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Start the Steal? Inside Trump’s Effort to Rig the Midterm Elections: Ari Berman
This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.
Trump and Hegseth: Two Souless Men Incapable of Remorse or Even Pity
Some of the crew of the sunken Dena being prepared in Iran for a mass public funeral. (Iran government photo) Right at the launching of the US and Israeli war on Iran, itself a major war crime, the US fired a precision strike with a Tomahawk missile on an elementary school building. Some 160 girls […] The post Trump and Hegseth: Two Souless Men Incapable of Remorse or Even Pity appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/f4c5f758-0087-4310-a816-7012ae605ed4?j=eyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/f4c5f758-0087-4310-a816-7012ae605ed4?j%3DeyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8&source=gmail&ust=1774185963008000&usg=AOvVaw2HAUwDuX-W2HCAA4Si0bXY"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYzzEUMm7fjHel3_TWqz-xGhZXEpqZRfyxLbLcePJaWKfPT-l1UtvwczAxCg4hOsEx-GyHbCB-yBhSKSu00t8ctcvGxBPF_byafwYGK2t2uFIy-8XjrvTnsaW1voYVoC4wKwUNrkIJk3VKfNS_YLW02NSoFEtVNKIk6KX3FyqNssJ3R9JsQKYtKXv3E2NMGWTTEHZP603XNADQpCpg8AXcDdDZwKl8_d0sBuCTxwYtXsYxZPl5A80ZOYEOJYgZe9vBplk1MhRxqgjTRgK0V_FMc2eWkkqX2Snx7SrLz5dpgFLB6_SAyb7s8ujGlT9elTPzvw-pA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iyuc!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dd8ebe4-f621-487a-a1df-69c9a3e8d8f9_1338x756.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="280.76233183856505" data-bit="iit" /> Some of the crew of the sunken Dena being prepared in Iran for a mass public funeral. (Iran government photo) Right at the launching of the US and Israeli war on Iran, itself a major war crime, the US fired a precision strike with a Tomahawk missile on an elementary school building. Some 160 girls aged 7-12 were killed, either by the powerful blast or by the collapse of the two story concrete structure. Asked about the tragedy and slaughter of innocents, Commander-in-Chief Trump, after initially pleading innocence. He later suggested it was the Iranians, whose missiles he claimed “are often inaccurate.” When later videos appeared showing the distinct image of a Tomahawk missile striking, he slithered over to another lie, calling the Tomahawk a “generic missile that many countries have bought and can buy.” The truth? The Tomahawk is a US missile made in the US and is strictly controlled, and offered only to a few trusted allies like Britain and Australia. Hegseth avoided Trump’s brazen lying by saying, “The Pentagon is investigating,” even as investigators said the gruesome slaughter was looking increasingly likely to have been the US’s fault. When that investigation finally concluded definitively that Pentagon targeters had been using eight-year-old maps that allegedly identified the building as an office for the Revolutionary Guard, though — whether true or not — neither “no mercy” Hegseth nor “no truth” Trump could not find it in themselves to express remorse or regret about the “mistake. ” Three weeks later they still have not. We saw the same callousness from both men in the case of he sinking of a Iranian Navy frigate by two huge torpedoes fired at the vessel off the southern tip of the island nation of Sri Lanka. As I wrote in an <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/36103633-880c-4adf-8b3f-d40d1e197298?j=eyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/36103633-880c-4adf-8b3f-d40d1e197298?j%3DeyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8&source=gmail&ust=1774185963008000&usg=AOvVaw0Te1Df5OKhxORHqNtFiSSV">article on March 7, the Dena was in an unusual situation: It was invited to participate in the MILAN Fleet Review, an annual event that brings together naval vessels, crews and officers of the navies of dozens of countries (this year there were 74 participating countries including Iran and the US. At the time the Dena set sail for and participated in joint exercises with vessels of other countries at the event the two nations were not fighting each other. In fact, the US, which did not send a ship to the event, but did send an admiral, as wall as a P-81 Poseidon, a sophisticated sea patrol aircraft equipped to spot and track vessels including submarines over wide areas of ocean. That aircraft actually conducted an exercise with the Dena, a ship that it almost certainly already was tasked to sink once the US and Israel concluded their all-out war on Iran, no doubt picking up all kinds of useful knowledge about the Iranian ship’s capabilities, its radar and communications systems, etc. Once the Fleet Review event had ended and the US-Israel assault on Iran had been launched, the Poseidon followed and tracked the Dena as it sailed towards a planned stop at a port at the southern end of Sri Lanka where, unknown to the Dena, a US nuclear fast attack sub, the Charlotte was waiting, submerged, with two huge torpedoes ready to sink the ship The attack came without warning at 5:08 am on May 4. No effort was made by the sub to notify the ship that it was a bout to be blown up, which the US sub could easily done at a safe distance. To make matters worse, after sinking the ship in two minutes with two torpedo hits the US sb left the scene of the attack. 87 sailers died in the attack, some certainly from the huge blasts ,and some no doubt of drowning while waiting two hours without flotation in the open ocean for rescue ships of the Sri Lankan Navy, moored 20 miles away, to arrive. Only 32 of the crew survived the attack, with over a dozen missing and presumed dead. The attack has been criticized a “treacherous act,” given that the Dena was not in a war zone, had gone to an India-hosted event dedicated to “peace and friendship,” was likely not armed or only lightly armed because of an Indian stipulation that participating ships be unarmed, and because in any event there was no way the ship could have joined the battle with Iran’s military in the Persian Gulf, where US and Israeli air forces have total control of the air over Iran and the waters around it. The Dena would have had no choice but to remain in a safe harbor until that war ended (whenever that is!). All Americans heard about this incident in their news reports on the Dena’s destruction was Hegseth’s ugly boast: “This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight…We are punching them while they’re down, and that’s exactly how it should be.” Except that abandoning injured enemy soldiers or sailors to die after a battle is over is a war crime. It will be interesting to see what awards get handed by out to the officers and crew of the Charlotte for this “heroic” naval engagement. The post Trump and Hegseth: Two Souless Men Incapable of Remorse or Even Pity appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Dave Lindorff.
Modern Day Israel: A Poisonous Concoction for Most Outsiders
Think of modern day Israel as a bowl filled with a mixture of ingredients, a few complementary, like salt and pepper. Other ingredients, however, like the intermingling of Zionism and Talmudic Judaism, while favorable to many family members who grew up among its ranks, it proves unpalatable for most outsiders. Mixed together, the concoction grows […] The post Modern Day Israel: A Poisonous Concoction for Most Outsiders appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Think of modern day Israel as a bowl filled with a mixture of ingredients, a few complementary, like salt and pepper. Other ingredients, however, like the intermingling of Zionism and Talmudic Judaism, while favorable to many family members who grew up among its ranks, it proves unpalatable for most outsiders. Mixed together, the concoction grows tentacles intertwined with the curse of Medusa, a vicious monster sporting writhing serpents in place of hair, fanged teeth and a face so hideous that the mere sight of her was sufficient to turn a man to stone. Edward Said, in his Forward to Israel Shahak’s, book, Jewish History – Jewish Religion, said: the difference between him and most other Israelis was that he made the connections between Zionism, Judaism, and repressive practices against ‘non-Jews’; and of course he drew the conclusions… unlike most others he does not allow the horrors of the Holocaust to manipulate the truth of what in the name of the Jewish people Israel has done to the Palestinians. For him, suffering is not the exclusive possession of one group of victims; it should instead be, but rarely is the basis for humanizing the victims, making it incumbent on them not to cause suffering of the kind that they suffered. [Shahak was a Holocaust victim and survivor himself] In 1903, the British government offered 6,000 square miles of Uganda for the creation of an Israeli state. Actually several proposals were considered for the creation of a Jewish homeland located outside The Middle East. In the pre-Zionist era, Ararat City (U.S.) and Suriname, South America were considered, neither being chosen. In the 20th century, possible places taken under consideration were Madagascar, Tasmania, Australia and two locations in the USSR, Birobidzhan in Russia’s Far East near the border with China and Crimea but in the end the Zionists held out for Palestine. The victory of Nazism ruled out assimilation and mixed marriages as an option for Jews when they were being forced to identify themselves as Jews in Nazi Germany, Dr. Joachim Prinz, a Zionist rabbi and a friend of Golda Meir, said in his book We Jews: “We are not unhappy about this.” Viewed as an actual fulfillment of Zionist’s desires, it provided for a seeming congenial atmosphere for the flowering of both the myths of the Aryan race and the Jewish race. He went on to say, “We want assimilation to be replaced by a new law: the declaration of belonging to the Jewish nation and Jewish race.” (Dr Joachim Prinz, Wir Juden, Berlin, 1934, p. 150-1), Shahak (p 71) said, “some zionist leaders in Germany welcomed Hitler’s rise to power, because they shared his belief in the primacy of ‘race’ and his hostility to the assimilation of Jews among ‘Aryans’.” (p 71) The Zionists colluded (51 documents) with the Nazis whereby tens of thousands of Jews emigrated from Germany, immigrating to Palestine, setting the stage for future Israel, also setting the stage for 75 plus years of suffering of the Palestinian people. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-128.png" alt="" width="505" height="280" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-168054" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-128.png 505w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-128-300x166.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px" /> A commemorative medal struck by Nazi Germany to mark its Zionist alliance, with a Star-of-David on one side and a Swastika on the obverse. The importance of the Nazi-Zionist pact for Israel’s establishment is difficult to overstate. According to a 1974 analysis in Jewish Frontier, between 1933 and 1939 over 60% of all the investment in Jewish Palestine came from Nazi Germany – The Transfer Agreement. Jewish American analyst Ron Unz details facts about Zionist-Nazi cooperation in the Unz Review. He reveals in one short snippet an interesting piece of information about a former Israeli Prime Minster, Yitzhak Shamir. during the late 1930s, Shamir and his small Zionist faction had become great admirers of the Italian Fascists and German Nazis, and after World War II broke out, they had made repeated attempts to contact Mussolini and the German leadership in 1940 and 1941, hoping to enlist in the Axis Powers as their Palestine affiliate, and undertake a campaign of attacks and espionage against the local British forces, then share in the political booty after Hitler’s inevitable triumph. After learning about Shamir’s earlier activities, Unz offered up the following response: … the idea of the sitting Prime Minister of the Jewish State having spent his early wartime years as an unrequited Nazi ally was certainly something that sticks in one’s mind, not quite conforming to the traditional narrative of that era which I had always accepted. Most remarkably, the revelation of Shamir’s pro-Axis past seems to have had only a relatively minor impact upon his political standing within Israeli society. I would think that any American political figure found to have supported a military alliance with Nazi Germany during the Second World War would have had a very difficult time surviving the resulting political scandal, and the same would surely be true for politicians in Britain, France, or most other western nations. But although there was certainly some embarrassment in the Israeli press, especially after the shocking story reached the international headlines, apparently most Israelis took the whole matter in stride, and Shamir stayed in office for another year, then later served a second, much longer term as Prime Minister during 1986-1992. The Jews of Israel apparently regarded Nazi Germany quite differently than did most Americans, let alone most American Jews. Zionist Forced Transfer & Expulsion of Palestinians from Palestine Statement by David Ben-Gurion, founder of State of Israel and Israel’s first prime minister: The compulsory transfer of Arabs from the valleys of the proposed Jewish state could give us something which we never had, even when we stood on our own feet during the days of the First and Second Temple [a Galilee free of Arab population]. – (Zichronot [Memoirs] Vol. 4, p. 297-99, 12 July 1937.) “What Arab cannot do his math and understand that the immigration at the rate of 60,000 a year means a Jewish state in all of Palestine” – (Letter to Moshe Shertok known as Moshe Sharett, Israel’s first Foreign Minister, Ben-Gurion and the Palestinian Arabs, p. 167-8, 24 July 1937.) “The war will give us the land. The concepts of ‘ours’ and ‘not ours’ are peace concepts, only, and in war they lose their whole meaning.” – (to Yosef Weitz. David Ben-Gurion, Yoman Hamilhamah [War Diary], vol.1, entry dated 7 February 1948, p. 210-11.) When Israel came into existence in 1948 Jews owned about 6% of the land of Palestine. Statement by Yosef Weitz: the head of the Israeli government’s official Transfer Committee of 1948 The complete evacuation of the country from its [Arab] inhabitants and handing it to the Jewish people is the answer.” – (after touring Jewish settlements in the Esdraelon Valley Ibid, entry dated 20 March 1941, p. 1127.) I made a summary of a list of the Arab villages, which in my opinion must be cleared out in order to complete Jewish regions. I also made a summary of the places that have land disputes and must be settled by military means.” – (Ibid., diary entry, 18 April 1948, p. 2358.) The Utopia of the “Jewish ideology” adopted by the State of Israel is a land which is wholly ‘redeemed’ and none of it is owned or worked by non-Jews. Walter Laquer, in his book, History of Zionism, wrote the following: “A.D. Gordon, a devoted Zionist and his friends wanted everybody else to just go away and leave the land to be ‘redeemed’ by Jews.” Karl Popper in The Open Society and Its Enemies, “There are two choices which face Israeli-Jewish society, It can become a fully closed and warlike ghetto, a Jewish Sparta, supported by the labour of Arab helots, kept in existence by its influence on the US political establishment and by threats to use its nuclear power.” The Israel of today was born out of violence, starting with Freedom-Fighting Terrorist attacks against the British in Palestine. Following that, with a little help from the British, the theft and legal chicanery allowed the land to be misappropriated and given to another. Collectively givers gave, some out of greed, making out like a bandit; others felt comfortable giving away someone else’s land out of a perceived guilt. No matter the real or feigned motivation of the givers from far off places, the injured party, told to smile, smile, even though he would end up with only half of what had been his land and before that his ancestor’s ancestors land, the ancient pre-Israelite Canaanite’s. As it turned out, he ended up with little more than a pig in a poke. Most of the remaining half of his land was also purloined, even though now for three quarters of a century and counting, the Victim has been portrayed the Victimizer. The post Modern Day Israel: A Poisonous Concoction for Most Outsiders appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Jimmy Coleman.
Iran’s Asymmetrical War Persists Against Hegemony
On February 28, US President Donald Trump launched a joint airstrike with Israel to target the country of Iran. That attack was unconstitutional, illegal, in violation of Article 51 of the UN Charter, which is an instrument of international law. The US attack, dubbed Epic Fury, was also an unprovoked war of aggression which the […] The post Iran’s Asymmetrical War Persists Against Hegemony appeared first on Dissident Voice.
On February 28, US President Donald Trump launched a joint airstrike with Israel to target the country of Iran. That attack was unconstitutional, illegal, in violation of Article 51 of the UN Charter, which is an instrument of international law. The US attack, dubbed Epic Fury, was also an unprovoked war of aggression which the Nuremberg War Crime Trials defined in 1945 as a war crime. Iran’s response within hours was focused and far exceeded expectations with its precision guided hypersonic Fattah 2 system which is technologically superior and outpaces the Israel-US response. The Iran response exceeded whatever Iron Dome protection Israel assumed was in place. Within that first day, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in his office with his family and hours later 165 students (age 6 -12) were killed by a double tap Tomahawk missile strike in the Shajareh Tayyiba elementary school in Teheran; thereby adding potential war crimes to the US-Israel war. In response to the President’s air strike, Sen. Tim Caine (D-Va0 offered a War Powers Resolution vote which was defeated 53-47 with Sen. Rand Paul (Ky) the only Republican Senator ito support the Resolution. The next day, the House of Representatives also defeated a War Powers Resolution on a 212 -219 vote with two Republicans Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky) and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) voting in support. The Resolutions would have “removed United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.” In addition, on March 5, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla) Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sponsored HR 1099 which affirmed US policy that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. The vote was 372 – 53 with all Republicans voting Aye and 53 Democrats voting No. This might be qualify as the pot calling the kettle black. In other words, if the Congress had the wisdom to adopt a War Power Resolution, the situation with Iran might not have escalated and presumably might have forced the President to diplomatically address Iran but as most of us know by now, that is not Trump’s style. Since the entire Congress, with few exceptions, are recipients to large amounts of Zionist campaign donations and the Congress, as a legislative body, has become a dormant shell of its former self. ***** <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-167787" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-1024x885.webp" alt="" width="500" height="432" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-1024x885.webp 1024w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-300x259.webp 300w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-768x664.webp 768w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map.webp 1456w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> With the ever aggressive Israel as his partner, a country focused on dismantling much of the Middle East in favor of a Greater Israel project, with a Secretary of War Pete Hegseth who takes his title as a green light to kill and a President who does not know how to spell diplomacy as much as practice it, the conflict continues to escalate costing the US taxpayer $2 billion a day. There has also been a shortage of defense interceptors to counter incoming missiles while Iran shrewdly targeted Israeli production facilities for destruction. US support for the war in Ukraine and its bombing campaign against the Houthis also contributed to a US shortage of ballistic missile interceptors while Iran maintains a scheduled sustained bombing campaign. In other words, as the conflict was predicted to last a few days or “throughout the week’ until Monday, the President’s prediction on March 9 that the war will end “very soon” has not materialized nor has the war been the slam-dunk the President expected while less than 10% of Americans support deployment of ground forces in Iran. Yet Trump appears fearful that his war on Iran is doomed. On X, Jackson Hinkle interviewed retired Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar for his expertise on Trump’s war against Iran and its continuing escalation. Aguilar is a 2004 Graduate of West Point Military Academy and served as a Green Beret Special Forces Officer rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He spent the next twenty five years with deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, the Philippines and Tajikstan and served as a Security Contractor in Gaza. He resigned to become a whistleblower alleging severe misconduct regarding inadequate aid distribution. During the interview, Aguilar identified the war as “unjustified” and questioned how history will judge the conflict, predicting that, as Nuremberg taught, “just following orders is not a defense” against war crimes. Aguilar reported that US CentCom has begun an active deliberate campaign to target assets in the Hormuz Strait region conducting preparatory strikes in anticipation of bringing the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to take possession of the Kharg island which has 10,000 Iranian residents. With little clear objective, the US will conduct an amphibious assault on Kharg which Aguilar labeled born out of hubris, arrogance and ego and as well as ‘militarily stupid.’ Aguilar made the dire prediction of ‘tremendous US losses – of both personnel or equipment.” Aguilar then explained the accelerated conflict with ‘boots on the ground’ as a pretense for the potential use of a tactical nuclear weapon on its list of possible ‘courses of action’ that are ‘on the table.’ The ground assault is little more than a pretext that may begin in a limited fashion, then escalate into a full ground assault with US ground forces on alert; like the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment waiting to be called. While it will take time for the 31st Marine to organize for “theatre,” strategic preparatory efforts are meant to encourage Iranian capitulation – which will not happen. Aguilar state unequivocally: “It’s a lie that Iran is the Big Bad Wolf of the Region.” When asked whether he would suggest whether current military members might refuse to fight, Aguilar said he was calling upon Admiral Brad Cooper, AF General and Chief of JCS Dan Kaine and all the Service Chiefs of Staff to stand against this illegal and unjustified war, to stand by the oath taken in support of the Constitution and to conscientiously object approaching every avenue legally. Aguilar added that he would not fight in this war and suggested using every legal avenue at their disposal to ‘get out of the war.’ If American forces are able to access the Island or nearby area, Aguilar further anticipates potential dire predicament as American troops may not be able to leave the Island as their presence will dramatically escalate the conflict. American troops may become trapped, to die or be captured, The more the US escalates the conflict, the more costly the conflict will be. Aguilar expressed concern that as escalation increases may lead to Trump who can be unpredictably irrational, consider the use of a tactical nuclear weapon which is currently ‘on the table.’ In addition, the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has urged the US adopt the ‘no quarter, no mercy given’ position which is considered a heinous war crime under US military code and international law, even just in the verbalizing the phrase. Under international humanitarian law, “it is especially forbidden […] to declare that no quarter will be given” established under Article 23(d) of the 1907 Hague Convention IV – The Laws and Customs of War on Land.” Hegseth has received some serious push back by the military establishment; whether he will pay attention is another matter. In military lingo, ‘no quarter’ (no dwelling) is said to mean take no prisoners, no surrender and killing enemy combatants unequivocally. Meanwhile, back in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed that “no revolution in Iran can be accomplished from the air”, that there needs to be a significant “ground component” as well. The question arises how many Zionist or IDF ground troops will Netanyahu contribute to the effort to destroy Iran. In response, Trump stated that ”I’m not putting troops anywhere” adding that the US would do whatever is necessary to keep the price of oil down. Although Reuters reported the Trump Administration was weighing its options, according to an anonymous source. The President recently announced he does not want a ceasefire explaining, Well, look we could have dialogue but I don’t want to do a ceasefire. Now you don’t do a ceasefire when you are obliterating the other side. They don’t have a Navy, they don’t have an Air Force, they don’t have any equipment, they don’t have any spotters, they don’t have anti aircraft, they don’t have any radar and their leaders have all been killed at every level. We’re not looking to do that. And yet the Iranians control the pace of the war with an asymmetrical strategy as the US plans boots on the ground; the Hormuz Strait is still blocked and costing the US taxpayer $2 billion a day as the Iranians have not yet used their strongest, most modern hypersonic missiles. The post Iran’s Asymmetrical War Persists Against Hegemony appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Renee Parsons.
The earth has always been the first witness and the last survivor. Long before humanity learned to write its own history, the soil was already keeping record. Every drought, every flood, every migration, every extinction — all of it is stored in the quiet memory of the land. The earth does not forget. It cannot […] The post The Age of Human Arrogance, Part V appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The earth has always been the first witness and the last survivor. Long before humanity learned to write its own history, the soil was already keeping record. Every drought, every flood, every migration, every extinction — all of it is stored in the quiet memory of the land. The earth does not forget. It cannot forget. It carries the imprint of every choice humanity has made, especially the choices we pretend were harmless. Human beings, however, have perfected the art of forgetting. We forget the lessons our ancestors paid for with their lives. We forget the warnings carved into the ruins of fallen civilizations. We forget the cost of greed, the price of arrogance, the consequences of treating the world as though it were disposable. We forget because forgetting is convenient. The earth remembers because remembering is survival. Every generation believes it is the first to face crisis, yet the patterns are ancient. Civilizations collapse not because they lack intelligence, but because they refuse to learn from the scars beneath their feet. The soil remembers the empires that exhausted their land. The rivers remember the cities that poisoned their own water. The forests remember the societies that cut down their future to feed their present. Humanity behaves as though memory were optional. But the earth’s memory is not a metaphor — it is a ledger. And that ledger is beginning to speak. It speaks in the shifting seasons that no longer follow their old rhythms. It speaks in coastlines that retreat inch by inch. It speaks in storms that grow angrier each year. It speaks in the silence of species that will never return. These are not mysteries. They are messages. They are the earth’s way of saying: “I warned you. I showed you. I remembered for you.” But humanity refuses to listen because listening requires humility. It requires acknowledging that the world is not an endless resource but a fragile inheritance. It requires accepting that our actions echo far beyond our lifetimes. It requires understanding that the future is not a distant abstraction — it is a living presence shaped by every decision we make today. The earth remembers what humanity refuses to learn: that balance is not optional, that limits are not insults, that survival is a collective responsibility. We treat the planet as though it were a stage built for our performance, forgetting that we are not the main characters — we are temporary guests. The earth will continue long after we are gone, carrying the memory of our choices into the ages that follow. The question is not whether the earth will endure. The question is whether humanity will endure with it. If we continue to forget, the earth will continue to remind us — not with anger, but with consequence. And consequence is the one teacher that never negotiates. Read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV. The post The Age of Human Arrogance, Part V appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Sammy Attoh.
Tremors in MAGA: Joe Kent, the War on Iran, and the Antisemitism Smear
Joe Kent, the now former US Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, always seemed a bit off, especially to liberals. As a combat veteran of MAGA pedigree, he found favour with President Donald J. Trump, who rewarded him for his conspiracy blustering in a manner befitting other nominees baptised in the truth repelling River of […] The post Tremors in MAGA: Joe Kent, the War on Iran, and the Antisemitism Smear appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Joe Kent, the now former US Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, always seemed a bit off, especially to liberals. As a combat veteran of MAGA pedigree, he found favour with President Donald J. Trump, who rewarded him for his conspiracy blustering in a manner befitting other nominees baptised in the truth repelling River of Fox News. But the mindless adventurism in attacking Iran in league with Israel was a step too far. In his resignation letter, Kent asserted that he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Till June 2025, the President had “understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.” Then came the machinations of “high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media” with their “misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.” From there came the “echo chamber” that deceived Trump “into believing Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory.” The same tactics had been used by Israel in drawing the US “into the disastrous Iraq War that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.” Israel comes in for a further lashing for having left its personal mark on Kent’s life. “As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.” The portrait of Kent is an unremittingly spiky and jarring one. Even before the resignation, he was already under investigation by the FBI’s criminal division for alleged leaks of classified information, which should commend him to the fifth estate. (Such leaks in any administration, and most certainly one like the Trump administration, should be treasured, not abominated.) Former deputy White House chief of staff Taylor Budowich was of the view that Kent was “often at the centre of national security leaks” and “spent all his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States”. The language of the resignation note was also bound to stir the blood of those willing to see antisemitism rearing its vast, deformed head. This was made easier given Kent’s checkered history, a point made by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) during last year’s confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. In a February 2025 statement, the ADL noted his tendency to promote “multiple conspiracy theories” and forge links “with individuals who have extremist ties, including to groups such as the Proud Boys, Groypers and Three Percenters, some of which have a history of violence.” In a June 2025 joint letter authored with the Western States Center, the SPLC similarly noted a past heavily salted with conspiracy theorising and links to right wing extremism and white supremacists. Kent had not only “embraced discredited anti-government conspiracy theories – including that the FBI and the intelligence community were involved in the January 6, 2021 deadly attacks at the US Capitol” but had “connections with bigoted individuals, far right violent extremists, and anti-democratic movements”. He had, for instance, discussed social media strategy with the white nationalist and antisemite Nick Fuentes and conducted an interview with Greyson Arnold, a live streamer who thought Hitler “a complicated historical figure which many people misunderstand”. The ADL and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) who nakedly operate as open fronts of Israeli opinion, were bound to play the ad hominem game in attacking the man over opinion. According to the ADL, Kent’s letter trafficked “in old-age antisemitic tropes”. It was hardly a “surprise that he would blame Israel and the media for pushing the President into war against the Iranian regime.” Refusing to consider the pathological lunacy underlying the pre-emptive war on Iran, Ilan Goldenberg of the liberal pro-Israel advocacy group J Street could only see “ugly stuff that plays on the worst antisemitic tropes”. These inane airings are unsurprising. The ADL refuses to acknowledge the sheer depth of Israeli involvement and support in the US political and religious establishment, much of it unhealthy and a good deal of it undemocratic. Suggestions that Israel might be distorting the perspective of US strategists and policy makers are shouted down in frothing fury. The organisation can barely stomach the term “Israel lobby”, something evidenced in the organisation’s travesty of a review of a work bearing that name by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt. Here was, in the words of the ADL’s unlettered hatchet job, “a classical conspiratorial anti-Semitic analysis invoking the canards of Jewish power and Jewish control.” Unmissable here is that Mearsheimer and Walt had, like Kent, also noted the poisonous hold Israel had exerted over the Washington establishment in encouraging the pre-emptive, illegal war waged against Iraq in 2003. The lie of the imminent threat has some form. Kent also had another handicap from the past that was bound to be exploited by the administration. On that platform of handy bile and venom called Truth Social, Trump posted a tweet from January 2020 in which Kent encouraged attacking Iran. “We should not sit and wait for the next attack, wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out and get our troops out of Iraq – they are only targets now.” The post on what was then Twitter was made in the aftermath of Trump’s order to assassinate the Iranian commander of the Quds force, General Qassem Soleimani. “No US WIA/KIA is a tribute to the professionalism of our military and intel professionals not Iranian restraint.” As the letter itself indicates, Kent may have changed his mind. He even acknowledged that Soleimani’s assassination was a decisive application “of military power without getting us drawn into never ending wars.” (MAGA is for slaying foreign officials, as long as the operation is scrupulously limited.) For the dogmatist followers of the Trump MAGA brand, something deeper is underfoot. The prospects for conscientious objections to the war by service members reluctant to serve in the conflict have also improved. Prolonging the absurd, illegal, and increasingly catastrophic war against Iran will prove telling in that regard. And just because it is deemed such by a person as sketchy as Kent is hardly a reason to ignore the premise. The post Tremors in MAGA: Joe Kent, the War on Iran, and the Antisemitism Smear appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.
Long overlooked as crucial to life, fungi start to get their due
As efforts to study and conserve fungi expand, researchers say a "shroom boom" is underway.
Agarikon is one of two endangered species of fungi in the United States. So rare is the species that scientists have placed samples of it in a biobank facility for safekeeping at the San Diego Zoo, in the hopes that it can be propagated and one day reintroduced to the wild should its numbers continue to decline. Agarikon, also known as quinine conk, is a large round or semicircular shelf fungus that grows on the bark of old growth conifers in forests around the world. Two thousand years ago a Greek physician called agarikon “an elixir of long life.” For centuries it has been used to treat tuberculosis, rheumatism, asthma, cancer, and inflammation, among other maladies. Research confirms the fungus has robust healing properties: It contains powerful antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-cancer compounds. It has also recently been found to potentially reduce side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine and enhance immunity. Yet the species’ future is in doubt. “In the past hundred years, it declined 70 percent, and we don’t have evidence that decline is stopping,” said Jessica Allen, lead mycologist with NatureServe, a Virginia-based nonprofit concerned with biodiversity protection. “The Pacific Northwest is the last stronghold.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?resize=1200%2C802&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?resize=330%2C220&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?resize=768%2C513&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?resize=1536%2C1026&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MS-04.-Credit-Tomas-Munita-The-mycorrhizal-mushroom-Cortinarius-sp.-emerges-from-a-hyper-diverse-but-hidden-underground-fungal-community-in-Tierra-de-Fuego-Chile.jpg?resize=150%2C100&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1069" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> There’s a surprising climate solution right under your feet Matt Simon The reason that only two fungi species in the U.S. are classified as endangered is not because other fungi populations are healthy, but because knowledge of the world’s mushrooms, mildews, lichens, mycorrhiza, and other fungi is extremely scant. Still, researchers know enough about their ecological functions to understand they are indispensable to most plant life. As many as 90 percent of plants use their roots to form symbiotic relationships with vast webs of mycorrhizal fungi to, among other things, increase their nutrient and water absorption by orders of magnitude beyond what soil alone can provide. “Without this fungal web, my tree would not exist,” wrote mycologist Merlin Sheldrake in his best-selling 2020 book Entangled Life. “Without similar fungal webs, no plant would exist anywhere. All life on land, including my own, depended on these networks.” It’s estimated that there are, on the low end, 2.2 million species and on the high end up to 12 million species of fungi in the world. Yet there are just 155,000 or so known species, leaving vast numbers undiscovered and undescribed. The lack of knowledge about the world’s fungal kingdom, in spite of its essential role in maintaining life, has led to a campaign to elevate the importance of fungi to the same level as flora and fauna. Increased recognition, advocates say, would lead to greater inclusion of fungi in research, policy, and preservation considerations. Just 10 percent of the world’s mycorrhizal hotspots, for example, occur in protected areas. The protection “is needed. It’s important,” said Allen. “Fungi play an important role in the ecosystem. We know a lot about fungi, but mycologists haven’t been invited to the table to share their knowledge.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="On a reddish tree, mushrooms with grey caps and white bellies grow in a clump." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?resize=1200%2C799&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?resize=330%2C220&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?resize=768%2C511&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OysterMushrooms.jpg?resize=150%2C100&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1065" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Oyster mushrooms expected to break down cigarette butts in new trial Henry Belot, The Guardian Fungi are getting a good deal more attention in some quarters these days as scientists learn more about — and publicize — their role. In Entangled Life, Sheldrake explained the many facets of fungi, from their role in ecosystems to how they have shaped human culture and their unusual intelligence. Earlier this year, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, known as the “green Nobel Prize,” was awarded to Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist at Vrije University Amsterdam, for her work studying how plants, soil, and microbes are connected by mycorrhizal networks and how they draw carbon from plant roots in exchange for nutrients. She also shared a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” in 2025 with Giuliana Furci, a mycologist in Chile who also heads the New York-based Fungi Foundation. “The awards feel like an award for the invisible,” Kiers told The New York Times, “and a celebration of decentralized ways of thinking and operating that fungi have mastered.” Still, much of what fungi do remains a mystery. “The whole concept of understanding functional roles in fungi is complicated because of their hidden nature,” said Andrew Wilson, associate curator of mycology at the Denver Botanic Gardens, who works to document fungal diversity and is part of the effort to raise its profile. “They are very cryptic. A plant is aboveground, and you can see the differences between them. Mushrooms are underground or live within the tissues of other organisms, and what they are doing is hard to study.” Those who study and promote awareness of the world’s fungi are often evangelical in their approach. Appreciating and studying fungi, says Furci, will change how you see the world. “Every organism has a fungal component that is sustaining them,” she said in an interview. “They are the firmament of life on Earth.” Endophytic fungi, for example, live between and also within the cells of virtually all vascular plants. They are critical for plant growth, resilience, and survival. They emit molecules — natural antibiotics — that protect the plants against disease. They help repel herbivores and insects. They also enhance the uptake of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients; improve water retention; and help plants tolerate stress. Scientists are studying these fungi to accelerate the discovery of other compounds, from medicines to diesel fuel. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Kiers_MacArthur.webp?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A woman with brown hair smiles with her arms crossed" data-caption="Mycologist Toby Kiers has been studying how plants, soil, and microbes are connected by mycorrhizal networks. " data-credit="John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation"/> Mycologist Toby Kiers has been studying how plants, soil, and microbes are connected by mycorrhizal networks. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fungi are vital to an incredibly wide number of products and services, including drugs like penicillin, ampicillin, statins, and antifungals, nutraceuticals, fermented foods, cheese, beer, wine, spirits, colorants, cosmetics, and fertilizers. A recent paper pegged the value of all types of fungi at nearly $55 trillion, a figure that includes the value of sequestered carbon traded on global markets. Mycologists refer to fungi as ecosystem engineers because they perform essential roles. Approximately 80 percent of terrestrial plant species partner with fungi, according to a number of studies. Ectomycorrizal fungi, for example, form a dense, protective sheath around the root tips of trees, including oaks, beeches, and pines. It’s a symbiotic relationship: The fungus provides the tree with nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, from the soil, in exchange for carbohydrates produced by the tree through photosynthesis. Fungi increase the surface area of trees’ root systems, allowing them to live in nutrient-poor or even toxic conditions. Research increasingly shows that as ecosystems are restored with native plants, creating conditions that enhance the growth of native fungi with the plants’ roots enhances their vigor and survival. One species of mycorrhiza that has been well researched is in the genus Suillus, which grows on the roots of pine trees. “They can differentiate in their tissues between the toxic metals”— whether naturally occurring in soil or deposited through human activity — “and the nutrients that the trees need,” said Wilson, “and preferentially feed the tree nutrients while preventing these toxic metals from harming the trees.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="digital illustration of soybeans, oncom, and a petri dish of mold" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1423w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?resize=1200%2C677&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?resize=768%2C433&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/oncom-1-e1731032262158.jpg?resize=150%2C85&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="803" width="1423" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> The funky mold turning food waste into culinary delights Ayurella Horn-Muller That is just one known function of one species, said Wilson. “Biologically, they are not all doing the same thing. If they were, there would not be a need of all this [fungal] diversity.” That could mean there are myriad other roles that mychorrizae play in their symbiotic relationship with plants. Fungi began breaking down rocks and recycling nutrients more than 900 million years ago to form the first primitive soils. “They were a key innovation that allowed plants to move from the ocean onto the land,” said Allen. Today, they continue that function, breaking down dead trees and other vegetation, making nitrogen, carbon, and other nutrients available for new plant growth and building robust soil ecosystems. Fungi are also major players in carbon sequestration. Soils hold 75 percent of terrestrial carbon and about 59 percent of the planet’s biodiversity. Kiers and her colleagues estimate that mycorrhiza sequester 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide in soil annually, the equivalent of a third of the world’s fossil fuel emissions. As critical as they are, though, fungi are not often on the radar for protection. They face a range of familiar threats, from climate warming, which reduces diversity of fungi, to land development. A recent study of highly diverse mycorrhizal global hotspots, conducted by the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), found that just 10 percent of these rich mycorrhizal ecosystems occur in protected areas. SPUN was founded by Kiers and others in 2021 to map mycorrhizal networks using DNA sequencing and machine learning. The group has mapped key areas of fungal biodiversity — which generally have ample moisture, are undisturbed, and have complex plant communities — and advocates for their protection. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A scientist in googles and a white lab coat works in a row of white and yellow machines with lots of tubes." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Genomatica.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> From lab to market, bio-based products are gaining momentum Jim Robbins, Yale Environment 360 Kiers and her colleagues also set up the Underground Explorers Program, a network of scientists around the world who are mapping fungal diversity in their regions before species blink out. And they recently launched a project called Underground Advocates to train mycologists in legal and policy skills, with the aim of campaigning to raise the profile of what they call the Kingdom of Funga. Other efforts are underway. The Fungi Diversity Survey, or FUNDIS, began in 2017 but has picked up steam in recent years. Its citizen scientists are contributing to a global fungal database while a team of experts is sequencing fungi genomes and identifying species of concern. California has one of the most advanced efforts to collect, catalog, and census fungi. Since 2022, the California Fungal Diversity Survey has gathered more than 10,000 different fungi species in the state and sequenced their DNA. More than 2,000 of those are new to science. Existing collections of fungi — such as the Fungarium at Kew Gardens in London, which houses more than 1.25 million specimens — are also being examined with new technologies. In 2024, at the COP16 Biodiversity Conference, the governments of Chile and the U.K. introduced the Fungal Conservation Pledge, in which countries would agree to recognize fungi on the same level with flora and fauna. Thirteen countries informally agreed, and the plan is to introduce the agreement at COP17, in the fall of 2026, for formal adoption. The goal, said Maisa Rojas Corradi, Chile’s minister for the environment, is “to integrate fungi into global conservation strategies and frameworks, highlighting the key role they play in the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss, and the promotion of sustainable economic development.” Fungi advocates are encouraged by all that has happened in the last few years and confident that fungi are starting to get their due. “The shroom boom is definitely happening,” said Gabriela D’Elia, former director of the Fungal Diversity Survey. “It’s a fungal awakening.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Long overlooked as crucial to life, fungi start to get their due on Mar 21, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Jim Robbins, Yale Environment 360.
End of the petrodollar? How Iran war is reshaping the global economy
Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh. NERMEEN SHAIKH: Global oil and natural gas prices are soaring after Israel bombed a massive natural gas reserve in Iran, the largest in the world. Iran retaliated by twice attacking the world’s largest liquid natural gas production facility, located in Qatar.
Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh. NERMEEN SHAIKH: Global oil and natural gas prices are soaring after Israel bombed a massive natural gas reserve in Iran, the largest in the world. Iran retaliated by twice attacking the world’s largest liquid natural gas production facility, located in Qatar. Iran also attacked key energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. At one point, the price of oil reached US$118 a barrel, a 60 percent jump since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. READ MORE: US-Israel attack Iran’s Natanz nuclear site as Diego Garcia base targeted Israel – the parasite state sabotaging peace in the Middle East Trump says no ceasefire as Khamenei tells of ‘dizzying blow’ to US, Israel Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports In a post online, Trump threatened to blow up the entire South Pars gas field if Iran continued to target the Qatari facility. Trump also claimed the US, “knew nothing” about the Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field, but The Wall Street Journal reports Trump approved the strike to pressure Iran to open up the critical Strait of Hormuz. AMY GOODMAN: About 20 percent of the world’s oil exports flows through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has asked other countries to send warships to help force open the strait, but many nations are rejecting the request. We’re joined now by Laleh Khalili, professor of Gulf studies at University of Exeter and the author of several books, including her latest, Extractive Capitalism: How Commodities and Cronyism Drive the Global Economy. She also wrote Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula. Professor Khalili, thanks so much for being with us. Can you start off by talking about the state of the Strait of Hormuz right now, its closure; President Trump, according to Reuters, perhaps sending in thousands of troops, what exactly this means; and the Israeli bombing of the South Pars gas field, the largest in the world? President Trump said, in a rare rebuke, the US didn’t know. Most people are saying that is highly unlikely, that is probably untrue. The end of the petrodollar? Video: Democracy Now! Transcript: LALEH KHALILI: So, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important choke points for oil — a choke point being an area during which, if it’s closed down, you end up getting a major disruption in the flow of global trade. So, the Strait of Hormuz is one. The Suez Canal is another one. The Panama Canal is another one. And there are a number of these different choke points all around the world. Now, what’s specific about Hormuz and what’s distinctive about it is that it is the choke point where the quantity of oil that goes through is higher than any other commodity that actually flows across the strait. As you just mentioned, about 30 percent of the global oil flows through that. And part of the reason for that is, of course, that the world’s biggest oil producers — some of the biggest oil producers are all sitting around the Persian/Arabian Gulf, so Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Abu Dhabi, which all are huge producers of oil in the first place, and then natural gas in the case of Qatar and Iran in second place. Now, what has been fascinating is that anybody who has one of these apps that you can put on your phone, like MarineTraffic or VesselFinder, you can actually take a look at the flow of traffic, the flow of vessel traffic, flow of ship traffic, through these different seas in the world. And if you zoom in on the Strait of Hormuz, what you’ll find is that instead of seeing actually a steady traffic of little usually pink or green arrows going through, which indicate tankers, what you end up seeing are major clusters of ships that are bunched up very near ports where oil is produced and usually put on ships. What that indicates is that, basically, for a number of different reasons — and I’m going to go into that in a minute — the flow of ships, the flow of ship traffic, has basically come to a halt. Now, the reasons behind this are multifold. Of course, there is, number one, that Iran is attacking a number of the ships that are going through, and the way that it’s attacking them is through the use of very cheap either drones or sea mines, and that means that it’s basically almost impossible to deal with this particular threat, because the drones are produced so extensively in terms of number and they’re so inexpensive that they can basically be replenished even if they are destroyed. Also being smaller, they’re much harder to target, etc. So, there has been a number of drone attacks against ships carrying oil through the channel, and so, of course, that scares a lot of carriers, a lot of tankers. The second reason, which I actually think is perhaps even more significant, in part because it is actually not something that either the US or Iran can control, is that the moment something like this happens, the moment that there is a threat against ships, what you end up having is that insurance brokers, primarily situated in London, but there are, of course, some also in the US, China and in Europe, but really the centre for provision of maritime insurance is London, at Lloyd’s, and the ship brokers end up putting a specific war risk premium on ships. And that means that going from something like 1 percent of the cost of the hull, meaning the ship’s body, or the cargo, meaning what it’s carrying, goes to something like 5 percent, or it goes from one fraction of 1 percent to, say, 5 percent. So that means that suddenly, instead of paying in the hundreds of thousands for insurance for a super tanker, what you’re looking at is millions in insurance, which, of course, increases the cost of the oil that is traveling. So, that’s the second reason. The third reason is something that the Houthis noticed when they were blockading the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians when Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians. And that is that sometimes the threat alone suffices in getting the ships to stop going through or, indeed, to make declarations that allows for them a degree of protection. So, the Houthis, when they had blockaded the sea, had asked that any ships that claimed that they were not touching Israel, meaning they were not delivering to or picking up from Israel, could be allowed to go through the canal. And so, it happened that this automatic identification system that a lot of ships — well, all ships carry — it’s called the AIS system, and the AIS system indicates what ship is in the vicinity of the system, what it’s carrying and what flag it has, meaning which authorities it responds to. So, now what we’re seeing is that apparently Iran has mentioned that any ship, for example, that is going to China will be let through, or any ship that is not coming from one of these allied states to the US will be allowed through. Of course, there is a lot of variation in what kind of thing they have requested or what is being reported, so it’s a lot harder to see what exactly the AIS systems are being on these ships. As I said, we are mostly seeing them clustering and waiting in these locations, one of the main ones being the Port of Fujairah, which is actually not in the Persian Gulf. It is in the Gulf of Oman. And oil from Abu Dhabi, which is on the Persian Gulf side, is shipped to Fujaira through a pipeline. So we’re seeing a cluster of ships near Fujaira. Iran, of course, also attacked Fujaira port. And then we’re seeing a cluster of ships near Ras Laffan, which is the main gas production and gas lifting port in Qatar. The third is, of course, around the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, a little bit further up the Persian Gulf. And so, these clusters of ships are waiting there and hoping to be able to at some point pick up oil to be carried out. But we’re not seeing much of that flow anywhere at all. NERMEEN SHAIKH: Professor Khalili, you mentioned that there are — they are looking for, the Iranians, to see which vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — to what countries they’re affiliated, looking at their flags. Chinese vessels have reportedly been permitted to pass through the strait. China imports about 40 percent of its oil from the Middle East and has been one of the largest buyers of Iranian oil. There are also reports that the Iranians are suggesting they’d consider allowing a small number of oil tankers to pass through the strait if the oil cargo is traded in Chinese yuan rather than — LALEH KHALILI: Yes. NERMEEN SHAIKH: — US dollars. If you could comment on that? LALEH KHALILI: This is really fascinating, because, of course, we know that the fundamental basis of the US imperial order since the end of the Second World War has been, on the one hand, petroleum and, on the other hand, the US dollar. The globe’s production and finance worlds are dependent on the petroleum that the US has guaranteed the flow of since the end of the Second World War, and which, until the nationalisation of oil in the 1970s and 1980s, basically controlled something like 60 percent of the world’s oil reserves. After nationalisation, that percentage dropped dramatically, but the US dollar continues to be, and the financial channels that the US has crafted, continue to be a very significant bolster for the empire. So, the fact that Iran is actually looking for alternatives to the dollar in order to challenge the petrodollar regime, which is, you know, as I said, one of the fundamentals of the US empire, is a really interesting and quite clever indication of how the Iranians are hoping to influence the crafting of a world post this war, or a new world order post this war, where there’s a multipolar financial system, where, for example, the dollar is no longer a single currency that rules the world and the US is the only channel that controls — or, the only power that controls financial channels, because, of course, the US has used this inordinate power to strong-arm various states, to institute sanctions, to make it difficult for its enemies, for example, to purchase oil. And, of course, it has used it to coerce a lot of countries, as we see, for example, in the case of Cuba or Iran, or indeed Russia, to do its bidding. So, the fact that Iran is calling for petroyuans to become an alternative to petrodollars is actually quite significant also in indicating that the Iranians are well aware of how extensively the US has used its coercive sanction capabilities, through its control of the financial channels and through its mastery of the petrodollar, and are trying to erode that power. NERMEEN SHAIKH: Professor Khalili, you know, the US is now the world’s largest oil producer, but because oil is a globally priced commodity, the price goes up in the US if the world market price goes up. But — LALEH KHALILI: That’s right. NERMEEN SHAIKH: — how important do you think this might be in Trump’s calculation? Because another consideration, another aspect of this, may be that as oil supplies diminish from the Middle East, the US could benefit, because it is the world’s largest oil producer, and the price of its oil will go up, and the demand for its oil. LALEH KHALILI: Absolutely. What a fantastic question, because, in fact, we have seen that when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began and the Nord Stream gas, natural gas, pipelines to Europe were sabotaged, we now — there are now indications that this may have been done at the behest of the US.and its Ukrainian allies. But nevertheless, when that sabotage happened, it actually translated into massive gains for US natural gas production. The thing is that there are a number of reasons why oil is not — why the US cannot become the sole oil producer for the whole of the world. One is the question of proximity, for example. The second is the question of capacity that the US has in order to actually replace, for example, the oil that is produced by Saudi Arabia or by Iran or, indeed, by Russia. But the third factor — and I think that this is the one that I think we should look out for — is that in the last 10 or 15 years, China has actually begun generating an alternative set of fuels, sustainable fuels, and developing technologies, particularly of electric and battery technologies, that will allow for, for example, solar or wind energy to displace fossil fuels. And the more that the price of oil goes up, which, of course, we’ve seen that happen, as you mentioned earlier — and, in fact, this also translates into major windfalls for US oil companies. This oil prices going up benefits Chevron. It benefits Exxon. It doesn’t benefit the average US citizen at the petrol stations, at the gas stations, but it does benefit the oil companies. So, it definitely does — that does happen. But the higher the price of oil goes up, the relatively cheaper it becomes to actually have sustainable alternatives, which, of course, that means that it benefits China in a major way, since China is way ahead of the rest of the world in producing these technologies and in producing them cheaply. The solar panels that are being produced in China are a fraction of the price of solar panels that were being produced something like 15 or 20 years ago. And I think this shift is actually a major long-term concern for the oil companies. In the short term, they’re taking all the windfall that they can get. But this, again, is — the kind of a postwar order that will likely also have major implications for the kind of energy people are paying to use or people are willing to use, actually. AMY GOODMAN: We just have 20 seconds. But the effect of the bombing of the South Pars facility, the largest gas facility in the world, what it means for Iran, what it means for the world, and President Trump denying the US had anything to do with, which most do not believe? LALEH KHALILI: No, absolutely not. There is no way that Israel would have actually done this without coordination with the United States. And, in fact, the channels that deny, for example, that the US coordinated, or report Trump’s denials, are the channels that are often used to feed us the kinds of lies that the administration tells us. But what is quite significant about South Pars — and I know it’s a very short time left, so I’m going to be very quick about it — is that the South Pars field is actually shared between Iran and Qatar. The North Dome, which is on the south part of the Persian Gulf, is Qatar’s share of this major field, and Iran’s bit is in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. And so, the destruction of the infrastructure there will not only have an effect on Iranians’ ability to produce electricity and fuel their various kinds of industries and/or homes, but it will also have an effect on the infrastructures that are used by the Qataris and which the Iranians and Qataris have been using in an extraordinary degree — to an extraordinary degree of coordination since the fields have been used. So, this actually also affects Qatar. The bombing itself also affects Qatar. And I don’t think that this is a calculation that the rather know-nothing Trump administration has taken into account. AMY GOODMAN: Laleh Khalili, we want to thank you so much for being with us, professor of Gulf studies at University of Exeter, author of several books, including her latest, Extractive Capitalism: How Commodities and Cronyism Drive the Global Economy. Thanks so much for being there. Republished from Democracy Now! under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Reparatory Justice
This content originally appeared on Amnesty International and was authored by Amnesty International.
Wenda condemns ‘cruel’ arbitrary arrests of West Papuans in Tambrauw
United Liberation Movement for West Papua
Asia Pacific Report An exiled leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has condemned Indonesia’s “cruel and humiliating” arbitrary arrest of 12 West Papuan local farmers in Tambrauw Regency this week and has demanded their release. According to Human Rights Monitor, the arrests took place on March 18, after Indonesia conducted military
Asia Pacific Report An exiled leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has condemned Indonesia’s “cruel and humiliating” arbitrary arrest of 12 West Papuan local farmers in Tambrauw Regency this week and has demanded their release. According to Human Rights Monitor, the arrests took place on March 18, after Indonesia conducted military operations in the Fef and Bamus Bama districts. People were dragged out of their homes, tortured, and detained without any warrants or explanation. READ MORE: West Papua’s humanitarian crisis stalls Prabowo’s ‘global peacemaker’ credibility bid Other West Papua reports “This is how Indonesia treats West Papuans, as less than human,” said ULMWP interim president Benny Wenda in a statement. “The 12 men arrested in Tambrauw have been labelled TPNPB [West Papua National Liberation Army] and stigmatised as terrorists and criminals by the Indonesian colonisers. “But who is the real terrorist? These men are the customary landowners, simply defending their forest, their homes, from the military who come to destroy everything.” Wenda said the Indigenous people had been living there for thousands of years — “long before Indonesia invaded and stole our sovereignty.” He added: “They didn’t go to Jakarta; Indonesia came to them with bombs and guns.” Indonesia ‘stolen our resources’ Wenda asked who was the real criminal. “The people of Tambrauw have been tending their gardens in peace for generations. It is Indonesia who has come and stolen our resources, torn down our forest to plant rice and sugar so people in Jakarta can eat. “There is no real development in West Papua, only business for Indonesia.” Wenda said that when he looked at the pictures of the arrested Papuans with their hands tied, forced face down on a police station floor, he saw his own people. “They represent all West Papuans — humiliated and degraded in their own land.” Wenda said Indonesia could never defeat the Papuan spirit. “You can arrest us, torture us, kill us, but the spirit of freedom lives on in every West Papuan,” he said. Experienced trauma “Whether they are in the bush, the city, in exile, or even working in the Indonesian government, every West Papuan has experienced trauma at the hands of the Indonesian military and police. “Every single one of us has an uncle who has been killed, a mother who has been raped, or a brother who has been tortured in police custody. “We all long for merdeka [freedom]. That is why Indonesia has deployed over 80,000 security forces to terrorise our land — because they are terrified of our desire for freedom.” As well as demanding that the 12 Papuans be released, Wenda said Indonesia must also finally allow foreign journalists to report on West Papua and immediately facilitate a visit to West Papua by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Such a visit has been promised since 2018, and demanded by 113 countries, including all member states of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), and the European Commission. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Address Affordability, Give Farmers a Chance
Farmers know that planning is key to their future., but their government continually undercuts them. Instead of working against farmers, our policymakers ought to change course and partner with them in making some critical additions to the Farm Bill.
Farmers know that planning is key to their future., but their government continually undercuts them. Instead of working against farmers, our policymakers ought to change course and partner with them in making some critical additions to the Farm Bill. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Anthony Pahnke.
Israel – the parasite state sabotaging peace in the Middle East
COMMENTARY: By Marcus Alexander In a stunning resignation that has sent shockwaves through Washington, former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent has exposed what many have long suspected but few have dared to state publicly — Israel is systematically undermining peace in the Middle East to serve its own expansionist agenda. Joe Kent, a 20-year
COMMENTARY: By Marcus Alexander In a stunning resignation that has sent shockwaves through Washington, former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent has exposed what many have long suspected but few have dared to state publicly — Israel is systematically undermining peace in the Middle East to serve its own expansionist agenda. Joe Kent, a 20-year Army Special Forces veteran and Gold Star husband who lost his first wife in a Syria suicide bombing, didn’t mince words. His accusation is simple yet devastating: Israel is intentionally sabotaging diplomatic solutions because peace threatens its strategic objectives. The most compelling evidence supporting Kent’s claim is the targeted assassination of Ali Larijani, Iran’s National Security Adviser and chief nuclear negotiator. READ MORE: Trump says no ceasefire as Khamenei tells of ‘dizzying blow’ to US, Israel Ian Powell: Iran, US imperialism and the New Zealand lapdog US counterterror chief says in resignation letter Israel ‘deceived’ Trump into attacking Iran Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports According to Kent, Larijani wasn’t just another Iranian official — he was actively engaged in negotiations that could have de-escalated regional tensions. “Larijani was eager to get us a deal,” Kent revealed in an interview with Tucker Carlson. But instead of pursuing diplomacy, US-Israeli strikes eliminated him, along with his son and several staff members. The message could not be clearer — anyone willing to negotiate for peace becomes a target. This wasn’t just another military operation. Larijani represented the pragmatic wing of the Iranian establishment — someone capable of conducting the sorts of talks needed to end conflicts. By eliminating him, Israel ensured that the path to negotiation was closed, leaving only the path of escalation. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-125329 size-full" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ali-Larijani-Wikip-300tall.png" alt="Iran's National Security Adviser and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani" width="300" height="403" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ali-Larijani-Wikip-300tall.png 300w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ali-Larijani-Wikip-300tall-223x300.png 223w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Iran’s National Security Adviser and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani . . . assassinated by Israel, he represented the pragmatic wing of the Iranian establishment. Image: Wikipedia Energy warfare masquerading as security Kent’s second explosive claim involves energy infrastructure. He argues that strategic opportunities — particularly Qatar’s gas potential to stabilise global markets — have been deliberately targeted to increase tensions rather than reduce them . The facts support him. On March 18, 2026, Israel launched a significant aerial assault on Iran’s South Pars gas field, which provides nearly 70 percent of Iran’s domestic gas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Israel “acted alone” in this attack. The result? Iran retaliated by striking Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City — the world’s premier LNG hub — damaging approximately 17 percent of Qatar’s export capacity . Global gas prices surged toward US$117 per barrel. The UK benchmark peaked at almost 183p per therm. Markets destabilised. And for what? Here is the inconvenient truth, a stable energy market benefiting from Qatari and Iranian gas would reduce conflict incentives. By attacking this infrastructure, Israel ensured that economic interdependence — often the foundation of lasting peace — remains impossible. Even President Trump distanced himself from the attack, stating the US “knew nothing about this particular strike” and describing it as Israel “violently lashing out”. When an American president feels compelled to publicly disavow his closest regional ally’s actions, something is fundamentally broken. The ‘clean break’ strategy: 30 years of sabotage Kent’s accusations didn’t emerge from nowhere. They reflect a consistent pattern dating back to 1996, when a group of neoconservatives — including figures who would later serve in the Bush administration — produced a policy paper titled “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm”. This document, prepared for Netanyahu, explicitly rejected the “land for peace” formula and proposed reordering the Middle East through military confrontations and regime change. It identified Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya and Iran as targets. It called for “removing Saddam Hussein from power” and “weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria”. Three decades later, we’re living the consequences. The Iraq war cost thousands of American lives. Syria descended into a catastrophic civil war. And now Iran faces sustained attacks. All while Israel’s security — not America’s — remained the central objective. Kent’s resignation letter directly connected these dots: “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby . . . This is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war”. The human cost Perhaps the most damning aspect of Kent’s accusation is personal. His wife, Navy cryptologist Shannon Kent, was killed in Syria in a suicide bombing. Kent now describes that conflict as “a war manufactured by Israel”. Think about that. A Gold Star husband — someone who paid the ultimate price for American foreign policy — is telling us that his wife died in a war that served Israeli, not American, interests. If that doesn’t demand scrutiny, what does? Why this matters now Critics dismiss Kent as antisemitic or claim he is leaking classified information. But ad hominem attacks don’t address the substance. Did Israel target a negotiator actively seeking peace? Yes. Did Israel attack energy infrastructure knowing it would destabilise global markets? Yes. Does Israel have a documented 30-year strategy of military confrontation over diplomacy? Yes. The situation in Gaza further illustrates the pattern. As one analysis noted, Netanyahu’s “ceasefire” effectively granted Israel breathing space to consolidate political control while evading accountability. Within days, Israel’s Parliament passed a bill paving the way for West Bank annexation. This isn’t peace — it’s a pause for rearmament. The parasite metaphor A parasite feeds on its host, weakening it while appearing inseparable from it. Israel’s relationship with American foreign policy fits this description uncomfortably well. American blood and treasure fund Israeli objectives. American credibility suffers when allies act unilaterally. American interests in stable energy markets get sacrificed for Israeli security concerns. Joe Kent’s accusations deserve more than reflexive dismissal. They deserve investigation. Because if a Gold Star husband and former counterterrorism chief is correct — if Israel is indeed sabotaging peace for its own ends — then Americans have a right to know why their soldiers are dying and their markets are destabilised for another nation’s strategic objectives. The description of Israel as a parasite may be harsh. But sometimes harsh truths are the only ones that break through comfortable lies. Israel has positioned itself as America’s indispensable ally. Kent’s resignation suggests it may actually be the parasite draining American power while sabotaging any chance of Middle Eastern peace. Marcus Alexander is an independent writer in Doha and contributor to Channel Media Network. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
'ICE: No One Is Safe' is a new short documentary by Robert Greenwald that relates shocking abuses and courageous responses.
'ICE: No One Is Safe' is a new short documentary by Robert Greenwald that relates shocking abuses and courageous responses. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Ed Rampell.
Northern Mariana Islands’ security and stability vital for US, say military leaders
By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands’ (CNMI) economic struggles are not just a local issue, but a matter of strategic importance to American operations in the Indo-Pacific, say senior US military leaders. In a letter, dated 25 February 2026, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of
By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands’ (CNMI) economic struggles are not just a local issue, but a matter of strategic importance to American operations in the Indo-Pacific, say senior US military leaders. In a letter, dated 25 February 2026, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, said he shared concerns raised by CNMI leaders about worsening economic conditions and their broader implications. “The security and stability of the CNMI are of vital strategic importance,” Paparo wrote, warning that the islands’ civilian infrastructure and community wellbeing were “inextricably linked” to the US military’s ability to operate in the region. READ MORE: Other US military in the Pacific reports He said he had directed staff to analyse proposals put forward by CNMI officials, but noted the requested federal actions fall outside his authority. Paparo said he would elevate the issues to agencies including State, Commerce, Transportation and Homeland Security. Paparo also backed calls for direct engagement with the White House, saying he supported “an executive-level dialogue with the Administration” and was prepared to take part. “We are committed to the security and prosperity of the CNMI,” he said. Expanding US presence At the same time, military officials say an expanding US presence across the Marianas could provide longer-term economic opportunities — though not an immediate fix. Speaking at a Saipan Chamber of Commerce forum on March 11, Rear-Admiral Brett Meitus of Joint Region Marianas said more than US$500 million in projects were underway, with additional development planned, particularly on Tinian. “It’s going to happen over the course of several years . . . we just don’t have the capacity to do it all at once,” he said. Meitus said the military was trying to move beyond a short-term construction surge toward a longer cycle of “build, sustain, and operate,” aimed at creating ongoing economic activity. “Just as important is how we sustain it . . . making sure that what we build looks like it should a year, two years, five years, ten years from now,” he said. He said future operations-including exercises and deployments-are expected to bring spending into the local economy as visiting personnel stay in hotels and patronise businesses. “When forces come in . . . they can spend money on the local economy,” he said. Potential benefits Meitus also pointed to potential benefits including expanded land leases, increased exercises, more port visits and service member tourism, while acknowledging that coordination across different military branches is still evolving. “We’re working hard to get our arms around exactly how we want to do it,” he said. He added that the goal is to move from a project-driven boost to more sustained participation by local businesses, though he acknowledged it would not fully address the CNMI’s economic challenges. Both leaders emphasised the need for continued engagement with federal partners, framing the CNMI’s economic outlook as closely tied to US strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
The Worsening Trump DUMP, Trump SLUMP, Trump PUMP, and Trump WARS
By Ralph Nader March 20, 2026 Unstable Tyrant Trump is running out of lies, fantasies, and promises to break. An NBC interview of a Pennsylvania woman next to a gas station signals the trend. The reporter asked her what she would say to President Trump...
By Ralph Nader March 20, 2026 Unstable Tyrant Trump is running out of lies, fantasies, and promises to break. An NBC interview of a Pennsylvania woman next to a gas station signals the trend. The reporter asked her what she would say to President Trump. She answered: “You are a worthless pile of s—”. He… This content originally appeared on Ralph Nader and was authored by matthew.
Fewer Detainees and Restricted Video Calls at Immigration Center
This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by ProPublica.
What a Mamdani Victory Signals for the Nation [Rewind – Full Uncut Conversation]
This content originally appeared on Laura Flanders & Friends and was authored by Laura Flanders & Friends.
CPJ welcomes ruling on Pentagon access in favor of the New York Times
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is heartened by a United States District Court decision on Friday in the case of New York Times v. Pentagon, in which the judge decided in favor of the newspaper, and calls on the Pentagon to heed the court’s decision and abandon last year’s changes to...
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is heartened by a United States District Court decision on Friday in the case of New York Times v. Pentagon, in which the judge decided in favor of the newspaper, and calls on the Pentagon to heed the court’s decision and abandon last year’s changes to its credentialing process. In the ruling, the court wrote that given recent U.S. military involvement in Venezuela and Iran, “it is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing.” “This ruling in favor of the New York Times is an important step in restoring journalists’ access to the Pentagon. As the court noted, recent United States military activity in Venezuela and Iran make journalists’ access all the more critical,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “While the news media and journalists in the United States are facing unprecedented pressures, it is vital that the courts uphold freedom of the press as they did today.” The Defense Department introduced a new accreditation policy in September 2025 and updated it in October allowing the Department to deny or revoke a Pentagon press pass when a journalist reports on information beyond what the agency has approved for public release. On October 15, the vast majority of Pentagon reporters gave up their credentials in response to the restrictions. The New York Times filed its suit in December 2025. CPJ joined an amicus brief, authored by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), in support of the New York Times’s lawsuit against the United States Department of Defense’s recent restrictions on press access to the Pentagon. The brief argues that the freedom for reporters to ask questions of military personnel is crucial to reporting in the public interest. It also outlines how the new policy pressures reporters to tailor coverage out of fear of reprisal from Pentagon decision-makers and losing access — which is both legally impermissible and a significant blow to a free press. Additionally, CPJ wrote a letter to the United States Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs warning that limiting press access suppresses freedom of speech. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Ecuadorian journalist shot after receiving reported false news tip
Bogotá, March 20, 2026—Ecuadorian authorities must swiftly and comprehensively investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in the southern city of Huaquillas and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “We urge authorities to swiftly and credibly investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in Huaquillas, determine whether the attack...
Bogotá, March 20, 2026—Ecuadorian authorities must swiftly and comprehensively investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in the southern city of Huaquillas and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “We urge authorities to swiftly and credibly investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in Huaquillas, determine whether the attack was linked to his reporting, and hold those responsible to account,” said José Zamora, CPJ’s Regional Director for the Americas. After he received a news tip about the discovery of two human skulls in a graveyard, Vinces went to the Huaquillas cemetery on Tuesday where two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at him. Vinces was wounded in the stomach but told CPJ that his microphone helped stop the bullet and that he had been treated and released Wednesday from a Huaquillas clinic. “They shot at me 10 times but thank god I was only struck by one of the bullets,” Vinces told CPJ. Huaquillas police chief Diego Chávez told reporters that Vinces had been tricked into going to the cemetery by a false news tip and that a cemetery worker had also been wounded in the shooting. Vinces, 44, is the founder of Vinces TV, which transmits news about Huanquillas on Facebook, YouTube and Tik Tok. He often reports on crime and local government corruption and is a frequent critic of Huaquillas Mayor Florencio Farez. CPJ sought comment from the Ecuador Attorney General’s office on the status of the investigation into the attack but there was no immediate response. The attack on Vinces occurred amid a crime wave in Ecuador that prompted authorities on Wednesday to declare a state of exception and an 11 p.m. curfew in four of the country’s provinces and to dispatch 65,000 police and army troops to the zone, which includes Huaquillas. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
"Mamdani is changing the world. And that’s why the mainstream media is going after him." [EXCERPT]
Pete Hegseth’s War on Journalists (and Iran Too)
As the US and Israel’s war on Iran continues to worsen, Hegseth’s attacks on the media have also escalated.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to be in the midst of two conflicts, one…in Iran, and the other with the American free press over its coverage of the widening Middle East war. —MS NOW‘s Sydney Carruth (3/13/26) Last fall, nearly the entire Pentagon press corps was banned from the Pentagon after refusing to sign Pete Hegseth’s loyalty oath, which would have bound them to only report information “authorized” by the government (FAIR.org, 9/23/25). They were quickly replaced by pundits from Hegseth-approved outlets like One America News, Gateway Pundit and Lindell TV, which is “Pillow Guy” Mike Lindell’s pet project. But once the Iran War got underway, it dawned on Hegseth that a Defense secretary needs to communicate with the whole country, not just the narrow slice of it reached by his favorite right-wing pundits. So Hegseth reversed course, asking the major networks to bring their cameras back to the Pentagon. They agreed, but on one condition: Some of their reporters had to be allowed to return to the press briefing room, too. So back they came, albeit now at the back of the room. Few of these reporters—who represent outlets you’ve actually heard of, like ABC, NBC and the New York Times—are called on. Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host, instead fields questions almost exclusively from handpicked media personalities seated in the front rows. (I’d call them reporters, but if they signed Hegseth’s 2025 oath, as most did, they’re anything but.) ‘Typical gotcha-type question’ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (CNN, 3/4/26) suggests the deaths of US servicemembers should not be “front-page news”: “When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news. I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad.” When Hegseth stepped to the podium for his first Iran War press briefing on March 2, there was a lot on the line. A skeptical American public wanted to know why President Trump had just launched another regime-change war, the very thing he’d railed against on the campaign trail. But Hegseth had little to offer, aside from “lots of chest-thumping,” a Pentagon reporter told CNN. For the Q&A, Hegseth “only answered questions from his chosen outlets,” reported CNN’s Brian Stelter (3/4/26), until a journalist in the back lobbed a question about Trump’s changing timeline for the war’s duration. Hegseth initially ignored the interruption, but his anger got the best of him, and he returned to the matter. “I heard the question about ‘four weeks,’” Hegseth sneered. “It’s the typical NBC sort of gotcha-type question.” Having veered away from his friendly questioners, Hegseth was off script and had to think on his feet, not exactly a strength. “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take—four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up, it could move back,” Hegseth said at the opening of a rant that somehow included the word “aperture” and the observation that, “well, I mean, Joe Biden didn’t even know what he was doing.” ‘Only favorable images’ Scott Nover (Washington Post, 3/11/26): “Members of Hegseth’s staff told colleagues that they did not like the way that the secretary looked” in press photographs. After face-planting at his first Iran War press briefing, Hegseth knew change was needed—only not by him, but with his enemies in the press. If Hegseth couldn’t kick out any more reporters, who could he get rid of? Scanning the room, he fixed on the photographers. The Pentagon’s stated reason for banning press photographers after the March 2 briefing was because of space restrictions. But the real reason, the Washington Post (3/11/26) reported, was they took “unflattering” photos of Hegseth. Now only Pentagon photographers are allowed into briefings, and they are happy to provide the media with approved photos of their boss. Alex Garcia, president of the National Press Photographers Association, told the Post: Excluding photographers from Pentagon briefings because officials did not like how published images portrayed them shows an astonishingly poor sense of priorities in the midst of a war and is, for a public servant, not a good look…. A free press cannot function if government officials decide that only favorable images of public officials may be created or distributed. In Hegseth’s March 4 press briefing—without those pesky photographers—he stuck again to his preferred outlets, like the Daily Caller, Daily Wire, Lindell TV and the Washington Times. He also took one question from a mainstream journalist, Tom Bateman of the BBC, who pressed Hegseth on the US bombing of an elementary school in Minab. “We’re investigating it,” Hegseth replied curtly. ‘A snowflake behind a military shield’ Jon Passantino (Status, 3/14/26): Hegseth “has used his authority as Defense secretary to wage a relentless campaign against press independence.” Among the many reporters who didn’t get called on was the Atlantic’s Nancy Youssef, although in her case it was because she wasn’t allowed in. “I, along with print photographers, have been denied entry to cover today’s Pentagon briefing,” Youssef wrote on X. “All other media were allowed in.” By Hegseth’s next briefing, March 19, his banned list had expanded again. “The Pentagon’s own publication, Stars and Stripes, was disinvited from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest Iran War press conference—as he continues to clamp down on press coverage,” the Independent (3/19/26) reported. This came less than two weeks after the Pentagon announced it was taking greater control of Stars and Stripes, a paper Hegseth previously claimed had gone “woke” (Daily Beast, 3/19/26). As former Stars and Stripes reporter Kevin Baron (X, 3/19/26) pointed out, the paper’s employees are US Army civilians. Their editorial independence is protected by Congress specifically to prevent political leaders from feeding troops propaganda. “Hegseth spent years on a comfortable Fox News couch building a brand around contempt for the thin-skinned and the easily offended,” wrote Status’s Jon Passantino (3/14/26). “But in office, Hegseth has revealed himself to be exactly that—a snowflake behind a military shield.” ‘An actual patriotic press’ CNN (3/13/26) angered Hegseth by reporting that “Trump’s preference of leaning on a tight circle of close advisers…had the effect of sidelining interagency debate over the potential economic fallout.” As the US and Israel’s war on Iran continues to worsen, Hegseth’s attacks on the media have also escalated. At his March 13 briefing, Hegseth insisted that “an actual patriotic press” wouldn’t write headlines stating the war is expanding, even as the war has sprawled from an initial three countries—Israel, the US and Iran—to over a dozen. “Allow me to make a few suggestions,” Hegseth offered. “People look up at the TV and they see banners, they see headlines [like]… ‘Mideast War Intensifies,’” he said. “What should the banner read instead? How about, ‘Iran Increasingly Desperate.’” Hegseth also singled out a CNN story (3/13/26), headlined “Trump Administration Underestimated Iran War’s Impact on Strait of Hormuz.” That story is “patently ridiculous, of course,” Hegseth said, blithely dismissing the strait’s closure, saying we “don’t need to worry about it.” Hegseth’s worries were directed elsewhere—at CNN. “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,” Hegseth said. Ellison is the 43-year-old nepo baby of billionaire Larry Ellison, a close Trump ally. Having already purchased Paramount, and with it CBS, Ellison is on the verge of closing a $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns, among other media and film properties, CNN. Hegseth’s comments about Ellison taking over CNN “should be a major scandal,” wrote Craig Aaron (Pressing Issues, 3/17/26), co-CEO of Free Press (the media advocacy group, not the right-wing, Ellison-owned outlet of the same name). “But in the chaos of the Trump administration, he’s just a warm-up act.” ‘Sick and demented people’ Hegseth (C-SPAN2, 3/19/26): “A dishonest and anti-Trump press will stop at nothing, we know this at this point, to downplay progress, amplify every cost and call into question every step. Sadly, TDS is in their DNA.” Indeed, as Trump’s historically unpopular war continues to sour, he’s sought to place blame on a familiar target: news media. Outlets critically covering the war, Trump posted on Truth Social (3/14/26), “are truly sick and demented people that have no idea the damage they cause the United States of America.” The next day (3/15/26), he declared they “should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!” Treason is punishable by death. Trump’s censorious FCC chair, Brendan Carr, backed up his boss: “The law is clear,” he tweeted (3/14/26). “Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.” Hegseth succinctly outlined what “operating in the public interest” looks like at his March 19 briefing. The press need only say “one thing to President Trump,” he said. “Thank you.” This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by Pete Tucker.
The Equity Docket: Who Gets to Vote and Be Counted
An insidious strategy to suppress the voting power of minoritized groups is becoming increasingly prevalent.
An insidious strategy to suppress the voting power of minoritized groups is becoming increasingly prevalent. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Terrance Sullivan.
TV news vehicle vandalized, window broken at LA immigration protest
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database
A KTTV news van was graffitied and its window smashed by two people attending an immigration rights protest in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 31, 2026.The demonstration was held a day after nationwide protests and also followed similar protests in Mi...
A KTTV news van was graffitied and its window smashed by two people attending an immigration rights protest in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 31, 2026. The demonstration was held a day after nationwide protests and also followed similar protests in Minnesota, where federal officers had shot and killed two U.S. citizens. In LA, sweeping immigration enforcement has continued since June. In a broadcast showing video of the incident, Justin O’Brien, a KTTV photographer in the station’s helicopter, described how he watched as a person at the protest broke one of the van’s windows. The video then showed another person opening the driver-side door. “Somebody came up with a rock, smashed the passenger-side window, and then went to the front of the vehicle and started graffitiing it,” he said. “And then tried to actually get in the vehicle. Luckily, the vehicle was not running or had a key in it.” One of the station’s photographers was loading his equipment in the back of the van at the time, according to O’Brien. He said the photographer was able to get in the car and drive away. “He does not appear to have suffered any physical injuries from the person, although the person was in his face,” O’Brien said. “Just a very, very scary time there.” Also that day, a KTTV photographer had the cord of his camera cut and microphone stolen by individuals at the protest. It’s unclear if it was the same cameraman who was seen at the news van. At a police commission meeting Feb. 3, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell detailed incidents of the night, mentioning the department received a report that night for vandalism to a news vehicle, but did not say if the department made an arrest. This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.
This content originally appeared on The Intercept and was authored by The Intercept.
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 20, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 20, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 20, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
Trump’s War Against the American People – TEASER
Across America, people are waking up to the fact that Donald Trump has always been exactly who he said he was: a serial con man propped up by white grievance, impunity, and a media that normalized his crimes. Trump fears accountability. The question is whether we are prepared for what he and his allies may do to avoid it in the 2026 midterms. Trump's push for the SAVE Act and the broader assault on voting rights should be understood for what it is: a strategy to stay in power by any means necessary. Voter suppression, disinformation, dark money, and foreign interference are ongoing. If Romania could challenge a compromised election and protect its democracy, America can stop pretending "moving on" is any sort of plan. We need election protection infrastructure now. Call your secretary of state. Ask what they are doing to protect the integrity of the 2026 vote. Stay defiant. Build power. And join us at Gaslit Nation as we keep asking the questions too many in power still refuse to face. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: American Carnage by Sasha Abramsky https://orbooks.com/catalog/american-carnage/ Opening clip: https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mhc7boslv22w The Target boycott is still on! Georgia Forts explains the confusion: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVw6K39DtEd/?igsh=MTV6dXE0N3gydTZnYw== Sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump – a timeline This article is more than 1 year old A list of the accusations made against Donald Trump between the 1980s and 2013, all of which he has denied https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/25/trump-sexual-misconduct-allegations-timeline E. Jean Carroll asks Supreme Court to reject Trump's request to review her $5M defamation case https://abcnews.com/US/jean-carrollasks-supreme-court-reject-trumps-request-review/story?id=129216869
Across America, people are waking up to the fact that Donald Trump has always been exactly who he said he was: a serial con man propped up by white grievance, impunity, and a media that normalized his crimes. Trump fears accountability. The question is whether we are prepared for what he and his allies may do to avoid it in the 2026 midterms. Trump's push for the SAVE Act and the broader assault on voting rights should be understood for what it is: a strategy to stay in power by any means necessary. Voter suppression, disinformation, dark money, and foreign interference are ongoing. If Romania could challenge a compromised election and protect its democracy, America can stop pretending "moving on" is any sort of plan. We need election protection infrastructure now. Call your secretary of state. Ask what they are doing to protect the integrity of the 2026 vote. Stay defiant. Build power. And join us at Gaslit Nation as we keep asking the questions too many in power still refuse to face. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: American Carnage by Sasha Abramsky https://orbooks.com/catalog/american-carnage/ Opening clip: https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mhc7boslv22w The Target boycott is still on! Georgia Forts explains the confusion: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVw6K39DtEd/?igsh=MTV6dXE0N3gydTZnYw== Sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump – a timeline This article is more than 1 year old A list of the accusations made against Donald Trump between the 1980s and 2013, all of which he has denied https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/25/trump-sexual-misconduct-allegations-timeline E. Jean Carroll asks Supreme Court to reject Trump's request to review her $5M defamation case https://abcnews.com/US/jean-carrollasks-supreme-court-reject-trumps-request-review/story?id=129216869 This content originally appeared on Gaslit Nation and was authored by Andrea Chalupa.
Anti-America Street Fair in Tehran (2019)
This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.
How Will Corporate Lobbyists Fix Healthcare? Don’t Ask—Because You Can’t
Corporate news sources now issue press releases without bothering to include any information about who to contact with follow-up questions.
Corporate media political reporting has always been a clubby endeavor, but a recent reporting experience suggests that the insider culture in Washington, DC, is more insular than ever. It’s often a challenge for independent media to get responses from Washington insider sources—especially on stories critical of powerful actors—but it’s become increasingly difficult even to pose the questions to those sources. Corporate news sources now issue press releases without bothering to include any information about who to contact with follow-up questions, as if the source is handing the truth down from on high. When I first encountered this phenomenon after returning to journalism three years ago, I assumed it was a function of the laziness and/or incompetence of individual PR hacks. In my previous life, I had written a few dozen press releases, and “who’s the contact person?” was always a key question to answer in planning media outreach. But today, a failure to offer contact information increasingly appears to be a deliberate strategy to stymie journalistic inquiry. ‘No Surprises’ unsurprising fiasco Last November, my healthcare politics online newsletter, Healing and Stealing (11/7/25), published an investigation of a national coalition of health insurers and other big businesses. The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing includes major business lobbying trade associations like the National Retail Federation, National Restaurant Association, National Association of Manufacturers and the health insurance industry trade group AHIP. Through those associations and business/labor health policy alliances, most of the largest employers in the US and many major labor unions are part of the Coalition, in alliance with the health insurance companies that sell them health plans for their employees. The Coalition lobbied for passage of the No Surprises Act. The law, passed in December 2020 and signed by President Donald Trump, limits the amount that patients have to pay out of pocket when they unknowingly see a doctor or use another service that is not covered in their health insurance plan’s network. The law also set up a new arbitration system to resolve disputes—between employers and insurers on one side, and hospitals, labs, doctors’ offices and ambulance companies on the other—over the rest of the bills. Health Affairs (8/25/25) The No Surprises Act eased a little of the enormous out-of-pocket costs that burden patients, but otherwise it’s a fiasco. The arbitration system has been swamped with 50 times more cases than federal officials expected. Arbitrators have ruled in favor of extreme prices requested by providers in more than 80% of cases. Cases are adjudicated by supposedly “independent” corporate consulting firms with blatant conflicts of interest on both the provider and insurer sides. And the whole mess has added more than $5 billion worth of higher prices and bureaucratic costs to the world’s most expensive healthcare system. The insurers and employers in the Coalition are now running a strange, self-contradictory campaign to shift the arbitration rules in their favor. Insurers are pointing fingers at hospital financial consultants as “middlemen” who drive up costs, though what are insurers but the ultimate middlemen? A coalition that includes hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of private equity–backed businesses is raising alarms about the dangers of private equity. It’s trying to stop a PE-backed consulting firm from becoming an arbitrator, because the firm consults with the hospital industry. Never mind that the majority of the already-certified arbitrators consult with the insurance industry. Details of the policy weaknesses in the No Surprises Act can be found at Healing and Stealing (2/22/24, 9/8/25), along with the investigation of what we call America’s Silliest Policy Campaign (11/7/25). But as self-contradictory as the content of the Coalition’s campaign may be, their behavior as a news source is even stranger. Contact-free press releases The website of the Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing. Healing and Stealing wanted to ask the Coalition to respond to a series of detailed questions. It also sought comment from the private equity firm and Coalition member CVC Capital Partners about its purchase of two of the certified “independent” arbitration firms, each of which also consults for CVC’s fellow Coalition members in the insurance industry on claims sent to insurers by providers. CVC Capital Partners claims $236 billion in assets under management, as of March 2026, and holds investments in major retail outlets and brands like Petco, Lipton Teas and the sports apparel maker Authentic Brands Group, owner of Reebok. CVC sits on the executive committee of the board of directors of the National Retail Federation, a member of the Coalition Against Surprise Billing. In recent years, CVC bought two of the 16 approved No Surprises Act arbitration firms. The CVC webpage describing the firm’s portfolio links to numerous imperious 21st century press releases with no contact information, including the announcements of its Lipton and Authentic Brands deals. But at least CVC has a communications department. If you poke around on the website, you can fairly easily find the name of someone to email, who in all likelihood won’t respond to your questions. The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing itself posed a greater challenge. Taking the ‘public’ out of PR AHIP disclosure form (1–3/25). The Coalition includes hundreds of US-based Fortune 500 companies and has been up and running since 2019. Not only are their press releases devoid of contact information, their entire website has no information about how to ask them questions—no media contact, no staff name, nothing. We dug into congressional lobbying records and found that the insurance industry (through its trade association AHIP) pays two lobbyists on behalf of the Coalition. So we emailed an extensive list of questions to the more expensive of the two—former Republican Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee staffer Kathryn Spangler. We also sent the communications team at CVC Capital a similar list of questions. The insurance industry paid Spangler’s “boutique consulting firm focused on healthcare policy, advocacy and coalition building” $80,000 in each of the first two quarters of 2025. Apparently that doesn’t pay for responding to media requests—or at least those from relatively obscure Substack newsletters. We received no reply to questions about the contradictions in the Coalition’s campaign, and the fact that some arbitrators appear to have the same conflicted relationships with the Coalition’s insurance company members as others have with the hospitals and doctors opposing the insurers in arbitrations. Surprise billing had its moment in the sun as the Next Big Horrible Healthcare Thing in 2019–21. The visible horror stories used to sell the law were “fixed”: Individual out-of-pocket costs for specific types of out-of-network care were limited. This left the insurance industry, and the employers who hire them, begging the federal government to do the job that the for-profit entities keep failing to do: control costs and deliver decent healthcare. With a twist, of course: The insurance industry wants the government to do their job, but leave intact their profits, as well as the power that their employer “customers” hold over our healthcare. The comical failure of the No Surprises arbitrations doesn’t prompt corporate media to ask the obvious question of why we keep allowing the Coalition’s members to loot the country and fail to take care of us. So rather than concede that they’ve failed at cost control for 50 years and support public social insurance like Medicare for All, or publicly set uniform prices, the Coalition gets away with seeking a “fix” to yet another layer of the world’s most bureaucratic health system. Corporations represented on the Business Group for Health’s board, including Hearst and News Corp. All of which is normalized in US media. In fact, many major media companies have taken a position on the issue, although reporters for their outlets may not even know it. In their role as employers, Hearst Corporation and News Corporation sit on the board of directors of the Business Group on Health, a national lobbying organization, dedicated to improving employer-sponsored healthcare, that belongs to the Coalition. With the credibility conferred by trillions of dollars in corporate power backing them, the Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing doesn’t really need media attention beyond the journalists embedded in the DC hothouse and healthcare industry trade press, all of whom can be contacted without the trouble of fielding questions from the broader media who might question their talking points, not to mention the general public. Even absent any media attention at all, they can feel confident that congressional staff and regulators will read their press releases and “In Case You Missed It” blog posts. The contactless press release and public-free public relations campaigns reflect the dominance of corporate sources who now pronounce the Truth from on high without even bothering to solicit questions. And that, in turn, is yet more evidence of the growing gulf between policymakers and the public at large. This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by John Canham-Clyne.
‘Beyond the pale’: general says US military will create a ‘camp’ at Gitmo to ‘deal with’ Cubans fleeing Trump blockade
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of US Southern Command, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2026. Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342159" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/beyond-the-pale-general-says-us-military-will-create-a-camp-at-gitmo-to-deal-with-cubans-fleeing-trump-blockade/us-politics-congress-military" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","camera":"NIKON Z 9","caption":"US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of US Southern Command, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1768488342","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-MILITARY","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-MILITARY" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of US Southern Command, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2026. Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> One foreign policy expert noted that fears of a “mass exodus” of refugees come “as the US starves Cuba of energy and food.”
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of US Southern Command, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2026. 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Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of US Southern Command, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1768488342","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-MILITARY","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-MILITARY" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of US Southern Command, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2026. Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2255792869-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="600" height="150" data-attachment-id="268291" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/this-is-why-deregulation-is-deadly/cd_stacked_white_600" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,150" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Common Dreams Logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=300%2C75&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=600%2C150&ssl=1" alt="Common Dreams Logo" class="wp-image-268291 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=300%2C75&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=400&ssl=1 400w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /> This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Mar. 20, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license. As the Trump administration sows chaos with a crushing fuel blockade of Cuba, a general told Congress that the military will “set up a camp” at Guantánamo Bay to detain those who try to flee the humanitarian crisis inflicted by the United States. The phrase “humanitarian crisis” was used by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to describe the situation in Cuba during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, as he questioned US Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan, the commander of the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Donovan, a 37-year Marine veteran, took command of SOUTHCOM in February after being tapped by President Donald Trump. His predecessor, Adm. Alvin Holsey, abruptly resigned in December reportedly after he’d raised concerns about the Trump administration’s bombings of alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, which have been widely described as illegal under international law. On Thursday, Cotton asked Donovan, “Are we prepared for any kind of humanitarian crisis in Cuba—the possible flow of refugees, other civil disorder that may threaten our interests, especially if the decrepit, corrupt Castro regime finally falls or flees?” “Senator, yes we are,” Donovan responded. “SOUTHCOM… We have an [executive] order to be prepared to support [the Department of Homeland Security] (DHS) in a mass migration event. They would take the lead, we would follow.” Donovan said this would include using the US military base at Guantánamo Bay, “where we would set up a camp to deal with those migrants or any overflow from any situation in Cuba itself.” As US starves Cuba of energy & food, neocon Cotton wants DOD to be ready for a "humanitarian crisis," "flow of refugees," or "civil disorder" in Cuba Southcom is "prepared to support DHS in a mass migration event" including a "camp to deal with those migrants" at Gitmo, he says https://t.co/Cym8wlU2zl pic.twitter.com/2Nq9r6kQ5r — Erik Sperling (@ErikSperling) March 19, 2026 Trump signed an executive order during his first month in office last year directing DHS and the Pentagon to “expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay to full capacity,” which the administration said meant scaling the facility up to more than 30,000 beds. The base, which houses a prison infamous for the extrajudicial torture of detainees during the global War on Terror, was designated under Trump’s order to hold “high‑priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.” But Donovan suggested it may now be used to hold Cubans fleeing chaos and deprivation following Trump’s own acts of economic warfare. Cotton’s question followed a warning that same day from Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of a “possible mass exodus out of Cuba,” which experienced an island-wide electricity blackout earlier this week following the Trump administration’s blockade of fuel entering the island, which a group of UN rapporteurs said in January was “a serious violation of international law and a grave threat to a democratic and equitable international order.” DeSantis, whose state is home to about 1.6 million Cuban-Americans, said, “[W]e don’t want to see a massive armada of people showing up on the shores of the Florida Keys.” He said he believed the Trump administration “would rather see people in Florida go help… hopefully get a new government going” in Cuba, possibly referring to the long-held hope of some right-wing Cuban exiles to take over the island. Following more than 60 years of an embargo that has strangled Cuba’s economic development, the Trump administration tightened the noose even more in January, signing an executive order that would slap harsh tariffs on any country that provides oil to Cuba. As a result of the blockade, explained Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, “people don’t have reliable access to drinking water, hospitals can’t operate safely, basic goods are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, and garbage is piling up in the streets.” Trump first described his blockade as part of an effort to carry out regime change against Cuba’s Communist Party leadership, but this week, he made the imperialist declaration that he may seek to outright “take” the island and that he could “do anything I want” with the “weakened nation.” If you think only communists are pushing for an end to the US blockade of Cuba, then 165 countries around the world are communist. pic.twitter.com/xdDA6eDx55 — Jostein Hauge (@haugejostein) March 18, 2026 Erik Sperling, the executive director of Just Foreign Policy, emphasized that the possible “mass migration event” described by Donovan was only coming “as the US starves Cuba of energy and food.” “Trump and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio are to blame for any refugee crisis from Cuba, as the US intentionally harms civilians with an oil blockade,” said Just Foreign Policy in a social media post responding to Republican warnings of Cuban mass migration. “US sanctions and meddling in Latin America have always been a leading cause of migrant flows.” Immigration journalist Arturo Dominguez explained that “What [Donovan] essentially said was, ‘We’re ready to accommodate the flow of refugees by putting them in camps.’” He added that “the way these military goons jump right in to ‘accommodate’ atrocity is beyond the pale.” Trump’s blockade of Cuba is unpopular with the American public, according to a YouGov poll released earlier this week. Just 28% of adult US citizens said they approved of the US blocking oil shipments to the country, while 46% said they opposed it. The same survey found that just 13% want the US to use military force to attack Cuba, while 61% would oppose it. Just Foreign Policy said, “The American people do not want their government to starve Cubans and cause a ‘mass migration event.’” This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Stephen Prager.
What is the SAVE Act and why is Trump pushing for it?
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
In unprecedented overreach, FCC allows merger consolidating local media ownership
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—A decision by the US broadcast regulator to approve the merger of Tegna and Nexstar broadcasting companies — in clear violation of its own norms and regulations — is a concerning sign of government sponsored media concentration in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists warned on Friday. The Federal...
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—A decision by the US broadcast regulator to approve the merger of Tegna and Nexstar broadcasting companies — in clear violation of its own norms and regulations — is a concerning sign of government sponsored media concentration in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists warned on Friday. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Justice Department on Thursday approved the sale of Tegna, which owns local television stations across the country, to rival Nexstar, who said its stations will now reach 80 percent of US households. “This highly unusual decision was made without an open process, no full FCC vote, and in blatant violation of current restrictions regarding media reach,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. The FCC said it will waive the ownership rule, but legal experts assert the agency has no authority to change the rule without action from Congress. “We have seen from our work around the world that corporate consolidation of media, especially at the local level, severely hampers access to information that is in the public interest,” Ginsberg added. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic Commissioner, criticized the merger and the lack of transparency in the approval process. Eight states filed a suit in federal court in California on Wednesday to block the merger. Some broadcasters believe that the deal will support the financial sustainability of local journalism, as local affiliates compete with national networks, streaming services, and social media news. The National Association of Broadcasters called the ownership cap “outdated” while not taking a specific position on the transaction. Others anticipate the merger will cause job losses for local journalists and media workers, and raise prices for consumers. Dozens of journalists have already been laid off by Nexstar in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago in anticipation of the merger. CPJ has expressed deep concern over a pattern of politicized threats and retaliatory actions from the FCC in the second Trump administration. Nexstar briefly removed “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its ABC affiliates in September, leading to a suspension of the show and national outcry from free speech advocates. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
“Liberate Their Bodies From Their Souls”: The Lies That Sell the Iran War ⎹ The Intercept Briefing
CPJ welcomes Nashville reporter Estefany Rodríguez’s release from ICE custody
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and calls on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop detaining journalists as a tactic to halt or discourage their reporting. Rodríguez was released Thursday evening from...
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and calls on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop detaining journalists as a tactic to halt or discourage their reporting. Rodríguez was released Thursday evening from ICE detention on a $10,000 bond after spending over two weeks in law enforcement custody. “CPJ welcomes the release of journalist Estefany Rodríguez from ICE custody. However, her detention has had a chilling effect, undermining journalists’ ability, especially local reporters, to cover their communities without fear of retaliation,” said CPJ Regional Director of the Américas Jose Zamora. “The government must uphold press freedom and ensure all journalists can work safely and without reprisal.” In a habeas petition, Rodríguez’s lawyers have argued that her detention is a violation of her First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, and included the argument that her detention was in relation to her coverage of ICE actions in the United States. The petition is still pending, according to court documents. Rodríguez was arrested by ICE agents in Nashville on March 4, despite being in the United States legally. At the time of her detention, Rodríguez had an open asylum case and a pending green card application through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. Rodríguez’s case points to a larger effort by the Trump administration to use immigration authorities to police speech. Atlanta-based independent journalist Mario Guevara was deported by the Department of Homeland Security last year after he was arrested while livestreaming a protest against the Trump administration. Guevara was also in the country legally at the time of his arrest. Rodríguez arrived in the U.S. in 2021 and sought asylum after facing death threats in connection with her reporting in her native Colombia. In response to Rodriguez’s detention, CPJ issued statements calling for her release, led with Free Press a coalition statement with over 40 organizations, and joined an amicus brief from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Rodriguez’s habeas case, in addition to advocacy outreach. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
Disenfranchise Tens of Millions? Trump’s SAVE Act Targets Women, Poor, Rural & Trans Voters
Jim Naureckas on MAGA vs. 1st Amendment, Baher Azmy on Abu Ghraib Justice
If we cut off our ability to have a widespread public debate, whatever “solutions” we’re told “we” came up with have nothing to do with democracy.
https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260320.mp3 Right-click here to download this episode (“Save link as…”). Truth Social (3/14/26) This week on CounterSpin: Those not in vigorous denial understand that we in the US are in the midst of not just “foreign” wars—today on, most prominently, Iran—but also a war against our ability to talk about it all, to dissent from it, to hear from people who have different ideas about ways forward. It doesn’t seem too much to say: If we cut off our ability to have a widespread public debate, whatever “solutions” we’re told “we” came up with have nothing to do with democracy. We’ll hear from FAIR editor Jim Naureckas about what news media could call, if only they would, “the Trump administration vs. the First Amendment.” https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260320Naureckas.mp3 Just Security (3/17/26) Also on the show: US news media told us that the images of Iraqis tortured at the infamous “hard site” in Abu Ghraib have been “seared into the American consciousness.” That would imply that those US news media were genuinely interested in the horrors meted out at the Iraqi prison where the CIA and the Army committed what Wikipedia comfortably calls a “a series of human rights violations and war crimes against detainees.” Those media would surely want all of us “consciousness-seared” people to know what was being done to answer for it all, to bring people to account, to make sure it never, ever happened again. (That shouldn’t sound like a joke.) The Center for Constitutional Rights has been in back of the last remaining lawsuit on behalf of victims of Abu Ghraib; and, though you might not have heard about it, they won. We’ll get the update from Baher Azmy, legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260320Azmy.mp3 This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by CounterSpin.
The Warmongers Will Never Admit They Were Wrong And Will Never Learn From Their Mistakes
Trump’s former national security advisor, John Bolton, has a tweet that’s got me absolutely fuming right now. “In 2018–2019, I made the case for regime change in Iran as often as I could. Voices in Trump’s orbit often cited Iran’s capacity to close the Strait of Hormuz as a reason against regime change. Trump has been […] The post The Warmongers Will Never Admit They Were Wrong And Will Never Learn From Their Mistakes appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Trump’s former national security advisor, John Bolton, has a tweet that’s got me absolutely fuming right now. “In 2018–2019, I made the case for regime change in Iran as often as I could. Voices in Trump’s orbit often cited Iran’s capacity to close the Strait of Hormuz as a reason against regime change. Trump has been fully aware this is a possibility, and yet did not prepare,” Bolton posted. Can you believe this shit? Dude’s like “Hey, Trump should have known this war would be hard because people tried to warn him not to listen to me!” Motherfucker THIS WAS YOUR WAR. You were THE “bomb Iran” guy! You made it your entire personality for DECADES. Over the years, I’ve used your name, God knows how many times, whenever I needed an example of a Beltway swamp monster who’s got a throbbing hard-on for war with Iran. Now you’ve finally got it, and it’s going exactly as badly as everyone said it would, and you’re like, “Yeah, well, he should’ve known better; people tried to warn him about the Strait of Hormuz.” Fuck you. <iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=caitoz&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2034065170243129569&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcaitlinjohnstone.com.au%2F2026%2F03%2F20%2Fthe-warmongers-will-never-admit-they-were-wrong-and-will-never-learn-from-their-mistakes%2F&sessionId=39c1c2b30401906dc288d3780a6bb9db2a96df8d&siteScreenName=caitoz&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="2034065170243129569" data-mce-fragment="1"> These professional warmongers never, ever learn from their errors. Many years after the Iraq invasion turned out to be a disaster, John Bolton was still out there telling the media he believed it was a “resounding success,” conceding only “mistakes that were made subsequently” to the ousting of Saddam Hussein. They never admit they were wrong. They never admit that their war was a bad idea. They only ever acknowledge that it didn’t happen in exactly the way they imagined it happening in their minds. They live in this fantasy world where all their war agendas would unfold beautifully so long as they could personally control every molecule of matter involved in how it happens, completely ignoring that this is impossible and any war is always going to have an unfathomable number of moving parts you can’t control. In their eyes, the wars are never wrong; they’re only ever executed incorrectly. US military interventionism can never fail; it can only be failed. Bolton doesn’t even seem to have any idea what Trump could have done differently to stop Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz. I listened to an NPR interview the other day where he slammed Trump for not having “done the planning in advance” to prevent the Iranian blockade, but he never at any time outlined what Trump could have done to accomplish this. He just said there was “a huge hole in the planning” and that “they apparently didn’t take as seriously as they should have the potential to mine the Strait of Hormuz,” without ever saying what they could have done. <iframe id="twitter-widget-1" class="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=caitoz&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2032788983608959446&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcaitlinjohnstone.com.au%2F2026%2F03%2F20%2Fthe-warmongers-will-never-admit-they-were-wrong-and-will-never-learn-from-their-mistakes%2F&sessionId=39c1c2b30401906dc288d3780a6bb9db2a96df8d&siteScreenName=caitoz&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="2032788983608959446" data-mce-fragment="1"> He doesn’t know. He himself, Mister Iran War, had no plan for how to carry out this war without disastrous consequences for the US and its allies. He’s spent his entire blood-soaked career pushing for a war he never had any idea how to actually carry out. These are the kinds of minds they have spearheading the US empire’s wars. All the worst people are getting exactly what they want, and it turns out they don’t even want it, like Elon Musk tweeting “Whoever said ‘money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about” last month. They’re getting everything they asked for, and it’s making everyone miserable, and it’s not even making THEM happy. The imperial status quo elevates the worst among us. The least wise. The least insightful. The least compassionate. The least deserving. The least qualified. We need drastic revolutionary change, and we need it now. The post The Warmongers Will Never Admit They Were Wrong And Will Never Learn From Their Mistakes appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Caitlin Johnstone.
Fear Of More Executions After Iran Hangs 3 Over Protests
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Report from Beirut: 1,000+ Dead, 1M+ Displaced, Many Fear Long-Term Occupation of Southern Lebanon
Danger Zones In February 2026, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, kickstarting a new Middle East ‘energy conflict’. And like most energy conflicts over the past half century, this one too began after the region fell into a ‘danger zone’. The notion of a danger zone was first introduced in our paper, ‘Bringing Capital […] The post Middle East Danger Zones: A 2026 Update appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Danger Zones In February 2026, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, kickstarting a new Middle East ‘energy conflict’. And like most energy conflicts over the past half century, this one too began after the region fell into a ‘danger zone’. The notion of a danger zone was first introduced in our paper, ‘Bringing Capital Accumulation Back In’ (Nitzan and Bichler 1995). We coined it to denote a period in which the Middle East is likely to experience an oil-related conflict or war and examined its implications for the region’s global political economy. Capitalism, we argued in our research, was a regime built on the capitalization of power, organized through relative pecuniary quantities and ruled by state-backed, dominant-capital coalitions. In line with this approach, we proposed that, since the late 1960s, Middle East danger zones hinged on the differential profits of dominant oil companies; that is, on whether their rate of return beats or trails the corporate average. Specifically, we claimed that when the differential profits of the oil companies are positive – namely, when they beat the average – the risk of regional conflict is low. And conversely, when their differential profits are negative – i.e., when they trail the average – the region is in a danger zone, and the risk of conflict is high. Nuts and Bolts <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-168002" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_01-753x1024.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="680" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_01-753x1024.jpg 753w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_01-220x300.jpg 220w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_01-768x1045.jpg 768w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_01-1129x1536.jpg 1129w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_01.jpg 1298w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> Figure 1 highlights the historical relevance of this claim and shows some of its key regularities.1 The chart juxtaposes the movements of two distinct variables along with a series of explosion-like markers. Let’s explain each of them in turn. The first variable, plotted as bars against the left scale, depicts the relative performance of a ‘Petro Core’ of leading listed oil companies (named in the figure’s notes). Specifically, it shows the Petro Core’s differential return on equity relative to the average return on equity of the Fortune 500 group of U.S.-based companies. The differential itself, expressed in percentage points, is computed in two steps: (1) by calculating the per cent ratio of net profit to owners’ equity for both the Petro Core and the Fortune 500; and (2) by subtracting the latter from the former. A positive difference (grey bars) means that the Petro Core beats the Fortune 500 average with a higher return on equity. A negative difference (black bars) implies that the Petro Core trails that average, with a lower return on equity. The second variable, shown as a dashed red series plotted against the right scale, is the change in the relative price of crude oil. This measure is also calculated in two steps: (1) by dividing the dollar price per barrel of Brent oil by the U.S. GDP deflator (rebased to 2024=1); and (2) by subtracting from this result its own 10-year trailing average. The magnitude of this series, expressed in 2024 U.S. dollars, represents the ups and downs in the pricing power of the oil companies (along with OPEC) relative to the pricing power of all U.S. sellers. Finally, the explosion-like markers indicate the eruption of individual energy conflicts detailed in the figure’s notes. The chart reveals two important patterns. First, the two variables – the Petro-Core’s differential returns and the changes in the relative price of oil – move tightly together, with a Pearson Correlation coefficient of +0.73 out of a maximum of 1. In other words, the differential return on equity of the large oil companies hinges mostly on their ability to have oil prices rise faster (or fall more slowly) than other corporations raise (lower) theirs. Second, relative oil prices and differential oil returns both hinge on – and in turn predict – Middle East energy conflicts. As we detail below, these conflicts tend to be preceded by danger zones – namely, stretches of negative differential returns that make oil wars more likely; once a conflict erupts, it tends to raise the relative price of oil; and if and when the rise becomes big enough to switch the Petro Core’s differential returns from negative to positive, the danger zone closes. The Regularities Empirically, the chart shows three remarkable regularities. * First, and most importantly, for more than half a century now, every energy conflict save one was preceded by the Petro Core trailing the average. In other words, generally, for a Middle East energy conflict to erupt, the leading oil companies first must differentially decumulate.2 The only apparent exception to this rule is the 2011 burst of the Arab Spring and the subsequent blooming of outsourced militia wars in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq – conflicts that were financed and supported by a multitude of governments, NGOs and supreme-god churches in and outside the region. The 2011 round erupted without a prior danger zone – although the Petro Core was very close to falling below the average. In 2010, its differential return on equity dropped to a razor-thin 0.4 per cent, down from around 25 per cent in both 2008 and 2009. (The 2023 eruption of the Gaza war, although preceded by a mini oil boom associated with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, came after a very long streak of massive differential oil losses.) * Second, every energy conflict – with two exceptions: the multiple ISIS-related interventions in 2014 and the 2023-2025 Gaza war – was followed by the oil companies beating the average. In other words, war and conflict in the region – processes that customarily are blamed for rattling, distorting and undermining the aggregate economy – have tended to serve the differential interest of the large oil companies (and OPEC) at the expense of leading non-oil firms (and countries).3 This finding, however striking, should not surprise us. As Figure 1 shows, differential oil profits are intimately correlated with the relative price of oil; the relative price of oil in turn is highly responsive to Middle East risk perceptions, real or imaginary; these risk perceptions tend to jump in preparation for and during armed conflict; and as risks mount, they raise the relative price of oil and therefore the differential profits of the oil companies and the relative export revenues of OPEC. * Third and finally, according to our data, the Petro Core never managed to beat the average without a preceding energy conflict. In other words, on this count, the differential performance of the oil companies depends not on production, but on the most extreme exercise of power and sabotage: war. The Current Moment Focusing on the most recent wars, we can see that the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine came after a prolonged and very deep danger zone, and that this attack managed to raise the relative price of oil along with the Petro Core’s differential return on equity. Consequently, the Middle East was pulled out of its danger zone, but only briefly. In 2023, the relative price of oil decelerated, and with the Petro Core’s differential return on equity reverting to negative territory, the Middle East once again slid into a danger zone. In October of that year, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad – seemingly on cue from our chart – attacked Israel, launching a new regional war. But the new war – which quickly expanded to include Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran and drew massive media attention – had only a muted impact on energy prices. Worse still (at least for the oil companies and OPEC), in 2024 the relative price of oil and the Petro Core’s differential returns resumed their decline, sending the region even deeper into the danger zone. From this perspective, the 2026 joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran is hardly surprising. As these lines are written, the attack, along with the retaliations by Iran and its proxies, has sent crude oil prices soaring to nearly $100/bbl – their highest level since Russia invaded Ukraine. And if these increases – in absolute terms but mostly relatively to other prices – can be sustained, the Petro Core’s differential returns will likely rise, and the battered Middle East will again be extricated from its danger zone. Note, though, that since the data in Figure 1 are annual, they reach only till 2025 for the relative price of oil and 2024 for the differential returns of the Petro Core. This limitation is transcended by the somewhat different perspective offered in our closing section below. A Different Look Figure 2 examines the process from a global viewpoint, using earnings per share (EPS) reported on a monthly basis.4 The top two series in the figure contrast the average EPS performance of the world’s listed integrated oil & gas companies with the average EPS performance of all listed companies in world. Each series measures the annual rate of change of the respective EPS, computed by comparing any given month with the same month a year earlier and smoothed as a three-year trailing average. <img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-168003" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_02-926x1024.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="553" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_02-926x1024.jpg 926w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_02-271x300.jpg 271w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_02-768x849.jpg 768w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260300_bn_me_danger_zones_a_2026_update_fig_02.jpg 1304w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> The bottom series shows the differential EPS growth of the integrated oil & gas companies. This series is derived, first, by subtracting the EPS growth rate of the world index from the EPS growth rate of the integrated oil & gas index, and then, by expressing the resulting difference as a three-year trailing average. As in Figure 1, grey areas indicate periods during which the integrated oil & gas companies beat the average (positive differential earnings growth), while black areas show periods in which they trail the average (negative differential earnings growth). Now, note that, while the energy conflicts here are the same as those listed in Figure 1, the measure of differential profit is different in several important respects. (1) The geographical scope is much wider, and the focus is less on corporate size and more on the type of business activity. Whereas in Figure 1, the comparison is between a Petro-Core of four to six firms and the U.S.-based Fortune 500, here the comparison is between all the world’s listed integrated oil & gas companies and the world average for all listed companies. (2) The profit metric is different. Whereas in Figure 1, the proxy of choice is return to equity, here it is earnings per share (EPS). (3) The nature of the variables is different. While in Figure 1 we look at levels, here we examine rates of change. (4) The temporal presentation is more refined. Whereas in Figure 1 the data are annual, here they are monthly, expressed as three-year trailing averages. And (5), the period under examination is shorter – in Figure 1 it starts in 1966, while here the data begin in 1973 (and in 1976 for the three-year trailing averages). All in all, then, our proxy for differential profits in Figure 2 is very different from the one we use in Figure 1. Yet the stylized patterns – as well as the exceptions to those patterns – are almost the same! Similarly to Figure 1, the chart shows that, since 1976 (1) all energy conflicts were preceded by the world’s integrated oil companies suffering negative differential earnings growth (with the exception of the 2011 Arab Spring / outsourced wars and the 2014 ISIS-related conflicts, when this differential was very close to zero, but still positive); (2) all conflicts were followed by the integrated oil companies experiencing positive differential earnings growth; and (3) except for the mid-1990s (and in this chart also 2019-2021) the integrated oil companies have not managed to beat the average without a prior energy conflict. Also, the monthly correlation between differential EPS growth and the rate of change of the relative price of oil (+0.72, as shown in Bichler and Nitzan 2023: Figure 2) is virtually the same as the one shown for the annual differential returns and relative oil price deviations in Figure 1 (+0.73). Finally, the relations in this figure between the recent energy conflicts and differential oil earnings are the same as those shown in Figure 1: the danger zone in 2021-2022 closed once Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raised relative oil prices and boosted the differential earnings of oil & gas companies; the effect of the 2023 Gaza War on relative oil prices and differential earnings was initially muted and then decelerated sharply; and finally, in 2026, a few months after the differential earnings growth of oil & gas companies turned negative, the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Today’s dominant capitalists, top state officials and supreme-god clerics believe they run the world. But, in the end, they too, just like their subjects, seem dancing to the all-imposing tune of differential earnings and capitalized power. References: Bichler, Shimshon, and Jonathan Nitzan. 2015. Still About Oil? Real-World Economics Review (70, February): 49-79. Bichler, Shimshon, and Jonathan Nitzan. 2023. Blood and Oil in the Orient: A 2023 Update. Real-World Economics Review Blog, November 10. Bichler, Shimshon, and Jonathan Nitzan. 2024. The Road to Gaza, Part II: The Capitalization of Everything. Real-World Economics Review (109, November): 18-28. Nitzan, Jonathan, and Shimshon Bichler. 1995. Bringing Capital Accumulation Back In: The Weapondollar-Petrodollar Coalition — Military Contractors, Oil Companies and Middle-East “Energy Conflicts”. Review of International Political Economy 2 (3): 446-515. Endnotes: 1 The first version of this chart appeared in Nitzan and Bichler (1995: Figure 10a, p. 499). Our current description of Figure 1 follows and updates the account in Bichler and Nitzan (2024). 2 In the late 1970s and early 1980s, and again during the 2000s, differential decumulation was sometimes followed by a string of conflicts stretching over several years. In these instances, the result was a longer time lag between the initial spell of differential decumulation and some of the subsequent conflicts. 3 A key point to note here is the effect of energy conflicts not on absolute but differential oil returns. For example, in 1969-1970, 1975, 1980-1982, 1985, 1991, 2001-2002, 2006-2007, 2009 and 2012, the rate of return on equity of the Petro Core fell; but in all of these cases the fall was either slower than that of the Fortune 500 or too small to close the positive gap between them, so despite the absolute decline, the Petro Core continued to beat the average. 4 For an early version of this chart, see Bichler and Nitzan (2015: Figure 5, p. 66). Our examination here updates the discussion in that article. The post Middle East Danger Zones: A 2026 Update appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Shimshon Bichler and Jonathan Nitzan.
The Number of Families Being Held at Dilley Detention Center Has Plummeted
The post The Number of Families Being Held at Dilley Detention Center Has Plummeted appeared first on ProPublica.
The number of parents and children booked into the country’s only immigrant family detention center, in Dilley, Texas, plummeted in February by more than 75% compared with a month earlier, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained by ProPublica. Between April 2025, when President Donald Trump started sending families there, and January of this year, the number of people sent into detention with their families averaged around 600 per month. In February, those so-called books-ins fell to 133. As of mid-March, they dropped again to just 54. This week there were only around 100 people in family detention at Dilley, compared with an average daily population in January of over 900, the data shows. Current and former ICE officials and lawyers with clients in Dilley said they were unable to explain the reason for the sharp decline. However, they said the shift followed weeks of mounting public pressure generated in part by the widespread publication of letters written by several of the detained children in which they described the conditions inside Dilley and their despair at being ripped from their homes and schools. ProPublica published several of those letters on Feb. 9 after visiting the facility — about an hour south of San Antonio — in mid-January. The letters set off a storm of outrage in Washington and across the country. They were raised in congressional hearings and pasted on posters in anti-ICE demonstrations. Rep. James Walkinshaw, a Democrat from Virginia, read the letters aloud to ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, during a congressional hearing on Feb. 10, pressing him for answers about whether the children’s detention could cause adverse psychological effects. He pointed to one drawing by a 5-year-old Venezuelan girl named Luisanney Toloza of her family. “My son’s 5. He can’t write many words, but he can communicate through drawings like this,” Walkinshaw said, making special note of the expressions on the family’s faces. “None of the faces are smiling.” It was another 5-year-old who first triggered public attention to children being detained at Dilley. Liam Conejo Ramos was picked up on Jan. 20 in Minnesota and sent to the facility with his father. A photograph of him at the time of his detention, wearing a blue bunny hat, went viral. Detainees, emboldened by the attention, organized a protest in a yard at the facility that was captured in an aerial photograph and widely published on social media. Lawmakers demanded multiple visits to push for the release of Ramos and others. Nearly 4,000 doctors, nurses and health professionals sent a letter to the Trump administration calling for the immediate release of all children currently in immigration detention. This month, social media personality Rachel Accurso, an educator better known as Ms. Rachel, who makes popular children’s programming, posted a video conversation with one of the kids detained at Dilley to her 4.9 million Instagram followers, garnering more than 3,700 comments. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, has been at the forefront of a push by legislators from his party to shut down Dilley and for the administration to find alternatives to family detentions. When told about the drop in the number of families being held at Dilley, he said, “That trailer prison is no place for children, and I’m glad to hear that the numbers continue to decline,” adding, “It’s a reminder that people can make a difference by speaking up.” The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in a statement that custody decisions are made “daily, on a case-by-case basis,” adding that the “administration does not make immigration decisions based on public opinion. We follow the rule of law.” In the past, the agency has said that Dilley offers families a safe environment equipped with access to educational materials, child care necessities and round-the-clock medical and mental health care. Meanwhile, CoreCivic, the private prison company operating the facility, said in a statement it does not have “any say whatsoever” in whether detainees are deported or released.” In previous statements, it has said that the health and safety of detainees is its “top priority.” Dilley first opened as a family detention facility under former President Barack Obama in 2014, mostly for recent border crossers. Trump kept the facility running during his first term, but President Joe Biden stopped holding families in 2021, arguing the United States shouldn’t be in the business of detaining children. Soon after taking office a second time, Trump resumed family detentions at Dilley. As border crossings have dropped to record lows, more of the families being held there have been arrested inside the United States and have been in the country long enough to lay down roots and build networks of relatives and friends. The children detained there have ranged in age from newborns to older teenagers. The vast majority of adults held at Dilley had no U.S. criminal record. Following the protests and the publication of children’s letters, detainees and attorneys interviewed by ProPublica said guards took away crayons, colored pencils and drawing paper during recent room searches. This week, ProPublica learned the facility had cut off access to video calls in common areas. The Trump administration said in a recent court filing that personal property had not been destroyed at Dilley and items confiscated during searches were “limited to materials identified as protest-related and not authorized under facility rules.” CoreCivic “vehemently” denied staff confiscated or destroyed children’s personal artwork or supplies. DHS said the restrictions were put in place on video calls following the livestreaming of recorded calls online “that resulted in the unauthorized dissemination of law enforcement sensitive information.” The agency added the video calls are still available in private rooms, as is access to in-person visitation and phones. While a long-standing legal settlement, known as the Flores agreement, holds that children should generally not be detained for more than 20 days, the data ProPublica obtained showed the average days in custody was longer than that for every month since family detentions resumed at the facility last year. In each month between November and February, the average stay in family detention was over 50 days. DHS has said in the past that the Flores agreement, in place since the 1990s, is outdated and should be terminated because newer regulations address the needs of children in detention. One Egyptian family, Hayam El Gamal and her five children ranging in age from 18 to 5-year-old twins, has been at Dilley for nine months. They were taken into custody after the father, Mohamed Soliman, was charged over an alleged antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, that killed one person and injured 13 others. The family said it had no knowledge of his plans. DHS said it is still investigating. One 13-year-old Guatemalan boy named Edison was released from Dilley with his mom this week. During his 92-day detention, Edison had cried in video calls to his father back in Chicago, saying he felt like he was being treated like a criminal. (His father asked that his son’s last name not be used.) Then in the early hours of Wednesday morning, a guard came to their bunk room and told him and his mom to start packing their belongings. By that night, they were on a plane to Chicago to be reunited with Edison’s dad. “We don’t understand why they were released,” his dad said. “All I can tell you is it was a miracle from God.” As soon as they landed, the family went home to enjoy a seafood dinner, one of Edison’s favorites. The post The Number of Families Being Held at Dilley Detention Center Has Plummeted appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Mica Rosenberg.
Left response to antisemitism should be to call for BDS
BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Movement)
There’s been much debate on the left around the world about how best to respond to what appears to be rising antisemitism. What, if anything, is the best response? Some argue, mostly correctly, that raising the subject amidst Israel’s genocide in Gaza, bombing many of its neighbours, etc., is an attempt to deflect attention away […] The post Left response to antisemitism should be to call for BDS appeared first on Dissident Voice.
There’s been much debate on the left around the world about how best to respond to what appears to be rising antisemitism. What, if anything, is the best response? Some argue, mostly correctly, that raising the subject amidst Israel’s genocide in Gaza, bombing many of its neighbours, etc., is an attempt to deflect attention away from that country’s crimes. However, insofar as there has been a rise in one form of racism, let me suggest a ‘left’ solution: An effective way for governments around the world to halt the rise in antisemitism would be to apply the BDS principles towards Israel. Boycotting, divesting, and sanctioning would last until either a two-state solution was arrived at with the Palestinians or all the people living on the land Israel currently occupies were given equal rights and opportunities. Based on experience with the South African apartheid state, BDS could pressure Israel to end its military-might-makes-right, international law ignoring, colonial, racist, anti-human behaviour. That is by far the major source of increasing antisemitism today. This should not be a controversial statement, but it is for those who remain supporters of Israel despite that country becoming a pariah in most of the world. Some people, for religious, political, or pro-U.S. empire reasons, justify ongoing ethnic cleansing, apartheid policies, the destruction of Gaza, mass killing of children and women, expansion of illegal settlements, and repeated bombings of neighbouring countries. They either agree with or excuse Netanyahu’s extreme right, Jewish supremacist government that believes in the expansion of a state imposed on the people of Southwest Asia by Western powers. They attack anyone who criticizes Israel and call them antisemites. They conflate Judaism with the interests of the Israeli state. These should not be controversial statements. Israel’s current behaviour and its conflation of Judaism with that country’s actions is by far the biggest reason for a rise in antisemitism in the last few years. Therefore, ending that behaviour and the notion that all Jews are responsible for and agree with what Israel is doing are necessary to deal with this form of racism. The most effective and quickest way to accomplish these essential tasks is a widespread and complete BDS campaign by most countries in the world. The goals would be to force Israel’s respect for international law and end what the largest Israeli human rights organization calls “a regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea”. But instead, most Western countries support Israel, empowering and excusing its bad behaviour, which emboldens existing antisemites and creates more. In other words, supporting and emboldening antisemitism rather than trying to end its current most damaging cause. It seems like those Western governments and the pro-Israel organizations that pressure them to continue this madness are fine with the resulting increase in antisemitism. Why? One answer might be to push longstanding Jewish communities around the world to emigrate to Israel. Certainly, the notion of Aliyah is something promoted by Zionism. But all of us, including millions of Jews, who oppose religious/ethnic nationalism and support progressive secular democracy as the best way to overcome all forms of racism, including antisemitism, must say no to Israel’s horrible behaviour and quickly end it. The best non-violent way to do that is to support BDS. Massive economic, political, and cultural pressures are needed to change Israel’s behavior. The same is true for changing the behaviour of supporters of Israel in many Western countries who enable that bad behaviour. For example, in Canada, government subsidizes and gives tax breaks to Zionist organizations that use this funding to attack anyone who criticizes Israel. More importantly, they push the mistakenly dangerous notion that Israel is the state of all Jews, thus convincing people that all Jews are responsible for Israel’s behaviour. Rather than give money to organizations that claim to be fighting antisemitism but instead use those funds to defend and promote the interests of a foreign state whose actions are a significant cause of antisemitism, governments must get to the root of the problem. They must engage in real action to stop Israel’s bad behaviour. They must end support for organizations that promote the conflation of Judaism with that behaviour. It’s time for the left and those who believe in human rights for all to call for BDS as a way to combat antisemitism. The post Left response to antisemitism should be to call for BDS appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Gary Engler.
Labor Icon Dolores Huerta, 95, Reveals She, Too, Was Raped by Cesar Chavez; Speaks to Maria Hinojosa
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 20, 2026
No Naval Escort for Trump: US Allies and the Strait of Hormuz
Pine Gap joint satellite and signals intelligence facility
With each dragged-out day, President Donald Trump begins to resemble a mad emperor who has not only taken leave of his senses but also of everything else. Having hitched his wagon to the Israeli program of chaos and destabilisation in the Middle East, he is stuck in a war he is incapable of controlling or […] The post No Naval Escort for Trump: US Allies and the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Dissident Voice.
With each dragged-out day, President Donald Trump begins to resemble a mad emperor who has not only taken leave of his senses but also of everything else. Having hitched his wagon to the Israeli program of chaos and destabilisation in the Middle East, he is stuck in a war he is incapable of controlling or dictating. The periodic announcement of the next assassination of a notable Iranian leader is trumpeted like a holy ritual. The next round of ecstatic bombing is hailed in the court as the biggest yet. But behind these gestures lies an expansive emptiness. Perhaps most telling of such emptiness is the sham of the alliance system he has sought to distance himself from even as he mocks its members. Whether it is members of NATO or allies such as Canada and Australia, Trump has been treated with scrupulous, sometimes grovelling care. Flaring tantrums and spontaneous interpretations of world politics mingle in ugly consummation. Views are contradicted in the same slurry of words. The allies can only nod. Of late, he has shown greater concern about the increasing distance shown by the Pax Americana family. Initially, almost all of them made sure not to call his administration or that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brigands for having violated the United Nations Charter in attacking Iran. Australia bolted out puffing with a condemnation of Iran for having, supposedly, a viable nuclear weapons program that needed to be eliminated. Canada and various countries in the European Union all adopted variations of the same theme, taking care to demonise Tehran for its ambitions and not, for a moment, considering what Israel and the US had done. The United Kingdom, after initial hesitation, offered the US use of its bases in bombing Iran. The grand retreat from international law seemed complete, the jungle dwellers very much in charge. This initial enthusiasm for US-Israeli adventurism began to cool. It is becoming increasingly clear that those devilish Persians are holding out with white-knuckled determination, causing much global mayhem with their targeting of infrastructure in the Gulf states and a closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Planners in the Pentagon, State Department, and White House must have been aware of the dangers of Iran effectively closing the vital waterway responsible for the transit of a fifth of the world’s oil. To this, add a laundry list of essentials: gas, fertilisers, and critical minerals. Yet these wiseacres find themselves scrambling to find allies and willing contributors to escorting vessels through the Strait. Trump, for his part, has a fantasist’s view of the war, one peppered by contradiction. In posts on Truth Social, he describes “a Nation that has been totally decapitated” that still, mysteriously, has the means to close the waterway and inflict damage. Yet he hopes for assistance from such countries as China, France, Japan, and South Korea, who might “send Ships to the sea that that the Hormuz Strait”. But not to worry, as the US “will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships of the water.” (How is that going, Mr. President?) The wish for escorting commercial traffic, however, is not likely to be met – at least as things stand. Washington’s allies are baulking. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, had seen the pre-emptive attack on Iran and the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a heaven-sent opportunity. Now, she was gruffly insisting that, “This is not Europe’s war. We didn’t start the war. We were not consulted.” UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer merely conceded that a “viable plan” to deal with the Strait was being sought, while Energy Secretary Ed Miliband stated that “any options that can help to get the strait reopened are being looked at in concern with our allies.” France’s President Emmanuel Macron was of the view that any mission to escort container ships and tankers through the Strait “must be entirely separate from the ongoing war operations and bombings”. But most stinging of all was German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius: “What does Trump expect from a handful of European frigates that the powerful US navy cannot do?” This was not NATO’s war. “We have not started it.” On Truth Social, Trump vented with his usual spiky petulance. He noted that “most” of America’s NATO allies had informed Washington that they did not wish to get involved “against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we were doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon.” He is, on that score, partially correct, insofar as a gaggle of liberal democratic states had few reservations cheering on extra-judicial murder and regime change in Tehran. He is far from correct in assuming that countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom have refused to get involved: contributions to the war in what has been shiftily described as a “defensive” capacity have been made. And a country like Australia is always implicated in any bombing campaign the US ever embarks upon, given the indispensable role played by the highly secretive Pine Gap joint satellite and signals intelligence facility, located just outside Alice Springs. As for those same allies, the President declared a lack of surprise at their reluctance “because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street – We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in a time of need.” But did Trump require their assistance? No, as it turns out, as “we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need’, or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance – WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea.” The question begs itself: Why ask in the first place? The post No Naval Escort for Trump: US Allies and the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.
Experts are calling it “the worst voter suppression bill ever seriously considered by Congress.” As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a Trump-backed voter ID bill known as the SAVE Act, millions of citizens who lack easy access t...
Experts are calling it “the worst voter suppression bill ever seriously considered by Congress.” As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a Trump-backed voter ID bill known as the SAVE Act, millions of citizens who lack easy access to its required forms of documentation are now at risk of disenfranchisement. “Republicans are singularly focused on making it harder to vote and pursuing this MAGA fever dream,” explains Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones. “It is the overarching goal of the Republican Party now to make it harder to vote.” The groups most at risk of disenfranchisement include people who have changed their names after marriage, older voters who never received birth certificates, rural voters who could find it increasingly difficult to register to vote and trans people who have changed their names or gender markers on government documents. The GOP and MAGA movement’s goal, says Imara Jones, the founder and CEO of TransLash Media, “is to enshrine anti-trans discrimination in the law, because what they’re doing is using trans people as a road test in order to try to figure out how to disenfranchise and marginalize and strip citizenship away from millions of Americans who disagree with them.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
This content originally appeared on Vincent Moon / Petites Planètes and was authored by Vincent Moon / Petites Planètes.
As Israel continues to pummel Lebanon in its resumed war against the country and the Hezbollah paramilitary, we get an update from Associated Press reporter Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut. “If you compare this particular war to the last one, ...
As Israel continues to pummel Lebanon in its resumed war against the country and the Hezbollah paramilitary, we get an update from Associated Press reporter Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut. “If you compare this particular war to the last one, less than two years ago, what happened in the past three weeks is what happened in the past seven or eight months,” says Chehayeb, who describes masses of displaced people and fears of an imminent ground invasion. “There is a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country, and it doesn’t appear that these strikes will stop anytime soon.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
A major New York Times investigation details the late co-founder of the United Farm Workers Cesar Chavez’s sexual abuse of women and girls. The revelations about Chavez’s history of grooming and abuse have sent shockwaves through t...
A major New York Times investigation details the late co-founder of the United Farm Workers Cesar Chavez’s sexual abuse of women and girls. The revelations about Chavez’s history of grooming and abuse have sent shockwaves through the labor movement and California, where officials are already moving to cancel or rename public celebrations planned in his honor. Chavez is also accused of sexually assaulting fellow labor rights icon and United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, now 95. Huerta says the assaults led to the births of two of her children. She concealed the pregnancies and had kept the children’s paternity secret until now. Huerta spoke for the first time at length about her new public disclosures in an exclusive interview with Latino USA host Maria Hinojosa, who joins Democracy Now! to discuss how Huerta is “not only coming to terms with her own assaults, [but also] coming to terms with the fact that the movement and the person who she admired as part of the movement is essentially being covered up, disappeared.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
U.S. Offensive Seeks to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as Hegseth Confirms He’s Seeking $200B for Iran War, Iran Warns of “Zero Restraint” If U.S. or Israel Attacks Energy Infrastructure Again, Death Toll from Recent Israeli Attacks on Lebanon Passes 1,000 Amid Fierce Fighting in South, Israel Reopens Rafah Crossing for Small Number of Palestinians to Seek Medicare Care Abroad, Protesters in Tel Aviv Demand Israel End Wars with Iran and Lebanon, Trump Jokes About Pearl Harbor in Meeting with Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi, 19-Year-Old Dies of Apparent Suicide in Florida ICE Jail, Nashville Immigration Reporter Estefany Rodríguez Released on Bond, Bronx High School Student Dylan Lopez Contreras Returns to New York After 10 Months in ICE Jail, Judge Denies Asylum Claim to Family of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5-Year-Old Jailed by ICE, “They Underestimated Their Workers”: Nearly 4,000 Colorado Meatpackers Enter Fifth Day of Strike, “De-ICE These Flights!”: Immigration Activists Target NCAA Charter Airline
U.S. Offensive Seeks to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as Hegseth Confirms He's Seeking $200B for Iran War Iran Warns of "Zero Restraint" If U.S. or Israel Attacks Energy Infrastructure Again Death Toll from Recent Israeli Attacks on Lebanon Passes 1,000 Amid Fierce Fighting in South Israel Reopens Rafah Crossing for Small Number of Palestinians to Seek Medicare Care Abroad Protesters in Tel Aviv Demand Israel End Wars with Iran and Lebanon Trump Jokes About Pearl Harbor in Meeting with Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi 19-Year-Old Dies of Apparent Suicide in Florida ICE Jail Nashville Immigration Reporter Estefany Rodríguez Released on Bond Bronx High School Student Dylan Lopez Contreras Returns to New York After 10 Months in ICE Jail Judge Denies Asylum Claim to Family of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5-Year-Old Jailed by ICE "They Underestimated Their Workers": Nearly 4,000 Colorado Meatpackers Enter Fifth Day of Strike "De-ICE These Flights!": Immigration Activists Target NCAA Charter Airline This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! Friday, March 20, 2026 This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
BAILES PARA SAN FRANCISCO (Real de Catorce, México)
South African journalist threatened, assaulted, robbed by municipal workers
Lusaka, March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on South African authorities to act swiftly on a criminal case of assault, robbery, intimidation, and malicious damage to the property of two journalists covering a protest in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province for The Witness newspaper. The police have not made any arrests, The Witness’ news editor...
Lusaka, March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on South African authorities to act swiftly on a criminal case of assault, robbery, intimidation, and malicious damage to the property of two journalists covering a protest in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province for The Witness newspaper. The police have not made any arrests, The Witness’ news editor Kailene Pillay told CPJ, despite the newspaper filing the case on February 25 at Pietermaritzburg Central Police Station, along with a video clip of the protesting workers. “The assault and threats against The Witness journalists are a direct attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “South African authorities must act decisively to investigate and ensure those responsible are prosecuted. Impunity only encourages further violence.” The Witness newspaper reporter Shorné Bennie and photographer Moeketsi Mamane told CPJ they were standing outside a Msunduzi municipality office on February 18, covering the workers’ protest against the installation of surveillance cameras in municipal vehicles, when the protesters threw a rock at them. “They threatened us with violence,” Bennie told CPJ. “One of them forcibly grabbed my colleague’s camera and went with it inside their premises and told him to go and collect it. He threw it to the ground and damaged it.” <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" height="614" width="1024" src="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?w=1024" alt="The Msunduzi municipality office premises where Mamane was assaulted on February 18." class="wp-image-575890" srcset="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png 1430w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=300,180 300w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=768,461 768w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=1024,614 1024w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=570,342 570w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=652,391 652w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=760,456 760w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=1140,684 1140w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-10.28.38-am.png?resize=367,220 367w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> The Msunduzi municipality office premises where Mamane was assaulted on February 18. (Screenshot: Courtesy of The Witness) Mamane went inside the gate to collect his camera. “They dragged me to the center of the group and assaulted me, while threatening me with further harm, and forced me to delete all my pictures, including the ones I took at a different event. After that, they pushed me out of the premises and told me not to return,” he told CPJ. On February 23, municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, told a news conference that “appropriate action will be taken once we get anything that proves involvement in such an act.” Pillay said The Witness sent him a formal complaint, reviewed by CPJ, the following day. Although South Africa’s constitution protects freedom of expression, journalists face physical attacks, online threats, and state surveillance. Another The Witness reporter was assaulted while covering a picket outside city hall in 2025. The South African National Editors’ Forum has called on the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) to condemn the incident. COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks told CPJ that local structures had been tasked to identity the attackers. Municipal spokesperson Ntobeko Ngcobo said the matter was being “treated with the utmost seriousness,” an internal investigation was underway, and the municipality was cooperating with ongoing police investigations. “The municipality does not condone any form of intimidation or violence against members of the media and is reviewing internal protocols to strengthen protections for journalists. The mayor has committed that the matter will be handled with urgency,” he told CPJ by phone. On March 18, CPJ phoned Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala, who said he would follow up on the investigation, and KwaZulu Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, who asked for the case number. Neither had responded by the time of publication. Editor’s note: Quintal was editor of The Witness from 2011 to 2013. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator
The post DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator appeared first on ProPublica.
Last summer, a group of officials from the Department of Energy gathered at the Idaho National Laboratory, a sprawling 890-square-mile complex in the eastern desert of Idaho where the U.S. government built its first rudimentary nuclear power plant in 1951 and continues to test cutting-edge technology. On the agenda that day: the future of nuclear energy in the Trump era. The meeting was convened by 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen. Just five years out of law school, Cohen brought no significant experience in nuclear law or policy; he had just entered government through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. As Cohen led the group through a technical conversation about licensing nuclear reactor designs, he repeatedly downplayed health and safety concerns. When staff brought up the topic of radiation exposure from nuclear test sites, Cohen broke in. “They are testing in Utah. … I don’t know, like 70 people live there,” he said. “But … there’s lots of babies,” one staffer pushed back. Babies, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups are thought to be potentially more susceptible to cancers brought on by low-level radiation exposure, and they are usually afforded greater protections. “They’ve been downwind before,” another staffer joked. “This is why we don’t use AI transcription in meetings,” another added. ProPublica reviewed records of that meeting, providing a rare look at a dramatic shift underway in one of the most sensitive domains of public policy. The Trump administration is upending the way nuclear energy is regulated, driven by a desire to dramatically increase the amount of energy available to power artificial intelligence. Career experts have been forced out and thousands of pages of regulations are being rewritten at a sprint. A new generation of nuclear energy companies — flush with Silicon Valley cash and boasting strong political connections — wield increasing influence over policy. Figures like Cohen are forcing a “move fast and break things” Silicon Valley ethos on one of the country’s most important regulators. The Trump administration has been particularly aggressive in its attacks on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the bipartisan independent regulator that approves commercial nuclear power plants and monitors their safety. The agency is not a household name. But it’s considered the international gold standard, often influencing safety rules around the world. The NRC has critics, especially in Silicon Valley, where the often-cautious commission is portrayed as an impediment to innovation. In an early salvo, President Donald Trump fired NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson last June after Hanson spoke out about the importance of agency independence. It was the first time an NRC commissioner had been fired. During that Idaho meeting, Cohen shot down any notion of NRC independence in the new era. “Assume the NRC is going to do whatever we tell the NRC to do,” he said, records reviewed by ProPublica show. In November, Cohen was made chief counsel for nuclear policy at the Department of Energy, where he oversees a broad nuclear portfolio. Hundreds of Staff Who Do Work Related to Nuclear Reactors and Their Safety Have Left and Not Been Replaced <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1336" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?w=752" alt="" class="wp-image-70876" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png 1500w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=169,300 169w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=768,1364 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=576,1024 576w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=865,1536 865w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=1153,2048 1153w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=863,1533 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=422,750 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=552,981 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=558,991 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=527,936 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=752,1336 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=1149,2041 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=901,1600 901w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=400,711 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=800,1421 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/waffle-nrc.png?resize=1200,2132 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Source: Weekly Information Reports from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Note: The data is from the week ending Jan. 24, 2025, through Feb. 13, 2026. The aggressive moves have sent shock waves through the nuclear energy world. Many longtime promoters of the industry say they worry recklessness from the Trump administration could discredit responsible nuclear energy initiatives. “The regulator is no longer an independent regulator — we do not know whose interests it is serving,” warned Allison Macfarlane, who served as NRC chair during the Obama administration. “The safety culture is under threat.” A ProPublica analysis of staffing data from the NRC and the Office of Personnel Management shows a rush to the exits: Over 400 people have left the agency since Trump took office. The losses are particularly pronounced in the teams that handle reactor and nuclear materials safety and among veteran staffers with 10 or more years of experience. Meanwhile, hiring of new staff has proceeded at a snail’s pace, with nearly 60 new arrivals in the first year of the Trump administration compared with nearly 350 in the last year of the Biden administration. Some nuclear power supporters say the administration is providing a needed level of urgency given the energy demands of AI. They also contend the sweeping changes underway aren’t as dangerous or dire as some experts suggest. “I think the NRC has been frozen in time,” said Brett Rampal, the senior director of nuclear and power strategy at the investment and strategy consultancy Veriten. “It’s a great time to get unfrozen and aim to work quickly.” The White House referred most of ProPublica’s questions to the Department of Energy, where spokesperson Olivia Tinari said the agency is committed to helping build more safe, high-quality nuclear energy facilities. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, America’s nuclear industry is entering a new era that will provide reliable, abundant power for generations to come,” she wrote. The DOE is “committed to the highest standards of safety for American workers and communities.” Cohen did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The NRC declined to comment. Blindsided by DOGE The U.S. has not had a serious nuclear incident since the Three Mile Island partial meltdown in 1979, a track record many experts attribute to a rigorous regulatory environment and an intense safety culture. Major nuclear incidents around the world have only strengthened the resolve of past regulators to stay independent from industry and from political winds. A chief cause of Japan’s Fukushima accident, investigators found, was the cozy relationship between the country’s industry and oversight body, which opened the door for thin safety assessments and inaccurate projections overlooking the possible impact of a major tsunami. “We knew regulatory capture led directly to Fukushima and to Chernobyl,” said Kathryn Huff, who was assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy during the Biden administration. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="756" width="1149" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=1149" alt="A road with a parked police car and a blurred officer. In the distance are four nuclear cooling towers billowing smoke." class="wp-image-70443" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,505 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,674 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,1011 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1348 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,568 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,278 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,363 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,367 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,347 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,495 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,756 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1316 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,263 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,526 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,790 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1166635240_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,1053 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1149px) 100vw, 1149px" /> The U.S. has not had a serious nuclear incident since the Three Mile Island partial meltdown in 1979. Leif Skoogfors/Getty Images The U.S. has barely built any nuclear power plants in recent decades. Only three new reactors have been completed in the last 25 years, and since 1990 the U.S has barely added any net new nuclear electricity to its grid. Though about 20% of U.S. energy is supplied by nuclear power plants, the fleet is aging. Some experts blame the slow build-out on the challenging economics of financing a multibillion-dollar project and the uncertainty of accessing and disposing of nuclear fuels. But an increasingly vocal group of industry voices and deregulation advocates have blamed the slow build-out on overly cautious and inefficient regulators. Among the most powerful exponents of this view are billionaires Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen; both venture capitalists have their own investments in the nuclear energy sector and are influential Trump supporters. Andreessen camped out at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida, after Trump won the 2024 election, helping pick staff for the new administration. In late 2024, Thiel personally vetted at least one candidate for the Office of Nuclear Energy, according to people familiar with the conversations. Neither responded to requests for comment. Four months into his second term, Trump signed a series of executive orders designed to supercharge nuclear power build-out. “It’s a hot industry, it’s a brilliant industry,” said Trump, flanked by nuclear energy CEOs in the Oval Office. He added: “And it’s become very safe.” Under those orders, the NRC was directed to reduce its workforce, speed up the timeline for approving nuclear reactors and rewrite many of its safety rules. The DOE — which has a vast nuclear portfolio, including waste cleanup sites and government research labs — was tasked with creating a pathway for so-called advanced nuclear companies to test their designs. The goal, Trump said, was to quadruple nuclear energy output and provide new power to the data centers behind the AI boom. As DOGE gutted agencies, departures mounted in the nuclear sector. Career experts in nuclear regulations and safety departed or were forced out. When Trump fired Hanson, a Democratic NRC commissioner, the president’s team explained the move by saying, “All organizations are more effective when leaders are rowing in the same direction.” In an unsigned email to ProPublica, the White House press office wrote: “All commissioners are presidential appointees and can be fired just like any other appointee.” In August, the NRC’s top attorney resigned and was replaced by oil and gas lawyer David Taggart, who had been working on DOGE cuts at the DOE. In all, the nuclear office at the DOE had lost about a third of its staff, according to a January 2026 count by the Federation of American Scientists, a nonprofit focused on science and technology policy. That summer, Cohen and a team of DOGE operatives touched down at the NRC offices, a series of nondescript towers across from a Dunkin’ in suburban Maryland. He was joined by Adam Blake, an investor who had recently founded an AI medical startup and has a background in real estate and solar energy, and Ankur Bansal, president of a company that created software for real estate agents. Neither would comment for this story. Many career officials who spoke with ProPublica were blindsided: The new Trump officials at the NRC seemed to have no experience with the intricacies of nuclear energy policy or law, they said. One NRC lawyer who briefed some of the new arrivals decided to resign. “They were talking about quickly approving all these new reactors, and they didn’t seem to care that much about the rules — they wanted to carry out the wishes of the White House,” the official said. At one point, Cohen began passing out hats from nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics, one of the companies vying to build a new reactor, according to sources familiar with the matter and records seen by ProPublica. NRC staffers balked; they were supposed to monitor companies like Valar for safety violations, not wear its swag. NRC ethics officials warned Cohen that the hat handout was a likely violation of conflict rules. It betrayed a misunderstanding of the safety regulator’s role, said a former official familiar with the exchange. “Imagine you live near a nuclear power plant, and you find out a supposedly independent safety regulator — the watchdog — is going around wearing the power plant’s branded hats,” the official said. “Would that make you feel safe?” The NRC and Cohen did not respond to requests for comment about the hat incident. Valar counts Trump’s Silicon Valley allies as angel investors. They include Palmer Luckey, a technology executive and founder of the defense contractor Anduril, and Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer of Palantir, the software company helping power Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation raids. It was among three nuclear reactor companies that sued the NRC last year in an attempt to strip it of its authority to regulate its reactors and replace it with a state-level regulator. Before the Trump administration came into office, lawyers watching the case were confident the courts would quickly dismiss the suit, as the NRC’s authority to regulate reactors is widely acknowledged. But new Trump appointees pushed for a compromise settlement — which is still being negotiated. The career NRC lawyer working on the case quietly left the agency. Valar and its executives did not reply to requests for comment. “Going So Fast” The deregulatory push is the culmination of mounting pressure — both political and economic — to make it easier to build nuclear power in the U.S. Over the years, a bipartisan coalition supporting nuclear expansion brought together environmentalists who favor zero-carbon power and defense hawks focused on abundant domestic energy production. Anti-nuclear activists still argue that renewable energy like wind and solar are safer and more economical. But streamlining the NRC has been a bipartisan priority as well. The latest major reform came in 2024, when President Joe Biden signed into law the ADVANCE Act, which went as far as changing the mission statement of the NRC to ensure it “does not unnecessarily limit” nuclear energy development. Some nuclear power supporters say the Trump administration is merely accelerating these changes. They cite instances in which the current regulations appear out of sync with the times. The NRC’s byzantine rules are designed for so-called large light-water reactors — massive facilities that can power entire cities — and not the increasingly in vogue smaller advanced reactor designs popular among Silicon Valley-backed firms. Rules that require fences of certain heights might make little sense for new reactors buried in the earth; and rules that require a certain number of operators per reactor could be a bad fit for a cluster of smaller reactors with modern controls. Advances in sensors, modeling and safety technologies, they say, should be taken into account across the board. The NRC has said it expects over two dozen new license requests from small modular and advanced reactor companies in coming years. Many of those requests are likely to come from new, Silicon Valley-based nuclear firms. “There was a missing link in the innovation cycle, and it was very difficult to build something and test it in the U.S. because of mostly licensing and site availability constraints in the past,” said Adam Stein of the pro-nuclear nonprofit Breakthrough Institute. The regulatory changes are in flux: This spring, the NRC is starting to release thousands of pages of new rules governing everything from the safety and emergency preparedness plans reactor companies are required to submit to the procedures for objecting to a reactor license. “It’s hard to know if they are getting rid of unnecessary processes or if it’s actually reducing public safety,” said one official working on reactor licensing, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Trump administration. “And that’s just the problem with going so fast — everything just kind of gets lost in a mush.” Lawyers from the Executive Office of the President have been sent to the NRC to keep an eye on the new rules, a move that further raised alarms about the agency’s independence. Nicholas Gallagher — a relatively recent New York University law school graduate and conservative writer whom ProPublica previously identified as a DOGE operative at the General Services Administration — has been involved in conversations about overhauling environmental rules. He’s working alongside Sydney Volanski, a 30-year-old recent law school graduate who rose to national attention while she was in high school for her campaign against the Girl Scouts of America, which she accused of promoting “Marxists, socialists and advocates of same-sex lifestyle.” NRC lawyers working on the rules were told last October that Gallagher and Volanski would be joining them, and they both appear on the regular NRC rulemaking calendar invite. The White House maintains, however, that “zero lawyers from the Executive Office of the President have been dispatched to work on rulemaking.” Neither Gallagher nor Volanski replied to requests for comment. The administration is routing the new rules through an office overseen by Trump’s cost-cutting guru Russell Vought, a move that was previously unheard of for an independent regulator like the NRC. The White House spokesperson noted that, under a recent executive order, this process is now required for all agencies. Political operatives have been “inserted into the senior leadership team to the point where they could significantly influence decision-making,” said Scott Morris, who worked at the NRC for more than 32 years, most recently as the No. 2 career operations official. “I just think that would be a dangerous proposition.” Morris voted for Trump twice and broadly supports the goals of deregulating and expanding nuclear energy, but he has begun speaking out against the administration’s interference at the NRC. He retired in May 2025 as part of a wave of retirements and firings. At a recent hearing before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board — an independent body that helps adjudicate nuclear licensing — NRC lawyers withdrew from the proceedings, citing “limited resources.” The judge remarked that it was the first time in over 20 years the NRC had done so. Meanwhile, some staff members, other career officials say, are afraid to voice dissenting views for fear of being fired. “It feels like being a lobster in a slowly boiling pot,” one NRC official who has been working on the rule changes told ProPublica, describing the erosion of independence. The official was one of three who compared their recent experience at NRC to being in a pot of slowly boiling water. “If somebody is raising something that they think that the industry or the White House would have a problem with, they think twice,” the official said. Inside the NRC, the steering committee overseeing the changes includes Cohen, Taggart and Mike King, a career NRC official who is the newly installed executive director for operations. The former director, Mirela Gavrilas, a 21-year veteran of the agency, retired after getting boxed out of decision-making, according to a person familiar with her departure. Gavrilas did not respond to a request for comment. Any final changes will be approved by the NRC’s five commissioners, three of whom are Republicans. In September, the two Democratic commissioners told a Senate committee they might be fired at any time if they get crosswise with Trump — including over revisions to safety rules. Draft rules being circulated inside the NRC propose drastic rollbacks of security and safety inspections at nuclear facilities. Those include a proposed 56% cut in emergency preparedness inspection time, CNN reported in March. Even some pro-nuclear groups are troubled by the emerging order. Some have tried to backchannel to their contacts in the Trump administration to explain the importance of an independent regulator to help maintain public support for nuclear power. Without it, they risk losing credibility. “You have to make sure you don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater,” said Judi Greenwald, president and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes nuclear energy and supports many of the regulatory changes being proposed by the Trump administration. Greenwald’s group favors faster timelines for approving nuclear reactors, but she worries that the agency’s fundamental independence has been undermined. “We would prefer that they yield back more of NRC independence,” she said. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=752" alt="An industrial room filled with pipes and large structures." class="wp-image-70448" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_16130484_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> The Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, is the largest nuclear power station in the U.S. Kendrick Brinson/The New York Times/Redux “Nuke Bros” in Silicon Valley One Trump administration priority has been making it easier for so-called advanced reactor companies to navigate the regulatory process. These firms, mostly backed by Silicon Valley tech and venture money, are often working on designs for much smaller reactors that they hope to mass produce in factories. “There are two nuclear industries,” said Macfarlane, the former NRC chair. “There are the actual people who use nuclear reactors to produce power and put it on the grid … and then there are the ‘nuke bros’” in Silicon Valley. Trump’s Silicon Valley allies have loomed large over his nuclear policy. One prospective political appointee for a top DOE nuclear job got a Christmas Eve call from Thiel, the rare Silicon Valley leader to back Trump in 2016. Thiel, whose Founders Fund invested in a nuclear fuel startup and an advanced reactor company, quizzed the would-be official about deregulation and how to rapidly build more nuclear energy capacity, said sources familiar with the conversation. Nuclear energy startups jockeyed to spend time at Mar-a-Lago in the months before the start of Trump’s second term. Balerion Space Ventures, a venture capital firm that has invested in multiple companies, convened an investor summit there in January 2025, according to an invitation viewed by ProPublica. Balerion did not reply to a request for comment. A few months later, when Trump was drawing up the executive orders, leaders at many of those nuclear companies were given advanced access to drafts of the text — and the opportunity to provide suggested edits, documents viewed by ProPublica show. Those orders created a new program to test out experimental reactor designs, addressing a common complaint that companies are not given opportunities to experiment. There are currently about a dozen advanced reactor companies planning to participate. Each has a concierge team within the DOE to help navigate bureaucracy. As NPR reported in January, the DOE quietly overhauled a series of safety rules that would apply to these new reactors and shared the new regulations with these companies before making them public. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright — who served on the board of one of those companies, Oklo — has said fast nuclear build-out is a priority: “We are moving as quickly as we can to permit, build and enable the rapid construction of as much nuke capacity as possible,” he told CNBC last fall. Oklo noted that Wright stepped down from the board when he was confirmed. The Trump administration hopes some of the companies would have their reactors “go critical” — a key first step on the way to building a functioning power plant — by July 2026. Then the NRC, which signs off on the safety designs of commercial nuclear power plants, could be expected to quickly OK these new reactors to get to market. According to people familiar with the conversations, at least one nuclear energy startup CEO personally recruited potential members of the DOGE nuclear team, though it’s not clear if Cohen was brought aboard this way. Cohen has told colleagues and industry contacts that he reports to Emily Underwood, one of Trump adviser Stephen Miller’s top aides for economic policy. He is perceived inside government as a key avatar of the White House’s nuclear agenda. In its email to ProPublica, the White House said, “Seth Cohen is a Department of Energy employee and does not report to Emily Underwood or Stephen Miller in any capacity.” The DOE spokesperson added, “Seth’s role at the Department of Energy is to support the Trump administration’s mission to unleash American Energy Dominance.” Cohen has been pushing to raise the legal limit of radiation that nuclear energy companies are allowed to emit from their facilities. One nuclear industry insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said many firms are fixating on changing these radiation rules: Their business model requires moving nuclear reactors around the country, often near workers or the general public. Building thick, expensive shielding walls can be prohibitively expensive, they said. Valar CEO Isaiah Taylor has called limits on exposure to radiation a top barrier to industry growth. A recent DOE memo seen by ProPublica cites cost savings on shielding for Valar’s reactor to justify changing those limits. “Shielding-related cost reductions,” the memo said, “could range from $1-2 million per reactor.” The debate over the precise rule change is ongoing. The DOE has been considering a fivefold increase to the limit for public exposure to radiation, which will allow some nuclear reactor companies to cut costs on these expensive safety shields, internal DOE documents seen by ProPublica show. A presentation prepared by DOE staffers in their Idaho offices that has circulated inside the department makes the “business case” for changing the radiation dose rules: It could cut the cost of some new reactors by as much as 5%. These more relaxed standards are likely to be adopted by the NRC and apply to reactors nationwide, documents show. In February, Wright accompanied Valar’s executive team on a first-of-its-kind flight, as a U.S. military plane was conscripted to fly the company’s reactor from Los Angeles to Utah. Valar does not yet have a working nuclear reactor, and a number of industry sources told ProPublica they viewed the airlift as a PR exercise. Internal government memos justified the airlift by designating it as “critical” to the U.S. “national security interests.” Cohen posted smiling pictures of himself from the cargo bay of the military plane. Cohen told an audience at the American Nuclear Society that the rapid build-out was essential to powering Silicon Valley’s AI data centers. He framed the policy in existential terms: “I can’t emphasize this strongly enough that losing the AI war is an outcome akin to the Nazis developing the bomb before the United States.” As it deliberated rule changes, the DOE has cut out its internal team of health experts who work on radiation safety at the Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security, said sources familiar with the decision. The advice of outside experts on radiation protection has been largely cast aside. The DOE spokesperson said its radiation standards “are aligned with Gold Standard Science … with a focus on protecting people and the environment while avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy.” The department has already decided to abandon the long-standing radiation protection principle known as “ALARA” — the “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” standard — which directs anyone dealing with radioactive materials to minimize exposure. It often pushes exposure well below legal thresholds. Many experts agreed that the ALARA principle was sometimes applied too strictly, but the move to entirely throw it out was opposed by many prominent radiation health experts. Whether the agencies will actually change the legal thresholds for radiation exposure is an open question, said sources familiar with the deliberations. Internal DOE documents arguing for changing dose rules cite a report produced at the Idaho National Laboratory, which was compiled with the help of the AI assistant Claude. “It’s really strange,” said Kathryn Higley, president of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, a congressionally chartered group studying radiation safety. “They fundamentally mistake the science.” John Wagner, the head of the Idaho National Laboratory and the report’s lead author, acknowledged to ProPublica that the science over changing radiation exposure rules is hotly contested. “We recognize that respected experts interpret aspects of this literature differently,” he wrote. His analysis was not meant to be the final word, he said, but was “intended to inform debate.” The impact of radiation levels at very low doses is hard to measure, so the U.S. has historically struck a cautious note. Raising dose limits could put the U.S. out of step with international standards. For his part, Cohen has told the nuclear industry that he sees his job as making sure the government “is no longer a barrier” to them. In June, he shot down the notion of companies putting money into a fund for workplace accidents. “Put yourself in the shoes of one of these startups,” he said. “They’re raising hundreds of millions of dollars to do this. And then they would have to go to their VCs and their board and say, listen, guys, we actually need a few hundred million dollars more to put into a trust fund?” He also suggested that regulators should not fret about preparing for so-called 100-year events — disasters that have roughly a 1% chance of taking place but can be catastrophic for nuclear facilities. “When SpaceX started building rockets, they sort of expected the first ones to blow up,” he said. The post DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Avi Asher-Schapiro.
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Friday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4 and was authored by Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4.
As Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No
The post As Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No appeared first on ProPublica.
States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn’t fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance. It wasn’t President Donald Trump’s administration applying pressure. It was the early 1990s, and President Bill Clinton had signed the “motor voter” law requiring states to offer voter registration when someone applies for a driver’s license. Idaho, with its fiercely independent streak, didn’t want to participate. So instead of going along with the federal government’s new National Voter Registration Act, state legislators followed the recommendation of Idaho’s top election officials and scrambled for a way out. Because the federal voter law said states with same-day voter registration could be exempt, Idaho lawmakers passed a bill almost unanimously, with full support from Republicans, to adopt same-day registration. Idaho’s chief deputy secretary of state at the time, Ben Ysursa, described the move as an almost existential response to “an insidious federal intrusion into state election procedures.” The Clinton Justice Department eventually sued three states for not complying with its demands. By then, Idaho’s had a shield against litigation due to its exemption. Three decades later, the exemption and the philosophy that led to it are at the heart of Idaho’s refusal to comply with a very different demand by the Trump Justice Department. The state’s top election official cites the exemption as one reason he will not sign a deal to give the Trump administration all the voter data his office holds, including sensitive personal information like partial Social Security and driver’s license numbers. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane is one of about a dozen Republicans nationally to resist the administration’s efforts to gather sensitive voter data ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, in the face of litigation threats from the Justice Department. In a state that Trump won in 2024 by one of the largest margins in the country, an effort that the administration touts as essential to weeding out noncitizen voters has tested the limits of what a committed Trump stronghold will tolerate when it comes to privacy and federal power. Lists of voter addresses and party affiliations are often available to the public through an open records request. McGrane provided the government with this version. But state election administrators also keep more sensitive information such as a person’s exact date of birth and partial Social Security number. In Idaho, the law says this information can’t be given out — and that’s what the Trump administration is still after. Among the other five states exempt from the law, three have refused to give up their voters’ sensitive information and have since been sued by the Justice Department. Wyoming handed over its data without a lawsuit. Other states that are not exempt have also been sued. McGrane, who is an attorney, told the Justice Department in letters that he doesn’t see any legal reason why he should honor the government’s request — and that, given the administration’s recent admissions over its handling of sensitive data, he couldn’t be sure the department would keep it safe, which is his duty under state law. The trimmed-down version of voter info he’d already handed over should be enough for “any legitimate inquiry” by the government into how effectively Idaho maintains its voter lists, McCrane wrote. Through a spokesperson, McGrane declined an interview request from ProPublica, citing the possibility of an impending lawsuit from the Justice Department. A spokesperson for the Justice Department also declined to comment. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?w=752" alt="A smiling bald man wearing glasses, a suit and an “I voted” sticker looks off camera in front of an abstract background of blurred lights." class="wp-image-70880" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg 5472w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP22313201609233.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Idaho’s Republican secretary of state, Phil McGrane, is one of about a dozen Republicans nationally to resist the administration’s efforts to gather sensitive voter data ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Kyle Green/AP Photo A Justice Department attorney threatened to sue Idaho in December, in a halting voicemail with McGrane’s office that was obtained by ProPublica and previously reported on by the Idaho Capital Sun. “I need to get some clarification as to what you’re going to be doing. Or not doing. So, again, I need a response from you,” the lawyer says in the recording. “You may have seen in the news that we have sued six states earlier this week for refusing to provide their voter registration lists, and we’re preparing additional lawsuits.” The lawyer then tells the secretary of state’s office he would “like to keep everyone out of that as possible — as much as possible, but I haven’t heard anything back from you.” Ysursa, who served three terms as secretary of state until 2015, said McGrane is “in a much more politically volatile situation than I ever was.” “Going against Trump in Idaho on certain things, that’s a fine line,” Ysursa said. “And I think he’s doing a good job. He’s doing the right thing.” Public policy surveys in Idaho conducted since the 1990s have surfaced a current of “distrust or wariness towards federal control or national control,” said Matthew May, survey research director at the Boise State University School of Public Service. The polling over time has revealed Idahoans’ strong belief in independence, May said. In the months since McGrane’s refusal, more than 130 constituents have called, emailed and sent handwritten cards and letters to his office. Of those, just one person said they wanted McGrane to provide information to the Trump administration. The others were supportive, appreciative or, in some cases, seemingly panicked by the prospect of their private information being released. Although the senders skewed more Democratic than Idaho’s electorate, just over half the messages came from Republicans and unaffiliated voters, based on a review of voter registration data for commenters who left their names. “Mr McGrane has done a masterful job of dancing around the US Justice Dept request for the full voter records of Idaho voters,” wrote one registered Republican. “When the dancing no longer works, I expect Mr McGrane to give them a big fat NO! “Voting is our one sacred right in this country,” the person continued. “DOJ has no legitimate business receiving our PRIVATE voter information. They may threaten to sue, but so will the voters of Idaho if you grant their request. Do not give them our personal voter information. Thank you.” Ysursa told ProPublica that he has urged McGrane to “hold the line,” even amid threats of repercussions. Ysursa is one of nine former secretaries of state who filed an amicus brief in federal court, arguing against the administration’s demands for full voter information. The Trump administration’s creep toward nationalizing elections runs counter to the ethos of “keep your federal hands off Idaho,” Ysursa said. McGrane is a self-described election nerd who worked his way up through elections offices, as opposed to cultivating a resume as a professional politician. He served as a county elections chief and gained a reputation for approaching voting day with a Super Bowl level of enthusiasm. He also became known for his ability to resist the political winds. McGrane was one of seven people featured on the cover of Time magazine in 2022 as “the defenders” of America’s elections. That year, McGrane was the only Idaho Republican candidate for secretary of state who did not back the false claim that fraud was responsible for Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. In perhaps the strongest sign that Trump’s base in Idaho has not been inflamed by McGrane’s pushback on the administration’s demand for voter rolls — which received plenty of media attention locally — he drew no challenger by last month’s deadline to enter the Idaho Republican primary for his position. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="564" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?w=752" alt="A pile of handwritten cards. A post-it note reads: “I’m a Republican, and you restored my hope. Excellent job…developing and protecting Id. elections.” Another card reads: “Mr. McGrane: I am an Idaho Voter and I want to thank you for NOT sharing our voter information with the DOJ. And keeping our information Safe, as it should be. Bravo!”" class="wp-image-70881" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg 4032w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=863,647 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=422,317 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=552,414 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=558,419 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=527,395 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=752,564 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=1149,862 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=2000,1500 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=800,600 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PXL_20260306_211201535.jpg?resize=1600,1200 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Voters across Idaho have sent McGrane thank-you notes for not sharing their data. Audrey Dutton/ProPublica While the Constitution gives states the authority to run elections, the National Voter Registration Act gives the federal government an oversight role when it comes to ensuring voter lists are properly maintained. The law says election officials must make a “reasonable effort” to keep ineligible voters off of the rolls, and typical oversight comes in the form of lawsuits claiming that states aren’t doing a good enough job. Under Trump, the Justice Department has gone a step further. The department claims it has the right to seize states’ unredacted voter rolls without proving its case in court, citing in lawsuits the powers that agency officials say they have under the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act. The Justice Department has privately told states more about its intentions, according to emails obtained by ProPublica through public records requests. In Montana, a federal lawyer told the secretary of state’s legal counsel that the department was requesting voter rolls to “facilitate a review for noncitizens and dead voters,” adding that federal officials would be able to assess whether there are duplicate registrations as well. The demands come as part of the Trump administration’s focus on hunting down noncitizens on the voter rolls, a long-standing preoccupation for the president. He has long claimed, without evidence, that noncitizens have infiltrated the rolls to influence elections. Three judges who have considered the government’s lawsuits fully so far have dismissed them, saying that the federal laws the Trump administration cites as the basis for its demands do not apply — especially not where voters’ private information is concerned. In Oregon, U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai wrote that the Justice Department’s claims were “troubling,” representing federal overreach. In California, U.S. District Judge David Carter said the centralization of the information would have a chilling effect on voter registration, leading to decreased turnout as people worry their data could be used for an “inappropriate or unlawful purpose.” “This risk threatens the right to vote which is the cornerstone of American democracy,” Carter wrote. In Michigan, U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou echoed that interpretation, writing that “the risk of having one’s personal information misused will deter people from registering to vote.” The Justice Department has appealed all of the courts’ decisions. Leaders in Republican-led states that have held back their voter rolls, meanwhile, have taken pains to show they are making other efforts to keep noncitizens from voting. Idaho started looking for evidence of problems well before the Trump administration’s request. McGrane said in a letter to the Justice Department that his office worked with federal agencies to check the citizenship status of all registered Idaho voters in the lead-up to the 2024 general election. Given what Idaho has already done and the processes already in place, the federal government has “no legal or practical rationale for duplicative review,” McGrane wrote. The tools Idaho employed, he said, included a Department of Homeland Security program known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements. Idaho’s search found 11 cases of noncitizens registered to vote — none of whom actually cast votes in 2024 — and state police referred those cases to the Justice Department’s chief prosecutor in Idaho for review. McGrane told the Justice Department that he hadn’t heard anything about those cases since. The post As Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Audrey Dutton.
More than 1 million people across Lebanon displaced following Israeli military’s evacuation orders
This content originally appeared on Human Rights Watch and was authored by Human Rights Watch.
She Was in Labor at a Florida Hospital. Then She Was in Zoom Court for Refusing a C-Section.
The post She Was in Labor at a Florida Hospital. Then She Was in Zoom Court for Refusing a C-Section. appeared first on ProPublica.
It’s difficult to put yourself in the place of Cherise Doyley, a pregnant mother of three who found herself facing a judge while in labor at the University of Florida Health hospital in downtown Jacksonville. She had arrived at the facility with a plan for her birth. She wanted to try for a vaginal delivery, but she understood from years of experience as a professional birthing doula that things don’t always go as planned. She arrived overnight at the hospital after her water broke. Doctors told her they were concerned about the risk of uterine rupture, a potentially deadly complication for her and her baby. She understood the risk to be less than 2% and repeatedly told doctors she wouldn’t consent to a cesarean without trying to have a vaginal delivery first. The doctors appeared to relent, leaving her to labor for several more hours. Then a nursing supervisor wheeled a tablet up to her bed and informed her she was in court. The reason? Failing to agree to a C-section. Read More They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth. When advocates for pregnant women say that you shouldn’t lose your constitutional rights just because you conceived, this is the kind of situation they’re talking about. I’m a reporter based in Alabama, and throughout my career, I’ve focused on women facing the consequences of the state’s fetal personhood policy. That’s the idea that fetuses should have the same legal status as children. My investigation shows how a similar theory played into the cases of two women: Cherise Doyley and Brianna Bennett, who experienced eerily similar situations in Florida. In both cases, they found themselves fighting for their rights to make medical decisions because they were pregnant. I obtained a video recording of Doyley’s court hearing. Watching her argue her case from her hospital bed shocked me. Even though courts have found time and time again that you can’t force someone to undergo medical treatment — even if it could save someone else’s life — the video underscored for me how pregnant women are the rare exception. In several states, judges have ruled pregnant patients can be forced to receive blood transfusions or remain on bed rest if it is in the best interest of the fetus. In Doyley’s case, a court would force her to undergo surgery. ProPublica has already investigated how abortion restrictions can lead to pregnant women being denied lifesaving care. Experts worry that the opposite problem, forced treatment, could also become more common in states like Florida that have fetal personhood policies. Doyley signed a waiver allowing the hospital to discuss her case with ProPublica, but a spokesperson for University of Florida Health in Jacksonville would not comment, citing patient privacy. By sharing and examining Doyley’s case with her consent, we aim to show you what forced medical treatment can look like. And, while we encourage you to read the full investigation, we wanted to offer you a look inside the Zoom court hearing so you can see for yourself what happened. The Hearing Convenes Nurses wheel in a tablet for a virtual hearing, and Cherise Doyley realizes she is facing a court hearing about her birth choices. Obtained by ProPublica You can see the confusion on Doyley’s face as she realizes she’s being taken to court over her medical decisions. She asked for a lawyer, or at least a patient advocate. Florida courts don’t require lawyers for pregnant women in hearings about their medical decisions and the hospital didn’t provide an advocate, so Doyley had to go it alone. Judge Michael Kalil was on the call in his black robe and explained how the hearing would work. Doyley, a Black woman, was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to IVs and monitors and covered by a sheet. She was surrounded on the screen by nearly a dozen doctors and lawyers, most of them white, who offered a lot of testimony about what could happen to Doyley’s baby if she continued to refuse a C-section. The Judge Explains the Proceedings Judge Michael Kalil explains that the state attorney’s office, at the request of the hospital, has asked him to grant an order for an emergency C-section. Obtained by ProPublica Dr. Erin Burnett said during the hearing that she did not think Doyley could successfully give birth vaginally. A long labor could increase the risk of uterine rupture, which could kill Doyley and the child, she said. Dr. John Davis, the chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department, said in the hearing the hospital had been recognized for its low C-section rate and did not perform unnecessary surgeries. Doyley’s condition required intervention, he said. “Everybody was very concerned about the baby’s welfare,” Jenny Van Ravestein, director of women’s services at the hospital, said during the hearing. Burnett and Davis did not respond to requests for comment, and the hospital declined ProPublica’s requests to interview them and others involved in Doyley’s care. The research on the risks of uterine rupture after prior C-sections is unclear. Studies have found that 0.15% to 2.3% of these labors resulted in a rupture, depending on a number of factors such as body mass, a history of successful vaginal births and whether the labor began spontaneously or had to be induced. Either number felt pretty low to Doyley. What the testimony doesn’t include, though, is much about the downsides Doyley faced from having another C-section, which could entail a long recovery, infection and other complications, along with the risk of death. But she couldn’t explain her reasoning until the judge decided to unmute her. Doyley Testifies When Doyley is unmuted, she testifies that a C-section could put her life in danger. Obtained by ProPublica Doyley had her reasons to want to avoid major abdominal surgery: She had difficult recoveries from her previous C-sections. A hemorrhage after a prior C-section had sent her back to the hospital for almost a week. She worried that she wouldn’t be able to care for her children if she was struggling with recovery from the surgery itself and potentially also with complications. And she was concerned that if she were to die, her children could fall into the foster care system. Doyley said she didn’t see surgery as a low-risk option. She wondered aloud in the hearing if her other children’s lives — and her own — mattered to the hospital and doctors. Kimberly Mutcherson, a law professor at Rutgers University, said that women who want to opt for care that seems risky to doctors often face accusations of not caring about their babies. “You’re somebody who is a bad mother, right?” Mutcherson said. “Which is a huge part of what the thought process is here. This is not what mothers do. Mothers sacrifice, including allowing somebody to cut you open.” Obstetricians care for two interconnected patients — the mother and her fetus. Sometimes their needs conflict. When that happens, the ethical guidelines for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say the doctor should prioritize the well-being of the mother. However, these cases show that doctors sometimes elevate the welfare of the fetus over the mother, said Elizabeth Kukura, a law professor at Drexel University. “It reflects a deep understanding of women as the incubators,” Kukura said. “Women in their role as childbearers.” The hearing dragged on for more than two hours. At one point, Doyley asked for a transfer to another hospital because she did not want anyone involved in the hearing to operate on her if she needed a C-section. Hospital officials said that wasn’t likely to happen since another hospital would have to accept her as a patient first. Doyley agreed to stay at University of Florida Health but asked if the hospital could assign a Black nurse or doctor to her care. She wondered aloud in the hearing what would happen in the morning, after the 6 a.m. deadline imposed by the court had passed. “They’re going to tie me up and go give me a C-section against my will?” A Deadline Is Set Doyley says she doesn’t like her care being determined by nurses and doctors, most of whom were white, who have been involved in her court hearing. Obtained by ProPublica The judge did not order an immediate C-section, but he said the hospital could perform one in an emergency without her consent. Doyley later said she did her best to maintain her poise and composure. And at the end, she even thanked the judge and highlighted how absurd the whole thing felt to her. “I appreciate you spending two hours on a Sunday going through my medical history and fighting for my vagina and my baby,” she said. The Judge Rules Doyley thanks the judge at the end of the hearing, trying to keep her composure. Obtained by ProPublica Overnight, doctors said the baby’s heart rate dropped for several minutes. They rushed Doyley into surgery, and she, once again, gave birth via C-section. The next morning at 8 a.m., nurses again put Doyley in front of a tablet for a final hearing. Doyley said the baby was born at 2 a.m., and she still hadn’t been taken to the neonatal intensive care unit to see her daughter. “Tell them I don’t want to be on,” she said. “Y’all can have your own meeting. I want to see my child.” Once Kalil heard the baby had been born, he wished Doyley well and closed the case. The Case Is Closed Hours after her C-section delivery, Doyley finds herself back in a hearing before she even gets to see her baby. Obtained by ProPublica In response to questions from ProPublica, Kalil wrote in an email that the judicial code of conduct prohibits judges from commenting on cases. “These ethical standards exist to protect the integrity of the judicial process, ensure fairness to all parties, and preserve the Court’s neutrality,” he wrote. For a year, Doyley and her family tried to forget about the case and move on. But she couldn’t shake the feeling of violation. She said if the hospital could force her to undergo surgery, it could happen to anyone. “When we use the courts to basically strong-arm, bully someone into an unnecessary medical procedure against their will, it’s akin to torture, in my eyes,” Doyley said. The post She Was in Labor at a Florida Hospital. Then She Was in Zoom Court for Refusing a C-Section. appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Amy Yurkanin.
The growing allure — and danger — of glacier tourism.
