%252F" target="_blank">stormtroopers</a> assaulted workers at Home Depot and a woman <a href="https://x.com/ABC7/status/1938675240046932257" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">selling tacos, </a>tossing tear gas as they peeled away. They <a href="https://x.com/LongTimeHistory/status/1938696481281601789" target="_blank">arrested t</a>he wrong mother of two as her kids tried to stop them. In Texas, they detained a <a href="https://x.com/LongTimeHistory/status/1938696481281601789" target="_blank">preschool teacher</a> with her three-year-old outside a courtroom. In L.A., they took a Honduran mother at a hearing with two children, one a six-year-old with leukemia; they've been held in Texas for weeks, the sick boy getting sicker, and she's <a href="https://www.tpr.org/border-immigration/2025-06-25/..." target="_blank">filed </a>the first lawsuit challenging the carnage.And so, because it's still not enough cruelty for these ghouls, to Alligator Auschwitz, a steamy, "sadistic one-stop deportation shop" of tents filled with cages of bunk beds soon thronged with humans in a predator-replete swamp, a "concentration camp without the culpability of execution chambers" pitilessly "designed to enact suffering,” and help sick racists <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1940038267010683266" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">feel good </a>about their whiteness. Set on a disused "shit-hole airstrip" in Florida's vast Everglades, the "bloodcurdlingly-monikered," built-in-8-days "Alligator Alcatraz” is surrounded by swampland brimming with alligators and Burmese pythons in a flood-prone, bug-plagued area where summer temps routinely top 100 degrees, rendering it "a calculatedly provocative celebration of the dystopian."Tents in an environmentally<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alligator-alcatraz-everglades-lawsuit_n_685ef4dde4b0a28ae2081555" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> treasured </a>nature preserve often hit by floods, tropical storms and hurricanes at a time the regime has decimated the agency that warns about those events, operated by a likewise-decimated FEMA and commanded by haphazardly- deputized, wildly ill-qualified members of the National Guard serving as "deportation judges" - what could possibly go wrong? Set to cost almost half a billion dollars a year - but no, we really can't afford to feed hungry children - the barbed-wire re-invention of World War ll Japanese Internment Camps, with a fresh touch of El Salvador's CECOT, evidently fulfills Republicans' most fervent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/us/politics/trump-border-wars.html?utm_source=www.thehandbasket.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=alligator-alcatraz-immigrant-prison-camp-is-florida-s-sadistic-one-stop-shop-for-mass-deportation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wet dream:</a> To feed immigrants to animals. On Tuesday, touring this "beyond horrifying" showcase of ruthlessness - initial intake 1,000, ultimately 5,000 - the cartoon villains who created it proudly<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/02/tr..." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> paraded in</a>: Nazi Barbie, Stephen Goebbels, Ron DeFascist and Trump with a botched make-up line that made him look like The Joker. He delightedly handed the floor to "our superstar," the sociopathic Miller, who praised the use of "novel legal and diplomatic tools," along with building death camps and letting ICE goons rampage through terrorized communities, to "deliver on a 50-year hope and dream of the American people to secure the border," at least on the repulsive planet he inhabits, and we wish he'd go back to. On her foul planet, replicating her photo-op before CECOT's shaved-head detainees in her illegal <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-political-donations-income-dark-money-dhs-ethics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$50,000 Rolex, </a>ICE Barbie is still somehow celebrating her imaginary "going after murderers and rapists and traffickers." Tuesday she even added an alleged cannibal they'd put on a plane home who "started to eat himself," arguing he was "the kind of deranged individuals on our streets (that) we're trying to get out of our country because they are so deranged, they don't belong here." Hmm. Ever hard-core, she's also busy <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/1/2331192/..." target="_blank">menacing</a> one patriot for a nifty ICE Block <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/30/tech/iceblock-app-trump-immigration-crackdown" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">app:</a> "This sure <a href="https://x.com/KristiNoem/status/1940101932455985177" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">looks </a>like obstruction of justice - if you obstruct our brave law enforcement, we will hunt you down."Just before her visit, her "reptile-run Gestapo" <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1939034194979455282" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shared </a>an AI-generated Alligator Alcatraz image featuring smirking alligators in ICE caps; Noem giddily <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/willbunch.bsky.social/post/3lss42i7xkk2u?utm_source=www.thehandbasket.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=alligator-alcatraz-immigrant-prison-camp-is-florida-s-sadistic-one-stop-shop-for-mass-deportation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">posted, </a>"Coming soon!" Americans recoiled. "Have you ever wondered what it would have looked like if Hitler's SS had social media?" asked one. Many suggested putting the people who built the atrocity in it; others decried MAGA's dehumanized trolling about concentration camps: "History is repeating - just with better branding." One: "Posting memes that boast about the manner in which people will die if they try to escape the undoubtedly inhumane conditions that will become the norm in a facility (gives) major "Alligator Auschwitz" vibes."The visit came exactly a year after SCOTUS declared Trump above the law. Standing before cages in a dumb Gulf of America cap, the eternal victim <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/01/tr..." target="_blank">sneered</a> "Biden wanted me in here, that son of a bitch," but "it didn't work out that way." He called Noem "elegant" and "an unbelievable horse person" (umm) before happily noting "they have a lot of cops in the form of alligators" to "keep people where they’re supposed to be." He praised his grotesque cohorts - “It’s really government working together, I'm proud of them" - made zigzag moves with his pudgy hands - "We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator" - and opined, "A little controversial, but I couldn’t care less.” A dead-eyed, servile DeSantis outlined the task - "intake, process, then deport" - and hailed the camp about to hold human beings who did nothing wrong: "This is as secure as it gets." He added, “This is a model, but we need other states to step up." Meanwhile, his state's party of zombies is so into it they're <a href="https://x.com/FloridaGOP/status/1938582187172860197?utm_source=www.thehandbasket.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=alligator-alcatraz-immigrant-prison-camp-is-florida-s-sadistic-one-stop-shop-for-mass-deportation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">selling</a> depraved merch - <a href="https://secure.winred.com/republican-party-of-florida/storefront/?utm_source=www.thehandbasket.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=alligator-alcatraz-immigrant-prison-camp-is-florida-s-sadistic-one-stop-shop-for-mass-deportation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">t-shirts, </a>drink cozies - for "Florida’s gator-guarded prison for illegal aliens...It's a one-way ticket to regret." One appalled observer: "That's some Idi Amin stuff right there." Much like Trump on Fox, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3lswcxbsckk26?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.democraticunderground.com%252F100220449000" target="_blank">extolling </a>his latest grotesquerie and airily explaining on potential migrant escapes, "They'll just get eaten by wildlife. I guess that's the concept." There's more. Amidst performative acts of political intimidation, he's <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1940086036643697161" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mused, </a>"We also have a lot of bad people that have been here for a long time...many born in our country. I think we ought to get them the hell out of here too" - maybe including Musk: "We'll have to take a look." He's <a href="https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1939833513387384918" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">selling </a>$249 perfume, "a rallying cry in a bottle...They're all about winning, strength and success." He's musing about nationwide alligator-themed camps: "They might morph into a system where you're going to keep it for a long time,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-everglades-immigrant-detention-facility-visit-5dc5568ec15534947c29c9149b773d1d" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">citing</a> facilities to "handle (some) of the most vicious people on the planet." Observers: "Consider the Alligator Alcatraz gear on sale (before) deciding who are the most vicious people on the planet."And he's losing what's left of his putrid mind. Asked about a timeline for detainees, he raved: "In Florida? I'm going to spend a lot. This is my home state. I love it." He "fixed up the little Oval Office, I make it - it's like a diamond," he has "a nice little cottage to stay at," he pays lots of fictional taxes, everyone in New York is leaving. "I'll be here as much as I can," he ended. "Very nice question." Lawrence O'Donnell on "the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0q-UoMwc3A&t=1034s" target="_blank">banality of their cruelty," </a>the "utter emptiness of his mind," notably on the virtually ignored day <a href="https://time.com/7298994/usaid-deaths-studies-estimates-foreign-aid-hiv-aids-malaria-sudan/" target="_blank">USAID ends, </a>with its expected millions of deaths, its "worldwide campaign of cruelty in their name." Others: "But her emails. I didn't like her laugh. Biden was too old." Now here we are: "A more loathsome fuck never walked the earth."And on Wednesday, Alligator Alcatraz already <a href="https://x.com/TheMaineWonk/status/1940375080338706601" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">began </a>flooding.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:53:12 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/further/designed-to-enact-suffering</guid><dc:creator>Abby Zimet</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/post-by-dhs-ghouls-celebrating-alligator-alcatraz.jpg?id=61137515&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Sanders Statement on Paramount’s Decision to Settle Trump’s Bogus Lawsuit Against 60 Minutes</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/sanders-statement-on-paramounts-decision-to-settle-trumps-bogus-lawsuit-against-60-minutes</link><description><![CDATA[