Upstairs, right outside my toddler’s room, hangs this striking, blue-blue print of an Icelandic glacier ice cave: the Crystal Ice Cave, circa 2015, long since vanished. My friend Þorri took the image and gifted it to me during one of my many stays over the last 20 years. My son visits the print often. When he was about a year-and-a-half, he pointed to it and confirmed, “blue.” Add two more years and the name of the glacier, “Breiðamerkurjökull,” rolls off his tongue. Lately, just like he asks about my husband and me and our cats and the mailbox and the couch, he asks about the glacier in the picture. How is Breiðamerkurjökull feeling today? Sad? Hungry? Happy? OK? This gets fraught quickly. I’m a writer and a glacier scientist — I’ve spent the bulk of my career working on, in, and around this particular glacier system, trying to understand what is happening to it, how people and communities respond to its changes, and how the future of this glacier impacts humanity worldwide. And Breiðamerkurjökull — this huge sweep of snow and ice some 8.5 miles wide and 28 miles long, Iceland’s third-largest glacier — is decidedly not OK. Between 1982 and 2020, nearly 3 miles of this glacier’s physical body dissolved away into the sea. This current rate of melt is rapid and unnatural, and as it accelerates, more tubes and tunnels form within the glacier body, what we call moulins in glaciology but everyone else calls “ice caves.” So now I stand frozen in my upstairs hallway, looking at the long-dissolved ice cave and trying to answer the impatient tap-tap of my son’s foot. I don’t want, in this moment before snack and Bluey and playground, to ruin his day and mine. To tell him about accelerating melt, about glacier loss, about climate change. And so I just nod. I tell him Breiðamerkurjökull is feeling OK. And then he’s off, running down the stairs, shout-singing, and I’m sagging in the doorframe. My wee son is far from the only person to be captivated by ice caves. They’re among the most stunning, otherworldly, transcendent places on Earth. People worldwide are drawn to experiencing them, a quest paradoxically made more possible and more perilous by climate change. This desire for ice caves is part of a much larger phenomenon known as “last-chance tourism”: that impulse many people have to see — and consume — fragile environments before they irrevocably transform in our lifetimes. Unsurprisingly, an entire industry has emerged to monetize this desire. ‘To some, entering a passageway into a glacier is absurd and dangerous. To others, it’s a fast lane to adventure and awe — or even wealth.’ But venturing onto, or into, today’s climate change-shaped glaciers carries very real dangers. Those dangers became fatal in 2024, when an ice cave on Breiðamerkurjökull collapsed. Scores of Icelandic first responders and park service rangers and tourists were traumatized. A young pregnant woman was hospitalized in critical condition. And a 30-year-old American man, who just wanted to see that blue-blue, was killed. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024 1024w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A woman stands beneath a bubbly cave wall of crystal blue ice, looking up" data-caption="Dr. M Jackson stands inside the Sapphire Ice Cave on the east side of Breiðamerkurjökull in September 2021. Now, all that remains is dead ice underneath the mountain, partly covered and preserved by screes. " data-credit="Þorvarður Árnason"/> Dr. M Jackson stands inside the Sapphire Ice Cave on the east side of Breiðamerkurjökull in September 2021. Now, all that remains is dead ice underneath the mountain, partly covered and preserved by screes. Þorvarður Árnason It was late summer in Iceland, August 2024, and I was on assignment with National Geographic. For over a decade, I’ve worked as a National Geographic expert, traveling across all seven continents to translate environmental science for diverse audiences. At the time, I was traveling with a group in the north, near the famed fishing village of Siglufjörður, and was about to tuck into my fourth latte of the afternoon when the text messages came flooding in. It was a friend in Reykjavik: “Did you see the ice cave accident?” Another ping, from a colleague in Akureyri: “M, are you OK?” ‘A boom rang out. A crack.’ Iceland, at its heart, is a small community on a big, chilly volcanic island. People generally know one another and it’s a safe place, which explains why, even though I was in the north, my phone was pinging like hail on a tin roof. Every Icelandic person standing near me in the coffee shop stood still as well, glued to their phones, absorbing and sharing the shocking news coming from the south. “Are you OK?” I echoed as I began texting my many glacier industry friends. “Yes,” said one. “It’s on the west side where we are not operating.” “Yes,” said another. “I don’t work ice caves in the summer.” My Reykjavik friend messaged: “All rescue available on the way.” I exchanged more messages, sharing the names of those I knew who were safe: Einar, Haukur, Step, Helgi, Laufey, Óskar, Helga. “The cave in Breiðamerkurjökull caved in. With people in it.” “Helicopter pilot says 25 people on the tour.” “The ice wall fell over four people.” “I have heard one dead and some injured and some still stuck inside the moulin/ice cave.” “Fuck.” For the uninitiated, ice caves are almost impossible to believe until you’re standing in one. They are the bluest of blues, Neptune’s seeping heart. Imagine a frozen sea holding all possible luminous blue that upon closer inspection vanishes to clear. Over the years, I’ve seen people weep in awe. Laugh joyously. Become mute, contemplative. Verbose in wonder. All happy to be in an ice cave. I taught my toddler what a glacier was by reading aloud from the children’s book, Angela’s Glacier, and by the time he could talk, he could recite that a glacier is a moving body of land ice and snow that persists year after year. Ice caves are part of that “moving body of land ice” definition — but they rarely persist beyond a year or two. The ice cave I have a picture of in my hallway and the Blue Flame ice cave that collapsed in 2024 have both melted away. Glaciers constantly change — they move, grow, oscillate, melt. And in summer, when the bare hide of the glacier body is exposed to the atmosphere — think here, when the ice is not furred with protective winter snow — surface ice undergoes phase change, transforming to water vapor or meltwater. The meltwater flows with gravity until it hits an area of ice weakness — a fracture, bend, low point, or crack. And the water then works the weakness until it bores a tunnel into the ice. Somewhat ominously, my go-to glacier text defines an ice cave as any large cavity formed by meltwater beneath a glacier, and takes pains to note in the four-sentence definition that “roof collapse is common.” To some, entering a passageway into a glacier is absurd and dangerous. To others, it’s a fast lane to adventure and awe — or even wealth. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="a group of tourists in coats and helmets stand inside a cave, beneath an impressive shiny blue and silver wall of ice" data-caption="A group of tourists in October 2015, one of the last years when it was possible to enter the Waterfall Ice Cave. This cave has now melted away. " data-credit="Þorvarður Árnason"/> A group of tourists in October 2015, one of the last years when it was possible to enter the Waterfall Ice Cave. This cave has now melted away. Þorvarður Árnason It can be overwhelming to attempt to make sense of the ice cave industry in Iceland — a gyre of local companies and bigger Reykjavik companies and third parties and the park service and response services and families and personal relationships and grudges and unpaid debts and alliances old and new. Together, they form a dense, volatile network plagued by conspiracy theories, videos of guides attacking one another, tales of infidelity and financial irregularities, burnout and high turnover and clashing views of safety and other priorities that make as little sense to an outsider as it does to locals. Not exactly what is marketed to the millions of tourists who travel to Iceland annually to see the glaciers and ice caves. How the industry is now is not how it started. When I first came to Iceland’s south coast in the early 2000s, tourism was just a small industry. In the summer, you could take a glacier walk with a bustling group of five or ride an empty tractor out to see puffins. Winter tourism didn’t really exist. The intrepid, well-heeled few could hire a respected local alpinist, Einar Rúnar Sigurðsson, to guide them up Hvannadalshnúkur, Iceland’s tallest peak. He also occasionally took photographers into winter glacier features like moulins or crevasses. But in 2010, two things redrew the maps entirely. First, the volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted, halting European air travel for six days and beaming images of Iceland’s stunning countryside into billions of homes worldwide. Tourists saw accessible waterfalls, moss, black sand beaches, and blue-white glaciers. Then second, Instagram launched, and a whole new breed of iPhone-trotting tourists was born. Tourism to Iceland exploded. By 2024, nearly 2.3 million visitors arrived into a country of nearly 400,000, outnumbering Icelanders 6 to 1. Imagine: Millions of people flying, ferrying, and cruising to the island, renting hotels and cars and guides, eating and drinking, buying hand-knitted wool sweaters, and contributing to a tourism economy valued in 2024 alone around $3 billion. The glacier Breiðamerkurjökull emerged as the epicenter of glacier tourism, mainly due to the quasi-man-made lagoon at its terminus called Jökulsárlón — a proglacial lake chock-full of freshly calved and photogenic icebergs that crowd up on an exit to the sea that happens to be right along the main road. “In 2024, we had 1 million people visit Jökulsárlón,” a park service ranger told me. “We had 1 million people, and 11 toilets.” Fueled by this crush of visitors and seemingly boundless profit, the ice cave industry has completely changed. Ice cave companies once operated during a conservative four- to five-month period from November to March, when the ice was mostly snow-covered, with very little water visible, and temperatures stayed cold consistently. Companies communicated with each other to ensure a positive tourist experience, and worked within the limits of their own capacities. “Everybody just invests in a big jeep and makes a year’s labor out of four months,” one company owner told me back in 2016. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Collage of glacier, salmon, miner, and map of Alaska" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/alaska-salmon-glacier-mining.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Who will benefit from melting glaciers? Max Graham But in the past decade, that window has been pushed wider — and it’s math, rather than science, that explains why. In 2025, approximately 30 contract-holding ice cave companies were charging around $200 per person, operating groups sizes with 14 tourists per one guide, and offering two or three departures per day. Whether we’re talking Icelandic krona or U.S. dollars, the amounts stagger into the millions and billions quickly. Given the money at stake, the expansion of the ice cave season beyond the original 120-day winter window was almost inevitable. What began as a tightly honored, safety-led access period stretched in those early years first by weeks, then by months, until now it is a year-round activity — repackaged and marketed in multiple forms, though the terrain itself has not changed: these are still ice caves, and what few rules governing them vary widely across Iceland. Regardless of your perspective or position in the glacier knowledge ecosystem — if you’re an ice cave company, guide, ranger, tourist, researcher, anyone — the science remains the same: Ice caves are erosional and weak glacier features. They are never truly static nor stable any time of the year. Icelandic glaciologist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson and colleagues first reported the dangers of ice caves in 2017. He and his team then repeated their findings seven years later when it was clear the warning had gone unheeded. Both reports argue that tours to ice caves should never be conducted in the summer because the features’ primary function is to be major conduits for large and often unpredictable flows of water. The scientists list complex dangers, including propensity for sudden ice collapse, meltwater flooding, hidden shafts, avalanches, toxic gases, and more. If ice cave tourism must be allowed, the reports concede that such tours should happen only in the winter, when conditions are cold and marginally more stable with no visible flowing water, no thawing, no recent rain, no warm weather, etc. Such conditions, additionally, need to be assessed by an expert, or a guide who has achieved a certain level of training. I asked my glaciological colleagues their thoughts, and one, a seasoned ice core scientist, laughed. She said ice caves any time of the year are “never a 100 percent safe feature to go into,” adding that you “couldn’t pay me enough to go in one in the summer.” “They are playing with fire,” Guðmundsson told a local paper not long after the fatal collapse. “If you go climbing on your own or with friends, and you decide to explore a cave, then taking the risk is a personal decision. However, there is a fundamental difference between somebody doing something on their own, and selling a trip to people that you claim is safe, but is not.” But this is not just about poor individual judgment — it is also about the system those judgments are made inside. ‘What do those cuts mean, to the glacier itself — to a glacier already imperiled, already melting at unnatural rates?’ Even back in the beginning days of the industry, locals told me about the pressures they felt from mass tourism. What began as an effort to offer a unique glacier experience gradually shifted toward moving tens of thousands of paying customers into the ice each season. Companies operated at capacity almost constantly — then were pushed beyond it. First, to take larger groups, then to add departures. One tour a day became two, then some days three. Growth was driven increasingly by non-local operators and third-party booking platforms, which pressured local companies to deliver on the reservations they sold. Larger companies based in Reykjavik — think here any name that pops up if you Google “ice caves in Iceland” — even started operating their own ice cave tours, cutting out local partners. Soon, the pressure wasn’t just on group size or departures, but on the length of the ice-cave season itself. What had once been a tightly observed safety window was forced — first by weeks, then by months — into year-round access that began to feel not exceptional, but expected. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A group of tourists stands on top of a snowy slope, with their crampons lined up in the snow in the foreground" data-caption="A group of tourists in January 2018 visiting the twin “Treasure Island” Ice Caves. At the time, the protocol was to remove crampons before going in. " data-credit="Þorvarður Árnason"/> A group of tourists in January 2018 visiting the twin “Treasure Island” Ice Caves. At the time, the protocol was to remove crampons before going in. Þorvarður Árnason I asked a park ranger how Vatnajökull National Park defines an ice cave — a question with deep implications since the park oversees all glacier tourism within its boundaries. “We call an ice cave a cave that is under the ice,” he said. “That term, it can be stretched.” This is the open secret floating around glacier country. Today, not only are ice cave companies operating beyond the seasonal limitations professionals have recommended, but some are now going a step further: If they locate a small feature in a glacier — a hole, a cavity, a crevasse — they are “augmenting” it. Enhancing it. Said another way: They are making ice caves. Guides have long practiced safety work for visitors — cutting steps into ice, kicking down snow, or removing dangerous features. But several people from different companies described to me the use of generators, drills, blowtorches, chainsaws, and other heavy equipment on the glacier itself. One explained, “If a cave shows up in a day, you know there’s heavy equipment. … This community is tiny. Of course everybody knows who’s using power tools.” “What we say is we do ‘access’ work to make it safe for clients,” a seasoned guide explained. Glaciers are always changing, and even I have pushed, chopped, and cut ice to achieve access or make something safer while I’m working. But where do we draw the line? As a glacier scientist and a human being, I haven’t been able to get past the question of what a gas-powered blowtorch can do to the physical body of a glacier. Or a set of Makita drills, chainsaws, or heavy duty excavation equipment. What do those cuts mean, to the glacier itself — to a glacier already imperiled, already melting at unnatural rates? Is this violence? Is this desensitization? Is it just business? Is the scale too small to matter? Or is this about respect for what remains of our glacier systems, a refusal at all costs to add further harm? And then, more questions: When does an ice cave stop being an ice cave, and become instead a construction project or a marketing campaign? In Reykjavik, tourists can visit Perlan and explore a fully man-made ice cave, complete with blue lighting and piped-in frigid air. No one pretends it’s natural. But on a wild glacier, shouldn’t an ice cave be natural? When a glacier is drilled, blowtorched, and marketed inaccurately to meet demand, what exactly is being sold? And where is our responsibility alongside it? The Blue Flame collapse happened on the western side of Breiðamerkurjökull, the side some locals describe as ceded entirely to mass tourism. Many described the months leading up to the collapse as tense, largely attributed to the unrelenting numbers of summer tourists and pressure from outside companies. Every company had to decide: Would they risk operating ice cave tours in the hot summer? Ice Pic Journeys, a company co-owned by Americans Mike Reid and Ryan Newburn, decided it was worth the risk. And on Sunday, August 25, 2024, two guides for Ice Pic, one of whom was new to glacier guiding and not yet certified, were assigned the afternoon trip with 25 tourists. They met the group at Jökulsárlón, drove them as close to the ice as possible, parked, and geared up with helmets and crampons. Another tour company was already at the ice edge, heading to Blue Flame. In a statement to police, the guides noted two other companies had been to the cave in the days before, doing what was described as “maintenance work.” The Ice Pic group headed toward Blue Flame, the tourists stepping clumsily in their crampons. It was, by all accounts, a typical and pleasant late summer day. Balmy. One of the guides went ahead of the group to chop out better steps into the ice cave. Then, the entire group descended, walking past a large overhanging wall of ice. When I look at pictures later of the scene, what strikes me is the color of the ice. It’s dirty, covered in seasonal sediments — dark black particulates that hold heat and exacerbate surface melt. The ice itself is mostly white, as expected for summer surface glacier ice actively ablating. It’s full of air, like styrofoam — not dense like typical glacier ice, which is so compressed it squeezes out air and scatters short wavelengths of light, which reads as blue to you and me. This ice at Blue Flame had barely any hints of blue. The distinction matters. Ice like this is melting, from its surface and from inside. It is not stable. But the Ice Pic tourists didn’t know this, and, likely, neither did the guides. So they spread out. One tourist, an American from Austin, Texas, on a trip with his 10-year-old daughter, walked around and back up onto the surface of the glacier, where he had a view down into the ice cave. Two other Americans, a couple on their one-year wedding anniversary, posed for pictures directly in front of the ice wall. The two Ice Pic guides met with a guide from another company and discussed hazards and future cave maintenance. Then the other guide started to leave with his group. That’s when, according to statements given to the police, a boom rang out. A crack. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of hours on, in, and sleeping atop, glaciers. They are constantly sounding off from shifts happening somewhere within, from a collapse, ice flow redirection, the shuffling of crystals and conduits and crevasses. The sounds tend to have the same effect on me — loud cracks stop me instantly in my crampons, accelerate my pulse, make the spiders guarding my brain stand at exquisite, painful alert. At the boom, the new Ice Pic guide turned and saw the ice wall fall as a single piece — straight toward the American couple. It shattered on impact, like a car windshield. ‘My first thought was, “So it finally happened.”’ The next moments were blurry. The guide thought he saw two more helmets disappear under the ice. But he wasn’t sure. Then, as the icedust cleared, he saw the young woman prone on the ice, gasping, still alive. Her first words are recorded in the police statement: “I’m pregnant. I can’t breathe.” Then, “Where is my husband?” The two guides pulled pieces of glacier off her to get her free. Then, they tried to excavate her husband, Jeffrey Ayco, but could not. The guide from the other company rushed back, and then so did a few tourists. There was, apparently, a medical doctor in the group. Everyone tried to help. With their ice axes and bare hands, they hacked at the ice, piece by piece, and gradually cut Ayco free. His body was crushed, but they began CPR anyway, because, as the guides later told the police, they had to do something. And they could not see if there was anyone else under the ice. Just before 3 p.m., the Icelandic emergency services received a 112 call and issued a Search and Rescue alert for a mass casualty incident. The initial report stated the incident involved a group of 25 tourists and two guides, ice fall, and the possibility of people trapped underneath. All across Iceland, phones lit up, text notifications flooded in. GPS coordinates and radio channels were given. And then hundreds of search and rescue volunteers rushed to Breiðamerkurjökull and the summer ice cave and the tragedy that awaited. One rescuer said later, “My first thought … this is gonna be very bitter, but my first thought was, ‘So it finally happened.’” The volunteers — highly skilled, trained to respond to this type of incident — convened at the ice cave alongside regional police, park service rangers, Coast Guard, and many others. The injured pregnant woman was loaded into a Coast Guard helicopter and flown to Reykjavik. Her husband was declared dead. But what about the other people under the ice? Almost immediately, it became clear that no one knew how many additional people were missing. The two Ice Pic guides did not have a firm count of the actual number of people on their tour. They said there had been two no-shows, but then, perhaps two walk-ons had jumped in? Was it really 25? Were the two helmets he saw solo travelers, out on the ice on their own? The freshman Ice Pic guide was likely in shock, questioning what he’d seen, uncertain if there were more injured under the ice. Search and rescue volunteers got to immediate work. In the tight quarters of the collapsed ice cave, volunteers used the least disruptive hand tools to remove, piece by piece, cubic tons of broken glacier ice. If there were people underneath, they did not want to risk further injury. “If there’s an uncertainty, you just … you don’t stop,” explained a rescuer who had been on the scene. “You assume you have to keep going.” Twenty-four hours went by. Bus drivers and school teachers and bartenders and sheep farmers and tour guides and scientists and park rangers and mothers moved ice by hand. Secondary trauma built as muscles strained and tempers frayed and some questioned if they were digging for ghosts. They chipped apart a glacier, block by block, carrying each piece out and away by hand, and again, again, again. This time, not to create an ice cave and make money, but now, possibly, to save a life. After the initial 24-hour search, heavy equipment was brought in to remove the remaining ice. Nothing was there, under the glacier, except more melt. The search was over. Everyone went home. Almost. “My brother, his life was just getting started,” Ruben Ayco, Jeffrey’s brother, told me. “He was just there, checking out ice glaciers. He was a very adventurous person.” “Several steps could have been taken for this to be avoided,” he continued. “It seems like greed and profit overcame that.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/glacier-tourism-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A group of tourists stands on top of a glacier, with two framed underneath a rounded arch in the side." data-caption="A school group in June 2017, on the east side of Breiðamerkurjökull. " data-credit="Þorvarður Árnason"/> A school group in June 2017, on the east side of Breiðamerkurjökull. Þorvarður Árnason In the days that followed, the rescue association released a statement, thanking all the responders involved and expressing deep condolences to the relatives of the deceased. The Chief Superintendent for the South Iceland Police gave a statement to the media. “Ice cave tours happen almost the whole year,” he said. “These are experienced and powerful mountain guides who run these trips. It’s always possible to be unlucky. I trust these people to assess the situation — when it’s safe or not safe to go … This is a living land, so anything can happen.” I understand how it happens. We agree on a fact. New variables emerge. More data arrives. What we thought we knew shifts. That, initially, is what attracted me to science, the idea that knowledge moves forward. But here, the shift didn’t move toward better understanding propped up by the best science. It reversed. Ice caves, especially summer ice caves, once clearly labeled dangerous, were slowly reclassified as safe, likely at the same time companies fully grasped how lucrative they could be. After the collapse, the Icelandic Tourism Board resisted calls to regulate the industry, insisting safety was the tour operator’s responsibility. For the glaciers inside its boundaries, Vatnajökull National Park did introduce new safety and permitting processes for companies. Operators now need to send the chief ranger pictures and make official requests to do maintenance or hazard mitigation. “And then I send back, yes, you can do this, or no, you cannot do this, but, you can only use the power tools after hours,” the former park service chief ranger told me. “I put restrictions on, and I just have to trust that they follow them.” For the glaciers outside the park, it remains unregulated. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Collage of the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui, Maya Beach, tourists walking with suitcases, and a Thai banknote" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0219_WhiteLotus.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Thanks to HBO, everyone wants a ‘White Lotus’ getaway. Can Thailand handle it? Sarah Stodola Locals on the south coast are trying. They convened Fagráð, a committee composed of highly experienced people from different sectors of the glacier industry, including commercial operators, tourism associations, and guiding organizations, alongside associated members from the park service, the local municipality, and other observer positions. Fagráð’s purpose is to provide guidance, oversight on safety matters, and education for all issues of glacier and ice cave tourism on the south coast. In one of its first acts, Fagráð sponsored the launch of a portal set up for ice cave operators, called GLACIS. It’s a user-friendly database, intended for trained professionals, that lists every accessible ice cave in the south coast region. When I clicked around a demo of GLACIS, I could easily upload general cave information, images, directions for access, tourist capacity, time-stamped ratings and safety assessments, and other critical information. Anything guides, rangers, and operators upload is anonymous, but, important to the success of the portal, users with specific credentials such as Lead Guide or Park Ranger may assign a status to an ice cave: “go,” “caution,” “warning,” or “no go.” The park has decided in concert with the ice cave industry that all companies must comply with the GLACIS status of an ice cave. Companies found accessing “no go” caves in the national park risk having their contracts revoked. In essence, GLACIS is a community of honesty for the ice caves, a Wikipedia for shared glacier knowledge, where operators have access to community-generated and expert-vetted facts. The administrator of GLACIS told me, “We are still trying to figure it out, because as one would expect it’s never perfect and people like to complain. But the end goal is very simple: facilitate better communication and situational awareness for everybody involved.” These are real steps toward a safer ice cave industry. Important ones. But what I keep getting stuck on is the simple fact that summer ice caves aren’t OK. Ice caves aren’t OK. Breiðamerkurjökull is not OK. None of the glaciers are. Just because millions of people want to spend millions of dollars to see the ice before it’s gone doesn’t mean it should happen, or that it’s safe. The financial incentives that rewards pretending otherwise are not OK. From a glaciological standpoint, an ice cave is not an attraction. It’s a hydrological conduit carved by melt, shaped by temperature, water, and gravity. It is destined to fail. And as glaciers increasingly destabilize and melt accelerates, these features will grow larger and more numerous, even as they become increasingly unstable and dangerous. Even winter, once a margin of safety, is no longer reliably cold. Where Blue Flame stood in 2024 is now loose gravel. The part of the glacier body that held it is now gone — fully melted some 18 months later and a whole lot of strife since. Jeffrey Ayco’s daughter is one now. She’s never met her father. But she, Ruben tells me, “looks just like him.” We all have a role in what happens next. For decisionmakers, that means following the science that says ice caves should only be accessed in real winter — while real winter still exists in Iceland — and closing the regulatory loopholes that allow unsafe practices to persist. It means reducing the outsize influence of third-party booking platforms and shifting power back toward local expertise, safety, and accountability. For tourists, it means accepting limitations on consuming this unique and precious landscape, and understanding that “no go” is always a possibility, and often a form of care. For companies, guides, and researchers, it means using knowledge systems like GLACIS in good faith and telling the truth, even when the truth costs money and access. And the next time my son — who is the mirror image of me — wobbles to a stop at that blue-blue image and asks if the glacier is OK, I’ll answer differently. I’ll say no. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline On Thin Ice on Mar 20, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by M Jackson.
Ask a Climate Therapist: How can I balance my travel itch with guilt about emissions?
Licensed therapist Leslie Davenport advises a reader who loves to travel, but worries about its impact on the planet.
Dear Leslie, Almost all of the money I save goes toward travel — meeting friends abroad, visiting relatives, or checking national and international parks off my bucket list. I try to be as sustainable in my personal life as possible, but I love traveling, despite knowing that travel is where some of our greatest carbon emissions come from. Every time I fly now, I feel this guilt and fear, and it’s sometimes hard to balance it with my excitement. How would you recommend proceeding when some of the decisions we make in our personal lives are at odds with our beliefs and goals? — Wondering Wanderer Dear Wondering Wanderer, The tension you’re describing — the pull between loving this world and worrying about harming it — is a sign of a very intact compassion compass. Sometimes, that compassionate awareness stretches us beyond what’s comfortable or easy to resolve. Don’t dismiss your discomfort, because it’s inviting you to stay awake to your impacts on the planet — but don’t let it shut down your capacity for joy. If guilt grows so heavy that it diminishes your ability to connect and feel alive, it’s lost any usefulness it once offered. The work now is to metabolize your guilt and fear into something that guides you rather than pulls you apart. Ask a Climate Therapist tackles your questions about how to navigate the emotional side of climate change, with leading climate-aware therapist Leslie Davenport. Have a question? Ask it here! You might ask yourself this question: Given what I know, what kind of traveler do I want to be? That opens up more nuanced choices than simply “Go or don’t go?” Maybe you’ll travel less often but stay longer, explore more locally using lower-carbon methods of transport, or prioritize trips that deepen relationships. You might also focus on destinations where you can make a positive impact as a tourist. In countries like Costa Rica, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Bhutan, responsible tourism helps keep conservation efforts alive by funding wildlife protection, supporting local communities, and sustaining fragile ecosystems. There’s a larger truth in this as well. You’re just one person — and your choices matter, but they were never meant to bear the full weight of a systemic crisis. You didn’t build the fossil fuel-dependent systems that make flying one of the only practical ways to stay connected across long distances or encounter the wider world. Guilt can keep us preoccupied with ourselves rather than on the larger structures driving the harm. Continue to balance your personal choices with collective ones. To start, you might want to discuss your dilemma with friends and family — whether they’re your travel companions, or people in your life who may have already made different calculations about travel. (In last month’s column, I shared similar advice with a question asker who could well be on the other side of that conversation.) Having a shared understanding with loved ones might help you process your inner tension, while also letting your care for the planet ripple out in community. More from Ask a Climate Therapist <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Collage of person looking upset with plane in background" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2000w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/flying-travel-climate-therapist.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1125" width="2000" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Ask a Climate Therapist: How do I deal with friends and family who won’t stop polluting? Leslie Davenport Take some time to reflect, and then settle into commitments that feel right for you. Return to your decision from time to time and make changes as needed. When you feel a pang of guilt, let it keep you honest but not overwhelmed. Remember: The places you visit, the people you love across long distances, and the wonder you feel in national parks aren’t separate from your love for the Earth. They’re expressions of it. Add in a dose of reflection, gratitude, and perhaps even awe, and your journeys will strengthen the passion and resilience that allow you to stay engaged in your work. In this way, the same travel that stirs your guilt can also help protect what you love. It’s not a clean or simple solution, but it’s real. The aim is to stay present for the whole of it — to allow your love for our planet to be large enough to hold grief, responsibility, and joy at the same time. Let yourself embrace and enjoy the world wholeheartedly, even as you engage in protecting it. Holding this with you, Leslie I’m Leslie Davenport, a licensed therapist, educator, speaker, consultant, and internationally recognized voice on the emotional and psychological dimensions of climate change. If you’ve got a question about climate and mental health, please submit it here for a future column. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Ask a Climate Therapist: How can I balance my travel itch with guilt about emissions? on Mar 20, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Leslie Davenport.
CPJ, partners call for release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj after 3 years in detention
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined 32 civil society organizations in a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj, who marked three years in arbitrary pre-trial detention on March 20. In the joint statement, the organizations said Mehraj’s detention reflects a pattern of persecution of journalists and human...
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined 32 civil society organizations in a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj, who marked three years in arbitrary pre-trial detention on March 20. In the joint statement, the organizations said Mehraj’s detention reflects a pattern of persecution of journalists and human rights defenders in Indian-administrated Jammu and Kashmir. They urged Indian authorities to repeal the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act — which have been used to silence journalists and activists — to enable an environment for civil society and the news media to operate freely in the region. CPJ research shows at least 15 journalists have been charged since 2014 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an anti-terror law that allows for detention without trial or charge for up to 180 days. India currently holds two journalists in prison, according to CPJ’s latest data. Read the full statement here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Mixed media sculptor Brian Rochefort on surrendering to chance
You first encountered pottery as a teenager. It can be so hard to get the hang of centering your clay and all of that—was it an immediate affinity, or did it take time to develop?
You first encountered pottery as a teenager. It can be so hard to get the hang of centering your clay and all of that—was it an immediate affinity, or did it take time to develop? I started working with clay when I was 14, a freshman in high school. My portfolio for art school was mostly drawing. And then I decided to go into ceramics because I was pretty passionate about it. I did a little bit of throwing right before I got to RISD, and I do enjoy it. But I’m primarily interested in hand building. [Clay] is a very difficult material across the board. For a while, I was outsourcing the throwing to my friend, who would just make me the cylinders and then I would glaze them. Now, I’m back into throwing, but I don’t do it as often. Personally, I like to stand while I work. Throwing is messy. It’s not my cup of tea. I honestly try to avoid it as much as possible. As a writer, I’m often trying to be so precise with each word, so I’m fascinated by an artistic practice like ceramics where there is this element of chance or risk. With your pieces, how much of the outcome is something you’re trying to control and how much of it is a surprise? It is very controlled. And I do really love the chance aspect of putting the work in a kiln and surrendering the piece to 2,000 degrees. Things can become dicey, especially with the larger pieces of glaze that I put on top of my sculptures. Sometimes they fall off, sometimes they slide off. Sometimes if I don’t mix it properly I don’t get a desirable result. But that is pretty subjective. What is desirable to other people is not desirable to me. I do have a lot of control, but the element of surprise is always what makes ceramics exciting. There’s this kind of cliché in ceramics, like, “You open the kiln every day and it’s like the most exciting feeling. It’s like a dopamine hit.”* *And I fire my kiln every day. I get to work and I’m like, “Oh my god, what’s going to happen? Is it going to work or is it not going to work?” And with my technique and my experience over the years, my success rate is extremely high. So it’s not like I’m slapping a bunch of glazes together and hoping for the best. I would never be able to sustain that. It is a push and pull, and that’s what’s so exciting. Your work is so inspired by nature and natural elements. When you’re interpreting something on a massive scale—like a volcano or a huge sinkhole or a rainforest—through a sculpture, how does that process work? I’m translating that experience through memory in an abstract way. I really thought it was important to me and my work and my progress to go experience these things up close and personal. I started traveling in 2016 when I got my studio. I realized that I had a lot of time on my hands and I had the resources to finally leave the country. I didn’t have the privilege to travel when I was younger, so my first kind of transcendental experience in nature was the Sierra Negra crater on Isabella Island in the Galapagos. I knew at that moment that it would have a big impact on me, but I didn’t realize the extent it would inspire me. When I got back in studio, it happened organically. For two and a half years [before that], I was working on a very intimate scale on the vessel shape, and then I started making these fully formed sculptures. They weren’t translating the way I wanted them to, and then I took these big fully formed sculptures that I made and I broke them in half with a hammer and then it became two vessels. Then I would dunk them in these big baths of slip and they became super sculptural. And that’s where the giant hole kind of emerged. Now I consider my cylindrical paint cans, that’s what I call them, a separate body of work. And I mostly work on the more abstract forms that are much larger and much more sophisticated that are inspired by all these places that I’ve been to. But it wasn’t me getting back, fantasizing about all these places, and then sketching ideas out. It wasn’t like that at all. I just got to work and it happened. And I feel like that’s the best outcome for me. As your career and work have progressed, how do you think about carving out the time to be able to travel? From 2016 to 2022, I did most of the traveling. It was a really good schedule. I don’t have that anymore. I have a dog, so there are places that I didn’t get to go to that I really regret not going to. My thing for the past six or seven years has been high volume. I focus on maybe three to four pieces at a time, and if something doesn’t work, I can tweak it or I abandon it or I’ll introduce a new texture or a new color. My first big offer was in New York in 2017. That was right after I went to the Galapagos and Belize and Africa. That was a pivotal time for me. I evolved pretty rapidly. But then I would get bored, or I would think, 10 pieces is enough in two months. So I would go on another trip, get inspired, come back. And surprisingly, when I get back into the studio, I come up with new ideas and I attack them pretty quickly. Usually with my intuition with materials and glazes and formulations and whatnot, my results come pretty fast. So two months off work is not so bad. Another thing that’s kind of important: when I make sculptures in studio, I always try to make the next one better. Year over year, I’m trying to get better and better. I did that with traveling. I was like, what’s crazier than the Bolivian Amazon? All right, Papua New Guinea. Or maybe I could go to sacred Vanuatu or West Africa or something. I went to like 30 different countries, so I have so much collected data and memories and photographs that I can look at for inspiration. When you’re working in your studio, what is one thing that you always have to have? And is there anything you do not allow into that space? It’s mostly myself. I’ve had assistants before, but that was mostly to build pretty rudimentary forms, and then I would take over. Nobody can glaze for me—I’m the only one that can do it. I like to listen to music. That’s the first thing I do: put on music and clean. My studio is pretty spotless. I do need things to be tidy or I can’t really focus. So music and my dog. Things that I don’t allow? I try not to let in groups of students. You are really pushing the limits of what your kiln can accommodate, size-wise. What are your ambitions for the scale of the work that you’re creating? These are the biggest pieces I have ever worked on. There are a couple pieces in here that I can’t lift myself. And they go all the way up to the edge of the kiln, which can have an impact on the melt of the glaze. So that is problematic. I mean, they’re bigger than my shoulders by double. I don’t want to make these outside of my studio. I don’t have this burning desire to make something massive. Not yet. But if I do decide I want to, there are places where I can. I don’t need multiple kilns. I know some people who have like five or six. My electricity bill is high enough. Since I work by myself and I prefer to work by myself, I’m not willing to have two or three assistants assist me from start to finish by rotating these upside down and on their sides while I glaze. Nor will I do that by myself because I don’t want to injure myself locked in my studio. But it is something I think about pretty often. What if I made this twice the size? How will it change? It’s amazing how much information you can pack into a cubic foot of sculpture. You’ve done fashion collaborations with designers like Berluti and Dries Van Noten. It doesn’t seem like the most natural translation to take something tactile and 3D like your work and flatten it into a print, so what was that like? The collaboration was really interesting. Kris Van Assche [of Berluti] is legendary and I didn’t really know how that was going to turn out. I was like, “What do you mean by collaborate? Do you want me to come up with a design for a bag or sweater? And they’re like, “No, we’re going to superimpose [your work], and not in a very simple, silkscreen way. They’re going to be highly developed like your surfaces with high quality materials and embroidery and leather and all sorts of beautiful fabrics.” They transformed all of the Berluti stores and kind of tailored it to my style, my motif. And they sold a lot. Celebrities all over were wearing it. My friends were like, “Oh, hey, look—the rapper Tyga is wearing it on SNL,” or Joe Jonas or Nick Jonas or Machine Gun Kelly. I mean, the first thing I thought was, “Oh, man I should have asked for more money.” When I saw them in real life, I was so excited, because the quality is exceptional. Even though my work might appear experimental or—I don’t think people really say this anymore—”sloppy,” it’s not. They are expressive and they look experimental, but they’re actually manicured. They’re elegant and they’re layered. There’s a lot of care that goes into them and a lot of different firings and steps. It’s very structured. As somebody who’s working alone in the studio so frequently, how do you think about community? Do you feel you have a community of other artists? I do feel slightly isolated, even though I’ve been in LA for a long time. I like to keep to myself. I do have some really great friends. Earlier today I was at Aaron Garber-Maikovska’s enormous studio in Glendora. And he’s an amazing abstract painter. I was there for hours talking about his paintings. I do ceramics and I’ve been doing it all my life, but I’m incredibly inspired by non-representational painting. I love color and I love texture and I love mark making. But I get nervous talking about other people’s paintings. And here I am in this this guy’s studio, who is very successful, and he’s asking me questions and I’m like, “Oh my god, I don’t want to say the wrong thing.” And then I start talking and I realize that I do have a lot of information about this material that I don’t use. I can still talk about it in a similar way to how I glaze. There are a lot of people working in ceramics in Los Angeles. But it is very separated and pretty fractured. There are ceramics people I really admire. A lot of them are from the East Coast. We do communicate on social media and whatnot. We do follow each other. We do support each other. And they’re not people that I hang out with, we don’t go for dinners or anything like that, but I hold them close to my heart. But I would say that my closest friends are working in painting. Another example is Spencer Lewis who is right down the street from me. I actually bought one of his paintings not knowing that he was right down the street. This is like a 7 1/2-foot painting that I shipped from New York, not knowing he was walking distance. I could have walked it to my studio, no joke. Okay, most important question. Do you have a sense of what your dog, Terry, thinks of your sculptures? Terry’s the most beautiful dog. He goes everywhere with me. I’ve had him for almost seven years. He’s a big inspiration. He has little toys and balls all over my studio. I love to photograph him with my sculptures. But for the most part he chills on his couch. I have a custom doghouse in here made out of solid maple that he’s never been in. He has a custom ramp that goes up to the couch and he kind of hangs out and he stares at me all day. I think if he could understand, he would appreciate them. Brian Rochefort recommends: Smoothies—it’s amazing the amount of vegetables and fruits you can pile into a blender. Synth-Wave or electronic music, specifically Trevor Something. Traveling as much as possible. Especially to the Amazon. Keeping your overhead low as an artist. Sam Harris’ podcasts. This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Lindsay Miller.
Trump’s Crusade: Christian Nationalism and the Making of a Holy War
Israel and the United States are now at war with Iran, a conflict framed by both leaders through a stark and self-serving moral binary. In the words of Benjamin Netanyahu, it is cast as a “necessary fight between good and evil.” For Donald Trump, the illegality of the war is beside the point. It is waged instead in the ideological spirit and cruelty of the Crusades, fueled by religious fervor and animated by what David Smith writing in The Guardian, has called a celebration of the “capacity to inflict violence.” More The post Trump’s Crusade: Christian Nationalism and the Making of a Holy War appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" 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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-200x200.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="945" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404695" class="size-large wp-image-404695" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg" alt="" width="945" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The_White_House_-_54410784210.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> Photograph Source: The White House – Public Domain “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” – Isaac Asimov Israel and the United States are now at war with Iran, a conflict framed by both leaders through a stark and self-serving moral binary. In the words of Benjamin Netanyahu, it is cast as a “necessary fight between good and evil.” For Donald Trump, the illegality of the war is beside the point. It is waged instead in the ideological spirit and cruelty of the Crusades, fueled by religious fervor and animated by what David Smith writing in The Guardian, has called a celebration of the “capacity to inflict violence.” What this religious framing obscures is the political reality that this is, in large part, Netanyahu’s war, one he has long prepared by casting Iran in apocalyptic terms as a successor to Nazism. But as Fintan O’Toole suggests, something even more disturbing is at work: in Trump’s hands, the war is severed from any coherent political or moral rationale, reduced to a hollow spectacle of destruction, a language of power emptied of meaning itself. Yet this emptiness is not benign. It signals at once a profound political weakness and an unrestrained embrace of state violence, a politics of dispossession and a logic of disposability that, if left unchecked, points toward the reemergence of camps as instruments of governance, cloaked in the moral certainties of religious dogmatism. This fusion of war, spectacle, and religious zeal is not merely a rhetorical flourish. It signals a deeper transformation in how violence is imagined and justified. Trump’s Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, gives this worldview its most chilling expression. Speaking with a zeal that echoes the language of holy war, he declares that the mission of the U.S. military is “to unleash death and destruction from the sky all day long.” In such statements, war is stripped of the language of restraint, law, or even tragic necessity. It becomes an open affirmation of annihilation as virtue. As Greg Jaffe observes in The New York Times, rhetoric of this kind signals a profound shift in the moral framework guiding American power. Instead of invoking justice or defense, it embraces vengeance. In this worldview, the enemy is not an opponent to be contained or negotiated with but a foe to be obliterated. War thus becomes not only an instrument of policy but a spectacle of righteous fury, a theater of domination in which violence is sanctified and the infliction of blood, suffering, and death is embraced as proof of strength. Yet the significance of this war culture extends far beyond the battlefield. Its logic does not remain confined to foreign policy; it migrates inward, reshaping the language, institutions, and pedagogical practices of domestic life. War has long been the most brutal expression of state power, but in the political culture surrounding Donald Trump it has taken on an even darker significance. War is no longer simply a strategic instrument of foreign policy. What is emerging instead is a war culture in which violence, white Christian nationalism, and militarized spectacle function as a form of public pedagogy, instructing citizens not to question domination but to admire it. In this register, Operation Epic Fury becomes barbarism refashioned as spectacle, draped in an aesthetic of impunity and moral annihilation. War is transformed into a form of public pedagogy, a daily lesson in domination delivered through media images, political rhetoric, and state policy, teaching that cruelty signals strength and that enemies, both foreign and domestic, are rendered disposable, unworthy of recognition or justice and instead subjected to humiliation, repression, and violence. Under such conditions, violence no longer hides behind the worn language of necessity or o making the world safe for democracy. It exposes what it has long been in American foreign policy, a ruthless instrument of imperial power. On the domestic front, this pedagogy operates not only through spectacles of military force but through laws, institutions, and cultural narratives that normalize authoritarian power. It works, as I and Will Paul have observed elsewhere, not simply through “tanks in the streets but through legislation that turns education into an arm of the security state.” Classrooms are redefined as sites of patriotic discipline, history is rewritten as nationalist myth, surveillance becomes a civic duty, and students learn that obedience is virtue while dissent marks them as suspect. In such conditions, education no longer nurtures critical judgment or democratic responsibility; it becomes a machinery for producing subjects who internalize the values of militarism, hierarchy, and unquestioned authority. This war culture reflects what political theorist Achille Mbembe calls necropolitics, a form of power organized around the capacity to decide who may live and who must die. Within such a framework, violence ceases to be simply an instrument of policy and becomes a defining feature of political identity. What is particularly alarming is that this war is increasingly framed through the language of Christian nationalism. The imagery and rhetoric of the Crusades have reentered public life, symbolized not only by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s crusader-themed tattoo but also by his repeated claims that Trump has been ordained by God to wield military power against alleged infidels. As David Smith reports, Doug Pagitt, a pastor and executive director of the progressive Christian group Vote Common Good, describes the theological logic shaping this worldview: It seems to me that Pete Hegseth has a worldview which is contorted toward thinking that this administration has a particular divine calling. He believes, because he said it, that God has uniquely ordained Donald Trump and those that he chooses to accomplish very specific purposes in the world. Pete Hegseth’s own version of Christianity is built around a certain Christian advancement that comes through the domination of the governments of nations. He believes that not only is the military at his disposal to use for his purposes but that it is there to fulfill God’s agenda for the world. War is celebrated as proof of strength, enemies are stripped of their humanity, and the destruction of entire populations is reframed as the necessary price of restoring national greatness, often invoked through the slogan “America First.” In such a necropolitical order, the state derives legitimacy not from protecting life but from demonstrating its capacity to destroy it. Moreover, we live in an era under a fascist regime in which the annihilation of morality is in full bloom. Almost nothing is reported in the mainstream press regarding the fact that “Between 600,000 and 1 million Iranian households are now temporarily displaced inside Iran as a result of the ongoing conflict [a figure that represents] up to 3.2 million people. The same moral callousness is on full display about Hegseth’s response to troop deaths in Iran. Trump’s initial response to the death of three troops was “We have three, [and] we expect casualties, but in the end it’s going to be a great deal for the world.” For Trump death makes sense only as part of a cost-benefit analysis. He later said “there will likely be more [deaths] before it ends,” before adding: “That’s the way it is. Likely be more.” Hegseth responded by “criticizing the media for supposedly focusing too much on the dead soldiers in an effort to make Trump ‘look bad.’” Militarism thus ceases to be an exception to politics and becomes one of its central organizing principles. Under such conditions, even the mass killing of civilians, including children, is absorbed into the brutal language and logic of national power and disappears behind the spectacle of military triumph. The devastation produced by the illegal Israeli-U.S. bombing campaign in Iran is rarely acknowledged with any moral seriousness. Airstrikes have struck targets across the region, including oil depots around Tehran, sending thick black smoke into the sky and spreading toxic fallout across surrounding communities. Yet the human consequences of this destruction are largely erased from official discourse, replaced by triumphant displays of technological power and nationalist rhetoric. Within the Trump administration, the suffering produced by the war is not merely ignored but openly trivialized. When asked whether Russia’s involvement in the conflict might endanger American personnel, Hegseth dismissed the concern with chilling bluntness, stating that “the only people who should be worried right now are Iranians who think they are going to live.” Such remarks reveal a political culture in which violence is no longer treated as a tragic consequence of war but as a measure of national strength. The staggering economic cost of the war further exposes the distorted priorities that sustain this militarized order. According to The Atlantic journalist Nancy Youssef, citing a congressional official, the conflict is costing the United States roughly $1 billion per day. Sarah Lazare notes that this sum could instead cover the daily cost of food assistance for the 41 million Americans who rely on food stamps, or help sustain Medicaid coverage for the 16 million people expected to lose healthcare under recent cuts. In this sense, the war does not simply devastate lives abroad; it also drains resources from the social programs that sustain life at home. Yet the consequences of this war extend beyond immediate human and financial costs. As Chris Hedges has warned, the economic consequences may extend far beyond these immediate costs. With Iran threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes, the conflict risks triggering a global economic shock that could push the world toward recession. That such dangers are barely acknowledged by the Trump administration reveals the extraordinary recklessness with which this war has been launched, a fusion of geopolitical aggression and profound ignorance of the economic forces it has set in motion. Yet the deeper problem is that this war does not emerge in isolation. It reflects the logic of gangster capitalism, in which militarism has become normalized as a permanent feature of national policy. Nor is this pattern new. The United States has long treated war spending as a permanent feature of national policy. As Eric Morrisette observes, “We know that wars are costly. Having extricated ourselves from protracted Middle East conflicts just three years ago, we have clear reference points which are not reassuring. The Costs of War Project at Brown University’s Watson Institute estimates that from late 2001 through FY2022, the U.S. spent or obligated $8 trillion on post-9/11 wars: $5.8 trillion in direct costs and at least $2.2 trillion in future veterans’ care through 2050. Every dollar in that accounting was a dollar that did not go toward schools, bridges, or health care.” Seen in this light, the war on Iran reveals how militarism functions simultaneously as spectacle, ideology, policy, and a form of state-sanctioned extortion. It erases the suffering of those beneath the bombs while demanding enormous sacrifices from the public whose resources sustain it. Violence becomes both the language of power and the measure of political legitimacy in a necropolitical order that normalizes destruction while rendering its human costs invisible. As Primo Levi warned, fascism rarely arrives all at once; it advances through small moral accommodations that gradually normalize cruelty and erode the capacity to recognize injustice. What makes such violence politically sustainable, however, is the language that legitimizes it, a language that empties words of their moral weight while transforming brutality into the rhetoric of necessity and destiny. In the lies, deaths, and destruction unleashed by the illegal Israeli-U.S. war on Iran, we are witnessing what Toni Morrison once called the language of war. In her Nobel Prize lecture, Morrison warned that such language is the language of leaders with blood on their hands, a dead language “content to admire its own paralysis.” It is a language intoxicated with power, seduced by its own narcissism, and emptied of moral accountability. When political speech becomes saturated with this rhetoric, violence no longer requires justification. It is presented instead as destiny, necessity, or even virtue. Few figures illustrate this necropolitical imagination more starkly than Pete Hegseth. His public rhetoric celebrates unrestrained violence while dismissing the legal and moral limits that once governed modern warfare. In this worldview, war is no longer treated as a tragic necessity but as a form of purification, an arena in which nationalism, hyper-masculinity, and religious destiny converge. The result is a political culture steeped in militarism, misogyny, and a toxic cult of strength, animated by religious fundamentalism and marked by a deep ethical abyss. Hegseth’s own words make this worldview unmistakably clear. In his book The War on Warriors, he recounts dismissing the advice of a military lawyer who was explaining the rules of engagement to soldiers under his command in Iraq. According to Hegseth, he told the troops: “I will not allow that nonsense to filter into your brains.” Such remarks are revealing not only for their contempt toward the legal restraints governing modern warfare, but also for the ideological worldview they expose. The religious dimension of this rhetoric has also surfaced directly in official military messaging. During a Pentagon briefing on the Iran conflict, Hegseth concluded his remarks by quoting scripture, invoking biblical language to frame the campaign against Iran. For critics, such gestures underscore the dangerous erosion of the boundary between church and state in the conduct of American military policy. When military briefings invoke scripture and political leaders frame geopolitical conflict in biblical terms, the line between strategy and religious mission begins to dissolve. War is no longer presented simply as a matter of national security but as part of a larger theological struggle. In such circumstances, political violence risks being sanctified, and the state begins to assume the moral posture of a crusade rather than a democracy bound by law. Elsewhere in The War on Warriors, Hegseth launched a frontal attack on the laws of war. He wrote: “If our warriors are forced to follow rules arbitrarily and asked to sacrifice more lives so that international tribunals feel better about themselves, aren’t we just better off winning our wars according to our own rules?! Who cares what other countries think.” These remarks are not merely rhetorical bravado. They signal a profound rejection of the ethical framework that has governed modern warfare since the mid-twentieth century. The laws of armed conflict, codified in the Geneva Conventions after the devastation of World War II, were meant to place limits on the machinery of violence. They rested on a simple but crucial principle: even in war there must be moral boundaries. Civilians cannot be deliberately targeted, prisoners cannot be tortured, and entire communities cannot be treated as disposable. Those principles emerged from the ashes of a century that witnessed mechanized slaughter, genocidal campaigns, and cities reduced to rubble. When such limits are dismissed as inconveniences or signs of weakness, the consequences are neither abstract nor distant. They are written on the bodies of the dead and the shattered landscapes left behind. The history of modern warfare offers chilling reminders: the massacre at My Lai in Vietnam, where hundreds of unarmed civilians were slaughtered; the torture chambers of Abu Ghraib, where prisoners were humiliated and brutalized; the network of secret detention sites and “black sites” where detainees disappeared into legal voids beyond the reach of law. In the decades since the so-called war on terror began, the devastation inflicted on civilian populations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Gaza has left entire regions shattered. Cities and towns have been reduced to landscapes of rubble, grief, and enduring trauma, while millions have been displaced and whole societies forced into conditions of permanent insecurity. Against this backdrop, Donald Trump’s claim that he was an “anti-war president,” campaigning on the slogan “no new wars,” collapses under the weight of reality. In his second term, that claim quickly unraveled as the machinery of militarized power expanded rather than receded. Trump not only widened the reach of U.S. violence abroad, he also brought the language and tactics of war home, unleashing heavily armed federal forces in American cities where they operated with near impunity. The message was unmistakable: the paramilitary violence long inflicted on distant populations, especially in Latin America, could now be turned inward, dissolving the boundary between foreign battlefields and domestic life. As journalist Zachary Basu observes, “no president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Donald Trump.” With the restraints of international law increasingly cast aside, Trump’s imperial violence expands with few visible limits, reaching even to the brazen abduction of Venezuela’s president. War becomes more than a geopolitical strategy. It emerges as a necropolitical project in which entire populations are rendered disposable and destruction itself is staged as a spectacle of imperial power. Hegseth’s rhetoric gives this politics of disposability its ideological language. By casting restraint as weakness and humanitarian law as a bureaucratic nuisance imposed by distant elites, he undermines the fragile moral architecture meant to limit the violence of war. In this framework, justice gives way to raw power, and the only measure of success is victory. This normalization of lawless violence feeds the broader war culture shaping the political imagination of the MAGA movement. Military force is framed not as a tragic last resort but as proof of national vitality. Violence becomes a measure of masculinity and patriotism, while reflection or restraint is dismissed as cowardice. War is imagined as a cleansing force capable of restoring national greatness. The deeper cultural logic behind this exaltation of force was diagnosed decades ago by Walter Benjamin. Writing in the shadow of European fascism, Benjamin warned that authoritarian movements seek to “aestheticize politics.” Instead of encouraging democratic deliberation, they transform power itself into spectacle. War becomes the ultimate aesthetic experience, a dazzling display of technological force designed to overwhelm moral reflection. Benjamin’s insight helps illuminate the political culture surrounding Trump, where war is increasingly aestheticized and violence is staged as a spectacle of national power. Government propaganda celebrating bombing raids increasingly resembles the visual language of video games and action films. Explosions appear as cinematic effects, targets disappear in bursts of light, and destruction becomes a performance of technological mastery rather than a human catastrophe. Behind these carefully crafted images lies a far more brutal reality. During the recent escalation of the war with Iran, a U.S. bombing strike reportedly destroyed an elementary school building, killing more than 135 children. Such atrocities reveal the grotesque distance between the spectacle of military triumph circulating through official media and the devastating human consequences it conceals. This transformation becomes even clearer through the work of the French theorist Guy Debord, whose analysis of the “society of the spectacle” helps explain how modern warfare is transformed into a visual drama of power rather than a human catastrophe. Debord argued that modern politics increasingly operates through images that detach people from lived reality. Spectacle replaces genuine experience, encouraging citizens to consume representations of power rather than question its consequences. Bombing campaigns appear as visual events rather than human tragedies. The public is encouraged to identify with the display of national power rather than with the lives destroyed in its wake. The cultural critic Susan Sontag anticipated this danger in her reflections on war imagery. Sontag argued that repeated exposure to images of violence can produce what she called a form of moral anesthesia. Viewers become fascinated by the visual power of destruction while the suffering those images represent gradually recedes from moral consciousness. The visual culture surrounding contemporary warfare exemplifies precisely this dynamic. When bombing footage is packaged in the style of entertainment media, the boundary between war and spectacle dissolves. Violence becomes consumable. Journalist and antiwar scholar Norman Solomon has long argued that modern warfare depends on carefully managing public perception. Governments sanitize war through narratives and images that obscure the suffering inflicted on civilians. War becomes politically sustainable not because it is humane, but because its brutality is hidden from view. In the present moment, however, violence is not merely concealed. Increasingly, it is praised and nowhere is this glorification more visible than in the religious language surrounding the war. But spectacle alone cannot sustain this war culture. It must be anchored in a moral narrative that legitimates its violence, shields it from critique, and renders its brutality both righteous and necessary. This role is increasingly played by a powerful strain of religious fundamentalism circulating within parts of the MAGA movement. Several prominent figures in Trump’s orbit, including Hegseth and allied political leaders, have framed conflicts in the Middle East in explicitly biblical terms. Iran is depicted not simply as a geopolitical adversary but as a spiritual enemy within a larger cosmic struggle between good and evil. In some Christian nationalist circles, commentators openly interpret the conflict through end-times prophecy, suggesting that confrontation with Iran could fulfill biblical narratives surrounding Armageddon and the return of Christ. Several commentators have noted how openly religious this rhetoric has become. Writing in The Nation, critics of the war point out that leading figures in Trump’s political circle have increasingly framed the conflict as a civilizational struggle rooted in religious identity. Senator Lindsey Graham stated bluntly that “this is a religious war,” suggesting that the outcome of the conflict could shape the region “for a thousand years.” Such language marks a dangerous shift in political discourse, one in which geopolitical conflict is reimagined as a sacred confrontation between faiths rather than a political crisis requiring diplomacy. When militarism fuses with apocalyptic religion, the consequences are deeply troubling. War ceases to be a tragic failure of diplomacy and becomes a sacred drama instead. Violence is sanctified as the instrument through which divine destiny is said to unfold. Journalists have increasingly warned that the war is being framed in explicitly religious terms. Writing for MSNBC, Ali Velshi cautioned that Christian nationalist narratives are seeping into the Trump administration’s rhetoric on Iran, blurring the line between church and state and casting the conflict through theological imagery rather than political reasoning. In some cases the rhetoric has gone even further. Military watchdog groups report that certain commanders have described the war to troops as part of “God’s divine plan,” invoking biblical prophecy and the Book of Revelation to suggest that the conflict could usher in the end times. The philosopher Hannah Arendt warned that ideological systems of this kind erode the human capacity for moral judgment and weaken the ethical restraints that make political life possible. Her analysis of the “banality of evil” revealed how individuals can become complicit in immense violence when ethical reflection is replaced by ideological certainty. When war is framed as destiny or divine mission, the ability to question its human cost becomes dangerously weakened. The convergence of militarism, spectacle, and religious nationalism therefore produces what might best be understood as a political death drive. It is a sensibility marked by fascination with destruction, contempt for vulnerability, and deep indifference to human suffering. Critics of the war argue that the political culture surrounding it reflects something deeper than aggressive foreign policy. Writing in CounterPunch, Anthony DiMaggio and Dean Caivano describe the Iran war as part of a broader authoritarian transformation in American political life, one in which militarism, religious nationalism, and the politics of spectacle converge to produce what amounts to a new authoritarian moment. Whether one accepts that characterization in full or not, the fusion of war propaganda, religious rhetoric, and the glorification of violence undeniably signals a profound shift in the moral landscape of American politics. History offers sobering warnings about where such sensibilities can lead. Reflecting on the conditions that made fascism possible in Europe, the writer and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi observed that authoritarianism rarely arrives all at once. It emerges through gradual shifts in moral sensibility, through the normalization of cruelty and indifference. As Levi wrote, “Every age has its own fascism, and we see the warning signs wherever the concentration of power denies citizens the possibility and the means of expressing and acting on their own free will.” The danger lies precisely in these warning signs. When political leaders mock international law, celebrate lawless violence, and sanctify war through the language of religious destiny, they normalize a culture in which brutality becomes ordinary and cruelty appears as virtue. Under such conditions, the moral foundations of public life begin to erode. As the language of fascism takes hold, it strips ethical principles of their meaning and transforms morality, truth, and “the noble concept of a common humanity into a disdainful sneer.” The bombing that killed more than a hundred children in Iran should have provoked universal moral outrage. Instead it quickly disappeared beneath the spectacle of geopolitical posturing and the rhetoric of righteous power. That silence reveals how deeply the culture of war has penetrated public life, normalizing the mass killing of civilians while erasing their suffering from public memory. In this process, historical and social amnesia are reproduced through the language of theocratic fundamentalism, which frames violence not as a political crime but as part of a sacred struggle between good and evil. Under such circumstances, the war on children and those branded as infidels becomes more than an atrocity, it becomes a political alibi. Cloaked in the language of divine mission, militarized violence helps shield the brutalities of capitalism itself, allowing a system built on disposability, dispossession, exploitation, and endless war to conceal its cruelty behind the moral camouflage of religious destiny. The merging of aesthetics and violence in the Trump regime is also evident in its repeated invocation of national decline. This rhetoric functions as a coded language of disposability and racial purification, framing certain populations as signs of degeneration while promising national rebirth through the restoration of authority and force. As Anthony DiMaggio and Dean Caivano observe, such language fuses older eugenic ideas and the fascist rhetoric of “blood and soil” with appeals to social hierarchy and civilizational renewal. In their analysis of Trump’s rhetoric, they write: Trump’s rhetoric adopts the language of decline and rebirth yet departs from this classical model in a decisive way. In his second inaugural address in January 2025, he declared that “America’s decline is over.” In this week’s State of the Union, he also described the United States as “a dead country” before his return to office. These statements frame the nation in biological terms, casting it as lifeless and degraded while positioning executive authority as the animating force capable of restoring vitality. Legitimacy is measured in terms of life and death rather than institutional continuity. Seen in this light, Trump’s language of decline and rebirth is not merely rhetorical exaggeration but part of a deeper authoritarian aesthetic in which politics is defined as a drama of national resurrection. Echoing the fascist logic Walter Benjamin warned about, the nation is imagined as a living body that must be purified and revitalized through force, while those marked as disposable are cast outside the boundaries of moral concern. In such a framework, the promise of renewal becomes inseparable from the power to decide whose lives count and whose deaths are deemed acceptable, a necropolitical vision in which sovereignty is measured not by the protection of life but by the capacity to destroy it. The language of purification central to fascist politics, with its insistence that the nation must be cleansed, echoes Zygmunt Bauman’s argument that fascist ideology imagines society as something to be “gardened,” where those deemed undesirable are treated like weeds to be removed. A society that learns to watch war as spectacle risks losing the capacity to recognize the humanity that disappears behind the screen. When cruelty becomes entertainment and destruction becomes proof of strength, the moral foundations of democracy begin to erode. As Fintan O’Toole notes, under such circumstances, “fascism works by making the extreme appear normal.” Resisting this trajectory requires more than opposing particular wars or policies. It requires confronting the cultural logic and pedagogical practices that turns violence into spectacle and domination into virtue. Democracies cannot survive when political leaders sanctify cruelty in the language of destiny and divine mission. If this culture of militarized spectacle continues to expand, the danger is not only endless war abroad but the steady corrosion of democracy at home, the devastation of civilian populations and the accelerating destruction of a planet already pushed to the brink by militarism and extractive capitalism. What is crucial to grasp in the fight against neoliberal theocratic fascism is that people must come to understand their lived experiences as part of a broader system of oppression, and to recognize that making change imaginable is itself the foundation for building mass resistance. This battle extends beyond economic and institutional forms of domination to the modes of hegemony that shape consent, desire, morality, and everyday common sense. At stake is a struggle over consciousness, values, and agency itself. In that sense, any viable resistance movement must place education at the center of politics. The struggle for economic, political, and social rights is inseparable from challenging the conditions that produce and reproduce a culture of domination and exploitation. Resisting the expansion of neoliberal theocratic fascism demands the emergence of a broad democratic movement led by workers, youth, and all those rendered disposable within this necropolitical order. Such a movement depends upon a formative culture capable of nurturing critical consciousness, civic courage, and a language of possibility. This is not only a battle against war and authoritarianism; it is also a demand for a different future, one in which democracy is no longer synonymous with permanent warfare and gangster capitalism, but is reclaimed as a moral and political project rooted in justice, equality, and critical reason. At its core, this is a struggle to reclaim education as a practice of freedom and to reimagine politics as an ethical, collective commitment to building a more just world, a democratic socialist future in which life, equality, and justice prevail over profit, disposability, and war. The post Trump’s Crusade: Christian Nationalism and the Making of a Holy War appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Henry Giroux.
Roaming Charges: Trump’s Little Excursion Hits the Straits
Perhaps Trump will now replace Joe Kent with Newt Gingrich, who is very, very strong on security. So strong that Newt, the Edward Teller of our tormented times, advised Trump to drop 12 nuclear bombs on Iran to blast out a canal by-passing the Strait of Hormuz. In other words, someone with the guts to start a nuclear holocaust to prevent one. More The post Roaming Charges: Trump’s Little Excursion Hits the Straits appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-680x453.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-500x333.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404534" class="wp-image-404534 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-680x453.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="453" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-680x453.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-945x630.jpeg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-500x333.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/desdemonastrait-600x400.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Desdemona Strait, mouth of the Columbia River. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair. I am the frightful thing that always follows you Liar, I am thy Nemesis I always knew one day that it would come to this – Motörhead, Liar Check out this paragraph from Tulsi Gabbard’s prepared text in her opening statement before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday: As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer [July 2025], Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There have been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability. The entrances to the underground facilities that were bombed have been buried and shuttered with cement. There you have it. Trump’s Director of National Intelligence obliterated Trump’s case for going to war with Iran. Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium was destroyed last year and they’ve made no effort to resume the program. Curiously, however, Gabbard elided this paragraph during her live testimony before the committee. She claimed, under questioning from Sen. Mark Warner, that she skipped that crucial paragraph because she realized that she was “running out of time.” Her time in office is likely running out, as it should. Gabbard’s deputy, Joe Kent, resigned from office this week, claiming correctly that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US. Kent should know. As director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center, Kent saw all of the intel that Trump apparently refused to take the time to read. Joe Kent’s no “think-tank pansy.” He’s a hard-ass former Marine who courted the votes of Neo-Nazis and white supremacists during his failed run for Congress in western Washington. But according to Trump, who nominated him for office, he always knew Kent was “very, very weak on security.” Funny, he hired him and didn’t fire him. Kent walked out of the Executive Office building on his own volition. So we now have it from within the highest ranks of Trump’s own administration that the casus belli for the war on Iran was faked, in an even more blatant sham than the manufactured case for going to war on Iraq, a war Trump falsely claims he opposed from the beginning. But, like John Kerry, Trump was for the Iraq war before he was against it. It’s worth reiterating that even before the June 2025 bombings of Iran’s nuclear sites, there’s evidence that Iran was intent on building a nuclear weapon (and a lot of evidence that it wasn’t), even though perhaps they should have, given that possession of a stockpile of nuclear weapons seems to be the only deterrent against getting attacked by the US or Israel. Just this week, North Korea was gleefully launching 10 ballistic missiles into the Pacific during joint military exercises by the US and South Korea without even a squeak of protest from Kim’s former pen pal, Donald Trump. Again, Tulsi Gabbard said as much not long before Trump’s Operation of Midnight Hammer, testifying before Congress that “the intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003,” When asked about Gabbard’s testimony, Trump snarled: “I don’t care what she says. She’s wrong. My intelligence community is wrong,” But he didn’t fire Gabbard for being wrong and publicly contradicting him. Trump, Rubio, and Witkoff have repeatedly claimed that Iran was merely weeks away from having not only a stockpile of enriched uranium but a nuclear weapon: “If we didn’t hit within two weeks, they would’ve had a nuclear weapon. When crazy people have nuclear weapons, bad things happen.” (March 4) Trump has continued to push this lie in the last few days, as his war has gone south: “[W]e’re doing very, very well in Iran, knocking the hell out of them. And you have to do that. We can’t let them have a nuclear weapon. They were two weeks away — in my opinion, two weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.” (March 17) Once again, it’s Trump’s position that his own top intelligence appointees are lying about his lies about going to war against Iran. Still, not many Americans bought what Trump was trying to sell. Support for the Iran war remains at around 40 percent. And the fog of lies began to rapidly dissipate when Trump’s little excursion ran aground on the Strait of Hormuz, shattering the global economy and unleashing chaos across the region. In an interview with Medhi Hassan, Senator Chris Van Hollen claimed Trump was duped by Netanyahu into going to war with Iran: They’ve had these constantly shifting rationales, and the reason they have to keep shifting them is because when they say that one thing was their goal – like getting rid of Iran’s nuclear capacity, they claimed – that turns out to be just not true….Netanyahu just a few weeks ago said he’d been waiting 40 years for an American president to join him in attacking Iran. And in Donald Trump, he finally found somebody stupid enough and reckless enough to actually do it. Sorry, Senator, but this lets Trump off the hook. Iran has been on Trump’s targeting radar since Obama signed the nuclear deal. He assassinated Qasem Suleimani, head of the IRG’s Al Quds Force, in 2020 and bombed three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last June. As the Epstein scandal engulfed Trump, he began talking up another bombing campaign on Iran and the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores fed his delusion that he could pull off a similar pain-free operation in Iran, a delusion Netanyahu was eager to stoke, against all intelligence to the contrary. Perhaps Trump will now replace Joe Kent with Newt Gingrich, who is very, very strong on security. So strong that Newt, the Edward Teller of our tormented times, advised Trump to drop 12 thermo-nuclear bombs on Iran to blast out a canal by-passing the Strait of Hormuz. In other words, someone with the guts to start a nuclear holocaust to prevent one. +++ “Since Auschwitz, we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima, we know what is at stake.” – Viktor Frankl + Knowing, however, hasn’t made much of a difference in the direction things keep going or slowed the accelerating speed at which we’re getting there… + During a White House press gathering with Sanae Takaichi, the new prime minister of Japan, Trump was asked why he didn’t alert Asian and European allies about the planned first strike on Iran. He snapped in reply, “We didn’t tell anyone about it because we wanted a surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan?” Then he turned to a visibly stricken Takaichi and said, “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” What a bizarre comparison and an unconscious (presumably) admission of the criminality of the US surprise strikes on Iran. The parallel isn’t exact, however. Japan limited itself to attacks on a US military base, while Trump smart bombed an Iranian girls’ school. + Trump: “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked.” + Sure, Don. It only happened in every war game about attacking Iran ever conducted by the Pentagon, CIA, DIA, Army War College and RAND… + Yet more proof that the Republican Party has turned into a Jonestown-like cult and would mindlessly disavow any previously held conviction and swig toxic Kool-Aid given them if their Supreme Leader ordered them to… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404636" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar-680x347.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="347" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar-680x347.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar-1200x612.jpeg 1200w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar-768x392.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar-500x255.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar-600x306.jpeg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gopsupportiranwar.jpeg 1373w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + On Tuesday, Joe Kent resigned as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in protest of Trump’s war on Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent wrote that Iran posed no threat to the US… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-404637" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joekent.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="880" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joekent.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joekent-487x630.jpeg 487w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joekent-500x647.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joekent-600x776.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + No one this high-ranking resigned from the Biden administration over abetting Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which tells you a lot about the people who ran the Biden administration, most of whom should be hauled to The Hague. + Trump on Kent’s resignation: “I always thought he was weak on security. Very weak on security. It’s a good thing that he’s out.” Is this an admission that Trump spent more time evaluating the contestants on The Apprentice than he did on his National Security staff? + You don’t have to read too deeply between the lines of Tulsi Gabbard’s response to Kent’s resignation to get the gist: Trump does whatever the hell he wants, regardless of what we say, if he even bothers to listen. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404638" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement-680x517.png" alt="" width="680" height="517" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement-680x517.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement-828x630.png 828w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement-768x584.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement-500x380.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement-600x457.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gabbardstatement.png 1188w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> The question is, why didn’t Gabbard walk out with Joe Kent? What does she expect to get out of this in the end, except an NDA she’ll be forced (or paid) to sign prohibiting her from saying what she really thought of Trump… + Nothing much will surprise me about Tulsi Gabbard, but I’m still curious as to what Gabbard gets out of working in the Trump administration. They’ve basically kept her in a closet for months. She doesn’t travel. She doesn’t make press appearances. She won’t even go on the friendly confines of Fox, where every question is set up for her like an at-bat during a T-ball game. She’s been kept out of White House meetings on Iran, Israel and Venezuela. No one inside the Trump decision-making circle seems to value or care what she has to say. What’s in it for her? + Here’s a passage from Trump’s National Security Strategy, released in December 2025, now no longer worth the pixels it was written on… The days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy in both long-term planning and day-to-day execution are thankfully over—not because the Middle East no longer matters, but because it is no longer the constant irritant, and potential source of imminent catastrophe, that it once was. It is rather emerging as a place of partnership, friendship, and investment.” Conflict remains the Middle East’s most troublesome dynamic, but there is today less to this problem than headlines might lead one to believe. Iran—the region’s chief destabilizing force—has been greatly weakened by Israeli actions since October 7, 2023, and President Trump’s June 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer, which significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program. We should encourage and applaud reform when and where it emerges organically, without trying to impose it from without. The key to successful relations with the Middle East is accepting the region, its leaders, and its nations as they are while working together on areas of common interest. + Trump, of course, wants it both ways and all the ways in between: “If I didn’t terminate Obama’s horrible deal, the Iran nuclear deal, you would’ve had nuclear holocaust.” We’re much closer now to a nuclear holocaust with Pakistan, India, Russia and Israel all with their fingers on the nuclear triggers than under the Obama deal, which Trump tore up and Biden shamefully refused to renegotiate. + Anna Kramer in NOTUS: “Six months before the Trump administration began bombing Iran, the Department of State fired its oil and gas experts. State’s energy division got completely DOGE’d. And with it went the people who knew how to plan for a global energy crisis.” + According to Forbes: “Economists have warned rising oil prices may push the US into a recession.” + This week, Brent crude oil climbed 5% to $112.2 a barrel, a more than 50% rise since the start of the war. It’s not just the result of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also successfully attacked oil production facilities in the UAE and Iraq. + The average price of diesel in the US hit $5 a gallon for the first time since 2022, an increase of more than a third since the start of the war. + Gas prices at the pump here in Oregon seem to be ticking upward every hour, but Germany has taken action to restrict changes in pump prices to once a day. + I checked the scoreboard at the Flying J on I-5 near Aurora, Oregon on Friday morning…and Iran seems to be running up the score. ($5.09 per gallon for mid-grade.) and $5.79 per gallon for diesel.) <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404779" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-680x907.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="907" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-680x907.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-473x630.jpeg 473w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-500x667.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_1558-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Why hasn’t King Donald issued an Imperial Edict restricting the price of regular gas to $3.00 a gallon? None of the oil refined into gasoline in the US passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This is just straight-out price-gouging by his buddies in Big Oil. + Martin Wolf writing in the Financial Times, “If the Strait is not reopened soon, the world risks both economic and political disruption. Only one major power, Russia, will be unambiguously better off.” + Israel continues to urge Iranians to revolt even though Mossad has privately determined they’ll be “slaughtered,” which is likely the scenario Israel wants. + The UN’s World Food Program warned this week that the war on Iran could cause an additional 45 million people to face hunger. The statement added that “increasing energy, fuel and fertilizer costs” could push 363 million people into food insecurity. + John Simpson, longtime correspondent and presenter for the BBC: “Over the years, I’ve been in many towns and cities when they were being bombed — in a few cases (Baghdad, Belgrade, etc.) by my own country. No matter what the justification, most of the victims have been entirely innocent. I’ve come to loathe the very thought of aerial bombardment.” + One diplomat with knowledge of the pre-war talks, where Iran offered to give up its nuclear enrichment program, told the Guardian: “We regarded Witkoff and Kushner as Israeli assets that dragged a president into a war he wants to get out of.” This is absurd. Trump sent Witkoff and Kushner because he thinks they’re both more loyal to him than Rubio or Vance. + John Fetterman: “Iran doesn’t have any military capabilities left other than just a random drone here and there trying to produce chaos, and have that get amplified and platformed in the New York Times and whatever to make it seem like the world’s on fire, and that’s just not there.” Why are we still bombing them, then? What are we bombing? Who are we killing? Does Fetterman know? Does he care? Hello, is there anybody in there? + The Taliban didn’t have a Navy, an Air Force, a tank or even a drone and the US fought, droned and bombed them for 20 years before saying, in the immortal words of Roberto Duran, “No mas!” and finally getting the hell out… + Trump is sending 2,500 Marines to Karg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Who knows why? After picking up his Nobel Peace prize, Trump’s nemesis and eternal obsession, Barack Obama, sent 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in 2011 to shore up the failing US war, only to see the war end up failing even worse than before. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404639" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-680x369.png" alt="" width="680" height="369" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-680x369.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-1160x630.png 1160w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-768x417.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-1536x834.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-2048x1112.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-500x272.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/petesessions-600x326.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Rep. Pete Sessions: “I believe that what these 2,500 Marines would be is to secure the island. The island is not, in my opinion, boots on the ground in combat circumstances. It’s not like inside Iran in the cities.” + When are “boots on the ground” not boots on the ground? When the Marines are outfitted in Trump’s Florsheim wingtips! + The Saudis have been urging Trump to “continue pounding” Iran. Crown Prince Bonesaws, President Bone Spurs and Bibi, the Axis of Sadism… + Israel assassinated Ali Larijan, head of Iranian securing and one of Iran’s top diplomats, to stop any negotiated end of the war and drag the US deeper into it. In Iran, it will inevitably give more power to the most reactionary forces in the country… + Israel continues to hemorrhage support among Americans, across the political spectrum. A new NBC News poll found only 32 percent view Israel positively, down from 47 percent in 2023, while 39 percent see it negatively, up from 24 percent. The turn against Israel is occurring in parties and all ages, but most decisively among Democrats with positive views collapsing to 13 percent, and among young voters aged 18-34 at just 13 percent positive versus 63 percent negative. Sympathies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have also flipped, with 40 percent now siding more with Palestinians compared to 39 percent for Israelis, amid Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Net-Favorability of Israel All: +6% Democrats: -25% Independents: -9% Republicans: +46% 18-34 Year Olds: -35% 35-49 Year Olds: -6% 50-64 Year Olds: +12% 65+ Year Olds: +27% Echelon / March 16, 2026 + The Democrats are a poll-fixated party on just about every issue, except Israel. + Ben Ehrenreich: “As a feature writer with more than twenty years of experience in the industry, I don’t think of magazines as A-tier or B-tier or whatever. I just think about whether they shilled for genocide.” + Donald “More Amazing Than Kreskin” Trump says he predicted Iran would block the Strait of Hormuz: “I predicted all of it. I predicted Osama bin Laden would knock out the World Trade Center. I made that prediction a year before he did it.” (He didn’t.) + Marjorie Taylor Greene: “It’s just wrong to make Americans think that every single Palestinian in Gaza was a member of Hamas. That’s just not true. There were tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians murdered by these bombs that were dropped on them. And now the same thing is happening in Lebanon.” + Trump’s top economic advisor, Kevin Hassett: “If the war were to be extended, it wouldn’t really disrupt the US economy very much at all. It would hurt consumers, and we’d have to think about what we’d have to do about that, but that’s really the last of our concerns right now.” Are they really going with this? + Trump: “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP” Any one found on the street ranting like this would be carted off to the nearest state mental hospital… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404641" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet-680x558.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="558" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet-680x558.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet-767x630.jpeg 767w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet-768x631.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet-500x411.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet-600x493.jpeg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumpnatotweet.jpeg 1510w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + If Trump’s disastrous bombing “excursion” in Iran prompts him to yank the US out of NATO, so much the better for NATO…and everybody else. + A piece in Air and Space Forces magazine estimates that the US has already lost more than 10 percent of its MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet. + Aside from oil and natural gas, Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has also blocked the transport of at least one-third of the world’s supply of helium, the principal cooling agent for MRI scanners and the production of microchips. When will the Tech Lords begin to get squeamish? +++ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404648" class="wp-image-404648 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Nazeer-with-Kids1-1773674258.jpg-680x453.webp" alt="" width="680" height="453" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Nazeer-with-Kids1-1773674258.jpg-680x453.webp 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Nazeer-with-Kids1-1773674258.jpg-768x512.webp 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Nazeer-with-Kids1-1773674258.jpg-500x333.webp 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Nazeer-with-Kids1-1773674258.jpg-600x400.webp 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Nazeer-with-Kids1-1773674258.jpg.webp 770w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal holding two of his children. Photo courtesy of AfghanEvac. + Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, a former Afghan soldier who served alongside US special forces and fled his native country after its takeover by the Taliban, died in ICE custody last week shortly after being seized by immigration officers. + At least 41 people have died in ICE custody since Trump re-took office in 2025. + Stephen Miller: “If all of this theft were stopped, it would be enough to balance the budget. The extraction of wealth from American taxpayers to people who don’t belong here is the primary cause of the national debt.” Is he talking about Lockheed, Raytheon or Boeing? No, Somali-Americans. + Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: I reviewed the Heritage Foundation’s database of voter fraud cases since the 1980s. They had just 10 examples of undocumented immigrants voting. I know of 2 more. Over decades. Importantly, several would NOT have been impacted by voter ID, as they involved stolen identities.” + Rep. Ted Lieu on the problem that doesn’t exist: “Undocumented immigrants want nothing to do with the govt! To vote, you have to first register. How many undocumented immigrants are gonna go, ‘Yes, I’m gonna give all my information to the government that’s maybe trying to deport me. No way!’” + Florida Sheriff Grady Judd called for a path to citizenship in a press conference this week. “The way our system is designed, we can’t get millions of people out of the country anyways.” Judd has been the sheriff of Polk County, Florida, for the last 20 years. + Washington Post: “Little is known about the exact whereabouts of Salvadorans who were deported from the U.S. and are now imprisoned in CECOT. Relatives and lawyers say they have had no contact with their detained loved ones and have been unable to confirm where they are being held.” + Court records from DC show that U.S. Park Police have been pulling over migrant workers in commercial vans without a warrant or probable cause. and turning them directly over to ICE. + Stephany Gauffeny, a North Texas widow, received a letter approving her husband Miguel Garcia’s immigration status, two months after he was killed in a shooting by a rooftop sniper at an ICE prison in Dallas. Gauffeny also gave birth to the couple’s child after Garcia’s murder. + Several DHS contractors told the White House they were asked to pay Kristi Noem’s “special advisor,” Corey Lewandowski, to “protect and grow” their contracts with the department. Corey says it never happened. But the allegations parallel reports that Border Tsar Thomas Homan was caught in an FBI sting accepting a $50,000 cash bribe to secure similar contracts with the Trump administration. Hunter Biden would’ve needed three laptops to keep pace with this level of corruption. + House Republicans in Tennessee passed a bill requiring schools to “track” and “report” immigrant students. All 1.2 million K-12 students will be required to prove their citizenship. + It’s about time… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404689" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM-680x642.png" alt="" width="680" height="642" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM-680x642.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM-668x630.png 668w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM-768x725.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM-500x472.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM-600x566.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-4.04.08-PM.png 1414w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Meanwhile, China is working to expand Cuba’s solar power system. + Trump: “I do believe I’ll be having the honor of taking Cuba. That’s a big honor. Taking Cuba in some form. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.” + It’s supremely ironic that a failed casino magnate wants to re-take Cuba. The sinister course of American imperialism couldn’t have traveled in a fuller circle. + Greg Grandin: “The true ‘Latin Americanization’ of the US isn’t rehashing negative stereotypes of Latin America but understanding how the same violent economic restructuring that was imposed on Latin America in the late Cold War was imposed on the US after the Cold War.” + In other words, the economic strangulation of Cuba, now in its seventh decade, is also taking place in the US through the relentless, bipartisan imposition of austerity economics that keeps slashing away at already gutted social welfare programs, health care, and environmental protections for poor and working-class people. The two policies are, in fact, one and should be resisted as such. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404644" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-680x452.png" alt="" width="680" height="452" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-680x452.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-947x630.png 947w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-768x511.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-1536x1022.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-2048x1363.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-500x333.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trumporiginate-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Trump, putting it “nicely”: I originate–to put it nicely–I originate– many of us do–from Europe. I love Europe. I’ve spent a lot of time in Europe. It’s a different place. Bad, bad things have happened to Europe. Very bad things. And you better do something about immigration and energy or you won’t have a Europe. Where did “Europe” originate from? Was Attila the Hun “European”? What about the Ottomans, who controlled most of southeastern Europe for 600 years? How about the Moors who ruled and shaped much of Spain and Portugal (for the better) for 800 years? Are the Irish “European”? Well, they’re a member of the EU and their hated British colonizers aren’t, so perhaps. +++ + A new survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that at least 19 million Americans have “seriously considered” shooting someone, once against confirming DH Lawrence’s shrewd assessment of our national character: “The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted.” (Studies in Classic American Literature) + It’s hilarious how shameless the MAGA-meme factory is… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404651" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce-680x910.png" alt="" width="680" height="910" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce-680x910.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce-471x630.png 471w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce-768x1028.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce-500x669.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce-600x803.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skenesairforce.png 846w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + What’s next, hailing Don Jr as a true American Patriot because he briefly considered joining the Marines …before he heard about the snakes on Parris Island? + Radio silence from these same people after the Venezuelans defeated the vaunted US team (payroll $360 million) in the World Baseball Classic final. Let’s just hope Trump doesn’t have ICE detain and ship to an El Salvadoran prison Ronald Acuña, Salvy Perez and Eugenio Suarez in retaliation, they way he’s done to hundreds of other Venezuelans merely for having tattoos and wearing baseball caps. + Oregon Senator Ron Wyden on the Justice Department’s continuing cover-up of the Epstein files: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—Trump’s former personal lawyer who was also responsible for Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a cushy club fed—has intervened to block the DEA from providing details of a mysterious Epstein investigation to my Finance Committee team…. This is stunning interference. The document I’m after literally says ‘unclassified’ at the top. The investigation it details is closed. Given Blanche’s close personal ties to Donald Trump, this reeks of a continued cover-up to protect key names in the Trump administration. + Anne Marie Cox on Epstein’s cultivation of scientistic support to justify white male supremacy: “Epstein gravitated toward fields and figures that rank humans, explain away cruelty, or biologize inequality… He identified and aligned himself with the intellectual machinery now justifying our current dystopia.” + It’s somehow fitting that the early-onset Alzheimer’s Administration gutted Alzheimer’s research… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404653" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-680x875.png" alt="" width="680" height="875" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-680x875.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-490x630.png 490w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-768x988.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-1194x1536.png 1194w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-500x643.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch-600x772.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alzheimersresearch.png 1208w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> +++ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404624" class="wp-image-404624 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg-680x438.webp" alt="" width="680" height="438" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg-680x438.webp 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg-978x630.webp 978w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg-768x495.webp 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg-500x322.webp 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg-600x386.webp 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RanchoRioCreek-sm2-OshaDavidson.jpg.webp 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Rancho Rio Creek, Oak Flats. Photo: Osha Davidson. (Courtesy Apache Stronghold.) + The once liberal (though never as liberal as its reputation) Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an execrable ruling this week allowing the feds to transfer title to Oak Flats, one of the most sacred landscapes of the Apache, to Resolution Cooper, the Australian-owned mining comglomerate, which, unless the Supremes miraculously intervene, will allow them to begin boring holes in the fragile desert immediately. It’s remarkable that the small band of Apaches, greens, and lawyers has held off the earth-gougers for as long as they have, given the monied interests they’re fighting against. As Michael Nixon, one of the lawyers for Apache Stronghold, told me: “The land’s not the USA’s to try and give away or trade to the Sino-Aussie-British mining corp. It’s always been and still legally Apache land.” Biden could have saved Oak Flats with a sweep of his autopen. That he chose not to do so will go down as one of his most shameful failures, the environmental equivalent of arming a genocide in Gaza. The only realistic hope of saving Oak Flats under Trump was that the religious right would support the religious freedom arguments made by the skilled constitutional lawyers for the Apaches and that they would help persuade the likes of Barrett, Gorsuch and Roberts to block the mine. That didn’t happen, largely because the Christian Right only believes in religious freedom for themselves. There are still a few legal monkeywrenches that can be thrown against the mine, but the last line of defense, as it has been for centuries, will likely be the bodies of the Apaches themselves. + In the last 20 years, beef production has caused four times as much deforestation as the cultivation of any other food source. + Economist Tony Annett: “Renewables are now the cheapest form of energy in electricity generation. People who claim otherwise still think it’s 2010…” + Fueled by drought, lack of snow and extreme winds, the wildfires racing across the plains of Nebraska have now charred nearly a million acres. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404663" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-680x825.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="825" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-680x825.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-519x630.jpeg 519w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-768x932.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-1266x1536.jpeg 1266w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-500x607.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire-600x728.jpeg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nebraskafire.jpeg 1320w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + A new study in Lancet Global Health finds that shifting the international burden of climate-change mitigation onto higher-income countries could avoid 13.5 million premature deaths from air pollution in middle- and lower-income countries by 2050. + Longtime CounterPunch contributor John Perry on the 10th anniversary of Berta Cáceres murder: Before her murder on 2 March 2016, Berta Cáceres, a campaigner against dams and mining projects that were displacing rural communities in Honduras, told the reporter Nina Lakhani: “I want to live. I love my country, and we must rebuild it so that young people are not forced to emigrate.” If Cáceres’s murder is still unresolved, so is the question of how ordinary Hondurans can wrest control of their country from the dozen families that control much of the media and many large businesses, and have close ties with both the Honduran military and politicians in the United States. + Primatologists studying aggressive behavior (slapping, hitting, charging, biting and trampling) among 22 groups of chimpanzees and bonobos at 16 zoos across Europe showed no statistical difference between the two species of Pan. While the smug reporters at Reuters claimed that the study “debunks the Bonobos’ reputation of being the cool hippies of the simian world,” perhaps the research really shows that chimps and bonobos were both driven to violent outbursts by the madness-inducing living conditions of prolonged confinement in a prison-like environment. + In the dark forest along Bourbon Creek, dominated by 200-foot tall Douglas-firs, some of them 300 years old, sunlight still finds a way through… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404623" class="wp-image-404623 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-680x1122.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="1122" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-680x1122.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-382x630.jpeg 382w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-768x1268.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-931x1536.jpeg 931w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-1241x2048.jpeg 1241w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-500x825.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-600x990.jpeg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/bourboncreek-scaled.jpeg 1551w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Bourbon Creek old-growth stand. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair. + This public land on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in the Washington Cascades, adjacent to a wilderness area and habitat for endangered species such as the Northern Spotted Owl, is once again under threat of ecological obliteration, as Trump moves to restart clear-cutting in the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, exempting the logging operations from environmental laws. +++ + The revolting revelations about Cesar Chavez’s pedophilia and the raping of Dolores Huerta probably won’t come as too much of a shock to those who read Frank Bardacke’s invaluable history of the United Farmworkers movement, Trampling Out the Vintage, which pierced the carefully constructed veil that had concealed from public view some of the more unsavory aspects of Chavez’s career and personality. + Tim Noah on Cesar Chavez: People are complicated. Cesar Chavez was an organizing genius and also a monster. Shocking but not surprising to learn he sexually abused underaged girls and raped Dolores Huerta. We knew already that Chavez wrecked his union trying to turn it into a Synanon-inspired cult. He hired thugs (“cesarchavistas”) to go south of the border and beat up migrants, whom he disparaged as “wetbacks.” He turned against his closest allies. All this has been known for years. We still have much to learn from his brilliant grape boycott and his successful lobbying for CA legislation to protect farm workers. The personality cult always distracted people from that. + The US is failing at really basic things like delivering the mail, keeping trains on tracks, providing rural health care services and taking care of the teachers trying to educate its kids: In 2008, 62% of K-12 teachers said they were very satisfied with their job. By 2022, that figure had fallen to just 12%. The richest (or second richest) country in the world is well on its way to becoming a failed state by many metrics, including some of the most important ones measuring the health of a society. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404654" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-680x413.png" alt="" width="680" height="413" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-680x413.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-1036x630.png 1036w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-768x467.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-1536x934.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-2048x1245.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-500x304.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/virginiafox-600x365.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Rep. Virginia Foxx: “One of our colleagues just talked about the fact that wealthy people pay small percentages of their income on taxes. But what he didn’t say is they pay over 50% of all the taxes paid in this country, and that working-class people don’t pay nearly as much as they do.” How did the Democrats ever lose working-class voters to this party? Oh, yeah, Schumer explained it, right before HRC’s loss to Trump: “We don’t need blue-collar voters anymore, we’ve got suburban women.” + Even Kid Rock said he was shocked and “pissed off” after learning that Trump’s Justice Department had cut a deal with the price-gougers at Live Nation, a company whose executives laughed at how easily they were picking the pockets of concert-goers. But you shouldn’t have been surprised, Kid. Don’t you know every day is TACO Tuesday? + This week, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate fraud, which he appears to believe is mainly committed by immigrants, especially Somalis. But in the last year alone, Trump has pardoned more than a dozen people convicted of fraud, including… Jason Galanis ~$200M+ Joseph Schwartz ~$38M Lawrence Duran ~$205M (Medicare fraud billed; ~$87M paid) Carlos Watson ~$60M investor fraud Trevor Milton ~$20M+ investor losses Todd Chrisley ~$30M bank fraud Julie Chrisley ~$30M bank fraud Devon Archer ~$60M tribal bond scheme George Santos ~$44K–$1M+ (multiple fraud schemes) Michele Fiore ~$70K charity fraud Brian Kelsey ~$90K campaign finance fraud Scott Jenkins ~$75K bribery/fraud scheme Paul Walczak ~$10M+ tax fraud Adriana Camberos ~$1M+ counterfeit/fraud + Percent of the population of the US with a net worth of $1 million or more: 7 Percent of the population of the US Senate with a net worth of $1 million or more: 73 + The Postmaster General, David Steiner, who has served on the board of FedEx since 2009, claimed this week that the US Postal Service “will be out of cash in less than 12 months” and might be forced to stop deliveries in 2027. We’re seeing the planned destruction of a government service mandated by the US Constitution so that companies like FedEx can completely privatize the US mail system. + Over half of Americans say health care, a weeklong vacation and a new car are unaffordable. + There are currently 14,500 satellites in orbit around the Earth, 10,025 of which belong to Elon Musk’s Starlink. +++ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404655" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-680x401.png" alt="" width="680" height="401" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-680x401.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-1069x630.png 1069w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-768x452.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-1536x905.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-2048x1207.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-500x295.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jesusboy-600x353.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Fox News broke the story of the millennium this weekend, when former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany interviewed a man who met Jesus during his 18-day “visit to Heaven”…and Jesus turns out to be, I don’t quite know how to put it but…uh…gay? Kayleigh McEnany: You saw him [Jesus] face-to-face. You had a conversation. What did he say? Gabe Poirot: Well, I didn’t originally see him face to face, because my face was down, because I was so concerned that the list of my mistakes was going to be pulled up and I was done for. It was like black and white, like I have no hope, right? But he picks up my face. He looks me in the eyes, and he says, ‘Gabriel, why are you so concerned about that which is paid for?’ And he showed me the wounds in his hands? Not his hands, like his wrists. And they carried the depth of eternity. His wounds had a name: ‘Gabriel.’ He did this for me. Like I was his only one. That I’ll forever be his only one. He’d waited his entire life just for me. + Speaking of the Supreme Christian diety, on a recent episode of the Reformation Red Pill podcast, host Joshua Haymes and Brooks Potteiger, (Re-Pete Hegseth’s pastor at Christ Church D.C) prayed that their God would kill Texas State Rep. James Talarico, or stop him “by any means necessary:” “I pray that God kills him. Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to a new life in Christ … If it would not be within God’s will to do so, stop him by any means necessary.” Talarico is a Presbyterian minister and Democratic Senate nominee. Sharia Law would be a step up from whatever law encourages the public “praying” for celestial drone-strikes… + Gregg Phillips, the man who runs FEMA emergency disaster response office, claims he was once teleported in his car to a Waffle House 50 miles away and, surprise, that it wasn’t any fun: . I was with my boys one time, and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House. And I ended up at a Waffle House – this was in Georgia, and I end up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was. And they said, ‘Where are you?’ and I said, ‘A Waffle House.’ And: ‘a Waffle House where?’ And I said: ‘Waffle House in Rome, Georgia.’ And they said: “‘That’s not possible, you just left here a moment ago.’ But it was possible. It was real. On another occasion, Phillips said his car was “lifted up” and deposited in a ditch near a church 40 miles away. “Teleporting is no fun,” Phillips warned. “You know it’s happening, but you can’t do anything about it, and so you just go, you just go with the ride. And wow, what just an incredible adventure it all was.” Phillips said on the podcast Onward. We’re living in the worst X-Files episode ever made. + Trump: “There’s actually never been a paint that’s made that will look like gold. You either gold-leaf it or you use a different color. Nobody’s ever been able to make a gold paint that looks real. A little minor thing for the media. I said someday I’m gonna discover a paint where you don’t have to actually use gold leaf.” Over to you, Vincent… And you, too, Master Van Rjin… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404659" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-12.09.25-PM.png" alt="" width="680" height="872" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-12.09.25-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-12.09.25-PM-491x630.png 491w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-12.09.25-PM-500x641.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-12.09.25-PM-600x769.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> + Javier Bardem on his “Free Palestine” remark at the Oscars: “It’s important to understand that you can be part of the movie-making community and also be a citizen who uses this huge speaker to denounce injustice.” + I was once again shut out at the Oscars as The Secret Agent, The Voice of Hind Rajab and The Alabama Solution all lost in their various Best Film categories, but in losing, they won, given the voting pool and the fifty-year history of the Academy Awards handing out the Best Film Oscar to a film other than the year’s best film. + Letter from Hunter Thompson to Anthony Burgess, regarding an overdue article for Rolling Stone magazine by the author of A Clockwork Orange … <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404660" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/thompsonltr.png" alt="" width="640" height="677" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/thompsonltr.png 640w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/thompsonltr-596x630.png 596w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/thompsonltr-500x529.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/thompsonltr-600x635.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /> Dave Marsh used to complain to me that Thompson’s stuff arrived to the Rolling Stone offices by fax in such incoherent conditions that it was almost impossible to edit into a readable story. I’m sure the prose degenerated across the 1970s. But this blast at Burgess is pretty sharp and funny. Alexander Cockburn, who admired both Thompson and Jack Kerouac, could never forgive Hunter for blowing his brains out and leaving the mess for his wife to find. But all those macho-prose guys idolized Hemingway and surely Thompson, realizing he was dried up as a writer, thought it was better to go out like Papa rather than dissolve into a reactionary crank slumped on his mother Gabrielle’s couch as Kerouac did… + Large Language Model chat boxes keep urging people to break up their relationships. Why? Because the bots were trained on Reddit, where an analysis of 15 years of relationship advice found that 50% of the comments urged people to “leave” their romantic partners. + A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that texting a random stranger is a better antidote to loneliness than conversing with a chat box. + It’s coming to the point where littering your writing with typos, howlers and grammatical offenses–never a problem for me; it just comes naturally–will be the last way to prove it was composed by a human. So, stop complaining about the typos in CounterPunch and relish them as artifacts of the authenticity of our prose! From reading and editing dozens of articles a day for going on 40 years, it’s becoming easier to detect not only which stories have been written with the aid an AI writing program but which program they’ve been written with–they each deaden the prose in their own particular and peculiar way. Her eyes look up with tears of dust, her breath all smoke, she left hanging Booked Up What I’m reading this week… Washington is Burning: Corruption and Lies in the Age of Trump Andrew Cockburn (Verso) Nuclear Weapons: An International History David Holloway (Yale) The Four Heavens: a New History of the Ancient Maya David Stuart (Princeton) Sound Grammar What I’m listening to this week… Beautifulism: Sweet Surrender Marquis Hill (Black Unlimited) Transmitter Cut Worms (Jaglaguwar) Lotus Bridge The Monochrome Set (Tapete Records) The Little Pictures Remain “People who try to tell you what the blitz was like in London start with fire and explosion and then almost invariably end up with some very tiny detail which crept in and set and became the symbol of the whole thing for them. . . . “It’s the glass,” says one man, “the sound in the morning of the broken glass being swept up, the vicious, flat tinkle.” … An old woman was selling little miserable sprays of sweet lavender. The city was rocking under the bombs and the light of burning buildings made it like day. . . . And in one little hole in the roar her voice got in—a squeaky voice. “Lavender!” she said. “Buy Lavender for luck.” The bombing itself grows vague and dreamlike. The little pictures remain as sharp as they were when they were new.” – John Steinbeck, A Russian Journal The post Roaming Charges: Trump’s Little Excursion Hits the Straits appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Jeffrey St. Clair.
Small World One of the advantages of the U.K. compared to the U.S. is it’s small. In the five hours it takes to go from Micanopy, Florida (where I lived for five years) to Miami, I can drive clear across England to Wales, a separate country within the U.K. There, they speak Welsh (as well More The post Wartime vs Deep Time appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" 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decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="200" height="200" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-200x200.png" class="alignleft wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-200x200.png 200w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="624" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404419" class="wp-image-404419 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png" alt="" width="680" height="624" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-500x459.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-10.51.39-PM-600x551.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Pillow lavas at Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales, March 2026. Photo: The author. Small World One of the advantages of the U.K. compared to the U.S. is it’s small. In the five hours it takes to go from Micanopy, Florida (where I lived for five years) to Miami, I can drive clear across England to Wales, a separate country within the U.K. There, they speak Welsh (as well as English), have their own parliament, and developed a unique culture – think poets (Dylan Thomas) and singers (Shirley Bassey). The landscape is varied, ranging from marine to grasslands to montane. Snowdonia National Park in the northwest alone contains temperate rainforests, alpine peaks, and coastal dunes. Beyond that is the island of Anglesey, Newborough Forest and Ynys Llanddwyn, site of a UNESCO “global geopark.” That’s where my wife Harriet and I headed last week, eight days after the start of the U.S. war against Iran. We wanted to clock the national pulse while at the same time diverting ourselves from war-scrolling. Keeping your hands at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock for hours at a time is a good way to keep them off your phone. Most of all, we hoped the unique geological formations on Llanddwyn Island could help us understand the relationship between deep time (the timescale of geologic history) and war time. Costs of War Donald Trump started his war on an impulse. There was no casus belli, no geopolitical imperative, and no domestic bloodlust to be gratified. (Before the U.S. attacked, I doubt there were Americans anywhere who went to bed worried about Iran.) There was no plausible macro-economic or sectoral gain; U.S. weapons manufacturers and oil giants are getting a boost of course, but those industries’ appetites are already well slaked. No world-systems theory that can help us understand the attack. No globalist conspirators set Trump’s plan in motion. Netanyahu didn’t make him do it. Pathological narcissism predicts violence, but usually at the service of primary process emotions: fear, searching, rage, lust, panic, and play. It’s true Trump raged at Iran and Muslims for at least a generation, but what drove him to start a war now? You might as well ask why someone tugs his earlobe or scratches his chin as ponder why Trump went to war. On a certain day, in a certain place, after conversation with somebody – or all by himself – Trump decided to attack Iran. Perhaps it was a somatic reaction to an external prompt? Or an autonomic response – a fight or flight reaction – to an unknown stimulus ? We’ll never know; Trump himself doesn’t know. The peculiar genius of modern American democracy (Demokratia –rule of the people) is that the president has the power to start a war – Armageddon if it comes down to it – all by himself. Given that, it’s not surprising the U.S. is losing. The first week of the conflict cost the U.S. about $11 billion. The president may soon ask Congress for a supplemental appropriation of $50 billion to cover the first month or so of the war. The total, national price tag – if it lasts more than another week or two, is expected to be over $200 billion. That includes lost economic activity and higher interest payments. A major recession – triggered by the oil shock – would be incalculably more expensive. The Great Recession of 2008-10 cost the U.S. alone some $20 trillion in total lost wealth and output. Trump is burning political capital even faster than cash. His approval ratings are underwater by an average of 14%. At this rate, the Republicans will lose the House in the Fall midterm elections (assuming they are conducted), and Trump will spend the last two years of his term fending off impeachment. Iran has also suffered billions in losses. Its investment in naval and air forces —now largely destroyed — is irrecoverable. Its nuclear program (never close to bomb development) is also shattered, and Iran’s political and military hierarchy has been decimated. Trump has attacked Iran’s civilian infrastructure and threatened to “obliterate” it. (That’s Israel’s special sauce, perfected in Gaza.) But Iran was already in bad shape before the war, gutted by decades of U.S. economic sanctions. It has less to lose from a long war than the U.S. because it started with so little. Thousands of Iranian soldiers and civilians have been killed by the bombardment. But for a regime willing to machine gun thousands of its smartest and most productive citizens during protests, a few thousand more deaths are insignificant. Iranian missiles and drones have done significant damage to U.S. facilities in the gulf, especially in GCC states. More than that, these attacks have essentially shut down shipments – especially of oil — through the Persian Gulf. Given that the Iranians can affect this blockade with inexpensive, easy to hide drones launched from dhows, the strategy may remain effective for some time. U.S. warships are unlikely to be successful at escorting oil tankers, but even if they are, it will be weeks before they can be put in place. Beaten but unbowed, the repressive Iranian regime remains in control – indeed, it’s in the driver’s seat. It may soon demand from the repressive U.S. government “unconditional surrender”, or regime change as a precondition for opening the Gulf to U.S., GCC, and allied oil transport. Many Brits I’ve met would welcome either outcome. Trump’s demand that his erstwhile European allies send warships to open shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz was an admission of failure and perhaps regret. If international leaders are smart, they’ll continue to let the president stew, and then quietly negotiate an end to the war. They may recall a song that was a smash hit (including in the U.K.) when Trump was a boy of 12: Connie Francis’s recording of “Who’s Sorry Now” (1958). Right to the end Just like a friend I tried to warn you somehow You had your way Now you must pay I’m glad that you’re sorry now (‘Who’s sorry now?” Music by Ted Snyder, lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, 1923) The Way West The start of war was as big a story in the U.K. as the U.S. The BBC, Guardian and London tabloids screamed war headlines, bumping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Lord Peter Mandelson – both Epstein chums — off the front pages and T.V chyrons. During the war’s first day or two, the focus of coverage was Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s initial, principled decision to abstain from the fighting. As a former international lawyer, he said, he knew an illegal war when he saw one. That decision was popular with the mass of the British public concerned about an ailing economy, mendicant NHS, and crippling housing costs. But rather than ride the crest of public approval, Starmer – true to form – settled in the trough of ridicule. In the face of Tory criticism for not standing shoulder to shoulder with the American cousins, the vacillant PM the next day offered up British bases for U.S. bombing runs, on the condition they were “defensive” in nature. Did he think the bombing of a school in Minab, Iran mere hours earlier (resulting in the death of more than 100 children) was an act of self-defense? By day six of the conflict, it was rising fuel costs and higher inflation, not Starmer, that held British attention. In between BBC4 radio broadcasts of Women’s Hour, Gardeners’ Question Time, Just a Minute, and The Archers, news programs led with “Rising Fuel Prices,” followed by “New Attacks on Gulf Shipping.” How stupid could the Americans be, British commentators and the public asked, not to prepare for Iran choking off oil and other shipments through the Strait of Hormuz? It’s not called the Persian Gulf for nothing! At the end of the second week of the war, petrol prices were up 15%; diesel 20 %, and home heating oil as much as 85%. Interest rates were also rising, most notably mortgages; that’s a very big deal here, and not only for new home buyers. In the U.K., long, fixed-rate mortgages don’t exist, so every few years, borrowers must negotiate new rates. And in lean times like these, even small increases can bankrupt a struggling family. The BBC offers almost daily interviews with experts on how to manage the financial uncertainty, but their advice mostly consists of the proverbial British “keep calm and carry on.” The one constant in my conversations with people I meet – including during my recent trip – is dislike of Trump. It’s mostly not the visceral contempt felt by many Americans, but a combination of aversion and bemusement. Halfway to Wales, we stopped in Laxton, Nottinghamshire to meet up with Mike, a Cambridge-educated, retired farmer and agribusiness consultant. He kindly agreed to guide us around the village and show us the open-field system of planting and harvesting that has been in use there for over 1,000 years. (There’s only one other community in the country that has maintained the protocol.) In the middle of describing how local, farm courts and jurors each year apportion the strips of land, and ensure they are properly watered, fertilized, rotated and fallowed, Mike interrupted himself and turned to me: <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404423" class="wp-image-404423 size-full" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-15-at-7.43.51-PM.png" alt="" width="680" height="436" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-15-at-7.43.51-PM.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-15-at-7.43.51-PM-500x321.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-15-at-7.43.51-PM-600x385.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Open-fields and track, Laxton, Nottinghamshire, March 2026. Photo: Harriet Testing. “Wot abaat Trump?” he asked. “Awful,” I said, trying to match Mike’s economy. “E’s certenleh med a mess o’ things. Is ’e got anneh idea wot ’e’s dooin’?” “None whatsoever.” “A mess, ay” Mike concluded. Disparagement of Trump now cuts across party lines in the U.K. A week after ridiculing Starmer for initially denying military support for U.S. and Israeli bombing raids, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch backpedaled: “I said that we support their actions. I never said we should join.” Nigel Farage, leader of far-right and politically ascendant Reform U.K., said at a press conference in Westminster soon after the war began: “We should do all we can to support the operation.” A week later, as oil prices tracked skyward, he said: “…let’s not get ourselves involved in another foreign war.” By the time we reached Wales, it seemed like there wasn’t a politician in Britain willing to speak out in favor of the war on Iran. Finally taking the public’s pulse, Keir Starmer expressed his disinclination to accept Trump’s kind invitation to send warships to the gulf to serve as oil tanker escorts (aka targets). Everyone just wants the U.S. to quit the war. Deep Time Always Wins Anglesey is connected to the mainland by a pair of bridges, most notably the Menai Straits Bridge, designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1826. It’s the world’s first road suspension bridge, and established the type for many later ones, including the Brooklyn Bridge (1883). The decks are hung from 80 massive, wrought iron bars, held together by 935 wrought iron links. The limestone towers are triumphal arches intended to welcome long-distance travelers headed from London to the Welsh port of Holyhead. From there, they could take a ferry to Ireland. But an even more formidable monument of much greater antiquity lies on the other side of the bridge, a few miles to the south. On Ynys Llanddwyn, a small, tidal island, part of the Newborough National Nature Reserve, are found a mélange of geologically rare “lava pillows,” formed in the Precambrian era, some 600 million years ago. As magma erupted from gaps in tectonic plates on the ocean floor, it was quickly cooled by seawater, forming pillows with glassy, outer shells. With the extrusion of more magma, the pillows filled up, collapsed and partially flattened under their own weight. The process was then repeated, creating more pillows, and so on, until there were great masses of them in multiple places. About 100 million years later, when tectonic plates shifted, these mélanges were brought to the surface where they now remain, jutting up through fine sand – the original Surrealistic Pillow. Made of calcite, jasper, quartz, and blueschist, they are quite beautiful in places, and sculptural too – like lumpy assemblages by the sculptor, Louise Bourgeois. Lava pillows are expressive of “deep time,” an idea that arose with the birth of geology and evolutionary biology in the late 18th and 19th centuries. That’s when James Hutton, Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin proposed that the earth was almost unfathomably older than natural theologists had proposed, and that change generally occurs slowly and by accretion, rather than with catastrophic suddenness. Upon examining the rock formations at Siccar Point in the Scottish Borders region, Hutton wrote that geologic history has “no vestige of a beginning, [and] no prospect of an end.” About 50 years later, Lyell proposed that the same geological processes that shaped the past continue to operate in the present. The earth’s surface is thus a laboratory in which the distant past can be examined and the future glimpsed. The idea was fundamental for Darwin. His theory of evolution by means of natural selection could only be true if change occurred slowly over a vast expanse of time. The lava pillows at Llanddwyn testify to geologic forces that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago. But the term “deep time” is today often used to address chronological frames much briefer than geologic eras, though also much longer than a human lifespan, namely the Anthropocene. That’s the name of the epoch in geologic history when earth systems (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere) no longer follow their natural course but are directed by humans. Global warming – resulting from the mining, drilling, processing and burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and methane) — is the chief product of the Anthropocene, and source of a new consciousness of time. CO2 released decades and centuries ago is impacting the climate now and will continue to do so far into the future. Greenhouse gases emitted today will have minimal impact on people in the present, but a major impact on people a generation or more from now. Our time horizons, therefore, no longer only extend forward, but also backwards into anthropogenic deep time. The current conflict is one of war-time vs deep-time. In such a contest, the latter always wins; it’s only the nature of the victory that’s uncertain. Our addiction to oil should have ended two generations ago. That’s when OAPEC countries imposed an embargo of oil to nations – especially the U.S. — that were sending shipments of arms to Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The price rises pushed most of the globe into recession and helped trigger the lurch into Neo-liberalism – a class war of the rich against the poor. Another oil shock followed six years later in the wake of the Iranian Revolution, and then another in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If the war against Iran finally pushes nations to de-carbonize, it will have had a generally salutary effect, though not, of course, upon the innocent people murdered or maimed by Trump’s impulsivity. Nations will awaken to their vulnerability and rush full throttle toward an embrace of renewable energy and a green economy. Trump’s failure in that case will be complete – he intends the war to secure Iran’s oil for American and other multinationals, and guarantee for generations to come the dominance of what Andreas Malm called “fossil capital.” If instead, the war enables the latter eventuality – U.S. seizure of Iran’s oil assets, militarization of shipping routes, and a generation of low-cost fossil fuels — it will have a very different impact. In that circumstance, the ongoing crisis of the Anthropocene will worsen, hastening American and civilizational decline. In either instance, however, deep time will have its way. The post Wartime vs Deep Time appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Stephen F. Eisenman.
The Relentless Nightmare of Fukushima, 15 Years On
Nine countries now possess nuclear weapons and we have just seen the start of a new war in the Middle East over one more nation supposedly trying to acquire them. While we consider the dangers of such weapons and their capacity to cause massive destruction, we often overlook the risks associated with what still passes for “peaceful” nuclear power. With that in mind, let me revisit a moment when that reality should have become far clearer. More The post The Relentless Nightmare of Fukushima, 15 Years On appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-scaled.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-scaled.png 2560w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-680x480.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-893x630.png 893w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-768x542.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-1536x1084.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-2048x1445.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-500x353.png 500w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-680x480.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-768x542.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-1536x1084.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-2048x1445.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-500x353.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-600x423.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 893px) 100vw, 893px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404622" class="wp-image-404622 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-680x480.png" alt="" width="680" height="480" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-680x480.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-893x630.png 893w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-768x542.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-1536x1084.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-2048x1445.png 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-500x353.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-9.08.10-AM-600x423.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> IAEA experts depart Unit 4 of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on 17 April 2013 as part of a mission to review Japan’s plans to decommission the facility. Photo Credit: Greg Webb / IAEA Nine countries now possess nuclear weapons and we have just seen the start of a new war in the Middle East over one more nation supposedly trying to acquire them. While we consider the dangers of such weapons and their capacity to cause massive destruction, we often overlook the risks associated with what still passes for “peaceful” nuclear power. With that in mind, let me revisit a moment when that reality should have become far clearer. I had crawled into bed on March 10, 2011, opened my phone, and scrolled through my Instagram feed. The app was still fairly new then, and I was only following a dozen or so accounts, several from Japan. One amateur photographer there had posted photos minutes earlier of a fractured sidewalk and a toppled bookshelf. A massive earthquake had just rattled Tokyo. A news article confirmed that a magnitude 7.9 quake had struck 80 miles off the coast of Japan. Later, it was upgraded to 9.0, 1,000 times more powerful in terms of energy released. Holy shit, I thought. That’s huge! Worried, I emailed my old college friend Ichiro, who lived in Tokyo, to make sure his family was safe. A short while later, he replied that they were fine, but that a massive tsunami had flooded the Tohoku region north of Tokyo. Many were dead. “It’s horrible. It’s chaos,” he wrote me. By the time Ichiro’s message arrived, distressing images of the tsunami were already circulating online and the death toll was rising fast, though the floodwaters were by then receding. As I watched heartbreaking videos of screaming onlookers, capsized boats, floating debris, and cars submerged like toys in a bathtub, another tragedy was unfolding that few, even inside the Japanese government, were aware of. A nuclear plant in Fukushima, operated by TEPCO (the Tokyo Electric Power Company), had been swamped by the tremendous flooding and lost all power. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, built by General Electric (GE) in the mid-1960s, was designed to withstand natural disasters, but its creators never foresaw an earthquake like that. When the plant’s sensors detected the quake, its reactors automatically shut down. That emergency shutdown (or scram) halted its fission process, triggering backup power to keep cold seawater flowing through the reactors and spent-fuel containers to prevent overheating. Things at Fukushima were going according to plan until that massive tsunami battered the plant, washing away transmission towers and damaging electrical systems. There were backup generators in the basement, but those, too, had been inundated by waves of seawater, and an already bad situation was about to get far worse. A power outage at a nuclear power plant is known as a “station blackout.” As you might imagine, it’s one of the worst scenarios any nuclear facility could possibly experience. If all electricity is lost, that means water is no longer being pumped into the reactor’s scalding-hot core to cool it down. And if that core isn’t constantly being cooled, one thing is certain: disaster will ensue. The fission process itself may be complicated, but that’s basic physics. To make matters worse, there were three operating reactors at Fukushima Daiichi. Luckily, three others had already been shut down for maintenance. If power wasn’t restored in short order, that would mean that all three of Fukushima’s reactors were in very big trouble. We would later learn that no one — not at TEPCO, GE, or among Japanese regulators — had ever considered the possibility that all the reactors might lose electricity at once. They had only drawn up plans for one reactor to go down, in which case the others could keep the plant running. But all of them offline, and every generator out of commission? There was no precedent or playbook for that. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-404616" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-8.43.14-AM.png" alt="" width="219" height="338" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-8.43.14-AM.png 494w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-8.43.14-AM-408x630.png 408w" sizes="(max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px" /> The nuclear industry has a reasonably polite name for a disaster like the one that was rocking Fukushima. They refer to it as a “beyond design-basis accident” because no single nuclear plant design can account for every possible problem it might encounter in its lifetime. The fact that there’s a term for this should make you anxious. Meltdowns and Fallout Over the next several days, the emergency at Fukushima Daiichi only worsened. Every effort to restore power to its reactors hit a dead end. On-site radiation-detection equipment, which would have triggered warnings and guided evacuation efforts for those in danger, was no longer functioning. Plans to pump water into the reactors to cool them had faltered. Their cores kept overheating, and the boiling pools of spent fuel were at risk of drying out, potentially triggering a massive fire that would release extreme amounts of radiation. Within three days, following a series of fires, hydrogen explosions, and panic among those aware of what was happening, Fukushima’s Units 1, 2, and 3 experienced full-scale core meltdowns. Over 150,000 people within an 18-mile radius had already been forced to evacuate, and radiation plumes would take two weeks to spread across the northern hemisphere, although the Japanese government wouldn’t admit publicly that any meltdown had occurred until June 2011, three months later. The only good news for the 13 million people living 150 miles south in Tokyo was that, during and immediately after the meltdowns, prevailing winds carried much of Fukushima’s radioactive material away from the smoldering reactors and out to sea. It’s estimated that 80% of the fallout from Fukushima ended up in the ocean, meaning most of it headed east rather than toward population centers to the south and west. The other fortunate news was that the spent fuel containers had somehow survived it all. If their water levels in the pools had been drained, far more radiation would have been released. But Tokyo wasn’t completely spared. After years of research, scientists discovered that cesium-rich microparticles had blanketed the greater Tokyo area, an unpopular discovery that drew backlash and threats of academic censorship. Areas around the Fukushima exclusion zones recorded the highest radiation levels. Japanese government officials continually downplayed the dangers of the accident and were reluctant to even classify the event as a Level 7 nuclear disaster, the highest rating on the International Nuclear Event Scale, which would have placed it on a par with the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Japanese officials have also failed to conduct long-term epidemiological studies that would include baseline measurements of cancer rates, which has cast doubt on thyroid screenings that found troubling incidents of cancer far higher than researchers expected. Radioactive Fish Prior to the earthquake, the ocean’s cesium-137 levels near Fukushima were 2 Becquerels (a unit of radioactivity) per cubic meter, well below the recommended drinking water threshold of 10,000 Becquerels. Just after March 11, 2011, cesium-137 levels there spiked to fifty million before decreasing as sea currents dispersed the radioactive particles away from the coast. The ocean, however, had been poisoned. In the years that followed the Fukushima nuclear disaster, researchers documented a frightening, yet predictable trend. Radioactive isotopes in seawater were taken up by marine plants (phytoplankton), which then moved up the food chain into tiny marine animals (zooplankton) and, eventually, to fish. Cesium-137 consumed by fish can reside in their bodies for months, while Strontium-90 remains in their bones for years. If humans then eat such fish, they will also be exposed to those radioactive particles. The more contaminated fish they eat, the greater the radioactive buildup will be. In 2023, over a decade after the incident, radiation levels remained sky-high in black rockfish caught off the Fukushima coast. Other bottom-dwelling species have been found to be laden with radioactivity, too, including eel and rock trout. Further concerns have been raised about the treated radioactive water that TEPCO continued to release into the ocean, prompting China to suspend seafood imports from Japan. Aside from those findings, there have been very few studies examining the effects of Fukushima’s radiation on ecosystems or on the people of Japan. “Japan has clamped down on scientific efforts to study the nuclear catastrophe,” claims pediatrician Alex Rosen of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. “There is hardly any literature, any publicized research, on the health effects on humans, and those that are published come from a small group of researchers at Fukushima Medical University.” Recognizing such levels of radiation, even if confined to the waters near Fukushima, would cast the country’s nuclear industry as a significant threat — not only to Japan but globally. Any admission that Fukushima’s radiation is linked to increased cancer rates would raise broader concerns about nuclear power’s future viability. Radiation exposure is cumulative and, although Fukushima didn’t immediately cause mass casualties, it wasn’t a benign accident either. It took decades before it was accepted that Chernobyl had caused tens of thousands of excess cancer deaths. It may take even longer to completely understand Fukushima’s full effects. In the meantime, the still ongoing cleanup of the burned-out facilities may cost as much as 80 trillion yen ($500 billion). It’s been 15 years since Fukushima’s reactors experienced those meltdowns and we still don’t fully understand their long-term repercussions. Nuclear power advocates will argue that Fukushima wasn’t a serious incident and that nuclear technology is still safe. They’ll minimize radiation threats, remain optimistic that new reactor designs will never falter, dismiss the fact that there’s simply no permanent solution for radioactive waste, and overlook the inseparable connection between nuclear power and atomic weapons. After all, among other things, we’ll undoubtedly need nuclear energy to help power the artificial intelligence craze, right? The operators and regulators at Fukushima were wholly unprepared for what unfolded on that fateful day in 2011. They never imagined that an earthquake of such magnitude could trigger a tsunami so immense that it would destroy the power grid, knock out water pumps, and disable backup generators. Likewise, no one can guarantee that nuclear plants or radioactive storage tanks are safe in war zones, or that the rivers and lakes needed to cool reactors globally won’t one day run dry or become too hot to do so — something that has already happened in Europe. Ultimately, we can’t anticipate every mishap, human error, or — especially in the age of climate chaos — every natural disaster that may come down the pike. The world is unpredictable, and even the safest nuclear power plant can’t guarantee that it will hold up against whatever tragedy is coming next. Fifty miles south of where I live in Southern California, an old nuclear facility sits idle on the Pacific coast in an earthquake-and-tsunami-hazard zone, not unlike the site where Fukushima was built. It’s not the only such plant in California, but it’s the one I often visit. When I’m there, I think about Fukushima and imagine what would happen if a similar, unexpected disaster reached California’s shores and how such an event would forever alter this land. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404625" class="wp-image-404625 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-680x510.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="510" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0125-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Joshua Frank at San Onofre, photo by Bill Livingston. Searching for Solace at San Onofre The morning light was peaking over the sandstone bluff, and the offshore breeze was soft and brisk. I’m barefoot in a wetsuit, trudging my surfboard down a dirt road at San Onofre, a state park in northern San Diego County, for a “dawn patrol” surf session. A series of high tides — likely made more extreme by rising sea levels — has eroded a large portion of the parking lot below, so the beach can only be reached on foot or by bike. I’m not complaining. It’s worth the short trek. The absence of vehicles down here also means fewer surfers in the water. San O, as it’s lovingly referred to, has a rich surf history spanning 100 years. Duke Kahanamoku, the “father of modern surfing,” who popularized the ancient Hawaiian sport in Southern California and often visited San O in the 1940s, helped to solidify it as one of the region’s premier breaks and an early hub of SoCal surf culture. The waves are long and rolling thanks to an extensive cobblestone reef. It’s a magical place. Things around here have changed quite a bit, however, since “The Duke” first paddled his heavy wooden board into the surf. Just down the beach, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station sits precariously perched 100 feet from the water. Its two large domes are an ominous sight. Constructed in the 1960s, the plant is no longer producing electricity, but the station’s 123 large concrete-and-steel storage vessels remain, housing 3.6 million pounds of highly radioactive waste. Since nobody wants the toxic stuff, it just sits there, looming, awaiting the next big earthquake like the one that shook Fukushima. San Onofre is designed to withstand a 7.0 shaker, but scientists believe the area is capable of producing one ten times larger and 32 times stronger. With 8.4 million people living within a 50-mile radius, any geological upheaval at San O could make a hell of a mess. It’s a worrisome thought I’d rather not dwell on. Although it is a state park, the ground that San Onofre sits upon is leased from the federal government because it lies within the 195-square-mile boundary of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. More than a base, Camp Pendleton is a testing ground, where heavy artillery often booms in the distance. An occasional mock raid can occupy the beaches; helicopters sometimes swarm, and Amphibious Combat Vehicles crawl ashore. There’s even a faux Afghan village that was built at Camp Pendleton, costing taxpayers $170 million, where Marines can imagine terrorizing towns from Iran to Gaza. So strange that amid all this madness, San Onofre is where I search for solace. In 2013, a radioactive gas leak from one of the nuclear plant’s steam generators, which are also within the military reserve, led to its closure. Southern California Edison (SCE), which operates the facility, reassured the public that there was nothing to be concerned about. Few, however, would consider SCE a trustworthy source. Over the years, the company has been caught in a series of lies about the safety of San Onofre, including falsifying firewatch records and grossly mishandling waste. Not dissimilar to TEPCO’s Fukushima deceit. Like all nuclear power plants, San Onofre needed a lot of water to cool its three reactors, sucking in an astonishing 2.4 billion gallons of seawater a day. As you can imagine, that thirst had a serious impact on ocean ecology, killing fish and wrecking kelp beds. It’s taken over a decade, but some of what was destroyed is finally coming back to life after years of restoration. Despite the progress, discharge pipes still release radioactive effluent laced with cesium-137, cobalt-60, and tritium — a mile offshore 170 times a year. But SCE says there’s nothing to worry about. They also insist they don’t have much of a choice. All that leftover waste needs to be kept from overheating, and using seawater is the only option available. It’s better not to think too much about a future armageddon or what might be swimming beneath me while I’m out there bobbing between sets of waves. Surfing is supposed to help relieve my anxiety, not exacerbate it. It’s a little like backpacking in the wilds of Montana, which I also love to do, without constantly worrying about being chomped by a grizzly bear while in my sleeping bag. There are hazards to living in this crazy world — the worst of which, I’ve come to believe, are of the man-made variety. As I slide my surfboard into the back of my van and peel off my wetsuit, I glance at San Onofre’s domes, which will start to be dismantled this year, and ponder the horrors still affecting Japan, fearing that someday a destructive tsunami may batter this beach, too. Sadly, it’s almost inevitable. With nine nuclear-armed nations and roughly 12,000 nuclear warheads on this planet, worries about nuclear war are unavoidable. However, the danger of a nuclear disaster at a seemingly “peaceful” nuclear facility is often ignored. The future of atomic energy remains uncertain, but it is our duty to eliminate this hazardous energy source before another Fukushima triggers a war-like catastrophe all its own. This piece first appeared on TomDispatch. The post The Relentless Nightmare of Fukushima, 15 Years On appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Joshua Frank.
Blaming Refugees Not Warmongers: The Right-wing Press, Fortress Europe and ‘Weaponized Migration’
An expected refugee crisis is looming from the US-Israeli wars on Iran and Lebanon. This probability has already been raised by aid agencies, but also, of course, by the right-wing press that thrives on the fear-mongering that Europe is being overrun by foreigners. As a GB News headline blared just days into the conflict: “Europe braces for ANOTHER migrant crisis...'It will wash up on Britain's shores!'” More The post Blaming Refugees Not Warmongers: The Right-wing Press, Fortress Europe and ‘Weaponized Migration’ appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="510" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="510" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" 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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="510" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5712" height="4284" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-scaled.jpeg 5712w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 5712px) 100vw, 5712px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="840" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-369169" class="size-large wp-image-369169" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg" alt="" width="840" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-840x630.jpeg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-680x510.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-500x375.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_7412-600x450.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair An expected refugee crisis is looming from the US-Israeli wars on Iran and Lebanon. This probability has already been raised by aid agencies, but also, of course, by the right-wing press that thrives on the fear-mongering that Europe is being overrun by foreigners. As a GB News headline blared just days into the conflict: “Europe braces for ANOTHER migrant crisis…’It will wash up on Britain’s shores!’” While the obvious connection is made between the war and the likelihood of millions fleeing, the implication of such articles and videos is that Iran is responsible, rather than the whole debacle being due to an illegal war of aggression. This propaganda line – which is also a diversionary tactic – has been extremely effective over the years, that immigrants are coming to Europe for reasons other than conflict, economic exploitation, or Western policies, including regime change and instigated uprisings, like in Iraq, Libya and Syria. Indeed, just weeks before the war on Iran, I mentioned to two middle-class Italian ladies the fact that US wars forced refugees to head for Europe, and opined that European countries should have opposed such aggression from happening in the first place. They were surprised, saying they had not made that connection before. Incredible, the lack of critical thinking to make that link between the US, Israel and Europe’s warmongering in the wider Middle East and beyond, and Europe’s ‘migration crisis’. Of course, if that connection –the context– is not made in news articles, TV reports or social media videos, it is easy to imply that migrants are coming to Europe for reasons other than those caused primarily by Western imperialism. This is sadly not that surprising, however, as context requires space and time, and media outlets increasingly cut back on such background as people don’t want to read more than a few hundred words or watch lengthy explanations of how we got to where we are at; sound bites are preferable. Reflective of this is that news agency Reuters a few years ago cut the standard length of articles from 800 to 600 words over concerns about reader attention spans. That cut of 200 words is concerning, as it is just enough words – a few paragraphs – to provide some context. The other talking point that the right-wing media brings up that needs to be watched out for is the trope of ‘weaponized mass migration’ or ‘migrant warfare’. The GB News article quotes Mani Basharzad at the UK’s right-wing think-tank the Institute for Economic Affairs saying: “The Islamic regime mobilises illegal immigration … These people are a real threat to England (and) a real threat to the countries that they are in.” This concept of ‘weaponized migration’ surfaced in a 2011 book, Weapons of Mass Migration by Kelly Greenhill, which argues that migration can be a ‘geopolitical weapon in asymmetric statecraft’. The concept has been picked up by the European Commission, the UN, NATO, and the US – there was a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe hearing in February on the topic – with ‘migrant warfare’ supposedly a part of ‘hybrid warfare’ being used against Europe ‘to shape national and international policies’, whether by Moscow, Tehran or another usual suspect. The book argues that in the 64 documented cases of ‘coercive engineered migration’ since 1951, over half have been successful in achieving political goals. I am not sure how the author’s mental gymnastics ended up making such a conclusion based on cases studies on Cuba’s 1980 Mariel Boatlift, Slobodan Milošević’s threats during the Kosovo crisis, Haiti’s 1991 boat people crisis, and North Korea’s potential threats to China. Indeed, if Cuba was, as alleged, using migrant warfare to bring down the US, then Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban origin, must be so deep undercover that even he doesn’t know it – or maybe he is a modern day Manchurian Candidate? In any case, these migrant warfare stories do not hold water. Sure, people could point to, for instance, the case of the three Iranian asylum seekers arrested last year in the UK for allegedly spying, but that hardly constitutes a major threat or that Iranians trying to migrate to the UK are undercover agents or fifth columnists. This weaponized migration argument is particularly disturbing coming from countries that have caused so much mass migration, and in the cases of the USA and Israel, their colonial-settler origins are based on weaponized mass migration to ethnically cleanse the indigenous population – just ask the original citizens of Turtle Island or Palestinians. The other anti-immigrant argument being put forward is rooted in Islamophobia, that any refugees from Iran or Lebanon will be, or become, Islamic extremists. As the GB News article quoted Tobias Ellwood, a former Conservative MP and chairman of the Defence Select Committee: “The other one is extremism, because when people do depart from war zones, they could easily then be subject to indoctrination and then you get Islamic extremists coming out from that.” What is not mentioned here is the link between people being radicalised and their country being bombed, friends and family killed, and their lives smashed. As a study in which nineteen university students role-played the persona of an apprehended suicide bomber showed, the psychological mechanisms to do such an act of self-sacrifice may be universal rather than rooted in religious extremism. The ‘real story’ is not the refugees that might make their way to Europe. It is the huge numbers of people that will be displaced in the Middle East. The International Organisation for Migration has estimated that more than 19 million people are already internally displaced due to conflict, violence and disasters across the wider Middle East. The war on Iran has now caused 3.2 million Iranians to be internally displaced, while in Lebanon, close to 1 million are displaced. Such numbers will inevitably increase as the wars continue. While some refugees will try to get to Europe, most will be forced to stay in the region, as happened with the Syrian refugee crisis from 2011 onwards. Europeans point to the 1.3 million Syrians who came, and the nearly 1.1 million granted some form of asylum between 2015 and 2023, yet Europeans overlook that Lebanon took in around 1 million Syrians – roughly 20% of Lebanon’s population. It caused immense pressure on Lebanon, as well as anti-Syrian sentiment, but it did not cause the same uproar as in Europe, or bolster right-wing populists, as in Europe and the UK, with the anti-immigration sentiment playing a role in Brexit. This time, unlike with the Syrian crisis, Europe is better prepared to stop the ‘barbarians at the gates’, having spent billions of euros on Fortress Europe and outsourcing prevention. Countries such as Italy and Spain have outsourced migrant processing centres offshore, Germany is considering doing the same, while the EU has essentially paid off Turkiye, Libya and elsewhere in North Africa to prevent migrant outflows. A new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is also to take effect in June, with mandatory border procedures, faster asylum processing, and a common return system put in place. Europe is beefing up Frontex, its border patrol force, as part of the Fortress Europe approach, with an additional 10,000 officers to be added to its current ranks of 1,300 by 2027, and a further 30,000 proposed for the near future. Frontex has been accused of using state-organised violence as ‘deterrence’, with the EU agency linked to the deaths of 2,000 migrants. Coast guards, such as Greece’s, have used deadly tactics, in 2023 ramming a migrant boat and killing 15 people. The idea of ‘re-emigration’ has also taken root in Europe as a means to kick out migrants, which, if there is an uptick in migration due to the wars on Iran and Lebanon, may rise further up the agenda of right-wing political parties, and could result in such populists taking further cues from the Trump playbook by instigating ICE-style arrests and deportations. Europe’s crackdown on migrant smuggling and other policies has led to a decline in irregular migration, down 38% in 2024 on the previous year, and down 30% in the first quarter of 2025, while 110,385 third-country nationals were returned to their home countries in 2024, up 19.3% from 2023. Yet despite Fortress Europe’s offensive and defensive posturing on refugees, the push factors for people to leave the Middle East keep piling up, due to both American and European actions. While US wars exacerbate economic instability, and the current war on Iran is driving up the prices of food and energy, the stop-gaps that had been in place, notably humanitarian aid, are drying up. The Trump administration has cut 90% of funding for USAID, as well as for other NGOs and UN programmes. The UK, Germany, the Netherlands and others have also cut humanitarian assistance to bolster defence budgets. In short, the very agencies that mopped up after previous US wars have either ended operations or are underfunded and overstretched. It will add to the push factors for people to leave the region. The drop in aid will also force Europe to shore up authoritarian governments such as Turkiye’s and Egypt’s as part of efforts to stop migrants leaving their shores. This will provide bargaining chips for Turkiye’s Erdogan and Egypt’s Sisi in their negotiations with Europe – pay up, don’t criticize us, or we open the gates. The glimmer of hope is that Europe wakes up and realizes the cause for a great deal of instability and suffering on its immediate southern border is due to the US and Israel’s actions, and demands a stop to the warmongering while placing full blame on Washington and Tel Aviv for any fallout. But going by recent history, the lack of context in much of the coverage of the wars on Iran and Lebanon, and the spinelessness of the European establishment to stand up to the American hegemon or the Zionists, this is not likely to happen – but if it does, it will already be too late. The post Blaming Refugees Not Warmongers: The Right-wing Press, Fortress Europe and ‘Weaponized Migration’ appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Paul Cochrane.
Progress or Digital Colonization? AI Data Centers Spark Debate on Native Lands
The recent explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers has created a litany of environmental and cultural issues for Native people and Tribes across the so-called “United States.” This, in turn, has sparked intense debate and prompted conversations on tribal digital sovereignty and a call for regulation that controls the data, infrastructure, and networks. Data More The post Progress or Digital Colonization? AI Data Centers Spark Debate on Native Lands appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM.png 1902w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-680x456.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-939x630.png 939w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-768x515.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-1536x1030.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-500x335.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-600x403.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1902" height="1276" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM.png 1902w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-680x456.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-939x630.png 939w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-768x515.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-1536x1030.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-500x335.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-600x403.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="939" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-939x630.png" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-939x630.png 939w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-680x456.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-768x515.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-1536x1030.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-500x335.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-600x403.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM.png 1902w" sizes="(max-width: 939px) 100vw, 939px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404709" class="wp-image-404709 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-680x456.png" alt="" width="680" height="456" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-680x456.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-939x630.png 939w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-768x515.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-1536x1030.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-500x335.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM-600x403.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.18.41-PM.png 1902w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Protesters gather outside DTE Energy headquarters in downtown Detroit during the “No Data Centers, No Secret Deals” demonstration, opposing a proposed massive data center in Saline Township, Michigan. Around 100 people attended the rally, holding signs reading “You Can’t Drink Data” and “No Secret Deals for Data” to raise concerns about water use, transparency, and public accountability in the project. Photo credit: Valerie Jean, December 16, 2025. The recent explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers has created a litany of environmental and cultural issues for Native people and Tribes across the so-called “United States.” This, in turn, has sparked intense debate and prompted conversations on tribal digital sovereignty and a call for regulation that controls the data, infrastructure, and networks. Data centers are facilities that keep and manage internet technology infrastructure for processing, storing, and distributing large quantities of data. They are key to modern digital services, which can include AI. As AI use and data generation grow, so does the need for data centers to manage and store data. But the environmental impact is a growing concern for many, especially for Tribal Nations in the “U.S.” Debates rage on within Native communities over concerns about the resources needed to power the centers, the environmental impacts of such centers, and the rampant cultural appropriation and creative and cultural theft predominant in AI. Some in Indian Country believe data centers can be used for the betterment of Tribes, while others are diametrically opposed. Energy Production Ramps Up for AI The “U.S.” is home to a third of the world’s data centers. The centers require large amounts of electricity to power them and water to cool them. On average, a single data center can consume up to 2 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity-the amount of electricity they use per hour-approximately the equivalent power consumption of a small town. Data centers consumed more than 4% of “U.S.” electricity in 2023, with estimates suggesting a potential rise to 12% by 2028. Bloomberg News reported in January 2026 that in areas near AI data centers, there has been a 267% increase in monthly electricity costs compared to five years ago. This increase is due to a need to expand existing regional power grids to support the centers, costs which are often passed onto consumers, including urban Native communities. The states housing the data centers give the ok to local energy utilities to raise customers’ utility fees to pay for the massive upgrades required to power the data centers. This passes higher rates on to all customers, including urban Natives. Over 70% of the Native community in the “U.S.” lives in urban and suburban areas suffering from higher rates of poverty. To meet this growing demand, utility companies are adding new gas plants and delaying the retirement of fossil fuels. One such company in Virginia, the “U.S.” state with the largest concentration of data centers in the world, is building a 1,000-megawatt gas plant in Chesterfield County and has gutted plans to switch to renewable energy sources. According to Global Energy Monitor, the “U.S.” now accounts for almost one-quarter of the world’s total gas powered energy in development with more than one-third of the energy reserved for data centers. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404710" class="wp-image-404710 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-680x1025.png" alt="" width="680" height="1025" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-680x1025.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-418x630.png 418w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-768x1158.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-1019x1536.png 1019w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-1358x2048.png 1358w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-500x754.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM-600x905.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.19.38-PM.png 1434w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> A young demonstrator holds a sign reading “Keep Michigan Pure” during the “No Data Centers, No Secret Deals” protest. The rally brought together residents concerned about environmental protections, water resources, and government transparency. Photo credit: Valerie Jean, December 16, 2025. There has also been a push for nuclear energy proliferation to power data centers. Meta, a social media and technology multinational company, is now one of the largest corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in “U.S.” history. They’ve recently announced several agreements with three major energy providers to secure up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2035. There are talks of reopening Three Mile Island (TMI), a defunct nuclear power plant that sits atop a strip of land in the Susquehanna River in “Pennsylvania,”to power Microsoft’s data centers. On March 28, 1979, TMI experienced a partial meltdown when a cooling system malfunctioned. Today, there’s roughly a tennis court-sized amount of High-Level Radioactive Waste from the incident stored on site. In a sick twist of irony, TMI will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Complex if successful in reopening in 2027, one year earlier than originally estimated. The energy plant, data centers, and TMI are in an area of the “U.S.” that has suffered from a gas fracking boom of the Marcellus and Utica Shales that has already led to increases in cancer and other health issues, environmental harm to local water supplies, and the devaluation of people’s homes. Communities have fought numerous pipelines, cracker plants, export, and other related facilities since the boom took off in late 2009/early 2010. The shales cover a large section of Central Appalachia, extending into “New York” state near several Native reservations such as the Onondaga. The Office of Nuclear Energy under the US Department of Energy claims that the radiation exposure from the TMI catastrophe was limited with no resulting fatalities, adverse health impacts, or environmental repercussions. However, health impacts from Three Mile Island have indeed been documented. Penn State College of Medicine researchers found “tumor samples from people verified to have lived in the areas around TMI at the time of the accident, remained in the area, and subsequently developed thyroid cancer, researchers observed a shift in cases to cancer mutations consistent with radiation exposure from those consistent with random causes.” This gives credence to the opposition who claim the government and nuclear and tech industries are downplaying the consequences of nuclear energy, including environmental ramifications. More nuclear power plants equals more uranium mining. The largest deposits of uranium in the “U.S.” sit on Native lands, like the Navajo Nation. The largest uranium deposits in the world are on Indigenous lands in “Australia.” Communities in these areas suffer from significantly higher rates of cancer with fewer healthcare resources than other areas of the colonial countries. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404711" class="wp-image-404711 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-680x452.png" alt="" width="680" height="452" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-680x452.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-948x630.png 948w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-768x510.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-1536x1020.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-500x332.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM-600x399.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.20.42-PM.png 1918w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Protesters gather outside the Michigan State Capitol during the “No Data Centers, No Secret Deals” demonstration, holding signs that read “Big Tech Back Off.” Participants called for public investment in essential services and greater transparency in development decisions. Photo credit: Valerie Jean, December 16, 2025. AI data centers are also furthering the “U.S.” military industrial complex. In December 2024, the University of Michigan announced an $850 million investment in partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory, the institution responsible for developing, testing, and deploying the nuclear bomb through the Manhattan Project. University officials state they’re building the “biggest, baddest, fastest computer in the world,” with over 90% of the facility’s computational power slated for LANL’s classified warfare project. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has proudly proclaimed that the “U.S.” government’s buildup of AI infrastructure is “the Second Manhattan Project,” moving the world toward nuclear war on the backs of the local community and “Michigan” taxpayers. Beginning in 1951, the “U.S.” government performed 928 nuclear tests on Western Shoshone lands; the most nuclear-bombed nation in the world. Cheyenne Morgan (United Keetoowah Band and Oglala Lakota), Coalitional Coordinator of Stop Data Colonialism, told The Magazine that Project Clydesdale, a proposed data center project south of “Owasso, Oklahoma” on the Cherokee Nation reservation, has been a source of concern for some in the community. Morgan noticed while reading documents related to a zoning proposal that the message conveyed to the public differed to that in industry and government documents. “Talk to your neighbors about data centers, find out what they know, file open records requests with your local, county, and state governments,” Morgan warned. AI & Water Usage A July 2025 University of Michigan study states that for higher-density data centers cooling via water is required for the centers’ performance. As of this publication, 22% of data center facilities use water-based cooling systems. Most data centers use over 10 million gallons of water annually; some exceed that with usage in the hundreds of millions of gallons per year. Google’s Council Bluffs data center in Iowa uses approximately 980 million gallons of water per year, equivalent to the annual water usage of over 4 million homes. In sharp contrast is the lack of clean water access on reservations. According to the Navajo Water Project, in 2019 30% of those residing on the Navajo Nation, the largest reservation in the “U.S.,” were without running water. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the “U.S.” owes no “affirmative duty” to the Navajo Nation to secure water, reversing a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The justices ruled that the 1868 Treaty of Bosque Redondo established no federal obligation to do so. There may be water-saving alternatives. According to Matthew Rantanen (Cree descendant), the Director of Technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, co-chair for the Tech and Telecommunications Committee at the National Congress of American Indians, and cofounder of the tribal broadband boot camps, data centers can have more sustainable construction. Rantanen told The Magazine that data centers can be built underground, using the Earth’s natural cooling to reduce the heat created by the equipment, as well as different air flow systems that can avoid the usage of water altogether. “I think in most of the Indian country, at least the opposition I hear, is all about the water, and I think secondarily it’s about the power grid that’s local to the region. The generative AI versions of data centers, such as those by Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, these types of data centers use the most resources, but they don’t all have to be built this way.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404712" class="wp-image-404712 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-680x1027.png" alt="" width="680" height="1027" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-680x1027.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-417x630.png 417w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-768x1159.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-1017x1536.png 1017w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-1357x2048.png 1357w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-500x755.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM-600x906.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screen-Shot-2026-03-19-at-7.22.12-PM.png 1436w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> A protester holds a sign reading “AI < Literally Everything Else!” during the “No Data Centers, No Secret Deals” demonstration outside the Michigan State Capitol. Participants voiced concerns about prioritizing artificial intelligence infrastructure over community needs and public resources. Photo credit: Valerie Jean, December 16, 2025. Internet Access & Data Sovereignty <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-d0bcd16 flex-horizontal-align-default flex-horizontal-align-tablet-default flex-horizontal-align-mobile-default flex-vertical-align-default flex-vertical-align-tablet-default flex-vertical-align-mobile-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="d0bcd16" data-element_type="widget" data-e-type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> As so often the norm, Tribes and Native people suffer the consequences of technological advances without reaping the benefits. In 2020, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported conservative estimates that nationwide, 18% of people living on tribal lands couldn’t access broadband service, compared to 4% of people in non-tribal areas. Broadband availability includes speeds of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload or greater, excluding satellite service. The GAO has stated that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has overreported broadband access on tribal lands, as the numbers the FCC shared are self-reported data by broadband carriers. According to Rantanen, carriers will count an entire census block as having coverage if they can hook up one person to broadband. “That is not coverage, affordability, or reality,” Rantanen told The Magazine. In 2021, the Executive Office of the President in the “U.S.” began coordinating federal tribal broadband efforts, but according to GAO, these efforts “are not guided by a national strategy with clear roles, goals, and performance measures,” and that the American Broadband Initiative (ABI), an intergovernmental agency effort to expand broadband access across the “U.S.,” “lacks a framework for addressing tribal barriers that could also support implementing a national strategy.” Many Indigenous communities are concerned with cultural appropriation and data theft as a result of AI, as well as outside government intrusion. Tribes are combating some of these issues by producing their own data centers. Rantanen told The Magazine that these centers use low amounts of power and are a way for tribes to control their data. They’ll no longer have to put sensitive information, such as enrollment records, on outside cloud servers that then open their data up for theft, use in training AI, and even subpoenas or snooping by federal agencies like ICE or FBI. Tribal control over smaller, local data centers could not only potentially improve safety and security for tribal members, but also for the environment. “I think making big blanket statements about data centers can harm some of those smaller, very effective uses of the term,” Rantanen said. But he also warned that tribes need to create policies related to data sovereignty and AI, data storage, and transmission in order to ensure the best practices for their tribe. <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-262f9c59 flex-horizontal-align-default flex-horizontal-align-tablet-default flex-horizontal-align-mobile-default flex-vertical-align-default flex-vertical-align-tablet-default flex-vertical-align-mobile-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="262f9c59" data-element_type="widget" data-e-type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> This piece first appeared in Crushing Colonialism’s The Magazine. The post Progress or Digital Colonization? AI Data Centers Spark Debate on Native Lands appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Jen Deerinwater - Jesse Deer In Water.
Some Are More Equal Than Others: The Pigs Have Taken Over
Why has there been no sustained, system-wide protest movement against President Trump? In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs do not just seize power—they slowly remake the farm in their own image through two rebellions. The first is dramatic and visible: all the animals unite to overthrow the human farmer. They establish a new order More The post Some Are More Equal Than Others: The Pigs Have Taken Over appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404735" class="wp-image-404735 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-680x421.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="421" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-680x421.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-1017x630.jpg 1017w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-768x476.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-1536x951.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-2048x1268.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-500x310.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pig_farm_Vampula_1-600x372.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Pig farm in Finland. Wikimedia. CC BY-SA 4.0 Why has there been no sustained, system-wide protest movement against President Trump? In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs do not just seize power—they slowly remake the farm in their own image through two rebellions. The first is dramatic and visible: all the animals unite to overthrow the human farmer. They establish a new order based on equality and shared labor. The second rebellion is more subtle. The pigs, led by Napoleon, gradually consolidate power until they rule over the other animals. Eventually, what was meant to be an animal paradise of equality becomes something very different, captured in the phrase: “Some animals are more equal than others.” Is the description of the second rebellion relevant to the United States today? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue in How Democracies Die that similar gradual erosion of norms can undermine contemporary political systems. Power in Animal Farm unfolds gradually with little resistance. Small changes accumulate over time: the pigs move into the farmhouse, sleep in beds with sheets, and claim privileges justified by their supposed intellectual superiority. Initially, some of the other animals challenge these changes, but objections fade. The pigs revise the commandments to justify their actions. Democratic meetings disappear. Decisions are made by a small leadership circle and presented to the rest as necessary for the good of all. The language of the revolution and equality remains, but its meaning quietly shifts. It would be wrong to claim that the United States ever fully resembled the idealistic vision of the animals’ first rebellion. The animals’ overthrow of Farmer Jones is not directly comparable to the United States’ War of Independence. From the beginning, the American republic excluded large portions of its population from the promise of equality. Enslaved people were denied freedom, women lacked political rights, and Indigenous peoples were largely outside the constitutional framework. The ideal of equality existed, but it was and remains an ideal. Still, the language of equality and democratic governance has been central to the American political imagination. But that imagination is increasingly in dissonance with contemporary reality. The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans now hold roughly 30 percent of the country’s total wealth, a share that has steadily increased over the past several decades. Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent of households hold only about 2.5 percent of total wealth, highlighting a striking imbalance in the distribution of assets. And the wealth of the richest Americans has grown significantly in recent years. In principle, economic inequality does not automatically translate into political control. Yet wealth often carries influence. Campaign financing, lobbying networks, and the revolving door between government and private industry create channels through which economic power can shape political outcomes. Democratic institutions remain in place, but policy decisions increasingly reflect the priorities of those with the greatest financial resources and access. “Billionaires flood U.S. campaigns with cash,” headlines the New York Times. “[T]he country is on the verge of becoming a place where wealthy people are able to spend millions of dollars to essentially direct how the government runs without breaking any law,” the Times article quotes a former Montana governor. None of this makes the United States identical to Orwell’s allegorical farm. Yet Orwell’s story does offer one helpful explanation for the second rebellion. The pigs do not abolish the first revolution outright. Instead, they reinterpret it. The slogans remain, but their meaning gradually changes. The animals are told that sacrifices are necessary for the stability of the farm. Statistics are produced showing increased productivity. Narratives of external threats reinforce the authority of those in charge. Over time, memory itself begins to blur. Few animals can clearly recall the original commandments or the early days of the rebellion. Why do the animals never revolt again when the pigs take over? Orwell portrays the animals as fundamentally decent and hardworking, but also increasingly exhausted and uncertain. Each individual change seems small enough to tolerate. The pigs’ explanations, delivered by the persuasive Squealer, provide just enough reassurance to quiet doubts. Moreover, the animals lack the tools to organize effectively against the leadership. Their memory is short, their access to information limited, and their daily labor consuming. If inequalities deepen or democratic ideals erode, why do citizens not respond with collective revolt? While dissatisfaction is widespread in the United States today, it rarely unites into a single, coordinated movement. Protests over foreign policy, climate change, and legal controversies each compete for public attention, making collective action against the broader system difficult. Protesting the war in Iran is not the same as marching for the environment or challenging Trump. There are protests, but there is an absence of coordinated system-wide protest. The pace of change makes it difficult to keep up. At the same time, control over information turns the search for truth into a full-time task, while AI-driven personalization increasingly filters what people see, narrowing shared reality. Orwell’s story endures because it warns of subtle dangers. Revolutions rarely collapse in a single dramatic moment; more often, they erode gradually, through reinterpretation, compromise, and fatigue. As Levitsky and Ziblatt wrote: “Democracies may die at the hands not of generals but of elected leaders—presidents or prime ministers who subvert the very process that brought them to power. Some of these leaders dismantle democracy quickly, as Hitler did in the wake of the 1933 Reichstag fire in Germany. More often, though, democracies erode slowly, in barely visible steps.” At the end of Animal Farm, the animals peer through the farmhouse window and watch the pigs dining with the humans they once overthrew. As the faces blur together, the animals realize they can no longer tell which is which. The question Orwell leaves us with is not how the pigs took over, but when the other animals (us) stopped noticing. The post Some Are More Equal Than Others: The Pigs Have Taken Over appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Daniel Warner.
The Biden Boom and the Trump Slump: A Serious Comparison of the Two Economies
President Trump and his administration have repeatedly sought to contrast the economy since the start of his term with what they claim was a disastrous Biden administration. As Trump put it on March 4, 2025 in his address to Congress, “We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.” To hear More The post The Biden Boom and the Trump Slump: A Serious Comparison of the Two Economies appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-680x453.jpg 680w, 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width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="945" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-945x630.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-945x630.jpg 945w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404719" class="size-large wp-image-404719" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-945x630.jpg" alt="" width="945" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/President_Joe_Biden_speaks_with_President-elect_Donald_Trump_Wednesday_November_13_2024_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> Photograph Source: The White House – Public Domain President Trump and his administration have repeatedly sought to contrast the economy since the start of his term with what they claim was a disastrous Biden administration. As Trump put it on March 4, 2025 in his address to Congress, “We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.” To hear them tell it, any lagging economic indicators are attributable to Biden; nonetheless, on their watch things have never been better. As Trump explained during his 2026 State of the Union, “The roaring economy is roaring like never before.” In fact, by most economic measures the economy’s performance was outstanding during President Biden’s term in office. A year into the Trump administration, there are signs of concern. This paper goes over some key measures. It compares the averages for the four years of the Biden administration, as well as giving the 2024 data, alongside the data for the first year of the Trump administration. First, some context. When Biden took office at the start of 2021, the economy was still far from having recovered from the pandemic recession. COVID-19 was still widespread, and the vaccines were just beginning to be rolled out. Many analysts had expected the economic impact of the pandemic to quickly diminish as most of the population got the vaccine. As it turned out, the vaccines were far less effective against two subsequent COVID strains that developed over the course of the next year. This further delayed the return to normal; tens of millions of people were still not reverting back to normal consumption of services, like going to restaurants or traveling. While these waves did not prevent employment from bouncing back quickly, it meant that the shift to goods consumption continued much longer than expected, leading to worldwide supply chain problems. This in turn caused a burst of worldwide inflation. By the second half of 2024, inflation was coming down close to the Fed’s 2.0 percent target, with unemployment hovering near 4.0 percent, a level generally considered full employment. This was the economy that was handed to Donald Trump in 2025. Now, let’s see how things compare between the two administrations. Under Biden, The Longest Stretch of Low Unemployment in 70 Years Shortly after taking office, President Biden pushed through his recovery package. The unemployment rate quickly fell from 6.6 percent in January of 2021 to 3.9 percent by the end of the year. It didn’t rise above 4.0 percent until June of 2024. The longest period where the unemployment rate has been at or below 4.0 percent since the early 1950s. Even when it crossed 4.0 percent, it peaked at just 4.2 percent and was back to 4.0 percent at the end of Biden’s term in January. For the full term; the unemployment rate averaged 4.1 percent. It also averaged 4.1 percent in Biden’s last year. Meanwhile, in the first full year of the Trump presidency the unemployment rate has averaged 4.3 percent. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404450" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.00.35-PM-680x520.png" alt="" width="680" height="520" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.00.35-PM-680x520.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.00.35-PM-500x382.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.00.35-PM-600x459.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.00.35-PM.png 730w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Unemployment matters not only to the relatively small portion of the workforce that is unemployed at a point in time. Roughly 6 million workers lose or leave their jobs every month. That comes to more than 70 million over the course of a year, although many change jobs more than once. If the labor market is strong, these workers will be able to quickly find a new job with decent pay and working conditions. In a weak labor market, their prospects for finding a good job will be far worse. The number of people quitting their jobs has fallen sharply in the last year, although the decline began in 2024. Job Growth Soared with Recovery Act, Then Slowed with Curbs on Immigration When Biden took office in January 2021, the immediate bounce back in jobs from the ending of the shutdown was over. Job growth averaged just 150,000 a month in the last three months of the first Trump administration. At that rate of growth, it would have taken more than five years to get back the jobs lost in the pandemic. The Recovery Act greatly accelerated job creation, restoring lost jobs by June 2022. The economy continued to create jobs at a healthy pace throughout the Biden years. The total gain was 14,240,000 jobs, just under 300,000 a month. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404451" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.26-PM-680x548.png" alt="" width="680" height="548" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.26-PM-680x548.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.26-PM-500x403.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.26-PM-600x483.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.26-PM.png 730w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> In the last year of the Biden presidency, the economy created just over 1.2 million jobs, an average of over 100,000 a month. In the year from January 2025 to January of 2026 (the survey for the January jobs report is done before the 20th and therefore the month is attributed to Biden), the economy created 290,000 jobs, or an average of 24,000 a month. The slowing, or even reversal, of immigration is a major factor in slower job growth. The domestic labor force is growing slowly as the baby boom cohorts are retiring in large numbers. Real Wage Growth Soared and Then Slumped Despite the spurt of pandemic inflation, wages substantially outpaced prices over the course of the Biden administration. Measuring wage growth with the pandemic is somewhat tricky, since the loss of tens of millions of mostly low-paid jobs (e.g., hotel and restaurant workers) skewed the average upward. The average hourly wage jumped 5.3 percent from February 2020 to April 2020, as tens of millions of workers were laid off due to the pandemic. When these workers got their jobs back, it lowered the average wage. Measuring wage growth starting in February of 2020, the last month before the shutdown, removes this problem, even though it means the period does not align perfectly with the Biden presidency. Using February 2020 as the start point, the average hourly wage grew at an annual rate of 0.4 percent under Biden. That is hardly spectacular, but given the disruptions created by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it is worth noting that it was still positive. Real wages did not keep pace with inflation over the pandemic and recovery in most other wealthy countries. The lowest paid workers did considerably better, which is a predictable result of the tight labor market in the years following the reopening. The Economic Policy Institute found that workers at the 10th decile of the wage distribution had a real pay increase of 15 percent between 2019 and 2024, the fastest pace of wage growth for low-paid workers in more than half a century. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404452" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.35-PM-680x588.png" alt="" width="680" height="588" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.35-PM-680x588.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.35-PM-500x432.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.35-PM-600x519.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.35-PM.png 722w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> The pay for production and non-supervisory workers in the leisure and hospitality sector can be used as a proxy for low-paid workers. The real wage for these workers grew at an average rate of 1.5 percent from February 2020 to January 2025. In the last year of the Biden administration, real wages for all workers rose by 0.9 percent. For production and non-supervisory workers in the leisure and hospitality sector it rose by 0.8 percent. The slower growth in the latter can be explained by the weakening of the labor market as the unemployment rate rose above 4.0 percent. In 2025, the real wage for all workers grew 1.2 percent. For production and non-supervisory workers in the leisure and hospitality sector it grew 1.9 percent. The faster rate of growth for workers in this low-paid sector is somewhat surprising since it goes along with many indications of labor market weakness, like falling quit rates and a sharp rise in unemployment for young and Black workers. Unemployment for Black Workers Fell Under Biden, But Jumped Under Trump One often overlooked benefit of full employment is that it creates opportunities for workers who are otherwise disadvantaged in the labor markets. This is most evident when comparing the unemployment rate for Black workers with the rate for white workers. While this ratio averages near 2 — meaning the Black unemployment rate tends to be twice as high as White unemployment — it fell to 1.6 during the pandemic recovery, as the unemployment rate for Black workers hit a record low of 4.8 percent in April of 2023. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404453" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.44-PM-680x487.png" alt="" width="680" height="487" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.44-PM-680x487.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.44-PM-500x358.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.44-PM-600x430.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.44-PM.png 734w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> As the labor market weakened some in 2024, the unemployment rate for Black workers rose. It averaged 6.0 percent for the last year of the Biden administration, compared to an average of 6.5 percent over the full four years. The unemployment for Black workers has risen rapidly in 2025, hitting 8.3 percent in November. It has averaged 6.9 percent in the year from January 2025 to January 2026. Unemployment for Native-Born Workers Fell Under Biden, but Rose Under Trump While the number of foreign-born workers has stopped growing — and quite possibly shrank — under Trump, this has not in any obvious way benefited native-born workers.* While the employment numbers for native-born workers are not meaningful, the unemployment rate is meaningful, since it is the percentage of people answering the survey who say they are unemployed. The unemployment rate soared in 2020 with the pandemic shutdown. (Only annual data are shown, since the monthly data are not seasonally adjusted.) It jumped from 3.8 percent in 2019 to 7.8 percent in 2020. It fell back quickly over the next two years, averaging 5.3 percent in 2021 and just 3.7 percent in 2022. It rose back to 4.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, it averaged 4.3 percent. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404454" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.54-PM-680x544.png" alt="" width="680" height="544" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.54-PM-680x544.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.54-PM-500x400.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.54-PM-600x480.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.07.54-PM.png 742w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> There is research indicating that immigrants improve demand for native-born workers by providing labor that is complementary to the labor of native-born workers. It’s too early to say definitively that the reduced supply of immigrants has hurt the native-born labor force, but the rise in unemployment does not make it appear that it has helped. GDP Growth Boomed and Then Normalized Under Biden, Remains Healthy Under Trump The recovery package led the economy to soar in the second quarter of 2021, when its impact was first being felt. It slowed in 2022 but maintained a solid pace of growth through the Biden presidency. For the four years, growth averaged 3.2 percent. In 2024, the economy grew 2.4 percent. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404455" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.03-PM-680x800.png" alt="" width="680" height="800" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.03-PM-680x800.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.03-PM-535x630.png 535w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.03-PM-500x588.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.03-PM-600x706.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.03-PM.png 724w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Growth has been erratic since Trump took office, with the economy actually contracting in the first quarter of 2025. It grew rapidly in the next two quarters but fell back to just a 0.7 percent rate in the fourth quarter. For the full year, it grew 2.0 percent. Inflation Soared with the Reopening, Then Settled Down Quickly Inflation fell sharply with the pandemic recession in 2020. It was still low at the end of the year, but as the economy recovered it accelerated rapidly. This was due not only to increased demand, but also the fact that supply was constrained by the pandemic. The pandemic shutdowns — not only in the United States but around the world — disrupted production well into 2022. The disruptions continued long past the initial wave and the introduction of vaccines, since the virus mutated into new and more resistant strains. Also, the persistence of the pandemic discouraged people from spending on services like restaurants and travel. Instead, they spent more on goods, like cars and appliances, further straining supply chains. This sent prices soaring in 2021, with inflation peaking in early 2022. It began to slow in the second half of the year and continued to slow through 2023 and 2024. By the time of the election the year-over-year (YOY) inflation rate was approaching the Fed’s 2.0 percent target, which it was generally expected to hit in 2025. Instead, inflation picked up due to the Trump administration’s tariffs. These began to affect inflation even before he took office. The price index for core goods, which excludes food and energy products, had been falling all through 2024. By October it was down 1.2 percent YOY. However, prices in this category turned around and began rising after the election. The annualized rate of inflation in this component in the last three months of 2024 was 0.8 percent. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404456" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.12-PM-680x571.png" alt="" width="680" height="571" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.12-PM-680x571.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.12-PM-500x420.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.12-PM-600x504.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.12-PM.png 722w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> The annualized inflation rate from January 2025 to January 2026 was 2.7 percent, almost exactly the same as the 3.0 percent rate for the last year of the Biden administration. This compares to an average rate of 5.0 percent over Biden’s four-year term. Factory Construction Soared Due to Biden Measures, But Trailed Off in 2025 The Biden administration pushed through three major bills in 2022 that provided a major boost to factory construction: a bipartisan infrastructure bill, the CHIPS Act to promote the reshoring of manufacturing of advanced computer chips, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided large incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles. These measures led to an unprecedented boom in factory construction. After falling sharply in the pandemic, real investment in factories rose in 2021 and then jumped past the pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of 2022. It continued to rise rapidly, and by the second quarter of 2024 it was more than twice the pre-pandemic level. It began to slow in the fourth quarter of 2024. By the fourth quarter of 2025, factory construction was down almost 16.0 percent from its 2024 peak. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404457" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.22-PM-680x472.png" alt="" width="680" height="472" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.22-PM-680x472.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.22-PM-500x347.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.22-PM-600x417.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-3.08.22-PM.png 720w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Biden Handed Trump the Strongest Economy in Half a Century. Tariffs, Mass Deportations, and Corruption May Derail It By pretty much every standard measure, the economy was quite strong at the end of 2024. Inflation was somewhat above the Fed’s 2.0 percent target, but it had been headed downward for the prior two years and nearly all projections showed inflation continuing to decline. The Fed was lowering interest rates, and these rate cuts would almost certainly have continued into the winter, if the election of Donald Trump had not raised the prospect of sharply higher tariffs and inflation. Lower rates would have helped to lower mortgage rates and boost construction, which would hasten the decline in house prices. It is far too soon to pronounce a verdict on the Trump administration’s policies, but the impact to date has been the opposite of what has been claimed. Higher tariffs have boosted inflation, even if by somewhat less than many had predicted. Job creation has slowed and the unemployment rate has risen. And there is no evidence of a manufacturing boom, as both manufacturing employment and factory construction have fallen. * There has been serious confusion about the number of employed native-born workers, in large part due to claims by the Trump administration. The BLS does publish a monthly figure for employed native-born workers, but this likely bears little relationship to reality. BLS calculates this number based on its population controls, which it puts in place at the start of the year based on Census data and projected growth. The controls are fixed, independently of what actually happens in the world. If half the population dies due to a pandemic, the controls would still show the same number of people for a given month. BLS then uses the Current Population Survey to get the number of foreign-born. The native-born number is then taken as a residual: the total population projected from the population controls, minus the number who answer they are foreign-born on the survey. If fewer people answer they are foreign-born — either because immigrants have left the country, they lie on the survey, or they refuse to answer at all — then the BLS data would show an increase in the native-born population. This is the basis for the Trump administration’s claim of a huge increase in the number of native-born people who are employed. This claim derives from a misunderstanding of the data, not something that is happening in the real world. This first appeared on Dean Baker’s Beat the Press blog. The post The Biden Boom and the Trump Slump: A Serious Comparison of the Two Economies appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Dean Baker.
Make Trouble, Not War: Nancy Kurshan Tells Her Story
The first time I heard about the Yippies, I was almost thirteen. The Democratic Convention was going full swing in Chicago in August 1968. I delivered the Washington Post back then and read the reports from the Chicago streets each morning before I began my route. Cops were beating on everyone with the full support More The post Make Trouble, Not War: Nancy Kurshan Tells Her Story appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
Anita Hoffman and Nancy Kurshan burning judges robes after the Chicago 8 verdict, 1968. The first time I heard about the Yippies, I was almost thirteen. The Democratic Convention was going full swing in Chicago in August 1968. I delivered the Washington Post back then and read the reports from the Chicago streets each morning before I began my route. Cops were beating on everyone with the full support of Chicago Mayor Daley. A few months later, I saw a photo of Abbie Hoffman with the word FUCK scrawled across his forehead. A year later, I discovered that there were women Yippies, too; a fact that the men in the group didn’t talk about and neither did the mainstream press. A few months after that, I remember seeing a picture of her and Anita Hoffman burning judges’ robes after the verdict in the Chicago Conspiracy Trial was delivered. I was living in Germany then and I’m pretty certain the photo was in a British underground paper sold at one of the newsstands downtown, but it might have been somewhere else—perhaps the Frankfurter Rundschau, a German student paper or maybe even the newspaper for the US military called Stars and Stripes. Anyhow, it made an impression. In her new book, a memoir titled Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories, Kurshan writes about the influence the antiwar and Black liberation movements had on high school and junior high students in the 1960s and 1970s, acknowledging that it was part of the movement’s intention to recruit them. Groups like the Yippies understood this and realized that the counterculture was a point of entry. Speaking for myself, it was an important element in my move to radical left anti-imperialist politics. My experience was repeated thousands, if not millions of times over. Kurshan’s text describes what it was like from her particular perspective; a perspective perhaps best described as being part of what could be considered leadership, but with virtually no acknowledgement of that role at the time by the media and even other “leaders”. In other words, Kurshan was an important part of a group of individuals organizing protests, creating organizations, and publicizing it all. However, due to the sexism of the movement and the media—a sexism prevalent across most of US society at the time—she and other women organizers and activists were given little credit. This book is both a corrective to that history and a look at how this dynamic was maintained, perpetuated and ultimately altered, albeit not destroyed like it should have been. Kurshan begins her narrative by describing her youth as a red diaper baby in New York. Like many other new leftists, she spent summers at camps run by socialist organizations, listening to and singing with folk artists like Pete Seeger, dreaming about teenage crushes and learning about struggles against racism and for labor. Her trajectory was typical for a middle-class US resident of the time. Good grades in high school, acceptance to college and living on her own. Being a leftist, Kurshan joined various groups organizing protests against US apartheid and racial discrimination, nuclear war, and ultimately the expanding US war in Vietnam. She became involved with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and attended the first national protest against the war in 1965. After getting accepted into a graduate psychology program at UC Berkeley, she moved there and got further involved in opposing the war, ultimately meeting Jerry Rubin, who was part of the leadership of the Vietnam Day Committee (VDC), a direct-action mass organization actively opposing the war. Ultimately, her involvement with the VDC and Rubin would bring her back to New York City after militant pacifist Dave Dellinger hired Rubin to help organize the October 1967 protest against the Vietnam War, a protest that ended up in a mass arrest at the Pentagon. It was also the protest that showed the nation that the movement against the war was intensifying its opposition. Her chapter discussing this organizing and the protest itself opens with a paragraph regarding the 1967 Israeli war that resulted in Tel Aviv’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. This provides an opening for Kurshan to begin a book-long thread regarding her growing identification with the Palestinian struggle against the colonialist occupation of Palestine. One element of the Yippies that was never truly appreciated by the mainstream media in the United States was their seriousness. In part, this was due to the often-satirical approach of those who called themselves Yippies. Yet, underneath the antics splashed in the press were several longtime leftists with years of organizing in organizations with more conventional tactics. One important element of Levitating the Pentagon is that Kurshan makes clear how serious they actually were. In terms of her personal trajectory, that seriousness becomes especially clear in her determination to join the Weather Underground (WUO). Like many other antiwar radicals who had gone from protest to resistance to revolution, by the early 1970s, Kurshan believed the time was right for a clandestine revolutionary organization in the United States. Although several Like-minded groups of varying sizes existed at the time, Kurshan sought out the WUO, ultimately joining the group and its aboveground support called Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (PFOC). Her descriptions of her time with the organization reveal some of the internal history of the group that was previously unknown. Her perspective includes discussions of the influence of the feminist movement (especially its radical element) inside the WUO and in the greater New Left milieu. All the while, the reader is told about Kurshan’s personal life, both in terms of her relationships with family and various friends and in terms of her understanding of her position as a woman and a revolutionary in a male-dominated society. This interweaving of the personal and political continues throughout Kurshan’s life; from the WUO to work with prisoners and against the torture of prison control units; from her relationship with Jerry Rubin to the birth of her children and the love of her life, radical public health advocate Steve Whitman, who died of cancer in 2014. Kurshan’s Levitating the Pentagon is a brilliant endeavor. It’s a unique history of the period we call the Sixties told in a manner both personal and archival. Her anecdotes bring new life to stories some readers will remember from their youth and others are hearing for the first time. At the same time, her critical look at those stories and the times they took place in provides an important understanding as regards mistakes that were made and analyses that proved incorrect. I trust that this will be the lasting legacy of the text. That, and the fact that Nancy Kurshan continues to be engaged in radical left politics to this day, almost sixty years since the beginning of Yippie! on New Year-s Eve 1967. It seems almost trite to write these final words of this review, but, at the same time, it seems entirely appropriate: Nancy Kurshan, live like her! The post Make Trouble, Not War: Nancy Kurshan Tells Her Story appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Ron Jacobs.
Some Economic Consequences of the Iran War
As the US-Israel war on Iran enters its third week, the outlines of the economic consequences and fallout of the war have begun to emerge. As the war continues—and by most indicators it appears it will for months longer—the War’s negative impact on the US and world economies will deepen further. What are some of More The post Some Economic Consequences of the Iran War appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3317" height="2268" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-scaled.jpg 3317w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 3317px) 100vw, 3317px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3317" height="2268" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-scaled.jpg 3317w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 3317px) 100vw, 3317px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="465" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 3317px) 100vw, 3317px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="921" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 921px) 100vw, 921px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403430" class="size-large wp-image-403430" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg" alt="" width="921" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-921x630.jpg 921w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-680x465.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-768x525.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-2048x1400.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-500x342.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_2072-1-600x410.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 921px) 100vw, 921px" /> Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair As the US-Israel war on Iran enters its third week, the outlines of the economic consequences and fallout of the war have begun to emerge. As the war continues—and by most indicators it appears it will for months longer—the War’s negative impact on the US and world economies will deepen further. What are some of the economic dimensions for the war’s negative consequences? First and most obvious is the current oil price shock’s effect on inflation. Not just for US prices, but other countries as well. And not just for goods and services but for asset prices (i.e. stocks, bonds, forex, derivatives, gold, silver, etc.). Another is the long-term disruption of global supply chains and the volume of global trade. As inflation rises, central banks, led by the US Federal Reserve, will continue to raise interest rates with a corresponding negative impact on the US and other economies, many of which are already nearly stagnant or are beginning to enter recession. Most heavily impacted will be Europe, the Gulf States, and Middle East energy-dependent countries in East Asia like Japan and South Korea. Another negative impact will be on global money capital flows—both real investment and financial portfolio asset markets (stocks, bonds, forex, derivatives, etc.). Then there’s the US budget deficit and national debt. The deficit will now approach $2 trillion a year, for the third straight year. That deficit will drive the national debt to exceed $39 trillion by later this spring and possibly $40 trillion by year end. The Iran war and its costs converge with a host of other forces driving the deficit and the debt into ever greater crisis: Trump’s escalating war spending (including his plan for $400 billion more for just the Pentagon), the current sharply slowing US real economy (that grew at a mere 0.7% rate in fourth quarter 2025), the present collapse of employment and job creation now underway in the US and Trump’s massive 2025 $5 trillion tax cuts benefiting mostly investors and corporations at the expense of US Treasury tax revenues which is estimated to reduce corporate income tax revenues by $77 billion in 2026. Not least, the war will accelerate the current fiscal crisis of the American Empire. The costs of Empire now exceed $2.2 trillion a year when all categories of ‘defense’ in the US budget are considered, not just the Pentagon and the US Department of Defense—the latter alone which now exceeds $1.1 trillion a year. Trump’s war in Iran will exacerbate all these negative economic trends, US and global; and the longer the war continues—which by all indicators it will—the worse the negative economic consequences. Putting some numbers and facts around the above trends, the picture now beginning to appear in terms of economic consequences of the Iran war is as follows: Oil Price Shock Throughout 2025 the price of global crude oil remained at around $60 a barrel. It began to rise in late January 2026 and hit $71 just before the war began Saturday, February 28. Prices initially spiked to $118 the following Monday, March 2, but then settled down below $100 the rest of the first week. On March 9 they were still $98. At the start of the second week, Trump tried to talk down the price by saying the war was “over soon”. His Energy Secretary then posted on the department’s website that US warships had begun escorting tankers through the Hormuz Strait. Oil prices quickly fell to $87. But when the facts revealed the war was not about to end in a week, and that there were no escorts, the Energy Secretary quickly took down the fake claim from the department’s website and oil prices rose again. By Thursday, March 12 they were $101. On March 15, $104. On Monday, March 16 the price of benchmark Brent crude oil hit $106. The price of crude oil will fluctuate day to day with events in the war in the short run but steadily rise over time. At the retail gasoline level in the US, the Trump administration has continued to underreport the price of gasoline at the pump, after two weeks of war, claiming it has risen only 15 cents a gallon. In fact, the average was closer to 70 cents, according to other official estimates, and in regions like California, more than $1.50/gallon. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Failure Trump’s major policy response to address the crude oil supply shock has been to announce the release of 172 million barrels from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). After Biden’s SPR release in 2022, the reserve was never restored. Before Trump’s recent announcement, the SPR held only 412 million barrels or about 60% of its total capacity. That’s to be reduced now by another 172 million barrels. Europe, Japan and other countries have also announced inventory releases, for a global total of around 400 million barrels of extra crude supply for the global market. But neither the 172 or 400 million barrels will have much effect on global and US prices. Here’s why: The shutdown of the Hormuz Strait results in a 20.3 million barrels a day reduction in total global oil supply, which is about 30% of all seaborne crude oil. At 20.3 million barrels a day, 400 million additional barrels from the US SPR and global reserves provide for roughly 20 days additional supply to offset the closure of the straits. But 20 days assumes that 20 million barrels from the SPR and other inventories are released to the market immediately on day one. That cannot occur. There’s a ‘flow rate’ limit of release from the SPR, which is no more than 2 million barrels a day. That means it will take 200 days—not 20—for the SPR and other sources to reach global oil markets. So global supply is still reduced by 18 million barrels a day due to the Hormuz closure. The SPR release will hardly dent the supply effect of the Hormuz closure and so little to dampen rising global crude prices in the coming weeks. Nor will it affect much the price of US gasoline at the pump, which will also keep rising—as Biden discovered when he released SPR oil back in 2022. And there are countervailing forces why gasoline at the US retail level will continue to rise. Whenever there’s a jump in crude oil supply—due to SPR release or other causes—US oil companies simply reduce their output accordingly and/or US drilling companies take a number of their drilling rigs temporarily offline. The result is not a net increase in supply of gasoline, even if there’s an excess of crude oil supply from the SPR. Moreover, US oil companies control the retail price of gasoline at the pump by manipulating refinery output—not by changes in crude supply. They have purposely not built a new refinery in the US in 50 years! As a result, they can turn off the supply spigot at the pump whenever they want by simply reducing refinery output regardless of crude supply changes. That typically occurs after announcing refinery shutdowns for maintenance, repairs, fires or other such excuses. So forget the politicians’ and media talk about the global price of crude. Oil companies control gasoline prices by controlling the bottleneck of oil refinery operations. As the war drags on—likely now for weeks if not months—the global price of crude may spike much higher than the current $100 a barrel. The Goldman Sachs bank has forecast the price can potentially rise to $200 a barrel, or more. Not coincidentally, the Iranian government has indicated its target is to push the price to $200. Global Supply Chain Disruption The closing of the straits is not only disrupting global crude oil supply but other commodities supply as well. 20% of the world’s natural gas supply also ships through the Hormuz Strait. A significant supply of fertilizer, petrochemicals, plastic packaging, and some metals also passes through the strait. Their supply will be disrupted as well, with various price impacts. The supply of fertilizer may especially have an impact on crop production and food prices in emerging markets in Asia and Africa. There’s also the matter of the disruption of the supply of shipping containers. A significant supply of containers are locked up now in the Persian Gulf. That will have repercussions on the availability of shipping containers worldwide, creating shortages in places and raising container prices. US Dollar and Gold The Iran war and rising oil prices will have a significant impact on the value of the US dollar and, in turn, on the price of Gold. The war and its effects came on the wake of the bubble in Gold prices in 2025, which rose from $1900 an ounce to more than $5000 throughout the year. Conversely, 2025 witnessed a 10% devaluation (price decline) of the US dollar. Both assets, the dollar and gold, have surged as the War erupted, as investors seek safety havens. The gold price surge will now continue. The US dollar recovery will not. The dollar will resume its decline eventually as demand for dollars to buy oil declines, as 20% of the global supply of oil is taken offline. Investors will shift asset investing more to Gold, continuing to drive up its price. In turn, rising gold price will further depress the value of the US dollar. Thus, in the longer term, the dollar will devalue further by year’s end while gold will rise further. To try to accelerate the dollar’s decline, Iran has announced policies to hasten the decline in its Demand and thus the value of the dollar. It has announced it will allow tankers to pass through the strait of Hormuz so long as they carry oil that is bought and sold with the Chinese Yuan. US Inflation Economists’ estimates are that the US consumer price level will rise by 1.3% points should the price of crude oil remain around $100/ barrel. The US CPI has hovered in the 2.5%-2.9% range. That means the CPI rises to more than 4.0%. But that’s not the full impact of inflation on the consumer. The CPI (or its cousin US price index the PCE) does not include interest rates, which have already begun to spike, impacting auto loans, mortgages, and credit cards. Nor does it fully reflect prices in other categories of purchases that impact consumer budgets. The 1.3% estimate is for the direct cost on energy expenditures, primarily regular gasoline (note that most US car owners buy premium, but the media likes to quote regular). The CPI won’t fully reflect the coming rise in utilities (gas and electric), transport (airlines, trucking, railroad), and food prices as fertilizer and plastic packaging costs rise with global crude prices. Nor does the estimated 1.3% account for consumers’ inflationary expectations almost certainly to rise as well in the coming months. Financial Asset Price Volatility Effects on the US dollar and gold have already been noted. But what about other financial assets like stocks, bonds, derivatives, forex, etc.? The disruption of trade, energy, and money capital flows will likely mean a shift by investors out of certain stocks and bonds and a rise in the cost of derivatives insurance. More instability in US stock and bond markets is already appearing, and it comes on the wake of a significant correction in February in US financial markets. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq markets have contracted 5-7% since February. The economic uncertainty unleashed by the War will dampen financial asset investment further. And what about that sector that had driven almost all of the stock price appreciation in 2025—i.e. the tech and AI boom? What will be the impact of $100 or more oil prices on energy costs on the huge investments now underway in Artificial Intelligence, most of which is targeted for the energy-hungry AI data centers being built out at present? The AI bubble was already showing signs of contraction before the war. Will sustained surging energy prices lead to further AI stock-related instability? While some asset prices will accelerate further due to the War, others may deflate due to the same. That includes certain stocks and bonds as interest rates rise, emerging market currencies, and, of course, the dollar. Interest Rates Another direct consequence of the War is the rise of interest rates in the US. Already 10 and 30-year Treasury bonds have begun to rise since the start of the war two weeks ago. They will rise further. The US Federal Reserve will now be even more reluctant to reduce US short-term rates at its next and subsequent meetings, out of concern for rising inflation on the horizon. The Fed cut rates three times last year. Trump opened a war on the Fed to force it to reduce rates further and faster. He needs big cuts in order to have an effect on a US real economy that is weakening fast. He needs lower rates at least six months before the US November 2026 elections. He’s running out of time. Trump just lost a major court case in which he tried to legally force Fed chair, Powell out of office. Given the inflationary pressures generated by the War, the Fed is now less likely to bow to Trump’s pressure and reduce rates. And the longer the war, the less likely the Fed will reduce rates. US Real Economy The US real economy enters the War on particularly shaky ground. As previously noted, real US GDP for the fourth quarter of 2025 was a mere 0.7% and for all of 2025 barely 2%. US job growth for all of 2025 was only 181,000 when 1.2m are needed just to absorb new entrants to the labor force. February’s latest job numbers showed, moreover, a contraction of 92,000 jobs. The US employment sector is already in recession. Consumer spending has recently also slowed down. That’s 2/3s of US GDP. And the Net exports category of GDP will again worsen due to global trade disruptions. That leaves business investment even more dependent on the AI bubble, as the US government continues to cut social program spending to make way for more war spending. In short, the war may well push the US economy into a condition of Stagflation—i.e., rising prices amidst declining jobs and slowing GDP. One should not forget the role that oil price spikes can play in economic recessions. Economists generally overlook the role spiking oil prices played in the 2008-09 Great Recession. It was in the spring-summer of 2008 that global crude oil prices shot up to $147 a barrel—a record level which helped precipitate the great recession that year. The financial crash of 2008 played a major role in causing the recession, but the oil price explosion that occurred in parallel with the financial crash contributed as well. One should therefore not overlook the potential of price shocks in precipitating recessions, whether 2026 or 2008. Europe, Russia, Asia and Emerging Economies European economies are in an even worse condition than the US. Already battered by energy costs of US LNG gas and oil six times higher than former Russian natural gas, Europe’s economies have been hovering around stagnation or mild recession, according to official statistics. European political elites have exacerbated the conditions by continuing to divert critical money capital for investment in their own economies to Ukraine instead. Now, the Iranian war effects will exacerbate energy cost inflation and slow growth in Europe even further. Europe gets much of its oil and most of its natural gas from the Gulf states. With that blocked, it will have to buy more from the US—at likely even higher prices. The rising cost of energy may well push the major economies of Europe—Germany, France, UK—over the recession cliff. The Gulf states economies are in even worse state than Europe’s. Their main money engine of oil and gas is virtually shut down or damaged. It will take months, perhaps years, to restart production and repair damages. Their economies are clearly already contracting sharply. Asian countries like South Korea and Japan are heavily dependent on Middle East oil and gas. Japan had created a significant stored reserve. But South Korea had not. That country will almost certainly have to start rationing energy use soon. Then there are those emerging economies that are heavily dependent on the dollar, having ‘dollarized’ their economies. As interest rates rise, the price of the bonds they have issued or hold will decline sharply. Their currencies will decline and their reserves for purchasing critical imports will dry up. Some will have to borrow more again from the IMF. Others cut social spending. They will import less food due to rising prices and their falling currencies. Serious food shortages may occur in these dollarized emerging market economies. In contrast, Russia is a big winner economically from the Iran war. The surge in the price of crude from $60 to more than $100 a barrel is estimated to result in $150 million a day in additional revenue for Russia. China benefits as well. While China imports a significant amount of its total oil imports from Iran, it has thus far not been significantly impacted. Iran has reported it continues to export a significant volume of its oil to China. China has developed alternative global sources for its oil imports and has amassed a reserve of oil that reportedly can last five months. In addition, it can always import more from Russia. Its net assets will rise appreciably with the rising price of gold, which it has been acquiring and storing for years. Finally, as the war in Iran drags on, there will be a further drift from the use of the dollar to purchase oil and toward alternative currency arrangements now being prepared by the BRICS. The war and its economic dislocations will benefit the BRICS at the expense of the US dollar. Exodus from the Gulf States Reports abound of the growing exodus of investors and wealthy local populations from the Gulf states as the war intensifies and Iran continues to bomb their infrastructure and US military bases, from the UAE in the south of the Gulf to Kuwait in the north. As the wealthier population leaves, they take their wealth with them. That means investment projects throughout the region are on hold or even being cancelled. In addition, Western money capital is not entering the region now, and Gulf investors are moving their capital from the region and investing it mostly in Gold and other metals elsewhere. The entire economies of the region are being severely disrupted, in other words, not just the flow of crude oil and natural gas. US Costs of Empire A generally overlooked consequence of the Iran war is the effect it will have on an already out-of-control US defense spending and related costs required to maintain the US empire today in general. The US mainstream media and politicians like the public to think that Pentagon spending represents the total costs of defense in the US budget. That Pentagon spending will now exceed $1 trillion in 2026. But that’s not all the US defense department spends. Its total expenditure is now more than $1.1 trillion. And that doesn’t include other obvious ‘defense’ or ‘war’ expenditures like funding the CIA and intelligence agencies, costs of past wars in veterans benefits, development of nuclear weapons in the Energy Department budget, military aid and assistance to allies, Homeland Security escalating costs, costs for secret new weapons development not indicated in the US budget, and interest payments on the national debt due to defense/war spending’s share of deficits and national debt interest payments. Nor does the $1.1 trillion authorization for the Pentagon and Defense Dept. include Trump’s 2026 current spending on what’s called ‘Overseas Contingency Operations’ for direct war actions in Venezuela and now Iran. It is estimated that the US has been spending $2 billion a day on the war in Iran. And that probably doesn’t include weapons replacement costs. Deploying three aircraft carrier task forces is not cheap. Committing one-third of US aircraft to the region isn’t either. Nor repairing eventually the damage to the US dozen plus bases in the Gulf and aid for the Gulf states to replace their destroyed air defense systems, the radars of which alone cost $1 billion each. In short, the tab for the Iran war after 20 days is at least $50 billion in OCO. And if Trump sends in the Marines and tries to have the US Navy escort ships through the Hormuz straits, that tab will rise by tens of billions $US more. In addition to all that, Trump is calling for an increase of another $400 billion for the Pentagon in the next budget as he obviously plans for more wars. Conclusions The longer the war, the greater the costs to the US across multiple dimensions. Moreover, the longer the war, the more likely Iran will ‘win’. Iran is approaching the war strategically, while the US is doing so tactically. Trump thinks bombing Iran’s infrastructure will force Iranian capitulation. Iran believes if it can keep the Hormuz Strait shut long enough, it can create enough damage to the US and Western economies that Trump will have to ‘declare victory’ regardless of the facts and discontinue the conflict. Trump started the war in the expectation he could repeat the outcome of Venezuela. His US deep state neocons, US oligarch Zionist campaign contributors, and his friend Netanyahu no doubt convinced him that it was possible—even as senior US military advisors forewarned him it wasn’t. So now he has a wildcat in a bag and he can’t decide whether to let the cat out or drop the bag and run. Meanwhile, the US and world economies steadily deteriorate and the November 2026 US elections grow closer and with it, a potential political disaster for his war plans—unless, of course, his plan to somehow overturn or negate the elections proves successful. The post Some Economic Consequences of the Iran War appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Jack Rasmus.
Trump and Hegseth Cannot Define the Truth of the US-Israeli War on Iran
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to have little patience for questions that do not conform to his preferred style of declaring unsubstantiated victories, whether against South Americans or in the Middle East. In a charged press conference on March 13, Hegseth did more than attack journalists for questioning his unverified claims about the course More The post Trump and Hegseth Cannot Define the Truth of the US-Israeli War on Iran appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404631" class="wp-image-404631 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-680x453.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/javad-esmaeili-ajRGLPdU8c8-unsplash-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Image by Javad Esmaeili. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to have little patience for questions that do not conform to his preferred style of declaring unsubstantiated victories, whether against South Americans or in the Middle East. In a charged press conference on March 13, Hegseth did more than attack journalists for questioning his unverified claims about the course of the war in the Middle East. He singled out CNN, introducing a troubling dimension to the conversation. “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,” he said. Ellison, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a strong supporter of Israel, is widely considered the frontrunner to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company that owns CNN. If there was any lingering doubt that such acquisitions are driven by political and ideological considerations, Hegseth’s remarks dispelled it. Such statements reflect a broader shift in how the media is viewed by segments of the US ruling class, particularly under the Trump administration. During both of his presidential terms, Trump has invested much of his public discourse not in unifying the nation but in deploying deeply hostile language against journalists who question his policies, rhetoric, or political conduct. “The fake news media is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on February 18, repeating a phrase that has become central to his political lexicon. Yet American media entered this confrontation with little public trust to begin with, though for reasons that have little to do with Trump’s own political agenda. A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 28 percent of Americans trust the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly, one of the lowest levels recorded in recent decades. Historically, this mistrust has coexisted with Americans’ skepticism toward their government—any government, regardless of political orientation. But what is unfolding today appears qualitatively different. The long-standing alignment between political power, corporate interests, and media narratives now seems to be fracturing under the weight of widespread public distrust. In Israel, however, the situation takes a different form. Mainstream media often mirrors the militant posture of the government itself, translating political belligerence into broad public support for war—whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, or wherever Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chooses to expand the battlefield. Public opinion data illustrates this dynamic clearly. A survey released on March 4 by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 82 percent of the Israeli public supported the ongoing military campaign against Iran, including 93 percent of Israeli Jews. Such figures reflect a media and political environment in which dissenting voices remain marginal and frequently isolated. “With this kind of media, there’s no point in fighting for a free press, because the media itself is not on the side of freedom,” Israeli journalist Gideon Levy wrote in Haaretz on March 12. While there is little that can realistically be done to shift the dominant Israeli narrative from within Israel itself, journalists elsewhere carry an immense responsibility. They must adhere to the most basic standards of journalistic integrity now more than ever. This responsibility does not apply only to journalists in the United States or across the Western world. It applies equally to journalists throughout the Middle East. After all, it is our region that is being drawn into wars not of its own making, and it is our societies that have the most to gain from a just and lasting peace. Over the past two years—particularly during Israel’s genocide on Gaza—we have seen just how difficult it has become to convey reality from the ground. Journalists have confronted censorship, propaganda campaigns, algorithmic suppression, intimidation, and outright violence. Yet the consequences of this information crisis are far from abstract. When truth disappears, civilians suffer in silence. Political decisions are justified through distorted narratives. Wars themselves become easier to prolong when the public is denied the facts necessary to challenge them. For years, many of us warned that if the promoters of war and chaos were not restrained, the entire region could descend into a cycle of deliberate destabilization. If this trajectory continues, our shared aspirations will suffer for generations. Our collective prosperity—already fragile—could be permanently undermined. This struggle is not merely about journalistic integrity, nor even about truth-telling as an ethical imperative. It is about the fate of entire societies whose futures are deeply interconnected. In our region, we either rise together or fall together. Governments across the Arab and Muslim world warned against the military adventurism now engulfing the Middle East long before the current escalation. Their warnings went largely unheeded, and the consequences are now unfolding. At this moment, journalists, intellectuals, and people of conscience must speak the truth in all its manifestations, using every available platform and opportunity. We reject war. But for wars to end, truth must be spoken openly and without hesitation. Journalists must be allowed to work without fear or intimidation. Media ownership must not become a mechanism of control and censorship. Politicians and generals risk reputational damage, the loss of office, or perhaps the disappearance of a generous holiday bonus if their wars fail. For the people of the Middle East—and for all victims of war—the stakes are far greater. We risk losing our families, our economies, our homes, and the very possibility of a stable future. For that reason, gratitude is owed to the courageous individuals who continue to speak truth to power; to those who insist on unity during moments deliberately engineered to produce division; and to those who understand that honest journalism is not merely a profession. It is a moral obligation. The post Trump and Hegseth Cannot Define the Truth of the US-Israeli War on Iran appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Ramzy Baroud.