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released a statement on Paramount’s decision to settle Trump’s bogus lawsuit against the program 60 Minutes.The decision by the Redstone family, the major owners of Paramount, to settle a bogus lawsuit with President Trump over a 60 Minutes report he did not like is an extremely dangerous precedent in terms of both the First Amendment and government extortion.Paramount’s decision will only embolden Trump to continue attacking, suing and intimidating the media which he has labeled “the enemy of the people.” It is a dark day for independent journalism and freedom of the press — an essential part of our democracy. It is a victory for a president who is attempting to stifle dissent and undermine American democracy.It’s pretty obvious why Paramount chose to surrender to Trump. The Redstone family is in line to receive $2.4 billion from the sale of Paramount to Skydance, but they can only receive this money if the Trump administration approves this deal. In other words, the Redstone family diminished the freedom of the press today in exchange for a $2.4 billion payday.Make no mistake about it. Trump is undermining our democracy and rapidly moving us towards authoritarianism and the billionaires who care more about their stock portfolios than our democracy are helping him do it.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:32:29 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/sanders-statement-on-paramounts-decision-to-settle-trumps-bogus-lawsuit-against-60-minutes</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Trump Administration Guts Public Comments for Federal Projects</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/trump-administration-guts-public-comments-for-federal-projects</link><description><![CDATA[
The Trump administration has gutted the National Environmental Policy Act by restricting the public’s ability to participate in government decision-making and understand how our tax dollars are being spent. For decades, the right to know about and participate in public review processes for projects that affect habitats and public lands has been crucial for protecting wildlife in the U.S. This reckless rollback will allow for-profit industries to run rampant over our nation’s lands and wildlife.“Congress enacted NEPA to give the American public a voice in projects affecting their communities and our nation’s irreplaceable public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests,” said Mike Senatore, senior vice president of conservation programs at Defenders of Wildlife. “Now the administration is robbing the public of that right so businesses and billionaires can exploit communities and public lands under cover of darkness. Without the ability to know about or comment on federal land projects, people will see their most cherished wildlife habitats and outdoor recreation areas bulldozed without warning.” The administration’s proposed changes will:<ul><li>Eliminate the requirement for federal land management agencies to inform Americans about most proposed projects and permits.</li><li>Eliminate required opportunities for Americans to participate meaningfully in government decision-making, including for projects that can be devastating for wildlife and endangered species such as oil and gas drilling and roadbuilding.</li><li>Eliminate requirements for federal agencies to consider and meaningfully respond to public comments to explain the human and environmental effects of their decisions.</li><li>Limit the scope of environmental effects that federal agencies must consider when conducting an environmental analysis of proposed projects.</li></ul>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:24:44 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/trump-administration-guts-public-comments-for-federal-projects</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Oxfam reaction to Spain, Brazil and South Africa launching a new coalition to tax the super-rich</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/oxfam-reaction-to-spain-brazil-and-south-africa-launching-a-new-coalition-to-tax-the-super-rich</link><description><![CDATA[
In response to Spain, Brazil and South Africa’s new global coalition to tax the super-rich, launched today at the Fourth Financing for Development Conference in Seville, Oxfam Tax Justice Policy Lead Susana Ruiz said: "We welcome the leadership of Brazil, Spain and South Africa in calling for taxes on the super-rich. People around the world are pushing for more countries to reject the corrupting political influence of oligarchies. Taxation of the super-rich is a vital tool to secure sustainable development and fight inequalities. The wealth of the richest 1% has surged $33.9 trillion since 2015, enough to end annual poverty 22 times, yet billionaires only pay around 0.3% in real taxes. “This extreme inequality is being driven by a financial system that puts the interests of a wealthy few above everyone else. This concentration of wealth is blocking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and keeping over three billion people living in poverty: over half of poor countries are spending more on debt repayments than on healthcare or education. “In a tense geopolitical environment, Spain, Brazil and South Africa have taken an important step in forging an alliance here at the UN conference in Seville to show political will for taxation of the super-rich. Now other countries must follow their lead and join forces. This year, the FFD in Seville, COP30 in Brazil and G20 in South Africa are key opportunities for international cooperation to tax the super-rich and invest in a sustainable future that puts human rights and equality at its core.”]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:45:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/oxfam-reaction-to-spain-brazil-and-south-africa-launching-a-new-coalition-to-tax-the-super-rich</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>350.org welcomes Spain and Brazil’s new initiative to tax the super-rich</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/350-org-welcomes-spain-and-brazils-new-initiative-to-tax-the-super-rich</link><description><![CDATA[
The governments of Spain and Brazil have announced plans for a Platform for Action on Taxing the Super-Rich in a move that could see more funds made available to tackle the climate and development crises. The initiative was launched at the UN Financing for Development conference in Seville and has been welcomed by 350.org.“This is a bold move by Spain and Brazil to drive forward taxing the super-rich as a key solution to the lack of funds being delivered by rich countries for climate action. We want more countries to join this coalition so that billionaires and multi-millionaires help to foot the bill for the climate damage they have caused and decrease the huge gap between the rich and the poorest. We won't rest until governments like the UK, France, and Germany make the right choice to force the super rich to pay what they owe and increase their spending on climate action and public services at home and around the world.” Kate Blagojevic, 350.org Associate Director for Europe Campaigns.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:43:37 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/350-org-welcomes-spain-and-brazils-new-initiative-to-tax-the-super-rich</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Demand Progress Thanks Senators Who Voted to Reject State AI Regulation Ban</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/demand-progress-thanks-senators-who-voted-to-reject-state-ai-regulation-ban</link><description><![CDATA[
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to strip out a 10-year AI moratorium from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Demand Progress led a coalition of more than 140 groups asking senators to oppose the AI regulation moratorium, which would have blocked states from enforcing AI laws for a decade. The group also led campaigns that drove more than 100,000 people to warn Congress about reckless AI policies. With Encode and the Technology Oversight Project, Demand Progress also launched a campaign to track votes and activate constituents.The following is a statement from Emily Peterson-Cassin, corporate power director at Demand Progress:“For once, the Senate prioritized the American people over the profits of David Sacks, Mark Zuckerberg and other Big Tech billionaires desperate to unleash predatory, half-baked AI on us without any safeguards. It’s hard to believe that we were on the precipice of letting Big Tech wipe out all state and local AI laws for an entire decade, but common sense prevailed. We thank all the senators who voted to kill the noxious ban on protections against AI. We also urge all House members to follow the Senate’s lead and ensure the AI moratorium stays out of the bill.”]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:13:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/demand-progress-thanks-senators-who-voted-to-reject-state-ai-regulation-ban</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Bomb Bomb Iran: Idiot Mob Boss Declares Wack Victory</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/further/bomb-bomb-iran-idiot-mob-boss-declares-wack-victory</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/he-bombed-iran-s-nuclear-sites-what-s-next.jpg?id=61115928&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=206%2C0%2C207%2C0"/> As evidence mounts the reckless, illegal, peace-through-stupidity attack on Iran's nuclear sites did not in fact "OBLITERATE" them and could be perilous, the moronic man-child lurches, rages, yammers on with deranged declarations - THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT! CNN is scum! Prosecute Dems! - duly parroted by his rabid flunkies: "Wave American Flags!" Still, they go lower and crasser: Who had a juvenile White House resurrecting Vince Vance & The Valiants' Bomb Iran on their Clown Show Bingo Card?After Israel finally got a U.S. president dumb enough to bomb Iran if they did - and to take his Very Serious strategic geo-political leads from what Fox News was saying - the TV-game-show-host-in chief who'd always wanted to be in a war as long as he didn't have to, you know, be in it violated U.S. and international law by launching strikes on Iran's three largest nuclear sites without legally mandated Congressional approval to do so, probably after both Israel and Iran went to him with tears in their eyes and said, "Please sir, you're the only one who can save us." Then, with only early, flimsy reports coming in, he swiftly proclaimed it "ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY" and a "PERFECT FLIGHT" and "total Obliteration for years and years" by "genius people in the military" and "it was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and STOP THE WAR!” Uh huhAfter declaring a yuge fake victory, he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/jun/24/israel-iran-war-live-updates-trump-declares-ceasefire-tehran-attack-us-base-qatar?page=with%3Ablock-685a81df8f08ffb833a0c05e#block-685a81df8f08ffb833a0c05e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">declared </a>a yuge fake ceasefire - which he evidently thought was like pressing the button on the Resolute Desk for Diet Coke, or like Michael Scott in The Office yelling, "I declare bankruptcy!" - by <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/f6d674b4-162f-414a-8f92-a51a97712a36?j=eyJ1IjoibDhod24ifQ.5jEjeLiJZS5OfHG4v_xEBlfZCsRwcX2P4Vv9vuux9BQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announcing </a>that both Iran and Israel, now that they'd "gotten it all out of their 'system,'" had agreed to “a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” that would lead to “an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR." He excitedly added, "CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, ITS TIME FOR PEACE!" (No, really, he did.) "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”The announcement, "friendly plane wave" and all, took not just Israel and Iran but his own advisers by surprise, probably because the so-called leader of the free world is a batshit crazy, power-mad, 12-year-old living in a fever dream reality show who thinks saying something, no matter how delusional, makes it so. It didn't. Iran promptly <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/israel-says-missiles-fired-iran-after-ceasefire-2089760" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a>, "As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any cessation of military operations." Israel, despite all those impressive CAPS, promptly dropped a load of bombs that the ignored, enraged ringmaster for the 7,846th time called "the likes of which I've never seen before." "Israel has to calm down," he testily told reporters. "These are two countries fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing" - a blaring pot/kettle allusion that most of the sentient world savagely noted and mocked, but he somehow missed. Still, reality came calling. Emerging assessments - from U.S. intelligence, European leaders, media like The <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/0808eeb8-341c-4a4e-8ccf-0db07febef91" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Financial Times, </a>New York Times, CNN - found the attacks did less-than-obliterating damage, likely only setting back the nuclear program a few months and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:t6ubj2wlhc34awzcymh3qpur/post/3lsdydkenek2g?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.democraticunderground.com%252F100220427107" target="_blank">leaving</a> the stockpile "largely intact.” Evidence, including photos of trucks lined up the day before removing uranium enriched <a href="https://archive.ph/o/u9RfT/https://www.ft.com/content/12a864cc-eeb8-4725-aed8-5ddff9ac588e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">material </a>to unknown sites, suggest Iran knew the attacks were coming. Other questions <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/e249d1da-2678-4b62-910e-deea568f1aed?j=eyJ1IjoibDhod24ifQ.5jEjeLiJZS5OfHG4v_xEBlfZCsRwcX2P4Vv9vuux9BQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linger</a>: Maybe Fordow wasn't a major site, maybe the bombs didn't go deep enough to inflict serious damage, etc. Meanwhile, Iran charged the U.S. had "crossed a very big red line," suspended cooperation with nuclear watchdog agencies, and, experts say, may have decided to move ahead with a nuclear weapon having learned that diplomacy is "reversible, fragile and vulnerable to changes in leadership in Washington."With the rest of us now facing what Gestapo Barbie calls "a heightened threat environment" thanks to a clusterfuck regime of clowns who make Dr. Strangelove look like a statesman, the inept juvenile who failed at casinos, steak, water, wine and now war just keeps blustering: "The sites (were) totally destroyed and everyone knows it," "It's called obliteration. No other military on Earth could have done it," "an unbelievable hit by genius pilots," "It’s gone for years, years. Inside, it’s all collapsed. Nobody can get in. It's a room that has ten million tons of rock in it." Also, he gloated, it was just like Hiroshima: "That hit ended the war. And this was essentially the same thing.” Finally, for any lingering doubts or discomfiting facts, blame "Fake News," with ZERO CREDIBILITY!” who are "scum....They're bad people. They're sick," including a CNN <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114745403809459125" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> reporter </a>who should be "thrown out 'like a dog."Puffed up, he also urged the trial of fellow felon Netanyahu be "CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY" to save a "Great Hero," because America "saved" Israel and "now it is going to be the United States of America that saves" Bibi." At NATO, he told a head-swiveling, wildly under-reported <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/eba39e03-96e6-4d54-9843-9231c5fc88c2?j=eyJ1IjoibDhod24ifQ.5jEjeLiJZS5OfHG4v_xEBlfZCsRwcX2P4Vv9vuux9BQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">story </a>about Iran asking if it was OK they shoot 14 retaliatory missiles at the U.S. military base in Qatar at 1 o'clock. "They were very nice," Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/25/trump-news-nato-israel-iran/#link-GC2K7HFXSZELPI4CYNQ7PSHPHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">burbled.</a> "They gave us warning...I said it's fine," despite America's alleged commander-in-chief agreeing to be bombed sure sounds like treason to us. "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done...There will, hopefully, be no further HATE." He also sagely explained that everyone was taken off the base "except the gunners - they call them the gunners." At his side, Marco Rubio looks like Homer Simpson trying to melt into bushes.Still, lacking alternatives, the minions have gamely climbed on board. Press Barbie screeched the attack was an "overwhelming success - everyone knows what happens when you drop 14 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets," but spent more time <a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/197320/karoline-leavitt-donald-trump-cnn-reporter-iran-report-leak" target="_blank">trashing </a>a CNN reporter who suggested it wasn't. Drunken Pete, even angrier and more unhinged, proclaimed the strikes "the most complex and secretive military operation in history" - except how Iran knew about them and D-Day's Allied invasion of France took a year's planning, 156,000 soldiers, 195,700 navy personnel, and the cooperation of 13 nations - and <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fworld%2Flive-news%2Fisrael-iran-conflict-us-trump-06-25-25-intl-hnk%23cmcc3vetl000v3b6u4ncda0gg&data=05%7C02%7Cserena.golden%40cnn.com%7C5a9b61405acc4642c1fd08ddb451d57b%7C0eb48825e8714459bc72d0ecd68f1f39%7C0%7C0%7C638864985753350217%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=92iibbTwquPbAlYFbAil%2BUXxR2JBBM1nem5Ix%2FUTDLg%3D&reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">launched </a>a furious diatribe for an audience of one against <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1938217272792789296" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mean</a> media for seeking accurate information, aka "hunting for scandals," insulting Dear Leader and "brave pilots," and <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1938209707216539870" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trying </a>to "manipulate the public mind" rather than "talk about how special America is" and "<a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1938216395294101990" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wave</a> an American flag." What a belligerent asshole.Trump loved it, praising "one of the greatest, most professional, and - running out of adjectives besides "beautiful" and "strong" - most 'confirming' News Conferences I have ever seen!" Less entertainingly, he simply ignored diverging assessments of the U.S. intelligence community - a move former CIA Director Leon Panetta <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/world/cia-trumps-mistakes-scary-3768498" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> called </a>"a very scary prospect" - dismissed the whistleblower who leaked them as a “low-level loser” while "declaring a war on leakers," announced he will (illegally, irrationally) limit classified information he shares with Congress despite no evidence the leaks came from Congress, the next day charged Dems leaked the information and "they should be prosecuted!" - this from the idiots who leaked actual war plans on Signal - and jabbered that the photos of trucks lined up at nuclear sites were those of "concrete workers trying to cover up the tops of the shafts." Say what?Improbably, even without SCOTUS madness, it keeps getting weirder and worse. After NATO Sec. General Mark Rutte <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5368352-mark-rutte-donald-trump-f-bomb-israel-iran-nato/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">made </a>a cringe joke about Trump as "Daddy," MAGA picked up and <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1938410263394328865" target="_blank">ran with </a>the grotesque "Daddy" shtick: The White House <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1938053287535616085" target="_blank">posted</a> a "Daddy's home" video, Fox giddily <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1938034707473830229" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">smirked </a>that, thanks to those cool, pointless big-boy bombs being dropped, Republicans are "back to being the Daddy party - he gets things done," hideous orange Daddy merch instantly <a href="https://x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1938241270255915189" target="_blank">materialized.</a> The final, puerile, demented abomination (for this week), like something from The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCP3LZoxABs&t=175s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Whitest Kids</a> U' Know: He<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114740882500667664" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> posted </a>a 1995<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8hEtI9AI0U" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> parody</a> video of the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann by Vince Vance & The Valiants called Bomb Iran: "Went to a mosque/ Gonna throw some rocks." Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. His country's stunned response: "Bro, how the fuck is this real?" Honestly, we have no idea.<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1937656668457669064">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1937656668457669064"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 28 Jun 2025 02:25:03 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/further/bomb-bomb-iran-idiot-mob-boss-declares-wack-victory</guid><dc:creator>Abby Zimet</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/he-bombed-iran-s-nuclear-sites-what-s-next.jpg?id=61115928&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Free Press Mourns Bill Moyers</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/free-press-mourns-bill-moyers</link><description><![CDATA[