Power Without Principle: The Rise of the Bully Presidency
“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything… Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything.” — Donald J. Trump on seizing women, Access Hollywood (2005) “I think I can do anything I want with it. Whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I More The post Power Without Principle: The Rise of the Bully Presidency appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-326991" class="size-large wp-image-326991" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-858x630.jpeg" alt="" width="858" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-858x630.jpeg 858w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-680x499.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-768x564.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-1536x1127.jpeg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-2048x1503.jpeg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-500x367.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_8111-600x440.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px" /> Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything… Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything.” — Donald J. Trump on seizing women, Access Hollywood (2005) “I think I can do anything I want with it. Whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it.” —Donald Trump on seizing Cuba (2026) It’s been 20 years since Donald Trump bragged that, as a star, he could do anything—even assault women—and get away with it. Two decades later, what once sounded like crude bravado has become a governing philosophy: might makes right, power excuses everything, and accountability is for other people—not this president. Despite the Access Hollywood recording—and everything it revealed about his character—Trump was elected to the White House twice. And ever since, he has governed exactly as he promised: as a man who believes he is unaccountable, entitled, and free to act without limits. The same mindset that once bragged about being able to “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters” has now been scaled up and weaponized through the presidency. With a core MAGA following that seems unwilling to hold him accountable for any wrongdoing, Trump has justifiably earned his nickname as “Teflon Don.” He can be accused of sexually assaulting young girls, and he won’t lose any voters. He can, as commander-in-chief, sanction the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran—killing young girls, their mothers and teachers—and he won’t lose any voters. He can torpedo a thriving economy, sending inflation and gas prices soaring, and he won’t lose any voters. He can dismantle a government structure that has been in place for over 200 years, and he won’t lose any voters. He can be a walking—talking—living contradiction of everything Christians claim to stand for, and he won’t lose any voters. He can send Americans servicemen and women to die in wars that the U.S. had no business starting, and he won’t lose any voters. This is the mindset now shaping American policy. Trump’s acts of aggression against other nations—Venezuela. Iran. Greenland. Canada. Now Cuba—are expansions of the same worldview, only this time backed by the full force of the U.S. military and funded by American taxpayers. It is the logic of the schoolyard bully: Take what you want. Dare others to stop you. Punish anyone who resists. Trump wanted Venezuela’s oil, so he used the military to get it—and then bullied the country’s leaders into letting him keep it and its profits. The tactics—swaggering, arrogant, and always prepared to browbeat and mow over anyone and anything in his way—have become all too familiar. Trump wants a new ballroom? Tear down the old one and build another. Trump wants to be in charge of global peace? Seize the U.S. Institute of Peace and rename it. Trump wants to prove his economic prowess? Levy tariffs against any nations who refuse to fall in line. Trump wants to be seen as the one who solved Iran? Launch a preemptive war that kills civilians, destabilizes regions, and threatens the global economy—then turn to the same allies he once disparaged to bail him out. The pattern is unmistakable: Power without restraint. Action without accountability. Force without principle. This is not constitutional governance. This is how a bully operates: rules are for other people, constitutional prohibitions are inconveniences, and the law becomes whatever the one in power says it is. The same egomaniacal traits are evident in how Trump treats dissent. Criticism is not tolerated—it is punished. Media outlets that report unfavorably are threatened with government retaliation. The FCC is weaponized to intimidate broadcasters. “Fake news” is redefined to mean anything that challenges the narrative. Truth, in Trump’s America, is whatever serves power. And those who challenge that power are ridiculed, demeaned, and dehumanized. This is not behavior that should be brushed off as a personality quirk. It is a reflection of character. And when that character is paired with unchecked power, it becomes dangerous. In a constitutional republic, no one is supposed to be above the law. A bully—an autocrat—a dictator—believes he is the law. “Peace through strength” has become the Trump administration’s rhetorical cover for preemptive violence, military incursions, and acts of aggression that bypass Congress and ignore constitutional limits. Yet abuse of power is not leadership. America deserves better. Because in the end, this is what it comes down to: we have put a schoolyard bully on the world stage, and we are pretending it is leadership. A man who measures strength by how much he can dominate others. A man who confuses cruelty with leadership. A man who believes that power means never having to say no—to himself. The bully doesn’t follow rules—he rewrites or ignores them. And like all bullies, this particular bully thrives not just on aggression, but on silence, fear, and complicity. The bully’s code—might makes right—has replaced the Constitution’s promise of equal justice under law. But history warns us that power without restraint is just another name for a King. This nation was born in defiance of a bully. Two hundred and fifty years ago, a king who believed himself untouchable used force, intimidation, and unchecked power to bend a people to his will. The colonists refused. They stood their ground—not because they were the strongest, but because they believed they were right. They understood something we seem to be forgetting: Power without principle is tyranny. And tyranny, no matter how loud or forceful, is not invincible. The question now is whether we still believe that. Whether we will continue to reward the bully—or finally refuse to be ruled by one. Because the example we tolerate is the example we become. And right now, the lesson we are teaching our children, our country, and the world is this: the bully wins—unless someone finally refuses to play by his rules. We’ve seen this script before. As I’ve warned in Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, the collapse of a country starts the moment we decide that the bully is the hero. We may already be in the final act of that story. But we can still change the ending—if we remember that in America, the law is king, and the citizenry are supposed to be the masters, not the servants. The post Power Without Principle: The Rise of the Bully Presidency appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by John W. Whitehead – Nisha Whitehead.
Cesar Chavez abused and raped women and girls for years, a New York Times investigation revealed this week. The celebrated union organizer and leader of abused and poisoned farmworkers, stands accused of sexually assaulting two girls in the 1970s as well as Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded the United Farm Workers, in the 1960s, More The post What to Do With Cesar Chavez Street? appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1440" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1440" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1440" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="840" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-600x450.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404721" class="size-large wp-image-404721" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg" alt="" width="840" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250-600x450.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cesar_Chavez_Street_sign_in_Austin_TXIMG_6250.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> Photograph Source: Billy Hathorn assumed (based on copyright claims) – CC BY 3.0 Cesar Chavez abused and raped women and girls for years, a New York Times investigation revealed this week. The celebrated union organizer and leader of abused and poisoned farmworkers, stands accused of sexually assaulting two girls in the 1970s as well as Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded the United Farm Workers, in the 1960s, according to a five-year investigation by reporters Manny Fernandez and Sarah Hurtes. Now, legislators in California, Texas and Arizona, are wondering what to do with annual celebrations planned in Chavez’s honor, and the streets bearing his name. One simple solution would be for every single street with his rapist name — to be renamed after Huerta. In a statement posted to Medium on Wednesday, she wrote: “I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.” Describing her two separate encounters with Chavez, which happened in the 1960s, she wrote: “The first time, I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to…. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.” Another solution would be to rename the celebrations after all the movement women who have defied the odds of depression, despair, disillusion, silence and self-hate and kept up the fight for what is just and right, in the UFWA, and beyond. From the United Farm Workers, to the Movement for Black Lives, to the survivors of Epstein and his cabal; the commitment of the wounded still to lead with pounding love for others and our planet deserves celebrating now as never before. To quote the reporting in the New York Times: Ms. Huerta struggles to reconcile the Cesar Chavez she knew, who inspired so many and achieved so much, and the man who assaulted her and publicly humiliated her. She said she was unaware of any sexual abuse of teenage girls. Moments after some of that abuse was described to her, Ms. Huerta broke down, sobbing and wailing. The post What to Do With Cesar Chavez Street? appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Laura Flanders.
DNC Approach to Israel is Political Malpractice and Moral Failure
When the governing body of the Democratic Party convenes next month, it will face a challenge to its support for Israel. The Democratic National Committee has evaded the fact that large majorities of Democrats oppose continuing military aid to Israel and believe it has committed genocide in Gaza. The stage is set for jarring discord when the More The post DNC Approach to Israel is Political Malpractice and Moral Failure appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-375095" class="size-large wp-image-375095" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-840x630.jpg" alt="" width="840" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_0219-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair When the governing body of the Democratic Party convenes next month, it will face a challenge to its support for Israel. The Democratic National Committee has evaded the fact that large majorities of Democrats oppose continuing military aid to Israel and believe it has committed genocide in Gaza. The stage is set for jarring discord when the DNC’s 450 members gather in New Orleans. An NBC poll released this week underscores the depth of the DNC’s political folly. The results were lopsided, by a 67-17 percent margin in favor of Palestinians, when the survey asked Democrats: “Are your sympathies more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinians?” The DNC leadership has stayed on a collision course with political realities about Israel. Last August, while a Gallup poll was showing that just 8 percent of Democrats approved of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, DNC chair Ken Martin said at a meeting of delegates from across the country that “there’s a divide in our party on this issue.” He didn’t acknowledge that the crucial divide is actually between the party’s leadership and Democrats nationwide. At that summer meeting, amid contention over U.S. policies toward Israel, Martin withdrew his party-line resolution after it won and after a pro-Palestinian rights measure lost. He called for “shared dialogue” and “shared advocacy,” announcing that he would appoint a task force “comprised of stakeholders on all sides of this to continue to have the conversation.” Martin declared that “this crisis in Gaza is urgent” and an “emergency.” But the “emergency” lost its urgency as soon as the DNC adjourned and the media spotlight disappeared. Six months passed before the first meeting of the task force, which by then had been downgraded to a “working group.” The working group’s convener (selected by Martin) is James Zogby, a longtime advocate for Palestinian rights. Zogby had greeted Martin’s task-force announcement with praise, calling it “politically thoughtful” and a recognition of “the reality that the status quo has become unacceptable and untenable.” But more than six months later, the status quo remains undisturbed as the DNC’s Middle East Working Group proceeds at a snail’s pace. And the composition of the eight-member panel makes it foreseeably incapable of reaching its purported goal to “help us sort out how our party deals with America’s policies in the Middle East.” The working group is an oil-and-water mix of fully incompatible views on Palestinian rights and Israeli power. Some on the DNC panel want an embargo on U.S. arms to Israel, while others firmly oppose any such step. One member of the working group, Andrew Lachman, has led fights inside the California Democratic Party to thwart actions or statements critical of Israel. He is currently the president of Democrats for Israel – California. How the DNC’s appointed group is supposed to “sort out” a Democratic Party position on U.S. policy in the Middle East is inexplicable. But the project does have an evident function. The Middle East Working Group has proven itself to be a stalling mechanism. And the pretenses behind it have become even more fanciful as the U.S.-Israel military alliance persists with a war of aggression on Iran that has been setting the region on fire. No matter how much the DNC leadership tries to shunt it aside, the burning issue of U.S. policy toward Israel will not go away. This year, it has become key in one Democratic primary race after another, putting incumbent members of Congress on the defensive for their timeworn efforts to justify support for Israel or acceptance of funding from the AIPAC lobby. Yet the DNC stance is that the party establishment is wise to seal itself off from such unpleasantness. The DNC’s refusal to make public its autopsy of the 2024 election is tangled up in dodging the autopsy’s reported conclusion that Kamala Harris’s rigid support for arming Israel was a significant factor in her defeat. Keeping the official autopsy under wraps, supposedly in order to improve the prospects of future election victories, actually makes such victories less likely by mystifying instead of clarifying electoral history. Martin told Fox News viewers in late February that concentrating on the future would be better than trying to “relitigate” the 2024 election. But hiding the autopsy amounts to condescension, assuming that only a small elite party circle should be privy to the results of the party’s extensive (and expensive) research. Many Democratic activists and candidates would benefit from candor instead of stonewalling. Weeks ago, the annual convention of the California Democratic Party responded to growing pressure from grassroots activists by adopting a platform that advocates for “an immediate end to the mass civilian casualties, destruction, displacement and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.” The platform says that “Palestinians in Gaza should be able to rebuild without displacement, with international humanitarian, economic and security assistance,” and it calls for “the immediate rebuilding of Gaza with the provision of humanitarian aid, restoration of funding for an UNRWA that serves the Palestinian people.” But the Democratic National Committee, like the bulk of Democrats in Congress, lags far behind such grassroots outlooks. The top-down culture that prevails in the national party has stultified internal debate, rendering it scarce and pro forma. Despite Martin’s reform talk, whatever the DNC chair says goes. “I’ve been more and more disappointed with him,” a progressive DNC member told me days ago. “He says he loves internal debate and small-d democracy. I think it’s a talking point. I don’t know that he really wants that.” After a little more than a year in the job, Martin has cleared the low bar set by his immediate predecessor, Jaime Harrison, who dutifully served President Biden for four years. But the DNC is still largely paralyzed with pressure from its old guard and insistence on being unaccountable to the party’s rank-and-file. The Democratic Party is in dire need of democracy. On no issue is that more apparent than the DNC’s insistence on treating Israel as above serious reproach. The ruse of forming and then slow-walking the Middle East Working Group may have bought some time for the Democratic Party’s status quo of complicity with genocide in Gaza and U.S.-Israeli war crimes elsewhere in the region. But party activists genuinely committed to human rights will not be fooled and will not be silent. The post DNC Approach to Israel is Political Malpractice and Moral Failure appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Norman Solomon.
Palantir and the Silicon Valley Death Machine: Tech Giants Profiting from Israeli Genocide and American Empire
The tech giants are not neutral innovators. They are the gleaming, blood-drenched arsenal of a dying empire, and Palantir Technologies stands tallest among them. In the pulverized streets of Gaza—where more than 72,000 Palestinians have been massacred since October 2023—Palantir’s AI killing machines (“Lavender,” “Gospel,” “Where’s Daddy?”) have become the Israeli military’s most trusted executioners. More The post Palantir and the Silicon Valley Death Machine: Tech Giants Profiting from Israeli Genocide and American Empire appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="453" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="453" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-768x512.jpg 768w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404731" class="size-large wp-image-404731" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg" alt="" width="945" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-Palestine_protest_outside_Barclays_in_Aberdeen_21_February_2026_8.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /> Photograph Source: Lucas Kendall – CC BY-SA 4.0 The tech giants are not neutral innovators. They are the gleaming, blood-drenched arsenal of a dying empire, and Palantir Technologies stands tallest among them. In the pulverized streets of Gaza—where more than 72,000 Palestinians have been massacred since October 2023—Palantir’s AI killing machines (“Lavender,” “Gospel,” “Where’s Daddy?”) have become the Israeli military’s most trusted executioners. They churn through stolen data to spit out kill lists, select civilian homes for annihilation, and guide drones to family gatherings with the cold precision of a slaughterhouse conveyor belt. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has named Palantir outright as complicit in what she calls a “collective crime” of genocide. CEO Alex Karp, grinning like a man who has found God in a missile guidance system, brags openly about his company’s “strategic partnership” with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the pride he takes in backing the occupation “in every way we can.” This is not a glitch. This is the entire business model. The name “Palantir” is a deliberate illumination. Peter Thiel took it straight from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”: the palantíri were magical seeing-stones that allowed their users to gaze across continents, but which corrupted and enslaved the watcher. The most infamous stone was Sauron’s, used to spy on enemies, manipulate leaders, and spread fear and domination. Thiel, a lifelong Tolkien obsessive, chose the name with eyes wide open. He and his creations do not cast themselves as hobbits or Aragorn. They cast themselves as the new Saurons—modern dark lords armed with algorithms instead of orbs, determined to watch, predict, and punish every living soul that stands in the way of their vision of total control. This Tolkien obsession is not unique to Thiel. It runs deep in the far right across the West, including Italy under Giorgia Meloni. Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party have long drawn on Tolkien’s mythology as a cultural and ideological touchstone. In the early 2000s, Meloni herself participated in events organized by the neo-fascist youth group “Gioventù Nazionale,” where Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” was celebrated as a parable of resistance against modernity and “globalist” decay. The far right in Italy has long adopted Tolkien’s imagery, though somewhat differently: Sauron as the embodiment of liberal, cosmopolitan evil; the Shire as a lost, pure, traditional society to be reclaimed; the Fellowship as a heroic vanguard fighting for identity and sovereignty. Meloni’s government, while publicly trying to distance itself from overt neo-fascism, still traffics in this symbolism: a romanticised past, a sacred homeland, a civilisational clash. It is no coincidence that this Tolkien-infused worldview aligns so neatly with Thiel’s own dark fantasies and Karp’s crusader rhetoric. The far right in Italy and the techno-libertarian right in Silicon Valley are singing from the same hymn sheet: a mythic battle for “Western civilization” that justifies any violence necessary to preserve it. Palantir was never clean. Born with CIA seed money via In-Q-Tel, it was engineered as a weapon for the “war on terror.” It has since become the indispensable spine of both American imperialism and Israeli apartheid. Its software swallows oceans of data—phone metadata, social media traces, CCTV feeds, drone imagery—and spits out targets. In Gaza it has powered the shift from conventional targeting to industrial AI slaughter, where human review is little more than a formality and dead children are priced as acceptable overhead. The same system is now being used by US empire around the word from Venezuela to Iran, feeding surveillance and analytics to the US and Israeli regimes. It now runs live in the US–Israel war on Iran, coordinating drone swarms, missile barrages, and real-time battlefield decisions. Palantir is the bridge between Silicon Valley’s quarterly profits and the body count of empire. At the helm stand two perfect monsters: Peter Thiel and Alex Karp. Thiel, the philosopher-king of techno-fascism, preaches that democracy is incompatible with real freedom and that only absolute power can save civilisation. This week in Rome he hosted closed-door seminars on the Antichrist, blending occult paranoia with apocalyptic visions straight out of Tolkien’s dark cosmology. He has long seen Sauron not as a villain to defeat but as a necessary archetype of absolute control. Karp, the CEO, is more brazen still—a self-styled “warrior capitalist” who frames the mass killing in Gaza and the strikes on Iran as righteous holy wars and brags about Palantir’s role in “killing bad guys.” These are not eccentric billionaires. They are the high priests of a new order: racist, Zionist, and drunk on the dream of world domination through code and violence. But the ideological web runs deeper. Curtis Yarvin—better known by his pseudonym Mencius Moldbug—has quietly become one of the most influential thinkers among the MAGA elite and Silicon Valley’s dark-money set. His “neoreactionary” writings reject democracy as a failed experiment, advocate for monarchy or corporate dictatorship, and frame modern politics as a battle between “the Cathedral” (liberal institutions) and sovereign power. Yarvin’s ideas—anti-egalitarian, anti-democratic, steeped in racial and civilisational hierarchy—have found eager readers in Thiel’s circle, among Trump advisors, and in the tech right. He has been hosted at elite dinners and cited by figures who see in him a blueprint for dismantling liberal democracy and replacing it with authoritarian “sovereign” rule. Yarvin’s simulation theory musings—positing that reality might be a constructed illusion controlled by elites—fit perfectly with the Palantir worldview: if the world is a simulation, then those who control the code control everything. This is the dystopian thinking now seeping into the MAGA government and Silicon Valley boardrooms: a belief that power should be absolute, unaccountable, and wielded by the “deserving” few. It dovetails with accelerationism—the belief that the current system should be pushed to collapse faster so a new order can rise from the ashes. Thiel and his circle flirt with this idea: accelerate the decay of democracy, accelerate the concentration of power, accelerate the collapse of liberal norms so the “strong” can rule. The Gaza genocide and the Iran war are not unfortunate side effects; they are accelerants. The network stretches far beyond Palantir. Google and Amazon’s $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract hands the Israeli military cloud infrastructure and AI tools that cannot even be boycotted. Microsoft, NSO Group with its Pegasus spyware, and Cellebrite complete the circle. These companies have embedded themselves so deeply in the occupation economy that Palestinian lives have become raw data for targeting and ethnic cleansing. Italian prosecutors confirmed in March 2026 that Israeli spyware was used against Italian activists and journalists in 2024, while the EU’s own cybersecurity is increasingly outsourced to Israeli firms—turning Europe into a vassal surveillance state. This is the Zionist tech-military complex in action: a seamless fusion of Silicon Valley innovation, Zionist tech start-ups, and Israeli settler-colonial violence, subsidized by US taxpayers and shielded by Western governments. This is not progress. This is the automation of genocide. These machines make mass killing faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more deniable. They turn human suffering into quarterly profits and stock valuations. And they do it with the full protection of the American state, which treats any criticism of Israel as a greater crime than the actual slaughter of children. The Silicon Valley death machine is not inevitable. It is a choice—one that can and must be broken. The blood of Gaza is on their code. The future demands we rise as a people and delete this nightmare line by line, server by server, dollar by dollar—until the empire’s digital heart finally stops beating and the people of Palestine can breathe again. The time to act is now. Boycott them. Divest from them. Expose them. Shut them down. The post Palantir and the Silicon Valley Death Machine: Tech Giants Profiting from Israeli Genocide and American Empire appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Michael Leonardi.
There’s a very insightful formulation on page 65 of the brilliant historian Luke Kemp’s indispensable book Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse, a study of hierarchy and power that ranges from the first hunter-gatherer bands and cave drawings of the Ice Age to the time of capitalist climate catastrophe, nuclear proliferation, global More The post Is Trump a Cursed Goliath in Iran? appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404687" class="wp-image-404687 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-680x453.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tianlei-wu-7KcSu5Wq2nw-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Image by Tianlei Wu. There’s a very insightful formulation on page 65 of the brilliant historian Luke Kemp’s indispensable book Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse, a study of hierarchy and power that ranges from the first hunter-gatherer bands and cave drawings of the Ice Age to the time of capitalist climate catastrophe, nuclear proliferation, global pandemics, Trump, Xi Jinping, Putin, and Elon Musk. “The four fundamental ways to gain power over others,” Kemp writes, “is to control valuable information (information power), to control by threat or force (violent power), to control the decision-making (political power), or to control the critical resources that others need (economic power).” Think about that formulation in relation to the current US-imperialist Trump war on Iran. How has the “Goliath” Trump regime been able to undertake this reckless, mass-murderous, and arch-criminal campaign of unprovoked aggression against Iran, sanity and the world? What obstacles is it facing in trying to complete his real or supposed mission(s) and/or extract itself from the dangerous and bloody mess it has created? The parts of Kemp’s formula most clearly working on behalf of its monumental crime in the Middle East are its possession of political and violent power. The Trump fascist regime and the Trump-captive ex-republican Republifascist Party “won” – likely stole – political power atop all three branches of the US imperialist state (it already had the US Supreme Court) in November 2024-January 2025. Among the many ways it translated that dark victory into policy was placing a Christian fascist crusader, Pete “Maximum Lethality Not Tepid Legality” Hegseth, atop the Pentagon, purging those who might have put some restraints on criminal military conduct from the armed forces and filling the National Security Council with Trump toadies. Relying significantly on threat and force (violent power) to gain and retain political power in the “homeland,” the Trump regime has used its control over US decision-making to direct massive violent power, drawing on the power of its unsurpassed high-tech for -profit war industries, to attack a nation (Iran) that sitting atop a massive stock of economically strategic “critical resources” (oil and gas) with “chokepoint” capacity to close off others’ access to a broader massive regional (Middle Easters) stock of the same critical (oil and gas) resources. The war was certainly launched with the expectation of cutting off global capitalist-imperial competitors’ (chiefly China’s) access to those critical resources (economic power). It undoubtedly was launched also with the hope of deepening the Trump regime’s domestic political power by garnering accolades for “winning” (and thereby supposedly restoring/rebirthing national “greatness”) and/or providing pretexts for deepening violent repression in the “homeland” — declaring a state of emergency to cancel upcoming elections, mass arrests of war opponents said to be “domestic terrorists,” etc.. By Kemp’s formula, Trump’s weakest points in the war are around “information power” and resource/economic power. To be sure, Herr Trump was able to launch his reckless and insane war without sparking immediate domestic protests remotely commensurate to his crime partly because the preponderant majority of US-Americans have been kept in the dark about the long and grim record of mass-murderous Western and US capitalist imperialism within and beyond the oil-rich Middle East. That informational blockade is the consequence of a national chauvinist, anti-communist, and imperialist ideological system dedicated to manufacturing domestic consent to class and imperial rule. Probably no more than a miniscule portion of 1% of the United States’ heavily propagandized populace could tell you anything of substance about Washington’s bloody record in and against Iran, including the overthrow of that country’s democratically elected government in 1953 and the imposition of a CIA-backed dictatorship on that country for the next quarter century (leading to great revolution that was tragically captured by reactionary Islamists instead of revolutionary communists in 1979). Only a tiny slice of Americans could tell you about the brilliant and prolific historian Gabriel Kolko’s important work on how the “the roots of [Islamist] terrorism lie in America’s own cynical policies in the Middle East and Afghanistan, a half-century of realpolitik justified by crusades for oil and against communism” and on how Washington recurrently and futilely “reacts to the complexity of world affairs with its advanced technology and superior firepower, not with realistic political response and negotiation.”[1] This vast elite-manufactured popular ignorance/amnesia means that only a tiny sliver of the US population possesses any of the historical context required to properly wrap their minds around their rulers’ longstanding provocation of Iran and the broader Middle East. Most Americans are denied the sort of information that would help them understand why Iran has long considered the US a “satanic” enemy. (And of course major US media even at its [not-so] leftmost outlets [e.g. MS[not]NOW] dutifully follows the Western-imperial doctrinal distinction between “worthy” and “unworthy victims” by paying huge mournful and humanizing attention to the relatively small number of US war casualties while telling Americans next to nothing about the lives and humanity of the much larger number of Iranians Trump and Hegseth are slaughtering with impunity.) Economic power of a kind fuels this disabling ignorance and amnesia, since the underlying US economic system, the core facto material dictatorship of capital, the source of imperialist wars, keeps most Americans scurrying around in a maddening paycheck-to-paycheck rat race, lacking the time and energy to study the history of “their” nation’s blood-soaked “foreign policy” (imperialism) and to engage with any science-based theoretical framework to understand that imperialism. Still, there are partisan splits within the US imperialist ruling class about the imperial wisdom, viability, consequences, and even legality and morality of the war on Iran. Trump and his war are highly unpopular with Americans even without a broad popular understanding of the war’s roots. This means that one can find considerable information contrary to Trump’s war narrative in those parts of corporate media that have not fallen under the thumb of the widely hated Trump regime. One can learn from various non-regime experts, politicos, and talking heads on various mainstream news outlets about the Trump regime’s failure to anticipate both the Teheran regime’s political and military resilience and Iran’s David-like ability to inflict massive economic damage on the world capitalist system and thus on Goliath America through its geographical position at a key critical global resource (petroleum) chokepoint – the Strait of Hormuz. We can learn from mainstream media outlets about how Trump and Hegseth’s war machine murdered 170 people, mostly children, at a girls school on day one of the war and on how the orange-brushed ogre sickeningly tried to blame this atrocity on Iran. We can also hear from critical experts and talking heads about Trump’s criminal refusal to consult Congress before launching his war of aggression and about Iran’s persistent possession and likely dispersal of dozens of canisters containing enriched uranium, the key ingredient for nuclear weapons – the capacity for building which the Iranian regime would now seem less willing to surrender than ever before, thanks to Trump’s war. While there’s no chance of an actually radical leftist activist or intellectual getting on or into the mainstream media with a full throated properly Marxist or left anarchist critic of the war as an outcome of the Trump fascist regime’s version of the longstanding Golath that is US capitalism-imperialism, one can pick up from that media a fair bit of information on how the war is being waged incompetently, illegally, and even immorally. This resilience and resource power of Iran and the limits of the Orange Goliath’s Trump’s power over reporting and commentary poses obvious political problems for the Trump fascist regime. While lying to the American people about the extent and duration of the economic pain, inflation (of everything, including food prices, not just gas prices) imposed by his criminal war, Mad Mein Trumpf has recently engaged in a failed attempt to enlist help from lesser Goliath European powers and even from the rising rival superpower Goliath China(!) in clearing the Strait. The almost laughable irony of this effort is remarkable: Trump has tried to shame into the Hormuz “kill box” troops from nations he regularly demeans and on whom he has imposed wild and punitive trade penalties (tariffs), this after claiming that Great Again America doesn’t need anybody’s help and that “the straits are in great shape!” The Iranian regime, made more “hardline” by Israel and America’s murder of those Iranian leaders most likely to seek a negotiated end to the war, is in no mood now to let up on its Goliath-checking resource power resulting from its territorial and military position alongside to the great global economic chokepoint that is the Strait of Hormuz. You can learn about all this from experts and talking heads who are not averse to mocking Trump for his transparent absurdity, seen (for one particularly insane example among many) in his call for oil tanker crews to “show some guts” by braving Iranian drones and missiles: “come on sailors, lay down your lives to help Trump help keep a lid on global oil prices and more rapidly tip the planet into irreversible climate catastrophe! Man up, global mariners!!” Hence the orange fascist maniac’s recent tantrum saying that reporters reporting on his war are guilty of “treason,” punishable by death, fascist Federal Communications chair Brendan Carr’s threat to pull the broadcast licenses of media networks that don’t toe the White House and Pentagon line on Iran, and Hegseth denouncing “dishonest [US] media” (as well as “ungrateful” European allies while calling for a freaking $200 billion Iran War supplemental payment from Congress) this morning. The collapse of the US and global capitalist-imperialist Goliath can’t quite come soon enough for humanity. We need to organize a revolutionary people’s alternative so that it can collapse in a way that helps emancipate humanity from five millenniums[2] of oppressive state power instead of ending the human experiment in a pile of carbon-cooked and potentially radioactive ash. Notes +1. How odd to realize after writing this that I penned it on the 23rd anniversary of the day that the American Goliath under the deranged messianic militarist George W Bush launched his insane, reckless, and failed invasion of Iraq, precisely the sort of violent imperial misadventure analyzed by Kolko one year earlier. +2. Kemp finds that “the first states arose approximately 5,100 years ago,” emerging from the need of a few rulers to impose power on a broad populace – a many or multitude. Goliath’s Curse, p. 45. The post Is Trump a Cursed Goliath in Iran? appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Paul Street.
Leaving the Visoki Dečani monastery, I decided to take back roads through central Kosovo to get to the airport and turn in my rental car. I had the option of driving to Skopje and returning it there, but crossing the fro [ . . . ] The post Letter From Skopje, North Macedonia appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="511" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404530" class="wp-image-404530 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="511" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-500x376.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/skopje1-600x451.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Wax revolutionary figures in the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, Skopje, North Macedonia. Photo by Matthew Stevenson. Leaving the Visoki Dečani monastery, I decided to take back roads through central Kosovo to get to the airport and turn in my rental car. I had the option of driving to Skopje and returning it there, but crossing the frontier in a rental car involves paying for insurance in another country and other bureaucratic formalities, which didn’t seem to be worth the hassle. During the 1999 war with Serbia, Peja was one of the gateways for arms to reach the Kosovo Liberation Army from Albania. In the mid-1990s, the failure of the Albanian government (the successors of Enver Hoxha’s brave new world) put the arms of the Albanian army into liquidation. Then, in turn, many weapons were carried over the mountains and given to the rebelling Kosovars. Now, in most towns and villages in western Kosovo, there are small memorials and cemeteries—most made of haunting black marble—to those who died fighting for independence. When I visited Kosovo in the 2000s or 2010s, in addition to farmland dotted with Hoxha’s bizarre personal bomb shelters (concrete igloos), I saw a lot of unfinished houses, many three or four stories high, but often just empty shells. When I asked about these construction skeletons, I was told that many families, especially those working abroad, would pool their money and collectively invest their savings in a family house or compound. Now, as I rolled through the Kosovo midlands, it struck me that most of these houses have been finished, testament to the Kosovar savings rate. +++ I had thought that after returning my car I would catch a bus from Pristina into North Macedonia. I assumed that somewhere in Pristina that there would be a depot of vans or small buses that make the run across the border (mass transit in the Balkans). The agents at the car rental company, however, discouraged my optimism. “Maybe there’s a bus,” one of them said. “And maybe not.” I inferred that now in Kosovo, a bit like Los Angeles, everyone owns a car (and many of them are late model SUVs with tinted windows). So I engaged a taxi to take me the 55 miles to Skopje. Toward the end of the drive, which lasted about an hour, we started driving through the twisting valley of the Vardar River, which in World War I was the object of one of the more ill-considered campaigns in a war that saw its full share of incompetence. To make the Allied populations forget about the disastrous stalemate at Gallipoli (spring 1915), which cost 250,000 casualties and ended with an Allied withdrawal in December-January 1916, the same Allied coalition landed an army in Salonica (now Thessaloniki), with the the object of attacking up the Vardar valley and getting at the Germans from the flank. For more than two years, facing an entrenched Bulgarian army in the mountains of Macedonia, the Allies got nothing except more casualties (along the lines of what they suffered at Gallipoli). In theory, the Allies were showing faith to the beleaguered Serbs—for whom they went to war in the first place. But such was their slow progress in those barren, rough hills and mountains that the Allied invaders were nicknamed “the gardeners of Salonica.” +++ Because I had splurged in hiring the taxi, I had the driver drop me in front of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, which is devoted to the unfinished business of Macedonian independence. I spent more than an hour making the rounds of the exhibits, many of which feature wax figures sitting at café tables or in darkened caves—smoking cigarettes, drinking raki, and plotting to kill Turkish overlords. Over the years, I have tried to wrap my mind around Macedonian history, at least its revolutionary side, which began in the late 19th century, notably when IMRO (the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization) took up arms against the Turks. But I defy anyone to really understand Macedonian politics, then or now. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the irredentists shot police, mayors, and even unwary travelers in the disputed lands that now lie between Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and North Macedonia—all of whom have made the claim that Macedonia belonged to them. What put Macedonia in play as a European “question” was the unhappy settlement of the 1877 Russo-Turkish War, in which Russian troops besieged Plevna (in northern Bulgaria), surmounted the Shipka Pass (on the way to the Straits), and descended upon Constantinople, which finally became a Russian warm-water port. At the 1877 Treaty of San Stefano (it’s now the Istanbul suburb of Yeşilköy), the Russians awarded most of Macedonia to its ally Bulgaria, dramatically reducing Turkey’s footprint in Europe. +++ Horrified at the prospect of Russia ascendant in Constantinople and its client, Bulgaria, the master of Macedonia, the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, together with an assist from the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, convened the 1878 Congress of Berlin to prop up Turkey (then “the sick man of Europe”) and reduce Russia’s appetite for European influence and Macedonian plunder (via its placemen in Sofia). But really what the Treaty of Berlin achieved was to put Macedonia “in play,” and ever since it has been a contested killing ground. The Ottomans remained weakly in charge of Macedonia until 1913, when at the conclusion of the Second Balkan War, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro asserted their Macedonian claims at the expense of the Turks and Bulgarians. Then after Bulgaria chose the losing side in World War I, Macedonia was divvied up between the Greeks and Serbs in 1918. That division lasted until the German invasion of the Balkans in 1941. With the Allied victory in 1945, Macedonia was largely consigned to Marshal Tito’s Yugoslavia—on the Russian assumption that he would be “their man.” He was, until he split with Stalin in 1948. Tito’s Yugoslavia managed to control much of Macedonia until it collapsed in the years after the fall of Berlin Wall. In the wars of Yugoslav succession from 1992-95, North Macedonia emerged as a newly-independent (and largely bankrupt) nation, yet again distrusted by most of its neighbors. +++ In the 1993 author Robert Kaplan published his best-selling Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History, which is largely a ramble across Macedonia. The book influenced then President Clinton, who agreed with Kaplan’s fatalistic conclusion that the countries of the Balkans are eternally at each other’s throats. Kaplan also made the point—I’m not sure if Clinton agreed—that the ethnicity of Macedonia is largely Bulgarian. As best I can figure, Macedonia is a mélange—perhaps half Bulgar, a quarter Serb or Greek (it depends where you draw the borders), and a hodgepodge of muslim Albanians (mostly in the west). In the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, however, the Balkans on display is that of a dagger to the throat, with endless plots and counterplots, often based on which language or religion is to be taught in the local school. But the rainbow at the end of the “struggle” would be Macedonian independence—its border carved from those of Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Albania. +++ In theory, the European Union was to have papered over nationality conflicts by offering a higher allegiance to Brussels than, say, to Skopje, Belgrade, Sofia, or Salonica. But, sadly the current country of North Macedonia is now teetering on bankruptcy, and its liquidation would raise the same questions of succession as did the 1877-78 treaties of San Stefano and Berlin. A few years ago, I traveled to a remote corner of North Macedonia, close to the Bulgarian border, and there found a series of abandoned stone villages, a testament to the population drain going on in North Macedonia. A friend drove me around the villages in his car, and when I asked him why North Macedonia didn’t allow refugees to settle these vacant houses in what were beautiful medieval villages, he looked at me as though I was inviting the Ottomans back into Europe. +++ From the struggle museum, I decided to walk along the Vardar River, which runs through the center of Skopje. Façade lights were illuminating the government buildings, including the parliament and many of the upmarket hotels around the main squares just off the river. As the sun set, central Skopje had a fairy-tale ambiance, although when I walked to the main railway station and beyond, the city returned to its role as a brave old world of central planning, complete with tired apartment blocks that could easy double as ministries of fear. I ended my walk at the main station, where I went in search of a shuttle bus to the airport. By then it was dark and cold, as only the Balkans can get in winter. However rundown was the main station, I was happy to see it, as it reminded me of happier times, when night trains connected Belgrade and Skopje with Thessaloniki. Later on, the sleeping cars were scrapped. Now no North Macedonian trains cross its borders; it might just as well be an island. Macedonia’s disintegration would be ominous for Europe. Even though the average wage today in the country is less than €700 a month, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, and Turkey would all submit claims on its assets and its citizens—assuming that neither Bismarck nor Disraeli is around to adjudicate a settlement to the satisfaction of the great powers. This is the fourth in an occasional series about travels through the Balkans to and from the Green Line in Cyprus. The post Letter From Skopje, North Macedonia appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Matthew Stevenson.
A decade ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at last summoned the annually assembled Oscar orchestra into the Dolby Theatre to play for the annual awards ceremony in the auditorium where the industry, co [ . . . ] The post Sound Police at the Oscars appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png 503w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1026" height="1286" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, 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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png 503w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1026" height="1286" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1026" height="1286" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png 503w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1026" height="1286" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png 503w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1026" height="1286" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="503" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png 503w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w" sizes="(max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404753" class="wp-image-404753 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png" alt="" width="680" height="852" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-680x852.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-503x630.png 503w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-768x963.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-500x627.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2-600x752.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yearsoscars2.png 1026w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Friedrich Hollaender Platz, Berlin, Germany. A refugee from Nazi Germany, Hollander, who died fifty years ago this year, was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Original Songs: “Whispers in the Dark” (1937) and “This Is the Moment” (1948). Photo: David Yearsley. A decade ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at last summoned the annually assembled Oscar orchestra into the Dolby Theatre to play for the annual awards ceremony in the auditorium where the industry, come mid-March, doles out the gold-plated statuettes that give their name to, and provide the pretext for, this grinding epic of self-praise and promotion, bromides, and the occasional political broadside. The musicians have been in the house for awards night ever since, now not even hidden in an orchestra pit, but elevated for all to see at the back of the stage, even if through a scrim. Before 2016, the Oscar musicians had been “live” only in the most tenuous sense. Holed up as they were a mile down Hollywood Boulevard in a studio in the RCA Building, their offerings were piped into the self-aggrandizing goings-on on the Dolby stage. The synchronization demanded by this demeaning off-siting was made possible through technology—that two-edged, supposedly budget-slashing sword that might seem to expand timbral possibilities and augment productivity, but that increasingly threatens to render costly human performance utterly redundant. During the televised ceremonies that took place up to 2016, contractual obligation, it seemed, forced the Oscar host to acknowledge the orchestra and its conductor. An embarrassed shot of the banished musicians would flicker across screens at home and above the Dolby stage. Broadway musicians went on strike to fight for their “liveness,” along with better pay and working conditions, back in 2004. Subsequent walkouts have been threatened as members of the union—the American Federation of Musicians—in New York and Los Angeles have sought to protect their professions from replacement by the pre-recorded and the real-time robotic. A 2024 agreement between the movie studios and the union holds until the beginning of next year and protects the actual from incursions of the artificial. As the expiration of that contract comes closer, the AFM staged a rally in Times Square in Manhattan just a few days before Oscar night. At the top of the list of objectives on the union’s website was “Protecting Human Artistry from AI Displacement.” One of the key battles is over music’s century-long servitude to the moving image since, as the AFM declares, “Musicians provide the scores for films, the soundtracks for series, and the audio for the world’s digital content.” The New York demonstration went unreported by all major media outlets. Aside from the Oscar producers’ purported wish to enhance the “human atmosphere” of the ceremony, one of the main reasons given for the relocation of the orchestra to the Dolby back in 2016 was the increased effectiveness of the in-house musicians in silencing and “playing off” those award winners who go on too long while at the microphone, clutching their Oscar. These efforts have often been thwarted, most anti-heroically by Adrian Brody after he won the Best Actor award last year. He shouted down the on-stage sound police and went on to evade arrest and smash the record for the longest speech. The 2025 Oscars ran to nearly four hours. The latest show squeaked in under three. This year’s viewer numbers were down nearly 10% anyway. Maybe the off-script, refreshingly disastrous speech is actually the main draw, rather than coy crosstalk comedy bits by mismatched pairs of movie stars stumbling through their flat gags before they finally get to the task of opening the envelope. As for the enrichment of humanity that only live music can supposedly provide, it was ironic that last week’s ceremony sought most drastically to slash the event’s running time by dispensing with performances of the nominees for Best Original Song. Perhaps another reason for this decision was to prevent Barbra Streisand’s tribute to the late Robert Redford from being overshadowed. From behind a podium rather than front-and-center at an exposed microphone, her spoken reverie was bafflingly underscored by the orchestra. The sonic shroud only masked and muddied Barbra’s words before surging with symphonic ardor as she seamlessly segued into a breathy rendition of “The Way We Were”—that high-water mark of tear-jerking Hollywood sentiment. There was not a wet eye in the Dolby. Streisand’s lament queried not so much the difference between the live and the canned, but between the live and the moribund. An unavoidable concession to the dictates of the world market, the only exception to the best-song blackout came with the production-number performance of “Golden,” the global chart-topping hit from the animated movie KPop Demon Hunters. The song’s co-writer and queen crooner, Ejae, led a trio of detective divas in front of a packed chevron of dancers waving golden flags. The entire Dolby audience waved along with light sticks. The space and time allotted to this literal showstopper, with its crowdsourced, interactive choreography, left no doubt that when the Oscar for their category was announced sometime later in the broadcast, the K-poppers would be the winners. The be-gowned Ejae mounted the stage, escorted by the half-dozen other composers of the winning tune. Too many cooks had clearly not spoiled this high-energy hotteok—the sugary street-food pancake that the super-slender demon hunters are seen to eat in the movie. Choking back tears, Ejae spoke of her youthful dreams of becoming a K-pop star that she pursued despite derision of her voice and talents. She ended her comparatively concise remarks by claiming the award as recognition not of success, but of resilience. One of her co-writers, Yu Han Lee, then replaced her at the microphone, but the report of percussion echoed from the back of the stage, the lights dimmed, the microphone feed was cut, the orchestra started up, and the frustrated jumpings and gyrations of the cohort were silhouetted and silenced. Earlier in the show, after one of the winners for Best Live Action Short had foiled an orchestra attempt to shut him up, the host Conan O’Brien remarked on returning to the stage that “I know we’re tight, but to retract a microphone on a man as he’s speaking… is hilarious.” Clearly, he didn’t think it funny at all. O’Brien had nothing to say, however, about the gagging of the “Golden” collaborator. The producers must have told him backstage to stifle any comment. Earlier in the evening, O’Brien had made a quip about the AI menace, slipping in a remark that this would be the last Oscar ceremony with a “human” host. The show’s final, pre-recorded segment called back to this crack with a parody of the scene from One Battle After Another, which had just been named Best Picture. In this spoof, O’Brien was made Oscar “Host for Life,” then shown to his office and gassed through the air-conditioning vent. Music is sometimes hailed as a universal language, praised for its supposedly unique immediacy and capacity to express emotion and nourish human connection. After an OpenAI Korea celebration last September, one of the employees tweeted that his “fav moment from the launch celebration was hearing singer/songwriter Vince share that ChatGPT helped him write ‘Soda Pop’ from KPop Demon Hunters! It apparently gave him ideas to make it sound ‘more bubbly.’” Strenuous denials followed from the creative team. AI may have helped with some brainstorming, but these aids to the imagination, if indeed they were used, apparently don’t count as cheating or a violation of the terms of the union deal of 2024. Autonomous artistic authorship of “Golden,” claimed along with the Oscar by no fewer than seven composers, was not to be doubted. Yet it was both strangely fitting and bitterly ironic that the live musicians in the Dolby Theatre earned their paycheck from powerful entertainment corporations partly by silencing songwriters who may have been flirting with large language models, even as the models onstage are skinny indeed. The Academy Awards centenary is two years away. Let’s see if live music on the movies’ big night makes it to 100. Before he announced the winner for best song, Lionel Ritchie, who won the Oscar for “Say You, Say Me” from White Nights forty years ago, claimed in his potted lead-in that “stories cannot be told without music.” Oh, but they can. The post Sound Police at the Oscars appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by David Yearsley.
Every day, my frustration grows as American politicians and corporate media churn out mindless rhetoric regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. They have shown little curiosity or interest in uncovering the reasons and motives behind the unwarranted and illegal U.S.-Israeli war of choice against Iran. Instead, they parrot demonizing language; most notably the reflexive use More The post Iran is a Nation, Not a “Regime” appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404724" class="size-large wp-image-404724" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-954x630.png" alt="" width="954" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-954x630.png 954w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-680x449.png 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-768x507.png 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-1536x1014.png 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-500x330.png 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM-600x396.png 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-4.12.29-AM.png 1730w" sizes="(max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px" /> Photograph Source: Photo by Sajad Nori Every day, my frustration grows as American politicians and corporate media churn out mindless rhetoric regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. They have shown little curiosity or interest in uncovering the reasons and motives behind the unwarranted and illegal U.S.-Israeli war of choice against Iran. Instead, they parrot demonizing language; most notably the reflexive use of “regime” to delegitimize the Iranian nation and its government. It is curious that the media has avoided asking why Iran with no record of modern territorial aggression, and that signed a politically binding agreement to strictly limit its civil nuclear program in 2015 should be referred to as an enemy “regime”. Do they know that after World War II, the term became associated with totalitarian forms of government, including fascist, communist and dictatorial systems? And are they willing to acknowledge that branding the Islamic Republic a regime is inaccurate, as it does not meet the definition? The contradictions between what the Iranian nation is and what is said about it by American officials and their media scribes are rooted in the country’s ideological rejection of U.S. and Israeli hegemony in West Asia, and its principled commitment to free Palestine. That repudiation is evidenced in Article 152 (Principles) of the 1979 Constitution of the Islamic Republic: “The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based upon the rejection of all forms of domination, both the exertion of it and submission to it, the preservation of the independence of the country in all respects and its territorial integrity, the defence of the rights of all Muslims, nonalignment with respect to the hegemonist superpowers, and the maintenance of mutually peaceful relations with all non-belligerent States.” The struggle for the liberation of all oppressed peoples, notably the Palestinians, has always been a core principle of the government. As Israel continues to stoke chaos and instability throughout the region, the early warnings of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first Supreme Leader, have renewed relevance. He presciently argued that if Israel was not stopped in Palestine, its expansionist aims would eventually threaten the entire region. Although the U.S. and Israel have serially invaded and violated the territorial integrity of other countries, abrogated agreements and treaties, and humiliated citizens of other nations, the legacy media and its pundits have not branded either government as “regimes”. The charged rhetoric has made military action legitimate in the eyes of a public steeped in anti-Iran propaganda. That treatment has rationalized violence against Iran and its leaders. Much like any other nation, Iran is not without faults. Washington has, however, amplified its shortcomings to justify war against it. Uninformed comments and loaded rhetoric have obscured the reality of Iran, a country of 93 million. With a written constitution, the Islamic Republic stands out in a region dominated by absolute monarchs, military dictators, and a supremacist apartheid Israel that has no written constitution and no defined borders. Ironically, the United States has been more comfortable with it and with Arab despots. After the Revolution of 1979, Iranians transited from a monarchical political structure to a participatory government based on the ideals of Islam, rooted in justice, independence and equality. That they have survived U.S.-Israeli maniacal wars, economic sanctions, sabotage, and assassination of their leaders and scientists speaks to their perseverance and the foundational strength of the country’s governing bodies. An objective review reveals a sophisticated political culture and intricate state structure that has combined the conflicting principles of republicanism and theocracy; essentially an Islamic democratic system. Adopted by public referendum, the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, a comprehensive document with numerous checks and balances, went into effect on 3 December 1979. What follows are the core structures of the government. Supreme Leader (Rahbar): The office of the Supreme Leader is the central institution in the governmental structure of the Islamic Republic. He is the head of state and highest authority in Iran. The position is rooted in the doctrine of Vilayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist) wherein political authority stems from religious expertise. The Supreme Leader is required to demonstrate religious scholarship, political competence and moral authority. The Assembly of Experts, whose members select the Supreme Leader, have the power to remove him if he is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office. The Leader sets national policy, appoints the Head of the Judiciary and other key officials, commands the armed forces, and has the power to declare war. Through his control of the Guardian Council, he vets electoral candidates and vetoes parliamentary laws. President: The president is the head of government and second highest ranking official after the Supreme Leader. Candidates must be approved by the Guardian Council. Elected by direct popular vote for a four-year term, the constitution permits the president to serve only two consecutive terms; after which the incumbent must step down for one term before being eligible to run again. As administrator of the executive branch, the president leads the Council of Ministers and the National Security Council, signs legislation and treaties, and serves as deputy commander of the Iranian army. Islamic Consultative Assembly: The Majlis, known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly, is the unicameral legislative branch of government. Members are elected by popular vote to the 290-member assembly (40 additional seats were approved in 2025) for four-year terms. Five seats are reserved for recognized religious minorities (Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians). To qualify for parliament, candidates must be: Iranian citizens, aged 30-75; possess an associate degree (or equivalent); demonstrate a belief in Islam and the principles of the Islamic Republic; express loyalty to the constitution and to the Supreme Leader; and be in good physical health. The Majlis drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties, examines and approves the national budget, investigates national affairs, and removes cabinet members when necessary. Guardian Council: The Council ensures that legislation and elections conform with the constitution and Islamic principles. The 12-member body consists of 6 legal scholars, approved by the Majlis, and 6 Islamic law experts appointed by the Supreme Leader. It has veto power over legislation passed by the Majlis; and supervision over elections, with authority to vet candidates seeking office in local, parliamentary, presidential and Assembly of Experts elections. Assembly of Experts: The Assembly of Experts for the Leadership, established after the Revolution to draft the constitution, is mandated to appoint, monitor and remove (if necessary) the Supreme Leader. Elected by popular vote every eight years to the 88-member body of Islamic jurists, representatives meet twice a year during their tenure. Candidates must be approved by the Guardian Council and must demonstrate mastery of Islamic law; be of good moral character; and be familiar with the issues of the day. The Assembly, on 8 March 2026, elected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s third Supreme Leader, following the U.S.-Israeli assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Expediency Discernment Council: The Expediency Council was integrated into the constitution when it was amended in 1989. The 27-member body, appointed by the Supreme Leader for 5-year terms, is made up largely of senior clerics, political leaders and military officers. Formed to advise the Supreme Leader, it acts as final arbiter in legislative disputes, and helps manage the transition if the Supreme Leader dies or is incapacitated. Judiciary: The Iranian constitution is the supreme law of the land. The judiciary, which operates within a framework of Islamic and civil law, is overseen by the Head of the Judiciary, a senior Islamic jurist, appointed by the Supreme Leader for a five-year term. He is responsible for judicial administration and appointment of judges. The Supreme Court, public prosecutor and lower courts (criminal and civil) are the key components of the judicial system. Separate revolutionary and special clerical courts also exercise legal authority. Although the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal, it does not have judicial review authority over legislation. Elections are governed by the constitution and electoral laws. Campaigns are typically short and financed through a mix of private donations (individuals and businesses) and personal assets. Although the state does not allocate funds directly to political campaigns, it provides free access to radio and television and some public spaces for advertising. Conclusion Iran moved away from monarchical absolutism into a new political reality in 1979. One can only imagine how the country might have thrived if it had not been vital to divert its talent and resources to defending the nation. After more than four decades of U.S. and Israeli harassment, hostilities and now war, Iran has retained its independence under the Constitutional Islamic Republic. That its institutions have survived; and its social contract is in tact, speaks to its coherence and endurance. Iranians are now in a defensive war for survival. Resistance is their only option, as they fight to retain the country’s sovereignty against two of the world’s most militarily powerful and brutal hegemonic bullies. The post Iran is a Nation, Not a “Regime” appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by M. Reza Behnam.
Rural Residents Faces the Biggest Risks From Postal Delays
For over 250 years, Americans have relied on the United States Postal Service for timely processing of their mail, no matter the conditions. After we dropped it in a box or gave it to a letter carrier, we could count on our mail being postmarked on that date so that our bills and tax returns More The post Rural Residents Faces the Biggest Risks From Postal Delays appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="680" height="516" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" 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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" 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src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-200x200.jpg" class="alignleft wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, 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https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1296" height="984" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1296px) 100vw, 1296px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="830" height="630" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404727" class="size-large wp-image-404727" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg" alt="" width="830" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-830x630.jpg 830w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-680x516.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-768x583.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-500x380.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop-600x456.jpg 600w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letterboxes_Ocotillo_Wells_2013_Crop.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px" /> Photograph Source: Tuxyso – CC BY-SA 3.0 For over 250 years, Americans have relied on the United States Postal Service for timely processing of their mail, no matter the conditions. After we dropped it in a box or gave it to a letter carrier, we could count on our mail being postmarked on that date so that our bills and tax returns aren’t late and our election ballots are counted. Unfortunately, this trust is now increasingly risky — since we can no longer rely on USPS to postmark mail on the day it’s collected. As part of former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s broader cost-cutting and restructuring plan, the Postal Service has stopped its practice of picking up mail at the end of every day from all post offices. This means your ballot or bill payment could sit there until the following morning or even longer before being postmarked at a huge processing center. This gap between mail collection and postmarking is particularly concerning for rural residents, for two main reasons. First, the decision to eliminate evening collections applies only to post offices located more than 50 miles from a regional processing center. This raises strong concerns about whether a federal agency with an obligation to provide universal service to all Americans is actively discriminating against rural communities. Second, rural residents rely especially heavily on our public Postal Service for voting and paying bills. During the 2024 general election, USPS delivered more than 99 million ballots to and from voters. The mail-in option makes voting much easier for rural residents who live long distances from their polling place. Half of rural county polling sites serve an area larger than 62 square miles, while half of urban polling sites serve an area of less than two square miles. Vote by mail is particularly important for seniors, who are more likely to have mobility issues that make it difficult to cast their ballots in person. Americans age 65 or older make up about 20 percent of all rural residents, compared to just 16 percent of urban residents. Older Americans are also more likely to drop a check in the mail rather than paying bills online. According to a USPS survey, 18 percent of households headed by someone 55 or older paid their bills by mail, compared to just 7 percent of those aged 18 to 34. A key reason many rural residents use USPS for bill-paying: the digital divide. An Institute for Policy Studies analysis of the 15 most rural states found that only one (North Dakota) had a broadband access rate higher than the national averagein 2024. More than 20 percent of the population lacked broadband access in seven of these states (Alaska, West Virginia, Montana, Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming, and Iowa). The decision to downgrade postal service standards and eliminate evening collections increases the risk of disenfranchising voters and raising costs for families already struggling to pay their bills. These problems are particularly serious as the nation heads into a tense election season. To maintain public trust, USPS should restore same-day postmarking and do whatever it takes to protect voting rights for all Americans, whether they live in the most remote mountain village or the largest city. Our democracy depends on a strong public Postal Service. The post Rural Residents Faces the Biggest Risks From Postal Delays appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Sarah Anderson.
Choosing Life: Ukraine’s Quiet Work of Healing War Trauma
The online gathering carried a quiet urgency. Veterans, psychologists, and aid workers had come together to discuss something rarely visible in wartime reporting: how Ukraine was trying to heal the psychological wounds of war. Russia’s full-scale invasion had entered its fourth year, yet the war was increasingly competing for international attention. Events in the Middle More The post Choosing Life: Ukraine’s Quiet Work of Healing War Trauma appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-376648" class="size-large wp-image-376648" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-840x630.jpg" alt="" width="840" height="630" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_1911-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /> Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair The online gathering carried a quiet urgency. Veterans, psychologists, and aid workers had come together to discuss something rarely visible in wartime reporting: how Ukraine was trying to heal the psychological wounds of war. Russia’s full-scale invasion had entered its fourth year, yet the war was increasingly competing for international attention. Events in the Middle East were shifting diplomatic focus and energy markets in ways that indirectly benefited Russia, while Ukraine faced renewed pressure on its air-defence supplies as US Patriot interceptors were diverted elsewhere. The US had even eased sanctions to permit further limited Russian oil sales to help stabilise global markets. Ukraine therefore risked slipping from view altogether until the US and a number of its increasingly strained Gulf allies began seeking Ukrainian expertise in defensive drone technology, assistance Kyiv had agreed to provide. Could such cooperation ultimately strengthen Ukraine’s own hand, even as millions of its own people continued to live in a state of frozen trauma? Against that backdrop, the event carried a deliberately hopeful title: “Beyond Survival—Choosing Life.” It focused on efforts within Ukraine to support the spiritual and psychological rehabilitation of veterans and their families. “This is about sharing your pain and being understood and accepted,” offered one participant. In May last year, during an earlier such gathering, I was a guest of the principal organiser, the humanitarian Les Simm. A Buddhist today, Simm spent around thirty years in the military—five as a psychiatric nurse and twenty-five in specialist units. I had written about his work then and was keen to follow up. In the United States, the war had now largely faded from public consciousness, even though it was far from over. The event was organised by Simm together with AHALAR, the Ukrainian civil-society organisation that runs psychosocial retreats, training programmes, and resilience initiatives for people affected by the war. Many of the retreats take place in the quieter mountain regions of western Ukraine. The retreats formed the heart of the discussion, as participants shared experiences and compared what they had learned in a field that is still rapidly evolving. AHALAR’s approach is distinctive. It operates less like a commercial wellness programme than an NGO focused on mental-health support and burnout prevention. A recent film about the work showed everything from the restorative effects of movement and dance to the difficulty of expanding such programmes without losing the human closeness on which they depend. It was another wake-up call for me. One participant spoke quietly about searching for her twenty-year-old son, still missing after months of war. As well as Simm’s iFound (International Forum for Understanding), the gathering brought together partners from the Institute for Social and Political Psychology (ISPP), Solidarity Hub, the Institute of Psychology at the University of Oslo, and Mental Health and Human Rights Info (MHHRI). Discussion centred on how veterans—and their families—navigated life after traumatic experiences that remained deeply under-reported. These ranged from frontline exposure to the severe and lasting effects of ill-treatment, including sexual and gender-based violence suffered in Russian captivity. “Stigma costs lives,” as Simm put it. For several hours I listened on mute as participants shared the same virtual space, comparing harrowing experiences and exchanging—often with composed urgency—what they had learned. Another participant described serving in the same fighting unit as her husband, their oldest son only seventeen. “My apologies,” she winced at one point, “when we talk about children, it triggers me.” A central theme was how trauma continued to shape veterans’ lives long after they left the battlefield. It influenced responses to stress, coping strategies, identity, and the small rhythms of daily functioning that most of us take for granted. Families were inevitably drawn into this process. Partners and children often found themselves responding to changes they did not fully understand, sometimes experiencing forms of secondary trauma as relationships are strained or quietly reshaped. There was also careful attention given to the challenges faced by those who endured sexual and gender-based violence and other severe abuse in captivity. Research suggested that sexual violence against boys and men, as well as women, rose dramatically in war zones—by some estimates by as much as ninety per cent—adding another painful layer to the challenge of reintegration. What I also found moving was hearing directly from veterans’ organisations about where resilience seemed to come from—how recovery unfolded slowly and unevenly, and how small practical steps helped people rebuild meaning in their lives. Equally important was the discussion of how communities might recognise warning signs earlier, reducing that stigma and offering support before people reached breaking point. It was difficult not to think about even wider implications. The experiences described were rooted in the particular brutality of Russia’s war against Ukraine, but the questions they raised extended far beyond it. What did it mean for a society when large numbers of people returned from war carrying injuries that could not always be seen? How did communities prepare themselves—not only to welcome veterans home, but to live with the long emotional aftershocks that conflict leaves behind? Recovery from war was not simply a medical or psychological task. It was also social and cultural. It involved learning how to recognise suffering that may remain hidden, how to speak about experiences that were difficult to name, and how to create spaces where healing could begin without shame or isolation. This was why the AHALAR retreats—often in quiet mountain settings—were so important. Yet sustaining and expanding them will require resources that are far from assured. The retreats depend on modest but steady support for facilitators, spaces, travel, and the infrastructure that allows people to step briefly out of wartime pressures and focus on recovery. Les Simm is now exploring the possibility of establishing a new starter hub: a place where retreats, training, and research can be brought together under one roof, and where new facilitators can be prepared to carry the work further across the country. The ambition is not a single centre but eventually a network—small, locally rooted spaces capable of supporting veterans, families, and communities as the long process of recovery unfolds. There are also plans to reach out to the Ukrainian diaspora abroad, as well as to conduct future webinars. Ukraine is a country where the psychological consequences of war will be felt for decades. Such places for Ukrainians should become quiet anchors of resilience. Far from the front lines, veterans gather in the mountains to relearn ordinary rhythms of life. What this particular gathering made clear to me was that wars did not become less consequential simply because the world had begun to look elsewhere. Long after wars fade from headlines, this quieter work goes on. For those interested in learning more about the initiative or supporting its development, Les Simm can be contacted at: lsimm18@gmail.com The post Choosing Life: Ukraine’s Quiet Work of Healing War Trauma appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Peter Bach.
Nandita Bajaj: Confronting Patriarchy, Pronatalism, and Population Denial
Not so long ago, the conventional wisdom in most liberal/left circles was that people concerned about population growth tended to be racists, nativists, and eugenicists. And mostly old white guys, according to a leading UK environmental writer. “It’s no coincidence that most of those who are obsessed with population growth are post-reproductive wealthy white men: More The post Nandita Bajaj: Confronting Patriarchy, Pronatalism, and Population Denial appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
Not so long ago, the conventional wisdom in most liberal/left circles was that people concerned about population growth tended to be racists, nativists, and eugenicists. And mostly old white guys, according to a leading UK environmental writer. “It’s no coincidence that most of those who are obsessed with population growth are post-reproductive wealthy white men: it’s about the only environmental issue for which they can’t be blamed,” wrote George Monbiot. That description was a caricature when Monbiot wrote it, but today’s wealthiest white men (think Elon Musk) are more likely to advocate population expansion, not reduction. Environmentalists who highlight the problem of population growth—the threats to the health of ecosystems from too many people consuming too much—can’t be dismissed with slurs and stereotypes. Nandita Bajaj—who is brown, female, and definitely not wealthy—defies those stereotypes. She chose not to have children and has dedicated her life to research and advocacy on behalf of women, vulnerable people, animals, and planetary health. Bajaj is executive director of Population Balance, a group that includes no racists, nativists, or eugenicists. Instead, its members face tough questions about the trajectory of the outsized human presence on Earth. More differences from Monbiot’s stereotype: She’s not “obsessed” with population or interested in blaming individuals. Instead, Bajaj offers a compelling argument that population decline to a sustainable level is crucial not only for human survival but human flourishing, reflected in the group’s tag line, “shrink toward abundance.” Ironically, if anyone is obsessed about population these days, it’s those worried that falling birthrates endanger the fever dream ofendless economic growth. “Human overpopulation is not the only factor driving ecological overshoot, but it is the most neglected one, and the factor that intensifies every crisis confronting us. And it really should be one of the most important progressive issues given its patriarchal roots,” Bajaj said. “Population growth happens on the backs of women and girls who are denied the autonomy to make liberated and informed reproductive decisions in order to serve the powerful forces of religion, nation-states, and economies. And those who deny the role of population are carrying water for the oppressive aspects of those institutions.” Eileen Crist—a Population Balance advisor and retired professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Virginia Tech—said the group’s efforts to change the conversation under Bajaj’s leadership “have been a breath of fresh air.” But the message is blunt: “Population Balance is showing how consumption, population, and technospheric growth are connected and compounding variables of planetary disaster, suffering, and extinction,” Crist said. Conventional background, unconventional choices Bajaj was born in India in 1981 and has lived in Canada since 1998. In 2021, she took the leadership job at Population Balance, a small U.S.-based nonprofit that is growing in influence through its two podcasts (“Overshoot” and “Beyond Pronatalism”), research reports, media articles, guest presentations, and Bajaj’s debating skills. She also is a senior lecturer at Antioch University, where she teaches graduate courses about the links between pronatalism and human supremacy. None of those endeavors was part of her plan as a young woman, when she trained to be an aerospace engineer and assumed she would be a mother. “My love for science, math, and airplanes drew me to study aerospace engineering, but a number of personal epiphanies in my late 20s pushed me to start exploring overpopulation, reproductive rights, and overshoot more seriously,” Bajaj said. “The deeper I looked, the more I started questioning the received wisdom of my cultural values.” Bajaj grew up in a middle-class family with relatively progressive views. Both her parents were educated and had successful careers, and she had the freedom to choose her vocation. After working in aerospace engineering for a few years, she was a high school physics and math teacher and administrator. But Bajaj said marriage and motherhood seemed inevitable, even inescapable. During that time, she met her now-husband, Mike Farley, a white Canadian who teaches high school and university courses in geography and environmental studies. Their interracial relationship caused some consternation within her family, but the decision not to have children was seen as far more radical. Bajaj remembers that when Mike first asked her about her views on having kids, she was confused. “I asked him, ‘What do you mean? Don’t we have to?’” she said. “Mike assured me it was a decision we would make together.” Bajaj said she felt both joy and shock. “That I could choose to not have children was overwhelmingly liberating,” she said. “That I—a feminist, an aerospace engineer, and a seemingly independent thinker—hadn’t thought I had a choice, that was a shock.” That was Bajaj’s introduction to pronatalism, the “internalized cultural expectation that motherhood was inevitable,” which led her to begin exploring the idea’s origins and consequences. She asked herself: “Was there a connection between my internalized lack of reproductive choice and the fact that India is the world’s most populous country?” She started to see how pronatalism undermines reproductive choice and drives overpopulation, not just in India but around the world. In 2019, Bajaj enrolled in the graduate program in humane education at Antioch University, where she now teaches, to study the links between pronatalism, overpopulation, human supremacy, and ecological overshoot. She brought that framework to her role as executive director of Population Balance. Overshoot For many environmentalists, the key threat is climate change. For Bajaj and Population Balance, climate change and other ecological crises (chemical contamination, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and species extinction) are the result of overshoot—humans drawing down the ecological capital of the planet beyond replacement levels. Since sociologist William Catton’s 1980 book, Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change, the term is used to mark the point where a population’s demands exceed the environment’s ability to regenerate resources and absorb wastes. Ecologist Bill Rees, an advisor to Population Balance, describes overshoot as a meta-crisis, the root cause giving rise to the varied environmental problems. Bajaj said that many environmentalists focus on a single crisis, which leads to downstream “solutions,” such as renewable energy, that are important but inadequate. Too often, environmentalists embrace temporary technological fixes that avoid the most obvious long-term fix for all ecological crises: a reduction in human consumption by lowering both the population and our aggregate consumption of energy and material resources. Consumption is not equally distributed around the world, of course, but Bajaj said that anyone concerned about equity and justice can’t ignore these questions. Many do just that. “On the podcast, we try to look at the many ideologies that contribute to the problem and to the denial,” Bajaj said, “from the pronatalism that fuels overpopulation, to the growth-biased economies based on consumerism and social injustice, to the worldview of human supremacy that exploits animals and nature.” Just as important, she said, is highlighting “transformative pathways that go beyond technological fixes and toward interconnectedness with all beings.” In the episode “The ‘Energy Transition’ Delusion,” for example, Bajaj and cohost Alan Ware interviewed a historian of science and technology who explained why decoupling economic growth from energy and materials use—a favorite claim of the techno-optimists—is delusional and discussed ecologically realistic alternatives. Crist said Population Balance is working to get beyond the dead-end framing of consumption versus population, as though these factors are separable. “Population Balance is exploring how the unstrange bedfellows of technological fundamentalism and human supremacy—both doctrines of human omnipotence—are blindsiding humanity to the breakdown of everything that runaway growth has unleashed,” Crist said. Pronatalism After five years of producing the “Overshoot” podcast, Bajaj and Population Balance launched a second podcast in 2024, “Beyond Pronatalism.” Far from being the province only of the right, pronatalism is rarely critiqued, including within mainstream feminism. Bajaj defines pronatalism as the cultural pressure to have children to meet the demands of state power and economic growth. She said pronatalism has been a feature of patriarchal states for thousands of years, and those societies that continue to impose oppressive sex/gender norms tend to have the highest fertility rates. Pronatalism, Bajaj asserts, undermines not only reproductive choice but also the right of children to be born into conditions conducive to their wellbeing—socially, materially, and ecologically. “My epiphany about my choice to not have children made me wonder how many others believed that parenthood is their destiny,” she said. “Following my graduate studies, I designed a graduate course—which is the first of its kind as far as I know—on the links between pronatalism, population growth, and overshoot.” Bajaj said that the popularity of the course demonstrated to her that people were eager to discuss these issues. “The questions about whether or not to have children—and the impacts of that choice on parents, on the potential child, and on the larger community of people, animals, and ecosystems—can be uncomfortable, even threatening,” she said. “But in the safety of our class discussions, students feel validated and transformed when given the opportunity to explore their most intimate feelings and worldviews without judgment.” Bajaj said she gets that kind of engaged response from many students when she gives presentations at other universities, and the podcast grew out of those responses. “The stories I hear are different in details from mine, but at the same time so similar,” she said. “We all want to make liberated and informed choices, and in a patriarchal world that sees women as reproductive vessels, those choices can be largely invisible or, at worst, completely absent.” Critiquing pronatalism does not mean she is antinatalist, in the sense of haranguing people not to have children. Bajaj rejects anti-procreation or voluntary human extinction arguments, which she thinks are simplistic. “Antinatalism—an anti-life, anti-human position—reduces 3.5 billion years of evolutionary processes to a utilitarian calculus of joy versus suffering to justify non-procreation and ends up inappropriately blaming those who have little say over their own reproduction,” she said. “Our goal is a world where people are neither pressured into having children nor scorned for having them, and where people arrive at reproductive decisions with maximum autonomy, education, and informed responsibility.” Bajaj said that for those with the privilege of choice, informed responsibility means that we ought to consider the ethical implications of our reproductive decisions. “There’s a difference between imposing a worldview on others, as antinatalism does, and awakening others to a sense of reverence and responsibility toward Earth and other beings,” she said. “A person can reasonably choose not to procreate, either in anticipation that children born will likely suffer in this time of planetary crisis or out of a sense of joyful connection with, and care for, the existing community of life.” Crist said Bajaj has done the most in the contemporary NGO scene to explain and expose pronatalism as a key driver of population growth. “We have to understand that overpopulation is not only ecologically unjust to countless nonhumans and nature, but it is also based on longstanding, often brutal forms of injustice against countless girls and women who have been, and continue to be, stripped of authentic choice in the reproductive sphere,” Crist said. “Nandita is leading the way.” Spreading the word Much of Bajaj’s work at Population Balance focuses on research, education, and public information. She travels—albeit reluctantly, with mixed feelings about getting on the airplanes she once dreamed of designing—to speak, especially when invited to debate. At the 7th International Conference on Family Planning—held in November in Bogotá, Colombia, with 3,500 attendees from 120 countries—she participated in a debate on the question, “Should we fear falling birthrates?” Her team’s call to abandon growth-obsessed economics in favor of caring economies that respect ecological limits won the debate with an overwhelming majority of votes. Bajaj said it is always heartening when people listen and engage with these issues, especially when she sees the relief most women feel when they realize they have choices. “Watching people awaken out of these ideologies with a sense of urgency and responsibility to move toward a more humane and just pathway is the most powerful antidote to the emotional heaviness this work can bring.” Those human connections take a bit of the sting out of the dire ecological realities that she confronts every day. “If it weren’t for the joy of being surrounded by the deeply meaningful connections with family, friends, animals, and nature, it would be impossible to do this work,” she said. (Author’s note: I was a guest on the Overshoot podcast in 2022 to discuss “An Inconvenient Apocalypse,” the title of my book coauthored with Wes Jackson.) The post Nandita Bajaj: Confronting Patriarchy, Pronatalism, and Population Denial appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Robert Jensen.
“The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better!” So said war-addicted Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon press briefing last week as he complained about news outlets — specifically CNN — not covering the death and destruction of the war on Iran with the elated positivity Hegseth feels it so clearly deserves. It More The post Mega Media, MAGA Lies appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404551" class="wp-image-404551 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-680x382.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="382" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-680x382.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-1120x630.jpg 1120w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kayla-velasquez-6Xjl5-Xq4g4-unsplash-600x337.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Image by Ayla Velasquez. “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better!” So said war-addicted Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon press briefing last week as he complained about news outlets — specifically CNN — not covering the death and destruction of the war on Iran with the elated positivity Hegseth feels it so clearly deserves. It was the latest example of the Trump regime demanding not merely a pliant news media, but an entirely servile industry that functions as its propaganda arm. While this fascist worldview has been most dramatically displayed in Trump’s brazen attempts to censor and cancel late-night comedians like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert for their anti-Trump commentaries, ruling elites in Trump’s orbit have long pursued a dangerous realignment and consolidation of media power to serve their right-wing agenda. Hegseth’s outburst directed at CNN reflects the Trump regime’s ploy to concentrate more corporate news networks under the command of David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance and son of right-wing billionaire Larry Ellison. Last year, Trump cleared the way for Paramount’s merger with Ellison’s Skydance Media after Paramount paid a $16 million lawsuit filed by Trump against Paramount’s CBS News. Now Paramount Skydance is on the verge of acquiring an even larger legacy media giant, Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. “One family, the right-wing Trump-aligned Ellisons, will soon control: TikTok, CBS, CNN, HBO, Discovery Channel, BET, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, DC Studios, Fandango, Miramax, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount, PlutoTV, Showtime, TBS, The CW, TNT, Warner Bros., and more,” U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders warned last week. “This is oligarchy.” David’s father, Larry, is a staunch Zionist and the sixth richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of more than $198 billion. He is also one of Trump’s closest allies. The growth of the Ellison father-son empire is based on refashioning the American press — or what’s left of it — into the palm of Trump’s hand. But it isn’t merely one family’s broadcast news juggernaut that rules this age of media monopoly power. Censorship and MAGA’s Mouthpiece Over the weekend, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued new Orwellian threats against unnamed networks running “fake news” (i.e., reporting that lacks the government’s deliriously upbeat spin) on the Iran war. Carr suggested he would revoke or refuse to renew the broadcasting licenses of networks that don’t “correct course.” While the reactions against Carr’s threats were swift, Trump wholly endorsed the FCC edict on Sunday while deriding media organizations as “Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic.” But outside of media mergers and acquisitions, a wider net of news outlets has been pulled closer into the Trump regime’s hold. This includes the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post, with its newly stated commitment to “personal liberties and free markets” along with editorials that reveal its increasing fealty to Trump. The New York Times, while seemingly less beholden to the Trump regime, continues to churn out a steady stream of poorly disguised Zionist propaganda and breathless coverage of Trump’s imperialist military interventions. The so-called newspaper of record is so steeped in the machinery of empire that screaming prejudice drips from its discriminate use of language, as demonstrated by its passive headlines on Israeli atrocities against Palestinians that obscure Israel’s role versus its matter-of-fact reporting on recent Iranian strikes targeting Israel. CBS News, however, proves that the Ellison media empire buys more consistent right-wing editorial leadership and allegiance to Trump. Bari Weiss, spawned from the journalistic cesspool of The Times to later found the hilariously named website The Free Press, has been catapulted to unearned heights of the Ellison empire. While she possesses no experience as a reporter, her hardline Zionism and anti-woke politics made her a perfect editor in chief to lead CBS News aggressively to the right. “The mega-rich have always been willing to hire, promote, and fund people willing to unquestioningly run interference for their interests while making them feel like their near-pathological selfishness, hoarding of money and power, and total disregard for the public interest is somehow morally justifiable. CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss is simply another in a long line of feckless water carriers for the one percent,” Elizabeth Spiers wrote in The Nation last December. “[Weiss] has shown she’s not merely stupendously unqualified — she’s ideologically opposed to the practice of good journalism,” Spiers added. Since Trump led the U.S. empire into its unprovoked war on Iran last month, Weiss’s CBS has featured an infinite line-up of pro-war commentators, leading CBS’s own staffers to describe the network’s war coverage as a “propaganda-palooza.” Of course, such propagandizing isn’t exclusive to Trump’s newfound love of foreign wars. This was made clear in December when Weiss — who doesn’t hide her cringeworthy fawning over Trump — abruptly pulled a 60 Minutes story on the notorious El Salvadoran prison camp where the Trump regime has sent many deportees in its ruthless war on immigrants. Since Weiss’s takeover, there’s also been a decline in CBS coverage on climate change. Breaking the Fascist Echo Chamber Against this grim backdrop of the decaying “Fourth Estate” of American “democracy,” there remains the ever-exploding and unwieldy landscape of independent media and social platforms. Oligarchs and authoritarians like Trump have struggled to exert control over the endlessly diverse and expanding universe of information and narratives exponentially building itself on these platforms. Not that they haven’t tried. Right-wing elites have successfully pushed the Meta platforms of Facebook and Instagram as well as Google’s YouTube to censor pro-Palestinian content. Trump launched his own social platform, Truth Social, in reaction to perceived anti-conservative biases in Twitter’s algorithm — which is now run by Trump’s favorite Big Tech billionaire sociopath, Elon Musk, who renamed it “X” and has proudly moved the platform’s algorithmic biases decidedly to the right. And, of course, we cannot forget TikTok, whose new U.S. owned operation is now controlled by an investor group led by none other than Larry Ellison. As is true of most pernicious policies from the Trump regime, right-wing designs on big media did not begin with Trump. Corporate media has long been an industry rife with monopolization and abuse of anti-trust laws to amass market dominance, from the Disney-ABC merger in the mid-90s to the right-wing Sinclair Broadcast Group’s ongoing vast control over local news outlets reaching more than 40 percent of U.S. households. But alongside the Trump regime’s growing media machine, which is designed to shield it from public scrutiny, is also the inverse agenda of strengthening the regime’s ability to scrutinize the public through domestic surveillance technology. Led by Hegseth and Trump’s resident villainous creep Stephen Miller, the regime is pushing AI companies to hand over unrestricted use of their technology to spy on Americans and urging Congress to expand government surveillance powers. If it seems that warnings about Trump’s right-wing media takeover are sensationalist or overstated, Trump himself is quite clear about it. The despot shared an infographic over the weekend illustrating how “President Trump Is Reshaping the Media,” celebrating the defunding of NPR, the departure of prominent news anchors from major networks, and mass layoffs at the Washington Post. Corporate media consolidation has always been about serving the interests of the elite and their capitalist system of endless personal profit. Now, as Trump oversees the final stages of a decades-long merger of corporate power and the state, his regime expects media organizations to serve not just Wall Street but the White House as well. The good news is that the public is not powerless against this slide toward state-controlled media. If viewers can pressure a corporation as powerful as Disney with the threat of canceling their subscriptions until it spurns government bullying, as in the case of Kimmel’s show, such collective action can be replicated and broadened to other forms of economic pressure by the masses. In the same way, news worker unions like The NewsGuild CWA, WGAE, and others can work to mobilize newsrooms against the fascist media coup. The Trump regime’s right-wing media echo chamber can and must be broken through collective people power, both in the form of boycotts and by supporting independent media that answer to no politicians, no government masters, and no corporate overlords. The post Mega Media, MAGA Lies appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Brian Tierney.
Make Matzah Not War: Easter, Passover, Nowruz, Eleusis & the Spirit of Max
Holidays whip up sweet and spicy memories of Captain Max that I stir into a new Spring casserole of vintage photos. Like onions, some make me cry, but most are tasty enough to make me smile and occasionally even lick my lips. I call it “collage therapy” and, like good holy-dazed comfort food with special More The post Make Matzah Not War: Easter, Passover, Nowruz, Eleusis & the Spirit of Max appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404668" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-680x510.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="510" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-680x510.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-840x630.jpg 840w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pesach-Easter-Nowruz-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Holidays whip up sweet and spicy memories of Captain Max that I stir into a new Spring casserole of vintage photos. Like onions, some make me cry, but most are tasty enough to make me smile and occasionally even lick my lips. I call it “collage therapy” and, like good holy-dazed comfort food with special herbs – such as *herb,* also celebrated around this time (4/20, anyone?) – it soothes my bottomless sorrow since the May 13, 2025 death of my beloved husband Maximillian R. Lobkowicz di Filangieri, helping me navigate this strange space between grief and gratitude. Max Collage #7 highlights the Passover Liberation from Slavery and the Easter Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Filled with fun and games, Easter egg and Afikoman hunts, these zesty Spring holidays, can also be harsh, with bitter herbs for Pesach and fasting for Lent, to give us a tiny taste of the great suffering of slavery, crucifixion and other sins perpetrated by human greed, brutality, hubris and foolishness. Liberation & Resurrection Both Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) and Easter honor divine Miracles of Return, echoing the primeval Eleusinian Mysteries of spring, which celebrate the pagan return of Persephone, Princess of the Underworld – and queen of the funereal grief I now feel – to her own grieving Earth Mother Demeter. Yes, long before the Rebirth of the Holy Son returning to His Father in Heaven, the ancients honored the Resurrection of the Holy Daughter returning to Her Mother on Earth. According to the Greeks, the Goddess Persephone (Proserpina to the Romans – like Max) rises up from the bowels of Hades (Pluto) to the old Athenian suburb of Eleusis, rejoining Her Earth Mama Demeter (Ceres) who is so ecstatic to embrace the fruit of Her loins that She showers the world in spring (now that’s some serious squirting)! I only wish Max could return to me as Persephone returns to Her Earth Mother Demeter and Jesus returns to His Heavenly Father. That utterly irrational yet profound longing for the return of my beloved has opened my agnostic heart to understanding the deep faith so many place in the miracle of resurrection. Ahhhh… if only! Miracles of Spring Though pretty amazing, the stories of Purim and St. Paddy’s Day don’t feature scientifically impossible *miracles.* No miraculous parting of the sea, and no walking on it either. The Megillat Esther doesn’t even mention the name of God. Easter and Passover are all about God and His (in Judeo-Christian-Islamic lore, God’s pronouns are always “He/Him”) miracles. Things that *can’t* happen – manna from heaven, resurrection of the dead – do. The closest thing to a miracle I’ve ever experienced was Max himself, his energy and his love that somehow – miraculously – both protected and liberated me. Though agnostic, we tried to honor all the Gods and Goddesses, because as Max would say with a wink, “You never know.” We were fascinated and sometimes aroused by the ancient tales. Our Commedia Erotica interpretations might be considered blasphemous, but they were always heartfelt. On the Passover/Easter convergence of 2011, we held a big “Last Supper Seder,” sharing matzah and chocolate bunnies, colored eggs, the Pascal lamb, red wine, “bitter herbs” and 4/20 herbs with professors, porn stars, artists and therapists. Max had just recovered from bladder cancer surgery a couple of weeks before, and he wasn’t sure if he was well enough to attend. But as I began the seder, he slipped into a long robe and suddenly *appeared* from behind my chair, playing the part of the resurrected Jesus… or Elijah, depending on what you believe. It was mystical, hilarious and genuinely surprised me – almost like a real resurrection! I keep hoping he’ll do that again… Easter, Pesach, Nowruz Though we weren’t religious believers, Max fervently believed in consuming all the delicious foods of our elaborate Passover/Easter seder dinners, from matzah ball soup to chocolate Easter bunnies. Both Pesach and Easter highlight eggs, which Max adored, regardless of color. Iranian or Persian New Year, aka “Nowruz,” also features eggs, sweets, spring cleaning, the idea of rebirth, renewal, sometimes rebellion (how about those Arab Springs?) and other parallels to the spring holidays Max and I grew up on. A 3000-year-old Vernal Equinox festival that’s more cultural than religious, with roots in Zoroastrianiasm, and is observed by over 300 million people around the world, we’d often acknowledge Nowruz or Noorooz (meaning “New Day”) in our Bonoboville Spring holiday bacchanals, but admittedly without nearly as much detail as Pesach or Easter because being the dumb Judeo-Christian-Pagan- Agnostics we are, we really didn’t know Nowruz from Babaghanoush (which is actually Lebanese, not Iranian). At least we acknowledged our ignorance, unlike many raised in so-called “Judeo-Christian” culture who excuse their war crimes by framing Iran as a savage society or Islam as an especially vicious religion. Bonoboville Spring Bacchanals Of course, Nowruz, Pesach and Easter are family occasions, but there comes a time when anyone with a pulse tires of trying to please their aunties and in-laws and craves a spicier blessing. Time to catch Spring Fever and fall in love… or at least party like a bonobo! Thus, for the past three decades, after spending the first part of their holiday with family, bevies of Easter Bunnies, Passover Kinksters and a few Nowruz revelers would gather together in the Womb Room Sanctuary at the little Love Church of The Bonobo Way in Dr. Suzy’s Speakeasy of Bonoboville to celebrate the erotic, not-so family-friendly, bacchanalian roots of the Judeo-Christian Rites of Spring. And no, it wasn’t a cult; we were just having irreverent consenting-adult holiday fun. Officiating in my priestly robes, tallit, gold cross (a gift from a devout Catholic therapy client), Star of David (woven for me by Twin Towers inmates from the threads of their prison uniforms), “Lox et Veritas” g-string and bunny ears, I would channel the spirit of The Great Bonobo Spring Easter Bunny Matzah Goddess, or some such mirthful divinity. And Capt’n Max would channel Capt’n Max. Sometimes he’d wear his own Twin-Towers-woven star or bunny ears, but his sheer presence always projected plenty of divine “main character energy” on its own. Never Again for Anyone The pandemic cooled down our bacchanals, and as Israel’s escalating attacks on Palestinians passed over Passover 2021, Max and I sadly stowed our Stars of David, put on Keffiyehs and raised Palestinian flags. At the time, the choice felt simple to us: “Never Again” meant “Never Again for Anyone.” Yet nothing is ever that simple. With loved ones on all sides, we couldn’t fully root for any *side* except the Bonobo Way, the side of peace through pleasure, ceasefire, sharing and good old-fashioned diplomacy. We also continued to root for Freedom of Speech – a vital aspect of that “freedom” from slavery that Passover celebrates – and that’s free speech for everyone, including the creeps who try to take ours away. With Max now gone, I still root for free speech and the Bonobo Way, but I miss our painted eggs on the Last Supper seder plate. I miss Max. Make Matzah Not War Max passed over (literally) before tRump’s current bombardment of the ancient land of Iran, aka Operation Epstein Folly. Yes, “Operation Epic Fury” (did a gamer come up with that name?) was re-christened “Operation Epstein Fury” by clickbait influencers, but that merely exchanges Epstein for “Epic,” and it’s much worse than that. “Folly” is more on-the-nose than “Fury” because none of the architects of this mess are authentically “furious” about anything. Certainly, the babbling tRumpus is not furious, nor are any of his cosplaying Cabinet of Dr. Caligari horror actors, yes-models and real estate developers. But they are all remarkably, hubristically and rather dangerously foolish. The bombing of the girls’ school might be Herr Trumpenstein’s most foolish and horrific deed yet, especially as it appears to be a bloody coda to his Epstein history. Fools can be funny, but this fool’s errand is devastating to people all over the Middle East. Needless to say, Nowruz 2026 is not as joyous as usual, though some Iranians are observing the pre-Nowruz traditional fire ritual Chaharshanbe Suri by defying government orders, while others are burning effigies of tRump and Bibi. Poor Trumpty Dumpty was “shocked” that a big *civilized* country like Iran would actually fight back when pelted with American bombs. “They weren’t supposed to,” Trumpty whined (not so subtly blaming Jared), as Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet of Creeps nodded along, bombing away anyway. Where’s Moses to part the Strait of Hormuz with his magic God Rod when you need him? If Max were alive, no doubt he’d be ranting against these mad, arrogant, avaricious fools. And he’d make it personal, telling the story of his own experience as a former starry-eyed U.S. Army recruit to any bewildered soldiers that might be listening. Max was a rifleman, a crack shot being groomed for sniper duty when one fine day, his young brain figured out that after target practice came killing his fellow humans. So, he threw down his rifle, picked up a pen and studied war no more. Well, it wasn’t that simple (nothing ever is), but that’s a story for another collage. In the meantime, let’s simply end this foolish war, or whatever it’s called. Max would say, “Listen Trumpty, we all know you’re a bully and a fool, so why not go TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), find an offramp (but that doesn’t mean pivoting to “take Cuba”!), and stop the bombing? Then maybe they’ll stop their bombing (after all, you started it), and we can all go bonobos, eat chocolate eggs and enjoy the miracles of Spring.” Not that it’s ever that simple, but in the meantime… Happy Easter, Passover, Nowruz, 4/20, Dionysia, Primavera, Eleusinian Mysteries, Spring Break or whatever you celebrate, from me, Bonoboville and the Spirit of Max. The post Make Matzah Not War: Easter, Passover, Nowruz, Eleusis & the Spirit of Max appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Susan Block.
White People Meet Up with Fate, Our Best Hope
In the absence of an authority that arises from the deep roots of being, those who hold power tend to abuse it…. In order to shift the unjust situation in the outer world [there must be ones] who will draw upon a greater source of authority than law or institutions or the market…who will “author”things… More The post White People Meet Up with Fate, Our Best Hope appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
In the absence of an authority that arises from the deep roots of being, those who hold power tend to abuse it…. In order to shift the unjust situation in the outer world [there must be ones] who will draw upon a greater source of authority than law or institutions or the market…who will “author”things… –Michael Meade, Fate and Destiny: the Two Agreements of the Soul By turning [Harriet] Tubman into a superhero “ with vague “woo-woo powers, we diminish her in memory and reduce our capacity to learn from her life. This…myth obfuscates…who she was on the inside… –Tiya Miles, Night Flyer [Tubman’s] choice to accept this altered state of consciousness [following her head injury] as religious experience…she was now distinctly equipped to tackle the questions that haunted her: Why did slavery exist? And (how) would her people be saved? –Ibid. It could be reasonably said of us (white middle-class liberals) that we are people who do not know we’re fated – that is, that we’re biological beings. We retain our innocent belief in free will against all odds; in fact, we need it for protection against the soul-betraying demands of life in capitalist technocracy. They say people who don’t know their history are bound to repeat it; most of us who do not know our own true captivity in fate will accept the “nicer”- if not easier – “fate” given in liberal reality; i.e., the realities of free-market capitalism including its relativization of the very idea that being human means anything beyond a stage toward perfected cyber being. Arguably, that innocence allows us to sustain our customary way of life under the awful awareness of the evils our government perpetrates in our name here and abroad, most recently adding 180 Iranian school girls murdered by U.S. bombs to the already haunted collective conscience. As far as “fate” goes, we might be fascinated coming across the words “fate” and “destiny” in a fantasy novel or movie – perhaps intoned by a Merlin figure – because those words have resonance which the poetically-attuned ear in the soul hears and is attracted to. Trained as we are away from serious romanticism, we mostly do not pursue it as having meaning for me. Not knowing fate in terms of its personal meaning – i.e., my fate – it is difficult for white liberals to fully appreciate peoples’ lives that have actually used fate to make of them something extraordinary in terms of the good they were able to realize; we tend either to raise them up to superhuman status, or prove them imposters. Idealistic actions obedient to inwardly accessed authority go against the grain of American materialist aspirations, and against the givens of class; they cannot be evaluated by science-based consciousness. What is behind the empirical curtain will never be captured on a cellphone or body camera. What’s more, we tend to wonder very little about extraordinary virtue in others, unless the results of the action taken are seemingly miraculous (i.e., leading enslaved people to freedom), in which case the doer is known as a “superwoman of the swamps,” or, in the other direction, insidious doubt is sown undermining the doer’s character. Reading an article about the remarkably admirable life of the late Jesse Jackson (whose fate was to be son of impoverished cotton workers in the south) in CounterPunch, I recalled the relentless effort by the media in the 1980’s to reduce him to an “ego case.” And those seeds of doubt work. They grow. Like the accusations against MLK for his womanizing. Or Malcolm X for his hatred of white people, or Black Panthers for their insistence on protecting themselves, etc. So that the people who truly are working for social change are so easily translated via the media – which we’re dependent on to know anything of events outside our personal experience–into people suspected of harboring shady, malevolent tendencies toward the rest of us (white people). That is, secular white liberals, in our way, are as edgy about social revolution as the conservatives, and thus vulnerable to media manipulation. To “think outside the box” of whiteness takes strenuous effort that begins with an acquaintance with personal depth and consciousness of that thing called fate. +++ Last night, lying awake, I pictured my everlasting personal struggle with self-confidence in a new way. I had been reading Tiya Miles’s biography of Harriet Tubman, which intentionally pulls Tubman down from the pedestal of supernaturally gifted to someone inwardly attuned to the moral voice in the soul (God). In so doing, she extends the light of Tubman’s example to those of us suffering not so directly from oppression, but from the dark night of capitalism’s evisceration of meaning, i.e., of the connectedness of all life. It came to me my social idealism is, similarly, a “night star” that leads me out from my personal suffering, suffering that is, in truth, a consequence of the oppression of the soul’s imagination in capitalist liberal reality. My idealism is being in my “right mind,” I am “okay as I am” – not, perhaps–a Jesse Jackson or a Medea Benjamin–but I can be certain that serenity of mind is the only acceptable foundation for virtuous action. The feeling of relief the “right mind” gives must be from God, I conclude; it cannot come to me without my experiencing personal inclusion in a larger reality. It obligates me to a larger good – God’s Good – that includes even white people like me with our weird kind of anti-suffering suffering – in its deliverance. Though attunement to the night star may be a bigger challenge for liberals raised without deep religious influence, it is still possible–but first must come the revelation of fate that opens upon religion’s mythic, imaginative depths. +++ Sam, 78 years old, was a nearly daily customer at our coffeeshop over its 22 years. He’s a white (Italian-American) single, amiable guy who loves cars, motorcycles, books, music, and movies, is a reliable volunteer for arts programs, and, for several years, provided faithful assistance to a wheelchair-bound woman prominent in local art circles, until her death. He made something like 11 trips to New Orleans to help with post-Katrina clean-up, and is a particularly vocal anti-racist. In fact, he is excited about the topic almost as if he had discovered it. One could, understandably, hear him as one who “protesteth too much” except that he’s obviously sincere. A few years ago, he was made an honorary member of the local NAACP. Last month, Sam was arrested on charges of having child pornography on his computer. As I see his predicament, and I may be the only one who sees it this way, he is now a person who has run into his fate. I’d almost call it lucky, except that I know it does not/cannot feel that way to him and must sound hard-hearted coming from me. This happens rarely to white liberals, that one learns that dark thing one never could look at fully consciously – uh-oh, I’m fated to (following Freud), “murder my father and sleep with my mother.” We carry that protective barrier around us that is a rationalist liberal reality. The dark secret, which is very connected with one’s fate and one’s destiny, is revealed at last. But will you accept this dark, unwanted part? Can you accept the dark part of your nature–in Sam’s case, his sexual interest in children, that will not be tolerated in society, in our lifetimes, if – and learn to live with it with dignity? Here’s a question connected to the political: Is it possible for people who cannot achieve such humility individually to be trusted on the collective, national scale? What’s it worth if we ask indigenous Americans and descendants of enslaved people for forgiveness, if I cannot face and forgive that darkness in myself, but can only continue to be and do good so that I will be seen as good, and not as the bad I secretly believe myself to be? How, that is, do we find our secret goodness, our “right mind,” the strength and authority coming from those deep roots of being? I believe Sam is not a special case, except in that he committed an actual crime which is how his dark secret is being outed. Of the two ways to find out why one feels misfitted, that is, to launch oneself on that inward quest, he’s been given the way via “catastrophe” (the other being art). The very fact that one does not want to go there into the personal darkness is the biggest giveaway. For no matter how many small clues one unconsciously drops that others might pick up on, as Sam did in abundance! (i.e., his compulsive loquaciousness, that easily got on friends’ nerves, no girlfriend or boyfriend but much mention of his – always age and hetero-appropriate – attractions, his strenuous and impressive do-gooding for others) people will not guess – they will not even be curious – as to what lies behind these behaviors that were – upon reflection – noticeably off. Under the circumstances, social relatedness is in fact connected by mutual consent to capitalism; capitalism our real matrix, both social glue and that which provides us with our shaky sense of individuality in terms of being better than the other. Most of the time, despite Freud, we take the shallow basis as all there is. It gets us by in the liberal reality that rewards us with the privilege of whiteness, it readies us for AI’s total undermining of there being any worth (or reason!) in defending “ human being” as I do. If there is to be repudiation of social connection via the medium of capitalism, if the local community is to be healthily inclusive, then, besides the obvious turning off the screens, it seems pretty obvious in-person living must have a different basis than the given. I’m arguing that such a basis is possible to find for people who will open the sealed package of their fate, entering their own wilderness. At the point one knows one’s fatedness, the harsh law of necessity, other knowledge becomes possible, not before. +++ Over the course of the almost two full years since the sale and loss to us of our little urban coffeeshop, I’m beginning to see that the 22 years of “bliss,” the confidence its very existence gave to me, was, in terms of my own soul’s journey, Circe’s island. A lovely stopping place, enchanted for sure, but also an interruption in the journey home. Most crucially, I need to understand my default habit of self-condemnation (differentiated from the more useful self-doubt) that reappeared with the loss of our Cafe’s protective “umbrella” as what it is – evidence that I’m temporarily out of my right mind! I must now affirm over and over that my “right mind” is the only mind I’m called to be in. For better and worse, I’m not one of William James’s healthy-minded ones, who automatically turn their faces to the sunny side of the street. My vulnerability, the fate I was born into, once made conscious, the real trauma suffered in childhood doesn’t disappear, mine as real for me as Harriet Tubman’s trauma as an enslaved child was for her, as real as Jesse Jackson’s childhood of poverty and racism was for him. The cause of my powerful tendency to self-condemnation (one of a host of self-disabling afflictions that plague people in that peculiar white liberal way of “not suffering,”) is traceable to the awful discardability of biological, fated humanity under capitalism. For, whether one knows it consciously or not, capitalism and all who profit from its necessary excess grant to one’s personal life as little worth as that of a Gazan child to the IDF. People’s Classroom history teacher Luigi is right– it’s not just “your bad day” (and one might add, it’s not because of illegal immigrants taking your jobs and soaking up welfare) – it’s capitalism; its devaluation of humanness makes me especially vulnerable to the endemic loneliness of our way of life. Any truly unbearable system can be bearable for most people who suffer in it – even slavery. That is, its indignities and oppressions can be borne as just “the way it is” until something happens to break through. To discern systemic evil in one’s own case, based upon one’s own experience of traumatic injustice, is a powerful realization. And indeed, consciousness of capitalism as evil, for us who live within its placating context of material abundance and the uber lifeaccessed by social media’s algorithms, is elusive in a way that the enslaved person’s awareness of slavery as evil may not have been (though Tubman’s philosophical question why does slavery exist suggests its status as evil was not self-evident even to her). Luigi tells us he “converted” a fellow teacher at his high school, from being a MAGA guy to being on board with socialism (that is, he encouraged him to think!). But conversions can be shaky – this guy tells him he used to be much happier, now he’s depressed all the time! The difference comes when one individually realizes the sense of purpose of, say, a Harriet Tubman, living in the context of a slave system, or a Jesse Jackson, that is, when one has met one’s genuine, serious-as-hell fate. The choice to understand the sense of purpose as God’s, rooted in myth and archetype, as “Night star” guidance, charges it differently; the real commonality for biological beings is suffering. One can then act, in the absence of social corroboration, on behalf of the common Good (which includes the good for earth and non-human life). How do I know I am called to creativity, and to think originally, just as Tubman knew she was meant to be free when no one, and no church at that time, could tell her that? In the subjectivity of the judgment is its power. Truth to tell, Sam is unlikely to give up trying to fight against knowing his fate, though it has hit him in the face. Even so, the personal question is the first that must be answered; socialist critique then will fit, resting for its truth on the authority of the imaginative, innately anarchist human soul, before even Marx. The post White People Meet Up with Fate, Our Best Hope appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Kim C. Domenico.
Most of the time, landlords win. When I was evicted from my Chicago apartment in 1999, I had no legal rights to defend myself against all my furniture being thrown to the curb, leaving me, my daughter, and baby grandchild out in the cold. This year though, my fellow tenants and I at Bowen Tower More The post We Went on Rent Strike and We Won appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
Most of the time, landlords win. When I was evicted from my Chicago apartment in 1999, I had no legal rights to defend myself against all my furniture being thrown to the curb, leaving me, my daughter, and baby grandchild out in the cold. This year though, my fellow tenants and I at Bowen Tower Apartments in Raytown, Missouri won. After a four-month long rent strike where we withheld over $110,000 in payments, our union was able to secure lower rents and utility bills along with commitments to fix long-term issues in the 10-story building outside Kansas City. I don’t want to mislead anyone though: the fight wasn’t easy. I was intimidated, bribed, and almost forced out of the building. But we didn’t budge, and now I hope our victory will inspire tenants elsewhere to fight. I first moved to Bowen Tower in April of 2023. My situation seemed good at the start — the building was accommodating for older tenants, close to transportation, and had a responsive manager. Things started to turn toward the end of 2024, especially in September when my apartment flooded. The water ruined my furniture and most of my clothes — the total damages were around $13,000 — but all management would do is come up and put towels on the floor. At this point I was smelling mold everywhere, but they still wouldn’t help. Around the same time I got really sick and I lost my job. I had been carefully documenting all the problems in my apartment, calling every city service, but nothing was changing. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only person in the building with issues. I’d hear other tenants complaining in the elevator, and eventually I started inviting them to meetings upstairs. We managed to get city employees to come look at the building by coordinating our calls, but they didn’t do anything either. Around that time I came across a video of tenants celebrating at Independence Towers, another complex in our area, after a successful eight-month long rent strike. I had already been personally withholding rent for a few months at that point but realized we needed to do something similar at Bowen Tower. So I contacted KC Tenants, which helped organize the Independence Towers strike. The tenant union helped us get organized — and then, in October 2025, we went on rent strike. The response from management was harsh: 27 eviction notices were filed, including for me. Some of our neighbors dropped the strike because of intimidation and harassment or straight-up bribery. But personally, I’m not scared of anything but mice and God. They never managed to intimidate me, even when the cops were called on me four times. I was attacked in the building. Sometimes I’d come back to my apartment, shut the door, and just cry. But I was never going to give up. It just made me angry. And with my anger, I wanted to fight more. Eventually the building’s owners, a company from California called Alta/CGHS Real Estate Investments, folded. We’re only going to have to pay back 35 percent of what we withheld. We won good cause eviction protections and two-year leases, and they promised to make major needed repairs to the building. But the fight doesn’t end here. I’m going to keep fighting not only for myself — not only for the tenants at Bowen Tower, but for tenants all around Missouri and around the country. It’s time for landlords to take accountability for their actions. As tenants, the only way we can make sure they do is by forming unions and sticking together, no matter how tough the fight gets. The post We Went on Rent Strike and We Won appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Cynthia Barlow.
People Look Out for Each Other, It’s the Government That’s Letting Us Down
It all started with Walter. A few years ago, my elderly dad asked if he could bring his new friend, Walter, to my house for Thanksgiving. Of course. Everyone is welcome at my table. My parents raised me to help others — one of my earliest memories is handing out care packages to soldiers returning More The post People Look Out for Each Other, It’s the Government That’s Letting Us Down appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
It all started with Walter. A few years ago, my elderly dad asked if he could bring his new friend, Walter, to my house for Thanksgiving. Of course. Everyone is welcome at my table. My parents raised me to help others — one of my earliest memories is handing out care packages to soldiers returning from Vietnam. Walter was very thin, with the saddest blue eyes I had ever seen. He shuffled, hunched over when he walked. Walter had lost his home to a preventable foreclosure after the death of his wife and was living in the woods behind a local grocery store. I searched for help for Walter. It was more difficult than I expected, but in the end, a grandson took him in. The experience opened my eyes to the plight of the many unhoused people living in our small community. I started noticing signs of struggle every day. I was working at our local Sunoco gas station. Daily, I saw folks coming in, trying to decide between gas, milk, and eggs. I’ve seen too many moms return a tiny treat to the shelves as their children cried because the change they laid out on the counter wasn’t even enough for the basics they were trying to buy. I live in Three Rivers, Michigan, where our poverty rate is <a role="link" href="https://datausa.io/profile/geo/three-rivers-mi#:~:text=Here's%20some%20information%20about%20the%20demographics%20of,who%20served%20in%20the%20Gulf%20War%20(1990s)" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://datausa.io/profile/geo/three-rivers-mi%23:~:text%3DHere's%2520some%2520information%2520about%2520the%2520demographics%2520of,who%2520served%2520in%2520the%2520Gulf%2520War%2520(1990s)&source=gmail&ust=1773327023310000&usg=AOvVaw06LzSHmFwWTtP48XEcvAma">15 percent and rising — and our median income is just <a role="link" href="https://datausa.io/profile/geo/three-rivers-mi#:~:text=Here's%20some%20information%20about%20the%20demographics%20of,who%20served%20in%20the%20Gulf%20War%20(1990s)" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://datausa.io/profile/geo/three-rivers-mi%23:~:text%3DHere's%2520some%2520information%2520about%2520the%2520demographics%2520of,who%2520served%2520in%2520the%2520Gulf%2520War%2520(1990s)&source=gmail&ust=1773327023310000&usg=AOvVaw06LzSHmFwWTtP48XEcvAma">$48,000 annually and falling. Nationally, homelessness in rural areas like ours is increasing. In 2024, the most recent “Point-In-Time” count available, nearly 130,000 <a role="link" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2026/0108/homelessness-rural-michigan#:~:text=Across%20the%20heartland%2C%20rural%20homelessness,food%2C%20coats%2C%20and%20encouragement." rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2026/0108/homelessness-rural-michigan%23:~:text%3DAcross%2520the%2520heartland%252C%2520rural%2520homelessness,food%252C%2520coats%252C%2520and%2520encouragement.&source=gmail&ust=1773327023310000&usg=AOvVaw2J0FyHGSeE9wnj0GxnKm3t">rural Americans were unsheltered — and nearly 275,000 overall. If you add in those in shelters or transitional housing, the number of unhoused people rises to over 770,000 nationwide. Upon seeing the great need in my community, I went to our City Manager asking for an available town property to rent for our homeless population. When he refused, I launched HOPE (Homeless Outreach Practiced Everyday). I started cooking huge meals and feeding people in the Sunoco parking lot out of the back of my truck. In winter, I had the truck full of hats, gloves, and socks. Neighbors saw what I was doing and contributed in droves. A local knitting club took up the cause, and a church gave us meals from its soup kitchen. The Elks Club donated funds. I turned my garage into a “free store,” where people can take what they need. We hold health clinics, do laundry, and cut hair. We help with back-to-school items and children in foster care. We serve pets. We fight the local and state water commissions for clean water in a state plagued by poisonous water. And we work nonstop to help our neighbors when disasters strike, like the recent tornado that devastated our region. Community miracles like those tirelessly performed by HOPE make up the beauty of our nation. Just ask Walter. But we should be filling in the cracks, not the chasms. Our work is harder because the government systems that are supposed to prevent homelessness, hunger, and economic precarity simply aren’t getting the investments they need. Under the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed by a party-line vote in 2025, the Trump administration has slashed Medicaid, SNAP, and other antipoverty programs to fund tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. It’s effectively transferring wealth from us to the rich. Even the most dedicated volunteers can’t fill the enormous hole left by government neglect of communities and families. For example, SNAP feeds nine people for every one person food pantries can feed. And the federal government is far better situated to scale up rehousing efforts than community non-profits. We need a government that works for all of us — no matter what we look like, what our zip code is, or what income we are able to earn. I hope you’ll join me — not just in helping your own community, but in demanding that lawmakers put our tax dollars where they belong: to help our neighbors in need rather than in the velvet pockets of the already rich. This op-ed was originally published by The Michigan Advance The post People Look Out for Each Other, It’s the Government That’s Letting Us Down appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Casey Tobias.
The U.S. is Still Making Life Miserable for Cubans
While halfway around the world Hezbollah and Iran are beating the living daylights out of Israel, here in our own hemisphere, superintended by a bilious potentate, a much different story is unfolding. Donald Trump’s garish kidnapping of the Venezuelan president, followed by his ferocious starvation blockade of Cuba and his announcement March 16 that “I More The post The U.S. is Still Making Life Miserable for Cubans appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
While halfway around the world Hezbollah and Iran are beating the living daylights out of Israel, here in our own hemisphere, superintended by a bilious potentate, a much different story is unfolding. Donald Trump’s garish kidnapping of the Venezuelan president, followed by his ferocious starvation blockade of Cuba and his announcement March 16 that “I can do anything I want with Cuba,” are white house depravities about which there seems little the world can do. Sadly, the other two mega-powers, China and Russia, leave the U.S. to rampage in its backyard, though currently its maniacal crimes have simmered down. The U.S. is now supposedly in talks with Cuba, but no one in their right mind thinks this means life has improved for the average person on the island. Cuba suffers from widespread blackouts and an expanding energy crisis. According to RT March 14, Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed the talks with the Trump cuckoo birds, though on the evening of March 16, those psychopaths repeated their demand that Diaz-Canel step down. This high-handed command and the talks follow “weeks of power cuts, fuel shortages and growing public anger after the halt of Venezuelan oil shipments…and as Washington stepped up efforts to block other suppliers. Trump has repeatedly threatened a ‘total oil blockade’ of Cuba and warned that countries selling crude to the island could face tariffs.” That bluster about tariffs no doubt accounts for Cuba’s oil drought and for el jefe’s prediction last week that Cuba “is gonna fall pretty soon.” What can you call this besides Washington’s fascist doctrine?—undermine or overthrow every leftist government in Latin America from Honduras to Venezuela to Cuba in the hopes that Bukele-style rightists seize power. I’ll tell you what else you can call it: the U.S. obsessive compulsive fixation on communists who have been minding their own business and done absolutely zip to bother Washington besides simply exist, something the white house finds intolerable. But some people have other ideas. Some people are not commie-hating Neanderthals who fancy themselves disrupting Cuban five-year plans. Those people are not to be found in the Trump regime. They are to be found…in the Vatican. You read that right. According to Responsible Statecraft March 13, “the Holy See is hoping to revive its place as a key mediator between Washington and Havana.” Apparently, the Vatican is “re-emerging as a potential facilitator of a bilateral deal.” Of course, there’d be no need for a bilateral deal if a certain power, let’s call it the Fourth Reich, aka Berlin on the Potomac, had not unilaterally blockaded Cuba to begin with. But, to please the Vatican, Havana released some prisoners and a backchannel has opened for Cuba and the U.S. This “comes as President Trump has been floating a ‘friendly takeover’ – ‘or not’ – of Cuba.” Other moves are afoot, too. The Fourth Reich Washington has mentioned many sweeteners and incentives to USA Today that will be on the table if the Cuban president obliges white house gangsters by resigning. Who knows if that will happen. The article cites “a recent decision to allow fuel sales to Cuba’s private sector…as well as the delivery of $9 million in humanitarian aid through the Catholic Church…Cuban authorities…[legalized] public private partnerships…and [floated] an increased role for the country’s private sector.” Also, pow wows occurred between a state department official and Catholic leaders in Cuba. “Cuban authorities deny that talks are occurring” beyond informational exchanges, but Trump insists secretary of state Marco “Regime Change” Rubio “is talking to high-ranking Cuban leaders” among them members of the Castro family. Clearly on the Trump Show the idea is to nudge the Cuban economy away from communism and closer to the free market, because this will be great for ratings. You naturally ask, what ratings? The ones that come from things such as privatizing Cuba’s infrastructure, so airheads like Commerce Secretary Scott Bessent can help his associates make money off it. Privatizing infrastructure is always a lucrative, anti-social-welfare scam, battle-tested on numerous luckless free market economies. So keep your eyes peeled for that, I’d bet anything it’s next on the private sector agenda for Cuba. Meanwhile, Responsible Statecraft reports that people like Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum “offered to serve as mediators for U.S.-Cuba talks, while others, notably Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, have apparently tried to send oil to the island. But upcoming elections in both Colombia and neighboring Brazil, along with Trump’s penchant for retaliation, have subdued any greater regional efforts to deter further escalation.” RS notes that this fear led Jamaica and Guyana to ditch Cuban doctors, on whom their health care systems had long relied. This is a true loss for both countries, as Cuban medics are the heroes of the Global South. That in and of itself is naturally enough to make them persona non grata to the boss of bosses in the white house. So threats, lies, blockades, attempted government overthrow – there’s evidently nothing Berlin on the Potomac won’t stoop to in its witch-hunt against communist influence in the Americas. “Cuba has been grappling with an energy crisis since January, when U.S. forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and halted fuel exports from Caracas to Havana,” reports Al Jazeera March 10. “White House officials have suggested that Cuba is facing an economic collapse.” Maybe. Or this could be Trump’s wishful thinking. No doubt things are dire in Cuba, but Cuban communists have been around a long time, and Yankee assaults are nothing new for them. What’s new is the arrival of a very ambitious, obsessively communist-fixated, self-promoter in the white house, namely Marco “Root Out Commies” Rubio, who loves to claim his family fled Cuba for Florida, eliding the fact that they did not flee Castro, they fled Batista. Rubio never explains that; he just lets his listeners draw the wrong conclusion, to wit, that communism victimized his family. It didn’t. He victimized communism, with his relentless drive to advance his nauseating career on the back of the so-called communist menace in the Caribbean. It’s no secret that Rubio has presidential ambitions, and he clearly regards immiserating 10 million Cubans as a convenient stepping stone into the Oval Office. This is disgusting. As is he. But it’s of a piece with Trump regime strategy: generate headlines by starting war. Except the gangsters in the white house aren’t exactly starting war on Cuba: They’re starving the people of fuel and everything else. If you think this supposed strategy started with Rubio, I guess you may be onto something. Just like the Venezuelan caper. Not that Trump needed a lot of encouragement for any of these adventures, but they all bear the Marco “Overthrow Leftists” Rubio signature. He made his career preening as some kind of South Florida anti-commie fanatic, and now he’s making good on those claims. Problem is, this plumage may not fly well outside of South Florida, given that your average American is now more concerned about the price at the pump hitting five dollars a gallon than what the collectivos are doing in Caracas. In fact, come next election, Rubio might actually get blamed for our lousy economy, caused by his state department starting a war nobody wanted with Iran. And if you don’t remember, well, I do: Rubio was the imbecile who said we had to attack Iran because Israel was going to do it first. So he confessed that his state department allowed the fanatics in Jerusalem to drag Washington into a wildly unpopular war on Tehran, a war Iran is now winning and that has already enabled it to kick the U.S. out of the Gulf. So what’s Cuba to do? It’ll tell you: sit tight, negotiate and keep channels open to China and Russia, neither of which like seeing their Latin American allies get creamed. My guess is if Xi Jinping shipped some vital cargo to Havana, the thugs to the north wouldn’t do much about it. Why? Because what’s Trump gonna do – slap tariffs on China? I don’t think so. Not when Beijing can hit back by restricting more rare earths. Washington’s already got a problem in that department, namely its weapons producers can’t function without the rare earths that Beijing has a near monopoly on. So a couple of Chinese ships to Cuba are probably not worth the headache to Trump. As for cowardly Rubio – well he likes to scream about communists, but I notice he’s pretty quiet about China. Maybe he actually recognizes when he’s out of his league. The post The U.S. is Still Making Life Miserable for Cubans appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Eve Ottenberg.
The Tolstoy Guide to History that Trump and Netanyahu Didn’t Read
How do you bomb a country “without mercy”—and end up strengthening it? When US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that Washington would show “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies,” the message was unmistakable: this was not a limited war, but an overwhelming campaign meant to break Iran—militarily, politically, and socially. The logic behind such More The post The Tolstoy Guide to History that Trump and Netanyahu Didn’t Read appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404490" class="wp-image-404490 size-medium" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-680x453.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-680x453.jpg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-945x630.jpg 945w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/oraswet-JqAiEE6GogU-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Image by Светлана Химочка. How do you bomb a country “without mercy”—and end up strengthening it? When US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that Washington would show “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies,” the message was unmistakable: this was not a limited war, but an overwhelming campaign meant to break Iran—militarily, politically, and socially. The logic behind such a position is not new. A country under years of sanctions, strained by economic hardship, and periodically shaken by protests would, under sustained attack, fracture from within. Pressure would compound, divisions would deepen, and the political system would eventually collapse. That was the expectation. But the result has been the opposite. Across Iran, millions have taken to the streets—not only rejecting the war, but expressing support for their country’s military, political institutions, and leadership. Instead of collapse, there has been consolidation. Instead of fragmentation, cohesion. This is not simply a miscalculation. It is the failure of an entire way of thinking about history. For decades, much of US and Israeli strategic thinking has relied—implicitly or explicitly—on the assumption that political systems can be weakened and reshaped from the outside. Economic pressure, psychological operations, military escalation, and the targeting of leadership are all seen as levers that, if applied with sufficient intensity, will produce predictable outcomes. In Iran’s case, this approach was reinforced by visible internal tensions: economic grievances, social unrest, and waves of protest that seemed to signal a society under strain. Yet these indicators were read in isolation. They were treated as signs of imminent collapse, rather than as expressions of a complex and dynamic society. What was missing from this analysis was not data, but depth. More than a century ago, Leo Tolstoy offered a framework that helps explain precisely this kind of failure. In War and Peace, particularly in its second epilogue, Tolstoy dismantles elite-centered explanations of history—what would later be called the ‘Great Man’ theory. He rejects the idea that leaders, generals, and political elites determine events, challenging instead the very foundations of how history is understood. Tolstoy argues that history is not shaped from the top down. It is not the product of individual will imposed on passive societies. Instead, it emerges from the interaction of countless individual actions—each shaped by circumstance, culture, memory, and necessity. As he put it, “in historical events great men… are but labels… having the least possible connection with the event itself.” What appears, in hindsight, as the decisive role of leaders is often an illusion. Tolstoy insists that those we consider powerful are, in fact, constrained by forces far greater than themselves. “Kings are the slaves of history,” he writes, describing history itself as “the unconscious, general… life of mankind,” which uses individuals as instruments rather than obeying them. In this view, power is not located in the individual, but in the collective. Leaders do not create history; they are carried by it. This perspective leads to what can be described as a “beehive” model of history. Society functions like a hive, where no single actor directs the whole, yet a coherent pattern emerges from the interaction of countless parts. Tolstoy himself approached this idea through a different language, arguing that to understand history, one must shift attention away from rulers and toward the countless small actions that, taken together, determine outcomes. Modern strategic thinking struggles precisely at this point. It is highly effective at measuring what can be quantified: economic decline, protest frequency, military capability, political rhetoric. But it struggles to account for what cannot be easily measured—the accumulated weight of collective experience, the cultural and historical frameworks through which societies interpret events, and the ways in which populations respond not mechanically, but adaptively, to external pressure. Iran’s national unity, in this context, is not an anomaly. It is a reflection of these deeper forces. Iranian society has been shaped by a long history of upheaval and resistance: revolution, war, foreign intervention, and sustained economic pressure. These experiences do not produce a simple or uniform political outlook. They generate a layered and often contradictory social reality—one in which dissent and cohesion coexist. But under conditions of external threat, these layers can align in unexpected ways. What may appear as fragmentation in times of relative stability can become unity when the threat is perceived as existential. This is not the result of central coordination or propaganda alone, as is often suggested. It is the outcome of countless individual decisions—people reassessing priorities, recalibrating their positions, and responding to a shared sense of danger. Tolstoy observed a similar dynamic in Russia during the 1812 invasion by Napoleon. The defeat of the French army was not simply the result of strategic brilliance or centralized command. It emerged from the cumulative effect of local actions: peasants refusing cooperation, communities adapting to invasion, individuals making decisions that, taken together, shaped the course of the war. These actions were not coordinated in any formal sense, yet they produced a coherent outcome. This is what Tolstoy meant when he challenged historians to look beyond rulers and to focus instead on the countless human actions that actually produce historical change. A comparable logic can be seen in the Palestinian concept of sumud, or steadfastness. Over decades of occupation and dispossession, Palestinian resilience has not been sustained primarily by centralized structures or formal strategies, but by the people themselves—their social fabric, cultural continuity, and collective memory. As many thinkers, from Antonio Gramsci to Ghassan Kanafani and Howard Zinn, have argued in different contexts, history is not simply imposed from above; it is constructed from below. This does not mean that leadership, institutions, or strategy are irrelevant. It means that they are not sufficient to explain historical outcomes on their own. The expectation that Iran would fracture under military pressure failed because it relied on the wrong unit of analysis. It treated society as a system that could be manipulated through external force, rather than as a living, adaptive organism shaped by its own internal dynamics. It interpreted internal dissent as weakness, rather than as part of a broader and more complex social process. Most importantly, it assumed that history can be engineered. But history is not a linear sequence of inputs and outputs. It is not a program that can be executed according to plan. It is an emergent process, shaped by the interaction of forces that cannot be fully predicted or controlled. In such a system, overwhelming force does not guarantee the intended outcome. In some cases, it produces the opposite effect—strengthening the very structures it was meant to weaken. If Tolstoy were to observe the current moment, he would likely reject the dominant narratives that center on leaders, strategies, and geopolitical calculations. He would not begin with presidents or generals. He would begin with the people—the millions whose actions, taken together, are shaping the course of events in ways that no model can fully anticipate. The national unity visible in Iran today is not simply a political phenomenon. It is a historical one. It reflects the deeper ‘hive-life’ of a society responding to external pressure—not as a passive object, but as an active force. This is the lesson that remains consistently overlooked. This maxim is consistent with Gramsci’s revision of the famous Cicero’s saying, “Historia magistra vitae” (History is the teacher of life). For Gramsci, an important caveat needed to be added: History is the teacher of life, but it has no disciples. History is not made in war rooms or think tanks. It is made in the accumulated choices of ordinary people, acting within the constraints and possibilities of their own lived realities. Power, in this sense, does not reside solely in states or leaders. It resides in the collective—distributed, dynamic, and often invisible until moments of crisis bring it into view. What we are witnessing is not an exception to the rules of history. It is the rule itself. The post The Tolstoy Guide to History that Trump and Netanyahu Didn’t Read appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Ramzy Baroud.
Little Big Brother at The Carlisle: Censorship at San Francisco Senior Living Facility
Life in senior communities has been dissected in two recent shows: Man on the Inside with Ted Danson and The Thursday Murder Club starring Helen Mirren. They have not described the kind of censorship I have experienced at The Carlisle in San Francisco, a city known for free speech ever since Lawrence Ferlinghetti published Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl and Judge Clayton Horn More The post Little Big Brother at The Carlisle: Censorship at San Francisco Senior Living Facility appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404448" src="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-680x756.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="756" srcset="https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-680x756.jpeg 680w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-567x630.jpeg 567w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-768x854.jpeg 768w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-1382x1536.jpeg 1382w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-1842x2048.jpeg 1842w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-500x556.jpeg 500w, https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Carlisle-image-600x667.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Life in senior communities has been dissected in two recent shows: Man on the Inside with Ted Danson and The Thursday Murder Club starring Helen Mirren. They have not described the kind of censorship I have experienced at The Carlisle in San Francisco, a city known for free speech ever since Lawrence Ferlinghetti published Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl and Judge Clayton Horn ruled that it was not obscene. I thought that my experiences with censorship had ended after I retired from Sonoma State University where the president of the school aimed to censor the student newspaper. As the faculty adviser who taught a course on libel, privacy and copyright, I was cast as the fall guy and refused to fall. When I moved to The Carlisle in San Francisco and inherited the position of editor for the residents’ monthly newsletter I discovered that a local version of Big Brother was watching me and the publication. Ouch! n the Sixties when I wrote for the underground press I took the pen name Jomo. Now I edit and write uder the name Jojo. For a year or so I encountered zero issues with management. Then a new executive director took over and decided he had the authority to act as the censor of the newsletter. He objected to the comments by one of the concierges who complained about the treatment of Black people in Minneapolis. I published her comments uncensored and in a headline described her as “Black and Beautiful.” The executive director told me “there are no Black people in Minneapolis.” When I asked him what he would do if I didn’t go along with his plans, he said he would “get rid of me and hire someone else to edit the newsletter. “ At that point I censored myself and cut the sentences that offended him. They would have appeared in the March 2026 issue. I would not do that again. Self-censorship is the worst kind. The author or creator does the dirty work of the censor. When I gave fellow residents news about the executive director, they were incensed. One resident said, “we pay thousands of dollars to live here. We should enjoy freedom of speech and the press.” An employee at The Carlisle does the layout and design and makes about 100 copies on the copier and puts one in the open mail slot for each and every resident. A retired UC Berkeley professor proofreads. Mostly, residents approve of the newsletter, though they often ask for more news about The Carlisle and less news about the world beyond. Recently, I’ve been asked to publish more articles about longtime residents, not new arrivals. Fair enough. Under California Health & Safety Code § 1569.269, residents in care facilities for the elderly have “personal rights” protected by state law. They have the right to be free from “interference, coercion, discrimination, and retaliation.” They also have the right to organize, and the right to “uncensored” freedom of communication. Jill Ellison, the membership and volunteer coordinator at San Francisco Village, a community for seniors, assured me that elders in senior living facilities enjoy the same freedoms accorded citizens in the society at large. That’s how it should be, though censorship has increasingly become a part of the cultural climate in the US. So, I’m not surprised that the executive director at The Carlisle, a little Big Brother, wanted to control the content of the newsletter and use it as a “marketing tool.” I’m working on the April issue now. This time around I probably won’t cut any content that the executive director dislikes unless it’s blatantly libelous or an egregious invasion of privacy. He never hired me, so he can’t fire me, and if he assumes control of the newsletter, he’ll have to do the work himself. Then no one will want to read it. The residents are already put off by the weekly emails he sends out in which he says how much he does and will do for them and how wonderful they are. That’s the iron fist inside a velvet glove. No thanks. The post Little Big Brother at The Carlisle: Censorship at San Francisco Senior Living Facility appeared first on CounterPunch.org. This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Jonah Raskin.
Living in not just the bleakest but dumbest timeline, we must now witness the "off the charts clownfuckery" that is the spectacle of quivering, grown-ass Trump lackeys faithfully, fearfully shuffling around the halls of power in his fave "old-man-from...
Living in not just the bleakest but dumbest timeline, we must now witness the "off the charts clownfuckery" that is the spectacle of quivering, grown-ass Trump lackeys faithfully, fearfully shuffling around the halls of power in his fave "old-man-from-Queens" shoes - most ill-sized - foisted on them in some weird submission ritual by a sociopath with daddy issues. What he evidently doesn't know: A. They're made in China, B. Their company is suing him for his illegal tariffs. Up next: Kim Jong Un haircuts for all. The latest manifestation of Trump's petty megalomania came to light when astute observers noticed that first Lil Marco Rubio, then other White House minions were sporting the same often-too-large shoes, which all turned out to be the $145, black oxford Florsheims regularly worn and touted by Trump. In a cringe origin story recounted by cringe JD Vance, the Favorite Florsheims Saga began at a December meeting in the Oval Bordello when Trump, always laser-focused, began staring at people’s feet and abruptly declared, "You guys have shitty shoes." He asked their shoe sizes. He (likely) ignored/forgot them. The shoes started arriving. He mercilessly badgered them: "Did you get the shoes?" And the dutiful flunkies, having already "left their manhood pickled in a golden jar on Trump’s desk," took on the latest indignity of clomping around in their sadist dad's shoes. Rubio, Vance, Hegseth, Duffy, Lutnick, Lindsey Graham, Sean Hannity. "All the boys have them,” said a female White House official. "It's hysterical, because everybody’s afraid not to wear them." Beware trump bearing gifts: Armchair analysts took the shoe pageantry and ran with it. It's an ugly game of subjugation, an abuser's way of exhibiting dominance like the belligerent handshake, the belittling nicknames, the savage put-downs if any inferior dares to question or stray. It's a piece of "exquisite and complex satire" about the juvenile male anxiety over penis size. It's a humiliation ritual by a small, hollow, clueless, malignant narcissist with "a black hole of insecurity for a dog shit soul" whose only vestige of identity is a vulgar, outlandish brand - fake hair, fake tan, golf cap, red tie, beloved outdated "mall shoes" - he flaunts before his cowering vassals. Historically, it's also a classic move by totalitarian leaders intent on establishing both political and psychological fealty. See Mao jackets, Heil Hitlers, Stalin humiliating the clumsy Khrushchev by making him dance at his parties, Trump's own Cabinet meetings become groveling, ring-and-ass-kissing circle jerks. Shoes can be a potent symbol in a performance: Khrushchev, in power, banging his shoe at the UN to punctuate his threat, "We will bury you"; an Iraqi protester hurling one, then two "ritually unclean" shoes at Bush - who deftly dodged - during a Baghdad presser in the ultimate sign of contempt; clowns of any variety, from circus to MAGA, rendered most ridiculous by their flapping shoes. Imagine preening Pete Hegseth, who just banned photos of himself insufficiently hot, with his tight suits and he-man Nazi tattoos, squeezed into or swimming in sloppy clunkers. Adding insult to injury for these lame heroes of the manosphere, Florsheims, "a brand you last saw when you were cleaning out your dead grandpa’s room and they were under his bed," are uncool. Like most things, they're also the brainchild of immigrants, launched in Chicago in 1892 by German immigrant Sigmund Florsheim and his eldest son Milton. At its peak through two World Wars, a $5 pair of "genuine Florsheims" reportedly sold every 4 seconds; a timely gag in the great Chinatown, set in 1937, has Jack Nicholson's Jake Gittes wading through diverted muddy water and scowling, "Goddamn Florsheims!" Its website boasts of "a reputation for being at the forefront of the newest trends while staying true to a legacy (of) quality craftsmanship"; in truth, they're now mostly found in downscale shopping malls and discount stores, struggling to escape a rep as relics of the past. Today, Florsheim's belongs to parent company Weyco Group Inc. Unsurprisingly - so much again for the Klan-redolent "America First" mantra - they're made overseas in India, China, Cambodia, Dominican Republic. They seem to have a reasonably modern (sorry, "woke") worldview, with Black models and a Sustainability In Action program. And they're suing Trump - atypically, not just multiple federal agencies, but Trump himself - seeking refunds plus interest for the "unprecedented power grab" of his unlawful, unilaterally levied tariffs "without notice, public comment or Congressional authorization." SCOTUS already struck them down last month, citing the possible "mess" of upcoming "refunds of billions of dollars"; on March 4, a U.S. Trade Court judge basically said have at it when he ordered the regime to start paying those ill-begotten billions. For now, the case is stayed. But many other companies are likewise demanding their money back, and so is a coalition of two dozen states. As the pitchforks come out, online wags stay busy coming up with shoe puns: toeing the line, holding your tongue, comments laced with wit, heels with no soles, a new ad for Sieg Heels: "Nobody puts the step in goosestep like Sieg Heels!” Meanwhile, our own Führer's debased lickspittles stumble across the world stage, tripping on their own moral cowardice en route to the apocalypse. They just need to remember Solzhenitsyn’s elemental advice in Gulag Archipelago: “Don’t ever be the first to stop applauding." Or, God forbid, flapping those clown shoes. - YouTube www.youtube.com This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Abby Zimet.
Ian Powell: Iran, US imperialism and the New Zealand lapdog
COMMENTARY: By Ian Powell When Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, was assassinated in the opening stages of the US-Israeli war against Iran, I didn’t mourn. Khamenei was not someone who deserved to be mourned notwithstanding my contempt for the increasing use of assassination by aggressor nations; in this case the United States and
COMMENTARY: By Ian Powell When Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, was assassinated in the opening stages of the US-Israeli war against Iran, I didn’t mourn. Khamenei was not someone who deserved to be mourned notwithstanding my contempt for the increasing use of assassination by aggressor nations; in this case the United States and Israel. Having said this, had either US President Donald Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu been assassinated I would have “not mourned” them even more. READ MORE: How should NZ respond to the US bombing Iran Trump poses headache for NZ Luxon’s fumbling, floundering response Risky Iran attack gamble Government response a disgrace On the other hand, along with thousands of residents in the Iranian city of Minab a mass funeral, I did privately mourn for the at least 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in the opening hours of the US-Israeli strikes when one of their missiles hit a girls’ elementary school. Two words distinguish Iran from United States and Israel Understanding what distinguishes Iran from both the United States and Israel begins with two uncomplimentary words — repression and genocide. Repression is the action of subduing someone or something by force. This can include suppressing thoughts or desires in people so that they remain unconscious. Iran’s theocratic political system is unquestionably repressive. If, in some way, you question the regime or the governing values enough there is a high risk of repression. Keep your head down and you are likely to be safe. If not then you are likely to be in danger. In contrast, genocide is the deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of a large number of people from a particular national or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/genocide-getty.jpg?w=612" alt="Bodies on display at Murambi memorial site on February 23, 2003 in Murambi outside Gikongoro, Rwanda." width="612" height="400" data-attachment-id="1273" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/genocide-getty/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/genocide-getty.jpg" data-orig-size="612,400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"","caption":"Bodies on display at Murambi memorial site on February 23, 2003 in Murambi outside Gikongoro, Rwanda. About 800.000 mainly Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in about one hundred days in 1994, and about 100.000 prisoners accused of the genocide are still in prison awaiting trial. Rwanda is currently trying to cope with these huge problems and some prisoners that confessed to crimes can be tried in village trials, known as Gacacas.","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Genocide (Getty)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Bodies on display at Murambi memorial site on February 23, 2003 in Murambi outside Gikongoro, Rwanda. About 800.000 mainly Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in about one hundred days in 1994, and about 100.000 prisoners accused of the genocide are still in prison awaiting trial. Rwanda is currently trying to cope with these huge problems and some prisoners that confessed to crimes can be tried in village trials, known as Gacacas. " data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/genocide-getty.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/genocide-getty.jpg?w=612" /> Bodies on display at Murambi memorial site on February 23, 2003 in Murambi outside Gikongoro, Rwanda. About 800,000 mainly Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in about 100 days in 1994, and about 100.000 prisoners accused of the genocide are still in prison awaiting trial. Rwanda is currently trying to cope with these huge problems. Image: politicalbytes.blog Genocide a characteristic of Israel and US government policies Israel’s policy of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland now incorporates genocide as the main means of achieving this objective, particularly in Gaza which is there for all to observe. While Israel is the practitioner of genocide in Gaza, the United States is the enabler and main funder. This is in terms of both funding weapons supplies and political support for Israel’s brutal military occupation of this small remaining piece of Palestinian land. Without this US support there would be no genocide in Gaza; like the West Bank, just ongoing repression. While it is right to condemn repressive actions by the Iranian government, it is mindbogglingly immoral for these genocide supporting governments to make any judgment call on Iran, let alone declare war on the country. Understanding the Islamic Republic As discussed above, the Islamic Republic is a repressive government towards those who oppose it in some public way. But repression is not its only characteristic. <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-map.jpg?w=1024" alt="Iran comprises a diversity of ethnicities and religions" width="1024" height="986" data-attachment-id="1275" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/iran-map/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-map.jpg" data-orig-size="1700,1638" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Iran map" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-map.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-map.jpg?w=750" /> Iran comprises a diversity of ethnicities and religions. Image: politicalbytes.blog Iran is a highly diverse nation. While 61 percent of its population are Persian, there are more than 20 ethnic groups in total. Major minority groups include Azeris (16-24 percent), Kurds (7-10 percent), Lurs (2-6 percent), Baloch (2 percent), Arabs (1-3 percent) and Turkmens (2 percent). As many as 99 percent of Iranians in the Republic are Muslim, predominantly Shia (90-95 percent) with the remainder comprising the Sunni minority. While the Islamic Republic state is dominated by Shia Islam, there are recognised minority religions which are granted reserved parliamentary seats. These include Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. An exception is the Baháʼí faith, a world religion was founded in the 19th century mainly in Iran. It may be the second largest non-Muslim religion in the country. Many Iranian Baháʼí have a previous Muslim background and are subjected to persecution. However, this is an inherited persecution that goes back to the mid-19th century. Iran is not repressive towards minority ethnic groups because of their ethnicity. Azeris, for example, are not repressed because they are Azeris; only if they “put their heads above the barricades” so to speak. The same can be said for Sunni Muslims and non-Muslim religions, except for Baháʼí whose repression is historical, predating the Islamic Republic by over a century. But if the Republic is only seen as despotic, then an entire historical legacy explaining so much more than this is lost. Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilisations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to the 5th century BC. In spite of invasions by foreign powers, such as the Greeks, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols, the Iranian national identity was repeatedly asserted and preserved despite several changes in its dynastic empires. The Pahlavi dynasty legacy In 1925, Reza Khan established the Pahlavi (and last) dynasty. Following a military coup he became the new dynasty’s first Shah. In 1941, however, he was overthrown with his son Mohammad-Reza becoming the second and last Pahlavi Shah. Initially there were hopes of a constitutional monarchy. However, in 1951. Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq got sufficient parliamentary support to nationalise the British-owned oil industry. In response, Mosaddeq was briefly removed from power in 1952. But, due to a popular uprising in support of him, he was quickly but reluctantly reappointed by the Shah. This enabled Mosaddeq to briefly exile the Shah in 1953 after surviving a subsequent failed military coup. However, in August 1953, Mosaddeq was deposed by a successful US-supported military coup that was also actively supported by Britain. The Shah then returned to power ruling Iran as a brutal autocracy with strong US support until the 1979 revolution and the Shah’s final overthrow. Oil was central to the Shah’s policies. His government entered into agreement with an international consortium of foreign companies which ran the Iranian oil facilities for the next 25 years, splitting profits 50-50 with Iran. However, Iran was not allowed to audit the companies’ accounts or have members on their board of directors. The Iran that the Islamic Republic inherited in 1979, on the one hand, had never been colonised; unlike much of Africa and Asia, for example. It had a proud national identity. On the other hand, under the Pahlavi dynasty, particularly in its last 25 years. it had become subservient to the United States and the oil companies. The Shah’s autocratic regime was overthrown by a powerful mass popular movement. Among the forefront of this unstoppable movement were those that came to lead the new Islamic Republic. The republic was the consequence of this popular will. While today there is strong internal Iranian opposition to the leadership of the Republic, there is also strong internal support for it <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trump-in-oval-office-religious-ceremony-white-house.webp?w=768" alt=""Ayatollah" Donald Trump in an Oval Office religious ceremony (White House)" width="768" height="512" data-attachment-id="1279" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/trump-in-oval-office-religious-ceremony-white-house/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trump-in-oval-office-religious-ceremony-white-house.webp" data-orig-size="768,512" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Trump in Oval Office religious ceremony (White House)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trump-in-oval-office-religious-ceremony-white-house.webp?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/trump-in-oval-office-religious-ceremony-white-house.webp?w=750" /> “Ayatollah” Donald Trump in an Oval Office religious ceremony (White House) . . . Iran isn’t the only “theocracy”. Image: politicalbytes.blog In 1979, Iran’s political system had changed from an autocracy to a theocracy. But there was more to it than this. The hated legacy, under the last Shah, of the interests of Iranians being subservient to that of US imperialism, was powerful. In no small part this shaped the Islamic Republic’s politics. It was reinforced by US support for Iraq’s protected war against Iran in the 1980s. Further, whereas the Shah held openly expressed racist views on Arabs, the republic saw it differently. In particular, it intuitively supported Palestinian self-determination which put it at odds with Zionist Israel. Iran also empathised with countries with quite different political systems, such as secular Cuba, that had been subjected to continuing US hostility and shared Iran’s antipathy towards US imperialism and supported for Palestine. While your enemy’s enemy may not be your friend, nevertheless there may be principled shared interests. Understanding the United States and its imperialism Imperialism put simply is a policy of extending a powerful country’s economic power, exploitation of, and influence over other countries. Historically this has been through colonisation, invariably by the use of military force. Historically the biggest imperialist power was the British Empire which, by the early 20th century, included much of Africa and Asia (and beyond). The United States is now the world’s strongest imperialist power. The United States began as an imperialist power in the early 20th century, particularly in Central America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines. Since the Second World War it has become, by far, the biggest imperial power reinforced by the most powerful military. Put simply, capitalism is an economic system relentlessly driven by the maximisation of wealth accumulation. Imperialism is the highest and most extensive form of capitalism. In this context, particularly since 1953, Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty was a complicit pawn willingly exploited by US imperialism. This ended in 1979 by the popular will that led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic; something US imperialism has never forgiven and the republic has never forgotten. In other words, the US-Islamic Republic relationship is a recipe for continuous conflict and has reached its highest point with the current US-Israel initiated war. False confusing justifications for the US-Israel war The failure of the United States (and Israel) to acknowledge the above discussed escalating conflict to the point of outright war between them and the Islamic Republic has led to their muddled and changing false justifications for the war. The truth of the matter is that the war centres on the republic’s firm opposition to US imperialism and support for Palestinian self-determination. The use of deceitful justifications is a public relations attempt to fudge this truth. One false argument is that Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons. However, in the short war last June, the US and Israel boasted that they destroyed Iran’s nuclear weapons capability. What is the lie — what they said then or what they now say? More likely it is both. After all Israel is the only country possessing nuclear weapons in the Middle East. Further, unlike Iran, it isn’t a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In fact, there is only one nuclear power in Middle East — Israel. But while Israel is ignored, Iran hypocritically is the focus of deceitful accusations and intense pressure, and now war. Another false justification is that the US, in particular, wants to save Iranian lives by ending the repression. It is barely worth the time rejecting this claim from supporters and practitioners of genocide. Further their bombing has already killed more than 1400 Iranians (a reported 30 percent are children) and rising. More than 17,000 have been injured including over 1000 children. Hypocrisy at its peak. A related occasional justification is restoring democracy. But the Islamic Republic is more democratic than the outright autocracy it replaced and no less democratic than the ruthless US ally Saudi Arabia; admittedly they are both low thresholds. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joe-kent-former-director-national-counterterrorism-centre.webp?w=960" alt="Joe Kent" width="960" height="640" data-attachment-id="1284" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/joe-kent-former-director-national-counterterrorism-centre/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joe-kent-former-director-national-counterterrorism-centre.webp" data-orig-size="960,640" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Joe Kent, former Director, National Counterterrorism Centre" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joe-kent-former-director-national-counterterrorism-centre.webp?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/joe-kent-former-director-national-counterterrorism-centre.webp?w=750" /> Joe Kent’s resignation as Director of the National Counterterrorism Centre has severely damaged Trump’s credibility. Image: politicalbytes.blog Perhaps the most damming indictment of the claimed justifications is the recent resignation of Donald Trump’s Director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, Joe Kent. Explaining this dramatic decision, Kent referred to his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran. These included that, despite Trump’s claims, there was no imminent threat from Iran and that the US was “manipulated” by Israel. Consequently Kent advised that he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war against Iran. Both optimistically and bravely he urged the President to end it. In fact, Trump’s disingenuousness and underestimation of the strength of Iranian resistance and fightback have made a ceasefire improbable for some time. Iran already agreed to a ceasefire in June. But the US and Israel broke it even though diplomacy discussions were underway. US, Israel can’t be trusted Why would Iran agree to another ceasefire just to give the US and Israel enough time to regroup and start another war against a combative but weakened Iran. Iran now believes that the US and Israel can’t be trusted and it would be better to try to further weaken them instead. After all, what does Iran have to lose! Words like reaping and sowing come to mind! Since the mid-1980s successful New Zealand governments have had an independent foreign policy. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-iran-war-and-nz-economic-recovery-slane-listener-march-2026.webp?w=1024" alt="US-Israel war against Iran" width="1024" height="732" data-attachment-id="1288" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/us-iran-war-and-nz-economic-recovery-slane-listener-march-2026/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-iran-war-and-nz-economic-recovery-slane-listener-march-2026.webp" data-orig-size="1456,1041" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="US-Iran war and NZ Economic recovery, Slane, Listener (March 2026)" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-iran-war-and-nz-economic-recovery-slane-listener-march-2026.webp?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-iran-war-and-nz-economic-recovery-slane-listener-march-2026.webp?w=750" /> US-Israel war against Iran has implications for New Zealand’s economic recovery. Cartoon: Slane, Listener However, especially under the current government, we have drifted back towards being aligned with our former position of being a United States lapdog. This observable drift was further escalated by the government’s response through Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (in an embarrassingly mashed way) and Foreign Minister Winston Peters. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-military-bases-surrounding-iran.jpg?w=1024" alt="US military bases located around Iran" width="1024" height="576" data-attachment-id="1289" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/us-military-bases-surrounding-iran/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-military-bases-surrounding-iran.jpg" data-orig-size="3000,1690" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="US military bases surrounding Iran" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-military-bases-surrounding-iran.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/us-military-bases-surrounding-iran.jpg?w=750" /> US military bases located around Iran. Map: politicalbytes.blog In summary, while maintaining a loud silence on the US-Israeli bombing of Iran, they condemned Iran’s own bombing response in those neighbouring Arab countries with US military bases. These US bases would be akin to Iran having its own military bases in Canada and/or Mexico (perhaps Cuba; just saying). There has been considered media coverage of the government’s response to the war beginning with Bryce Edwards’ Democracy Briefing (March 1): How should NZ respond to the US bombing Iran. Christopher Luxon fumbles and flounders in toe-cringingly style Edwards was followed by two Sam Sachdeva Newsroom articles (March 2 and 3): Trump poses headache for NZ and Luxon’s fumbling, floundering response. To complete this considered coverage was international relations expert Professor Robert Patman, also in Newsroom (March 3): Risky Iran attack gamble. However, it took former Prime Minister Helen Clark to demonstrate the type of political leadership we deserved to have (having herself demonstrated this over the disastrous US-led war in Iraq nearly two decades ago). Her uncompromising criticism of the government’s response included calling it a “disgrace” (March 1): Government response a disgrace. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-war-and-nz-emmerson-nz-herald-march-2026.jpg?w=1024" alt="Being a US lapdog doesn’t protect NZ from the war on Iran" width="1024" height="662" data-attachment-id="1300" data-permalink="https://politicalbytes.blog/2026/03/19/iran-us-imperialism-and-new-zealand-lapdog/iran-war-and-nz-emmerson-nz-herald-march-2026/" data-orig-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-war-and-nz-emmerson-nz-herald-march-2026.jpg" data-orig-size="2384,1543" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Iran War and NZ, Emmerson, NZ Herald, March 2026" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-war-and-nz-emmerson-nz-herald-march-2026.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/iran-war-and-nz-emmerson-nz-herald-march-2026.jpg?w=750" /> Being a US lapdog doesn’t protect NZ from the war on Iran. Cartoon: Emmerson, NZ Herald While Clark didn’t use the term “lapdog” to describe the government’s position, if she had she would have been right. Repressed by Iranian government – but terrified of regime collapse The insights of Iranians critical of the Islamic Republic’s repressive nature but even more critical of the US-Israel bombing of Iran are invaluable. Below is an extract from a Facebook post (March 2) from an Iranian man’s YouTube channel. Consistent with the theme of my comments above, this Iranian expresses the paradox Iranians involuntarily now find themselves in — caught between an internal repressive regime and external narcissistic warmongers. In his words: “As an Iranian, I can tell you the situation is no longer just political — it’s existential. We are trapped between two collapsing structures: one internal, one external. On one hand, we face a deeply dysfunctional government, led by the Supreme Leader and the Islamic Republic’s unelected institutions. “Decades of economic mismanagement, suppression of dissent, and brutal ideological control have alienated multiple generations. No one believes in reform anymore — because every attempt has either been co-opted or crushed. “But here’s the paradox: We are also terrified of regime collapse — because we’ve watched the aftermath of Western intervention in countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. Each was promised freedom; each descended into chaos, civil war, or foreign occupation. “So no, we don’t trust the US or Israel. Not because we support our regime — but because we know how imperial powers treat ‘”liberated” nations in the Middle East. “Freedom, in their language, often means vacuum, fire, and permanent instability. Right now, many Iranians live with three truths at once: The Islamic Republic is morally and politically bankrupt. The alternatives offered by foreign actors are not liberation — they’re collapse. “A bad government is survivable. No government is not. We are not silent because we agree. We are cautious because we’ve learned — too well — what happens when superpowers decide to “help”. “In a sentence: Iran is a nation held hostage by its own regime, but haunted by the fate of its neighbors. We are stuck in a house we hate, surrounded by fires we fear more.” The final word — and what a word it is Sahar Delijani is an Iranian American author most known for her internationally acclaimed debut novel, Children of the Jacaranda Tree. It has been translated into 32 languages and published in more than 75 countries. In her own courageous and insightful words: I was born in an Iranian prison. My parents were held in their jails. My uncles lie in their mass graves. Nothing you can tell be about the crimes of the Iranian regime that I haven’t lived in blood and bone. That does not mean that I want my people bombed, maimed, killed, their homes in ruins. If your vision of liberation is only through the destruction of innocent lives, then it’s not freedom you’re after. These words are more than eloquence; more than heart rendering. They convert complexity into simplicity; they are powerful; they speak truth to power. They deserve to be the last word in this article. Ian Powell is a progressive health, labour market and political “no-frills” forensic commentator in New Zealand. A former senior doctors union leader for more than 30 years, he blogs at Second Opinion and Political Bytes, where this article was first published. Republished with the author’s permission. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Fiji set to host Israel and UAE embassies in Suva to boost ties with Middle East
RNZ Pacific High-ranking Fiji government ministers have formally approved plans for the establishment of resident embassies for Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Suva. The Fiji government has announced a double diplomatic expansion in a post-cabinet meeting statement on Wednesday. Fiji and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1970. The government said Israel’s embassy
RNZ Pacific High-ranking Fiji government ministers have formally approved plans for the establishment of resident embassies for Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Suva. The Fiji government has announced a double diplomatic expansion in a post-cabinet meeting statement on Wednesday. Fiji and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1970. The government said Israel’s embassy in Suva “will further enhance bilateral cooperation” between the two nations. READ MORE: Fiji’s stance on Israel and new embassy stirs revived condemnation Iran warns of ‘zero restraint’ if energy facilities attacked again Other Fiji and Israel reports In September last year, Fiji opened its embassy in Jerusalem. At the time, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said it “reflects our desire to build bridges — not walls — between nations, cultures, and peoples”. The government statement said that since establishing diplomatic relations over five decades ago, Fiji and Israel had been cooperating in areas such as peacekeeping, agriculture, security, and development cooperation. “Bilateral relations have continued to strengthen in recent years, including through agricultural cooperation with MASHAV — Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, and the opening of Fiji’s Embassy in Jerusalem in 2025,” the statement said. The government said key areas that would benefit from the setting up of Israel’s embassy in Fiji included security, climate change, agriculture, and emerging technologies. ‘Significant milestone’ On the setting up of the UAE’s resident embassy, the government described it as “a significant milestone”. Fiji and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 2010, with Fiji opening its mission in Abu Dhabi in 2012. “The proposed mission will be the first diplomatic presence from the Gulf region in Fiji, with expected accreditation across the wider Oceania region,” the government said. “The establishment of the UAE embassy will strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, climate resilience, trade and investment, education, and development assistance, while reinforcing Fiji’s role as a regional diplomatic hub in the Pacific.” The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 in a war that has thrown the Middle East into turmoil. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
In years past, the sights, smells, and sounds of Eid preparations were enchanting. The genocide in Gaza changed all of that.
In years past, the sights, smells, and sounds of Eid preparations were enchanting. The genocide in Gaza changed all of that. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Alaa Ahmed Dmeida.
CPJ, partners call for Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s release ahead of court ruling on conviction
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a coalition of international and local press freedom organizations on Thursday in calling for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio ahead of a court ruling on whether to grant a review of her bogus conviction for “financing terrorism.” On March 23, the judge in Cumpio’s case is scheduled...
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a coalition of international and local press freedom organizations on Thursday in calling for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio ahead of a court ruling on whether to grant a review of her bogus conviction for “financing terrorism.” On March 23, the judge in Cumpio’s case is scheduled to decide on the defense’s motion for reconsideration of her conviction, along with a motion to review her bail. Cumpio was denied bail on February 13 after a court in eastern Philippines convicted and sentenced her in January to between 12 and 18 years in prison on the charge of financing terrorism. She was acquitted on another charge of illegal possession of firearms, a non-bailable offense under Philippine law. The 27-year-old has been imprisoned since her arrest in February 2020, when police claimed to have found firearms and grenades in her home. At the time, she was the executive director of the Eastern Vista news website and a radio news anchor, reporting extensively on alleged police and military abuses, as well as community welfare issues in Eastern Visayas. CPJ and the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition have consistently raised concerns about allegations that authorities planted the weapons that led to her 2020 arrest. The #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition includes CPJ, AlterMidya, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Reporters Without Borders, and Free Press Unlimited. Read the full statement here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
‘The Matter Is Being Radicalized and Solutions Are Being Ignored’: Special CounterSpin episode on the history of Iran propaganda
"Whenever you see sanctions, you really should think war, because that's really ultimately the outcome."
The March 13, 2026, episode of CounterSpin was a review of the history of anti-Iran propaganda using archival interviews. This is a lightly edited transcript. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260313.mp3 New York Times (3/10/26) Janine Jackson: House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Brian Mast declared of Iran, “This murderous regime has posed an imminent threat against every American, both at home and abroad, for the last 47 years,” leading many, at home and abroad, to reach for their dictionaries. The Trump White House’s war on Iran is unpopular in the US. Even the highest level of public support for this conflict falls far lower than that at the start of most other conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War and the Iraq War, reports the New York Times. That may have something to do with the parade of rationales being offered. Popular Information has a roundup of the (so far) 17 different reasons the Trump regime has given to date for why we went to war. And all of it normalized by corporate media that allow recorded history to be put up for debate, that pretend we haven’t seen what we’ve seen, leaving today’s warmongers free to draw up a historical narrative, or several, that serve their present purpose. As we record on March 12, some 251 groups have sent a letter to Congress demanding they vote against any additional funding for this unconstitutional war, which is now costing an estimated billion dollars a day. Signers included Public Citizen, the ACLU, Greenpeace, J Street and National Nurses United. “A supplemental worth $50 billion,” the letter notes, would be enough to restore food assistance for 4 million Americans, establish universal pre-K education, and pay for the annual construction of more than 100,000 units of housing. CounterSpin has been tracking US news media failings, omissions and propagandizing on Iran for decades. We’re going to revisit some of those conversations today. *** Newsweek (10/12/09) A glance at newsstands in October 2009 would offer the Newsweek cover story “After Iran Gets the Bomb.” A leaked report suggesting Iran was indeed pursuing nuclear weapons made its way to the front page of the New York Times. We asked what to make of it from Cyrus Safdari, independent analyst and blogger at IranAffairs.com. We start with a question from CounterSpin’s Peter Hart. *** Peter Hart: Now let’s start with this New York Times story. On the front page, October 3, the headline said, “Report Says Iran Has Data to Make a Nuclear Bomb.” That story was all over the rest of the media, with these matter-of-fact declarations about Iran’s “nuclear weapons program.” The lesson seemed to be, “Well, we were being told Iran wasn’t pursuing weapons, but now look at this.” It comes from the International Atomic Energy Agency. They’ve been saying all along, “We don’t have good intelligence on Iran wanting a weapons program.” What do we make of a story like that? Cyrus Safdari: If you actually read the story, and actually press to see what the actual facts are that it says, you actually come away with very little in terms of facts. There is apparently, according to the New York Times, a dispute within the IAEA over the validity and legitimacy of certain evidence that the United States has provided to the IAEA. And this has caused, apparently, according to the New York Times, a split within the IAEA over whether this intelligence is believable or not. But in phrasing it in terms of “data to make nuclear weapons,” that’s really their hedging their language, because data to make nuclear weapons is not the same thing as nuclear weapons. The data can be found in any library, essentially. PH: Yeah. One part of the story that said that they might have “sufficient information to be able to design,” which could mean almost anything. We should point out that this story was floated a couple weeks ago in the Associated Press. CS: Yeah. These stories have a way of being recycled. There was something called the Nth Country Experiment in the ’60s, in which the United States’ Lawrence Livermore Labs, which makes the nuclear weapons for the United States, decided to see how easy it would be for someone to come up with a design for nuclear weapons, using just their library cards. And a couple of PhDs in physics managed to do so using nothing more than pencils and library cards. Now in the days of the internet and all that stuff, it’s not very hard to come across data to make nuclear weapons. PH: Now, some of this feels like the drive to war in Iraq all over again. The front page of the New York Times was used to make some of these claims in 2002 and 2003. Obviously, one major difference is that the current White House isn’t pushing the story the same way as the previous administration was, but what about this story feels like Iraq to you? CS: I don’t think we should be too complacent. The current White House may not be pushing it, but there are definitely very powerful elements in the administration as a whole, and Congress, that are pushing for more of a confrontational attitude. Let’s take this Iran gasoline sanctions law, which is currently pending in Congress. This isn’t really a question about imposing gasoline sanctions on Iran because, as people have said, it’s not quite clear whether those sanctions will have an effect on Iran or not. However, those sanctions are going to have to be enforced using naval blockades, and naval blockades constitute an act of war. So whenever you see sanctions, you really should think war, because that’s really ultimately the outcome. And we are being gradually pushed to that extreme, where the matter is being radicalized and solutions are being ignored, in a push, essentially, for confrontation. *** New York Times Magazine (1/25/12) JJ: In February of 2012, the New York Times warned readers about Iran’s nuclear power program: The new uranium enrichment plant, known as Fordo, has raised Western concerns because it is buried deep underground, making it more impervious to scrutiny. Which is strange, because Fordo was regularly visited by UN inspectors, as Times reporter Rick Gladstone seemed to be aware, since he wrote, a few paragraphs later: Last month, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, confirmed that Iran had started uranium enrichment at Fordo. But the Times‘ specialized usage of that word “scrutiny” was clarified by a New York Times Magazine article, which explained that Fordo is in a bunker that Israeli intelligence estimates is 220 feet deep, beyond the reach of even the most advanced bunker-busting bombs possessed by the United States. That’s apparently the kind of “scrutiny” that Fordo was “impervious” to. The same month, February 2012, US media were abuzz with stories in the wake of remarks by the US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, who declared Iran a greater threat than Al-Qaeda, saying they were prepared to carry out attacks in the Western hemisphere, including in the US. We spoke with author historian Vijay Prashad, director of international studies at Trinity College in Connecticut. CounterSpin’s Steve Rendall asked him to start with the state of relations between Iran and the Atlantic powers. *** Vijay Prashad: “If there is an actual war, an actual threat that is going on, it is already inside Iran. There is no real threat to the United States.” Vijay Prashad: If you ask most of the 78 million people who live in Iran, they will tell you that the economic life in Iran has gone from pretty bad to appalling. The currency, the rial, has lost its value against the dollar by at least 70% over the last 28 days, and that is a scandalous state of affairs for a country which relies on imports, like most countries do, which is why anything in Iran now is highly inflated in its cost. And the reason the Iranian rial has gone into a free fall downward is because Iran has faced a series of economic attacks by the United States and Europe. And these economic attacks have had a direct consequence on the everyday life of people. We call these attacks “sanctions,” but the word sanction doesn’t carry exactly what the effects are on people’s lives. Secondly, there was, of course, the hoopla around the so-called plot to kill the Saudi ambassador, that sounded to me like more the fantasy of a very strange man who lived in Austin, Texas. But on the other hand, there have been actual assassinations taking place in the streets of Tehran. We have four senior scientists assassinated in broad daylight. And so these real attacks in Tehran have chilled the scientific community, have actually brought fear to many intellectuals, afraid to go outside, afraid to deal with their daily life. So if there is an actual war, an actual threat that is going on, it is already inside Iran. There is no real threat to the United States. Steve Rendall: Over the last month or so, we’ve been seeing mixed messages from elites on an Iran attack. One week, there’s news chatter about a possible large-scale attack on Iran being too costly or dangerous. But then at the end of January, there was Ethan Bronner in a New York Times story, quoting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak saying it wouldn’t really be such a big fuss. And the coverage this past week or so seems to indicate that at least the US press is putting its combat boots on. One night, Brian Williams and Andrea Mitchell on NBC, and the next night Diane Sawyer on ABC, are touting the increased threat to the US homeland from Iran. I’ll give a couple of examples of that. You have Williams calling Clapper’s testimony a “chilling new assessment about the scope of the threat from Iran.” And you have, at ABC, Diane Sawyer saying, “America’s top spy warns that Iran is willing to launch a terror strike inside the US.” What do you make of this? VP: Firstly, one would have hoped that after the debacle of 2002 and 2003, and the kind of reporting that came out of, particularly, the New York Times, and in the New York Times it was Judy Miller, that these reporters would have at least developed some kind of mechanism for slowing things down, for asking the real questions. Secondly, I welcome them. I will give them a free seminar on how to read the Iranian media and how to read Iranian statements. Perhaps they need to understand that every single statement is not transparent, that people have different cultures of the way they say things, what they propose to mean. And also perhaps a quick lesson in geography, because it seems to me that they don’t understand the part of the world they’re talking about at all. So those two things said, the third thing, I think this talk about whether there’ll be an attack, or whether there’ll not be an attack, is extremely cynical and disturbing, and itself demonstrates to the rest of the world that we are becoming, increasingly, a people unconcerned about the wishes of people elsewhere. In other words, imagine if some part of the world, people cynically, dangerously say, “Well, now we’ve decided not to attack immediately.” We’re talking about 78 million people. We’re holding 78 million people of another country hostage to the whims of our elite political class. And I think that is a moral question we need to ask ourselves, whether we want to have a political class that talks so cavalierly about the real lives of other people. *** JJ: In September 2017, it was clear that Trump was trying to undo the 2015 deal in which Iran agreed to give up enriched uranium and destroy thousands of centrifuges, among other things, in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. We talked at the time with journalist Murtaza Hussain, then at the Intercept, now at Drop Site News. *** JJ: The telegraphing began even before Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, gave her recent speech at the American Enterprise Institute. Donald Trump, who has to recertify Iran’s compliance with the deal every 90 days, about a month ago simply said, “I think they’ll be noncompliant.” Coming from someone else, that might mean, I don’t think they’re actually complying, but from Trump, it sounds more like, I’m going to say they’re noncompliant. What, first of all, do we know about the reality of Iran’s fulfilling its end of the 2015 deal? Murtaza Hussain: “The American objection to the deal now seems to be framed around issues which never had anything to do with the deal.” Murtaza Hussain: The IAEA and European Union and Russia, China, have all indicated that they believe Iran will be compliant with the terms of the original nuclear agreement. And the Trump administration has not really provided any evidence in contravention of that. The American objection to the deal now seems to be framed around issues which never had anything to do with the deal—the general history of distrust and animosity that existed between Iran and the United States—and they’re using this as a means of reframing the deal retroactively about non-nuclear issues, as a way of ultimately terminating it. JJ: We got that feeling from Nikki Haley’s speech, which was really quite something. What were some of the things that she said in that speech that tell us the hand that the state is trying to deal here? MH: In Nikki Haley’s speech, she identified a long list of American grievances, acts of terrorism over the past two decades which had been sponsored by the Iranian military in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. But the thing is, both Iran and the United States have a long history of grievances with each other that stretch back several decades. Arms control agreements—and we have a long history of these during the Cold War—they are seldom if ever created to address political issues, issues between states extraneous to the strictly defined goal of controlling the proliferation of weapons. So when the nuclear deal was created, it was created very narrowly around the nuclear issue itself, basically because if they made it about all these other issues, it would be impossible to ever reach any agreements. Now, in the attempt to retroactively reframe the deal, it seems very clear that it’s an attempt to torpedo it after the fact, by saying, well, no, actually we have all these other problems with Iran that we want to deal with, and the deal must be restructured to accommodate that. But it’s simply impossible. There’s no way that it’s going to be able to reopen the deal. And the Iranians themselves have indicated that any attempt to do so would be a nonstarter. LA Times (9/9/17) JJ: It certainly seems like moving the goalposts to say, we’re going to say they’re noncompliant for things that are not actually in the agreement itself. But nevertheless, the Los Angeles Times called Nikki Haley’s speech an “elegant but unconvincing attack” on the deal, which I found kind of surprising, especially given that one of the things she said was: Judging any international agreement begins and ends with the nature of the government that signed it. Does it respect international law? Can it be trusted to abide by its commitments? I mean, that just sounds like a howler to me. But there was this idea to say, Iran is just inherently law-breaking. MH: Yeah. It was a very strange speech in some ways. And the idea that the entire problem is making a deal with Iran at all, then the only option, other than that, is to have a war, or to ratchet up tensions to the point where war becomes extremely possible. It seems very clear that they’re trying to sabotage the deal. But because the deal itself was negotiated, not just by the United States, but several other parties around the world, the so-called P5+1 negotiating parties, they’re all loath to reopen this issue. As far as they’re concerned, they’re happy with the deal. It’s opened Iran up to their own businesses, to potentially do business, a very lucrative, untapped market. And for the Americans to very transparently try to undermine that deal that took a lot of effort to negotiate, it won’t be looked upon kindly by other countries. *** CNN (7/31/18) JJ: In August of 2018, Trump wasn’t really obscuring that he wants what is blithely referred to as “regime change” in Iran, and media weren’t hiding that either, but that’s not the same as challenging it, as we well know. CounterSpin talked about trying to get off the war path with Trita Parsi, founder and former president of the National Iranian American Council, and now executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Trump, at the time, was saying he was willing to meet with Iranian leadership without preconditions. One week after threat-tweeting the Iranian president with “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.” CNN called that “an abrupt shift in tone,” even though we know abrupt shifts in tone are Trump’s tone. They also called the offer of a meeting “an olive branch.” I asked Trita Parsi if that were an appropriate depiction. *** Trita Parsi: I think it would be quite inaccurate to call it an “olive branch.” At the end of the day, even if one were to accept it to be a genuine offer—and I think that’s a question mark in and of itself—just the offer of having conversations, while the actual policy is to escalate tensions, is to escalate economic pressure, is hardly an olive branch. An olive branch should at least bring forward some element of substance, and there was no such thing in anything that Trump has put on the table thus far. JJ: Well, because Trump is Trump, there’s room to say, “Maybe he doesn’t really mean it in Iran; maybe it’s a shiny object.” What are the indicators that this administration truly intends, if not war, the sort of capitulation that is the goal of war? Reuters (7/21/18) TP: I think the problem is that this administration is not pursuing one foreign policy; it’s pursuing five or six simultaneous foreign policies. So I think there is enough that are out there to be able to say that, “You know what? Perhaps Trump actually is serious.” He would at least like to have a deal with the Iranians. The idea of him having his name on the deal, and the idea of him being able to say that it was a better deal than that of the previous administration, certainly is attractive to him. But is that consistent with the approach that is being pursued by [national security advisor] John Bolton and by [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo, etc.? And the many actual things that are taking place right now, in the manner in which the Trump administration is really undermining the Iranian economy. Reuters has reported that US officials have said that their objective is to foment unrest in Iran, and we are seeing unrest in Iran. So mindful of the fact that this is an administration that has several simultaneous foreign policies, it makes it very difficult to be able to determine which one is the one that actually counts. JJ: Right, right. Well, every time I hear that Trump or the United States are deeply concerned, or primarily concerned, with Iran’s mistreatment of its own people, I can’t believe it’s being reported without a laugh track. But you just talked about actual effects inside Iran, even if it sounds like it’s just rhetoric, or it’s just saber-rattling, there are actions here, and they’re having an effect inside Iran. What have been some of the effects within Iran of Trump’s words and actions? TP: Even from the very moment he came into office, he has been undermining the nuclear deal, and creating so much uncertainty as to whether it would survive or not, that even before he actually pulled out of the deal, he was in violation of the deal, and he was making sure that European and other businesses were either not going into the market, or starting to get out of the Iranian market. And part of the reason why this is important is because a big part of the nuclear deal was that the Iranians would agree to the restrictions to their nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump was undermining and sabotaging the sanctions relief. In fact, the uncertainty that he injected into the atmosphere was, in and of itself, a de facto sanction. And that has contributed—it’s not the sole cause, but it certainly has been a major cause—as to why the Iranian economy is doing as badly as it is right now. There is very likely some form of currency manipulation taking place as well, that is causing the Iranian currency to drop at a very fast pace right now. And these are all part of a policy of pressuring the Iranians in the hope that they will capitulate. I doubt that they will. I don’t see panic in the Iranian government at this point, although the people are really, really suffering from the combination of Trump’s sanctions, the sabotage of the nuclear deal, the Iranian government’s own mismanagement and corruption in the economy, as well as the political repression that has taken place there. JJ: And then, for people who are interested in supporting civil society, or supporting moderate factions within Iran, what has been the impact, politically, in that sense? Common Dreams (7/22/18) TP: If you want to drive things towards a confrontation, or even a regime change policy, one of the first things you will do is to deny that there is such a thing as moderates in Iran. You will make the argument that there is no difference between Rouhani and Ahmadinejad, for instance, which I think is a preposterous statement. But that is exactly the thing that John Bolton and Pompeo have been saying, and I think it’s quite clear that their preference is much more of a confrontation with Iran, whether it’s a military one, or whether it is regime destabilization or regime change, and that Trump is toying with the idea at least, of having some form of a summit with Iran. He seems to have fallen in love with the idea of doing summits. But these are contradictory policies, and I think it is causing a lot of confusion. In Iran, they don’t know which policy actually is the policy, and whether Trump even is capable of steering this ship, and not be undermined by his own cabinet members. JJ: On Democracy Now! back in May, you said: Pompeo and Bolton have made the choice for the international community much, much easier. Either you collaborate with the Trump administration and go along with these sanctions, walk away from this nuclear deal and speed up this march toward war—or you resist. What does that resistance look like? Trita Parsi: “Whatever the Iranians have done to destabilize the region, it does not in any way, shape or form come anywhere near the destabilizing effect that the Iraq War has had.” (image: Center for American Progress) TP: First of all, I think there needs to be a much stronger of a public, and an international, outcry against the effort of undermining the nuclear deal. Now, key leader Europeans and others have spoken out, they’re trying to do whatever they can to make sure that the deal survives, but I think more should be done, and more is needed to be done. Because at the end of the day, if there is some form of a confrontation between the United States and Iran, that devastating effects will be of a completely different magnitude than the devastating effects of the Iraq War. And we are now, 17 years after the Iraq War, still—17, 16 years—still feeling the very negative repercussions of that, both in the US as well as in the region. JJ: I fear, as I sort of indicated, that media can, editorially, reject the big picture, the idea of war, even the idea of pulling out of the nuclear agreement—which most major media in this country did oppose that—and still somehow not root out these underlying myths, like Iran’s ceaseless and vigorous pursuit of nuclear weapons for example, which newspapers in this country keep having to run corrections on—they keep asserting it and then having to take it back—or Iran’s unique involvement in regional wars, for example. These things kind of lay there, like tools, waiting to be picked up as long as media don’t really interrogate them to the root. TP: Absolutely, and I think so. One of them that is very, very common is the idea that the Iranians are the only ones pursuing a policy in the region, that has an interventionist character to it. That clearly describes almost every country in the region. That is not to give the Iranians a pass for what they’re doing, but the singular focus on them actually reveals more of our unwillingness to realize and recognize and tell our public that this is actually a problem that not only is shared by everyone in the region, but the United States itself has actually been playing a significant role in this. Whatever the Iranians have done to destabilize the region, it does not in any way, shape or form come anywhere near the destabilizing effect that the Iraq War has had on the region as a whole. That is the most destabilizing event of the past 25 years in the Middle East. And that was not Iran, that was the United States. *** JJ: That was Trita Parsi. Before him, you heard Murtaza Hussain, Vijay Prashad and Cyrus Safdari. This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by Janine Jackson.
Rep. Ro Khanna on the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran
[Jesse Jackson] Keeping Hope Alive: A Vision of a Better America
For the first time since the Great Depression, most Americans do not believe that their children will be better off than they are. Jesse Jackson thinks the country’s slide can be halted and reversed. In this inspiring presentation, he offers a program ...
For the first time since the Great Depression, most Americans do not believe that their children will be better off than they are. Jesse Jackson thinks the country’s slide can be halted and reversed. In this inspiring presentation, he offers a program of new priorities that he contends will realize greater economic and social justice. Recorded at the Kennedy School at Harvard. This content originally appeared on AlternativeRadio and was authored by info@alternativeradio.org.
Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva released after serving over 5 years in prison
New York, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva, who was among 250 prisoners freed on Thursday as part of a deal in which the United States agreed to ease sanctions against ​the Belarusian financial sector, and remove all remaining U.S. sanctions on potash exports. On the same day, U.S. Special Envoy John Coale met in Minsk, the capital,...
New York, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva, who was among 250 prisoners freed on Thursday as part of a deal in which the United States agreed to ease sanctions against ​the Belarusian financial sector, and remove all remaining U.S. sanctions on potash exports. On the same day, U.S. Special Envoy John Coale met in Minsk, the capital, with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who pardoned all the released. Fifteen of those freed, including Andreyeva, were sent ​to Lithuania without passports, while 235 were released domestically. CPJ is investigating whether additional journalists were among those released. “CPJ welcomes today’s release of Katsiaryna Andreyeva after years of unjust imprisonment for her work and commends the leadership role played by U.S. diplomats in securing her freedom,” said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Senior Researcher Anna Brakha. “She should never have spent a single day behind bars, and many others are still languishing in Belarusian prisons. We call on the authorities to release them all.” Andreyeva, a correspondent with Poland-based independent broadcaster Belsat TV, was detained in November 2020 while she was reporting live on protests in Minsk. In February 2021, a court sentenced her to two years in jail on charges of “organizing and preparing of actions that grossly violate public order.” In July 2022, another court convicted her of treason and sentenced her to eight additional years in prison. In 2024-2025, 15 journalists were freed in Belarus before the end of their sentences. Still, in March alone, four journalists were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to 14 years because of their work, and as of CPJ’s latest prison census, in December, 2025, Belarus was ranked the fifth-worst jailer of journalists in the world, with at least 25 journalists, including Andreyeva’s husband, Ihar Ilyash, behind bars in retaliation for their work. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
The harder right over the easier wrong – The Grayzone live
This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 19, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 19, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 19, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
Heat Wave Scorches Western States, Just as Big Oil Predicted
The Western half of the United States is entering a historic heat wave that will subject millions of Americans to sweltering conditions and is forecast to break records across California, Arizona, and neighboring states. Already on Monday, 39 million ...
The Western half of the United States is entering a historic heat wave that will subject millions of Americans to sweltering conditions and is forecast to break records across California, Arizona, and neighboring states. Already on Monday, <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2B5HE0c-2FtanXuQdbl-2FVRXDH2-2FD6WjBCyX54-2FI4bjwnd9xlJlECunHHdzllMxOM402qL8z-2BCCY-2B62rucq2gOLT7blcFZGF-2BsVmevV0YclhFZ-2FUAsC-2Be3Ms4h24gCVPOm7Jk3rS2c22i0pn3K-2BT5M35Tg-3DwEOK_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonP9iYKx0EqcbO6qS9T2NkEiN3INYIKEL37UbBa0FPGKGNGCySDSubw3g3QLZFtnGNk-2B7YeyZtNLNVm0HSI9rChg84uXAGgmurTa8mT8qJcd1E1C0pLCk78clQuQ4Zsr2UQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >39 million people were under heat alerts, and the heat wave will continue expanding and intensifying as the week progresses, pushing temperatures 20–30 degrees above normal across the region. This heat wave will have massive costs. Big Oil companies should be required to help pay for these costs, given that this is <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC5K3d-2B3LJRmMeN544aMqFgtML73Kqzi-2BzgoLNSsWXOQQ7FOQBPDHsfxQ96VpxXAEh08oB1QAIml3BgI6RMAAb-2F4O3JeYkfqiJUCEcHjpVUxbROjco-2F9bDi4FTM7aRf8PGw-3D-3Dl6Km_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonFOhZV6VghWMUVxD9-2BNHTxk-2B92nN03wW11-2BOSHCDeaKyuqvxaCy8hJbKBcyn9kkFWtPPCgz-2FWfedXwdUqL9aOND8GSIlzHZwDAyE-2FWGsRX-2F-2BaQjBa8vYiknwpqvE9g-2FGTg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >exactly the kind of climate disaster these corporations predicted their products would cause. This heat wave will impose massive costs. This heat event will likely inflict massive costs on the region’s public health, economy, and water availability. Extreme heat is the most lethal weather-related killer, and a heat wave in March is particularly dangerous, since people are not yet accustomed to such high temperatures. As the National Weather Service <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC4M-2B2wicWNK0qciQ7xKUWH32XO6XqOBlBELQf90Btli85vWf1V3CF8b098llxoITOiFFEkd0R68uzQtS-2FtNHnLM-3DxYAi_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonH8c-2BJufIQ4RSAIyFA1aaYeXivNZddhEnS-2Frz7uSFE1ldGQyRyp1ejQV-2BuTlKYBjYXBpJCgXDXFse7ABEgE5tWs1-2FcSH6u-2Br0MlbHU6LGFxPJugfLWQwW7BhYEEr5cmRNg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >warned, this event will be “very dangerous, particularly for those not acclimated to the heat and/or traveling from cooler climates.” The 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Wave directly <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCw0GHnTk9-2FEwPLsqELmaRPePDdUtBD-2F5kXIIbHNr-2Fl1TQ-2BXe7-2BqFCpRCrN9egWx30GXozewV7znFZTwW45n1te8-2B-2BPOeFV5PH5aFpaRJFbEZ8Yw30U4SwYGExxiHMiCRcg-3D-3DnH1Q_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonIZubW7HCva-2FZC5JHQWzpzmXVxkL4XC3VJeBwzlziJ6qJeugqkAA04Orkv8iHhNri4Nn-2BLqExLz7hNB0uPsYGMGZkq4-2FNYY17DHWYwaXsVsWArLZkFxtLzHUGh9ttHnVrw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >caused well over 1,000 deaths. This event, which features a heat dome similar to the one that drove the 2021 disaster, will likely not have as high of a death toll, but mortality could still be considerable. Extreme heat also has profound economic effects. Heat waves have <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCx80XGwndf7jfTtAptCdf6-2Ba6x8WnMP-2FlUURuEoqvi9bjDTcxVpYetNddiqvS-2BUU4jwnasn44JTY6j1dNoH66llagn-2FjC-2BPnKdMMY4lbL7LHV6-2BmTxAZkvglEJFEgO5nzQ-3D-3DWlLQ_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonA6zuuMtFYcnOaa61gM-2FpLCDx-2F0HR12Sw-2Bi5O-2BQet-2FKDe5jBfGZRzQqFBcHUC-2FvqXjFlYsseiL9D53jrW957gdyTcl7wqQ8-2B-2F6-2B0up9a-2BBZSOiVIGnEnEQL-2FttarCv3i9w-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >cost the world trillions of dollars in recent decades, and <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC6rXH1Td9-2Fj2NibOCclRJoxQ7ywevGXcVd1-2Fdplf9hGZFszwlXBnqhdwqYkI1qb1WpWpmbRtSJfgtFt040OdIZo-3D804q_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonFtpwiOjH3WMF4cMJZTRI662wrU-2FK8xOFk1lOyJbAg8Tj6DiyrqTt7Cfq-2FPrfcJY6QYuzNE9M7qiddQF7yUtyUyB4PQKQ8BOzFppQ54AJDvu8O7dAbEg5Z-2FSh3CDutaVAg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >$162 billion in losses in the U.S. in 2024, equivalent to nearly 1% of GDP. This month’s heat wave will undoubtedly drain billions of dollars from the affected families, businesses, cities, and states. Also alarming is the effect this event will have on water availability and fire risk across the region in the coming months. After the warmest winter on record, the Western U.S. has already been experiencing one of the <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2B5HE0c-2FtanXuQdbl-2FVRXDHLacdix5MWMbp5VxdljVLHbaGKaE8JpvxK6W2B0L33e-2BLtVW2TpvSe7YDUSNoFMZhG3D2ZlXpVR-2BLbd4CuL8xyxI8CCjYCHSXy5ybEs49hfF3HeQBoIAPY2vXOaK-2F0RxU-3DE5BT_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonKWvrr7UoO7xeS0QdOoMTjcjm9x7cZ8uueukDa1PE0kOpKxI29hWP5EgJIZqIFfSkEreHiaCjSZcWrHAn-2BVHvG-2FJqoVFzcl1Xbg5-2FKdk2F-2BdCsFQjnYskvl-2FegEbi-2BW6nw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >worst snow droughts in decades. This heat wave is forecast to melt the region’s already disastrously low snowpack at least a month ahead of schedule, resulting in a summer of serious drought and dangerous wildfire conditions during the upcoming dry season. This heat wave is a climate disaster. Though we’ll have to wait for a weather attribution study to confirm the exact causal connection between this heat wave and human-caused climate change, it is clear that global warming is a key driver of this disaster. As the National Weather Service stated, “Many locations are likely to set both all-time high temperatures for the month of March and their earliest 100-degree temperature on record.” This intensity is at least comparable to—and possibly more extreme than—prior heat waves that studies have shown were caused by climate change. For example, multiple extreme event <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC1NUdb1gZye067fhTG83X5G8LEEws84nDHKvP66o-2FTkFetHdKMXT2r7wt1xIl-2BWTOg-3D-3DD7nQ_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonEhsffLiuPdIISt0TCgYtnpMnP6Q1HbLLqTRe87jqGj8vvTrQmoSgir67VRdknX6137HEh3hrVqqRj89lylcNb1OcNBGLMWUl4lDQUWelqOeLXO2D5w-2FRPDvAjlQKNn0fw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >attribution <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCxYlN8IEwuPiu8NnuKlujzwoRf8usMHKx8gZurp1ORvSWmSrFhBv4fW-2F31oAvJB-2BjBxiJ4GqcV9atXlGRgKXGFEqMMSFck4g4o1kiE3R6VI3xfMjZC7RMmZhrvZv9DOFWHQrUX1MQJbrUYijwqGnlNa73-2B7S1g4SFMPjADY9OEg4ixBT_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonDXQ24hVefQE161Nx-2FNo3I4npYICh9WjRrJl8gzE-2BnoZRIMqwkQzGIL6EbuoKeao5Cm-2Fol-2Fn1moCeuQ9L9lmv61g1J9sclusMOAlZ8Q3X7ug3uhdMszIlxzKwPE568GeYA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >studies determined that the 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Wave would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change. A <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC3CPecs13F0vnXWyQrJmaehwFVM9QN5avwEFd4MWHScDitbLOAozc-2FejkjRJoAko9orkZOh-2F3Dx3RN736QFWge4wyao7h-2BwYDzuxERyYmDnZmOdl_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonDCKDZJGgdxnTR-2FBpBvR5MmdzmQHA3uLEAHwVFnMnst9nT-2BeE-2FN5Ce7OpEhT2aX8hdW4u6ugdZOWli-2BFD5yOpdJypdVJLxYHXK4cMUzJg57uY4Sw8asK7KiVl8TPNZR0gw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >metastudy of these kinds of analyses found that climate change made that event between 340 times more likely and infinitely more likely, and that “the probability of the 2021 heat wave’s intensity in a preindustrial climate was essentially zero.” Scientists have drawn similar <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC6sTasz7rH4NxSFRheKx0OnI6PEk7adc-2Ba6rnUMbKpAt6ieBR-2BopDTJcG9m7jzfk86yB1bj1S953P-2BLbfBnnSCV9vSMb8-2BnidBuvggWUyPXMZc6qHjQfIJr11kZB4UPMcFOTddXyGM12YEqWDCqkZvk-3Dk1e6_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonAeGZK0TJQj6q1nVAUORrSk5OhSTlt-2F-2Fj9-2Fu-2BDTZBrLIQzaTdJoqi24-2FLRE9pAAc1wlyf-2BrHlrEkS84ooEmjpBAXpOU49gZcugcxCygyU9nzWqvdalecLoRN-2B5PhxgyX6w-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >conclusions about the heat wave that baked the Southwestern U.S. in July 2023. This month’s heat wave is similarly outside the parameters of historical precedent. As Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2FkRCYtXFLOc-2Bj4t0ceIuiM6Xd2R4gHO8H7xVP-2F1P0k53Zyc-2FsAoPJHjufKAGI1QD0y1Im4pMrdm-2BQrMU5L7QDg-3Dy3Jh_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonL6edRmCdDXNxZJXcn1p2OM6VpAUj5WO5WixXGdnfbTfwjqVPIOrSomZcJfwhEPdOA-2F6yF4dzvQ82Kx73JCL06CkFa4GL4OUVFsjj-2BVinzl2NPEmYY1-2B7x9kqplYSXUE1w-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >put it: “We know that in a warming world we see both more frequent and more extreme heat events. In particular, that’s the most slam-dunk type of event when it comes to thinking about extremes and climate change. And this is going to be exactly that type of event. It will be, in a climatological and statistical sense, record-shattering. I’m using that language intentionally because we’re not just breaking records—we’re breaking long-standing records by enormous margins. Essentially to a point where it would be almost impossible to have heat waves of this kind of magnitude if it weren’t for the warming that’s already occurred.” Big Oil predicted heat waves like this one and chose to cause them anyway, while lying about climate science. A relatively small number of major fossil fuel companies are responsible for the majority of all greenhouse gas emissions generated by humanity. Just 100 companies are <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC8cVQZTzJwEUo39nEv06AgU2FStvs06FwITv07A4fjWqhaofWg0G9UMeID7vSbKoupyQzELlL2z6rI2YQANDwwSDKi-2Fp-2Fn-2FSM1iU-2FG-2FmwF54av8ATXKbFsBWKmB0uc0-2Btmmp4D3v7XrQYP1VjLSSWJhQpDV8-2Ftodtvn3EMjxZoOATeFdE-2BArpa-2BTxW0qRyYVVqfgln41DR078kLJ4VPE-2Fl8-3D3Q-V_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonDUtQXVNEG5cfCKEolbSphuBDw2lIJCHsZJcInk7vzUrxrzijTFB1hRIYhlHPQafJ9wPufhH2ZIWDggplqiC-2BlukZJrpd4Agxpoc1qpCuuzIRqtofv7d28vpRhbjW4p-2BhQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >responsible for 71% of all global greenhouse gas emissions generated since 1854, and just 57 companies are <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC8cVQZTzJwEUo39nEv06AgVMH5khAY7YLYCNhU-2Fw9fZIwyznawx7-2BRw-2B9jiiV57NdthEDf3TLunV3FaA4OGbfykDITLUDBh5sWxFokg-2Fs-2Frjh3kgK4SNecDYkmnNLBN8xW4Wji7a1DkH69exE2dPpqWtHt9DViBcTIMKSNsN6mvK_DJx_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonDaJfpEcpM-2FTg-2FjUEoM4V7zizIEKAarg9rjQJEWw-2FJJXuPiUXToUab6ZVXfCnclPuZ2InQP5lbalNfkgoUMXXN-2BvdB10BX2c0d48-2FLrCR-2BBncz7tZtsmGSzM6es1ehqu0g-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >responsible for 80% of the emissions generated since 2016. Climate attribution science can increasingly quantify the impact of specific companies’ emissions on specific heat waves. A recent climate attribution <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC0c9cga68YvkwlUdTt3oQwr-2Fdw0k1hXOBgQhzOZqyAyYWFo9mnQH-2B18i1VIuvExgLg-3D-3Dw3cF_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonCWvEfcLbFEEiVnrL4Lw3B88Z6tjS2bba-2FFD0s0UTPkNaNW7sf-2FVKGX1zUsJ74KLeBbKcu2XhUiE5L-2FxZnpVQNnp684d1Ns-2FncCMczjHhqngJDscteFVo2jH3uUromYG5g-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >study published in the prestigious journal Nature found that for a number of extreme heat events, including the 2021 and 2023 heat waves cited above, the emissions of each of the biggest fossil fuel companies—including, for example, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips—made those heat events at least 10,000 times more likely to have occurred, in the median analysis. These companies didn’t just contribute to this heat wave—they did so knowingly. For decades, Big Oil companies were internally forecasting exactly these kinds of climate disasters. In 1996, for example, Exxon scientist DJ Devlin gave a <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC5K3d-2B3LJRmMeN544aMqFgtML73Kqzi-2BzgoLNSsWXOQQ7FOQBPDHsfxQ96VpxXAEh08oB1QAIml3BgI6RMAAb-2F4O3JeYkfqiJUCEcHjpVUxbROjco-2F9bDi4FTM7aRf8PGw-3D-3DVWmi_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonN4IIUnkvFRMQTdAxLFHgUnb1k2ScqBfHmONXhj1BnC0LijZ-2FpTKNz6p5GMuqbrC0QYNHVZ6zZNirAX3-2FyySX5P8uK6UhjdCrBGtBpE1PKX9XHDRxzfGedbdnubtCCrcmA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >presentation to the Global Climate Coalition, a group of fossil fuel companies that colluded to spread climate denial during the 1990s, reviewing the science connecting climate change with “suffering and death due to thermal extremes.” He discussed how the elderly, sick, and young would be particularly vulnerable. And he explained the idea of threshold temperatures, referring to the point at which temperatures cross a critical limit beyond which mortality rises significantly. In addition to extreme, lethal heat waves, Big Oil companies projected numerous other dangerous harms from the use of their products. For example, in 1989, <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzfUz9RvC3kGPhZMWM5kkyWvWLhYHjyXJRvKM-2FpRZt6Byq-2BCo1ljXlPDZ-2F1U6E7xdgWLlHaFJuG38v432JXSXFWiUn0WXw-2FS5TZTR-2FzRP9WKu3uBjwMyA-2BMMHuWvm-2FNHMgLk8xKKHDB86cFKMj-2FbwkoDXVkYoNF-2BD1fHjqk5p-2BksUUiRUn-2BX5ACkO9VnVWFeveNoue3EEuFYqFDuSS1jA51-2F8Dc-2FMupgJGP5mHrWdBFg9Y9fsLsAGYLbtQf-2BZjle6HXphSQD1XByEghzwyi-2FqWw-3D7ZnN_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonOTH0ANGC-2FGY-2Bt6rFIc1-2BdUe1al4tCYCx-2FPRSueIQ80M-2Bo1PqzNhWFtUBfD47YRRZKwwgx-2B-2BqemnR-2Fg2JDpC3TyrsOxKdBFHDCe5LnF8I0mQx4b3PM1ofi2o4x4LVkD92Q-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >Shell Oil Company produced a confidential planning document that predicted, based on “conventional and probably conservative” assumptions, that the continued burning of fossil fuels would cause “more violent weather—more storms, more droughts, more deluges.” By the time of this Shell Report, the American Petroleum Institute had already spent years predicting that climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC9MFfZFX9eGcUwpYDAzT-2BwNeHIBC1w2vgEttLECSJXUySZ33cJCG3DSAACQFs0I4zRfEX-2BQb6wvrngkg0gPmE2sJFjuML0gikgb8sQgzTOdACjiwDm4BFKTBnfJFtY72fg-3D-3DiXGT_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonJ7fQyXpPkAioaDaUBeRMDtwj4gP66UHCMcEgBNfgDPKSKUXSbWBELN4snUmjJC66ta1MDBzcHiRHpGhnT7on-2Flm1NypI2wquePF7vif2gsj9dBKYAh-2F4o-2FsbFPAbLDjgQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >would be “catastrophic” and<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2Bn-2FF5Eexp-2FSw2LHMwJnRYh3SNWS9kgoAcdT6iWSjnKrZWhsr5gj8Vr0bwSbgWWX4cGxt1T7ZyysbzFtj1VWXNyrVIFYqQJNUoR4g6ENAYlfa0babgBy81dlew8PDFmpkQ-3D-3DzYL2_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonBIERvb5w6fEaB4GVTORbzCt4swnAujfLYiDd0zC95KtGct-2BpdPZxjN1EYnLKcoyJUD-2B3-2BPsZA6ZMI3jZ1ypYCh2t4kljLH7CDs1w4Vkc6bs2dEHJgd9Kno5pEUsz0YXqg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2Bn-2FF5Eexp-2FSw2LHMwJnRYh3SNWS9kgoAcdT6iWSjnKrZWhsr5gj8Vr0bwSbgWWX4cGxt1T7ZyysbzFtj1VWXNyrVIFYqQJNUoR4g6ENAYlfa0babgBy81dlew8PDFmpkQ-3D-3DhPX4_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonDEdEdo48zNOiZ4CYFSSvFPmxXavkt-2F69CY-2FcVncEJ-2FRut3lkGt7vC82wF1UKtsHxSFZtCXZ-2FnmdgRNTQxea3hiEdZRc20k3-2BGMSWD4XAzF-2BGSqcUM4IPfGXqZKGBqQDrw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >have “serious consequences for man’s comfort and survival.” Meanwhile Exxon was forecasting that global warming<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC5K3d-2B3LJRmMeN544aMqFgtML73Kqzi-2BzgoLNSsWXOQQtECtFBot-2FRNKeJd0k0r8SQdkduQvl2r9feJfwH5bcvnvZdoYuQKIAAfTuezgxbsF3g0Npo6xqi99K1X-2BssCfTA-3D-3Dz08w_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonIW7o6MFim2gi0G6SzvcGLLLdopjmxMKsEzFXyY6yB9Uv5mPJ8rxXaDDVP9BOWpJR2MRdQVf6WjYp3dbo6yDNIG8FlLt1A8QpSWZEVmUWH-2BUIKbWXIUs3OcKKviE7g0nLA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC5K3d-2B3LJRmMeN544aMqFgtML73Kqzi-2BzgoLNSsWXOQQtECtFBot-2FRNKeJd0k0r8SQdkduQvl2r9feJfwH5bcvnvZdoYuQKIAAfTuezgxbsF3g0Npo6xqi99K1X-2BssCfTA-3D-3Dlxa3_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonJQqi8A1t3CKfjBIaResCKfP6lGr8XSU2j3XUkKQUhVx7xc-2FFIe8qMoITSksrXQXvR9mGecQqzfOUFuMhvyZ86cZ41iv8QEPWygaEGlZaUkrYjlbUReIFEbDnMXMkGQYiQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >would do “great irreversible harm to our planet”<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzfUz9RvC3kGPhZMWM5kkyWvWLhYHjyXJRvKM-2FpRZt6Bj-2B3AAZPxUT6Yz3bmmjQxeCbAiXvlMvU8MNk5BJeuWlzKwYJ8JaZL6oiM7Wjb5IZtpAWNB87CgEjKgyHuUjHaaw-3D-3DhCXy_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonHLIMUrWUUJCIjd6zCyVkGuKlH9vn7VE5gnji6nuownduMK5cKrO3N-2Fyh6hTQWZmojm4AdIXkwpN9BVjnsZQF60ThyfNT-2Bbuvlr73QN2isy49qyCxtGGhlJiGsP7F-2Fd3Hg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzfUz9RvC3kGPhZMWM5kkyWvWLhYHjyXJRvKM-2FpRZt6Bj-2B3AAZPxUT6Yz3bmmjQxeCbAiXvlMvU8MNk5BJeuWlzKwYJ8JaZL6oiM7Wjb5IZtpAWNB87CgEjKgyHuUjHaaw-3D-3DgbpJ_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonCCeBOoMM6cHY-2FrBcRVcfO3TvJ06edP-2BElpB6WT1uasFjEjkD3tCjr5ri31-2B08-2BDLN6lWivnZR6dJX2soc-2BoPjx-2FA97msunMexLS2pOHXq4Az880h2Gtx7LJVin8SCJNEA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >and cause “suffering and death.” Even knowing that their products would cause catastrophic climate disasters—including lethal heat waves like this month’s—Big Oil companies developed and orchestrated a multi-decade, coordinated campaign to defraud the public about the dangers of climate change, and blocked solutions that could have prevented these disasters. There are numerous internal<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC0POB0jgkwmbqZoIDMIkskx1C4FJ8dNKaiuS8WNYynciHEZM-2Bfco-2BE-2FD-2FFuqGoYTdL9fx3AQRi0WHAKQ5hkXc1lBxmG9K4ADj3P2SM-2FiQSYW-2BEDBSdThzg-2BAOqcjApkPDp3NfXnxdf9Hadvd7XATzLo-3Dk28w_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonOQMdKW9TzOkCoW0hHVBTsFKVigkNSAtTbNcmB9npOq5pA6dDGRLvaSWvUsOoQ-2FFKutljvhEA66cch6az6llVu4fR2UqcbavaVCYzzSAFYbbEv0KA-2BbUhwxHFR6N4TY-2BLQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC0POB0jgkwmbqZoIDMIkskx1C4FJ8dNKaiuS8WNYynciHEZM-2Bfco-2BE-2FD-2FFuqGoYTdL9fx3AQRi0WHAKQ5hkXc1lBxmG9K4ADj3P2SM-2FiQSYW-2BEDBSdThzg-2BAOqcjApkPDp3NfXnxdf9Hadvd7XATzLo-3D4YMA_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonOmFG1E3wM-2FvZ9yT7xG1Jcw2DR-2F3K8APMdsVE1ldiXV-2Fqag3G14joWzFAJYMXj1kr-2BaNvKWG-2FO2Dj0gaXQMoUFQ18a6JEgVov2Pfh1fEE5VzW75jHyXbNOBzaKTzK2lhcg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >strategy memos and<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCwVxSN-2F1atDtkneZDzT5HaRvJJvQArOGkIAwKCYO-2F-2BW5DHbTWtazCXpNwo9ofobhozz57iOYUtUUuJ5Ny6v-2BB5XNOQgH9zMkfIpvVxhB2E-2BRMbdaJ8LGUWqY6vNhJ-2FanlQ-3D-3Ds82I_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonHc4-2BXc6Z-2FLUZ7dKV058A-2BROzhVyztkt-2FCdcqKDDTeMLNzR0jNFyVJgm8GN-2BoevzRzZFUy0zEdtie4dgglWQkU5dTxI7MHwoUcrRnUpC1PZjU9opucOlWkvnDZWhs25buQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCwVxSN-2F1atDtkneZDzT5HaRvJJvQArOGkIAwKCYO-2F-2BW5DHbTWtazCXpNwo9ofobhozz57iOYUtUUuJ5Ny6v-2BB5XNOQgH9zMkfIpvVxhB2E-2BRMbdaJ8LGUWqY6vNhJ-2FanlQ-3D-3Do04u_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonFYyRWRlUbH-2FhNk-2FAoq3i4R1u1TTgd4MPXwWpqnYdJXkNZioORymB3PNcBNyEKmKXkcf9h5A5Ujy1cnsFGPRLmFb7Ki4rZ1Y-2BNHe-2B47MzrR3iybNh9yP-2FzZjdWMwl1qXDQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >external materials outlining Big Oil’s massive disinformation campaigns. These were designed, in the words of one fossil fuel coalition’s<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCwVxSN-2F1atDtkneZDzT5HaRvJJvQArOGkIAwKCYO-2F-2BW5DHbTWtazCXpNwo9ofobhozz57iOYUtUUuJ5Ny6v-2BB5XNOQgH9zMkfIpvVxhB2E-2BRMbdaJ8LGUWqY6vNhJ-2FanlQ-3D-3D-UPY_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonNSzU1G4tB5yl5DKVPn5PELXURU5Sgdnj2oWSnyP8DxOmkho6JKX-2Bf8BJWKWTM6LYV0zAB0HMaIsrej8nyI8QhzQxwgy-2BRkZMSyiThovuVChLGQXU0wDIvEhcRIOX1DKpw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCwVxSN-2F1atDtkneZDzT5HaRvJJvQArOGkIAwKCYO-2F-2BW5DHbTWtazCXpNwo9ofobhozz57iOYUtUUuJ5Ny6v-2BB5XNOQgH9zMkfIpvVxhB2E-2BRMbdaJ8LGUWqY6vNhJ-2FanlQ-3D-3DZVcP_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonIoF5S3TQ4jtJTsy5If7NruyynfX1K-2BN73YG7jl7SvvGweSWRrknxg-2BXNcloN90FycRmWMMIulPKG4a7g6jrSNUhyOmSH7FTweNQQX5VLOdrc54nQT-2FQRiIK87MBAE6Prw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >mission statement, to “[r]eposition global warming as theory (not fact).” Documented tactics that Big Oil companies used to deceive regulators, investors, and consumers about climate change include: <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCz1Gsy-2BRKFou-2BWSrw2yon-2B2gWfj2N7mKp-2BL9E3hf3faRjh3WclGyTXDYhHaKnK9lUTxtu5AVVgQmJj2684E-2B5x0-3DbySX_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonFcO6Z-2FiILqJcBtEI1TsdvGOGLJ6F-2F0SX21YJDq9h5WTBbvPb8E6K9HT50ls6Y0S2GryCju9f7MUz6lHHw-2Bcu7q3EdSj8bsOcVO5IalwCvjdcqaz-2BQkdt1Cls0nndhMRkg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >Publishing deceptive advertisements with false claims about climate; <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCxXwZR0L9lem-2B5XpAYqIXzNANbQ100-2B-2F2sMI9cs-2FeJ-2Bs5OYuPReExdhr1bH3o5u2pHHqKv-2BRikJakx8-2BHulIOKIG-2Fv3FAeBQ5icysKZuc7KW5Kq1nFFFW1f2hx5-2FEs0eOw-3D-3DG5DQ_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonNyIvg3wHAwxwyyC1d2Dtn3fQycXugQaCqxkpj54jVvvBPnU6eYDHpM-2FPN77-2FDXJxJYAy0mB8f-2Bn7zGbiuS-2BSh-2Bj9Ad-2FODNebYwKyNbx3GRRaH-2BKjyf2nt6GOCOFFzQ1ag-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >Directing <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzfUz9RvC3kGPhZMWM5kkyWvWLhYHjyXJRvKM-2FpRZt6B5PkS4o3dZDCPzjUdtfw6iA292JQtbPlkF98mRqIk-2F6puLJZUvDSbaVSk5G9HO0Y2h-2FtK-2FQScr1i2STC5YCy1Kle-2BR2R6Gf2PArs6s0bCqQSAW-2FJcYo472SrzcjxxLEr96cpp_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonI5MLXPpB5NbqPylJ8QVOBarniGsb6Gbrr2rTiRr0BhmScGJTb5o71yci3i3Uo8J-2FAve7-2Fyb-2F1OoYiITiG-2FxIvBlk-2BQ5qOqm0az7w6tVgJ0KE5oKgfa-2B46N6FF3VvEDLoQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >bought-and-paid-for scientists to fraudulently undermine the clear scientific consensus on climate; <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC5c2-2F3H0htzZwiEvGeAxOCHxqrl7Cg7fginMDJWHKRxW9XF2RsFnHiQ2td2Mb80EVl2SSfZN8GbCq-2Bjod7LMASmRWeqqmRsJwY2BsvL6G-2B7RZZVHabNnS73DGGKbPpSvgg-3D-3DNqkp_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonP8j0SRRw-2Bmj51rc8908Us2qCM8y506ZcPNtRYfBp3B-2FUAK4QPxzDNcJu4CH9ItcVRrzaRWu1BnXcVHrjjSjhKg1RJFii74tie68keQDnhBHzBqh7svnSg3AQCzkdJdb4Q-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >Harassing and attempting to discredit scientists and activists engaged in researching and communicating the actual climate science; <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCxq4rbwlaydusE-2F4RqtGUfOxe6d77Zr42OVYGgWS9HZY0Km1iyz9Y-2FqpPTI764hWaWSkg8Eyrqdx4gzFiDi1lL4-3D6RfO_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonETN95Ea3YcEsNlyKf4IJR3t3y9L-2FYq1aNBnhvgt1yFAV3bMRinPYDbg7MlBjEFY7Tf9fbPKX9nL1ZaqWi20O4gnCx39liYcK9tuucJGkE-2B8LuAZXuVg5-2B2q9Xd4LFjSpA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >Deceptively attacking renewable energy efforts and policies; <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCx463eyiiEHHrKljc9g9qrvsmstUdFP-2FgbhJLnOglCqGPgL59d69Pk29w6oLBIaaeSTFtHmYZle-2BnQlPCa5isZs-3DCLWA_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonI-2BxJ-2BS92GBz5XuCqX1z0aKE9qXhmp8lSnk9sD1LYsW1bjrVH5clHGzimOocZITDvcuMqycx6ifanUrmRQfQu9Tb98OYpEtgX-2BuH3JQyz7BU2XmfReGEJyfDQj1m7wQCKw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >Greenwashing to falsely promote Big Oil products and brands as climate solutions. There is also <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCw33Scexjp-2BPik7x2EidKzXF-2F9M9xo812EXSSjn-2BGCcU-2FpLH1bmyFkxvaxlAwcR-2B2GxRSAdktALjZNdkB7Djo72fapwzxkJP2FcIytl7RP5nlSoqOb0rKxBf2QvGE-2F836g-3D-3DmSfz_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonLEjGznczk0m9ZK9qATJ45lR2uTbv1aoYCREnbGl2z84BM92N5Dd0vQAIPt9tORtxaN3l91v7MqGFnYrhpG9wPpVdawMYHaFlpM0WeoXuUh7W7kGhAXn9Bwpd2RfwzdWKQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >substantial evidence this conspiracy has delayed climate mitigation and adaptation measures that could have prevented climate disasters like this heat wave. In the<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC8cVQZTzJwEUo39nEv06AgXLZvVPjzuGcl4HOZlk6P2X7GSWIGesap8QQJEi7ZATbzeue-2BlKTGJbLKEqEm3cIodwO1m-2FKEqE8hjdmD9Vb4SBDKu-2BvdnwWw07ThPNQI7-2Fctwd8sk08DfRgfeYbtHEg8w-3DMi72_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonCLf2-2BodOJGnrFE98EMXUGK31kGjv-2FHE3sCgKwXEDExC3mN9rn8XXZHDwiEAMdWxtaaUETEF7n18Eek-2F7D3y6mwS6vhEogBwEkin1-2FNklBk0-2FO8kGuMwQsACW8Se6u3RNw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" > <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC8cVQZTzJwEUo39nEv06AgXLZvVPjzuGcl4HOZlk6P2X7GSWIGesap8QQJEi7ZATbzeue-2BlKTGJbLKEqEm3cIodwO1m-2FKEqE8hjdmD9Vb4SBDKu-2BvdnwWw07ThPNQI7-2Fctwd8sk08DfRgfeYbtHEg8w-3DlHmk_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3estuBHneQiobe5ZU7f9ChH6fMaVgqW-2BFv-2BygjCL0tls9BairMp48aChX47JBlC9VuZYgX5wXBPsIPEQlp5uonDyen1YS-2B4xUz6x7KCbVHRZIDBd2lsw5bsUVPOs86etViWOoNws2DnJn-2B8pafXOX-2BCMWAdz2VR9GuEPTfeM4-2FEubcFeRu5IcAT1JheisgwXtfFDrc22GHVSQ5sDmKB8E0Q-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >words of former Senator Chuck Hagel, who co-sponsored the resolution that prohibited the U.S. from ratifying the international climate treaty known as the Kyoto Protocol: “I was misled. Others were misled. When [fossil fuel companies] had evidence in their own institutions that countered what they were saying publicly — I mean, they lied.… It would have changed everything [had they told the truth]. I think it would have changed the average citizen’s appreciation of climate change.… And mine, of course. It would have put the United States and the world on a whole different track, and today we would have been so much further ahead than we are. It’s cost this country, and it cost the world.” Big Oil companies have, indeed, cost this country and the world. Extreme heat waves like the one impacting the Western U.S. this month are one of the catastrophic disasters these companies predicted their conduct would bring about. They should be made to pay. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Trump is Illegally Undermining Oversight of His Social Security Sabotage
The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, in response to new revelations from the Washington Post that a Social Security inspector general’s report on phone wait times was modified after the agency reviewed it...
The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, in response to new revelations from the Washington Post that a Social Security inspector general’s report on phone wait times was modified after the agency reviewed it: “Inspectors general have a crucial role, conducting independent oversight of agencies on behalf of the American people. The Trump administration is undermining that oversight at every turn. Shortly after taking office, Trump fired the inspectors general at 19 agencies, including the Social Security Administration. This has clearly had a chilling effect. In response to a request from Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) that the IG’s office audit SSA’s handling of its 1-800 number, the IG issued a report days before Christmas, when it received little attention. It also buried the most important finding: “[A]bout 25 million calls ended without the callers receiving service either because the callers disconnected the calls, the callers did not answer SSA’s callback, SSA could not call back the callers, or all telephone lines were busy. SSA’s wait time metrics do not include the wait times associated with these calls.” Now, it is revealed that the Social Security IG modified a report to remove the fact that Americans were waiting up to two hours to speak to a representative on Social Security’s 1-800 number. This modification happened after the agency reviewed the report — a clear violation of the IG’s independence. It is already clear that the Supreme Court and Congressional Republicans are enabling the Trump administration’s Social Security sabotage at every turn. The Supreme Court restored DOGE’s access to private Social Security data, after a lower court had blocked it. Congressional Republicans are thwarting every Democratic effort to investigate data leaks and deteriorating service at Social Security. Now, thanks to today’s revelations, we know it is even worse. The IG has no ability to conduct independent oversight. There is no meaningful check on the Trump administration’s Social Security sabotage. That will not change until the November elections. If Democrats take control of at least one chamber of Congress, they will gain subpoena power — and the ability to start holding those who are undermining Social Security accountable.” This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Strikes Hit South Pars, Largest Oil Field In The World | US Iran Update
Uganda declares criminal defamation unconstitutional, strikes down cybercrime law
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Kampala, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court of Uganda to declare criminal defamation unconstitutional, the latest African court to abolish the crime in recent years. In a consolidated judgment, in response to three petitions filed by rights groups in 2022, the court also nullified the Computer Misuse...
Kampala, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court of Uganda to declare criminal defamation unconstitutional, the latest African court to abolish the crime in recent years. In a consolidated judgment, in response to three petitions filed by rights groups in 2022, the court also nullified the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, finding that Parliament passed the law without the mandatory quorum of one-third of all members. “The abolition of criminal defamation marks a historic victory for press freedom in Uganda and brings the country closer to international human rights standards,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “While we welcome this progress, authorities must ensure that defamation is not re-criminalized through the legislative back door. Ugandan authorities must respect the spirit of this ruling and abandon any measures that seek to jail Ugandans for the free flow of ideas.” The five-judge bench held that criminal defamation, for which the maximum penalty was two years in prison, violated the right to freedom of expression and was not in the national interest. It said civil laws awarding damages to those wronged provided adequate remedies. The court found that Section 162 of the Penal Code Act, 1950, which defines libel — or written defamation — was “vague” and “falls short of the requirement that the law must be formulated with sufficient precision to enable an individual to regulate his or her conduct accordingly.” It ruled that Section 162 was also “inconsistent” with Uganda’s international commitments to freedom of expression under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The court also nullified Section 163 as its definition of “what amounts to defamatory matter will most likely be subjective.” Arrest, harassment of journalists <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1000" height="563" src="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?w=1000" alt="" class="wp-image-107923" srcset="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg 1000w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?resize=570,321 570w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?resize=652,367 652w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?resize=760,428 760w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/uganda_06-09-2021.jpg?resize=367,207 367w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> Journalists Darious Magara (in jail cell, left) and Pidson Kareire (in jail, right) in detention in 2021 on criminal libel charges. (Photo: Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda) In recent years, Uganda has tightened its grip on free expression, using the two laws to arrest and harass journalists, activists, and social media users, fostering fear and self-censorship. The landmark judgment also declared the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, which critics said stifled the sharing of information, “null and void” as lawmakers did not have quorum to vote. The law had introduced broad prohibitions on the sharing of “unsolicited” and “malicious information” and online content likely to “ridicule, degrade or demean” others, with provisions for up to seven years imprisonment. Uganda joins a growing list of African nations, including Gambia (2018), Lesotho (2018), Malawi (2025), and Zimbabwe (2014), that have revoked criminal defamation following legal challenges from journalists and civil society. The parliaments of Ghana (2001), Liberia (2019), Seychelles (2021), Sierra Leone (2020), and South Africa (2024) and approved laws abolishing criminal defamation. While Kenya ruled against criminal defamation in 2017, the judgment was rendered ineffective by a 2018 law that reintroduced prison terms for the publication of false news that injures the reputation of others and cyber harassment. The false news provision was declared unconstitutional earlier this month. ‘We will challenge it again’ Eron Kiiza, one of the lawyers who represented the petitioners, told CPJ that Parliament could reintroduce the computer misuse law “but since it imposes an unnecessary and disproportionate restriction on criticism, it is bound to suffer the same fate as criminal libel, which the court struck down after a substantive review.” “It would be a waste of taxpayers’ time and money. Laws that stifle criticism are unnecessary, undemocratic, and unconstitutional,” he added. George Musisi, another of the petitioners’ lawyers, told CPJ that resolving the case on procedural grounds, rather than examining its content, left a window for Parliament to reintroduce the law, as previously happened with the Anti-Homosexuality Act. If necessary, “we will challenge it again,” he said. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
ICE deporting parents without allowing them to bring or find care for children: report
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Louisa Gutierrez of the Guatemalan-Maya Center hugs 3-year-old US citizen Franklin, as she escorts him and six other children from Miami International Airport to Guatemala, where they will reunite with their recently deported parents, in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2025. Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342147" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/ice-deporting-parents-without-allowing-them-to-find-care-for-children/us-immigration-politics" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","camera":"NIKON Z 9","caption":"Louisa Gutierrez of the Guatemalan-Maya Center hugs 3-year-old US citizen Franklin, as she escorts him and six other children from Miami International Airport to Guatemala, where they will reunite with their recently deported parents, in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2025. Across the United States, cities with large immigrant communities are primary targets of US President Donald Trump's virulent anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. Trump's administration has deployed heavily armed, masked agents, and onlookers have filmed them in various cities tackling people in the street or dragging them from cars. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1765674067","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-IMMIGRATION-POLITICS","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="US-IMMIGRATION-POLITICS" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Louisa Gutierrez of the Guatemalan-Maya Center hugs 3-year-old US citizen Franklin, as she escorts him and six other children from Miami International Airport to Guatemala, where they will reunite with their recently deported parents, in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2025. Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> Federal immigration agents are required to allow parents to “make alternative care arrangements” for their children before they’re detained.
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Louisa Gutierrez of the Guatemalan-Maya Center hugs 3-year-old US citizen Franklin, as she escorts him and six other children from Miami International Airport to Guatemala, where they will reunite with their recently deported parents, in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2025. Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342147" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/ice-deporting-parents-without-allowing-them-to-find-care-for-children/us-immigration-politics" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","camera":"NIKON Z 9","caption":"Louisa Gutierrez of the Guatemalan-Maya Center hugs 3-year-old US citizen Franklin, as she escorts him and six other children from Miami International Airport to Guatemala, where they will reunite with their recently deported parents, in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2025. Across the United States, cities with large immigrant communities are primary targets of US President Donald Trump's virulent anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. Trump's administration has deployed heavily armed, masked agents, and onlookers have filmed them in various cities tackling people in the street or dragging them from cars. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1765674067","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-IMMIGRATION-POLITICS","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="US-IMMIGRATION-POLITICS" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Louisa Gutierrez of the Guatemalan-Maya Center hugs 3-year-old US citizen Franklin, as she escorts him and six other children from Miami International Airport to Guatemala, where they will reunite with their recently deported parents, in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2025. Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2251187574-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="600" height="150" data-attachment-id="268291" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/this-is-why-deregulation-is-deadly/cd_stacked_white_600" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,150" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Common Dreams Logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=300%2C75&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=600%2C150&ssl=1" alt="Common Dreams Logo" class="wp-image-268291 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=300%2C75&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=400&ssl=1 400w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /> This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Mar. 19, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license. The Trump administration’s directive to federal immigration agents on the detention and deportation of parents of minor children is clear: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents must accommodate a parent’s “efforts to make alternative care arrangements for their minor child(ren) prior to detention.” But a report released Wednesday by the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) reveals that many parents, including dozens whom the groups interviewed at deportee reception centers in Honduras, have been forced to quickly leave their children in the “informal care” of friends, relatives, or even babysitters—many of whom are also vulnerable to deportation under the Trump administration—leaving them in precarious situations while traumatizing both parents and children. According to the recently deported parents the group’s researchers interviewed—many of whom reported symptoms associated with psychological trauma, such as an inability to eat or sleep, physical pain, and “acute emotional distress” with “uncontrollable crying and visible panic”—ICE agents frequently did not follow the agency’s own guidelines to ask anyone they arrest whether they have children and to give parents an opportunity to take their children with them. “They didn’t ask me anything,” said one 22-year-old mother of a two-year-old. “They didn’t talk to me, only to yell at me, to humiliate. They never said: ‘You have a daughter, you can bring her,’ because I would have brought [my daughter], she is very attached to me.” Some parents told the researchers they had been ignored when they told arresting officers that they had children. One mother had three of her children with her when she was detained outside a hospital where she had gone to a medical appointment, and her three other children were at home. She was “dismissed” when she told the officers about her other children, and the family was separated. Parents told researchers about being forced to abruptly leave their children in precarious situations—or even entirely alone. A father who was arrested after leaving his three-year-old daughter with a babysitter said he begged the federal agents to allow him to go inside and tell the caretaker what was happening; his wife had already been detained. “They didn’t ask me anything. They didn’t talk to me, only to yell at me, to humiliate. They never said: ‘You have a daughter, you can bring her,’ because I would have brought [my daughter], she is very attached to me.” “They just kept yelling at me to get on the ground,” he told the researchers. “I tried to get away but they threw me to the ground and wouldn’t let me say anything. They beat me really badly.” The babysitter stayed with the child for 11 days when the father didn’t return home. A mother whose husband had previously been deported was forced to leave her four children entirely alone until their grandmother could get to them from out-of-state. Michele Heisler, a physician with PHR, told The Guardian Thursday that ICE’s refusal to follow its own directives on detaining parents “is going to create a really high burden of mental health distress.” “For a toddler, they are left with a sense of abandonment that’s kind of imprinted,” she said. “It’s hard for all of us to understand why there is this gratuitous level of cruelty happening.” DHS has repeatedly claimed that it does not separate children from their parents despite numerous reports showing otherwise. The Trump administration weakened its protections for families in its “Detained Parents Directive” last year, eliminating a guideline that stipulated ICE agents must take into consideration whether or not an individual is a parent or legal guardian when deciding whether to detain or deport them at all. But agents are still required to allow parents to bring their children if they are deported, and to decide what happens to their children when they are detained or removed from the country. WRC and PHR called on Congress to codify parental interest protections, including a right to reunification with their children before and after deportation. They also urged Congress to require ICE to coordinate with state child welfare agencies to facilitate reunification and to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to appoint a national coordinator on child welfare. DHS appropriations bills must prevent “ICE, CBP, and other immigration agencies from using any appropriated funds for enforcement that violates laws or DHS policy pertaining to family separation, specifically the Detained Parents Directive.” Democrats in the Senate have vowed to block funding for ICE and other DHS agencies until the Trump administration agrees to immigration enforcement reforms, with the demands mainly relating to federal agents wearing masks during enforcement operations and entering private property without judicial warrants. The report released Wednesday warned that the “scope and scale of these types of family separations is likely to worsen” as the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—the law that provided $170 billion for immigration enforcement—are “fully realized” in the coming months. WRC and PHR said they “aim to prevent further family separations and reunify separated families by documenting systemic violations of existing family unity policies, identifying reforms to protect children and parents, and working with receiving countries like Honduras to establish systems to ensure prompt reunification of separated families.” This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Julia Conley.
CPJ joins legal effort to support detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a proposed amicus brief supporting detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s habeas corpus petition in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Monday. The proposed brief was filed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and joined by press freedom groups National Association...
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a proposed amicus brief supporting detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s habeas corpus petition in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Monday. The proposed brief was filed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and joined by press freedom groups National Association of Hispanic Journalists, International Women’s Media Foundation, National Press Club Journalism Institute, and Foreign Press Association USA. In the brief, RCFP argues that arresting and detaining non-citizen journalists suppresses important reporting and violates their First Amendment rights, especially when the government finds their coverage unfavorable. The brief outlines how Rodríguez was targeted for arrest a few months after covering ICE activities regularly and before a final order of removal was entered in her case, which implies she may have been arrested in retaliation for her reporting. This case follows a pattern of immigration-related attacks on press freedom. Such viewpoint discrimination has a widespread effect, leading some non-citizen journalists to self-censor and seek legal advice. Rodríguez has been in custody for over two weeks where she has faced inhumane conditions. On Monday, an immigration judge ordered Rodríguez to be released on $10,000 bond, but according to ICE records she remains in custody at the time of publication. The habeas case is pending until the immigration bond is posted. As part of the federal habeas filings, government lawyers alleged that “First Amendment rights…may not be even applicable to an illegal alien.” The Supreme Court has consistently found that all persons in the United States have some protection under the Constitution. Read a copy of the amicus brief here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
CPJ urges clarity on DHS secretary nominee Markwayne Mullin’s press freedom views
Washington, D.C., March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges lawmakers to ask Sen. Markwayne Mullin about protecting media freedom in the United States in advance of a full Senate confirmation vote on his nomination for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary given the progressively active role the department has taken in suppressing freedom of...
Washington, D.C., March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges lawmakers to ask Sen. Markwayne Mullin about protecting media freedom in the United States in advance of a full Senate confirmation vote on his nomination for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary given the progressively active role the department has taken in suppressing freedom of the press. “The Department of Homeland Security has increasingly been using its power to target journalists in an attempt to silence coverage with which it does not agree,” said CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “It is imperative that Congress hold Sen. Markwayne Mullin accountable for stopping this harmful trend of DHS overreach and ensuring the department respects journalists’ First Amendment rights.” Mullin has previously made social media comments about using violence against “fake news” media. He later said in a post on X that he was joking. During the nomination hearing on Wednesday, Mullin was asked about other past comments condoning political violence. CPJ has been documenting the ways in which DHS has been used to curb freedom of the press during the second Trump administration: Journalist Estefany Rodríguez was arrested by DHS agents, despite being in the country legally at the time of her arrest. Her lawyers have argued that her arrest was a violation of her First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, stating that her journalism was a motivating factor in her detention. Rodríguez was granted a $10,000 bond by an immigration judge, though remains in ICE custody at the time of publication. Journalists Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, and Junn Bollmann were charged with felony and misdemeanor charges in relation to their coverage of an anti-ICE demonstration at a St. Paul, MN church. Lemon and Fort have separately pleaded not guilty; Bollmann’s hearing has not taken place yet. Journalists have reported being targeted by ICE agents while covering anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles last year, and the killings of two anti-ICE protesters by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier this year have increased concerns about the safety of covering these demonstrations. Immigration officials detained Chinese citizen journalist Guan Heng during an August 2025 raid in New York and sought his deportation to a third country, Uganda. Guan had previously sought asylum in the United States after publishing videos documenting Uyghur detention camps. Following outcry from civil society groups, including CPJ, he was ultimately granted asylum. Atlanta metro-area journalist Mario Guevara, who was deported to his native El Salvador, despite being in the country legally at the time of his detention. Guevara was initially detained by local law enforcement while covering a local anti-Trump protest. He was then transferred to immigration authorities and deported after over 100 days in law enforcement detention. Allistair Kitchen, an Australian writer who has reported on Substack, was denied entry into the United States after border officials at the Los Angeles International Airport searched his phone and questioned him about his views on the Israel-Gaza war. Kitchen said that interrogators asked him about his views on a one-state, versus two-state solution in relation to Israel and Palestine. Last year, CPJ issued its first-ever travel advisory for journalists entering the United States, which included warnings about searches of electronic devices. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
UN chief Guterres urges end to war as regional crisis threatens to spiralHuman rights defenders in Colombia face relentless violence: OHCHRWomen and girls bear brunt of global water crisis UNESCO report finds
UN chief Guterres urges end to war as regional crisis threatens to spiralHuman rights defenders in Colombia face relentless violence: OHCHRWomen and girls bear brunt of global water crisis UNESCO report finds This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Edouard De Bray.
As Washington Succeeds in Wrecking Cuba’s Economy, US Media Blame the Victim
As the Trump regime tightens the screws on Cuba by further restricting oil to the country, legacy media continue to toe the government’s line.
The US government’s decades-long economic blockade against Cuba is in many ways not a complicated issue. The policy of restricting trade with the country’s Communist government was put into full force under the Kennedy administration, with the explicit goal of causing enough economic hardship, hunger and desperation to spur regime change. The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly and consistently voted to end the embargo since a resolution to that effect was first introduced in 1992. Member countries argue that the embargo violates international law. It has cost the country anywhere between $130–170 billion since its inception, and has restricted the Cuban people’s access to food and medicine. And it has not accomplished its primary goal of overthrowing the Cuban government. These are key points that should be included in any article reporting on Cuba’s economic struggles. However, US journalists have consistently leaned into the US government’s framing of the issue: that the country’s Communist government is largely or exclusively to blame for its financial woes (FAIR.org, 11/4/24). As the Trump regime tightens the screws of the embargo by further restricting oil access to the country, a move that has been condemned by UN human rights experts as a further violation of international law (New York Times, 2/13/26), legacy media continue to toe the government’s line on the issue, with coverage that is either low on context or outright stenography. ‘Extraordinary threat’ “All Eyes” are on Cuba, says the Atlantic‘s Vivian Salama (3/1/26)—but apparently not so many that the magazine can look to see whether “Cuba’s hosting of Russian signals-intelligence facilities,” presented by Salama as fact, is actually a reality. President Donald Trump has tried to justify his administration’s significant escalation in tactics on the basis that Cuba represents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the security of the United States, primarily by supporting US geopolitical enemies. This accusation is not new: The country has previously been accused of hosting both Russian and Chinese spy bases. Despite neither claim being backed by evidence (Belly of the Beast, 2/6/26, 8/1/24), the Trump administration doubled down on them when rolling out its new and harsher set of policies. But the administration also unveiled a new claim that upped the ante: Cuba has apparently been harboring Hamas and Hezbollah forces, not 90 miles off of our shores! “Cuba welcomes transnational terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” reads an executive order from January 29, creating a safe environment for these malign groups so that these transnational terrorist groups can build economic, cultural and security ties throughout the region, and attempt to destabilize the Western Hemisphere, including the United States. The administration did not provide evidence to support this claim, and none has surfaced, despite local journalists’ investigative efforts (Belly of the Beast, 2/2/26). That hasn’t stopped legacy media from repeating the claim uncritically, with nothing more than an “alleged” or “accused” attached, suggesting reporters can’t be bothered to factcheck it. This could be found in coverage in both the Guardian (1/29/26) and CNN (2/1/26) at the beginning of the recent round of escalations. A full month later—plenty of time for a serious reporter to get to the bottom of the allegations, or at least ask the administration what evidence it has—the Atlantic (3/1/26) relayed the claim yet again, with just as little evidence supporting it as when it was first made. Throwing in the word “alleged” does little to change the fact that the US government has been given primary control of the narrative in this media coverage. The Cuban government has categorically denied harboring or supporting terrorist organizations (Granma, 2/2/26). But defying basic journalistic practice, neither the Guardian nor the Atlantic gave any space to the Cuban government to respond to the claims made against it. The Atlantic did quote a source that pushed back on using Cuba’s designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism” as a rationale for overthrowing its government. But that designation long preceded Trump’s recent comments, and the article did not offer any challenge to the recent accusations. The CNN article included only that Cuban President Miguel Diez-Canal said that Trump’s threats were made under “empty pretexts.” ‘It is indeed a blockade’ In an exceptional piece, the New York Times (2/20/26) called the US policy what it is—a blockade—even though the Trump administration refuses to call it that. Some recent New York Times reports, on the other hand, have shown a willingness to break from the official narrative. An article by reporter Frances Robles (1/30/26) on the decision to cut off fuel to the island noted that the administration hadn’t provided evidence to support its claims that Cuba is harboring Hamas or Hezbollah fighters. The article’s sourcing is more robust as well. For instance, the Times gave Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum space to oppose Trump’s decision, affirming her support for the sovereignty of the Cuban people and respect for international law. This was followed by Cuba’s foreign minister saying that what his government calls the “economic genocide” being enacted by Trump’s decision is built on “a long list of lies.” A social media post attributed to the Venezuelan government rounded out the opposing sources balking at the idea that Cuba constitutes a threat to the US. The Times (2/20/26) challenged official terminology in another piece headlined “A New US Blockade Is Strangling Cuba.” The article, by Jack Nicas and Christiaan Triebert, explained that the term “blockade” is a contentious one: The US government called its 1962 policy a “quarantine” to avoid using the word “blockade,” which legally could be interpreted as an act of war. The Trump administration has also avoided using the word “‘blockade.” Regardless of the Trump administration’s refusal to call the recent change in policy a “blockade,” the article said, “it is functioning as one.” The article also quoted Fulton Armstrong, “former lead Latin American analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency,” who agreed with the diagnosis. “Among us longtime Cuba watchers, we’ve always resisted people using the word blockade,” he says. “But it is indeed a blockade.” (Of course, the Cuban government has considered the US’s economic punishment to be an illegal blockade and a “wartime measure” long before the recent escalation—Granma, 2/2/17.) The article also had a rare reference to the possible illegality of US sanctions: The United Nations has criticized the US policy as a violation of international law that has exacerbated the suffering of Cuba’s roughly 10 million residents. ‘Lead an army of exiles’ Reuters (2/25/26) allowed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to claim without contradiction that “Cuba’s humanitarian crisis has been triggered by government policies, not by a US oil blockade on Venezuela.” Despite the abundance of evidence regarding the intentions of US foreign policy towards Cuba, legacy media often fail to give proper context when reporting on the topic. In a Reuters report (2/25/26) about the Trump administration allowing oil sales to private companies in Cuba amid the ongoing crisis, Sen. Marco Rubio was given space to blame the Cuban government for the country’s woes without any pushback. “What the Cuban people should know is this: that if they are hungry and they are suffering, it’s not because we’re not prepared to help them. We are,” he said. “It’s that the people standing in the way of us helping them is the regime, the Communist Party.” The article allowed this quote to hang bizarrely in the middle of a story about the US exercising disproportionate power over the country. The article put very little blame on the US at all, noting that its recent escalations have only been “worsening an energy crisis in the Communist-run country that is hitting power generation and fuel for vehicles, houses and aviation.” Nowhere was the long history of US attacks on the Cuban economy mentioned. Nor was there any suggestion that Rubio, a man who boasted as a child that he would one day “lead an army of exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro and become president of a free Cuba” (Atlantic, 12/23/14), might be invested in policies that might achieve his childhood dream. Rubio’s recent admission (Belly of the Beast, 1/28/26) that the Trump administration would like to see regime change in Cuba, a condition that is itself codified into US law as a prerequisite for lifting the “embargo,” is glaringly absent as well. ‘Failure of the socialist economic model’ For the Miami Herald (2/17/26), US sanctions played a minor role in Cuba’s economic crisis—but not as much as “the failure of the socialist economic model” and imaginary “billions of dollars” taken by the Cuban military. Similarly, the Miami Herald (2/17/26)—long hostile to the Cuban government—depicted Rubio as simply urging the Cuban government “to make economic reforms as a way out of the impasse.” While documenting the poor conditions on the streets of Cuba, the Herald‘s Nora Gámez Torres reported: The economic crisis, a deep economic contraction that has lasted years, has largely resulted from the failure of the socialist economic model, a hard-currency-hungry military stashing billions of dollars in its accounts, and years of Cuban leaders dragging their feet on urgently needed economic reforms. The Covid-19 pandemic and the tightening of US sanctions under the first Trump administration also played a part. The “stashing billions” reference is to a bogus story the same reporter (Miami Herald, 8/6/25) published last year; Gámez Torres, who accused the Cuban military of having a huge secret reserve of cash based on a leaked spreadsheet, apparently failed to understand that a dollar sign is used to denote both US dollars and Cuban pesos (FAIR.org, 8/29/25). In her latest piece, the final line of the paragraph is the only reference to the decades-long history of economic warfare against the island. “By design, these sanctions exist in order to suffocate the country economically, and they’re very effective in doing so,” Alexander Main, director of international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told FAIR. He notes that the sanctions are aimed at cutting Cuba off from the wider economic world. For instance, Cuba’s current placement on the US State Sponsor of Terrorism list has been deterring foreign investment in the country. “It’s not going to happen because nobody wants to invest. They’re scared to death of running afoul of the sanctions criteria, so there’s this effect of overcompliance where companies are just not going to do it,” he says. “The risk of being hit by secondary sanctions is just way too high.” And yet, throughout the Herald article, the US is depicted as simply wanting to “make economic changes,” “increasing external pressure” in an attempt to “reform the island’s hardline Marxist economy.” ‘Willing to drown an entire people’ Criticism of the blockade from Cuban people is rarely heard in US corporate media (Belly of the Beast, 1/31/26). The idea that the Cuban government has been rigid and unwilling to enact reforms is a false one, according to Main. “For better or for worse, they’ve taken a lot of measures to open up the economy,” including a major reform in 2021 that gave the private sector access to most sectors of the economy. “There’s a very limited number of sectors that remain completely under state control.” “The problem with these reforms,” he says, is that you can’t really implement them when there’s an embargo or blockade going on, when you’re basically restricting all of foreign capital from getting in, when you’re restricting the means of Cubans to import essential inputs for their own national production, when you’re starving the economy of cash. These reforms aren’t going to go very far. Yet Cuban leaders are depicted throughout the Herald article as stubborn and cruel for refusing to give in to US pressure, which the paper’s choice of sources would have you believe is contrary to the interests of the people. Indeed, resisting extended economic attack, and refusing to allow the United States its God-given right to decide the structure of any country it chooses, is depicted as Cuban leaders being “willing to drown an entire people in the name of ideology,” by an unnamed “source in connection with Cuban officials.” Are there any average citizens of Cuba who value their nation’s sovereignty, who don’t want their government to relent, or who blame the United States for enacting policies designed to hurt their own economy? Herald readers may never know, as the source given the most space to push back on the economic attack is a former Democratic congressmember from Miami. A quick reference to Cuban diplomats encouraging comparisons between the Trump admin’s actions and Israel’s in Gaza is also thrown in four paragraphs from the end of the article, though only in the context of “what some Cuba observers see as a strategy to blame the humanitarian crisis entirely on the United States and create a public-opinion crisis that would put pressure on the administration.” The Herald gives priority to sources that are consistently critical of the Cuban government, though it is not especially difficult to find Cubans capable of giving a different perspective, as a video from Cuba-focused outlet Belly of the Beast (1/31/26) shows. The Herald’s reporting makes clear that the paper is capable of lifting up Cuban voices, just so long as those voices are singing the right tune. This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by Tyler Wann.
Iran, Oil, and the Crisis Coming Next ft. Ian Bremmer | Shane Smith Has Questions
Israeli strike injures Russia Today crew in southern Lebanon
Amman, March 19, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an investigation into the apparent targeting of Steve Sweeney, a British correspondent for Russia Today, and his camera operator Ali Rida Sbeity, who were injured when an Israeli air strike hit just feet away from where they were filming while wearing clearly marked...
Amman, March 19, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an investigation into the apparent targeting of Steve Sweeney, a British correspondent for Russia Today, and his camera operator Ali Rida Sbeity, who were injured when an Israeli air strike hit just feet away from where they were filming while wearing clearly marked press gear and with their equipment clearly visible in southern Lebanon. The journalists, who were covering Israel’s renewed attacks after the break out of the Iran war from the Qasmiyeh bridge, north of the city of Tyre, were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for shrapnel wounds. Sbeity later told an RT anchor live on air that he believes they had been targeted, as they were standing in plain sight and their vehicle was marked as press. “Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted – this is a clear binding legal obligation,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah.“Striking reporters who are clearly marked as a press constitutes a violation of international law. The Israeli military has repeatedly failed to protect them, raising serious concerns about compliance with its legal obligations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova said that “given the killing of around two hundred journalists in Gaza, the day’s events could not be described as accidental, especially that the missile did not hit an important strategic military facility, but rather a filming location.” This attack comes a day after an Israeli strike on the home of Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV journalist Mohamed Sherri in Zuqaq al-Blat, central Beirut, killing him, his wife, and injuring his son Yasser Sherri, an editor at the Iraqi Hezbollah-affiliated Aletejah channel. CPJ emailed the Israeli Defense Forces’ North America Media Desk for comment on the Thursday strike, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. In a post on X, the IDF acknowledged the strike at the bridge, noting footage of a journalist at the scene, adding that it had given prior “explicit warning” for civilians to leave the area. “The IDF does not target civilians or journalists and operates in accordance with international law,” it said. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
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When Opposition Calls for “Free” and “Fair” Elections to Guarantee “Democracy” in Venezuela, What Do They Mean?
Since Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, the US has attacked the Bolivarian Revolution in multiple ways, including through propaganda that categorize it as “authoritarian,” “unfree,” and “undemocratic.” This US propaganda assault is intended to dictate what should be done in Venezuela, including a return to “democracy,” with “free” and “fair” elections. Emboldened by […] The post When Opposition Calls for “Free” and “Fair” Elections to Guarantee “Democracy” in Venezuela, What Do They Mean? appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/venezuela-300x217.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="217" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-90026" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/venezuela-300x217.jpg 300w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/venezuela.jpg 475w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Since Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, the US has attacked the Bolivarian Revolution in multiple ways, including through propaganda that categorize it as “authoritarian,” “unfree,” and “undemocratic.” This US propaganda assault is intended to dictate what should be done in Venezuela, including a return to “democracy,” with “free” and “fair” elections. Emboldened by the US military attack on Jan. 3, and relying on the US propaganda assault, the Venezuelan opposition has launched an aggressive move to seize control of the state by seeking concessions from the Bolivarian government to purportedly ensure “democracy” through “free” and “fair” elections that guarantees “equal” political participation for all political parties. But what does the opposition mean by “equality,” “fairness,” and “democracy”? What does that look like in the context of the recent and proposed legislative changes? And what are the consequences of pursing these ideals, as defined by the US and laundered through the opposition, for most Venezuelans, especially the working class? The “equality” and “fairness” the opposition calls for is an unequal balance of political power to advantage the claims of foreign and national capital to Venezuelan assets, unfairly disenfranchising most Venezuelans from their resources (e.g., oil, gas, minerals, etc.), especially the working class. Therefore, the opposition’s claims to equality, fairness, and democracy – and the actions it entails – are assaults against the Bolivarian Revolution and most of the Venezuelan population. These attacks include performances of victimhood inside Venezuela and abroad by the opposition to hide the unequal and unfair neoliberal government they hope to install. The imperial left – self-professed “socialist,” “progressives,” or “leftists” in the West whose arguments and actions inevitably sabotage governments moving towards socialism – is helping the US and Venezuelan right-wing opposition launder their inherently unequal and unfair political program by undermining Bolivarian Revolution unity, which is the most important card Chavismo has to play to maintain power and hold out for a more propitious political moment, which might arrive in the aftermath of the US-Israel war against Iran. Enrique Marquez: Performing Equality for an Unequal World The Trump administration invited Enrique Marquez, a Venezuelan opposition leader, to the 2026 State of the Union address. With the flare of a Price is Right episode, Trump called Mr. Marquez, who was waiting behind closed doors, to “please come down!” Mr. Marquez appeared and received a standing ovation from the US congress, as the fake “interim president” Juan Guaidó had before him as part of the failed US attempt to remove President Maduro from power in 2019. This symbolic gesture articulated to Venezuelans that Mr. Marquez – and the kind of politics he embodies – is the US’s newly preferred path towards the removal of the Bolivarian Revolution from power. In a subsequent speech, Mr. Marquez said the following: The (Bolivarian) government has tried to eliminate the opposition. And the opposition has tried to eliminate its adversary (Bolivarian Revolution). Both destroyed the country. We cannot continue this way. I don’t see elections in the short run; thus, I am no candidate. I have a candidate – the constitution. My second candidate is called democracy. I will work so that my candidates win….I believe in a national unity government. I want to be the bridge. At first glance, the speech seems innocuous enough. However, in claiming to prioritize national unity, Marquez argued that the opposition and Chavismo are equally to blame for Venezuela’s difficulties. In this narrative, there are no clear victims or aggressors; Chavismo and the opposition are equally bad. This claim imposes a moral equivalence between these political forces by burying actual events – opposition and US-led illegal abduction, coup d’etats, freezing of Venezuelan assets, guarimbas, unilateral coercive actions, assassination and invasion attempts, attacks to state infrastructure, oil strike, etc. – that Bolivarian governments have had to defend themselves against since taking power. Because the Bolivarian Revolution prioritizes the interests of the Venezuelan working class, this equivalence eclipses the US government’s – and the foreign capital they represent – attack against most of the Venezuelan population to steal its resources. Moreover, in muddling a clear distinction between the victim (Bolivarian Revolution) and the aggressor (US empire, through opposition proxies), this equivalence narrative renders Venezuelan difficulties as solely the result of a national struggle, obscuring the US empire’s role behind it. Thus, by nationalizing the struggle, thereby dimming its international/imperial dimension, and obscuring the US-aligned capital assault against the Venezuelan population to loot its resources, Marquez’s moral equivalence masks what it actually launders: an unequal claim to Venezuelan natural resources, such that the interests of US-aligned foreign capital (and their national proxies) should be prioritized over the claims of most Venezuelans to their resources. If said plainly – that a foreign rich person should have more of a claim to Venezuelan assets than most Venezuelans – it would be political untenable, but that is what is actually being asserted, hidden as it is under smoke and mirrors of politically tractable “equal” blame for the country’s difficulties in a “national” political struggle for power. This is what Marquez – and the rest of the Western world, including the United States – calls democracy: a political system that pays discursive homage to “equality” among national actors, as it institutionalizes a (foreign) capital assault against the majority of the country guaranteed through an alternation of power with capital-controlled parties under the guise of “choice,” leading to dispossession for the working class. For neo-colonized countries, this “democratic” system limits most of the population from accessing state power and their national resources; in doing so, it jettisons any semblance of national sovereignty. In this vision of “democracy,” the state is nothing more than a vessel of capital interests, a neoliberal monster. In the current imperial context, this means that nation-states, including Venezuela, should facilitate US-aligned corporate exploitation and extraction of resources through its national proxies. Given the power of capital interests represented by the US government, if the nation-state is to act on behalf of its citizens, it should be strong and not treat parties who represent foreign capital interests versus those who prioritize its national population, especially the working class, on “equal” footing. The Bolivarian Revolution understands that bourgeois democracy – through its discursive, cynical, and rhetorical calls to “freedom,” “equality” and “fairness” – all but guarantees failure for political movements representing the interests of the working class. The opposition’s call for equality and fairness are discursive moves to return to a representative and inherently unequal neoliberal democracy of the past. The Bolivarian Revolution, by contrast, envisions, prioritizes, and is building a participatory democracy, with communes taking direct reins of the state. This participatory democracy prioritizes the rights of most Venezuelans, especially the working class, to its national resources, not those of foreign capital interests. Representative bourgeois democracy does not work for most people, not even those living in the US empire. For instance, studies show that the priorities of most of the population are rarely reflected in legislation in the US, including the current war of choice against Iran, which most of the US population rejects. Laws enacted, usually passed on a bipartisan basis, mostly represent the interests of politicians’ corporate donors. Theoretically, every citizen has the same “equal” vote, but, in reality, rich people deploy their money to wield undue influence and hoard resources. Inside and outside Venezuela, the opposition’s discursive attack imposes a narrative that extols the superiority of an “equal” and “fair” (representative and neoliberal) democracy, exemplified in the US, in contrast to the “unequal” Bolivarian “autocratic” government. This is partly why, as I’ve written in the past, some in the Venezuelan diaspora support the illegal kidnapping of Maduro and celebrate the bombing of their birth country. Legislative Equality? Following the US attack that led to the illegal kidnapping of President Maduro and Cilia Flores on January 3, the Trump administration is forcing the Bolivarian government to unfair concessions in their legal infrastructure, including the Law of Hydrocarbons. Trump boasted that the oil revenue generated under this law is going to benefit “both the United States and Venezuela,” but did not mention it would do so unequally. One of the concessions the Bolivarian government was forced to accept is that disputes arising between corporate capital and the Bolivarian state must be adjudicated in the US under its jurisprudence. Under the pretense, rhetoric, and propaganda of “legal equality,” the juridical infrastructure in the United States is heavily tilted towards capital interests. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the US government imposed its laws as the legal framework to adjudicate disputes between PDVSA, Venezuela’s oil company currently administered by the Bolivarian government, and US-aligned corporate capital. Because these corporations will be looking to extract as much profit as possible from contracts with PDVSA (and the Bolivarian state), by imposing US laws to adjudicate disputes, the Venezuelan people are likely to lose when disagreements arise, a form of resource theft and dispossession under the guise of an “equal,” “fair” – and, therefore, legitimate – “legal” process. While the Bolivarian government is agreeing to these terms under the barrel of a gun, these neoliberal schemes are central to the opposition’s political program. In other words, the opposition willingly prioritizes (US-aligned foreign) capital claims to Venezuela’s resources over those of Venezuelans, especially the working class. The different factions of the opposition differ in the extent and speed with which they want to impose neoliberal laws and priorities in Venezuela, but they agree with the broad political program. Maria Corina Machado, for example, has vowed to impose aggressive neo-liberalization in Venezuela with virtually no concessions from (foreign) capital. This is her vision of a “full democracy.” In another example, Rocío Guijarro, the director of the Centro para la Divulgación del Conocimiento Económico (CEDICE) is pushing a law to reverse “unfair” expropriations by Bolivarian governments, such that it would return assets to their previous “genuine owners,” and another law to further promote and protect “derechos de propiedad” (property rights). Both legislative projects aim to further prioritize the interests of capitalists in Venezuela’s legal infrastructure, including privatization. CEDICE does not acknowledge why these expropriations occurred. Neither does CEDICE propose laws that undermine the hoarding and unfair practices that abet private ownership and hoarding among elites, including labor abuses, wage theft, unequal employee-employer contracts, or corruption that funneled Venezuelan collective resources to private actors. Moreover, they are not proposing laws to guarantee accountability for millions of dollars belonging to the Venezuelan people which remain unaccounted for by members of the 2015 zombie National Assembly or by Juan Guaidó and the rest of his “interim” administration. Cynicism in the opposition’s discursive “equality” and “fairness” claim is also evident in the Amnesty Law. To prioritize national unity and peace, the Bolivarian government has pardoned thousands of people, some with documented severe crimes against their fellow citizens and the state, including guarimberos who, at the instruction of the opposition, wreaked havoc on the country to dislodge Chavismo from power. The opposition and the US (along with some of its allies) refer to guarimberos and other criminals as “political prisoners,” thereby portraying them as victims. Although some prisoners engaged in political activism, their incarceration resulted from illegal actions, including victimization of others, not political ideology. In ushering in the Amnesty Law, representatives from the Bolivarian Revolution have explicitly acknowledged errors they committed, and they have asked for forgiveness. By contrast, no member of the opposition has acknowledged the victims or asked for forgiveness for their crimes, and still, they are unilaterally pardoned. Neither the opposition nor their aligned media ever talk about Chavista victims of their violence, including Orlando Figuera, Giovanni Pantoja, Robert Serra, Maria Herrera and many others who were killed, injured, or otherwise harmed; they obscure these families’ suffering, as if it never happened. This is the “equality” and “fairness” the opposition wants with regards to amnesty. They receive pardons without offering restitution, even if symbolic. Henrique Capriles, for example, who is singularly responsible for guarimba mayhem, has yet to acknowledge or apologize for his role in fomenting violence. To add insult to injury, after being released, some beneficiaries of amnesty immediately renew calls that encourage confrontation on the streets, whose intention is to destabilize the country to precipitate elections in which they demand participation on “equal” footing to guarantee a “fair” and “democratic” process. For the opposition, an “equal,” “fair,” and “democratic” process is one where the largely internationally isolated Bolivarian Revolution enters an election contest under a barrel of a US gun, facing military, political, and economic threats if they do not concede to US demands. For them, the elections should occur while the Bolivarian government is subjected to a barrage of negative propaganda through US-aligned opposition and Western corporate media seeking to fracture and weaken Chavismo from within. At the same time, for the opposition, an “equal,” “fair,” and “democratic” process for elections is one where they enjoy financial, political, economic, and diplomatic backing of the US (and the Western world), which will engage in every dirty trick in the book to ensure the opposition candidate emerges as the winner, fulfilling Marco Rubio’s preferred “democratic transition” for Venezuela. For the opposition, this blatantly unequal environment in their favor is what they term “equal,” “fair” and “democratic” context for elections. Even though the Bolivarian government has limited wiggle room to maneuver against a US empire hellbent on dropping bombs to guarantee compliance, the imperial left engages in moralistic and self-indulgent denunciations of the Bolivarian government for concessions made at gun point. Demanding either political martyrdom or a pure socialist utopia, imperial leftists discredit the Bolivarian Revolution, thereby undermining its support inside and outside of Venezuela, helping the opposition and its US overlords in the process. If the Bolivarian Revolution is fractured, the US will gain total control of Venezuela through unequal and unfair elections in which an opposition figure emerges as the winner. If so, the US will accomplish regime change with national and international legitimacy. To aver this outcome, the US must confront the stability and strength of Chavismo, which is only achievable through unity. Within Chavismo, lively debates, self-reflection, and planning are occurring in the context of necessary and iron-clad unity, but Bolivarian leaders, as government officials, cannot articulate these conversations and resulting strategies to the public. Imperial leftists have limited, if any, information to evaluate Bolivarian leadership decisions at this juncture. If anyone is equipped to maneuver during these difficult times, it is the current Bolivarian leadership. This is why there is a massive campaign by the Venezuelan opposition to remove Diosdado Cabello from the current Bolivarian government. Holding On to Power Now, Buying Time for Opportunities in the Future The United States attacked Venezuela with its military because it had exhausted all other means of removing the Bolivarian Revolution from power. The attack was a continuation of US aggression against Chavismo, moving the assault to a military domain, where the US is unequivocally advantaged. But even in that context, the US did not accomplish its goal of regime change. The Bolivarian Revolution’s strength allowed it to stay in power. In other words, the US threw all its military might against the Bolivarian Revolution but only achieved concessions from it. The US did not achieve the removal of the Bolivarian government. This is important because the current political juncture tends to be evaluated and judged from the point of view of Bolivarian Revolution. What did it conceded or lose? But it is equally true that the US, especially as represented by Marco Rubio, would rather have dispose of the Bolivarian Revolution and install a puppet government with Maria Corina Machado at the helm. The US is being forced to sit with Bolivarian leaders who control the state, albeit in unequal terms. Despite its military might, the US, too, has had to concede, including by formally recognizing Delcy Rodriguez as the legitimate (acting) president of Venezuela, which may open opportunities for the Bolivarian government moving forward. The US military supremacy, upon which current concessions are drawn from the Bolivarian government, is being tested. The US-Israeli war against Iran is not going according to plan for the US. It is unclear how this war will end, but, thus far, the might of the US military has encountered a forceful Iranian resistance. As in Venezuela, leadership decapitation has not achieved Iranian regime change. In contrast, it strengthened Iran’s resolve. US military might encounter limits, and its strength is being re-assessed, if not questioned. Internationally, the war is facing political resistance, even among traditional US allies. On the US domestic front, the war is unpopular even amongst MAGA. If the war drags on, the US commits ground troops, and the economic fallout is felt more strongly among US citizens, the political consequences might cripple the Trump administration. The outcome of the war might usher an even more aggressive US approach against Venezuela, but it might, on the other hand, provide the Bolivarian Revolution wiggle room to maneuver on domestic and international fronts against US-aligned foreign capital. Thus, we cannot fall for the discursive assaults that deploy “equality,” “fairness” and associated “democracy” claims, through which the opposition is trying to seize power. This is a trojan horse against the Venezuelan people, especially the working class. Championing Chavismo unity, including support for the Bolivarian government leadership at this critical juncture, is imperative for the Left. It is up to the Chavista base – socialist party (PSUV) militants, people in the communes, and those organizing the streets – and its leadership to steer the direction of the Bolivarian Revolution. They will lead the way towards a substantively equal and fair Venezuelan society. The post When Opposition Calls for “Free” and “Fair” Elections to Guarantee “Democracy” in Venezuela, What Do They Mean? appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Yader Lanuza.
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 19, 2026
Why the 2026 Middle East Crisis Demands Critical AI Literacy
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
“Tel Aviv, stripped of illusion, as you have never witnessed it,” read the caption above a viral March 2026 video showing missiles hammering the Israeli city as explosions burst across the night sky. To the casual scroller, it appeared to be a harrowing document of modern conflict. The problem, however, was that the video was […] The post Why the 2026 Middle East Crisis Demands Critical AI Literacy appeared first on Dissident Voice.
“Tel Aviv, stripped of illusion, as you have never witnessed it,” read the caption above a viral March 2026 video showing missiles hammering the Israeli city as explosions burst across the night sky. To the casual scroller, it appeared to be a harrowing document of modern conflict. The problem, however, was that the video was a deepfake. Deepfakes are synthetic media edited or generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to the New York Times, a “cascade of A.I. fakes about war with Iran” have proliferated across social media since the United States (U.S.) and Israel reignited military actions with Iran on February 28, 2026. Indeed, the digital landscape is increasingly saturated with synthetic fabrications, as false videos of boisterous celebrations, frantic airport evacuations, devastating bombings, and graphic casualties flood users’ feeds in a relentless stream of misinformation. As these digital fabrications blur the line between reality and simulation, the necessity for Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy (CAIL) has moved from an educational luxury to a vital requirement. We are currently navigating a landscape where the “fog of war” is no longer just a metaphor for confusion on the battlefield, but a literal description of an information environment choked by “AI slop.” Indeed, one study found that more than 20% of the content on YouTube is AI generated. Without a robust, systemic effort to instill CAIL, the public remains defenseless against sophisticated psychological operations. We must understand not just how to use these tools, but the socio-political structures that own them and the inherent biases they encode. From Trojan Horses to Tonkin The deployment of false information is not a modern phenomenon; it has been a foundational staple of conflict since the ancient world. From the Greeks’ legendary construction of a hollow wooden horse to infiltrate Troy, to Genghis Khan’s Mongol cavalry utilizing feigned retreats to lure enemies into fatal disarray, strategic deception has always defined the battlefield. In modern democracies like the U.S., leaders have frequently refined these tactics into “false news” designed to manufacture public consent for intervention. This pattern of deception is evident in the “phantom” attack in the Gulf of Tonkin used to escalate the Vietnam War and the infamous claims of “phantom” Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) that prefaced the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Beyond initiating conflict, misinformation serves to artificially sustain public morale and project an illusion of progress. This was notoriously exemplified by the White House during the Vietnam War, where official reports continuously claimed the U.S. was winning even as internal assessments acknowledged a deepening quagmire. Similarly, President George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” declaration, delivered from the deck of an aircraft carrier just weeks into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, provided a false sense of finality to a war that would ultimately span decades. The Architecture of Synthetic Media While the intent to deceive is ancient, AI and social media have complicated these issues by allowing anyone to create slick, convincing content at scale. Even before the recent escalation, the Russia-Ukraine war and the geopolitical tensions between Israel and Bahrain were already inundated with AI-generated misinformation. The proliferation of deepfakes does more than just spread lies; it erodes the very foundation of objective truth by fostering universal skepticism. This phenomenon allows genuine evidence of suffering to be dismissed as mere simulation. For instance, NBC News reported on a grueling investigation confirming that a video of starving Gazans awaiting food in May 2025 was entirely authentic; nonetheless, a barrage of social media users reflexively dismissed the footage as a deepfake. When the public can no longer distinguish between a sophisticated fabrication and a documented reality, the truth becomes a matter of partisan convenience rather than empirical fact. In high-stakes environments, the fog of war creates panic and visceral reactions where people feel their decision-making is a matter of life or death. If the information they consume is incorrect, it could be the difference between a peaceful protest and an individual becoming radicalized toward violence. For content creators and platform algorithms, the incentives are skewed toward chaos. Social media platforms are designed to amplify content that triggers intense emotional reactions. Because fake news is often more sensational than the nuanced truth, it spreads faster and wider. While the ideal response is for the public to wait and investigate before passing judgment, this is a tall order when individuals believe they are witnessing an active massacre. Some deepfakes can be debunked quickly, such as the video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which showed him with six fingers. In many cases, verifying information takes time; one must geolocate footage, check metadata, and often accept the uncomfortable conclusion that there is not yet enough evidence to draw a certainty. AI has made this truth-finding mission exponentially harder for the average citizen who lacks the resources for deep digital forensics. Ironically, many people now rely on AI to tell them if content is AI-generated. This reliance illustrates a profound lack of AI literacy. What we commonly call AI today is more accurately described as Large Language Models (LLMs). These are not “intelligent” in any human sense; they are pattern-recognition engines that memorize and predict sequences of data. They are only as good as the data fed into them, and as a result, they reflect human biases, often amplified to a dangerous degree. Studies consistently show that AI responses can be factually inaccurate about half the time. These models frequently “hallucinate,” fabricating information and citations that do not exist. A study by The Intercept highlighted this absurdity, showing how Google Gemini gave conflicting responses about whether a specific text was AI-generated, even when the text in question was something Gemini itself had produced. When news outlets cite AI detectors as definitive proof, they are often building their conclusions on a foundation of sand. The CAIL Framework: Interrogating Power This AI illiteracy compounds decades of neglected media literacy. While many nations have made media literacy a compulsory part of their national curriculum, the U.S. has largely left it to the discretion of local communities. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication, from print to digital media. Without this foundation, the public is ill-equipped to handle the nuances of the algorithmic age. Critical AI Literacy is an evolving framework that goes beyond simply knowing how to prompt a chatbot. It teaches students to interrogate ownership: who owns the AI, and how does that ownership shape its bias, ideology, and purpose? If a corporation owns the model, will it prioritize profit over democratic stability? A critical approach also examines representation. We must ask how AI-generated images reflect the biases of their training data, such as the white supremacist or extremist content occasionally surfaced by unmoderated models like Grok AI. Furthermore, it reminds us that the Big Tech industry is often fundamentally anti-human in its philosophy, viewing human beings as buggy systems that need to be fixed or optimized by code. Choosing Our Reality: A Mandate for the Common Good As researcher Gary Smith suggests, AI will only surpass human intelligence if humans continue to use it in ways that degrade our own cognitive abilities. Studies show that prolonged, uncritical reliance on AI and <a href="https://fortune.com/2026/02/21/laptops-tablets-schools-gen-z-less-cognitively-capable-parents-first-time-cellphone-bans-standardized-test-scores/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fortune.com/2026/02/21/laptops-tablets-schools-gen-z-less-cognitively-capable-parents-first-time-cellphone-bans-standardized-test-scores/&source=gmail&ust=1773959874615000&usg=AOvVaw0VFJOUiBqm8bE2zbhMKpZf">screens contributes to a decline in cognitive abilities, memory and focus. CAIL points out that humans are the smart ones; the platforms are merely tools. In a time of war, the absence of this literacy has deadly consequences. If deepfakes and hallucinating bots are shaping our emotions and our interpretations of international conflict, we are living in a state of perpetual, manufactured crisis. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of previous decades, where we naively assumed that simply having access to technology would make the world more connected and smarter. The goal of Critical AI Literacy is not to make us run from technology, but to understand it so it can be harnessed for the common good. We must decide if AI will be a partner in automating meaningless tasks to improve the human condition, or an exploitative force that dictates the citizenry’s reality. That is a decision for an informed public to make, not for Big Tech executives. If the public remains AI illiterate, they will remain dependent on the very narratives designed to exploit them. The post Why the 2026 Middle East Crisis Demands Critical AI Literacy appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Nolan Higdon.
Every answer carries the next problem inside it, the way a season carries the one that will replace it. We have learned not to be surprised by this. We were born here, and so we stay. What else is there? The world ends at the television frame, where the evening news flickers and dies each […] The post Dilemma appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Every answer carries the next problem inside it, the way a season carries the one that will replace it. We have learned not to be surprised by this. We were born here, and so we stay. What else is there? The world ends at the television frame, where the evening news flickers and dies each night and we sit in its light a little longer than we need to. Beyond that edge is something we have no name for. This place made us and we made something of it. We got up before light and we worked and we felt that the ground knew us. We call it home. But something is coming. We know it, the way you know a thing before you can say it. Quieter than an army. They have no faces because a face would be beside the point. They are coming because someone ran the numbers and we came up short. The ground under our feet has been measured. It has been found wanting. Still we are here. We have always been here. Our fathers were here and their fathers before them, and the weight of that is everything. We do not know how to be anywhere else. It is the only strength we have left. What is coming will find us standing. We will fight. The post Dilemma appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by J.S. O’Keefe.
US-Israel War against Iran Require a War Crimes Commission
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Almost one year after the 2024 election on a peace platform, the Trump Administration backed itself into an alarming militaristic US-Israeli tag team that is not what the American public voted for. Almost immediately, the newly elected Peace President who continued to lust for the Noble Peace Prize, allowed his country to be drawn into […] The post US-Israel War against Iran Require a War Crimes Commission appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Almost one year after the 2024 election on a peace platform, the Trump Administration backed itself into an alarming militaristic US-Israeli tag team that is not what the American public voted for. Almost immediately, the newly elected Peace President who continued to lust for the Noble Peace Prize, allowed his country to be drawn into a series of unconstitutional conflicts with the most recent being a severe unprovoked war of aggression against Iran. Early in Trump’s second term his no-new interventionist war pledge was no longer public policy when he failed to end the war in Ukraine as promised, followed by initiation of a failed bombing campaign against the Houthis, unprovoked attacks on Venezuelan fishermen with no proof of criminality, and the Trump administration’s generous offerings of weapons to support Israel’s genocide on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In March, 2025, the US Intelligence Assessment concluded that “We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003, though pressure has probably built on him to do so.” In June, 2025, with the US and Iran officials engaged in ‘negotiation’, the US with Israel joined at the hip, launched a surprise unprovoked illegal attack on Iran which came to be known as the Twelve Day War. On June 22, the US fired bunker busting missiles aimed at Iran’s Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan nuclear facilities. Those attacks were followed by a tentative ceasefire at Israel’s request to the US as the President insisted that all Iran’s nuclear facilities had been “obliterated” which later proved to be untrue. ***** In anticipation of US military action against Iran prior to February 28, Gen. Dan Caine, Chair of the Joint Chief of Staffs recommended that the President reconsider any intervention since US “resources would be greatly depleted” and that ‘the stakes are too high” when it comes to Iran. Trump’s response was “It is his opinion that it will be something easily won” as if the US would overcome any military challenge from Iran, following Trump’s habit to create the illusion of what he wants to hear. Prior to the Israel-US pre-emptive strike, Iran warned that closing the Hormuz Strait was a potential response which was exactly Iran’s answer when the Israel-US attacks began. Trump’s malicious attack on Iran began at 4 am on February 28 was met almost immediately with a more vigorous military response than either Trump or his Israeli partner expected. Early predictions for a quick, in-and-out decisive victory by Monday never materialized since Iran, presumably in a weakened state per Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s assurances, was fully prepared for the US-Israeli assault. The war against Iran has exposed the last remaining veneer of the President’s <a href="https://www.injectionsforschizophrenia.com/what-is-schizophrenia/?&msclkid=a815c34467c61983247faafdcbcf14e4&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=EG-DTCB-UB-SCH-Invega%20Sustenna-JJ-Symptoms-Broad-NA&utm_term=what%20triggers%20schizophrenia&utm_content=Schizoprhenia%20Triggers-TXT-National-NA-1-BR&gclid=a815c34467c61983247faafdcbcf14e4&gclsrc=3p.ds&gad_source=7&gad_campaignid=22396356657">delusional character, a malignant narcissist with a dangerous pathological edge just as the war has exposed Israel’s near total domination over every Trump foreign policy decision, all of which have been unsuccessful and increased the country’s $38 trillion debt. ***** Trump’s history with Iran dates back to his first Presidential term soon after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was approved. That Agreement would assure that Iran’s nuclear program would remain ‘peaceful’ as consistent with the IAEA and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). In July, 2015, the J5 +1 (China, France, Russia, UK, Germany, US) announced an Agreement which would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and by January 2016, the JCPOA confirmed the necessary changes to Iran’s nuclear program that allowed its nuclear related sanctions to be waived. The Agreement functioned smoothly with Iran meeting its obligations and with no kerfuffle until Donald Trump unexpectedly won the 2016 election. Trump revealed his opposition to Iran in his first term when he unexpectedly withdrew the US from the JCPOA in May, 2018. Nullifying what six other nations had labored to create, President Trump suddenly and brazenly stated that “The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into” claiming it failed to protect US national security interests. Whatever those national security interests were remained unspecified. At the same time, the US reimposed energy, financial and electrochemical sanctions on Iran’s economy. Given what we now know about the ease with which Trump ignored his previous peace promise and the number of Zionist campaign donors, it would be foolish to believe that Netanyahu, a frequent visitor to the Oval Office, had not used his considerable influence to ‘lobby’ Trump to follow his direction. ***** As Trump allowed the JCPOA to be dismantled, it is safe to hypothesize that Trump was grossly uninformed that the very same Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Trump later cheered upon his assassination was also author of the Fatwa entitled “Prohibition of Weaponsof Mass Destruction.” That Fatwa, publicly announced in October 2003, opposed the acquisition, development and use of nuclear weapons which was consistent with Islamic tradition. That announcement was followed by an official statement presented at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, in August 2005. From there, US-Israel efforts focused on destroying Iran’s 2500 year Persian culture with 47 years of US sanctions crippling the Iranian economy to the point of economic collapse. In 1945, the world’s first war crime trials after WW II, the Nuremberg War Crime Trial defined war crimes as “symbols of racial hatreds, of terrorism and violence, and of the arrogance and cruelty of power including a “fierce nationalisms and of militarism, of intrigue and war-making.” As Chair of Nuremberg comments cited appropriately to fit the attack on Iran “wrongs that have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated” further stating that a war of aggression is a crime against peace under international law …. It is doubtful that any member of Trump’s Cabinet would explain to the President, unable to determine his own a strategy about how to dig out of the hole he created since he dared initiate an unprovoked war of aggression. It will be his responsibility to determine the most favorable outcome – and it may not be pretty. Or prepare Trump for the ugly realty that Iran is in the driver’s seat and depending on how desperate Trump is to find an exit, he may need to accept undesirable terms. As the entire world has been privy to the US-Israel conflict against Iran in violation of international law, Trump has not yet understood that wars of aggression were specifically labeled by the Nuremberg war crimes trial. There can be little doubt that the President of the US has committed a series of war crimes including the deliberate carpet bombing of civilian areas and infrastructure, attacks on multiple schools, Shajareh Tayyiba elementary school, hospitals and a myriad of other civilian infrastructure. And it would be within the realm of possibility that an international panel is probably already in the early stage of formation, organizing a professional, expert commission based on Nuremberg principles, to prevent war crimes on a massive level that the US and Israel have committed to ever again allow crimes against humanity. As Chair of Nuremberg comments cited appropriately to fit the attack on Iran “wrongs that have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated” further stating that a war of aggression is a crime against peace under international law …. and that “crimes of aggression are the mother of all war crimes because from them come all other war crimes”. In other words, as will be determined by an International independent panel convened to consider both the President of the US and Israel behavior in the course of their illegal, inhumane aggressive attack on Iran, have committed indefensible, deplorable war crimes against the People of Iran. The post US-Israel War against Iran Require a War Crimes Commission appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Renee Parsons.
What Mearsheimer Gets Right — and Wrong — About 38 Million Sanctions Deaths
Image: The News Statesman John Mearsheimer recently stated that U.S. sanctions murdered around 38 million people between 1971 and 2021 – see the video below. It is a dramatic figure, and it has spread quickly because it captures, in one sentence, the enormous human cost of modern sanctions. I share his concern about the destructive […] The post What Mearsheimer Gets Right — and Wrong — About 38 Million Sanctions Deaths appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/7395b4b6-b451-4aa5-b335-ab3bd8c61882?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/7395b4b6-b451-4aa5-b335-ab3bd8c61882?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773971287231000&usg=AOvVaw3jBfetZ9GvRY_sGFbx4pLO"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZYUTBW02IZ6CoUlfIPTadLABdlNY5UwEdqPhdTebbwXEtsOR2bQNNH6CdSibSIewV2RKzoQAlXHIMhT44m3G0intBUYKMdlbqD7eXx2NyahOteNbFxS-cUkYqMOtMTWDgf3KFb7YCepOK-5pSrXCvjaaStP233MaB2x06HuwZlj_hqut8uWVSYGCy3zaw5dmQg8o57-TYB1mhikQAA7N2xV7NC728-fqApAAyXfQdO-TZoIu0VTpYg6Yf0uG6QtnJuFp6pSrtXn_I_iAochMf52UBk-HA-ysONEsnyoFdQAoBzutKGb-aoJ4662rSarZksSEE=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bxVQ!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F796b56ca-0d71-4421-83ed-aa8c7373d399_800x418.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="265.375" data-bit="iit" /> Image: The News Statesman John Mearsheimer recently stated that U.S. sanctions murdered around 38 million people between 1971 and 2021 – see the video below. It is a dramatic figure, and it has spread quickly because it captures, in one sentence, the enormous human cost of modern sanctions. I share his concern about the destructive effects of economic coercion. But the specific number he cites — and the way he attributes it — deserves a friendly academic clarification. The figure comes from a 2023 Lancet Global Health article estimating the mortality effects of unilateral U.S. and EU sanctions over the past half‑century. This is the first point where Mearsheimer’s shorthand diverges from the text: the study is explicitly about U.S. and European Union sanctions, not U.S. sanctions alone. Given the EU’s increasingly active sanctions policy, this distinction matters. The second issue concerns how the Lancet researchers actually measure mortality. They do not count deaths directly caused by sanctions. They do not claim to know how many people died because a medicine could not be imported or a hospital lacked spare parts. Instead, they use a statistical causal‑inference model to estimate excess mortality associated with sanctions. This term has a precise meaning. “Excess mortality” does not mean “deaths caused by sanctions” in the everyday sense. It means the number of deaths above what would be expected if the sanctioned country had followed the mortality trajectory of comparable, non‑sanctioned countries. To do this, the researchers assemble a large dataset covering many countries and many years, including variables such as GDP, conflict intensity, demographics, and health‑system indicators. They then compare: a) a country’s mortality before sanctions, b) its mortality after sanctions, and c) the mortality of similar countries not under sanctions during the same period. This is a standard econometric approach — a difference‑in‑differences design — that estimates the average effect of sanctions while controlling for other factors such as war, economic collapse, or natural disasters. But it cannot identify which individual deaths were “caused” by sanctions, nor can it perfectly isolate sanctions from all other forces at work in a society. The authors therefore speak carefully of “excess mortality associated with sanctions.” The study provides an annualised estimate: roughly 564,000 excess deaths per year in countries under unilateral U.S. and EU sanctions. It does not give a 50‑year total. If one multiplies the annual figure by 50, one obtains about 28.2 million. The authors then compare this to an estimated 5.5 million war‑related deaths over the same period. Adding the two yields a 33‑million figure , but no the 38 million Mearsheimer mentions. In paranthesis – but an important one – please note that the human costs of sanctions over time seem to be much higher than those of warfare – about 5 times higher! The arithmetic is fine. But the Lancet authors themselves do not present this as a single combined death toll, nor do they frame it as “deaths caused by sanctions,” let alone “killed by the United States.” Their purpose is to show scale and association, not to produce a definitive historical body count. My intention here is not to diminish the suffering caused by sanctions. On the contrary, I have long argued that the United States suffers from a kind of “sanctionitis” — a chronic overreliance on coercive economic measures, with more than 100,000 sanctions designations issued over the decades. This is a serious disease of contemporary statecraft. Mearsheimer is right to draw attention to the human costs – particularly since sanctions get no media attention compared with warfare and since they are often called a “soft” weapon. Reality tells us that sanctions are a weapon of mass destruction, even though you will never get the exact numbers. But precision matters. The Lancet study gives us powerful evidence that sanctions are associated with large increases in mortality. It does not tell us that 33 million people “died from U.S. sanctions.” Keeping that distinction clear strengthens, rather than weakens, the critique of sanctions, particularly those that last over a long time – as in Iran. And the sanctions on Iran since 1979 is the topic of my next analysis. <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/0ed5099d-8bd8-40b8-a90f-87bc34ab52b3?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/0ed5099d-8bd8-40b8-a90f-87bc34ab52b3?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773971287231000&usg=AOvVaw3hniJ3Ui7tXwpPkQj3U_To"> ***** See also: Does John Mearsheimer get China right? The post What Mearsheimer Gets Right — and Wrong — About 38 Million Sanctions Deaths appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Jan Oberg.
Tanzania: Commissions Call for Mass Eviction of Indigenous Maasai from World-famous Tourist Destinations
President Hassan receives a report from the presidential commissions at an official handover ceremony, March 2026. Two presidential commissions have recommended the mass eviction of Maasai people from some of East Africa’s most iconic conservation areas and tourist destinations. The commissions were established by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan following previous evictions of Maasai pastoralists […] The post Tanzania: Commissions Call for Mass Eviction of Indigenous Maasai from World-famous Tourist Destinations appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYHmnXXcNFG5zoVL3FrEc4cnWZTI1A3JhGun_BBK5stFIm9Clk1XQrht_8KHoQgiXbZIPDphKXAzGRS7a6IZRB6S-hoz9tzza85OtinjxRdju8HrzZ7soKFH1UdMsWqKAEPjwNWslG2a2hxwsEGffdQKfMD8oNG1qCmJE0ogfe2HWocfNx7chpYloK9CyUwZI0p=s0-d-e1-ft#https://aaf1a18515da0e792f78-c27fdabe952dfc357fe25ebf5c8897ee.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/2330/image_processing20260317-2-14go6i.png" alt="President Hassan receives a report." width="505" height="auto" data-bit="iit" />President Hassan receives a report from the presidential commissions at an official handover ceremony, March 2026. Two presidential commissions have recommended the mass eviction of Maasai people from some of East Africa’s most iconic conservation areas and tourist destinations. The commissions were established by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan following previous evictions of Maasai pastoralists from parts of the world-famous Serengeti ecosystem, and large-scale protests in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in 2024. Now, despite a global outcry at the earlier evictions, the two Commissions have: Backed the previous evictions and called for them to continue, including in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ngorongoro and neighboring Lake Natron. Described the long-standing Maasai presence in the area as an “environmental pressure” that needs to be reduced. Threatened local NGOs that support the Maasai, accusing them of “spreading misinformation or propaganda” because they “conflict with government interests.” Called for the “relocation” of all “non-conservation activities” [in other words, Maasai occupancy of the land] outside the conservation areas. Called for existing recognition of the Maasai people’s right to live in the Ngorongoro area to be removed. An anonymous Maasai spokesperson said today: “We are blamed for environmental degradation while the unchecked expansion of tourism is ignored. Forced relocation, disguised as policy, has deprived our people of basic rights and dignity. We reject any continuation of these measures and condemn the Commission’s failure to reflect the voices, realities, and rights of our people.” <img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NaFE7Tm8dlHb2W3aJ-yt8lAR-S45s1pmTmyjKqkQwm2sbRCyazkmN4WoJzQ6Zv5qWAXRkvd4MhaAmNOzVvdy6uyaGl-nBwWBsrGQ5LeJ9CYgLiCNUnVsQlrDHybHSeepVwViPR5Ite314AuT-EooCZhVpXDGDXAuOMJyJnWBhgd7BSC20AI9SubGnEsCB-xlk6sDQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://aaf1a18515da0e792f78-c27fdabe952dfc357fe25ebf5c8897ee.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/2330/image_processing20250226-2-d9trdv.jpeg" alt="Maasai protest" width="400" height="auto" data-bit="iit" /> Still from a video showing the Maasai protesting the violent evictions from their ancestral lands, 2022.</center? The authorities maintain that these are “voluntary relocations.” However, the Maasai have overwhelmingly rejected being moved. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When it was established, the ancestral right of the Maasai to live there with their cattle was explicitly acknowledged. But UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has backed the so-called “voluntary relocations”, and UNESCO endorses the “fortress conservation” model that underpins Tanzania’s approach. Survival International Director Caroline Pearce said, “These commissions were a sham, a gimmick designed to give Tanzania’s violent persecution of the Maasai a veneer of respectability. It was widely predicted that they’d back further evictions: the whole saga just confirms that colonial-style fortress conservation is alive and well in Tanzania today, and enthusiastically endorsed by UNESCO. “These recommendations give the green light to more evictions, in Ngorongoro and beyond. And while the Maasai are robbed of their lands and livelihood, the government, tour operators and so-called conservationists will enrich themselves from a landscape emptied of its original owners.” Addendum The commissions’ reports have not been published, but their findings have been widely reported in Tanzania, and presented at an official event. The first commission looked at previous evictions such as the one from Loliondo in 2022; the second was tasked to make recommendations on how to improve “relocations.” Survival International’s report “Decolonize UNESCO” spotlights UNESCO’s complicity in human rights violations in conservation zones in Tanzania. The post Tanzania: Commissions Call for Mass Eviction of Indigenous Maasai from World-famous Tourist Destinations appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Survival International.
The U.S. Bombs Kids So Palmer Luckey Can Have Nice Things
Last week, we watched a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile murder more than 160+ Iranian school children. We watched in horror, helpless to stop the incoming massacres as the U.S. and Israel carpet-bombed Iran, then Lebanon, displacing millions of people from their homes. The pure, unrelenting terror continues to unfold. We are shocked and devastated, but we […] The post The U.S. Bombs Kids So Palmer Luckey Can Have Nice Things appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Last week, we watched a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile murder more than 160+ Iranian school children. We watched in horror, helpless to stop the incoming massacres as the U.S. and Israel carpet-bombed Iran, then Lebanon, displacing millions of people from their homes. The pure, unrelenting terror continues to unfold. We are shocked and devastated, but we are also enraged — because for every bomb the U.S. and Israel drop, a bunch of men in cushy offices profit off all the death. There is an urgent need to identify and address the burgeoning war profiteers that are leading the world headfirst into planetary destruction. War does not end in Venezuela or Iran. It will continue until all avenues are exhausted, until there are no resources left to plunder because they have destroyed everything. I call your attention to Peter Thiel, founder of military tech company Palantir, who just last week visited with Japan’s prime minister last week and was dubbed “America’s shadow president” across Japanese media. I call your attention to Ethan Thornton, founder of Mach Industries, who is attempting to create dangerous hydrogen-powered weapons (and almost killed a coworker in the process). I call your attention to Rob Slaughter, cofounder of Defense Unicorns, whose company has “built the software backbone of the War Department” (and whose surname is rather apt). And I call your attention to Palmer Luckey, self-proclaimed “radical Zionist” and founder of Anduril, a military tech company that supplies the U.S. military with AI and autonomous weapons. There are many more corporate executives selling weapons and making a killing off of killing. But today we are going to talk about Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, the Tony Stark wannabe who so very badly wants to believe he’s the good guy. Recently, after CODEPINK launched a petition calling him out for his crimes, he claimed that he’s actually saving lives. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-167941" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palmer-Lucky-1.png" alt="" width="464" height="501" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palmer-Lucky-1.png 464w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palmer-Lucky-1-278x300.png 278w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 464px) 100vw, 464px" /> This is how war profiteers have always tried to sell war to people. It’s for the greater good! If we don’t kill them, they will probably try to kill us at some much later date! As much as they want us to believe that their pre-emptive wars of aggression are necessary, the truth is we don’t need to security dilemma ourselves into functioning like soulless robots; we’re actually evolved humans who can participate in dialogue, the great human superpower. It’s not a hard conclusion to draw: murder is not the solution to a disagreement with your neighbor, just as systematic murder is not the solution to a disagreement with another nation. Besides, we all know war isn’t about saving American lives. Instead, American lives are spent carelessly to accomplish elite agendas, and then veterans are discarded like broken utensils. Tell us, Luckey, whose lives were saved by slaughtering civilians in My Lai in 1968 or in Haditha in 2005? Whose lives were saved by taking out every hospital in Gaza? Whose lives were saved by bombing 160+ school children in Iran? No, murder is not about saving lives, just as war is not about accomplishing everlasting peace. It’s about men in safe, cushy offices far away from the battlefield amassing as much wealth as possible before they have to join the rest of us as dirt in the ground. You can tell our petition bothered Luckey, because a few minutes later, he tweeted this: <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-167940" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palmer-Lucky-2.png" alt="" width="505" height="289" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palmer-Lucky-2.png 505w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Palmer-Lucky-2-300x172.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px" /> It’s certainly an odd argument to make — that Anduril should never have had the opportunity to exist. It’s almost a direct admission of guilt, if you think about it. A shrugging of responsibility for Anduril’s existence, as if Luckey didn’t build the company himself from the ground up. It’s the world’s fault for needing Anduril, right? He’s just another cog in the machinery of fate. Helpless, unable to withstand his destiny of building murder machines. It’s funny how these war profiteers want all the recognition for what they make until they start getting recognition for the consequences of what they make. Well, we should never have existed anyway! Luckey also wonders why the media thinks he wants tech to be more involved in the military, as if those words haven’t repeatedly come from his own mouth. He’s been rather urgent about advocating for advanced military tech to counter Russia, China, and Iran, even going so far as to actively prepare for a “simultaneous conflict” by developing advanced, rapid-production military systems. He’s an especially big fan of war on China, and instated a “China 27” strategy, which states that Anduril won’t design and produce any new weapons that won’t be ready by 2027 — the date the War Department set on war with China. Last year, Anduril secured a $99 million U.S. Air Force contract for autonomous software and a ten-year, $642 million Marine Corps contract for counter-drone systems. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Anduril’s headquarters, where he proclaimed: “We are rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom.” Anduril, now valued at nearly $31 billion, was named after the Lord of the Rings sword, “Flame of the West,” a fitting title for a tool of the imperial West’s perpetual exploitation and murder of innocents abroad. The company is also responsible for the “border protection system” of lasers and identification software, inspired by Trump’s dream for a border wall, and has released new wearable headsets that Luckey claims “turn soldiers into superheroes.” Fact of the matter is, Luckey likes to think of himself as a type of superhero or Lord of the Rings character, bumbling through an adventure, taking down bad guys, and stacking up points. But in doing so, he’s treating reality as a sort of faraway game, entirely detached from human suffering. It’s not all that different from what the White House is doing — just check out this recent <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50335778&l=0aeaf806-f6f7-4746-a411-d62068a1755c&r=eb08696f-8b05-4a4c-af17-231c696ee529" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50335778%26l%3D0aeaf806-f6f7-4746-a411-d62068a1755c%26r%3Deb08696f-8b05-4a4c-af17-231c696ee529&source=gmail&ust=1773941717065000&usg=AOvVaw1pDVaYDXj6vFdzrc6b-JBj">White House tweet, which compared the bombing of Iran to a Wii sports game. War profiteers like Luckey are all the same. They exist in some fantastical bubble, getting high on the idea that they’re helping save-the-world, while the government takes their fresh-baked drones and missiles and sends them to schools, hospitals, and residential buildings to take out unsuspecting families, destroy infrastructure, and wreak widespread destruction. But the truth is — even if it’s deep-deep-down in the dark voids of their souls — Luckey and friends know exactly which part they’re playing and choose not to care. What does Luckey do with his blood money other than enthusiastically participate in a “B-boys club” group chat (B as in billionaire)… Well, he has amassed quite the collection of vehicles, including a 1969 Ford Mustang, a Tesla Model S, a 2001 Honda Insight, a 1967 Disneyland Autopia car, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a 1985 ex-Marine Corps Humvee, a Mark V Special Operations Craft, two submarines, and multiple motorcycles, among many others. … I wonder if we converted USD to human lives, how many people had to die for Luckey to afford each vehicle? It’s a simple equation: more war means more money for war profiteers. So it’s really no surprise Luckey is hellbent on war with China, which would make him billions and could afford him another few submarines for his imaginary underwater adventures. The U.S. has invested trillions of dollars into preparing for war on China ($3.4 trillion to be exact, a number larger than the total amount spent on 20 years of war in Afghanistan). Every incremental increase to the War Department budget is justified with the same reason: we need to counter China, we need to counter China, we need to counter China. China has become the ultimate war budget enhancer, and all the slippery politicians and war profiteers have taken advantage of it. Unfortunately, war is the main driver of U.S. technological advancement. So instead of developing advanced technology to improve infrastructure, build high-speed railways, and raise the standard of living, the tech industry is creating headsets for soldiers to optimize killing during battle. They are making autonomous robot drones that pick their next targets according to data sets, rather than valuing human life. They are using AI to draft battle strategies and risking escalation to unforeseen, unredeemable heights. Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, China… These nations are not the enemies of ordinary people in the U.S. Our enemies are internal: the war profiteers, the ruling class, the “B-boys club” members, and the military tech founders. It is the ruling elites who drive war, all for profit. And it is always the people who suffer. Even now, we suffer as all our taxpayer money is funneled into new contracts with companies like Anduril instead of supporting the health and well-being of the American people. And so overseas, children are murdered, so guys like Palmer Luckey can add to their rare car collections. The post The U.S. Bombs Kids So Palmer Luckey Can Have Nice Things appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Megan Russell.
Azerbaijani journalist Ahmad Mammadli sentenced to 6 years in prison
New York, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijan to release journalist Ahmad Mammadli and credibly investigate claims that police severely mistreated him. A court in the capital, Baku, sentenced Mammadli on Monday to six years in prison on charges of hooliganism and causing serious bodily harm. Mammadli denied the charges and said...
New York, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijan to release journalist Ahmad Mammadli and credibly investigate claims that police severely mistreated him. A court in the capital, Baku, sentenced Mammadli on Monday to six years in prison on charges of hooliganism and causing serious bodily harm. Mammadli denied the charges and said they had been fabricated in retaliation for the work of his outlet, Yoldash Media, one of the last independent media outlets that had continued to operate amid an ongoing wave of journalist arrests in Azerbaijan since 2023. He plans to appeal the sentence. “Given the way Azerbaijan has jailed dozens of journalists on trumped-up charges in recent years, Ahmad Mammadli’s conviction seems highly dubious, and the police violence he is alleged to have suffered is utterly abhorrent,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Azerbaijan should release him immediately and not contest his appeal. As Europe and the U.S. continue to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan, they must demand that Azerbaijan stop its persecution of the press, unless they want to be seen to be condoning the kind of appalling abuse Mammadli says he suffered.” The court convicted Mammadli over a May 2025 incident on the outskirts of Baku in which police alleged the journalist stabbed a man after a dispute in a taxi. According to copies of the indictment and the journalist’s defense speech shared with CPJ, Mammadli said he was in a shared taxi with strangers when one of the passengers, who he believes was a police agent, told the taxi to pull over, dragged the journalist out of the vehicle, and began beating him. Mammadli said that police officers arrived quickly on the scene, arrested him, and set up a fake crime scene, throwing a knife to the ground and cordoning off the area. He said the officers then took him to a police station, where they beat him unconscious, knocking his tooth out with a baseball bat, and repeatedly electrocuted him to force him to provide his phone password and “the desired answers to their questions.” Zafar Ahmadov, a local human rights defender who attended Mammadli’s trial, said that the journalist’s fingerprints were not found on the knife and no witnesses said they had seen Mammadli stab the man. Ahmadov said the case appeared to be similar to other recent cases in which government critics have been jailed on dubious stabbing allegations. Mammadli had been one of the last independent journalists covering political trials in Azerbaijan. He was arrested the same night as Ulviyya Ali, the most prominent journalist reporting on the same issue. In CPJ’s latest prison census, Azerbaijan was ranked the sixth-worst jailer of journalists in the world, with at least 24 journalists behind bars in retaliation for their work. CPJ emailed Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, which oversees the police, for comment, but did not receive a reply. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
CPJ, partners call for Abduljalil Al-Singace’s release on 15th arrest anniversary
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 18 human rights and press freedom organizations in urging Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to immediately release blogger Abduljalil Al-Singace, who has completed 15 years of arbitrary imprisonment for his role in the pro-democracy movement. Since July 2021, Al-Singace,...
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 18 human rights and press freedom organizations in urging Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to immediately release blogger Abduljalil Al-Singace, who has completed 15 years of arbitrary imprisonment for his role in the pro-democracy movement. Since July 2021, Al-Singace, 64, has been held in medical facilities, and is currently at Muharraq Specialised Health Care Centre. He began a hunger strike to protest the confiscation of his manuscripts and academic research, surviving mainly on liquids and supplements, and has occasionally refused food entirely to protest the denial of medication and specialized treatment. In November 2025, the UN Committee against Torture expressed serious concerns over his detention and urged Bahrain to release him. The joint letter is available here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee walked out of a closed-door briefing on the Epstein files with Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, less than an hour after it began Wednesday, after Bondi repeatedly declined to s...
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee walked out of a closed-door briefing on the Epstein files with Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, less than an hour after it began Wednesday, after Bondi repeatedly declined to say whether she would comply with a subpoena requiring her to appear for a sworn deposition on April 14. Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who attended the briefing, said Bondi will have to answer “why there are still 3 million documents being hidden” and “why there was a cover-up of those files that implicated Donald Trump.” Khanna also comments on the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, noting that Trump’s military actions are “a total betrayal of his promise that he was going to focus on American needs.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned a “new stage of war” has begun after Israel bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field — the largest known natural gas reserve in the world. This comes as the price of oil has spiked to $...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned a “new stage of war” has begun after Israel bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field — the largest known natural gas reserve in the world. This comes as the price of oil has spiked to $118 a barrel, a 60% jump since the U.S. and Iran attacked Iran on February 28. Professor of Gulf studies Laleh Khalili lays out the global economic implications of the effective closing of one of the world’s “major choke points for oil,” the Strait of Hormuz. “It doesn’t benefit the average U.S. citizen … at the gas stations, but it does benefit the oil companies,” says Khalili. “The higher the price of oil goes up, the relatively cheaper it becomes to actually have sustainable alternatives. Of course, that means that it benefits China … since China is way ahead of the rest of the world in producing these technologies.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
At least 3 journalists assaulted by Israeli police in Jerusalem
Amman, March 19, 2026 –– The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that at least three journalists were assaulted, and two of them detained, by Israeli security forces outside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on March 17 while covering worshippers attempting to pray at the holy site that authorities have closed under emergency measures during...
Amman, March 19, 2026 –– The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that at least three journalists were assaulted, and two of them detained, by Israeli security forces outside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on March 17 while covering worshippers attempting to pray at the holy site that authorities have closed under emergency measures during the Iran war. “This attack is the latest in a pattern of restrictions on journalists in Jerusalem, where many reporters have been prevented from documenting events in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque”, said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Israeli authorities must end the use of violence against journalists on assignment who are clearly identifying themselves as press.” Abeer Salman, a journalist with CNN, told CPJ that freelance journalist Faiz Abu Rmeleh and a photojournalist with Chinese state-funded outlet Xinhua, were physically assaulted after they started filming those gathering near the mosque compound, the third most holy site in Islam. Salman said she and other journalists tried to intervene from a distance, shouting to alert officers that those being beaten were members of the press. She said police later approached, and one officer grabbed her, twisting her arm, and causing a fracture that required medical treatment. Abu Rmeleh alleged that more than 15 police officers attacked him after he attempted to stop them from beating the Xinhua journalist, who asked to not be identified, as he lay on the ground. He said his camera was damaged during the assault, and he later discovered that police had confiscated its memory cards. When he attempted to retrieve them, he said he was assaulted again. John Wessels, a photojournalist for AFP present at the scene but unharmed, told CPJ that he also repeatedly informed police officers that those being assaulted were journalists, but was ignored. In a statement reviewed by CPJ, the police said the “journalists who were part of an unlawful gathering and disturbance of public order in violation of Home Front Command instructions. They refused to comply with police orders and did not identify themselves as journalists.” According to the police, two individuals “raised suspicion among officers that their presence with filming equipment was intended to provoke and encourage disorder. Only after being detained did they identify themselves as journalists, and they were then released.” Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that a source from the Union of Journalists in Israel told them the “police’s claim that the journalists did not identify themselves is completely false. Video footage clearly shows that officers knew very well they were journalists, yet continued to assault them.” This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
“Iran Is Playing the Long Game”: Prof. Vali Nasr on What to Expect from Protracted War in Middle East
In a major escalation in the war in the Middle East, Israel has bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest known natural gas reserve in the world, leading Iran to attack energy sites across the Gulf. Iranian American professor of in...
In a major escalation in the war in the Middle East, Israel has bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest known natural gas reserve in the world, leading Iran to attack energy sites across the Gulf. Iranian American professor of international affairs Vali Nasr says that Iran is prepared for a much longer war than the U.S. and Israel anticipated. “The longer this war goes on, the more Iran is building leverage, and the more the strategic calculations of Israel and the United States appear to be falling short,” he says. Iran “thinks the longer that the war goes on, the less Israel and the United States will be able to defend against Iranian missiles, because they’re going to run out of interceptors.” In the latest sign the war on Iran could be just beginning, Reuters is reporting President Trump is considering deploying thousands of more U.S. troops to the Middle East. The Pentagon has also asked for $200 billion from Congress. The Iranian president has proposed terms for the end of the war including reparations and guarantees against future war. Nasr suggests that the Iranians are “confident” that some of their terms may be met. “President Trump may have to accept the fact that he has started a war that is not going to give him what he expected, and he has to settle for an exit in order to be able to go back to the agenda that it had before.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Fuel Prices Soar as Israeli Strike on Iranian Gas Field Triggers Retaliatory Attacks, Pentagon Seeks $200 Billion More for Iran War as Senate Rejects War Powers Resolution, Tulsi Gabbard Dodges Questions About Trump’s Claim of “Imminent Nuclear Threat” from Iran, Capitol Hill Protest Demands “Not One Dime More for Trump’s Illegal Iran War”, Lebanese Health Ministry: Israeli Attacks Kill 45 People Across Lebanon in the Past Two Days, Iranian Missiles Kill Civilians in Israel and Occupied West Bank, Markwayne Mullin Grilled by Senate Colleagues in Combative DHS Confirmation Hearing, ProPublica: DHS Demanding Access to Federal Parent Locator Service, CBS News: FBI and IRS to Probe Nonprofits over Possible Links to “Domestic Terrorism”, Democrats Walk Out of Briefing with AG Pam Bondi on DOJ’s Handling of Epstein Files, Cesar Chavez Accused of Abusing and Molesting Multiple Women and Girls
Fuel Prices Soar as Israeli Strike on Iranian Gas Field Triggers Retaliatory Attacks Pentagon Seeks $200 Billion More for Iran War as Senate Rejects War Powers Resolution Tulsi Gabbard Dodges Questions About Trump's Claim of "Imminent Nuclear Threat" from Iran Capitol Hill Protest Demands "Not One Dime More for Trump's Illegal Iran War" Lebanese Health Ministry: Israeli Attacks Kill 45 People Across Lebanon in the Past Two Days Iranian Missiles Kill Civilians in Israel and Occupied West Bank Markwayne Mullin Grilled by Senate Colleagues in Combative DHS Confirmation Hearing ProPublica: DHS Demanding Access to Federal Parent Locator Service CBS News: FBI and IRS to Probe Nonprofits over Possible Links to "Domestic Terrorism" Democrats Walk Out of Briefing with AG Pam Bondi on DOJ's Handling of Epstein Files Cesar Chavez Accused of Abusing and Molesting Multiple Women and Girls This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! Thursday, March 19, 2026 This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Australian charities funding Israel’s illegal settlements ‘untouchable’, says Labor govt
The Labor government has told the Senate that Australian charities don’t have to comply with international law, nor will they be compelled. Michael West Media reports. SPECIAL REPORT: By Stephanie Tran The Albanese government has rejected a proposal to strip tax-deductible status from Australian charities found to be supporting illegal occupations, amid mounting scrutiny over
The Labor government has told the Senate that Australian charities don’t have to comply with international law, nor will they be compelled. Michael West Media reports. SPECIAL REPORT: By Stephanie Tran The Albanese government has rejected a proposal to strip tax-deductible status from Australian charities found to be supporting illegal occupations, amid mounting scrutiny over donations flowing to Israeli settlements and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Michael West Media has identified 5 charities either sending money to the IDF or to parties associated with illegal West Bank settlements in Occupied Palestine. The proposed amendment, introduced by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, would explicitly bar organisations from receiving deductible gift recipient (DGR) status if they are found to have supported an “illegal occupation”. READ MORE: Gulf energy sites targeted after Israeli attack on key Iranian gasfield “The fact that people are sending money to support the war crimes of the Israeli military and to expand illegal, violent settlements in the West Bank is bad enough, but that Australian taxpayers are subsidising these settlements is completely outrageous,” Faruqi said. “Supporting these heinous crimes deserves investigation, not a tax deduction.” The amendment, circulated in the Senate as part of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025, would insert a new provision into the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 denying DGR endorsement to any entity that has “advocated, prepared, planned, assisted in, financed, fostered, supported … or contributed to the establishment, maintenance or expansion of the illegal occupation”. It would also empower the foreign affairs minister to formally declare what constitutes an “illegal occupation” for the purposes of the law. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-125268 size-full" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Illegal-Israeli-settlements-MWM-680wide.png" alt="An illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank" width="680" height="312" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Illegal-Israeli-settlements-MWM-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Illegal-Israeli-settlements-MWM-680wide-300x138.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> An illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Inset: Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Assistant Minister for Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh. Composite image: Michael West Media Charities funding illegal settlements This year, MWM released a series of investigations revealing that Australian charities are funnelling tax-deductible donations to projects linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, as well as to initiatives supporting IDF soldiers. In the Senate debate on the amendment, Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne cited the findings of the MWM investigations. She highlighted figures showing that Jewish National Fund Australia had remitted more than $125 million to Israel since 2009, while the United Israel Appeal Refugee Relief Fund had transferred approximately $376 million since 2013 via Keren Hayesod, with a portion of these funds used for settlement expansion and IDF-linked programmes. Allman-Payne also referenced the activities of the Chai Charitable Foundation, which earlier this year hosted fundraisers for organisations providing direct support to IDF soldiers and settlement communities, including in Tekoa and Hebron, before removing the campaigns following questioning by MWM. “It is obviously of significant concern if there are charitable organisations in Australia that are funnelling funds to illegal occupiers and illegal settlements,” Allman-Payne told the Senate. She noted that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) had received 896 complaints relating to 88 charities in connection with the Israel-Gaza conflict between October 2023 and December 2025. “Given that these donations are tax-deductible . . . that effectively means taxpayers are subsidising illegal occupation and militarisation,” she said. Government rejects amendment In response, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher stated that the government would not support the Greens amendment, arguing that existing regulatory frameworks already prohibit unlawful conduct by charities. “There is no DGR category or purpose that allows charities to support illegal activities at home or abroad,” Gallagher said. She pointed to the ACNC’s governance standards, which require charities to operate lawfully and remain accountable, as well as external conduct standards governing overseas activities. However, Gallagher acknowledged a key limitation: those standards require compliance with Australian law, but do not extend to conduct under international law. Charities operating overseas must take “reasonable steps” to ensure proper governance and compliance with Australian legal obligations, including sanctions, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, she said. Organisations found to be in breach risk losing their charitable registration, which can in turn lead to the loss of DGR status. Referral for investigation Gallagher suggested that concerns about specific organisations should be referred to the ACNC for investigation. Faruqi said the government’s position amounted to wilful inaction. “The Labor government clearly wants to keep its head in the sand and is looking the other way while this happens,” she said. “This is just another example of the government’s complicity in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. “It is two-faced for the Government to say it supports a Palestinian state while effectively subsidising its destruction.” Minister Gallagher and Andrew Leigh (Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury) were contacted for comment. Regulatory obligations A spokesperson from Leigh’s office provided the following response: “The government expects all registered charities to meet their regulatory obligations and to obey all Australian laws. This is a condition of maintaining charitable status. “The ACNC is the independent regulator of charities and complaints involving conduct that could harm people or involving the misuse of a charity for terrorism purposes or to foster extremism are a compliance priority for the ACNC. “The ACNC already has powers to revoke the charitable status of charities involved in serious illegal activity.” Stephanie Tran is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. She has worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where she assisted Crikey’s defence team in the high-profile defamation case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. Her reporting has been recognised nationally, earning her the 2021 Democracy’s Watchdogs Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award. This article is republished from Michael West Media with permission. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
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China’s growing grip on the fragile Solomon Islands media sector
SPECIAL REPORT: Reporters Without Borders Since the Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations with China in 2019, the Pacific country has become a strategic arena for Beijing’s influence. By capitalising on the economic fragility of the local media sector, China has stepped up conditional funding, editorial partnerships and influence programmes to disseminate its narratives. Reporters Without
SPECIAL REPORT: Reporters Without Borders Since the Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations with China in 2019, the Pacific country has become a strategic arena for Beijing’s influence. By capitalising on the economic fragility of the local media sector, China has stepped up conditional funding, editorial partnerships and influence programmes to disseminate its narratives. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Solomon Islands’ government to make the viability and independence of the media sector a priority. READ MORE: Other Solomon Islands media reports One day in January 2024, Lloyd Loji, publisher of the Island Sun, one of the country’s leading dailies, reportedly received a call from a Chinese diplomat. According to the investigative outlet In-depth Solomons, the diplomat expressed the embassy’s “concern” about an op-ed published that same day on the election of the new president of Taiwan and its implications for relations between China and Western countries. At the end of the call, the Chinese diplomat explicitly asked the newspaper to relay articles he had sent, reflecting Beijing’s official position on regional affairs. <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-125277 size-full" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Censored-IDSol-680wide.png" alt="The Island Sun op-ed on 15 January 2024 that led to censorship as reported by In-Depth Solomons" width="680" height="389" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Censored-IDSol-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Censored-IDSol-680wide-300x172.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> The Island Sun op-ed on 15 January 2024 that led to censorship as reported by In-Depth Solomons. Image: Island Sun/In-Depth Solomons The Chinese diplomat did not stop at interfering in the editorial line of the Island Sun. In-depth Solomons reports that he also emailed the owners and editors of the country’s main media outlets, urging them to adopt the Chinese narrative on the Taiwanese elections and sharing two articles he asked them to publish. The Solomon Star, the other major daily of the Solomon Islands, duly published the articles supplied by the Chinese embassy. Both the Solomon Star and Island Sun depend on Chinese funding as the country’s media landscape is facing structural economic difficulties. Economic precarity as Beijing’s gateway With fewer than 700,000 inhabitants and a limited advertising market — which is increasingly dominated by social media companies — news organisations in this nation face structural economic hardship. These vulnerabilities deepened during the covid-19 pandemic and the collapse of traditional press revenues which mostly consist of advertising, making external funding essential to survival, whether from Australia, China or the United States. Unlike support from other foreign partners, Chinese assistance often comes with editorial conditions. After 15 years as a journalist in the Solomon Islands, Priestley Habru — now a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide — told RSF about the demands made by the Chinese embassy to Island Sun after he left the outlet. According to his network, after the diplomatic mission donated computers, the newsroom was instructed to “stop publishing articles on Taiwan’s President.” An investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), an international investigative journalism network, also revealed that in 2022 the Solomon Star sought SI$1.15 million (about US$140,000) from China to modernise its infrastructure, pledging in return to promote Beijing’s image as the islands’ “most generous and trustworthy” partner. Following revelations about attempts by Chinese diplomats to directly interfere with the Island Sun and the country’s leading media outlets in early 2024, Beijing appears to have adopted a more discreet approach. Ofani Eremae, president of the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI), explained to RSF that several local outlets have signed agreements with Chinese state media to use the state media’s content — which is fully controlled by the Chinese authorities — free of charge. In early 2026, CCTV+, China’s state-owned international video news service, also offered MASI and In-depth Solomons use of its raw video footage and live broadcast signals free of charge, and invited them to sign cooperation agreements. Both In-depth Solomons and MASI have not yet responded to the proposal. “The authorities of the Solomon Islands must take immediate, concrete action to safeguard the country’s media landscape from undue influence by China and to ensure the conditions necessary for genuine editorial independence,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, advocacy manager of RSF Asia-Pacific. “This includes establishing transparent and sustainable financial support mechanisms that fully respect press freedom — because only a media environment free from political or economic coercion can allow newsrooms to operate with integrity and independence.” All-expenses-paid trips to China Since 2019, at least 30 of MASI’s 70 member journalists have been invited to China, sometimes more than once, according to Eremae. These visits fully funded by Beijing are designed to showcase the country’s economic achievements, the workings of its media system, and, ultimately, to encourage participants to adopt and relay official Chinese discourse. “The authorities’ aim is to show how advanced China is — a great country that has developed enormously in recent years — and to explain how their media operate,” Ofani Eremae said. In June 2025, four journalists attended a two-week seminar in Beijing organised by the National Radio and Television Administration, a state body controlled by the Chinese Propaganda Department and responsible for ensuring that programmes align with the regime’s political line. Eremae says he has received similar invitations, but he turned them down due to work commitments. Chinese influence also extends to institutions: according to Eremae, nearly 90 percent of officials in the government unit responsible for communication and press relations have taken at least one official trip to China since 2019. A grave decline in press freedom This rapprochement between China and the Solomon Islands has been accompanied by a marked deterioration in the media climate, particularly during the fourth term of former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare (2019–2024), accused of fostering hostility towards the press. “The very close relationship Sogavare maintained with China influenced the way he dealt with the media,” Eremae explained. After signing a controversial security agreement with Beijing in 2022 —which was never made public — journalists faced strict restrictions during an official Chinese visit. Weeks later, the government threatened to bar foreign reporters from entering the country after Australia’s public broadcaster, ABC, aired an investigation on Chinese influence in the country. Sogavare, who repeatedly praised Chinese governance, also appeared to draw inspiration from its policy of controlling information. This was evident in the reform of the status of the publicly owned media group Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) — the only shortwave radio broadcaster across the archipelago’s 900 islands — placing it under the direct authority of the Prime Minister’s Office. The restructuring was accompanied by disturbing instructions to censor content critical of the government. China is the world’s biggest jailer of journalists, with 121 currently detained, and ranks 178th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index. Republished from Reporters Without Borders by Pacific Media Watch. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
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How Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Vaccine Agenda Risks a Resurgence of Deadly Childhood Plagues
The post How Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Vaccine Agenda Risks a Resurgence of Deadly Childhood Plagues appeared first on ProPublica.
Dr. Adam Ratner hovered over a gravely ill infant in a New York City intensive care unit on a grim day in 2022. The 3-month-old girl spiked a fever two days earlier and had become lethargic. Soon she was having seizures and struggling to breathe. She didn’t register Ratner’s towering frame or the bright hospital lights. Her eyes stared up and to the right, eerily frozen. He ran his hand over the soft spot on her head, which should have been flat. Instead, it bulged, a sign that too much fluid was building up inside her skull. The baby’s life was in danger, and Ratner needed to figure out why. He worried the culprit was bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membranes that protect the brain. What came back on her lab tests was something out of the history books. The infant’s meningitis was caused by invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib, a type of bacteria that used to kill nearly 1,000 children a year in the U.S. A shot introduced in the late 1980s was so effective that Ratner, a veteran pediatric infectious disease doctor, was among the generations of physicians who had never seen a case. But the baby’s parents, Ratner learned, had chosen not to vaccinate her. Disheartened, he told his colleagues, “This should be a never event.” It wasn’t. The following year, Ratner treated another infant with Hib, then another, each of them unvaccinated. Two went home, but one had to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility. That 5-month-old boy had huge black pupils that didn’t respond to light, and he needed a ventilator to breathe. Ratner and his colleagues noted an “absence of brain stem reflexes,” indicating severe damage. The U.S. government took a half century to build a vaccination system that shielded children from such a fate. Its success depended on two fundamental pillars: parents trusting in vaccines and children having access to them. Both are now in peril, thanks in no small part to the man steering America’s health policy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who founded an antivaccine group and once likened the immunization of children to a holocaust, is transforming a government that long championed the lifesaving benefits of shots into one that spreads doubts about their safety here and abroad. Kennedy is also considering changes that could prompt the few companies that make vaccines for American kids to abandon the U.S. market, leaving parents who want the shots unable to get them. The threat to vaccine access reaches across the globe after Kennedy yanked the government’s $1.6 billion pledge to the aid group that provides shots for the world’s poorest children. For decades, the U.S. had funded such work not just as a humanitarian mission but as a way to keep Americans safe from unchecked contagions. Kennedy’s efforts to reshape vaccine policies have been well chronicled, but ProPublica wanted to take a broader look at how the changes might affect Americans’ health in the years to come. We found that long-forgotten plagues have roared back, killing and maiming children in parts of the world where access to vaccines or trust in them faltered. What seemed like subtle changes to a country’s vaccine policies had disastrous consequences years later. Even in places that offer highly advanced health care, doctors have felt impotent trying to undo the damage when these horrors return. Modern medicine can’t reverse paralysis from polio. Surgeons can intervene when a baby is born blind, deaf and with heart defects after being exposed to rubella in the womb, but the child is still likely to face a life shaped by disability. ProPublica reviewed hundreds of studies on vaccines and outbreaks of the diseases they prevent and interviewed more than three dozen people who have worked on U.S. immunization programs here and abroad, dating back to the days of smallpox. Some had never spoken publicly about their experiences. They shared a pit-of-the-stomach dread that American children will end up fighting for their lives against infections that have long been preventable. “I think there always was a worst-case scenario,” said Dr. Melinda Wharton, who retired last September after more than three decades leading immunization programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I don’t think I imagined it could or would be this bad.” This week, Kennedy’s agency indicated it planned to appeal a federal court ruling that halted, at least temporarily, some of his changes. Among those was the decision to drop six diseases from the routine childhood immunization schedule. HHS declined to make Kennedy available for an interview. In an emailed response to detailed questions, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said that the agency has not limited access to or insurance coverage for vaccines. During the prior administration, federal health agencies “told the public that questioning vaccine policy was off limits,” Nixon said. “That posture contributed to a collapse in trust in U.S. health care.” “Secretary Kennedy believes that trust is rebuilt through an open review of safety data, the willingness to ask the hard questions, and ensuring the American people have all emerging information as soon as we know it,” he said. Vaccination rates have fallen in large swaths of the country. Resentful of how government institutions responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans lost trust in public health leaders. Antivaccine activists spread misinformation and recast the once-fringe practice of refusing shots as an exercise in “medical freedom.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?w=752" alt="Two physicians wearing gowns, masks and other protective gear stand beside an infant seated in a car with the door open." class="wp-image-70782" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-carolina.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A medical team assesses an infant for measles in Spartanburg, South Carolina, this year. The Washington Post via Getty Images Now the U.S. is experiencing a surge in measles not seen in three decades. There have been more than 3,600 cases across 46 states and three deaths since January last year. The virus spread so fast in South Carolina this year that some medical teams had to examine infected patients in their cars to protect vulnerable people in their waiting rooms, like they did during the worst days of COVID-19. Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow. That’s what happened in New York City where antivaccine forces distributed illustrated handouts that seeded fear in Orthodox Jewish communities. Ratner saw a direct line between a loss of trust and the sick children in his ICU — first with measles in 2018 and 2019, then with Hib a few years later. Now the villainization of vaccines isn’t coming from pamphlets passed out on a Brooklyn street corner. It’s coming from the highest health offices in the U.S. government. “I’m worried,” Ratner said, “that we’re going back to a time where people die in childhood.” The U.S. has been a leader on vaccination since the nation’s founding. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington ordered troops to be inoculated against smallpox, which had ravaged the Continental Army and was scaring away recruits. Washington knew the perils of the disease: His face was pocked with scars from his own teenage infection. The inoculation, the country’s first immunization mandate, took a primitive form. A sore from a smallpox patient was lanced, then the pus was inserted under a healthy person’s skin. Though some people died, the resulting infection was, for the vast majority, milder than the type caught in a bunkhouse or on a battlefield. Washington gave the order in February 1777, “keeping the matter as secret as possible” so that the British wouldn’t attack his bedridden troops during their monthlong recovery. Had he not carried out the inoculation, many historians have concluded, the British may have won. Nearly two centuries later, in the throes of the Cold War, CDC scientists teamed up with their counterparts from America’s archenemy, the Soviet Union, to wipe smallpox from the planet. They worked through the World Health Organization to track the virus in cities, rainforests and war zones, vaccinating those at risk. Four U.S. presidents, Democrats and Republicans, backed the work until the disease that had haunted humans since the days of the pharaohs was gone. Vaccines, for decades, weren’t politically divisive. They were so uncontroversial that McDonald’s restaurants in the 1990s put the childhood immunization schedule on their tray liners. When the nation’s immunization program was in trouble in the 1980s, Republicans and Democrats stepped in to save it. Vaccine makers were abandoning the U.S. market after a flood of lawsuits alleged that the shot used at the time to protect children from diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough caused profoundly disabling seizures. Scientists later discovered genetic causes of some of the most devastating forms of epilepsy, but parents who sued back then won big verdicts and settlements. At one point pediatricians could only buy that shot from a single company, and there were shortages. The U.S. also was down to just one manufacturer for the measles-mumps-rubella shot and one for the polio vaccine. “If there is a fire tomorrow in the plant where the polio vaccine is manufactured, what would happen?” Rep. Henry Waxman asked the CDC director during a 1984 House subcommittee hearing. “We would have a shortage,” the director answered. An exasperated Waxman shot back: “Are we going to then start putting money into iron lungs for polio victims?” A liberal Democrat from California, Waxman for years worked with Sen. Paula Hawkins, a conservative Florida Republican, on legislation that stopped the exodus of vaccine makers by limiting their liability. Launched in 1988, the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program pays people who suffer rare but serious side effects, using money from a special tax on certain shots. The program maintains a table of injuries that are eligible for quicker payouts, and a dedicated vaccine court rules on cases involving health problems not listed on the table. Those who don’t like what they are offered can still sue vaccine makers in traditional civil courts, but a Supreme Court ruling significantly limited the types of cases that can win there. Just as the compensation program was getting off the ground, measles laid bare a different weakness in the immunization system. The disease tore through American cities, hitting Black and Hispanic preschoolers especially hard. Between 1989 and 1991, there were more than 55,000 cases and 123 deaths. In June 1991, President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, stepped into the White House Rose Garden with a message for “every parent everywhere in America”: “Please, make sure your child is immunized.” He announced that a special team of health officials was investigating why so many kids were missing their shots. “While some say each generation repeats the mistakes of the last, no generation in America should suffer the plagues of the past,” Bush said. The problem was access. Parents couldn’t afford the vaccines given at pediatricians’ offices. Bush’s successor, President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, ushered in a program that to this day offers free shots through local doctors to more than half of American kids. Vaccination rates climbed, and measles cases dropped precipitously. By 2000, the U.S. had stopped local spread of the virus so well that global health authorities declared it eliminated here. Having made progress at home, the U.S. government championed the use of vaccines abroad. Dr. Susan Reef, who had trained in the CDC disease-detective program made famous by Kate Winslet’s character in the movie “Contagion,” crisscrossed the globe showing health officials how they could save babies from birth defects and early death by introducing the rubella vaccine. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="495" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?w=752" alt="A close-up photo of a child’s eye being held open. A white film covers the entire iris so that the pupil cannot be seen." class="wp-image-70783" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=300,198 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=768,506 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1024,674 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1536,1011 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=2048,1348 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=863,568 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=422,278 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=552,363 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=558,367 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=527,347 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=752,495 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1149,756 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=2000,1317 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=400,263 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=800,527 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1200,790 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1600,1053 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> The cloudy eye of this 3-year-old is from glaucoma caused by congenital rubella syndrome, a constellation of problems resulting from exposure to rubella while in utero. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Dr. Andre J. Lebrun Also known as German measles, rubella is usually mild in kids and adults. When people get infected very early in pregnancy, though, they face up to a 90% chance of giving birth to a baby with congenital rubella syndrome. About a third of those infants die before their first birthday. Most survivors have deafness, blindness, heart defects or intellectual disabilities. Before the vaccine, a U.S. epidemic in the mid-1960s led to 20,000 babies born with the syndrome. Reef and her CDC colleagues helped foreign health authorities set up surveillance systems that identified newborns with congenital rubella syndrome. During a 2011 rubella epidemic in Vietnam, Reef spotted a cluster of tiny bassinets in a Ho Chi Minh City intensive care unit. The babies’ eyes had cataracts, a sign of vision loss. She knew that most would have trouble hearing, if they could hear at all. A collaborator from the WHO told Reef that at least one of the infants had been abandoned by his family. Doctors had isolated the contagious newborns to prevent the spread of rubella, a sign the country’s surveillance system was working. But the scene of this preventable suffering, Reef said, “broke my heart.” Vietnam launched a national rubella immunization program a few years later. When Reef’s work began, less than half the world’s countries had introduced a rubella shot. When she retired in 2022 after a 30-year career at the CDC, all but 19 had. For half a century, one idea lay at the core of all U.S. immunization programs: Let down your guard and the diseases will return. Dr. Chuck Vitek saw this happen as he walked the worn linoleum floors of Russian infectious disease hospitals in the mid-1990s. Throughout that decade, a massive epidemic of diphtheria raged across the countries of the former Soviet Union. The CDC repeatedly deployed Vitek to help health authorities contain this ancient contagion, once widely known as the “strangling angel of children.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="491" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?w=752" alt="A tongue depressor holds open a person’s mouth so you can see two swollen brownish patches at the entry to the throat." class="wp-image-70786" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=300,196 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=768,502 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=1024,669 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=1536,1003 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=2048,1337 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=863,564 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=422,276 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=552,360 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=558,364 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=527,344 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=752,491 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=1149,750 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=2000,1306 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=400,261 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=800,522 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=1200,784 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-diphtheria.jpg?resize=1600,1045 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Tissue destroyed by the diphtheria toxin can build up in the back of a child’s throat, sealing off the swollen airway and suffocating them. Photo By BSIP/UIG via Getty Images Diphtheria’s name is drawn from the Greek word for leather because tissue destroyed by the diphtheria toxin builds up in the back of the throat like a piece of hide, sealing off a swollen airway. Many parents had to watch their children suffocate. For those who escape asphyxiation, the toxin can damage the heart and nerves. Patients who seem better can drop dead weeks later. At one hospital, Vitek peered into the mouth of a sick Russian teenager and saw the thick greyish-white membrane covering a third of his throat. Doctors had administered antitoxin promptly, so his windpipe wasn’t blocked. But, pale and weak, the boy faced a terrible wait. Had diphtheria ruined his heart? Vitek had to leave before it was clear whether the child would survive. But one detail from his medical history stood out above all others: The teen had not been vaccinated. “It was sad because it was something that would have easily been prevented with vaccination,” Vitek recalled. Vitek was another graduate of the CDC’s disease-detective program. A big part of his assignment was to investigate why diphtheria had come back. One obvious problem was access; the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 disrupted vaccine supplies. But that wasn’t the whole answer. The unvaccinated Russian boy offered a clue to the rest. The Soviets had been big believers in immunization. Diphtheria shots for kids had been free — and mandatory — since the 1950s. When diphtheria seemed like a problem of the past, though, the Soviet Union eased up. Concerns about fevers and other possible side effects from the shot used back then overshadowed fears of the disease. In the 1980s, Soviet health authorities created alternative immunization schedules with lower-dose diphtheria shots and fewer total injections, and they directed pediatricians to put off vaccination if a child had one of a long list of health issues. “If a kid had a runny nose, a stomachache, almost anything,” Vitek said, doctors would skip the shot that day. “They wouldn’t make an effort to catch them up.” Antivaccine activists tapped into the deep mistrust of government institutions in the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union. One 1988 column in a Moscow newspaper suggested that Soviet officials knew the shot could be harmful — even deadly — but kept this secret. (In focus groups held years later, parents vividly recalled how news stories made them afraid of immunizations, Vitek and a colleague found.) By 1990, only 60% of infants in Soviet Russia had received all three full-strength diphtheria shots before their first birthday. The disease found a foothold. Before the epidemic was over, more than 157,000 people were infected and 5,000 died, mostly in Russia. Health officials in Russia ended the policies that left their people vulnerable and held mandatory mass vaccination campaigns. “It was an extra dose across the entire population,” Vitek recalled. It took years to end the epidemic. Japan had a similar struggle with rubella. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="674" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?w=752" alt="Large, red, raised patches cover a child’s cheek in such quantity that many of the patches connect to one another and only small strips of normal skin show through between. The red patches continue in a less dense pattern down the child’s neck and onto his chest. " class="wp-image-70789" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg 2238w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=300,269 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=768,688 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=1024,917 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=1536,1376 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=2048,1835 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=863,773 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=422,378 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=552,495 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=558,500 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=527,472 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=752,674 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=1149,1029 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=1786,1600 1786w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=400,358 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=800,717 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=1200,1075 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=1600,1433 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rubella-profile.jpg?resize=2000,1792 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A rash from rubella, also known as German measles Centers for Disease Control and Prevention When health authorities introduced a rubella shot in the 1970s, they took an approach that weighed who was most at risk, targeting future mothers by giving the shot only to junior high girls. The boys of this era were passed over and remained susceptible as they grew up. Rubella researchers refer to them as “the lost generation.” In 1989, Japan changed course and began vaccinating young boys and girls with a shot that combined protection for rubella, measles and mumps. But doctors quickly discovered that the mumps component — different from the U.S. version — sometimes caused a type of meningitis. Mistrust spread as health officials downplayed the risk at first, then yanked the combined vaccines in favor of standalone shots. Japan in 1994 dropped its strict immunization mandates. Health authorities continued to recommend shots, but vaccination became a matter of personal choice, and a lack of trust shadowed the immunization program for years. One study showed Japan’s confidence in vaccines was among the lowest in the world. Time and again, rubella circulated in the men who were never offered the shots as boys, then spread to pregnant women who hadn’t been fully vaccinated. Babies were born with the type of devastating birth defects that Reef saw in the ICU in Vietnam. Japan’s epidemic from 2012 to 2014 was so bad that researchers discovered a temporary drop in the country’s fertility rates that coincided with a spike in Google searches for the Japanese word for rubella. Serious misgivings about vaccination in one part of the world can have far-reaching consequences. Twenty countries that thought their days of paralytic polio were behind them saw the dreaded disease return in the 2000s. The virus was traced to Nigeria, where religious and political leaders in some areas had boycotted polio immunization campaigns amid false rumors that the shots had been tainted to make Muslim girls infertile. Organizers of the boycott feared the vaccine more than the disease. The governor of one northern Nigerian state told the Associated Press in 2004: “It is a lesser of two evils to sacrifice two, three, four, five, even 10 children [to polio] than allow hundreds or thousands or possibly millions of girl-children likely to be rendered infertile.” Polio roared back in Nigeria, leaving more than 2,500 children disabled. It spread around the world for years, paralyzing kids as far away as Indonesia. When Kennedy became America’s top health official last year, no other leader at the CDC had more experience preventing death and disability with vaccines than Dr. Melinda Wharton. It was Wharton who had sent Vitek to Russia to figure out why diphtheria returned. And it was Wharton who started Reef on her quest to vanquish congenital rubella syndrome. Like them, she had trained as a disease detective. In her 39 years at the CDC, Wharton had seen activists try to persuade Americans that the shots they were giving their babies were scarier than the diseases those shots prevented. In 2021, Kennedy had written in a book that measles — a virus the CDC says kills nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who contract it — wasn’t the menace that the government proclaimed. “Measles outbreaks have been fabricated to create fear that in turn forces government officials to ‘do something,’” he wrote. “They then inflict unnecessary and risky vaccines on millions of children for the sole purpose of fattening industry profits.” During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy told senators he isn’t antivaccine. “I am pro-safety,” he said. “I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, and nobody called me anti-fish.” In his early days as the nation’s top health leader, HHS dismissed thousands of Wharton’s colleagues, ended vaccine promotions during an especially deadly flu season and buried a CDC measles forecast that stressed the need for immunization. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="495" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?w=752" alt="A child’s stomach is uniformly covered in small, tightly packed reddish brown patches. " class="wp-image-70792" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=300,198 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=768,506 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=1024,674 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=1536,1011 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=2048,1348 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=863,568 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=422,278 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=552,363 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=558,367 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=527,347 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=752,495 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=1149,756 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=2000,1317 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=400,263 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=800,527 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=1200,790 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-torso.jpg?resize=1600,1053 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A measles rash covers a child’s torso. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Dr. Philip Nader Wharton set five empty cardboard boxes on her filing cabinet in case she needed to pack up quickly. In recent years she managed the committee of outside experts that recommends which shots Americans should get and when. Few people had ever heard of her obscure corner of the federal health bureaucracy. But Kennedy knew it well. He understood that Congress had given these advisers the power to determine which shots were free for more than half of American kids and which ones insurers must pay for. Many states used the committee’s recommendations to set vaccine mandates for kids attending school. Kennedy for years complained the panel had been captured by Big Pharma. On June 9, his chief of staff at the CDC removed Wharton from her role managing the committee. Just as that news was sinking in, Wharton’s phone lit up with messages from the committee’s members. Kennedy had announced in a Wall Street Journal column that he was replacing all of them. “A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science,” he wrote. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?w=752" alt="" class="wp-image-70795" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-rfk.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kayla Bartkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images Kennedy stacked the new committee with many vaccine skeptics who quickly delved into his longstanding grievances about America’s immunization system. Webcasts of the meetings became a megaphone for mistrust. Some devolved into shouting matches as doctors from medical societies pushed back against misinformation. One of Kennedy’s new appointees, Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, suggested that vaccinating a baby was like flying on an airplane that hadn’t been rigorously tested. “I suggest to parents to be very, very suspicious when people tell them that something is safe, especially a vaccine,” he said. In an emailed response to questions from ProPublica, Levi said that vaccines have benefits and risks “often personalized to the individual’s health status, risk factors, and preferences.” Being transparent about those benefits and risks, including being honest about what is known and not known, increases public confidence in vaccination programs, he said. The chair of the committee, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, told the “Why Should I Trust You?” podcast he wasn’t afraid to reconsider whether the polio shot is needed any longer. In an email to ProPublica, Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist, said that the committee is required to review vaccines every seven years “to optimize effectiveness and to reevaluate possible long term risks.” Like Kennedy, Milhoan doesn’t think vaccines have been appropriately tested for safety. In the podcast, he said American parents deserve to know the risks so they can decide whether they’re more concerned about the disease or the potential for side effects from the shot. “What we are doing is returning individual autonomy to the first order, not public health,” he added. Since she retired last year, Wharton has tuned in to the meetings she used to run, but at times they were too painful to watch. The new committee at one point sought advice from a former president of the antivaccination group Kennedy founded, while a CDC compilation of evidence that ran counter to her presentation was quietly removed from the panel’s website. For insight on the childhood schedule, the panel listened to a 90-minute talk by a Kennedy ally, a vaccine-injury attorney who once petitioned the government to withdraw approval of the polio shot for infants and toddlers. In January, the acting CDC director trimmed the childhood immunization schedule so that it recommended routine protection for 11 diseases rather than 17. Six shots that had been universal would now fall into a category that essentially means “talk to your doctor and decide for yourself,” with guidance for certain shots based on risk. “The idea that it’s increasingly acceptable to put children at risk for these kinds of things is really just terrible,” Wharton said. “To have it be the official position of the federal government, it’s very frightening.” Nixon, the HHS spokesperson, defended the slimmed-down schedule, saying it would “maintain robust protection against diseases that cause serious morbidity or mortality to children while aligning the U.S. with peer nations.” As for the committee, Nixon said Kennedy’s appointees are “committed to rigorous review and independent thinking.” “Restoring confidence requires advisory bodies that are willing to ask hard questions, not simply reaffirm prior consensus and rubber stamp recommendations,” he said. “Disagreement at public meetings is a healthy scientific debate and the way to overcome groupthink.” The American Academy of Pediatrics, which for decades had collaborated with the committee on the childhood vaccine schedule, boycotted the panel’s meetings and sued to block many of Kennedy’s moves. On Monday, a federal judge sided with the academy, finding that for an advisory committee dedicated to using vaccines to control preventable diseases, more than half of the new members “appear distinctly unqualified.” While he considers the case, the judge, for now, put on hold Kennedy’s appointments to the panel as well as the CDC’s changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. The ruling is a setback for Kennedy, but the Trump administration has foreshadowed other changes that could affect Americans’ access to shots. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?w=752" alt="" class="wp-image-70796" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-trump-rfk.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> President Donald Trump, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., addresses reporters during a press conference in the White House. Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images In September, President Donald Trump stepped up to the microphone in the White House’s Roosevelt Room with a major announcement about his administration’s efforts to counter the rise of autism. Flanked by Kennedy and other top health officials, the president urged pregnant women not to take acetaminophen, the pain reliever often sold as Tylenol. This news ricocheted around the globe. But less attention was given to other bombshells dropped about vaccines that day. The president complained that pediatricians were giving so many shots, they were treating America’s children like horses. “They pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies, it’s a disgrace,” he said. Without explaining how, Trump said his administration was going to get aluminum removed from vaccines. “Who the hell wants that pumped into a body?” he said. Aluminum has been used in shots since the 1930s to boost immune response. It is an essential ingredient in vaccines for nine diseases, including diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, human papillomavirus (a cause of cervical cancer), one version of the Hib vaccine, and many of the combination shots babies receive. Kennedy has long questioned its safety. A CDC-sponsored study found an association between aluminum in shots and asthma in young kids. But the researchers, citing limitations in their analysis, wrote that “these findings do not constitute strong evidence for questioning the safety of aluminum in vaccines.” A larger study by Danish government researchers subsequently found aluminum in shots did not increase the risk of autism, asthma, autoimmune diseases or dozens of other conditions. Kennedy criticized the methodology and tried unsuccessfully to get the Danish study retracted. If the federal government were to ban aluminum in vaccines, companies would have to reformulate them and, possibly, launch costly clinical trials. Nearly all the shots American kids get are made by a handful of pharmaceutical giants. The market is fragile enough that if any were to balk and stop making these vaccines, families could face shortages or lose access altogether. The fate of the measles-mumps-rubella shot, which does not contain aluminum, is also up in the air. At the White House autism press conference, Trump, without offering evidence, said he had heard bad things about that shot, which has been used here since 1971. Researchers around the world repeatedly have found it does not cause autism. Nevertheless, the president implored parents to insist on separate shots for measles, mumps and rubella — “separate, separate, separate,” he repeated. But there are no FDA-approved standalone shots for measles, mumps or rubella. Facing a year with the most American measles cases in a generation, the president had suggested that there’s a problem with the only surefire prevention available and told parents to demand shots that don’t exist here. In an X post, the acting CDC director at that time called on manufacturers to develop them. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1050" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?w=752" alt="A shirtless child with a dense pattern of red bumps covering their face and chest. " class="wp-image-70799" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=215,300 215w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=768,1072 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=734,1024 734w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=1100,1536 1100w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=1467,2048 1467w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=863,1205 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=422,589 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=552,771 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=558,779 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=527,736 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=752,1050 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=1149,1604 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=1146,1600 1146w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=400,558 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=800,1117 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=1200,1675 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-measles-profile.jpg?resize=1600,2234 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A measles rash covers the face and shoulders of a young boy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention A White House spokesperson did not answer questions about the president’s plans. “The Trump administration is committed to a nuanced, nimble, and multi-faceted approach to restore Gold Standard Science as the guiding principle of our health policymaking without compromising access to or coverage of any lifesaving treatment, including vaccines,” Kush Desai wrote in an email. “Until unveiled by the Administration, discussion about potential new policies or their second order effects is pointless speculation.” The federal court ruling that paused January’s revisions to the childhood vaccination schedule doesn’t stop Kennedy from making similar changes in the future, as long as he follows the proper procedures. While moving shots to the talk-to-your-doctor category may seem harmless, it could affect access down the line. The injury compensation program that Congress created to prevent manufacturers from fleeing the U.S. market in the 1980s only covers immunizations the CDC recommends for “routine administration” to children or pregnant women. That leaves shots in other categories open to legal challenges by vaccine injury lawyers, renewing the specter of big legal verdicts that previously prompted vaccine makers to bolt. Kennedy has long railed against the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, arguing it’s a gift to the pharmaceutical industry that removes any incentive to make safe products. Before he became HHS secretary, Kennedy referred plaintiffs to a law firm suing a vaccine maker in exchange for a cut of its fees if they won, federal financial disclosures show. Last year, he hired a vaccine injury lawyer to help him overhaul the compensation program and expand who can receive payments. In September, that attorney said he and Kennedy were considering ways to add symptoms of autism to the program’s injury table for quick payouts. So many studies — performed in different parts of the world and involving more than a million people — have found no link between vaccines and autism that this has become scientific consensus. (Scientists have found serious methodological flaws in papers that have claimed such a link.) The compensation program’s vaccine court spent years in the 2000s trying cases that alleged shots caused autism and found they didn’t. ProPublica asked HHS whether Kennedy planned to add symptoms of autism to the program’s injury table, but the agency did not answer. Given how prevalent autism is, a change like this could exhaust the compensation fund. If the program collapses and the legal protections go away, manufacturers may stop selling shots here like they did in the 1980s. Then, even Americans who still trust vaccines couldn’t get them. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="576" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?w=752" alt="A toddler with their eyes redacted, covered in sweat with flushed cheeks, wet hair and a hand on his head." class="wp-image-70802" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=300,230 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=768,588 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=1024,784 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=1536,1177 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=2048,1569 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=863,661 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=422,323 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=552,423 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=558,427 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=527,404 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=752,576 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=1149,880 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=2000,1532 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=400,306 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=800,613 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=1200,919 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260318-hhs-doomsday-hib.jpg?resize=1600,1226 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A child suffering from Haemophilus influenzae type B, or Hib American Association of Pediatrics Diseases that have been wiped out in the U.S. are still found in other parts of the world. Polio is endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and this month the CDC warned American travelers that the virus has been circulating in 28 additional countries, including Israel and the United Kingdom. In 2022, a young unvaccinated man in New York was paralyzed by the virus. That same year, an outbreak of diphtheria began in Western Europe, its largest rise in cases in 70 years. Health authorities investigating the infection of an unvaccinated German boy in 2024 discovered that the toxic strain of the diphtheria bacteria had spread over two years from newly arrived migrants to homeless Germans, then to the child and his mother, who had no known contact with either group. The 10-year-old was admitted to a hospital in the historic city of Potsdam. Like Ratner encountering his first patient with Hib, the German doctors had never seen diphtheria before. “It was taught as history,” said Dr. Bernhard Kosak, head of pediatric emergency medicine and critical care there. Treated with antitoxin and antibiotics, the child was transferred to the big teaching hospital in Berlin where a ventilator helped him breathe. But the marvels of modern intensive-care medicine couldn’t undo the damage from this ancient toxin. The boy died in January last year. Diseases can follow the contours of global travel. In just the first few months of last year, the CDC found, people infected with measles arrived in the U.S. from Canada, Vietnam, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Australia, Guinea, the Netherlands, Somalia, Spain and Uganda. The Trump administration has walked away from long-standing international alliances that helped the U.S. beat back scourges in other countries. The president withdrew the U.S. from the WHO. And Kennedy backed out of the government’s promise to give $1.6 billion to Gavi, the global vaccine aid group the U.S. has funded for decades. He accused the organization of neglecting vaccine safety. “Secretary Kennedy has made clear that American public health dollars going abroad must be spent wisely,” Nixon, the HHS spokesperson, said. “That means reviewing funding commitments and ensuring programs meet safety and effectiveness standards. Protecting Americans at home remains our first obligation.” Reef, the former CDC doctor who had witnessed newborns suffering from congenital rubella syndrome in Vietnam, is devastated by the pullback. “It makes me very very sad,” she said, then paused for a long time. “Very very sad. I can’t explain to you what it feels like to see all your hard work going by the wayside.” In retirement, she remains part of the group of experts that helps governments decide when to introduce the rubella vaccine and also serves on four WHO committees that determine whether nations have eliminated rubella or measles. When countries launch rubella vaccination campaigns for the first time, they can’t just target babies or the virus shifts to older groups and can infect those who are pregnant. To avoid this, Gavi for many years supported immunizing all children from 9 months old up to age 15 when countries first introduce the shot, which offers protection not just for rubella but also for measles. But facing a massive hole in its budget, Gavi’s board in December decided in the future to save money by only guaranteeing that vaccine up to age 10 when a country first debuts it. Modeling predicts the change could result in 72,000 additional deaths from measles and congenital rubella syndrome, according to the Gavi board’s records. A Gavi spokesperson acknowledged that the shift creates a greater risk of congenital rubella but said that the organization had to figure out how to protect as many people as it could with far less money. Countries that want to offer the vaccine to older kids, she noted, can draw from a different pot of Gavi money, but that will leave those places with less funding for other shots. Fallout from the budget cuts goes well beyond rubella. “The bottom line is that, over the next five years, we expect to be able to prevent 600,000 future deaths less than if we were fully funded,” the spokesperson said. Addressing Kennedy’s criticism, the spokesperson added, “Gavi’s utmost concern is the health and safety of children. Our approach to vaccine safety is guided entirely by global scientific consensus.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="495" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?w=752" alt="Circles of white film cover the centers of a child’s eyes. " class="wp-image-70805" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg 3045w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=300,198 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=768,506 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1024,674 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1536,1011 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=2048,1349 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=863,568 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=422,278 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=552,363 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=558,367 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=527,347 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=752,495 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1149,757 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=2000,1317 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=400,263 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=800,527 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1200,790 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312-hhs-doomsday-rubella.jpg?resize=1600,1054 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Cataracts caused by congenital rubella syndrome Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The spread of measles in the U.S. warns of future rubella outbreaks. Since the rubella shot here is given in combination with the vaccine for measles and mumps, parents who turn down measles vaccines leave their kids vulnerable to rubella, too. It could take 20 years before birth defects from rubella become common again. Unvaccinated children have to grow old enough to become pregnant. The long lag time can give a false sense of security. But, Reef warned, “when it comes back, it will come back with a vengeance. We will see babies being born who are blind, deaf and have heart disease.” The world is ill prepared for a major resurgence in diphtheria. Antitoxin, made from the blood of horses, has to be given immediately. Yet supplies are scarce, and not many companies sell it. Dozens of kids in Pakistan died in 2024 because doctors there couldn’t get it in time. Vitek, the CDC doctor who fought diphtheria in Russia, helped obtain permission for the CDC to keep an emergency stash of antitoxin for Americans after the only manufacturer with FDA approval stopped making it. The U.S. medical system still relies on an emergency supply controlled by the CDC. ProPublica asked the CDC and HHS how many diphtheria patients the government’s current supply could treat, but neither agency would say. (“The CDC vigilantly monitors disease trends, maintains emergency stockpiles, and supports outbreak response at home and abroad,” Nixon said.) Vitek retired in July after 33 years with the CDC, but he still worries how diseases that seem vanquished can reappear if people can’t or won’t get shots. The unvaccinated parts of America could find themselves, like Germany, one unwitting traveler away from an outbreak of a horror from the history books. “Once it gets reintroduced, your kid could get sick or die, even with modern medicine,” Vitek warned. And diphtheria, he noted, “it’s a terrible way to die.” Do You Have a Tip for ProPublica? Help Us Do Journalism. Got a story we should hear? Are you down to be a background source on a story about your community, your schools or your workplace? Get in touch. Send Us Your Tip The post How Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Vaccine Agenda Risks a Resurgence of Deadly Childhood Plagues appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Patricia Callahan.
Thursday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD
Thursday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4 and was authored by Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4.
The AI boom has plunged a small Pennsylvania town into chaos
Data centers will swallow 14 percent of Archbald, evict a trailer park, and border many residential properties. Who's to blame is a matter of fierce debate.
“I don’t like to see anyone upset,” said Nick Farris of Provident Real Estate Advisors. He was sitting in the front of a crowd of roughly 150 inside Valley View High School’s auditorium in Archbald, a town of about 7,500, huddled between two mountain ranges in Pennsylvania’s Lackawanna Valley. Farris was there to represent the developer for Project Scott, one of many data center campuses coming to town. “However,” he said. “I think that this is the best data center site in this area of the country, by far.” The audience had been fairly quiet, bundled in thick coats against the late January cold. But as Farris spoke about data centers as a boon for communities, they began to laugh, drawing a rebuke from town officials. “What about the children?” someone shouted from the crowd. The children were watching from the walls; long banners of Valley View Performing Arts students hanging around the auditorium like championship pennants. Project Scott and four other data facilities will sit just a few thousand feet from the middle and high schools. “Isn’t there a missile plant next door?” Farris said, getting aggravated. He was referring to Lockheed Martin’s 350,000-square-foot Missiles and Fire Control facility directly next to the high school, parts of which are highly contaminated. “That sucks too!” another attendee yelled back. This was nothing to worry about, Farris tried to convince the audience. This would bring in tax revenue, he said. It was just an office park, albeit one with roughly 450 diesel backup generators. “It’s going to be away from everyone,” Farris kept repeating, to rising jeers. He was wearing a knit turtleneck with a large American flag emblazoned across the chest. “It’s not going to bother anyone.” The specifications say something different: Five developers are planning to build six data center campuses in Archbald, which will cover a full 14 percent of the town, evict a trailer park, and border many residential properties. One campus alone, as The Scranton Times-Tribune reporter Frank Lefneskey pointed out, is expected to use more power than the region’s largest power plant is able to produce. Pennsylvania has become an epicenter of the data center boom in the United States, with over 50 campuses in development. Eleven of them are slated for Lackawanna County alone. Archbald, with six campuses composed of 51 massive buildings, has the most of any municipality in Pennsylvania. Despite the public outcry, it has been surprisingly difficult to learn what Archbald’s elected officials think of the massive industry moving in. None of the town’s seven council members responded to my emails, so I stopped by the borough administration building in person a few weeks before Christmas, and was told to wait in the lobby while they held an informal closed meeting in council chambers. When the door opened, it was clear that anyone who actually had the power to make or break the data center plans had quietly filed out the back, leaving me with Archbald’s unelected borough manager, Dan Markey, who essentially runs the town, but cannot vote for or against development. What did he think about artificial general intelligence, or AGI — the idea that eventually these efforts will produce something like a “computer god” capable of solving climate change, ending hunger, revealing the full breadth of science, and performing any number of other miracles? “I believe in one God, and it’s not a computer,” Markey told me evenly. By now, hundreds of towns across the country have been caught up in the rush to build large language models that can parse unfathomable amounts of data to write copy, answer any query, develop new vaccines, and likely render a large number of jobs obsolete. That rush accelerated into an all-out arms race over the past year. What it means in practice is an enormous amount of data centers — enough to approximate a minor deity and enough, as OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever once speculated, to “cover the Earth.” Markey told me he had ChatGPT on his phone, but didn’t use it much. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind wants to see the world covered in data centers,” Markey said. “[But], according to Pennsylvania law, we have to have a zone for everything. An adult bookstore, a strip club, a concrete and asphalt plant — anything that wants to come here. We have to have a zone for it. If it’s not zoned, it’s allowed to go anywhere.” In most states, towns have the right to exclude businesses that they find disagreeable — a wealthy suburb, for example, would likely reject a landfill or gas plant — but in Pennsylvania, towns must allocate some patch of land to these “undesirable industries.” Some municipalities deal with this by forming what are called zoning collaboratives, which allow them to plan as a region for pollution. One town might get data centers, another gas plants, another a landfill. Markey approached the nearby boroughs of Blakely and Dickson City to discuss the possibility, but the data center development rush has outpaced him. Whatever’s attracting data centers to the area, it’s forced Markey to answer for a rush of development, unprecedented since the town was settled in the 1840s in service of an industry that will bring vanishingly few jobs. Residents kept bringing up the threat of collapse — the network of empty mine shafts running underground, the town beneath the town, the structural instability that would accompany these massive buildings. The data centers would drive bears into town, they said, rattlesnakes into yards, and without trees to stabilize them, the mountains themselves would begin to crumble, sending landslides into the valley. “I just try to listen, and I try to separate the valid concerns from the things that just sound like the sky is falling,” said Markey. “I was approached at a gas station a couple months ago and was told that I was going to kill everyone who lived in Archbald. I don’t think that’s valid. I don’t think that’s a reasonable argument to have with me.” But the anger and suspicion directed towards town officials, incoming tech companies, and a powerful local businessman with reported mafia connections show no signs of abating. The AI rush is often spoken of in terms of grand harms or potential social goods that feel entirely divorced from the way it’s playing out on the ground — as an unmitigated mess, breeding confusion, paranoia, and fury. <img class="article-asset " src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="" data-caption="" data-credit="Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2000w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?resize=1200%2C1013&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?resize=330%2C279&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?resize=768%2C648&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1296&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-1.1.jpg?resize=150%2C127&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1688" width="2000" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /> <img class="article-asset " src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="" data-caption="" data-credit="Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2000w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?resize=1200%2C1012&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?resize=330%2C278&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?resize=768%2C648&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1296&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Archibald-3.3.jpg?resize=150%2C127&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1687" width="2000" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /> The small town of Archbald, Pennsylvania, has found itself at the center of an AI boom. Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist Millions of years ago the Lackawanna Valley was an intertidal zone: swamp land bordering a shallow sea that stretched out to Central Pennsylvania. That sea was forced skyward as the African and North American continents collided, raising the mountains from the earth and crumpling and compressing the valley’s dying plant life in tight laminations, until it finally hardened into what’s considered the gold standard for coal — smokeless, slow-burning anthracite. Anthracite is rare: Almost 90 percent of the world’s recoverable deposits lie buried in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and it represents only 1 percent of global coal stocks (the majority being the soft, sooty bituminous coal that you find in the western half of the state and across West Virginia), but it was the most in-demand fuel for household heating for over a century. Its discovery brought a rush of mining companies to the region, transforming the Lackawanna Valley from a mass of overgrown forest into a crucial coal production and transportation hub for New York and Philadelphia’s energy markets. Coal patch towns — in which everything, the stores, the schools, the houses, were owned by coal companies — sprang up across the valley. Scranton became known as the “Electric City,” with the region’s bountiful fuel reserves powering some of the first street lamps and electric trolleys. The economic boom was short-lived though. Oil quickly outpaced coal, and a devastating flood in the 1960s effectively ended the industry, by which time the region was so thoroughly hollowed out that the Pennsylvania secretary of mining warned the city of Scranton “was sitting on toothpicks” and would be more cost-effective to abandon than reclaim. The drive into Archbald is especially beautiful in fall — gently rolling hills covered in foliage, rivers winding lazily past clapboard houses — but winter brings a low, fixed gray sky and a perpetual blanket of snow. Without the forgiving cover of leaves, it’s easier for the old industrial history to lurch into view. The ground gives way occasionally, and huge, black mountains of mining waste called culm (pronounced “column”) dot the landscape. By now, the culm piles are covered in vegetation and appear almost natural, but you can tell something is off if you look closely — their slope is too abrupt; their backs covered by spindly, young trees, slipping downhill. They’re enormous health hazards, sending fine particulate matter into the surrounding neighborhoods and leeching toxins into the groundwater, but they’ve become familiar enough, a woman named Tiffany told me, that people hike on them and kids play on them. We were at the end of her block, looking up at a massive culm pile. “I’ve never walked back there,” she said. “It’s kind of creepy.” The land on the other side of the heap has been sold to Project Gravity, whose developers intend to build seven 138,000-square-foot buildings along Eynon-Jermyn Road. It will be bordered by two more data center campuses, known as Project Scott and Project North; across the road will be yet another campus called Project Boson. Further down Eynon-Jermyn Road is the Wildcat Ridge AI Center. Tiffany lives just over the town line in Jermyn, meaning she won’t benefit from the increased tax income, nor can she voice an opinion at the Archbald town meetings, even though the data centers are effectively in her backyard. I’d met Tiffany a few months earlier in a nearby park, along with other members of a fast-growing group of locals fighting the new developments. I’d reached out to them through the Stop Archbald Data Centers Facebook group, which now has over 5,000 members, equal to nearly two-thirds the size of the town. Local opposition to data centers has swept the nation this year, with concerns over rising electricity costs, reliance on fossil fuels, excess water use and noise, pollution, and their placement in or near residential areas. These fights have forged unlikely political alliances and will potentially imperil incumbents come this year’s midterm elections. According to a Financial Times analysis, at least 370 measures to regulate the AI industry were introduced in state legislatures this past year, and roughly 80 percent of Republicans and Democrats believe the industry needs more regulation. “We moved from a couple towns over and built a new house, thinking this was a good place to go,” said Archbald resident Ann Beynon, who grew up by a Superfund site in nearby Throop. She’d been looking to settle down somewhere in the area where her kids wouldn’t be at risk of lead poisoning. There was a landfill in Throop and a gas plant in Jessup. “And now this is happening” in Archbald, she said while gathered in the park. Tiffany, Ann, and the others had brought maps to our meeting to demonstrate the scale of the problem. They were not, they explained, asking for the data centers to leave entirely — they just wanted them confined to industrial zones. They felt town council members were unprepared and ill-informed on this issue, ready to jump at the prospect of tax money without looking at the long term implications. When the first data centers began to arrive in early 2025, Archbald’s zoning code classified them as roughly on par with commercial office buildings, allowing them to be built in some commercial zones. Residents fought back, demanding new zoning laws that would limit data centers to fully industrial areas away from the center of town, but the updated zoning ordinance passed last November wouldn’t go that far. Instead, they still allow facilities to be built next to residential neighborhoods — such as the Highlands, a condo complex occupied largely by retirees, and a trailer park called Valley View Estates, whose owner has agreed to sell the land to a data center developer. Residents are set to be evicted next month, on April 15. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="Candace May stands in the snow outside her mobile home." data-caption="Candace May stands outside her home in the Valley View Estates. May and other residents have been told they will be evicted in April." data-credit="Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist"/> Candace May stands outside her home in the Valley View Estates. May and other residents have been told they will be evicted in April. Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist “These people have no resources,” said Beynon. “They can’t just get up and move — they’re really scared.” Developers moved to purchase land before the ordinance went into effect, leaving Archbald with little recourse to stop them, said Brigitte Meyer, an attorney at PennFuture, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. Meyer has been sounding the alarm for a year now, warning municipalities across Pennsylvania that if they don’t get out in front of the data center boom, they could be overrun. “The tragic irony is that it’s really hard to get the community activated at this on the front end, when things are more hypothetical,” she said. “People’s interest gets piqued when there’s a specific proposal. But by the time it gets to that point, the period has already passed where the municipality has the most power to actually affect how that’s going to go.” Valley View Estates isn’t far from Tiffany’s house, just up Eynon-Jermyn Road. Residents received their eviction notice last July, shortly after Project Gravity was announced. The facilities would cover the surrounding woods; more buildings would replace the junkyard down the street. They were hemmed in, and the park owner wanted out. When reports of the eviction hit local news, “people were so horrible,” said Matthew Bucksbee, a Valley View resident. “One of the kids that commented, he’s like ‘Yeah, just get rid of that place, it’s infested with drugs.’” Many residents, Bucksbee’s fiancée, Candace May, explained, are disabled or caretakers for disabled relatives; many don’t even have cars and subsist largely off the one Dollar General within walking distance. They’ve been told they cannot legally challenge the eviction notice until the land is actually sold, and they’ve received little to no information from the owner since — although they were warned, May said, that anyone withholding rent in the interim would be evicted immediately. May’s mother, Sharon Williams, works as a home health aid for three disabled men, making $17.50 an hour. It’s enough for her to live on — she’s paid off her car, she can swing groceries, her internet, her phone, her healthcare costs, and the lot rent for her trailer, but it doesn’t leave her with much left over at the end of every month. She can’t afford a more expensive place, nor does she qualify for Section 8 housing, putting her in an impossible situation as the April eviction deadline looms. Despite their name, mobile homes are not really mobile. Most will fall apart if you try to relocate them, and although residents generally own their trailers, they pay nominal rent to a park owner, who owns the land — in this case, a couple who run a beer store outside Philadelphia. As the cost of living skyrockets, it’s the only stable, affordable housing many are able to find. According to Princeton’s Eviction Lab, the average lot rent nationwide was only $470 a month in 2023; Williams pays just $390, but residents are uniquely vulnerable to displacement. When a trailer park closes, many people are forced to abandon their homes or sell them for next to nothing. If they don’t own their trailer outright, they can find themselves homeless and still paying off a mortgage. The county’s public housing is roughly 98 percent occupied at the moment, according to a representative from the Lackawanna County Housing Authority. Placements are allocated by a point system, wherein victims of domestic violence, the homeless, and the disabled get first priority, but waitlists for one, two, and three bedrooms are currently closed. Waitlists for studios and four-bedroom apartments remain open, but it can take anywhere between one to five years to get into housing. For now at least, Valley View residents have few good options. “Everybody’s worried about where they’re going to go,” said Bucksbee. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=2048 2048w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=807&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MobileHomes-Wide.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A "no data centers" sign sits in front of a home in Valley View Estates, which is being sold to make room for a nearby data center." data-caption="A “no data centers” sign sits in front of a home in Valley View Estates, which is set to be surrounded by data centers." data-credit="Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist"/> A “no data centers” sign sits in front of a home in Valley View Estates, which is set to be surrounded by data centers. Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist Tech companies are clearly coming to Archbald for the Susquehanna-Roseland powerline, a $1.4 billion high-voltage transmission line, which would give them access to bulk power. But locals also suspect that the area’s cheap land, lax zoning laws, and centralized capital also appealed to developers. This is old coal territory, and when the mines closed down, a lot of land wound up concentrated in just a few hands. “Who runs everything with a lot of money? The name DeNaples is on a lot of these buildings,” one Archbald resident told me, after speaking out against the data centers at a utility hearing at the University of Scranton in December. “He’s got his tentacles all over the place.” DeNaples is Louis DeNaples, an enormously powerful businessman infamous in the Lackawanna Valley, who has long been plagued by accusations of connections to organized crime — specifically to the late mob boss of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Russell Bufalino, who served as counsel to Jimmy Hoffa and may have had him killed, according to some popular accounts. Bufalino was thrust onto the national stage most recently by Martin Scorsese’s 2019 magnum opus, The Irishman, played by a quietly sinister Joe Pesci, but DeNaples himself has no such Hollywood notoriety. He remains a grim specter across the region though — some residents say they are scared of him and attribute a great deal of power to him. “If your little league team needs jerseys, [DeNaples] provides them,” another local explained. “If the local police department needs a new car, he donates.” DeNaples was one of nine children and grew up poor, selling Christmas trees with his brother Dominick in a vacant lot and reselling junk cars for parts. He reportedly bought his first car for $18 and hauled it himself up the steep hill to his family’s house over the course of two days. Countless cars later, he opened the Keystone Sanitary Landfill, swallowing vast amounts of garbage from New York and Philadelphia, and making DeNaples a millionaire. Eventually, he expanded into real estate, then outwards and upwards from there. In the late 70s, he pleaded no contest to a conspiracy charge of defrauding the federal government out of over half a million dollars for cleanup work after Hurricane Agnes, but was never convicted. One dissenting juror forced an acquittal, and a Bufalino family underboss was later sent to prison for witness tampering. The charge would come back to haunt him though. In 2006, DeNaples purchased nearby Mount Airy Casino, but was forced to hand control over to his daughter after it was revealed that he’d lied about his relationship to organized crime. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP071022061171.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="Louis DeNaples, wearing a suit and tie, leans over to speak to a man next to him." data-caption="Louis DeNaples, a regional power broker in the Lackawanna Valley, speaks to a colleague at the Mount Airy Casino Resort. " data-credit="Steve Klaver / AP"/> Louis DeNaples, a regional power broker in the Lackawanna Valley, speaks to a colleague at the Mount Airy Casino Resort. Steve Klaver / AP Decades later, he remains a major power broker in the area: one of the largest landowners, the proprietor of many businesses, and the chairman of First National Bank. His name is not just on buildings, but on billboards all across the metro area. DeNaples hasn’t sold any land directly to the data centers, but in 2023 he sold a 186-acre parcel to another local businessman, Jim Marzolino of Kriger Construction, who then sold it to Project Gravity for over $12 million, according to public records. The transaction has raised hackles locally, although there is no evidence DeNaples saw any benefit from the heavy markup of his former land. More recently, DeNaples’ nephew sold land to a proposed data center in nearby Olyphant. But plenty of other local businessmen, without the alleged mob ties, are more directly involved in the data center boom — Marzolino, for example, or Anthony Domiano Jr., whose family runs a chain of local car dealerships, and who sold a large amount of land to Project South and Project North. Alpesh “Al” Patel, who runs the Al’s Quick Stop convenience store chain in the region, has partnered with Marzolino on development plans for Project Boson. As for Marzalino, he told The Scranton Times-Tribune his interest in data centers was spurred by a Bitcoin mining hobby. Neither DeNaples nor Marzolino responded to repeated requests for comment from Grist. On a freezing night a couple weeks before Christmas, locals gathered at The University of Scranton for a public hearing on their electricity bills. PPL Electric Utilities had announced a rate hike for the fourth time in two years — this one, raising consumer electricity prices by 7 percent. “I make about triple the Pennsylvania minimum wage — and I still freeze in my house,” said Jordan Moran, a student in cybersecurity at Lackawanna College, who also works a full-time job. “My thermostat is at 60 degrees, and my PPL bill is still nearly 20 percent of my monthly income.” PPL serves about 1.5 million ratepayers in Pennsylvania, and its territory has been overrun by data center proposals in recent years, significantly raising electricity prices in certain areas of the country. But under the utility’s proposed plan, data centers would receive a rate cut, which rankled attendees. Although the region needs jobs, “there’s no potential job growth really, for the local people. I’m one of the few people who would actually be qualified to even apply for a job there once they put [the data centers] up,” Moran told me after the hearing. “We don’t have a lot of computer science majors out there.” Three questions to prepare for data center development in your community Does your community have a data center ordinance in place? An ordinance passed by your local elected representatives (your city council, for example) can restrict data centers to industrial areas, without overhauling the entire zoning code. However, an ordinance may not be able to restrict a data center developer that has already submitted an application to begin construction. Who is developing the data center, and on what timeline? If developers have applied to build data centers in your community, you can submit a right-to-know request to your local open records office. You can ask for site plans, conditional use applications, noise studies, and “will serve” letters from your local water and electric utility. The application should have contact information for the developers and/or their lawyers. How is it being cooled and powered? Although data centers all have different ways of cooling and powering their campuses, local ordinances can steer a project in a community’s desired direction. The Sierra Club of Virginia, for example, recommends performing a water impact study, requiring any buildings to adhere to the highest heating and cooling standards, and — if possible — prohibiting cooling water discharge into the municipal water supply to minimize pollution. 1 of 3 As several people at the utility hearing pointed out, Trump was scheduled to speak the following night in the conference room at the DeNaples’ family casino, to begin what the president claimed would be a series of rallies across the country. Concerns of affordability — lost jobs, hiring freezes, inflation, skyrocketing bills, the kind of concerns that had brought people out to that utility meeting the night before — the president called, “a myth.” Something incredible was just over the horizon, he promised, growing closer by the day. “You’re going to see what happens over the next two years. It’s like a miracle is taking place,” he said, as he opened the rally. “All of the companies that are pouring their money into building right now — building plants in Pennsylvania and many other states — auto plants, AI plants, plants of every type.” At this point, it appears all six data centers coming to the borough will pull from the grid. According to Archbald’s updated zoning agreement, oil, gas, and nuclear plants will not be allowed to co-locate alongside data centers. But the facilities are likely to fuel a fracking surge across Western Pennsylvania, and new buildings will bring hundreds of diesel backup generators to town. Should unsustainable power demands regularly force data centers off the grid, those generators could be running with relative frequency — emitting pollutants that have been linked to heart disease and cancer and generating noise that can disturb neighborhoods. To make matters more complicated, Archbald’s water system is privately owned and operated by American Water, the nation’s largest private water company. Residents are concerned the town’s data center boom will also affect these bills and threaten their drinking supply. Project Gravity alone is expected to pump 360,000 gallons of water a day from Lake Scranton, which serves 134,570 people across Lackawanna County. Developers of the Wildcat Ridge Data Center are proposing to pump up to 3.3 million gallons per day — some of it potentially from the minor sea of ground and rainwater that now fills the empty coal mines beneath the building site. The developer’s plans include a subsidence contingency, but looking over the scale of the place, it’s not hard to see where the residents are coming from when they talk of colossal buildings collapsing and the ready-made grave the mining industry left beneath the town. All of this assumes these facilities actually get built. Experts have speculated that half of data center proposals could be duplicative, meaning developers are applying in multiple places across the country but will ultimately only build a single campus. It’s also unclear who the tenants will be at this point, and according to Markey, developers have been tight-lipped. “They’ll say cryptic things like, ‘You know of this company. You probably use them every day,” he told me. “They all say the same thing — that they’re next in line for power.” Battery storage could replace some of those backup generators, closed-loop cooling (in which water is endlessly recycled) could reduce water usage, and harmful chemicals could be swapped out, but there’s really no way to know for sure until the tech company that will be leasing the space is known, making approving these projects a significant gamble. There are few guardrails for the industry at the moment. In February, the Trump administration rolled out the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, an initiative that asks tech companies to voluntarily agree to pay the cost of upgrading transmission lines and building power plants — rather than having those costs passed along to the average consumer. It was almost immediately derided as “smoke and mirrors” and “a toothless, empty promise” by Democratic congressman Frank Pallone, the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Governor Shapiro, who has championed AI’s rush into Pennsylvania, recently proposed an initiative that would incentivize responsible data center development. Projects that agreed to bring their own transmission, offer transparent community engagement, and clear community benefits agreements would qualify for the state’s Permit Fast Track Program, which can significantly speed up the building process. Critics pointed out that this would still incentivize developers to build gas plants, rather than switch to renewable energy, and that it’s difficult to enforce. “The developer gets all the benefits on the front end and bears none of the risk,” Emma Bast, a lawyer at PennFuture, told Spotlight PA. “And if the developer doesn’t follow through on the voluntary things, there are not a lot of options for the state.” Some residents are reluctantly making plans to move. “These data centers have to go somewhere,” said Jim Schaback, who told me he would likely rent out his house in Archbald if the developments go through. “I hate that they’re going here.” Matthew Bucksbee and Candace May recently got word that they may be able to move to a plot of land owned by a friend in Forest City, about 20 minutes north. “We’ll be moving into another trailer for the time being, but once that’s paid off, we could build up there,” said May. She was excited about the prospect of having a bunch of land for their sons to roam around. Tiffany, whose property in Jermyn borders Project Gravity, said that she would consider moving if data center developers began building in Jermyn or neighboring Mayfield to avoid being sandwiched between the buildings. “Where would you go though?” she said. “Because everywhere just sucks.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Candace.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="Candace May holds her young daughter, Nova, inside their home." data-caption="Candace May holds her daughter, Nova, in their home at Valley View Estates. May and other residents are making plans for where they will live after their eviction in April. " data-credit="Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist"/> Candace May holds her daughter, Nova, in their home at Valley View Estates. May and other residents are making plans for where they will live after their eviction in April. Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist Before Farris spoke at the Project South hearing in January, community members gathered outside the auditorium, some distributing pamphlets, others gossiping. Among the crowd were Jack and Amy Swingle, who told me they moved to the area to be close to their children. They recently signed on to a lawsuit appealing the updated data center zoning, arguing it does not adequately protect residents. But neither of them had high hopes for the night. At the previous hearing, they explained, developers had tried to soften the blow by promising that the data centers would bring more retail to the area — a Trader Joe’s, for example, which could potentially accompany the construction of the Wildcat Ridge AI center. “That’s one of the things I have [to say] in here,” said another woman standing nearby, gesturing to her notes. “Don’t be so condescending.” But the revenue that the building boom promises the region is real enough. The data centers would bring roughly $20 million in property taxes for Archbald, Farris said to the audience gathered, $50 million for Lackawanna County, and $100 million for the Valley View School District every year. Many municipalities were throwing tax breaks at developers, hoping to attract their attention. Archbald is not. Its abundant fiber-optic cables, high voltage electrical lines, nearby gas pipelines, and its proximity to Secaucus, New Jersey (a “pairing point” for data centers, where they exchange information) make it attractive regardless. Farris had sought this place out himself, but other nearby towns looked nearly as appealing as Archbald, he explained. Should the opposition continue to grow, developers might take their projects elsewhere — maybe to Berwick, about an hour away. “They’re going to get all the benefit, and you guys aren’t going to get anything,” Farris told the crowd. “[Data centers] are a necessity in life, and the decision has come down to, ‘Do you want to benefit from that necessity?” Archbald resident, Tamara Healy, asked about Community Benefit Agreements — she’d googled them, and it seemed to her that something like that should be in place before things proceeded any further. “Now, it’s ironic that you’re Googling stuff and you’re against data centers,” said Farris. “Just for the record.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TownHall.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="Tamara Misewicz-Healey speaks at a podium in an auditorium full of people." data-caption="Tamara Misewicz-Healey speaks at a town hall meeting about proposed data centers in Archbald, Pennsylvania." data-credit="Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist"/> Tamara Misewicz-Healey speaks at a town hall meeting about proposed data centers in Archbald, Pennsylvania. Rebecca Egan McCarthy / Grist Still, the town needs tax revenue, and it’s true that no other industry of this size and scale seems interested in the area. “We have just enough money in our checking account to pay payroll and keep the lights on, but every month we have a debate about canceling or suspending music or art,” said a solicitor, speaking on behalf of Valley View School District administrators in November 2025. Documents first published last week by DeSmog show that developers played a significant role in determining the terms of the data center overlay ordinance that ultimately passed in November 2025. Council President Dave Moran requested a 1000-yard buffer zone between data centers and adjacent properties. That was whittled down to just 300 yards in the final language. The area of the updated data center district that was ultimately passed was determined by the existing industrial zones in the town, and “the rest of the lines drawn were property lines of property owners looking to develop or sell to developers,” according to an email from Markey. “They were pretty much all specific requests.” Armed with proof that town officials and wealthy landowners were seemingly working against them, the Stop Archbald Data Centers Facebook group erupted, organizing a petition to immediately relieve Dan Markey, zoning officer Brian Dulay, council president Dave Moran, and Archbald borough solicitor Jay O’Connor of their duties. But, as PennFuture attorney Brigitte Meyer explained, negotiating with the developer is fairly standard in cases such as these, especially given the fact that data centers were technically permitted in certain commercial zones. Had the borough tried to exclude the data centers on the basis of something like height restrictions, developers could have taken them to court over what’s called “de facto exclusionary zoning” — arguing that the restrictions betrayed an antiquated understanding of data centers and were unduly constrictive “That is a valid type of legal challenge,” explained Meyer. It wouldn’t be a guaranteed win for developers, but nor would Archbald be assured of victory. The only certainty is that it would be a costly legal fight. “The borough may have looked at it and thought, ‘Well, our chances of winning a challenge like this aren’t so good.’” Other areas that rejected data center proposals, such as nearby Ransom township, have faced lawsuits. Clifton township, which rushed to get a data center overlay in place when they got wind of developer interest last year, recently settled after a legal dispute, filed by the developer mere hours before the ordinance was adopted. Whether borough officials made things too easy for developers or felt their hands were tied isn’t totally clear. As of this writing, most of them have refused to speak to me, even though the most damning evidence against them to date is their secrecy. But council member Erin Owen, who has opposed the data centers since the outset, did return my calls last week. She had not been happy with the data center overlay and said she was shut out of private meetings — like the one I stumbled on back in December — to lay out the terms of the ordinance. “They made a big mistake in doing that, because it does not seem transparent at all,” she said. “They only picked the council members that they wanted to know.” Council has had little luck helping Valley View Estates residents find alternative housing as of this writing, she told me, and although gas and nuclear plants are not allowed to co-locate alongside data centers, there is industrial land available in town where she believes developers will build their own gas plants. “All the impacts will be terrible,” she said. Owen is a fourth-generation resident of Archbald and has served on the borough council for the past ten years. “A lot of trees will be lost. A lot of wildlife will be lost. Homes are going to be last. Pollutants in the air, pollutants in the soil, and then the water, the noise — it’s just going to be very disturbing.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/electric-bills-energy.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Person holding electric bill with orange lightning bolts sparking from it" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/electric-bills-energy.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1120w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/electric-bills-energy.jpg?resize=330%2C435&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/electric-bills-energy.jpg?resize=768%2C1013&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/electric-bills-energy.jpg?resize=150%2C198&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1478" width="1120" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> What’s behind your eye-popping power bill? We broke it down, region by region. Naveena Sadasivam & Clayton Aldern The only hope at this point seems to be drastic action on the state level. Legislators on both sides of the aisle have taken notice of the problems facing Pennsylvania as the tech industry moves in. Republican State Representative Jamie Walsh announced he would soon be introducing a suite of bills to better regulate development. Democratic State Senator Katie Muth released a memo announcing that she plans to propose a three-year moratorium on data center development, calling it a “necessary step to protect public health, safety, fiscal stability, and environmental integrity.” Even so, it may not be enough to help Archbald, given how eager data centers are to set up shop in the area. It was nearly impossible to find anyone in town who was pro-data center development, although I asked around widely. Some said they weren’t against it, but wouldn’t explain further. Older residents tended to be the least troubled about the data centers, but in a fairly fatalistic way. “I’m going to die tomorrow,” one woman told me at Barrett’s Pub on Main Street. Barrett’s used to be owned by the mayor, and I’d stopped to grab some dinner. The woman told me she used to do nails; now she works for Lockheed Martin. “I don’t know what the data centers want. I don’t know what they do to you. I don’t know what they do to your children,” she said. “Younger people — do they know what’s happening?” I wasn’t sure what to tell her, other than that the town was once again being targeted because of an accident of geography and moneyed interests. The longer I spent reporting on this, the more I felt no one had the full picture, not the developers, not the bankers facilitating the baffling circular investments financing the boom, not the chip manufacturers or software engineers, certainly not the tech CEOs. A few weeks earlier, while visiting San Francisco, I’d watched a dog riding in a driverless taxi — paws hanging out the window, tongue waving in the wind, seemingly ferried around by a ghost. This is where those ghosts would come from. Editor’s Note: Pennsylvania has cities, boroughs, townships, and a single town. Because this article is intended for a national audience, we sometimes refer to Archbald colloquially as a “town.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The AI boom has plunged a small Pennsylvania town into chaos on Mar 19, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Rebecca Egan McCarthy.