Bill Moyers, the esteemed journalist, presidential adviser and philanthropist, died on Thursday at age 91 in New York. In the early 2000s, Moyers played a pivotal role in creating and promoting Free Press and delivered a <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/bill-moyers-fights-back/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">series</a> of <a href="https://billmoyers.com/2007/01/12/life-on-the-plantation-january-12-2007/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">powerful</a> <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/9/fox_news_oreilly_factor_attacks_bill" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">appearances</a> at the National Conference for Media Reform. “You will search the dominant media largely in vain for journalists that tell the truth about the fading of the American dream,” Moyers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0r71L7cojE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> a crowd of more than 3,000 people assembled at the 2008 conference in Minneapolis. “So it’s up to you to remind us that democracy only works when ordinary people claim it as their own. It’s up to you to write the story of an America that leaves no one out.” Moyers called on people to build “a movement to challenge the stranglehold of mega-media corporations over our press and to build alternative and independent sources of news and information that people can trust.”Free Press President and Co-CEO Craig Aaron said:“Bill Moyers was a legend who lived up to his reputation. Moyers believed that journalism should serve democracy, not just the bottom line. He believed deeply in the power and potential of public media, and he set the standard for public broadcasting by telling stories you couldn’t find anywhere else. He always stood up to bullies — including those who come forward in every generation to try to crush public media and end its independence. We can honor his memory by continuing that fight.“Moyers was a giant, who used his wide reach and wise words to lift up the voices of activists and change-makers, including the <a href="https://billmoyers.com/content/media-politics-media-experts-john-nichols-robert-mcchesney-veteran-journalist-seymour-hersh-visit-carnival-bill-moyers-savage-nation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">co-founders</a> of Free Press. It’s no exaggeration to say that Free Press would not exist without Moyers’ support and encouragement. He was among the earliest supporters of Free Press and encouraged many others to join him. His wise and inspirational words motivated generations of media activists.“Above all, Moyers was a kind and generous man, mentoring young journalists and activists – including me – and leading by example. We send our deepest condolences to his family, many friends and devoted colleagues, and millions of fans. There won’t be another Bill Moyers, but legions of us will try to carry on his work.”]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2025 23:27:26 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/free-press-mourns-bill-moyers</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>60+ Organizations Urge Senate to Vote No on Budget Bill that Would Raise Costs for Americans, Increase Transportation Pollution</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/60-organizations-urge-senate-to-vote-no-on-budget-bill-that-would-raise-costs-for-americans-increase-transportation-pollution</link><description><![CDATA[
Today, dozens of environmental, consumer, labor, and community organizations representing millions of members sent <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/dozens-organizations-urge-senate-vote-no-bad-budget-bill-would-raise-costs-americans-increase" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a letter</a> to the Senate urging lawmakers to vote no on Donald Trump’s dangerous so-called “One, Big Beautiful” reconciliation bill that will provide tax cuts for billionaires and corporate polluters while cutting clean energy jobs and abruptly getting rid of critical tax credits for transitioning to cleaner cars, trucks, and buses. The letter focuses on the attacks on clean transportation in the bill, including the rescission of many clean transportation programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; the termination of clean vehicle tax credits that would risk hundreds of thousands of jobs; and more. In response to the release of the letter, Sierra Club Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine García released the following statement: “There’s nothing beautiful about toxic air pollution, saddling drivers with higher costs, and rolling back progress on clean transportation. At this moment, as half of the country is <a href="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/central-eastern-us-june-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">affected by an intense heat wave</a>, we need to focus on investing in climate solutions and holding polluters accountable. The previous Congress had funded innovative and strategic programs to reduce costs, protect American jobs, and drive the competitiveness of the U.S. vehicle industry, and they’re working in communities across the nation in Republican and Democratic districts. This disastrous bill threatens to strip away that progress in giveaways to billionaires and corporate polluters. We urge all Senators to vote one, big beautiful no on this bill.” ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 20:06:42 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/60-organizations-urge-senate-to-vote-no-on-budget-bill-that-would-raise-costs-for-americans-increase-transportation-pollution</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Kennedy Undermines Lifesaving Vaccine Effort at Global Summit</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/kennedy-undermines-lifesaving-vaccine-effort-at-global-summit</link><description><![CDATA[
At today’s high-level pledging <a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/9-billion-500-million-children-250-billion-roi-why-gavis-brussels-summit-matters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">summit </a>in Brussels, global leaders came together to support global vaccination, including Gavi’s effort to raise $9 billion to fund its 2026–2030 strategy. Over the next five years, Gavi aims to deliver 500 million childhood vaccinations, respond to deadly outbreaks, and save more than 8 million lives. But instead of showing up in solidarity to protect millions of people, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a pre-recorded statement, announced that the United States would withhold further funding while attacking Gavi and spreading false claims about vaccine safety. Public Citizen Global Vaccines Access Campaign Director Liza Barrie issued the following statement:“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s reported decision to cut off support for Gavi is reckless and deadly. The Trump administration is turning its back on a program that has helped vaccinate more than a billion children and save over 17 million lives—while Kennedy spreads lies about science, safety and one of the world’s most effective public health efforts.The facts are clear. Gavi exists to get vaccines to children who need them most. It works with governments in lower-income countries, health workers and communities to stop deadly diseases. Because of Gavi, millions of children who would have died are alive today.Kennedy claims that Gavi ignored science are entirely false. Gavi’s recommendations—are grounded in global evidence and reviewed by independent experts. His suggestion otherwise fuels the same disinformation that has already led to deadly measles outbreaks and the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio. Gavi has <a href="https://www.gavi.org/news/media-room/statement-response-25-june-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">publicly refuted </a>Kennedy’s claims, reaffirming its commitment to vaccine safety and evidence-based decisions. “This isn’t about protecting children. It’s about abandoning them. Choosing to walk away from a program that saves lives—knowing full well what the consequences will be—isn’t just reckless. It’s cruel.“Public Citizen urges Congress to act—starting with protecting the Gavi funding already allocated in the FY25 budget, which the Trump administration is now trying to claw back through its rescissions proposal. Lawmakers must also protect Gavi funding in the FY26 budget. The United States must not walk away from global vaccine access. Not now, not ever. Turning away would be a choice to let disease spread and let children die.”]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:43:55 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/kennedy-undermines-lifesaving-vaccine-effort-at-global-summit</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Gestapo: You Guys Look Like Fucking Criminals</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/further/gestapo-you-guys-look-like-fucking-criminals</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/ice-thugs-raid-a-popular-swap-meet-in-southern-california.jpg?id=61088277&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=258%2C0%2C259%2C0"/> New war hysteria looms, yet still armed, masked, unnamed stormtroopers roam the land, keeping us safe from "the worst of the worst illegal alien criminals" by abducting nefarious landscapers, car wash workers, Wal Mart greeters, tamale makers, swap meet fans and distraught mothers of children with cancer. As glorified "state-sanctioned intimidation" turns some terrified Latino neighborhoods into ghost towns, "Day by passing day, we are watching what amounts to a national police riot by ICE."In our new Police States of America, the chilling images are everywhere: Throngs of burly, ill-trained, rifle-toting bullies cosplaying as soldiers, storming a car wash or Home Depot in their fearless face masks, headphones, neck gaiters, camo helmets, armored vests, mirrored sunglasses, dime-store badges, tight t-shirts and tough-guy walkie-talkies to round up and terrorize whatever brown-skinned innocents they can find into unmarked cars and then, whoosh just like Fast and Furious, into unknown, possibly illegal, probably distant detention camps. Who are these louts? Nobody knows. Operating under an ominous "shroud of opacity" lacking any accountability, they could be any racist losers with a penchant for violence: For an entry-level "frontline" ICE gig, they just need a driver's license and have to be a U.S. citizen, eligible to carry a firearm, younger than 40. They can apply online. Rumors abound: They are Proud Boys, Patriot Front, J-6 warriors, former <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a35058338/trump-pardon-blackwater-contractors-iraq-murders/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">goons</a> of Erik Prince's malignant Blackwater, which would be "quite the callback to Season One of Fascist Celebrity Apprentice." Some are likely former cops gone flabby or fired for excessive force. Many are likely garden-variety white nationalists, friendless basement-dwelling incels weary of playing Call of Duty and eager to up their ugly game by arresting brown people. To a point: Despite being giddily kitted out in over-the-top, Bagdad-ready military gear, they've reportedly been advised to avoid all the seriously gangsterish areas around L.A., which is why we've seen virtually no videos of amateur-hour Nazi thugs confronting gang members who might actually punch or shoot back - just manhandling pregnant moms, elderly farmworkers, dazed young skinny guys wiping down windshields at car washes.Starting years ago with a heinous orange guy pronouncing all Mexicans rapists and murderers, it keeps getting worse as guard rails drop. His marauding agents of chaos can now go after frightened targets in once-safe spaces: schools, courts, hospitals, places of worship. They often skip warrants, mask up, refuse to identify themselves, grab U.S. citizens or witnesses (legally) recording - reminiscent, many note, of Gestapo on the streets of Poland. They just further <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/us/politics/ice-congress.html?utm_source=www.doomsdayscenario.