The Great Lakes are ideal for wind energy. So where is it?
Bureaucratic hurdles and high costs have prevented the offshore wind industry from developing the Great Lakes’ abundant wind resources.
There are no wind turbines on the Great Lakes — and it isn’t for lack of wind. This titanic network of interconnected freshwater lakes with a surface area larger than New England, New York, and New Jersey combined is theoretically ideal for wind farms. Winds sweeping across the lakes are stronger, more consistent, and less turbulent than those over land. The National Laboratory of the Rockies has estimated that the Great Lakes states have enough offshore wind potential to generate more than three times their combined annual electricity consumption. Plus, unlike proposed wind farms along the East Coast, where the federal government controls the seabed, Great Lakes states have jurisdiction over their lakebeds. While projects would still face federal oversight, some proponents see wind development in the Great Lakes as a potential workaround to President Trump’s attacks on the industry. “If it’s done correctly and we’re able to harness even a fraction of that, we could offset a lot of electricity demand,” said Melissa Scanlan, director of the Center for Water Policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Still, the vast inland lakes remain untapped largely due to a lack of streamlined permitting processes at the state level and economic hurdles. Offshore wind is expensive, and unlike the East Coast, where a mature wind industry has built specialized ships and ports to build turbines in the sea, the Great Lakes states lack the infrastructure. Ultimately, renewable energy experts say the region doesn’t have the legal framework or technical capacity to support such massive projects. So far, offshore wind power — which involves installing turbines in large bodies of water, typically the ocean — in the United States, has been concentrated along the Eastern seaboard. Projects are still very rare: just three are currently operating, with several more under construction, all along the East Coast. More than a decade ago, President Barack Obama’s push for renewable energy buoyed a short-lived boom in offshore wind projects — particularly in the Great Lakes. The New York Power Authority and cities such as Toronto explored boosting their energy supply with wind power from Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. However, the initial boost only propelled one project forward: Ohio’s Icebreaker Wind in Lake Erie. After clashing with Ohio regulators over whether turbines could run through the night and battling a court case filed by local residents over impacts to bats and migratory birds, the developers eventually ran out of money and called the project off in 2023. Building renewable energy offshore in federal waters has now become harder than ever. On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum shutting down all offshore wind permitting, effectively suspending five large-scale East Coast projects. Although courts later overturned those cancellations, the uncertainty around offshore wind development under the Trump administration has persisted. And since any project on the Great Lakes would still need federal permits and reviews under the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, among others, wind developers have largely backed off their plans. “That told us that this was not the time to reintroduce floating offshore wind in Illinois,” said Jim Lanard, co-founder of Magellan Wind, an offshore wind developer focused on the Great Lakes. “Rather, we needed to face the existential threat to the industry.” Lanard said the regulatory uncertainty means it’s a bad time for business. His company, which in the past has submitted comments to the Illinois power regulators related to the deployment of offshore wind on Lake Michigan, has temporarily paused pursuing work on the Great Lakes. “Governors and legislatures are so focused on trying to figure out how to run their governments with the reduced support coming from Washington, D.C.,” Lanard said. “It’s not time for them to add additional burdens onto their staff, who don’t know how they’re going to balance their budgets.” Though Illinois’ jurisdiction over part of Lake Michigan presents some opportunities to work around Trump, Lanard said developers are not going to come to Illinois until there is a federal policy to protect the industry from whiplash elections. Moreover, Illinois and the other Great Lakes states have yet to establish a substantial legal framework to make local offshore wind farms a reality. Given these challenges, he estimated it will be some time before there are any wind farms on the Great Lakes. “I’m looking at five to seven years from 2029,” Lanard said. For years, state Representative Marcus Evans Jr. has championed a plan to make Illinois’ shores home to the first offshore wind farm in the Great Lakes. The legislation, known as the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act, was designed to direct state planners to solicit proposals for a new utility-scale offshore wind farm and begin purchasing offshore wind power. First introduced by Evans in 2022, the measure has long failed to pick up enough momentum to break out of the statehouse. In 2025, Illinois Senator Robert Peters refiled the bill, but it didn’t receive a committee assignment. Evans said he decided against refiling the bill this year. “I didn’t have the support,” said Evans, a South Side Chicago Democrat. “I used my energy this year to focus on some other items, but it’s still something that I think is important,“ he added. Since the bill would require a localized industry to build, transport, and upkeep the turbines, Evans saw the push as a huge boon for the region’s clean energy workforce — one that the state of Illinois has long been trying to prop up. Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, which committed the state to investing $80 million annually to build out workforce training hubs focused on clean energy-related jobs. The same bill also put the state on track to transition its energy sector to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. Evans had hoped his initiative could help achieve both goals at once. He is still optimistic that Lake Michigan will be next. “I will file [a bill] in the future,” he said. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The Great Lakes are ideal for wind energy. So where is it? on Mar 19, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco.
Why $4 gasoline is the tipping point for EVs
As fuel costs climb, the long-term math shifts toward EVs — but consumer hesitation and infrastructure gaps could slow the transition.
Gasoline prices continue ticking higher as the United States and Israel’s war with Iran continues. The national average now stands at $3.84 per gallon, nearly a dollar higher than at the start of the conflict. It’s also just shy of a tipping point that could push consumers toward electric vehicles. When gas prices top $4 per gallon, BloombergNEF estimates that the total cost of ownership for EVs becomes lower than for gas-powered vehicles. The exact crossover point depends on local prices for both gasoline and electricity. “[But] even when I run the model using the more expensive electricity cost, we are still seeing this very similar pattern,” said Huiling Zhou, an electric vehicle analyst at BloombergNEF. In California, for example, where electricity costs are high, gas is also expensive. At more than $5 a gallon, the state has already passed the point at which EVs are the cheaper option. According to a AAA survey from 2022 — when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove a monthslong price spike — $4 a gallon is also the threshold at which a majority of Americans will make changes to their driving habits or lifestyles. Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, agrees that “the high gas prices definitely start the conversation with a consumer.” Edmunds.com has reported an uptick in search traffic for EVs since the war started on February 28. It’s too soon to tell whether that interest will convert to more purchases, said Valdez Streaty. But when prices surged at the outset of the war in Ukraine, sales of electrified vehicles rose as well. From January through March 2022, EVs’ share of car sales in the US climbed 69 percent, with hybrids jumping 32 percent. Robbie Orvis, who directs modeling and analysis for the think tank Energy Innovations, said the general trend pre-dates electric powertrains. “In the past when prices have gone up, people would start choosing more fuel-efficient cars,” he said. The oil shocks of the 1970s and 1980s, for example, led to a focus on fuel efficiency and helped make relatively efficient Japanese cars more popular. Avoiding gas guzzlers could become trendy this time, too. “If you drive an EV, you’re nicely insulated,” said Orvis. “Your retail electricity rate isn’t going to double from one month to the next, like it can with gasoline.” Still, Orvis highlighted some factors that might mitigate a rush toward EVs. For one, it’s unclear how long high fuel prices will last. Limited availability of chargers for electric vehicles is another barrier to adoption. People also tend to put more weight on upfront costs than long-term financial gains. Then there’s the fact that higher oil prices can put a damper on consumer confidence more broadly. “The current situation is very likely going to lead to higher prices all around,” said Orvis. That pressure could mean people are more hesitant to make a big purchase like a car. As Valdez Streaty put it, “if they can delay it, they’ll delay it.” At the same time, EVs are in many ways more attractive than ever. Cox Automotive reported that, last month, the price premium for EVs compared to new gas-powered cars was the lowest on record, at $6,532. The pre-owned market had an even narrower $1,334 gap, with 18 of 26 brands now having an average used EV price below their used gas equivalents. “If you can have access to charging, now is the perfect time to get an EV,” said Jenny Carter, a professor at Vermont Law School who has researched consumer EV adoption. But higher gas prices, she continued, also put a spotlight on equity issues. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Signs at BP and Shell display prices for gasoline at stations in Chicago, Illinois, on March 2. The war in Iran has caused prices to surge." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> As gas prices soar, Trump is ignoring the lessons of the last oil crisis Jake Bittle “Low-income people have the most to gain by owning and driving an EV, but they’re the hardest market to reach,” she said. Those households often spend the highest portion of their incomes on gasoline, she explained, but are the least likely to be able to afford alternative vehicles or have access to charging. “It’s a real paradox.” Orvis thinks that part of the problem is the dearth of information available to prospective buyers. Because dealers generate much of their revenue providing maintenance that EVs don’t need, he said, they may not fully explore the financial benefits of going-electric with customers. He suggested that shoppers use one of the many online calculators that can show how even when the upfront cost of a gasoline car might be lower, the monthly costs of ownership could be higher when you consider fuel and maintenance costs. “There’s a real issue with how EVs are marketed,” he said. “It’s very hard for a new buyer, especially if you’re not really versed in this stuff, to get a real sense of what the trade-offs are.” For those who either can’t afford electric cars or don’t have access to charging, Valdez Streaty points to hybrid vehicles, which can be 25 to 45 percent more fuel efficient than their standard counterparts. A HondaCR-V, for example, gets around 29 mpg while the hybrid version gets 37. Even if soaring oil prices don’t last long, electrified cars can help soften the blow the next time they spike. A report released Wednesday by the energy think tank Ember found that EVs already displace around 1.7 million barrels of oil per day. While a far cry from the roughly 20 million that normally flow through the embattled Strait of Hormuz daily, it represents about 70 percent of Iran’s oil output. “The main thing to watch is national plans of how to respond to this,” said Daan Walter, a principal at Ember. He is optimistic that many countries will use moments like this to start turning to climate-friendly policies that help reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, including gasoline. So far, President Donald Trump doesn’t appear poised to lead the United States in that direction. Last summer, a Republican-led Congress gutted the Inflation Reduction Act, which included tax rebates for electric vehicles. But, particularly in the short term, American policy makers also lack levers for keeping rising gas prices in check, so people may very well start to shift on their own. “There is no meaningful policy tool to mitigate this,” said Orvis. “The only way to do that is to just get off the roller coaster, and EVs allow you to do that.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Why $4 gasoline is the tipping point for EVs on Mar 19, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Tik Root.
Writer Kelly Krumrie on taking language seriously
Where does your writing start? This question made me laugh. It sent me into a philosophical spiral of what does it mean for the writing to start. I don’t know if you did that on purpose to be sneaky. I wanted it to be vague. My first instinct is to say that it never starts because it is always running. I am always writing or thinking about it in some way. There is always some wheel running. Does it begin when I am out walking and thinking and looking around? Or when I am reading and make a note in a margin? Or when I start listing out ideas in a notebook? Or when I open the Word document? I feel like all of those happen simultaneously. Most often it starts with some glimmer of an idea that almost always comes in the form of a fact or a piece of information. I am a research-heavy writer and a learner and a curious person. I read a lot of nonfiction. As I am going about reading and being in the world, some things start to stick to that little wheel that is running in my brain. As things start to accumulate in a pile, I start to think that I might have something, which usually translates to sketchy notes, which start to take the form of sentences, and then those sentences start to get shaped into a thing. But sometimes that gathering up will take a couple of years before something comes to the surface. As you are starting to have these ideas, starting to write and sketch, when does form come into the process? Are you writing towards a specific form? It happens right at the start, as soon as notes or parts of sentences come into play. Form is so integral to how the idea is shaping in my mind and how the idea begins shaping itself on the page. There is an oscillating momentum between the form and the content where what I am writing about will help dictate the shape that the thing ultimately turns out be. And the shape of the thing starts to influence what it is I am writing about or driving toward. I am not a writer who plans out a plot in advance. I don’t know what the end is, or even the middle. When you are hitting it in the right spot and you have an accumulation of these ideas gathered, little piles in your brain, it does feel almost like a transmission or that it is coming through magically. But I think I am able to create that because of this constantly running hamster wheel in my head. When I go to write, it is easy to click into that space. How did this process look for your newest book, Concentric Macroscope? I started trying to transcribe sound. I had a list of sentences that were transcriptions of sound. I was thinking about metaphoric renditions of auditory experience and how they manifest in the body. As those sentences started to accumulate, I realized that if I keep the sentences visually separated by space, they became like vibrations or a series of echoes. I was curious enough to keep going. That form drove the plot forward. Your literal words on the page reflect the story. The broken-up language mimicked both the protagonist’s journey to identify an unknown language and the ladder-like electrical towers (pylons) that transmitted that unknown communication. The narrator is going up and down constantly in different environments. She is on top of a hill; she is underground. This kind of back-and-forth movement of how time and space are working in the book allowed for the ladder-like gaps between sentences. The actual parts of language—words, sentences, paragraphs—are just as important to you as what they are conveying. Can you talk about really taking language itself seriously? I have always been really, really interested in language from when I was a kid. Grammar was my favorite subject in school. I minored in linguistics as an undergraduate. I loved studying syntax and different structures and forms that language takes. As I am writing, I am thinking about that. I know the parts of the sentence. I know the terms for different verb forms. As I am structuring a sentence and describing anything creatively, I am seeing those structures and thinking about how they are operating. It really gets down to being interested in and committed to the material with which I am working in the way that an artist might be interested in the chemistry of a particular paint or the mineral composition of clay and just knowing how those things work together. Having a linguist as the protagonist was really fun for me because I was able to let her think about things that I think about all the time and study things that I wish I had studied or want to still study in the future. She was making explicit what I am implicitly putting into my work. What she says with regards to how language is operating is totally enacted in the sentences of the book and the form of the book as well. Thinking more about the form, your writing has a minimalist sensibility. Paragraphs are often just one sentence. Those sentences are often just a few words. Because of this, the pages have a lot of blank space. Is that typical of your writing and why? I have always written quite small. I have always been interested in brevity, in small moments, in simple things, and a really keen attention to language. Because I am often so hyper-focused on the sentence, the structure of the sentence, and the careful word choice, it can be exhausting for me and for a reader if I continue that for a 400-page book. The book I am working on right now is shaping up to be quite long and much more dense—pages are filled in a way that these other ones are not. It is about an isolated commune and everybody is very close together and compacted and stuck. The sense of stuckness makes sense for having denser text. It is a little laborious for me to try to stretch something out. You also have a visual attention to the book itself, including illustrated endpapers or chapter breaks. I find pleasure in the way things look. I appreciate beauty. Something like a page layout, a cover, or a dimension of a book is important to me. I have been really lucky with publishers like Calamari Archive and Crop Circle Press who are interested in that too. They want to make a book object that speaks to that kind of attention. As I was reading your new book, I was thinking about Agnes Martin, a painter who also resided in New Mexico. She paints these grids that almost hover and disappear into the canvas. They embody the sensation I have of your writing and your worldbuilding, while also sharing your interest in grids and measurement. You often write about visual artists or reference different art movements, like minimalism, color field painting, and abstract art. How does visual art play into your writing? The easy answer is I love it, especially painting. I feel particularly drawn to painting and especially early- and mid-20th-century minimalist painting. I like reading about it. I like reading art criticism. I like reading artist statements about their work, especially stuff that is really spare. I am curious about what you can do with little. Agnes Martin’s grid paintings are so simple and so clear but instantly become fuzzy and mystical. I find that contradiction really appealing. Are there specific visual artists who inspire you? At the time that I was working on Concentric Macroscope, I read a biography of Agnes Martin. I was reading a lot of Rosalind Krauss, Richard Shiff, John Elderfield, and Hanne Darboven and writing about mathematics and thinking about the representation of mathematical language in fiction and poetry. I’m curious about how artists play around with mathematical energy. James Elkins writes about precision, measurement, and the representation of the unrepresentable in abstract painting. The way that those critics and artists are thinking about their work speaks to me about how I am thinking about my work. I don’t particularly like reading about writing, but I love reading about painting. It hits me different and I find it more useful. They are both crafts, even if sometimes we might place a writer and a visual artist in such different lanes. I recently started taking oil-painting classes. I now have a profound respect for still-life painting. I see depth differently. The way I look at the world is completely different after a year of taking painting classes. You start to see edges and light and color. Solidity and form suddenly appear new. My form of observation is shifting. And the magic of creating depth in a flat space is unbelievable to me. How do you see that affecting your writing? One thing that my teacher said (that I think a lot about when writing, too) is that you just have to believe. When you’re putting the paint on, you have to believe that you’re going back into the canvas, that you’re reaching into it beyond. That is so much like fiction writing. I dream up a fantasy land in my brain and watch it play out like a movie. When I go to write, I have to believe that there is depth in the field, I have to believe that when I am making my marks on the paper that it is manifesting something that is not there. I also took an abstract painting class, mostly because I liked the painters that the teacher had listed, like Joan Mitchell. On the first day, we showed up with our blank canvases and the instructor told us to start painting. I almost started to cry. It was horrifying to be faced with a blank canvas. I took the class multiple times. My paintings are awful and it was so hard. It gave me such a great appreciation for abstraction and the real genuine feeling that must come into it. Abstraction is clearly of interest to you, and it is cool to hear you try to explore it in a painting class. I feel it in how you approach most aspects of your writing—plot, setting, and character—all of these elements are rendered with such specificity and also remain beyond reach. I really liked how you said it in your question about painting and thinking about Agnes Martin: “These grids almost hover and disappear into the canvas.” She’s making a grid, which is a rule-based thing with perpendicular lines that are equidistant and appealing to a notion of measurement or precision or scientific accuracy to some extent. But they are hovering. They are disappearing. I got so close to one of her paintings the other day in the Albuquerque Museum. I always get yelled at for getting too close. But you could see her fingerprint smudges on the edge of the canvas. If I could say, what do I want to do with abstraction and fiction? Draw a pencil grid with fingerprint smudges. We have been talking about the visual arts, which is my background, but you describe your writing as “the intersection of fiction, poetry, and visual art with mathematics and science.” Can you talk about the math and science side of your writing? You have previously noted that you were not trained that way. It really happened by accident. I was thrown into a situation where I had to teach math so I had to learn it. I was teaching in a Montessori school where it is very materialized and there is a lot of visual representation. All the counting and mathematical things are done with beads and colors. I was able to access it and become excited about it through drawing and visual representations, like geometry, shapes, and color. When I learned math that way, it made total sense to me, whereas I had never understood it before. We also had a lot of math history embedded in the curriculum, and that was fascinating to me, too, because the language was beautiful and so strange. It is really poetic and confusing in its mystery and also freakishly clear, the contradiction between clarity and mystery. Those aspects got me excited. When I went back for a Ph.D., I was so curious about how I could play with those ideas and manifest mathematical language in a totally different space. It’s that same tension between clarity and mystery. Who are some writers who also work in this intersection? The one that I got most excited was Gertrude Stein. She is famous for her repetition. There are some studies that try to count how many times she repeats a certain thing. I published an article on her use of counting and how she thinks about counting, which gets into the nitty-gritty of how numbers work and what happens when we put mathematical words or concepts into language. Stein writes about her kitchen and that is where a lot of the counting comes into play, as a kind of inventorying. There is a lot of punning and play that she does with her numbers. That sounds less daunting than I assumed, thinking about where numbers already show up in our lives. Like counting, I forget that that itself is math. With my earlier book, No Measure, I was thinking, how could I take this really complex mathematical idea of the sandpile model, but put it with sex or love? Can I use this highly technical language that is off-putting and difficult and manifest something erotic with it? The mathematical and scientific explorations came out of teaching and curiosity and has pivoted into a dare for me to see if I can do something with it. It goes back to things like the body, like counting on fingers or stones or notches in bones. It becomes more fascinating when you pair it with something unexpected. Kelly Krumrie recommends: Birding, and keeping binoculars nearby Old nature documentaries, like these Traveling less, especially by plane Writing by hand NTS Radio This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Sophie Golub.
The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good
Everyone complains about how hard it is to find decent, affordable housing. But imagine how much more frustrating and futile that search would feel if you had to find decent housing that was not just affordable, but also accessible.
Everyone complains about how hard it is to find decent, affordable housing. But imagine how much more frustrating and futile that search would feel if you had to find decent housing that was not just affordable, but also accessible. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good.
Activists plan ‘largest flotilla yet’ to break Israel’s siege of Gaza
By Joshua Carroll A global coalition of activists is preparing to launch the largest ever flotilla of aid ships aimed at breaking Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), made up of civil society and grassroots groups from South Africa, Spain, Ireland, Türkiye, Norway, Brazil, France — and Aotearoa New Zealand —
By Joshua Carroll A global coalition of activists is preparing to launch the largest ever flotilla of aid ships aimed at breaking Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), made up of civil society and grassroots groups from South Africa, Spain, Ireland, Türkiye, Norway, Brazil, France — and Aotearoa New Zealand — is planning to sail again in spring this year. In October 2025, Israeli forces kidnapped the crew members of 41 aid ships as they approached the shores of Gaza. READ MORE: Kia Ora Gaza and NZ’s contribution to the blockade busters Activists announce new, bigger aid flotilla to set sail for Gaza in March Other Gaza Freedom Flotilla reports Activist Greta Thunberg and Novara Media contributor Kieran Andrieu were among those detained for several days and subjected to violence and abuse by guards that they said amounted to torture. Organisers did not specify how many ships would be involved this time, but in February the Nelson Mandela Foundation said there would be more than 100 boats. Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, was among those who took part last year. “Following the sailing of FFC’s Madleen boat in June 2025, a wave of new initiatives emerged, expanding the movement into a broader international effort to send not just one boat, but fleets, and not just a mission, but a coordinated, sustained challenge to Israel’s siege and violent settler colonial policies,” the FCC said in a statement. “Our actions aim to uphold international law and to support the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom of movement, self-determination, and dignity. “With our governments fueling genocide and failing to uphold their legal and moral obligations, the people of global civil society are rising together in larger and larger numbers.” Despite agreeing to a ceasefire in October last year, Israel has continued its genocide in Gaza, attacking and killing civilians there on an almost daily basis, while severely restricting the entry of food, medicine and other essentials into the strip. “This flotilla is collective action on a massive global scale — uniting activists, legal experts, parliamentarians, medical professionals, engineers, artists, journalists, and other people of conscience across the world,” the FCC said. Joshua Carroll is a writer and journalist, and a contributor to Novara Media. #MyAgendaSumud#GlobalMovementtoGaza#gazzesanageliyoruz#globalsumudflottilla pic.twitter.com/NX1mdhC0Vo — GlobalSumudflotilla (@1ElegantFriends) October 1, 2025 This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Why China has police in the Solomon Islands
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.
Solomons PM refuses to convene parliament amid political crisis
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist The Solomon Islands Prime Minister is refusing to convene Parliament next week amid a takeover bid by government defectors who have joined forces with the opposition. Jeremiah Manele is not expected to convene Parliament until May or June and maintains the government is continuing to function despite the
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist The Solomon Islands Prime Minister is refusing to convene Parliament next week amid a takeover bid by government defectors who have joined forces with the opposition. Jeremiah Manele is not expected to convene Parliament until May or June and maintains the government is continuing to function despite the political “crisis”. Manele has been in power less than two years and has already faced two leadership challenges. READ MORE: Other Solomon islands reports Now his former Foreign Minister, and fellow party member, Peter Shanel Agovaka, has been recruited by a breakaway group of MPs who want to form a new government. In a statement, the opposition Leader’s office claimed the defection of 19 government ministers and backbenchers to the opposition and independent ranks has left Manele running a minority government. Agovoka told RNZ Pacific on Tuesday that a change of government, led by the People’s First Party (PFP) would see him replace Manele. “I feel it’s time for me, representing central Guadalcanal, to take up the challenge to lead our country,” he said. New coalition agreement The statement said 27 MPs signed a new coalition government agreement on Tuesday and have filed a motion of no confidence in Manele and his Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) Party. The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation reports the notice was signed by the former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for South Vella La Vella, Frederick Kologeto. It reports that the notice was received on Monday. The motion can be moved and debated once a seven-day notice period ends, and when the Prime Minister convenes Parliament. Government House has confirmed receiving a petition from opposition MPs for the Governor-General to order an extraordinary sitting of Parliament to debate the motion. The opposition needs at least 26 MPs to vote in favour of the motion for it to pass. If successful an election for a new Prime Minister is then held by secret ballot. The PFP, joined by the official opposition, have petitioned for an extraordinary sitting of Parliament. ‘Signals serious crisis’ “When such a significant number of sitting members, including ministers, abandon their own coalition, it signals a government in serious crisis,” the statement said. “These decisions were not made lightly, they reflect deep frustrations over internal divisions, lack of trust, and growing concerns that the government has lost its sense of direction and purpose.” The statement said the mass exodus raised urgent constitutional and governance questions. “Can a government that has lost the confidence of 19 of its own members continue to claim legitimacy? Can it effectively govern while grappling with internal collapse?,” the statement said. “What is unfolding is not just a reshuffling of numbers; it is a rejection of leadership that has failed to unite, failed to listen, and failed to deliver.” The breakaway group took part in a highly-publicised photo shoot yesterday as a sign of solidarity. Agovoka said previously that the 12-member PFP had the numbers to form a new government with the opposition and independent MPs, but the situation was “fluid”. “There is a critical motion that should be dealt with immediately … we’ll just hope that our number, which is 27, holds,” he said. The 27 MPs, including a dozen government defectors, vying to oust Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele. Image: Office of the Leader of the Opposition/RNZ Pacific Four new ministers However a spokesperson for the Prime Minister, Georgina Kekea, said four new MPs would be sworn in as ministers on Wednesday and it was too early to speculate about numbers. “It’s only through the floor of parliament that we can determine who has the majority, for now its just mere speculation on the numbers,” Kekea said. Solomon Business Magazine reported that the four new ministers sworn in included former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare who becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination. The prime minister had said he was not keen to convene parliament until progress was made at committee level on various crucial bills, she said. “The government is continuing to function, word has gone out to all the ministries encouraging them to continue with their work.” “In this time of crisis where things are uncertain, we are guided by our Constitution and our laws. We don’t want people to panic, it is what it is in terms of politics,” she said. Kekea said the country was also being affected by the global crisis (the war in Iran), with rising fuel prices and inflation. Support expected to rise Current PFP leader Fredrick Kologeto told RNZ Pacific on Monday that he expected their support to rise beyond a simple majority in the Solomons’ 50-seat Parliament. Kologeto said there was a breakdown in trust between ministers and that he ultimately saw no resolution while the OUR Party was in power. Several ministers defected from OUR to PFP in the past year, including Finance Minister Harry Kuma and Justice Minister Clezy Rore. Agovaka, who is now in the process of leaving OUR, called out Manele for sacking two PFP ministers in February and replacing them with OUR members. “I can’t work with some of the ministers … undermining the integrity of cabinet and trying to push their own agendas,” he said. He said the PFP have yet to offer portfolios to other ministers, but said that opposition leader Matthew Wale, who leads the Democratic Party, would be invited into a new cabinet. “There [will be] a coalition between the opposition, independents, and People First … if we come through that, then we can start sitting down and looking at the portfolios,” Agovaka said. “We look forward to this change of regime.” <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--rQL6IndJ--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050/v1643571820/4NDNSNP_image_crop_78307?_a=BACCd2AD" alt="31 March 2019 - Peter Shanel Agovaka awaits his turn to speak at a political rally just days out from the election on 3 April. He was subsequently re-elected for a fourth term as MP for Central Guadalcanal." width="1050" height="700" /> Government defector Foreign Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka . . . “I can’t work with some of the ministers … undermining the integrity of cabinet and trying to push their own agendas.” Image: RNZ Pacific/Koroi Hawkins This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Bringing White Appalachians into the Fight
In ‘Song for a Hard-Hit People,’ Beth Howard shares her story of activism and organizing in Appalachia.
In ‘Song for a Hard-Hit People,’ Beth Howard shares her story of activism and organizing in Appalachia. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Eleanor J. Bader.
As she cares for her two children and husband amid displacement and siege, forty-one-year-old Nesma Al-Gharabli is also fighting health problems of her own.
As she cares for her two children and husband amid displacement and siege, forty-one-year-old Nesma Al-Gharabli is also fighting health problems of her own. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Nourdine Shnino.
How Black Women Continue to Shape American Democracy
Shirley Chisholm paved the way. We’re carrying the torch forward.
Shirley Chisholm paved the way. We’re carrying the torch forward. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Irene Monroe.
As the world races to secure coveted lithium for the green energy transition, Indigenous communities in Bolivia are left to bear the environmental burden.
As the world races to secure coveted lithium for the green energy transition, Indigenous communities in Bolivia are left to bear the environmental burden. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by John McAulay.
Israel urges Iranian uprising while privately saying they’d ‘get slaughtered’
<img width="1024" height="689" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C689&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A national flag is placed on the ruins of a building that is destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that strikes a residential area on March 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, on March 12, 2026. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342136" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/israel-urges-iranian-uprising-while-privately-saying-theyd-get-slaughtered/targeted-residential-area-during-u-s-israeli-military-campaign" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1722&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1722" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"NurPhoto via Getty Images","camera":"X-T5","caption":"A national flag is placed on the ruins of a building that is destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that strikes a residential area on March 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, on March 12, 2026. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1773324999","copyright":"Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto","focal_length":"87.1","iso":"320","shutter_speed":"0.000625","title":"Targeted Residential Area During U.S.-Israeli Military Campaign","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="Targeted Residential Area During U.S.-Israeli Military Campaign" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" A national flag is placed on the ruins of a building that is destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that strikes a residential area on March 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, on March 12, 2026. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C202&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C525&ssl=1"> Israeli officials told US diplomats that the Iranian government is “not cracking” in a State Department cable.
<img width="1024" height="689" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C689&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A national flag is placed on the ruins of a building that is destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that strikes a residential area on March 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, on March 12, 2026. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C202&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C689&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C517&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1033&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1378&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C807&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1346&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C525&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C269&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C689&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342136" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/israel-urges-iranian-uprising-while-privately-saying-theyd-get-slaughtered/targeted-residential-area-during-u-s-israeli-military-campaign" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1722&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1722" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"NurPhoto via Getty Images","camera":"X-T5","caption":"A national flag is placed on the ruins of a building that is destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that strikes a residential area on March 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, on March 12, 2026. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1773324999","copyright":"Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto","focal_length":"87.1","iso":"320","shutter_speed":"0.000625","title":"Targeted Residential Area During U.S.-Israeli Military Campaign","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Targeted Residential Area During U.S.-Israeli Military Campaign" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" A national flag is placed on the ruins of a building that is destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign that strikes a residential area on March 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran, on March 12, 2026. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C202&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2265577050-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C525&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="218" data-attachment-id="277549" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike/truthout-logo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=874%2C244&ssl=1" data-orig-size="874,244" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1634742558","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="truthout-logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=300%2C84&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=780%2C218&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=780%2C218&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-277549 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?w=874&ssl=1 874w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=300%2C84&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=768%2C214&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=400%2C112&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=706%2C197&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /> This article was originally published by Truthout on Mar. 17, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. Israeli officials are reportedly urging the U.S. to join them in their public urging of Iranians to stage an uprising against their government, even as the Israeli government internally assesses that protesters would be “slaughtered” if they did so, demonstrating Israel’s blasé attitude toward Iranian lives amid its bombardments of the country. According to reporting by The Washington Post published Tuesday, top Israeli officials relayed the message to U.S. diplomats in a cable that circulated in the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on Friday. The cable said that Israeli officials assess that the Iranian government is “not cracking” and will “fight to the end” — despite hopes by U.S. and Israeli officials that they could “decapitate” the government and achieve collapse. The cable further said that if Iranians were to stage more protests against their government, as they did in demonstrations earlier this year, “the people will get slaughtered,” Israeli officials said. According to UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Sato, around 5,000 people were killed in the government crackdown on protests as of January, though it has been difficult to assess the precise number of deaths due to biases on all sides. The cable, which summarized recent meetings by top Israeli officials and U.S. officials, said that nonetheless, Israeli officials are hoping for a revolt and that the U.S. should support such an uprising as well. Critics have said that the cable demonstrates Israeli officials’ indifference toward whether civilians live or die, after years of Israel wantonly slaughtering civilians in Palestine and countries across the Middle East. “This should not surprise anyone,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president for the Quincy Institute, in a post on social media. “That the Israelis would use the Iranian people as cannon fodder in their war with the Islamic Republic was crystal clear to anyone who had followed the Israeli-Iranian rivalry in a clear-eyed way. Nor can anyone reasonably expect that Israel would act in the best interest of the Iranian people. Israel pursues its own interests, full stop.” On the first day of the U.S. and Israel’s bombardments on February 28, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both put out video addresses urging the Iranian people to take up arms against their government as they rained death and destruction from the sky. Since then, the U.S. and Israel’s bombardments have killed over 1,400 people in Iran and injured at least 18,500, according to Iranian health officials. Israeli intelligence and military officials have long urged Iranians to protest against their government, and the U.S. has meddled in Iranian politics for decades. “I think a lot of people will feel very betrayed by this assessment,” Iran analyst and Johns Hopkins University assistant professor Narges Bajoli told The Washington Post, saying that it would be viewed as exploiting Iranian lives for political gain. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Sharon Zhang.
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AI-powered robot dogs guarding reviled data centers is where we have arrived
This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Mar. 17, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license. As Americans grow fed up with the rapid encroachment of artificial intelligence data centers into their commun...
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A US Secret Service robot dog manufactured by Boston Dynamics patrols the grounds at President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on November 18, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342130" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/ai-powered-robot-dogs-guarding-reviled-data-centers-is-where-we-have-arrived/president-elect-donald-trump-works-on-his-transition-to-his-second-term-from-mar-a-lago" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1706" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"8","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R3","caption":"PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 18: A U.S. Secret Service robot dog manufactured by Boston Dynamics patrols the grounds at President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on November 18, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. The incoming Trump administration continues to announce nominees to fill senior positions in his cabinet and government. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1731926239","copyright":"2024 Getty Images","focal_length":"560","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.003125","title":"President-Elect Donald Trump Works On His Transition To His Second Term From Mar-A-Lago","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="President-Elect Donald Trump Works On His Transition To His Second Term From Mar-A-Lago" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" A US Secret Service robot dog manufactured by Boston Dynamics patrols the grounds at President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago resort on November 18, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2185418128-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="150" data-attachment-id="268291" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/this-is-why-deregulation-is-deadly/cd_stacked_white_600" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,150" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Common Dreams Logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=300%2C75&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=600%2C150&ssl=1" alt="Common Dreams Logo" class="wp-image-268291 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=300%2C75&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=400&ssl=1 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /> This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Mar. 17, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license. As Americans grow fed up with the rapid encroachment of artificial intelligence data centers into their communities, tech companies are embracing a novel solution to protect their energy-sucking behemoths from danger: Even more robots… robot dogs, to be exact. According to a report from Business Insider on Monday: As companies pour billions into sprawling industrial campuses for cloud and AI computing, some data center operators are experimenting with four-legged bots—about the size of large dogs—that can patrol fences, inspect equipment, and flag any issues before they turn into costly outages. These robots, known as “quadrupeds,” are being used to patrol the complexes, which can sometimes reach the size of multiple football fields. Robot dogs are standing guard for tech companies, patrolling the massive data centers across the country that power AI operations. https://t.co/KhAf1RHYer — FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) March 17, 2026 According to Fortune, tech companies are already pouring nearly $700 billion into building data centers across the US and are now spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more to enlist mechanical canines as security forces. One model from Boston Dynamics, known as “Spot,” can cost anywhere from $175,000 to $300,000. And while the technology may seem futuristic, Spot and other quadrupeds like it have already been enlisted in law enforcement and public safety for years. Another company—Ghost Robotics—advertises its quadrupeds for “reconnaissance, intelligence, and surveillance use by the military.” With more than 5,000 data centers now in the US and 800-1,000 new ones in the process of being built, Michael Subhan, the chief growth officer for Ghost Robotics, told Business Insider he expects boom times are ahead for his industry. As data centers expand their reach at breakneck speed, there may be more interlopers for the programmable pooches to sniff out. Due to skyrocketing energy costs and water shortages in places where large data centers have been built, the sites of proposed projects from Illinois to Minnesota to South Carolina have drawn crowds of dozens and even hundreds of demonstrators in recent weeks. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Stephen Prager.
Transportation Lobbyists Have Donated Thousands to Sean Duffy’s Son-in-Law as He Runs for Congress
The post Transportation Lobbyists Have Donated Thousands to Sean Duffy’s Son-in-Law as He Runs for Congress appeared first on ProPublica.
The $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project, under construction between Manhattan and New Jersey, will improve passenger rail service, an important issue for New York City commuters. It would seem to have nothing to do with what’s happening in northern Wisconsin. But after the White House froze federal grant funding for the project in the fall, citing concerns about diversity and equity measures, lobbyists with an interest in the tunnel donated $2,500 to a political novice running in the Republican primary in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. The young candidate, Michael Alfonso, has no sway over the matter. However, his father-in-law does: Sean Duffy is secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The contributions are among dozens to Alfonso’s campaign from lobbyists, business executives and political action committees tied to industries — from rails and highways to shipping and air travel — that Duffy’s department funds and regulates. His department also oversees the Federal Aviation Administration. Duffy held the 7th Congressional District seat for nearly a decade before resigning in 2019. He was succeeded by Tom Tiffany, who is now running for Wisconsin governor, leaving the seat open again. Alfonso, 26, who has worked in construction and podcasting, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. A ProPublica analysis found that many of the Alfonso donors with transportation interests had never given to Duffy or Tiffany. While legal, such donations set up the appearance that helping Alfonso might assist the donors with issues influenced by Duffy. (Politico has reported on some of these contributions.) “The law, as it stands, provides very little constraint,” said Daniel Weiner, director of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a law and policy institute based in New York. “There’s a very large gulf between what is legal and what is ethical. Obviously, this raises numerous ethical questions.” This is not the first time a Cabinet secretary’s relative has created thorny ethical issues. During the first Trump administration, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao made headlines for appearing to give preferential treatment to Kentucky officials for millions of dollars in infrastructure grants. Kentucky is the home state of her husband, Mitch McConnell, then Senate majority leader. At the time, Chao’s office denied showing any favoritism, saying that Kentucky’s share was not out of the ordinary. And in 2012, under President Barack Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, an Iowa Democrat, fielded questions about the separation between U.S. Department of Agriculture business and the campaign of his wife, Christie, who was running for Congress. Christie Vilsack told ProPublica in an interview that the couple was careful about making sure her husband was not involved in the campaign, other than to support her at some debates and on election night. He “never did any fundraising at all,” she said. An influential member of Trump’s Cabinet, Duffy has been openly assisting his son-in-law’s campaign. The notice for a November “meet and greet” with Alfonso in Wausau, Wisconsin, mentioned that Duffy would be a special guest, as did an invitation for another December fundraiser. Among the sponsors for the December event was the political action committee for Delta Air Lines. The invitation included a caveat: “Sean Duffy is not soliciting funds in connection with this event.” Alfonso’s campaign did not respond to requests from ProPublica for an interview or for comment. A spokesperson for Duffy, Nathaniel Sizemore, provided a written statement saying: “The Secretary attends fundraising events in his personal capacity. Regulatory decisions are guided by career safety professionals, the law, and the facts.” Nothing in law bars Duffy from campaigning for his son-in-law, so long as he goes about it on his personal time, does not use government resources and does not promise to take some official action in exchange for a contribution. Alfonso is using the same fundraising consultant, Kirstin Hopkins, that Duffy employed, Federal Election Commission records show. In addition, Alfonso has received help with ads and mailers from a super PAC, the Northwoods Future PAC, that is funded with $1 million from Duffy’s former campaign committee. Alfonso’s familial advantage has irked some Wisconsin Republicans who don’t want the newcomer to glide into such an important position. Through his own campaign committee, Alfonso had raised a little over $305,000 as of the end of 2025, the latest filing available. By law, contributions for each election are limited to $3,500 from individuals and $5,000 from political action committees. Donors can contribute to more than one election at the same time, such as a primary race and a general. Alfonso’s donors include lobbyist Jeffrey Miller, a finance chair of Trump’s most recent inaugural committee. In December, Miller and his company’s chief operating officer donated separately to Alfonso, for a combined $8,500. No one listing their firm, Miller Strategies, as an employer had donated to either Duffy or Tiffany in the past, according to FEC records. Lobbyist disclosure reports show that Miller lobbied the Transportation Department in 2025 on behalf of at least nine companies, one New York county and one Native American tribe. The issues included airport signage regulation, aviation permitting for the developer of a supersonic airliner and advancements in GPS technology. Miller reported advocating for Archer Aviation regarding electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft technology, known as eVTOL — the basis for future flying cars. Earlier this month, Duffy announced a first-of-its-kind FAA pilot program to test eVTOL technology in eight demonstration projects across 26 states. Archer was among the companies selected to participate, according to the Transportation Department. In a video accompanying the announcement, Duffy spoke enthusiastically about the technology, envisioning “Ubers in the air” taking people from one airport to the next and beyond. He said, “eVTOLs are going to make the airspace far more interesting and far more fun, and we have to be prepared for that.” Miller did not return calls or emails seeking comment. Alfonso graduated in 2022 from the University of Wisconsin with a math degree. He moved to Florida for a time to help produce a popular podcast hosted by Dan Bongino, a Trump supporter who later served a brief stint as deputy director of the FBI. (Bongino is back podcasting again.) By Alfonso’s account, he and Trump first met in 2022 at Alfonso’s wedding to Duffy’s daughter, Evita. The reception took place at one of Trump’s New Jersey golf courses. Alfonso has said that in an Oval Office meeting after he decided to run for Congress, he pledged loyalty to the president. “I promised him that I would always be America first, I would always fight for his agenda and that nobody would ever outwork me,” Alfonso told Mark Halperin, another podcaster. On social media in November, Alfonso thanked Duffy for coming to his first campaign event in Wausau, the city where the candidate met his future wife while they were in middle school. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="464" width="527" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=527" alt="A screenshot of a post to X from @MikeAlfonsoWI with text that reads, “Huge thank you to Sean Duffy and everyone who came out to our first official campaign event in my hometown of Wausau! Grateful for the support — and fired up for what’s ahead! 🇺🇸” and four photographs of a political campaign event taking place in a conference room." class="wp-image-70610" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 1180w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,264 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,677 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,903 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,761 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,372 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,487 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,492 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,464 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,663 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,1013 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,353 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DuffyAlfonso-Twitter_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,705 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px" /> In a post on X, Alfonso thanked his father-in-law for joining him on the campaign trail in Wisconsin last November. X The following month, the transportation secretary appeared at a campaign fundraiser for Alfonso at a hotel in Green Bay, near the storied Lambeau Field. The donors in attendance included Sharad Tak of Bethesda, Maryland, the CEO of ST LNG, a company seeking a DOT-issued license to construct and operate a deep-water port offshore of Matagorda, Texas, to load liquefied natural gas onto carriers. Tak gave $500 to the campaign, and his wife, Mahinder, who did not attend the function, gave $7,000. Neither had donated to Duffy or Tiffany. Tak did not reply to ProPublica’s request for an interview but asked a longtime friend of his, Ann Murphy of Green Bay, who works as a consultant for him, to respond. Tak owns a paper mill in Oconto Falls, north of Green Bay. It is not in the 7th Congressional District. But Murphy said Tak was visiting the state and agreed, at her request, to attend the fundraiser for Alfonso. She said in an interview that the Texas liquefied natural gas project had no bearing on Tak’s campaign contribution. “Absolutely not.” It’s typical, she said, for Tak and his wife to support causes, both political and philanthropic, that Murphy and her husband find worthwhile — and vice versa. “We were very excited about Michael,” Murphy said of Alfonso, likening him to Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA who inspired many young people before being killed last year. “And he does have the endorsement of President Trump.” Others donating to Alfonso’s candidacy include political action committees for employees of the military jetmaker Lockheed Martin, which is subject to FAA safety regulations and has lucrative government contracts, and for T-Mobile, which is working on a DOT project to enhance the resilience of critical 5G infrastructure. PACs for unions and trade associations for heavy equipment operators, engineers, aeronautical services and the travel industry have also pitched in. The PAC for Brightline, a high-speed train service in Florida, also donated, giving $2,500 in December. Brightline trains have struck and killed more than 180 pedestrians or drivers at crossings since 2017, according to an investigation by the Miami Herald and WLRN. Duffy promised at a congressional committee hearing in July to work to “drive down the number of deaths.” In September, he announced that his department would distribute $42 million to improve safety along the line. In a statement to the Florida news organizations, Brightline officials blamed the deaths on suicides and the “reckless” behavior of people who put themselves in harm’s way. Brightline, T-Mobile and Lockheed Martin did not respond to ProPublica’s requests for comment. On its website, Lockheed notes that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations with regard to its political and public policy activities. Alfonso’s campaign has drawn donations from others in the heavily regulated railroad sector. They include Peter Bartek, founder of FTS Rail, which manufactures battery-powered railroad repair tools and sensors that detect rail breaks caused by extreme heat or cold. He gave $3,644 in November. Duffy appointed Bartek last July to serve on a DOT advisory committee. Bartek had never given to a candidate in the district before. In an interview, he said he read a news article about Alfonso’s campaign and decided to donate. “I like Secretary Duffy very much,” he said, “and I thought very simply, boy, if he’s anything like his father-in-law, it would be nice to support him as well.” He said in a text that he didn’t know Duffy personally and was not involved in Alfonso’s campaign or fundraising. In New York, construction on the Hudson Tunnel Project to improve commuter rail service came to a screeching halt in early February after the federal government cut off funds. A court intervened, ordering the money released, and work resumed. A bistate commission overseeing the project warned this month that it could face disruptions again in upcoming months if federal disbursements do not continue. In response to outreach from ProPublica, an executive at Venture Government Strategies, whose lobbyists for the tunnel project gave a combined $2,500 to Alfonso, said in an email the company had no comment. On his campaign website, Alfonso lists a dozen issues “that matter to us” — ranging from education and health care to immigration. He wants to “make farms and families strong,” “give Gen Z a voice” and work against access to abortion. Transportation issues are not among those priorities, but he still is getting support from General Motors, which regularly lobbies DOT on various issues, including fuel economy, vehicle safety and emissions standards, and other mandates. The giant car manufacturer also gave to Duffy when he was running for the congressional seat, and the transportation secretary has become a booster. (GM did not respond to ProPublica’s request for comment.) In mid-December, viewers of social media saw Duffy slide behind the wheel of a sleek, black, limited-edition Corvette, imbued with patriotic insignia to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. “Over 1,000 horsepower,” Duffy said in a promotional video, emphasizing the dynamic features of the $200,000 supercar. “We’re going to take this bad boy on a little test drive to the Army-Navy game.” Off he went. The video, uploaded to the social media platform X, highlighted a travel app the carmaker made in partnership with the Department of Transportation, while also showcasing Chevrolet’s automotive series dubbed Stars and Steel. The post received over 130,000 views: valuable advertisement for the storied carmaker, General Motors. A couple of weeks later, GM’s political action committee donated $1,000 to Alfonso. The post Transportation Lobbyists Have Donated Thousands to Sean Duffy’s Son-in-Law as He Runs for Congress appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Megan O’Matz.
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 18, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 18, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 18, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
Fisherwoman Diane Wilson is on hunger strike to stop Dow’s pollution of Texas Gulf Coast
<img width="938" height="1024" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=938%2C1024&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot of Diane Wilson speaking with TRNN from her encampment outside the Dow / Union Carbide facility in Seadrift, TX, on March 16, 2026. Photo credit: Maximillian Alvarez/TRNN." data-attachment-id="342122" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/fisherwoman-diane-wilson-is-on-hunger-strike-to-stop-dows-pollution-of-texas-gulf-coast/diane-wilson-wp-shot" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=1079%2C1178&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1079,1178" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Diane Wilson WP Shot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Screenshot of Diane Wilson speaking with TRNN from her encampment outside the Dow / Union Carbide facility in Seadrift, TX, on March 16, 2026. Photo credit: Maximillian Alvarez/TRNN. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=275%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=780%2C852&ssl=1"> “We're saying, ‘Oh, pretty please, will you save the bays? Will you not pollute us today?’... I think we're way too polite and way too well-behaved. And that's why I advocate being an unreasonable woman.”
<img width="938" height="1024" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=938%2C1024&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot of Diane Wilson speaking with TRNN from her encampment outside the Dow / Union Carbide facility in Seadrift, TX, on March 16, 2026. Photo credit: Maximillian Alvarez/TRNN." decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?w=1079&ssl=1 1079w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?resize=275%2C300&ssl=1 275w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?resize=938%2C1024&ssl=1 938w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?resize=768%2C838&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?resize=780%2C852&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?resize=400%2C437&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=938%2C1024&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342122" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/fisherwoman-diane-wilson-is-on-hunger-strike-to-stop-dows-pollution-of-texas-gulf-coast/diane-wilson-wp-shot" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=1079%2C1178&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1079,1178" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Diane Wilson WP Shot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Screenshot of Diane Wilson speaking with TRNN from her encampment outside the Dow / Union Carbide facility in Seadrift, TX, on March 16, 2026. Photo credit: Maximillian Alvarez/TRNN. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=275%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diane-Wilson-WP-Shot.png?fit=780%2C852&ssl=1" /> Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation fisherwoman and a lifelong resident of Seadrift, Texas. Wilson has become a global folk hero over the course of her epic, decades-long journey from shrimp boat captain and mother of five to social and ecological justice warrior who took on a multibillion dollar corporation polluting the bays along her beloved Texas Gulf Coast. But the fight to save her home from industrial pollution is far from over. On March 2, Wilson began a hunger strike outside the Dow Chemical Company/Union Carbide plant in Seadrift. “I have a tent and am camping out 24 hours, 7 days a week,” Wilson wrote in a letter to Dow CEO Jim Fitterling, “to impress upon Dow/Union Carbide our intense dislike and frustration of decades of plastic pollution being discharged into our bays and waterways.” In this episode of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Wilson as her hunger strike enters its third week. Guest: Diane Wilson is a fourth-generation shrimper, boat captain, mother of five, author, and an environmental, peace, and social justice advocate. During the last 30 years, she has launched legislative campaigns, demonstrations, hunger strikes, sunk boats, and even climbed chemical towers in her fight to protect her Gulf Coast bay. She is a co-founder of CODEPINK, the women’s anti-war group based in Washington, DC, and co-founder of the Texas Jail Project, which advocates for inmates’ rights in Texas county jails. Since 2012, Wilson has been executive director and waterkeeper of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SABEW) on the Texas Gulf Coast. Wilson is the author of numerous books, including: An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas; and Diary of an Eco-Outlaw: An Unreasonable Woman Breaks the Law for Mother Earth. Additional links/info: Follow updates on Diane’s hunger strike here Diane Wilson website Diane Wilson, “Letter to DOW CEO Jim Fitterling” San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (SAWBE) website, Facebook page, TikTok, and Instagram Plastic Pollution Coalition, “Diane Wilson launches hunger strike after Dow requests legalization of microplastics discharge in Texas” Featured Music: Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor Transcript The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible. Maximillian Alvarez: Alright. Welcome everyone to Working People, a podcast about the lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles of the working class today. Working People is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network and is brought to you in partnership with In These Times Magazine and the Real News Network. This show is produced by Jules Taylor and made possible by the support of listeners like you. My name is Maximillian Alvarez, and today we are diving back into our ongoing coverage of the corporate and government pollution that’s harming our bodies, disrupting our livelihoods, and turning more and more of our homes into sacrifice zones, where poor and working people are being abandoned to live in conditions that threaten life itself. And as we’ve done in East Palestine, Ohio, here in South Baltimore, in Conyers, Georgia, and even Granbury, Texas, we’re taking you straight to the front lines and speaking directly with the people living, working, and fighting for justice in America’s sacrifice zones. And today, I am really grateful to be joined on the show by someone who’s been fighting on the front lines for a long, long time. And she is continuing that fight as we speak. Diane Wilson is a fourth generation fisherwoman and a lifelong resident of Seadrift, Texas. She’s a Goldman Prize-winning activist and currently serves as executive director of the San Antonio Bay, estuaring waterkeeper. She’s the author of numerous books, including the highly acclaimed 2006 biographical history, An Unreasonable Woman, a true story of shrimpers, politicos, polluters, and the fight for Seadrift, Texas, which details Diane’s epic journey from shrimp boat captain and mother of five to social and ecological justice warrior and global folk hero who took on a multi-billion dollar corporation polluting the bays along her beloved Texas Gulf Coast. In 2019, Wilson and San Antonio Bay estuarian waterkeeper won a landmark $50 million clean water act settlement after suing Fermosa plastics in Point Comfort, Texas. And she and other waterkeepers have spent years collecting thousands of samples of evidence of the Dow Chemical Company and other plastic producers continual plastic pollution in industrial canals and waterways outside of their facilities. Now, as we speak, Diane is on a hunger strike, which is now in its third week, and she is camping outside the Dow Union Carbide Plant in Seadrift. In a letter sent to Dow CEO, Jim Fitterling, she explains why. “I’m a fourth generation fisherwoman and have lived my entire life in Seadrift, Texas, a fishing town that is approximately eight miles from your Dao Seadrift plant. I am deeply distressed by the current and proposed hazardous radioactive and plastic pollution threats to the bay from Dow and am embarking on a hunger strike and encampment to call for a cease to these emissions and plans for more. Violating the Clean Water Act and using the region as a guinea pig for dangerous nuclear reactors are completely unacceptable. On January 4th, 2026, Dow and its subsidiary Union Carbide requested a change to its wastewater permit in a 320-page application. This was three weeks after San Antonio Bay estuarian waterkeeper announced plans to sue Dow over unpermitted plastic pollution. Dow Union Carbide’s latest application requests sought, among other things, to loosen standard language that limited floating solids to “trace amounts in chemical plant wastewater.” Another concern, Diane’s letter continues. “On March 31st, 2025, Dao’s wholly owned subsidiary Longmont Energy LLC applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license to construct four nuclear reactors at the Dow Union Carbide Seadrift site. They are a type of nuclear reactor that has never been built in the US and is not licensed by the NRC. In response to all these concerns that I feel will be devastating to our bays, fisheries, marine life, and Seadrift fishing community. On March 2nd, 2026, I began a hunger strike and twenty four seven encampment near the entrance in the ditch of the Dow Union Carbide Seadrift facility. I have a tent and am camping out 24 hours seven days a week to impress upon Dow Union carbide our intense dislike and frustration of decades of plastic pollution being discharged into our bays and waterways. “And again, I am truly grateful to have Diane Wilson herself joining us now from the ditch outside the Seadrift facility, like literally in the trenches. Diane, thank you so much for joining me today. I really appreciate it. And I want to just jump right in and ask if you can tell our listeners more about what you’re doing right now, why you’re doing it, and how you’re doing as of this recording. Diane Wilson: Well, thank you, Max, for that great introduction there. I was very kind to you. Yeah, I’m in my 15th day of a hunger strike in square in the ditch. I know what’s public property and what Union Car Biden Dallas property. I don’t know whether most people know it, but I had my list of demands. I was going to ask of Dow and Union Carbide about what it would take to get me off this hunger strike. So I went over there to the headquarters over there. It’s not too far away, and I walked in there. It was a pretty empty lobby, but all of a sudden, here this guy came out and he said he wanted to know what I wanted. And I said,” Well, I had this letter and I wanted to deliver it to the plant manager. “So he would deliver it directly to Jim Federing. And he said,” Well, the plant matter isn’t there anymore and the person who was in his place, he don’t know where he was. “And just as I was getting ready to say,” Well, I really want to give it to someone in authority so I can make sure that Jim Featherling, who was the CEO, got it. He told me he would take it himself. And when I insisted again, I really would like to get it to someone close to the plant manager. “He said he was head of security and he said,” This is the way it is, Diane. “He said,” You’re not going to sit on the couch. You’re not going to deliver another letter. “And he said,” If you set foot on this property, you’re going to be arrested. “And I said,” Arrested for delivering a letter? “And he said,” Past history, Diane, past history. “And he said,” I was there when you climbed the tire and change yourself. “And so he wasn’t going to tolerate me in that office at all. So we went back to this little tent that I got here and within a couple hours I had three cops show up and they served me a paper that I still don’t know what it was about because they wouldn’t give us a coffee. And basically they said we would be arrested if we set foot on Dow’s property. And so already we kind of … There’s a little bit of … I think they’re real peeved off on me. And anyway, but we’re still sitting here. I’ve been here 15 days, 24 hours. My place where I’m sitting is not bad. I get to look at Dow all day long if I want to and sit out in chairs. But basically the reason why I’m doing it is because, one, is I think Callahoun County where I live, which is a tiny little county on the Mid-Texas Gulf Coast. We got Corpus town below us, we got Galveston up above us, and we have two of the largest plastic plants that have been discharging pellets. When Fermosa was there, I actually had workers in the plant who first told me about the plastic pellets that were out in the bay because he said he worked in wastewater and he could see it when they were doing treatment, he could see all this plastic, but it really hit home when he took his three boys fishing, these little bitty kids, and they all had plastic pellets on the bottom of their feet. And that’s when he realized plastics were out there in the bay. And so he was a little bit of a whistleblower. He got fired by the company because he spoke out, and that’s kind of what they do down here, is you speak out, you’re fired, and you’re blackfalled. And so I met him one day in the furthest place away from this county that we could get, everybody’s afraid of being seen. And so I think he picked a beer joint in a town about 45 miles away. And at first he had to feel that he could trust me. And so we had to sit there a while before he could even trust me with the information, but basically it amounted to all of this plastic being produced. And I believe Hermosa made a thousand pellets per day was going into the bay. And so we started checking the bays. And then I had a meeting with Pramosa and I remember asking … It was a room full of a conference room, and it had 14 guys and suits around the table. And I remember reaching across the table and asking … He was kind of like the chief executive there. And I said,” How many pellets are y’all putting in that bay? “And he said,” Not a single pallet, not one. “He said,” We’re selling everyone. “And the thing with it is, I knew that was live because I had just been to their outfalls and they were all over the place. And so that’s when a couple workers from that chemical plant, Romosa, started helping me find plastic. And we started going along the beaches. We would go to the boat launches, we would wait out in the marshes, and then I wised up about stormwater outfalls, because most people think of a plastic plant is you have an industrial wastewater outlet outfall, and it’s probably out in the bay or maybe it’s in a river, but they don’t think about the stormwater outfalls. And in this case, for most, I had 10 of them, and they go out into these little bayous and creeks. And that’s where I got a kayak and I started hunting down those stormwater outfalls. And to give you a sense of the amount of pellets that can come out of them, first of all, some of them are so big you could land a plane in them. And one of the outfalls that I had, when we had collected discovery for Mosa and I had some documentation, one of those pieces of information that promotes I had saved for some odd reason, it was that outfall six, stormwater outfall six, they’ve been doing it 26 years, 10 outfalls. And on this particular day, they put out 170,000 pounds of pellets. That’s probably close to four billion pellets. You got to think this is 26 years and this is one of 10. And so the amount of plastic that was in that creek was … I mean, we got over a thousand samples there. We got over 1,000 or 1,500 samples in Madagora Bay. And so we won on that case. We got zero discharge of plastic. We got enforcement, we got monitoring, and we got a $50 million settlement that we put entirely back on the community who had been impacted. And so when I started collecting the pellets on Dow, I mean, in one spot, on one spot around the Victoria Barch Canal, it’s where they dump into the Victoria Barch Canal, which goes to San Antonio Bay, which goes to the Gulf of Mexico. In our little fishing community of Seadrip, we have Vietnamese crabbers, we have Hispanic ocemen, and we have shrimping that has gone to hell, literally. And so basically all of these pellets are being discharged into San Antonio Bay. And like I said, when we were making samples in one sample, it took about 15 minutes to collect it. It weighed 107 pounds and it was over two million pellets. And this was … We were finding things like that all over that barge canal that emptied it into San Antonio Bay, which is the home of the endangered whipping crane that’s been an endangered species for quite a while. So we’re doing that. And in the middle of it, Dow is putting in four modular nuclear reactors the first of its kind. In fact, I think people were telling me even newscasters up in Washington DC were talking about it because it was the first of its kind and had never been done before and it wasn’t licensed by the NRC. It was kind of like an experimental modular because they’re small and they thought they could get them in here easier. And the reason why Dow was doing it was to fuel their process of making plastic and what they were going to do in the meantime, they were going to lay out 4,200 workers globally so they could bring in AI. So workers who think for a moment that this is a good deal for them, it is not. The only person it is good for is union carve out in doubt. That’s the only people that is being provided because it’s right right near San Antonio Bay and in Guadalupe Bay and Mission Bay, and it’s a small fishing community, and we get a lot of hurricanes. So it’s like the thing in the way it is in Texas, the Texas legislature, the governor, TCQ, our state environmental agency, I have went to them before to just look for information, files that they have. And I had some inspectors that were watching me for a while, and then pretty soon they pulled me aside, took me to a file, pulled it out and gave it to me. And they said, “We cannot do anything with that information because it stops in Austin.” And they said, “We don’t even want to know why it stops like that. ” And he said, “You do something with it. ” So there is this reluctance from the state agencies to enforce, to pursue, to enforce, and then you don’t have OSHA at all who is helping these workers out here. So you’re right. So eventually you feel like they’re going to push in the nuclear reactors. They are going to endow is going to push what they’re trying to do is … We have collected all these violations against them, and they’ve been doing it for decades. I talked to grown elderly men as old as me, and they remember swimming in there and the pellets were all over everything. So that is 50 years, that’s at least 50 years that they’ve been doing this. And the thing of it is, what they’re trying to do now with their wastewater permit, they’re trying to say the limit that they are violating like crazy is too vague and it’s too strange. So they kind of want an open license to pollute with plastic. And the way these permit fights go, you’re lucky if you get community standing. And so to me, it was like … I just draw a line, they are not getting it. They are not getting this community, they’re not getting that vague. And so for years I’ve been fighting industry 38 years. And in the beginning, it was like nobody was willing to stand up because they were afraid because you could lose your jobs, you couldn’t get loans at banks, you would be intimidated. And so for a long time, the only thing I had was myself. And so I did civil disobedience because at least I had myself and I found out it works. It really works and it has power and it has the ability to change things because industry cannot control hunger strikes or civil disobedience. It just aggravates the hell out of them, I think, quite frankly. That’s why I’m doing it because we try to do lawsuits. We’ve got a number of things legally we’re trying to do, but so I’m out here on this hunger strike. I got a tent aim to stay and it’s just, I’m going to go as far as I’m going to go. And they don’t know. And I’m pretty stubborn. And I think my longest hunger strike was 57 days. Maximillian Alvarez: You’ve left quite the legend of a stubborn woman, right? I mean, if that’s one thing we all know about Diane Wilson. Yeah. Right? That’s true. And I wanted to ask a little bit about that because I was telling you before we began recording, you’re someone I’ve wanted to get on the show for a number of years now, and there’s so much I want listeners to hear about your incredible story. And we’ll have to, I’m sure, save most of that for the next time we have you on. Sure. But I wanted to ask if we could sort of do a shortened version so that people could understand how far back this fight goes for you and how personal it is for you to be a fourth generation fisherman, a shrimp boat captain in these waters. And you saw what these industries were doing to your home. So can you talk people through just a little more about your working life and how this issue began to change your life and your home, like how that fight has evolved over those 38 years you’ve been … Diane Wilson: Sure. Well, I guess it all started when I was about 40 years old and I had been shrimping by myself. I was a mother of five kids, five kids. I pretty much said that five kids. And shrimping was starting to get bad. So I started running a fish house, and I don’t know whether y’all know what a fish house is, but it’s like an old 10 building and it’s sitting on the docks and boats come up there and they tie up, they get fuel, they get ice, and then they go out shrimping. And when they come back in the evening, I unload all their cats, I process it. I figure out what size count shrimp they had, and that’s real tricky. And then I paid them with the check, but I was working for somebody else. It was called Froggy Shrimp House. And one day I had a shrimper that had three different types of cancer. He had these cancer tumors all over his arm and he was in because he was going to Galveston to get cancer treatment. And he threw a newspaper article to me on the desk and he said, read that guy. And it was front page heading and it was by the Associated Press. So it was a serious story. And it mentioned Calhoun County, which is the county I live in, about three or four times. And it was the first time the toxic release inventory was ever made public. And the toxic release inventory is a community right to know. And that was passed by Congress because of the people that died in Bocall from a union carbide incident that killed thousands and injured over 500,000. It was awful. I believe it’s the worst environmental disaster in the world. And they mentioned Calhoun County because we were number one in the nation for the most toxic student land. And by nature, I really am a really white person. I’m kind of solitary, not much for talking. And I know people think that’s a lie. They think I’m a line of storm, but no, I really am an introvert. And so what I did, I acted totally out of character. I went down to the city hall and walked down there and I said, “I want to have a meeting about this article.” And so they wrote my name down and was like, “Diane’s have a meeting.” And then the very next day, I had the same lady who signed that. She came to the fish house and said, “Diane, you can’t have this meeting. You can’t have this meeting. There’s too many red flags, red flags.” And she said, “You can’t do it at all. We’re not going to give you the building.” And I was extremely puzzled what on earth she was talking. I had no idea why she said that. And then the next day, I had the bank president of Cedric, who I had never talked to in my life, and she walked, came in the fish house in a nice three-piece suit, and he walked out in the dock and he said, “Diane, are you starting a vigilante roof and fixing the roast industry alive?” And I’m like, “What?” I mean, that’s the type of reaction I got from the very beginning and it has just gotten worse after that. And the main thing is what I was concerned about was primarily the bay, because that is your livelihood. The bay is the heart and soul of the community. And it’s where I remember how it was and how alive it was and with the boats and when they were getting ready for the season and they were out there laying out their nets and they were laying out the keball and they were rigging everything up. And then on the night before a season started, they went out in the bay to anchor so they could start the next day before the sun come up. And it was like a small little city out there with all the little lanterns that they had out there. And I loved that bay. I loved that community. I loved the fish house. The bay is very, very important to me. And when I was a little girl, because when your dad or your brother is a shrimper, you go down to the bay when all the boats start coming in. And when I was a little girl, I would go with my sisters and my mom and would walk down to the bay. And when I would go down there, there was this old woman in this long dress and she was always there and she really likes me coming down to the bay. She really wouldn’t say anything, but I thought she was my grandmother and that vision of her persisted because I realized later the water personified itself. So I really had a real vision of the water and she was an old grandma and so it’s real personal. Anyway- Maximillian Alvarez: Well, no, I really appreciate you sharing it. And it both makes my eyes sparkle to see that vision that you’re describing and it breaks my heart to know how much of that has left us and it’s gone and that’s- It Diane Wilson: Is. It is. Maximillian Alvarez: And it’s the kind of thing that I see for myself and hear through the stories of other people living around this country. And like you, and I talked about before, this is a show about the working class for the working class and about all manner of issues that affect working class people. And I just wanted to ask on that note, if you could just drive home even more, the people who made their livings in that bay, the people who depend on those industries, what’s happened to these communities since that time when you were a little girl to now? Diane Wilson: What has happened is, in Seadrift, when I was a little bit a girl, I mean, we had like five fish houses where you could sell shrimp. Shrimping was formerly the biggest way you could make a living. You could really make out a living and Oh, so we had five fish houses. We probably had 125 boats. The entire community was either fishermen or they supported it by doing welding or being a diesel mechanic or selling the webbing and the cable to rig up your boat. And there were boat builders. So the whole town was alive because of that bay. And now there are no fish out, zero. They are bulldozed. If you go through seed drip, every business that had been there is boarded up. They’re gone. And maybe there’s a handful, maybe three or four boats that go out. So now there are, instead of five fish houses and 125 shrimp boats, there are no shrimp houses, none. And there’s maybe five shrimp boats that go out. And when they go out in a season, it might last two weeks instead of a number of months. And also, if a shrimper wants to decide and he does catch a little shrimp, he has to either go on Facebook and sell it on Facebook and say, “Here, I’ve got some shrimp. Would you come buy my shrimp and tries to sell them on Facebook?” Or he takes his truck and sits out on the edge of the road and sells five pounds of shrimp. And it has totally changed an entire community, an entire fishery. And it seems that … And I’ve even seen articles that it said in the portal backwave, it was like some of the officials would say, “Well, the shrimping and the fishing industry is done with. We need to wipe our hands of them and invest in industry.” And it’s like they are the ones I largely blame for the destruction of the bays down here. We’ve had the brown tide, we’ve had the green tide, we’ve had the red tide. Then we had the largest dolphin die off in the mammal stranding network’s history. And there were dead dolphins all over Matagorda and San Antonio Bay. I remember when I was working at the fish house and some of the shrimpers were bringing in the dead dolphins because they’d find them out there where they’re at and they brought them in on their boats. And then here are these long trailers from Galveston who pick up the dolphins and they take them to Galveston to do nicropsies on them to find out why all of the dolphins were dying. And it’s like the industry has been destroyed. It’s not there anymore. And the only thing that is doing a little bit now is oystering. So that’s one of the last things that they can make a living with. And now there’s scientists that are finding, they have tested the oysters in Matagorda Bay and they have found the microplastics in the tissue, not in the shell, in the tissue of the oysters. And with all the new science coming out on health impacts on ingesting microplastics, it’s like, oh, Lordy, that could do great harm to a market. Because if you’ve got microplastic in something you’re eating, that’s not good. Maximillian Alvarez: No. And it’s one of the reasons why I try to communicate on this show and on the real news. Every time I talk to another community that’s been affected by corporate or government pollution or a community that’s suffering the effects of manmade climate change and being abandoned to the devastation, whether it’s communities like my home in Southern California burning every year or communities like Asheville, North Carolina, like getting walloped by massive hurricanes. This stuff affects all of us, even if we keep telling ourselves that it’s not our concern or that’s just an environmentalist issue over there or yada, yada, yada. I wanted to ask, when you speak to people like that, how do you respond? How do you convey to them, “This is your issue and you already are living it whether you want to acknowledge it or not. The microplastics, the chemicals from DuPont and Dow, they’re already in your blood.” Diane Wilson: Oh yeah, absolutely. Well, mainly I have to be … I know with fishermen, what I had to do is because basically with the industry in such a crisis that it is, is most commercial shrimpers felt like the last snail was in their coffin, that you couldn’t fight it, that they did not have long to survive. And so the only way I could get them is to, I would have to get on their boats, literally on their boats and sit face-to-face with them and have a long conversation with them and I could make them see. But it was like you really, really had to get on a one-to-one basis. And it’s real interesting because at one point I got really, really perturbed with Fermosa because they didn’t have their wastewater permit, but the state and the EPA was allowing them to discharge into Lavaca Bay. And I had filed an appeal and supposedly they weren’t supposed to be able to discharge, but I had called EPA and asked how the permit was doing and she thought I was Primosa’s lawyer because Primosa’s lawyer was named Diane too. And she just started telling me, “Oh, how the waste of water was going and were you taking control of all the copper and the chromium and stuff you were violating?” And I realized they had totally ignored it and they were letting them discharge. And I got so outraged. I was outraged and it was like nobody could see what they were doing and flouting the law because fishermen couldn’t flout the law and a person who broke the street limit, he couldn’t flow the law, but a chemical company with all the money and power is like whatever they wanted. So I decided to sink my shrimp boat on top of their discharge pipe and to make sure it was like no safety net. There was going to be no safety net. So I pulled the motor out and gave it away because you can’t think about with a diesel engine. It’s got all this, it’s got fuel. So I took it out in the middle of the bay to sink it and somehow or another, the Coast Guard found out about it. So I like had three Coast Guard cutters chased me across the bay and the fishermen on the docks saw that because the Coast Guard caught up with me and had ropes caught. I’ve got about 10 ropes tied out over my bay and they were actually sleeping on my boat. And the fishermen who normally would not have done anything because they were a bit apathetic, they all got in their boats and went out in the middle of the bay and protested it. So you can see sometimes talking does it, but often action does it too. Maximillian Alvarez: Oh, I mean, that’s … Moments of action and solidarity like that are just … I really hope people listening take that to heart because it’s not impossible. And I know all of the many, many evils and struggles that we’re facing make it feel like change is impossible, but people like Diane are living proof that it’s not, right? I mean, and we’re only going to change things if more of us get involved in the fight and if more of us talk to each other, like Diane’s saying, like one-on-one, connecting with each other on that human level like we’ve tried to do here with folks in East Palestine, Ohio and beyond. And so Diane, I know I’m talking to you so much when you’re on hunger strike and I feel guilty about it, and I promise I’ll wrap things up soon. But I guess just two final questions. I wanted to ask, if you could also talk to folks in those communities like East Palestine, I mean, the vinyl chloride is what spilled all over their damn neighborhood and then they set it on fire. Diane Wilson: Yeah, absolutely. Maximillian Alvarez: You’ve been fighting that stuff too. I mean, what would you say to communities like that and like the ones here in South Baltimore, Conyers, Georgia, Moss Landing, California, like these communities that are going through toxic events like this and are facing the impossible struggle of fighting a billion dollar company or a negligent government, what would your advice be to people about how to fight and win and how to keep going even when all feels hopeless? Diane Wilson: Well, I tell you, one time it was like Sharon Levine of Rise St. James, she was a Goldman Award winner too, and she was in Louisiana and Fermosa Plastics was trying to build a $12 billion plastic plant, just like the one I was fighting in Point Comfort, Texas. And so I used all the pellets that I had collected for that first lawsuit against Formosa. They packaged them up and put them in almost like a cow cart and hauled it to Louisiana. And we had pictures blown up of what that pellets look like because people do not understand what pellets look like on the water. They don’t understand what the powder looks like, and they don’t understand how severe it can be. They call it little nerdles and you think it’s something kind of cute. And so when Sharon and Rice Sam James was having a meeting before their Paris City Council, is I went up there and spoke my heart out because I get very passionate about it when I’m talking about what they’re doing to the Bay and it’s what’s contaminating the seafood and what’s affecting the people. And I know the advice I always, I told Sharon is, “Do not let this plant put a foot in your community.” And I always told, I said, “The one thing I regretted about my fight with Cromoza is that I did not stop them, absolutely stop them.” I have been over quite a few places where I speak about the action I do, and I know I have been in some places like in California, like with the Bioneers where I spoke about what I did, and I always tell them, I said, “We’re too well-behaved.” And I truly do. I think we’re too well-behaved and we’re like saying, “Oh, pretty pleased, will you save the bays? Will you pretty pleased not pollut us today?” And it’s like, no, I think we’re way too polite and way too well-behaved. And that’s why I advocate being an unreasonable woman. I think change is made by unreasonable women. I really do. Maximillian Alvarez: Oh yeah. And again, you are living proof of that and you carry on a very proud and long tradition of other unreasonable women who have made history and who are making it today. And I wanted to sort of end by bringing us back to the history making, change making action that brought us together for this interview, back to you in your tent outside of this facility in Seadrift. And so I wanted to ask in closing, if you could tell listeners a bit more about why this matters, what the demands are, and if they’re listening, what’s your message to folks about what they can do to get involved in this fight? Okay. Diane Wilson: I guess there’s two issues here is one is zero discharge of plastic. There is a huge movement growing on out there about plastic. Plastic in your clothes, in the bottles, in your … Everything around us is made of plastic, and they’re now finding out the damage made with the health, the health impacts, the damage to the environment that can be made from microplastics and pellets and all of this stuff. And so the thing of it is, is I feel like where I’m at is kind of like ground zero of plastic. And we are starting a zero discharge of plastic campaign. So every single plastic facility across the United States and elsewhere, they will have these industries pledge, put it on their permit, not pledge, put it on their wastewater permit, zero discharge of plastic, and that they will have a … And we had this on Fermosa’s discharge. It was a wastewater sampling mechanism and it works because you can say, “I want zero discharge of plastic,” but yet it’s like, who knows if they’re getting zero discharge? Do you think the industry’s going to tell you? And it’s like you can bet they want. So the thing of it is with Promosa, we have a wastewater sampling mechanism that’s about the size of a tall, medium sized room, and it’s sitting right over their wastewater discharge pipe. And that sampling mechanism takes 3% of their waste stream, and it tests that three times a week, and that’s where it finds if there is plastic in their waste stream, there’s about three different ways inside the WSM where you can find it tested. And when they are showing up in their electrical equipment and the testing and all of that, then they’re violating zero discharge. So that’s what we’re trying to get from Dow and Dow is really fighting it. And matter of fact, they want just the opposite. They want a open-ended discharge of plastic into the bay. And the other one is that those modular nuclear reactors, they want to bring in this untested … There’s no containment like a typical nuclear plant where it’s to protect in case there’s a meltdown. There’s none of that. All they have is fuel, and they say those fuel balls are the containment. So it’s really been untested, so we really don’t know. So we’re really like a guinea pig, and they are going to use that nuclear reactor to process so they can make more plastic. And oh, by the way, we’re laying off 4,200 workers because we’re bringing in AI. And it’s like it’s an extremely selfish and destructive manner from Dow. And so to make my point, to really make my point, I’m sitting right here. If you live near a plastic plant, we know how you can find the pellets. So we are very much … If anybody out there is around a plastic plant or they’re discharging and they want to know how to fight that or how to collect evidence as get in touch with us. And we would be delighted to show you how, because I’ve got an extreme load of information on zero discharge of plastic. And the other one is just, I would encourage anybody who has an issue in their own community. And I know most people think they’re not the type, they’re not the type, they’re not the type, but you are. It’s only ourselves that limit us. It’s only ourselves. And I would encourage them to be a bit unreasonable. A bit unreasonable. Maximillian Alvarez: All right, gang, that’s going to wrap things up for us today. I want to thank our guest, Diane Wilson, legendary fisherwoman, author, and activist who is currently on a hunger strike outside the Dow Chemical Company, Union Carbide Facility in Seadrift, Texas. And of course, I want to thank you all for listening and I want to thank you for caring. We’ll see y’all back here next time for another episode of Working People. And in the meantime, go explore all the great work that we’re doing at the Real News Network, where we do grassroots reporting that lifts up the voices and stories from the front lines of struggle. Check us out across our YouTube channel, our different podcast feeds, our website, and our social media pages, and help us do more work like this by going to the realnews.com/donate and becoming a supporter today. I promise you guys, it really makes a difference. I’m Maximillian Alvarez. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Solidarity forever. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Maximillian Alvarez.
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Plight of Strait of Hormuz seafarers in spotlight at IMO meetingYemen appeal seeks $2 billion for 12 million people in need Forests hailed as renewable source of economic prosperity: FAO, UNDP This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.
Interview: Pacific islands walk a ‘delicate tightrope’ as China influence rises
The Australian National University's Graeme Smith on Chinese influence in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Palau and others.
As Beijing has been ramping up influence in the Pacific, island nations in the region have increasingly had to strike a balance existing economic and security relationships with Western countries like Australia and the United States, and new opportunities with China, according to Graeme Smith of the Australian National University. Why China ramps up influence in the Pacific Smith, who leads research teams at ANU that focus on Chinese investment, migration, military engagement, and aid in the Pacific region, told RFA’s Eugene Whong in an interview that Pacific countries must walk a “delicate tightrope” in the midst of the competing interests of Beijing and its rivals. But he also said that at times, the tug-of-war geopolitics that permeate regional diplomatic forums can seem like a distraction when these countries are faced with more local “bread and butter issues.” The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Graeme Smith interviewed by RFA on March 15, 2026. (RFA) RFA: Let’s start off with the Solomon Islands where China has normalized a police presence in Honiara following the passage of a security pact in 2022. Do you think it could be said that the Solomons are China’s most important strategic partner in the Pacific right now? Smith: I think they’re getting a lot of payoff for not an awful lot of investment in Solomons. Certainly, they’re really getting bang for buck. Even their police presence — it’s only a dozen or so policemen — but in terms of the propaganda value, it’s immense. To be fair, the police there have been pretty well received because they focus on community policing rather than sort of the traditional policing you might see in somewhere like Australia. So in some ways, their approach works a bit better with the local conditions. RFA: So you would classify that police presence as propaganda? Smith: Obviously, these days China’s all about selling models and the model of policing that they’re selling is of concern, but in terms of the number of boots on the ground that they’ve got there, it really is a very token presence. Tellingly though, all of the people there are kind of ex-peacekeepers, so they’re not really police. They’re more people on the internal security side of things. RFA: Beijing has been putting pressure on the Pacific countries to stop recognizing Taipei in favor of Beijing, which the Solomons have done. How important is the status of Taiwan vis-a-vis Beijing’s One China Principle in the Pacific region? Smith: Well, it’s a pretty big part of what drives China’s behavior in the region. They still are very, very focused on limiting Taiwan’s diplomatic space. So even if a country recognizes Beijing, they’ll then be pressured to take extra steps to limit any Taiwanese presence in the country. So even commercial offices, they’ll be pressured to close those down. It still remains a big focus of China in the region, and Taiwan has gone from being a very significant presence in the Pacific to having just three allies. Interestingly though, one of them will be hosting the Pacific Islands Forum this year, so that’ll be Palau, and that could make for some very interesting theatrics. RFA: Let’s move on then to Fiji, which appears to be in a situation where it must balance a defense partnership with Australia while also receiving investment from China. Smith: It’s been interesting because with the previous prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, they had a very loyal ally and someone who was quite dependent on Chinese diaspora funding to stay in power. With current Prime Minister Rabuka, initially he took some steps to increase Taiwan’s voice in the country. He changed the name of their representative office there in Suva, but he’s sort of slowly backtracked a little bit. And I think in many ways just had to address the reality of, you know, China is a much bigger trading partner than Taiwan with Fiji. And that’s the reality throughout the region. Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, August 20, 2024. (Andres Martinez Casares/Reuters) RFA: Then, how difficult is it for countries in this situation to maintain the balance between China and Western countries as they compete for influence in the region? Smith: Fiji carries that balance a bit better than most countries, and partly because it’s not as dependent on China for trade as other countries are. Its major trading partner unusually is not China, it’s the United States, and China often comes in at number three or even number four as its most significant trading partners. So that allows it to be somewhat immune to the sort of economic coercion or economic threats that other Pacific Islands are vulnerable to—the most extreme case being Solomon Islands, which has, usually, two-thirds of its exports going to China. RFA: Let’s move on, then, to Papua New Guinea, which similarly maintains security ties with the U.S. and Australia, but recently entered into an economic partnership with China in November of 2025 to boost exports of agricultural products and fisheries. Smith: PNG’s got an election year on the horizon, so that does change the equation there. It means that the politicians are going to look for propaganda victories. PNG’s been interesting in that they, in terms of their defensive cooperation, pushed for a treaty with Australia. So this was an initiative that came from the PNG side, not from the Australian side, and got that across the line. So in terms of security partnerships, they’re much more integrated with Australia and the U.S. than any other Pacific country outside of the Northern Pacific. Meanwhile, in many ways, the trade deal was kind of, “Yeah, we’re sorry, we still want to trade with you.” And they do. They export a huge amount of Liquefied Natural Gas not just to China, but also to Taiwan. So they have to walk a pretty delicate tightrope. And in an election year next year, Prime Minister Marape will be keen to get some infrastructure projects underway. So certainly he’ll be looking to China to bankroll some of those before he goes to the next election. RFA: So then is maintaining the balance between China and Taiwan just as difficult? Or is it just that money is so important that it makes these kinds of problems go away? Smith: In terms of the formal diplomatic space, really, Taiwan doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room there, even less than what it has in Fiji, and that’s kind of the quid pro quo. On the other hand, if you look back to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum that was held in Papua New Guinea in 2018, Taiwan was there. As long as it’s just economics, I think Taiwan is still given a little bit of leeway. It’s when it comes into actual diplomacy that China is a little bit uneasy, because, to be honest, a lot of China’s economic prosperity comes from Taiwan. The two countries economically are very tightly integrated, and this is something that China is not at all unhappy about. They like tight integration because it enhances their argument for unification much more strongly than anything else. RFA: Let’s pivot to the countries that have entered into the Compact of Free Association with the U.S., which are Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which signed an economic framework agreement with China in late 2025. Smith: FSM is the one of those that recognizes Beijing, and they switched to Beijing some time ago. There was some noise from the outgoing president that he would like to switch to Taiwan, but that of course did not happen. In doing so, he sort of flagged a lot of interference that had been going on from China within FSM. But a lot of the drama has been around getting the compact negotiated. That seems to have largely gone through. Aid cuts that have affected a lot of the Pacific haven’t really hit the compact states because a lot of their money comes through the U.S. Department of the Interior, not through the State Department. So they’ve been largely unaffected. <img src="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/WR4QDYLCVZBPZF5767BMXCPPWM.jpg?auth=ba440d13c6aa32575d566cf3ab66e4fd8a71c3d3d32a6ec5ac52982d08c577c8&smart=true&width=1500" alt="This photo released on Dec. 6, 2024, by the Taiwan Presidential office shows Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te with Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr. onboard the Taiwan Coast Guard patrol ship "Yunlin" at the Port of Malakal in the state of Koror, Palau." height="2668" width="1500"/> This photo released on Dec. 6, 2024, by the Taiwan Presidential office shows Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te with Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr. onboard the Taiwan Coast Guard patrol ship "Yunlin" at the Port of Malakal in the state of Koror, Palau. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AFP) But the leadership of all countries is quite different. In Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., you have a very pro-, almost Trumpian type figure. He quotes Ronald Reagan in his speeches, but his term is up after this electoral term. So what happens after that will be of interest and concern to the U.S. In the Marshall Islands, it’s always a little bit unstable, but certainly they’re still very much in the U.S.-Taiwan camp. And the FSM, yeah, they’re always interesting to watch because you have these independence movements within the FSM, and you’re never sure when they’re going to bubble to the surface. RFA: The 2026 Pacific Islands Forum will be in Palau, and we’re about five and a half months out from that. Should we expect that China and U.S. competition will be a major theme of the event? And if not, what other key issues would you say would dominate the discussions at this forum? Smith: Most of the Pacific Island Forum members are kind of a bit annoyed by the distraction of geopolitics. They want to talk about the bread-and-butter issues of poverty, of climate change, of things that actually affect their daily lives. So this Punch and Judy act over who sits where and who gets recognized really ticks them off. The Solomon’s ended up inviting neither China nor Taiwan to the last one, or America for that matter. It’s unlikely Palau will follow suit. They’ll definitely want to have Taiwan in the room in some form. How China reacts to that will be really interesting to watch. But from the point of view of the member countries, this is just an annoying distraction to them because they’re facing existential threats. They’re looking in many cases to migrate in the face of current climate change or the prospect of future climate change. So they’ve got some pretty big issues to discuss, and Taiwan-China is from their perspective not one of them. RFA: So these issues would be more important than worrying about which power you’re aligned with militarily or economically, correct? It varies among the member states. Obviously, if you’re sitting in the Northern Pacific, it’s more of an existential question to you than if you’re sitting in Solomon Islands, well away from any prospective fighting over Taiwan. Certainly for Guam and countries like this that aren’t full PIF members, if you have a missile called the “Guam Killer,” obviously it focuses your mind in a way that it doesn’t for Tonga or Samoa or these other places that are well out of the firing line. So there is division within the PIF over how much they care about this. But by and large, the South Pacific nations see it as a somewhat annoying distraction. <img src="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/KOOMO3V47NDSZMRCWW7WO2CC6Q.jpg?auth=ef91fcbb2b65039a23c37b78acc3f3e6ad14ee245fdcb114881094475fd8fc4e&smart=true&width=1500" alt="Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2015, to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II. The DF-26 is colloquially called the "Guam Killer" due to its ability to reach the Pacific island U.S. Territory." height="3015" width="1500"/> Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2015, to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II. The DF-26 is colloquially called the "Guam Killer" due to its ability to reach the Pacific island U.S. Territory. (Andy Wong/AFP) RFA: Why is competing influence in the Pacific so important in a global sense? Smith: The geopolitics matter in the sense that if there is a conflict over Taiwan it is quite an important region. The U.S. Navy would have to sail through that region to retake Taiwan should they choose to do so, which I have to say doesn’t look terribly likely under the current administration. And it is important in the sense that in these countries, the extreme case in the Pacific would be Kiribati where China’s influence actually starts to corrode the polity … where you have a government that has been adopting very restrictive measures, often at the encouragement and certainly at the inspiration of China. You can’t take a photo in front of the government building in Kiribati without someone coming up to you and saying “Hey, don’t do that.” And that certainly would never have happened 10-15 years ago. So it can have a corrosive effect. Solomon Islands would be another example where you’d see it having a slightly corrosive effect on politics. Politics has never been terribly clean in Solomon’s anyway, to be frank, but it certainly hasn’t had a terribly positive impact there either. Edited by Charlie Dharapak. This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Eugene Whong for RFA.
“Warmongers Come for the Media”: Trump Threatens Media with “Treason” Charges over Iran War Coverage
Trump’s Counterterrorism Chief Resigns over Iran War, Criticizes “Pressure from Israel”
Speeding Up the “Kill Chain”: Pentagon Bombs Thousands of Targets in Iran Using Palantir AI
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 18, 2026
Buried Alive: Iran’s Rescue Workers Race The Clock After New US-Israel Strikes
Iran’s Arrows and the West’s Achilles’ Heel
The penny has clearly dropped. Trump and his domesticated colony of phocine honkers and clappers have been forced to admit what the Iranians (and presumably Western intelligence agencies) have known for some time: that Iran has a pretty much immovable stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, which has now clearly been shown to be the […] The post Iran’s Arrows and the West’s Achilles’ Heel appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The penny has clearly dropped. Trump and his domesticated colony of phocine honkers and clappers have been forced to admit what the Iranians (and presumably Western intelligence agencies) have known for some time: that Iran has a pretty much immovable stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, which has now clearly been shown to be the Achilles Heel of the US-Israeli position in the Middle East and, to some extent, of the global economy. For reasons set out later in this essay, the CIA will have known that there was very little that the US and Israel could do if Iran chose to curtail shipping through the Strait, which developments to date have confirmed. We can only suppose that Trump went to war knowing all of this — assuming, that is, that he listened to, and understood, what the CIA should have been telling him. Perhaps with delusions in mind of replicating ‘the Venezuelan model’ of regime change, to justify ignoring the advice of his intelligence agency and military, he and his henchmen bet heavily on the idea that a successful decapitation strike could be made on day one of a new attack. In the US (straight-shooting) tradition, this would be carried out during negotiations with Iran. The death of the Supreme Leader would be followed more or less immediately by overjoyed citizens dancing in the streets of Tehran, mouths agape waiting for him (Trump) to decide who the next head of the Iranian Government would be. The Iranian military would capitulate and the celebrations and feasting would begin. Unsurprisingly. this always deeply flawed strategy (fairytale) failed, which among other things an unflustered, business as usual Iranian leadership who will have been expecting such a strike surely suggested that it would. The assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader and members of his family at their home appears emphatically to have had the opposite effect. Compounding the First US Strategic Blunder with Another Expounded by Trump et al. in their usual bombastic way, the fall-back position was the shock and awe ‘bomb them to smithereens strategy’, which also had a very low chance of success. Not least because, unlike the places where it had been tried and failed before, among others, Iran is, first, an ancient civilisation that has occupied more or less the same territory for thousands of years; second, it has substantial, loyal, well-trained and well-equipped armed forces supported by very large militias; third, it has many thousands of drones and missiles and well developed – and widely dispersed and hidden – manufacturing capacity to keep producing them; fourth, during its war with Iraq and historically it has shown the strength and durability to sustain hundreds of thousands of casualties in defence of the homeland; fifth, it has decentralised its military and political leadership; sixth, it covers a geographical area roughly the size of France, Germany, Spain and the UK combined; seventh, it has a population of more than 90 million, a large proportion of which is religiously and ethnically homogeneous and therefore cohesive; and seventh, the experience of past wars has demonstrated unequivocally that the carpet bombing of civilians and civilian infrastructure (as is happening now in Tehran and other Iranian cities) stiffens the resolve of the local population and increases their hatred of the aggressor and their thirst for revenge, which can last for generations. Despite the high likelihood that both strategies would fail, and that he would have been informed of this, Trump’s mental state, stupidity, avarice, arrogance, simple-minded approach to geopolitics, and political dependence on Israeli billionaires pretty much ensured that sooner or later he would do as he was urged by Netanyahu The Iranians, whose planning will have anticipated this. have therefore been preparing a long game that will inflict high levels of chronic pain on the Trump administration where it will hurt the most, so far with considerable success. The US citizens who voted Trump into power – most of whom occupy the bottom half of the US population that has about a mere 2.5% of national wealth – will feel very keenly the dramatic rises in gasoline and food prices caused by the Iranian grand strategy of controlling the Strait of Hormuz. The careful targeting by Iran of vessels owned by the US or countries sympathetic to it is designed to bring this about. The economic and financial chaos already caused by the restrictions placed on shipping through this carotid artery of global energy supply and other critical products that include the essential ingredients of fertiliser provides strong empirical confirmation of the validity and effectiveness of the Iranian strategy. Meanwhile, an apoplectic Trump is scrambling for quick fixes, including requests (and thinly-veiled threats) to NATO members and even China for the supply of naval escort vessels, which so far have been spurned. All this of course means that Iran will do everything in its power to retain control. It is just as clear that it is in the interests of Russia and China for Iranian control to be maintained. If the war continues and escalates, the already considerable support provided to Iran by Russia and China is therefore likely to increase accordingly. Other countries currently on the sidelines may well join in on the Iranian side. Iran’s Arrows The maintenance of Iranian control will be made easier by the fact that the technologically asymmetric warfare employed so effectively by them thus far – aerial attacks by large numbers of low-cost drones that trigger very high-cost missile defence systems coupled with the introduction of more powerful and faster missiles as air defences are depleted – is likely to be repeated in its management of the Strait. At sea, the Iranian versions of Paris’s arrow are manifested in its flotilla of low-cost, easy to produce, high-speed missile-armed small surface boats; midget submarines; remote-controlled unmanned vessels; and its mine laying capacity, which includes large numbers (many of Russian and Chinese origin) of conventional contact and acoustic mines as well as remote-controlled ones. In addition, the 100 or so miles of mountainous coastline on the Iranian side of the Strait and a further 300 miles or so adjacent to the waters just beyond are likely to be riddled with difficult-to-detect and destroy honeycombs of underground short and medium range missile silos and launchers, and – possibly – artillery. That terrain would be extremely difficult for an invading military ground force to occupy and hold without sustaining massive casualties. Conclusion Very cleverly, the Iranians have turned conventional ‘big bang’ warfare on its head, transforming a US and Israeli strength into a weakness that cannot be rectified quickly, easily, or cheaply. It seems more than likely that Russia and China will have been working closely with Iran on the development and implementation of this strategy and will be watching developments with great interest and, so far, with considerable satisfaction. The obvious danger is that with or without US approval an increasingly desperate Israel will resort to using tactical nuclear weapons and that Iran – which, if it does not already have them, is probably developing them apace – will be forced to retaliate. The post Iran’s Arrows and the West’s Achilles’ Heel appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Peter Blunt.
CPJ condemns Trump administration’s intimidation tactics over US war coverage
Washington, D.C., March 18, 2026— The Trump administration’s efforts to intimidate news outlets over their coverage of U.S. military action in the Middle East directly threatens the public’s right to know, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr warned in a post on X that “broadcasters that are running hoaxes...
Washington, D.C., March 18, 2026— The Trump administration’s efforts to intimidate news outlets over their coverage of U.S. military action in the Middle East directly threatens the public’s right to know, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr warned in a post on X that “broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions… have a chance now to correct course before their license renewal comes up” and in a post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump said “fake news” media should be considered to be committing treason. They are the latest in a long line of actions that CPJ has warned are undermining the ability of Americans to access accurate information. “Restricting what media can report and how is the hallmark of an authoritarian government,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “The United States is rightly proud of its protections for press freedom. These protections exist not to protect journalists or governments but to protect the public’s right to know. Statements from this administration meant to intimidate the press into silence create a harmful chilling effect that stymies the free flow of information.” Ginsberg added: “The US Department of Defense has a nearly $1 trillion budget — making it one of the biggest spenders of public money. It’s crucial that journalists be allowed to cover how that money is being spent and what decisions are being made in the name of the American people.” A report by respected democracy watchdog the V-Dem Institute concluded this week that the United States is no longer a democracy, stating that “the third wave of autocratization” has spread to the United States, and noted that freedom of expression in the United States had fallen to its lowest level since the end of WWII. It said the decline was driven by a range of documented attacks from censorship and financial coercion to legal intimidation and suppression. “Freedom of expression is at the core of democracy and therefore is the most common target among autocratizing leaders over the past 25 years,” the report’s authors noted. Trump and Carr’s statements over the war are the latest in the administration’s attempts to coerce the media, through threats of license revocation, spurious lawsuits, or limits to media access. Last year, the Trump administration implemented new Pentagon credentialing policies that most media outlets refused to sign onto because they would severely restrict their freedom to report. Last week, photographers were barred from press briefings with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth because his staff reportedly found the images of him to be “unflattering.” The statement from Carr on license revocation follows a series of threats from the head of the FCC, which has authority over broadcasters. It does not regulate cable or streaming news, and licenses belong to individual stations, not parent networks like ABC. Revoking a broadcast license on the basis of editorial content would be unheard of, and revocations are rare. The current U.S. administration is not the first in recent years to seek to control how the media covers the war. Following the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush administration, journalists, most notably those with foreign outlets, faced increased restrictions and access, and CPJ’s report on the Obama White House found that the administration’s war on leaks and other efforts to control information as the “most aggressive…since the Nixon administration.” However, as noted in the V-Dem report, “the scale and speed of autocratization under the Trump administration are unprecedented in modern times.” Attempts to censor war coverage put the United States on a par with several other countries that are trying to control what their media reports on the Iran war. During this conflict CPJ has documented press freedom violations in Iran, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (IoPT), Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain in relation to coverage of the conflict. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections May Become a Turning Point for All Europe
Next month, on April 12, 2026, Hungary will hold parliamentary elections that will have a great impact not only on the country’s future domestic policy but also on the coordination of its actions and decisions with EU countries in foreign policy. The main struggle will take place between the Fidesz Party, that in now in […] The post Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections May Become a Turning Point for All Europe appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Next month, on April 12, 2026, Hungary will hold parliamentary elections that will have a great impact not only on the country’s future domestic policy but also on the coordination of its actions and decisions with EU countries in foreign policy. The main struggle will take place between the Fidesz Party, that in now in power, and the opposition party Tisza. The Fidesz headed by incumbent Prime Minister Victor Orban has been in power for more than 15 years now, and for this whole period of time it has conducted the policy that often contradicts to the political course of the EU. Thus, the Fidesz Party opposes armament and military equipment supplies to Kyiv, as well as imposing sanctions against Russia. The reason for the latter is explained by Budapest’s close cooperation with Moscow, especially in the energy area, along with the cheap price of the Russian oil and gas in comparison to other countries’ alternatives. The opposition party Tisza, that is now the main opponent of the ruling Fidesz, stands for a radical shift of Hungary’s political course and restoration of the relations with the EU and NATO. Its leader Peter Magyar is striving for strengthening ties with Brussels and distancing from Moscow, that is also implies refraining from using Russian energy sources as it interferes Hungary with rebuilding trust of the block, according to Magyar. His fellow party member and an economic advisor to the opposition party Istvan Kapitany has also called for using alternative energy sources without mentioning their origins. It’s noteworthy that before he came to the Hungarian politics Kapitany was a vice-president of the British concern of the oil and gas giant Shell and is now the shareholder of several British and American energy companies. This serves as a confirmation of fact that the Tisza’s representative pursues his own interests in the first turn, turning a blind eye to the fact that the switch to more expensive energy sources will definitely affect ordinary Hungarian citizens. Despite the fact that the elections are to take place in several weeks, the struggle for the seats in the Parliament has already started with tensions growing day by day. Victor Orban has already stated that Kyiv is trying to influence the elections’ outcome by all possible means, evidently, not in the favor of the Fidesz Party. According to him, there is an agreement between the Hungarian opposition and Ukraine and a coordination in a deliberate sabotage of Druzhba pipeline operation to discredit the current government. However, if the ties between the Tisza and Ukrainians, whose support is so actively promoted by the opposition party, will be proved before the elections, the authority and ratings of the latter will be definitely affected by this fact. Given the polarized views and political agendas of the parties Fidesz and Tisza, the outcome of the elections will have a key value for both Hungary and whole Europe. Budapest will either preserve its stance, independent form the EU as much as possible, or follow the common political course of the block. The post Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections May Become a Turning Point for All Europe appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Mike Kesz.
Trump Can’t Blockade Love: Why I’m Going to Cuba
I’m traveling to Cuba for the first time on March 21 to be in Havana with the Nuestra América Convoy, in which people from dozens of countries representing a variety of organizations will break the blockade, bringing much-needed supplies to the island. CODEPINK is bringing 6,300 pounds of medical equipment and medicine with help from […] The post Trump Can’t Blockade Love: Why I’m Going to Cuba appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-10.04.39-AM-300x226.png" alt="" width="300" height="226" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-167881" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-10.04.39-AM-300x226.png 300w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-10.04.39-AM-1024x773.png 1024w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-10.04.39-AM-768x579.png 768w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-10.04.39-AM.png 1124w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />I’m traveling to Cuba for the first time on March 21 to be in Havana with the Nuestra América Convoy, in which people from dozens of countries representing a variety of organizations will break the blockade, bringing much-needed supplies to the island. CODEPINK is bringing 6,300 pounds of medical equipment and medicine with help from Global Health Partners and others. These supplies will be given to clinics, hospitals, and maternity centers as Cuba deals with the latest horrifying crime against humanity perpetrated by the United States. The U.S. is blockading oil, seizing and chasing away Cuba-bound tankers in the Caribbean. No oil whatsoever has entered the island since early December. Trump characterized Cuba as an “unusual and extraordinary threat,” paving the way for more unilateral coercive measures (so-called sanctions). Rubio, in his dual positions of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, twists the arms of countries around the world to expel Cuban doctors. On top of this are the repeated threats of military strikes from Trump and his allies, along with worrying events: a failed incursion by a group of ten Cuban Americans, including two on Cuba’s terror watch list; and an uncovered plot in which ten Panamanian residents of Cuba were to be paid to spread “subversive content” with the hopes of starting protests. These extremists want war with Cuba and see “no reason to show them mercy,” as an anonymous member of the Cuban American diaspora told <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50315862&l=dce1d898-cad5-4e3a-8922-1856f92338d6&r=55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50315862%26l%3Ddce1d898-cad5-4e3a-8922-1856f92338d6%26r%3D55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389&source=gmail&ust=1773872935749000&usg=AOvVaw398UDshaPxsQB5_ChwUjxA">Politico. Bombs have not fallen, but Trump’s economic warfare is killing children. “In the 0 to 5 age group, cancer is the leading cause of death. And it is heartbreaking to face a child with a disease that we know … there is a chance of curing, and we can’t do it because we can’t access those resources,” said Cuban Dr. Carlos Martínez in a <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50315862&l=2309c3d5-fe28-4f4a-ae3f-197827ec0f55&r=55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50315862%26l%3D2309c3d5-fe28-4f4a-ae3f-197827ec0f55%26r%3D55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389&source=gmail&ust=1773872935749000&usg=AOvVaw2wNOjf32xvwdnolMUnQ-VR">press conference. Whether in Tehran, Havana, or Epstein Island, it is as Silvio Rodríguez sang in Días y Flores fifty years ago: “The rage, a child-murdering empire.” Part of the economic attack is against Cuban doctors who serve the poorest communities throughout the world. Cubans have treated <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50315862&l=435cf407-eee4-4f85-878a-c79d904753bb&r=55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50315862%26l%3D435cf407-eee4-4f85-878a-c79d904753bb%26r%3D55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389&source=gmail&ust=1773872935749000&usg=AOvVaw3zrrfAvEDHuN9TDkroGHu5">2.3 billion patients in 165 countries in the history of their medical cooperation programs. These doctors are paid by the countries they serve, as is the Cuban government, which then uses the funds to train more doctors. The payments vary by country, with richer countries like Italy paying more. Due to U.S. pressure, in the past year, Cuban medical missions have been asked to leave Guyana, Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda. The main victims in this case aren’t Cubans, but the patients Cuban doctors were forced to leave behind — many will now go without health care. What can we do in the face of these crimes? We can push for bills in the House and Senate to end the embargo, for the War Powers resolution introduced in the Senate, and for the <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50315862&l=00a22e93-f0ab-4766-b0d2-f0db99e2777d&r=55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50315862%26l%3D00a22e93-f0ab-4766-b0d2-f0db99e2777d%26r%3D55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389&source=gmail&ust=1773872935749000&usg=AOvVaw3DfGArdZX8spdo_-kRSgIk">New Good Neighbor Act introduced by Rep. Nydia Velázquez. We can hold teach-ins, webinars, events, and rallies aimed at political education and building consciousness. But one of the most important things we can do, and the first reason I’m going to Cuba, is to offer material aid in the form of donations and travel. It’s an honor to be part of the Nuestra América convoy, and it could not have been done without thousands of people donating to the various campaigns to bring medicine, food, and solar panels. This will save Cuban lives, and to paraphrase José Martí’s “amor con amor se paga,” it is a way of repaying love with love. We need to keep raising money for Cuba — it is the most urgent form of solidarity we can express at this time. Those who can should travel to Cuba. The message from Congressional Republicans is “No Oil. No Travel. No Oxygen.” Visiting Cuba is poner tu granito de arena, doing something small but meaningful — an act of defiance in the face of an empire gone mad. Not all of us can do this as individuals, but together, our communities, movements, and organizations can send people to Cuba. Visitors can <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50315862&l=2f4fc35f-c929-41d5-af78-a025b021a51d&r=55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50315862%26l%3D2f4fc35f-c929-41d5-af78-a025b021a51d%26r%3D55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389&source=gmail&ust=1773872935749000&usg=AOvVaw3-Mkd4LNrh5NDoH7ZFVV6y">take a suitcase of aid and conduct people-to-people diplomacy while helping the local economy. The second reason I’m going to Cuba is more personal. My father-in-law passed away last July, a Cuban American who dedicated a large part of his life to anti-imperialist solidarity. He was part of the 1977 Antonio Maceo brigade, the first delegation of Cuban Americans to go to Cuba. On the CODEPINK delegation, we’ll be joined by <a href="https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c=50315862&l=1a6916e2-8a11-4dd5-91af-39e7c788cbd2&r=55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://codepink-org.qmailroute.net/x/d?c%3D50315862%26l%3D1a6916e2-8a11-4dd5-91af-39e7c788cbd2%26r%3D55098d99-88df-4587-8d99-dcba0ce54389&source=gmail&ust=1773872935749000&usg=AOvVaw01h46f_vMsYk0pluT59eTN">Cuban Americans for Cuba, who are building on that legacy of countering the extremists of their diaspora. The delegation will also include a member of the first Venceremos Brigade, a coalition of anti-imperialist solidarity that began traveling to Cuba in 1969. All together, we are a group of peace activists, teachers, doctors, journalists, influencers, artists, and organizers. We are members of diasporas, including Palestine, El Salvador, and Venezuela. The third reason I’m going to Cuba is because I’m from Venezuela. On January 3rd, when the U.S. bombed my country and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores, they killed over 100 people. Among them were 32 Cubans. Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino López said they were “murdered in cold blood.” When I first heard him say that, I was filled with a profound sadness. The Cuban people have given so much to my country, and now they have spilled their blood for Venezuela as well. Through ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas, Cuba and Venezuela founded teleSur, PetroCaribe, a development bank, and numerous social programs. Cuba’s solidarity and cooperation helped rid Venezuela of illiteracy. Cuba provided doctors and a path for transforming Venezuela’s health system. Now, the U.S. is trying its best to divide Venezuela from Cuba. Its warships continue to prevent shipments of oil. They may stop the oil, but they won’t be able to divide us. The Venezuelan and Cuban people have too many ties and too much love to ever turn against each other. At the end of that Silvio Rodríguez song, he offers love as the antidote to that rage brought about by war, empire, and its daily crimes. Trump can’t blockade love. And there are millions around the world who love the Cuban people — a people who have fought capitalism, imperialism, Apartheid, and Zionism. A people who are always the first to offer aid and solidarity. The post Trump Can’t Blockade Love: Why I’m Going to Cuba appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Leonardo Flores.
The Decline of Trumpism and the Crisis of Capitalism
The chaotic Trump reign over US politics is showing critical signs of weakening on many fronts: Trumponomics is failing: Trumpian immigration policy has stirred a powerful backlash; Teflon Trump has been tarnished by his clumsy, slippery handling of the Epstein scandal; his foreign-policy contradictions and outrages have confused both international friends and foes alike; and […] The post The Decline of Trumpism and the Crisis of Capitalism appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The chaotic Trump reign over US politics is showing critical signs of weakening on many fronts: Trumponomics is failing: Trumpian immigration policy has stirred a powerful backlash; Teflon Trump has been tarnished by his clumsy, slippery handling of the Epstein scandal; his foreign-policy contradictions and outrages have confused both international friends and foes alike; and his violation of his “end to endless wars” campaign has caused a break with some of his most ardent supporters. It is easy to forget that this Trump regime has been in power for only a little more than a year, while enjoying a majority in both the House and the Senate, as well as a favorable majority in the Supreme Court. In such a short time, he and his cohorts have managed to do extraordinary damage. Unlike in his first term, where Trump included some of the Republican Party old guard, the new administration was outfitted with hard-core MAGA — a cabal that proved to be craven sycophants, unhinged racists and nationalists, and intellectual reactionaries. Whatever traction Trump may have gotten with those angry with two-party betrayal, his already shattered promises are reflected in his falling poll numbers. With the mid-term elections coming, significant numbers within his coalition are questioning his policies or distancing themselves from his positions despite his brazen threats to destroy them politically for their heresy. It would be more than misleading to credit the decline of Trumpism to the resistance, the Democrats, or the broad left. For sure, there have been remarkable centers of mass struggle against Trump’s policies, most notably, the impressive Minneapolis resistance to ICE that successfully organized tens of thousands into a powerful force driving the Trump forces into an embarrassing retreat. Those hoping to reverse the Trump onslaught would do well to study the Minnesota phenomenon rather than deferring to Democratic Party leadership. The labor unions — potentially a formidable adversary to Trumpism — are paralyzed by a leadership afraid to defy their members who might support Trump. They are willing to close their eyes to MAGA’s clearly anti-union program in order to maintain the internal tranquility of business unionism. As support for Trumpism declines with working people, careerist union leaders remain on the sidelines. When union organizers and leaders have stood up in the past, they have made the difference between surrendering to reaction or defending the interests of working people. The left-led CIO unions of the thirties were the bulwarks of the resistance to the far-right “answers” to the Great Depression. Similarly, the Democratic Party has demonstrated both its inability and unwillingness to defeat the Trump steamroller. Trump’s reelection itself proves that the Democratic Party has failed to create a program that will deliver voters from the fears and anxieties that animate Trump support. Tolerating– if not welcoming– the admission of billionaires, war mongers, spies, hucksters, and careerists into their inner circle, Democratic Party leaders are counting on Republican failure and Epstein-sleaze to propel them back to power, instead of developing a popular agenda. Recent local and by-elections have shown a hunger among Democratic Party voters for progressive, populist candidates of the Sanders/Mamdani ilk, but party functionaries have sought to cultivate ex-military, CIA, FBI hawks with corporate-friendly agendas to fill their electoral slates. The Democratic Party has evolved into a massive fund-raising machine more than willing to wait its turn in the two-party back-and-forth. Candidates of substance have no place in the strategic vision of their bankrupt leaders. The Democratic Party response to the ongoing war against Iran (and the recent invasion of Venezuela) evidences its cynical, corrupted posture. Sensing a vulnerability with Trump’s naked aggression, they attack the Republicans– not on moral or humanitarian grounds — but on procedure! The slaughter of the innocent victims of Israeli and US bombs is passed on uncritically, but the failure to consult Congress counts as a grievous sin! This is a party that long left its New Deal image in the rear-view mirror. But because of the deeply entrenched two-party system, expressions of popular struggle, of resistance, of progressive change too often feel it necessary to tether to a corrupted Democratic Party. Especially after the shock and awe of massive deindustrialization and a devastating economic crisis, many mistakenly envisioned Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party as a possible break from the indifference of the elites leading both parties. Trump presented himself as such, trading on desperate hope and the desire for change, just as his Democratic Party predecessor stirred a wave of optimism based on vague promises. With economic inequality — the benchmark for all kinds of inequality — relentlessly advancing, Trump’s empty promise of restoring manufacturing jobs nonetheless resonated with the disenchanted. He promoted the idea that a heavy dose of sanctions, tariffs, and other forms of arm-twisting would secure for the citizens a bounty of wealth that had been cheated from them, stolen from them, or given away by the treacherous Democrats. This let’s-make-a-deal economic policy was the basis for the delusion that billions of lost wealth would be recovered for the public good. Couple these fantasies with a regressive tax policy to appease the hard-headed corporate bosses, and you have the essence of Trump’s economic plan. Meanwhile, the serious problems of stagnation and inflation carried over from the Biden administration remain unattended. Like the Democrats, Trump had no immigration policy that balanced guaranteeing labor-market stability with humanitarian concerns. Instead, he chose to not only expel all undocumented immigrants, but to also whip up hysterical waves of xenophobia, much of it rabidly racist. Unleashing a Gestapo-like ICE on communities and cities played poorly in even the corporate media, costing him dearly in support. The Epstein scandal — unlike other exposures of ruling-class libertinism and debauchery — will not go away because both the Democrats and Republicans will not let it go away. Both parties are thoroughly devoted to throwing slime on their opponents, since both parties own prominent friends of Epstein. However, the Epstein affair has done serious and costly damage to Trump because he already exhibits extraordinary vulgarity, he has clumsily mishandled suspicions of his involvement, and his attorney general has botched the investigation. Despite running on a nationalist platform disclaiming foreign entanglements, Trump has been baited by the neo-conservative, Marco Rubio wing of MAGA to embrace regime change. After the Venezuela invasion, the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro Moros and Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, and the government’s subsequent capitulation, Trump grew “dizzy” with his perceived success. The Wall Street Journal has dubbed his novel regime-change strategy as “decapitate and delegate.” Now Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has wooed Trump into applying the strategy to Iran, launching a joint war that threatens to escalate into a regional war with profound implications for the global economy. Trumpism’s decline comes at a time of the deepening crisis of capitalism. Since the devastating economic crash of 2007-2009, the world economy has failed to recover fully from financial stress, stagnation, and inflation. Under the management of political and central bank leaders, rapidly rising inequality, deteriorating standards of living, social stress, and widely expressed dissatisfaction afflict all the advanced capitalist countries. The most dramatic mass expression of this rising discontent is the growing rejection of centrist political parties — parties that have shared rule in most countries for many generations of voters. Trumpism and other, European and Asian, right-wing populist parties and movements reflect this bitter discontent with conventional governance. Some of the so-called lower-middle or higher-middle-income capitalist or capitalist-accommodating countries have high growth rates that — in spite of great inequality — have generated growing middle strata and relative political stability. Insofar as they enjoy high growth from the migration of capital and industrial production to their economies, they also sustain high rates of labor exploitation along with modestly rising living standards. Their ruling classes have traded extreme labor exploitation for a competitive advantage against the advanced capitalist countries. Of course, the poorest countries remain tragically stunted from the legacy of European colonialism, denied any but the grimmest future in the capitalist economy. Competition between the advanced capitalist countries, rivalry with the emerging economies, and the desperate conflict between the have-nots for a place in the imperialist system constitute a global tinder box. Headlines understandably report US-Israeli aggression in the Middle East (now engaging nearly all of the countries in the region) or US brazen meddling in the Americas. Less acknowledged are the wars, conflicts, and civil wars stoked and conducted in nearly every region: Russia-Ukraine, Pakistan-Afghanistan, China-India, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Rwanda-DRCongo, Sudan, Thailand-Cambodia, Sahel, Myanmar, China-Taiwan, China-Japan, China-Philippines, Haiti, Colombia, are part of a list that grows almost weekly. Millions of lives have been affected by, even sacrificed to national ambitions to acquire markets, to attain resources, or to secure advantage over others directly or indirectly. While the US remains the biggest capitalist bully in the imperialist system, it is simplistic and misleading to assume that its action is the only global expression of capital’s ruination upon the world’s people. Nor should it be forgotten that capital oppresses and immiserates the people of the US as well. It is an entire system in dysfunction. As more and more people recognize that the current system and its managers are failing us, they will necessarily look for a more radical alternative. It should be apparent that recycling the same leaders, the same ideas, the same parties will simply not do. Yet there are those who insist that bringing down Trump or his global counterparts is enough. They see Trumpism and right-wing populism as a plague that visits the world periodically and must be collectively turned back to restore some kind of normalcy. They conjure an idyllic past that Trump and his ilk disturbed. This is the fantasy of privileged elites who have not felt the sting of inequality, insecurity, and misery persistently and increasingly inflicted by capital on many millions and for many generations. To escape the trap of nostalgia for a decadent past and to avoid the return of right-wing snake charmers, socialism must be pressed on the people’s agenda. Socialism must not be pushed down the road as an ideal, as a far-off destination. The fact that polls show a popular acceptance of socialism, even a preference — especially with the young — for socialism, should demand its serious advocacy. The future can be brighter. The post The Decline of Trumpism and the Crisis of Capitalism appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Greg Godels.
Re-creation of an American foreign policy tactic, “We have to kill them in order to save them,” sheds a dark light on the executive leadership that guides foreign policies and on the political commentators who inform Americans of the policies. The U.S. government released its assessment of why Iran must be pulverized into the Stone […] The post Endless War on Iran Has Numbered Days appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Re-creation of an American foreign policy tactic, “We have to kill them in order to save them,” sheds a dark light on the executive leadership that guides foreign policies and on the political commentators who inform Americans of the policies. The U.S. government released its assessment of why Iran must be pulverized into the Stone Age, and favored political reporters persuaded their readers to agree with the policy. The Iranian Regime’s Decades of Terrorism Against American Citizens, The White House, March 2, 2026 For nearly half a century, the Islamic Republic of Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — has killed and maimed American citizens and service members through its own forces and proxy militias. More Americans have been killed by Iran than any other terrorist regime on Earth. President Donald J. Trump is doing what Presidents over the last five decades have refused to do — eliminate the threat once and for all. By destroying Iran’s missiles, annihilating their navy, and ensuring they can never obtain a nuclear weapon, the Trump Administration’s bold and decisive action is protecting American lives and advancing American interests. According to the White House, Iran’s missiles, navy, and a potential nuclear weapon have killed American citizens. Now the threat is eliminated, and we can relax. Here is a partial record of the White House list of the “Iranian regime’s blood-soaked war on Americans.” November 1979: Iranian students, backed by the regime, seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran — taking 66 Americans hostage in a 444-day standoff. April 1983: The Islamic Jihad, an Iran-backed terrorist group, carried out a suicide car bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 17 Americans. October 1983: Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists killed 241 U.S. military personnel — including 220 U.S. Marines and 21 other service personnel — in a truck bombing at a Marine compound in Beirut. I’ll stop here. The complete farcical list can be found at the farcical <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/59283122-ea98-40e5-a975-72c4c788dd53?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/59283122-ea98-40e5-a975-72c4c788dd53?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773847521875000&usg=AOvVaw2u9R5e-lmGL2etkJm9BcYI">website of the farcical U.S. government. Read the complete list and note there is none, not even one, Iran military or intelligence agency attack on Americans. The record is couched with “Iran-backed Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Hamas “terrorists,” making it seem that these groups operate on direct orders from Tehran and do not have legitimate grievances against the United States. No proof that the specified organizations deliberately targeted Americans. No proof of a direct link of the Mullahs to any of the attacks. Examine this notation, similar to all other notations accusing Hamas. August 1995: An Iran-backed Hamas suicide bomber blew up a bus in Jerusalem, killing an American and three other passengers, and wounding more than 100 others. Because an American, who probably was an Israeli citizen and lived in Israel, was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Hamas, who has never attacked Americans, is accused of deliberately murdering an American, and Iran, who probably knew less of the attack than the United States, is accused of being an accomplice. Here is another notation, which characterizes many of the notations linking Hezbollah to killings of Americans. August 2006: Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists killed American citizen and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Michael Levin during the Second Lebanon War — the only American to die in the conflict. A Lebanese militant shoots an invading Israeli soldier in a war and Hezbollah is portrayed as murdering an American. Iranian officials, several hundred miles away from the battle, are in contact with the militant and steer the weapon to aim at the IDF soldier, who they knew was American. August 1998: Al-Qaeda suicide bombers, facilitated by Iran-backed Hezbollah, simultaneously bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people — including a dozen American citizens. Connecting Hezbollah, a Shia organization with al-Qaeda, a sworn enemy of the Shia, is nonsensical. Connecting Iran with al-Qaeda is equally nonsensical. Washington, D.C. Think Tank, New America, analyzed nearly 300 declassified documents in Arabic. Key Findings: Al-Qa’ida views Iran as a hostile entity, a hostility that is evident throughout the documents examined for this study. The examined documents provide no evidence of cooperation between Al-Qa’ida and Iran on planning or carrying out terrorist attacks. The presence of jihadis in Iran was out of necessity, not a result of strategic planning. Jihadis, including Al-Qa’ida members, and their families as well as members of bin Ladin’s family fled Afghanistan to Iran following the 9/11 attacks and the resultant fall of the Taliban regime. When jihadis began to set up communications with entities outside Iran, thereby violating the terms of the security measures set by the regime, Al-Qa’ida experienced a campaign of arrests and deportations. Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Al-Qa’ida perceived Iran’s policy as one of detention/imprisonment, refusing to allow jihadis to leave Iran. Some jihadis managed to evade arrest and adopted stringent measures to maintain a clandestine presence in Iran. Al-Qaeda has linked Shi’ite Muslims, who are represented by Iran and Hezbollah, with Crusaders — Zionists and Americans— as its most bitter enemies. Deceased al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, Al-Zarqawi, in a speech, said: “Days go by, and events follow one after the other. The battles are many, and the names used are varied. But the goal (of the Crusaders) is one: a Crusader-Rafidite war against the Sunnis.” Who are the Rafidites? They are Shi’ite Muslims who reject (rafḍ) the caliphate of Muḥammad’s two successors Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. A more accurate assessment of Iran’s “terrorist activities” against Americans is there has been none. Iran has been involved in assassinations of dissidents, whose groups have engaged in sabotage in Iran, and in tit-for-tat violence with Israel, whose intelligence agencies have murdered scores of Iranians. A few plots against U.S. officials that purportedly link the plotters with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were foiled, but do not indicate plans of an international terrorist organization. These were revenge actions, reprisals for the assassination of Iranian Major General, Qasem Soleimani, and others in his entourage, and to U.S. complicity in aiding Israel in several assassinations of Iranian scientists and government officials. Trump’s post on Truth Social, “They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” tells the story — an American president takes pleasure in murdering others. Iran has not killed innocent people, whereas the United States in wars, sanctions, starvation and helping ally, Israel, is responsible for millions of deaths. The nation that murdered most Americans, outside of military confrontations, is Israel, which killed 34 people on board the U.S.S. Liberty and wounded 171 of its crew members during the 1967 Israel/Egypt war. The human rights organization DAWN details 14 American citizens killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since 2003. The number of Americans killed in Gaza during the several Israeli incursions has not been available. Iran, which has not murdered any Americans, is bombed mercilessly, and Israel, which has murdered many Americans, is assisted in murdering the innocent Iranians. Popular and influential political columnists certify the charade that describes Iran as the world’s villain. Tom Friedman can be confusing, showing unnecessary endearment and subdued criticism of Israel, leaving it to others to determine if the slaughter in Gaza can be declared genocide. The NY Times foreign affairs columnist has a huge following and a possible restraint; he depends on his relationships with Israeli government officials to supply him with inside information. His facts and opinions on the ugly war are ugly and unreal. First, I hope this effort to topple the clerical regime in Tehran succeeds. It is a regime that murders its people, destabilizes its neighbors and has destroyed a great civilization. There is no single event that would do more to put the whole Middle East on a more decent, inclusive trajectory than the replacement of Tehran’s Islamic regime with a leadership focused exclusively on enabling the people of Iran to realize their full potential with a real voice in their own future. While you’d never know it if you listened to the campus left in recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the biggest imperialist power in the region since 1979, cultivating proxies to control four Arab states — Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen — and undermining liberal reformers in all four by promoting sectarian divisions. The highly vocal supporter for the war on Iraq changes the q in Iraq to the n in Iran and whoops it again up for the killing machines. Examine each phrase. It is a regime that murders its people. We never get the complete story. Murder is not the correct word. As many nations, the Iranian government acted ruthlessly when peaceful protests spilled over into attacks on police stations, security personnel, religious institutions, and government buildings. The country has a unique security problem — the United States and Israel intelligence services clandestinely instigate the peaceful protests to violence. The recent large protests are more due to economic factors — credit denial, inflation, and currency deterioration — caused by the sanctions and embargoes imposed upon Iran. Repression is proportional to threat, and the United States and Israel, eagerly enlarge the threat and augment the repression. Destabilizes its neighbors. The Middle East neighbors that have been unusually unstable in the last forty years are Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and maybe Bahrain, at moments. The first six were consistently unstable before the Islamic Republic came into existence and the first four became more unstable due to Israeli and U.S. aggression. Bahrain’s troubles stem from its autocratic government and treatment of its oppressed majority. The Shia population is a slight majority and has been treated as a foreign minority under control of Sunni monarch Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Human Rights Watch says, “Bahraini authorities use the many repressive tools available to them to silence and punish anyone who criticizes the government.” Meanwhile, Israel has consistently destabilized its bordering nations and Egypt by invading them and several African nations — Libya, Sudan, and Ethiopia — by assisting opponents of their governments Has destroyed a great civilization. Weren’t the great civilizations destroyed a long, long, long time ago? What great civilization existed recently and how was it destroyed? Safavid dynasty rule (1501–1736) began modern Iranian history. Because Shah Ismail I established the Twelver denomination of Shia Islam as the official religion of the nation, and mingled Shia Islam with Iranian identity, we can speciously conclude the opposite to Friedman’s characterization ─ the Mullahs returned Iran to its ancient civilization roots. No single event would do more to put the whole Middle East on a more decent, inclusive trajectory than the replacement of Tehran’s Islamic regime. What has Iran done to modify the trajectory of Middle East nations? Only Egypt, Syria, and Iraq have modified their “trajectories,” whatever they were, and those are due to U.S. and Israel interference. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been the biggest imperialist power in the region since 1979. That is a whopper. Without gaining one inch of territory, never attacking any nation, not colonizing other nations, not controlling the commerce or government of other nations, and suffering from isolation and sanctions, by some invisible mechanism, known only to Tom Friedman, Iran is the “biggest imperialist power.” Cultivating proxies to control four Arab states — Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen — and undermining liberal reformers in all four by promoting sectarian divisions. Where does or did Iran exercise one finger of control over any of these states and promote sectarian divisions that have always existed in the Middle East? According to Friedman, Iran, which, as all nations, seeks friends of mutual interests, cannot have friends, only proxies. Former NYT columnist, David Brooks, is another popular and influential commentator who has shown no understanding of the war on Iran and has propagandized the administration’s position. On the Friday PBS Nightly News, David Brooks hallucinated Iran’s history of the last 47 years. Iran has been at war with us for 47 years. Brooks escalates arguments and disagreements into war and forgets that Iran assisted in freeing seven U.S. hostages held in Lebanon during the Iran-Contra affair, offered assistance in rehabilitating Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion, and signed the 2014 Joint Plan of Action” (JPOA), an interim agreement that froze parts of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief. One of worst events of 20th century began 47 years of terrorism, extremism, theocratic fascism. As debated above, what terrorism has Iran committed? It started with one to two million people dead in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980’s. This twist in assigning blame to Iran for the killings of its people, and demonstrating a lack of empathy for its citizens, when Iran suffered extensive casualties after being attacked by Iraq, who had assistance from U.S. intelligence, reduces David Brooks to Donald Trump’s level. There were 241 Americans killed by Iranian supervision in Beirut. Another unproven statement that ties Tehran to happenings in Beirut. The suicide bombers who drove a truck into the marine barracks coordinated with suicide bombers who simultaneously performed a suicide bombing at a French base. These fanatics revenged the shelling by French and American forces of the Shouf hills that killed fellow Lebanese. Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, they have destabilized the Middle East. Another statement that was debated above. They have killed people in Syria. A vague and accusatory statement. Can Brooks name one person and describe the circumstance in which Iran killed the person(s)? Iran recently killed 25,000 to 35,000 of its citizens, a destructive and savage regime that has destabilized the Middle East. Official government figure of deaths in the uprising is about 3000; other agencies claim much more. As explained above, “We never get the complete story.” How does David Brook’s fallacious commentary excuse the illegal attack on a mostly defenseless nation? Conclusion Israel and the United States attacked Iran for one reason — Iran is only country to contend the genocide and willing to stand up against Israel and its expansionist policies. Iran may not be the best nation but its failings, which are mostly the unequal status of women, are not much different from America’s friends — the Gulf nations and Saudi Arabia. The theocracy unnerves its citizens; the economic problems drive the populace into despair. Economic problems are due to engineered U.S. sanctions, which hinder economic expansion and job opportunities for women Denial to credit markets has caused a huge inflation. Without sanctions, Iran would be a prosperous and more obedient nation. Why Trump does not comprehend his contradictory statements on the war and why there is nobody to make him understand is baffling. He pleads for an end in the war in Ukraine so Ukrainian and Russians will no longer be killed and does not exhibit regret for massacring more than Iranian 100 school children in a U.S. missile attack. He says all elements of the Iranian military have been destroyed and continues the war. He exults over previously low oil prices, for which he claims credit, although OPEC and other producers determine production and price, and disregards the increased prices due to his war on Iran. He poses as president of the U.S. people and gloats that the increased oil price benefits the United States, which has surplus oil. His United States is the petroleum conglomerates who will benefit from the higher oil prices paid by the U.S. people. The corrupt and sinister warmongers that occupy executive positions in Washington, D.C. and Tel Aviv are beginning to realize that Iran will not falter. Subduing Iran implies murdering millions of its people. An endless war is being waged, in which Cyrus the Great will never die, while Trump and Netanyahu, the degrading duo, have numbered days. The post Endless War on Iran Has Numbered Days appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Dan Lieberman.
The Global Convoy to Cuba: Response to Washington’s Strangling of Cuba
Since 1962 the US imposed an economic blockade on Cuba designed “to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.” Until 1990 this brutality was greatly alleviated by the solidarity of the socialist countries which provided the Cuban people with essential trade and aid. That provided some protection, but as 638 Ways to Kill Castro […] The post The Global Convoy to Cuba: Response to Washington’s Strangling of Cuba appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Since 1962 the US imposed an economic blockade on Cuba designed “to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.” Until 1990 this brutality was greatly alleviated by the solidarity of the socialist countries which provided the Cuban people with essential trade and aid. That provided some protection, but as 638 Ways to Kill Castro illustrates, the US had other tools, including many acts of terrorism and biological warfare. Despite decades of resistance to the blockade by solidarity organizations in the US, despite polls consistently showing most people being against the blockade, despite the United Nations General Assembly votes for the last 33 years to demand the lifting of the US blockade, Washington has not only been oblivious, but has ramped up the economic warfare. Washington again declared Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism, providing no basis for this allegation. This designation allows the US to use its control over the world financial system (e.g., SWIFT, IMF, World Bank, and the US dollar as the international currency) to sanction or block trade and transactions with Cuba. Countries, banks, and companies having business relations with Cuba face sanctions for supporting “terrorism.” This severely restricts Cuba’s ability to trade, receive foreign investment and credit. The blockade cost Cuba $7.5 billion in 2025, $20.5 million per day. Since 1960, this de facto fine for exercising its right to national self-determination has cost Cuba $170 billion. On January 29, the US squeezed Cuba much more, imposing a blockade on all oil to Cuba, ready to economically punish any country that ships oil. Because of US world economic power, no country challenges this. Last year Mexico supplied 44% of Cuba’s imported crude oil, and Venezuela 34%. Cuba has received no oil since mid-December. Obviously, these US actions violate international law, as did the attack on Venezuela, the kidnapping of President Maduro, and imposing control over its oil exports. And as did the slaughter in Gaza, the war on Iran and assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei. But, like the yearly UN vote calling for removal of the US blockade on Cuba, the US feels powerful enough to simply ignore this. Without living there, we still cannot really grasp how all-encompassing this US war on Cuba is. Marta Jiménez, a hairdresser in Holguín, explained the present oil blockade on Cuba to CodePink’s Medea Benjamin: You can’t imagine how it touches every part of our lives. It’s a vicious, all-encompassing spiral downward. With no gasoline, buses don’t run, so we can’t get to work. We have electricity only three to six hours a day. There’s no gas for cooking, so we’re burning wood and charcoal in our apartments. It’s like going back 100 years. The blockade is suffocating us — especially single mothers … and no one is stopping these demons, Trump and Marco Rubio. Now, the US is even working on criminal indictments against Cuban leaders, not before the International Criminal Court for violating international law, but in US courts for breaking US laws, as it is doing to President Nicolas Maduro right now. The US Treasury is even looking into charging Cuban leaders with violation of the US blockade on their country! Having visited Cuba about 15 times between 1979 and 2019, I have seen how US economic warfare on the island has devastated Cubans’ standard of living after the collapse of the Soviet bloc. It has seriously undermined many aspects of the inspiring example of their socialist model. Compared to 1979, the tightening US blockade has brought much more inequality, fewer social services, more poverty. The US delivers Cubans deteriorating general health by denying medicines and medical materials. Even hunger, long ago eliminated, the US has reintroduced. The oil blockade aims to disable the electrical system, all transport, and water pumping equipment, recreating the desperation the US and Israel inflicted on Gaza. Cuban President Díaz-Canel added, “Right now in the country there are tens of thousands of people waiting for surgery that cannot be performed due to the lack of electricity.” Mothers now see their babies fighting for their lives in incubators that have been turned off because of the oil blockade. Diesel runs short, garbage trucks stop. Trash piles up. Mosquitoes spread. Disease follows. This, Washington says, will bring freedom and democracy to Cuba. Raúl Antonio Capote, the Cuban state security agent who infiltrated the CIA, recently wrote that the Cuban economy now faces a deep crisis. But does that mean that the collapse of the Cuban government is imminent or that “regime change” is about to occur? Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga says absolutely not: “This is an opportunity and a challenge that we have no doubt we will overcome. We are not going to collapse.” Cuba does carry unresolved problems from the past that the US weaponizes against them. Cuba succeeded little in becoming self-sufficient in food, unlike Nicaragua and even Venezuela, which imported 80% of its food 15 years ago. A country that must import its basic food – and we now witness, energy – hands the US powerful tools for control and “regime change.” Henry Kissinger noted, “Control oil and you control nations. Control food and you control people.” Cuba still spends more than $2 billion a year to import 70-80% of its food, even sugar and coffee. Today Cuba struggles with the US empire using the energy weapon against them, having relied heavily on imported oil. Cuba belatedly turned to solar power, whose production has jumped from 5.8% in early 2025 to over 20% of its total energy generation, most thanks to China’s aid. Renewable energy now accounts for 50% of daytime electricity generation. Another problem President Diaz-Canel recently spoke out against: “we are still held back too much by centralism, the excessive centralization that stifles the creative initiative of individuals, groups, and municipalities.” Decentralization of planning is a priority, moving toward a more market-based set of production decisions and incentives. Now Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga says Cuba is open to allow those of Cuban origin living abroad to open and invest in private business on the island. This hardly means restoring capitalism. A socialist economic system does not demand the abolition of the market nor private property. It means the abolition of the hegemony of capital. The socialist economic system of the Soviet Union (and Cuba during the Soviet period), the state planning and control of all production and distribution, represented only one model. In the present Chinese or Vietnamese model, the “commanding heights of the economy” lie in the nationalized state sector, under control of the Communist Party. Widespread non-state sector business flourish in other spheres. Cuba itself, since 2021, has slowly moved in this direction, and now over 11,000 private and state-owned Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) to revive a struggling economy. Today about 38% of the Cuban workforce are said to be in private MSMEs and cooperatives. Yet the overwhelming problem for Cuba remains the genocidal US oil blockade, on top of the US State Sponsor of Terrorism listing that criminalizes all trade, on top of the 65 year US blockade. Today many organizations are stepping up to counter US strangulation. Organizations around the world are raising funds and materials for Cuba. In the US, prominent among them are Global Health Partners, Medicc, Peoples Forum, Code Pink, and Hatuey Project. Probably thousands, like Greta Thunberg, are coming with the Global Convoy to Cuba, arriving March 21, bringing desperately needed material aid. This will be a rebuke to Washington’s brutality and will hopefully inspire nations around the world to act. David Adler, Progressive International organizer of the Global Convoy, explained: When governments enforce collective punishment, ordinary people have a responsibility to act…break the siege, bring food and medicine, and show that solidarity can cross any border, land, or sea. The first aim is to deliver critical aid to the Cuban people that can redress the humanitarian consequences of the January 29 US executive order, which establishes a fuel blockade around the island.” For instance, “the executive order means that if a fire broke out, there’d be no fire truck to reach it. It’s a crisis with consequences that rise exponentially as its effects multiply across sectors. The primary threat that Cuba represents [to Washington] is its example to the world, about the nature of solidarity and the nature of self-determination.” The US “actively seeks retribution on those who dare to rebel. And no country, no revolution, no political project has been more rebellious in the face of that imperial violence than Cuba…So the resistance against this, the solidarity with Cuba, is also about stopping the US government’s ability to isolate and punish anyone who dares to stand up against it. The Cuban Revolution represents an example for our human future: it nationalized the country’s wealth and resources and placed them under the rule of the direct representatives of workers and peasants and has stood up to imperialism for over 65 years. It played a world historic role in dismantling Israel’s twin apartheid state, South Africa. Destruction of the Cuban Revolution would be painful setback for the world movement against imperialism, for the world anti-war movement, for the world human rights movement. It would embolden US imperial aggression even more, everywhere. For our own self-preservation, we must do what we can to aid Cuba. The post The Global Convoy to Cuba: Response to Washington’s Strangling of Cuba appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Stansfield Smith.
Lebanese journalist killed in Israeli strike on central Beirut
Amman, March 18, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns the killing of Mohamed Sherri, a journalist with Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster Al-Manar TV, in an Israeli strike on a residential building he lived in with his family in the central Beirut neighborhood of Zuqaq al-Blat on the morning of March 18. Al-Manar TV confirmed...
Amman, March 18, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns the killing of Mohamed Sherri, a journalist with Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster Al-Manar TV, in an Israeli strike on a residential building he lived in with his family in the central Beirut neighborhood of Zuqaq al-Blat on the morning of March 18. Al-Manar TV confirmed the killing of Sherri, the head of political programming, and his wife in a statement, saying that he was among the channel’s most prominent journalists. A source from the Union of Journalists in Lebanon told CPJ that Yasser Sherri, Mohamed’s son and an editor at the Iraqi Hezbollah-affiliated Aletejah channel, was injured during the same strike. “The killing of journalist Mohamed Sherri in his central Beirut apartment is a frightening escalation in Israel’s offensive in Lebanon,” said Joud Hasan, CPJ’s Levant Program Coordinator. “There is no justification for striking a densely populated residential apartment, and such attacks demonstrate a complete disregard for civilian life and the safety of journalists.” The strike comes amid a renewed Israeli offensive in Lebanon against armed group Hezbollah that kicked off in early March as tensions in the Iran war spread across the region. As of March 18, CPJ has documented in Lebanon the injury of four journalists, Israeli strikes on four media outlets, the obstruction of crews, as well as the displacement of members of the press from parts of Beirut and the country’s south. In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces’ situation room told CPJ by phone that the incident is under investigation. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Iran Strikes Tel Aviv In Retaliation For Larijani Killing | US Iran Update
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Israel bombs, flattens building in central Beirut
The Trump administration is escalating threats against news organizations, with President Trump suggesting outlets should face “treason” charges for disseminating false information. Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communicat...
The Trump administration is escalating threats against news organizations, with President Trump suggesting outlets should face “treason” charges for disseminating false information. Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, has also threatened to revoke broadcasters’ licenses over their coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. This all comes as allies of President Trump consolidate their control over several major media outlets. Paramount Skydance, led by Trump ally David Ellison, is poised to acquire Warner Bros., which includes CNN. “They want these companies to be afraid,” says Craig Aaron, CEO of Free Press and Free Press Action. “As we’ve seen, whether it’s lawyers, universities, media companies, when the bullying works, you just get more and more bullying.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
A top national security official resigned from the Trump administration Tuesday in response to the war on Iran. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its po...
A top national security official resigned from the Trump administration Tuesday in response to the war on Iran. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Joe Kent, who served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote in his resignation letter. We speak with Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned in 2023 to protest the Biden administration’s Gaza policy. He says Kent is at least the 16th U.S. official in the last few years to resign over policy related to Israel, spanning both the Biden and Trump administrations. “We know that there is a very visible, very vocal debate happening in the Democratic Party on that topic. It’s clear that there is also a very vocal debate happening within the right wing of American politics,” says Paul. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
As the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran continues, we look at how the Pentagon is using artificial intelligence in its operations. The system, known as Project Maven, relies on technology by Palantir and also incorporates the AI model Claude built by ...
As the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran continues, we look at how the Pentagon is using artificial intelligence in its operations. The system, known as Project Maven, relies on technology by Palantir and also incorporates the AI model Claude built by Anthropic. Israel has used similar AI targeting programs in Iran, as well as in Gaza and Lebanon. Craig Jones, an expert on modern warfare, says AI technology is helping militaries speed up the “kill chain,” the process of identifying, approving and striking targets. “You’re reducing a massive human workload of tens of thousands of hours into seconds and minutes. You’re reducing workflows, and you’re automating human-made targeting decisions in ways which open up all kinds of problematic legal, ethical and political questions,” says Jones. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Israel Kills Iran’s Intelligence Minister in an Overnight Strike on Tehran, Iran Continues to Launch Retaliatory Strikes Against Gulf Countries, Israel Launches Airstrikes on Central Beirut, Demolishing High-Rise Building, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Says Strait of Hormuz “Won’t Return to Its Pre-War Status”, U.N. Warns 45 Million People at Risk of Acute Hunger Due to U.S.-Israeli War on Iran, Attorney General Bondi and Deputy AG Blanche Set to Brief Lawmakers on DOJ’s Handling of Epstein Files, Senate Democrats Send White House Counteroffer to Fund DHS, HRW: Several Immigrants from El Salvador Deported by the Trump Admin Have Been Forcibly Disappeared, Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin from Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somali Immigrants, NYT: Trump Admin Considers Withholding HIV Treatments from Zambia in Exchange for Greater Access to Country’s Minerals, Cuba Restores Power After Nationwide Blackout, DOJ Dismisses Charges Against Army Veteran Who Burned U.S. Flag Across from White House Last Year, Federal Judge Orders Trump Admin to Restore Union Contract with Veterans Affairs Department Workers, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton Wins Democratic Senate Primary
Israel Kills Iran's Intelligence Minister in an Overnight Strike on Tehran Iran Continues to Launch Retaliatory Strikes Against Gulf Countries Israel Launches Airstrikes on Central Beirut, Demolishing High-Rise Building Iran's Parliament Speaker Says Strait of Hormuz "Won't Return to Its Pre-War Status" U.N. Warns 45 Million People at Risk of Acute Hunger Due to U.S.-Israeli War on Iran Attorney General Bondi and Deputy AG Blanche Set to Brief Lawmakers on DOJ's Handling of Epstein Files Senate Democrats Send White House Counteroffer to Fund DHS HRW: Several Immigrants from El Salvador Deported by the Trump Admin Have Been Forcibly Disappeared Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin from Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somali Immigrants NYT: Trump Admin Considers Withholding HIV Treatments from Zambia in Exchange for Greater Access to Country's Minerals Cuba Restores Power After Nationwide Blackout DOJ Dismisses Charges Against Army Veteran Who Burned U.S. Flag Across from White House Last Year Federal Judge Orders Trump Admin to Restore Union Contract with Veterans Affairs Department Workers Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton Wins Democratic Senate Primary This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Democracy Now! Wednesday, March 18, 2026 This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
New Polling: As Trump’s War Drives Up Energy Prices, Americans Call for Corporate Profiteering Crackdown
As President Trump’s escalating war with Iran pushes energy prices higher, Americans are looking for ways to keep electricity bills in check. New polling from Groundwork Collaborative and Data for Progress reveals Americans reject the Trump Administra...
As President Trump’s escalating war with Iran pushes energy prices higher, Americans are looking for ways to keep electricity bills in check. New polling from Groundwork Collaborative and Data for Progress reveals Americans reject the Trump Administration’s plan to rely on voluntary commitments from corporate actors to lower household bills. While nearly 90% of Americans say the war on Iran will raise prices on essential items, 60% of voters also view energy demand generated by large commercial energy users as a key driver of rising electricity costs. But rather than take meaningful steps to rein in Big Tech, Trump gathered executives at the White House this month to sign unenforceable “pledges” that their companies will protect Americans from utility bill increases tied to the growing energy demands of their data centers. Groundwork’s polling shows that Americans reject this reliance on corporations to do the right thing: 60% of voters prefer public sector leadership on energy, saying the public sector should run both grid modernization (60%) and the utilities themselves (58%), as opposed to the private sector. The new polling also finds that most voters believe cracking down on corporate price gouging is the most effective way to lower electricity bills over simply increasing supply to meet growing demand. Groundwork’s Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy, Elizabeth Pancotti, shared her reaction: “Utility prices are up and consumers know the truth: these price increases are being driven by corporate greed and unchecked AI data center growth. Voters feel ripped off by the corporations who hold their utilities hostage and are calling on lawmakers to put an end to the profiteering racket. It’s time for regulators and policymakers to answer the call to protect working families from predatory utility corporations and Big Tech.” Key Takeaways: Voters say their electricity bills are up and hold a range of corporate actors responsible. Two-thirds of voters say their monthly electricity bill has gone up in the past year, including 21% who say it has gone up “a lot.” A plurality of voters (41%) report paying between $101-$200 per month. Voters hold corporate actors accountable for rising costs of utilities including electricity and gas, in particular: utility company profits, compensation for business executives, and energy demands related to AI data center growth. Big Tech companies and the AI technology they create are unpopular with voters: Across the board, energy superusers are unpopular with voters, with cryptocurrency companies (-28 net unfavorability), AI data centers (-16) and AI companies (-8) all underwater with voters. Voters across party lines oppose the construction of new AI data centers in their community (57%) and even more (65%) say new AI data centers will raise their energy bills. Majorities of voters believe the development of AI technology in general will lead to fewer jobs in their local community (51%) and the country overall (57%). Voters want to see federal action to lower costs and rein in Big Tech. When choosing between ‘cracking down on price gouging from utility and energy companies’ versus ‘increasing supply to meet growing demand,’ six in ten voters say the former is most effective at lowering the cost of electricity, more than double who side with supply (26%). Voters say the public sector, not the private sector, should lead on energy: Majorities of voters across party lines prefer public-sector leadership, saying the public sector should run both grid modernization (60%) and the utilities themselves (58%). Voters overwhelmingly say Big Tech companies building data centers should bear the cost of grid upgrades (76% say they should pay all or most of the cost). Meanwhile, large numbers say ‘utility customers’ (62%) and ‘the government, using taxpayer dollars’ (40%) should pay nothing. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “a Pile of Shit.” They Approved It Anyway.
The post Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “a Pile of Shit.” They Approved It Anyway. appeared first on ProPublica.
In late 2024, the federal government’s cybersecurity evaluators rendered a troubling verdict on one of Microsoft’s biggest cloud computing offerings. The tech giant’s “lack of proper detailed security documentation” left reviewers with a “lack of confidence in assessing the system’s overall security posture,” according to an internal government report reviewed by ProPublica. Or, as one member of the team put it: “The package is a pile of shit.” For years, reviewers said, Microsoft had tried and failed to fully explain how it protects sensitive information in the cloud as it hops from server to server across the digital terrain. Given that and other unknowns, government experts couldn’t vouch for the technology’s security. Such judgments would be damning for any company seeking to sell its wares to the U.S. government, but it should have been particularly devastating for Microsoft. The tech giant’s products had been at the heart of two major cybersecurity attacks against the U.S. in three years. In one, Russian hackers exploited a weakness to steal sensitive data from a number of federal agencies, including the National Nuclear Security Administration. In the other, Chinese hackers infiltrated the email accounts of a Cabinet member and other senior government officials. The federal government could be further exposed if it couldn’t verify the cybersecurity of Microsoft’s Government Community Cloud High, a suite of cloud-based services intended to safeguard some of the nation’s most sensitive information. Yet, in a highly unusual move that still reverberates across Washington, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, or FedRAMP, authorized the product anyway, bestowing what amounts to the federal government’s cybersecurity seal of approval. FedRAMP’s ruling — which included a kind of “buyer beware” notice to any federal agency considering GCC High — helped Microsoft expand a government business empire worth billions of dollars. “BOOM SHAKA LAKA,” Richard Wakeman, one of the company’s chief security architects, boasted in an online forum, celebrating the milestone with a meme of Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Wakeman did not respond to requests for comment. It was not the type of outcome that federal policymakers envisioned a decade and a half ago when they embraced the cloud revolution and created FedRAMP to help safeguard the government’s cybersecurity. The program’s layers of review, which included an assessment by outside experts, were supposed to ensure that service providers like Microsoft could be entrusted with the government’s secrets. But ProPublica’s investigation — drawn from internal FedRAMP memos, logs, emails, meeting minutes, and interviews with seven former and current government employees and contractors — found breakdowns at every juncture of that process. It also found a remarkable deference to Microsoft, even as the company’s products and practices were central to two of the most damaging cyberattacks ever carried out against the government. This is not security. This is security theater. Tony Sager, former NSA computer scientist FedRAMP first raised questions about GCC High’s security in 2020 and asked Microsoft to provide detailed diagrams explaining its encryption practices. But when the company produced what FedRAMP considered to be only partial information in fits and starts, program officials did not reject Microsoft’s application. Instead, they repeatedly pulled punches and allowed the review to drag out for the better part of five years. And because federal agencies were allowed to deploy the product during the review, GCC High spread across the government as well as the defense industry. By late 2024, FedRAMP reviewers concluded that they had little choice but to authorize the technology — not because their questions had been answered or their review was complete, but largely on the grounds that Microsoft’s product was already being used across Washington. Today, key parts of the federal government, including the Justice and Energy departments, and the defense sector rely on this technology to protect highly sensitive information that, if leaked, “could be expected to have a severe or catastrophic adverse effect” on operations, assets and individuals, the government has said. “This is not a happy story in terms of the security of the U.S.,” said Tony Sager, who spent more than three decades as a computer scientist at the National Security Agency and now is an executive at the nonprofit Center for Internet Security. For years, the FedRAMP process has been equated with actual security, Sager said. ProPublica’s findings, he said, shatter that facade. “This is not security,” he said. “This is security theater.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="502" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="The U.S. Capitol building at night with a red light in the corner." class="wp-image-69512" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,576 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,352 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,502 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1334 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,534 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2231037039_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Despite a “lack of confidence in assessing” the security of Microsoft’s GCC High, FedRAMP authorized the product anyway. Alex Wong/Getty Images ProPublica is exposing the government’s reservations about this popular product for the first time. We are also revealing Microsoft’s yearslong inability to provide the encryption documentation and evidence the federal reviewers sought. The revelations come as the Justice Department ramps up scrutiny of the government’s technology contractors. In December, the department announced the indictment of a former employee of Accenture who allegedly misled federal agencies about the security of the company’s cloud platform and its compliance with FedRAMP’s standards. She has pleaded not guilty. Accenture, which was not charged with wrongdoing, has said that it “proactively brought this matter to the government’s attention” and that it is “dedicated to operating with the highest ethical standards.” Microsoft has also faced questions about its disclosures to the government. As ProPublica reported last year, the company failed to inform the Defense Department about its use of China-based engineers to maintain the government’s cloud systems, despite Pentagon rules stipulating that “No Foreign persons may have” access to its most sensitive data. The department is investigating the practice, which officials say could have compromised national security. Microsoft has defended its program as “tightly monitored and supplemented by layers of security mitigations,” but after ProPublica’s story published last July, the company announced that it would stop using China-based engineers for Defense Department work. In response to written questions for this story and in an interview, Microsoft acknowledged the yearslong confrontation with FedRAMP but also said it provided “comprehensive documentation” throughout the review process and “remediated findings where possible.” “We stand by our products and the comprehensive steps we’ve taken to ensure all FedRAMP-authorized products meet the security and compliance requirements necessary,” a spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the company would “continue to work with FedRAMP to continuously review and evaluate our services for continued compliance.” But these days, ProPublica found, there aren’t many people left at FedRAMP to work with. The program was an early target of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which slashed its staff and budget. Even FedRAMP acknowledges it is operating “with an absolute minimum of support staff” and “limited customer service.” The roughly two dozen employees who remain are “entirely focused on” delivering authorizations at a record pace, FedRAMP’s director has said. Today, its annual budget is just $10 million, its lowest in a decade, even as it has boasted record numbers of new authorizations for cloud products. The consequence of all this, people who have worked for FedRAMP told ProPublica, is that the program now is little more than a rubber stamp for industry. The implications of such a downsizing for federal cybersecurity are far-reaching, especially as the administration encourages agencies to adopt cloud-based artificial intelligence tools, which draw upon reams of sensitive information. The General Services Administration, which houses FedRAMP, defended the program, saying it has undergone “significant reforms to strengthen governance” since GCC High arrived in 2020. “FedRAMP’s role is to assess if cloud services have provided sufficient information and materials to be adequate for agency use, and the program today operates with strengthened oversight and accountability mechanisms to do exactly that,” a GSA spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The agency did not respond to written questions regarding GCC High. A “Cloud First” World About two decades ago, federal officials predicted that the cloud revolution, providing on-demand access to shared computing via the internet, would usher in an era of cheaper, more secure and more efficient information technology. Moving to the cloud meant shifting away from on-premises servers owned and operated by the government to those in massive data centers maintained by tech companies. Some agency leaders were reluctant to relinquish control, while others couldn’t wait to. In an effort to accelerate the transition, the Obama administration issued its “Cloud First” policy in 2011, requiring all agencies to implement cloud-based tools “whenever a secure, reliable, cost-effective” option existed. To facilitate adoption, the administration created FedRAMP, whose job was to ensure the security of those tools. FedRAMP’s “do once, use many times” system was intended to streamline and strengthen the government procurement process. Previously, each agency using a cloud service vetted it separately, sometimes applying different interpretations of federal security requirements. Under the new program, agencies would be able to skip redundant security reviews because FedRAMP authorization indicated that the product had already met standardized requirements. Authorized products would be listed on a government website known as the FedRAMP Marketplace. On paper, the program was an exercise in efficiency. But in practice, the small FedRAMP team could not keep up with the flood of demand from tech companies that wanted their products authorized. The slow approval process frustrated both the tech industry, eager for a share in the billions of federal dollars up for grabs, and government agencies that were under pressure to migrate to the cloud. These dynamics sometimes pitted the cloud industry and agency officials together against FedRAMP. The backlog also prompted many agencies to take an alternative path: performing their own reviews of the products they wanted to adopt, using FedRAMP’s standards. It was through this “agency path” that GCC High entered the federal bloodstream, with the Justice Department paving the way. Initially, some Justice officials were nervous about the cloud and who might have access to its information, which includes highly sensitive court and law enforcement records, a Justice Department official involved in the decision told ProPublica. The department’s cybersecurity program required it to ensure that only U.S. citizens “access or assist in the development, operation, management, or maintenance” of its IT systems, unless a waiver was granted. Justice’s IT specialists recommended pursuing GCC High, believing it could meet the elevated security needs, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal matters. Pursuant to FedRAMP’s rules, Microsoft had GCC High evaluated by a so-called third-party assessment organization, which is supposed to provide an independent review of whether the product has met federal standards. The Justice Department then performed its own evaluation of GCC High using those standards and ruled the offering acceptable. Melinda Rogers, former chief information officer for the Department of Justice U.S. Department of Justice archives By early 2020, Melinda Rogers, Justice’s deputy chief information officer, made the decision official and soon deployed GCC High across the department. It was a milestone for all involved. Rogers had ushered the Justice Department into the cloud, and Microsoft had gained a significant foothold in the cutthroat market for the federal government’s cloud computing business. Moreover, Rogers’ decision placed GCC High on the FedRAMP Marketplace, the government’s influential online clearinghouse of all the cloud providers that are under review or already authorized. Its mere mention as “in process” was a boon for Microsoft, amounting to free advertising on a website used by organizations seeking to purchase cloud services bearing what is widely seen as the government’s cybersecurity seal of approval. That April, GCC High landed at FedRAMP’s office for review, the final stop on its bureaucratic journey to full authorization. Microsoft’s Missing Information In theory, there shouldn’t have been much for FedRAMP’s team to do after the third-party assessor and Justice reviewed GCC High, because all parties were supposed to be following the same requirements. But it was around this time that the Government Accountability Office, which investigates federal programs, discovered breakdowns in the process, finding that agency reviews sometimes were lacking in quality. Despite missing details, FedRAMP went on to authorize many of these packages. Acknowledging these shortcomings, FedRAMP began to take a harder look at new packages, a former reviewer said. This was the environment in which Microsoft’s GCC High application entered the pipeline. The name GCC High was an umbrella covering many services and features within Office 365 that all needed to be reviewed. FedRAMP reviewers quickly noticed key material was missing. The team homed in on what it viewed as a fundamental document called a “data flow diagram,” former members told ProPublica. The illustration is supposed to show how data travels from Point A to Point B — and, more importantly, how it’s protected as it hops from server to server. FedRAMP requires data to be encrypted while in transit to ensure that sensitive materials are protected even if they’re intercepted by hackers. But when the FedRAMP team asked Microsoft to produce the diagrams showing how such encryption would happen for each service in GCC High, the company balked, saying the request was too challenging. So the reviewers suggested starting with just Exchange Online, the popular email platform. “This was our litmus test to say, ‘This isn’t the only thing that’s required, but if you’re not doing this, we are not even close yet,’” said one reviewer who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal matters. Once they reached the appropriate level of detail, they would move from Exchange to other services within GCC High. It was the kind of detail that other major cloud providers such as Amazon and Google routinely provided, members of the FedRAMP team told ProPublica. Yet Microsoft took months to respond. When it did, the former reviewer said, it submitted a white paper that discussed GCC High’s encryption strategy but left out the details of where on the journey data actually becomes encrypted and decrypted — so FedRAMP couldn’t assess that it was being done properly. A Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged that the company had “articulated a challenge related to illustrating the volume of information being requested in diagram form” but “found alternate ways to share that information.” Rogers, who was hired by Microsoft in 2025, declined to be interviewed. In response to emailed questions, the company provided a statement saying that she “stands by the rigorous evaluation that contributed to” her authorization of GCC High. A spokesperson said there was “absolutely no connection” between her hiring and the decisions in the GCC High process, and that she and the company complied with “all rules, regulations, and ethical standards.” The Justice Department declined to respond to written questions from ProPublica. A Fight Over “Spaghetti Pies” As 2020 came to a close, a national security crisis hit Washington that underscored the consequences of cyber weakness. Russian state-sponsored hackers had been quietly working their way through federal computer systems for much of the year and vacuuming up sensitive data and emails from U.S. agencies — including the Justice Department. At the time, most of the blame fell on a Texas-based company called SolarWinds, whose software provided hackers their initial opening and whose name became synonymous with the attack. But, as ProPublica has reported, the Russians leveraged that opening to exploit a long-standing weakness in a Microsoft product — one that the company had refused to fix for years, despite repeated warnings from one of its engineers. Microsoft has defended its decision not to address the flaw, saying that it received “multiple reviews” and that the company weighs a variety of factors when making security decisions. In the aftermath, the Biden administration took steps to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity. Among them, the Justice Department announced a cyber-fraud initiative in 2021 to crack down on companies and individuals that “put U.S. information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the department would use the False Claims Act to pursue government contractors “when they fail to follow required cybersecurity standards — because we know that puts all of us at risk.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman with chin-length brown hair in a blue blazer looks toward the camera. Abstract blue and red light patterns blur in the foreground and background." class="wp-image-69510" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1251922707_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. After Russian state-sponsored hackers stole sensitive data from U.S. agencies, Monaco said the Department of Justice would hold government contractors accountable for failing to uphold cybersecurity standards. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images But if Microsoft felt any pressure from the SolarWinds attack or from the Justice Department’s announcement, it didn’t manifest in the FedRAMP talks, according to former members of the FedRAMP team. The discourse between FedRAMP and Microsoft fell into a pattern. The parties would meet. Months would go by. Microsoft would return with a response that FedRAMP deemed incomplete or irrelevant. To bolster the chances of getting the information it wanted, the FedRAMP team provided Microsoft with a template, describing the level of detail it expected. But the diagrams Microsoft returned never met those expectations. “We never got past Exchange,” one former reviewer said. “We never got that level of detail. We had no visibility inside.” In an interview with ProPublica, John Bergin, the Microsoft official who became the government’s main contact, acknowledged the prolonged back-and-forth but blamed FedRAMP, equating its requests for diagrams to a “rock fetching exercise.” “We were maybe incompetent in how we drew drawings because there was no standard to draw them to,” he said. “Did we not do it exactly how they wanted? Absolutely. There was always something missing because there was no standard.” A Microsoft spokesperson said without such a standard, “cloud providers were left to interpret the level of abstraction and representation on their own,” creating “inconsistency and confusion, not an unwillingness to be transparent.” But even Microsoft’s own engineers had struggled over the years to map the architecture of its products, according to two people involved in building cloud services used by federal customers. At issue, according to people familiar with Microsoft’s technology, was the decades-old code of its legacy software, which the company used in building its cloud services. One FedRAMP reviewer compared it to a “pile of spaghetti pies.” The data’s path from Point A to Point B, the person said, was like traveling from Washington to New York with detours by bus, ferry and airplane rather than just taking a quick ride on Amtrak. And each one of those detours represents an opportunity for a hijacking if the data isn’t properly encrypted. Other major cloud providers such as Amazon and Google built their systems from the ground up, said Sager, the former NSA computer scientist, who worked with all three companies during his time in government. Microsoft’s system is “not designed for this kind of isolation of ‘secure’ from ‘not secure,’” Sager said. A Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged the company faces a unique challenge but maintained that its cloud products meet federal security requirements. “Unlike providers that started later with a narrower product scope, Microsoft operates one of the broadest enterprise and government platforms in the world, supporting continuity for millions of customers while simultaneously modernizing at scale,” the spokesperson said in emailed responses. “That complexity is not ‘spaghetti,’ but it does mean the work of disentangling, isolating, and hardening systems is continuous.” The spokesperson said that since 2023, Microsoft has made “security‑first architectural redesign, legacy risk reduction, and stronger isolation guarantees a top, company‑wide priority.” Assessors Back-Channel Cyber Concerns The FedRAMP team was not the only party with reservations about GCC High. Microsoft’s third-party assessment organizations also expressed concerns. The firms are supposed to be independent but are hired and paid by the company being assessed. Acknowledging the potential for conflicts of interest, FedRAMP has encouraged the assessment firms to confidentially back-channel to its reviewers any negative feedback that they were unwilling to bring directly to their clients or reflect in official reports. In 2020, two third-party assessors hired by Microsoft, Coalfire and Kratos, did just that. They told FedRAMP that they were unable to get the full picture of GCC High, a former FedRAMP reviewer told ProPublica. “Coalfire and Kratos both readily admitted that it was difficult to impossible to get the information required out of Microsoft to properly do a sufficient assessment,” the reviewer told ProPublica. The back channel helped surface cybersecurity issues that otherwise might never have been known to the government, people who have worked with and for FedRAMP told ProPublica. At the same time, they acknowledged its existence undermined the very spirit and intent of having independent assessors. A spokesperson for Coalfire, the firm that initially handled the GCC High assessment, requested written questions from ProPublica, then declined to respond. A spokesperson for Kratos, which replaced Coalfire as the GCC High assessor, declined an interview request. In an emailed response to written questions, the spokesperson said the company stands by its official assessment and recommendation of GCC High and “absolutely refutes” that it “ever would sign off on a product we were unable to fully vet.” The company “has open and frank conversations” with all customers, including Microsoft, which “submitted all requisite diagrams to meet FedRAMP-defined requirements,” the spokesperson said. Kratos said it “spent extensive time working collaboratively with FedRAMP in their review” and does not consider such discussions to be “backchanneling.” FedRAMP, however, was dissatisfied with Kratos’ ongoing work and believed the firm “should be pushing back” on Microsoft more, the former reviewer said. It placed Kratos on a “corrective action plan,” which could eventually result in loss of accreditation. The company said it did not agree with FedRAMP’s action but provided “additional trainings for some internal assessors” in response to it. The Microsoft spokesperson told ProPublica the company has “always been responsive to requests” from Kratos and FedRAMP. “We are not aware of any backchanneling, nor do we believe that backchanneling would have been necessary given our transparency and cooperation with auditor requests,” the spokesperson said. In response to questions from ProPublica about the process, the GSA said in an email that FedRAMP’s system “does not create an inherent conflict of interest for professional auditors who meet ethical and contractual performance expectations.” GSA did not respond to questions about back-channeling but said the “correct process” is for a third-party assessor to “state these problems formally in a finding during the security assessment so that the cloud service provider has an opportunity to fix the issue.” FedRAMP Ends Talks <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A silhouette of a person wearing a shoulder bag is surrounded by shadow. Behind the person is a large building full of windows and a blue sky." class="wp-image-69511" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2201176889_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> FedRAMP is housed under the General Services Administration within the federal government. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images The back-and-forth between the FedRAMP reviewers and Microsoft’s team went on for years with little progress. Then, in the summer of 2023, the program’s interim director, Brian Conrad, got a call from the White House that would alter the course of the review. Chinese state-sponsored hackers had infiltrated GCC, the lower-cost version of Microsoft’s government cloud, and stolen data and emails from the commerce secretary, the U.S. ambassador to China and other high-ranking government officials. In the aftermath, Chris DeRusha, the White House’s chief information security officer, wanted a briefing from FedRAMP, which had authorized GCC. The decision predated Conrad’s tenure, but he told ProPublica that he left the conversation with several takeaways. First, FedRAMP must hold all cloud providers — including Microsoft — to the same standards. Second, he had the backing of the White House in standing firm. Finally, FedRAMP would feel the political heat if any cloud service with a FedRAMP authorization were hacked. DeRusha confirmed Conrad’s account of the phone call but declined to comment further. Within months, Conrad informed Microsoft that FedRAMP was ending the engagement on GCC High. We can’t even quantify the unknowns, which makes us very uncomfortable. FedRAMP reviewer of GCC High “After three years of collaboration with the Microsoft team, we still lack visibility into the security gaps because there are unknowns that Microsoft has failed to address,” Conrad wrote in an October 2023 email. This, he added, was not for FedRAMP’s lack of trying. Staffers had spent 480 hours of review time, had conducted 18 “technical deep dive” sessions and had numerous email exchanges with the company over the years. Yet they still lacked the data flow diagrams, crucial information “since visibility into the encryption status of all data flows and stores is so important,” he wrote. If Microsoft still wanted FedRAMP authorization, Conrad wrote, it would need to start over. A FedRAMP reviewer, explaining the decision to the Justice Department, said the team was “not asking for anything above and beyond what we’ve asked from every other” cloud service provider, according to meeting minutes reviewed by ProPublica. But the request was particularly justified in Microsoft’s case, the reviewer told the Justice officials, because “each time we’ve actually been able to get visibility into a black box, we’ve uncovered an issue.” “We can’t even quantify the unknowns, which makes us very uncomfortable,” the reviewer said, according to the minutes. Microsoft and the Justice Department Push Back Microsoft was furious. Failing to obtain authorization and starting the process over would signal to the market that something was wrong with GCC High. Customers were already confused and concerned about the drawn-out review, which had become a hot topic in an online forum used by government and technology insiders. There, Wakeman, the Microsoft cybersecurity architect, deflected blame, saying the government had been “dragging their feet on it for years now.” Meanwhile, to build support for Microsoft’s case, Bergin, the company’s point person for FedRAMP and a former Army official, reached out to government leaders, including one from the Justice Department. The Justice official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, said Bergin complained that the delay was hampering Microsoft’s ability “to get this out into the market full sail.” Bergin then pushed the Justice Department to “throw around our weight” to help secure FedRAMP authorization, the official said. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="659" width="527" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=527" alt="A man with short black hair and goatee and wearing glasses and a suit slightly smiles in front of a U.S. flag and another flag." class="wp-image-69506" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 1000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1079 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,528 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,690 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,698 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,659 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,940 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,500 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1000w_q95-john-bergin_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1000 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px" /> John Bergin in 2019, while serving as deputy assistant secretary of the Army for financial information management. He was later hired by Microsoft and served as the company’s liaison with FedRAMP during the GCC High debate. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service That December, as the parties gathered to hash things out at GSA’s Washington headquarters, Justice did just that. Rogers, who by then had been promoted to the department’s chief information officer, sat beside Bergin — on the opposite side of the table from Conrad, the FedRAMP director. Rogers and her Justice colleagues had a stake in the outcome. Since authorizing and deploying GCC High, she had received accolades for her work modernizing the department’s IT and cybersecurity. But without FedRAMP’s stamp of approval, she would be the government official left holding the bag if GCC High were involved in a serious hack. At the same time, the Justice Department couldn’t easily back out of using GCC High because once a technology is widely deployed, pulling the plug can be costly and technically challenging. And from its perspective, the cloud was an improvement over the old government-run data centers. Shortly after the meeting kicked off, Bergin interrupted a FedRAMP reviewer who had been presenting PowerPoint slides. He said the Justice Department and third-party assessor had already reviewed GCC High, according to meeting minutes. FedRAMP “should essentially just accept” their findings, he said. Then, in a shock to the FedRAMP team, Rogers backed him up and went on to criticize FedRAMP’s work, according to two attendees. In its statement, Microsoft said Rogers maintains that FedRAMP’s approach “was misguided and improperly dismissed the extensive evaluations performed by DOJ personnel.” Bergin did not dispute the account, telling ProPublica that he had been trying to argue that it is the purview of third-party assessors such as Kratos — not FedRAMP — to evaluate the security of cloud products. And because FedRAMP must approve the third-party assessment firms, the program should have taken its issues up with Kratos. “When you are the regulatory agency who determines who the auditors are and you refuse to accept your auditors’ answers, that’s not a ‘me’ problem,” Bergin told ProPublica. The GSA did not respond to questions about the meeting. The Justice Department declined to comment. Pressure Mounts on FedRAMP If there was any doubt about the role of FedRAMP, the White House issued a memorandum in the summer of 2024 that outlined its views. FedRAMP, it said, “must be capable of conducting rigorous reviews” and requiring cloud providers to “rapidly mitigate weaknesses in their security architecture.” The office should “consistently assess and validate cloud providers’ complex architectures and encryption schemes.” But by that point, GCC High had spread to other federal agencies, with the Justice Department’s authorization serving as a signal that the technology met federal standards. It also spread to the defense sector, since the Pentagon required that cloud products used by its contractors meet FedRAMP standards. While it did not have FedRAMP authorization, Microsoft marketed GCC High as meeting the requirements, selling it to companies such as Boeing that research, develop and maintain military weapons systems. But with the FedRAMP authorization up in the air, some contractors began to worry that by using GCC High, they were out of compliance. That could threaten their contracts, which, in turn, could impact Defense Department operations. Pentagon officials called FedRAMP to inquire about the authorization stalemate. The Defense Department acknowledged but did not respond to written questions from ProPublica. Rogers also kept pressing FedRAMP to “get this thing over the line,” former employees of the GSA and FedRAMP said. It was the “opinion of the staff and the contractors that she simply was not willing to put heat to Microsoft on this” and that the Justice Department “was too sympathetic to Microsoft’s claims,” Eric Mill, then GSA’s executive director for cloud strategy, told ProPublica. Authorization Despite a “Damning” Assessment In the summer of 2024, FedRAMP hired a new permanent director, government technology insider Pete Waterman. Within about a month of taking the job, he restarted the office’s review of GCC High with a new team, which put aside the debate over data flow diagrams and instead attempted to examine evidence from Microsoft. But these reviewers soon arrived at the same conclusion, with the team’s leader complaining about “getting stiff-armed” by Microsoft. “He came back and said, ‘Yeah, this thing sucks,’” Mill recalled. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="731" width="527" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=527" alt="A smiling man with a large white beard wearing white-rimmed glasses and a black hoodie." class="wp-image-69507" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 554w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=216,300 216w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,585 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,765 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,731 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2024-08-27-welcoming-a-new-leader-for-a-new-fedramp_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,555 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px" /> Pete Waterman, FedRAMP director hired in 2024 FedRAMP While the team was able to work through only two of the many services included in GCC High, Exchange Online and Teams, that was enough for it to identify “issues that are fundamental” to risk management, including “timely remediation of vulnerabilities and vulnerability scanning,” according to a summary of the team’s findings reviewed by ProPublica. Those issues, as well as a lack of “proper detailed security documentation” from Microsoft, limit “visibility and understanding of the system” and “impair the ability to make informed risk decisions.” The team concluded, “There is a lack of confidence in assessing the system’s overall security posture.” A Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement that the company “never received this feedback in any of its communications with FedRAMP.” When ProPublica read the findings to Bergin, the Microsoft liaison, he said he was surprised. “That’s pretty damning,” Bergin said, adding that it sounded like language that “would’ve generally been associated with a finding of ‘not worthy.’ If an assessor wrote that, I would be nervous.” Despite the findings, to the FedRAMP team, turning Microsoft down didn’t seem like an option. “Not issuing an authorization would impact multiple agencies that are already using GCC-H,” the summary document said. The team determined that it was a “better value” to issue an authorization with conditions for continued government oversight. While authorizations with oversight conditions weren’t unusual, arriving at one under these circumstances was. GCC High reviewers saw problems everywhere, both in what they were able to evaluate and what they weren’t. To them, most of the package remained a vast wilderness of untold risk. Nevertheless, FedRAMP and Microsoft reached an agreement, and the day after Christmas 2024, GCC High received its FedRAMP authorization. FedRAMP appended a cover report to the package laying out its deficiencies and noting it carried unknown risks, according to people familiar with the report. It emphasized that agencies should carefully review the package and engage directly with Microsoft on any questions. “Unknown Unknowns” Persist Microsoft told ProPublica that it has met the conditions of the agreement and has “stayed within the performance metrics required by FedRAMP” to ensure that “risks are identified, tracked, remediated, and transparently communicated.” But under the Trump administration, there aren’t many people left at FedRAMP to check. While the Biden-era guidance said FedRAMP “must be an expert program that can analyze and validate the security claims” of cloud providers, the GSA told ProPublica that the program’s role is “not to determine if a cloud service is secure enough.” Rather, it is “to ensure agencies have sufficient information to make these risk decisions.” The problem is that agencies often lack the staff and resources to do thorough reviews, which means the whole system is leaning on the claims of the cloud companies and the assessments of the third-party firms they pay to evaluate them. Under the current vision, critics say, FedRAMP has lost the plot. “FedRAMP’s job is to watch the American people’s back when it comes to sharing their data with cloud companies,” said Mill, the former GSA official, who also co-authored the 2024 White House memo. “When there’s a security issue, the public doesn’t expect FedRAMP to say they’re just a paper-pusher.” When there’s a security issue, the public doesn’t expect FedRAMP to say they’re just a paper-pusher. Eric Mill, former GSA executive director for cloud strategy Meanwhile, at the Justice Department, officials are finding out what FedRAMP meant by the “unknown unknowns” in GCC High. Last year, for example, they discovered that Microsoft relied on China-based engineers to service their sensitive cloud systems despite the department’s prohibition against non-U.S. citizens assisting with IT maintenance. Officials learned about this arrangement — which was also used in GCC High — not from FedRAMP or from Microsoft but from a ProPublica investigation into the practice, according to the Justice employee who spoke with us. A Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged that the written security plan for GCC High that the company submitted to the Justice Department did not mention foreign engineers, though he said Microsoft did communicate that information to Justice officials before 2020. Nevertheless, Microsoft has since ended its use of China-based engineers in government systems. Former and current government officials worry about what other risks may be lurking in GCC High and beyond. The GSA told ProPublica that, in general, “if there is credible evidence that a cloud service provider has made materially false representations, that matter is then appropriately referred to investigative authorities.” Ironically, the ultimate arbiter of whether cloud providers or their third-party assessors are living up to their claims is the Justice Department itself. The recent indictment of the former Accenture employee suggests it is willing to use this power. In a court document, the Justice Department alleges that the ex-employee made “false and misleading representations” about the cloud platform’s security to help the company “obtain and maintain lucrative federal contracts.” She is also accused of trying to “influence and obstruct” Accenture’s third-party assessors by hiding the product’s deficiencies and telling others to conceal the “true state of the system” during demonstrations, the department said. She has pleaded not guilty. There is no public indication that such a case has been brought against Microsoft or anyone involved in the GCC High authorization. The Justice Department declined to comment. Monaco, the deputy attorney general who launched the department’s initiative to pursue cybersecurity fraud cases, did not respond to requests for comment. She left her government position in January 2025. Microsoft hired her to become its president of global affairs. A company spokesperson said Monaco’s hiring complied with “all rules, regulations, and ethical standards” and that she “does not work on any federal government contracts or have oversight over or involvement with any of our dealings with the federal government.” The post Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “a Pile of Shit.” They Approved It Anyway. appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Renee Dudley.
‘I’m displaced too’: Lebanese journalists cover war after fleeing home
Beirut, March 18, 2026 – In early March, as the Iran war spread across the Middle East and Israeli strikes rained down on Lebanon, many journalists covering the country’s growing displacement crisis found themselves living it. For freelance video journalist Hadil Iskandar, who has worked for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and pan-Arab outlet Daraj Media,...
Beirut, March 18, 2026 – In early March, as the Iran war spread across the Middle East and Israeli strikes rained down on Lebanon, many journalists covering the country’s growing displacement crisis found themselves living it. For freelance video journalist Hadil Iskandar, who has worked for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and pan-Arab outlet Daraj Media, it was the second time in under two years that she found herself packing her belongings and fleeing her home in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburb of Dahieh. After Israeli attacks escalated across Lebanon in early March, nearly a million people fled their homes — including the journalists covering the crisis. Reporters from parts of Beirut and southern Lebanon told the Committee to Protect Journalists that displacement has disrupted their ability to work, forcing them to report from temporary housing while worrying about their families, their homes, and their safety. Having fled during the 2024 war, for them it was a repeated experience of displacement, blurring the line between covering the unfolding humanitarian crisis and living through it. “The displacement of journalists in Lebanon disruption has broader implications for press freedom,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “When journalists are forced from their homes, their ability to report safely, accurately, and consistently is severely undermined — limiting the flow of independent information from conflict zones at the time when it is most needed.” Despite the upheaval, Iskander still felt she had a job to do. “The first two days were very difficult for me, to the point that I couldn’t produce a single story,” said Iskandar, who initially took shelter with family members at an aunt’s house before searching for a more permanent place to stay. “There was a huge distraction between going to the ground, seeing people, doing my job, and at the same time contacting people to secure a house.” Covering families who had lost their homes was especially painful, she said, feeling an affinity with them. “I’m one of the displaced too.” Movement Displacement has reshaped how the journalists work. Mohamed Ghassani, a journalist and editor at An-Nahar newspaper, fled his home in the southern coastal city of Tyre at around 3 a.m. with only his work laptop and identification papers. It took him seven hours to reach safety, with a bottleneck of traffic built up from civilians fleeing. Movement has continued to be a major challenge. Since leaving home he has not been able to go to the office or be physically present with colleagues, and his work has shifted entirely to online communication, WhatsApp and phone calls. And if a story requires him to be physically present, getting there has become much harder. “No matter how much someone tries not to be affected and to continue working normally, you can’t in these conditions,” he told CPJ. Psychological toll Fatima Shoukair, a freelance journalist who contributes to Raseef 22, said she hasn’t felt fully safe in her home since the 2024 war with Israel. She kept a bag containing identity papers, savings, and essentials in the car at all times in case a warning was issued while she was away and unable to return. On the night of the recent strikes, the bombing was so close that she thought she might not be able to get out in time. Shoukair described the toll as largely psychological. Displacement and direct exposure to the attacks have made her work “extremely exhausting.” “I can’t focus, and I don’t have the ability to produce,” she said. So far, she has not been able to complete a full story and has continued only with administrative tasks. Without the focus, energy and stable space needed to work, she said she no longer sees events from a professional distance but “through the eyes of a victim.” Journalists rarely have the luxury of stepping away from the news even when they are living through it, she added, making it difficult to continue reporting. No space to work For Valentine Nasser, a journalist and director of the platform Silat Waseel, displacement meant losing the space that made reporting possible. Forced to leave her home for the second time during the war, she moved with her family from the southern city of Tyre to a rented room in Beirut, a six-hour journey amid the build-up of people fleeing. Constant movement has made it difficult to keep working. When an evacuation warning was issued while she was reporting, she had to continue working from her car on the way to Beirut, “with no electricity and no way to charge a laptop or phone.” The bombardment and tension make concentration difficult, she said, but the greater loss was the quiet workspace she had built before being displaced. “Today I lost that space.” Ali Al Ahmar, a reporter for pro-Hezbollah broadcaster Al-Mayadeen TV, told CPJ he has found it difficult finding accommodation after fleeing his village, Kfarreman, in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh area. He eventually managed to secure a room for his family despite high rent prices and the large number of displaced people flooding to the capital. Ahmar said, to him, displacement is not only about losing a house. “It means losing the basic infrastructure a journalist needs to work: safety, rest, stable connection, and an environment that helps you think.” This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Joud Hasan.
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Wednesday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4 and was authored by Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4.
An Open Letter to the Inspectors General Community
The post An Open Letter to the Inspectors General Community appeared first on ProPublica.
Dear current and former members of the inspectors general community, Last year, in a highly unusual move, President Donald Trump fired more than 18 inspectors general without specific justifications, as the law requires, and replaced several of them with political loyalists. Over the past weeks, we have spoken with dozens of people who have experience in this field. They have given us important context on how these offices work. Some have expressed concerns that these new federal government watchdogs may be unable to independently carry out their critical oversight duties. We recognize the longstanding reluctance of inspectors general and their staffs to speak with the media. But this is an extraordinary moment. As ProPublica journalists, we share a common purpose with inspectors general: to hold our government accountable by identifying any waste, fraud or abuse — and to be thorough, fair and accurate. For these reasons, we are asking for your help understanding and presenting a comprehensive picture of what’s happening, or not happening, in these offices as they face unprecedented change. To do this work, it is critical that we speak to as many people as possible. If you work in or have recently left the office of a federal inspector general, we want to hear about your experience. Have important projects been halted? Have staff been asked to do work that wouldn’t have typically been done by an inspector general’s office in the past? What is working well, or better than it has previously? Are you facing obstacles that impact your ability to do your work? We welcome general as well as specific tips and take confidentiality seriously. Both of us have extensive experience covering sensitive topics and government agencies. We are happy to answer questions you may have about ourselves and our project. Please reach out to us on Signal or email, and share this letter with anyone who should see it. Signed, Sharon Lerner Signal: sharLerner.76 Email: sharon.lerner@propublica.org Raquel Rutledge Signal: 202-886-9630 Email: raquel.rutledge@propublica.org The post An Open Letter to the Inspectors General Community appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Colleen.Barry@propublica.org.
Iran’s ‘Samson option’ : Deterrence restored or nothing – the logic behind Tehran’s next move
ANALYSIS: By Kevork Almassian When the Strait of Hormuz closes, you don’t need to be a military analyst to understand what just happened. You only need to understand what the world runs on. Oil. Gas. Shipping lanes. Insurance rates. Container schedules. Energy prices that decide whether factories hum or go dark, whether households heat or
ANALYSIS: By Kevork Almassian When the Strait of Hormuz closes, you don’t need to be a military analyst to understand what just happened. You only need to understand what the world runs on. Oil. Gas. Shipping lanes. Insurance rates. Container schedules. Energy prices that decide whether factories hum or go dark, whether households heat or freeze, whether governments fall or survive. This is why serious analysts have been saying for years that Hormuz is not a “threat” Iran invented for propaganda; it is a structural red line that the US and its allies kept treating like a bluff because they could not imagine a regional actor actually pulling the lever that exposes a vulnerability — dependence. READ MORE: Iran vows ‘revenge’ for Larijani, Soleimani; 2 killed in attacks on Israel Thousands urge NZ prime minister Luxon to condemn illegal US-Israeli war on Iran As Israel keeps bombing Iran, Palestinians face growing violence in West Bank Trump scolds allies over Strait of Hormuz operation; UAE closes airspace Chris Hedges: The world according to Gaza – it’s only the start War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state Other US-Israel War on Iran reports And this is why what we are watching now is a massive US miscalculation that will be studied later the way the Iraq invasion is studied today, with the same disbelief that decision-makers could be so arrogant, so blind, and so certain that the other side would fold. Because Washington didn’t only miscalculate Iran’s will. It miscalculated geography, logistics, and blowback. It miscalculated the fact that the US empire in the Middle East is not a fortress; it is a web of exposed arteries: bases scattered across Gulf monarchies, troops housed in predictable locations, air defenses that are expensive and finite, radars and communications nodes that can be degraded, and a regional order that can be shaken with one choke point. You can see the arrogance in the assumptions. For years, Iran warned that if its survival is threatened—if the U.S. and Israel push the conflict into an existential zone—Hormuz becomes part of the battlefield. Washington heard that and filed it under “Iranian theatrics,” because the American political class is addicted to the idea that their enemies always bluff, while they alone possess the right to act. But Iran was not bluffing. Iran was describing the rules of an environment where deterrence is the only language that keeps you alive. Hormuz was always the red line The Strait of Hormuz is the world economy’s pressure point, and the fact that it remained open for years was not proof of Western strength. It was proof that Iran understood escalation control, because keeping Hormuz open — even while under sanctions, sabotage, assassinations, and constant threats — was Iran’s way of signaling restraint. The West interpreted that restraint as weakness. That’s the miscalculation. Washington assumed Iran would keep absorbing blows, keep taking “limited strikes,” keep responding in contained ways, because Washington has lived for decades inside a fantasy where escalation is something the US controls. But in a real war environment, you don’t get to decide the boundaries alone. The other side gets a vote. And Iran’s vote is written in the geography of the Gulf. Iran’s ‘Samson option’ I used the phrase “Samson option” not to be dramatic, but to describe the logic of a state pushed into a corner: if the enemy wants you neutralised, disarmed, and humiliated, you don’t respond only with missiles; you respond with the full spectrum of leverage you possess — military, diplomatic, economic, and psychological. Iran’s leverage is not limited to striking targets. It includes making the war economically unbearable for everyone who enabled it. It includes turning a regional conflict into a global cost spiral. It includes demonstrating that the “free flow of energy” is not a natural law; it is a contingent privilege that can evaporate when a state is pushed past its red lines. This is what the West still struggles to internalise. It thinks deterrence is only about bombs and bases. Iran thinks deterrence is about making aggression unaffordable. And Hormuz is how you make it unaffordable. The three “solutions” don’t solve anything Once Hormuz becomes the choke point, you immediately hear the same three proposals recycled through Western media. First: “military escorts”: The idea that you can escort tankers through the most militarised, most surveilled, most missile-saturated corridor on earth as if this is a piracy problem. But escorts do not remove risk; they merely concentrate it. They turn commercial shipping into military convoys, and that increases the probability of a clash that escalates further. You can escort 10 ships. Can you escort everything, every day, indefinitely, under constant threat? And at what cost in interceptors, drones, naval assets, and insurance panic? Second: “ceasefire”: The idea that Washington can call a pause and re-freeze the conflict after crossing lines that Iran considers existential. But a ceasefire is not a magic reset button; it is a negotiation outcome. And Iran is no longer interested in ceasefires that reproduce the same cycle: war, negotiations, pause, then war again. Iran has learned — painfully — that diplomacy has been weaponised against it. Third: “capitulation”: The fantasy that Iran will disarm itself and accept a future where it is strategically naked. This is the most delusional solution of all, because it assumes Iranians are incapable of reading the regional record. Iraq disarmed and was invaded. Libya dismantled its programme and was destroyed. Syria gave up its chemical file and was still ripped apart. In that record, capitulation is not peace. Capitulation is an invitation. So no, none of the three “solutions” solves the crisis. They only reveal the empire’s problem: it assumed it could impose costs without paying them. Even The New York Times admits miscalculation One of the most interesting developments is how even mainstream reporting — carefully framed, carefully sourced — has begun to concede what was obvious from day one: the Trump administration and its advisers miscalculated Iran’s response. The New York Times, in the sections I cited, points to something the propaganda refuses to admit: Iran is not acting like a decapitated regime. Iran is adapting. It is learning. It is targeting vulnerabilities, not staging symbolic retaliation. It is degrading key radar and air defence systems, hitting communications infrastructure, and shifting the battlefield away from the tidy “Israel–Iran” framing into a wider map that includes US assets and allies across the Gulf. That matters because for years the West comforted itself with the idea that the Iranian response would be predictable and containable. The NYT reporting suggests the opposite: Iran is adjusting its tactics as the campaign evolves, hitting systems that matter to US coordination and defence, and doing so without the old “ample warning” pattern that allowed the US to frame everything as controlled. In other words, Iran is making the environment less manageable for the US, which is exactly what deterrence looks like when you cannot match the empire symmetrically. The miscalculation wasn’t only military There is another layer that people avoid saying out loud, but it’s central: the US and Israel did not only miscalculate Iran’s missiles; they miscalculated Iran’s society. Even Iranians who dislike the Islamic nature of their political system can still connect a basic dot: wherever America and Israel intervene, the country becomes worse. People don’t need to love their government to recognise a foreign assault on their nation. This is why the fantasy of “decapitation + instant uprising” is so dangerous: it projects Western wishful thinking onto a society that is being attacked and then expects the society to celebrate its attacker. That is not how national psychology works under bombardment. ‘They want Iran’s energy’ is the quiet part out loud Now we come to the part that explains the deeper imperial logic behind all this: energy. I referenced the mindset openly circulating among the empire-adjacent influencer class: the idea that “we need Iran’s energy for AI projects,” that the AI race with China will be decided by securing energy inputs, and that therefore this war is not only Israel’s war, but “our war”. This is imperial logic in its purest form. It doesn’t even bother to hide behind democracy or human rights. It says: we need your resources for our future, and if you will not give them to us under cooperative terms, we will take them under coercive terms. And here is the thing these people cannot understand, because their mindset is trapped in a 19th-century colonial reflex: cooperation is possible. China shows that cooperation is possible. China buys resources, builds infrastructure, creates contracts, offers development pathways, and yes, does it for its own interests, but it does it through exchange, not through looting. The US model, by contrast, is too often: bully, sanction, destabilise, bomb, then pretend it’s about “order”. So when I say this war has gone “too wrong” for Washington even to benefit from Iranian energy later, I mean something very simple: you do not kill people, destroy families, and then expect business as usual. You don’t kill children and then expect Iranian society to say, “Sure, let’s partner with you.” This is where imperial arrogance collides with a proud, dignified Iranian society. How Trump miscalculated Video: Syriana Analysis Iran’s demands are not cosmetic Now the crucial point: why Iran won’t stop now. Iran is not continuing this because it “loves war”. It is continuing because the war created leverage, and Iran’s leadership understands that if you stop now, you waste the leverage you paid for in blood and risk. This is why Iran’s demands are emerging with clarity. First: deterrence restored. Not just for Iran, but for the wider deterrence ecosystem that includes Hezbollah. Iran wants to punish its enemy to a degree that makes future attacks psychologically and strategically unthinkable. Second: US bases constrained or removed. Iran is not naïve; it knows it may not expel the US from the region overnight. But it can force a new reality where US installations become purely defensive or are reconfigured in ways that reduce their offensive utility against Iran. In plain language: if Gulf monarchies host bases that are used to strike Iran, those bases become part of the battlefield, and Iran is signaling it wants to break that model permanently. This is why the Iranian foreign minister’s tone matters, and why voices like professor Marandi’s matter: the message is no longer “we can negotiate and return to normal.” The message is “normal is what created this war, and we need a new security architecture.” ‘Deterrence or nothing’ framework This is where Amal Saad’s analysis captures the logic cleanly: deterrence or nothing; total war or total ceasefire. Her point is that the old conflict-resolution framework doesn’t apply, because Iran is not seeking a temporary suspension of hostilities; it is seeking to alter the bargaining space itself. Tehran rejects the framework in which negotiations are essentially arms control over Iran, and insists instead that the real issue is US-Israeli aggression and the regional order that enables it. That is why Iran refuses a ceasefire that simply resets the cycle. And that is why the US miscalculation is so profound: Washington thought it could strike under a cover of “diplomacy,” then return to negotiation as if diplomacy were a neutral channel. Iran now treats that as subterfuge, and it wants to make the weaponisation of diplomacy costly enough that it cannot be repeated. Why Iran won’t stop now So we return to the simple truth: Iran won’t stop now because stopping now would mean relinquishing the leverage it has finally acquired — militarily, economically, psychologically — at the very moment when the US and Europe are feeling pain they cannot hide. Trump was elected on promises of prosperity. Now energy prices surge, markets shake, global supply lines tighten, and allies panic. From Tehran’s point of view, this is the rare moment when the empire is vulnerable enough that Iran can increase its demands instead of being forced to accept humiliating ones. And when you understand that, you understand why this isn’t ending with a tidy “ceasefire” press release. Iran believes that if it accepts another temporary arrangement, it will simply be attacked again when the West finds a better moment. So the choice Iran is presenting is brutal but clear: a settlement that restores deterrence and rewires the regional security order, or continued pressure through the one lever that forces the world to pay attention. Hormuz. Washington assumed it was a bluff. Now the world is learning what happens when a red line is real. Kevork Almassian is a Syrian geopolitical analyst and the founder of Syriana Analysis. This article was first published on his Substack Kevork’s Newsletter and shared via Collective Evolution. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Is your state becoming uninsurable? We have the latest data.
Home insurance is buckling under climate risk and construction trends. Find out how your state fares.
In recent years, as the United States has suffered a series of damaging climate disasters, experts have warned that the nation is headed toward a homeowner’s insurance crisis. Insurance companies dropped hundreds of thousands of customers who live in areas vulnerable to hurricanes and wildfires, and numerous small insurers have gone belly-up after big disasters. This has led some to forecast that a broader market failure in disaster-prone states is looming, or even a housing market collapse. That has not happened yet. But in the meantime, insurance has gotten a lot more expensive — and the price hikes are not going anywhere. A new nationwide report from the insurance price comparison firm Insurify found that the average American homeowner’s insurance bill rose 12 percent last year, reaching $2,948 per year, and will rise another 4 percent this year. This is much faster than overall inflation for the same period. (These numbers don’t include flood insurance, which most often requires a separate plan, backed by the federal government.) There are a lot of factors behind these rising bills: Insurance companies consider the value of a home, the cost of the materials needed to rebuild it, and even the credit scores of the homeowner. But the primary culprits are the rising toll of extreme weather as the planet warms and the millions of new homes developers have built in vulnerable areas. Insured losses from natural catastrophes in the U.S. averaged $100 billion a year between 2023 and 2025, up from an annual average of around $15 billion per year a decade earlier, according to the Insurance Information Institute. <img decoding="async" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-rates-map-stacked-light.png?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="" data-caption="" data-credit=""/> Home insurance rate increases by state Change in average annual premium 2023–2025 2024–2025 Projected 2025–2026 Source: Insurify Clayton Aldern / Grist <path d="M137 98.5C133 98.5 132 97.5 132 92.5V50.2C133.579 49.0591 135.454 48.3993 137.4 48.3C140.5 48.3 143.2 49.6 147.5 54.7C148.8 56.3 150 57 151.3 57C153.3 57 154.5 55.7 154.5 53.4V38H151.5C147.812 37.9397 144.155 38.6872 140.786 40.1901C137.418 41.6931 134.419 43.915 132 46.7V38H108V41.5H112C116 41.5 117 42.5 117 47.5V92.5C117 97.5 116 98.5 112 98.5H108V102H145V98.5H137ZM158.5 41.5H161.2C165.2 41.5 166.2 42.5 166.2 47.5V92.5C166.2 97.5 165.2 98.5 161.2 98.5H156.8V102H189.9V98.5H186.2C182.2 98.5 181.2 97.5 181.2 92.5V38H158.5V41.5ZM195.4 102H199.1V101C199.1 98.7 200.8 98.8 202.8 99.5C210.5 102.2 214.4 103 220.5 103C236.8 103 244.5 95.4 244.5 82.7C244.5 74.2 239.6 66.7 227.3 63.1L211.2 58.4C203.5 56.1 201.2 53 201.2 49.7C201.2 46.4 204.2 43.4 209.1 43.4C216.6 43.4 223.8 48 234.3 56.3C235.151 57.0952 236.241 57.5873 237.4 57.7C239.4 57.7 240.6 56.4 240.6 54.1V38H236.9V39C236.9 40.7 235.8 41.5 233.7 40.7C226.3 37.9 221.8 37 217.6 37C203.1 37 196 45.2 196 56.9C196 65.3 201.8 72.4 215.2 76.5L229.6 80.9C236.8 83.1 239.3 86 239.3 89.9C239.3 93.8 236 96.6 231.1 96.6C224.3 96.6 215.3 93.2 202.1 83C201.131 82.094 199.911 81.5015 198.6 81.3C196.6 81.3 195.4 82.6 195.4 84.9V102ZM257.8 83.9C257.8 96.3 265.1 103 278.7 103C285.1 103 294.8 101.2 302.3 98.7V87C302.3 84.7 301.1 83.4 299.1 83.4C297.9 83.4 296.8 84.1 295.6 85.9C288.4 96.7 282.8 99.6 278.2 99.6C274.2 99.6 272.8 97.8 272.8 92.7V49.5H304.7V38H272.8V14H269.1V14.7C269.1 29 260.3 40.4 247.8 42.8V49.5H257.8V83.9ZM166.2 30H181.2V12.5H166.2V30ZM84.9 64V88.3C79.1 91.9 72.6 94 67.1 94C39.7 94 15.1 64.1 15.1 33C15.1 18.4 24.7 6.9 41.4 6.9C51.9 6.9 72.3 13.6 87.4 29.8C87.8588 30.38 88.4339 30.8576 89.0884 31.2021C89.7428 31.5465 90.4621 31.7502 91.2 31.8C93.2 31.8 94.4 30.5 94.4 28.2V2H90.7V3C90.7 6.6 88.6 7.6 83.4 6C72.9626 2.50408 62.0057 0.813193 51 1C18.1 1 0 26.8 0 52C0 80.8 21.9 103 51 103C63.148 102.914 74.9783 99.11 84.9 92.1V102H99.4V50H46.4V64H84.9Z" fill="#3C3830"></path> “When you have these big catastrophes, it’s not just that insurers have to pay out a lot of plans, it’s that they’re all happening fast,” said Matt Brannon, the senior economic analyst at Insurify and the author of the new report. “It creates extreme financial risk for insurers, and they tend to respond to this risk by raising their rates.” While prices are increasing in almost every state, Brannon says the most eye-watering prices are concentrated in a few regions. Below, we break down some of these hotspots using this new data. We look at where climate change and extreme weather have caused rates to surge in recent years, and which places could feel the pain next. California Past: 16% rise since 2023 Projected: 16% rise by the end of 2026 California is throwing everything it has at its insurance crisis, but the state government still can’t seem to move the needle. Insurance prices have gone up by 16 percent in the last two years, and are about to increase by another 16 percent this year, according to Insurify. The state’s insurance market has been in free fall since devastating wildfire outbreaks in 2017 and 2018, which led major companies like State Farm to drop tens of thousands of mountainside customers and even pull out of the state. Regulators have coaxed insurers back by allowing them to use forward-looking “catastrophe models” that use future climate data, and by letting them pass on more of their costs to customers. In return, insurers had to stop dropping customers in fire-prone hillsides. The only answer is to harden homes against wildfire by installing ember-proof roofs and windows and clearing vegetation to create “defensible space” around homes. Ahead of a pivotal race for insurance commissioner this year, legislators have introduced bills that would create new fire resilience grant programs and would increase coverage discounts for homeowners who retrofit their properties. It remains to be seen whether anything can stop prices from soaring higher. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="digital collage of photo of damaged house, man looking at bills and covering his mouth, with red jagged cutouts showing invoice details on top" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2000w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/post-disaster-scams2.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1125" width="2000" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> First came the wildfire. Then came the scams. Naveena Sadasivam Georgia Past: 24% rise since 2023 Projected: 10% rise by the end of 2026 Hurricane Helene was among the deadliest and most expensive hurricanes ever to hit Georgia, killing 37 people, damaging tens of thousands of homes and buildings, and dealing a $5.5 million blow to the state’s agriculture and forestry industries. Those losses are driving a second year of home insurance rate hikes for Georgia, where Insurify projects a 10 percent increase in premiums in 2026 following a 9 percent increase in 2025. The impact is spread out over multiple years because of local regulations that make it tougher to quickly raise rates, according to Brannon. Neighboring Florida, by contrast, saw an 18 percent jump in 2025 because insurers were able to react quickly to heavy losses from Helene, but it is expecting more modest increases this year. This is an ongoing pattern in Georgia, where insurers consistently collect less money in premiums than they dole out in claims, a figure known as the combined ratio. Georgia ranked third in the U.S. by that metric in 2024 and underperformed compared to the country as a whole for most of the decade before. That means that while Georgia’s rates are cheaper than many other states, they’re artificially low compared to the actual risks. Georgia’s lagging insurance rates are now bumping up against a steep increase in damage and risk from hurricanes. Although the state’s coastline, as the Insurify report notes, is relatively small — only about 100 miles — Georgia has taken repeated hits from hurricanes in the last decade. Climate change is also spreading those impacts across much more of the state. Hurricanes and tropical storms typically weaken and break up over land, but warmer temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are making storms stronger when they make landfall. That in turn means they remain powerful — and damaging — as they track across inland Georgia. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2176937264_Georgia.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="" data-caption="A tree lays on top of a house as the area recovers from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. " data-credit="Joe Raedle / Getty Images"/> A tree lays on top of a house as the area recovers from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. Joe Raedle / Getty Images Illinois Past: 48% rise since 2023 Projected: 5% rise by the end of 2026 Illinois may be free of the kind of wildfires and hurricanes that have roiled insurance markets on the coasts, but it has not been spared from crushing premiums. Between 2021 and 2024, home insurance costs increased by about 50 percent in Illinois, costing homeowners close to an additional $1,000 per year, according to a Consumer Federation of America report. State Farm, the largest home insurer in the country, announced plans to raise homeowner insurance rates by over 27 percent across the state last summer. Not far behind, Allstate, the nation’s second-largest home insurer, filed for increases totaling 9 percent on average for over 200,000 Illinois policyholders. Both of the insurance giants pointed to extreme weather as driving up costs — in 2024, only Texas reported more hail damage than Illinois, according to State Farm. Last month, during his budget proposal to Illinois legislators, Governor JB Pritzker railed against a steady stream of homeowner insurance rate hikes, calling the spiraling costs “nothing short of a crisis.” Currently, Illinois is the only state in the country without legislation prohibiting excessive rates. Legislators failed to pass a bill limiting price hikes last fall, but Pritzker is still urging the General Assembly to revive the bill. In the meantime, insurance premiums may continue to climb. Insurify forecasts another 5 percent surge this year. Michigan Past: 36% rise since 2023 Projected: 3% rise by the end of 2026 The Great Lakes state saw a nearly 36 percent increase in insurance prices in the last two years, thanks to two factors: insurance companies absorbing losses from other parts of the country and an uptick in severe weather like thunderstorms, ice storms, flooding, and hail. Michigan is seeing more of these “secondary perils” that often generate a large number of low- to mid-range claims. Every year since 2011, the state has experienced at least one severe storm where losses exceeded $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2024, five such storms occurred. But despite recent hikes, Insurify notes that Michigan still has some of the lowest average premiums in the Midwest. Prices in 2026 will stabilize slightly after two years of hikes, projected to rise by 3 percent. These fluctuations, especially in the Midwest, are the result of companies figuring out how to price changing risk, according to insurance experts. “They’re trying to adjust their pricing to cover the potential costs,” said Andy Hoffman, a professor of sustainable enterprise at the University of Michigan. “They may raise their rates. They don’t have the payouts. They have to adjust them back.” Nebraska Past: 20% rise since 2023 Projected: 13% rise by the end of 2026 Going back over 10 years, Nebraska has seen some of the highest rates of increases in home insurance premiums in the country, said Eric Hunt, assistant extension educator of agricultural meteorology and climate resilience at the University of Nebraska Extension. Over the past year alone, premiums jumped 25 percent on average, according to data from Insurify. Currently, Nebraska allows companies to set premiums based on market rates, rather than getting approval or being capped by state regulators. That system is one of the reasons why insurance has gotten so expensive. The rise in rates also correlates with the state’s severe storms, which bring damage from increased hail and high winds. The city of Lincoln, for example, faced severe hail back in May 2016, and multiple damaging windstorms have hit both Lincoln and Omaha in the last five years. As the climate continues to change, Nebraska could see more of these severe storms, in addition to potentially more heavy rain events that can cause flash flooding. There’s another risk that’s also emerging: Nebraska is getting less snow than it used to, worsening the state’s wildfire season. Paired with more days with high wind gusts, “I think, especially in the western part of the state, I think you’re going to see smaller towns be more vulnerable to those fires,” Hunt said. As insurance rates gain more attention from state politicians, Hunt said he expects there to be more attempts to regulate increases in Nebraska. North Carolina Past: 14% rise since 2023 Projected: 5% rise by the end of 2026 North Carolina has had an interesting few years when it comes to insurance premiums. The state’s rate bureau asked for a 42 percent rate hike last year, citing both increased, risky development in hurricane-prone coastal areas and billions in storm damage from Hurricane Helene, but the state insurance commissioner granted just a 7.5 percent increase. Now, Insurify projects North Carolina’s insurance premiums to rise in 2026 by about 5 percent. Compared to other high climate-risk states, that’s not a lot — but there’s more to the story. Much of the damage incurred by North Carolina homeowners over the past several years is flood damage from extreme, multi-billion-dollar storms like Helene in Western North Carolina and Florence in the coastal region, but flood damage is not covered by homeowners’ insurance. Other storm damage is coverable in certain cases, like wind-related tree damage, but that too is proving to be problematic. “In North Carolina and in higher-risk coastal states, insurers are not providing coverage, like in your base home policy plan, for things like high wind damage,” said Jayson O’Neill, a spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future, which recently released a report on North Carolina’s insurance trends. A quarter of homeowners’ insurance claims after Helene were closed without payment last year. Furthermore, some insurance companies are abandoning the state, or risk-prone swaths of it, entirely. Nationwide, for example, dropped 10,000 customers in hurricane-prone zip codes of coastal North Carolina in 2024. O’Neill believes these denials keep rate increases on the moderate side — with upfront costs to homeowners. Finally, a “consent to rate” loophole in the state allows companies to directly ask homeowners to approve monthly increases, which can open the door to future increases for individual households. It’s a delicate balance, according to Mike Causey, the state’s Commissioner of Insurance. “You can’t run the companies out of business, or we’d all be in trouble,” Causey said. “So, we’ve been trying to keep the increase as close to zero as possible.” There is no easy way out of this problem, no matter what disasters a state is facing. State regulators can’t just refuse insurance companies permission to raise prices, because then those companies will drop customers or leave the market altogether, as has happened in California. Many states offer their own “public option,” such as Florida Citizens and the California FAIR Plan, but these backstops tend to provide worse coverage, and they’re often more expensive than the private market. Such options can also pull money from a state’s tax base, which raises a fairness issue — why should every taxpayer have to fund insurance for those who live in the most expensive and disaster-prone homes? <img decoding="async" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insurify-top-premiums-light.png?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="" data-caption="" data-credit=""/> Most expensive states for home insurance Projected average annual premium, 2026 Source: Insurify Clayton Aldern / Grist / Luiz Cent / Unsplash <path d="M137 98.5C133 98.5 132 97.5 132 92.5V50.2C133.579 49.0591 135.454 48.3993 137.4 48.3C140.5 48.3 143.2 49.6 147.5 54.7C148.8 56.3 150 57 151.3 57C153.3 57 154.5 55.7 154.5 53.4V38H151.5C147.812 37.9397 144.155 38.6872 140.786 40.1901C137.418 41.6931 134.419 43.915 132 46.7V38H108V41.5H112C116 41.5 117 42.5 117 47.5V92.5C117 97.5 116 98.5 112 98.5H108V102H145V98.5H137ZM158.5 41.5H161.2C165.2 41.5 166.2 42.5 166.2 47.5V92.5C166.2 97.5 165.2 98.5 161.2 98.5H156.8V102H189.9V98.5H186.2C182.2 98.5 181.2 97.5 181.2 92.5V38H158.5V41.5ZM195.4 102H199.1V101C199.1 98.7 200.8 98.8 202.8 99.5C210.5 102.2 214.4 103 220.5 103C236.8 103 244.5 95.4 244.5 82.7C244.5 74.2 239.6 66.7 227.3 63.1L211.2 58.4C203.5 56.1 201.2 53 201.2 49.7C201.2 46.4 204.2 43.4 209.1 43.4C216.6 43.4 223.8 48 234.3 56.3C235.151 57.0952 236.241 57.5873 237.4 57.7C239.4 57.7 240.6 56.4 240.6 54.1V38H236.9V39C236.9 40.7 235.8 41.5 233.7 40.7C226.3 37.9 221.8 37 217.6 37C203.1 37 196 45.2 196 56.9C196 65.3 201.8 72.4 215.2 76.5L229.6 80.9C236.8 83.1 239.3 86 239.3 89.9C239.3 93.8 236 96.6 231.1 96.6C224.3 96.6 215.3 93.2 202.1 83C201.131 82.094 199.911 81.5015 198.6 81.3C196.6 81.3 195.4 82.6 195.4 84.9V102ZM257.8 83.9C257.8 96.3 265.1 103 278.7 103C285.1 103 294.8 101.2 302.3 98.7V87C302.3 84.7 301.1 83.4 299.1 83.4C297.9 83.4 296.8 84.1 295.6 85.9C288.4 96.7 282.8 99.6 278.2 99.6C274.2 99.6 272.8 97.8 272.8 92.7V49.5H304.7V38H272.8V14H269.1V14.7C269.1 29 260.3 40.4 247.8 42.8V49.5H257.8V83.9ZM166.2 30H181.2V12.5H166.2V30ZM84.9 64V88.3C79.1 91.9 72.6 94 67.1 94C39.7 94 15.1 64.1 15.1 33C15.1 18.4 24.7 6.9 41.4 6.9C51.9 6.9 72.3 13.6 87.4 29.8C87.8588 30.38 88.4339 30.8576 89.0884 31.2021C89.7428 31.5465 90.4621 31.7502 91.2 31.8C93.2 31.8 94.4 30.5 94.4 28.2V2H90.7V3C90.7 6.6 88.6 7.6 83.4 6C72.9626 2.50408 62.0057 0.813193 51 1C18.1 1 0 26.8 0 52C0 80.8 21.9 103 51 103C63.148 102.914 74.9783 99.11 84.9 92.1V102H99.4V50H46.4V64H84.9Z" fill="#3C3830"></path> The only real solution to rising prices — other than slowing down climate change itself — is to reduce the amount of property that is at risk from natural disasters. That entails renovating, rebuilding, or relocating millions of properties across dozens of states until major disasters no longer cause billions of dollars in damages. The cost of disasters such as flooding has gone down over the last century when compared against the value of property exposed to those disasters, indicating that some adaptation has already happened, but it needs to happen even faster. A recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council predicted the U.S. could be “an uninsurable country” if no action is taken, and Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse warned that the insurance collapse could cause a “2008 or worse” recession. The question is who should pay for this. Most individual homeowners don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on new roofs and walls, and states don’t have billions of dollars to hand out for retrofits. Developers tend to resist building codes that require tougher homes, and insurance companies themselves are hesitant to pay for customer upgrades and then have their customers depart for other providers, depriving the insurer of any cost savings. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2151976930_tornado-damage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="The Crowder family surveys their home destroyed by a tornado on May 07, 2024 in Barnsdall, northeast Oklahoma. The EF3 twister that struck claimed one life and destroyed dozens of homes in the community of just over 1,000 people. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" data-caption="The Crowder family surveys their home destroyed by a tornado in 2024 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. " data-credit="Brandon Bell / Getty Images"/> The Crowder family surveys their home destroyed by a tornado in 2024 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. Brandon Bell / Getty Images The solution may be some mix of all these policies. In another recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, researchers argue that states should impose surcharges on their insurers and use the money to fund roof upgrades and vegetation clearance, targeting the most vulnerable homes that are driving claims. North Carolina and Alabama have both scaled such programs. Lawmakers could also upgrade building rules for new homes, imposing a cost on developers, as Florida did following Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Meanwhile, the legislature in Colorado has weighed creating a state-run “reinsurance” program, which would provide a financial backstop for smaller insurers and reduce their costs. But until we reduce the risk profile of the nation’s homes, the price increases are unlikely to stop, according to Carolyn Kousky, an expert on disaster insurance and former University of Pennsylvania economist who runs the Insurance For Good project, which advocates for just disaster insurance frameworks. “We see in the hotspots of climate risk that the premiums have even outpaced [other costs],” she said. “Until we actually focus much more heavily on loss reduction and climate adaptation, that will continue to be a challenge.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Is your state becoming uninsurable? We have the latest data. on Mar 18, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Jake Bittle.
Big Oil has moved on from ‘greenwashing.’ Here’s the new playbook.
Over a few years, oil giants went from trumpeting climate pledges to saying fossil fuels are here to stay.
Remember when the fossil fuel industry couldn’t stop talking about climate change? In 2020, when oil prices plunged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Oil promoted efforts to cut carbon emissions and trumpeted various energy “innovations”: transforming algae into fuel (Exxon Mobil), capturing carbon (Chevron), and producing green hydrogen (BP). Critics deemed it “greenwashing” — highlighting small sustainable investments to distract people from the pollution at the core of their business. It didn’t take long for oil companies to move on from those old talking points. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, supply disruptions drove oil prices up, and oil giants switched to a new message: Fossil fuels are essential to “energy security,” and they’re here to stay. That’s according to a new report from Clean Creatives, an initiative pressuring PR companies and advertisers to stop working with fossil fuel clients, that analyzed more than 1,800 advertisements, press releases, and social media campaigns from BP, Shell, Exxon, and Chevron between 2020 and 2024. “Oil companies are not trying to follow the winds of the sustainable transition anymore,” said Nayantara Dutta, the head of research at Clean Creatives. “They’re not trying to necessarily look like the good guys.” The political mood has changed dramatically from 2020, a time when world leaders seemed poised to finally take climate change seriously, to the present day, when wars, political chaos, and rising costs have shifted their focus. Big businesses, politicians, and the news media have gotten quieter about climate change. The Clean Creatives analysis is one of two new reports that trace how oil giants — which have much to gain from the world failing to confront climate change — changed their narrative over this period. The new research shows their green-coded language was in retreat long before President Donald Trump returned to office. As oil companies look to expand their natural gas infrastructure, they have to carefully consider how they’re selling it to the public. To build more pipelines, plants, and wells, oil companies need not just formal permits from governments, but also an informal kind of permission known as a “social license to operate” — essentially, earning enough public acceptance to maintain legitimacy and head off opposition, such as protests and legal challenges. “They hire the best PR agencies in the world to try to basically dupe you into believing that they’re socially responsible,” said Robert Brulle, an environmental sociologist at Brown University. After Russia invaded Ukraine, for example, companies began using national security and economic resilience as a means to justify expanding production, no matter where they were. That argument sometimes blurred into a broader claim that the world simply needed more fossil fuels. “Energy demands are rising, and the effects are being felt everywhere,” said the voiceover for one ad in 2022. “That’s why at Chevron, we’re increasing production in the Permian Basin by 15 percent, and we’re projected to reach 1 million barrels of oil per day by 2025.” But the current moment is bringing into question the narrative that fossil fuels are key to ensuring a country has reliable, affordable sources of energy. The U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran has sparked the biggest oil supply disruption in history, with about 15 percent of the global supply stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping pathway along Iran’s coast. Gas prices in the U.S. have soared, with the national average for a gallon of gas jumping 87 cents in a month. The situation has piqued interest in electric vehicles, showcasing how dependence on fossil fuels leaves people vulnerable to swings in the price of gas. Meanwhile, natural gas prices have risen sharply in Asia and Europe, where political leaders are calling for more investment in nuclear energy to weather fossil fuel price shocks. “The energy security argument about natural gas is kind of being turned on its head,” Brulle said. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Photo of a discarded no-entry traffic sign lying on land parched by drought." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sign-drought.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> The planet is overheating. Why is the news looking away? Kate Yoder This tumultuous state of affairs made Jennie Stephens, a professor of climate justice at Maynooth University in Ireland, ponder what would have happened if the world had turned to renewables earlier; if, say, oil companies hadn’t been working for decades to slow down action on climate change. “If we had been able to commit collectively to a global fossil fuel phaseout, we would be in a very different position, right?” she said. Stephens’ recent research, published last week in the journal Energy, Sustainability, and Society, found that when oil companies do talk about renewables, it’s often in a way that reinforces negative perceptions about wind and solar power. Along with researchers at Northeastern University and Columbia University, Stephens analyzed how BP, Exxon, Shell, and the French oil giant Total Energies discussed solar, wind, and other sustainable energy sources in their annual reports from 2016 through 2022. “We found out that they were talking about renewables as kind of in service of expanding fossil fuels,” Stephens said. At times, this has been literal, such as Total’s recent floating offshore wind project that powers an oil and gas platform. After 2020, oil companies began highlighting downsides of renewables more frequently, discussing their costs and intermittency, the study found. In parallel, oil companies retreated from the message that they were “partners” in the “energy transition” and began backtracking on their climate promises in 2023. That year, they promoted a narrative that fossil fuels can expand at the same time as the world reduces emissions, according to the Clean Creatives report. It claims that companies shifted from greenwashing to “gaslighting” — sowing doubt among the public that the world needs to stop building fossil fuel infrastructure, a step the United Nations’ leading body of climate scientists has said is necessary to meet the Paris Agreement’s climate goals. “We call it gaslighting because they’re confusing people about what the truth actually is and about what their operations are achieving,” Dutta said. In 2024, oil and gas companies leaned into the idea that fossil fuels are a fact of modern life, emphasizing talking points about how oil and gas were needed for a “balanced energy future.” “The specific vocabulary being used is ‘responsible, balanced, pragmatic,’ to make people feel like the logical solution is an investment in fossil fuels,” Dutta said. While Clean Creatives’ analysis ended in 2024, the general message stayed the same in 2025, she said, though companies adapted by positioning fossil fuels as essential to technological advancement, particularly for data centers powering AI. The current oil shock, along with falling costs for solar and wind power, poses a challenge for oil companies and the stories they tell. “The argument for energy security and cost are now not on the side of fossil fuels, and so they’re kind of in a real rhetorical problem here,” Brulle said. “So I’m sure that the PR companies that are being hired by the oil companies are going to have to do some real interesting work to continue to justify fossil fuel expansion.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Big Oil has moved on from ‘greenwashing.’ Here’s the new playbook. on Mar 18, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Kate Yoder.
Scientists race to decode data from Europe’s vanishing glaciers
Glacier ice contains valuable information about the climates of the past. Researchers are scrambling to study it before it's too late.
High up in the Ötztal Alps, near the border of Austria and Italy, sprawls the closest thing you can get — scientifically, at least — to a time machine. For thousands of years, snow has fallen here and turned to ice, building layer upon layer of the Weißseespitze glacier and archiving invaluable information. For instance, as mining and smelting of metals accelerated 1,000 years ago across Europe, pollutants like arsenic took to the air and fell on the ice. There are natural signatures, too, like chemicals from wildfires that give clues to the climate of the distant past. Scientists are raising the alarm that as glaciers disappear, they’re taking critical insights with them. Already, warmer temperatures have taken their toll on the Weißseespitze glacier, as the upper layers — corresponding to the centuries since the 1600s — have melted away. What researchers are left with is a historical record between the second and 17th centuries CE. And the race is on: Some 30 percent of the glaciers in the Ötztal Alps could disappear in the next five years. “It’s really a race against time, because we have this unique opportunity to inspect the memory of this glacier,” said Azzurra Spagnesi, a paleoclimatologist at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice and lead author of a recent paper that analyzed the record of pollutants preserved in Weißseespitze’s ice. Think of Weißseespitze — or any glacier — as a layer cake. As snow falls on the glacier, it brings along whatever compounds are in the air at that time. All that snow steadily compacts into ice, year after year. To interrogate the timeline held within the glacier, Spagnesi’s colleagues drilled down more than 30 feet until they hit bedrock, dragging up a core. The farther down a layer of ice is in the core, the older the frozen water and its component pollutants — a sort of time-cake, if you will. Being in the middle of densely-populated Europe — the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution — Weißseespitze and its neighboring glaciers contain higher-resolution information compared to ice cores taken in more remote places, like Greenland and Antarctica. “These local glaciers are going to tell you more of what’s going on nearby,” said Paul Bierman, a geoscientist at the University of Vermont who wrote a book about the lessons contained in the history of the Greenland Ice Sheet. “So they’re both valuable — they’re just different.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Weisseespitze.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A soot-colored mountainside where an icy glacier is receding" data-caption="The dark surfaces here show major melting at the summit of Weißseespitze in 2023. " data-credit="Courtesy of Andrea Fischer"/> The dark surfaces here show major melting at the summit of Weißseespitze in 2023. Courtesy of Andrea Fischer By analyzing those pollutants, researchers can get an idea of what was in the atmosphere — and by extension, what was going on in the world at any given moment in history. For instance, in the samples from Weißseespitze, Spagnesi and her team observed pollutants like lead from human activities even a millennium ago. “These peaks indicated human activity was already leaving a detectable mark on the atmosphere,” Spagnesi said. The human-caused pollution in the Weißseespitze glacier has been chronic over the centuries. But the ice core also revealed acute levels of pollution from natural disasters, like major volcanic eruptions: Volcanoes release trace elements, including arsenic and copper, into the atmosphere, which float around and eventually fall out onto land. The researchers found spikes of such metals in the 13th and 16th centuries CE, suggesting some serious eruptions. Spagnesi and her colleagues could also sniff out ancient climates based on the natural pollution they found in the core. In the layers around 1000 CE, they discovered spikes in levoglucosan, a chemical released when vegetation burns. This matched high levels of charcoal found in cores sampled from another nearby ecosystem: peatlands. Much like glaciers, these landscapes accumulate material year after year, only here instead of ice, it’s organic matter that piles up and resists decay. Together, the two samples from vastly different environments suggest an outbreak of wildfires, which coated the ice and peat in the signature components of smoke. The underlying cause of these ancient fires may have been eerily similar to what we’re seeing today. The signals in the ice cores and peat correspond to a century-long drought, when bursts of rain would encourage the growth of vegetation, which would then desiccate and turn into wildfire fuel. We’re witnessing the same dynamic in places like the American West, where climate change is driving “weather whiplash” — years of plentiful rainfall followed by years of extreme drought. This is why the race to take cores from disappearing glaciers is so urgent: The more information that scientists have about how glaciers and ice sheets responded to climatic shifts in previous centuries, the more accurate their calculations about modern-day climate change will get. “We need to pass to modelers precise information about changes in past atmospheric composition, and even environmental variability, to train the models,” Spagnesi said. But Weißseespitze and other glaciers in the Alps are rapidly disappearing. Spagnesi’s colleagues took that 30-foot core in 2019, stopping at bedrock — but in 2025, another drilling in the area reached the bottom of the glacier after just 18 feet. With every lost inch, the available historical record inches back in time, until scientists are left with only the very distant past. They’re now scrambling to get more cores of what remains. “Glaciers are not just ice,” Spagnesi said. “They are the archives of the Earth’s memory. And when they disappear, we don’t only lose frozen water, we lose irreplaceable knowledge about how our climate system works and how human activity has altered it.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Scientists race to decode data from Europe’s vanishing glaciers on Mar 18, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Matt Simon.
The Supreme Court takes up a Guam munitions case with high stakes for CHamoru lands
The ruling won't just dictate the fate of a CHamoru beach. It could set a major precedent for Indigenous rights and federal power across U.S. territories.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could determine the future of a beach with cultural and ecological importance to the Indigenous CHamoru people of Guam. The case is an appeal from the U.S. Air Force, which wants to continue the open detonation of obsolete munitions on Tarague Beach in northern Guam — a site located directly above the sole-source aquifer providing 80 percent of the island’s drinking water. To Moneaka Flores, a CHamoru activist on Guam, the appeal is a frustrating step back in a multiyear fight to protect her family’s ancestral land. “This is actually a delay for justice for us,” said Flores. “We were moving forward in the District Court, and I consider this move by the Department of War to challenge it at the Supreme Court as a strategy to delay justice for our people and to answer to the law.” Before World War II, Tarague Beach was where Flores’ grandfather and great-grandfather grew coconut trees to cultivate copra, dried coconut meat that was then the island’s biggest export, and where they raised pigs and fished. When the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Guam the same day it bombed Pearl Harbor, Flores’ family hid at their Tarague Beach ranch until they were captured. Like other CHamoru people on Guam, her family endured forced labor, forced marches, and other brutalities under Japanese occupation. Following the U.S. recapture of Guam, the CHamoru people were reeling from more than two years of torture, abuse, and malnutrition, during which Indigenous women were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers. Amid this trauma and the obliteration of property by U.S. bombs, the military seized nearly two-thirds of the land to build bases, airfields, and training ranges. Although community resistance has led to land returns over time, the Department of Defense still controls almost a third of Guam, and Flores’ family never regained their Tarague Beach property. “My great-grandparents were devastated to lose Tarague Beach,” Flores said. “They couldn’t imagine their lives not going down there to fish and to hunt and to be in that jungle and in the ocean.” Today, the beach is part of Andersen Air Force Base, requiring local residents to obtain military access to visit. The explosive ordnance disposal range is on the easternmost edge, but the rest of the beach continues to be home to endangered sea turtles and migratory seabirds. A website for military families advertises its campgrounds and playgrounds, noting, “One of the best things about Tarague is that it’s never crowded!” Flores’ family eventually purchased land at a nearby beach, where they continue to ranch. Occasionally, they can see smoke rising from the open detonation of legacy bombs, weapons, and other out-of-date military ordnance. The Air Force has applied for permits to conduct these open detonations since 1982. In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences published a report confirming viable, less-polluting alternatives to open detonation. Flores sued the military in 2022 with Prutehi Litekyan, a community group she founded, arguing that the Air Force needed to analyze alternative disposal methods and locations under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. The agency, however, maintains it only needs to comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, which does not mandate an analysis of alternative sites. “The message that they’re sending us in refusing to follow the law is that we’re not worth their concern, we’re not worth the resources that it takes for them to take the safest measures to protect our island and our people,” Flores said. Advocates secured a victory last year when a federal appeals court ordered the military to comply with NEPA. But with the Supreme Court now accepting the case, that precedent is at risk. The Air Force hopes the appeals court ruling will be overturned. The agency, which did not respond to a request for comment, contends its compliance with RCRA, a 1976 law managing hazardous waste disposal, exempts it from NEPA’s requirements. Under RCRA, the Air Force only needs a permit indicating the disposal meets certain environmental protection criteria and doesn’t need to analyze other disposal options. Neil Weare, co-director of Right to Democracy, a nonprofit advocating for people in U.S. territories, views the case in a broader colonial framework. “We once again have the U.S. Supreme Court granting review to reconsider a lower court ruling that placed limits on federal power in U.S. territories,” Weare said. “This is part of a long trend where the Supreme Court consistently shows near total deference to federal power over people in U.S. territories.” Weare said most of the Puerto Rico cases that the Supreme Court has taken up in recent years involved reversing a ruling by lower courts that sided with the territory. He noted that May will be the 125th anniversary of the Insular Cases, a set of Supreme Court precedents from the early 20th century that limit how much the Constitution applies in territories and justify their colonial status, in part due to the presence of “alien races.” David Henkin, an attorney at the nonprofit Earthjustice representing Flores and other community members, said that a ruling could take another year. “We could be looking at waiting until sometime in the spring to be back where we are right now,” Henkin said. Henkin said compared to RCRA, NEPA requires a more holistic review of how federal actions affect communities, mandating the consideration of viable alternatives. For Tarague Beach, alternatives might include conducting the detonations further from fishing grounds and the sole-source aquifer, or transporting the munitions to the U.S. mainland for disposal. “The Air Force has blatantly ignored things like impact on culture, the fact that these lands are stolen. It doesn’t even factor into the equation for them,” Henkin said. “That is blatantly illegal.” To Flores, the situation at Tarague Beach is inextricable from Guam’s colonial history and the ongoing military buildup. “When we think about open detonation, we think about it against many decades now and many generations of environmental racism and injustice that we’ve had to endure from Agent Orange, PFAS, to dieldrin, to nuclear contamination from the testing in the Marshall Islands,” she said. “The fact that the military insists on continuing this practice before analyzing the alternatives, before analyzing the impacts to the community, is a serious breach of trust. It’s an attack on our survival as Indigenous peoples in our own homeland.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The Supreme Court takes up a Guam munitions case with high stakes for CHamoru lands on Mar 18, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Anita Hofschneider.
How Australia Exploited the Iranian Women’s Football Team
When it comes to asylum seekers, the Australian political machine has prided itself on using cruelty and a purposely obtuse understanding of international law. Bolted sovereignty has been elevated over rights and humanitarianism, while political interests have abominated the dark, hungering hordes heading to the island continent on unseaworthy boats. From the early 1990s, the […] The post How Australia Exploited the Iranian Women’s Football Team appeared first on Dissident Voice.
When it comes to asylum seekers, the Australian political machine has prided itself on using cruelty and a purposely obtuse understanding of international law. Bolted sovereignty has been elevated over rights and humanitarianism, while political interests have abominated the dark, hungering hordes heading to the island continent on unseaworthy boats. From the early 1990s, the UN Refugee Convention became increasingly clipped, its applicability scorned in domestic politics. By the time the conservative government of John Howard assumed power in 1996, turning Australia into a vast village of suspicious citizens suffering from arrested development, the asylum seeker became electoral bait, hooked on fishing lines to lure in voters worried their comfortable lives would somehow be ruffled by the dark, brooding arrivals fleeing war-torn areas and predatory regimes. From then on, a public relations machine was developed to dissuade and horrify those willing to make the journey to the fatal shore. Money was sunk into advertisements distributed through the Middle East warning those wishing to make their way across the seas. In February 2014, for instance, Australian authorities promoted a campaign with the slogan: “No way. They will not make Australia home”. Starring in this squalid effort was a graphic novel depicting asylum seekers in a detention centre suffering from enervating distress. Reality television shows mocking the unsuspecting foreigner at customs such as Border Security also became celluloid staples. In March, the public exploitation of the asylum seeker suddenly switched. The Iranian Women’s Football team, participating in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Australian soil, had presented a magnificent opportunity to show that an Australian government might appreciate the asylum claims of those fleeing a Middle East regime. Prior to their match against South Korea, they had failed to sing the national anthem, prompting savage criticism by commentators back home. The establishment was initially unclear about what to do. Journalists gathered on the ABC’s Insiders, an apt name suggesting how close Australia’s political scribes are to the linen and contents of power, gave an unspeakable display, refusing to emphasise the innate right to seek asylum. Fuzzy, fudged propositions were gingerly advanced: the visas of the team stay might be adjusted for a lengthier stay; some consideration for their welfare would be given; the Iranian regime was savage, propagandistic and so forth. But “asylum” remained dirty, ranking lower than “fuck” in the national broadcaster’s list of naughty words. That display was all the more contemptible given that Australia was in wholehearted agreement with the illegal attack on Iran, having refused to call it a breach of the United Nations Charter. This, however, was too good a chance for the Albanese government to miss. The script was writing itself: oppressed women imprisoned in their hotel rooms; oppressive clerical regime in Tehran; fear, terror and surveillance. A mother reportedly warning her daughter not to return as “they’ll kill you.” Then came an intervention from US President Donald J. Trump, insisting Canberra was “making a terrible mistake” in permitting the squad “to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed”. Grant them asylum, came the call. The grant of humanitarian visas for seven team members duly followed, though five, fearful for their family and assets in Iran, have since changed their mind. Transport Minister Catherine King tried to be wise, stating that every effort had been made to encourage them to stay. Rather despicably, she expressed pride “that Australia has offered that choice to these women.” While there was much congratulatory back slapping for the granting of the humanitarian visas, the Janus-faced nature of Australia’s migration policy remained in play. Hours after the grant, the Albanese government introduced changes to the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) in the form of the Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 (Cth) granting the Home Affairs Minister powers to block those already granted temporary visas from visiting Australia. According to Home Affairs officials in a 1.5-hour committee hearing regarding the hurried amendments, the travel ban would endure for six to 12 months, affecting anywhere up to 61,000 visa holders from the Middle East. The Coalition found good reasons for the changes. As Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam reasoned, one had every reason to be suspicious of those from “a region subject to conflict” who given temporary travel documents, be it a visitor or tourist visa “that they would stay beyond the expiry of that visa, potentially to seek asylum and perhaps stay on illegally.” (How opportunistic those fleeing war can be!) To salve his conscience and those of his party members, Duniam stated that such suspensions were temporary in nature. “This is not permanent prevention of people from coming into this country.” Greens immigration spokesman, Senator David Shoebridge distilled the nature of the changes to reporters in Canberra. “On the same day that Labor gave that one chance to a handful of brave Iranian footballers, they shut the door to 7,200 other Iranians who had already been granted visas, who had security clearances”. When speaking against the amendments in parliament, Shoebridge found it churningly grotesque that these individuals “could not come to this country and seek protection from this regime, from Israeli bombs, from US missiles and from the acid rain and black rain that’s falling as a result of Israeli and US bombing.” The measures had been introduced, thought Shoebridge, in a fit of fear “about being outflanked by One Nation. You are responding to the Islamophobia of One Nation.” The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Larissa Waters, observed the distasteful nature of the Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s self-lionising for “providing asylum to a handful of Iranian young women who’ve distinguished themselves on the soccer field while at the same time shutting the door on thousands more” who already had the right to come to Australia. “You’ve really rewritten the rules on how cruel a government can be.” Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe was even more derisory, telling her fellow parliamentarians that this was “Labor’s new White Australia policy.” It was fitting for a government that proved to be “the first in the world to congratulate Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu for their illegal bombing of Iran.” Canberra had also added its complement to the conflict by sending defence personnel and an aircraft to the Gulf. “And the very moment that [the Albanese] government is helping escalate the violence, it is also slamming the door on the people who will inevitably forced to flee it.” Like Shoebridge and Waters, she saw the race card at generous play, an “example of how Labor, the Coalition and One Nation are all competing to be the cruellest and most racist because they think this is the path to political success.” Thorpe can be taken to task at times for being so strident as to misshape an argument, but the spirit of cynicism shown by this government has been something to behold. Paul Power, co-CEO of the Refugee Council of Australia, saw an appropriately ghastly historical parallel in the proposed amendments. In the late 1930s, countries closed their doors to European Jews deprived of their citizenship. At the Evian Conference, convened in July 1938, delegates from 32 countries, including Australia, affirmed their general reluctance in admitting Jewish refugees. The dark star of the conference was Australia’s Trade and Customs Minister, Thomas White, who declared “that Australia would not help because it did not want to import a ‘racial problem’.” Governments come and go, but opportunism remains eternal. The post How Australia Exploited the Iranian Women’s Football Team appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.
CPJ, rights groups urge new Bangladesh PM to address urgent press freedom concerns
The Committee to Protect Journalists and eight other human rights organizations have written to Bangladesh’s newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urging his government to take steps to protect human rights and uphold press freedom. In a joint letter, the groups called on the government to publicly affirm its commitment to press freedom and media...
The Committee to Protect Journalists and eight other human rights organizations have written to Bangladesh’s newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urging his government to take steps to protect human rights and uphold press freedom. In a joint letter, the groups called on the government to publicly affirm its commitment to press freedom and media independence, release detained journalists, and review cases filed against journalists under cybercrime laws, including the Digital Security Act and Cyber Security Act. The signatories called for an end to arbitrary surveillance, censorship, and internet shutdowns, and for the government to implement recommendations from the Media Reform Commission that align with international standards on press freedom. The letter also urged authorities to conduct prompt and impartial investigations into attacks on journalists and news outlets, including the Prothom Alo and Daily Star. Read the full letter here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Thousands urge NZ prime minister Luxon to condemn illegal US-Israeli war on Iran
Greenpeace Aotearoa Thousands of people have signed a petition demanding New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stand up and condemn the illegal attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. Greenpeace delivered the petition to opposition Labour leader Chris Hipkins in Wellington today. Standing on the steps of Parliament, Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr
Greenpeace Aotearoa Thousands of people have signed a petition demanding New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stand up and condemn the illegal attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. Greenpeace delivered the petition to opposition Labour leader Chris Hipkins in Wellington today. Standing on the steps of Parliament, Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman said: “This war is plainly illegal — it is not an act of self-defence nor is it sanctioned by the UN Security Council. READ MORE: Iran fires missiles, drones across Gulf, region remains in war crosshairs Thousands call on Christopher Luxon to condemn the illegal attacks on Iran by Trump and Israel Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports “While we have come to expect that the US government approach to international law is more honoured in the breach than the observance, nonetheless international law is critical for the security of everyone on the planet but especially for a small nation like New Zealand.” Dr Norman said Luxon was expected to advocate in favour of international law and hence condemn “this reckless illegal war”. “Silence in the face of injustice is complicity, and thousands of New Zealanders agree that Luxon should be standing up to bullies like Trump, who is attempting to destroy any possibility of a rules-based international order.” Greenpeace delivered the petition to the Parliament opposition who have been open about their condemnation of Trump’s illegal war. Fossil fuel price war link Greenpeace also made the link from this illegal war to the escalating price of fossil fuels. “This illegal war has disrupted oil, gas and fertiliser supplies, exposing Luxon’s Trump-like obsession with outdated fossil fuels, leaving New Zealanders paying the price,” said Dr Norman. “Luxon has collapsed the EV market by killing the clean car discount, making it cheaper to import gas guzzling cars. He’s ended public transport subsidies for young people, blocked funding for cycleways, but wants to spend billions of dollars to build new roads.” The Prime Minister now wanted to expose the country even further to the volatile global fossil fuel market by charging New Zealanders a gas tax to build an LNG import terminal. “The Luxon government should be investing in renewable energy and the electrification of transport to insulate New Zealanders from energy supply shocks and rising energy prices, as well as cutting climate pollution,” said Dr Norman. Republished from Greenpeace Aotearoa. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
CPJ, partners urge Pakistan PM to stop deportations of exiled Afghan journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined two other press freedom groups in calling on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to end the intensifying harassment, arbitrary arrests, and deportations of Afghan journalists living in exile in Pakistan. In a joint letter sent March 13, the organizations said Afghan journalists who fled Taliban persecution were now...
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined two other press freedom groups in calling on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to end the intensifying harassment, arbitrary arrests, and deportations of Afghan journalists living in exile in Pakistan. In a joint letter sent March 13, the organizations said Afghan journalists who fled Taliban persecution were now being targeted in Pakistan amid escalating cross-border conflict. Deporting these journalists to Afghanistan exposed them to foreseeable risks, including retaliation, arbitrary detention, and other serious harm, said CPJ, along with Reporters Without Borders and Free Press Unlimited. The letter called on Pakistan to immediately halt the arbitrary arrest, detention, harassment, and forced deportation of Afghan journalists; respect the principle of non-refoulement; release detained Afghan journalists held solely because of their immigration status or Afghan nationality; and establish a temporary protection framework for those awaiting resettlement to third countries. Read the full letter here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Project Vault: Peace in the moana or military outpost?
COMMENTARY: By Niamh O’Flynn To most of us in Aotearoa, the current illegal war in Iran feels distant. We see it in our news feeds, we feel it at the petrol pump, and we hear about it in “trade disruptions”. We tell ourselves we’re just a small, peaceful nation caught in the crossfire of superpowers.
COMMENTARY: By Niamh O’Flynn To most of us in Aotearoa, the current illegal war in Iran feels distant. We see it in our news feeds, we feel it at the petrol pump, and we hear about it in “trade disruptions”. We tell ourselves we’re just a small, peaceful nation caught in the crossfire of superpowers. But behind the scenes, a deal is being negotiated that changes our role entirely. READ MORE: Project Vault: A minerals security backstop Red flags with Project Vault — Veronique de Rugy No minerals deal with Trump petition Other critical minerals reports The New Zealand government is currently negotiating a critical minerals deal with the Trump administration. Under “Project Vault”, the US is aggressively stockpiling minerals from both land and sea through a blend of private mega-capital and government-backed loans. And at the heart of the deal with New Zealand is an anonymous metal, Vanadium. Vanadium is mostly unknown to New Zealanders. But the US Department of Defense classifies it as a top-tier strategic mineral. Why? Because you can’t build a modern war machine without it. It is the literal backbone of the high-strength steel used in missiles, armour-piercing projectiles, and the jet engines currently flying sorties in the Middle East. Strange mining candidate In New Zealand, vanadium isn’t commercially mined. Which, you would think, makes it a strange candidate to be at the heart of a trade deal. But dig a little deeper. Vanadium is the mineral that would be mined by Trans Tasman Resources (TTR, wholly-owned by Australian mining company Manuka Resources) in the hugely controversial proposed seabed mining project in the South Taranaki Bight. Iwi, Greenpeace, KASM and many others have actively opposed this project for more than a decade. It’s getting difficult to keep track of all of our wins, but we’ve beaten it through the EPA (including TTR’s withdrawal the second time), The High Court, The Supreme Court, and most recently, the Fast-Track process. TTR has epically failed in Iwi relations, has been unable to convince experts, or even a government-appointed fast-track panel that it could mine without significant damage to the environment, or show how the mine would benefit people in New Zealand. Despite a track record of abject failure to get seabed mining off the ground in Aotearoa, TTR and the government are hell-bent on starting it, no matter the consequences. The industry arguments for mining the sea have long been around the need for supplying green tech, specifically batteries for renewables. But this has been widely dismissed as Greenwash, and several EV manufacturers have pledged not to use deepsea-mined minerals. Certainly, the US administration is clearly citing munitions, not renewables in their desire for vanadium, making it clear that this is about war and superpowers. Failing fast-track bid TTR pulled out of its failing fast-track application on the day that the government announced its $80 million critical mineral fund, helping mining companies get access to the minerals found across the country. The company’s CEO, Alan Eggers, said that the company was not walking away from its plans to mine the coasts of South Taranaki. It represents the zombie project that keeps coming back from the dead. And it seems the government is planning to throw it yet another lifeline. Now when we talk about seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight, we are talking about turning the habitat of the blue whales into a quarry for the US military-industrial complex. We cannot claim to be a nation of peace while actively digging up the ingredients for war, with an exclusive deal to provide them to the US. The man tipped to become the next US ambassador to New Zealand, Niue, Samoa and the Cook Islands, Jared Novelly, has gone on record talking of his priorities for the Pacific region. I had to laugh when I heard he told the US Senate he would be promoting a “free and open Pacific” while in office, which includes expanding the US security presence, and getting access to critical minerals. Marshall Islands fallout Let’s not forget the last time the US brought their military agenda to Pacific shores, testing nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands for more than 15 years. The fallout of these tests, the displacement and horrific health impacts, are still being felt by the community decades later. The Pacific, of which Aotearoa is part, is a region of peace. This was declared when the region aligned on making it a nuclear-free zone back in the 1980s (although French nuclear testing continued until the 1990s), and it remains an important common value. But doing deals with warmongerers like Trump, signing up to supply the US with the very things they need to carry out their illegal wars, is something that should concern every Pacific nation currently being courted for mineral deals. Aotearoa should, just as it has in the past, be a strong voice for de-escalation, not a military outpost providing the hardware for global instability. Do we want our legacy to be as a silent partner in the illegal wars shaking the globe? This minerals deal means the future of Aotearoa’s seabed has become a test of whether we can still stand up to a superpower. We’ve beaten TTR’s seabed mining project at every turn so far, now we need to double down and get seabed mining banned for good, and ensure that no minerals deal is struck with Trump’s America. Niamh O’Flynn is programme director of Greenpeace Aotearoa. No minerals deal with Trump petition This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Comedian Lucas Zelnick on voicing the thing you’re not supposed to say
It feels to me like a lot of your work is about politically charged subjects. Especially the crowd work. I haven’t seen your set, but your comedy talks about racial tensions, disability, etc. Is that just what you’re interested in? Is it something you feel a responsibility to address?
It feels to me like a lot of your work is about politically charged subjects. Especially the crowd work. I haven’t seen your set, but your comedy talks about racial tensions, disability, etc. Is that just what you’re interested in? Is it something you feel a responsibility to address? Oh, it is my natural interest. I’m interested in people’s political affiliations. I try to keep an open mind, but fundamentally, I do completely judge people and put them into boxes based on their political beliefs. [*laughs*] Also, their experiences in life. It doesn’t mean that I can’t be friends with someone of a different mindset, but I find it a very helpful way to understand people. I treat people and I understand people differently based on who they are. I think I treat men differently than I treat women. I treat gay people differently than I treat straight people. Obviously, I treat women and gay people horribly, and then I treat men better because they’re men and they deserve more respect. [*laughs*] No, no. I treat people differently based on their experiences and their beliefs. When I do crowd work, what I’m trying to do is understand someone as quickly as possible, so that I can understand how to talk to them, what to ask them, and how to make it funny. I do think naturally I go to politics and identity because I find, especially in this day and age, that it’s easier to understand someone when I go there. I feel like I know how to sort of walk the line politically in a way that feels true to me. I can be sort of edgy, but in a way that is not unkind. When I’m doing comedy, I try not to be mean, necessarily, to anyone. That doesn’t feel like an honest way of being to me. My goals have to do a lot more with trying to be the most honest version of myself up there in a way that is funny. Ultimately, I find it fascinating to understand how I’m perceived and how I should perceive other people. My goal of the show is to connect with all people in a way that doesn’t make anyone feel alienated or isolated. How does the current political climate inform your comedy? I think people are finally not talking about, like, woke-ism and cancel culture in the way that they were, which was always the most fucking boring thing of all time. I thought it was so lame to hear people talking about how it was impossible to say anything anymore. A lot of people have walked back these statements recently. Comedy is about dancing around those taboos—whatever you are or are not supposed to be saying, and those things are always changing. To expect them to be static or to expect them not to change is just so unrealistic. Comedy doesn’t age well because the cultural emotional truth is always changing, and comedy is usually a commentary on that. I will say, it’s sort of nice to be in this really adverse political environment as far as a comedic perspective. It allows, I think, left-leaning comedy to become counter-cultural again. For a while, it was sort of boring to be left-leaning on stage because that was the dominant cultural perspective for a long time. Now the right-leaning perspective has become dominant. Even though the right-leaning perspective is often just like, “We’re silenced by woke people.” It’s like, but you guys have the biggest podcast in the world. You have some of the biggest media properties in the world. So that’s not true. You can say it’s true, but it’s not true. I think that when things are not going well, that is a good moment for comedians to do what they do: to say the truth while sort of getting away with whatever they’re saying. I look forward to finding a way to do that. I think the only thing that sucks about today’s political, cultural, and social environment is that everyone has something to say about everything. That makes it hard to find something interesting to say. But that’s just part of the challenge. That is part of the job. If you can’t find something unique to say, then you shouldn’t be doing this job. Do you have a favorite or most meaningful moment from your career so far? I have lots of moments that mean different things for different reasons. Last year I did my first theater that was more than 1,000 seats. That was a pretty big deal to me. As I’ve signed some deals for the upcoming tour, I’m getting to perform in rooms where my heroes have performed. That’s been pretty cool. I got to star in my first feature film a couple weeks ago. I’ve had moments of gratitude and reflection that have come as I’ve almost achieved things that I didn’t ultimately achieve, or as I’ve gotten close to achieving very big things. Sometimes after I achieved some big things. But I don’t know. It’s more that I have moments of reflection and gratitude on my career, and they don’t always necessarily come at the exact same time as achievements. What scares you about being a comic, and what excites you? I’m scared of getting bad and irrelevant. The good thing and the bad thing about this job is that I sort of never feel like I’ve had enough. Things that I was really excited about last year now feel like failures, if I don’t keep growing and succeeding. I guess my fear is that I’m sort of like a flash in the pan. I’m afraid of being stuck in one place, and of not finding new topics to talk about on stage and make funny. That’s a big fear of mine now… Stagnating is scary, the idea of that and missing too many big opportunities. When the career starts happening for you, some doors open. If you can’t walk through them, they eventually close. Once they’re closed, it’s pretty hard to reopen them. I’m pretty excited to go back out on my tour that’s coming up. That’s what most excites me. It’s just gonna be so many cities and experiences. I’m sort of fearing the work that I’ll have to do because when you go out there, it’s a lot of work. Honestly, if you wanna make the most of it, it can’t just be doing the shows. You have to be getting better at the shows and using those shows productively. Can you tell us a bit about this chapter of your life and what it means? Well, I’m starting to get old. I’m older than people think I am; I just turned 30. My girlfriend and I just moved in together and we got a dog, which is exciting. I’m going into… what is it, young or old adulthood? It’s not young adulthood. I’m going into adulthood. Old adulthood? I don’t know. Things are getting real out here. But with comedy, I’m a fully sort of settled, professional comedian. I earn a good living from touring. It does mean I’m gone a lot. As I build more of a sturdy home life, that is a challenge. But I’ve found my passion and I’ve found my partner romantically. We are building a life together. Everything feels pretty good, you know? Five bits to get to know Lucas Zelnick: Man vs. Spider Holocaust Deniers? South African Apartheid Republican Dad and Leftist Daughter NPC Jobs This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Sarah John.
Trump and Kushner’s Disastrous Iran War: What Comes Next?
Trump and Kushner chose a war they don't understand, thinking they can use 20th-century "shock and awe" to topple a deeply entrenched terrorist state. The Iranian people are caught between two maniacal regimes and deserve our solidarity: an estimated 30,000 Iranians were just killed by their own government, and now they're being bombed by a Fox News host. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the surreal hallucinating AI simulation we've found ourselves in. Meanwhile, Trump and Vance need to thank Zelensky and Ukraine for their innovative drone-fighting technology–some of the best in the world. Has Vance even said thank you yet? We also prepare Americans for the reality that the "moats" of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans no longer protect us. As drone technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, the same over-the-counter drones terrorizing Kherson, Ukraine are coming for American streets–thanks to Trump galvanizing terrorists, and opportunistic mafia states like Russia that empower groups like ISIS. Like Russia, Trump thinks he can conquer a nation in three days. Join us on April 13th at Powerhouse Books in Dumbo, Brooklyn for the launch of Andrea's graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell. Olga Lautman will be there as we discuss how to survive the "Great Disillusionment" and protect our democracy from the opportunists selling us out for profit. Details here: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/. Patreon supporters get in for free! Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: Opening clip: Trump: "Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days." The war in Iran has already lasted 18 days. https://bsky.app/profile/thebulwark.com/post/3mhbhx7qfpn2l Um, What Is Going on With Melania Trump in This Video? https://www.vogue.com/article/melania-trump-vladimir-putin-helsinki-video Andrea's thread on the Melania propaganda film which you should not watch https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mgqndjhz4k2b This article is more than 1 month old Disappeared bodies, mass burials and '30,000 dead': what is the truth of Iran's death toll? https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/27/iran-protests-death-toll-disappeared-bodies-mass-burials-30000-dead Warren Buffett's parting gift to Berkshire Hathaway: a $2 billion Iran oil windfall https://www.marketwatch.com/story/warren-buffetts-parting-gift-to-berkshire-hathaway-a-2-billion-iran-oil-windfall-4daf28ba Russia is aiding Iran's war effort by providing intel on US military targets, sources say https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/politics/russia-aiding-iran-targeting How Russian military intelligence used the Taliban to bleed U.S. forces at the end of America's longest war https://theins.ru/en/politics/277723 Putin Is No Ally in the War on Terror in 2024 https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/putin-no-ally-war-terror-2024 Watch Zerina Zabrisky's powerful film for free and spread the word about Russia's human safaris in Ukraine https://khersonhumansafari.com/ Interview with Zerina Zabrisky: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2025/11/4/is-donald-trump-dying-jd-vance-seems-to-think-so Why are so many from this Russian republic fighting for ISIS? https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/many-russian-republic-fighting-isis Putin is No Ally Against ISIS https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/putin-no-ally-against-isis-by-george-soros-2016-02 New York explosive incident highlights challenge for agencies in wake of Iran war https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-york-explosive-incident-highlights-challenge-for-agencies-in-wake-of-iran-war Dubai financial district rattled by Iranian drones https://www.ft.com/content/2dddfaa2-a163-4e59-a6ef-7d9d6e334023?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Trump and Kushner chose a war they don't understand, thinking they can use 20th-century "shock and awe" to topple a deeply entrenched terrorist state. The Iranian people are caught between two maniacal regimes and deserve our solidarity: an estimated 30,000 Iranians were just killed by their own government, and now they're being bombed by a Fox News host. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the surreal hallucinating AI simulation we've found ourselves in. Meanwhile, Trump and Vance need to thank Zelensky and Ukraine for their innovative drone-fighting technology–some of the best in the world. Has Vance even said thank you yet? We also prepare Americans for the reality that the "moats" of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans no longer protect us. As drone technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, the same over-the-counter drones terrorizing Kherson, Ukraine are coming for American streets–thanks to Trump galvanizing terrorists, and opportunistic mafia states like Russia that empower groups like ISIS. Like Russia, Trump thinks he can conquer a nation in three days. Join us on April 13th at Powerhouse Books in Dumbo, Brooklyn for the launch of Andrea's graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell. Olga Lautman will be there as we discuss how to survive the "Great Disillusionment" and protect our democracy from the opportunists selling us out for profit. Details here: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/. Patreon supporters get in for free! Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: Opening clip: Trump: "Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days." The war in Iran has already lasted 18 days. https://bsky.app/profile/thebulwark.com/post/3mhbhx7qfpn2l Um, What Is Going on With Melania Trump in This Video? https://www.vogue.com/article/melania-trump-vladimir-putin-helsinki-video Andrea's thread on the Melania propaganda film which you should not watch https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mgqndjhz4k2b This article is more than 1 month old Disappeared bodies, mass burials and '30,000 dead': what is the truth of Iran's death toll? https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/27/iran-protests-death-toll-disappeared-bodies-mass-burials-30000-dead Warren Buffett's parting gift to Berkshire Hathaway: a $2 billion Iran oil windfall https://www.marketwatch.com/story/warren-buffetts-parting-gift-to-berkshire-hathaway-a-2-billion-iran-oil-windfall-4daf28ba Russia is aiding Iran's war effort by providing intel on US military targets, sources say https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/politics/russia-aiding-iran-targeting How Russian military intelligence used the Taliban to bleed U.S. forces at the end of America's longest war https://theins.ru/en/politics/277723 Putin Is No Ally in the War on Terror in 2024 https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/putin-no-ally-war-terror-2024 Watch Zerina Zabrisky's powerful film for free and spread the word about Russia's human safaris in Ukraine https://khersonhumansafari.com/ Interview with Zerina Zabrisky: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2025/11/4/is-donald-trump-dying-jd-vance-seems-to-think-so Why are so many from this Russian republic fighting for ISIS? https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/many-russian-republic-fighting-isis Putin is No Ally Against ISIS https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/putin-no-ally-against-isis-by-george-soros-2016-02 New York explosive incident highlights challenge for agencies in wake of Iran war https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-york-explosive-incident-highlights-challenge-for-agencies-in-wake-of-iran-war Dubai financial district rattled by Iranian drones https://www.ft.com/content/2dddfaa2-a163-4e59-a6ef-7d9d6e334023?syn-25a6b1a6=1 This content originally appeared on Gaslit Nation and was authored by Andrea Chalupa.
Israel caught in a permanent state of war mindset – peace is taboo
INTERVIEW: C.J. Polychroniou and Idan Landau Israel’s war on Iran is a direct result of a political culture that depends for survival upon a permanent state of war, says Israeli academic and left-wing activist Idan Landau in the interview that follows. He observes that Israeli society on the whole has embraced a fascist mindset, “reflecting
INTERVIEW: C.J. Polychroniou and Idan Landau Israel’s war on Iran is a direct result of a political culture that depends for survival upon a permanent state of war, says Israeli academic and left-wing activist Idan Landau in the interview that follows. He observes that Israeli society on the whole has embraced a fascist mindset, “reflecting extreme paranoia and anxiety,” and thus intolerance for dissent. Subsequently, peace is a taboo and there is total indifference to genocidal acts and human casualties. Moreover, there is very little hope for a different trajectory, argues Landau, “as long as the US and Europe continue to insulate Israel from the moral consequences of its actions.” READ MORE: Iran mourns Larijani and Basij chief; Iranian attack kills 2 in Israel As Israel keeps bombing Iran, Palestinians face growing violence in West Bank Trump scolds allies over Strait of Hormuz operation; UAE closes airspace Chris Hedges: The world according to Gaza – it’s only the start War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state Other US-Israel War on Iran reports Landau is professor of linguistics and head of the department of linguistics at Tel Aviv University. He writes a political blog (in Hebrew) on Israeli affairs and has been imprisoned on several occasions for his refusal to serve in the Israel Defense Forces reserve. C.J. POLYCHRONIOU: Since the Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel, the Netanyahu government embarked on a genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, expanded Jewish settlements in occupied West Bank and thus encouraged settlers to escalate West Bank terrorist attacks, exchanged fire with Hezbollah and the Houtis, then attacked Iran in what has been dubbed as the 12-Day War, and finally persuaded US President Donald Trump to go to war with Iran. What is Israel’s endgame in terrorising the Middle East, and how has permanent war impacted Israeli society and the Israeli psyche? IDAN LANDAU: I think the whole point of permanent war — I agree this is the most appropriate concept to use here — is that there is no endgame. Permanent war, with ever growing economic, emotional and political costs, is exactly what keeps the Israeli right-wing in power; it feeds on anxiety, paranoia and visions of imminent destruction (interestingly, our own and our enemies’ destruction, equally vivid). Not being able to concentrate on and fully understand what’s going on is also crucial; the Israeli public is extremely underinformed about key issues, like the fraudulent nuclear talks in Geneva, the far-reaching proposals by the Lebanese government, etc. The media — always complicit, these days criminal — bombards us with caricatures of our surrounding countries. That said, I think there is one constant, never-changing endgame lurking behind all the upheavals: The expansionist project in the West Bank. Not just Smotrich but a dedicated section within the Likkud, of right-wing religious settlers, are working tirelessly on this project, actually from the first week after October 7. Plans for resettlement of Gaza combined with increased settlement in the West Bank (specifically, the northern Samaria, surrounding Jenin and Tulkarem) were immediately aired and pushed forward by the settlers’ lobby together with their MK partners. The surge we now see in ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank is inherent to the overall vision of this government, and it was stated as such even before October 7 — that only gave it a huge impetus. The impact on Israeli society is perhaps the most depressing aspect of it all. Political discourse has been reduced to hollow slogans. Every single issue in foreign affairs in framed as either “existential threat” or “unavoidable use of military force.” There’s absolutely no room for talk about non-violent paths (“peace” is a taboo even on the left). The Enemy is an undifferentiated mass of Hamas/Iran/Hezbollah/Houthis, in short, different guises of Amalek. Much of that, as I noted, is fueled by the deliberate absence of facts and evidence for rational conduct on the part of our enemies. Israelis live in a peculiar state of mind: total disbelief in the possibility of normal life, clinging on to the very ideology that perpetuates this state of mind. C.J. POLYCHRONIOU: Israel has actual and perceived enemies. But is Benjamin Netanyahu alone the actual problem behind Israel’s permanent state of war? I mean, even most of Israeli opposition supported the genocide in Gaza and it’s doing the same thing now with the war against Iran. IDAN LANDAU: Netanyahu is the most able consolidator of all the dark impulses of Israeli society, but of course he didn’t make up anything on his own. If you go back to Begin’s speeches in the 1970s-1980s, they also constantly invoked the Holocaust as the ultimate justification for whatever Israel does. The Messianic drive to settle the greater Israel predates Netanyahu, as well as the overall brutal, racist degradation of Palestinians inside and outside Israel. You can go on and on — nothing is new here. At most, as you note, it is the subservience of the “opposition”; I don’t recall anything like it in the past. If you look at the governments that went to wars in 1973 and 1982, they faced considerable opposition, within the Knesset and outside of it, on the very issue of whether the war was justified (in 1973, it was clearly preventable; in 1982, it was pure imperial vanity). None of that is left today. Which is why the temptation of permanent war is so strong: You’re guaranteed to make the willful silence of the opposition also permanent. C.J. POLYCHRONIOU: In Lebanon, the Israeli armed forces are using Gaza tactics, attacking hospitals and killing medical staff, while in Iran they have engaged in what has been rightly described as chemical warfare on account of strikes on fuel depots. Isn’t the country concerned at all about its blatant assault on international law and that it has turned into a pariah state in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of the people across the globe? What happened to Israel’s labor party which combined socialism with nation-building? IDAN LANDAU: As to the Labour Party, I always say that one should not speak ill of the dead. A handful of members of Knesset (MKs) that are obsessed with displays of liberal values and with welfare legislation when genocide is in full force and Apartheid shifts from de facto to de jure. The other “opposition” parties are either led by generals (Golan, Eizenkot) who offer zero alternatives to military dominance, or by right-wing neoliberals (Bennet, Lapid). The only representatives of left values in the Knesset are the Arab MKs. As to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), my impression is that Israelis are unconcerned insofar as Uncle Sam is, and it sure looks like he is, thoroughly unconcerned. The Trump administration vindictively sanctioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges presiding over the Israeli case, and quite explicitly stated that IHL does not apply to the US and its allies. There’s a lot of duplicity in Israeli discourse regarding the so-called “Principle of Complementarity”; the official response to the ICC described the “independent and robust judicial system” of Israel, which investigates any suspicions for wrongdoings. Most Israelis simply think that the rules don’t apply to us since they don’t apply to Hamas (they do apply to both parties; I already said that Israelis are shrouded in disinformation). But even the liberals that appeal to our own “independent and robust judicial system” look ridiculous in face of the massive cover-up we witness from the beginning of the genocide; the dropping of charges against the five torturers/rapists in Sde-Teiman is but the latest instance. Hundreds of heinous crimes did not even yield any charges. C.J. POLYCHRONIOU: Courageous voices against war and violence can be heard here and there across Israeli society and peace activists have organised scores of demonstrations in cities like Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem to express their opposition to the war in Iran. Are anti-war demonstrations really seen as a threat to national security by the Netanyahu government and even segments of the Israeli citizenry? IDAN LANDAU: These things happen and they do lift our spirit. In honesty, I don’t think anyone views them as “a threat to national security,” that’s fascist talk. The public atmosphere is just incredibly intolerant, with or without the presence of the police, with or without any legal process. Just try to voice your opposition to the war — any war, pick your favourite — out in the street, and you’re sure to be harassed and probably beaten by random pedestrians within 15-20 minutes. So I think it is a typical fascist all-embracing violent climate, reflecting extreme paranoia and anxiety. The mere verbal expression of “sacrilegious” opinions is seen as a personal threat to our carefully maintained peace of mind; so tenuous and feeble, that it cannot even stand to face dissent. Point it out to Israelis and urge them to make out what it means for their confidence in what their state is doing that they must violently banish any expression of doubt and criticism (this is now the position of many journalists as well!) — well, see if you get an answer. C.J. POLYCHRONIOU: Israel censored reporting on the genocide in Gaza. Is the same thing happening now with the war in Iran? IDAN LANDAU: Luckily, the IDF doesn’t control the entrance and exit to Iran. So we don’t have the brute force censorship, instead it’s the good old “filter and distort and leave out the context” censorship. They would report civilian casualties only if forced (because it’s getting too much international media), and you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the “human shield” trick is now applied reflexively, before any facts are even known. In this sense, as all human right organisations pointed out, the Gaza genocide has set a shocking new standard of indifference to civilian casualties: All targets are criminalised by association to your favourite Amalek (currently the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC), and we stopped bothering about substantiating this association with actual facts; declaring it so makes it so. In this context, one can watch civilian suffering in Iran with a level of detachment and blame it all on the IRGC. We should remember, though, that the Iranian regime is no more scrupulous in its choice of targets in Israel — the war crimes are on both sides. Yet I cannot say that Israeli media covers the wider civilian effects of the war on Iranian citizens in any serious way. Pretty much 95 percent of what we get are silly, heroic odes to our courageous pilots and genius cyber fighters. C.J. POLYCHRONIOU: In your view, is there a pathway towards peace in Israel? Is permanent peace even possible for Israel? IDAN LANDAU: Ultimately there can’t be any other solution; wars eventually end, consuming nations. I just don’t think it will be “Israel” as we now know it that will see the fruits of peace. It will be a totally different entity, somehow letting Jews and Arabs live together as equals. That’s not possible within the current regime. Sadly, the shift to non-violence only occurs after the level of death and suffering is insurmountable to both sides. No one knows when that will be. As long as the US and Europe continue to insulate Israel from the moral consequences of its policies, it won’t change trajectory. C.J. Polychroniou is a political economist/political scientist who has taught and worked in numerous universities and research centres in Europe and the United States. His latest books are The Precipice: Neoliberalism, the Pandemic and the Urgent Need for Social Change (A collection of interviews with Noam Chomsky; Haymarket Books, 2021), and Economics and the Left: Interviews with Progressive Economists (Verso, 2021). Idan Landau is an Israeli social justice activist and professor of linguistics in the Department of Linguistics at Tel Aviv University. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Western media failing to tell truth about war on Iran, says academic
Pacific Media Watch Western legacy media is failing to tell the truth on the US-Israeli war on Iran, says a leading US academic and analyst. “Mass murder has been normalised,” said Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs in an interview with the Chinese channel CGTN Live. He argues that mainstream media in the US and Europe
Pacific Media Watch Western legacy media is failing to tell the truth on the US-Israeli war on Iran, says a leading US academic and analyst. “Mass murder has been normalised,” said Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs in an interview with the Chinese channel CGTN Live. He argues that mainstream media in the US and Europe is not reporting the truth about what is really happening in the Middle East. READ MORE: Iran confirms security boss Larijani, Basij chief killed; 2 dead in Israel As Israel keeps bombing Iran, Palestinians face growing violence in West Bank Trump scolds allies over Strait of Hormuz operation; UAE closes airspace Chris Hedges: The world according to Gaza – it’s only the start War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state Other US-Israel War on Iran reports Professor Sachs describes how he attended a UN Security Council meeting on the day that the US-Israeli bombing started. “And what did all the Western countries do? They attacked Iran for being bombed. “You know this is propaganda. This is so-called narrative control. “So yes, mass murder has been normalised.” Jeffrey Sachs: Western media is failing to tell the truth Video: CGYN America This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
MCPNG and UN hold media freedom talks in wake of attacks on women journalists
Pacific Media Watch The United Nations in Papua New Guinea has met the leadership of the Media Council of PNG to advance collaboration in support of a strong, independent and responsible media sector, reports UNPNG. The meeting addressed recent incidents of threats and violence against journalists — especially attacks against women journalists and the growing
Pacific Media Watch The United Nations in Papua New Guinea has met the leadership of the Media Council of PNG to advance collaboration in support of a strong, independent and responsible media sector, reports UNPNG. The meeting addressed recent incidents of threats and violence against journalists — especially attacks against women journalists and the growing risks they face while reporting. READ MORE: PNG Media Council calls for police probe into alleged assault over jail break report PNG Media Council calls for investigation after alleged assault of journalist PNG Media Council calls for investigation into assault of reporter by CS officers Participants identified key priorities to strengthen media freedom and safety. These included: Improving journalist safety measures; reinforcing newsroom integrity and professional standards; and promoting responsible and accurate reporting in the lead up to the national elections. The UNPNG statement said dialogue reaffirmed the shared commitment of the United Nations and the Media Council to “support a safe and independent media sector and to ensure that everyone in PNG can access reliable information that supports free and informed participation in public life”. Present at the meeting were Media Council PNG president Neville Choi, secretary Belinda Kora and treasurer Genesis Ketan, UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard, Human Rights Advisor Marc Cebreros, UNDP Country Representative (OIC) Aadil Mansoor, Chief Technical Adviser on Transparency and Anti-Corruption Alma Sedlar, Peace and Development Advisor Tony Cameron, and UNDP Assistant Resident Representative for Governance, Gender and Peace Zoe Pelter. MCPNG president Choi thanked UN Resident Coordinator Howard and UNDP for the continued support of media freedom in PNG. Earlier this month, the MCPNG condemned an alleged assault on a senior female reporter by warders at Bomana Prison and called on the police to conduct a full independent investigation into the incident on February 27. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125156" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Belinda-Kora-MCPNG-680wide.png" alt="MCPNG's secretary Belinda Kora" width="680" height="489" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Belinda-Kora-MCPNG-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Belinda-Kora-MCPNG-680wide-300x216.png 300w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Belinda-Kora-MCPNG-680wide-584x420.png 584w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> MCPNG’s secretary Belinda Kora . . . growing concerns about assaults and threats against journalists, especially women reporters. Image: UNPNG/PMW This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
I Went Here to Report on COVID-19. I Was Chasing the Wrong Story.
Health Care Is the Way for Democrats to Win
Right now, our country’s health care system is sick.
Right now, our country’s health care system is sick. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Anahita Dua.
More To The Story: Jessica Malaty Rivera | How RFK Jr. is Dismantling America’s Health Policies
This content originally appeared on Reveal and was authored by Reveal.
‘Not A Military Target’: Victims Describe Scene Of Pakistan Kabul Attack
Devastation from War in Gaza Spreads Through Mediterranean Waters
The harm from Israel’s attacks crosses borders, carried by the sea.
The harm from Israel’s attacks crosses borders, carried by the sea. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Elyse Hauser.
In Gaza, the destruction of vehicles and roads has made transportation nearly impossible.
In Gaza, the destruction of vehicles and roads has made transportation nearly impossible. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Hassan Herzallah.
Patriotic Millionaires applaud Senator Markey’s introduction of the Equal Tax Act
Today, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced landmark legislation that would ensure millionaires and billionaires, who earn most of their money passively through investments, pay the same tax rates as working people. The bill would also move to clos...
Today, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced landmark legislation that would ensure millionaires and billionaires, who earn most of their money passively through investments, pay the same tax rates as working people. The bill would also move to close common loopholes used by the super rich to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. Following the bill’s introduction, Morris Pearl, the Chair of Patriotic Millionaires and a former Managing Director at BlackRock, released the following statement: “For decades, we have been playing a game of Economic Jenga where we pull from the bottom and the middle, load it all on top, and then wonder why the whole thing is about to fall down. We end up with an unfair system that allows for oligarchic wealth to concentrate in the hands of a few individuals. That’s because right now in America, our tax code makes people who have jobs and work for a living pay far higher tax rates than people who make money from investments or inheritances. The money that investors like me make passively from our wealth should not be taxed any less than the money millions of Americans make through their sweat. By closing major loopholes, the Equal Tax Act would ensure that the ultra rich pay income taxes just like all Americans who work for a living and have taxes deducted from their paychecks every week. The Patriotic Millionaires are thrilled to see Senator Markey take this important step forward in reducing historic, extreme, and democracy-destabilizing levels of economic inequality in America.” Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) previously introduced the House companion bill in September 2025. The bill addresses the first of three key components from Patriotic Millionaires’ legislative platform, The MONEY Agenda. For more information about the Equal Tax Act, access a one-pager about the bill HERE. To access the full text of the legislation, see HERE. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
The AI bubble, like the housing bubble, is a big problem and it’s not complicated
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="OpenAI logo is displayed on the screen of a smart tablet. Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342102" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/the-ai-bubble-like-the-housing-bubble-is-a-big-problem-and-its-not-complicated/in-this-photo-illustration-the-openai-logo-is-displayed-on" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett","camera":"DSC-RX100M7","caption":"CHINA - 2026/03/14: In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on the screen of a smart tablet. (Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1773446400","copyright":"\u00a9 2026 SOPA Images","focal_length":"9","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" OpenAI logo is displayed on the screen of a smart tablet. Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> There is a tremendous premium in intellectual circles on making the AI bubble problem more complicated than it is.
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="OpenAI logo is displayed on the screen of a smart tablet. Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342102" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/the-ai-bubble-like-the-housing-bubble-is-a-big-problem-and-its-not-complicated/in-this-photo-illustration-the-openai-logo-is-displayed-on" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett","camera":"DSC-RX100M7","caption":"CHINA - 2026/03/14: In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on the screen of a smart tablet. (Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1773446400","copyright":"\u00a9 2026 SOPA Images","focal_length":"9","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" OpenAI logo is displayed on the screen of a smart tablet. Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266383509-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/ai-bubble-like-153256369/instant-access?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJyZWRpc19rZXkiOiJpYTI6ZGE5ZjgxMDQtNDFkNy00ZTkyLThkYjgtYWI2MDhlZjYzYWQ3IiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MTUzMjU2MzY5LCJwYXRyb25faWQiOjEwNTYyNzYwfQ.wfhf6xdmizowUrWjbNcaMsE-asqXybT3ky2yxTJeVuo&utm_source=post_link&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patron_engagement&utm_id=641c16d5-8729-4182-8c2b-3cc9b02b228f" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dean Baker’s Patreon. It is reprinted here with permission. A bit less than 20 years ago, a nationwide housing bubble collapsed, giving us the Great Recession. Millions of homeowners had their houses foreclosed. We had high unemployment for the better part of a decade. And the subsequent falloff in construction created the basis for another extraordinary run-up in house prices during the pandemic. In other words, it was pretty bad news. The current bubble in AI is laying the groundwork for another bad story. As was the case both before and after the collapse of the housing bubble, there is a tremendous premium in intellectual circles on making the problem more complicated than it is. My latest poster child for this point is a column in the New York Times by Richard Bookstaber, a hedge fund manager who had predicted the financial crisis that followed the collapse of the housing bubble. His column notes the AI bubble, but then argues that the big problem is that we are also facing risks from the private credit market, as well as geopolitical risks, like the fact that China could cut off the supply of chips from Taiwan and also the price shock associated with the cutoff of the oil flow through the straits of Hormuz. The collapse of the stock prices of the companies that are big factors in AI will then have huge spillover effects, devastating people’s 401(k)s, as well as whacking pension funds. This will lead to a huge fall in consumption, which would likely lead to a recession. The warnings are well-taken, but the story is actually not complicated. Bookstaber tells us at the start of his piece: “Yet they [the potential problems he notes] are different entry points into the same underlying structure — a complex and tightly coupled system where the specific source of stress matters less than how quickly that stress can spread.” As was the case with the financial structure supporting the growth of the housing bubble in the first decade of this century, there are some complex issues. But the housing bubble itself was simple. House prices had grown hugely out of line with the fundamentals of the housing market. Nationwide, real house prices had grown by 70 percent between 1996 and 2006. This followed a century in which house prices on average had just kept pace with the overall rate of inflation. The run-up in house prices took place despite a relatively high vacancy rate. There also was no corresponding growth in rents, which had largely kept pace with inflation. The rise in house prices led to an unprecedented boom in residential construction, which peaked at 6.7% of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2005. After prices peaked and started to fall, construction plummeted, bottoming out at 2.4% of GDP in the third quarter of 2010. This was the story of the Great Recession, not the financial crisis. We have no easy mechanism, apart from massive government stimulus, to replace the 4.3 percentage points of lost demand that resulted from the ending of the construction boom. This would be equivalent to $1.3 trillion in annual demand in today’s economy. In addition, the loss of trillions of dollars in housing wealth by homeowners led to a further reduction in annual demand of 1-2 percentage points of GDP, an additional $320-$640 billion in today’s economy. The financial crisis provided good entertainment, as we watched leading politicians from both parties insist that we couldn’t let the Wall Street bankers be ruined by the free market and their own incompetence, but this was a sidebar. The collapsed bubble was the story of the Great Recession: full stop. To be clear, the flood of fraudulent loans that the industry greedily issued and securitized allowed the bubble to grow much larger than would otherwise have been the case, but the key issue was house prices. If they had not grown so out of line with fundamentals a wave of defaults, which would have been far smaller, would have had a limited impact on the economy. It is the same story now with the AI bubble. The problem we have is a grossly inflated stock market driven by the AI bubble. The various problems identified by Bookstaber would not be a big deal if this was not the case. A freeze-up in private credit would not matter much to the economy if it was not the fuel source for the AI bubble. Furthermore, if Ai was not in a bubble, the loss of one specific source of credit would not have huge impact. Other lenders would be happy to make loans to the sector. But because it is a bubble, there are no alternative sources to fill the gap, just as the fuel for the housing bubble’s expansion disappeared after the subprime mortgage market froze up. In addition to Bookstaber’s risks to the AI bubble, let me add my current favorite, Chinese AI. Chinese AI companies have been rapidly expanding market share, focusing on easy use and low cost. According to some accounts, they had already captured 30 percent of the world market by December. Given the rapid growth of Chinese AI (it likely would have been less than 10% a year earlier), their share would almost certainly be considerably higher today. As the U.S. frontrunners focus on massive computing power, the Chinese AI leaders are developing low-cost practical applications. I can’t claim any great expertise on the specifics of AI, but on the surface, the Chinese route would seem to be the better long-term or even near-term path. If China’s AI leaders manage to capture a large share of the market and drive down the prices charged by U.S. competitors, the massive profits stock investors are banking on will never be there. In this context, it’s probably worth mentioning that Trump’s war in Iran is not going to make potential AI users around the world more inclined to turn to the American AI industry. No one is going to want to be dependent on important systems from a country where the president can shut off access any time he gets angry or has his feelings hurt. At the end of the day, the exact reason the AI bubble will burst is impossible to predict, but the key point is that the existence of a huge bubble driving the economy is a real problem, not the specific cause of its bursting. Our elites like to make things complicated so that they can appear like great intellects when they unravel the mystery, but that’s just a myth. The web of financing that supported the housing bubble was quite complicated, but the housing bubble itself was very simple. It’s the same story with the AI bubble. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Dean Baker.
‘There are scarcities of everything’: Trump isn’t helping Cuba, he’s strangling it
<img width="1024" height="690" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C690&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A man pushes a cart on a street in Havana on March 16, 2026. Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342094" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/there-are-scarcities-of-everything-trump-isnt-helping-cuba-hes-strangling-it/gettyimages-2266548070" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1725&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1725" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="GettyImages-2266548070" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" A man pushes a cart on a street in Havana on March 16, 2026. Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C202&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C526&ssl=1"> “It's a very dire situation in Cuba right now… [Trump] has made every aspect of life in Cuba much more difficult,” Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK tells us.
<img width="1024" height="690" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C690&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A man pushes a cart on a street in Havana on March 16, 2026. Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C202&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C690&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C517&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1035&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1380&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C809&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1348&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C526&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C270&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C690&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342094" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/there-are-scarcities-of-everything-trump-isnt-helping-cuba-hes-strangling-it/gettyimages-2266548070" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1725&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1725" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="GettyImages-2266548070" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" A man pushes a cart on a street in Havana on March 16, 2026. Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C202&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266548070-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C526&ssl=1" /> With Cuba’s electric grid collapsing this week, the inhumane results of the Trump administration’s oil blockade continue to pile up and strangle Cuba and its people. In this urgent episode of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with American activist and co-founder of CODEPINK Medea Benjamin about her latest trip to Cuba, the extent of the devastation caused by the US-imposed blockade, and the twisted motivations behind it. Medea Benjamin will be sailing to bring humanitarian aid to Cuba with the Nuestra América Flotilla on March 21, 2026. Guests: Medea Benjamin is co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace. She is the author or co-author of numerous books, including: War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict; Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control. Additional links/info: Democracy Now!, “Report from Havana as Trump threatens to “take” Cuba & pushes for ouster of Cuban leader” Michael Fox, Under the Shadow / TRNN, “Trump’s war on Cuba: Crisis made in the USA | Under the Shadow S2E7” Marc Steiner, The Marc Steiner Show / TRNN, “SOS: The US is manufacturing a humanitarian crisis in Cuba” Credits: Producer: Rosette Sewali Studio Production: David Hebden Audio Post-Production: Stephen Frank Transcript The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible. Marc Steiner: Welcome to the Marc Steiner Show here in The Real News. I’m Marc Steiner. It’s great to have you all with us. Cuba is under attack from the United States. Relations between our countries have been intense since the revolution of 1960, when they overthrew that fascist government of Batista. Under the right-wing nationalist government of Trump, tensions have risen with Trump promising to overthrow the Cuban government, impose trade sanctions, and threaten the very survival of the Cuban people. These economic and political crises have spurred on rest and migration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, the Islands tourism sector cratered, prompting mass exivists, as many as too million people left, which is more than 10% of its entire population. Now, I’ve been to Cuba numerous times since 1967. And our guest today, Medea Benjamin, has been active as an anti-war activist and one of the co-founders of Code Pink, Women for Peace. She spent decades finding the American military complex, organizing protests against the invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s, and interrupting the speeches of both Barack Obama and Donald Trump. She’s a co-author with David Swanson of NATO, which you need to know and has returned from Cuba recently. And welcome, Adirt, to see you again and welcome to the show. Medea Benjamin: Thank you. Good to be with you, Marc. Marc Steiner: So when was the last trip you made to Cuba? Medea Benjamin: I’ve been there quite a lot. I was there just a month ago, and in the last two years, I’ve been going every couple of months. We’ve been taking powdered milk to all of the children’s hospitals in the different provinces. And we’ve also been taking food products. So I’ve been traveling all over the country and just seeing the effects of this economic squeeze. Marc Steiner: So I want to take a step back for a minute and just get your commentary and analysis on what is happening and why. I mean, throughout all the decades, United States is opposed Cuba, sanctions and more, but this is more of an all- out onslaught and warfare against Cuban its people. What do you think the dynamic of the moment is? Medea Benjamin: I think there are a couple of different things going on. One is that we have Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, who is Cuban American, who grew up in Southern Florida, surrounded by people who hate the Cuban government, feel that they’ve lost their properties, their businesses, their connection to the island because of the revolution. And they are also an important voting block in a swing state. And they’re an important lobby group. They have taken their lessons from the Israel lobby AIPAC and become a very powerful force in our government. So it’s not just Marco Rubio. There are other Cuban Americans in Congress now like María Elvira Salazar, like Carlos Jimenez, Díaz-Balart. They’re all part of that group that has really made their career out of opposing the government in Cuba. And then you look at the national strategy document that the US put out recently, and you see that the focus is Latin America. It’s to say openly without disguise that the Monroe doctrine, which was originally in 1832, designed to say to Europe, “Hey, don’t you interfere here?” This is our hemisphere has now morphed into something, partly saying to China, “Watch out for your influence,” but it’s kind of too late for that since China is a major trading partner of a lot of the countries in Latin America. But to say that the US should have a Gemini over Latin America. We saw the threats to Panama around the Panama Canal. We see the blowing up of the boats that are supposedly narco traffickers, but these tiny little boats that even if they are taking drugs, there is no right to just blow them up with any kind of due process. But the US says that we can do that. There was just a meeting of the right wing Latin American heads of states in Miami as part of a new grouping that Trump is putting together, separate from the organizations of Latin America states that already exist, including the OAS, to say that we’re all going to work together against drugs, but in general, really to say that we’re going to try to get rid of leftist governments throughout the hemisphere. And so we’re seeing that, whether it’s the strong relationship that Trump has with the President Milei of Argentina or the head of El Salvador, we know that we’ve been using El Salvador to send immigrants to the terrible detention centers there, to the interference of the US in elections that are happening these days in various Latin American countries. So this is part of a broader policy to bring all of Latin America under the hegemony of the United States and Cuba is the key. They feel that invading Venezuela, capturing the head of state there and his wife, imposing US will in terms of the policies around oil and gold, that’s part of the strategy as well. So this is happening region wise, but Cuba is really where all eyes are focused now. Marc Steiner: So I do want to focus on Cuba, but one of the things I thought about as you were describing politically what’s happening at the moment is that what’s happening in our hemisphere in Latin America reminds me of the early 20th century United States of America, reminds me of Teddy Roosevelt, reminds me of the 1920s and 30s where the US was imposing its will across Latin America and fueling dictators to cease power and control the economics of Latin America for the US. It really does feel like it’s a throwback to the era, but even more dangerous because of the era that we live in. Medea Benjamin: Well, yes, it’s good you bring that up. And then we could go further to go into the 1950s, the overthrow of the Hakoboarban’s government in Guatemala in 1954. You could look at 1973, the overthrow of Salvador Allende and Chile. So you’re right, this is nothing new in terms of the US wanting to impose its will on what it calls its backyard, but now it’s with more ferocity, more intentionality and really with a grouping of heads of state in Latin America in the ’90s there was what was called the pink tide and there was a wave of progressive governments coming to power. You had Ubo Chavez in Venezuela, who was really a charismatic figure and had a vision, the Bolivarian vision of United Latin America and Caribbean. You had Evo Morales and Bolivia, an indigenous leader who really had a very socialist kind of view. You had Raphael Correa in Ecuador who closed down the US bases in that country. So you had a grouping of very strong leaders. And of course, there was Fidel Castro and Cuba, we can’t forget him. No. And so this created a very tight grouping in Latin America, and then several countries in the Caribbean as well, who were posing an alternative to the voracious capitalist model. And for quite a while, the US was so consumed with what was happening in the Middle East and the wars in Iraq, in Afghanistan, Israel, that it really left Latin America to the side. And that was a good thing in the sense that these countries could develop themselves, have freer ability to try out different models, but now the US is so focused on Latin America, it is indeed a different era. Marc Steiner: What you’re describing is something that poses a real danger for the future of independent countries, especially progressive or left countries, and what this portends. And what it portends for Cuba could be even greater danger. I mean, because Cuba’s … Go ahead. I’m sorry. Medea Benjamin: I was going to say before we get into that, to look at this gathering of 17 heads of state that Trump had in Florida recently, sounds like a lot, and indeed it is a lot, but missing were the most important countries in the region, which is Mexico not invited and wouldn’t have come, Brazil as well, and Colombia. We don’t know with the elections coming up in Columbia, there is hope that a progressive will win those elections, but those are three major countries that didn’t participate. And Brazil has been with a progressive government for quite a long time. Lula, the head of that is not as outspoken a leftist as he was when he came into power. And those countries, including Mexico, have been fearful of the retaliation from the United States. And so they’ve had to modify some of their policies, especially with all the threats of tariffs, even though it’s illegal. And also Trump has been threatening to send the US military in to deal with the drug cartels in places like Mexico, Columbia. They just had a joint action with Ecuador. So yes, the US involvement is under the pretext now of the narco trafficking, but we see it in the much larger context. And there is still a bloc of countries in the region that are not going along with Trump, and those are important countries. Marc Steiner: So in terms of Cuba and what’s going on there now, I mean, a country has been devastated economically, as you’ve pointed out in some of your writing. And I just want to talk about what the state is in Cuba now, given all the times you’ve gone and how it’s deteriorated because of the embargo, because of the attacks by the United States, and what you think the future is. Medea Benjamin: It’s a very dire situation in Cuba right now. We hear the threats from Marco Rubio, from Trump. It’s about to fall, and that is because on top of the sanctions that have existed since 1960, stronger, certainly under Trump, and with a bit of a reprieve like under Obama when there was an opening and diplomatic relations reestablished, and you saw flowering. It’s quite ironic because the reason the US says that it’s against Cuba is that it has a state run economy and that’s communist and that’s so terrible. But you saw under Obama how there was a flowering of private enterprise and that there was a lot of excitement and improvement in the economic situations, but Trump has just torn that all up. He’s made every aspect of life in Cuba much more difficult. If you look at the different ways that the Cuban government has been bringing in foreign currency, the US has systematically attacked every single one of them. You know, Mark, that in the countries of the global South, many of them live on or have a great portion of their foreign revenue is coming from what we call remittances, money sent back from their citizens that are living in other countries, living in richer countries and sending back money to their families. The US has now made it extremely hard for Cuban Americans to even send money back to their families. If you look at tourism, the US government has put restrictions. You can still go to Cuba and we’ll get into that, Mark, right? But has said, “You can’t stay in these hotels. You can’t go as a tourist and go to the beaches.” And said to our friends in Europe, “If you go to Cuba, you can’t automatically get the visa to the United States that you would’ve gotten otherwise.” They are making it very difficult for tourism to flourish in Cuba. Another area that really pains me tremendously is the one of medical missions that the Cubans were sending overseas, which is such a win-win situation because they help people all over the world, whether it’s poor countries in Africa where I first met many Cubans or helping richer countries like Italy during the pandemic and continuing today, the US has attacked those. They’ve strong armed countries and said to them, “Don’t let the Cuban missions continue. Send them back home. We won’t give you any aid if you continue to use Cuban doctors.” They’ve even said, “You can’t send your medical students to Cuba to study medicine for free,” which Cuba has been providing this service. For Marc Steiner: Decades. Medea Benjamin: Decades and decades. But here you have a poor country that found out that it could train after a great literacy program so that everybody knew how to read and write and was educated, train doctors and send them around the world. And it became an important source of income. The US has gone after every single mission that it can, calling these doctors saying that they’re modern day slaves, because the Cuban government takes a portion of the salaries to put back into the free Cuban healthcare system. They’re saying that this is modern day slavery. Anyway, it’s an example of how they go after everything they can to stop Cuba from getting revenue. And then on top of that, this issue about the oil, they were getting the oil from Venezuela. US said to Venezuela, “You can’t send any shipments to Cuba.” And they were getting oil from Mexico, and the US said, “Can’t send it from Mexico.” So Trump in January said, “Not one drop of oil to the “island.” Marc Steiner: The animosity that our government has had towards Cuba is intensified under Trump as you’ve been describing. And I think that there’s a political question that’s important to explore is why this government, why, especially the right wing part of this country, now in power in Washington DC, sees Cuba as such a threat, why they want to destroy it. I mean, this tiny island that was key to many revolutions around the world killed illiteracy, fed all its people, built the country. Why do you think it’s such a threat, A and B, what is the organizing you can do around it to confront that threat? Medea Benjamin: The US or under Trump has put Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which is absolutely ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. Yeah, Cuba is not a state sponsor of terrorism on the contrary, but I don’t think that there is anything about a threat. It used to be in the heyday of Cuba, the threat of a good example, and the international networks that Cuba had developed over the years that were not just with these progressive countries in Latin America, but also Africa, Asia, all over the place, but that doesn’t exist to a large extent anymore. And so really it would be the crown jewel in Marco Rubio’s career if he were able to overthrow this government, let the capitalist Cuban Americans in Miami flow back into Cuba, take over property they had 60 years ago and buy up all the rest of the property, wonderful quote, beachfront territory, as Jared Kushner would say. And really just it’s vendetta for what happened 60 years ago, over 60 years ago. And really there’s nothing that you could say anymore that represents a threat, even a threat of a good example because what was the good example, the education program, the literacy campaigns, the healthcare system have been decimated by this constant squeezing. The levels of the squeezing are so layered. I tried to send $200 to a friend yesterday who was printing up t-shirts for us that said, “You can’t blockade the sun and had Cuba in there.” And I wrote in the memo, Cuba T-shirts, the bank wouldn’t let it go through. Wow. I mean, that’s just one tiny example, but you can’t send … It’s everything like that. So the international banking system will not let you send anything that is destined for anything related to Cuba, even a T-shirt. I was Marc Steiner: Going to say it’s unbelievable, but at this point, it’s not unbelievable at all. I wonder if you could describe for us in a time we have left in your latest trips to Cuba, what’s it like for the Cuban people at this moment, what they’re facing, what their deadly lives are like? I mean, everything … I ask that because we know with the times I’ve been there, food was flowing, people had access to anything they needed and wanted, nobody was homeless. So what has been the effect of this on the Cuban people? Medea Benjamin: There are scarcities of everything. Just to give you some examples, there’s garbage piled up in the streets, which you didn’t see before. Never. Very clean country. Garbage piled up in the streets because they don’t have the fuel for the garbage trucks, which means that mosquitoes proliferate, which means during the hot summer months, there were three different mosquito-borne diseases that affected a lot of the population, and then they didn’t have the medicines for that. Just imagine if you only have electricity for three to six hours a day. Just imagine if you don’t have gasoline to fuel your car, your motorbike, if you don’t have electricity so that your refrigerator isn’t working. You don’t have the power you need to pump the water into your apartment building. You don’t have the transportation, the buses to get you to work in the morning. And if you got to work, you wouldn’t have the electricity to be able to function. Every single aspect of people’s daily lives is affected by this. It’s hard to even explain. Even the healthcare system where the energy that they have is dedicated to the hospitals, you still don’t have basic things like syringes. There are shortages of all kinds of medicines. You go into the pharmacy, you cannot find the medicine that you want. Even something like aspirin is hard to find. So it’s hard to describe, Marc, but you can just even imagine on the one level not having the electricity and all the things in our lives that then flow from that. Marc Steiner: So I know we’re running out of time, so there’s something I really want to get your thoughts after all you said. You’ve been in this struggle in this country for a long, long time to build a just society and fight against war. And I wonder where you think we are at this moment, the dangers that we face here and how what our policies towards Cuba reflect that in a deepening way that should give us a warning about what we face in the future. Medea Benjamin: Well, on the hopeful side, I think that we are in a period of tremendous overreach of this empire, and that is really manifested right now in this disastrous invasion of Iran that we don’t know where it’s going, but we certainly know it’s affecting the entire region, the price of oil. We know that we have overreach in terms of a war economy where we’re spending now over a trillion dollars on war and now Congress is going to be asked for another 50 billion just for this unprovoked illegal invasion of in Iran. You’re getting more and more people hating the United States around the world. I mean, I am hoping that this imperial overreach will mean at some point, I don’t know if it’s in our lifetimes, Mark, but we will see a collapse of this empire. Empires throughout history have come and gone, and that it would be a good thing for the people in the United States if indeed we were not trying to act like we were the hegemons of the entire world if we had a relationship with China that was a cooperative one that worked together on issues like the climate crisis and poverty and all kinds of things. So I think we just have to keep building an anti-war movement, building a social justice movement, connecting all these issues of ICE terrorism here at home and the terrorism that the US is inflicting, whether it’s overt wars like in Gaza or in Iran, or its economic warfare like we are doing in Cuba and other places with our sanctions, that we will be able to turn around our government. I don’t think these next elections are going to be good for the Republican Party. I don’t put all of my eggs in the electoral arena, but- Marc Steiner: Really? Medea Benjamin: We have to see some major changes in that as well. And then if we can get Democrats back in, we have to show them that we don’t want them to be even more hawkish than the Republicans are, because sometimes they are, that we are people who are sick and tired of these wars, of the interference with countries around the world. Let’s solve our problems here at home. Marc Steiner: Well, Madea Benjamin, it’s always a pleasure to talk with you. I look forward to many more conversations and I want to thank you here for the work you do and always being out in front, in many ways, fearlessly out in front. So thank you and it’s a pleasure to see you again and thanks for the conversation and we’ll stay in touch. Medea Benjamin: Great. Wonderful talking to you, Mark. Marc Steiner: Always. Once again, let me thank Midia Benjamin for joining us today and for the work that she does. We’ll be linking to her work. You can Google www.codepink.org to see just what they do and the work they do across the globe. And thanks to David Hedman for running our program today. Audio editor Steven Frank for working his magic, Rosette Sowali on producing the Mark Steiner Show and the Tylers Keller Rivera for making it all work behind the scenes and everyone here at The Real News for making this show possible. So please let me know what you thought about what you heard today, what you’d like us to cover. Just write to me at mss@therealnews.com and I’ll write you right back. Once again, thank you to Mindia Benjamin for joining us today and for doing the work she does in the face of all that power. So for the crew here at the Real News, I’m Marc Steiner. Stay involved, keep listening and take care. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Marc Steiner.
Report from Havana as Trump Threatens to “Take” Cuba & Pushes for Ouster of Cuban Leader
Desperate to Hold Onto Power, Trump Strong-Arms Senate to Vote on SAVE Act
Stand Up America’s Executive Director, Christina Harvey, released the following statement ahead of the Senate vote on the motion to proceed to debate the anti-voter SAVE Act: "Americans are sick and tired of skyrocketing costs, state-sanctioned violen...
Stand Up America’s Executive Director, Christina Harvey, released the following statement ahead of the Senate vote on the motion to proceed to debate the anti-voter SAVE Act: "Americans are sick and tired of skyrocketing costs, state-sanctioned violence, the unprecedented corruption of this administration, and the Republicans in Congress enabling Donald Trump. Trump knows his approval ratings are plummeting and that if voters have their say in November, MAGA Republicans’ grip on power could finally slip. Instead of earning voters’ support or tackling America’s urgent problems, his number one priority is rigging the rules of the upcoming election. "Trump has strong-armed Senate leadership into holding an open debate and vote on the SAVE Act, even threatening to block any other legislation unless Congress does his bidding. The SAVE Act would make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to vote and hand Trump’s Department of Homeland Security the power to tell states who to purge from the voter rolls. "Senators should reject this desperate attack on our freedom to vote." This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Mid-East war prompts risk of most severe aid disruption since COVID - WFPLebanon’s displaced fear ‘targeted assassinations’, warns top aid official Afghanistan drug rehabilitation centre blast reaction from OHCHR
Mid-East war prompts risk of most severe aid disruption since COVID - WFPLebanon’s displaced fear ‘targeted assassinations’, warns top aid official Afghanistan drug rehabilitation centre blast reaction from OHCHR This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.
Two Haitian journalists abducted amid intensifying violence in Port-au-Prince
Miami, March 17, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Haitian authorities to find and ensure the safe return of Haitian journalists Osnel Espérance and Junior Célestin, who were abducted Friday while reporting in the capital city Port-au-Prince, according to Haitian media outlets Le Nouvelliste and VantBef Info. Espérance and Célestin, who work respectively for Uni...
Miami, March 17, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Haitian authorities to find and ensure the safe return of Haitian journalists Osnel Espérance and Junior Célestin, who were abducted Friday while reporting in the capital city Port-au-Prince, according to Haitian media outlets Le Nouvelliste and VantBef Info. Espérance and Célestin, who work respectively for Uni FM and Megastar, two independent radio stations, were on an assignment near a gang-controlled neighborhood when they were intercepted by armed individuals affiliated with the 5 Second gang, according to news reports. “Violence in Haiti is at an intolerable level, making it nearly impossible for journalists to do their jobs safely. It is vital that Haitian authorities help bring reporters Osnel Espérance and Junior Célestin home safely and restore order in gang-controlled areas,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “This cycle of violence must end. Journalists and everyday citizens must be able to work and live without the constant threat of violence.” Espérance and Célestin’s abduction comes against a backdrop of intensifying violence in Port-au-Prince as Haitian police are on a major offensive against a gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm (Living Together) to regain control of a neighborhood held by the gang. The abduction occurred near positions held by the 5 Segond gang one of the larger gangs in the coalition, headed by Andre Johnson, aka ‘Izo’, a notorious gang leader wanted by the FBI for hostage taking of a US citizen in 2023. Rosemanie Erneste, Espérance’s wife, told reporters she hasn’t heard from him since Friday. Journalists and human rights defenders in Haiti “are under great risk,” William O’Neill, the U.N. expert on human rights in Haiti, told reporters Monday. “Haiti is one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist,” added O’Neill, who visited Haiti earlier this month. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 17, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 17, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 17, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
CPJ, civil society groups call for Congress to pass Transnational Repression Policy Act
CPJ signed a joint letter on March 16 with 34 diaspora, human rights, and civil society organizations urging the U.S. Congress to hold markup sessions for the bicameral and bipartisan Transnational Repression Policy Act (H.R. 4829/S.2525). The bill would establish stronger U.S. mechanisms to protect people from foreign government threats and to hold perpetrators accountable....
CPJ signed a joint letter on March 16 with 34 diaspora, human rights, and civil society organizations urging the U.S. Congress to hold markup sessions for the bicameral and bipartisan Transnational Repression Policy Act (H.R. 4829/S.2525). The bill would establish stronger U.S. mechanisms to protect people from foreign government threats and to hold perpetrators accountable. The brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 by Saudi Arabia in Turkey showed the shocking lengths to which some states will go to silence independent journalists and dissidents outside their borders. The erosion of democracy and protections for human rights is also driving the increasing use of transnational repression by governments, particularly targeting journalists in exile. Repressive tactics used across borders include assassinations, unlawful deportations, detentions, renditions, defamation, physical and online threats, surveillance, and coercion by proxy. Major perpetrators include the governments of Russia, China, Iran, Egypt, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan. Recent cases illustrate the threat. On January 14, Azerbaijan sentenced U.S.-based journalist Sevinj Osmanqizi to eight years in prison in absentia on charges of inciting mass unrest and calling for the overthrow of the state. On March 15, Iranian authorities threatened to target satellites and infrastructure linked to Farsi-language broadcaster Iran International. The Egyptian government has threatened, surveilled, and engaged in online gender-based violence against investigative reporter Basma Mostafa, who lives in Germany, in retaliation for her reporting. In particular, the act would require the State Department to lead a national strategy to counter transnational repression by partnering with allies, engaging multilateral institutions, and supporting civil society organizations that help victims. It would also improve the U.S. government’s response by requiring outreach and support to at-risk individuals and communities. Read the full letter here. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
Israel launches ‘targeted’ invasions of Lebanon as world focuses on Iran war
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 15, 2026 in Northern Israel, Israel. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342086" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/israel-invasion-of-lebanon-iran-war/hezbollah-israel-fighting-reignites-after-death-of-irans-supreme-leader" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R6m2","caption":"NORTHERN ISRAEL, ISRAEL - MARCH 15: An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 15, 2026 in Northern Israel, Israel. Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging hostilities across Israel's northern border with Lebanon, after the Iran-backed militant group began launching missiles at Israel on March 2, in what it said was retaliation for the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1773590296","copyright":"2026 Getty Images","focal_length":"400","iso":"1250","shutter_speed":"0.001","title":"Hezbollah-Israel Fighting Reignites After Death Of Iran's Supreme Leader","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Hezbollah-Israel Fighting Reignites After Death Of Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 15, 2026 in Northern Israel, Israel. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> A senior Israeli official told Axios the military is “going to do what we did in Gaza.”
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 15, 2026 in Northern Israel, Israel. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342086" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/israel-invasion-of-lebanon-iran-war/hezbollah-israel-fighting-reignites-after-death-of-irans-supreme-leader" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R6m2","caption":"NORTHERN ISRAEL, ISRAEL - MARCH 15: An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 15, 2026 in Northern Israel, Israel. Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging hostilities across Israel's northern border with Lebanon, after the Iran-backed militant group began launching missiles at Israel on March 2, in what it said was retaliation for the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1773590296","copyright":"2026 Getty Images","focal_length":"400","iso":"1250","shutter_speed":"0.001","title":"Hezbollah-Israel Fighting Reignites After Death Of Iran's Supreme Leader","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Hezbollah-Israel Fighting Reignites After Death Of Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 15, 2026 in Northern Israel, Israel. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266360835-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="218" data-attachment-id="277549" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike/truthout-logo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=874%2C244&ssl=1" data-orig-size="874,244" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1634742558","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="truthout-logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=300%2C84&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=780%2C218&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=780%2C218&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-277549 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?w=874&ssl=1 874w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=300%2C84&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=768%2C214&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=400%2C112&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=706%2C197&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /> This article was originally published by Truthout on Mar. 16, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. Israel announced on Monday that it is expanding its ground in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah as Israel’s defense minister pledges that “hundreds of thousands” of people already forcibly displaced by Israeli attacks “will not return” for the indefinite future. In a statement, Israeli forces said that soldiers are carrying out “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon. The purpose is to “establish and strengthen a forward defensive posture … to create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel,” the statement claims, ignoring that Hezbollah has maintained in previous conflicts that it would not retaliate against Israel if Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon. Axios reported last week that Israel is planning a massive expansion of its ground invasion of Lebanon with the goal of seizing the entire area south of the Litani River. This area is protected under a UN Security Council resolution as part of a decades-old ceasefire agreement, and makes up about 8 percent of the area of the country. A senior Israeli official told Axios the military is “going to do what we did in Gaza.” Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement in late 2024, but Israel violated it over 10,000 times in the first year, UN officials said. Now, Israel has unilaterally ended the ceasefire — though some argue Israel never adhered to it in the first place — and severely escalated bombardments and forced displacement in Lebanon, as the world focuses on Israel and the U.S.’s horrific war on Iran. In just the past two weeks, Israel has killed over 880 people in Lebanon, including over 100 children and dozens of health care workers, according to the country’s health ministry. Israel has bombed residences, health care centers, and other civilian infrastructure, including in the capital of Beirut. The attacks have created a “humanitarian catastrophe,” as one UN official warned, forcing thousands to take shelter in makeshift shelters or on the streets. The UN says that Israel has forcibly displaced 800,000 people thus far. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz pledged on Monday to continue Israel’s displacement campaign. “Hundreds of thousands of Shi’ite residents of southern Lebanon who ​have evacuated or are evacuating their homes in southern Lebanon and Beirut will not return to areas south of the Litani line until the safety of northern residents is ensured,” referring to northern Israel, Katz said in a statement. Reuters reports that, over the weekend, Israeli forces surrounded the key town of Khiam, in southern Lebanon, close to the border of Israel and Syria’s Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The town is on a hilltop that can oversee large swaths of the area, and is situated near the choke point where the demarcation of southern Lebanon by the Litani River and the “Blue Line” that establishes Lebanon’s southern border almost meet. Analysts say that Israel could use the town strategically to advance military occupation, potentially using it to cut off communication between parts of the occupied area. Some residents of Lebanon, already having faced years of bombardments from Israel, say they fear that Israel will carry out an extended occupation like its 18-year occupation of Lebanon that lasted from 1982 to 2000. “I feel like this is preparation for an occupation, and I’m afraid history will repeat itself,” said Iman Ibrahim, a resident of Blida, a town in south Lebanon, to The New York Times. “Everything we used to hear from our grandparents about occupation, we’re living it now.” This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Sharon Zhang.
Ecuador: Stop Oil Drilling in the Yasuni National Park
What Might Lenin Have Thought About the US-Israeli War on Iran (and the War in Ukraine)
Democratic Republic of North Korea (DPRK)
Facit indignatio versum (Indignation makes my verses) – Juvenal In his analyses of the causes of the first world war, Lenin stressed the importance of understanding the policies the belligerent states pursued before the war. Borrowing from the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, the Bolshevik leader argued that war is politics by other (namely, […] The post What Might Lenin Have Thought About the US-Israeli War on Iran (and the War in Ukraine) appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Facit indignatio versum (Indignation makes my verses) – Juvenal In his analyses of the causes of the first world war, Lenin stressed the importance of understanding the policies the belligerent states pursued before the war. Borrowing from the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, the Bolshevik leader argued that war is politics by other (namely, violent) means. Clausewitz put it this way: “War is policy itself, which takes up the sword in place of the pen.” Lenin echoed Clausewitz: All “war is but a continuation by violent means of the politics which the belligerent states and their ruling classes had been conducting for many years, sometimes for decades, before the outbreak of war.” So, what policies were the belligerents pursuing by the pen, before they took up the sword? The answer, in Lenin’s view, explained what caused the war. If “you have not studied the policies of [the] belligerent groups over a period of decades … then you don’t understand what this war is all about,” he wrote. All the belligerents, argued Lenin, were pursuing the same policy: they were reaching across the world for opportunities to dominate its economic surpluses wherever they could be found. They had been able to do this, for a time, without each greatly impeding the other. However, they had arrived at the point where this was no longer possible. The sum total of opportunities had been completely claimed, and acquiring new ones, could only mean encroaching upon the opportunities that other states, or more specifically, other ruling classes, claimed for their own. The cause of the war, then, was “the whole policy of the entire system of European states in their economic and political interrelations.” The war, said Lenin “steadily and inevitably grew out of this system.” The word ‘system’ is important. Lenin saw powerful states as actors hopelessly entangled in a system of inter-state relations which pit one against the other for economic advantage. This was a system in which individual states, acting on behalf of, and as the instruments of, individual ruling classes, competed for opportunities to exploit labor and acquire raw materials in order to appropriate as much of the world’s economic surpluses as they possibly could. As a class, said Engels, the bourgeoisie has a common interest and this community of interest, which is directed against the proletariat inside the country, is directed against bourgeois of other nations outside the country. What do ruling classes do? Exploit the labor of subordinate classes. So, when the common interest of one ruling class is directed against the common interest of another, it is directed against encroaching on territory over which the other exploits labor. The community of interest against the ruling classes of other states took both non-violent (by the pen) and violent (by the sword) forms. “These policies,” argued Lenin, “show … continuous economic rivalry between the world’s … greatest giants, capitalist economies.” In light of his analysis, Lenin believed that the question of which belligerent fired the first shot in the war—that is, which, in today’s terms, launched a war of aggression contra international law—was beside the point, for each was pursuing a policy that would inevitably lead to war. As he put it: “This war is the continuation of a policy of … conquest, of capitalist robbery on the part of [the states] involved in the war. Obviously, the question of which [state] was the first to draw the knife is of small account to us.” Why? To reiterate: “Everybody was preparing for the war; the attack was made by the one who considered it most auspicious for himself at a given moment.” Another would have turned to the sword first, if, in the moment, violence was the means judged to be most suitable to the pursuit of policy. For this reason, Lenin refused to blame Germany for starting the first world war, even though the Kaiser declared war on Russia and France and invaded Belgium. “For decades,” explained Lenin, “three bandits (the bourgeoisie and governments of England, Russia, and France) armed themselves to despoil Germany. Is it surprising that the two bandits (Germany and Austria-Hungary) launched an attack before the three bandits succeeded in obtaining the new knives they had ordered?” Much of the discourse on the current war in Ukraine is concerned with the question of which state started it. If we take Lenin’s view, the question is of no consequence, since the origin of the war lies not in Valdimir Putin’s decision to send Russian troops thundering across the border into Ukraine on 24 February 2022, or the decisions of US and NATO leaders to renege on their promises to assuage Russian security concerns by forbearing from NATO expansion into the former Russian sphere of influence. It lies instead in the rivalry between the Atlantic Alliance and Moscow for the economic interests of their respective ruling classes. When I say the economic interests of the ruling classes I don’t mean specific deals, or pipeline routes, or mining concessions, although they may be involved. I mean, something broader: the ability of a ruling class to exploit opportunities for capital accumulation over as wide a territory as possible—which means at home, and if the state is strong enough, abroad. The existence of multiple ruling classes obviously complicates matters. Since there are multiple states, hence multiple ruling classes, there are multiple ongoing efforts to exploit the same economic spaces. This isn’t to say that security concerns aren’t relevant. The first job of a ruling class is to survive. Security concerns very likely played a part in Moscow’s decision to try to conquer Ukraine. But why do exploiting ruling classes want to survive? To exploit. The Imperialism of Peace Lenin’s analysis produces the interesting and important concept of the imperialism of peace. If war, in Lenin’s view is simply one means of pursuing a policy for economic space and opportunity, then soft-power, diplomacy, and other non-violent forms of inter-state intercourse, are but alternative methods of pursuing the same policy. In the words of the German-Polish Marxist, and cofounder of the German Communist Party, the martyred Rosa Luxemburg, policy is pursued as either war or armed peace. Peace treaties may stay a violent hand for a time, but they do not eradicate the rivalry that gives rise to war. On this matter, Lenin and Luxemburg were ad idem with the eighteenth-century philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant argued that a “treaty of peace makes an end to the war of the moment, but not to the conditions of war which at any time may afford a new pretext for opening hostilities” (emphasis added). This is a radical view. To end war, the conditions of war must be eradicated. Peace treaties simply paper over the problem and fail to address the root of war. In the view of Lenin, Luxemburg, and Kant, inter-state rivalry is ubiquitous and interminable; competition among states is always present, even when violence is absent from their intercourse. If we define war as the effort of one ruling class to impose its will on another, then states are always at war, even if they are not using violence to get their way. Kant again: “A state of peace among men who live side by side is not the natural state, which is rather to be described as a state of war: that is to say, although there is not perhaps always actual open hostility, there is a constant threat that an outbreak may occur” and “the separate existence of a number of neighboring and independent states…is in itself already a state of war.” Incessant struggle, even in times of formal peace, calls to mind the observations of numerous other thinkers. Lenin’s view was hardly novel. Clinias of Crete, a character in Plato’s final dialogue, The Laws, contended that “Even what most men call peace is but a name. The reality is that every state, by a law of nature, is engaged at all times in an undeclared war against every other state.” In 1651 Thomas Hobbes argued in Leviathan that: “In all times kings, and persons of sovereign authority, because of their independence, and in ceaseless competition [for power], are in the state and posture of gladiators; having their weapons pointing and their eyes fixed on one another; that is, their forts, garrisons, and guns, upon the frontiers of their kingdoms; and continual spies upon their neighbors; which is a position of war.” British prime minister Pit the Elder in 1763 accurately predicted that the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years’ War, would be nothing but an armed truce. French marshal Ferdinand Foch presciently characterized the Treaty of Versailles as “not a peace [but] an armistice for 20 years.” While every state may be at war with its neighbors, some states are more able, as a matter of their great size and strength, to wage it. Washington is at war with every state (that is every other ruling class) that does not submit to US hegemony. Almost always the war is carried out as the imperialism of peace. For decades, Washington has waged war on Iran by mainly economic means, punctuated, every now and then, by violence, but violence has been the exception. The rule has been daily non-violent coercion extending over decades. The US war on Iran aims to contain and weaken the state so that it is incapable of extending its own domain to territory the US state currently dominates; to demonstrate to other states that what happens to countries that fail to toe the US line is that they will be menaced, throttled, and undermined by the United States, its proxies, or both; and to make Tehran more compliant with US demands favorable to US ruling class interests. Washington has long held Iran in a cruel economic vice that has immiserated Iranians. The predictable and intended outcome of this campaign has been civil unrest. The program has paid off handsomely for Washington, with the Iranian economy collapsing under the weight of US cruelty. Iranians took the street to demand their government provide relief from the pain, relief Tehran had not the power to provide. Even capitulating to US demands would not bring about the desired relief, since Washington refused to provide any immediate easing of its sanctions. On 20 January, the Wall Street Journal quoted US Treasury Scott Bessent: “U.S. financial pressure ‘has worked because in December, their economy collapsed. This is why the people took to the street. This is economic statecraft, no shots fired.’” To be clear, the reason why civil unrest erupted in Iran was because the United States brought it about, not by accident, not unintentionally, but by malice aforethought. Bessent’s acknowledgement that the collapse of the Iranian economy is the product of US “economic statecraft”, which is to say the imperialism of peace, is virtually absent from the analyses of the quality, but all the same, Chauvinist and pro-imperialist, US media. No matter how sound their analyses might otherwise be, they cannot help but propagate the fiction that the collapse of economies undermined by US “economic statecraft” is due to the “economic mismanagement” of the targeted “regime.” Thus, the victim is blamed for the miseries the US ruling class visits upon the victim’s citizens. This is true of the US imperialism of peace in Venezuela and Cuba as much as Iran. As shocking and deplorable as the current US-Israeli attack on Iran is, is it any more shocking and deplorable than the decades-long dropping of economic atom bombs on the people of Iran by the US state and its bootlicking vassals, Canada, the UK, Germany, and so on? Indeed, it may turn out that US “economic statecraft” has created more misery in Iran than will be created by all the US and Israeli bombs that will be dropped and all the missiles that will be fired in the current campaign of violence. This isn’t to lessen the gravity of the violence unleashed on the Iranians, but to point out that a program of deliberately wrecking an economy and immiserating a people in order to expand the domain over which US and allied billionaires can dominate the world’s economic surpluses is equally deplorable and is as richly deserving of condemnation and opposition as the use of violence to achieve the same end. Mendacity As to the claim that Washington and its toadies are engaged in an operation to deter an Iranian threat, we can dispense with this piece of nonsense immediately. The notion that Iran is developing a nuclear arsenal and ICBMs to reach the United States is the kind of bald-faced, shameless, mendacity in which the US administration specializes. As the New York Times reported two days ago: President Trump and his aides assert that Iran: Has restarted its nuclear program; Has enough available nuclear material to build a bomb within days; and Is developing long-range missiles that will soon be capable of hitting the United States. But: There is no evidence that Iran has made active efforts to resume enriching uranium or trying to build a mechanism to detonate a bomb. American intelligence agencies believe Iran is probably years away from having missiles that can hit the United States. What’s more, US intelligence is of the view that Iran is not actively pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran, a country dwarfed in population, GDP, and military assets by the United States alone, to say nothing of the United States and its allies, is no more of a threat to the United States than a Boy Scout troop armed with peashooters is a threat to a platoon of US Marines. All threats the chronically mendacious Washington cites are greatly inflated because Washington regards as a threat any state that 1) does not submit to US “leadership” and 2) has a means of self-defense. Iran will only be characterized as a non-threat when it has given up every means of defending itself. Indeed, US demands in its phony negotiations with Iran can be understood as an ultimatum to surrender all means of self-defense or face a withering attack. Even if Iran had ICBMs and nuclear-warheads to place atop them it still wouldn’t be a threat to the physical safety of any person in the United States. North Korea is a nuclear-armed state with, what might very well be the ability to deliver warheads to the continental US by ICBMs, but it is hardly a threat. The reason why is that Pyongyang can’t survive a war with the United States, and therefore would never start one. The same would be true of a nuclear-armed Iran. What a nuclear-armed Iran is a threat to is Washington’s latitude to bully Tehran and impose its will on the state. That, in turn, is a threat to the US ruling class project of dominating as much of the world as possible. This, of course, is the aim of every exploiting ruling class, but few have the resources to pursue the goal. Most must be content with defending spheres of exploitation within their own territory, either by resisting the aggressions of larger states seeking to encroach on their own domestic sphere of exploitation, or coming to an arrangement that makes concessions to the larger state’s menacing demands. As for Iran, its failure to follow the path of North Korea is largely responsible for the peril in which it now finds itself. No country in Iran’s position that wishes to pursue an independent path free from the domination of the United States (or any other meddling great power) can afford to be without a nuclear deterrent.1 Washington may sincerely believe Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program and developing ICBMs because it makes sense for the Iranian state to do so in light of Washington’s own conduct. It should be clear by this point that a view that is consistent with Lenin’s would deny that Washington will ever refrain from behaving in ways that encourage its victims to proliferate. The raison d’etre of the US ruling class is not to live in peace with other ruling classes, but to weaken them and turn them into vassals, and if that can’t be done, to crush them. Letting them be is not an option, any more than choosing not to try to score goals is an option for a hockey team. International Law Lenin’s view of war raises a question about whether international law has any practical significance. I would say that the answer is manifestly in the negative and I would hardly be alone in this view. Kant, for example, observed that “Codes [of international law] whether couched in philosophical or diplomatic terms, have not—nor can have—the slightest legal force, because states, as such, are under no common external authority.” Nothing has changed in two hundred years to contradict Kant’s thinking. Large powers and their proteges regularly violate international law without the slightest reservation and do so with impunity. They get away with it because there is no overarching, independent, authority equipped with the means to enforce compliance with international law. The strong do as they will, and the weak suffer what they must. Given this sad reality, it is “an illusion,” remarked the Marxist economist Rudolf Hilferding, “to preach international law in a world … of capitalist struggle where [the] superiority of weapons is the final arbiter.” I point this out because much discourse about war, apart from ignoring the imperialism of peace, attaches itself to outraged diatribes against the failure of various states (usually the United States and Israel, the accustomed miscreants) to abide by international law. Carrying on a discussion as if international law and the rules-based order have any significance as guardrails on the conduct of powerful states, focusses attention in the wrong place. The Tartuffe of international law, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, admitted in his vaunted World Economic Forum address what anyone not stultified by the propaganda of the United States and its international lickspittles already knew: That “the story of the international rules-based order was partially false; that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient; that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying vigor depending on the identity of the accused or the victim.” If Venezuela, Iran, or Cuba were to violate international law, they would be held accountable and punished by the UN Security Council, largely a plaything and instrument of the United States.2 When the United States and its proxies (Israel especially) violate international law, as they regularly do, nothing happens, except that a chorus of progressive voices bleats fecklessly about US and Israeli crimes, on the assumption presumably that ‘speaking truth to power’ will make the malefactors mend their ways. As the nineteenth-century French novelist Balzac is reputed to have observed: “Laws are spider webs through which big flies pass and little ones get caught.” Despite all the bleating, the big flies continue to pass through the spider webs with scarcely a concern. To echo Hilferding, it is an illusion to preach international law in a world of struggle among states where the superiority of weapons is the final arbiter. As Lenin, and before him, Marx, argued, though not precisely in these words, inter-state war ends when inter-state rivalry ends. And inter-state rivalry ends, when states end. What should not be forgotten is that the long-range project of socialism is not only the end of class, which is to say the end of exploitation of one group by another, but, as a consequence of this, the end of states. We say, declared Lenin in a lecture on war and revolution, our aim “is to achieve a socialist system of society, which, by eliminating the division of mankind into classes, by eliminating all exploitation of man by man and nation by nation, will inevitably eliminate the very possibility of war.” Notes 1 On the other hand, nuclear weapons would not be a panacea for Iran. While they would very like dampen the war-lust of Washington and Tel Aviv for bombing Iran, they would do little to stop the US-led siege warfare that cripples the country and immiserates its people. Moreover, Iran’s geopolitical situation is different from that of North Korea, and concluding that what is strategically sound for North Korea is also strategically sound for Iran, may be an error. North Korea borders two significant powers, Russia and China. As states outside the US orbit, Russia and China are willing to trade with Pyongyang if it’s to their advantage. This makes the DPRK less vulnerable to US economic warfare than Iran, which is isolated geographically from China. Additionally, Iran is located in, what is for Washington, a strategically important region. West Asia produces a substantial fraction of the world’s petroleum resources, which Washington aims to control in order to exercise leverage over China, Japan, and Europe, which depend on energy imports from the region. In order to control the region, Washington needs regional states to be submissive to US preferences. Inasmuch as Iran refuses to act as a US client, it has been the target of US conventional and economic warfare. North Korea, in contrast, occupies territory that is less strategically significant for Washington, and therefore, Pyongyang can be more readily ignored. It matters little from the US coign of vantage that North Korea zealously asserts its independence. Doing so doesn’t affect US strategic interests. While it is true that China is considered the United States’ single most important strategic threat, and North Korea abuts China, Washington’s focus on the Indo-pacific region is mainly confined to maintaining control of the First Island Chain, the belt of islands running from Japan through Tawain to the Philippines and Malaysia. An independent North Korea, then, is less of an impediment to US geopolitical ambitions than an independent Iran, and the United States is therefore less likely to be moved to attack it, nuclear arms or otherwise. It’s not clear that the same calculations apply to Iran. Why take a gamble on attacking North Korea, if the outcome might be a nuclear counter-strike? On the other hand, Washington might be prepared to gamble on attacking a nuclear-armed Iran, in light of Iran’s greater strategic importance. 2 While the Security Council by no means invariably produces resolutions reflecting US preferences, on matters that do not abridge the interests of other permanent members, the council tends to go along with US wishes. Witness, for example, UNSC Resolution 2803 of 17 November 2025, which effectively ceded Donald Trump a personal autocracy over Gaza. It is from this very same resolution that Trump’s Board of Peace was born. There has been much talk about Trump using his Board, of which he is the chairman, as an alternative to the Security Council. A case might be made that the Security Council is not the plaything and instrument of the United States, for if it is, why would Trump seek to establish the Board of Peace as a new Security Council? It’s true that a whole loaf is better than nine-tenths of one, but wanting a whole loaf doesn’t prove that you don’t already have nine-tenths of it. In any event, the Board of Peace is comprised, apart from its chairman, of leaders of states with insignificant power that have joined to curry favor with the US president. The Board’s power is in no way equal, much less greater, than that of the Security Council. It may be able to compel its few members to go along with Trump’s whims, but the Security Council, in theory anyway, can compel the compliance of every UN member state. The post What Might Lenin Have Thought About the US-Israeli War on Iran (and the War in Ukraine) appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Stephen Gowans.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Palestine Exception Defeated in Court
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Last Friday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford launched an attack on free speech, instructing his Attorney General to file an emergency injunction to prevent the Al-Quds Day march from taking place in Toronto. Ford’s action came just one day after his meeting with Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, and Israel’s Consul General in Toronto, […] The post Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Palestine Exception Defeated in Court appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img decoding="async" class="CToWUd a6T" tabindex="0" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_Na6qXpCpf6GozG9EOeGlQuLNRH9Qfda4tvMrY4lYWEKOczaeZCre8VHoeOvmIrwhXGTtsyMjtr3NsML0roRmfGZ20MdJrMFgB4gpqEmCnFNg3wcm-mog1v-AbEYw2lndTIBAe8x11xM-R_7lFDVBzxKfmziKvLYpXLOy8MR3GCECHVUH0F5GsO2glmEU5wPwFA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://assets.nationbuilder.com/cjpme/mailings/11129/attachments/original/EN_banner_ford_2026-03-16_%282%29.png?1773689993" alt="" width="580" data-bit="iit" /> Last Friday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford launched an attack on free speech, instructing his Attorney General to file an emergency injunction to prevent the Al-Quds Day march from taking place in Toronto. Ford’s action came just one day after his meeting with Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, and Israel’s Consul General in Toronto, Idit Shamir. In response, we issued a <a href="https://www.cjpme.org/pr_2026_03_13_al_quds?e=bdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95&utm_source=cjpme&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=em_2026_03_16_ford_injunction&n=2&v=2937" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cjpme.org/pr_2026_03_13_al_quds?e%3Dbdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95%26utm_source%3Dcjpme%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dem_2026_03_16_ford_injunction%26n%3D2%26v%3D2937&source=gmail&ust=1773782496492000&usg=AOvVaw0JNtGxCGlil2pC6z8fs79t">statement condemning the use of state power to suppress a political demonstration in support of Palestinian rights. We argued that Doug Ford’s injunction posed a serious threat to the Charter-protected freedoms of expression and political assembly, and reflects a broader pattern of attempts to censor and stigmatize pro-Palestinian free speech and organizing in Canada. Our quotes condemning this attack on civil liberties were picked up by <a href="https://www.cjpme.org/r?u=Kk3MVFSUd27iVpFagzXHgrU72s_4ZvF65lud5QkNtflVscbRbDXDS9nroQgXAcx7wd4lUWOxGJ_6OGdebDA4BuIuW8PF25jJXqjvsNuh20XnARksckQqpTy9q0lLkOdr95Uj6T8U3G9_8rnGnB8fDdCZlL8aKrqYnwKWlU2MC6fMID5Y--2XOL9_4RbAb_wGkAOs0l4a6PXn13FF4_qhhg&e=bdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95&utm_source=cjpme&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=em_2026_03_16_ford_injunction&n=3&v=2937" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cjpme.org/r?u%3DKk3MVFSUd27iVpFagzXHgrU72s_4ZvF65lud5QkNtflVscbRbDXDS9nroQgXAcx7wd4lUWOxGJ_6OGdebDA4BuIuW8PF25jJXqjvsNuh20XnARksckQqpTy9q0lLkOdr95Uj6T8U3G9_8rnGnB8fDdCZlL8aKrqYnwKWlU2MC6fMID5Y--2XOL9_4RbAb_wGkAOs0l4a6PXn13FF4_qhhg%26e%3Dbdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95%26utm_source%3Dcjpme%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dem_2026_03_16_ford_injunction%26n%3D3%26v%3D2937&source=gmail&ust=1773782496492000&usg=AOvVaw1Dmg7SE8384lnu1ah7dAmt">CTV News Toronto and the <a href="https://www.cjpme.org/r?u=XtbQ4rxbtwnWwnRw1NTIlajtbcMQffFZgIM1HpUgTNdBNR8uzY0xdDPxsnjoE2DgoM0SYtFnS0Om__fUFgY50fLTQZFA95AzwYuq8P7FHZ3giRVNNGKQy9v8Ea51aQczfOaOYfzAhp0Yb3P0NM4yvuXu9F67eiE-I-57fKkUPuPZ7LGiPvVl6YALcoOXXydN&e=bdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95&utm_source=cjpme&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=em_2026_03_16_ford_injunction&n=4&v=2937" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cjpme.org/r?u%3DXtbQ4rxbtwnWwnRw1NTIlajtbcMQffFZgIM1HpUgTNdBNR8uzY0xdDPxsnjoE2DgoM0SYtFnS0Om__fUFgY50fLTQZFA95AzwYuq8P7FHZ3giRVNNGKQy9v8Ea51aQczfOaOYfzAhp0Yb3P0NM4yvuXu9F67eiE-I-57fKkUPuPZ7LGiPvVl6YALcoOXXydN%26e%3Dbdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95%26utm_source%3Dcjpme%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dem_2026_03_16_ford_injunction%26n%3D4%26v%3D2937&source=gmail&ust=1773782496492000&usg=AOvVaw1yqR1BuynpH_JO6AbrjfzP">Canadian Press, and published by newspapers across the country. We have also <a href="https://www.cjpmemap.ca/2026_03_13_global_ai?e=bdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95&utm_source=cjpme&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=em_2026_03_16_ford_injunction&n=5&v=2937" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cjpmemap.ca/2026_03_13_global_ai?e%3Dbdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95%26utm_source%3Dcjpme%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dem_2026_03_16_ford_injunction%26n%3D5%26v%3D2937&source=gmail&ust=1773782496492000&usg=AOvVaw27dNghhgL_6BS83vKbraG8">responded to misinformation and false claims about Al-Quds Day by the mainstream media. Fortunately, Ford’s attempt to shut down Al-Quds Day failed. On Saturday afternoon, just hours before the demonstration was scheduled to begin, the judge ruled against the injunction, allowing for the demonstration to continue as planned. In his ruling, the judge <a href="https://www.cjpme.org/r?u=TLrxpHzlXklwCpIYkKCJuCdLOC0PGptd_IBYCXfHgx-_tvkxNAAuXWw5ncoasmETzApWCQ3ifvQc_QNfXJwtEwaZYGWD_ygpACu9sSbfYUKXKnJHevz6OnpIceK4Yjscr0fDz9uN0cqzWR_PIjvdeeyjCZt3KzBhtyscS6pftHU&e=bdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95&utm_source=cjpme&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=em_2026_03_16_ford_injunction&n=6&v=2937" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cjpme.org/r?u%3DTLrxpHzlXklwCpIYkKCJuCdLOC0PGptd_IBYCXfHgx-_tvkxNAAuXWw5ncoasmETzApWCQ3ifvQc_QNfXJwtEwaZYGWD_ygpACu9sSbfYUKXKnJHevz6OnpIceK4Yjscr0fDz9uN0cqzWR_PIjvdeeyjCZt3KzBhtyscS6pftHU%26e%3Dbdd93660e94ddf5a0040bc5deef0fe95%26utm_source%3Dcjpme%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dem_2026_03_16_ford_injunction%26n%3D6%26v%3D2937&source=gmail&ust=1773782496492000&usg=AOvVaw2ecL6e29OGT3x66BGy4P0X">affirmed that “the right to assemble and speak freely must be maintained in times of global conflict. Perhaps at no other time is the protection of our civil liberties more important.” While we are relieved that this latest assault on free speech failed, we must ensure that our advocacy is not deterred. As Israel escalates its violent attacks against the people of Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran, its supporters at home are trying everything to stop Canadians from speaking out in support of Palestinian rights and freedoms. The post Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Palestine Exception Defeated in Court appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East.
This Jew Does Not Believe in the Promised Land
The Colossus, Francisco Goya Tell me, should I feel guilt due to my anger-engendered desire for the collective butchers of Gaza (and Lebanon and Iran) i.e., Zionist true believers to experience a karmic dose of the pain and grief that they inflict, as a matter of routine, as Israeli Third Reich-adjacent state policy? Adding to […] The post This Jew Does Not Believe in the Promised Land appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<source srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp" sizes="100vw" /><img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="undefined" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kSjR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg 1456w" alt="undefined" width="505" height="567.6" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0040e6dc-df3f-4fe7-9b58-6c23e6c47abc_960x1079.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":1079,"width":960,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"undefined","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":true,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> The Colossus, Francisco Goya Tell me, should I feel guilt due to my anger-engendered desire for the collective butchers of Gaza (and Lebanon and Iran) i.e., Zionist true believers to experience a karmic dose of the pain and grief that they inflict, as a matter of routine, as Israeli Third Reich-adjacent state policy? Adding to the desire for Schadenfreude, the IDF’s war endless criminality is supported, in an overwhelming manner by the Israeli citizenry — polls reveal 88% of Israelis queried state they are in favor of the present war of aggression against the Lebanese and Iranian people, and the ongoing genocidal campaign perpetrated on Gaza. When the vast majority of the Israeli citizenry have willingly clamored onboard the Zionist Death Juggernaut — designed to kill and destroy anything in its path — is it a sin against the soul to hope it crashes into an implacable Wall Of Comeuppance? Israel’s barbarous, homicidal actions far surpass that of Iran, or for that matter, any other nation on the planet. Yet when resistance rises to confront Israel’s campaign of mass murder and terror, the resistance is labeled as terrorism. Israel, by intention, bombs hospitals, schools, universities, media organizations (murders reporters and journalists on the ground outright) civilian infrastructure e.g., sewage and water treatment plants, and inflicts, by design, famine. In the (ongoing) Gaza genocide, there was a program of murderous intent called “Daddy’s home” designed to track men to their family’s home whereby their entire family would be targeted for slaughter by an IFD launched bombing attack. This is the stuff of Hollywood b-movie villainy. The practice continues now in the Israeli/US war perpetrated on the people of Iran. Yet we hear, the war is being waged for the noble purpose of freeing the Iranian people from the grip of tyrannical rule. We were told by Washington officialdom the same lie about Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Panama, Libya, Syria, and the list goes on and on. Claiming the agenda of the Netanyahu/Trump war on Iran is a war waged to free the Iranians from tyranny is like addressing the grievances of Epstein’s victims by having them arrested by ICE and deported to Epstein Island. Yet, in the US, regardless of our boasts and preening about our democratic republic, the nation, in reality, is a dictatorship of money and a (tottering, as evidenced by the destruction of the US’ trillion dollar military bases and installations in the Gulf States by Iran) military empire. As Americans are – or should (at this late date) be learning a nation can be a republic or be a military empire but it cannot be both. <source srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 1456w" type="image/webp" sizes="100vw" /><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="BANNED MEDIA MONTH #2: Der Krieg, by Otto Dix (1924) — SEVENCUT" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kgvi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png 1456w" alt="BANNED MEDIA MONTH #2: Der Krieg, by Otto Dix (1924) — SEVENCUT" width="280" height="360" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a6dbd2f2-fbf7-4afe-b2a9-ca87a036f295_280x360.png","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":360,"width":280,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"BANNED MEDIA MONTH #2: Der Krieg, by Otto Dix (1924) — SEVENCUT","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Otto Dix, Skull, fragment from Der Krieg Yet the US was self-doomed from the nation’s inception. The imprecatory prayers of millions of ethnically cleansed/ genocidally slaughtered Indigenous peoples rise from the US’ watered-in-blood soil and hang miasmic in the nation’s air. This is the air that war criminal Trump (and his Whitehouse-squatting predecessors) and Christian-Zionist, End Time homicidal maniac Pete Hegseth and ICE bully boys, and congressional war perverts have breathed in every day of their dismal and deranged life. This is the air of the Zionist state wrought by the arrival of European land-thieving, genocidally prone Zionist invaders. The noxious air that could soon be intermingled with irradiated fallout if the prevailing madness is not somehow and in some way dissipated by a mitigating atmosphere of sanity. Sanity in the form of the Homicidal Maniac Class must be relieved of power. Have you ever been subjected to jerkopathic behavior involving the following scenario? You are in a public space, perhaps, a barroom. A person, hostile in countenance, keeps staring in your direction. It seems as though the individual is attempting to make eye contact but you are hesitant to do so because the individual is emitting a forbidding vibe. When you finally relent, hoping to clear up some misunderstanding…perhaps they have mistaken you for someone else and, finally, you submit to making eye contact, the person snarls the provocation, “What are you staring at?” This is the mode of collective mind and deranged modus operandi of Israel. For nearly eight decades since the en masse arrival of European land-thieving bigots – who viewed themselves as entitled übermensch — and established, by means of the reign of terror known as the Nakba — their ethno-supremacist state, Zionist bullies have been glaring at their neighbors, claiming victimization and instigating violence, and as is the proclivity of bullies, as all the while, claiming to be the victim in the situation. When the agenda is — what it has been since the establishment of the Zionist state — Greater Israel. Imagine: A stranger knocks on your door, accuses you of committing some transgression against him, then brutalizes you, and demands you leave the premises upon the threat of death, then he moves in. No, Israel, you cannot claim the world is clamoring for your annihilation based on your religious affiliation. We simply hope to see a barroom bully knocked off his barstool, cold-cocked by the smaller person he has been tormenting. We are hoping that the psychopathic home invader is evicted from the property to which he laid claim by murderous intent. <source srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp" sizes="100vw" /><img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Iy8u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg 1456w" alt="" width="505" height="324.6" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ec898a8d-daab-4b95-9f8a-1620297d0c93_700x450.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":450,"width":700,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" />Francisco Goya. Contra el bien general (Against the Common Good) from The Disasters of War, ca. 1813–14 This is the reason people who are not hateful nor violent in nature, when seeing missiles raining down on Israel, despite our mortification regarding war still possess the desire to have the aggressor face some form of comeuppance or, at the very least, be thwarted in the odious compulsion to harm others. Because the home invader has not faced consequences (e,g., divestment and sanctions) Israel’s agenda of imposing Greater Israel…as these words, are committed to pixel, Israel has broken the region…if not the world order. Although Zionists, due to your soul-defying compulsion for aggression, you have condemned yourself to a life of fear amid the rubble of your ambitions. Erev Shabbat Reflections on the Perpetual War-Making of the Zionist State. In late afternoon, last Friday, I wrote the following: Although Zionism is a (death) cult dreamed up by European atheists, the cultural/socio mythology relating to an escape from fraught circumstances, the end of wandering, and the inspiration to wage war upon a people regarded as sinful, inferior, devoted to false gods by divine ordination remains the hallmark and touchstone of the present day people — i.e., Zionists — who claim to be the heirs of the ancient Israelites. <source srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp" sizes="100vw" /><img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="No photo description available." src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TLww!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg 1456w" alt="No photo description available." width="469" height="665" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d83eded7-ca89-4aed-93c5-3c6a9284ca36_469x665.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":665,"width":469,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"No photo description available.","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" />‘The Devil Rebuked (The Burial of Moses)’, by William Blake (c. 1805). From The Book of Deuteronomy (28:64-66) “The LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other… Among those nations you will find no peace, no rest for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anguished heart and eyes that fail and a spirit in despair. Your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be in terror night and day and have no certainty of survival.” As told by Old Testament mythos, The Book Of Deuteronomy limns in scripture Moses’ farewell evocation to a new generation of Israelites, gathered on the plains of Moab, their 40 years of wandering are coming to an end around the year 1400 BCE, as they prepare, en masse, to stride into the Canaan Land, then wage wars of ethnic cleansing with the intention of securing the establishment of O-Mighty God’s bestowed Promised Land. (Do you detect a pattern here: perpetual victimization, followed by land theft, and all in the name of survival — all of which is manifested as god-given entitlement to real estate granted to the tribe by Divine mandate?) (Although the story of Exodus, on an historical basis, is the ethnocentric mythology that serves as the cultural foundation story of ancient Israel, DNA evidence reveals the Jews of Torah origin can be traced to hill country Canaanites, withal, the ancestors of present day Palestinians.) In scholarly studies, in historical context, Deuteronomy was scribed in the 7th century BCE during King Josiah’s reign and involved the codification of Yahweh worship as an organizing principle insofar as the establishment of societal cohesion. As survivors of The Shoah, my family’s history and attendant storyline of displacement, of wandering onto novel shores carries historical accuracy — when applied to their native born country of Germany: e.g., “Among those nations you will find no peace…Your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be in terror night and day and have no certainty of survival.” — Deuteronomy 28:65-66 Yet the storyline is a forced fit insofar as Zionists Jews relationship to Palestinians and Israel’s Arab neighbors. When Zionists arrived from Europe, they were and remain the perpetrators of terror, night and day, and all the human beings within their reach are granted no certainty of survival. As we are witnessing in regard to Zionism, historical narratives, ghosts of memory, when warped and displaced become a destructive force — malevolent agendas manifested in flesh and driven by harmful will. Instead, it is well past time, we proceed down to rivers of the collective mind, lay down or swords, shields, missiles, and drones and begin to adhere to an alternative (saner) passage of Old Testament scripture: Micah 4:3: He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. <source srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp" sizes="100vw" /><img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="undefined" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uoTI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg 1456w" alt="undefined" width="376" height="500" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4925fc3d-05a7-4849-966a-035fb8424a44_376x500.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":500,"width":376,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"undefined","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> The prophet Micah, as depicted by an 18th century Russian Orthodox icon from the iconostasis of a church on Kizhi Island in Karelia, Russia. The post This Jew Does Not Believe in the Promised Land appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Phil Rockstroh.
Beijing Shows Panama the Cost of Abandoning Neutrality
For decades, Panama successfully cultivated a foreign policy posture of strict neutrality defined by its unique geography centered on the operation of the Panama Canal. This small-state hedging strategy allowed Panama to welcome commercial presence from both the United States and China while maintaining the waterway’s treaty-based impartiality. However, in early 2026, this equilibrium shattered. […] The post Beijing Shows Panama the Cost of Abandoning Neutrality appeared first on Dissident Voice.
For decades, Panama successfully cultivated a foreign policy posture of strict neutrality defined by its unique geography centered on the operation of the Panama Canal. This small-state hedging strategy allowed Panama to welcome commercial presence from both the United States and China while maintaining the waterway’s treaty-based impartiality. However, in early 2026, this equilibrium shattered. Following Trump’s victory last year Panama has exited China’s Belt and Road Initiative and already signaled its alignment with US security concerns, yet it has secured no binding commitment that Washington to make up for the loss of investment. Moreover, after sustained pressure from Washington characterized by Trump 2.0 rhetoric and Senate resolutions declaring Chinese-backed investment a violation of the Neutrality Treaty, Panama’s Supreme Court annulled the 1997 concession of CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company to operate the strategic Balboa and Cristóbal terminals. By seizing these assets and documents, threatening personnel with criminal prosecution and handing temporary operations to Maersk and MSC, Panama abandoned its neutrality and became an active participant in US geoeconomic lawfare. The nation that once skillfully balanced Washington and Beijing now finds itself possibly investment and revenue-starved, as many investors now see the jurisdiction as high-risk. Just prior to the de facto expropriation, CK Hutchison and its subsidiary launched arbitration proceedings through the International Chamber of Commerce, amending their claim in March 2026 to demand damages now estimated at approximately $2 billion. The company’s legal argument is that Panama Ports Company operated the ports since 1997, invested over $1.8 billion in infrastructure, and had its concession renewed in 2021 to run through 2047, with Panamanian audit authorities consistently confirming compliance with contractual terms. Panama’s defense rests on a domestic constitutional ruling, but international investment law generally protects foreign investors from unlawful expropriation without prompt, adequate, and effective compensation. As the Panama Ports Company stated, the government’s actions constitute “radical breaches and anti-investor conduct,” and they “will not relent and they are not coming for some token relief.” If the ICC arbitration panel rules in favor of Hutchison, keeping in mind investor-state precedents often favor claimants, Panama faces a fiscal shock equivalent to roughly 2.5% of its GDP. Moreover, enforcement under the New York Convention could allow Hutchison to freeze Panamanian state assets abroad, from bank accounts to future canal revenues. This legal sword hanging over Panama’s economy is the direct result of forgoing its business-friendly neutral posture for the unpredictable terrain of US lawfare. Beijing Strikes Back While the arbitration process grinds forward over several years, Beijing has deployed immediate economic leverage to ensure Panama feels the sting of its decision. Contrary to initial analysis suggesting retaliation would be ineffective because Panamanian exports to China are minimal, China’s response has been strategically calibrated to target Panama’s investment pipeline and logistics stability rather than just trade flows. First, Beijing has instructed state-owned enterprises to suspend negotiations on all new business projects in Panama. This guidance puts potential investments worth billions of dollars at immediate risk, including infrastructure projects such as bridge construction, cruise terminals, and metro line extensions that Chinese firms had been pursuing. Second, Chinese customs authorities have tightened inspections on Panamanian imports in sectors sensitive in Panama. While these products represent a tiny fraction of Chinese imports, the delays and uncertainty create domestic political friction for the José Raúl Mulino administration. Most significantly, China has leveraged its position as the second-largest user of the Panama Canal, accounting for 21.4% of cargo volume. Shipping companies have been instructed to consider rerouting cargo through other ports where feasible. While the canal retains structural advantages for certain routes, even marginal diversions by major Chinese carriers like COSCO Shipping—which has suspended Balboa operations and rerouted empty containers—translate directly into tangible revenue losses for the canal authority. In March 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Transport issued a formal and urgent summons to executives from Maersk and MSC in Beijing, a move widely interpreted by industry analysts as a direct threat of economic retaliation. This diplomatic pressure stems from the decision by Maersk’s subsidiary, APM Terminals, to take over operations at the Port of Balboa after the Panamanian government annulled the concession of the Hong Kong-based firm CK Hutchison. China has characterized this transition as a “hostile takeover” of its assets, warning that the shipping giants are facilitating an illegal seizure and may be liable to such actions. Beijing also signaled that Maersk could face severe regulatory hurdles or restricted access to Chinese ports if it continues to operate the disputed Panamanian infrastructure. <img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal aligncenter" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qQMh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qQMh!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qQMh!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qQMh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qQMh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png 1456w" alt="" width="505" height="281.5" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":812,"width":1456,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":2628049,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/png","href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://thinkbrics.substack.com/i/191058044?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92d15a00-d1c0-4f0d-8170-ca16cc58f628_1664x928.png","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> China’s response demonstrates the tools available to defend its overseas interests are international arbitration, trade scrutiny, investment freezes, and logistics adjustments. Panama’s miscalculation was believing it could serve as an instrument of US geoeconomic lawfare without consequence. Panama is now living the consequences of its abandonment of neutrality, and the international community is watching closely as the costs continue to mount. The precedent set by the Supreme Court’s retroactive annulment of a long-standing contract has sent a chilling signal to international investors as was predicted. What foreign entity will now commit billions to Panamanian infrastructure when 50-year contracts can be invalidated due to foreign political pressure? Many observers believe Panama has effectively poisoned its own well for future foreign direct investment. Panama’s pivot represents a fundamental miscalculation about the nature of great-power competition. By seizing Chinese-linked assets under US pressure, the Mulino administration appears to have believed it could secure Washington’s favor without sacrificing its commercial relationships with Beijing. The United States has provided no guarantee of compensation for the $2 billion arbitration exposure, nor has it offered to underwrite the investment void left by frozen Chinese projects nor compensate for the trade decline. Washington’s geoeconomic lawfare, characterized by the push to reassert US dominance over strategic assets treats Panama as an instrument of policy rather than a partner. First published at Global Research. The post Beijing Shows Panama the Cost of Abandoning Neutrality appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Miguel Santos García.
Ending the Trump-Netanyahu War in the Middle East
The Israel-US war on Iran is engulfing the entire Middle East and could escalate to global war. The economic consequences are already severe and could become catastrophic. The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately one-fifth of all oil traded globally, and 30 percent of the world’s LNG. A sustained closure of the Strait would trigger an energy shock without […] The post Ending the Trump-Netanyahu War in the Middle East appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The Israel-US war on Iran is engulfing the entire Middle East and could escalate to global war. The economic consequences are already severe and could become catastrophic. The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately one-fifth of all oil traded globally, and 30 percent of the world’s LNG. A sustained closure of the Strait would trigger an energy shock without modern precedent. The conflict is likely to spiral out of control because the US and Israel are dead set on hegemony in the Arab world and West Asia – one that combines Israeli territorial expansion with American-backed regime control across the region. The ultimate goal is a Greater Israel that absorbs all historic Palestine, combined with compliant Arab and Islamic governments stripped of genuine sovereignty, including on choices as to how and where they export their oil and gas. This is delusional. No country across the region wants Israel to run wild as it is doing, murdering civilians across the entire region, destroying Gaza and the West Bank, invading Lebanon, striking Iraq and Yemen, and carpet-bombing Tehran. No country wants its hydrocarbon exports under effective US control. The war will end if and only if global revulsion at US and Israeli aggression forces these countries to stop. Short of that, we are likely to see the Middle East in flames and the world in an energy and economic crisis unprecedented in modern history. The war could easily turn into a global conflagration, effectively into World War III. Yet, there exists an alternative. The war could stop on rational grounds if Israel and the US are decisively called to account by the rest of the world. Ending the war requires a set of interlinked steps to provide basic security for all parties, and indeed for the world. Iran needs a permanent end to the US-Israel aggression. The Gulf countries need an end to Iran’s retaliatory strikes. The Palestinians need an independent state. Israel needs lasting security and the disarmament of Hamas and Hezbollah. The whole world needs the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and international monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program to ensure it abides by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as Iran says it wants to do. And all countries want, or should want, real sovereignty for themselves and their region. Collective security could be achieved in five interconnected measures. First, the US and Israel would immediately end their armed aggression across the entire region and withdraw their forces. Second, Iran would stop its retaliatory strikes across the GCC and resubmit to monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency under a revised Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which President Trump recklessly abandoned in 2018. Third, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen with mutual agreement of Iran and the GCC. Fourth, the two-state solution would be immediately implemented by admitting Palestine as a full member state of the UN. Israel would be required to end its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and Syria. Fifth, the UN recognition of the State of Palestine would form the basis for a comprehensive regional disarmament of all non-state actors, verified under international monitoring. The end result would be a return to international law and the UN Charter. Who would win in this plan? The people of the region, of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and the rest of the world. Who would lose? Only the backers of Greater Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and Mike Huckabee, who have brought the world to the brink of destruction. Here are the five steps in more detail. First: End the US-Israeli Armed Aggression. Israel and the US would stop their aggression and withdraw their forces. In turn, Iran would cease its retaliatory strikes. This would not be a mere ceasefire. Rather, it would be the first step of an overall peace agreement and collective security arrangement. Second: Return to the JCPOA. The nuclear question would be resolved through strict monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, not through bombing campaigns that merely put Iran’s enriched uranium beyond international monitoring. The UN Security Council would immediately reinstate the basic framework of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which Iran must strictly comply with IAEA monitoring and agreed limits on its nuclear program, while economic sanctions on Iran would be lifted. Third: Reopen the Strait of Hormuz in an Iran-GCC Framework. The Strait of Hormuz would be quickly reopened, with safe passage jointly guaranteed by Iran and the GCC. The GCC countries would assert sovereignty over the military bases in their countries to ensure that the bases would not be used as launchpads for renewed offensive strikes against Iran. Fourth: The Two-State Solution. The two-state solution would be implemented, by admitting Palestine into the UN as the 194th permanent member state. This requires nothing more than the US lifting its veto. Palestinian statehood is in accord with international law and with the Arab Peace Initiative, which has been on the table since 2002. In turn, the countries in the region would establish diplomatic relations with Israel, and the UN Security Council would introduce peacekeepers to ensure the security of both Palestine and Israel. Fifth: An End to Armed Belligerency. In conjunction with the two-state solution, all armed belligerency in the region would end forthwith, including the disarmament of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other armed non-state actors. In the case of Palestine, the disarmament of Hamas would underpin the authority of the Palestinian state. In the case of Lebanon, the disarmament of Hezbollah would restore Lebanon’s full sovereignty, with the Lebanese Armed Forces as the sole military authority in the country. The disarmament would be verified by international monitors and guaranteed by the UN Security Council. The key point is that the Israel-US war on Iran has not occurred in a vacuum. The Clean Break strategy, developed by Netanyahu and his American neocon backers in 1996, and implemented since then, calls for Israel to establish hegemony in the region through wars of regime change, with the US as the implementing partner. As NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark revealed after 9/11, the US drew up plans a quarter century ago to overthrow governments in seven countries: “starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.” We are therefore living through the culmination of a long-standing plan by Israel and the US to dominate the Arab world and West Asia, create a Greater Israel, and permanently block Palestinian statehood. We are not optimistic about the likelihood of our plan. The Israeli government is murderous and Trump is delusional about US power. We are perhaps already in the early days of WWIII. Yet because the stakes are so high, it’s worth laying out real solutions even if they are long shots. We do believe, however, that the non-Western world—the part that is not vassal states to US power—understands the urgency of peace and security. Who, then, could champion a peace plan that the US and Israel will resist with every means at their disposal, until the weight of global opposition and economic catastrophe leaves them no choice but to accept it? There is one main group, and that is the BRICS nations. Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and the bloc’s expanded membership, which now includes the UAE, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia, represent approximately half of the world’s population and more than 40 percent of global GDP (compared to 28 percent for the vaunted but overblown G7 countries). The BRICS have the credibility, the economic weight, and the absence of the historical complicity in Middle East imperialism to bring the world to its senses. The BRICS should convene an emergency summit and present a unified framework incorporating the conditions for peace and security, which in turn would be pressed at the UN Security Council. There, world opinion would tell the US and Israel to stop pushing the world towards catastrophe, and would remind all countries to adhere to the UN Charter. First published at Common Dreams. The post Ending the Trump-Netanyahu War in the Middle East appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Jeffrey Sachs and Sybil Fares.
Prairieland Trial: Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted on Terrorism Charges as DOJ Targets "Antifa Cell"
Timeline: Estefany Rodríguez’s arrest and ICE detention
Nashville Notícias reporter Estefany Rodríguez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on March 4, 2026, despite being in the United States legally. She arrived in the U.S. in 2021 and sought asylum after facing death threats in relation to her reporting in her native Colombia. At the time of her detention, Rodríguez...
Nashville Notícias reporter Estefany Rodríguez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on March 4, 2026, despite being in the United States legally. She arrived in the U.S. in 2021 and sought asylum after facing death threats in relation to her reporting in her native Colombia. At the time of her detention, Rodríguez had an open asylum case and a pending green card application through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. In court filings, Rodríguez’s lawyers have argued that she is being detained in retaliation for her reporting, including on immigration and ICE actions in the United States, as well as her speech more broadly. Rodríguez’s case is points to a larger effort from the Trump administration to use immigration authorities to police speech. Atlanta-based independent journalist Mario Guevara was deported by the Department of Homeland Security last year after he was arrested while livestreaming a protest. Guevara was also in the country legally at the time of his arrest. Below is timeline of Rodríguez’s arrest and detention, with information sourced from legal filings, and, where noted, news sources. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Report from Havana as Trump Threatens to "Take" Cuba & Pushes for Ouster of Cuban Leader
Ground Invasion of Iran Could Be "Suicide Mission" for U.S.: Ex-Army Intelligence Analyst
Israel Says It Assassinated Iran’s Security Chief, Ali Larijani, Known for Negotiating with the West
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 17, 2026
Thousands of Colorado meatpacking workers are on strike
This story originally appeared in Jacobin on Mar. 16, 2026. It is shared here with permission. When Deborah Rodarte arrives for her shift at the Swift Beef Co. plant outside Greeley, Colorado, owned by JBS USA, the first thing she does is gear up...
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Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342057" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/thousands-of-colorado-meatpacking-workers-are-on-strike/production-at-worlds-largest-meatpacker-jbs-disrupted-in-multiple-countries-after-ransomware-hacking-attack" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark IV","caption":"GREELEY, CO - JUNE 01: A JBS Processing Plant stands dormant after halting operations on June 1, 2021 in Greeley, Colorado. 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Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1233223979-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="629" height="169" data-attachment-id="271557" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/its-apartheid-naked-unabashed-apartheid/jacobin-logo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?fit=629%2C169&ssl=1" data-orig-size="629,169" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1620904940","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="jacobin-logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?fit=300%2C81&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?fit=629%2C169&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?resize=629%2C169&ssl=1" alt="Jacobin logo" class="wp-image-271557 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?w=629&ssl=1 629w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?resize=300%2C81&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?resize=400%2C107&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px" /> This story originally appeared in Jacobin on Mar. 16, 2026. It is shared here with permission. When Deborah Rodarte arrives for her shift at the Swift Beef Co. plant outside Greeley, Colorado, owned by JBS USA, the first thing she does is gear up. Donning a hard hat and protective equipment, including a layer of metal mesh meant to keep knives from cutting through to the skin, she heads to the line and waits for the cattle to start coming down the chain. Rodarte spends her shift trimming fat from cuts of beef as they move past her station. “It’s quick motion all day, every day,” she said. “One after another after another.” The job, she added, is hard on the body. “You’re trimming a piece of meat, taking all the fat, and when you’re done you throw it on top, and the next one is already there.” Now Rodarte and roughly 3,800 of her coworkers — members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 — are on strike after months of negotiations over wages, health insurance costs, and working conditions. It’s the largest strike in the meatpacking industry in decades, and the first ever at the Greeley plant, which accounts for around 5 percent of the US beef-processing capacity. JBS is the world’s largest meatpacking company. The dispute at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the United States has been brewing since last summer, when the plant’s contract expired. Workers stayed on the job under a temporary extension while negotiations continued, but the union ended that extension earlier this month, clearing the way for a strike that could begin March 16. Union officials say the company has offered wage increases averaging less than 2 percent a year while shifting rising health insurance costs onto workers and continuing to charge employees as much as $1,100 for replacement protective equipment used on the job. “Let’s say you’re been working for a year, and the PPE [personal protective equipment] has normal wear and tear,” explained Rodarte. “We have had them charge other employees for a brand new set of PPE when it should just be a trade-in.” “While customers are paying more than they ever have, none of that is trickling down to the frontline worker that’s actually doing all the heavy work,” UFCW Local 7 president Kim Cordova told Reuters. The strike comes just months after a major national contract covering roughly 26,000 JBS workers at fourteen US facilities, negotiated by the UFCW in 2025. The agreement included wage increases, paid sick leave, and a pension plan — the first new pension offered by a major meatpacking employer in nearly forty years — and was described by union leaders as a historic contract for workers in the industry. JBS officials say their current offer in Greeley reflects that agreement, but Local 7 says that workers at the Colorado plant already had some of those provisions and are being asked to accept less. The union also alleges the company has committed unfair labor practices (ULPs), including retaliating against workers by pressuring them to quit the union in one-on-one meetings. According to UFCW Local 7, workers voted 99 percent in favor of authorizing the ULP strike. The dispute at the Greeley plant is a local fight. But it’s unfolding inside one of the most concentrated industries in the American economy. The modern American beef industry is extraordinarily concentrated: by 2019, the four largest meatpacking companies controlled about 85 percent of US steer and heifer slaughter. When production runs through a relatively small number of enormous plants owned by a handful of corporations, disruptions at one facility can ripple through the system. As workers walk out in Greeley, production may halt at the largest meatpacking plant by volume in the United States. The company has already begun shifting cattle deliveries and production to other plants in anticipation of the possible work stoppage, which is likely to reverberate through an industry that was already at a seventy-five-year low in cattle inventory and has not seen a strike of this magnitude since the 1985 Hormel strike, which lasted more than a year and saw the National Guard deployed to protect scabs. The Industry That Built Industrial Unionism The industry didn’t always look like this. At the turn of the twentieth century, the slaughterhouses clustered around Chicago’s Union Stock Yards were among the most notoriously brutal workplaces in the country. At their peak in the early twentieth century, millions of cattle and hogs passed through the yards every year, moving through a dense network of pens, chutes, and slaughterhouses that supplied meat to much of the country. Inside the plants, workers spent long shifts cutting, hauling, and processing animals at relentless speed, often on floors slick with blood and fat. Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle made those conditions famous, though Sinclair later joked he had aimed for readers’ hearts and instead “hit them in the stomach.” The book helped spark outrage over food safety, but it also captured defining characteristics of the labor itself: the pace, the danger, and the sense that workers were being used up as quickly as the animals moving down the line. The early struggles to build interracial solidarity in those plants were later dramatized in The Killing Floor, Bill Duke’s 1984 film depicting organizing drives among black migrants and immigrant workers in Chicago’s stockyards during World War I. Those same workplaces later became a major site of industrial unionism. In the late 1930s and early ’40s, packinghouse workers across the Midwest organized under the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The effort culminated in the creation of the United Packinghouse Workers of America in 1943, which won higher wages and safer conditions — and pushed unusually hard, for the time, on racial equality inside the labor movement. For a few decades, that organizing reshaped the industry. Meatpacking jobs were still dangerous, but union contracts made them comparatively stable industrial work that could support a family without a college degree. Decades later, the industry still revolved around enormous plants. What changed was where those plants were built and which corporations owned them. How the Industry Was Remade Beginning in the 1970s and accelerating in the 1980s, companies moved meatpacking plants away from union strongholds like Chicago and into smaller towns across the Great Plains and Mountain West. Today many of the country’s largest plants sit in places most Americans will never visit: towns in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, or Iowa where the plant dominates the local economy. The shift helped companies weaken unions by relocating production to rural areas where labor markets were smaller and by increasingly recruiting immigrant workers who often had fewer protections and less job security. The Colorado Sun notes that as many as fifty-seven languages are spoken among workers at the Greeley plant, which has long recruited immigrants from countries including Somalia and Eritrea. “We have people from all over the world,” Rodarte said. “Even when we don’t understand each other’s language, we try.” Union officials say that diversity shapes the organizing at the plant too: many workers arrived in the United States through refugee or asylum programs and support families both in Colorado and in their home countries. UFCW Local 7’s Cordova said that companies in the industry have long counted on a workforce vulnerable enough to accept conditions other workers might refuse. “We have never had a labor dispute at this plant,” Cordova, who was a union organizer when the plant workers first unionized in the early 1990s, told the Guardian. “The industry hasn’t had a labor dispute for a very long time, and it’s because they hire a very vulnerable workforce and the expectations are they keep their head down. They’re doing the work no one in this country wants to do.” “Some people are scared, because we’ve never been through this before,” Rodarte said. “The emotions are everywhere, but people are ready.” What those workers are confronting is not just a single employer but an entire industry organized around a handful of enormous companies. The industry that emerged from that restructuring is far more centralized. A handful of corporations — including JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill, and National Beef — now dominate American beef processing, together controlling most US cattle slaughter. The Work Is Still Brutal Inside those plants, the work has changed little. Meatpacking jobs remain among the most dangerous in American manufacturing. One Government Accountability Office report found that injury and illness rates in meat and poultry plants consistently exceed the average for US manufacturing, with repetitive motion and fast line speeds driving high rates of musculoskeletal injuries. Workers spend hours repeating the same cutting motions, lifting heavy pieces of meat, and trying to keep up with production lines that move at a punishing pace. In Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company, journalist Alice Driver describes how the repetition of the labor can follow workers home. In her reporting on poultry plants, she recounts workers whose hands continued making the same cutting motions even in their sleep — the body replaying the labor long after the shift had ended. The COVID-19 pandemic only added to the hazards. In April 2020, the Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act to keep meatpacking plants operating even as outbreaks spread through facilities. Thousands of meatpacking workers were infected in the early months of the pandemic, and the sector recorded one of the highest workplace COVID death tolls in the country. Rodarte said that faulty equipment contributes to hazards on the line. She recently injured her arm after being required to keep working with a dull knife for weeks. “I was asking and asking for it to be replaced,” she claims. “They told us there were no knives.” After continuing to work with the dull blade, she says her arm became badly swollen, requiring repeated treatment from the plant’s in-house medical staff. “When you go buy meat, think about who processed it and who cut it,” Rodarte said. “Our safety is on the line.” The companies that run these plants wield enormous economic power — and increasingly political power as well. JBS subsidiary Pilgrim’s Pride, for example, made the largest single donation to the Trump–Vance inaugural committee. But the same system that concentrates that power in a handful of corporations also concentrates thousands of workers in the same place. In Greeley, roughly 3,800 of them are now preparing to test whether they can use that concentration to their advantage. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Alex N. Press.