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ice-believes-it-will-never-face-accountability-again" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">limited</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKpbNvqskJa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>oversight by ending lawmakers' unannounced visits to detention facilities and requiring at least 72 hours' notice. And now - thanks Goebbels - the "heat's on to (go) after the devils who are taking away the jobs." No wonder stories of random bigots <a href="https://www.threads.com/@catsonacouch/post/DLKxgb9R40X/by-implying-this-is-false-then-it-sounds-like-anyone-can-just-go-around-and-impe" target="_blank">impersonating</a> ICE - "Don’t be speaking that pig-Latin in my fucking country!" - are soaring. Also, <a href="https://x.com/VoteGloriaJ/status/1937498966528012464" target="_blank">kudos</a> to Gloria Johnson on her "unhealthy toddler impersonating a President." And so to harrowing videos of working people suddenly assaulted, cuffed and whisked away by mobs of jumpy, bellicose hoodlums in what newly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/us/brad-lander-ice-arrest-nyc" target="_blank">arrested</a> New York Comptroller Brad Lander calls "a proceeding that bears no resemblance to justice." Like the 238 Venezuelans deported to El Salvador, at least 75% have no <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuelan-migrants-deportations-el-salvador-prison-60-minutes/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab5j&linkId=791964935" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">criminal history</a>; most of the rest have paltry traffic or immigration violations before being "effectively disappeared." They<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cNs6cpww1_s" target="_blank"> grabbed</a> a young Afghan interpreter for U.S. troops who invaded his country; he was at court, checking in as instructed. They<a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/new-california-la..." target="_blank"> pinned</a> a pregnant U.S. citizen to a truck, detained the baby's father, then let her go to give birth four days later. They cuffed, interrogated and pulled a gun on a U.S. citizen in Chicago who, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W1Ucq0MldE&t=104s" target="_blank">driving past</a> thugs accosting a woman, "gave a little honk (to) be there for my people"; said thugs claimed he tried to kill them.ICE rampages are nationwide. Here in Portland ME, an immigration legal advocacy group gets over 60 calls a day from people too scared to go to work, Hispanic kids only go out to play after dark, and abduction stories spread. In Oregon's wine country, thugs nabbed and put in chains Moises Sotelo, popular 2020 winner of the Oregon Wine Board's Vineyard Excellence Award, who's lived and raised a family there for decades. In a <a href="https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/newberg-ice-vineyard-dui-conviction-record-deportation/283-a9eab989-e298-4c6a-b6c3-c38eeb95761f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement, </a>ICE got all the facts wrong about Sotelo; when a friend tried to visit him in detention, he'd vanished and an official insisted they didn't have to tell him to where: "I told him I thought that sounded wrong, and he said, ‘Well, that’s the way it is.'" The Guardian managed to find out Sotelo was shipped to Arizona; when they asked for ICE confirmation they're under no obligation to tell family or attorneys where prisoners are, they responded, "That is correct."Clearly California, and especially majority-Latino L.A., are the hardest hit. One resident tries to describe it: "Imagine vans roll up to your local Hobby Lobby. Heavily armed men pour out, body armor, masked, no I.D. They immediately move to every white person they see. They handcuff them, assuming they're Jan. 6 rioters." In Pico Rivera, they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cNs6cpww1_s" target="_blank">mobbed</a> and took down a scrawny 20-year-old Wal-Mart worker and U.S. citizen when he tried to stop them from grabbing an older worker; the community loudly protested. In Huffington Park, a half-dozen cars filled with armed, masked, cosplay soldiers barged into the home of a pregnant mother of four; they were looking for her husband David; she said her husband's name is Jorge, and he wasn't there. Nazi Barbie stood outside, ready for the cameras; instead, they left empty-handed, after which the kids got to go back into their now-trashed house.In Santa Fe Springs, a DHS copter circled overhead as about sixty armed, masked, geared-up brownshirts-in-jeans <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dozens-of-heavily..." target="_blank">surged across </a>a crowded flea market as vendors and customers fled in terror. After dragging out people from bathrooms and harassing whoever they found for I.D's, they cuffed and hauled off two victims. Another mob of about 20 masked, psyched, uber-armed hooligans <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bz3idwc6jcvidvyb476l2cqk/post/3lryaddpum22c?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fdigbysblog.net%252F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">went after </a>a 60-year-old woman selling tamales outside a Lowe's; after she had a panic attack and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@letsparza/video/7517766107382451486?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">collapsed, </a>chaos ensued: Sirens, air horns, brave furious swarms of locals, cell cameras held high, yelling, "You guys are fucking terrorists!" and "What the fuck are you doing here?" As one chubby jerk lifted his rifle, they <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ICE_Raids/comments/1lgak8w/20_ice_agents_armed_with_rifles_just_to_take_down/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shrieked</a>, "We don't need fucking guns here! Go get some bad guys!" "What a bunch of weak-ass cowards," said one. "If kidnapping the Tamale Lady doesn't wake you up, you're dead inside."In Santa Ana, in <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/masked-men-in-u-s-border-patrol-vests-brutally-beat-take-santa-ana-father/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video </a>that's gone viral, hoodlums brutally <a href="https://archive.is/20250623040328/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-22/father..." target="_blank">beat, punched and pepper-sprayed</a> a 48-year-old landscaper and father of three U.S. Marines before <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/marines-dad-beaten-border-patrol-agents-b2775043.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dragging </a>him so hard into an unmarked van they dislocated his shoulder; one son <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-22/father-of-3-marines-violently-detained-federal-agents" target="_blank">said </a>over 24 hours later his father had gotten no treatment, water or food (but thank you for your service). In Pasadena, a power-drunk thug leapt out of his car, drew his gun and (illegally) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bz3idwc6jcvidvyb476l2cqk/post/3lryaddpum22c?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fdigbysblog.net%252F" target="_blank">pointed </a>it at the head of a guy taking a photo of his (illegally) glare-guard-obscured license plate. Comments on a hyper-militarized GI-Joe wannabe with zero accountability: "Needs to deport: illegal, paranoid, jumpy," "Where can I report a masked man pulling a firearm on a civilian while stopped in traffic in the middle of the day?" "In hindsight, maybe empowering thugs to become American Gestapo might not have been so wise," and, "I think we're officially a shithole country now."In what passes for mercy these days, an El Monte mother of a 21-year-old daughter battling bone cancer - the mom <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/longbeach/comments/1jatax..." target="_blank">filmed</a> weeping as she was dragged off - was released on bond on "humanitarian" grounds after outraged "Free Yolanda" marches; in an interview, she stoically displayed her ankle monitor. But that was a rare, small victory. Much more common are surreal scenes like the geared-up punk in Santa Ana, part of a raid outside the Little Market, seeing an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLGIqhrzv2n/?utm_so." target="_blank">observer recording</a> from a nearby car and swiftly sticking his rifle in her face. Later, the woman, part of a local, grassroots rapid response team, calmly posted video of the encounter with helpful information: "You are legally allowed to record an ICE raid from a safe distance, for you and them. They are NOT supposed to draw any type of weapon at you for simply recording...With that said, move with caution.", In his Doomsday Scenario, Garrett Graff <a href="https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-believes-it-..." target="_blank">argues</a> the regime's anti-immigrant machinery has "switftly transformed itself into the closest thing the US has ever had to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ice-is-becoming-a-secret-police-force-under-the-trump-administration-255019?utm_source=www.doomsdayscenario.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ice-believes-it-will-never-face-accountability-again" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">secret police</a> at the heart of our democracy" - an entity more culturally akin to the Klan nightriders of Reconstruction than any legit law enforcement agency, and one that does not <a href="https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-believes-it-..." target="_blank">believe</a> it will ever be subject to any meaningful legal oversight or restraint by people in power wholly indifferent to public perceptions of their abuses. Given that indifference, the S.S.-like Goebbel push for 2,000 arrests a day, and soaring <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/bQU00DB5v_E?si=YSMsSIfISVzIdozj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">assaults </a>on California's farm workers, day laborers, street vendors and other "easy targets" in easily accessed outdoor jobs, local lawmakers and rights advocates are doing what they can to tweak the laws, educate and protect the most vulnerable, and stem the authoritarian tide.In response to all the documented abuses, two Bay Area legislators just <a href="https://laist.com/brief/news/politics/california-bill-would-prohibit-ice-officers-from-wearing-masks-in-the-state" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introduced</a> a bill to bar all law enforcement from wearing masks; it also requires them to identify themselves with badges and names. Arguing, "These are not lawful arrests," Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores has also called on local police to verify identities of gun-in-your-face yahoos <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/huntington-park-mayor-directs-police-to-enforce-ice-agents-self-identification/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">carrying out </a>"masked abductions," and to enforce vehicle codes on visible license plates and agency markings. Still, with many rights advocates <a href="https://theintercept.com/2025/06/10/la-police-ice-raids-protests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">charging </a>there's often distance between Dems' rhetoric and reality - LAPD is "protecting (ICE), not protecting us" - local organizers have ratcheted up advocacy efforts with groups like <a href="https://www.cleancarwash.