Drone Strikes Hit US Embassy In Baghdad, Iraq | US Iran Update
Prairieland Trial: Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted on Terrorism Charges as DOJ Targets “Antifa Cell”
A jury in Texas has convicted eight people in the first federal anti-terror case since the Trump administration declared “antifa” a terror group. Nine defendants alleged to be members of an “antifa terror cell” stood tr...
A jury in Texas has convicted eight people in the first federal anti-terror case since the Trump administration declared “antifa” a terror group. Nine defendants alleged to be members of an “antifa terror cell” stood trial on federal and state charges including rioting, using explosives and attempted murder. The charges stemmed from their attendance at an anti-ICE protest outside the Prairieland ICE jail on July 4, during which fireworks were set off and a police officer was shot and wounded. Eight protesters now face at least 15 years in jail. Their legal teams plan to appeal. “The antifa of it all, from my perspective, was purely political,” says one of the defendants’ attorneys, Xavier de Janon, who joins Democracy Now! to break down the case. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Cuba’s electrical grid has collapsed. The island-wide blackout comes amid a harsh U.S. oil blockade and recent comments from President Donald Trump that he wants to “take” Cuba. No oil shipments have reached the country, loca...
Cuba’s electrical grid has collapsed. The island-wide blackout comes amid a harsh U.S. oil blockade and recent comments from President Donald Trump that he wants to “take” Cuba. No oil shipments have reached the country, located just south of Florida, in three months, compounding a humanitarian crisis caused by decades of severe U.S. sanctions. “Sanctions are literally killing people right now,” says Cuban journalist Daniel Montero, speaking from Havana. “We understand what this oil embargo means, and [what] sanctions have always meant. This is regime change through starvation.” Historian Sara Kozameh, who recently returned from Cuba, adds, “Cubans have fought for sovereignty many, many times. And they’re not going to just sort of lie there while this is happening.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Ground Invasion of Iran Could Be “Suicide Mission” for U.S.: Ex-Army Intelligence Analyst
We get an analysis of the Trump administration’s Iran war strategy from former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Harrison Mann. “From day two of this war, the Trump administration has not known what to do and how to get out of this,&#...
We get an analysis of the Trump administration’s Iran war strategy from former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Harrison Mann. “From day two of this war, the Trump administration has not known what to do and how to get out of this,” says Mann, who resigned from the U.S. Army’s Defense Intelligence Agency in 2024 over the Biden administration’s policy in Gaza. As Trump is rumored to be eyeing the oil export hub of Kharg Island for seizure, Mann gives his assessment of a potential ground invasion of Iran. “Any attempt to seize this island would be close to a suicide mission,” he says. While U.S. leaders struggle to respond to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on military bases in U.S.-allied Gulf states, Mann notes that “the people who drove [Trump] into this war pretty much expected this. I don’t think this is a surprise to Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio or Benjamin Netanyahu — who is very much getting what he wanted, which is dragging the U.S. into what he hopes will be a decisive war of annihilation against Iran.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Israel Says It Has Assassinated Iran’s Security Chief, Ali Larijani, Known for Negotiating with the West
How long will the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran last? Regime change in Iran will not be as “easy and quick” as U.S. warmongers may have initially believed, says Iranian American political analyst Trita Parsi. Israel claims that it has s...
How long will the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran last? Regime change in Iran will not be as “easy and quick” as U.S. warmongers may have initially believed, says Iranian American political analyst Trita Parsi. Israel claims that it has successfully assassinated Iran’s powerful security chief Ali Larijani, who Parsi says could have played a role in future ceasefire negotiations. “The Israelis have fought so hard to get the United States to go into a full-scale war with Iran for more than 20 years,” says Parsi. “It is in their interest to prolong this war as long as they can, and kill off any potential off-ramps that Trump may be looking for.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Israel Says It Killed Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani and Commander of Basij Paramilitaries, Iran Says Infant, Toddler, Mother and Grandmother Among Latest Victims of U.S.-Israeli Strikes, Rocket from Lebanon Injures 7 in Northern Israel as Iranian Drone Damages Jerusalem Holy Sites, Baghdad’s Green Zone, UAE Oil Field Among Mideast Sites Hit by Iranian Drones, Israel’s Attacks on Lebanon Have Driven More Than 1 Million from Their Homes, U.S. Allies Refuse Trump’s Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz, Jared Kushner Seeks $5 Billion for Private Equity Firm While Serving as Mideast Negotiator, Leqaa Kordia Released from ICE Jail After More Than a Year in Custody, Federal Judge Blocks RFK Jr.'s Changes to Childhood Vaccinations, Cuba's National Electricity Grid Collapses as Trump Says It Would Be a “Big Honor” to “Take” Cuba, Afghanistan Says Pakistan Airstrike on Kabul Killed Over 400, Trump Admin Approves BP’s $5 Billion Drilling Project Off Louisiana Coast, Voters in Illinois Head to the Polls for Primary Elections
Israel Says It Killed Iran's Security Chief Ali Larijani and Commander of Basij Paramilitaries Iran Says Infant, Toddler, Mother and Grandmother Among Latest Victims of U.S.-Israeli Strikes Rocket from Lebanon Injures 7 in Northern Israel as Iranian Drone Damages Jerusalem Holy Sites Baghdad's Green Zone, UAE Oil Field Among Mideast Sites Hit by Iranian Drones Israel's Attacks on Lebanon Have Driven More Than 1 Million from Their Homes U.S. Allies Refuse Trump's Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz Jared Kushner Seeks $5 Billion for Private Equity Firm While Serving as Mideast Negotiator Leqaa Kordia Released from ICE Jail After More Than a Year in Custody Federal Judge Blocks RFK Jr.'s Changes to Childhood Vaccinations Cuba's National Electricity Grid Collapses as Trump Says It Would Be a "Big Honor" to "Take" Cuba Afghanistan Says Pakistan Airstrike on Kabul Killed Over 400 Trump Admin Approves BP's $5 Billion Drilling Project Off Louisiana Coast Voters in Illinois Head to the Polls for Primary Elections This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Headlines for March 17, 2026; Israel Says It Has Assassinated Iran’s Security Chief, Ali Larijani, Known for Negotiating with the West; Ground Invasion of Iran Could Be “Suicide Mission” for U.S.: Ex-Army Intelligence Analyst; Report from Havana as Trump Threatens to “Take” Cuba & Pushes for Ouster of Cuban Leader; Prairieland Trial: Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted on Terrorism Charges as DOJ Targets “Antifa Cell”
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Tuesday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD
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Oil Regulators Found Hundreds of Wells Violating Oklahoma Rules. Then They Ignored Their Findings.
The post Oil Regulators Found Hundreds of Wells Violating Oklahoma Rules. Then They Ignored Their Findings. appeared first on ProPublica.
Five years ago, Oklahoma oil regulators took on a project with an impressive name: the Source of Truth. State officials wanted a comprehensive database capturing all vital information about the more than 11,000 wells in Oklahoma that shoot the toxic byproduct of oil production back underground. I’d heard about this project from several people during the 18 months I had spent reporting on the growing number of cases where oilfield wastewater blasted out of old wells, known as purges, after being injected underground at high pressures. State employees also referenced the project in internal communications that I received after filing nearly a dozen public records requests to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry. Just before the new year, the Source of Truth itself landed in my inbox in response to an unrelated records request. And it was explosive, revealing a pattern of rule violations by oil and gas companies that state regulators allowed to continue. The project was supposed to clean up or fix state data regarding how much wastewater was being injected and the pressures at which it was being pushed underground. The agency’s databases, many of which were based on decades-old paper records, were riddled with contradictory or missing information. In many cases, the agency failed to update its records. More than 1,300 errors were identified. But the Source of Truth found more than just messy data. It also allowed regulators to pinpoint nearly 600 wells that were operating illegally: injecting wastewater above their permitted pressures or volumes. Excessively high injection pressures and volumes can lead to purges and groundwater pollution. That wasn’t all. The report also showed that regulators had allowed more than 1,400 other older injection wells to operate for decades without any limits whatsoever on injection pressures or volumes — grandfathered in from an earlier era of permissive oversight. In the course of my reporting on oil and gas pollution in Oklahoma, I’ve uncovered systemic underregulation by the state — as well as a few crucial fork-in-the-road moments, instances when state regulators could have taken action to bring the industry into compliance with their own rules. The completion of the Source of Truth was one of them. With this report, the agency had in hand an extensive list of potentially problematic wells that were either injecting above legal limits — or lacked limits entirely. These wells accounted for nearly a fifth of the active injection wells in the state. They warranted scrutiny, my agency sources told me. But after the report was completed, in 2021, regulators did not act on its findings. They did not make oil and gas operators comply with the injection limits on their permits or establish limits on older wells to bring them up to modern standards, agency employees said. They never made the report accessible to the wider agency staff, according to my agency sources and internal documents. In the meantime, the number of oilfield purges grew steadily, from about a dozen in 2020 to more than 150 over the next five years, according to a Frontier and ProPublica analysis of pollution complaints submitted to the agency. As agency employees investigated these pollution events, they identified plenty of problematic wells that, unbeknownst to many of them, had already been flagged in the Source of Truth. “The Oklahoma Corporation Commission looked into using the Source of Truth database in the past and elected not to use this form of data collection,” said Jack Money, an agency spokesperson, without saying why. Money did not say why regulators did not force oil companies to comply with the limits they had agreed to, why the agency chose not to establish limits on the older wells or why it did not share the Source of Truth widely. He did not respond to follow-up questions. Injecting Without Limits The core problem identified by the Source of Truth dates back to 1981, when Oklahoma applied to take over regulation of oil and gas injection operations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Purges often occur at abandoned, unplugged oil wells as a result of high-pressure injection. Obtained by ProPublica and The Frontier Before the feds would agree to hand over control, the state had to prove that its regulations would protect groundwater as required by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The 1974 law created basic standards for regulating underground injection. This meant big changes in Oklahoma. For decades, the state had routinely approved parcels of land for drilling, along with groups of injection wells that help produce oil. This type of injection well takes wastewater after it has been separated from oil and shoots it back underground to push more petroleum to the surface — a technique known as waterflooding. The state proposed approving every injection well individually, setting a maximum pressure and volume for each one to “prevent contamination of freshwater,” according to Oklahoma’s application to the EPA. Setting such limits would help ensure that the injected wastewater would not fracture the rock surrounding the well and pollute groundwater. Oklahoma won the EPA’s approval, becoming one of the first states to gain direct control of underground oil and gas injection. Today, more than 30 states have authority over regulation of underground injection for oil and gas. Oklahoma did not retroactively apply its new standards. And the EPA never forced it to. Thousands of existing wells were allowed to continue injecting with no volume or pressure limits. Federal regulators’ hands appear to be tied by the language of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which allows injection without limits to continue for “the life of the well,” according to Joseph Robledo, a spokesperson for the EPA regional office that oversees Oklahoma. “EPA acknowledges that because oil and gas activity began in Oklahoma long before the establishment of federal [underground injection] regulations, many wells in Oklahoma do not meet modern standards,” Robledo wrote in an email. He said Oklahoma has taken steps to modernize its oil and gas inventory and submits regular reports to the EPA. But my reporting shows that state regulators have not directly addressed the issue of wells without injection limits. I consulted more than a half dozen experts in oil and gas injection, including lawyers, about these wells operating under outdated standards. None had any idea that so many of Oklahoma’s injection wells had been grandfathered in and were not abiding by volume and pressure limits. Several noted, though, that the federal law is unclear on what state regulators were allowed — or required — to do; the Safe Drinking Water Act prohibited states from interfering with oil and gas operations that existed prior to the law’s passage — unless the operations endangered drinking water. Because the state never investigated these wells, no one can say for certain whether they do, in fact, threaten drinking water. But my reporting shows that excessively high injection pressures and volumes have caused mass pollution in Oklahoma. The most recent state data indicates that 88% of the 1,400 wells found by the Source of Truth to have no pressure or volume limits are listed as active, injecting over a hundred million gallons of wastewater beneath the ground last year. Establishing pressure and volume limits for each of these wells would’ve been a huge task, requiring regulators to approve new permits for each one. Nevertheless, experts say that responsible regulation of underground injection requires, at a basic level, knowing how much — and with how much force — water is being pushed underground. “Pressure and volume limits are key to ensure that injection wells aren’t, first and foremost, endangering groundwater, but also to prevent bad outcomes like earthquakes and purges,” Adam Peltz, an attorney who directs the energy office for the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy nonprofit, told me. Problematic Wells Near Purges In the years since the Source of Truth was completed, purges multiplied across the state, with toxic wastewater gushing to the surface, polluting farmland and water sources. One especially bad series of purges occurred in a rural stretch of Carter County in south central Oklahoma. Huge volumes of wastewater poured from the ground for months at a time starting in 2021. In an August 2022 internal email chain discussing the response to the ongoing wastewater eruptions, one environmental supervisor pointed out that the Source of Truth could have been “a tremendous help” to his team as they evaluated the injection wells near the purges — but they did not have access to it. After I got the Source of Truth documents, I checked to see if wells that it flagged as problematic were later identified by the agency to be located near purges in recent years. There were at least 30 matches. If the agency had proactively investigated the problem wells to see if wastewater was spreading widely belowground, it may have been able to identify several oilfields where overpressurized injection would later cause purges. In theory, the EPA could still force Oklahoma to improve its regulation of oil and gas injection, if federal officials found that its wells were systematically threatening groundwater. There is some precedent for this, but it’s rare. In California, federal officials helped conduct an audit of the state’s oilfield wastewater injection policies in 2011 and found that it had failed to properly protect aquifers. State and federal officials subsequently created a plan to overhaul California’s underground injection regulations. No state has ever had its oversight of oil and gas injection revoked. Similar scrutiny is unlikely in Oklahoma under President Donald Trump, whose EPA is radically loosening regulations on industry. Robledo, the EPA spokesperson, noted in an email that there are some circumstances that would require Oklahoma to place limits on these old wells, including when they are contaminating drinking water or violating other state rules. But state regulators would not know if these wells are contaminating drinking water if they do not investigate them. I asked state regulators whether they would address the many wells still injecting under outdated regulations, a situation created four decades ago and highlighted by the Source of Truth. They did not answer. Help Us Report on the Impact of Oil Field Waste in Oklahoma Toxic wastewater from oil fields keeps pouring out of the ground in Oklahoma. For years, residents have filed complaints and struggled to find solutions. We need your help to understand the full scale of the problem. Share Your Experience The post Oil Regulators Found Hundreds of Wells Violating Oklahoma Rules. Then They Ignored Their Findings. appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Nick Bowlin.
How Ann Arbor, Michigan, is creating its own clean energy utility
Investor-owned utilities have been slow to ditch oil and gas. The city of Ann Arbor plans to boost access to renewables through a new dual-service model.
When Krystal Steward started knocking on her neighbors’ doors in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2021, to discuss energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades, she was met with a lot of blank stares. She was new to the issues herself, she said. But the longtime social worker kept at her new job doing outreach for Community Action Network, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving under-resourced communities. She slowly started getting people in her neighborhood to take part first in home energy assessments, then a city program to swap out appliances, make structural fixes, and more. “In the beginning it was kind of hard — a lot of people were reluctant. If someone is knocking on your door and telling you they can fix up your home for free, most people don’t believe that,” Steward said. But, she added, “Once one person tried it out, they’d tell their neighbors, and others would jump on board.” Now the neighborhood, Bryant, is set to pilot a first-in-the-country program that officials hope will speed the city’s transition to renewables — and offer a new model for how local governments can control their energy future. The idea is technical, but has sparked enthusiasm across Bryant and Ann Arbor: a new city-created Sustainable Energy Utility, known colloquially as the SEU. Rather than replacing the privately-owned utility that serves Ann Arbor, the plan is for this city agency to run in tandem, offering a supplemental service that residents can opt into. If they do, they’ll stay connected to the regular grid, but will be outfitted with solar panels, battery backup systems, or other infrastructure, drawing on that power for their home use and opening up the prospect of selling any excess. The city, meanwhile, would pay for the installation and maintenance of these systems, which Ann Arbor would continue to own — a vision of energy generation and storage distributed across the city. The plan begins in the coming months in Bryant, a 1970s-era community with about 260 homes, many of which are officially considered “energy burdened.” A quarter of residents pay more than a third of their incomes on utilities, in a neighborhood that is one of Ann Arbor’s only areas of unsubsidized affordable housing, according to Derrick Miller, Community Action Network’s executive director. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=2048 2048w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Solar-panel-install-with-CAN.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="Two women stand smiling in front of a house with solar panels on its roof" data-caption="Krystal Steward, right, stands with a resident in Ann Arbor’s Bryant neighborhood who had solar panels installed on her home in 2022. " data-credit="Community Action Network"/> Krystal Steward, right, stands with a resident in Ann Arbor’s Bryant neighborhood who had solar panels installed on her home in 2022. Community Action Network The SEU is a major step in a yearslong process to address Bryant’s energy affordability and sustainability concerns — and then expand the approach across the city. “When we started having a conversation about how to decarbonize the neighborhood about four years ago, it felt outlandish. Now, it doesn’t feel like anyone can stop us,” Miller said. Two parallel utilities The appeal of the SEU became clear in November 2024, when a ballot measure on the proposal was approved by nearly 80 percent of Ann Arbor voters. A little over a year later, city officials are ready to implement the vision, said SEU Executive Director Shoshannah Lenski. In late February, the city announced that it was accepting expressions of interest from residents and businesses to take part, accompanied by a flurry of community meetings, animated videos, and ads in local theater playbills. Customers who opt in will get two utility bills — one for the power supplied by these new city-owned clean energy systems, and one for any power they’re still drawing from the regular grid — which Lenski and her colleagues say will add up to less than they currently pay. “Just like customers don’t own a power plant, the city owns and finances the system upfront, and they pay for that electricity through a monthly bill,” Lenski said. She noted that the model could prove particularly helpful for renters, who often get left out of green energy incentives. Signing up large multifamily buildings will be important to quickly expand the SEU’s size, she said. In addition to installing clean energy systems at participants’ homes, the SEU could build its own microgrids, something that would set it apart from other municipal clean energy programs. For instance, the agency could install solar panels on a school to supply power when students and teachers are in the building, and that power could go to other SEU customers when classes are out. Backers say the strategy allows Ann Arbor to build out its green energy system with lower financial risk — and lower potential for political or industry pushback. “When coupled with DTE’s planned investments in clean energy, these voluntary, fee-based programs help accelerate economy-wide decarbonization while maintaining reliability and affordability,” Ryan Lowry, a spokesperson for DTE Energy, which currently supplies energy to the city, said in an email. It might seem surprising that DTE, Michigan’s largest electric utility, is supportive of the SEU. But industry experts noted that many investor-owned utilities are struggling under the unprecedented new demands for power. Having a local government try to help manage power needs could be seen as an asset, they suggested — though DTE will have no formal role in the SEU. So far, more than 1,500 people across Ann Arbor have indicated that they want to sign up. The SEU plans to serve around 100 to 150 customers in Bryant this year, expand out to reach 1,000 next year, and then grow by several thousand annually after that. A missing 40% The approach answers a question prompted when Ann Arbor adopted an ambitious climate plan in 2020. That framework included an electrical grid powered completely by renewable energy within a decade, but a city analysis in 2023 warned it was likely to miss that goal by more than 40 percent. In order to reach it, the city would need to push DTE to accelerate its renewable energy buildout, or lean on state officials to do so — or detach from DTE entirely and create a separate city-owned utility, an idea that does have some support in Ann Arbor. But from the city’s perspective, these options seemed too risky or uncertain, Lenski said — until officials realized that the Michigan constitution allows municipalities to create and run their own utility, even if there’s another present. “That’s where the idea of the SEU was born,” she said. When University of Michigan researchers compared the four options, they found the SEU model had the greatest potential to lower energy prices and emissions, boost reliability, and help low-income communities. “Overall, it came down to having some benefits of local control without some of the costs,” said Mike Shriberg, a professor who led the research, noting a similar model should be possible in every state. Still, some worry the strategy does not go far enough. Advocates who want the city to break with DTE and replace its services with a utility fully owned by Ann Arbor are seeking a November ballot measure to set that process in motion. (Organizers are currently collecting signatures.) Brian Geiringer, executive director of the advocacy group Ann Arbor for Public Power, said the SEU plan still leaves too much responsibility for the city’s energy transition with DTE. But if voters do approve creating a fully public utility, he said, it would not mean an end to the SEU: The two approaches could work together, with the SEU focused on generation within Ann Arbor, and a publicly owned utility able to make its own decisions on purchasing power. “If you draw a circle around Ann Arbor, the SEU is doing stuff inside the circle. And we’re interested in having the city control what comes in from outside of the circle,” Geiringer said. Local control Like Ann Arbor, hundreds of cities are working to implement climate goals — and running into similar gaps between ambition and practicality, especially when it comes to control over energy sources. “Cities have set these goals, and the utilities aren’t obligated to follow those,” said Matthew Popkin, manager for U.S. cities and communities at RMI, an energy think tank. “So Ann Arbor’s SEU is an example of cities taking more control of their future without dismantling or acquiring existing utility systems,” said Popkin. “That’s a really interesting model.” Other models also exist. In Washington, D.C., for instance, a program called the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility has been operating for 15 years, overseeing the city’s efforts to help residents use less energy. The initiative is far narrower than the Ann Arbor vision, functioning not as a utility but rather as an organization contracted by the city to boost energy efficiency and increase access to clean energy through subsidies and rebates. The program is a central part of the city’s goals to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, said managing director Benjamin Burdick, and has helped cut some 10 million metric tons of emissions while saving residents more than $2 billion from reduced energy use. Nationally, “the conversation that we’re hearing is around how do you continue to talk about climate with affordability,” he said. “Programs like the D.C. SEU are going to continue to be the way that we double down.” The work in Ann Arbor is now receiving its own attention across the country. “What caught my eye about Ann Arbor’s efforts were the references to citizen involvement and co-investment in their own grid,” said Jim Gilbert, a retired medical product designer in Boulder, Colorado, who is now helping the city assess the Ann Arbor model. Boulder has dealt with recent power outages due to worsening climate impacts and aging infrastructure, and Gilbert said an SEU could offer a way forward. Back in Ann Arbor, as the city prepares to launch the initial pilot of its SEU, the plan is to reach half of the Bryant neighborhood by the end of the year — and local residents are “all in,” said Krystal Steward. Older members of the community are particularly excited, she said, noting that many are on fixed incomes and will particularly benefit from lower energy bills. “It’s hard for me to keep up,” Steward said. “Now it’s not me reaching out to residents to sign up — they’re blowing up my phone.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline How Ann Arbor, Michigan, is creating its own clean energy utility on Mar 17, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Carey L. Biron.
Georgia farmers’ long wait for Helene relief is ending
The state’s biggest crops needed a special program to cover "once-in-a-generation" losses — for the second time in a decade.
Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins visited Georgia to announce the release of more than $500 million to help farmers rebuild from 2024’s Hurricane Helene. The widespread agricultural and forestry devastation from Helene cost the state’s economy about $5.5 billion, including job losses and impacts to related industries, according to the University of Georgia. The replanting, building, and equipment costs alone are estimated at $874 million. USDA has agreements for similar grants in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. Each state administers its own program, so the details and schedule vary by state. Georgia’s applications opened on March 16 and will close on April 27. “President Trump understands that farmers were so negatively impacted, and of course, we have to continue to stand by them,” Rollins told the state House of Representatives last Tuesday. “The only fault now would be us not doing our part to help Georgia’s great agricultural and forestry communities.” The money, welcome as it may be for farmers, is intended to fill a hole in the USDA’s own disaster recovery programs, which typically don’t cover some key expenses, especially replanting perennial crops like fruit or nut trees and blueberry bushes or replacing flocks lost after the storm destroyed a poultry barn. Those gaps have been particularly stark in Georgia in the wake of Helene, which did significant damage to the state’s pecan, poultry, and timber farms — several of the state’s top agricultural products. “When you think of pecans, poultry, timber — we’re the number one producer in those commodity areas,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “They are a significantly important part of our agricultural industry.” Other disaster relief funding also doesn’t pay for some critical infrastructure projects, like replacing irrigation systems that got torn up as the storm uprooted trees. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff both applauded the new program. They’ve been pushing for these funds to be released to farmers since Congress passed a $21 billion agricultural disaster relief package in late 2024. “This announcement is welcome news for the Georgia producers and farmers that have been forced to wait far too long for this desperately needed relief,” Warnock wrote in a statement. Rollins addressed the delay in her appearance at the state capitol last Tuesday, stressing that much of the funding went out within six months but that the block grants were “more complicated because you have to work state by state by state.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Close up of Donald Trump wearing a red Make America Great Again hat" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1598w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?resize=1200%2C676&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?resize=768%2C433&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?resize=1536%2C865&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2222873045.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1598" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> 4 ways Trump is sabotaging climate action around the world Anita Hofschneider, Jake Bittle, Naveena Sadasivam, & Zoya Teirstein Ad hoc programs like this one, rolled out state-by-state to cover losses that aren’t captured by the USDA’s existing safety net, are intended to cover “hopefully once-in-a-generation type events,” commissioner Harper said. But Georgia has needed them twice in the last few years: USDA funded a similar program to help Georgia farmers recover after Hurricane Michael in 2018. Nationwide, dozens of ad hoc programs have been rolled out in the last decade to help farmers survive unusual conditions, due to both weather events and market disruptions. “That in itself is, of course, indicative of a farm system and a farm safety net that’s not working, if we’re needing to pump all of this additional money into the system,” said Duncan Orlander, a policy specialist covering the farm safety net for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. In recent discussions on the federal farm bill, there has been a push to make block grants like the ones now rolling out in Georgia a more permanent disaster relief option for USDA — but that could be a mistake, Orlander said, because the intricacies of these grants mean they differ widely from state to state. Of the approved block grant programs for Hurricane Helene, for instance, Virginia already completed its application process last fall, Georgia is just starting its grants, and North Carolina’s program hasn’t opened yet. There are also existing programs that can better help farmers weather disasters, Orlander said, like whole-farm insurance that covers a farm’s overall output rather than specific crops. But the wide variation of agricultural disaster assistance is complicated and hard for farmers to understand and access, and the programs have gaps and problems of their own. “As much as we can standardize it, simplify it, make it easy for folks, I think that that will be the ultimate goal,” said Orlander. Rahul Bali contributed to this report. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Georgia farmers’ long wait for Helene relief is ending on Mar 17, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Emily Jones.
Blocking Fertilisers: The Hormuz Strait and Agricultural Shock
The closure of virtually all commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz occasioned by the Iran War is not merely a matter of oil and gas, the usual prized duo that feature in the nervous chatter of global markets. There are other less conspicuous products that have also been snared in the process. Consider fertilisers, […] The post Blocking Fertilisers: The Hormuz Strait and Agricultural Shock appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The closure of virtually all commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz occasioned by the Iran War is not merely a matter of oil and gas, the usual prized duo that feature in the nervous chatter of global markets. There are other less conspicuous products that have also been snared in the process. Consider fertilisers, with a supply shock that may well push prices beyond the 2022 peak following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Given their role in agriculture, another, less publicised shock arising from this prolonged war is in the offing. Prices, at this writing, are already biting. Egyptian urea prices have risen by 25%, reaching $625 per metric tonne, up from $484 to $490 between February 17 and February 23. The North Dakota State University’s Agricultural Trade Monitor may not make scintillating reading, but it is of sufficient interest to note that the Gulf accounts for some 43% of seaborne urea exports, approximately 44% of seaborne sulphur, over a quarter of traded ammonia and far from negligible quantities of phosphates. The effect of the illegal war commenced by the US and Israel on February 28 had immediate effects. “Within the first week of the crisis, major Gulf producers began declaring force majeure and reducing operations across urea, ammonia, and sulfur.” In their March report, the authors note that, unlike 2022, when Russian fertilizers were rerouted, “limited alternative routes” present themselves with a closed Strait. Risks for the US could be identified in urea, MAP (Mono-Ammonium Phosphate), and DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) fertilizers. Serious risks present themselves to such heavily reliant fertilizer importers as Brazil, given its reliance on nitrogen and phosphate. The country imports over 80% of its fertilisers. “The Hormuz closure simultaneously removes direct Gulf supply to Brazil and constrains Morocco’s ability to substitute for it.” This also involves the Chinese market, which, while self-sufficient in many respects, still relies on Brazil, which in turn is highly dependent on urea from the Middle East. Both need the fertilisers to grow soybeans which are consumed by livestock such as pigs and cows. India is also a country most conspicuously vulnerable. It is the largest importer of DAP imports, accounting for 28.7% of the international market. Much to its misfortune, its major suppliers – consider Saudi Arabia (24%) and Morocco (22%) – face the problem of maritime access via Hormuz and the Red Sea. Similarly with urea, India imports about $2.2 billion worth, accounting for 7.2% of global imports and 20-25% of domestic needs. Again, major suppliers such as Oman (15%) and Saudi Arabia (9.5%) find themselves in the zone of conflict and supply. Given that the country has 30 urea manufacturing plants that require natural gas or naphtha feedstock, disruptions in LNG supply will drive up production costs and is already reducing capacity. The continued closure of the Strait would also restrict the supply of global sulphur “raising costs for phosphate producers in China, Morocco, and Indonesia, countries that depend on Gulf sulfur such as feedstock, and constraining global phosphate supply at a time when alternative sources are already limited.” The cascading effects of this fertiliser choke in Hormuz lies, not only in the closure that restricts Gulf product from making it to markets. It means that fertiliser producers are unable to exploit vital ingredients. Take, for instance, the case of Egypt’s urea plants: the natural gas supply upon which the country’s fertiliser production requires was cut off with Israel shutting down offshore gas fields. (This will necessitate diving into the ever-dearer LNG market.) With natural gas supplies from Qatar severed, fertilizer firms in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan have begun to cease production. If the Trump administration thought it could be spared domestic grievances on the agricultural front, the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation sought to disabuse him. In a March 9 letter of praise and sorrow to President Donald Trump, Zippy Duvall reminded him that global fertiliser markets, like oil, were “highly vulnerable to disruptions in maritime transit routes, especially through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for key fertilizer materials and finished fertilizer.” The halt of energy production in the Middle East would also “affect the price and availability of many downstream products farmers depend upon.” Such shocks in the supply chain would push “already record-high input prices even higher at a time when farm margins are already extremely tight and many farmers are under water.” Duvall, filled with vim, went on to urge the President to “use your authority to take proactive steps to safeguard fertilizer supply chains and reduce the risk of market disruptions that could threaten American agriculture.” These included, among several recommendations, deploying the US Navy to shield maritime suppliers of fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz (the improbability and feasibility of this does not seem to have dawned on Duvall), providing insurance coverage, ensuring appropriate domestic port, rail and barge capacity “to expeditiously deliver fertilizer inputs to rural America” in timely fashion and using Presidential power “suspend countervailing duties on imported fertilizer products to moderate price increases” on a temporary basis. The historian Adam Tooze makes the essential point that, if you want to schedule conflict, do it so as to avoid clashes with the agricultural cycle. By disrupting the cycle and causing a rise in staples, food security is imperilled and social unrest is sown. It is abundantly clear that the planners behind the war on Iran have shown themselves both contemptible and inept in appreciating that fact. The consequences will be borne globally, and international disorder in agriculture and food is in the making. Truly, a crime against peace. The post Blocking Fertilisers: The Hormuz Strait and Agricultural Shock appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.
Filmmaker Arielle Knight on making work that cuts through the noise
How do you make room for play and getting in touch with your inner child in your creative process?
How do you make room for play and getting in touch with your inner child in your creative process? In general, I am someone who is very childlike. I thought that I would grow out of it. But I understand the beauty of being playful and incorporating play into our adult lives. The way that I do that is mostly getting out into nature and being curious, because that’s when I feel the most connected to my child self. Were you creative as a child yourself? My mom is always threatening to throw my stuff away. Finally, the last time I went home, there was a box of my stuff waiting at my door. I was going through all of my things–journals, doodles, whatever from when I was a kid. I found something that actually said, “I’m going to be a screenwriter.” It must have been from some time around middle school. I don’t even know that I knew what a screenwriter was at that time, to be honest. I must have heard that somewhere. I didn’t say “writer.” I said “screenwriter”. I never wrote scripts when I was a kid. But I was always writing and spent a lot of time in the imaginative space. Low-key, I was always just in my own head telling weird little stories. Do you remember any of those moments where you really felt like you were in that imaginative space? I remember climbing trees a lot when I was young. I would climb trees and then just stay up there for a long time. I don’t remember many specific stories, but I spent a lot of time imagining what it would be like to be something other than a human, to be something like a bird. You know what I mean? I think I was interested in what it felt like to spend long periods of time in a different relationship to the human perspective. So I just was up in the trees like a little weirdo. Some people feel drawn to film, citing that it’s the amalgamation of a lot of different art forms. Why did you gravitate towards the medium of film? I’m now starting to think about [film] like that as I’m exploring more hybridity in my work. I sort of came up as a somewhat pure documentary filmmaker, always dealing with something rooted in reality. More than a creative artistic medium with endless possibilities, I see film as a “communication-imagination” medium, meaning it feels like one of the few ways that I can still reach people who may have really different life experiences or perspectives. Images are still one of the ways that we can affect people on an emotional level that transcends all the other bullshit, maybe because it touches so many different sensory experiences. I am interested in art that has the ability to cut through the noise, the bullshit, and the skepticism, and makes people feel things. Do you feel like you are someone that has always had a fairly easy time romanticizing life or finding beauty in mundane, everyday moments? I am somebody who lives a lot in the imaginative, romantic, and nostalgic space. I’m actually learning how to be a little more grounded in the present and in reality, just in terms of my life. In terms of my creativity, I am always making up possible realities and stories for people that I encounter. New York is a crayon box of worlds. I think that a lot of filmmakers are like that. There’s a part of doing this–making films–that is quite delusional. Everyone tells you that it’s going to be impossible. Everything indicates to you that it will in fact be an impossible road, and you still proceed ahead. I do think it requires a kind of romantic identity. How do you balance freedom to explore different themes in your work, and a curated “brand” that makes you identifiable as a filmmaker? I care about telling Black stories. But I also don’t actually think that that’s specific. You know what I mean? I think some people will think, “Oh yeah, this person is a Black filmmaker.” It’s actually a very wide canvas for me to draw on. Within that, I plan to be indefinable. My hope is that I can evade being pigeonholed, because ultimately, that’s freedom, right? None of this exists without artists with original ideas who still go into nature and touch grass. What do you see when you’re looking outwards towards the future? With The Boys and the Bees, I was really trying to practice a way of making a film that I didn’t really have the space to do on my first project: moving slowly, following curiosity, and being open to letting the thing be what it wanted it to be. With my next project, I want to push it further. I’m like, “Okay, I like to work slowly. I like to work intentionally. I like to work with people who get that and vibe with that. What else can I do?” The next project is a hybrid project. I worked with my family. It’s partially scripted and partially documentary, and that’s a new way of working for me. I want to keep exploring new ways of stretching this medium and my own capacity as a storyteller. It’s like building. I’m building a little house of creative ideas, philosophies of working, ways of seeing and making images, and learning how to be a leader. What is the easiest emotion for you to access in your storytelling? I am very empathetic and that’s the reason why I make films–hopefully creating more empathy in other people. It’s both the easiest to access and the most elusive. We’re so overexposed that creating empathy in other people through images is this shifting thing, and you have to keep trying to understand how to affect people on an emotional level. Do you think often about your audience when you’re making a short or a film? I often actually think about my family when I’m making work. In terms of storytelling, I’m drawn to more of an art house sensibility. But ultimately, I am trying to make work that my community can connect with. I don’t want to become so into what the medium can do that it becomes inaccessible to my family members. And when I say “family,” it’s sort of a metaphor for Black folks, folks who have and haven’t had an arts education. You know what I mean? I take it more as it’s like a challenge. The Boys and the Bees is a film about very revolutionary ideas. I am getting people of all shapes and colors to sit for 19 minutes with a beautiful Black family where the father is present, where nothing seriously traumatic happens, and just be in their world. That’s some radical shit. It’s not that the work has to be simpler. How do you personally find closure around a project? Starting another project is always, for me, the way that I’m able to synthesize an ending. We’re taking the energy that I put into that project and moving on to something else, and letting it inform the next thing. You also have to accept that sometimes what you get from something is just that you did it. Sometimes the closure is just: “I started something and ended something.” Arielle Knight recommends: Taking your shoes off and touching grass (particularly if you live in a city) Khalil Joseph’s blk news terms and conditions, it’s not a documentary, it is everything. Facetiming with loved ones, bring back long phone conversations, take your people with you to coffee, dinner, and a long walk. Regular Foot massages (no further context needed) Stretching–everyday This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Reina Bonta.
Woefully belatedly - but seeking hope and light - we honor the remarkable life of Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, who over six decades "stepped forward again and again and again" to fight for racial, social, economic justice for millions of the disenfranchi...
Woefully belatedly - but seeking hope and light - we honor the remarkable life of Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, who over six decades "stepped forward again and again and again" to fight for racial, social, economic justice for millions of the disenfranchised. At a moving "Homegoing," his kids offered soul-stirring tributes to the impassioned, "prophetic voice" of a man of faith who doggedly "opened doors, kicked them down when necessary, so that others were no longer locked out....You fought a good fight." Two ceremonies over two days of prayers, pride, tears, laughs, eulogies and gospel music sought in their own singular ways to celebrate the long rich life life of Jesse Jackson - pastor, activist, organizer, two-time presidential candidate, and head of an ever-evolving "rainbow coalition” of the poor and dispossessed that sought to bridge all conceivable divides. When Jackson died in February at age 84, he was hailed as "a civil rights giant," and he was. On April 4, 1968 in Memphis, the then-26-year-old aide to Martin Luther King was standing in the courtyard below the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, talking to King moments before he was shot and killed. Jackson carried on King's work in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference until 1971, when he resigned amidst leadership changes to form what became the Rainbow PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) Coalition. But his work grew ever broader, working for decades on multiple fronts for multiple social justice issues in America and around the world. He pushed for voting rights, Native rights, Palestinian rights, welfare rights, tenants' rights, prisoners' rights, women's and gay and trans rights; he led boycotts, fair wage battles, union organizing campaigns; he fought against apartheid in South Africa and helped facilitate the release of U.S. hostages in Iran. He spent years spreading the mantra, per his iconic 1972 appearance on Sesame Street with a ragtag, multi--hued bunch of kids, "I am somebody." A simple message with a big meaning, it hit its mark again and again. "When I hear the phrase 'I am somebody,'" said 13-year-old Daniel Russell-Vincent, attending the March 6 People’s Celebration with his parents, "that makes me think, 'You're going to have something to do with this world.'" That official, five-hour gathering - video here - was held at the 10,000-seat sanctuary of the House of Hope Church on Chicago’s South Side. It drew three former US presidents, white and black pols from Maxine Waters (87) to Tennessee's Justin Pearson (31), local pastors and dignitaries, the presidents of Congo and South Africa, and thousands of regular Chicagoans who skipped work, drove for hours, and stood in long lines to "show up and say what (Jesse) meant to us, and more importantly what he stood for....Every single person here has a Jesse Jackson story." "The city of Chicago shared him with the whole world," said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. "He was ours, and we were his." "This man has been here my whole life, saying, 'I got you,'" said Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas, who grew up on Chicago’s West Side. "That's what Rev. Jesse Jackson means to us in Chicago." The speeches were eloquent. Bill Clinton: "He lived a big life. He lived with his head and with his heart." Kamala Harris: "He did not waste time waiting, even when the doors in front of him were barred and bolted." Joe Biden: "Jesse kept hope alive for us." Barack Obama, with the stately oratory he draws on in moments of loss, spoke of a child of a poor single mother whose father rejected him, whose first political act was to lead seven black students into a whites-only college library, where they sat down, refused to leave and "got arrested for reading. Think about that. That's how freedom opens its doors." In the Book of Isaiah, he said, "God is looking for a messenger to guide a hardened and resistant people, and the Lord asks, 'Who shall I send?' to which Isaiah replies, 'Here I am, Lord, send me.' Send me, Jesse said, even as a young man. And the world got a little bit better." He recounted Jackson's life, from his sharecropper family to the Chicago Theological Seminary to Operation Breadbasket to, after MLK's murder, a "country weary of the idea of justice," where "a talker with his immense gifts...rose above despair, and kept that righteous flame alive." "When the poor and dispossessed needed a champion and the country needed healing, the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson stepped forward again and again and again, and said, 'Send me,'" Obama declared, "even while growing up in a world separate and unequal, a world designed to tell a child that he or she could only go so far...'I am somebody.' He was talking about everyone who was left out, everyone who was forgotten, everyone who was unseen (and) unheard. And in that sense he was expressing the very essence of what our democracy should be, the ideals at the very heart of the American experiment." Jackson also "paved the way for so many to follow." In 1984, as another child of a single mom and new college grad "with good intentions but uncertain how to serve," living in a "janky apartment" with a rabbit-eared-TV, he saw Jackson "own" his first presidential debate. Drawn to Chicago as a young organizer, he went to PUSH headquarters on Saturday mornings "to listen and learn...and when Jesse called your name, you stood up a little straighter (to) make things right." Today, "it can be hard to hope," when each day "you wake up to things you didn’t think were possible" - greed, bigotry, ignorance, cruelty - and "it's tempting to just put your head down and wait for the storm to pass." "But this man," he said, voice breaking, pointing to the coffin, "inspires us to take a harder path. He calls on us (to) be messengers of hope, to step forward and say, 'Send me'...'Cause if we don't step up, no one else will." The next day, a private, emotional "Homegoing" at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters drew local leaders, allies, friends and family to a celebration where several of Jackson's six grown kids - all at the podium, proof "he raised smart, God-fearing children" - gave searing speeches that often drew tears and amen's from the lively crowd. (Full, moving video here). Jackson had been in failing health for several years; his daughter Jacqueline, his main caregiver, thanked the thousands of doctors, nurses, cooks, Uber drivers and other caretakers who helped him through that time. His son Yusef, who now leads the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, vowed their work will continue "in his name." His eldest son Jesse Jackson Jr., seeking to tell the crowd "who my daddy was" and often weeping as he did, wove a forceful, complex tale that moved from light to darkness and back again. "We are burying our father today," he declared with feeling, before praising his father's "consistent, prophetic voice." "Who was Jesse Jackson?" he asked. "To the political class that took up most of his time, he was a stranger awaiting a return phone call, reminding (them) of the urgency of the hour." At the same time, critiquing the former day's speeches portraying his father in strictly political terms, he insisted that as a Baptist minister and man of faith "he had a tense relationship with the political order," not based on race or party but "on his unyielding advocacy for the disinherited, the damned, the dispossessed, the disrespected." As such, he demanded solutions "deeply rooted in his own Christian faith," in "his own sense of urgency," and in "the daily lives of (those) he sought to raise up...He took the ministry from Sunday morning, and he delivered it to the people.” He was also "a funny man, an enjoyable man," he noted. When he was born, his father was doing voter registration work in Selma, and was so overwhelmed by his son's birth "he almost named me Selma." But there were dark times as well: "Being Jesse has not been easy - such was the name of Jesse Jackson." A former Congressman, Jackson Jr. struggled with bipolar depression, and ended up doing time in prison after a 2013 campaign fraud conviction ended his 17-year political career. He tearfully described feeling despair "in the hole," pleading with his father to "get me outta here," and his father urging, "Hold your head up high, son." (Jackson Sr. sought a pardon from Biden, who refused it.) In his soaring, painful, heartfelt eulogy, Jackson Jr. described his father as a transformative figure who "we turned to in our lowest hours...We are better because he lived." He was echoed by his brother and U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, who in a soaring speech called their father "a miracle, a special occurrence, a force of nature (who) would not be denied." He praised "the iterations of Jesse Jackson Sr. we have seen...Born to be a nobody, he was too tall to hide, too poor to be included, too black to be respected, too bold to be ignored...Look at what the Lord has done." Above all, he said his father was not a politician but "a public servant." The measure of his humanity: "Only somebody who's been claimed by something greater than themselves can stand up for people whose names they don't even know. My father tried to help somebody, to love somebody, to let every child know he is somebody. My father wanted to make sure the world he was leaving was better than the world he was born into. He tried to make the crooked way straight." Jesse Louis Jackson was, of course, fully human. For decades, he tried mightily, and sometimes he failed. But, his son argued, "He honored the ideals of the Constitution more than any of the 25 slave-holders who signed it in their hypocrisy, and he believed in America more than America believed in itself." Calling out to his father's many mentors - Martin Luther KingJr., Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Nehru, Gandhi, Castro, all the freedom fighters - Jonathan said, "We have not forgotten, and we will keep fighting for the peacemakers, for civil rights, for equity, diversity, inclusion." Rise, Jesse, rise. Amidst the base, ghastly human dregs that now inhabit our national landscape and wield harrowing power over it, here lived a great man. May he rest in peace and power. <img alt="An attendee at the People's Celebration for the Rev. Jesse Jackson holds a program with his image" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6fde1f160582c0a222217eaad5989f9a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="d42c1" loading="lazy" src="https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/an-attendee-at-the-people-s-celebration-for-the-rev-jesse-jackson-holds-a-program-with-his-image.jpg?id=65286310&width=980"/> An attendee at the People's Celebration for the Rev. Jesse Jackson holds a program with his imagePhoto by K'Von Jackson This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Abby Zimet.
Saige England: Journalists must stand up and report with the moral courage of abolitionists
COMMENTARY: By Saige England Every week, health prevailing, I march with our Palestinian friends and their supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand. And my country is one which — under Britain — was colonised. Colonisation perpetrates injustices against indigenous people. This legacy is still felt by Indigenous people today. All around the world we must dismantle
COMMENTARY: By Saige England Every week, health prevailing, I march with our Palestinian friends and their supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand. And my country is one which — under Britain — was colonised. Colonisation perpetrates injustices against indigenous people. This legacy is still felt by Indigenous people today. All around the world we must dismantle our unfair systems. A fair system ensures that everyone has a flourishing start in life. But our systems are linked to Israel — and Israel demonstrates that colonisation is still practised. READ MORE: As Israel keeps bombing Iran, Palestinians face growing violence in West Bank Trump scolds allies over Strait of Hormuz operation; UAE closes airspace Chris Hedges: The world according to Gaza – it’s only the start War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state Other US-Israel War on Iran reports <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-123697" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Peace-poster-SE-500tall.png" alt=""No peace without justice, no justice without right to return."" width="300" height="397" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Peace-poster-SE-500tall.png 500w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Peace-poster-SE-500tall-227x300.png 227w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Peace-poster-SE-500tall-317x420.png 317w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> “No peace without justice, no justice without right to return.” Image: SE Israel headed by megalomaniacs ruling with a muscular thug army is proof that the Empire has not stopped because the Western Empire has supported this. Far too many Western journalists report from the perspective of the abuser rather than the victims. They need to ask, “what if it was my child, my wife, my mother, my brother, my grandfather, suffering like this? What if I was forced from my home?” Journalists must report from the perspective of people who are pleading for the right to breathe rather than reporting from the perspective of the landlord killing people when they resist eviction. They must use their imagination to exercise empathy in reporting. Only then will they report the truth and only then will the real narrative emerge. Colonisation unchecked Colonisation is not checked, rather it is supported by countries engaged in Empire building. Like South Africa under apartheid, Indigenous people are oppressed and if they resist they are dispensed with, in other words, exterminated. But this system is enabled rather than disabled. The rampant megalomania is enabled by the US, Britain, Germany, and other nations. Tens of thousands of children, women, and men have been robbed of life and the journalists I once worked alongside in conflict zones are complicit if they do not report this as a human rights atrocity. We — journalists — must report on the evil that is the expansion of empire and we must report on it from the perspective of the victims not the perpetrators. The extermination of Palestinians and expansion of Israel is clearly supported by the legs of the octopus — the countries that make up this Western Empire. Standing by and reporting from anything other than the perspective of the victims is akin to standing by and watching slaves being bound, gagged and shipped under the name of empire. Journalists must stand up and report with the moral courage of abolitionists. They must have the gumption to attack the rotten policies practiced in our own time. Saige England is an award-winning journalist and author of The Seasonwife, a novel exploring the brutal impacts of colonisation. She is also a contributor to Asia Pacific Report. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
War on Iran: Propaganda in overdrive as Trump’s war spirals out of control
Pacific Media Watch As the US and Israel battle to control the narrative of their war against Iran, their messaging gets harder to defend, reports Al Jazeera’s Listening Post. With the war entering its third week, the upper hand that the United States and Israel hold militarily is being countered asymmetrically by Iran which has
Pacific Media Watch As the US and Israel battle to control the narrative of their war against Iran, their messaging gets harder to defend, reports Al Jazeera’s Listening Post. With the war entering its third week, the upper hand that the United States and Israel hold militarily is being countered asymmetrically by Iran which has been targeting various economic pressure points outside of its borders. With censorship and propaganda shaping coverage on all sides, news audiences are having to navigate a confused and often misleading maze of information. Contributors: Vali Nasr – Professor, Johns Hopkins University Michael Omer-Man – Director of research for Israel-Palestine, DAWN Matt Duss – Executive vice-president, Center for International Policy (CIP) Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi – Lecturer, University of St Andrews On our radar Israeli media outlets published near-simultaneous reports, citing anonymous officials, claiming Gulf states had attacked Iran. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates quickly denied the allegations, forcing corrections. Critics say that the aim of the coverage was to suggest Gulf support for Israel and pull those states into the conflict. Tariq Nafi looks at how the episode has fuelled anger across the Arab world towards Washington and Tel Aviv. Out Of Control: An escalating war accompanied by escalating war rhetoric Video: AJ Listening Post Battlefield AI: An interview with Matt Mahmoudi Since the first attacks on Iran, the White House and Pentagon have been eager to test new military technologies. As seen previously in Gaza, AI systems appear to be playing a central role in identifying targets and guiding strikes. This raises serious ethical and accountability questions about how life-and-death decisions are being made on the battlefield. Amnesty Tech researcher and assistant professor at the University of Cambridge, Matt Mahmoudi joins The Listening Post to discuss AI-assisted warfare. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
As Israel keeps bombing Iran, Palestinians face growing violence in West Bank
Democracy Now! Democracy Now! speaks with Iranian Israeli political activist Orly Noy, editor of the Hebrew-language news site Local Call, about her recent article, “Longing for My Tehran.” “It’s been a very emotional time since the beginning of the war, not just because we are constantly running in and out of shelters,” says Noy, “but
Democracy Now! Democracy Now! speaks with Iranian Israeli political activist Orly Noy, editor of the Hebrew-language news site Local Call, about her recent article, “Longing for My Tehran.” “It’s been a very emotional time since the beginning of the war, not just because we are constantly running in and out of shelters,” says Noy, “but because this time, the footage of the bombing that I grew accustomed to seeing for over two years from the genocide in Gaza was now coming from my homeland.” Noy also comments on Israeli political support for the war on Iran, saying “the very few attempts to protest against the war were brutally crushed by the Israeli police.” Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is also increasing. “Up until now, our worry was about the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank. Now it is just about executing Palestinians, both by the army and by the settlers,” says Noy. Transcript: NERMEEN SHAIKH: This is Democracy Now!, I’m Nermeen Shaikh, with Amy Goodman. As we continue to look at the US and Israel war on Iran and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, we go now to Jerusalem, where we’re joined by Orly Noy. She’s an Iranian Israeli political activist and editor of the Hebrew-language news site Local Call. She is also the chair of B’Tselem’s executive board. Her new piece for The New York Review of Books is headlined “Longing for My Tehran.” Orly, welcome back to Democracy Now! If you could talk about this piece you’ve written and why you chose to write it now, “Longing for My Tehran”? ORLY NOY: Yeah. I mean, as you can imagine, it’s been a very emotional time since the beginning of the war, not just because we are constantly running in and out of shelters, but because this time, the footage of the bombing that I grew accustomed to seeing for over two years from the genocide in Gaza was now coming from my homeland — from my hometown, Tehran, the city where I was born and grew up in. The cries of people were in Farsi this time, which was — which hit, you know, much closer to my heart. And for me as a writer, as someone whose main tools to understand the world are words, I started writing mainly in order to make some sense of this madness, first of all, to myself. And then I was asked to publish something, so I sent this. But this was really an attempt to, you know, bring some sense into this chaos that is now our lives here. Report from Jerusalem. Video: Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: Orly, you have talked about the majority of Israelis supporting the war at the moment. But there is opposition. Can you talk about the Israeli objective, and at the same time this threat to turn Iran into Gaza and this increasing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank? ORLY NOY: Yeah, so, there is — I mean, like every circle of violence that Israel initiates, mostly against Palestinians, there is always a margin of protest and of objection. It’s not small, but it exists. This time, any attempt — the very few attempts to protest against the war were brutally crushed and dispersed by the Israeli police, which have now become almost entirely — almost like the private militia of the Minister for Homeland Security, the Kahanist Itamar Ben-Gvir. It is not against the law. It is not illegal to protest. Still it is not illegal to protest in Israel against the war. But trying to please the Kahanist minister, the police very brutally dispersed these protests almost immediately after they began. In the West Bank, the situation is beyond — I mean, it’s terrifying beyond anything that words can express. You mentioned in your opening the execution of the four members of the Bani Odeh family, including the two parents and two very young kids, in the village of Tammun. We published yesterday a heartbreaking, really disturbing, one of the most disturbing pieces I’ve edited in my entire career as a journalist, where in one of the villages in the north of the Jordan Valley, settlers gathered the entire inhabitants of this Palestinian little village in one tent and tormented them brutally, hit them, severely sexually abused one of the Palestinian men, and all the while forcing the children to watch them as they torture the older members of the community. These things have turned into almost daily events. Palestinians are now really — I mean, you know, up until now, our worry was about the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank. Now it is just about executing Palestinians, both by the army and by the settlers. This is the reality now. They are just executing Palestinians in broad daylight, and nothing is being done about it. NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, I’m afraid, Orly, we’re going to have to leave it there. Thank you so much for joining us. Orly Noy is an Iranian Israeli political activist and editor of the Hebrew-language news site Local Call. She’s also the chair of B’Tselem’s executive board. Her new piece, which we’ll link to, in The New York Review of Books is headlined “Longing for My Tehran.” Republished from Democracy Now! under a Creative Commons licence. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Pacific governments warn against panic buying as war on Iran threatens fuel supply
RNZ Pacific Pacific Island governments are urging their citizens not to panic about the supply of fuels amid the conflict in the Middle East between Israel, the United States and Iran. The conflict has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that carries around 20 percent of the world’s
RNZ Pacific Pacific Island governments are urging their citizens not to panic about the supply of fuels amid the conflict in the Middle East between Israel, the United States and Iran. The conflict has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that carries around 20 percent of the world’s oil (20 million barrels a day), by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC has warned that any ship passing through the strait would be attacked, triggering a near-total halt in vessels attempting to pass through the waterway, causing a surge in oil prices. READ MORE: Trump scolds allies over Strait of Hormuz operation; UAE closes airspace Chris Hedges: The world according to Gaza – it’s only the start War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state Other US-Israel War on Iran reports However, according to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the Strait of Hormuz is closed only to Iran’s “enemies and their allies”, the IRGC-aligned Tasnim News Agency reported. US President Donald Trump has demanded that allies send naval vessels to the Middle East to help escort ships through the strait. Pacific Islands nations get nearly all of their refined fuel from refineries in Singapore, South Korea and Japan. But roughly 80 percent of the crude oil used by these Asian refineries passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The Fiji government said on Monday that fuel supplies in the country were sufficient to meet energy needs for the next few months. “There is no need to indulge in ‘panic buying’ at the service station,” it said in a statement. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125108" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Strait-of-Hormuz-OFImag-680wide.png" alt="Leading shipping companies have suspended operations through the Strait of Hormuz " width="680" height="382" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Strait-of-Hormuz-OFImag-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Strait-of-Hormuz-OFImag-680wide-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Leading shipping companies have suspended operations through the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating Middle East crisis. Map: OFI Magazine Closely monitoring the war It added that the government was closely monitoring the US-Israel war on Iran, and meeting with local suppliers who had already secured fuel supplies. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his cabinet were meeting today “to firm-up on the plan of action for the long-term, if there is no resolution to the conflict in the near future”. Tonga’s government has also called on Tongans not to queue at petrol stations. “There is no immediate need for concern or panic buying of fuel,” the Tonga Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “We are assured by the energy sector that there is sufficient fuel available for now.” Samoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt said his government’s immediate priority was to ensure that the country had enough fuel supply to meet its needs. “What is happening . . . we can’t control, but we are working to ensure we have enough fuel for the next one or two years because we do not know what’s going to happen next,” La’auli said during a joint press conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon yesterday. Current stocks sufficient Vanuatu’s government said it has engaged with Pacific Energy, Vanuatu’s primary fuel importer and supplier, to assess potential impacts on national fuel supply. “Pacific Energy reports current stocks are sufficient to cover usual consumption, the company’s supply programme, based on a three-month rolling forecast, is secured, and no shortages are anticipated in the foreseeable future,” the Ministry of the Prime Minister in Vanuatu said in a statement. In the Solomon Islands, the country’s central bank said that while the fuel prices at the petrol stations were currently stable, “the impact of the oil price shock is expected to be felt from April 2026 onwards”. “Preliminary assessment indicates that sustained increases in global oil prices are likely to push up domestic fuel costs, thereby feeding into higher imported inflation and overall headline inflation,” the Central Bank of Solomon Islands said in a statement. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
In her new book, Molly Crabapple shares the history of the Jewish Bund.
In her new book, Molly Crabapple shares the history of the Jewish Bund. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Zach D. Roberts.
The Caregiver Who Can’t Afford Health Care
More than three million people work as home and personal caregivers, but with low wages and changes to tax credits, many of them cannot afford health insurance.
More than three million people work as home and personal caregivers, but with low wages and changes to tax credits, many of them cannot afford health insurance. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Nathalie Levey.
CPJ urges Brazilian authorities to return equipment seized from journalist in Maranhão
Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism
São Paulo, March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Brazilian authorities to end the police investigation against journalist Luís Pablo Conceição Almeida, known as Luís Pablo, and return personal equipment seized from his house on March 10 by order of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The Federal Police raided Luís...
São Paulo, March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Brazilian authorities to end the police investigation against journalist Luís Pablo Conceição Almeida, known as Luís Pablo, and return personal equipment seized from his house on March 10 by order of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The Federal Police raided Luís Pablo’s house in São Luís, the capital of Maranhão, in the northeast region, and seized a notebook and cell phones after STF Judge Flávio Dino accused the journalist of “stalking” in connection with three November 2025 blog posts alleging the misuse of an official state court vehicle by the judge’s family. “It’s outrageous that a journalist would be silenced by the country’s highest court simply for doing his job—reporting on a matter of public interest. Such an action disregards the Constitution, which protects both freedom of the press and the confidentiality of journalistic sources,” said Cristina Zahar, Latin America program coordinator. “No public official should weaponize the justice system to retaliate against critical reporting. We hope that Luís Pablo has his equipment returned promptly and without any violations.” Luís Pablo’s attorney, Marcos Alessandro Coutinho Passos Lobo, sent a petition, reviewed by CPJ, asking the Brazilian Bar Association to adopt administrative and legal measures to “immediately cease the abusive, unconstitutional, non-conventional, and illegal acts” against his client. Lobo also called for Luís Pablo’s equipment to be returned in its entirety since it contains information on sources and materials gathered for a news report on Judge Dino’s political and electoral activities in Maranhão.” On March 14, Luís Pablo confirmed he was working on the report in an interview with the independent news channel Band News. During a March 13 testimony given to the Federal Police, the journalist remained silent claiming his constitutional rights as a journalist to not disclose his sources. The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism classified the seizure as “a troubling precedent for the practice of journalism in Brazil.” Despite the investigation being under judicial secrecy, CPJ sent emails for the STF press office asking for Moraes and Dino to comment on the case but did not receive an immediate response. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
Under Pressure? Iranian Soccer Players Choose Home Instead Of Asylum
Many Iranians Fear a Prolonged War — and What Comes After
FCC Chair Brendan Carr targets news outlets
As President Donald Trump’s second term continued in 2026, his Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, took steps to punish and intimidate news outlets that have covered Trump and his administration critically. We’re documenting Carr’s e...
As President Donald Trump’s second term continued in 2026, his Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, took steps to punish and intimidate news outlets that have covered Trump and his administration critically. We’re documenting Carr’s efforts in 2026 in this regularly updated report. Also read about Carr’s efforts in 2025, and how Trump’s appointees and allies in Congress are striving to chill reporting, revoke funding, censor critical coverage and more. This article was first published on March 16, 2026. March 14, 2026 | FCC chair threatens licenses of broadcasters for Iran war coverage March 14, 2026 | FCC chair threatens licenses of broadcasters for Iran war coverage Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr on March 14, 2026, threatened broadcasters with the loss of their licenses for what he characterized as “running hoaxes and news distortions” in their accounts of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. In a social media post, Carr quoted a screenshot of a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump, in which the president alleged that The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and “other Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media” want the U.S. to lose the war with Iran. Although Trump did not mention any TV news outlets by name, Carr noted, “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.” The FCC chair then added that those broadcasters “have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.” Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as the fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they… https://t.co/7bBgnsbalw — Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) March 14, 2026 “The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves,” he continued. “It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news.” According to the FCC, while over-the-air local broadcast television stations are subject to the agency’s jurisdiction with respect to “news distortion,” newspapers are not. In a Truth Social post the next day, Trump said he was “thrilled” to see that Carr was looking into the licenses of “some of these Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic ‘News’ Organizations.” Trump added: “They get Billions of Dollars of FREE American Airwaves, and use it to perpetuate LIES, both in News and almost all of their Shows, including the Late Night Morons, who get gigantic Salaries for horrible Ratings, and never get, as I used to say in The Apprentice, ‘FIRED.’” In a March 16 statement, Anna Gomez, the FCC’s lone Democratic commissioner, noted that the agency “licenses local broadcast stations, not networks, and no licenses are up for renewal until 2028.” She added that Carr’s threats “are grounded in neither reality nor law and would not survive judicial scrutiny, just as other recent attempts by this Administration to push beyond constitutional limits have repeatedly failed in court.” “The concern over the chilling effect of these actions, however, is very real,” she said. Back to Top This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.
CPJ calls for Estefany Rodríguez’s release from ICE custody after immigration judge grants bond
Washington, D.C., March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Monday’s order to release on bond journalist Estefany Rodríguez, whose lawyers said she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without being presented a warrant and urges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release her immediately and unconditionally. On Monday, an immigration judge...
Washington, D.C., March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Monday’s order to release on bond journalist Estefany Rodríguez, whose lawyers said she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without being presented a warrant and urges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release her immediately and unconditionally. On Monday, an immigration judge ordered the journalist to be released on $10,000 bond, an unusually high amount. CPJ has led calls urging DHS and the U.S. government to guarantee due process Rodríguez’s case, including her right to face immigration proceedings while free. “We are heartened to see that Estefany Rodríguez was ordered to be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at her bond hearing but are concerned that her bond is unusually high. Her team must be allowed to pay her bond immediately and Rodríguez should be released without delay,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “The Department of Homeland Security and its affiliates are increasingly being used to police First Amendment rights, including freedom of the press. Rodríguez’s arrest is the latest example in a troubling pattern.” Rodríguez, a Spanish-language journalist, fled her native Colombia in 2021 after facing death threats in connection with her reporting. She sought asylum in the United States and was in the country legally at the time of her detention. Rodríguez has an asylum case, a pending green card application, and work authorization, according to news reports. Rodríguez’s lawyers have argued that she was in detention in relation to the exercise of her First Amendment rights, including her work as a journalist. A habeas hearing on Tuesday will determine if Rodríguez was arbitrarily detained. CPJ has documented a pattern of DHS actions that limit First Amendment rights. DHS did not immediately respond to CPJ’s emailed request for comment. In previous emails, DHS officials told CPJ that Rodríguez is “an illegal alien” and falsely stated that a pending green card application and work authorization do not give someone legal status to be in the country. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
“Mr Nobody Against Putin” Wins Oscar; Meet the Russian Teacher in Film Who Confronts Propaganda
Any objective observer knows that the U.S. has lost the war in Iran, a war fought for Israel. It’s obvious that the U.S. had no overall plan; now it only reacts to Iranian moves and is reduced to endless, ineffective bombing and murdering school children. In one sense, we’re seeing what would have occurred if […] The post The U.S. Has Lost the War. What’s Next? appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-167787" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-300x259.webp" alt="" width="505" height="436" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-300x259.webp 300w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-1024x885.webp 1024w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map-768x664.webp 768w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Greater-Israel-Map.webp 1456w" sizes="(max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px" /> Any objective observer knows that the U.S. has lost the war in Iran, a war fought for Israel. It’s obvious that the U.S. had no overall plan; now it only reacts to Iranian moves and is reduced to endless, ineffective bombing and murdering school children. In one sense, we’re seeing what would have occurred if the 12-day war in June 2025 had gone on longer, but with one exception. This time, the Russians and Chinese have provided the satellite intelligence that allows Iran’s targeting accuracy to be vastly improved, and we’re seeing the results on a daily basis. My guess is that Trump’s military advisors are telling him that the situation is going from bad to worse, and no risk-free option remains. No doubt they’re also advising him that Iran is in the driver’s seat and there’s no way to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz. This explains Trump’s delusional threat of a “very bad future” for NATO if the Europeans don’t help out. After European leaders rebuffed his plea, Trump said: “You mean for 40 years we’re protecting you, and you don’t want to get involved in something that’s so minor?” Trump is in a terrible bind and is flailing about in search of an off-ramp. He also knows that in future negotiations to end the war, Iran will be dictating the terms. Iran is in no hurry to end the conflict, and I suspect the knock-out punch will land when Israel’s defensive capabilities are eventually depleted. (BTW, anyone caught filming the damages done to Israel faces a five-year jail sentence). This begs a critical question: How long can the Greater Israel Project be sustained if the U.S. is forced out of West Asia? Further, if Israel continues to be pounded by Tehran’s extremely potent hypersonic missiles — and also believes this is its last chance to create a failed state in Iran — will it consider the nuclear option? Would elements in the Pentagon be able and willing to halt Netanyahu? We know that Iran could respond by hitting Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor, and the resulting radioactivity would make the country uninhabitable for a thousand years. Given that eventuality, we could be looking at WWIII. Israel has between 250 and 300 nuclear warheads. The post The U.S. Has Lost the War. What’s Next? appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Gary Olson.
Paul Coates: The US is killing people in Cuba
<img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="image description: Black Literary Production: From Propaganda to Publishing. A conversation with Paul Coates about Black Classic Press. Image by Phil Glaser" data-attachment-id="342047" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/paul-coates-the-us-is-killing-people-in-cuba/img_0325" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1440" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="Paul Coates" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Black Literary Production: From Propaganda to Publishing. A conversation with Paul Coates about Black Classic Press. Image by Phil Glaser. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=780%2C439&ssl=1"> “We have a moral responsibility to join the Cuban people—people of conscience around the world, but especially Black people and people of African descent—because when [Africa] called [Cuba] came.”
<img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="image description: Black Literary Production: From Propaganda to Publishing. A conversation with Paul Coates about Black Classic Press. Image by Phil Glaser" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C864&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1152&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=1200%2C675&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=2000%2C1125&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=780%2C439&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342047" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/paul-coates-the-us-is-killing-people-in-cuba/img_0325" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1440" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Paul Coates" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Black Literary Production: From Propaganda to Publishing. A conversation with Paul Coates about Black Classic Press. Image by Phil Glaser. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0325-scaled.jpeg?fit=780%2C439&ssl=1" /> The US government is deliberately strangling the island nation of Cuba, and people are dying. At a recent event hosted in the TRNN studio in Baltimore, Maryland, legendary activist and publisher Paul Coates spoke about his recent humanitarian trip to Cuba, the suffering US sanctions are inflicting on the Cuban people, and the responsibility people of African descent have to stand in solidarity with Cuba. This clip was recorded during a March 6, 2026, event titled “Paul Coates: Black Literary Production—From Propaganda to Publishing,” hosted by TRNN in Baltimore, Maryland, and organized by Tubman House and Eddie’s Front Porch. Guests W. Paul Coates is the founder of Black Classic Press and BCP Digital Printing. Black Classic Press, established in 1978, specializes in republishing obscure and significant works by and about people of African descent. A former member of the Black Panther Party, Coates led the effort to establish the Black Panther Archives at Howard University. Additional links/info Michael Fox, Under the Shadow, TRNN: “Trump’s war on Cuba: Crisis made in the USA | Under the Shadow S2E7” Marc Steiner, The Marc Steiner Show, TRNN: “SOS: The US is manufacturing a humanitarian crisis in Cuba” Credits Producer / Videographer / Editor: Cameron Granadino Transcript The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. An updated version will be made available as soon as possible. Erica Woodland: So I know that you recently just returned from a trip to Cuba and I wanted to actually open up some space to hear about some of your insights and how some of your experiences there really fold into this conversation around how we’re archiving and lifting up our people’s revolutionary traditions. Paul Coates: So thank you for opening that up. Marc and I was just talking, I was telling him, I went to Cuba middle of last month. I came back at the end of the month, I think it was. The bottom line was probably for the first five or six days back, I cried every day. And I cried every day. It wasn’t my first trip to Cuba, I’ve been several times. But this time to see the suffering that this country, your president, and his gang is subjecting a whole country too. It’s just criminal. And I know that I will resist. I know that there are ways that I’ve figured out to resist and I will resist, but I still feel those ways are powerless. I still don’t feel a lot of power. And that’s why the emotion comes. And I’m not alone in feeling that. And I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing this, but I’m going to share it anyway. I was home and I was really feeling bad and crying, thinking about Cuba and thinking about the things I had to do to resist. What do I have to do? And I got a call … Yeah, I don’t have to name his name. I got a call from another publisher who is my elder. And he just said hi, Paul. And he said, “They’re killing him. They’re killing us in Cuba. They’re killing us in Cuba.” And he was crying as he was saying that. And so you had these two old guys sitting on beds in different cities crying and pledging that we had to do something. We have to do something. And I encourage people in this room to understand that we’ve got to do something because everything, this is like they’re doing it all over the world. Cuba’s not alone. It’s not isolated all over the world. They’re bombing. They’re doing it in our name. All of those bombs that are dropping, all the bombs that dropped in Gaza, those American made bombs, American made planes, the ones that are dropping in Iran, American made bombs, American made planes. In Cuba, they’re not bombing, but they’re really destroying the people. They’re really killing people. They’re killing infants. They’re killing people who go to the hospital with infections. It’s wrong. It’s absolutely wrong. And the thing that we have to understand is, especially for black folks, Cuba is the closest … We only have to go like 40 minutes and we’re in Africa. It’s like one of them things. It’s like 40 minutes and you’re in Africa. And I’ve felt more at home in Cuba than I have in Africa. Okay? Part of it is because so much of the tradition is preserved and you’re looking at that tradition. And when you’re looking at that tradition, you’re seeing your history, you’re seeing how we got here. And you see that one boat stopped there in Cuba and they dropped them off of the Spanish and another boat stopped in Virginia or Annapolis and they dropped us off. But we’re the same people and they’ve been able to retain. But now they’re being punished because the gangsters, Trump and his gangsters want that island, which is one of the most beautiful spaces in this hemisphere. They want it and they’re taking it. So I don’t even know where we started, where I started with this. The point is what I’m trying to say, and for now and for the record, we have a moral responsibility to join the Cuban people. And this is people of conscience around the world, but especially Black people and especially people of African descent because when [Africa] called [Cuba] came, they went into Africa and they sent 350 some odd thousand people to fight for our freedom and to fight for Nelson Mandela’s freedom. And that’s why Nelson Mandela went there first. We owe a great debt. They protected our freedom fighters. All of our freedom fighters, whether it’s Robert Williams or whether it’s down to Sada Shakur, we owe a debt and we have to pay that debt. We have to pay it back to the Cuban. When Obama wanted to exchange, y’all remember people in this room remember this? He wanted to exchange. He wanted to exchange a side of Shakur for more liberal trade in Cuba. And the Cuba said, no, we ain’t doing that. We’ll do something else, but we ain’t doing that. We’re not doing that. And even today, these moral people, these people are insistent. They don’t know how they’re going to survive, but they will survive. They’re committed to get through it. And we have a responsibility. I feel I have a responsibility. One of the things I’m doing is trying to encourage people to go down with delegations, to take people down to Cuba, because yes, it is still legal and because we can take humanitarian aid down, but more importantly, we can go there and show that we support our brothers and sisters in Cuba, that we’re there to pay the debt. And there was a hard thing going down. You know how hard things are in Cuba people? A lot of people don’t have food. They don’t have this. They don’t have that. But here’s the deal that was explained to me by the people who were there. It is better for us to go in solidarity and be in Cuba than it is for us to stay here. Like the group I went down, we were concerned. Were we going to eat the food and stuff? No. What you end up doing is when you go down, you provide employment for people because you know the tourist industry is so vital and that’s where they’re getting hit at. So you provide jobs, you provide work. While we were there, those people were employed. When we left, they were unemployed. So the people are happy to see you come down in support. The people are happy to see the solidarity that you have, and it becomes a way of resisting. And this is the part that I love. It’s a way of resisting and it’s totally legal to resist. So the Cuba thing ties in, I won’t even go with the literature and the history and all of that. The point is, for me, we owe a debt and it’s got to be paid or else I don’t know how you sleep at night without paying that kind of debt, that those people would suffer like that. Erica Woodland: And really, you’re just mapping out how interconnected everything is, right? So there’s literally no world where we can be free with what’s happening in Cuba, right? Paul Coates: Yeah. Yeah. Erica Woodland: Yeah. As people who live and benefit inside the Imperial Core, even as Black people, we have to reckon with that. That’s Paul Coates: Right. Erica Woodland: And so your clarity I think is important because there are people who say things like, “That’s not my fight. That’s none of my business.” But Cuba is our business. Paul Coates: Cuba is our business. Cuba’s our business. And all of these places, like Gaza is our business, Iran is our business, all of the places, the Congo is our business, all these places where these folks are exerting themselves and expanding and really bringing together white supremacy and white domination in a new wave of that whole thing of make America great. Again, everyone here in this room understands what that is. And the question is, I think most of the people in this room certainly are up for resisting. And we have, many people I was talking with Dick Oaks over there, Dick is saying he’s standing on a bridge, he’s standing on a bridge and got frostbite, protested it as well. So there are fighters in this room. There are people who have long histories in this room. So yeah, we all got that debt. We all got that thing. And the thing is, we’ve got to explore ways to energize the networks that are around us, the people who are around us so that our energy multiplies. So it’s not just Dick standing on that bridge, it’s his neighbor, it’s our neighbors or what have you. We’ve got to do that. If we do it in Cuba, we affect what’s happening in Iran. We affect what’s happening in Venezuela. We affect because we’re resistant in any form of resistance, any form of resistance is resistance to the whole thing. They can’t tolerate resistance. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Erica Woodland.
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 16, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 16, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 16, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
Combating Islamophobia is about overcoming bigotry, says UN chiefMiddle East war: UN human rights office condemns killing of Palestinian Killing of Palestinians condemned in Gaza and occupied West Bank
Combating Islamophobia is about overcoming bigotry, says UN chiefMiddle East war: UN human rights office condemns killing of Palestinian Killing of Palestinians condemned in Gaza and occupied West Bank This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.
Veteran Turkish journalists Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak sentenced to prison
Istanbul, March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Turkish authorities on Monday not to fight the appeals of veteran journalists Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak. An Istanbul court found Altan, the former editor-in-chief of the defunct liberal daily Taraf, and Ilıcak, a former host for the defunct Can Erzincan TV, guilty of “aiding a [terrorist] organization without being...
Istanbul, March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Turkish authorities on Monday not to fight the appeals of veteran journalists Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak. An Istanbul court found Altan, the former editor-in-chief of the defunct liberal daily Taraf, and Ilıcak, a former host for the defunct Can Erzincan TV, guilty of “aiding a [terrorist] organization without being a member” on March 13. Altan was sentenced to four years and six months and Ilıcak to three years and six months in prison. The journalists, who are accused of aiding the 2016 coup attempt, were retried after a previous related sentence of life in prison without parole was handed down in 2018. They were both released in 2019 but Altan was rearrested eight days later and kept in prison until 2021. Both currently remain free pending appeal. “Turkish journalists Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak have already spent years of their lives in prison for nothing but doing their job,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “This fact is not going to change no matter how many times they face retrials. Turkish authorities should stop fighting Altan and Ilıcak’s appeals and cease retaliating against independent reporting.” This was the third retrial for Altan and Ilıcak, whose original 2018 sentence was for “attempting, through violence and force, to disrupt and replace the order as recognized by Turkey’s Constitution.” Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals overturned this verdict in 2019 and ordered a local court to try them on charges of aiding a terrorist organization, which resulted in a sentence of 10 years and six months for Altan and one for nine years and eight months for Ilıcak later that year. The Supreme Court overturned this second verdict in 2021 over a technicality and ordered another retrial. The local court found the journalists guilty once more in 2024 with updated sentences of six years, three months, and 18 days for Altan and five years and three months for Ilıcak. The court overturned this verdict too, in 2025, which has led to this recent retrial. CPJ’s email to the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office requesting comment did not receive an immediate reply. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Hungary mayor forcibly removes Telex reporters from ruling party campaign event
Berlin, March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Hungarian authorities to swiftly investigate the forcible removal of reporters Judit Presinszky and Nóra Siteri with the news site Telex from a campaign event, and to ensure that journalists can cover election-related events without intimidation or violence. “Telex’s Judit Presinszky and Nóra Siteri being forcibly removed while...
Berlin, March 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Hungarian authorities to swiftly investigate the forcible removal of reporters Judit Presinszky and Nóra Siteri with the news site Telex from a campaign event, and to ensure that journalists can cover election-related events without intimidation or violence. “Telex’s Judit Presinszky and Nóra Siteri being forcibly removed while reporting on a public campaign event marks a new low and is a deeply worrying signal about press freedom in Hungary,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Authorities must condemn such violence, make clear that the physical obstruction of journalists has no place in an EU member state, hold those responsible to account, and guarantee that journalists can report freely in the run-up to elections.” On March 10, in the village of Csákberény in central Hungary, Mayor László Vécsei used physical force to remove Presinszky and her camera operator, Siteri, from a campaign event attended by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén ahead of the April 12 parliamentary elections. When the journalists entered the community center where the forum was about to start, the mayor grabbed Siteri’s camera to cover the lens and pushed the journalists, grabbing one of them by the arm. The incident happened after the two had interviewed local officials at the venue, including parliamentary candidate for the ruling Fidesz party Gábor Törő and Semjén. After the mayor forced them out, a member of the Polgárőrség, a nationwide network of legally recognized civilian volunteer guards, barred the journalists from re-entering the event. Telex said they have filed a criminal complaint. According to a recent report by media watchdog Mérték and the Rule of Law Lab at New York University School of Law, the government has repeatedly denied independent journalists access to public events and press conferences, especially when Prime Minister Viktor Orbán or cabinet ministers are present. In January 2025, police detained two reporters from Telex for hours outside a film studio near Budapest as they waited to question Orbán after being barred from asking questions at his yearly press conference. CPJ emailed questions to the offices of Vécsei, Semjén, and the Polgárőrség, as well as the press department of the Hungarian police, but did not receive replies. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Protesters Reportedly Attack Communist Party Office in Cuba as Energy Crisis Deepens
Tracking ICE’s Detention Machine & Opposing the Cuba Blockade
In the first half of today’s show, Eleanor Goldfield sits down with Michael and Em from Project Saltbox to discuss their work of data gathering and analysis vis a vis DHS. They discuss their ICE Warehouse Tracker tool, and how ill-prepared these sites ...
In the first half of today’s show, Eleanor Goldfield sits down with Michael and Em from Project Saltbox to discuss their work of data gathering and analysis vis a vis DHS. They discuss their ICE Warehouse Tracker tool, and how ill-prepared these sites are to house tens of thousands of people. Michael and Em also discuss what the effects would be on communities surrounding these warehouses, and how we can use data to better understand the massive planned network of disappearing people, and thereby act to stop it. The post Tracking ICE’s Detention Machine & Opposing the Cuba Blockade appeared first on Project Censored. This content originally appeared on Project Censored and was authored by Kate Horgan.
"Mr. Nobody Against Putin" Wins Oscar; Meet the Russian Teacher Who Confronts State Propaganda
Report from Jerusalem: As Israel Keeps Bombing Iran, Palestinians Face Growing Violence in West Bank
Massachusetts: Highest Court Says Charter School Must Comply With State Public-Records Law
Charter schools are privatized education arrangements that continually insist on being called “public” while routinely avoiding many public laws, standards, and requirements. Charter school operators have always wanted to be both public and private for self-serving reasons—public so that they can seize public funds and private so that they can remain unaccountable. Dr. Michael Mindzak […] The post Massachusetts: Highest Court Says Charter School Must Comply With State Public-Records Law appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img decoding="async" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/shawgi-tell-charter-school-146x300.jpg" alt="" width="146" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-162787" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/shawgi-tell-charter-school-146x300.jpg 146w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/shawgi-tell-charter-school.jpg 487w" sizes="(max-width: 146px) 100vw, 146px" />Charter schools are privatized education arrangements that continually insist on being called “public” while routinely avoiding many public laws, standards, and requirements. Charter school operators have always wanted to be both public and private for self-serving reasons—public so that they can seize public funds and private so that they can remain unaccountable. Dr. Michael Mindzak at Brock University in Canada reminds us that, “The purpose of charter schools is to foster privatization under the guise of public education.” The Network for Public Education states that, “There are so many substantive differences between charter schools and traditional public schools that charters can’t be defined as public schools.” It is thus important to reject non-stop disinformation that portrays charter schools as “public” schools. Both non-profit and for-profit charter schools are deregulated private businesses run by unelected private persons. And both engage in profiteering. Naturally, many contradictions arise when charter schools ride the “public”/”private” fence. The latest example comes from Massachusetts. According to Universal Hub (March 11, 2026), “A Malden charter school that refused to hand over records requested [at least 10 times] by members of the public without a court order got the court order today – from the state’s highest court. In its ruling on the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, the Supreme Judicial Court concluded that because charter schools in Massachusetts exist only because of an act of the legislature, an act that specifically refers to them as ‘public schools’, that makes them subject to the state’s public-records law.” Another source reports that, “In their ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court agreed with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and held that Commonwealth charter schools, including Mystic Valley, are public agencies and are therefore subject to the Public Records Law.” Of course, simply calling something “public” does not magically make it public in the proper sense of the word. Printing the word “public” before the phrase “charter school” does not automatically make a charter school public in practice. Mystic Valley Regional Charter School has maintained all along that it is not subject to the Massachusetts public records law. Charter schools often maneuver in this way because they see themselves as the private entities that they in fact are—while also reaping all the benefits that come from being labeled “public” on paper. Indeed, most private entities in the U.S. see themselves as being exempt from public transparency requirements. Not surprisingly, one of the synonyms for private is “secret.” Confusion and conflicting views and rulings arise when different authorities and jurisdictions adopt contradictory conceptions of charter schools. This happens because many courts and states interpret State Action Doctrine (which distinguishes between the public and private domains) in varying ways. To be sure, charter schools are private actors, not state (public) actors. They are not “entangled” with government (public) authority in the same way traditional public schools are. State officials play a bigger and different role in traditional public schools than they do in charter schools. This is connected to the fact that charter schools enter into a contract with the government or a government-sanctioned charter school authorizer, while no such arrangement exists between traditional public schools and the government. Traditional public schools are not contract schools; they are directly created by and constitute a political subdivision of the state. In addition, charter schools are not operated by publicly elected officials. Nor can they levy taxes like public schools can. These are some of the reasons why, according to veteran educator and writer Stan Karp, “School boards, public budgets, public policies, and public officials can be subjected to pressure and held accountable in ways that privatized charters don’t allow.” It is also important to appreciate that in the U.S. the provision of education for the past 250 years has not been restricted to something organized and monopolized by the state. Education in the U.S. has been organized and delivered by many different authorities and entities for more than two centuries. Many of these forces and entities have been private, parochial, or sectarian. That is, they lie outside state scrutiny and control. Of course, no complex modern society and economy today can survive without state-organized mass universal free education available to all. Such a state must be vested with real public authority and not be controlled by major owners of capital. A fend-for-yourself “free market” setup in education is outmoded and irresponsible, especially when it comes to modern needs and requirements. A main takeaway from all this is the need to correctly identify charter schools as private entities and to appreciate that charter schools should not have access to any public funds or facilities because these rightly belong to public schools alone. Public wealth must remain in public hands. The post Massachusetts: Highest Court Says Charter School Must Comply With State Public-Records Law appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Shawgi Tell.
There comes a moment in every age when humanity must confront the mirror it has spent centuries avoiding. That mirror does not flatter us. It reveals a species that has mastered the sciences of destruction while neglecting the simple art of living. It reveals a creature that speaks of peace while perfecting the machinery of […] The post The Age of Human Arrogance, Part IV appeared first on Dissident Voice.
There comes a moment in every age when humanity must confront the mirror it has spent centuries avoiding. That mirror does not flatter us. It reveals a species that has mastered the sciences of destruction while neglecting the simple art of living. It reveals a creature that speaks of peace while perfecting the machinery of war — a creature that claims intelligence yet behaves as though wisdom were an inconvenience. And at the center of this contradiction lies a question as old as civilization itself: why does humankind, in its restless hunger for permanence and power, continue to forge instruments of death while ignoring the fragile lives that tremble beneath their weight? Those who design the engines of war rarely pause to consider the innocent — the children who never asked for conflict, the animals who flee without understanding, the ecosystems that cannot speak but suffer all the same. The forests, the rivers, the quiet creatures of the earth bear witness to decisions they never made. They endure the consequences of ambitions that were never theirs. They carry the scars of human arrogance without ever having lifted a hand in violence. We move across this planet as though we were immortal, as though the soil beneath our feet were an infinite inheritance rather than a living home entrusted to our care. We behave as if we shall remain here forever, forgetting the truth whispered by every graveyard, every funeral procession, every fading photograph: today we are here; tomorrow we are gone. And yet, despite this fleeting existence, humanity clings to violence as if it were its birthright, as though the measure of our intelligence were the scale of our destruction. The tragedy is not merely political; it is spiritual. Every tradition of wisdom — ancient, modern, secular, and sacred — carries within it a single, thunderous command that should halt the hand of destruction: “Thou shalt not kill.” It is not a suggestion, not a metaphor, not a cultural relic. It is a universal moral boundary, a law carved into the conscience long before it was carved into stone. It is the one commandment that unites prophets, sages, philosophers, and elders across continents and centuries. And yet, in the fever of conflict, humankind treats this commandment as negotiable, bending it to ambition, fear, and pride. What does it mean for a species to forget its own mortality? It means we build monuments to ourselves while ignoring the graves we fill. It means we speak of legacy while poisoning the rivers that must sustain our descendants. It means we claim dominion over the earth while behaving like temporary guests who refuse to respect the house they inhabit. It means we imagine ourselves as gods while living with the recklessness of creatures who believe they will never be held accountable. Why does humanity refuse to give peace a chance? Perhaps because peace demands humility, and humility is the one virtue our age has forgotten. Peace requires us to see the stranger as kin, the earth as sacred, the animal as fellow creature, the future as inheritance rather than battlefield. Peace asks us to step back from the fever of conquest and remember that we are merely passing through this world — guests, not owners; custodians, not conquerors. The soil remembers every wound. The rivers remember every poison. The forests remember every fire. And the innocent — human and non-human alike — carry the scars of choices they never made. Yet still, the architects of conflict continue their work, convinced that power can outlast mortality, that dominance can secure legacy, that violence can purchase peace. But the truth remains unchanged: no empire escapes the grave, no weapon grants immortality, no war secures the soul. Only peace does that. Only the recognition of life’s sacredness — fragile, temporary, shared — can anchor a civilization worthy of its name. If humankind is to survive with dignity, it must rediscover the ancient wisdom that life is sacred, that the earth is shared, and that our time here is brief. We are travelers, not rulers. We are stewards, not sovereigns. And the world we leave behind will testify to whether we understood this truth — or ignored it. For the earth is patient, but it is not forgetful. And history is long, but it is not merciful to those who refuse to learn. Humanity stands at a threshold. One path leads deeper into the arrogance that has defined our age — the arrogance that believes violence can secure peace, that domination can secure safety, that mortality can be outrun by force. The other path leads toward humility, toward reverence, toward the recognition that life is sacred and fleeting and shared. The choice is ours, but the consequences will be borne by all who inhabit this fragile world. In the end, the question is not whether humanity is powerful. The question is whether humanity is wise. And wisdom begins with a single, humbling truth: we are mortal. We are passing through. And the world we leave behind will reveal whether we lived as though that truth mattered. Read Part I, Part II, and Part III. The post The Age of Human Arrogance, Part IV appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Sammy Attoh.
A Poisoned Politics Poisons People: All Three Branches Move to Shield Bayer/Monsanto from Liability Amid One of the Largest Cancer Litigations in American History
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Healthy soil, water, and ecosystems are the foundation of human life. The health of creation gives rise to the health of life. Powerful outside interests are using America’s treasury and public policy to advance profit-driven agendas while the health, land, and future of the American people bear the cost. The same public purse that finances […] The post A Poisoned Politics Poisons People: All Three Branches Move to Shield Bayer/Monsanto from Liability Amid One of the Largest Cancer Litigations in American History appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/9f4ab6f8-a6ff-436f-b6b5-39f78c82ea40?j=eyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/9f4ab6f8-a6ff-436f-b6b5-39f78c82ea40?j%3DeyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8&source=gmail&ust=1773709541219000&usg=AOvVaw0KBkn-FXPQ_hyVcaxWDtC-"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZL9CWJz54BpF1DznIK8MGxOazOf3qUKj6mfrT-OCYfnO1Tcv3RDfZI3JefaGtEhHgk8JemC4Mz5_kCu9cNCCpZWpm_-9HMNSntw-h5PjypnK1tpOQ_4hr_CxAQs4QUdFHhMcf7VUnPfz9De4fWrumIISHa8TcUvuYGiUYuw4awQcJX0B-1ukyKGGfnpPGGLO8Wf6lYeRQ2aPk8WBEjIzj9ApZiYfAUQpGh_qPs9hnbvI0LAkMe-C1D-_mXZxkiGvuktpUyGIza4Hk30jTNpw3IcdojAi4mnqIT0aWZ_jeYAP_DLwnSzVnl2aAricd_lRk3Jpw=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Blkw!,w_506,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93f9edbb-9734-46b6-8bc6-1953763e3884_971x1293.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="672" data-bit="iit" /> Healthy soil, water, and ecosystems are the foundation of human life. The health of creation gives rise to the health of life. Powerful outside interests are using America’s treasury and public policy to advance profit-driven agendas while the health, land, and future of the American people bear the cost. The same public purse that finances war abroad is now underwriting policies that poison the land at home. Political energy that should be confronting this system is instead being redirected into advertising, messaging, and branding, while the real decisions are made through law, regulation, and votes. While the long planned objectives of a foreign country drew America’s Department of War, the Department of State and the U.S. taxpayer’s purse into an expanding conflict across the Middle East, a foreign corporation, Bayer/Monsanto suddenly blasted onto the policy scene. In the span of three weeks, the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Legislative Branch each took major actions to shield the German corporation, Bayer/Monsanto, from liability as it stands at the center of one of the largest mass injury litigations in American history. First, President Donald Trump issued an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to secure the domestic supply of glyphosate-based herbicides and elemental phosphorus, a key industrial input used in the manufacture of agrochemicals and certain weapons systems. Bayer is currently the only domestic producer of elemental phosphorus in the United States. Second, the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court supporting Bayer in Monsanto Company v. Durnell, a case addressing whether federal pesticide law preempts state law, placing at risk claims brought by citizens harmed by glyphosate-based herbicides. Bayer traces its corporate lineage to IG Farben, the German chemical conglomerate that built facilities at Auschwitz and conducted pharmaceutical experiments on concentration camp prisoners. After the Nuremberg trials, IG Farben was dismantled and Bayer emerged as one of the companies created from its breakup. In 2018 Bayer acquired Monsanto, producer of the glyphosate herbicide Roundup. In June 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court asked the Solicitor General to provide the federal government’s view on whether it should hear Monsanto Company v. Durnell. The Justice Department responded by supporting Bayer’s argument that federal pesticide law should preempt state law claims that companies failed to warn citizens about the risks of their products. In January 2026 the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. The decision now before the Court could determine whether tens of thousands of cancer victims’ claims against Bayer/Monsanto survive or disappear. The Supreme Court receives roughly 7,000 to 8,000 petitions each year and typically agrees to hear fewer than one percent of the cases. Four Supreme Court Justices must agree to grant review and place a case on the national docket. The Roundup litigation had already moved through a lengthy legal process. Juries examined evidence. Appellate courts reviewed the verdicts. Injured citizens were exercising a long recognized right to seek redress through state tort law. Yet, four Justices chose for the nation’s highest court to take up the question at the very moment when tens of thousands of claims against Bayer remain pending. If the Court ultimately adopts Bayer’s argument, the ruling could eliminate thousands of existing Roundup cancer lawsuits and close the courthouse doors to hundreds of thousands of potential future claims. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States, meaning the legal precedent would extend far beyond the cases already filed and would shape the rights of Americans exposed to the chemical glyphosate, as well as other toxic chemicals, for decades to come. Citizens possess the right to bring claims when they believe a company’s product caused them harm. That right is the foundation of American tort law. Juries examine evidence, determine liability, and hold companies accountable when their products cause injury. Bayer’s legal strategy seeks to replace that system with federal preemption. If the Environmental Protection Agency approved the label, the company argues, injured citizens should lose the right to sue for failure to warn, even when juries find evidence of harm. If that theory prevails, the courthouse doors close not because a jury rejected the evidence, but because federal regulatory approval becomes a legal shield against accountability. The Court’s decision to hear the case could set the stage for a significant narrowing of citizens’ ability to seek redress through state tort law, raising profound questions about due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. In this respect, the stakes echo the Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which dramatically expanded the political spending rights of corporations under the First Amendment and reshaped the balance of power in American elections. Third, House Farm Bill negotiations advanced language that would strengthen pesticide preemption and shield chemical manufacturers from certain state-based liability claims. Executive action, judicial review, and legislative protection have now moved in the same direction, impairing the basic rights of people to recover damages for injuries caused by poisonous chemicals. Glyphosate sits at the center of one of the largest mass injury litigations in American history. More than 165,000 Americans have filed lawsuits alleging that exposure to Roundup and other glyphosate based herbicides caused their Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer agreed in 2020 to a settlement package worth up to $10.9 billion to resolve a large share of existing claims. Tens of thousands of cases remain pending as new litigation continues, leaving Bayer’s potential exposure in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Previously, injured citizens brought claims. Evidence was examined. Juries reached conclusions. Now, instead of allowing Americans to continue seeking legal recourse for grave harms, the federal government is moving to shield Bayer from liability. The Department of Justice argues that if the Environmental Protection Agency approved the label, injured citizens should lose the right to sue for failure to warn. The Farm Bill language now under consideration would harden that shield. Rep. Chellie Pingree described the provision plainly, warning that it would protect chemical manufacturers such as Bayer from lawsuits and preempt state and local warning label laws or usage regulations. The provision would also undercut local authority to act when federal regulators delay or defer to industry pressure. Seven states currently do not preempt local governments from regulating pesticide use. Pingree’s office warned that in Maine alone more than thirty state and local pesticide protections could be undermined by the proposed language. This matters because states carry constitutional responsibility for protecting the health and welfare of their citizens. State tort law, consumer protection law, and public health authority form the backbone of that responsibility. When federal law blocks states and municipalities from regulating pesticide exposure or pursuing accountability for harm, local governments lose the tools they rely on to protect their communities. The American farmer carries the risk while the chemical manufacturer receives the shield. The consequences extend far beyond agriculture. Physicians, nurses, oncologists, hospitals, public health officials, and health insurers should be at the forefront of this fight. Glyphosate induced Non-Hodgkin lymphoma imposes enormous costs on patients, families, medical systems, and insurers. When chemical companies are shielded from liability, those costs do not disappear. They shift to hospitals, insurance systems, families, and taxpayers. This is a public health crisis moving through the American food system and across the landscape of the American heartland. The system that produced this crisis has deep historical roots. Modern chemical agriculture arose in the context of warfare. The twentieth century chemical industry developed many of its core technologies during periods of global conflict, and after World War II chemical manufacturing capacity and scientific expertise were redirected toward agriculture. The language followed the chemistry. We declared war on weeds, war on insects, and war on fungi. Fields became battlegrounds. Industrial agriculture relies on chemicals designed to kill. Herbicides kill plants. Insecticides kill insects. Fungicides kill fungi. This is Ecocide. These compounds eliminate living organisms in the interests of industrial production. Some targets are labeled pests. Many others are casualties of unregulated industrial production. Pollinators, soil organisms, birds, aquatic life, and beneficial insects disappear from landscapes saturated with chemical inputs. Human beings live inside those same landscapes. Farmworkers, rural communities, and consumers become collateral damage in a system built to deploy lethal chemistry across millions of acres. Ecocide becomes a pathway to human suffering and disease. The mentality that accepts ecological destruction in pursuit of control resembles the mentality that accepts civilian casualties as an unavoidable cost of war. Life treated as expendable in one arena rarely remains protected in another. The American heartland must challenge a permanent war against the living systems that sustain it, and us! At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reshaping pesticide regulation in ways that benefit the chemical industry. The agency has accelerated pesticide approvals, delayed safety reporting requirements for toxic chemicals, and allowed chemicals to remain on the market while safety reviews remain incomplete. Those regulatory decisions now form the scientific basis the Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to treat as final authority on pesticide safety. At the very moment those regulatory decisions are being used in court to protect chemical manufacturers, the scientific infrastructure inside the EPA is being weakened. Last year EPA officials began dismantling the agency’s research office that provided much of the scientific foundation for chemical risk assessments. Career scientists warned that removing this office will weaken independent analysis and increase the risk of political interference in decisions about chemical safety. Congress is moving in the same direction. Separate legislation introduced by Republican lawmakers would weaken the nation’s toxic chemical laws by limiting the scientific evidence regulators can use to determine health risks and by giving industry a larger role in the chemical assessment process under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the federal law that governs chemical safety in the United States. While these proposals are not part of the Farm Bill itself, they move the regulatory system in the same direction. The scientific guardrails that once helped protect public health are being weakened, and industry influence over chemical safety decisions is expanding. In short, government policy and law are being rewritten to shield chemical companies while the public bears the risk. <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/70a49431-31bf-4089-af3a-776a6bd90846?j=eyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/70a49431-31bf-4089-af3a-776a6bd90846?j%3DeyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8&source=gmail&ust=1773709541219000&usg=AOvVaw0Q6D-4_3uq_gdxxxgZF4Wb">The revolving door between the chemical industry and federal regulators is visible. Four chemical industry lobbyists now sit in the top four posts at the EPA office that regulates chemicals and pesticides. One example is Kyle Kunkler, now a Deputy Assistant Administrator in the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, previously worked as a pesticide lobbyist for the American Soybean Association. Inside the White House, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles previously worked at Mercury Public Affairs, a lobbying firm that later registered to represent Bayer, according to U.S. Right to Know’s reporting on Bayer’s influence network in Trump’s Washington. Investigations by U.S. Right to Know document the scale of Bayer’s influence campaign in Washington. Their reporting, Tracing Bayer’s Ties to Power in Trump’s Washington, details the company’s network of lobbyists and political influence across Congress and federal agencies. According to <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/e5e120b1-f9dc-4a4f-9d77-4b33edb10c13?j=eyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/e5e120b1-f9dc-4a4f-9d77-4b33edb10c13?j%3DeyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8&source=gmail&ust=1773709541219000&usg=AOvVaw09gFvaN83TFxbXjQRyKKax">U.S. Right to Know, Bayer spent $9.19 million lobbying Washington in 2025, employing dozens of lobbyists across more than a dozen firms. The Justice Department brief supporting Bayer was signed by Deputy Solicitor General Sarah M. Harris and Assistant to the Solicitor General Aaron Z. Roper, both of whom previously worked at Williams & Connolly, the law firm that defended Monsanto in major pesticide litigation. Corporate power now operates across the three arenas that shape American law. Legislatures write the law. Regulators determine the science that informs it. Courts decide how that law is interpreted. Bayer and its allies operate in all three arenas. During the House Agriculture Committee markup of the Farm Bill, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced an amendment to strip the pesticide liability shield from the bill. Every Republican on the committee voted to keep the liability shield. Every Democrat but one voted to remove it. Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson defended his bill as bipartisan and dismissed criticism that it served industry interests as a mischaracterization of the facts. The committee ultimately approved the bill 34 to 17, with seven Democrats joining Republicans. Several members of Congress from both parties have attempted to push back against chemical industry influence. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced the bipartisan No Immunity for Glyphosate Act, which would prevent pesticide manufacturers from receiving federal liability protections tied to glyphosate. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) has warned that chemical agriculture policy now contradicts the public health goals many lawmakers claim to support, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has introduced legislation to ban the herbicide diquat. Resistance exists inside Congress. The pressure of industry lobbying remains immense. This is all the more reason why a unified movement must galvanize around issues and not political parties. Food touches on all issues and all aspects of our lives. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. helped to catalyze a movement demanding a transition away from chemical intensive agriculture and toward regenerative organic farming. I helped organize that effort and hosted the campaign’s national agriculture roundtable that brought together farmers, scientists, and food system leaders and drew more than 36,000 participants. That movement carried a clear mandate, to end chemical dependency in agriculture, restore soil health, and protect farmers and public health, and by doing that, create on farm and economic resilience. Dr. Bob Quinn, PhD in Plant Biochemistry, regenerative organic pioneer and Montana farmer, is a longtime friend and mentor. He built the internationally recognized Kamut ancient grain brand and has spent decades demonstrating that regenerative organic agriculture can succeed at scale. During Senator Roger Marshall’s MAHA soil health roundtable, and in policy recommendations delivered to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Quinn framed the issue with striking clarity. Dr. Quinn has shown through both science and practice that regenerative organic transition can restore farm profitability while building viable market pipelines for farmers. His own family farm was once operating in the red, burdened by the rising costs of chemical inputs and seed. Out of economic necessity he transitioned to organic production. That decision not only saved the farm, it helped establish the pathway he now shares with farmers across the country who seek to restore both economic independence and soil health. Dr. Quinn describes the shift away from toxic chemical agriculture toward regenerative organic systems as Pro Life agriculture. Life with a capital “L”, from the genome and the unborn child to the living soil, the farmer, and the entire ecosystem of creation. This systems perspective recognizes a simple truth: Everything is connected. The health of one part of creation determines the health of the whole. The phrase captures the moral clarity this moment demands. The foundations of life itself are being eroded at accelerating rates. The chemicals at the center of this debate are designed to kill. A policy that shields companies producing lethal chemicals from accountability cannot honestly claim to defend life. The American heartland needs Pro Life agriculture. Millions of Americans who supported this administration identify strongly as pro life. That conviction carries profound moral weight, and it demands consistency. Yet many of the same elected officials who campaign on protecting life are advancing chemical liability shields and deregulation that protect corporations while exposing farmers, families, and communities to harm. Citizens must now ask their legislators and their government a simple question: Does this policy truly protect life? Does it protect the soil, the farmer, the farmworker, the child, the patient, and the community? Is this policy truly Pro Life, with a capital L? American agriculture now operates inside a chemical dependency system engineered through decades of policy, subsidies, and corporate influence. The country should be helping agriculture enter a recovery program from chemical dependency. Farmers did not create this system alone. Recovery requires new markets, new infrastructure, crop insurance reform, transition support, and policies that reward soil health rather than chemical throughput. The power of this moment does not sit inside Washington alone. It sits with the farmers, families, physicians, and citizens who built this movement. The coming midterm elections will determine whether chemical agriculture tightens its grip on American law or whether citizens reclaim the mandate they created. Policy does not move in a vacuum. It moves in response to political pressure, public scrutiny, and the willingness of citizens to hold their representatives accountable. This moment should serve as a clear lesson in how power actually moves in Washington. Advertising may shape public narratives, but law shapes the systems that govern our food, our farms, and our health. The alignment that occurred across the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the House of Representatives shows how quickly policy can move when powerful interests are focused on shaping legislation, regulation, and potential court outcomes. If Americans want to change the direction of the food and farming system, their attention must now turn to the place where the law is still being written. That place is the United States Senate. The post A Poisoned Politics Poisons People: All Three Branches Move to Shield Bayer/Monsanto from Liability Amid One of the Largest Cancer Litigations in American History appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Elizabeth Kucinich.
Cuba’s Slow Strangulation and the Empire That Can’t Stop Squeezing
Some catastrophes arrive like explosions; others arrive like a hand on the throat that tightens, loosens just enough to keep the victim conscious, then tightens again. What is happening to Cuba now is the second kind. It is less a “crisis” than the logical endpoint of a relationship Ada Ferrer, in Cuba: An American History, […] The post Cuba’s Slow Strangulation and the Empire That Can’t Stop Squeezing appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Some catastrophes arrive like explosions; others arrive like a hand on the throat that tightens, loosens just enough to keep the victim conscious, then tightens again. What is happening to Cuba now is the second kind. It is less a “crisis” than the logical endpoint of a relationship Ada Ferrer, in Cuba: An American History, describes as “intimate, explosive, and always uneven”—a history in which the United States could never decide whether Cuba was a neighbor, a colony, or a mirror it couldn’t bear to look into. If the Iran war exposes how vulnerable the global system is at its maritime choke points, Cuba reveals something just as important: how an empire behaves when the choke point is not a strait half a world away but an island ninety miles off its own shore. It turns out that the methods are the same—sanctions, blockades, energy as weapon—but the blowback is closer, the hypocrisy starker, and the margin for error smaller. Cuba’s Fuel Blockade Future The outlines are simple and brutal. A small, import‑dependent island is strangled of fuel. Power plants shut down or limp along on residual stocks. Blackouts spread—at first rolling, then unpredictable, then so widespread that, for stretches, two‑thirds of the country sits in the dark. Refrigerators warm. Buses disappear. Flights are cancelled. Pumps stop pushing clean water uphill. Food that once moved by truck begins to rot in place. UN officials now warn that tens of thousands of cancer patients are missing treatment, nearly a million people are losing piped water when generators stop, and even humanitarian aid is stuck in port because trucks have no diesel. None of this is an accident. It is the direct consequence of a policy crafted in Washington and justified, as Ferrer might put it, in the same register that once dressed the Platt Amendment as “protection” and the Bay of Pigs as “liberation.” The embargo that has shadowed Cuba since 1960 has been tightened again and again, but the latest turn of the screw is qualitatively different. It targets the literal fuel lines of the society—shipments of oil from Venezuela, Mexico, and any other state bullied or bribed into compliance—on the explicit theory that enough darkness and scarcity will crack the Cuban government before it cracks the Cuban people. If you cared only about overthrowing a regime on a strategist’s whiteboard, you might call this efficient. If you cared about the texture of ordinary life, you would see something closer to slow‑motion warfare: a weaponization of kilowatts and kilometers that treats 11 million people as leverage. Cuba as American Project Ferrer’s book is built around a simple but devastating premise: to write the history of Cuba is to write a history of the United States from a different angle. The island has been central to American fantasies and fears since before there was a U.S. flag to fly over it. Thomas Jefferson dreamed of extending his “empire for liberty” across Florida into Cuba. John Quincy Adams compared the island to an apple that nature itself destined to fall into the Union’s hands. Southern planters saw in its sugar fields a chance to expand slavery’s domain. Long before 1898, U.S. merchants and shipowners had already plugged Cuba into a transatlantic machine: American hulls carried enslaved Africans to its plantations, American capital financed its mills, and American markets swallowed its sugar. Spain still flew its flag from Havana’s forts, but as Ferrer shows, the island’s economy and future were already wired to the north. When Cuban separatists finally rose in earnest against Spain in the late nineteenth century, they did so with a vision that would have horrified both Madrid and Washington: a multiracial republic, formally independent, with neither a king nor a plantation oligarchy at the top. The United States entered that war late, reframed it on its own terms as the Spanish‑American War, and claimed the victory. Spanish flags came down on January 1, 1899, but the flag raised in their place was not the lone‑starred Cuban banner that patriots had died for. It was the Stars and Stripes. Independence did not arrive; it was deferred and rebranded. Through the Platt Amendment, Washington claimed the right to intervene in Cuban affairs whenever it saw fit and carved out Guantánamo as a permanent military foothold. American sugar companies and banks flooded in. By the 1920s, vast stretches of cane, rail, and mill lay in U.S. hands; Havana was reshaped to serve tourists and investors, and the countryside was reorganized around seasonal labor, debt, and the volatility of a single export. Ferrer is careful not to turn this into a cartoon of passive victims and omnipotent puppeteers. Cuban elites collaborated. Cuban workers, farmers, and radicals resisted. Coups, “authentic” republics, and reformist waves all came and went. But the through‑line is unmistakable: for more than a century, the United States treated Cuba as a project—a place to discipline, develop, entertain, and extract from—not as a sovereign equal. The Revolution and the Broken Mirror The 1959 revolution shattered that arrangement but did not end the entanglement. It reversed the direction of power, even though physical proximity remained, and wealthy U.S. properties were nationalized. The Eagle vanished from monuments. Havana turned from client to antagonist almost overnight. For Washington, a socialist Cuba so close to Florida was not just a security problem; it was an insult, a refusal to accept the gravity that Adams once invoked. The Castro government, for its part, turned the island into a laboratory for post‑colonial development: literacy campaigns, agrarian reform, universal health care, an attempt—uneven, often harsh—to redistribute the fruits of modernity to people who had spent centuries picking cane for others. It did all this under permanent siege by its northern neighbor: invasion, assassination attempts, embargo, covert operations, and the constant threat of annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Ferrer’s point is not that the revolution was pure or painless. It wasn’t. But she insists that you cannot understand it, or its aftermath, without setting it against the long backdrop of occupation, sugar dependency, and thwarted independence. What happens when a people who have been alternately courted and trampled by an empire try to write a different script? Cuba is one answer. What happens when the empire can’t forgive them for it, even sixty‑plus years on? That answer is being written right now in the darkened streets of Havana. Energy as Empire’s Last Language In my Iran essays, the heart of the argument was that a civilization without slack—without spare capacity in its energy systems, soils, finance, or politics—turns every local war into a test of the whole. Cuba shows the same logic at a smaller scale. The island is almost as dependent on imported fuel as a modern industrial country, but without the buffers: no vast domestic fields, no monetary hegemony, no deep capital markets to soak up shocks. When Washington cuts off oil, it is not just pinching a budget line. It is severing the arteries that keep water moving, food chilled, buses running, and hospitals lit. Blackouts in a wealthy northern city are temporary inconveniences; blackouts in a poor, sanctioned island are existential crises. They turn vaccines into spoiled cargo, surgeries into gambles, and everyday life into a sequence of improvisations around darkness. There is a grim symmetry here. The United States, which once organized the island’s economy around sugar and steam, now organizes its suffering around kilowatts and barrels. The levers have changed, but the principle has not: control the flows, and you control the future. But the future no longer has room for such games. In a climate‑stressed, energy‑tight world, weaponizing fuel against an island is not clean geopolitics; it is a rehearsal for broader breakdown. Each tanker turned away from Havana is also a signal to every other vulnerable state about the risks of reliance, and to every other major power about the necessity of finding routes and currencies beyond Washington’s reach. Blowback, Visible and Invisible The most obvious blowback is migration. Cuba has already sent waves of exiles and migrants northward in every decade since the revolution, each crest driven by some mix of repression, economic crisis, and U.S. policy. A deliberate fuel strangulation all but guarantees new attempts by sea and land. The same politicians who demand “toughness” toward Havana will soon be standing in front of cameras insisting the border cannot cope with the human fallout of their own strategy. Then there is legitimacy. Even in a world hardened by Gaza, Yemen, and Iraq, there is something especially naked about starving an entire country of fuel. It is the kind of act that international law was supposed to name and prevent. The UN is already warning in those exact terms: of “possible humanitarian collapse,” of hospitals forced to triage care by generator hours, of aid convoys immobilized because they cannot get diesel. Each blackout in Havana is also another crack in the already fragile story of a “rules‑based order” administered from Washington. If sanctions are the empire’s favorite “non‑violent” tool, it’s because the dying happens offshore, off‑camera, and far from the people signing the orders. Finally, there is the subtler blowback Ferrer hints at when she describes how Cubans came to see 1898 not as liberation but as theft. Memory accumulates. A people who have lived through slavery, sugar dependency, occupations, revolution, and embargo are not blank slates. They carry stories about who starved them and who stood by. Every night spent in darkness because someone in an office in Washington signed an order will become another story added to that ledger. Cuba as Microcosm of Collapse Seen from a distance, the new Cuban crisis might look like a small, if tragic, side plot in a world preoccupied with larger wars. Seen from closer in, it is a concentrated version of the same themes: A global system that cannot deliver basic security and dignity without continuous extraction and coercion. An empire that reaches for the same blunt tools—blockades, sanctions, proxy pressure—even as those tools corrode the order they are meant to defend. A planet whose physical limits—of energy, climate, and ecology—turn every act of economic warfare into a ripple in a tightly coupled web. Cuba has been, for centuries, a place where big forces show their hand early: slavery, monoculture, corporate imperialism, Cold War proxy conflict, the false promise of “development” under dependency. It is not surprising that it is now an early stage for energy warfare in the age of climate breakdown. In that sense, the streets of Havana today belong in the same mental frame as tankers stalled near Hormuz or farmers in the Midwest staring at fertilizer quotes. The details differ; the structure doesn’t. A civilization that has built its comforts on other people’s precarity is discovering that the line between “over there” and “here” is dissolving. Cuba’s blackout is not separate from the slow collapse I have been mapping. It is one more facet of the same weather system: a world in which the engines of empire still turn, but with less fuel, less consent, and less time. Is there a particular outlet you’re now leaning toward for this piece? That might shape how hard we lean into explicit UN language versus keeping it at the more essayistic level. The post Cuba’s Slow Strangulation and the Empire That Can’t Stop Squeezing appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Michael Longenecker.
The Chilling Silence of Hollywood’s New McCarthyism
Despite holding one of the most powerful microphones in the world, the silence from major winners at the Oscars regarding human rights and the rise of fascism was the real star. When artists like Paul Thomas Anderson, whose film One Battle After Another swept the awards, refuse to use their power to address the very real injustices their films capitalize on, they "obey in advance." This silence is the symptom of massive corporate media consolidation. Director David Borenstein, winner of best documentary for Mr. Nobody Against Putin, used his power morally to remind us that this is how Putin cemented a dictatorship. With the looming merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and the MAGA Ellison family's Paramount Skydance, we face a future where 40% of our media is controlled by a single far-right family. If you want to know what that might look like, see what Barri Weiss is doing to CBS. See you at the Gaslit Nation Salon today at 4 PM ET. The Zoom link is live on Patreon.com/Gaslit, where you can also catch the recording of last week's session. Whether you need to vent, share best practices, or just find community, our weekly resilience gatherings are here for you. Join the movement and support the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit–we couldn't do this without you. Use the scripts below to contact Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta of California to demand they enforce existing laws to investigate, slow-down, and block the Warner Bros. deal–or there won't be anymore films like Sinners and One Battle After Another, supporting California's economy. To Governor Gavin Newsom: Phone: (916) 445-2841 | Email: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/ Socials: @GavinNewsom Script: My name is [Name] from [City]. I am calling to urge Governor Newsom to publicly oppose the Ellison takeover of Warner Bros. This merger threatens jobs and creates a dangerous media monopoly. Governor, please use your influence to protect our creative economy and information space from MAGA-aligned consolidation. To Attorney General Rob Bonta: Phone: (916) 210-6276 | Email: https://oag.ca.gov/contact/general-contact-form Socials: @AGRobBonta Script: Attorney General Bonta, Use your power to open an immediate antitrust investigation into the Warner Bros. and Paramount Skydance merger. We need you to enforce state anti-monopoly laws to prevent a single entity from controlling nearly half of our news and entertainment. Protect our markets and our speech. Join us at the Mrs. Orwell book launch on April 13 at PowerHouse Books Arena in DUMBO. Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level or higher get in free: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/ Show Notes: Elon Musk got $1 billion from Larry Ellison for his Twitter takeover https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/5/23058295/elon-musk-twitter-funding-qatar-larry-ellison Merger Madness and How to Stop It https://www.freepress.net/blog/how-to-stop-warner-bros-discovery-merger
Despite holding one of the most powerful microphones in the world, the silence from major winners at the Oscars regarding human rights and the rise of fascism was the real star. When artists like Paul Thomas Anderson, whose film One Battle After Another swept the awards, refuse to use their power to address the very real injustices their films capitalize on, they "obey in advance." This silence is the symptom of massive corporate media consolidation. Director David Borenstein, winner of best documentary for Mr. Nobody Against Putin, used his power morally to remind us that this is how Putin cemented a dictatorship. With the looming merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and the MAGA Ellison family's Paramount Skydance, we face a future where 40% of our media is controlled by a single far-right family. If you want to know what that might look like, see what Barri Weiss is doing to CBS. See you at the Gaslit Nation Salon today at 4 PM ET. The Zoom link is live on Patreon.com/Gaslit, where you can also catch the recording of last week's session. Whether you need to vent, share best practices, or just find community, our weekly resilience gatherings are here for you. Join the movement and support the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit–we couldn't do this without you. Use the scripts below to contact Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta of California to demand they enforce existing laws to investigate, slow-down, and block the Warner Bros. deal–or there won't be anymore films like Sinners and One Battle After Another, supporting California's economy. To Governor Gavin Newsom: Phone: (916) 445-2841 | Email: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/ Socials: @GavinNewsom Script: My name is [Name] from [City]. I am calling to urge Governor Newsom to publicly oppose the Ellison takeover of Warner Bros. This merger threatens jobs and creates a dangerous media monopoly. Governor, please use your influence to protect our creative economy and information space from MAGA-aligned consolidation. To Attorney General Rob Bonta: Phone: (916) 210-6276 | Email: https://oag.ca.gov/contact/general-contact-form Socials: @AGRobBonta Script: Attorney General Bonta, Use your power to open an immediate antitrust investigation into the Warner Bros. and Paramount Skydance merger. We need you to enforce state anti-monopoly laws to prevent a single entity from controlling nearly half of our news and entertainment. Protect our markets and our speech. Join us at the Mrs. Orwell book launch on April 13 at PowerHouse Books Arena in DUMBO. Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level or higher get in free: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/ Show Notes: Elon Musk got $1 billion from Larry Ellison for his Twitter takeover https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/5/23058295/elon-musk-twitter-funding-qatar-larry-ellison Merger Madness and How to Stop It https://www.freepress.net/blog/how-to-stop-warner-bros-discovery-merger This content originally appeared on Gaslit Nation and was authored by Andrea Chalupa.
"A Sense of Despair": Many Iranians Fear a Prolonged War — and What Comes After
‘Serious threat to the First Amendment’ as Trump admin wins first antifa terror charge
<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Signs supporting protesters charged with domestic terrorism over an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest are seen outside the courtroom in Fort Worth, Texas on March 11, 2026. Photo via DFW Support Committee/X" data-attachment-id="342044" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/threat-to-first-amendment-trump-admin-wins-first-antifa-terror-charge/hdizrjjaiaay6v9" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=2048%2C1536&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2048,1536" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Signs supporting protesters charged with domestic terrorism over an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest are seen outside the courtroom in Fort Worth, Texas on March 11, 2026. Photo via DFW Support Committee/X " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=780%2C585&ssl=1"> “A case like this helps the government kind of see how far they can go in criminalizing constitutionally protected protest,” one legal advocate said.
<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Signs supporting protesters charged with domestic terrorism over an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest are seen outside the courtroom in Fort Worth, Texas on March 11, 2026. Photo via DFW Support Committee/X" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?w=2048&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=2000%2C1500&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?resize=780%2C585&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342044" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/threat-to-first-amendment-trump-admin-wins-first-antifa-terror-charge/hdizrjjaiaay6v9" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=2048%2C1536&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2048,1536" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Signs supporting protesters charged with domestic terrorism over an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest are seen outside the courtroom in Fort Worth, Texas on March 11, 2026. Photo via DFW Support Committee/X " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HDIzRjJaIAAY6v9.jpeg?fit=780%2C585&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="600" height="150" data-attachment-id="268291" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/this-is-why-deregulation-is-deadly/cd_stacked_white_600" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,150" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Common Dreams Logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=300%2C75&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?fit=600%2C150&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=600%2C150&ssl=1" alt="Common Dreams Logo" class="wp-image-268291 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?resize=300%2C75&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cd_stacked_white_600.png?w=400&ssl=1 400w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /> This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Mar. 15, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license. The government has largely won its first case bringing material-support-for-terrorism charges against protesters alleged to belong to “antifa,” which President Donald Trump designated as a domestic terror group in 2025 despite the fact that no such organized group exists and the president has no legal authority to designate organizations as domestic terror groups. A federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas agreed on Friday to convict eight people of domestic terrorism because they wore all black to a protest outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas on July 4, 2025, at which one of the protesters shot and wounded a police officer. Legal experts say the verdict could bolster attempts by the administration to stifle dissent. “A case like this helps the government kind of see how far they can go in criminalizing constitutionally protected protests and also helps them kind of intimidate, increase the fear, hoping that folks in other cities then will think twice over protesting,” Suzanne Adely, interim president of the National Lawyers Guild, told The Associated Press. The administration promised it would be the first such case of many. “The US lost today with this verdict.” “Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities—not under President Trump,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Friday. “Today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.” The trial revolved around a nighttime protest at which participants planned to set off fireworks in solidarity with the around 1,000 migrants detained inside the Prarieland ICE facility. Some participants brought guns, which is legal in Texas, as The Intercept reported. Sam Levine explained in The Guardian what happened next: Shortly after arriving at the facility, two or three of the protesters broke away from the larger group and began spray painting cars in the parking lot, a guard shack, slashed the tires on a government van, and broke a security camera. Two ICE detention guards came out and told the protesters to stop. A police officer arrived on the scene shortly after and drew his weapon at one of the people allegedly doing vandalism. One of the protesters was standing in the woods with an AR-15 and hit him in the shoulder. The officer would survive. At first, the federal government charged those arrested after the event with “attempted murder of a police officer,” according to NOTUS. However, that changed after Trump’s designation of antifa as a terror group in September and the release of National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), which directs federal law enforcement to target left-leaning groups and activities. The next month, the government’s case expanded to include terrorism charges. “This wouldn’t be a terrorism case if it weren’t for that memo,” one defense lawyer told NOTUS on background. The prosecution argued that the fact that the protesters wore black clothes to the protest was enough to convict them of material support for terrorism. “Providing your body as camouflage for others to do the enumerated acts is providing support,” Assistant US Attorney Shawn Smith said during closing arguments, as The Intercept reported on Thursday. “It’s impossible to tell who is doing what. That’s the point.” The defense, meanwhile, warned the jury about the free speech implications of the charge. “The government is asking you to put protesters in prison as terrorists. You are the only people who can stop that,” Blake Burns, an attorney for defendant Elizabeth Soto, said, according to The Guardian. “When the villain is a made-up boogeyman then the target becomes ‘anyone who disagrees with Trump’—and this is the result.” Ultimately, the jury decided to convict eight defendants of material support for terrorism as well as riot, conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, and use and carry of an explosive. However, they dismissed attempts by the state to argue that the protest constituted a pre-planned ambush and charge four people who had not shot at the police officer with attempted murder and discharging a firearm during a crime. Only Benjamin Song, the alleged shooter, was charged with one count of attempted murder and three counts of discharging a firearm. The jury also convicted a ninth defendant, Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada, of conspiracy to conceal documents. Sanchez Estrada, who was not at the protest, had simply moved a box of zines out of his wife’s home after she was arrested for the protest, according to The Intercept. “The US lost today with this verdict,” Sanchez Estrada’s attorney, Christopher Weinbel, said, as AP reported. Support the Prarieland Defendants said in a statement, “Everything about this trial from beginning to end has proven what we have said all along: This is a sham trial, built on political persecution and ideological attacks coming from the top.” However, the group commended the solidarity that had sprung up among the defendants and their allies and vowed to continue to support them. “We have a long journey ahead of us to continue fighting these charges along with the state level charges,” they said. “What happens here sets the tone for what’s to come. We are here and we won’t give up.” Outside observers warned about the implication for the right to protest under Trump. “Remember all the people who dismissed the alarm over NSPM-7 because ‘ANTIFA isn’t even a real organization’? We told you that didn’t matter. When the villain is a made-up boogeyman then the target becomes ‘anyone who disagrees with Trump’—and this is the result,” said Cory Archibald, the co-founder of Track AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee]. Content creator Austin MacNamara said: “The Prairieland trial was given almost zero media coverage because of the blatant lies by DHS [Department of Homeland Security] and Police. This verdict now sets a precedent for criminalization of dissent across the board. Noise demos, Black-Bloc, pamphlets/zines/red cards, all of this can be used to imprison you.” Academic Nathan Goodman wrote that convicting people of terrorism based on clothing was a “serious threat to the First Amendment.” The verdict gives new poignancy to what defendant Meagan Morris told NOTUS ahead of the jury’s decision: “If we win, I think it shows that Trump’s mandate is not working, that the people understand that you can’t criminalize, you know, First and Second Amendment-protected activities. And I think if we lose, then… a lot of the country is OK with what’s going on. And it will be a much darker time, it’ll just signify a much increased crackdown on political opposition and free speech.” This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Olivia Rosane.
Pipeline That Caused Massive 2015 Santa Barbara Oil Spill Restarts Illegally
Texas-based company Sable Offshore Corp. announced today that it has restarted oil flow through the pipeline that ruptured and caused one of California’s largest oil spills on the Santa Barbara coast in 2015.The restart occurred just one day after the...
Texas-based company Sable Offshore Corp. <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC8mAoKiWWbwKMI79TGGPwbvnHa8yCm85JmB7lrxFetJjXu2FRtPm6x-2BzXpHWDvdhYQJ7qU-2BajJtofF5E87xx7oBvpPoogeDLU0Nuln7FNX-2F8GkVPQNmI3-2BTSlK9K5fwu3G2nfD3dRHqXzR8ZERn6RQAA5Cof6diko-2F4TqscTFREtl0gHpOnKXVfsbqDS0VL3AJo4UpCF-2FNCGeA5fplt6wj67Rv5sS9ieL4DxH6VhSSvtHuByO1TABOOq4eUXw3rRWQ-3D-3DaN-y_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nCSNIipdgT5QYNdm6Vbk7mKQXzNABdAC7CpQ46Nn4wh3UdUXaZQ52dqVIzQoafWgUtzTBAqIt3NARbZb4sHHLOaX0ga5htny0TDtHkBipfT2KVBqU-2BHhm6Bq-2FcCL1WKJTQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >announced today that it has restarted oil flow through the pipeline that ruptured and caused one of California’s largest oil spills on the Santa Barbara coast in 2015. The restart occurred just one day after the Trump administration issued an <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCwYomR3uIK7rlhqZWomExe2Ni6MzQeGCv3UjecWpSdHE1WD-2BAhBaeH9Y-2B3JDh4BmIsiTwegvkYlPey57fVYpumY6nA9NGkb4c7jmPHxFdNd1f9jnNpeJsTdTr17-2BzQZrgHmRxio6O9h-2BAo3UnJWObao-3Dga25_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nBPiegdkup0E0p6AEPzg6bfRJDNswxlqui8Wpyw-2BGlbZAWvYGqMEjtTkmB0xhTS01RcqkiaB1d1QGzfI8ISu-2B-2BBWEbOEigeUw6DCtQ2hktPI3bBHt9ZnLGm7czO2bMm-2BhQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >order under the Defense Production Act, at Sable’s request, directing the company to “prioritize and allocate pipeline transportation services for hydrocarbons…” and “immediately commence performance under contracts or orders for services.” “I’m distressed and saddened that California’s coast now faces the threat of another oil disaster from this unsafe pipeline,” said Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “For the sake of the incredible Pacific ocean and all of its wildlife, the community has worked so hard to make sure we’d never see oil flowing through this defective pipeline again. This is a dark day for California and I urge state officials to keep standing up to Trump’s bullying. We’ll keep fighting as hard as we can to protect Santa Barbara’s coast and end offshore drilling in the state once and for all.” On Saturday State Parks <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzS0vhPes5uEbwkrykuf5-2BXhBiehU7yDEe-2Ftiyh0n2BB5wyibmu5HcF22veMIoa-2BxKUfMbhXANI1rz3INVseHT7tQAO4G4QlRkVn-2BteWxu8L54W595RPMMhtFsFzTOgL5TFvN67cvL-2BCtlinXTeTiYTNTpj0RyDH6DnrvwjQe2etSSxCWeRVQibnUAwEg0wonDaG-2FYwnkh1USi1vmOS9y9UxQoI-2F2Iw1iSZ542a0WAAbr1Owd9H1mL3K1lPcDh5wfbtspjehsrttvLiG5Wweow-2B32Eicgi8HpDi8uWzqGU05-2BcyKjwe7izxU5bML92-2FLBkaz-2BBVC06UXO5EAXlfckW0vYpflEB-2BhsaJd1HsoIhlHcJZYLDwIJIbVRZxER5tnpg7PvZt6bxX2m6obYsHClbZoEq9SdUt-2B3ZayunOBarF9gl1-2BiaxW-2FTVm4VgdCfsHNQR-2BJh-2Botb95fvEex41qNjDa4B2cMwMm7-2FwcLw6vKYFDfKq8d-2B0n0jrT5D6bwC4gy1Ind6dnBikaNHZPJZsuw7C8-2Fis8LqeG7gTf8kxRRqO9pJJs-2BiNaPSQ2z1zMCCO6srtJocwE6xYpn3GIXqun9N5ZjHLmmrVrfx6jMhRXFufZbfd3I2u3jPj9PDr96oDQwnqYylgRd5k9XemUgqUsIPfon09ZEelN2SbybtDm8zszV7Ss_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nHn5OqQoAmvbOvD-2F2fPgXcPlPXr4lApTc8HOsdWmsIH7mi0Mc0v8zvsIB01j0Z711Ar23ZAfNYVxaKjBtb6sMm7c-2B4o-2BXiKSAiNj7DCB6O7cHn19yD-2FylMGgoQ1Idu3SZA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >rejected Sable’s application for an easement to use Gaviota State Park for pipeline transport and ordered it to immediately remove the 4-mile section of the pipeline that runs through the park. The pipeline has been shut down since the massive 2015 spill at Refugio State Beach. Upon investigation, it was determined that the rupture was the result of progressive external corrosion, which remains a threat for the defective pipelines. In attempting to restart the defective onshore pipeline, Sable has run into widespread public opposition and accumulated a series of state law violations and criminal charges. To date, Sable has still not received all necessary approvals for a restart from California state agencies, including the Coastal Commission. The Trump administration “Pipeline Capacity Prioritization and Allocation Order” was issued at Sable’s request. Sable appears to be relying upon a recent legal <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2F6m5cY3TqCEzjCd02bSgHgYRPNX3U0S-2FOBJyauk08IsA4xSETRHeq1UlR6V5zVw7Q-3D-3Dszx-_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nNntc-2Broe8bDYZzP2lk1mba-2BqRm4VPS9mCWOjPlHKft26JDIO8v56E-2BDfdb-2BI-2FbS6WyiW5WuGtKzzey-2BZU1QgHXaHPLzrxPbLF-2BhRQ3ImNt6EYblt5C2vd55ceANLlSYgw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >opinion from the Department of Justice to assert that the order preempts state and federal law to allow a restart of the embattled oil project. Such a result would be radical and unprecedented. “The cynical misuse of a national security law for the benefit an oil company that has repeatedly broken the law is a shocking development, even from this administration,” said Bradshaw. “The courts shouldn’t put up with this brazen abuse of power.” The Center for Biological Diversity and the Wishtoyo Foundation have a pending <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCydHCbG70wcdabaaM9rXedCvtVW1dm0XDJXFgrXVQQNU2nD6xEnsT3izianjGXofee6nxrO-2F35fRHvWbNdi3yfv8WFZfVxZC-2BR3ueg9Ye-2Fbq7BSSL8egmQIbPdOo8lyVGzwGuHt3JJ93ZePnRzcwheb3Mc9GD8l-2BZNNx14Y9g1An8V6lA0po99y2eJIyKcDhWw-3D-3DGHPg_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nBus1s1zRHjODF0mhi2mEyWs-2BpFPpmkRPk-2BZs6jDRu0g3H351xmJFJwyrjDYjiR06GFwqohCR5eze0GWA3mcUt11zVmaWL97l6SLI26Kb-2B6k4y4dNSDS3Bw9kXcawA9x-2Fg-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >lawsuit against the Office of the State Fire Marshal regarding the restart, along with a similar <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2F7aRRB-2FaJsDtJpPKkP-2BDNuPXRBsmZbPaeaKXQThtZhy9-2FNqKcrLqeAblBVx-2FscaI-2Bz729vNeZvavR1Y6nfpPgn0pgbEcMiqA6GW-2FzM2sOjQFc3IlMUoeEwRfVJqXOkV5Q-3D-3DgS8f_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nFGdD3AOCk32ANTiMIN-2BqY2ruzW15zIN1kJFUEHrc-2B8q6gm4RbQuITILXdEHFo1yh5bPt30JcOV08o6vqC-2FG3PwWcIHLEIQzkqi1tp5WmFwbEgR-2Fk0n6bdjR2bHwCNd6aQ-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >lawsuit and request for relief from the Environmental Defense Center. Those cases challenge the agency’s issuance of waivers from corrosion-related pipeline safety requirements without any environmental review, public notice, or opportunity for a hearing. In October the State Fire Marshal informed Sable that its corrosion related repair work failed to meet standards required for restart. In July 2025 the groups won a preliminary injunction, which was recently <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC2MqzQAc80LS0tkvZPQobXyixkFkU5RJG7MLSw3Aid7SMoCeWruQCrHkw8qzxjdkHEDI-2B-2Fx6d0yRyMQF52fJTyU-3DeQEs_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nJG8dhHCzDTEG6MvBT3OYN7Js1GVdMr4bUbFFUdzMwhckfkBi-2F6veywT-2Be0dKmZnvmIqFPB0JWJFLPRb2FEqmvAJLXPzI5ls1LYyuqD83t1tiOvj8Zfq88OW39fSGN3JCA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >upheld by the court. They filed the <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCydHCbG70wcdabaaM9rXedBbrZpL-2FnBXALfDOpP7JC4f0wjlXQQmLps6eOPZCPCMTIkPjFjPZjMFXfAD48Xhbxb10CAb-2FXDI0qM5ur1mQhdHIPl7YRwKliPUQYLItnN2OQ-3D-3Dh2Uw_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nDX7idg7HjXHvb2dEAue1Qz-2BQbo2dV-2BmdeT2s6yXULtUygEjuj4vvmbCvQWgwlkUxuNeZkJf7-2FR8ouRkhGAA7vU7PW00qdz-2FnvRabYEXB4Fot67P6rjSQ3T8PvAKPS1SLA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >request in response to Sable’s May 2025 announcement that it had resumed oil production from one of three offshore platforms and was storing that oil in onshore tanks while it sought to restart the failed Las Flores Pipeline System. Several other lawsuits related to the pipeline restart are ongoing. Among other violations, Sable has been cited by the California Coastal Commission for unlawful work in sensitive coastal habitat and sued by the California attorney general and Santa Barbara district attorney for legal violations tied to unlawful discharge into creeks and waterways. In December the Trump administration moved to seize control of the pipeline system from the State Fire Marshal and issued Sable an emergency special permit that enables a restart despite the pipelines’ design defects. The <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC1KOOjsI01H-2Bu9ZelBKZcdieIMyWZCU8r9l1j-2FRUNmx4hDr38aDCdYYGSjgV5NtRzoBdwW5PuN6F87PofY8HstwzTwlaL-2FMdOR5GKPt5-2FyMTFvDtUEenGqknCxpGZQ01wrsDwjNuUteCwuetVIMf1Z0-3DEDaa_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nBjwO-2BK5r1AFDctW-2FJbpPK5-2BzImYm3pIo44OgDP9v6JCXCS7B97iLZw2zymf7bBOd-2FIkCuupEYGsOZX9C9P0aYVATCM5CJBWVg5s-2FuUeCHEvEWC2GTo1EZdZ5Fpn6uyQLA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >state of California has challenged these actions in court, as have <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCydHCbG70wcdabaaM9rXedCvtVW1dm0XDJXFgrXVQQNU2nD6xEnsT3izianjGXofee6nxrO-2F35fRHvWbNdi3yfvm94Cps3dY2Iuq86pKgy8IEeCcE-2BixZ3xiXW7tuW-2FDzGPOQwI-2BPXOpnbJWWMpnDHHWYChFsP1h5Bpv6AOrLnfjT4LFL5srVtsw2oksErc-2FCA-3D-3D12kK_s0lTyPdoyuzn-2FJTE9fjR8nSlryGpLl-2B7mxK4it06DfKhpucLPiMkMsi-2BcoCz3G4i3By-2F6hPHPoGqGY0FGOHDfKlmYJwMfqUkcQeQoUTVwerCpqCsK3nqQyvFYqhClLpy0WcEviKJMt6EJpn7KjpbP4HSESWUF-2Bdynq3QFDO-2BcgV9vO176s46sebf08MtKxrtttQ5aZi5-2FHx5sD8Fzpx2nAI9J2Le6WlheoSLMRYAwz3IQBvznhz7c-2BuwO2W5QMkoD9ostLMVBUVd32AJrVKTtEAITR1lQIjw-2BrQP-2BRVddhCHGAl-2FERg5-2FDCuUop9-2F5MvzSV-2BMyIRAZetE4Aa1ddOTw-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >environmental organizations including the Center. The Santa Ynez Unit had been shut down since May 2015, when the corroded pipeline ruptured and released what is believed to be about 450,000 gallons of oil at Refugio State Beach. The oil spill ravaged 150 miles of the California coast and killed hundreds of birds and marine mammals, shutting down beaches and fisheries. Sable purchased the unit in 2024 from ExxonMobil and has been aggressively pushing to resuscitate the defective pipeline system and restart oil operations ever since. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 16, 2026
Former U.S. Military Chief of Staff Blasts U.S. War Crimes in Middle East
Retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson said on the independent news channel Democracy Now! that the current U.S. administration, in a matter of days, has committed war crimes in Iran on a scale he has not seen in his lifetime. He told viewers that, not for the first time, the U.S. had initiated an illegal war, violated […] The post Former U.S. Military Chief of Staff Blasts U.S. War Crimes in Middle East appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson said on the independent news channel Democracy Now! that the current U.S. administration, in a matter of days, has committed war crimes in Iran on a scale he has not seen in his lifetime. He told viewers that, not for the first time, the U.S. had initiated an illegal war, violated the U.S. Constitution and international law, but that the attacks on Iran, and in the midst of talks, have eclipsed all previous violations. As Chief of Staff to Colin Powell in the lead-up to the Iraq war, he admitted that he came from an administration of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney that committed war crimes. He said that back in 2003, he and Colin Powell realised that not only had they signed up to a war in Iraq that wasn’t necessary, they had signed up to a President of the United States who made torture public policy. But Wilkinson believes the attacks on Iran surpass in magnitude the U.S.’s previous atrocities: We have bombed civilians relentlessly. We have bombed a school. We have bombed a hospital. We have struck installations in Iran’s oil capacity that has put black poison over more than ten million people. We are essentially not bombing missile sites and war materiel. We’re bombing people. These are all war crimes. And one wishes, with fond hope, that some day we might be called before the Bar of Justice to account for these war crimes. We took a lesson from the IDF, who continue [to commit crimes] in Gaza and Lebanon. Wilkerson said he told a senior editor of the Washington Post that he thought “abominable the lies that the American mainstream media, both video and press, were telling the American people, as it puts them in jeopardy in a real substantive sense, because the American people have no way of judging just how foolhardy, how stupid, how unwise, how in breach of international dictum and rules this war is. Iran was no threat to the U.S.” He added that U.S. servicemen were not only in harm’s way, but they risked being liable for war crimes at any time in the future. Three decades ago, the illegal war against Iraq was thought up by a clique of Zionist fanatics in the Pentagon, and sold to the American public through a mass propaganda campaign. Just as in Britain, Tony Blair’s government concocted a ‘dodgy’ intelligence dossier to inveigle a gullible parliament into voting for an invasion of Iraq under false pretences. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths; five-thousand plus coalition fatalities; traumatised veterans with life-changing injuries; a destroyed Iraq; and a British weapons inspector whose death to this day remains ‘a mystery’, have not dented the British parliament’s appetite for aiding and abetting war crimes, this time against Iran, under the same tapestry of lies of phantom imminent threats. Nor is the British mainstream media squeamish in its role of purveyors of distortions. As explained by Alison Weir, founder of If Americans Knew, four-star general Wesley Clark and previous Supreme Allied Commander (1997-2000) visited the Pentagon in 2001 shortly after 9/11 and, on his way out, went to say hello to members of the Joint Staff who had previously worked for him, when he was discreetly taken aside by a general who showed him a memo on which was written ‘Israel’s hit list’ of seven countries in the Middle East to be taken down, damaged and destabilised in five years. These were: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran. Speaking in 2007, Wesley Clark described how dumbfounded he was, and explained that the U.S. had been taken over by a group of people through a ‘policy coup’ led by Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and half a dozen others. Today, with those countries in tatters under the heel of the U.S., Iran stands alone in the region in its resistance to U.S.-Israeli destruction. It decries Israel’s apartheid regime and genocide in Gaza and supports the armed resistance groups of Hezbollah and Hamas. Its stance on justice for the Palestinians springs not from any religious tribalism, because Iran is predominantly Shia and the Palestinians are mainly Sunni, but from a position of principle. The Arab states, on the other hand, pay lip service to the Palestinians’ rights to freedom and self-determination, whilst cooperating in practice with Israel. The Gulf kingdoms that host American bases operate under a U.S. protection racket whereby they sell their oil to the U.S., buy weapons from the West and receive ‘protection’. This ‘protection’ has recently proved as imaginary as the pretext for war itself, as Iran’s retaliatory strikes quickly disabled the early-warning radar system in Qatar, at America’s largest airbase in the Middle East. It is also worth noting that damage to the Gulf States’ oil refineries attributed to Iran was immediately denied by Iran, and Mossad bomb teams were reportedly arrested in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, poised to carry out false flag attacks on Arab capitals, to sow confusion and set countries against each other. Any empire built on destruction, subjugation and inflicting harm on others, is ultimately doomed to failure. The U.S.-Zionist empire uses bribery, blackmail and bombs to achieve its aims. But what has it left when these fail? Iran has spent over a century battling against foreign domination, carefully observing U.S. and Israeli tactics, and the collapse of Iraq. It has the resolve to endure beyond what the U.S. will be able to sustain physically, financially and politically, and may well be the U.S.-Zionist empire’s nemesis, and that of the West. The post Former U.S. Military Chief of Staff Blasts U.S. War Crimes in Middle East appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Serena Wylde.
RSF paramilitary group detains 3 female journalists in Sudan’s Darfur
New York, March 16, 2026 – Sudan’s paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) must immediately release Nyala State Radio reporters Mawaheb Ibrahim, Zahraa Muhammad Al-Hassan, and Ishraqah Abdulrahan, a presenter and host at the radio station, who have been detained in Nyala, South Darfur, since February 28, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday....
New York, March 16, 2026 – Sudan’s paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) must immediately release Nyala State Radio reporters Mawaheb Ibrahim, Zahraa Muhammad Al-Hassan, and Ishraqah Abdulrahan, a presenter and host at the radio station, who have been detained in Nyala, South Darfur, since February 28, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. “The Rapid Support Forces must immediately release Nyala Radio journalists Mawaheb Ibrahim, Zahraa Muhammad Al-Hassan, and Ishraqah Abdulrahman and stop arbitrarily detaining members of the press,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Journalists in Sudan are already working under extremely dangerous conditions amid a devastating war, and detaining reporters only further restricts the flow of information from a conflict that remains severely underreported.” On February 28, forces from the RSF arrested Ibrahim, Al-Hassan, and Abdulrahman in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, along with several other women and transferred them to Korea prison, after they attended a workshop for female journalists in the city. As of mid-March, they remained detained without formal charges, clear justification for their arrest, or being brought before a court, according to a local journalist following the case who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sdjsofficial/photos/%D9%86%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B4%D8%A3%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%8F%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9/887796587418736/">said in a recent statement that it is deeply concerned about a growing number of cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance targeting journalists across Sudan, including in Darfur and Sennar state. The war in Sudan started in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, and making Sudan one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Freelance journalist Muammar Ibrahim remains in the custody of the RSF since his arrest while fleeing El Fasher city, North Darfur, on October 26, 2025, according to a relative family member who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. As of mid-March, the whereabouts of at least seven journalists remain unknown to their families and colleagues. CPJ emailed the RSF through their website for comment but did not receive a response. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Taking back power starts at the state level #shorts
“Mr Nobody Against Putin” Wins Oscar; Meet the Russian Teacher in Film Who Confronts State Propaganda
Mr Nobody Against Putin won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday. Democracy Now! recently spoke with co-director David Borenstein and the subject of the film, the Russian teacher Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, who pers...
Mr Nobody Against Putin won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday. Democracy Now! recently spoke with co-director David Borenstein and the subject of the film, the Russian teacher Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, who personally documented Russia’s use of wartime propaganda. “I need for as many people as possible to see what is happening inside of Russian schools,” says Talankin. “Putin is forcing propaganda into their schools, and [the children are] absorbing all of this.” Borenstein says the film is also a reflection on “the value of one person’s resistance, about how much one person can do, about how much we can overcome complicity while the systems around us are succumbing to authoritarianism.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! speaks with Iranian Israeli political activist Orly Noy about her recent piece, “Longing for My Tehran.” “It’s been a very emotional time since the beginning of the war, not just because we are constantly...
Democracy Now! speaks with Iranian Israeli political activist Orly Noy about her recent piece, “Longing for My Tehran.” “It’s been a very emotional time since the beginning of the war, not just because we are constantly running in and out of shelters,” says Noy, “but because this time, the footage of the bombing that I grew accustomed to seeing for over two years from the genocide in Gaza was now coming from my homeland.” Noy also comments on Israeli political support for the war on Iran, saying “the very few attempts to protest against the war were brutally crushed by the Israeli police.” Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is also increasing. “Up until now, our worry was about the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank. Now it is just about executing Palestinians, both by the army and by the settlers,” says Noy. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
“A Sense of Despair”: Many Iranians Fear a Prolonged War — and What Comes After
As the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran extends into a third week, President Trump is demanding other countries send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely shut, as oil prices keep rising. This comes as the U.S. and Israel contin...
As the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran extends into a third week, President Trump is demanding other countries send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely shut, as oil prices keep rising. This comes as the U.S. and Israel continue to launch major strikes on Iran, while Iran has retaliated by repeatedly striking Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Despite the violence in Iran, “pro-war voices are definitely in the diaspora and very strong, but they also exist inside Iran,” says Naghmeh Sohrabi, professor of Middle East history at Brandeis University. “I think most Iranians want this war to end as soon as possible, and at the same time, they fear nothing more than the day after the war, if this regime remains intact,” says Iranian American novelist Amir Ahmadi Arian. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
U.S.-Israeli War on Iran Enters Third Week as Iranian Foreign Minister Denies Asking for Ceasefire, Iran Continues Retaliatory Strikes in the Middle East as Six U.S. Service Members Killed in Iraq, Trump Urges Other Countries to Send Warships to Secure the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli Troops Begin Ground Operations in Southern Lebanon, FCC Chair Brendan Carr Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters’ Licenses over Iran War Coverage, Israeli Forces Kill 16 Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, Explosion Damages Jewish School in Amsterdam, Trump Administration Reopens U.S. Embassy in Venezuela for the First Time Since 2019, Protesters Reportedly Attack Communist Party Office in Cuba as Energy Crisis Deepens, Haitian Asylum Seeker Found Dead After ICE Released Her at Bus Shelter in Pittsburgh, Afghan Asylum Seeker Who Worked With U.S. Special Forces Dies in ICE Custody, Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted on Terrorism Charges in Texas, Immigration Judge Orders the Release of Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia, “Sinners” Makes Oscars History as Autumn Durald Arkapaw Becomes the First Woman to Win for Best Cinematography
U.S.-Israeli War on Iran Enters Third Week as Iranian Foreign Minister Denies Asking for Ceasefire Iran Continues Retaliatory Strikes in the Middle East as Six U.S. Service Members Killed in Iraq Trump Urges Other Countries to Send Warships to Secure the Strait of Hormuz Israeli Troops Begin Ground Operations in Southern Lebanon FCC Chair Brendan Carr Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters' Licenses over Iran War Coverage Israeli Forces Kill 16 Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank Explosion Damages Jewish School in Amsterdam Trump Administration Reopens U.S. Embassy in Venezuela for the First Time Since 2019 Protesters Reportedly Attack Communist Party Office in Cuba as Energy Crisis Deepens Haitian Asylum Seeker Found Dead After ICE Released Her at Bus Shelter in Pittsburgh Afghan Asylum Seeker Who Worked With U.S. Special Forces Dies in ICE Custody Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted on Terrorism Charges in Texas Immigration Judge Orders the Release of Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia "Sinners" Makes Oscars History as Autumn Durald Arkapaw Becomes the First Woman to Win for Best Cinematography This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! Monday, March 16, 2026 This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Drone Attack Shuts Down Dubai International Airport | US Iran Update
Monday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD
Monday Democracy Now! show for rebroadcast - HD This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4 and was authored by Democracy Now! for Broadcasters - HD MP4.
The Trump Administration’s “Disturbing” New Legal Strategy to Prosecute Border Crossers Is Taxing Courts and Testing the Law
The post The Trump Administration’s “Disturbing” New Legal Strategy to Prosecute Border Crossers Is Taxing Courts and Testing the Law appeared first on ProPublica.
Jose Omar Flores-Penaloza was willing to admit that he had entered the United States illegally. He was ready to be deported, according to his attorneys. But federal prosecutors would not let him go last spring without making him answer for another crime — one he had never heard of. Weeks earlier, President Donald Trump, to address what he called a national emergency, ordered a stretch of borderland transferred to the military so that troops could help apprehend unauthorized migrants. Because prosecutors believed Flores-Penaloza had crossed through that zone, now called a national defense area, they charged him with trespassing on military property under statutes including one enacted in 1909 to keep spies away from arsenals. The added misdemeanors were unlikely to lengthen his sentence; they typically result in time served and deportation. But Flores-Penaloza maintained his innocence in the face of the allegation that could cast him as a national security threat. So he awaited trial in a New Mexico jail. One year into the second Trump administration, federal courts are facing a surge of immigration-related litigation, including a record number of habeas petitions from detainees who say they are being unlawfully held. In Minnesota last month, after a frustrated judge asked why defendants he had ordered released were still in custody, a government attorney blurted out: “What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks.” ProPublica and The Texas Tribune spent four months investigating a persistent source of pressure in border districts — one experts say is taxing the courts and challenging long-standing principles of criminal law. Since last April, at least 4,700 immigrants already charged with entering the country illegally have faced additional misdemeanor counts accusing them of trespassing on military property. Court records reviewed by the news organizations show that more than 90% of cases have been resolved, and that most did not end in convictions on the trespass charges: About 60% were dropped or dismissed. At least nine judges in West Texas and New Mexico have found the prosecutions legally deficient. Citing the basic requirement of mens rea — a guilty mind — many ruled that defendants could not be found guilty because they did not know they were trespassing on military land. Yet prosecutors have continued filing the charges and appealing adverse rulings, arguing that knowingly crossing the border is sufficient to prove criminal intent. More than 20 legal scholars and former prosecutors told reporters they could not identify a conventional law-enforcement or military goal that would justify their persistence. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" data-id="70265" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A man walks in front of a U.S. Border Patrol van, parked near a large entrance in a tall section of the steel bollard U.S. border wall with Mexico." class="wp-image-70265" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, 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https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__003_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" data-id="70264" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A sign on a post stating that the area is a military zone in English and Spanish, in front of the slotted steel bollard U.S. border wall with Mexico." class="wp-image-70264" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A sign warning people that they are entering a military area is posted next to a stretch of border wall in Texas. The strain has been visible in crowded federal dockets. “We would do jury selection and trial on a misdemeanor case that would have no bearing on the sentence whatsoever?” West Texas District Judge Leon Schydlower asked a prosecutor in June. He noted that there were about 40 similar cases on his docket and asked the prosecutor what she would do if he scheduled all the trials on the same day. “We would have to be prepared to move to go forward on all 40, Your Honor,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia “Patti” Aguayo replied, prefacing her position by saying she had no choice in the matter. “We have not been allowed to do anything but move forward.” Prosecutors were operating under a directive issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi mandating “zealous advocacy” of the administration’s priorities and warning that attorneys who declined to advance them could face discipline or termination. Military Trespass Cases Under Trump Administration Skyrocket <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="931" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?w=752" alt="A bar chart showing trespass cases from 2016 through 2025. Cases remain very low until mid-2025, when they suddenly spike to nearly 1,000. A label that says “First national defense area established” points to the highest point of the spike." class="wp-image-70359" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png 1680w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=242,300 242w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=768,951 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=827,1024 827w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=1241,1536 1241w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=1654,2048 1654w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=863,1068 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=422,522 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=552,683 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=558,691 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=527,652 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=752,931 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=1149,1423 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=1292,1600 1292w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=400,495 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=800,990 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=1200,1486 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/border-defense-area-chart-fallback.png?resize=1600,1981 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Note: Counts are of unique cases in which charges were filed under 50:797 (“Penalty for violation of security regulations and orders”) and 18:1382 (“Entering military, naval, or Coast Guard property”). Source: Federal Justice Center’s Integrated Database. Agnel Philip/ProPublica Senior officials in the U.S. attorney’s offices handling trespass cases declined repeated interview requests, and a spokesperson in the West Texas office asked reporters to stop contacting prosecutors directly. A Justice Department spokesperson noted that one of the charges carries a longer sentence and claimed the prosecutions have “proven to be a significant deterrent to both illegal crossings and cartel activity along the border,” though the department did not provide supporting documentation. Had prosecutors accepted his offer to plead guilty to illegal entry in exchange for dropping the trespass charge, Flores-Penaloza would have been processed for deportation to Mexico, his public defenders Amanda Skinner and Victoria Trull said. Instead, he remained in custody for more than a month, in a county jail where guards have been accused of threatening to use Tasers on inmates’ genitals and bursting into sleeping areas with flash-bangs. (In a court filing, attorneys for Doña Ana County denied the first allegation and wrote, about the second, that guards used “specialized equipment during operations” but disputed they were “terrorizing vulnerable detainees.”) Hours into Flores-Penaloza’s June 17 bench trial before Chief Magistrate Judge Gregory Wormuth, prosecutors could not pinpoint exactly where he had crossed the border or produce a clear map showing the boundaries of the military zone. “I also don’t dispute,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Castellano conceded, “that we don’t meet the mens rea requirement the court has indicated in a prior opinion.” Wormuth, who had dismissed dozens of similar charges, grew frustrated. He noted that Flores-Penaloza had been in custody for 40 days largely because of the unproven allegation. “The United States has come in here and put not a single bit of evidence that would allow me to find that he even entered the national defense area,” Wormuth said. “It is very, very disturbing.” He acquitted Flores-Penaloza on the trespass counts while finding him guilty of illegal entry. The young man was deported. But more cases were coming. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="766" width="1149" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=1149" alt="A sign on a post stating that the area is a military zone in English and Spanish, in front of a dirt road leading past an end point of a slotted steel bollard U.S. border wall with Mexico with a low, glowing sun in the distance." class="wp-image-70266" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__004_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1149px) 100vw, 1149px" /> Detained migrants have said they didn’t see the posted signs and had no way of knowing they had crossed military land. Federal law generally bars the military from detaining civilians on domestic soil. But there was a workaround: Troops could capture intruders on their own bases. Under orders from Trump last April, federal agencies including the Department of the Interior transferred more than 200 miles of riverbank and desert scrub in West Texas and New Mexico to the armed forces, converting the terrain into extensions of Army installations. Speaking to troops deployed to one of the new national defense areas, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that anyone entering them would be on notice. “You’ve got signs like this one all across the border wall facing into Mexico,” he said — “clear English, clear Spanish.” The plan appeared straightforward. But once cases reached courtrooms, that clarity evaporated. Detained migrants said they hadn’t seen signs and had no way of knowing they had crossed military land. Prosecutors often couldn’t prove otherwise. ProPublica and the Tribune identified 1,300 New Mexico district court records in which the government stated how far from these signs migrants crossed the border or were apprehended. The news organizations found that some were arrested more than 20 miles away from a sign, and that most didn’t come within 1,000 feet of any posting. In at least one Texas case, defense attorneys demonstrated how difficult it was to read the 12-by-18-inch sign from about 10 feet away. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in New Mexico said what matters is not where a defendant was apprehended but where they entered the country. In some cases, such as Flores-Penaloza’s, prosecutors lacked evidence of that as well. These evidentiary gaps snagged most of the cases that reached judges, underscoring an existential question: “What is your evidence that he knew he was accessing a restricted national defense area?” a federal magistrate judge, Miguel Torres, asked during an El Paso, Texas, jury trial. Adequate notice was essential, he said, “so that we don’t ensnare innocent people that do not know they are violating this specific law.” Torres ruled against the government at trial, but many cases didn’t make it that far. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" data-id="70267" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A U.S. Army vehicle in front of the slotted steel bollard border wall with Mexico, with razor wire hanging off it." class="wp-image-70267" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, 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https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__027_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" data-id="70268" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A U.S. Army vehicle sits parked on a sandy hill, with a small portion of the U.S. border wall blocking the scene." class="wp-image-70268" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__042_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Two U.S. Army vehicles, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, park along the border. In Texas, many defendants pleaded guilty. To fight the trespass charges meant waiting in jail possibly for weeks or months. They chose to go home instead. But in New Mexico, within weeks of the first cases, judges began throwing out the trespass charges as soon as they were filed for lack of probable cause. Prosecutors responded with an unusual maneuver. Rather than abandon the cases, they refiled them using a charging document called an information — a tool commonly used for misdemeanors but, according to the legal experts consulted by ProPublica and the Tribune, rarely deployed to revive cases judges had already deemed unsupported. Prosecutors used informations to resurrect more than 1,600 military trespass cases, the news organizations found. “If there is no probable cause, the case is supposed to end,” said Meghan Skelton, a former assistant federal public defender and prosecutor. “They are trying to circumvent that in a way that has not been done in the 30 years I’ve been practicing law.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="379" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=752" alt="A criminal complaint issued in New Mexico with two lines of the complaint highlighted and struck out with a pen, near a note in pen that reads “No PC found” and an initial. The struck out portions read “Count 2: 50 USC 797 Penalty for violation of security regulations and orders” and “Count 3: 18 USC 1382 Entry of military property for any purpose prohibited by law.”" class="wp-image-70269" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 2550w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,151 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,387 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,516 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,774 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1032 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,435 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,213 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,278 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,281 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,266 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,379 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,579 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1008 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,202 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,403 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,605 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CriminalComplaint-V1_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,806 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> In a criminal complaint issued in New Mexico and reviewed by ProPublica, a judge crossed out two of the three counts, noting they did not have “PC,” or probable cause. Obtained and highlighted by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune The tactic kicked off what one defense attorney called a “ridiculous dance.” Judges would separate the immigration and trespass charges, accept guilty pleas on illegal entry and reiterate that there was no probable cause to detain defendants on the military counts. With deportation imminent, prosecutors would then move to dismiss the trespass charges themselves. Prosecutors who left the U.S. attorney’s offices in the early months of the second Trump administration told reporters they were alarmed to see the lengths their former colleagues were going to pursue dubious cases. “You’re just losing credibility with the court, and on a bigger picture, credibility with the public,” said Marisa Ong, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Las Cruces. It was the kind of outcome Matilda “Tilli” Villalobos sought to avoid when she saw the zealous advocacy mandate last February and left the district for private practice. “I don’t want to be the one standing up in court in front of a judge advocating for something that I don’t believe is even legal,” said the decorated former sex crimes prosecutor, who now defends immigrants charged with criminal offenses. Alex Uballez, who served as U.S. attorney in New Mexico before being fired by Trump last year, called the prosecutions a “flustering attempt to create fear and chaos by whatever means necessary.” “It would be laughable if it wasn’t so cruel and chaotic and dangerous,” he added, “both for the people involved and for the justice system as a whole.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman with long black hair, wearing a black dress with white piping, stands while holding a banister in front of the U.S. district courthouse in Las Cruces." class="wp-image-70270" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_012_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Matilda “Tilli” Villalobos left her position in the U.S. attorney’s office in Las Cruces, New Mexico, last February. The national defense areas were supposed to allow active-duty troops to apprehend unlawful border crossers for the first time. So far, that outcome has largely failed to materialize. According to a spokesperson for Joint Task Force-Southern Border, about 1,500 deployed troops had made just 68 apprehensions as of last week, leaving the Border Patrol still responsible for the vast majority of detentions. Even so, the administration has continued expanding the zones from California to Texas. Prosecutors began filing military trespass charges in South Texas last month, starting with a man caught crossing the Rio Grande, in an area now designated an extension of the Joint Base San Antonio. Along the river, warnings of prosecution are written across floating buoys and blared in Spanish from loudspeakers that can be heard in Mexico. Border Patrol agents ask migrants detained in national defense areas to sign a form acknowledging they entered without permission, placing the documents in their immigration files, then-interim El Paso Border Patrol Sector Chief Walter Slosar said in a news conference last June. “And so the next time they cross the border unlawfully, there’s going to be no issue” about notice. In New Mexico, prosecutors have used that written notice and previous military trespass charges to help secure 20 guilty pleas from defendants who reentered. Still, the news organizations’ analysis of court records found that nearly every trespassing charge in the state has been dismissed or dropped. The Justice Department continues to press its legal theory in appellate court. In May, prosecutors filed trespass charges against Komiljon Toirov, a man from Uzbekistan detained in New Mexico. Toirov does not speak English or Spanish and could not have understood posted warnings. Prosecutors maintain that does not matter. They wanted him held in jail for trial, but a judge released him. For months since then, prosecutors have fought that decision. As the case bounced between the district court and the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, judges openly bristled at the government’s persistence. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" data-id="70271" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A large blue bus parked in a lot in front of a large tan building." class="wp-image-70271" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_NM_NDA_propublica_013_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> A bus used to transport migrants to their federal court hearings parked near the U.S. district court in Las Cruces. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" data-id="70272" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=752" alt="A wide landscape of a cluster of tall buildings in downtown El Paso with Ciudad Juarez stretching off in the distance." class="wp-image-70272" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_propublcia_ep02142026_002_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> The federal courthouse in downtown El Paso, Texas, with the border and Ciudad Juarez in the distance. “The defense bar and every judge in the Las Cruces district courthouse disagrees with the government,” U.S. District Judge Sarah Davenport wrote in October. A three-judge appellate panel in December noted that prosecutors had produced “little to no evidence” to support their case for jailing Toirov. The government has now filed notice that it plans to appeal again, indicating that it will seek a higher court ruling supporting its argument that Toirov didn’t need to know about the military zone in order to trespass onto it. “We remain confident that our interpretation is consistent with the law and U.S. Supreme Court precedent,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in an email. Ryan Goodman, a national security law professor at New York University, said the government’s persistence was “jaw-dropping.” “It appears to be prosecutorial abuse by continuing to bring fatally flawed cases,” he said in an email. “This kind of abuse of the Justice Department’s powers has very significant repercussions for the ability of our democracy to survive.” Meanwhile, the El Paso courthouse has eased into a new normal. On many mornings, shackled migrants plead guilty to military trespass charges rather than remain jailed awaiting trial. Occasionally, the routine falters. On Nov. 3, a young man named Brandon David Munoz-Luna spoke up during his plea hearing. “In my case, I did not know that I was entering a military reservation,” he said through an interpreter. Federal Magistrate Judge Robert Castañeda turned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Gallegos. He asked, “Does the government insist on making this a charge you’re pursuing?” “Yes, Judge,” the prosecutor replied. “Pursuant to DOJ policy.” Minutes later, Munoz-Luna pleaded no contest, and the court moved on. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1438" width="2560" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=2560" alt="A vast desert landscape, showing a thin U.S. border wall with Mexico stretching off into the setting sun." class="wp-image-70273" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,431 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,575 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,863 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1150 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,485 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,237 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,310 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,313 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,296 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,422 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,645 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1123 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,449 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,674 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pratje_probublicanda__017_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,899 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> The vast expanse of land along the southern border makes proving migrants knowingly trespassed through the new national defense area difficult to prosecute in federal court. The post The Trump Administration’s “Disturbing” New Legal Strategy to Prosecute Border Crossers Is Taxing Courts and Testing the Law appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Agnel Philip.
Is the world heating up faster than we thought?
A new study says global warming is accelerating. Some aren't ready to agree.
For years, scientists have been keeping a wary eye on the massive system of currents that carry water and nutrients across the ocean from Greenland to Antarctica. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation plays a large part in stabilizing the global climate, but it appears to have been weakening in recent years as the Earth warms. Should it collapse, drought would spread across the Southern Hemisphere and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States would see catastrophic sea level rise. It could also trigger a series of other tipping points, from which the Earth would likely not recover. To avoid this scenario, 195 countries signed onto the Paris Agreement in 2015 — a landmark treaty that aimed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial times. Beyond that threshold, scientists say, the Earth’s climate could begin to deteriorate in unpredictable and irreversible ways. The past few years have been the warmest on record, and the importance of staying within this limit has been driven home as deadly heatwaves and rampant wildfires have become routine. A recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters claims that warming has accelerated rapidly over the past decade, with temperatures rising almost twice as fast as they did between 1970 and 2015. The study echoes the findings of a report published last year, authored by the scientist James Hansen, who famously testified about the dangers of global warming in front of the US Congress in 1988. Should warming continue on this trajectory, the latest study says, the planet could cross the 1.5 degree threshold before 2030. The authors arrived at this conclusion after isolating the “noise” from the climate system — controlling for the El Niño weather pattern, which warms the earth, as well as for volcanic eruptions and solar flares. What they found was that while the Earth warmed by 0.2 degrees each decade between 1970 and 2015, it has warmed by 0.35 degrees in the decade since — a 75 percent spike. This puts us on a collision course with the climate’s tipping points, said Stefan Rahmstorf, an author of the study and head of Earth system analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he said, “has concluded that the risk of crossing such tipping points increases from moderate to high between 1.5 and 2.5 degrees of warming. So we are basically moving faster into high risk territory now.” Over the past few years, scientists have warned that we’re entering a period of overshoot, in which the world pushes past the 1.5 degree Paris limit. How bad things get, Rahmstorf explained, all depends on how long the planet stays above 1.5 degrees. The Greenland Ice Sheet, for example, might be salvageable if people figure out how to bring emissions down and actively cool the planet, limiting that overshoot period to two or three decades. But if it reaches a tipping point, it will enter a feedback loop that’s impossible to stop — ultimately causing 24 feet of global sea level rise. “I think that it is actually quite tragic that the U.S. government has decided to put their head in the sand and pretend there is no problem when the data are showing exactly the opposite,” Rahmstorf said. Outside experts cautioned that the situation might not be accelerating quite as fast as the study makes it seem. “They don’t consider underlying uncertainties that you might refer to as structural uncertainties in the reconstruction of global temperatures,” said Sofia Menemenlis, the lead author of a study on satellite-era readings of sea surface temperatures published in Nature Climate Change last summer. The study found high variability within satellite sea surface temperature readings, which are often used to reconstruct the last century of climate data. While there has been a clear and dramatic warming trend since the 1950s, a decade is a very short timescale when it comes to the climate. “I think that trends calculated over a short period of time have to be understood as a somewhat provisional way of looking at the rate of global warming,” said Menemenlis, a doctoral student at Princeton University’s atmospheric and oceanic sciences program. Daniel Schrag, a professor of environmental science and engineering at Harvard University, put it a little more directly. The authors say “they’ve corrected for the El Niño, but that’s almost impossible to do, because every El Niño is different,” he explained. “That’s a very shaky thing to do, so I don’t really buy that analysis.” Schrag said climate models rarely capture the Pacific Decadal Oscillation — a 20- or 30-year routine shift in sea surface temperatures sometimes described as a “long-term El Niño.” Without accounting for that, it’s difficult to remove enough “noise” from the climate data to ensure you’re getting a clear warming signal over a period as brief as a decade. “I think it’s really important for the public to understand what we know, but also what we don’t,” Schrag said. “This whole phenomenon is terrifying. It doesn’t need to be exaggerated, and when you exaggerate, you lose credibility.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Is the world heating up faster than we thought? on Mar 16, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Rebecca Egan McCarthy.
Chris Hedges: The world according to Gaza – it’s only the start
The new world order is one where the weak are obliterated by the strong, the rule of law does not exist, genocide is an instrument of control and barbarism is triumphant. ANALYSIS: By Chris Hedges The war on Iran and the obliteration of Gaza is the beginning. Welcome to the new world order. The age
The new world order is one where the weak are obliterated by the strong, the rule of law does not exist, genocide is an instrument of control and barbarism is triumphant. ANALYSIS: By Chris Hedges The war on Iran and the obliteration of Gaza is the beginning. Welcome to the new world order. The age of technologically-advanced barbarism. There are no rules for the strong, only for the weak. Oppose the strong, refuse to bow to its capricious demands and you are showered with missiles and bombs. Hospitals, elementary schools, universities and apartment complexes are reduced to rubble. Doctors, students, journalists, poets, writers, scientists, artists and political leaders — including the heads of negotiating teams — are murdered in the tens of thousands by missiles and killer drones. Resources — as the Venezuelans know — are openly stolen. Food, water and medicine, as in Palestine, are weaponised. READ MORE: Trump threatens NATO if allies fail to help with reopening Strait of Hormuz War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state Other US-Israel War on Iran reports Let them eat dirt. International bodies such as the United Nations are pantomime, useless appendages of another age. The sanctity of individual rights, open borders and international law have vanished. The most depraved leaders of human history, those who reduced cities to ashes, herded captive populations to execution sites and littered lands they occupied with mass graves and corpses, have returned with a vengeance. They spew the same hypermasculine tropes. They spew the same vile, racist cant. They spew the same Manichaean vision of good and evil, black and white. They spew the same infantile language of total dominance and unrestrained violence. Levers of power Killer clowns. Buffoons. Idiots. They have seized the levers of power to carry out their demented and cartoonish visions as they pillage the state for their own enrichment. “After witnessing savage mass murder over several months, with the knowledge that it was conceived, executed and endorsed by people much like themselves, who presented it as a collective necessity, legitimate and even humane, millions now feel less at home in the world,” writes Pankaj Mishra in The World After Gaza. “The shock of this renewed exposure to a peculiarly modern evil — the evil done in the pre-modern era only by psychopathic individuals and unleashed in the last century by rulers and citizens of rich and supposedly civilised societies — cannot be overstated. Nor can the moral abyss we confront.” The subjugated are property, commodities to exploit for profit or pleasure. The Epstein Files expose the sickness and heartlessness of the ruling class. Liberals. Conservatives. University presidents. Academics. Philanthropists. Wall Street titans. Celebrities. Democrats. Republicans. They wallow in unbridled hedonism. They go to private schools and have private health care. They are cocooned in self-referential bubbles by sycophants, publicists, financial advisers, lawyers, servants, chauffeurs, self-help gurus, plastic surgeons and personal trainers. They reside in heavily guarded estates and vacation on private islands. They travel on private jets and gargantuan yachts. They exist in another reality, what the Wall Street Journal reporter Robert Frank dubs the world of “Richistan,” a world of private Xanadus where they hold Nero-like bacchanalias, make their perfidious deals, amass their billions and cast aside those they use, including children, as if they are refuse. No one in this magic circle is accountable. No sin too depraved. They are human parasites. They disembowel the state for personal profit. They terrorise the “lesser breeds of the earth.” They shut down the last, anemic vestiges of our open society. ‘Intoxication of power’ “There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life,” as George Orwell writes in 1984. “All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always — do not forget this, Winston — always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever.” The law, despite a few valiant efforts by a handful of judges — who will soon be purged — is an instrument of repression. The judiciary exists to stage show trials. I spent a lot of time in the London courts covering the Dickensian farce during the persecution of Julian Assange. A Lubyanka-on-the-Thames. Our courts are no better. Our Department of Justice is a vengeance machine. Masked, armed goons flood the streets of the United States and murder civilians, including citizens. The ruling mandarins are spending billions to convert warehouses into detention centers and concentration camps. They insist they will only house the undocumented, the criminals, but our global ruling class lies like it breathes. In their eyes, we are vermin, either blindly and unquestionably obedient or criminals. There is nothing in between. These concentration camps, where there is no due process and people are disappeared, are designed for us. And by us, I mean the citizens of this dead republic. Yet we watch, stupefied, disbelieving, passively waiting for our own enslavement. It won’t be long. The savagery we face The savagery in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza is the same savagery we face at home. Those carrying out the genocide, mass slaughter and unprovoked war on Iran are the same people dismantling our democratic institutions. The social anthropologist Arjun Appadurai calls what is happening “a vast worldwide Malthusian correction” that is “geared to preparing the world for the winners of globalisation, minus the inconvenient noise of its losers.” Oh, the critics say, don’t be so bleak. Don’t be so negative. Where is the hope? Really, it’s not that bad. If you believe this you are part of the problem, an unwitting cog in the machinery of our rapidly consolidating fascist state. Reality will eventually implode these “hopeful” fantasies, but by then it will be too late. True despair is not a result of accurately reading reality. True despair comes from surrendering, either through fantasy or apathy, to malignant power. True despair is powerlessness. And resistance, meaningful resistance, even if it is almost certainly doomed, is empowerment. It confers self-worth. It confers dignity. It confers agency. It is the only action that allows us to use the word hope. The Iranians, Lebanese and Palestinians know there is no appeasing these monsters. The global elites believe nothing. They feel nothing. They cannot be trusted. They exhibit the core traits of all psychopaths — superficial charm, grandiosity and self-importance, a need for constant stimulation, a penchant for lying, deception, manipulation and the inability to feel remorse or guilt. Virtues of empathy They disdain as weakness the virtues of empathy, honesty, compassion and self-sacrifice. They live by the creed of Me. Me. Me. “The fact that millions of people share the same vices does not make these vices virtues, the fact that they share so many errors does not make the errors to be truths, and the fact that millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane,” Eric Fromm writes in The Sane Society. We have witnessed evil for nearly three years in Gaza. We watch it now in Lebanon and Iran. We see this evil excused or masked by political leaders and the media. The New York Times, in a page out of Orwell, sent an internal memo telling reporters and editors to eschew the terms “refugee camps, “occupied territory,” “ethnic cleansing” and, of course, “genocide” when writing about Gaza. Those who name and denounce this evil are smeared, blacklisted and purged from university campuses and the public sphere. They are arrested and deported. A deadening silence is descending upon us, the silence of all authoritarian states. Fail to do your duty, fail to cheerlead the war on Iran, and see your broadcasting licence revoked, as the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Brendan Carr has proposed. We have enemies. They are not in Palestine. They are not in Lebanon. They are not in Iran. They are here. Among us. They dictate our lives. They are traitors to our ideals. They are traitors to our country. They envision a world of slaves and masters. Gaza is only the start. There are no internal mechanisms for reform. We can obstruct or surrender. Those are the only choices left. Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for 15 years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East bureau chief and Balkan bureau chief for the paper. He is the host of show “The Chris Hedges Report”. This commentary was first published on the Chris Hedges Substack page and is republished with permission. The Chris Hedges Report This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
4 ways Trump is sabotaging climate action around the world
In just the last year, the Trump administration has derailed an international carbon tax, boosted forecasts for oil and gas, and sought to silence an island nation’s climate campaign.
President Trump has spent much of his second term trying to reshape global politics, first through a series of tariffs and trade deals that began on what he termed “Liberation Day” last April. This year, he’s focused on changing the world through military force: After abducting the leader of Venezuela and blockading Cuba, last month the president launched an attack on Iran that has now spiraled into a regional war involving most of the Middle East. Among many profound consequences, Trump’s military strikes could have dramatic effects on the world’s energy trajectory and climate change, though what those effects are remains to be seen. But well before Trump’s attention was consumed by deposing foreign leaders, the president devoted much of his foreign policy to much more directly undermining international progress on global warming: Top diplomats in the Trump administration have pressured other countries to sabotage major treaties on plastic production and shipping emissions, and they have fought to drop even the mention of climate change at international institutions like the United Nations and the International Energy Agency. “It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” Trump said of climate change, speaking to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “The entire globalist concept of asking successful industrialized nations to inflict pain on themselves and radically disrupt their entire societies must be rejected completely and totally, and it must be immediate.” This bully-pulpit effort has already succeeded in stalling international agreements and shifting international focus away from the warming world. Even so, it’s far from clear that the administration will be able to alter the world’s energy transition in its preferred direction, cultivating dependence on American fossil fuels as the global standard. The United States might be able to sit out decarbonization, but other countries have strong economic and political incentives to act on climate change. Even a voice as loud as Trump’s may not deter them indefinitely. Just as the president’s efforts to kill renewable energy in the United States have faltered, his overseas efforts may have little staying power as well. Here are the biggest changes Trump has tried to make to global climate action. Killing a carbon tax The Trump administration’s first major diplomatic action against climate change came last year, when it tried to derail a global carbon tax on the shipping industry, which accounts for about 3 percent of the world’s emissions. At the time, dozens of countries and industry representatives had coalesced around a framework that would require shippers to pay a fee per ton of greenhouse gas emissions. But the U.S. abruptly withdrew from the negotiations in April. It then threatened countries with retaliatory measures if they continued supporting the tax. Trump’s handpicked heads of the federal departments of State, Transportation, and Energy issued a joint statement warning that the U.S. would impose additional tariffs, visa restrictions, port fees, and sanctions on officials from countries that voted for the framework. The coercion worked. In October, 57 countries effectively voted to delay a decision on the framework — even though just weeks earlier it seemed poised to pass unanimously. According to recent reporting from Politico, the Trump administration now appears to be preparing to sink the effort altogether. A State Department cable reviewed by the news organization says the U.S. is “strongly opposed” to a carbon fee on shipping, and “will not tolerate” the creation of a fund that uses tax revenue to reduce the industry’s emissions. “The most appropriate path forward is to end consideration of the [net-zero framework] prior to moving to a new discussion,” the draft cable states. Alisa Kreynes, a director of the ports and shipping program at C40, a global network of mayors taking climate action, said that countries will ultimately need to decide their vote based on their shared commitments to the United Nations charter, and “not in response to unfounded claims or intimidation tactics from individual member states.” Without a global carbon fee for shipping, the industry will need to navigate a patchwork of regulations. “This is why we need the adoption of the [net-zero] framework,” she said. A plastics treaty goes bust Last summer in Geneva, the U.N.’s intergovernmental Negotiating Committee held what was supposed to be the final negotiating session for a landmark treaty that would have put mandatory caps on global plastic production. Fossil fuel companies that have been investing heavily in virgin plastics, which are made from natural gas or crude oil, strongly opposed the legally binding framework. Still, more than 100 countries backed the restrictions. Ahead of the final negotiations, however, the U.S. circulated an informal negotiating memo encouraging key countries to oppose the caps. “We will not support impractical global approaches such as plastic production targets or bans and restrictions on plastic additives or plastic products — that will increase the costs of all plastic products that are used throughout our daily lives,” the memo said. As the U.S. and a group of oil-producing nations refused to budge, the talks ended with no agreement in sight. Silencing an island nation’s climate campaign Last month, the U.S. State Department took its anti-climate pressure campaign to the United Nations General Assembly. The agency sent a missive to every U.S. embassy and consulate, urging all U.N. members to reject a resolution proposed by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. Vanuatu and its neighbors in the region had recently brought a successful case to the International Court of Justice, or ICJ; the court ruled that countries have an obligation to mitigate climate change. The resolution called on states to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, phase out support for fossil fuels, and pay climate reparations, among other measures. Joie Chowdhury, a Switzerland-based attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, said such resolutions are standard practice in the wake of ICJ advisory opinions — but she wasn’t surprised by U.S. opposition. “Those most responsible for the crisis will often be the first to resist accountability,” she said. “That’s predictable, but it’s also what makes accountability essential.” In its message, the Trump administration called the “disturbing resolution” a “charade” and asked Vanuatu to “immediately withdraw” the effort and “cease attempting to wield the Court’s Advisory Opinion as a basis for creating an avenue to pursue any misguided claims of international legal obligations.” Lee-Anne Sackett, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate justice, said negotiations on the resolution have continued at the U.N. despite U.S. pressure. Strong advocacy from island nations continues, and none of the dozen countries who proposed the resolution alongside Vanuatu have rescinded their support. “We’re remaining in constructive dialogue with all U.N. members, including the U.S.,” she said. “We’re confident that we’ll get the resolution through, it’s really just a question of what the substance of the resolution will be, and how much we’ll have to compromise.” Sackett does think that America’s strong opposition has led some supporters to be quieter than expected during negotiations. “The most active in the negotiations seem to be those that have the most concerns with certain elements of the resolution,” she told Grist. Boosting forecasts for oil and gas In addition to global assemblies like the United Nations, the Trump administration has also pressured neutral international institutions to adopt its pro-fossil-fuel ideology. Just after Trump took office, his Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, began berating the International Energy Agency, or IEA, a body known for its authoritative analyses of the global energy sector. Wright urged the IEA to revive a model known as the “current policies scenario,” which projects future energy demand with the assumption that climate action will stall out. The secretary went even further this year, urging the institution to stop modeling how the world could achieve net-zero emissions, a goal he called a “destructive illusion.” (It was the net-zero model that led the IEA to declare in 2021 that the world had to stop all new fossil fuel development in order to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.) Wright threatened to pull the U.S. out of the IEA if it didn’t tilt its modeling back toward fossil fuels. The IEA has tried to play ball with the Trump administration so far. It revived its “current policies” model at Wright’s request, and the institution’s leaders spent most of February’s annual IEA summit talking about “energy security” rather than climate change. But experts doubt that Wright’s threats will cause the IEA to cease modeling net-zero. The institution’s projections of future oil demand are extremely useful not only to other countries pushing climate action but also to petrostates and oil companies. “The net-zero emission scenario, if anything, is a clear signal to investors where the profitable parts of the global economy are going to be if oil and gas demand drops,” said Maria Pastukhova, a senior policy adviser at E3G, a European climate change think tank. “It essentially lets the [fossil-fuel] producing countries and companies … see what is the worst that can happen to them.” If the Trump administration throws a fit and disavows the IEA, the agency would likely survive. The U.S. provides a quarter of the agency’s funding, but other players like China could step in to fill the gap; the remaining 30 countries on the agency’s governing body would likely maintain consensus around modeling net-zero. “The real risk is not a U.S. exit, but the current administration eroding the credibility of the IEA from within,” said Andreas Sieber, head of political strategy for the global climate advocacy group 350.org. “I doubt many member countries would shed a tear if the U.S. were to leave.” ‘Pro-climate PSYOPs’? You’ve probably noticed a lot less talk about climate change these days. It’s not just Trump. Many countries were already quietly toning down their climate rhetoric before the last U.S. presidential election. Part of it is a shift in voter priorities: In the United Kingdom, for example, a recent study showed that public support for net-zero policies has declined by nearly 50 percent since 2021. Countries across the income scale have scaled back their climate ambition: Italy has asked the European Union to suspend its landmark carbon tax, Indonesia has pushed back its target for achieving peak carbon emissions, and India has declined to submit its updated climate goals to the United Nations. But rhetoric and action are two different things, and destabilizing world events are encouraging certain forms of climate action. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine illuminated the dangerous limits of overreliance on Russian fossil fuels, which supplied much of Europe. The new war engulfing the Middle East has halted tankers carrying much of the world’s oil and gas. The U.S., with its massive fossil fuel reserves, is looking like a less reliable energy supplier as well, albeit for political reasons. After Trump deployed special forces to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the president indicated that he might want to conquer Greenland next, Europe and the U.K. quietly inked a huge offshore wind deal in the name of energy security. “Clean secure energy,” the British government said in its statement on the deal, is “the only route to escape the fossil fuel rollercoaster.” While climate action might not be politically popular, it’s quickly becoming the fastest and cheapest way for countries to protect themselves from volatility. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s support for fossil fuels may be leading it into diplomatic isolation: A memo reportedly circulated among senior Russian government officials proposed an alliance with the United States to boost oil and gas over renewables in other countries. “A couple of years back, energy security meant either having cheap gas from Russia or a diverse set of suppliers,” said Linda Kalcher, executive director of Strategic Perspectives, a pan-European think -tank focused on net-zero policies. “Now, it means renewables and being independent from any single supplier.” In December, roughly 50 percent of Australia’s power in December came from renewable sources and battery storage. Canada aims to double the size of its power grid, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in January, in order to “deliver cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable power for Canadians.” The announcement came a little more than a week after Carney told world leaders gathered for the World Economic Forum that the world was in the “midst of a rupture” — a thinly veiled reference to the first year of Trump’s second term. All told, global investment in the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables reached $2.3 trillion last year, an 8 percent increase over 2024. Ed King, an international climate strategist with the Global Strategic Communications Council, recently wondered in his <a href="https://climatediplobrief.substack.com/p/climate-diplomacy-brief-february?utm_source=substack&publication_id=6293345&post_id=186610840&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&action=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo2OTQ0OTYsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE4NjYxMDg0MCwiaWF0IjoxNzcwMDQxNjgyLCJleHAiOjE3NzI2MzM2ODIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi02MjkzMzQ1Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.GBle0NDRVe3uSCCAkpr1pUvU2RJpulgK4OtDADmCIwo&r=evvk&triedRedirect=true">popular newsletter if the Trump administration is secretly trying to diminish the appeal of fossil fuels with its aggressive diplomacy. “Is the White House running a pro-climate PSYOPs?” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline 4 ways Trump is sabotaging climate action around the world on Mar 16, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Anita Hofschneider.