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CLEAN Carwash Worker Center</a> and Community Self-Defense <a href="https://www.instagram.com/communityselfdefensecoalition?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=emV5MzQ4cnUxanNi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coalition</a>, offering residents rights workshops, “Know Your Rights” <a href="https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cards</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKvCaQQTk6Q/?igsh=aW9xZTc4bmhia3Qy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“adopt a corner”</a> programs to warn workers of raids. Lone patriots have quietly <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:did5psctmmw4j4xlxu64uvzq/post/3lscjyuidgk2l?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.democraticunderground.com%252F100220428785" target="_blank">stepped up. </a>In L.A., protests continue, tow trucks are reportedly <a href="https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220427536" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hauling </a>off ICE rigs in <a href="https://www.threads.com/@thehalfwaypost/post/DLIUyhishIm/breaking-a-growing-group-of-tow-truck-drivers-in-la-are-reportedly-stalking-ice-" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">solidarity, </a>and cowboys did a <a href="https://abc7.com/post/socal-cowboys-show-support-f..." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unity ride</a> because, "Nobody is going to save us. We have to come out and stand up." Elsewhere, there are <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/06/demonstrators-are-trying-to-make-sure-ice-agents-cant-sleep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">No Sleep For Ice</a> protests - drums, cans, trombones - at hotels where they stay. A new “Dictator Approved" sculpture appeared in D.C. featuring a fat, gold, thumbs-up hand crushing the crown of Lady Liberty and mock tributes from despots: "Trump is a very bright and talented man."The Onion <a href="https://theonion.com/why-im-sending-issues-of-the-..." target="_blank">did </a>a special issue - sample: "Think Tank Called Himmler Institute <a href="https://theonion.com/think-tank-called-the-himmler-institute-assures-nation-this-all-legal/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Assures </a>Nation This All Legal" - thanking a craven Congress for doing nothing as we "stand in the smoldering ruins of our democratic government...slipping smoothly into the warm bath of authoritarianism...Now more than ever, our nation needs your cowardice." Then they<a href="https://theonion.com/why-im-sending-issues-of-the-..." target="_blank"> stuck </a>a print copy in every congressperson’s mailbox.Still, the horrors mount, brutality upon brutality. Goons<a href="https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/monse_arrest" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> abduct </a>a woman en route to school with her kids, left sobbing; a reporter covering “No Kings” protests; a pregnant woman who suffers a stillbirth when she's denied care in custody; 15 workers on a flood control project in flood-prone New Orleans. They devise Alligator Alcatraz, a migrant concentration camp of tents and misery in Florida's Everglades, where if they <a href="https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1935741644101374271" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">escape, </a>a baleful video leers, alligators and pythons await them. And they <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Political_Revolution/comm..." target="_blank">swarm </a>Bubble Bath Car Wash in Torrance CA, where the owner yells, "Get outta here You guys look like fucking criminals, and you act like criminals." A defiant woman out front <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Political_Revolution/comm..." target="_blank">joins in,</a> berating them as bounty hunters. "Who are you guys? You need to fucking identify yourselves - this is a kidnap," she shouts. "Fucking racial profiling is against the law, motherfuckers. Get the fuck outta here, assholes." Deflated thugs stand dumbly, then slink away. "Fuck them, assholes," she spits. There are monsters among us. There are also saints.Update: On Tuesday, MAGA's own Goebbels, reflecting his racist cabal's meltdown that Zohran Mamdani, a brown person (Muslim yet), won the New York City mayoral primary, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/08/a-deadly-ideology-how-the-great-replacement-theory-went-mainstream" target="_blank">blamed</a> the catastrophe on "unchecked immigration." He called Mamdani's rise "the clearest warning yet of what happens to a society when it fails to control migration," noting a third of New York City's residents are foreign-born and almost two-thirds of its children live in a foreign-born household. Sounds pretty cool to us.<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLOSoiBMksn/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;">
<div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px;
margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div>
</div>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLOSoiBMksn/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;
text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a>

</div>
</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:16:25 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/further/gestapo-you-guys-look-like-fucking-criminals</guid><dc:creator>Abby Zimet</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/ice-thugs-raid-a-popular-swap-meet-in-southern-california.jpg?id=61088277&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>EU/Israel: ‘Timid’ review of EU-Israel Association Agreement a ‘greenlight to Israel’s genocide’</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/eu-israel-timid-review-of-eu-israel-association-agreement-a-greenlight-to-israels-genocide</link><description><![CDATA[
Responding to the European Commission’s review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement which found ‘indications’ that Israel is breaching its human rights obligations, Eve Geddie the Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office said:“Despite its timid wording, the European Commission finally states the obvious: Israel is breaching its human rights obligations under the Agreement. This is an indisputable fact that Amnesty International, international courts, UN bodies, independent experts, prominent Palestinian, Israeli and international NGOs, scholars, commentators and former diplomats have been saying for years.“It is unforgivable that it took the EU so long to launch this review and disturbing to see the EU fail to set out any measures it plans to take against Israel. Every day the EU delays meaningful action, is a greenlight for Israel to continue its genocide in the Gaza Strip and unlawful occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).“The EU and its member states have an obligation to ban trade and investment that could contribute to Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and other grave violations of international law, including the crime against humanity of apartheid against all Palestinians whose rights it controls.“Now that they have determined there are ‘indications’ that Israel is breaching human rights, there is no excuse for inaction or delays. Every deal that EU member states do with Israel in the meantime, leaves them at risk of being complicit in Israel’s grave violations of international law, including genocide.“Member states in favour of suspending the agreement must use all their diplomatic weight to ensure that opponents of the suspension, including Germany, fully understand the risk of complicity and the cruel toll on Palestinian lives of continued EU inaction. If the EU fails to live up to these obligations as a bloc, and seeks to shield itself from its clear legal obligations, its member states must unilaterally suspend all forms of cooperation that may contribute to violations of international law.”BackgroundOn 23 June 2025, the European Commission presented its review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to EU foreign ministers. The review found ‘indications’ that Israel is breaching its human rights obligations but did not present any measures for the EU to take in response.Amnesty International has<a href="https://www.amnesty.eu/news/israel-opt-icj-opinion-means-there-can-be-no-business-as-usual-for-eu-and-israel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> long</a> called for a <a href="https://www.amnesty.eu/news/eu-must-suspend-the-eu-israel-association-agreement-joint-statement/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thorough, comprehensive, and credible</a> review the Association Agreement in line with EU member states’ obligations to prevent trade and investment that contributes to maintaining Israel’s unlawful occupation of the OPT, as set out by the <a href="https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204176" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion</a> of 19 July 2024 and obligations not to render aid or assistance to the commission of crimes under international law.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:37:37 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/eu-israel-timid-review-of-eu-israel-association-agreement-a-greenlight-to-israels-genocide</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Over 170 State Legislators Tell Senate to Reject Trump Billionaire Tax Giveaway that Shifts Costs To States</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/over-170-state-legislators-tell-senate-to-reject-trump-billionaire-tax-giveaway-that-shifts-costs-to-states</link><description><![CDATA[
Today, Americans for Tax Fairness organized and sent a letter from 174 state legislators across 23 states to Senate leaders of both parties. The letter urges the Senate to reject the reconciliation bill, which would cut billions from critical programs—including Medicaid, SNAP, and education—to fund tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations. The legislators voiced concerns that these massive cuts to critical programs would force states to fill the gaps. The letter and full list of signatories can be accessed at this <a href="https://americansfortaxfairness.org/re-reject-massive-tax-cuts-paid-cost-shifting-states-reconciliation-bill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">link</a>.“Trump and the billionaire-backed GOP majority in the Senate are on the verge of creating a crisis for state governments across the country. Trump’s reconciliation bill would cut billions from life-saving programs like Medicaid and SNAP while slashing funding for education and environmental programs—all to pay for a massive tax giveaway to billionaires and wealthy corporations,” said ATF Executive Director David Kass. “If this bill is enacted, states will have to shoulder the burden of not only raising costs for their residents but also administrative and benefit costs due to the draconian SNAP provisions in this bill. Some states, which want to ensure their residents still have access to Medicaid, may be forced to raise taxes or cut other public goods, while others risk thousands of residents losing vital access to healthcare. We applaud these state legislators for signing on and standing up for their constituents. Senators from both parties should follow their example and reject this truly disastrous bill.”]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:36:58 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/over-170-state-legislators-tell-senate-to-reject-trump-billionaire-tax-giveaway-that-shifts-costs-to-states</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>“Good Trouble Lives On” National Day of Action Builds on Momentum Against Authoritarianism, Fight for Civil Rights</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/good-trouble-lives-on-national-day-of-action-builds-on-momentum-against-authoritarianism-fight-for-civil-rights</link><description><![CDATA[
On July 17, five years since the passing of civil rights hero Congressman John Lewis, communities nationwide are mobilizing for <a href="https://goodtroubleliveson.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Good Trouble Lives On</a>, a national day of action to speak out against the Trump administration’s brazen rollback of our civil rights. Coined by Congressman John Lewis, “Good Trouble” is the action of coming together to take peaceful, non-violent action to challenge injustice and create meaningful change. Led by the Transformative Justice Coalition, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Black Voters Matter, <a href="https://goodtroubleliveson.org/partners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">and more</a>, movement leaders are inviting folks across the country to “Make Good Trouble” on July 17 by hosting an event in their community.Organizers hope to build on the momentum from the historic “No Kings” mass mobilization on June 14, the largest demonstration to take place in Trump’s second term with over 2,100 events spanning across all 50 states. We will take to the streets, courthouses and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights and dignity for all. The Trump administration’s recent escalating authoritarian actions, attacks on DEI initiatives and voting rights and dismantling of government agencies have raised alarm bells for democracy advocates, and that’s why we’re mobilizing: <ul><li>President Trump escalated immigration raids in Los Angeles, where reports showed immigrants being <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/06/10/la-ice-raids-deported-migrants/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">detained and deported</a> without access to family or lawyers. Trump then ordered the National Guard and Marines to the city, leading to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj93d3r0zz0o" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mass arrests</a>—including peaceful protestors like SEIU California President David Huerta. </li><li>The Trump administration attempted to weaponize the Justice Department through an indictment of Representative LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), who was simply conducting an Congressional <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/lamonica-mciver-indicted-federal-charges-ice-new-jersey-rcna212221" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">oversight visit</a> of an ICE detention center. <ul><li>When Senator Alex Padilla (CA) asked a question at a Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8okH42ZSG0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press conference</a>, FBI agents tackled, handcuffed and pushed him to the ground.</li><li>Trump’s ICE detained NYC Comptroller Brad Lander for <a href="https://time.com/7295152/brad-lander-arrest-immigration-court/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">asking to see a warrant </a>at immigration court.</li></ul> </li><li>From House Republicans’ so-called “SAVE Act,” which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, to Donald Trump’s attempted anti-voter Executive Order and attacks on the DOJ’s Voting Rights division, the Trump administration and his allies in Congress are determined to put up hurdles for millions of eligible Americans to cast their ballots.</li></ul> This isn’t the government our founders envisioned, nor the democracy generations of Americans have fought to realize. As the Trump administration continues violating civil liberties and attacking fundamental freedoms, pro-democracy groups are staying vigilant. The power lies with the American people to unify and “Make Good Trouble.” Good Trouble Lives On is led by Transformative Justice Coalition, Black Voters Matter, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, Mi Familia Acción and <a href="https://goodtroubleliveson.org/partners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more</a>.For more information on Good Trouble Lives On, please visit <a href="https://goodtroubleliveson.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://goodtroubleliveson.org/</a>. MEDIA CONTACT: For media inquiries, please email <a href="mailto:media@goodtroubleliveson.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">media@goodtroubleliveson.org.</a>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:04:05 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/good-trouble-lives-on-national-day-of-action-builds-on-momentum-against-authoritarianism-fight-for-civil-rights</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Progressive Democrats of America Condemns Trump’s Bombing of Iran</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/progressive-democrats-of-america-condemns-trumps-bombing-of-iran</link><description><![CDATA[
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) today issued the following statement:Progressive Democrats of America condemns Trump’s unconstitutional bombing of Iran. We’re outraged by these reckless, lawless, aggressive actions. We support the Khanna/Massie War Powers Resolution to curtail the abuse of war powers.Donald Trump ordered a surprise bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, including sites under international monitoring, without a vote from Congress. Without any public debate. The airstrikes on Iran’s Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites shocked the Congress and the rest of the world including, U.S. allies.Carried out without congressional authorization or clear evidence of an imminent threat, Trump’s actions blatantly violated the U.S. Constitution as well as U.S. and international law.As Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) stated: “Trump said he would end wars; now he has dragged America into one. His actions are a clear violation of our Constitution.”The U.S. intelligence community confirmed in March that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons. There was no emergency, no justification whatsoever. Only Trump’s irrational warmongering.International leaders responded with horror. As expected, Iran called the attack “a grave violation of the UN Charter.” They’re far from alone in this, however. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned it could spiral into catastrophe. The EU and other nations have also condemned this unprovoked aggression.Trump’s own political allies expressed dismay. Trump loyalists including Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene called these attacks a betrayal of the “America First” mandate to avoid endless wars.This is not foreign policy. This is militarized authoritarianism. We must act to stop it now, before it spreads to enflame the entire Middle East, if not the entire globe in dangerous, unnecessary conflict.We are outraged, but this moment demands more than outrage. It demands organized, coordinated resistance. Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is helping lead the charge, organizing with our allies inside and outside of Congress to push back.We’re mobilizing support for the War Powers Resolution and coordinating protests demanding an immediate ceasefire and all party negotiations to achieve a just and durable peace treaty as soon as practicable.Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and U.S. politics by working inside and outside of the party. This, by electing empowered progressives and by building the progressive movement in solidarity with with peace, justice, civil rights, environmental, and other reform efforts. For more information about the organization, please see https://PDAmerica.org]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:41:01 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/progressive-democrats-of-america-condemns-trumps-bombing-of-iran</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>New IEA Report on Liquified Natural Gas Emissions Regurgitates Old Fallacies</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/new-iea-report-on-liquified-natural-gas-emissions-regurgitates-old-fallacies</link><description><![CDATA[
In response to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s just-released report on the greenhouse gas emissions of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Oil Change International Research Director Lorne Stockman said: “This latest IEA report repeats the decade-old fallacy that the LNG industry is on the cusp of cleaning up its act, even though it has consistently refused to do so. The methane reductions that are supposed to result from a suite of new technologies and a slew of industry-led voluntary initiatives have failed to materialize again and again. The IEA’s own <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Methane Tracker</a> data shows that the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions are massive and growing, and “have still not reached a definitive peak.” While the IEA attempts to downplay the life-cycle GHG emissions of LNG compared to coal, The IEA’s own modelling also clearly <a href="https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/140a0470-5b90-4922-a0e9-838b3ac6918c/WorldEnergyOutlook2024.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shows</a> that there is no room for any new LNG export projects if the world is to stave off climate disaster. “The IEA <a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-2010-2024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">estimates </a>that 80.5 million metric tons of methane were emitted from the global oil and gas industry in 2024, while highlighting that “methane emissions are widely underreported.” In the short term (20-year equivalency), this equates to over 6.4 billion tons of CO2. This is like adding nearly 1,700 US coal plants. “It is beyond time that the IEA, the oil and gas industry, and enabling governments such as Japan and the US stop spreading misinformation about gas. The only way to reduce emissions from oil and gas, and the toxic pollution they spread into communities’ air and water, is to phase out fossil fuel production and use. We have waited too long. The planet is literally burning while the oil and gas industry fiddles.”]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2025 20:35:44 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/new-iea-report-on-liquified-natural-gas-emissions-regurgitates-old-fallacies</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item><item><title>Story Removed</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/story-removed</link><description><![CDATA[
Common Dreams Update: Following publication of the article found at this URL—originally titled "'Disgusting': VA Doctors Can Now Reportedly Refuse to Treat Unmarried People, Democrats on June 16 and which was based on June 16 Guardian reporting under the headline "'Extremely Disturbing and Unethical': new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans"—that news outlet posted updates to its coverage in response to demands for clarification from the Trump administration's Department of Veterans Affairs. Due to the nature of the Guardian's changes to their reporting, upon which our article was based, we have made the decision to take down our article, but are including the full text of the original below in the name of transparency.The Guardian's editorial note for their piece is below, in full, and their updated article can be read <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>:Guardian editorial note: This article and its headline were amended on 18 June 2025. An earlier version said that under the new rules, medical staff could refuse to treat veterans based on their beliefs or marital status, and that candidates for hospital positions could face discrimination on grounds of further characteristics removed from the bylaws. After publication, the VA contacted the Guardian citing a 2013 policy directive that it says will continue to protect patients from discrimination despite the redactions in its bylaws; the VA also cited federal law protecting staff from discrimination. The VA further emphasized that federal law gives all eligible veterans access to hospital services. The VA’s comments on this were added. <div class="horizontal-rule"></div> 'Disgusting': VA Doctors Can Now Reportedly Refuse to Treat Unmarried People, Democrats This is a "political purity tests for people who risked their lives for this country," wrote one veterans group. In response to a January executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented new guidelines that permit individual doctors and other health professionals to refuse to treat patients based on their marital status or political beliefs, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients" target="_blank">according</a> to Monday reporting from The Guardian.With the changes in place, "individual workers are now free to decline to care for patients based on personal characteristics not explicitly prohibited by federal law."According to The Guardian, previously VA hospitals' bylaws said that medical staff could not discriminate against patients based on "race, age, color, sex, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, or disability in any employment matter." Terms on that list including, "national origin," "politics," and "marital status," are no longer there.The changes "seem to open the door to discrimination on the basis of anything that is not legally protected," Dr. Kenneth Kizer, the VA's top healthcare official during the Clinton administration, told The Guardian.The new guidelines, which also apply to psychologists and other occupations, are already in effect in at least some Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, according to the outlet.The Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated healthcare system in the country, provides care at over 1,300 healthcare facilities. According to the VA's <a href="https://www.va.gov/health/aboutvha.asp#:~:text=The%20Veterans%20Health%20Administration%20(VHA,the%20VA%20health%20care%20program." target="_blank">website</a>, over 9.1 million veterans are enrolled in the VA healthcare program.What's more, the outlet reviewed documents that show that medical staff including doctors can now be barred "from working at VA hospitals based on their marital status, political party affiliation or union activity." Workers like certified nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and licensed clinical social workers, among others, are also impacted by the changes.U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is a senior member and former chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, issued a sharp statement in response to the news."Healthcare isn't just a special privilege Trump gets to dole out to veterans who agree with the president—it's a moral obligation our country owes to every single man and woman who serves in uniform. Anyone who doesn't understand that has no business leading our armed forces in any way," wrote Murray in a statement on Monday."It's disgusting that this policy was ever allowed to go into effect, and I will not let it fly under the radar," she added."This isn't healthcare. It's political purity tests for people who risked their lives for this country. It's unethical, authoritarian, and every one of us should be outraged," <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/votevets.org/post/3lrqayeprxk2g" target="_blank">wrote</a> VoteVets, a progressive veterans group, in a Bluesky post on Monday in response to The Guardian's reporting.<div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreidrn7pldlritrq5hwjdzwcvfzze4lkolcfargkesajadzdpelftiu" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:lugfl5ovij6keueyqpd3zjz4/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrqayeprxk2g">🚨🚨 Trump’s VA just allowed doctors to deny care to Democrats, unmarried Veterans, among other groups. This isn’t healthcare. It’s political purity tests for people who risked their lives for this country. It’s unethical, authoritarian, and every one of us should be outraged. <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lugfl5ovij6keueyqpd3zjz4/post/3lrqayeprxk2g?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a> — VoteVets (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lugfl5ovij6keueyqpd3zjz4?ref_src=embed">@votevets.org</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lugfl5ovij6keueyqpd3zjz4/post/3lrqayeprxk2g?ref_src=embed">June 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js"></script></div> According to The Guardian, VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz did not dispute these aspects of the new rules, but told the outlet that "all eligible veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they've earned under the law."The rule change, according to The Guardian, stems from the January 30 executive order called <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02090/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal" target="_blank">"Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government."</a><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02090/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal"> </a>The outlet reported that the "primary purpose of the executive order was to strip most government protections from transgender people. The VA has since ceased providing most gender-affirming care and forbidden a long list of words, including 'gender affirming' and 'transgender,' from clinical settings." The VA is currently led by former Republican congressman Doug Collins.Kasperowicz confirmed that they were implemented to adhere to January executive order. He called the changes nothing more than a "formality." He added that the revisions were necessary to "ensure VA policy comports with federal law," but did not specify which laws made the changes necessary.<div class="horizontal-rule"></div>Common Dreams Update: Following publication of this article, which was based on June 16 Guardian reporting, that news outlet posted updates to its coverage in response to demands for clarification from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Guardian's editorial note for their piece is below, in full, and their updated article can be read <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients" target="_blank">here</a>. Guardian editorial note: This article and its headline were amended on 18 June 2025. An earlier version said that under the new rules, medical staff could refuse to treat veterans based on their beliefs or marital status, and that candidates for hospital positions could face discrimination on grounds of further characteristics removed from the bylaws. After publication, the VA contacted the Guardian citing a 2013 policy directive that it says will continue to protect patients from discrimination despite the redactions in its bylaws; the VA also cited federal law protecting staff from discrimination. The VA further emphasized that federal law gives all eligible veterans access to hospital services. The VA’s comments on this were added.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2025 17:07:51 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/story-removed</guid><dc:creator>Common Dreams Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title>Trustees Report Shows Social Security is Strong and Solvent</title><link>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/trustees-report-shows-social-security-is-strong-and-solvent</link><description><![CDATA[
The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding the Trustees reports on the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/TR/2025/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> released</a> today:“Older American retirees can feel confident about their Social Security based on the Trustees’ report released today.“Today’s report reaffirms that the Social Security Trust Fund is able to pay full benefits and expenses until 2033 as is the Medicare Trust Fund. If Congress does not make any changes, the Social Security Trust Fund will then pay 77% of benefits to all current and future beneficiaries.“However, we cannot be complacent. Republicans in Congress have made clear they are eager to cut the benefits Americans have worked a lifetime to earn. Whether it’s raising the retirement age beyond 67, privatizing Social Security, or continuing the DOGE agenda of dismantling the Social Security Administration to make it harder to claim benefits, the future of our guaranteed benefits is at risk.“There is a better way to strengthen Social Security for current and future generations. 94% of working Americans pay into Social Security with every paycheck. If the wealthiest 6% of Americans had to do the same, current and future generations of Americans would not only receive all the benefits they have earned, but we could increase benefits for those who need it the most.“We urge Congress and the Administration to strengthen Medicare’s finances by reining in the high cost of prescription drugs and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for more drugs. In addition, we urge HHS to hold Medicare Advantage insurance corporations accountable for delivering care at a reasonable cost and crack down on practices that increase corporate profits without improving patient care.“In just a few weeks Medicare will celebrate its 60th anniversary while Social Security will celebrate its 90th. There is no better time for all Americans to commit to strengthening these critical programs. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us.”]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:14:15 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/trustees-report-shows-social-security-is-strong-and-solvent</guid><dc:creator>Newswire Editor</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>

If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:

Download the "valid RSS" banner.
Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)
Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):

<a href="http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=https%3A//www.commondreams.org/rss.xml"><img src="valid-rss-rogers.png" alt="[Valid RSS]" title="Validate my RSS feed" /></a>

If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:

http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=https%3A//www.commondreams.org/rss.xml

Home · About · News · Docs · Terms