Rights & Wrongs: PROLOGUE – The Night the Sky Cracked Open with Fire
US, Fiji intervene for Israel in South Africa’s Gaza genocide case at ICJ
Asia Pacific Report The United States and Fiji have filed separate declarations of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging the country is committing genocide in Gaza. While the US explicitly rejects the allegation that Israel is committing genocide, Fiji raises issues about how the 1948
Asia Pacific Report The United States and Fiji have filed separate declarations of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging the country is committing genocide in Gaza. While the US explicitly rejects the allegation that Israel is committing genocide, Fiji raises issues about how the 1948 Genocide Convention should be interpreted. The 34-page Fiji declaration was filed on March 12 and is signed by Ambassador Ilaitia Tamata, Fiji’s Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, reports The Fiji Times. READ MORE: Fiji files intervention in Gaza genocide case at ICJ Israel’s genocide in Gaza: Whatever happened to South Africa’s case at the ICJ? Palestine will continue to seek justice against Israel at ICC and ICJ, says The Hague ambassador More Gaza genocide lawsuit reports In the declaration, Fiji said it was exercising its right under Article 63(2) of the ICJ Statute to intervene as a party to the Convention, arguing that the case raises important questions about how it should be interpreted. The filing confirms that Fiji has appointed its Permanent Representative to Israel, Ambassador Filipo Tarakinikini, as agent for the proceedings. The Fiji filing was made alongside separate interventions by Namibia and Hungary, according to a press release issued by the court on Friday, reports Middle East Eye. All four states submitted declarations under Article 63 of the ICJ statute, which allows countries that are parties to a treaty under dispute to intervene in order to present their interpretation of that treaty. Iceland, Netherlands also file Earlier on Thursday, Iceland and the Netherlands also filed declarations under Article 63. South Africa filed the case in December 2023, accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention through its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7 that year. Pretoria argues that Israel’s conduct — including mass killings, destruction of infrastructure and the imposition of conditions of life threatening the survival of Palestinians in Gaza — amounts to genocide. Israel denies the accusation and claims its war is justified by considerations of self-defence. The US submission on Thursday stands out among most interventions for directly defending Israel against the accusation brought by South Africa. Taking sides in a case is highly unconventional under Article 63 submissions. “It’s very unusual for an intervening state (US) to use language like that,” explained Professor Gerhard Kemp, a scholar of international law. “States normally stick to the legal issues, which can even be helpful for both sides. But terms like ‘false’ or ‘wrong’ don’t really move the needle,” he told Middle East Eye. “They are probably aimed at a different audience.” US argues genocide claim ‘false’ In its declaration, Washington argues that allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza are “false” and urges the court to apply a strict legal threshold when determining genocidal intent. It says, uncontroversially, that genocide can only be established where there is clear proof of specific intent to destroy a protected group. Israel’s genocide in Gaza: Whatever happened to South Africa’s case at the ICJ? That intent should only be inferred when it is the only reasonable explanation for the conduct in question, it says. The submission argues that the ICJ must be fully convinced before determining an act is genocide, due to the exceptional gravity of the crime. It also says civilian casualties and destruction during armed conflict do not by themselves prove genocidal intent. “The United States submits that the Court should maintain its standard for inferring intent. Lowering the standard risks broadening the application of the term ‘genocide’ such that it no longer carries its original weight and meaning, and invites attempts to misuse the Genocide Convention as a gateway for bringing extraneous disputes before the Court,” the US claimed. Hungary and Fiji’s submissions similarly advance legal arguments that align closely with Israel’s position in the case. Narrow interpretation Hungary’s declaration calls for a narrow interpretation of genocide and emphasises that civilian casualties and destruction during armed conflict do not in themselves demonstrate genocidal intent. Fiji’s intervention likewise urges the court to apply an extremely high evidentiary threshold for genocide, and cautions against relying heavily on reports by international organisations or non-governmental groups when assessing allegations. By contrast, Namibia’s declaration focuses on a broader interpretation of the Genocide Convention and emphasises how genocidal intent may be inferred from patterns of conduct and cumulative evidence. Namibia argues that acts such as the denial of humanitarian aid, repeated displacement and deprivation of basic necessities could fall within the Convention’s prohibition on deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of a protected group. Its submission also stresses that genocide can be committed through omissions, including a refusal to allow or facilitate life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians under a state’s control. Third-state interventions The new filings add to a rapidly expanding list of states seeking to intervene in the proceedings. Since April 2024, similar interventions have been submitted by Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, Turkey, Chile, the Maldives, Bolivia, Ireland, Cuba, Belize, Brazil, the Comoros, Belgium and Paraguay in support of the South African argument. Palestine and Belize have also sought to intervene under Article 62 of the court’s statute, which allows states to apply to participate in proceedings if they believe they have a legal interest that could be affected by the court’s decision. Under Article 63, intervening states do not become parties to the dispute. Instead, they are permitted to present their interpretation of the treaty at issue — in this case the 1948 Genocide Convention. The interpretation adopted by the court in its eventual judgment will also be binding on those states. The case has become one of the most closely watched disputes ever heard by the ICJ and has drawn an unusually large number of third-state interventions, which have reached 22. The court has already ordered Israel in legally binding provisional measures to take steps to prevent acts that could violate the Genocide Convention and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel ignores court orders Israel has repeatedly ignored the orders. A final ruling on whether Israel has breached the Convention is expected in 2028. But it could take longer, depending on the length of hearings and the two parties’ adherence to deadlines. On Thursday, Israel was scheduled to submit its counter-memorial, or arguments in response to South Africa’s accusations, after several deadline extensions by the court. The court has yet to announce that Israel has filed its evidence, however. During its devastating onslaught, Israel has so far killed more than 74,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children. It has also destroyed most of the enclave’s homes, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure, rendering it largely uninhabitable for its 2.3 million civilians. A UN commission of inquiry concluded last September that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023. The UN report’s authors, including legal experts Navi Pillay and Chris Sidoti, told Middle East Eye that the report used evidence and a similar methodology in its analysis to that which will be used by the ICJ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Musician Aaron David Ross on misusing the tools you’re given
You’re in the Yamaha studio right now. Can you tell me what your day-to-day looks like there?
You’re in the Yamaha studio right now. Can you tell me what your day-to-day looks like there? I do a lot of production for Yamaha artists, who have access to this studio as a perk. I’m the in-house producer, engineer, collaborator. People will come in with recording projects or ideas for how they want to use instruments in unconventional ways, and I help develop the projects and facilitate the recording and production side of what they’re doing. So it’s a lot of setting up mics and listening to beautiful piano music all day, which is a very nice grounding for my creative life here. This studio can be a resource for whatever people dream up. I’m the technical guy who figures out how to make it all go. We first encountered each other back in 2009, when I was a music journalist discovering Gatekeeper for the first time. The world has changed a lot since then. The industry aspect is really different, but the creative process feels like there’s a lot of continuity for me. I’m coming up with unusual approaches to use instruments with artists that I’m inspired by—that’s a little bit the same thread. It’s different in the context of having the Yamaha resources. I don’t think a lot of the same logic of our time really applies anymore. The value systems that are attached now feel a lot more optimized. I think that’s because of the algorithmic feed optimizing for attention, which is the mean of the culture, as opposed to the edges of it. You’re going to be rewarded for a very different kind of engagement with your audience. In our time, [it was about] having a critical distance from the audience and being in the moment with your friends creating the work. The conversations that are had amongst your colleagues, between musicians, between labels, between journalists… That’s the community that’s fueling the thing. The early Gatekeeper stuff, we really didn’t consider audience, and you can probably tell if you look at the series of releases that we did. If we had been considering audience, we would’ve found the thing that people liked and just kind of repeated it. Which is certainly what the feeds reward now. And also really explain it to people, explain what our influences are… All of that stuff, we were trying to hide it. We did some “in the studio” stuff and we deliberately obscured some of the techniques we were using to make music because it was more interesting to create a narrative around it that was removed from us as individuals, creating characters or a persona that you could perform into. That frees you up to not be cringey talking to your phone. Since 2009 to now, that’s only been a diagonal line going up, as far as rewarding more and more of that, and optimizing more and more for that. What we were actually creating back then was a dialogue across a community or several communities that overlapped in different ways, and trying to find the edges of those conversations to shock your own community. Can you give me an example of that? I think a response to witch house was us going super HD IMAX. That would be an obvious one that comes to mind, of being a little bit reactionary because you’re observing the trends and then acknowledging that a lot of that is from the same community, so you’re looking for the edges of those styles and worlds that still felt fresh, that you could explore without falling into something that was overly easy to categorize. There was the joke at that time that as soon as a scene got a name, it was totally rinsed. It was dead. Once you start calling it something, it’s already years past it being an interesting moment. We responded a lot to that. I came up through the DIS world; those were my early colleagues in New York. That was all a response to the hipster culture of twee, the stock hipster culture that we all came through. It was a reaction to that, really dramatically and with a totally different set of values, a totally different set of aesthetics. It was all about building a shared set of codes that was a little bit cheeky but also extremely sincere, and meant to push the whole conversation forward a little bit, inch by inch. You and Matthew [Arkell] recently put out a new Gatekeeper album. You’re in a different stage of life compared to the 2010s. You have day jobs so perhaps you don’t have to worry about catering to the algorithm. How are you approaching making music now? I’ve never made money selling music in my career, ever. Certainly performing, or scoring, or doing projects with collaborators is making money, but it’s never really been about turning it into a career. Because when I was 13, I had Napster, do you know what I mean? Music’s always been free to me. So it hasn’t even changed that much, in that context, because I’ve never really tried to monetize music. We made $500 on the Gatekeeper Bandcamp and it’s like, “Wooo! Nine years of our labor!” But it’s also awesome because it shows that there is still this funny, engaged community of people who are interested in it. But coming with a record now, after more than ten years of not having released anything under the Gatekeeper project, we had no idea what to do. We connected with Jack [Callahan] from Nina who helped a little bit with conceiving of how a release should work. He helped us put some things on the calendar and approach it in a logistical way. Then the big thing that I really enjoyed, that I didn’t do for some of my solo records that I put out recently, was emailing the record to people directly, with one-on-one emails. Chucked into the feed, we all know it gets flattened into a contextless square that’s served between genocide and fascism and ads for whatever else. The context in which you’re finding that stuff, and the speed that your brain is going when you’re scrolling, is really not conducive to any real engagement. My friends will put out music and I’ll see it and like it on Instagram and then I’ll have to remind myself later to actually listen to it. You’re not really able to engage in any meaningful way, or in a way that’s going to offer you the transformative power of what music can do to your brain. It doesn’t even work there. Email is the opposite. It’s this much slower speed limit. Where you’re pottering along and then you have some exit ramp onto a new street that has some different feeling… So we built this Winamp-inspired website that was old-school Web 1.0-style, referencing some of the early internet music discovery tools—which creates context for music that you’re listening to in the moment, by having a specific skin and a type of interaction and a customizability that draws you into it. And I just emailed it to my friends and colleagues… It actually started some dialogue, some back and forth in our inboxes that feels grounded in community. I don’t feel that at all on the platforms. I really recommend reaching out to people directly and not being promo-y about it. Just being like, “Hope you’re well, here’s a cool thing we did, hope you like it.” There’s something really honest and vulnerable about that too, because you’re asking people to care. I don’t even think you’re doing that on social media, where it’s just, “Here’s what happened.” It’s a grim thing that they tell you: that you can only release music by chucking it onto the platforms and hoping for the best. I don’t think that’s the reality. It’s not like email and websites are some great innovations but it’s a little bit of effort in a different way, less commodified through these huge platforms. The way you’re approaching it feels natural, but it’s also alien to everything being a product these days. The real end goal, as you’ve said, is community. Right, that’s what gives you purpose. Without that, I feel like there’s no purpose at all. It’s weird that systems that are designed to support communities can be so isolating… I do think a lot of community stuff happens in real life. Or from a shared set of values that people inherit: aesthetic values, or political values, or whatever it is. Those are kind of built into your understanding of the world, so sometimes it can be easy to find people who share that value system and connect through that. Maybe that’s an idealistic way of looking at it from the 2010s era, but that’s me. The non-commodified aspect is only possible because I can tolerate having my job, and that frees me up. People come to me with projects, and if I think they’re interesting, I work on them. Maybe I’ll get paid; maybe it’ll change my life and I’ll win some crazy award; maybe no one will ever see it and that’s okay, too. You have no idea, and that’s a cool starting point. I feel like the most sense of community I’ve discovered outside of my own world in music or art is in activism. I feel like that is a place where there is a lot of building and learning from each other and supporting each other. It doesn’t have the same output, obviously, because the goals are really different, but there’s a lot of effort being put into cultivating community there. Even just like, canvassing for Zohran [Mamdani], I made all these cool friends that have this great optimism and shared sense of values, that are very local and mutual aid-y. Maybe because of the shift of the platforms to try and control the narrative, you see this offline version of activism that feels a lot more community-orientated. That’s a true multi-racial, intergenerational, coalition-style community, which I think is obviously important for our future. Artists can have really strong political messaging in their work, especially if it’s coming from a personal place, but that tends to be the minority. A lot of times, art isn’t the place to be having these really literal conversations about how to make the world better. I feel like it’s a better place to reflect back the state of things and propose questions that people can take out of that what they want. It leaves an open-ended-ness. I’m thinking about the parallels between resistance to political ideologies and resistance to cultural ideologies, like the idea that you have to be on the platforms in order to release music. On one hand, these things seem worlds apart, but on the other, they’re related because of who owns these big tech companies and what they’re doing with our data. The tech conversation is interesting, as a guilty techno-utopian thinker myself. I’m someone who is very drawn to new technology, consumed by the possibilities contained within this stuff that hasn’t been unleashed yet. I think our generation had a lot of that built in—as kids, we all believed in this future that technology was creating for us. It’s taken me a long time, longer that it probably should, to realize what the end goal of some of these technologies are. I do end up feeding the beast all the way along, because I’m just trying to play with it and break it and find weird things it can do that it’s not supposed to. I think that’s a pretty natural process, especially for artists in electronic music. That’s always been part of the game: finding how to misuse the tools, and then by some misuse of the tool, you’ve spawned some amazing new thing that’s going to live on for decades. Acid house! Exactly. There’s so many examples. I mean, hip hop! The tools presenting themselves as these open-ended rabbit-holes that you can fall down and make whatever you want in, is really appealing to me. But then you realize what goals those technologies are ultimately meant to serve and how incongruous they are with your own goals. I know I’m not going to get to design reality in society for everyone, but I do think it’s important to dream that up and not just accept what you’ve inherited. It’s hard to square those goals because maybe I want to explore a tool, but I know that by doing it, I’m laundering the technology for the world. So the world sees it as having this creative value or possessing possibilities that then obscure what the true intention of the technology is. Which is often a much more anti-human approach to the future, in the AI sense. It’s funny, a lot of times we’re using mainstream tools to build non-mainstream tools… There’s a weird, cyclical process there. It is interesting that you can develop your own software without having the basis of software engineering. As an electronic musician, imagine what that could mean. Your own design of specific tools that you could just spin up with no friction, to use right away for whatever you’re imagining. Or you have some weird problem that you’re trying to solve and you can create this extremely bespoke solution to the problem, that is yours and runs offline on your computer but doesn’t exist without some conglomerate training its data on you writing it. You mentioned friction. How do you think of friction in a creative context? Sometimes friction can be really productive, especially if it’s two collaborators who have different perspectives on something. Finding that middle ground can be really interesting. Even Matthew and I usually approach things in such a different way; we have such a different background and world model for music, and the productive friction that comes from us disagreeing on things and trying to debate through that in real time is what gives the project its special sauce. If I were to try to make a Gatekeeper track on my own, or he were, we couldn’t at all. It would sound like somebody else trying to copy us. It wouldn’t have the same productive tension in it that I think makes our music good. But friction can sometimes be: This tool doesn’t do what I need it to do*. *I like to feel frictionless in the way that a piano or a guitar is frictionless; once you have your sense of it, you’re just channeling something. It’s the flow-state thing. In electronic music, because there’s clicking and mouses and hard-drives, sometimes that can break the flow. I really like optimizing workflows [by organizing my libraries and developing shortcuts] to reduce that, so it’s more about playing an instrument than it is about doing my homework on the computer. Aaron David Ross recommends: Vapor Drawings(1983). Searing pads and sequenced metallic transients from the legendary film composer and trumpet player Mark Isham. “On the Threshold of Liberty” is part of my musical BIOS [Basic Input/Output System]. Shadowbanned Magazine. Design-forward anti-imperial zine and community, hosting events and fundraisers for Gaza and NYC activist groups. Publishes well-researched hot takes that cut through the bullshit, with hilarious merch. Null Object. A new community space/gallery/boutique on East Broadway resembling a walk-in freezer, programming work and launching novel hybrid products straddling art, fashion, food, design, media, etc. Dripping. Surreal abandoned ren-faire grounds in the New Jersey woods. Hosts a festival of music and experimental performance. I saw some amazing stuff last year. Chuquimamani-Condori, Laraaji, and Foodman stand out as highlights. Bog Fog. Froggy’s Fog Extreme High-Density Fog Juice, the only option for low-lying, long-lasting dense plumage. Not sponsored. This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Ruth Saxelby.
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Vanuatu newspaper faces football coverage ban after ‘lesbianism’ headline
By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s only daily newspaper, the Vanuatu Daily Post, is facing a ban on covering future football league matches after publishing an article with the headline: “Former women’s coach says lesbianism is a reason Vanuatu women’s squad keeps losing”. The outlet ran a story on March 6 featuring an interview
By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s only daily newspaper, the Vanuatu Daily Post, is facing a ban on covering future football league matches after publishing an article with the headline: “Former women’s coach says lesbianism is a reason Vanuatu women’s squad keeps losing”. The outlet ran a story on March 6 featuring an interview with a former women’s team coach, Emmanuel Vatu, that criticised in-team relationships as an occasional distraction. While Vatu had not been quoted directly, the Vanuatu Daily Post ran the story with a social media caption that blamed “lesbianism” for poor results by the women’s national team, who lost all three group games in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Oceania Qualifiers held in Fiji. READ MORE: Other Pacific football reports “Sexual relationships with teammates would lead to distraction during matches,” the newspaper reported. “He witnessed his players at the time, more focused on their personal relationships off the field, rather than developing their skills on the field.” In response, Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) released a statement, saying that the comments were “defamatory” and denigrating to female players. “They have every right to pursue the necessary means to address these negative and harmful comments,” a statement read. ‘Committed to equality’ “We will not allow such rhetoric to diminish the achievements and contributions of our women’s team. We remain committed to promoting equality and ensuring football is a welcoming environment for all.” On March 9, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported that VFF president Lambert Matlock, who is also the president of the Oceania Football Confederation, had threatened to ban their journalists from their games via email. Lead reporter Mavuku Tokona told RNZ Pacific they are unapologetic. “In his interview [Vatu] actually emphasised the fact on how many women that are involved [in] sexual relations on the field,” Tokona said. “He said it’s explosive, or something along those lines.” Tokoma said the term “lesbian” was used as a catch-all term because there is no word for it in Bislama. “In order to encapsulate all of that, we had to phrase it that way.” Ban effectively begun He said the ban has effectively begun, with his reporters missing out on invites as of Wednesday last week. Tokona said the “lesbian” comments were just an excuse for years of mistreatment by the VFF. He believes the Vanuatu Daily Post has been given the cold shoulder by sports bodies because they ask tough questions, saying he often relied on his competitors to stay in the loop. “There was a strategic launch of the National Women’s Team, and they decided not to invite us,” he said. He said when a “small female” reporter from the newspaper headed along despite not receiving an invitation, she faced “verbal abuse”. “They usually heckle her while she’s walking in, threaten her, intimidate her . . . I usually force her to go anyway,” Tokona said. The VFF has been approached for comment. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
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Species slowdown: Is nature’s ability to self-repair stalling?
When scientists recently analyzed hundreds of studies of ecosystems, they were surprised to see a marked slowing in the rate of species turnover.
Nature is slowing down, and its ability to regenerate is failing in the face of climate change, according to the authors of a new analysis of the speed of species turnover in ecosystems across the world. The finding comes as a big surprise to many ecologists. They have long predicted that nature will respond to climate change and humanity’s other assaults by ramping up the rate of turnover, with existing species moving out and new ones moving in. Some studies have appeared to confirm this is happening. But the latest and largest analysis, published last month by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, has found the opposite. And the slowdown is big. Measured as comings and goings over a time frame of up to five years, species turnover is down by a third since the mid-1970s, when the current trend of rapidly rising global temperatures began. This is bad news, says the lead author Emmanuel Nwankwo. “Nature functions like a self-repairing engine, constantly swapping out old parts for new ones. But we found this engine is now grinding to a halt.” Nwankwo and his Queen Mary University colleague Axel Rossberg analyzed research assembled in BioTIME, a unique global database of hundreds of separate studies of the composition of ecosystems. Encompassing everything from North American birds to terrestrial plants, freshwater ecosystems, and fish on the seabed, it contains records from more than half a million locations, gathered over the past 150 years. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=2048 2048w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fragmented-Amazon_CIFOR.webp?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="An aerial view of green fields and forest" data-caption="A patchwork of intact forest and grazing lands in the Brazilian Amazon. " data-credit="Neil Palmer / CIAT"/> A patchwork of intact forest and grazing lands in the Brazilian Amazon. Neil Palmer / CIAT “We were very surprised at the discovery,” says Rossberg. “We did not expect at all to see the slowdown.” Such findings are “the opposite of existing expectations,” agrees ecologist Christopher Terry of the University of Oxford, who in a separate study with Rossberg found short-term turnover decline in the data on North American birds in habitats modified by humans. Most ecologists contacted by Yale Environment 360 endorsed the new findings. “The results look quite convincing to me,” says Ryan Chisholm, a theoretical ecologist at the National University of Singapore. These scientists suggested that, by concentrating on changes on a short timescale of five years rather than the longer periods of other research, the new study had identified an important phenomenon of slowdown in natural “intrinsic” species turnover that could influence how ecosystems are able to respond to external forces such as climate change. Yet the head of BioTIME’s leadership council, biologist Maria Dornelas, says her analysis of data from two large, long-term studies in her database — the North Sea International Bottom Trawl Survey and the 60-year old North American Breeding Bird Survey run by the U.S. Geological Survey with Canadian and Mexican counterparts — found an increase in species turnover in recent decades. Comparing her work with that of Nwankwo, she says: “I am finding it difficult to reconcile the two findings.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A white and light brown owl stares into the camera" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OwlOregon.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Visiting Oregon? You may soon have to pay a tax to protect its wildlife. Amal Ahmed Other researchers attributed any discrepancies in estimates of the rate of species turnover to the time frames of the different studies. “You might get pushback from people who have observed a net increase in turnover rates using a long time window,” says Jacob O’Sullivan, an ecology modeler at Forest Research, an agency of the British government. “But slowdown does appear to be the correct interpretation [of] their results.” The new research findings have rekindled a long-running argument among ecologists about how communities of species in natural environments function. At root is the question of whether changes in the composition of natural ecosystems are prevalent, and whether they should be seen as good or bad for the ecosystem. Most ecologists once believed that healthy ecosystems are naturally stable, with a low turnover of species. Left to themselves, they reach a perfected equilibrium that the influential 19th-century American botanist Frederic Clements termed a “climax ecosystem.” After any disruption, they return to this stable state, a process called succession. This stability was seen as vital, because the functioning of the ecosystem — whether tropical rainforests, temperate grasslands, or polar tundra — depended on tight living relationships between species that had evolved together and were mutually dependent. Predators and prey, and plants and the insects that fed on them and pollinated them, were inseparable. Species turnover disrupted those associations and could lead to ecological breakdown. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all 1593w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?resize=1200%2C679&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?resize=330%2C187&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?resize=768%2C434&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?resize=1536%2C869&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto2_PauloBernardino.jpeg?resize=150%2C85&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="901" width="1593" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> The secret superpower of Brazil’s vast savanna Matt Simon Echoing this idea, many ecologists still quote the “rivet-popper hypothesis,” first articulated in the 1980s by biologist Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University. He likened an ecosystem to an aircraft, in which each part, down to the smallest rivet, is vital for the plane to fly safely. Removing a single apparently insignificant species from an ecosystem might be like popping a rivet in the aircraft. It could cause the aircraft to crash — or the ecosystem to collapse. In this framing, species turnover looks like a bad thing. But detailed long-running studies of unperturbed ecosystems have shown that even the most pristine ecosystems are not so unchanging. In a famous long-term tracking of nature on an island in Lake Superior, Daniel Botkin at the University of California Santa Barbara documented ecosystems constantly changing their composition. “Species in ecosystems are not fixed entities, even without human-induced change,” says Anne Magurran of St Andrews University, the founder of BioTIME. “All ecosystems experience natural turnover.” Ecologists call this natural churn within unstressed ecosystems “intrinsic turnover.” And most now agree that this turnover is a sign not of fragility and imminent breakdown, but, as Terry puts it, “the ongoing back-and-forth of a healthy ecosystem.” It can be driven by internal dynamics such as natural fire regimes that periodically wipe out forests, cycles in predator-prey relationships, or periodic outbreaks of disease. Or it can be essentially random. Many species, from lemmings to jellyfish, have boom-and-bust cycles with no obvious external cause. Whole ecosystems can also be made up of mosaics of habitat patches that spontaneously shift, such as the regular switches between woodland and grassland seen in some savanna regions of Africa. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A caribou is reaching two birds above" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2000w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GettyImages-2179308283-1.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1125" width="2000" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Gwich’in fight to protect caribou from Alaska oil development Miacel Spotted Elk Rossberg likens these internal dynamics to a giant, unending game of rock, paper, scissors. And far from being a sideshow, he says, they appear to be the dominant cause of short-term species turnover. Moreover, in a world of growing external pressures such as a changing climate, increased turnover may indicate that the ecosystem is responding and adapting, with some species going locally extinct or migrating out, while other colonizers move in. Which makes it a positively good thing. If those who adhere to the rivet-popper hypothesis are right, then the new evidence of slowdown might be good news. For it would suggest that most ecosystems are growing more stable, and remain largely uninfluenced by human activities, including climate change. But if, on the other hand, significant species turnover is the healthy norm for ecosystems, a sign of resilience rather than fragility, then any decline in turnover is bad news, especially when turnover is increasingly needed as a survival strategy in a world of widespread human interference in nature. So, what is causing this unexpected slowdown? Terry says it likely shows that “humans are disrupting the background [intrinsic] turnover of these systems.” Rossberg says the central problem is probably that natural landscapes are increasingly fragmented. So, as some species disappear, there are fewer opportunities for replacement colonists to migrate from nearby. This “slows the pace at which species replace one another,” he says, reducing the ability of the isolated ecosystems to conduct running repairs and threatening their long-term survival. O’Sullivan agrees. His own research has found that species turnover “increases with both the size of the regional species pool and the connectivity of the landscape. The new study makes the case that a regional decline in [species] richness may explain the local decline in turnover.” In a sporting analogy popular with some ecologists, there are fewer players “on the bench” to make tactical substitutions if things are not going well on the field. A less fragmented landscape will have a larger species pool “on the bench,” ready to replace those disappearing, and allowing increased species turnover if the situation demands. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A woman wearing a headlamp holds a piece of coral in a huge tub" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HarrietSparkCoralLift.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Inside the historic effort to keep the Great Barrier Reef alive Benji Jones Something like this is suggested by a major study published in January on tree-species diversity in the Amazon and Andes. Covering more than 400 forest plots surveyed over four decades, the study found that plots in areas with less fragmented forest had faster turnover rates, as lost species were replaced by new colonists. Their biodiversity held up. But more fragmented forests lost biodiversity, because they were less able to recoup losses with new arrivals from surrounding forests. The bottom line, most ecologists contacted for this article agree, is that ecosystems in the 21st century need to change faster, with more turnover of species, in order to cope with human impacts, whether local land degradation or global climate change. Staying the same is no longer an option. But if the new study is right that turnover is declining sharply in most places, then they are in even more trouble that we thought. So, what does this mean for conservation? One implication is conceptual. The prevailing assumption among conservationists today remains that, as Jacob O’Sullivan of Forest Research puts it, ecological communities “turn over predominantly in response [to] environmental change and direct anthropogenic pressures.” That assumption makes ecosystem change synonymous with ecosystem degradation and suggests that halting species turnover — keeping the ecological rivets in place — should be conservationists’ primary task. But if, as the new ecology appears to demonstrate, species churn is a routine and necessary feature of healthy ecosystems, then protecting the rivets makes much less sense. “Once we accept natural turnover as a force, we must accept change as natural and not to be fought against, despite our intuition to the contrary,” says James Rosindell at Imperial College London. Allowing rare and endangered species in some cases to disappear from ecosystems in the expectation that other perhaps more common and adaptable species will take their place, may be a stretch for most conservationists. But Rosindell and other ecologists say we should be more relaxed about the possible local disappearance of species. “Trying to freeze communities in stasis may well be pushing against the tide,” says Terry. It may simply be putting another wrench in the “engine” of species turnover, blocking the processes of adaptation that ecosystems require in order to survive. It may end up trying to save ecosystems from themselves. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Species slowdown: Is nature’s ability to self-repair stalling? on Mar 15, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Fred Pearce, Yale Environment 360.
War on Iran: Australia should put trust in its neighbours not a modern Titanic rogue state
COMMENTARY: By Kellie Tranter The US-Israeli attack on Iran has unequivocally demonstrated to the world — apart, it seems, from Australia’s government — that being an ally of the US attracts potentially disastrous liabilities but confers few if any benefits. The US was manipulated into starting this illegal and unjustified war simply because Netanyahu planned
COMMENTARY: By Kellie Tranter The US-Israeli attack on Iran has unequivocally demonstrated to the world — apart, it seems, from Australia’s government — that being an ally of the US attracts potentially disastrous liabilities but confers few if any benefits. The US was manipulated into starting this illegal and unjustified war simply because Netanyahu planned it, even though it was and is reputation destroying and obviously detrimental to US interests whether in the Gulf or otherwise. Apparently, Australia had no notice of the intended attack, and it had not the courage to confirm its obvious illegality. READ MORE: Isfahan hit; sirens in Israel; Trump says US not ready for a deal with Iran Eugene Doyle: Will Israel and the US wreck the Gulf States along with Iran? From the gauntlet to stopping the Iran war, Carolan makes action plea War on Iran: ‘It’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media is telling the people’ Other US-Israel War on Iran reports It then decided, no doubt at the behest of the US, to send a spy plane to participate in the war and as well as some missiles. It is preposterous to assert that Australia is taking defensive action to protect the UAE: data from the spy plane obviously will be integrated into the now degraded US intelligence system and used to support the instigators of the illegal war. Now look at what is happening to US allies in the region apart from Israel — and in case we need reminding, Australia is not Israel. The US policy of force projection has completely failed: its massive military might means nothing when it is used reflexively, not strategically, to start a war the real aim of which is dictated by Israel and is the destruction of Iran in pursuit of the Greater Israel project. Pursuing that aim without any coherent strategy or proper preparation has exposed the US and all its allies, not just those in the Middle East, to probably catastrophic consequences. Thrown under a bus Our great protector could not even defend its own military bases and defence systems, let alone the allied Gulf countries that it threw under the bus and did not even try to protect. Its war has set in train an economic catastrophe just starting to engulf most of the world as we speak, including Australia but with Russia being a notable exception. Australia’s craven endorsement of the illegal attack and its voluntary entry into the war to support the aggressors is extraordinary. There was no need to do either nor any rational explanation unless we were subject to US coercion. The consequence of bipartisan decisions since John Howard first came to power is that our politicians have committed our country to the support of a failing flailing superpower that has been co-opted by Israel a small Middle East country has been a perpetrator of violence and aggression against almost every country in the region with the object of regional hegemony. Its public figures, even in the middle of the current war, are talking about Turkiye being the next target. It is simply hard to believe that the US could be so stupid as to embark upon this enterprise, so detrimental to its reputation and its own interests, when Iran had publicly stated exactly what it would do in response, including closing the Strait of Hormuz. The American people did not want this war but had it imposed upon them. Australians were not asked: in fact, we still haven’t been told directly that we’ve joined the fray. We would do well to draw an important lesson from this fiasco. Remember that had Israel not insisted on the US attacking Iran the US would have continued its aggressive behaviour against China with the intention of provoking some sort of direct conflict. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125008" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-Off-Iran-APR-680wide.png" alt="A "Hands Off Iran" placard at the Auckland rally" width="680" height="450" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-Off-Iran-APR-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-Off-Iran-APR-680wide-300x199.png 300w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-Off-Iran-APR-680wide-635x420.png 635w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> A New Zealand “Hands Off Iran” placard at Saturday’s rally in Auckland protesting against the Gaza genocide and the US-Israeli war on Iran. Image: Asia Pacific Report Provocative acts We have not endeared ourselves to China, by far and away our largest trading partner, by Morrison’s covid origin allegations, by entering into the AUKUS alliance or by participating in such provocative acts as pushing battleships through seas just off the coast of China and thousands of kilometres from Australia. The Chinese demonstrated their dissatisfaction by trade restrictions and also their capacity to respond in kind by sending their Navy vessels to circumnavigate Australia; at the same time they also demonstrated, perhaps unintentionally, that Australia’s threat detection architecture was hopeless. Now remember that whatever the outcome of the war against Iran, which at this stage the US seems to be losing, we have seen Iran demonstrate strategic conduct of a war against the odds. And if as is likely the US still pursues its goal of repressing Chinese influence and power, it will leave us in a position similar to that the Gulf states now enjoy. That is to say, we are a convenient forward operating base that will be defended only to the extent necessary to protect US interests, any defensive capacity we have will be co-opted to serve the interests of the US in any conflict and we will suffer exactly the same abandonment as the Gulf states when defending us loses priority. But importantly, we have automatically become a target because of the American bases we host, particularly those providing surveillance and intelligence capacities like Pine Gap. China is a vastly greater military power than Iran and its missiles undoubtedly could accurately target any location in Australia with little chance of interception. The US has demonstrated by what it is doing now in the Gulf countries that we will be used as a forward operating base until our utility is exhausted or extinguished, at which time the US will pack up and leave . Defeating a rogue power Iran has shown that a small country with determination can build a fighting force that with the benefit of strong leadership and capable military strategists can challenge and probably defeat a rogue great power. It defies comprehension that we are paying huge sums of money and confirming our commitment to what has proven to be a protection racket by an incompetent and immoral international thug. China has no intention of attacking us and never did: it wants the respect it has earned and mutually beneficial good relations. We are far better off in the long-term putting more trust in our neighbours with common interests, as just happened with Indonesia, and forming truly defensive alliances with reliable, law abiding allies than tying ourselves to a modern Titanic that will take us down with it when it inevitably flounders. Kellie Tranter is a lawyer, researcher, and human rights advocate. This commentary was first published on her X account where she tweets from @KellieTranter This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
The Growing Problems of Operation Epic Fury
The big drain on military resources has begun. A war apparently already won (and not), against an adversary supposedly without means to fight back, its air force and navy destroyed, its missile capabilities blunted, is now drawing the clumsy colossus of American power into the Middle East with embarrassing effect. The Middle East, where US […] The post The Growing Problems of Operation Epic Fury appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The big drain on military resources has begun. A war apparently already won (and not), against an adversary supposedly without means to fight back, its air force and navy destroyed, its missile capabilities blunted, is now drawing the clumsy colossus of American power into the Middle East with embarrassing effect. The Middle East, where US President Donald Trump promised the “forever wars” would end, promises an end to his beginning. The ledger of losses keeps rising with giddying pace. The US casualty list, for now, remains manageably low, but the military purse is being raided with manic relish. Operation Epic Fury cost US taxpayers $11.3 billion in munitions over the first six days, an estimate that excludes operating and maintenance costs of the engaged military force or the damage inflicted by Iran. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) claims that the first 100 hours of the war cost $3.7 billion, approximating to $891.4 million each day. Strain is also being placed on inventories. The US prides itself on deluxe, high brand killing and extermination of targets, using chic weaponry and dull doctrine. Expensive homicidal measures do have to be eventually accounted for. According to reporting from Bloomberg, “as the conflict extends toward a third week, the US war effort is showing unexpected signs of strain against an adversary whose military budget is smaller than the GDP of Vermont – but which has an arsenal of missiles and drones unlike anything the US has ever faced.” Critical munitions are being depleted. With the campaign barely 100 hours old, 168 Tomahawk cruise missiles had been fired. (Each unit costs a mighty $3.6 million.) This is a staggering figure when compared to the rate of procurement: the previous five years had seen the production of 322 Tomahawks. According to a source quoted in the Financial Times, “The navy will be feeling this expenditure for several years.” While the Pentagon gloats at reducing Iranian strikes by 80% or more, Tehran has gotten more economical with its targeting, successfully striking military and energy infrastructure across the Middle East with telling effect. Ballistic missiles have hit the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, destroying two AN/GSC-52B SATCOM terminals. A costly AN/FPS-132 early warning radar in Qatar – a facility estimated to cost some $1.1 billion – was successfully struck by a ballistic missile. The AN/TPY-2 radar facilities used by the lauded yet hideously expensive Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system have also been struck in Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Ruwais in the UAE, Al Dhafra Air Base in proximity to Abu Dhabi and Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. A sense of how important that facility is to the operation of the battery is provided by N.R. Jenzen, a munitions specialist of Armament Research: “The AN/TPY-2 radar is essentially the heart of the THAAD battery, enabling the launch of interceptor missiles and contributing to a networked air defence picture.” Knocking out the radar blinds the system. The outstanding feature of many of the strikes is their relative cheapness to the interceptor missiles used to destroy them. “The round’s we’re firing – Patriot rounds, THAAD rounds … these weapon systems, each around is millions of dollars,” laments Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. “The math on this doesn’t work.” Shahed-136 one-way drones, each one costing $35,000, have played a starring role in upsetting “the math”. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper has also noted that the majority of wounded US personnel – some 140 troops – have been injured in “one-way strikes.” This has compelled the Pentagon to pay greater attention to its own Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), which is now seeing service in some instances against Iranian attacks. But the department is also set to seek more cash, expecting to ask $50 billion in additional funding from Congress. Given the sheer unpopularity of the war, some lawmakers have reservations. “You’ve got to be able to provide us with more information as […] justification,” insists Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Don’t just take it for granted that the Congress’s role is basically to write the cheque.” US military power is now being drawn from other theatres of interest to feed the Moloch of war. In a recent cabinet meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung confirmed that Washington might relocate air defence material to the Middle East. Multiple launchers of the THAAD system have been or are in the process of being moved to Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, roughly 70km south of Seoul, with the interceptor missiles destined for the Middle East. This shifting of pieces has not been without consequence. The THAAD batteries had been sent to South Korea in 2017 to assure it against threats from its nuclear-armed neighbour to the north. Depriving them of projectiles has gotten tongues wagging about increasing vulnerability. Besides, the ostensible security provided by US power for its allies and partners has been shown to be something of a dud, as Iran’s attacks on the Gulf states has so convincingly demonstrated. Concern from Taiwan about such moves was registered in an interview by Chen Kuan-ting, a legislator and member of the country’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. As US military assets and resources could not “be deployed in two places at the same time”, it was a case of priorities. And those priorities, it was implied, should lie in Asia. “Deploying the main military assets in Asia and confronting the US’s primary competitor here is more in line with US interests.” That may well be what he hopes for, but it is clear that Washington is battling through the another malady Trump had once campaigned against: the debilitating entanglement of a foreign war with ill-defined objectives involving a resourceful, obstinate foe. The post The Growing Problems of Operation Epic Fury appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.
Eugene Doyle: Will Israel and the US wreck the Gulf States along with Iran?
COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle The United States and Israel have, for decades, pursued the destruction of Iran as a sovereign state. We are now in the opening days of what may be the final, decisive war to determine either the survival of the Iranian state or the expulsion of the US from the Arab lands
COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle The United States and Israel have, for decades, pursued the destruction of Iran as a sovereign state. We are now in the opening days of what may be the final, decisive war to determine either the survival of the Iranian state or the expulsion of the US from the Arab lands and the creation of an entirely new security architecture for West Asia. Sounds implausible? We live in truly unprecedented times and many scenarios are possible. READ MORE: Iran says ‘security umbrella full of holes’; urges nations to ‘expel’ US military From the gauntlet to stopping the Iran war, Carolan makes action plea War on Iran: ‘It’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media is telling the people’ Other US-Israel War on Iran reports There are signals as to what may come next and to help identify them I spoke with US Ambassador (ret) Chas W. Freeman. Whether intended or unintended, the US and Israel are in the process of severely damaging the economies of the Gulf States. By attacking Iran, they knew full well what the Iranians would do in response — after all, Iran had warned that any further attack on it would lead to a regional war. Are we witnessing a brazen plan to destroy both Iran and seriously weaken the Gulf States, using Iran as a weapon to do the latter? Could this be a Machiavellian plan to throw a cluster bomb into The Great Muslim Reconciliation between the Sunni states and Shia Iran? Will the war halt or accelerate the project to create an Islamic NATO which is based around last year’s Saudi-Pakistani defence pact? The Saudis have the dollars; the Pakistanis have the nukes and the troops. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125014" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-off-Iran-xwide-APR-680wide-.png" alt="Two women protesters with a "Hands off Iran" placard" width="680" height="405" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-off-Iran-xwide-APR-680wide-.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-off-Iran-xwide-APR-680wide--300x179.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Two women protesters with a “Hands off Iran” placard at Saturday’s Auckland rally against the Gaza genocide and the US-Israel war on Iran. Image: Asia Pacific Report Permanent isolation of Iran The permanent isolation of Iran was the centrepiece of the US-promoted Abraham Accords — designed to bring the Israeli regime into the circle of love and keep Iran out in the cold. Anything that runs counter to this is a threat. The war comes at a time when Iran and the Gulf States had taken major steps to mend fences after decades of hostility. The murder of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on orders of Donald Trump in 2020 was supposed to kill off a diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Soleimani and other officials were killed in a US missile strike at Baghdad airport without the permission of or notification to the Iraqi government. He was, according to Iranian, Saudi and Iraqi sources, including Iraqi PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi, heading for a meeting with his Saudi counterpart to broker a peace deal. The assassination was successful but the US attempt to kill off the peace process failed. US sabotages diplomacy A week before the US and Israel launched their latest attack, Egypt and Iran announced that they had agreed to fully restore diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors. It was the latest in a series of such moves to bring Iran in from the cold. As the Middle East Institute pointed out shortly after, “Within days of the Israeli strike, [Pakistan’s] Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Doha in a show of solidarity. Seizing the crisis as an opportunity to elevate Pakistan’s strategic presence in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, its government voiced support for the proposed formation of a joint Arab-Islamic security force.” The quickly signed Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) got a lot of attention in West Asia and was soon dubbed an “Islamic NATO” — an alliance that could one day replace American boots on the ground. The Gulf States were also slowly coming to the realisation that America was unreliable, Israel was a genuine threat and Iran might be useful as a counterbalance to the US and Israel. A Pakistani nuclear shield and conventional military backup was being discussed as far away as Ankara; there were even whispers Iran might be invited to join. Now, back to that question of whether the US is, through its war on Iran, deliberately weakening the Gulf States as part of a strategy to keep the Muslim world divided. I asked US Ambassador (ret) Chas W. Freeman and he replied, “I think you give far too much credit to the United States, and more particularly, to Israel, in terms of devious planning to do these things in the Gulf,” Freeman said. “We’re actually pretty stupid and clumsy at what we do. Look at what we’re doing with the Peshmerga and the Kurds. How stupid do you have to be to do that?” Ambassador Freeman is highlighting what has been a recurring cycle in US foreign policy – strategic betrayal — in which it uses groups like the Kurdish Peshmerga or the freshly-minted Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK) to attack US enemies only to throw them under the bus the moment they have served their purpose. Luring Iranian Kurds The CIA and the White House have tried to lure the Iranian Kurds into the current battle, Trump blurting out how “wonderful” it would be and how the map of Iran would be redrawn. This will only fuel Iranian nationalism. Ambassador Freeman is numbered among those who believe that the US-Israeli defence shield is running low on interceptors and Iran could strike back hard in the coming weeks. He also surmises that the Iranians will have secretly signalled to the Gulf States that a condition of the war ending — if Iran gets to set the terms — will be the removal of all US military from the Gulf States. None of us can say with certainty what the respective breaking points for the belligerents are but I certainly believe Iran is very far from out of the fight that the US and Israel has forced on them. “Prior to the US-Israeli attack, the Gulf Arabs were moving — in their usual incoherent and inchoate way — toward some kind of coalition with Iran to balance Israeli military hegemony in the region,” Ambassador Freeman told me. “Now Israel and the United States have given an opening to Iran to pursue its long term objective, which is to remove the American presence from the Gulf. Iran has turned a vicious attack on it into a strategic opportunity to force the Gulf States to do a cost-benefit analysis.” Chas Freeman is probably right: the US didn’t intend to shatter the Gulf States as one of its war aims. That leaves the more plausible explanation: the Americans and Israelis are simply demented and war-crazed. Either way, the US-Israeli war machine must be stopped for the sake of humanity. Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington, New Zealand, and a contributor to Asia Pacific Report. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
The US and Israel Have No Plan: Because Collapse Is the Plan
I don’t think it’s controversial any longer to proclaim that the ruling class of the US and Israel (USrael™) are idiot psychopaths (idiopaths™). Some around the globe have noticed the two administrations sinking all of us into a possible global economic meltdown / possible nuclear war / probable really shitty 2026 don’t seem to have […] The post The US and Israel Have No Plan: Because Collapse Is the Plan appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/51c5dbd6-52a2-4a97-8df7-35d01ee1b558?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/51c5dbd6-52a2-4a97-8df7-35d01ee1b558?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773614143783000&usg=AOvVaw1ivEYl49yqwli5YKTjVShM"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NbVWQfVsTkMf0uvZYWOnZ3FzJmLy7snGRRarxavLeSJ1ESE70mA4K3NVbpfQeAdrEvCEXBbMMdelYXWmUlZaugQNiz4EoF9n8bk9foDR8tlTqJaD963hXcUmfv-1Wnn7QIg52IzkWnE2dIWBBPbi1QlTtY8a9Q8Q861XwZC6peu8_WfDwNg1JrV1RvJ8b3ZyhOWJVdFvkIaciJW4qfcT8oxn5f7q1z99tTgFuFYCtCRUzoP7gZuMVZaRaNo3h3rRVKtRRRxz00kci2bGeXhdbFvs-eulEf0oRkfmbgMGfr7WvgjoeakrEhILEWb-kaxeWC808U=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pmZE!,w_524,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9db520c4-02b0-4b95-ba60-47928ef49eb6_1200x896.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="376.25333333333333" data-bit="iit" /> I don’t think it’s controversial any longer to proclaim that the ruling class of the US and Israel (USrael ) are idiot psychopaths (idiopaths ). Some around the globe have noticed the two administrations sinking all of us into a possible global economic meltdown / possible nuclear war / probable really shitty 2026 don’t seem to have a “plan” or “strategy” or “inkling” for what happens next. Even the lawmakers who attended a closed-door briefing about the administration’s Persian Incursion <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/dc4085c5-34f3-4e9f-a616-f1758dbd7bad?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/dc4085c5-34f3-4e9f-a616-f1758dbd7bad?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773614143783000&usg=AOvVaw3uQFa-nsQ9zkTN1NrKkZmS">exited the room completely baffled as to A) the reasons for this war, B) the plan for this war, and C) the plan for what comes after said war. The reason these witless millionaire lawmakers don’t understand the true causes of this horrific invasion of Iran is because they either don’t understand or choose to ignore the petrodollar and it’s role in dollar hegemony and then dollar hegemony’s role in making sure the US oligarchs can print enough money to own whole islands where they can sexually abuse minors with abandon. (I discussed the real reasons for the attack on Iran in a recent column here.) <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/a38b884c-af14-4924-b127-20499aa8e090?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/a38b884c-af14-4924-b127-20499aa8e090?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773614143783000&usg=AOvVaw33B4n-gN98qRkjFFgKuh1l"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NarDp7ZRir421SfHV0B1I0xzDYT23LI6Lktkc0WbmgVxC3n1H4RfIcme2OtPVBG6ZkdNqQbH5L20HMqMIZ05Xjmk6l9_kofBNWfHgTUe30aF_i0rEq9ua9-KS7F6iiWJMAnaRgI86kymr5UQcrFdmxUJakv09gBdBrNHwfbMV1K_RbqZl_G-0CgAyhjsfkFUAXoNw4045IkKnkfNZkXYRWpd7ybBF6zjnd7s9UnrGwb_RVKFOaDaErvL0VKyAcNID1q7rsJCho2wkwWXRXvVAC4SkqnOOMwP6AWYb1YWS--aWhND_AVRilEfNXTmoxoUKaJasPD=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5AE0!,w_360,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3976f594-0839-4c61-9a5f-3ab5cd6cd18f_5184x3456.jpeg" alt="" width="360" height="240.08241758241758" data-bit="iit" /> However, the reason our 72% male 78% white Congress can’t get a clear answer from the Trump administration as to what comes next if the USrael idiopaths “succeed” in Iran is quite simply because it doesn’t matter to those making the decisions. The idiopaths don’t care. Collapsing the state apparatus is the goal. Asking them what comes next is like asking an arsonist what he’s going to build after he burns down the house. Chances are his response would be nothing more than a bewildered look akin to when you ask your dog for advice on a variable-rate mortgage. Some normal people — who don’t understand the sinister, soulless aims of the US imperial rulers — like to mention that the US hasn’t won a war since WWII. They like to say, “Every war the US has entered into over the past 50 years has been a disaster for us.” Unfortunately, that’s not true. It’s not true because “normal” people with feelings and souls and payment plans and moral cores can’t comprehend what counts as “winning” for the piping hot bags of douche who run the USraeli empire. The clearest examples are Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Despite the breathless protestations of our various administrations at the time, the goals with the invasion of Iraq, invasion of Libya, and invasion of Syria were never to help the poor, suffering people in those countries. (Shock.) Our ruling psychopaths didn’t ever care about the women or the children or the innocents or the elderly or the pets. They didn’t give a shit. In fact, psychopaths are incapable of giving a shit about others. The actual goal was to turn those nations into unstable, feeble, incapacitated, failed states. Once in that condition, they A) don’t pose a risk to Israel and B) don’t have the strength or ability to pump oil outside the petrodollar and align with other countries outside USrael’s sphere of influence. Libya ended up with a lawless state featuring such exciting tourist attractions as open-air slave markets and violent warlords. In the years following the 2003 Iraq invasion, Iraqis celebrated with extreme instability, sectarian fighting, and efforts to establish a government amidst violent insurgency. Following the fall of the Assad government in Syria, the country has been led by a US-installed rebranded Al Qaeda asshole. The national sport is extreme poverty, and the national flower is ethnic cleansing. For the people of Iraq, Libya, and Syria, it’s an absolute horror movie. And yet, Americans no longer hear our politicians or our mainstream media announcing that the people of [fill in the blank] need our help. Not any longer. They apparently only needed USraeli “help” when there was a risk to the petrodollar. With the safety of the petrodollar secure, USraeli freedom bombs are no longer necessary. USrael has no plan for an imaginary post-war Iran because the arsonist does not seek to rebuild the house. Cancer does not ask how to bring the host back to life. The US imperial aim is merely… hell. Hell on earth. No more stability. No more society. No more infrastructure. Essentially no more state. And for the US and Israel, this means no more resistance, no more threat, no more competition to the petrodollar. No more Iranian alliance with China. Collapse is <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/be28f2a4-88b4-4bc2-a210-a117cdfd78ec?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/be28f2a4-88b4-4bc2-a210-a117cdfd78ec?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773614143783000&usg=AOvVaw21Gn4OllgnX6qLbcCBwD4I">the plan. But it increasingly seems that it won’t work. Iran is not Iraq. Iran is not Libya. Iran is not Syria. Iran is a powerful and ancient society of 90 million people. Those who understand Iran far better than I do say Iranians will fight to the end. The US will not fight to the end because the majority of Americans don’t even know why we’re fighting at all. In fact, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/18c3c177-84f7-49a1-8ae3-56ebcc724769?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/18c3c177-84f7-49a1-8ae3-56ebcc724769?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773614143783000&usg=AOvVaw3HJX8Uh93EF34MbvIMu7QQ">polling shows most Americans think Trump went to war with Iran to distract from the Epstein files. The post The US and Israel Have No Plan: Because Collapse Is the Plan appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Lee Camp.
Trump Orders Central Command to “Obliterate” All Military Targets on Kharg Island and Threatens to “Wipe Oil” Infrastructure
In a major escalation of the war, Trump wrote on Truth Social last night that he ordered the US Central Command to conduct a bombing raid that “obliterated every MILITARY target on Iran’s crown jewel.” He said that “For reasons of decency, I have NOT chosen to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the island, […] The post Trump Orders Central Command to “Obliterate” All Military Targets on Kharg Island and Threatens to “Wipe Oil” Infrastructure appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sVtL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sVtL!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sVtL!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sVtL!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sVtL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg 1456w" alt="" width="505" height="282.8" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":978,"width":1200,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":216154,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":true,"internalRedirect":"https://glolson.substack.com/i/190924001?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc95eee1b-4079-49d8-a3f6-8384ee9b32e7_1200x978.jpeg","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> In a major escalation of the war, Trump wrote on Truth Social last night that he ordered the US Central Command to conduct a bombing raid that “obliterated every MILITARY target on Iran’s crown jewel.” He said that “For reasons of decency, I have NOT chosen to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the island, however, should Iran, or anyone else do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Straights of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider.” He described the US attack as one of the “most powerful in the history of the Middle East” and urged the Iranian military to give up “and save what’s left of the country, which isn’t much.” Finally, just after midnight, Trump wrote “ Watch what these deranged scumbags today.” Kharg is a five-mile-long coral island off Iran’s south-western coast and lies 27 miles from the mainland. It’s been called the “beating heart of Iran’s modern energy empire” and also the “forbidden island” because of the security and military restrictions.” The pipeline terminal receives crude from major off shore oil fields in Dorood, Forozan and Aoozaer and Iran exports 90% of its oil from Kharg. Eight or nine supertankers can be loaded simultaneously at the giant facility. Kharg provides some 13 percent of China’s oil imports. The oil facility was built in the 1960s by the American company Amoco and taken over by Iran during the 1979 revolution. Iran has vowed that an attack on the oil infrastructure would “end all restraints on its reprisals.” Bombing Kharg feels like an act of absolute folly and sheer desperation. Seizing Kharg, a highly dangerous operation in itself, would still not allow the US to produce oil and would in the words of one analyst “set markets into a tailspin.” Some experts predict prices could leap to $150 a barrel if Kharg is hit and cause long term pain around the world. Damage to the facility could take years to repair. (The Guardian, 11 Mar 2026) The US is sending the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the region with its complement of 2,500 Marines. Scott Ritter says that any attempt to land Marines will end in disaster. And trying to enter the Persian Gulf would be a suicide venture. Satellite tracking are following the ship and when it gets within range, it will be annihilated by an Iranian missile. (More, later today) The post Trump Orders Central Command to “Obliterate” All Military Targets on Kharg Island and Threatens to “Wipe Oil” Infrastructure appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Gary Olson.
Europe’s Criminalization of Palestine Solidarity
Europe’s Proscription of Palestine Solidarity
When Israeli forces bombed Iran in June 2025, German Chancellor Merz praised them for doing “the dirty work for all of us.” His statement exposes the roots of Europe’s military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israeli genocide and regional aggression. To sustain their “business as usual” policy toward Israel, European governments are criminalizing Palestine solidarity. […] The post Europe’s Criminalization of Palestine Solidarity appeared first on Dissident Voice.
When Israeli forces bombed Iran in June 2025, German Chancellor Merz praised them for doing “the dirty work for all of us.” His statement exposes the roots of Europe’s military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israeli genocide and regional aggression. To sustain their “business as usual” policy toward Israel, European governments are criminalizing Palestine solidarity. 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data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BQoEompCxQllKRatVYfcMUIpz1MvUclUHwYyRx-2BeOL-2BWBSLzjILVyDIanF5fVYur95-2BOtizctxJRiCYaU81unIlEhhztx9yYoRvT6KyIO7KpgC8k_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJicNi-2FOuNAfRpjISe1UFxCMJXvuFqIQrntfBRNx-2BJDltJVIg6GS-2FANHc43hDbLPLrFtOyGRDoFDzCKMkTOFxEyvNfsZ-2BlJJO1dEbYgw-2F3A-2FgxOf4Bcj-2FKXzaA1i91cKY9SP0Ucv8klZmtJcbwt5BLSj&source=gmail&ust=1773612393036000&usg=AOvVaw1s87zPPPXHInB4rVvzJj_W">latest visual with <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BaorxumeyPaFMAmZ1Clv465XI52kCYWJEQPIIj4ljR3GinTW5aFJ-2By7dj-2BwasACpJA-3D-3DQ3Zd_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJh0iBUecsanQe29XDSZMuTsQGkhetrx2H64WR8AmeaRDxbXNimZaLt-2BlMuSN1qTVytQur-2FleoK-2FqIhskcq-2FPvWPiLwf-2BN-2BOE2-2Fff62H86HT-2FEWYCcIBcZx4vGxjMtWAqvRkp55ZiLkAZxPxQha2ciya" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BaorxumeyPaFMAmZ1Clv465XI52kCYWJEQPIIj4ljR3GinTW5aFJ-2By7dj-2BwasACpJA-3D-3DQ3Zd_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJh0iBUecsanQe29XDSZMuTsQGkhetrx2H64WR8AmeaRDxbXNimZaLt-2BlMuSN1qTVytQur-2FleoK-2FqIhskcq-2FPvWPiLwf-2BN-2BOE2-2Fff62H86HT-2FEWYCcIBcZx4vGxjMtWAqvRkp55ZiLkAZxPxQha2ciya&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw1FCNOLvYA1_HLeXsTGsVzM">The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) depicts this architecture of repression, which we must understand as we build the architecture of solidarity. <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BQoEompCxQllKRatVYfcMUIpz1MvUclUHwYyRx-2BeOL-2BWBSLzjILVyDIanF5fVYur95-2BOtizctxJRiCYaU81unIlEhhztx9yYoRvT6KyIO7Kp6eIz_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJgH3vUbfSn-2B8HTmia-2BEAijjOrxV403dkewSn7OzwJIqbin-2F4aIEZVOYfm1yMhiKs2mYo3mZeNpUUCb0tprkEW1QMGM2UoxUQ0huMblBBzJK1cUljQoL-2FP7nUVSxYtJRWq6zChBuBsNC43eqQPPFURjl" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BQoEompCxQllKRatVYfcMUIpz1MvUclUHwYyRx-2BeOL-2BWBSLzjILVyDIanF5fVYur95-2BOtizctxJRiCYaU81unIlEhhztx9yYoRvT6KyIO7Kp6eIz_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJgH3vUbfSn-2B8HTmia-2BEAijjOrxV403dkewSn7OzwJIqbin-2F4aIEZVOYfm1yMhiKs2mYo3mZeNpUUCb0tprkEW1QMGM2UoxUQ0huMblBBzJK1cUljQoL-2FP7nUVSxYtJRWq6zChBuBsNC43eqQPPFURjl&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw07N5-cLrqXl2Kv_f1NTd_L"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" title="" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NY0YkbgTcUFXadI-v7HMWdPjkQAE1Srgnb5gYZVAuyFC1Q9xi6sohw3jOvcQw1vU9Qw4llWmjc97GliZUKG0SHDvO-99guuikYZI2eLpkiyYdhvAUA5n5gjVgH7nEuHA9-WzqHY2eKm6oRbr1CZ_KwWATAy3dSdfHpdEmdjXu46vJYK4ndbbLaXea1t1TZxoqgRkKDw_YcQ-djXOzrjDppybFIkMXo3RtPb9-cia1nIkSCXHUYaSQgVU76UGBXoKFmFejqY-w=s0-d-e1-ft#https://bloomerang-bee.s3.amazonaws.com/images/clapton_cysx6cjdvalm_us_west_2_rds_amazonaws_com_visualizingimpact/editor_images/VP-Europe%E2%80%99s%20Proscription-20260309.jpg" alt="" width="505" height="auto" data-bit="iit" /> This visual builds on analysis in ELSC’s <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BWcnq2f0lPYn1K6EdLoKo0RcHqGhg1rGyZihiP9QOXnUBXsOWgstVFao0Q4EFgyeqsdp-2FIoMVUse12W-2BiSXd9zAdb1JzTR0fZj9H16PfXO6tZPqDwvWKv46UYQ4CdeLteQ-3D-3Dex7B_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJjJfmB2yK7elCKaELn8M1WtsKzZf1yys798qw-2Bv99iEKOLhHKv0Ty3dOptgkEbdnlhP7MvE6SxMiAxQJb8Pl2oW3ouiwxXtSwWmDdXhi9w6-2F9I0embL1K1Saf2aG1v29H8-2BBVR5bLudxszLzzHuOq7L" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BWcnq2f0lPYn1K6EdLoKo0RcHqGhg1rGyZihiP9QOXnUBXsOWgstVFao0Q4EFgyeqsdp-2FIoMVUse12W-2BiSXd9zAdb1JzTR0fZj9H16PfXO6tZPqDwvWKv46UYQ4CdeLteQ-3D-3Dex7B_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJjJfmB2yK7elCKaELn8M1WtsKzZf1yys798qw-2Bv99iEKOLhHKv0Ty3dOptgkEbdnlhP7MvE6SxMiAxQJb8Pl2oW3ouiwxXtSwWmDdXhi9w6-2F9I0embL1K1Saf2aG1v29H8-2BBVR5bLudxszLzzHuOq7L&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw3Sq5ZTd55LpT0adj2USl7x">report “Europe’s Proscription of Palestine Solidarity,” which documents how European governments––including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and other countries––are using counterterrorism frameworks to criminalize Palestine solidarity and demobilize opposition to genocide. They employ measures reminiscent of colonial emergency laws, suspending basic rights in order to maintain imperial dominance. ELSC, in collaboration with Forensic Architecture, just launched <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BSfI79LiUfrTw-2BypAYJCyfrO5JsDXD5FCz6I7oLEaZKz6gjgcNDW4KvfCkzMMTy0NtNWlcoaThU1VnYYSuOkDSk-3DTQx9_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJgX-2Bm-2BjCBmQcptNYlTdfqiGwCJwZzb3zAXFgMbEJ92lIqiCJIrq7MMsIQN2UHX3f7D2KZ5dn5WOvhjJtAhtLGh1voZFxmSaqL0uLJBcpJFA0XqQphgSyhD17fg2p9cTvcigaJw0-2BBkOtFb2j35B30A7" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BSfI79LiUfrTw-2BypAYJCyfrO5JsDXD5FCz6I7oLEaZKz6gjgcNDW4KvfCkzMMTy0NtNWlcoaThU1VnYYSuOkDSk-3DTQx9_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJgX-2Bm-2BjCBmQcptNYlTdfqiGwCJwZzb3zAXFgMbEJ92lIqiCJIrq7MMsIQN2UHX3f7D2KZ5dn5WOvhjJtAhtLGh1voZFxmSaqL0uLJBcpJFA0XqQphgSyhD17fg2p9cTvcigaJw0-2BBkOtFb2j35B30A7&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw1N3MKRXK0BXqfm6Gc06m4Z">Britain’s Index of Repression, which provides deeper insight into the multi-sited, institutionalised, and systematic nature of this repression. The public database records 964 verified incidents of legal, institutional, and political repression targeting students, academics, workers, journalists, artists, and organisers standing in solidarity with Palestine in the UK between 2019 and 2025. The database, accompanied by a <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BdiRyHECAnapaocb2RxxY5RkF4FnSr-2B2D-2BsfhjU4wx6iMm4JuXOpqvr8iYFXfiSI3FLRr2luIf30Nx2-2FvM8sGkiep2-2FqoYjERh1bKVLKlK9ltEcOmEyG-2BokrW7NGZVlHgK36UMLumgmYKgTZhuQ-2Fwg93KU6JriG5nanpQFlSVbHPp06Z_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJjiejoaxopP9Zc80JrrsYppSgwGb2RPUzOQTVF-2Bjc9fHS4rbLBC-2BsI0sAEWA2fDjJCH-2Bg8sHfPDLfkDI6xfihY2Hn3dunDm5EqXpbp-2BEmJcjHOa9tv50JOJRHw3qnZY4Lgi8OPivUBXiIRyEa9H0tvm" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BdiRyHECAnapaocb2RxxY5RkF4FnSr-2B2D-2BsfhjU4wx6iMm4JuXOpqvr8iYFXfiSI3FLRr2luIf30Nx2-2FvM8sGkiep2-2FqoYjERh1bKVLKlK9ltEcOmEyG-2BokrW7NGZVlHgK36UMLumgmYKgTZhuQ-2Fwg93KU6JriG5nanpQFlSVbHPp06Z_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJjiejoaxopP9Zc80JrrsYppSgwGb2RPUzOQTVF-2Bjc9fHS4rbLBC-2BsI0sAEWA2fDjJCH-2Bg8sHfPDLfkDI6xfihY2Hn3dunDm5EqXpbp-2BEmJcjHOa9tv50JOJRHw3qnZY4Lgi8OPivUBXiIRyEa9H0tvm&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw2ELyVmKA3nPxYH6cHKXM5C">report, builds on their previous work on <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BSfI79LiUfrTw-2BypAYJCyfryFSNBJfOZEcl1CjcRJZxnbI2SPZhAUh-2FQ6GWBeVx2oJdxgi5sSL4ptMY1KuxBzjw-3Dlnal_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJggMSzCExv6Lwh6DndZu43CNFa00nwg2A2kSDA9VW-2FN5Uf1egVmr3PNCskurHcLGv9YwYC-2FUrzis1Cvaapm-2FrQYsUCZ-2BglxMU4LO45EsYaC-2BzU65Dkj6j6y7rrDFK3W1a5jMaQfXQe9JtNjogOkbNlt" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BSfI79LiUfrTw-2BypAYJCyfryFSNBJfOZEcl1CjcRJZxnbI2SPZhAUh-2FQ6GWBeVx2oJdxgi5sSL4ptMY1KuxBzjw-3Dlnal_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJggMSzCExv6Lwh6DndZu43CNFa00nwg2A2kSDA9VW-2FN5Uf1egVmr3PNCskurHcLGv9YwYC-2FUrzis1Cvaapm-2FrQYsUCZ-2BglxMU4LO45EsYaC-2BzU65Dkj6j6y7rrDFK3W1a5jMaQfXQe9JtNjogOkbNlt&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw0kGr8hHXA-j4J_vpRP9P9H">Germany’s Index of Repression. <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BSfI79LiUfrTw-2BypAYJCyfrO5JsDXD5FCz6I7oLEaZKz6gjgcNDW4KvfCkzMMTy0NtNWlcoaThU1VnYYSuOkDSk-3DSeAu_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJhQO5k9Im3GwAL-2F-2Flom9IU4na5SYPIIHCwE0WPF0bM7Mh1xvUxDSnnE2NgUmbLMVJI9w1kD4sF6DDUEh-2BRcdeWGPzFZ0p1hP5NZlqwgXvQVTConUdVXOSvSw7B9ELp9GxmmzIDMiO1J-2BKHOhtyhSWH8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BSfI79LiUfrTw-2BypAYJCyfrO5JsDXD5FCz6I7oLEaZKz6gjgcNDW4KvfCkzMMTy0NtNWlcoaThU1VnYYSuOkDSk-3DSeAu_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJhQO5k9Im3GwAL-2F-2Flom9IU4na5SYPIIHCwE0WPF0bM7Mh1xvUxDSnnE2NgUmbLMVJI9w1kD4sF6DDUEh-2BRcdeWGPzFZ0p1hP5NZlqwgXvQVTConUdVXOSvSw7B9ELp9GxmmzIDMiO1J-2BKHOhtyhSWH8&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw047cgwifTFFhXJr9s10nuY"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" title="" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NaSUdG8geFhpHl66vLDr7c1JnsbvPFfthy4x2cqchlfs09GZJI8Re0SLp5eD2rBHlAnV0HfmwGwC1HViBfyVyzqVdrKlw0e1ggi5PoQ5-3jwhBCO-fwIM-rJkjgpHD42ltmnDpAv9iJ4D90_sK1-bE9YzrRjINO9ESOK7wTEWndhwzbEkJtauoKFFDESKViD-hnIEpxktJU-upHzwV28VGZxGGs9328Fk9_017eCkqHjMQ86HKvoLuThRc=s0-d-e1-ft#https://bloomerang-bee.s3.amazonaws.com/images/clapton_cysx6cjdvalm_us_west_2_rds_amazonaws_com_visualizingimpact/editor_images/Screenshot%202026-02-26%20125945.png" alt="" width="505" height="auto" data-bit="iit" /> This is an ongoing monitoring project. Report an incident to ELSC <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BTui1qJ32ezHETNHCJvPkEbPM1NgKWvE2S4Ske8GwAx5e8DWhsk9aPx-2FHnMeL6gvug-3D-3Dm3ny_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJgpp3rG0WOify8UHpUiN-2FONdFr3oDu0P-2FH6lP5Y0WcLzi90V-2FvZu1QX09Vgc2YDNjDr7EAhpb97Mjx2JAmDIcu5mtzwaPxf6RM4TuENrdUVleSGjcXkqRU9BcCgp2gXzI9xuWpceXoETDgoccLqArwj" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BTui1qJ32ezHETNHCJvPkEbPM1NgKWvE2S4Ske8GwAx5e8DWhsk9aPx-2FHnMeL6gvug-3D-3Dm3ny_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJgpp3rG0WOify8UHpUiN-2FONdFr3oDu0P-2FH6lP5Y0WcLzi90V-2FvZu1QX09Vgc2YDNjDr7EAhpb97Mjx2JAmDIcu5mtzwaPxf6RM4TuENrdUVleSGjcXkqRU9BcCgp2gXzI9xuWpceXoETDgoccLqArwj&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw22Pba3rcJ5s5WtB-AQqpQV">here. Power escalates its violence only when forced to respond to movements it cannot contain. – Europe’s Proscription of Palestine Solidarity (report), ELSC, August, 2025 While these measures aim to quell support for Palestinian liberation, historical precedent suggests such repressive tactics often fail against determined collective movements for justice.In one important recent victory against the criminalization of Palestine solidarity in Europe, the <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BRU1jPEJunR0LkGcCaSx3gXo-2BoJe8AhjZHIT0ZlvwcyvuZVGUikyGmiUm28NKBVT8LuoedJ7W4BfyZoIavg38ga0uacLgX4hFIa1CI47gYGC-2FZDg0-2BsYbW3E2V0xgkNlrpSR4-2FX-2BpQCZyUCMgBhZy0cqrP8t7h0E1ozY5FISywodRkS8_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJiPHwqsxqJckO5eGlAXbRRyQV9Hx9lhVhm-2BUlpTiKf5k8HIh70V-2FYB3YH55TmBwsa6EDVdbrB5JARUD36y2PPk2UA52uJ4e3dbzdLisrx2VUcYftrw3vGBIy2i7ysPK1Spet1Cpo0JfhPwWZqSLyTbV" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BRU1jPEJunR0LkGcCaSx3gXo-2BoJe8AhjZHIT0ZlvwcyvuZVGUikyGmiUm28NKBVT8LuoedJ7W4BfyZoIavg38ga0uacLgX4hFIa1CI47gYGC-2FZDg0-2BsYbW3E2V0xgkNlrpSR4-2FX-2BpQCZyUCMgBhZy0cqrP8t7h0E1ozY5FISywodRkS8_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJiPHwqsxqJckO5eGlAXbRRyQV9Hx9lhVhm-2BUlpTiKf5k8HIh70V-2FYB3YH55TmBwsa6EDVdbrB5JARUD36y2PPk2UA52uJ4e3dbzdLisrx2VUcYftrw3vGBIy2i7ysPK1Spet1Cpo0JfhPwWZqSLyTbV&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw2EYamxeR_v40XITkCLu1Yu">UK High Court ruled that the government’s ban on Palestine Action was “disproportionate and unlawful.” In a related case, six Palestine Action activists were <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BfyzXLfuMbejkFPBA-2BnmmjFyHt0kJuCMN0pQJlf7H19OumkXptv5kbsd2RRawU6-2FDwi8vLRiFyYQhOPy1k3pLZiZZeBKWfg8nj0p6zPEtHDjk4qjl70nbMhIp1j8kAkloyz-2BTnY6XyfNUGF0JlSf3q41UyAh6oXp28Hvg6sD1y6ZZdC9_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJiaV8ePbSlz1Ptcyxck6XjfqkNM01vTXWkoMXjgXA72-2FSyg-2F8mMLE1Lxf0x6SRaLF5BCfC40VwjwX-2BYX5e90OxccnZzBwXT8cvsPuEnrnf7sB5JmjB8vM4e4PGvlOBx7SiGs2D-2F3YcJWh9Ck-2F1BpnJO" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BfyzXLfuMbejkFPBA-2BnmmjFyHt0kJuCMN0pQJlf7H19OumkXptv5kbsd2RRawU6-2FDwi8vLRiFyYQhOPy1k3pLZiZZeBKWfg8nj0p6zPEtHDjk4qjl70nbMhIp1j8kAkloyz-2BTnY6XyfNUGF0JlSf3q41UyAh6oXp28Hvg6sD1y6ZZdC9_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJiaV8ePbSlz1Ptcyxck6XjfqkNM01vTXWkoMXjgXA72-2FSyg-2F8mMLE1Lxf0x6SRaLF5BCfC40VwjwX-2BYX5e90OxccnZzBwXT8cvsPuEnrnf7sB5JmjB8vM4e4PGvlOBx7SiGs2D-2F3YcJWh9Ck-2F1BpnJO&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw3YUfHiHP0pfommue3VbBbk">acquitted of the most serious charges against them. These developments followed <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BX8wu2XCoKDObBYoShIsZz14yaN-2B1WaqrfJKVYmhjHH5fOYrW8H9Gwe88gXn-2BqX77iZaukgudBtyrMT79PdnjBN76Y9-2FBoeO84w-2FT4tCnWmYo-2FawkdKjadVzcYrFPvLFLuqNWzZCrA9YmTKkv9otzw-2FhK94TaBPBn8rgqEETs9AhrQiQpLJMg4JulJF5YWP85w-3D-3DdT1L_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJjQsXfs8vNMoDdjb7zga6KkuFMkVEFFxRoqdaifghgSVsqUOJuCMJNT6isz-2FgMteZUVFREuPUEgXkot1Wqs68ptgLfAmIpS-2BpRB5wsAP3CtT8Y7-2Fw6tc4-2FAVDnV5D9kU9q2sw0DgFXKo-2FmvKO2IiZsR" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BX8wu2XCoKDObBYoShIsZz14yaN-2B1WaqrfJKVYmhjHH5fOYrW8H9Gwe88gXn-2BqX77iZaukgudBtyrMT79PdnjBN76Y9-2FBoeO84w-2FT4tCnWmYo-2FawkdKjadVzcYrFPvLFLuqNWzZCrA9YmTKkv9otzw-2FhK94TaBPBn8rgqEETs9AhrQiQpLJMg4JulJF5YWP85w-3D-3DdT1L_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJjQsXfs8vNMoDdjb7zga6KkuFMkVEFFxRoqdaifghgSVsqUOJuCMJNT6isz-2FgMteZUVFREuPUEgXkot1Wqs68ptgLfAmIpS-2BpRB5wsAP3CtT8Y7-2Fw6tc4-2FAVDnV5D9kU9q2sw0DgFXKo-2FmvKO2IiZsR&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw25r9rw1zjyWURPh_rp4BNm">a sustained hunger strike by Palestine Action activists held in prolonged pre-trial detention, which we marked in an updated version of our <a href="https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BQoEompCxQllKRatVYfcMUIpz1MvUclUHwYyRx-2BeOL-2BWBBuMFUYv07vmSF-2FiIaCarMaixXMQt1ru9PfA4tnyGNLyBKXc-2B69PcCBr0fKApkOrLoBa_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJhIuEZelvREG0mT5KF-2Fc9ZDDVdMeZks9O2FhZ7rEAdVLLzi4OqLLxJGcvHih0IgjwVpTmmZdR2gDtEj4L4x7-2FBqwKbbDQhA-2FJrvHAMs3LxdwZa6JKheMdbaiIOFlb-2FWTAqishqX2FJaNifBGwoMaSuN" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7155635.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3Du001.oXNWxszokF681bnM6daE-2BQoEompCxQllKRatVYfcMUIpz1MvUclUHwYyRx-2BeOL-2BWBBuMFUYv07vmSF-2FiIaCarMaixXMQt1ru9PfA4tnyGNLyBKXc-2B69PcCBr0fKApkOrLoBa_UVmQPPgn4LMN3AbjvX0btV0P38TH2-2FFzUoHlqEIvUn9Lo1n3zm5sI-2Bf-2BCOl-2FkrMHhb8HhmtouIHke64GXl1C19-2FHr-2BJoReApB13WjrH5xsZgCaAD7cothfmoaSfRJB88sy5Qzma3QgFiPoc5pdR5t-2BtnVmQmO5VK8C4wSlvEyOOPlpeExLZzvVLf7SCMFsDlGA3tsih0OZ0yG5N38xPN2zx-2FVRQsr6eX-2BU-2FW8uIVEJhIuEZelvREG0mT5KF-2Fc9ZDDVdMeZks9O2FhZ7rEAdVLLzi4OqLLxJGcvHih0IgjwVpTmmZdR2gDtEj4L4x7-2FBqwKbbDQhA-2FJrvHAMs3LxdwZa6JKheMdbaiIOFlb-2FWTAqishqX2FJaNifBGwoMaSuN&source=gmail&ust=1773612393037000&usg=AOvVaw1zSpTHVyNzB--1RN0W-DVl">Hunger Strikes visual. The post Europe’s Criminalization of Palestine Solidarity appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Visualizing Palestine.
If America attacks … Iranians will unite, forgetting their differences with their government, and they will fiercely and tenaciously defend their country. — Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate The only thing truly epic about the current U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is the chasm between the facts on the ground and the media […] The post Operation Epic Folly appeared first on Dissident Voice.
If America attacks … Iranians will unite, forgetting their differences with their government, and they will fiercely and tenaciously defend their country. — Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate1 The only thing truly epic about the current U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is the chasm between the facts on the ground and the media spectacle put forth by President Trump and his fawning aides. Folly is the best term to capture the reality of a president who until very recently presented himself as uniquely qualified to bring peace to the world via his “Art of the Deal” genius, then turned on a dime to endlessly repeat that the U.S. would inflict maximum damage and suffering on Iran, a country he had said would be a particularly bad place to try and carry out regime change, not to mention a policy he claimed to have rejected no matter where it might be recommended, wisdom he allegedly learned from the disastrous U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. After steady coaching from Benjamin Netanyahu, however, he changed his mind, becoming convinced that a quick decapitation of Iran’s leadership would lead Iran’s suffering masses to topple the mullahs and install an American-friendly government. He claimed that Iran’s clerical regime would fall in 48 hours. That prediction failed so fast it didn’t even allow time for a G.W. Bush style “Mission Accomplished” declaration to whet the appetite for the inevitable anti-climax of disintegration and civil war a few months later. In this as in so many other areas Trump is a prodigy, failing almost as fast as he can dream up fresh lunacies to aggravate the world with. As the Ugly American, he’s way overqualified. Since February 28 we have been treated to desperate, ever-changing, and contradictory attempts to justify the unjustifiable initiation of war, and an equally desperate, ever-changing, and contradictory attempt to define its objectives and limits, something that has proven impossible for an administration that was counting on ending the war with a single massive blow. Hence the ever-lengthening list of childish inventions: “bring the Iranians back to the negotiating table,” “obliterate the Iran nuclear program,” “liberate the people,” “strike a deal Venezuelan style,” “complete regime change,” etc. etc. None of it has anything to do with reality. For Trump and his henchmen, where reality is not merely tinged with fantasy but subsumed by it, “nothing is impossible” is a necessary watchword. For them, thoughtlessness is a virtue, as shown by Trump’s nonchalance in admitting that they hadn’t found a replacement yet for the murdered Iranian head of state because the U.S.-Israeli attacks were so successful that all the potential replacements had also been killed. No need for woke nonsense like knowing what you’re doing. With gas prices soaring and Americans already coming home in body bags, an obviously desperate Trump yearns to declare victory and withdraw, but he cannot do so, because the Iranian government is still very much in place. Lacking an exit strategy, his war doctrine is “flexible,” by necessity, since he has no idea how he fell into the current trap, let alone how to get out of it. Ever the narcissist, however, he gives himself an “A” for effort, assessing the initial phase of the U.S. war as a 15 on a scale of 10. In other words, we’re watching another reality TV episode, full of kitsch and cliches, with Pete Hegseth comparing the mass killing to a football game. Iranian leaders knew the first few “plays,” said the war secretary, because they had been scripted before the war started, but once the “game” was underway they didn’t “know what plays to call, let alone how to get in the huddle.” Filled with adolescent pride at unleashing massive waves of lethality, he claimed the U.S. was “fighting to win,” even as Trump showed eagerness to negotiate a way out, an option that Tehran flatly rejected. Badly conceived, sloppily improvised, and based on the repetition of past errors and disasters, the Trump and Bibi war moves from tragedy to farce and back again, only this time on a vaster scale and with potentially far graver consequences.2 It’s difficult to recall a greater folly. ENDNOTES: 1 Quoted from David Barsamian (with Noam Chomsky, Ervand Abrahamian, Nahid Mozaffari), Targeting Iran, (City Lights, 2007). 2 See Maciek Wisniewski, “Operation Epic Farce,” La Jornada (Spanish), March 7, 2026. The post Operation Epic Folly appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Michael K. Smith.
Pacific broadcasters rethink news delivery in digital age
By Tiana Haxton, RNZ Pacific reporter Pacific broadcasters say the future of storytelling will depend on how well traditional media adapts to the fast moving world of social media. This topic is front and centre of a conference organised by PCBL/Pasifika TV, which brought together broadcasters, producers and media leaders from across the region to
By Tiana Haxton, RNZ Pacific reporter Pacific broadcasters say the future of storytelling will depend on how well traditional media adapts to the fast moving world of social media. This topic is front and centre of a conference organised by PCBL/Pasifika TV, which brought together broadcasters, producers and media leaders from across the region to share ideas and strategies. Held this week in Auckland, the conference explores how to “navigate the digital landscape” while maintaining cultural authenticity. READ MORE: Other Pacific media reports With audiences increasing their consumption of online content, many broadcasters say they need to rethink how they deliver news programmes. While the opportunities are ever increasing, so too are the challenges for Pacific media to balance credibility and cultural sovereignty. The founder of the Pacific Islands Film Festival in New York City, Stacey Young, says many organisations are still figuring out how to navigate the digital landscape. Young said the region needs to work together to stay on top of technological advancements. ‘Fear of the unknown’ “So it is a lot of that education and a bit of a fear of the unknown, like, how much resources do we need in order to diversify and end up in these spaces? “And the truth of the matter is, it’s not that many, but it does need to be strategic. So it does need to be a conversation and a coalesce brainstorming amongst all of the islands, because it, it sounds cliche, but we’re stronger together,” Young said. Young said traditional media needs to ensure their content is also available online. She said sharing Pacific content on social platforms keeps those stories circulating and reaches beyond the region. “It’s very, very important. Like, we all do it, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, you’re scrolling and love it or hate it, that’s how people consume information… And the thirst for Pacific Island stories and Pacific Island creators is a huge demand right now,” she said. For broadcasters on the ground in the Pacific, the challenge is making sure they reach their audiences on multiple platforms. Cannot ignore platforms The director of Fiji’s Mai TV, Stanley Simpson, said traditional media companies cannot ignore the platforms people are using. “I think we’ve got to be (on) every space or platform where our audience is, you know, we can’t be just in the waves or the platforms that we’ve been in traditionally in the past. Where our people are going, we need to go there too,” Stanley Simpson said. But not all broadcasters are having positive experiences posting online. The managing director of Samoa Broadcasting Corporation, Faiesea Lei Sam Matafeo, said their comment sections can be a battlefield of negative debate. Faiesea said Samoa is still adjusting to social media etiquette. “You know, social media is it’s relatively new when compared to the rest of the world in Samoa, but sadly, I think it’s doing more harm than good right now. You know, our people are still trying to adjust to this freedom to express themselves, and sadly, it’s doing more harm than good,” Faiesea said. Despite these challenges, she said traditional media organisations continue to adapt. ‘Something you can’t fight’ “We’ve come to realise that this is something you can’t fight. You know, social media is going to be there forever. So we’re learning to adjust and to accept that it’s going to be part of life, so we have to shift all the contents that we have and so that it’s also available on social media,” Faiesea said. She said social media did not rule out the role of traditional media, but it was a way for Pacific broadcasters to connect with audiences. Navigating the digital landscape continues to be the main topic of discussion for the region’s media bosses meeting in Auckland. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
ZEDEs (‘zones for employment and economic development’)
Ten years ago, Berta Cáceres, a campaigner against dams and mining projects that were displacing rural communities in Honduras, said that death threats had forced her to lead a ‘fugitive existence’. Most of the threats came from Desarrollos Energeticos SA (DESA), a company planning a hydroelectric project on the Gualcarque River, sacred to Cáceres’s Indigenous […] The post In Memoriam Berta Cáceres appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Ten years ago, Berta Cáceres, a campaigner against dams and mining projects that were displacing rural communities in Honduras, said that death threats had forced her to lead a ‘fugitive existence’. Most of the threats came from Desarrollos Energeticos SA (DESA), a company planning a hydroelectric project on the Gualcarque River, sacred to Cáceres’s Indigenous Lenca community. Hired killers were tracking her movements. An attempt to assassinate her on 5 February 2016 was aborted. On 1 March, Cáceres said goodbye to her youngest daughter, who was returning to college. ‘This country is fucked,’ she said, ‘but if anything happens to me, don’t be afraid.’ The next evening, she drove back to her house with a Mexican environmentalist, Gustavo Castro, who was staying the night. Castro was woken near midnight by armed men bursting into the house. They shot him, left him for dead, found Cáceres in another room, and shot her three times. Castro crawled to assist her, and she died in his arms as he called for help. At first, the police treated the attack as a failed burglary. They then arrested a member of Cáceres’s organisation for supposedly killing her in a ‘crime of passion’. The seven actual culprits were arrested two months later, found guilty of the murder in November 2018, and given long prison sentences. They were just the hired killers: who had hired them? Two years after Cáceres’s death, a former president of DESA, David Castillo, was arrested as he tried to leave Honduras. In 2021, he was sentenced to thirty years in prison for plotting the murder. DESA is owned by the Atala Zablah family. There is a warrant out for the arrest of one of them, Daniel Atala, but he remains at large. If Cáceres’s murder is still unresolved, so is the question of how ordinary Hondurans can wrest control of their country from the dozen families, like the Atala Zablahs, that control much of the media and many large businesses, and have close ties with both the Honduran military and politicians in the United States. Before her murder, Cáceres told the reporter Nina Lakhani (who later wrote the book Who Killed Berta Cáceres?): ‘I want to live. I love my country, and we must rebuild it so that young people are not forced to emigrate.’ After a succession of manipulated elections that kept the oligarchs in power, the progressive Libre party finally won the presidency in 2021. This proved to be temporary. Neoliberals are already back in charge, looking to reverse the modest gains from four years of Libre rule. President Nasry Asfura’s first foreign visits were to Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. He broke ties with Venezuela and promised to reset relations with Taiwan. Cuban doctors working in Honduras were told to leave, even as Honduran medics say their health system is close to collapse. Environmental defenders face new threats. Draft legislation would outlaw protests against large-scale agroindustrial projects that threaten communities such as Cáceres’s. The Libre government tried to halt the worst of these projects, including the libertarian charter cities now known as ZEDEs (‘zones for employment and economic development’), backed by entrepreneurs including Peter Thiel and other Silicon Valley billionaires. Through the investor-state dispute settlement system, disappointed investors brought claims against Honduras that total nearly $10 billion, roughly a quarter of the country’s GDP. Asfura has signalled his intention to back down and allow the projects to continue. During the eight years of President Juan Orlando Hernández’s narcostate (2014-22), Global Witness documented the murders of 81 environmental defenders, of whom Cáceres was one of the first. As Tegucigalpa’s mayor, Asfura was close to Hernández throughout that period. In 2020, he was accused of diverting public funds, laundering money, and committing fraud. The Honduran Supreme Court annulled the charges after he won the presidential election last November. Trump not only intervened in the election to ensure Asfura’s victory but also pardoned Hernández, who was serving a 45-year sentence for trafficking hundreds of tonnes of cocaine to the United States. There was immediate speculation that Hernández would soon be back. Honduras’s brief respite from extreme neoliberalism is at an end. Published by the London Review of Books The post In Memoriam Berta Cáceres appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by John Perry.
This DHS Official Oversees the Security of Federal Elections. He Wants to Ban Voting Machines.
The post This DHS Official Oversees the Security of Federal Elections. He Wants to Ban Voting Machines. appeared first on ProPublica.
In his top post at the Department of Homeland Security, David Harvilicz sets policy on protecting the nation’s elections infrastructure, including voting machines. He’s also the co-founder of a company with James Penrose, who helped hatch debunked conspiracy theories blaming hacked voting machines for Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election. Penrose assisted in a push to seize voting machines to overturn Trump’s defeat. On social media, Harvilicz has called for doing away with voting machines, saying they are “eminently vulnerable to exploitation.” In a March post, he wrote that “DHS needs to ban voting machines for all federal elections. The time is now.” He also has repeatedly questioned the validity of Democratic electoral victories and pushed for Republicans to overhaul electoral systems to their advantage. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="682" width="527" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=527" alt="A man wearing a gray T-shirt smiles at the camera against a plain white background." class="wp-image-70485" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 2318w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=232,300 232w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,994 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=791,1024 791w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1187,1536 1187w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1582,2048 1582w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,1117 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,546 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,714 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,722 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,682 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,973 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,1487 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1236,1600 1236w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,518 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,1035 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,1553 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,2071 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/h_14689371_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,2588 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px" /> David Harvilicz in 2015 Sam Comen/The New York Times/Redux Election experts as well as current and former DHS officials say Harvilicz’s central role in overseeing the security of electoral systems and voting machines is especially concerning at a time when the administration is taking unprecedented steps to relitigate Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen. That includes the FBI’s seizure of 2020 voting records from Fulton County, Georgia, and having a team working for Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, take custody of voting machines used in Puerto Rico in 2020. “The security of our election infrastructure depends on leadership that is trusted, impartial and grounded in evidence — not individuals who have promoted conspiracy theories about the very systems they are now responsible for protecting,” said Danielle Lang, vice president for voting rights and the rule of law at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan pro-democracy organization. “Placing someone with that background in charge of policies affecting election security can undermine public confidence in our elections at a time when trust is already fragile.” DHS didn’t answer detailed questions about Harvilicz or his team, providing a more general statement about the work done by the agency. “DHS and its employees are focused on keeping our elections safe, secure, and free,” it said. “Every single day appointees at the Department of Homeland Security work to implement the President’s policies and keep our Homeland safe.” Harvilicz didn’t respond to questions about his DHS role. Harvilicz’s X account notes his post as DHS’ assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience policy but says he’s been detailed to the Defense Department. (Such temporary assignments are typically done in 120-day increments.) Get Involved Do you have information you can share about David Harvilicz or other federal officials working on elections or any of the other individuals named in this article? Contact reporter Doug Bock Clark at doug.clark@propublica.org or on Signal at 678-243-0784. If you’re concerned about confidentiality, check out our advice on the most secure ways to share tips. Harvilicz was appointed to the DHS job around July, taking on a role that in the past has largely focused on shaping policy to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, including its election systems. But current and former DHS officials say Harvilicz and his team have transformed their functions to become more hands-on. They’ve been deeply engaged with facilitating multiple administration data-gathering efforts aimed at scouring voter rolls for noncitizens, the officials said. ProPublica has reported on one such effort, which has led to hundreds of citizens being incorrectly flagged as potential noncitizens. Harvilicz’s team includes Heather Honey, the deputy assistant secretary of election integrity. ProPublica has reported that Honey was previously a leader in the Election Integrity Network, a conservative group that has challenged the legitimacy of American election systems. Honey worked closely with Cleta Mitchell, the network’s leader, who played a prominent role in helping Trump try to overturn his 2020 loss. Also reporting directly to Harvilicz is Samantha Anderson, a data specialist who previously worked to elect Trump through the advocacy arm of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank closely associated with the president. Multiple officials and elections experts said they were worried that Harvilicz and Honey would have prominent parts in assessing and describing the cybersecurity of the coming election, both to the public and to administration leaders. They also expressed concern that if Trump again wanted to get control of voting machines after the election, perhaps if Republicans lose seats in the midterms, that Harvilicz is ideally positioned to help them do so. “It would be super easy for them to get the voting machines,” a current DHS official said, adding they can “describe it as they want, if they don’t like the results.” Harvilicz co-founded Tranquility AI, which has developed an artificial intelligence tool for law enforcement, with Penrose, and they are listed on its 2025 patents as developing its systems together. Penrose, a former intelligence officer, played a leading role in the campaign to help Trump in his failed bid to overturn the 2020 election, ProPublica has reported. Penrose also participated in multiple attempts to clandestinely seize voting machines, including in Michigan, where prosecutors accused him of breaking into some of the machines. (Penrose wasn’t charged in the case.) He appeared to be an unindicted co-conspirator in the failed Georgia prosecution in which Trump was accused of conspiring to overturn the election results, according to The Washington Post. Penrose didn’t respond to a request for comment for this article. One of the purported uses of Tranquility AI’s product is for “election integrity,” according to the company’s website. It didn’t provide more details in response to a question from ProPublica. Tranquility AI’s tools, which help law enforcement agents process data and assemble cases, have been employed by New Orleans’ district attorney, and the company says it has partnered with dozens of law enforcement agencies nationwide. In July 2025, a large government IT contractor announced a partnership with Tranquility AI. Harvilicz started his career working at law firms on Wall Street and in tech. Then, in 2004, when he was 29, he launched a losing bid for a Maryland congressional seat. After that, he helped lead a crowdfunding company, a movie marketing business, a film production business that worked with former intelligence officers and several cyber security ventures (including one at which he worked with Penrose). He also did a stint in the first Trump administration, serving as cybersecurity official in the Department of Energy. In advance of Harvilicz getting the DHS position, Tranquility AI made a $100,000 donation to Trump’s inaugural fund through a newly created nonprofit based at Harvilicz’s home address, according to The Intercept. In response to questions from The Intercept, Harvilicz said the donation was designed to help them meet administration policymakers. The Intercept first reported his ties to Penrose in connection with the donation. Harvilicz has posted prolifically to social media, sharing hundreds of posts of conservative content. After Trump won a second presidential term, he wrote: “We will now dismantle the near communist takeover of America and return her to greatness.” In 2020, Harvilicz purchased a $3.3 million home outside of Los Angeles. After the Palisades Fire destroyed it around the beginning of Trump’s second term, Harvilicz stood on a roadside to greet the president’s tour of the disaster area with his young son on his shoulders. His son held aloft a picture of a bloodied Trump punching the air after surviving an assassin’s bullet. Even then, elections were not far from his mind. He told a reporter for the Los Angeles Times that he supported Trump making disaster aid conditional on the Democratic state implementing voter ID. “I hope he saw us,” Harvilicz told the Times reporter. The post This DHS Official Oversees the Security of Federal Elections. He Wants to Ban Voting Machines. appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Doug Bock Clark.
Ralph spends the whole hour with progressive activist, Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to discuss the lack of vision and the spineless leadership in the corporate Democratic Party.Corbin Trent is a co-founder o...
Ralph spends the whole hour with progressive activist, Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to discuss the lack of vision and the spineless leadership in the corporate Democratic Party. Corbin Trent is a co-founder of Brand New Congress and former co-director of Justice Democrats, two grassroots organizations working to elect progressive Democrats to Congress. He was the National Campaign Coordinator for the Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign, and recently served as the Communications Director for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He writes about rebuilding America at AmericasUndoing.com.This is a [Democratic] Party that is led by sinecurists and apparatchiks who never look at themselves in the mirror after they lose to the most vicious, cruel, ignorant, anti-worker, anti-women, anti-environment, anti-small taxpayer, pro-war Republican Party. They never look into it. It’s always: they blame the Greens or they blame some third party or Independent candidate. And they never ask themselves why as a national party did they abandon half the country, which are now called red states? Ralph Nader The Democratic Party I think, ultimately, is leaderless because it’s visionless. It doesn’t really see. I don’t think the Democratic Party as an entity or as an ideology has a real vision for how to go forward differently. And, therefore, it’s hard to be led. It’s hard to lead if you don’t have a direction. Corbin Trent The Democratic Party—like your Chuck Schumers, like your Hakeem Jeffries, and like most of the people that are elected there and in leadership positions at all, look at this system, the system of neoliberalism, and they think that somehow it’s going to magically start working again. And the fact is that it’s not. They have been unable so far to internalize the depth of the brokenness of this system. And then really unable to, I think, really internalize why Trump was powerful, why his messages were powerful. They want to look at it through this extremely narrow and negative lens of racism, bigotry and fear. As opposed to a complete and utter disdain for the system which is sucking from their lives and extracting from their communities. And I think that spells trouble. Corbin Trent It’s not my job as a voter to inspire myself to vote for you. It’s your job as a candidate or as a party or as somebody to build a vision that inspires me to vote. Corbin Trent News 3/13/26 * This week, the New York City Council held a hearing on proposed legislation to carry out Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pledge to repossess property from “landlords who have racked up housing code violations and debt from unpaid taxes and fines.” This bill would empower the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development to turn these buildings over to owners they deem “more responsible.” This would be an update of a program the city has tried to implement before, called “third-party transfer.” However, the council is hesitant to take this step, worrying that it could disproportionately affect small landlords that simply lack the resources to fix code violations or pay fees, as opposed to venture capital backed corporate landlords. Rosa Kelly, chief of staff to the housing commissioner, said the department “views the program as a key part of [their] broader enforcement and preservation toolkit to ensure that housing remains safe and livable for New Yorkers.” This from Gothamist. * In more local news, this week Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a long-awaited report on congestion traffic pricing in the District of Columbia. According to the Washington Examiner, the study was conducted in 2021 and the Mayor has delayed the release until now. Along with the release of the study, Mayor Bowser sent a letter to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, wherein the Mayor described the “congestion pricing tax scheme,” which includes a proposed $10 charge for people entering the city, as a “bad idea,” and argued that D.C. could not be compared to Midtown Manhattan, which recently implemented a successful congestion pricing system. Democratic Socialist Councilwoman and leading Mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis-George refused to dismiss the study out of hand, writing “Now that the report is public, the Council has an opportunity to dig into the findings & explore what they could mean for the District—including opportunities to reduce congestion, improve air quality & public health, & strengthen public transit for residents across the city.” * Meanwhile, on the West Coast, a new poll shows incumbent Mayor Karen Bass drawing under 20% of the vote in the upcoming primary for her reelection campaign. While this still puts Bass in the lead, it is clearly a weak showing and would be far below the 50% threshold she would need to win to avoid a November runoff. This poll also finds former reality television star Spencer Pratt in second place with around 10% support, and councilmember Nithya Raman – who has been both endorsed and censured by DSA LA in the past – in third with just over 9%, per KTLA. The LA Mayoral race mirrors the California gubernatorial race, which features ten candidates, none of whom draws over 20% in the polls. At some point, the party will have to step in to pressure underperforming candidates to drop out and endorse more viable alternatives, but June is quickly approaching with little sign of party unity. * Speaking of the Democrats, POLITICO is out with a new story on how red state Democratic parties are undermining their best chances of toppling incumbent Republican Senators – independent populist left candidates. In Montana, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar has launched an independent bid for Senate, with the backing of former longtime Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester. Bodnar filed on the final day candidates could get on the ballot in the state, and on that same day, three-term incumbent Republican Senator Steve Daines announced he would not run for reelection. POLITICO describes this as “an explicit effort to keep Democrats from fielding a strong candidate of their own.” The state party however shows no interest in stepping aside to clear a path for Bodnar. A similar dynamic is unfolding in South Dakota, with the state party feuding with independent candidate Brian Bengs – who has “raised more than five times his Democratic opponent and more than any non-Republican candidate in the state in 16 years” – while in Idaho, former Democratic state lawmaker Todd Achilles is running as an independent and the state party has played their strategy close to the vest. Only in Nebraska has the state party fully thrown their weight behind the popular independent candidate Dan Osborn, who came within approximately 60,000 votes of longtime incumbent Deb Fischer in 2024 and is polling within a single point of Senator Pete Ricketts this cycle. * In Congress, Republicans have independent problems of their own. Last week, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley announced he would register as “no party preference,” instead of as a Republican, as he seeks reelection to Congress in his newly redrawn California congressional district. Axios quotes a Kiley spokesperson who said it is “not official yet” whether he will leave the party or the conference, adding: “For now, he’s just filing as an independent for his reelection campaign.” If Kiley did leave the Republican conference, it would further imperil the Republicans’ razor-thin House majority, which has been continuously whittled down over the course of the 119th Congress. * Turning to foreign affairs, Reuters reports that on Sunday, Colombia held congressional elections which saw the leftist Historic Pact win the most seats in the Senate, but with only 25 out of 102 seats, the Pact will have to compete against the right-wing Democratic Center in order to form a coalition government. Democratic Center, led by ⁠former President Alvaro Uribe, won 17 seats. Ivan Cepeda, the presidential candidate of Historic Pact, called the election results a “categorical ​victory.” In the House, Democratic Center won 32 out of 182 seats, followed by the ‌Liberal ⁠Party with 31, and the Historic Pact with 29. Colombia will choose a new president in May, but according to Ariel Avila, a re-elected senator from the Green Alliance, whether that president is left or right they will likely face a “vetocracy” where “lawmakers block parties ​simply because they come from the opposing side.” * In more news from Latin America, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) reports the right-wing government of Daniel Noboa in Ecuador has suspended the largest opposition party – the leftist Citizens’ Revolution or RC – for nine months. If carried out, RC, led by former leftist president Rafael Correa, will effectively be barred from registering candidates for the 2027 local elections. CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot is quoted saying “The government of President Daniel Noboa, who is strongly backed by President Trump, is trying to accelerate the destruction of what is left of democracy in Ecuador.” CEPR Director of International Policy Alex Main added “Democracy has been under attack since the presidency of Lenín Moreno (2017–2021), with not only the exclusion of political parties, but with persecution by lawfare, the imprisonment or forced exile of political opponents, and Noboa’s repeated assumption of ‘emergency’ powers and other abuses that have gutted civil liberties.” Recently, President Noboa has been closely collaborating with Trump and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to carry out joint “lethal kinetic operations” in Ecuador. * Turning to the Middle East, NBC reports Iran is launching its ‘most intense’ strikes of the war, firing some of its most advanced ballistic missiles toward Tel Aviv and Haifa and attacking multiple ships attempting passage through the blockaded Straits of Hormuz. Additionally, reports are trickling out through the Israeli press, which operates under military censorship, about high-profile targets being hit inside the country. The Jewish Chronicle confirms Binyah Hevron, son of Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich was wounded by a Hezbollah rocket, with shrapnel penetrating his back and abdomen, while Yahoo News has debunked rumors that an Iranian missile strike killed Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Officially, over 1,200 have been killed by Israeli and American strikes in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, while 570 have been killed in Lebanon. Retlatiatory strikes by Iran have killed 13 in Israel. * Meanwhile, a new wrinkle has emerged in the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Last week, Variety reported that Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have been raising the alarm about financing for this deal coming from Gulf states, including the Qatar Investment Authority, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. This duo have called for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States – an interagency body that reviews foreign investments in American businesses for potential national security risks – to review the deal. Warren told the industry trade publication, “Given the cloud of corruption surrounding the Trump administration’s review of this deal from Day One, it’s no surprise that Trump’s Treasury Department is sticking its head in the sand instead of investigating the national security risks of $24 billion from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds apparently flooding this deal. It’s American consumers who will pay the price. Thanks to Donald Trump, a Paramount-Warner Bros. merger could mean higher prices and fewer choices, and might allow foreign actors to control what’s on our screens or access our private viewing information.” Ironically, the Trump administration’s warlike actions in Iran may have inadvertently solved this problem. Gizmodo reports that the Gulf states are now “reviewing current and future investment commitments in order to alleviate some of the anticipated economic strain from the current war.” It is unclear what would happen if the Gulf states rescinded their financing of this deal, seeing as Paramount is the buyer preferred by the Trump administration and has already paid the $2.8 billion “break-up” fee to Netflix stipulated by their previous agreement with WBD. * Finally, a new Pew poll reveals a troubling reality of contemporary American life. According to the poll, which asked people around the world to rate the morality and ethics of others in their country, 53% of U.S. adults say their fellow Americans have bad morals and ethics. While that may not sound so stark, Pew notes that the United States is the only country they surveyed where more adults described the morality and ethics of others living in the country as bad rather than good, with only 47% saying the latter. Turkey came up second, with 51% saying good and 49% saying bad. Pew is careful to state that they have never conducted a poll on this question before, meaning they cannot say whether this is a reflection of long-held beliefs among Americans or a new phenomenon, but it could be the result of long-term trends related to political polarization and the decline in interpersonal trust over the past several decades. Whatever the reasons behind this fact, it presents a formidable problem for political leaders. How can one unify a country wherein the people do not trust one another or even believe that their neighbors are morally and ethically upstanding individuals? Surely there must be a way forward, but what that is I cannot say. This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven’t Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe This content originally appeared on Ralph Nader Radio Hour and was authored by Ralph Nader.
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Mining rush for critical minerals threatens Amazon land reform settlements
A survey of mining records found dozens of requests for copper, manganese, and nickel targeting land reform settlements in northern Brazil’s Carajás region in the last five years.
On a dirt road that cuts through the Rio Novo settlement in the southeast of Pará state, battered motorcycles carry small loads of organic food to sell in the city, while passing trucks loaded with minerals for export. Parauapebas, Brazil’s so-called “mining capital,” hosts numerous rural worker communities, including the 5,000 families of Terra e Liberdade, the largest landless encampment in Brazil. The city is also home to the largest open-pit iron ore mine in the world, in addition to other valuable deposits. The scene of historical land conflicts, such as the Eldorado dos Carajás massacre, in which 21 people died after being shot by military police during a protest in 1996, southeastern Pará is now witnessing a new front of dispute. Driven by the energy transition, mining companies are eyeing land in already established agrarian reform settlements, seeking deposits of three minerals essential to the arms and high-tech industries: copper, manganese, and nickel. These elements are used in equipment such as chips, wind turbines, electric cars, military jets, and warships. An exclusive survey by Repórter Brasil in partnership with Mongabay, based on data from the National Mining Agency, or ANM, identified 676 mining processes for copper, manganese, and nickel in Carajás since 1969. A quarter of them, 166, were filed in the last five years (2021–25). <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=2048 2048w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_016_AA_Carajas_v1_Fig2-scaled-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A map of the critical minerals in Carajas" data-caption="" data-credit="Mongabay / Repórter Brasuk"/> Mongabay / Repórter Brasuk Of the total number of requests, 292 (43 percent) relate to 82 agrarian reform settlements, distributed across nine municipalities in southeastern Pará. The analysis includes only valid mining applications, both in operation and in the planning phase. Some were filed before the settlements were formally established. All of them, however, are currently located on public land designated for agrarian reform, where 14,852 families of small-scale farmers now live, according to INCRA, the national land reform institute. The findings are part of the Energy Transition Observatory, a data journalism project by Repórter Brasil, in partnership with INESC (Institute of Socioeconomic Studies) and PoEMAS (Research and Extension Group on Politics, Economics, Mining, Environment and Society), which monitors the impacts of renewable energy projects on conservation units, traditional peoples, and agrarian reform settlements. For this analysis, the report extracted the coordinates of rural settlements from the databases of INCRA and cross-referenced them with the geographic references of mining applications on the QGIS geoprocessing platform. The analysis was conducted by Repórter Brasil with support from PoEMAS, a network of researchers from public teaching and research institutions. The survey considered mining processes in operation (mining application, right to apply for mining and mining concession) and in planning (research application, research authorization and artisanal mining application). Vale leads the search for critical minerals in Carajás With an approximate area of 55,000 square kilometers (21,235 square miles), according to the Brazilian Geological Survey, Carajás concentrates some of the world’s largest mineral deposits, notably iron, gold, copper, manganese, and nickel — the latter three considered strategic minerals for the energy transition and the defense and aerospace industries. They are also known as electrification minerals. Copper is essential due to its high electrical conductivity, used in solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and transmission networks. Manganese is fundamental to lithium-ion batteries and electronic equipment, as well as being used in alloys for armored vehicles and warships. Nickel is used in the composition of alloys for engines and structures of military jets, in addition to allowing for batteries with greater autonomy and being important for energy storage systems. Brazil’s largest mining company, Vale (<a href="https://www.google.com/finance/quote/VALE3:BVMF?sca_esv=c9866652b0fe63dd&output=search&source=lnms&fbs=ADc_l-acAb_3MMOAUx0zmbUpgBqRilUSyLqn-Fa8ZJV2elvu5F8gS64EDEtbwJro3QUGwOytgTCO0ACl5W-wBRoeHmAVLa3BhQJgY-XcZHRG_-6nFdsk2lbWiD144xCe3PAqAgn3HWX7wyRZ6yWT8q4HB4F9EgKKnGm14LENRdeEZ5dCqfhRaCJ0UyrozXgVwGiWTJvjF3SP4hA0e9lSuT7snwcRuSIqyIkiruaCj2UPi_bgWpxQmaI&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjqhIz1u5OTAxVNBLkGHYRGB2gQ0pQJegQIChAB" rel="noreferrer noopener">VALE3 in Brazil’s stock market), leads the race for these minerals in Carajás: There are 201 applications for copper, nickel, and manganese, of which 80 (40 percent) currently overlap with rural settlements. The applications are in the name of the company and its subsidiaries Vale Metais Básicos, Salobo Metais, and Mineração Onça Puma. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=562&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1.-mineracao-ferro-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1000w" alt="An overhead shot of red and brown soil carved out of green forest" data-caption="Iron ore mining pit in the Parauapebas region, southeastern Pará; the region is home to some of the largest mining deposits on the planet. " data-credit="Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil"/> Iron ore mining pit in the Parauapebas region, southeastern Pará; the region is home to some of the largest mining deposits on the planet. Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil Last year, at an event attended by Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the mining company launched the Novo Carajás Program, an initiative to expand the production of copper and high-grade iron. The projected investment is 70 billion reais ($13.5 billion) by 2030. “In the medium and long term, critical minerals will have a relevance to the world just as oil has had in the last 100 years,” stated Gustavo Pimenta, CEO of Vale, at another business event held in June 2025. When questioned about the impacts of mining on settlements, Vale stated that “the granting of a mining right does not mean the effective realization of a project, whose implementation depends on social, environmental, legal, regulatory, technical, and economic viability.” The mining company also said that the settlements “are established on rural properties that have been expropriated, acquired, or reverted to public ownership because they do not fulfill their social function” and that it “complies with Brazilian legislation applicable to the subject.” The mining company did not respond to how it acts to mitigate the impacts on the settlements. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=675&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2.-acampamento-terra-liberdade-carajas-cicero-pedrosa.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A view of a town with dirt roads from above" data-caption="View of the MST Terra e Liberdade camp in the Parauapebas region, southeastern Pará. The camp is the largest landless occupation in Brazil, housing more than 5,000 families. " data-credit="Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil"/> View of the MST Terra e Liberdade camp in the Parauapebas region, southeastern Pará. The camp is the largest landless occupation in Brazil, housing more than 5,000 families. Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil In the Serra dos Carajás region, the activities of the Brazilian multinational are being questioned. Mineração Onça Puma, a subsidiary focused on nickel mining, is facing a lawsuit from the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, or MPF, for suspected contamination of Indigenous people in the Xikrin do Cateté Indigenous Territory by heavy metals. A study by the Federal University of Pará analyzed 720 Xikrin Indigenous people and found that 98.5 percent of them were contaminated. In Feb. 2026, the MPF requested the court to freeze 60 million reais (11.6 million) from Vale to finance technical studies on the contamination of the Cateté River and environmental remediation actions. Vale has always denied any connection between its operations and the contamination of the Cateté River, claiming that studies conducted by a court in Pará indicated that Onça Puma’s activities are not the source of contamination. (Read more about Vale’s position). In May 2024, Sumaúma news outlet reported that Vale bought, irregularly, 24,000 hectares (59,305 acres) of INCRA land that should be destined for land reform. The report also mentions that Vale pressured landless rural workers to demobilize social movements in the region. Settlers fear contamination of river near copper mine The Onça Puma operation takes place within the Tucumã Settlement Project, according to data from INCRA and ANM cross-referenced by the Energy Transition Observatory, a network of environmental organizations from Brazilian civil society. Neighboring the Xikrin territory, the settlement is the agrarian reform area with the highest number of requests for electrification minerals in Carajás. There are 62 in total: 42 for copper and 20 for nickel. In addition to Vale’s nickel operations, the area houses the copper mining venture of Ero Brasil, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Ero Copper. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=599&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.-caminhao-estrada-carajas.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 900w" alt="A truck drives down a dirt road" data-caption="Truck transporting minerals for export on a dirt road that cuts through a settlement in southeastern Pará. " data-credit="Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil"/> Truck transporting minerals for export on a dirt road that cuts through a settlement in southeastern Pará. Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil In recent months, while copper prices reached record highs on the global market, driven by high demand and supply constraints — such as the drop in Chilean production caused by water scarcity — residents of the Tucumã settlement decried potential environmental impacts on the territory. Last December, images of large quantities of dead fish in the Carapanãzinho River circulated on social media, causing apprehension in the community. Two settlers, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals in the region, said they suspect that the river has become polluted due to the activities of Ero Brasil. Copper extraction in Tucumã began in mid-2024 and plays a “critical role” in the company’s operations, according to the company’s sustainability report. The document attributes the success of the undertaking to its “ability to work with communities.” Among its sustainability guidelines, the mining company highlights that it is “committed to the responsible management of tailings and mining waste in all its operations” and that it has a “proactive” stance to mitigate potential environmental impacts. However, the settlers reported that the copper mine is causing problems such as constant dust, structural damage to houses (due to explosions), water scarcity, and fish mortality. “When detonation happens, a cloud of dust covers everything,” one of the settlers said. “We can’t even see the mountain range.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=599&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/4.-protesto-mst-parauapebas-agosto-25.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 900w" alt="People hold signs in front of a camp with tents" data-caption="Members of the MST camp in front of the Parauapebas city hall during a protest for better health and education conditions in August 2025. " data-credit="Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil"/> Members of the MST camp in front of the Parauapebas city hall during a protest for better health and education conditions in August 2025. Cícero Pedrosa / Repórter Brasil The residents interviewed for this report say that the Tucumã environmental agency collected fish and water samples, but it hasn’t released results yet. They said that the mine operation initially brought hope for jobs and infrastructure to the region. However, they said the accumulated impacts have made life in the area unviable. According to residents, a relocation plan for the P7 community is being discussed between Ero Brasil and the Tucumã City Hall, which would include compensation for the properties. However, the promise they heard is that this will only happen in 2027. Ero Brasil and the Tucumã City Hall were questioned about the relocation plan and collection of fish and water samples, but haven’t responded. “We are worried, because staying here for another two summers … we will suffer too much,” one of the settlers said. “We are waiting, without really knowing if anything will happen sooner, if it will only be within that timeframe.” INCRA was also questioned about the relocation of settlers from the Tucumã Settlement Project, but did not respond. Mining advances into areas that were ‘shielded’ Mineral extraction in agrarian reform areas was facilitated after a new norm that was published during far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s (2019-22) government. The regulation relaxes rules for mining, energy, and infrastructure projects in settlement areas. The text establishes that a mining company must request approval from the regional INCRA unit, which must analyze the compatibility of the economic activity with the National Agrarian Reform Program, managed by INCRA, and establish conditions for coexistence between the activities. In case of impacts on agrarian reform, the regulation provides for compensation to INCRA and settlers, profit sharing, infrastructure improvements, support for productive activities, resettlement, or relocation of affected families, among other obligations. The instruction defends “respect” for the rights of settlers, but does not establish any form of consultation with rural workers. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Disturbed earth from mining is visible with a lake and mountains in the background." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Silicon-Ridge-Aerial-View.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> A huge cache of critical minerals found in Utah may be the largest in the US Leia Larsen INCRA was questioned about mining activities within settlements, the impacts of the projects on communities, and ways to mitigate them. The federal agency stated only that “granting mining rights anywhere in the national territory is not within the purview of INCRA.” “The fact that a regulation from the Bolsonaro government has not yet been revoked, even with the articulation of social movements, is quite worrying and revealing about the influence that mining has in the Lula 3 government,” assesses Maurício Angelo, director of the Mining Observatory, an investigative journalism center that covers mining, referring to Lula’s ongoing third term. “They are advancing precisely into areas that until now were shielded from the market, such as community lands, border areas, conservation units, and agrarian reform settlements,” said Juliana Neves Barros, author of a book about mining conflicts in Carajás. According to Bruno Malheiro, a geography professor at the University of the State of Pará, Carajás and the Amazon as a whole are at risk of becoming a “sacrifice zone” for the energy transition. “Throughout history, mineral processes have always developed through the suspension of regulations, the deregulation of rules, and even the disobedience of the legal framework regarding mining and other regulations,” Malheiro said. “Now, with critical minerals, to expand extraction processes, the entire legislation is being changed.” Impoverished population Neighboring Tucumã, the municipality of Parauapebas has been the top collector of CFEM, a tax collected on mining activity, for at least 20 years. Only last year did it lose this title to its neighbor, Canaã dos Carajás. Both collected more than 1 billion reais ($193 million) in mining tax in 2025. In 2021, at the peak of iron ore prices, Parauapebas had a per capita GDP which placed the city among the 40 richest in Brazil. Even with the fall in prices of its main mineral in the following years, in 2023 the city still ranked among the 300 richest, considering the per capita GDP of the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities, according to official data. However, the high revenue is barely felt by a significant portion of the population. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="a dirt road separates forest from land cleared for agricultural production" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1599w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?resize=1536%2C865&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-462376826.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1599" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> A major agreement to protect the Amazon is falling apart after 20 years Frida Garza In June 2022, a year after the municipality collected a record 2.4 billion reais ($464 million) in CFEM, 40,367 families in the city, with a population of 268,000 people, were registered in Brazil’s registry that identifies low-income families so they can access social programs. Of these 40,367 families, 14,402 were in extreme poverty, while 7,223 were in poverty. The data is taken from a report from Territories in Network, an initiative of the Vale Foundation. In August 2025, members of Brazil’s powerful Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) held a protest in front of the city hall, demanding better conditions for rural education and repairs to a secondary road affected by mining activity. “It’s frightening to think how a city so rich, which some even call the ‘mining capital,’ is so poor in public policies and benefits for the population,” Valbiane Thaís Pantoja da Gama, educator and MST representative, resident of the Terra e Liberdade encampment, said. “It’s our wealth that’s just going away. Only misery remains for the population.” Diego Junqueira, from Repórter Brasil, collaborated on editing and data analysis. The Energy Transition Observatory project is supported by the INESC, Ford Foundation, and the Pulitzer Center. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Mining rush for critical minerals threatens Amazon land reform settlements on Mar 14, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Sam Cowie.
From the gauntlet to stopping the Iran war, Carolan makes action plea
Asia Pacific Report A peace advocate urged people in New Zealand today to get behind a “Stop Wars Aotearoa” campaign to oppose the illegal and unprovoked US-Israeli war on Iran and expand beyond solidarity with Palestine. In the 127th week of protest against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and occupied West Bank, socialist trade union
Asia Pacific Report A peace advocate urged people in New Zealand today to get behind a “Stop Wars Aotearoa” campaign to oppose the illegal and unprovoked US-Israeli war on Iran and expand beyond solidarity with Palestine. In the 127th week of protest against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and occupied West Bank, socialist trade union organiser Joe Carolan called on protesters to redouble their efforts. Speaking in Auckland’s Te Komititanga Square, he praised a public meeting in Mt Eden this week that heralded the start of a rolling peace movement that echoed the efforts in a bid to halt the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq — “a war based on a lie” about non-existent weapons of mass destruction. READ MORE: US ‘hideouts’ in UAE ‘legitimate targets’ after Kharg Island attacks: IRGC US War Secretary taunts Iranian leadership for ‘hiding’ while they are defiant on street rallies War on Iran: ‘It’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media is telling the people’ Other US-Israel War on Iran reports Carolan drew comparisons between his native Ireland and the colonisation of New Zealand. Apart from Christianity, the colonisers “needed another pretext to civilise great unwashed”. Militarism. He paid tribute to “anyone who ran the gauntlet outside the public meeting on Wednesday that we held at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall where we remember the price of wars — in fact working class lives — both here and abroad”. “And we should remember the dead and not go to war again — that’s the whole point of a war memorial hall. ‘Ran the gauntlet’ “But those of us who ran the gauntlet of the people waving Israeli flags and lecturing us about human rights, waving the American flags and lecturing us about women’s rights when the place is run by rapists and pedophiles obviously – know it’s Operation Epstein Fury now. “An operation so [US President Donald] Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu can both avoid what is coming to them which is a long time in prison until they die.” <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125010" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Joe-Carolan-2-APR-680wide.png" alt="Union organiser Joe Carolan" width="680" height="366" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Joe-Carolan-2-APR-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Joe-Carolan-2-APR-680wide-300x161.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Union organiser Joe Carolan . . . “Many people didn’t . . . condemn the murder of 170 school students – young women.” Image: Asia Pacific Report Netanyahu is wanted on an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and Israel is on trial for genocide with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a case brought by South Africa and 14 other countries. “Many people didn’t show shock at all in the West, and condemn the murder of 170 school students — young women — that you guys purport that you want to liberate. “You killed them. You liberated them from their lives and their blood is on the hands of those [US and Israeli] forces. “And also Iran is a gigantic country of 90 to 100 million people. Of course, it’s not a monolithic country, there are people with many different views. “I’ll give you two words in Irish, you might have heard them before, about who should determine Iran’s future, and that’s Sinn Féin — ‘Ourselves Alone’. <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125013" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tayyaba-Khan-APR-680wide.png" alt="Tayyaba Khan" width="680" height="472" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tayyaba-Khan-APR-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tayyaba-Khan-APR-680wide-300x208.png 300w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tayyaba-Khan-APR-680wide-100x70.png 100w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tayyaba-Khan-APR-680wide-218x150.png 218w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tayyaba-Khan-APR-680wide-605x420.png 605w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Tayyaba Khan . . . marking the 2019 mosque massacre in Christchurch. Image: Asia Pacific Report ‘Run own revolution’ “Nobody has the right to determine the future of any nation, except the people who live in that nation themselves, including whether how they run their own revolution or how they run their own democracy.” Sinn Féin is also an Irish republican political party, founded in 1905, striving for self-determination and ending British rule in Northern Ireland. Tomorrow Te Komititanga Square is hosting an Irish cultural festival to mark the lead up to St Patrick’s Day on March 17. Tayyaba Khan of Palestine Solidarity Network (PSNA) spoke about the mosque massacre in Christchurch on 15 March 2019 when a lone Australian gunman murdered 51 Muslims at Friday prayers in New Zealand’s worst case of terrorism. The gunman is serving a life sentence for his crimes. Khan also remembered the survivors and their struggle to rebuild their lives. Other speakers today highlighted how the rally was reminding the New Zealand government and the public that many in the country were totally opposed to the continuing genocide in Palestine. “There is no ceasefire in Gaza and the US and Israeli Zionists continue to drive the Palestinian people out of their ancestral homes and land to colonise the region,” said a protest flyer. “To everyone in the square today we invite you to join with us and the many peoples around the world in condemning the unlawful US and Israeli military assault on Iran.” According to the Al Jazeera death toll live tracker, 1444 people have been killed in Iran, at least 15 in Israel, 11 US soldiers and 19 dead in Gulf states. “We stand in solidarity with all the people of Iran and across the Middle East, particularly Palestine, including Gaza and Lebanon,” said rally MC Leeann Wahanui-Peters. <img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-125014" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-off-Iran-xwide-APR-680wide-.png" alt="Two women protesters with a "Hands off Iran" placard" width="680" height="405" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-off-Iran-xwide-APR-680wide-.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Hands-off-Iran-xwide-APR-680wide--300x179.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Two women protesters with a “Hands off Iran” placard at today’s Auckland rally. Image: Asia Pacific Report Al-Quds Day marked Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people around the world marked Al-Quds Day yesterday. This is marked annually to show support for Palestine and oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Reporting from the huge Tehran rally, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said Iranians hoped to both show their support for Palestinians and express “defiance and resilience” amid the US-Israeli attacks. “They think that by killing us, we will be afraid, that by dropping bombs on our heads, we will be afraid. No, we stand by our country,” a woman demonstrator told Al Jazeera. Another protester said Iranians had shown in their confrontation with the US and Israel that “the wall of oppression can be broken”. “Today, with their presence in different squares, the people showed that it is possible to overcome injustice and break the wall of oppression,” he told Al Jazeera. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian was also seen at the rally in the Iranian capital — shaking hands with people and posing for selfies — along with other Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth.
The post They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth. appeared first on ProPublica.
On the afternoon of Sept. 9, 2024, Cherise Doyley was in her 12th hour of contractions at University of Florida Health in downtown Jacksonville when a nurse came in with a bedsheet and told her to cover up. A supervisor brought a tablet to Doyley’s bedside. Gathered on the screen were a judge in a black robe and several lawyers, doctors and hospital staff. “It’s a real judge in there?” Doyley asked the nurse at the beginning of what would be a three-hour hearing. “Now this is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” Doyley hadn’t asked for the hearing. The hospital had sought it. Doyley had mere minutes to prepare. She had no lawyer and no advocate — no one to explain to her what, exactly, was going on. Judge Michael Kalil informed her that the state had filed an emergency petition at the hospital’s behest — not out of concern for Doyley, per se, but in the interest of her unborn child. He described the circumstances as “extraordinary.” The hospital and state attorney’s office wanted to force Doyley to undergo a cesarean section. Doyley, a professional birthing doula, didn’t want that and had been firm about it. She’d had three prior C-sections, one that resulted in a hemorrhage, and hoped to avoid another serious complication and lengthy recovery. She was aware that doctors were concerned about the risk of uterine rupture, a potentially deadly complication for her and her baby. She would say during the hearing that she understood the risk to be less than 2% and didn’t want to agree to a C-section unless there was an emergency. But the choice would not be hers. The judge would decide how she would give birth. Watch How a Court Hearing Was Convened in Cherise Doyley’s Hospital Room Obtained by ProPublica Mentally competent patients typically have the right to choose their medical care — or refuse it. But there is one notable exception: pregnant patients. That inconsistency is particularly striking in Florida, a state that has pushed to expand medical freedom for those who wish to avoid vaccines or fluoridated water, while constricting the rights of people in various stages of pregnancy. “There aren’t any other instances where you would invade the body of one person in order to save the life of another,” said Lois Shepherd, a bioethics expert at the University of Virginia School of Law. In Florida and many other states, court-ordered medical procedures are just one of the ways pregnant patients’ rights are restricted. The effort to chip away at those rights is rooted in the concept of fetal personhood — that a fetus has equal and, in some cases, more rights than the woman sustaining it. The link between fetal personhood and court-ordered C-sections dates back to the 1980s, when courts started ruling that hospitals can override patients’ decisions in favor of the health of unborn children. In the years since, proponents of fetal personhood began to push for even broader legal protections. In 1986, Minnesota was the first state to recognize fetuses as victims in homicide cases. Some states have imprisoned pregnant women for exposing their fetuses to drugs. Nearly 30 states have passed laws that allow hospitals to invalidate pregnant patients’ advance directives, which outline the kinds of life-sustaining treatment a person wants after a catastrophic illness or accident. At least one, Alabama, extended the concept of personhood all the way to the earliest stages of fertilization and conception by giving frozen embryos the same legal status as children, though the Legislature later said the law couldn’t be enforced. And the fetal personhood movement has accelerated in the past several years, supercharged by the U.S. Supreme Court decision to reverse the abortion rights that had been protected by Roe v. Wade. Florida has long been at the forefront of fetal personhood policies. The state was one of the first in the country to prosecute a woman for “delivering” drugs to her fetus during pregnancy in 1989, although the Florida Supreme Court later overturned her conviction. And after advocates twice failed to get a fetal personhood amendment on the state ballot, the Legislature is now considering a bill that would enshrine the concept in state law by giving embryos and fetuses the same legal status as people in wrongful death suits. For women in labor, the potential impact of the bill is clear: Experts anticipate their medical needs could be further diminished in favor of the fetuses’. Several legal experts told ProPublica they are alarmed by Doyley’s case and the legislation’s potential to allow for more court interventions during childbirth. Lawyers who represent women in fetal personhood cases already have identified a higher number of forced C-sections in Florida than other states. The state attorney’s office for the 4th Judicial Circuit declined to comment on Doyley’s case, saying a response would violate her medical privacy. But in an email, a spokesperson noted why, in general, the office would intervene: “The courts have held that the State has a compelling interest in the preservation of the life of an unborn child and the protection of innocent third parties who may be harmed by the parental refusal to allow or consent to life-saving medical treatment.” C-sections account for nearly a third of all deliveries in the United States. They can be necessary when babies are breech, or in the wrong position for birth, as well as in cases of maternal or fetal emergency. But in other cases, such as slow laboring or prior C-sections, the need for the surgery is less clear. Surveys have found that more than 10% of women feel pressured into C-sections and other procedures by doctors worried about injuries to the baby. Patients generally don’t challenge doctors who say they’re necessary, and it is uncommon for someone to hold out and for the hospital to turn to the courts. It is so rare, in fact, that advocates for the rights of pregnant women were shocked to discover that the same thing that happened to Doyley had happened to another Florida woman just a year and a half earlier. The similarities in their cases were striking. Both women had three prior C-sections. They had questioned the need for their previous surgeries and arrived prepared to fight for vaginal births. And both women are Black. They had argued that compelling them to have C-sections violated their rights to make medical decisions. Hospital staff said their medical decisions threatened the health of the fetus. It would be up to the courts to decide which one mattered more. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1128" width="752" data-id="69678" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?w=752" alt="A smiling Black woman sits in a plastic chair under a wooden awning, holding a baby wearing a diaper. Light from a sunset casts a shadow on the baby and lights up the woman." class="wp-image-69678" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=863,1295 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=422,633 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=552,828 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=558,837 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=527,791 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=752,1128 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=1149,1724 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=1067,1600 1067w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=800,1200 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=1200,1800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-110_eb604a.jpg?resize=1600,2400 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Doyley enjoys time with her 1-year-old daughter, Arewa, on their porch. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1133" width="752" data-id="69679" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?w=752" alt="Outside, a Black woman in a white dress closes her eyes and smiles while holding a toddler wearing a white dress, white ruffled socks, shiny red shoes and pigtails." class="wp-image-69679" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg 1991w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=199,300 199w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=768,1157 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=680,1024 680w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=1019,1536 1019w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=1359,2048 1359w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=863,1300 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=422,636 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=552,832 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=558,841 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=527,794 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=752,1133 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=1149,1731 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=1062,1600 1062w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=400,603 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=800,1205 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=1200,1808 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-015.jpg?resize=1600,2411 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Brianna Bennett with her 2-year-old daughter, Aubree. Like Doyley, Bennett was forced to have a court-ordered C-section. Asked to consider the constitutionality of court-ordered C-sections, the U.S. Supreme Court declined in 1994, leaving a patchwork of decisions that vary by state. In the early 1980s, a hospital in Georgia won a court order to force a woman with a dangerous pregnancy complication to have a C-section. Then, in 1987, a judge in Washington, D.C., approved a request to perform surgery on a pregnant woman dying from cancer without her consent. Later, a higher court reversed that ruling and held that hospitals should not override medical decisions. An Illinois appellate court in 1993 refused to order a woman to undergo a C-section. Not long after, a patient named Laura Pemberton, who did not want a C-section, left a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida, against medical advice. A local judge sent law enforcement to her house to bring her back. Once she returned to the hospital, the judge ordered her to have a C-section, which doctors carried out. She later sued in federal court and lost. The 1999 decision by a federal district judge found that the state had a right to override her wishes. “Whatever the scope of Ms. Pemberton’s personal Constitutional rights in this situation, they clearly did not outweigh the interests of the State of Florida in preserving the life of the unborn child,” the decision said. The decision marked a legal turning point in prioritizing fetal rights over the religious freedom and bodily autonomy of the mother. In 2009, Samantha Burton arrived at the same hospital at 25 weeks pregnant, after going into premature labor. Doctors told her she needed to remain on bed rest, but she wanted to leave and go home to her children. The hospital got a court order for her to remain in the hospital and undergo any treatment doctors deemed necessary to save the fetus. She had an emergency C-section, and the baby was stillborn. She appealed the ruling granting the emergency order, and a Florida appeals court ruled in her favor. They said the circuit judge should have required the hospital to prove the baby was viable before imposing unwanted treatment, but the court stopped short of saying it was unacceptable to override the medical decisions of pregnant women in all situations. Pregnancy is the only condition where Florida courts have ruled that a patient can be forced to undergo unwanted treatment. Even a state prisoner on a hunger strike has more rights to make medical decisions. Those rulings give the state vast control over pregnant women. “All of it essentially is about the state’s ability to decide that a fetus, at any point during a pregnancy, is more important than the person who’s pregnant,” said Rutgers University law professor Kimberly Mutcherson. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1129" width="752" data-id="69681" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman with her back to the camera presses her hand on a butterfly decal pasted to the wall. There are other butterfly decals nearby surrounding a flower decal." class="wp-image-69681" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg 1999w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=768,1153 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=682,1024 682w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=1023,1536 1023w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=863,1295 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=422,633 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=552,828 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=558,837 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=527,791 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=752,1129 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=1149,1724 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=1066,1600 1066w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=800,1201 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=1200,1801 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-082.jpg?resize=1600,2401 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Doyley decorates her home with decals of butterflies. She says she likes how they represent transformation. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1128" width="752" data-id="69682" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?w=752" alt="Outside on a wooden porch in the sunset, a baby sits on a rocking horse and looks at a cat sitting nearby." class="wp-image-69682" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=863,1295 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=422,633 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=552,828 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=558,837 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=527,791 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=752,1128 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=1149,1724 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=1067,1600 1067w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=800,1200 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=1200,1800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-120.jpg?resize=1600,2400 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> One-year-old Arewa plays on the family porch. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" js-autosizes src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg" alt="A child wearing a red shirt and blue shorts runs with her arms out past a red trampoline, a football and a television set inside of a dimly lit, tidy room." class="wp-image-69683" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-061.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /> Bennett’s 2-year-old daughter, Aubree, pretends the floor is lava. In March 2023, more than a year before Doyley’s court-ordered C-section, Brianna Bennett arrived in labor at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital — the same hospital where the women in the 1999 and 2009 lawsuits had given birth. Over the preceding years, Bennett had come to question the medical reasoning behind her three prior C-sections. Each recovery had been harder than the last, leaving her so incapacitated after the third that for two weeks she couldn’t even go to the bathroom without help. At the time Bennett went into labor with her fourth, her mother’s hip problems had gotten so bad that she needed a wheelchair and required some help from Bennett to function. Bennett did not think she could care for all her family members while in recovery from abdominal surgery, so she insisted on trying for a vaginal birth. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman looks directly at the camera wearing a red floral dress and earrings. She sits on a dark leather couch." class="wp-image-69593" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=1536,1022 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=2048,1363 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=863,574 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=552,367 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=558,371 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=1149,765 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=2000,1331 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=400,266 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=1200,799 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-035.jpg?resize=1600,1065 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Bennett researched and weighed birthing options before going into labor. Tallahassee Memorial Hospital had specialists on staff and a neonatal intensive care unit equipped to serve critically ill babies. Bennett believed it offered the kind of support she needed to be able to follow her birth plan. The hospital has handled a lot of high-risk pregnancies. As Bennett’s labor stretched past 24 hours, a doctor confronted her about agreeing to a C-section, Bennett said. She continued to refuse, so the hospital reached out to the state attorney. In an email, Jack Campbell, state attorney for the 2nd Judicial Circuit, responded that the court needed to act quickly. “I plan to file an emergency motion with the Court to allow TMH to take whatever steps medically necessary to protect the life of the child and mother,” he wrote. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?w=752" alt="Two children eat pasta while sitting at a table. In the background a woman and another child look at the kitchen counter and another child reaches for a bowl." class="wp-image-69687" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-024.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Bennett, in the red dress, prepares lunch with her children, from left, Alannah, 16, Aubree, 2, Ayden, 11, and Ava, 7. After her three prior C-sections, she was worried about recovering from a fourth while taking care of a newborn and other family members. During the hearing, 15 to 20 people squeezed into Bennett’s hospital room. As would later happen with Doyley, she found herself in front of a tablet with a judge on the screen. Bennett said she found it offensive that so many people were concerned about the method of her delivery without taking into consideration how difficult it would be to take care of both herself and her baby while recovering from a C-section. “Are any of you gonna help me bathe or shower? Are you gonna help change my pad? Are you gonna help lift the baby out of the bed and put me in the bed because I can’t lift my legs? Is anyone going to help me?” Campbell told ProPublica that he felt the hearing was necessary to save two lives, Bennett’s and her baby’s. “I’m real comfortable with what we did here,” Campbell said. “I hate the fact that she’s upset about it.” A spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial Hospital declined to comment on Bennett’s case, even though she signed a waiver allowing the hospital to do so. “We will not be able to discuss specific patients or cases,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. The hospital did not respond to questions about its history of seeking court intervention in multiple women’s medical decisions while giving birth. Bennett said she tried to remain calm, but inside she was panicking. During the hearing, her baby’s heart rate spiked. The judge ordered her to have a C-section, and doctors wheeled her into surgery. The operation lasted two and a half hours and the surgical team had to cut around existing scar tissue and avoid her bladder. Her incision looked like an upside-down T and required a wound vac, a portable machine that helps incisions close more quickly. She said a doctor who visited her room during recovery told her she should never get pregnant again, according to a civil rights complaint filed with federal regulators.The complaint is still under investigation, but lawyers for Bennett said they haven’t heard from investigators in more than a year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not comment on the complaint. “I cried every single day,” Bennett said. “I felt like I was supposed to be happy. I’m supposed to be thankful that I have a new life and that the Lord has blessed me to see this new baby. And I’m not even happy.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1128" width="752" data-id="69688" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?w=752" alt="Two children wearing white dresses swing on a green swing set." class="wp-image-69688" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=863,1295 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=422,633 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=552,828 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=558,837 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=527,791 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=752,1128 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=1149,1724 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=1067,1600 1067w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=800,1200 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=1200,1800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-017.jpg?resize=1600,2400 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Bennett’s daughters Aubree and Ava play on a swing set. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1128" width="752" data-id="69689" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?w=752" alt="A girl wearing a red “Tommy” shirt looks at a smartphone with a picture of a woman wearing a face mask and lying down in a hospital bed." class="wp-image-69689" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=863,1295 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=422,633 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=552,828 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=558,837 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=527,791 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=752,1128 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=1149,1724 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=1067,1600 1067w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=800,1200 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=1200,1800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260228-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-047.jpg?resize=1600,2400 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Aubree looks at a photo of her mother holding her after a court-ordered C-section. A year and a half later in Jacksonville, Doyley faced a situation eerily similar to Bennett’s. She noted as her hearing began that she was the only Black person on the screen. About a dozen faces, most of them white, had gathered to challenge her medical decisions. She said it made her feel as if her race had something to do with the fact that she was thrust into the intrusive hearing. “I have 20 white people against me, and because I am informed and I am making an informed decision, they are trying to take my rights away from me by force,” Doyley told the people on the screen, requesting a Black nurse or doctor. “I don’t find that race really has much to do with this, ma’am,” the judge responded. Dr. Erin Burnett said during the hearing that she did not think Doyley could successfully give birth vaginally because she had a history of stalled labors. A long labor after prior C-sections could increase the risk of uterine rupture, which could kill Doyley and the child, she said. She said the baby’s heart rate showed some signs of distress and told Doyley it would be better to have a C-section before it became an emergency. If the baby’s heart stopped or if she lost oxygen during delivery, the baby could suffer a brain injury or death. Dr. John Davis, the chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department, testified that the hospital had been recognized for its low C-section rate and did not perform unnecessary surgeries. Doyley’s condition required intervention, he said. Burnett and Davis did not respond to requests for comment, and the hospital declined ProPublica’s requests to interview them and others involved in Doyley’s care. Doyley signed a waiver allowing the hospital to discuss her case with ProPublica, but a spokesperson for University of Florida Health in Jacksonville would not comment, citing patient privacy. Nor did the hospital respond to questions about Doyley’s claim that race played a role in the decision to involve the court. The research on the risks of uterine rupture after prior C-sections is unclear. Studies have found that 0.15% to 2.3% of these labors resulted in a rupture, depending on a number of factors such as body mass, a history of successful vaginal births and whether the labor was spontaneous or had to be induced. Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death. “A lot of that comes from medical negligence and medical racism, where we have a group of white doctors that think that they know what is best for Black bodies and Black babies,” Doyley said in the hearing. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="501" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?w=752" alt="Three children sit outside in plastic chairs in an open wooden structure. In the background are trees and a camping tent. One of the children holds a baby in her arms and kisses her." class="wp-image-69690" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-066.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Doyley’s children — from left, Aganju, 7, Akilah, 11, and Arewa, 1 — sit on the porch at their home. Both the doctors and Doyley mentioned recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. However, neither one cited the organization’s stance on court-ordered C-sections, which the group has deemed to be “ethically impermissible.” After three hours of testimony — all while Doyley lay in her hospital bed — the judge ruled that she could keep laboring unless there was an emergency. If that happened, the hospital could operate, whether she wanted it or not. The judge would reconvene the hearing in the morning. In response to questions from ProPublica, Kalil wrote in an email that the judicial code of conduct prohibits judges from commenting on cases. “These ethical standards exist to protect the integrity of the judicial process, ensure fairness to all parties, and preserve the Court’s neutrality,” he wrote. Overnight, doctors said the baby’s heart rate dropped for seven minutes. Doyley woke to her hospital bed being wheeled into surgery. She called out to her sister who was asleep in the hospital room. “I had to tell her, ‘Hey, wake up,’” Doyley said. “‘Something is going on.’ She’s trying to put on her shoes. I’m like, ‘Girl, leave the shoes. Let’s go.’” Doyley recalled reciting a short prayer as her sister scrambled into the operating room. The baby was delivered by C-section. Although Doyley’s daughter was initially limp, she perked up and became responsive within a few minutes. Doctors took her to the NICU while Doyley went to recover. And to get ready to face the judge again. At the 8 a.m. hearing, Doyley looked pained and groggy. She told the judge she still hadn’t been allowed to see her daughter and asked if he could help. A doctor testified that the baby had been brought to the NICU in respiratory distress and placed on a continuous positive airway pressure machine to help with her breathing. Kalil said he couldn’t order the hospital to do anything. The matter he had been appointed to hear involved only her unborn baby. He had no authority over the child in the nursery. Kalil wished her well and quickly closed the case. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3000" height="2000" js-autosizes src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg" alt="A woman wearing a floor-length black sleeveless dress stands in an open doorway with her hands on the doorframe. A clear porch roof overhead lets light stream in." class="wp-image-69585" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=863,575 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=422,281 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=552,368 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=558,372 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=527,351 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=752,501 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=1149,766 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260301-Maney-Court-Ordered-C-Sections-104.jpg?resize=1600,1067 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /> Doyley in her home. In Florida and many other states, court-ordered C-sections are just one way in which pregnant women’s rights are eroded. The post They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth. appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Amy Yurkanin.
How Israel is censoring damage reporting about the war on Iran
SPECIAL REPORT: By Oren Ziv Since the start of the war with Iran, the Israeli military has imposed strict censorship regulations on local and international media outlets operating inside the country, severely impeding journalists’ ability to cover the situation on the ground. Reporters and networks are prohibited from publishing the precise location of Iranian missile
SPECIAL REPORT: By Oren Ziv Since the start of the war with Iran, the Israeli military has imposed strict censorship regulations on local and international media outlets operating inside the country, severely impeding journalists’ ability to cover the situation on the ground. Reporters and networks are prohibited from publishing the precise location of Iranian missile impacts, or even filming or photographing the extent of the damage in a way that could give away the location — restrictions designed, in the words of the army’s chief censor Colonel Netanel Kula, “to prevent assistance to the enemy during wartime”. Outside of wartime, Israeli law already gives the military censor the authority to prevent certain information from being published, even retroactively. This can include aspects of Israel’s arms deals or intelligence activities, among other security-related topics. READ MORE: Iran is getting the Gaza treatment — Al Jazeera’s The Listening Post War on Iran: ‘It’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media is telling the people’ Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports But just as it did during the “12-Day War” last June, the censor has tightened its restrictions amid the current US-Israeli war with Iran. The police have already detained several journalists it deemed to be violating these censorship regulations. In an unclassified document published on March 5, Kula instructed journalists to submit anything related to the following topics to the censor for review prior to publication: operational matters, intelligence, defensive preparedness, impact sites in Israel, armament management (including munitions and interceptor stockpiles, aircraft and air defense systems readiness, and the employment and use of unique and classified weaponry), and operational vulnerabilities in defence and offence. “Consideration must also be given to the publication of visual materials, such as photographs and videos, which must also be submitted for prior review,” Kula added. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" title="A crater caused by an Iranian missile that landed in Tel Aviv, February 28, 2026. (Oren Ziv)" src="https://static.972mag.com/www/uploads/2026/03/0W2A1105-1-1280x854.jpg" alt="A crater caused by an Iranian missile that landed in Tel Aviv, February 28, 2026. (Oren Ziv)" width="768" height="512" data-caption="A crater caused by an Iranian missile that landed in Tel Aviv, February 28, 2026. (Oren Ziv)" /> A crater caused by an Iranian missile that landed in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026. Image: Oren Ziv/+972 Magazine Absurd situations These restrictions have created some absurd situations for journalists. In one case known to +972 Magazine, an Iranian missile hit its target while fragments struck a nearby educational facility. Yet the media was only allowed to report on the latter, without being able to even mention the former or inspect the damage. In another case, journalists were documenting damage to a residential building when a man who likely worked for a security agency told police to instruct the journalists there not to film the actual target of the strike, which was behind them. The officer replied that the journalists would not have noticed it if they were not told, since most of the damage was to the civilian building. Several senior staff members in international media organisations operating in Israel told +972 that the censor’s restrictions have made it difficult to maintain normal reporting routines. One example concerns live feeds of wide shots from cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that international news agencies provide for use by broadcasters worldwide. During Iranian missile attacks, the agencies are prohibited from showing where Israeli interceptor missiles are launched from, meaning they must either cut the broadcast or tilt the camera downward toward the street so the skyline is not visible. A senior figure at one news agency said that after cutting the live feed, they sometimes send footage of incoming missiles and interceptions to the censor for approval. The censor has barred several of these clips from publication, including a failed interception and a missile fragment continuing its trajectory. Still photographs rejected The censor has also rejected still photographs showing interceptor launches, including long-exposure nighttime images that do not reveal precise locations. <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" title="Anti-missile batteries fire interceptors toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tel Aviv, March 7, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)" src="https://static.972mag.com/www/uploads/2026/03/F260307CG003-1280x853.jpg" alt="Anti-missile batteries fire interceptors toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran" width="768" height="512" data-caption="Anti-missile batteries fire interceptors toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tel Aviv, March 7, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)" /> Anti-missile batteries fire interceptors toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tel Aviv on March 7, 2026. Image: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90 “It’s hard to understand what is actually happening,” a senior manager at a foreign media outlet working in Israel explained. “In a lot of cases, we have official reports that there were no strikes or damage only to discover later that a target was hit. We can’t report or confirm so we don’t know if it happened or not. “We have a partial understanding of the reality on the ground,” the senior manager admitted. “Our coverage of the war is not truthful.” Read the full report at +972 Magazine Pacific Media Watch reports that Democracy Now! quoted a CNN journalist saying “Every reporter in Israel — and every member of the public — is subject to a military censor. On national security grounds, the regulation authorises the censor to prohibit reporting or broadcasting any material that could reveal sensitive information or pose a threat to the country’s security interests.” Democracy Now! posed a question about the responsibility of the US media in informing the public on stories, “especially since they’re always showing us the results of the plumes rising in Abu Dhabi or in Saudi Arabia or even in Iran, but not the direct hits that are occurring within Israel”. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
Jeffrey Sachs says U.S.-Israeli war on Iran could spark world war
AI-Generated Videos Are Spreading Amid War In Iran — Here’s How To Spot Them
US War Secretary taunts Iranian leadership for ‘hiding’ while they are defiant on street rallies
Asia Pacific Report The war on Iran has coincided with the release of large troves of US government files that documented the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to rich and powerful people, reports Al Jazeera. President Donald Trump, who has denounced Epstein as a “creep”, had been photographed many times with the financier who
Asia Pacific Report The war on Iran has coincided with the release of large troves of US government files that documented the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to rich and powerful people, reports Al Jazeera. President Donald Trump, who has denounced Epstein as a “creep”, had been photographed many times with the financier who abused dozens of young women and girls for years, writes columnist Ali Harb. So Tehran has been trying to emphasise the links between Epstein and the ruling class in the US to portray its foes in Washington as morally inferior. READ MORE: Hezbollah vows ‘existential’ fight in Lebanon as Israel strikes Tehran Yesterday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said millions of Iranians marching at al-Quds Day rally in Tehran in support of Palestine faced an assault by the “Epstein gang”, referring to US and Israeli strikes. Hours earlier, Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani also brought up Epstein when responding to US secretary of War Pete Hegseth who had claimed that Iranian leaders were hiding like “rats”. Larijani, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other top officials had attended the Tehran rally earlier and footage showed them mingling with people. “Mr Hegseth! Our leaders have been, and still are, among the people. But your leaders? On Epstein’s island!” Larijani wrote on X. Last week, when Trump was pushing to be involved in the selection of Iran’s next supreme leader, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had a message for the US president, also involving Epstein. “The fate of dear Iran . . . will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by Epstein’s gang,” Ghalibaf said. Pete Hegseth: “Iran’s leadership — desperate & hiding. They’ve gone underground. Cowering. That’s what rats do.” Here is Iran’s Foreign Minister on the streets of Tehran not hiding or cowering but instead talking about the “incredible will & determination of the Iranian people.” pic.twitter.com/mWlnxOFePG — Power to the People ☭ (@ProudSocialist) March 13, 2026 Araghchi said yesterday European countries thought they would get more support for Ukraine by backing the war against Iran, but instead, the conflict resulted in sanction relief for Russian oil imports. With the exception of Spain and a few other nations, European countries and the European Union responded to the US-Israeli attack on Iran — which legal scholars say is unlawful — by slamming the Iranian government. “Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win US support against Russia,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “Pathetic.” <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-124963" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tehran-rally-PTV-680wide.png" alt="Huge crowds of Iranians were defiantly on the streets in the capital Tehran in spite of the bombing " width="680" height="383" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tehran-rally-PTV-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tehran-rally-PTV-680wide-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> Huge crowds of Iranians were defiantly on the streets in the capital Tehran yesterday in spite of the bombing declaring their support for the country’s leadership amid the US-Israeli war. Image: Press TV This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
If democracy is to hold, local police must resist.
If democracy is to hold, local police must resist. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by David C. Couper.
“You’re Fired!” Seventeen Impeachable Offenses by Trump and Counting
By Ralph Nader March 13, 2026 Tyrant Trump’s favorite snarl is “You’re Fired!” That was his bellow on The Apprentice television program. Subsequently, he told hundreds of thousands of federal civil servants and contractors, “You’re Fired!” Shame on the...
By Ralph Nader March 13, 2026 Tyrant Trump’s favorite snarl is “You’re Fired!” That was his bellow on The Apprentice television program. Subsequently, he told hundreds of thousands of federal civil servants and contractors, “You’re Fired!” Shame on the pitiful Democratic Party that allowed him to regain the presidency last year. It is long overdue… This content originally appeared on Ralph Nader and was authored by matthew.
Why We Need Leaders Like Frances Perkins
This Women’s History Month, we remember the architect behind the New Deal, and why Democrats must take note.
This Women’s History Month, we remember the architect behind the New Deal, and why Democrats must take note. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Karina Castrillo.
Leading US Papers Defend the Indefensible in Iran Aggression
Editorials in three of the United States’ most prominent newspapers offered varying degrees of support for the US/Israeli aggression against Iran.
“The biggest mistake President Trump could make now would be to end the war too soon,” the Wall Street Journal (3/1/26) declared. The United States and Israel are, for the second time in less than a year, committing “the supreme international crime” against Iran (FAIR.org, 7/3/25). Editorials in three of the United States’ most prominent newspapers, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, offered varying degrees of support for the aggression. The Times waffled about bombing Iran, the Journal enthusiastically supported it, and the Post had fewer concerns about the war than the Times but more than the Journal. Crucially, however, all three papers rationalized the US/Israeli assault. The Journal provided full-fledged endorsements of the unprovoked attack, writing in its first editorial (3/1/26), headlined “It’s Too Soon for Iran ‘Off-Ramps,'” that “the first two days . . . have been a striking success.” “The biggest mistake President Trump could make now would be to end the war too soon,” it said. The Journal (3/2/26) took the same approach in its next editorial, “Trump Enforces His Red Line on Iran,” calling the aggression a “necessary act of deterrence.” “It carries risks as all wars do,” the piece read, “but it also has the potential to reshape the Middle East for the better and lead to a safer world.” The editors reiterated that their “main concern is that Mr. Trump may stop too soon.” Killing upward of 175 Iranians at a girls’ elementary school (FAIR.org, 3/2/26) didn’t temper the degree to which the US/Israeli aggression was a “striking success,” nor was the possibility of similar massacres a “risk” or a “concern” of the editors. ‘Seeing this through’ The Washington Post (2/28/26) warned of “the danger of lobbing some bombs without seeing this through.” The Washington Post (2/28/26) expressed some reservations about the choice to go to war under the headline “Trump’s Iran Gamble,” but they seemed to be largely related to questions of success and procedure: whether the war would turn into a “quagmire,” “what happens to US troops throughout the region,” and that “it’s essential that the people’s elected representatives get to vote on whether these strikes are justified.” The paper’s remaining concerns echoed the hawks at the Journal, worrying Trump might not go far enough. The editors fretted about “the danger of lobbing some bombs without seeing this through” and warned that “freedom for the people” might not be achieved “without some US boots on the ground…. Yet Trump appears to lack any appetite for doing so.” While the Post appeared to have doubts about Trump’s leadership and strategy, at no point did the paper say that he shouldn’t have started the war, nor made mention of the prohibition under both US (The Hill, 6/23/25) and international law (Conversation, 3/20/22) on assassinating heads of state. ‘A successful outcome’ The New York Times (2/28/26) maintains that “Iran’s government presents a distinct threat because it combines…murderous ideology with nuclear ambitions”—but Trump didn’t announce he was attacking them the right way. Meanwhile, the New York Times’ strongest criticism (2/28/26) of the US/Israeli attack was that Mr. Trump’s approach to Iran is reckless. His goals are ill-defined. He has failed to line up the international and domestic support that would be necessary to maximize the chances of a successful outcome. He has disregarded both domestic and international law for warfare. While the authors were correct to suggest that the war is illegal, they nevertheless implied that a “successful outcome” to this war of aggression is desirable. That ending the war as soon as possible would be a “successful outcome” was not part of the Times’ calculus. Like the Post, the Times’ criticisms were mostly based on proceduralism. The Times (2/28/26) complained that Trump started this war without explaining to the American people and the world why he was doing so. Nor has he involved Congress, to which the Constitution grants the sole power to declare war. He instead posted a video at 2:30 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, shortly after bombing began, in which he said that Iran presented ”imminent threats” and called for the overthrow of its government. Thus, the Times was more concerned with how Trump explained his war aims to the American public than with those aims themselves. Indeed, as we’ll see, the paper dedicated considerable space to shoring up the rationale for the US/Israeli attack. ‘Positive consequences’ For the New York Times (2/28/26), Israel’s ability to continue its genocide in Gaza (Amnesty International, 11/27/25) without resistance from Hamas appears to be a “positive consequence” of bombing Iran. One trait the propaganda in all three papers shared is the notion that Iranian foreign policy means that there are upsides to launching the all-out war with Iran. The New York Times‘ headline (2/28/26) called the attacks “reckless,” but the analysis bolstered the argument for the war about which they professed to be concerned: Israel has reduced the threats from Hamas and Hezbollah (two of Iran’s terrorist proxies), attacked Iran directly and, with help from allies, mostly repelled its response. The new recognition of Iran’s limitations helped give rebels in Syria the confidence to march on Damascus and oust the horrific Assad regime, a longtime Iranian ally. Iran’s government did almost nothing to intervene. This recent history demonstrates that military action, for all its awful costs, can have positive consequences. These “positive consequences” include a genocide in Gaza that, despite a so-called ceasefire, hasn’t ceased (Amnesty International, 11/27/25; Palestine Centre for Human Rights, 2/4/25). Sectarian massacres have followed the fall of Assad in Syria (FAIR.org, 6/2/25); similarly, in the first year of post-Assad Syria, Israel bombed the country even more than it had the previous year, and increased its theft of Syrian territory (Al Jazeera, 11/20/25). Nearly 4,000 Lebanese people were killed in the 2023–24 US-backed Israeli war on the country, Human Rights Watch noted, which included apparently deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on journalists, civilians, medics, financial institutions and peacekeepers, in addition to the widespread and unlawful use of white phosphorus in populated areas, among other violations. More than 1.2 million people were displaced by the time of the November ceasefire, thousands of buildings and houses were destroyed, and entire border villages were reduced to rubble. Subsequently, Israel has violated a sham ceasefire in Lebanon more than 10,000 times, during which “positive consequences” continue to accrue, such as the killing of 12 people in late February attacks (Democracy Now!, 2/23/26). ‘Biggest state sponsor of terrorism’ The Washington Post (2/28/26) wrote: For a generation, Iran has been the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism, backing Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other proxies as they wreaked havoc and killed Americans. Linguistic choices used to rationalize war and genocide need to be rigorously scrutinized, and nowhere is this more necessary than when the word “terrorism” is being deployed to rationalize the mass murder of Muslim-majority populations. As Edward Said (New Left Review, 9–10/88) wrote: The most striking thing about “terrorism,” as a phenomenon of the public sphere of communication and representation in the West, is its isolation from any explanation or mitigating circumstances, and its isolation as well from representations of most other dysfunctions, symptoms and maladies of the contemporary world…. [Terrorism has been] stripped of any right to be considered as other historical and social phenomena are considered, as something created by human beings in the world of human history. Hamas’s violence against Israelis on October 7, 2023, came in the context of Israel killing more than 7,000 Palestinians over the previous 23 years, including more than 2,000 children (B’Tselem). Israel has for decades occupied, besieged and ethnically cleansed Palestinians (Electronic Intifada, 7/26/18), and is now committing genocide against them (UN, 9/16/25). Hezbollah came into existence as a result of the Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanon in the 1980s (Electronic Intifada, 1/16/24), and went on to win wide popular support in the country, as demonstrated by its winning more seats than other party in elections (FAIR.org, 10/10/24). Yemen’s Ansar Allah, known at the Houthis, arose as a rebellion against Ali Abdullah Saleh, the nation’s US-backed dictator (BBC, 12/4/17, 3/25/25). It gained power and prominence by continuing to struggle against his successor, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and then the “catastrophic” US/Saudi war on Yemen (In These Times, 4/13/23). Both Ansar Allah and Hezbollah are, it’s worth noting, guilty of helping the Palestinians resist the US/Israeli genocide (FAIR.org, 1/24/25). If the Post wanted to help its readers make sense of the world, the paper would make some effort to explain who Hamas, Hezbollah and Ansar Allah are, and the contexts in which they have engaged in political violence, as well as the vastly more deadly and injurious violence initiated by the US and Israel they have faced. Instead, the paper offers a simplistic, ahistorical demonization of these groups as ideological scaffolding for “the supreme international crime” against Iran, as well as the slaughter of Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni people. ‘Main threat to the entire region’ The Wall Street Journal (3/2/26) finds it “hard to imagine instability greater than what the [Iran’s] revolutionary regime has promoted for nearly five decades.” The first Wall Street Journal (3/1/26) editorial claimed that Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Arab states where US forces are based, and from which attacks on Iran are being carried out, underscore that Iran “is the main threat to the entire region.” The second (3/2/26) called the US/Israeli aggression “a necessary act of deterrence against a regime that is the world’s foremost promoter of terrorism.” The piece responded to the view that the war could lead to “new conflicts among other powers in the region” by saying, “Events are impossible to predict, but it’s hard to imagine instability greater than what the revolutionary regime has promoted for nearly five decades.” It’s nonsensical to say that Iran is “the main threat to the entire region” and that “it’s hard to imagine instability greater” than that which Iran has “promoted in the region.” None of Iran’s alleged, unspecified crimes in the region come close to the actual bloodshed (not its mere “threat”) and “instability” the US and Israel have wrought in the “greater Middle East,” not only in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, but in Afghanistan (FAIR.org, 8/19/21), Iraq (BBC, 10/16/13; Guardian, 3/4/00) and Libya (Alternet, 12/5/17). ‘The danger of lobbing some bombs’ All three papers also lent credence to the idea that it would be legitimate to conduct a war on Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. The Washington Post (2/28/26) asserted: Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump insisted that last summer’s bunker-buster bombs totally “obliterated” Iran’s enrichment program, but now he says it needs to be “totally, again, obliterated.” It’s always been clear he was exaggerating the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, and Iran has remained unwilling to give up its goal of proliferation. The danger of lobbing some bombs without seeing this through is that Iran’s leaders could become more determined than ever to get a bomb to deter future strikes. Yet the day before the US/Israeli aggression commenced, it came to light that Iran had agreed to not stockpile enriched uranium (CBS, 2/27/26). Without such nuclear fuel, it’s impossible to make a nuclear bomb. Contrary to the Post’s suggestion, Iran apparently was not “unwilling to give up” its alleged “goal of proliferation.” The Wall Street Journal (3/2/26) acted as if this Iranian offer had not taken place, saying that Trump “gave Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ample chance to strike a deal on nuclear weapons and its missile force, but the ayatollah refused.” The editorial praised the US/Israeli campaign, saying that even if the Iranian government survives, “the nuclear program will be difficult and expensive to rebuild.” Yet on February 18, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi said the organization had not seen any indication that Iran might currently be working to develop a nuclear weapon (CBS, 2/19/26). How Iran might “rebuild” a program that it may not have in the first place is anyone’s guess. A ‘worthy goal’ “Preventive strikes…have no basis under international law,” noted the Australian Institute of International Affairs (7/3/25). “Strikes cannot be justified solely on the grounds that a future attack is believed inevitable—as it is impossible to determine whether such a condition will ever come about.” Even though the New York Times (2/28/26) noted that “Iran does not appear close to having a nuclear weapon,” the paper described “the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program” as a “worthy goal.” The paper added: American presidents of both parties have rightly made a commitment to prevent Tehran from getting a bomb. We recognize that fulfilling this commitment could justify military action at some point…. The consequences of allowing Iran to follow the path of North Korea—and acquire nuclear weapons after years of exploiting international patience—are too great. “Prevent[ing] from getting a [nuclear] bomb” could not, in fact, “justify military action.” Pre-emptive or preventative wars “clearly” violate international law (Australian Institute of International Affairs, 7/3/25), so even if Iran was on the cusp of having a nuclear bomb, that would not be grounds to attack them. None of the editorials in the Times, Journal or Post mentioned that, in the run up to the US/Israeli aggression, the IAEA said it had no evidence that Iran was working on nuclear weapons development, or that Iran had agreed to an arrangement under which it couldn’t develop a nuclear bomb. Instead, the papers implied that a nuclear-armed Iran was a near-term possibility, and that such a prospect would warrant bombing the country. When scholars and students look back on 2026 and study how some of the US’s most prominent papers responded to the war of aggression on Iran, the main takeaway won’t be that the Journal offered unhesitating applause while the Times and the Post equivocated. It will be that all three defended the indefensible. This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by Gregory Shupak.
Why authoritarians don’t understand mirth [EXCERPT]
Trump EPA moves to repeal regulation of cancer-linked chemical ethylene oxide
The repeal loosens standards for roughly 90 sterilization facilities that emit the toxic chemical in neighborhoods across the country.
Many medical devices need to be sterile to be used safely. But sterilizing a pacemaker, catheter, or other device with steam or heat could damage its structural integrity. So medical device manufacturers turn to the chemical compound ethylene oxide, which is highly effective at killing microbes at low concentrations and allows companies to meet the Food and Drug Administration’s strict sterility standards. As a result, roughly half of all medical devices in the country are sterilized with ethylene oxide, or EtO, making it a linchpin of the medical device industry. There’s just one problem: EtO is a toxic gas that has been linked to cancers of the breast and lymph nodes. Roughly 90 facilities across the country deploy the chemical for sterilization. These nondescript facilities often resemble warehouses and are located in residential neighborhoods and near schools. In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency discovered that dozens of these facilities presented an unacceptable cancer risk to surrounding communities. Two years later, the federal agency, led at the time by the Biden administration, announced new regulations to limit the amount of the chemical released into the air. The rule required sterilization facilities to install equipment to capture and burn ethylene oxide and was estimated to cut EtO emissions — and the resulting cancer risk to nearby communities — by more than 90 percent. But after the sterilization industry protested that the rule was too burdensome, the newly-elected Trump administration began rolling it back. Last year, Trump exempted many facilities from having to comply with the rule. And this week, the EPA moved to repeal the rule altogether. “This proposed rule shows EPA’s strong commitment to protecting people’s health while maintaining a stable domestic medical supply chain,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, in a press release. “The Trump EPA is committed to ensuring life-saving medical devices remain available for the critical care of America’s children, elderly, and all patients without unnecessary exposure to communities.” Read more about EtO <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="An aerial view of a neighborhood right next to a facility warehouse with lots of trucks" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2500w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?resize=1200%2C799&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?resize=330%2C220&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?resize=768%2C511&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?resize=1536%2C1023&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?resize=2048%2C1364&quality=75&strip=all 2048w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/4-14-25-Cardinal-Health-Warehouse-Photos-IPA-956.jpg?resize=150%2C100&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1665" width="2500" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> The unregulated link in a toxic supply chain Naveena Sadasivam & Lylla Younes When the Biden administration formalized sterilization rules in 2024, companies began taking steps to meet an April 2026 compliance deadline. In fact, 7 of the 88 sterilization facilities across the country already met the standards at the time they were passed. Others began installing equipment to capture ethylene oxide. A spokesperson for AdvaMed, the industry group that represents sterilizers, previously told Grist that, even before the 2024 rule was finalized, sterilizers had undertaken “extensive efforts to implement state-of-the-art upgrades, allowing for continued safe use of EtO in order to meet and even exceed regulations.” Still, the industry was eager to find a way around the regulations. After the EPA set up a special inbox last year to receive requests for exemptions from several Clean Air Act provisions, including rules for ethylene oxide emissions, the sterilization industry flooded it with petitions. Trump eventually granted exemptions to about 40 facilities last year. A group of environmental nonprofits and community groups has sued Trump and the EPA over the decision. “We always knew the presidential exemptions issued last year were part of a broader plan to put the interests of corporate polluters above the health and wellbeing of American families,” said Maurice Carter, president of Sustainable Newton, a Georgia-based environmental advocacy group, in a press release. “But we won’t stop fighting to protect our community by demanding common sense, reasonable measures.” The EPA said its latest move is necessary to protect the domestic supply chain of critical medical equipment. In a press release announcing the proposal, the agency said it is committed to ensuring that its “regulation will not put countless lives at risk,” noting that no viable alternative to ethylene oxide currently exists. While it is true that alternatives to ethylene oxide do not currently exist, the sterilizers have several other options to reduce emissions while continuing to use the gas. In some cases, facilities tend to overapply ethylene oxide in a process called “overkill” to ensure a high margin of safety. This method is designed to exceed the level needed to meet sterility standards. Reducing these doses can lead to lower emissions. Facilities have also largely adapted to the more stringent regulations by installing so-called Permanent Total Enclosures. This technology traps ethylene oxide inside the building and funnels it to an oxidizer that burns the gas before it can escape. It is estimated to be 99 percent effective. But in letters to the EPA and other public-facing statements, the industry has said PTEs are technically challenging to install and expensive. Ultimately, the EPA rule will “jeopardize the availability of sterile medical devices and supplies” and “will likely result in a significant disruption and public healthcare crisis,” the industry group AdvaMed said in a 2023 letter. “With hundreds of thousands of surgeries and other medical procedures performed across the United States every day, the ability to meet those demands is essential,” said AdvaMed president Scott Whitaker, in a statement sent to Grist. “We appreciate the EPA’s efforts in listening to and understanding the importance of supplying safe, sterile medtech without interruption while protecting employees and communities near sterilization facilities.” In its latest proposal, the EPA is also questioning the toxicity of ethylene oxide. The EPA found that the chemical was 30 times more toxic to adults and 60 times more toxic to children than previously understood in 2016. That finding prompted a series of actions to inform the public about the risks sterilizers posed and eventually led to the 2024 standards. But the Trump administration now appears to be questioning the underlying toxicity data that was used to justify more stringent regulations. In its press release, the agency said that ethylene oxide is “produced within the body via normal processes and additionally from tobacco smoke or other combustion processes” and that “new information” about the chemical has continued to emerge. The agency also plans to “consider comments” about the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s toxicity assessment for ethylene oxide. The Texas agency has long held that the chemical is far less toxic than the EPA’s assessments. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Trump EPA moves to repeal regulation of cancer-linked chemical ethylene oxide on Mar 13, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Naveena Sadasivam.
Trump Administration Rolls Back Safeguards Limiting Release of Cancer-Causing Air Pollutant Ethylene Oxide
Earlier today, the Trump administration rolled back a 2024 EPA rule limiting commercial sterilization facilities from releasing ethylene oxide, a potent cancer-causing air pollutant.Ethylene oxide has long been known to cause a range of acute and chro...
Earlier today, the Trump administration rolled back a 2024 EPA rule limiting commercial sterilization facilities from releasing ethylene oxide, a potent cancer-causing air pollutant. Ethylene oxide has long been known to cause a range of acute and chronic health problems. The 2024 rule, which came eight years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that ethylene oxide is 60 times more toxic than previously realized, required commercial sterilization facilities to significantly reduce their emissions of ethylene oxide, install additional control equipment and improve monitoring. These facilities use ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment, as well as some dried food products and spices. Prior to this rollback, EPA had granted legally dubious compliance exemptions to 39 sterilization facilities covered by this rule. Below is a statement from Darya Minovi, a senior analyst for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists: Communications Officer Center for Science & Democracy, Clean Transportation, Western States lcohen@ucs.org 617-334-7343 “This dangerous decision puts people across the United States and in Puerto Rico at a higher risk of breathing dangerous fumes known to cause respiratory irritation, nausea, blurred vision, headaches and various cancers. Children are especially vulnerable to the cancer-causing harms of ethylene oxide exposure. “According to UCS analysis, nearly 14 million people in the United States live within five miles of at least one commercial sterilization facility and more than 10,000 schools and childcare facilities fall within those areas. These communities are disproportionately made up of people of color or those who do not speak English as a first language. “The science is clear about the risks posed by ethylene oxide. The 2024 rule was long overdue, requiring sterilization facilities to use proven pollution-control technologies to protect workers and fenceline communities from unnecessary cancer risk. And since ethylene oxide is a colorless and nearly odorless gas, many people had no idea they were being exposed. The rule was expected to cut ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizers by up to 90% and substantially reduce cancer risks for nearby communities. “This decision is a reckless and self-serving handout to big industry, which asked for this rule to be rolled back. This process sidestepped community input from the start and is an affront to communities that have unknowingly lived with ethylene oxide exposure for decades. These actions show, yet again, that this administration has little to no regard for the health and welfare of working people or any interest in protecting children from exposure to toxic chemicals. “Ethylene oxide emissions controls need to be strengthened – not dismantled. Communities living near these facilities deserve clean air and policies grounded in science, not decisions that allow dangerous emissions to continue unchecked." This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
EPA Bows to Corporate Polluters, Abandons Duty to Protect Public from Sterilizers’ Ethylene Oxide Emissions
Today, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule to roll back public health regulations adopted in 2024 for commercial sterilizer facilities that use ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment and spices. Ethylene ox...
Today, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule to roll back public health regulations adopted in 2024 for commercial sterilizer facilities that use ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment and spices. Ethylene oxide, one of the most toxic air pollutants EPA regulates, is a highly carcinogenic flammable gas capable of damaging DNA even in small doses. The 2024 regulations require most sterilizer facilities to reduce emissions and have continuous emissions monitoring systems by April 6, 2026. According to the EPA, the 2024 safeguards when fully implemented would eliminate over 90% of ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizer facilities and reduce the number of people exposed to unacceptable cancer risks from ethylene oxide by 92%. “The 2024 standards would have delivered enormous public health benefits. EPA knows that ethylene oxide is carcinogenic and determined that sterilizers can install effective and affordable pollution controls,” said Earthjustice senior attorney Deena Tumeh. “EPA has no basis to repeal this well-supported rule. By rolling back the rule, the Trump EPA is bending the knee to the sterilizer industry at the expense of millions of people’s health.” If finalized, Trump EPA’s proposal will allow sterilizer facilities to emit more ethylene oxide. Based on EPA’s own data, this proposal would subject at least 85,000 more people to unacceptable cancer risks compared to the 2024 rule. Many facilities are already in compliance with one or more of the emission limitations in the 2024 rule, but Trump EPA’s proposal would allow these facilities to reduce or eliminate their emission controls and monitoring equipment. Nearly 14 million people in the United States and Puerto Rico live within five miles of a commercial sterilizer, according to a 2023 report from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Inhaling ethylene oxide can increase the risk of cancer, including breast cancer and cancer of white blood cells. Children are particularly vulnerable to ethylene oxide harm because the chemical remains in their bodies longer than it does in adults. Many commercial sterilizer facilities are in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, and compound existing health risks from other local sources of pollution. In 2018, the first Trump EPA determined that ethylene oxide was a major driver of elevated cancer risks that the Agency is now ignoring. In June 2025, the Trump administration exempted more than 40 percent of sterilizers in the United States from complying with the 2024 rule for two years. These exemptions came after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin invited corporations to email the agency to request exemptions from clean air standards. The 2024 sterilizer protections were the result of a successful 2022 lawsuit brought by California Communities Against Toxics, Clean Power Lake County, Rio Grande International Study Center, Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, represented by Earthjustice. Quotes from our clients and partners: “I remember the EPA informing us that Steri-Tech’s ethylene oxide emissions in my hometown of Salinas, Puerto Rico, were so high that we had one of the highest rates of toxic air cancer risk in the United States” said Victor Alvarado, founder and coordinator for Comité Diálogo Ambiental. “Eliminating the new protections against ethylene oxide emissions is unjust.” “We understand that industry applied heavy pressure to weaken the previously finalized rule. We also understand that industry remains more concerned with their profits than the lives of those who live near sterilizer facilities, like my community in Laredo,” said Tricia Cortez, executive director of Rio Grande International Study Center. “Sterilizer facilities, like Midwest must be held accountable for their dangerous, cancer-causing emissions. We need an EPA that works to protect us, the people, not financial interests and corporations that continue to cause so much harm to so many.” “EPA’s decision to roll back commercial sterilizer safeguards is an affront to countless families and workers who were unknowingly exposed to ethylene oxide—a cancer-causing gas—for years, even decades,” said Darya Minovi, senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The rule was based on a growing and robust body of evidence showing the toxicity of long-term exposure to ethylene oxide, which EPA, international institutions, and the National Academies have affirmed. Rolling back these protections will undoubtedly harm people’s health, especially children’s.” “Walking back key regulations for ethylene oxide sterilizer facilities is essentially giving a highly polluting industry a get-out-of-jail-free card. Sterilizers are some of the largest, most toxic chemical manufacturing facilities in the country,” said Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics and chair of the Sierra Club National Clean Air Team. “Rather than regressing on key protections, these facilities need even more controls in place to ensure the safety of workers and nearby communities.” This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Freedom for Immigrants launches interactive map to track U.S. detention centers and connect families to resources
This story originally appeared in Prism on March 12, 2026. A national immigrant advocacy group is launching an interactive map designed to help families locate detained loved ones, find legal and community resources, and better understa...
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="People walk past a United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flag after visiting detainees inside the GEO Group Adelanto ICE Processing Center detention facility in Adelanto, California on July 10, 2025. Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?w=2379&ssl=1 2379w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342030" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/freedom-for-immigrants-launches-interactive-map-to-track-u-s-detention-centers-and-connect-families-to-resources/us-politics-justice-immigration-prison" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?fit=2379%2C1586&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2379,1586" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R1","caption":"People walk past a United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flag after visiting detainees inside the GEO Group Adelanto ICE Processing Center detention facility in Adelanto, California on July 10, 2025. Donald Trump's promise to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history has appalled some Americans. But others are cashing in on the boom in demand for private detention centers.\n\n\"We've heard the horrifying stories of detainees being violently arrested, denied basic medical care, isolated for days, and left injured without treatment,\" said Congresswoman Norma Torres, outside the detention center in Adelanto. Both GEO and ICE have denied allegations of mistreatment at the detention centers. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1753549989","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-POLITICS-JUSTICE-IMMIGRATION-PRISON","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="US-POLITICS-JUSTICE-IMMIGRATION-PRISON" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" People walk past a United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flag after visiting detainees inside the GEO Group Adelanto ICE Processing Center detention facility in Adelanto, California on July 10, 2025. Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2226390923.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="600" height="314" data-attachment-id="293467" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/alabama-prison-strikers-demands-push-for-decarceration/prismlogo-sized" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?fit=600%2C314&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,314" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="PRISMlogo-sized" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?fit=300%2C157&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?fit=600%2C314&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?resize=600%2C314&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-293467 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?resize=300%2C157&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?resize=400%2C209&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PRISMlogo-sized.png?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /> This story originally appeared in Prism on March 12, 2026. A national immigrant advocacy group is launching an interactive map designed to help families locate detained loved ones, find legal and community resources, and better understand the expanding U.S. immigration detention system. The map, created by Freedom for Immigrants, launched March 12 and compiles information about immigration detention facilities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices, resource providers, and companies that profit from immigration detention. Advocates say the project aims to make information about immigration detention— which is often difficult to access—available in one place for people most directly impacted by the system. “Detention operates through speed, confusion, [and] isolation, and so the role of this map is to try to interrupt that by centralizing the information that people will need,” said Gillian Wenhold, database and IT manager at Freedom for Immigrants, who led development of the new platform. The map builds on an earlier version developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor coronavirus outbreaks inside detention facilities. Over the past year, the organization rebuilt the project on a new platform and expanded its scope. The updated map includes five main sections: an immigration detention directory, a resource hub, an organizing and resistance section highlighting companies tied to detention, a news and storytelling feed linked to individual facilities, and a “detention by the numbers” data section that tracks statistics such as deaths in custody. Users can click on detention centers across the country to see information, including visitation policies, phone access rules, and how to add money to commissary accounts. A resource directory allows people to filter organizations by the type of support offered, including legal services and rapid response networks, and by communities served. The project is primarily intended for families, friends, and loved ones trying to navigate the detention system, Wenhold said. “Since we have our hotline, we’re constantly talking to people who are detained,” Wenhold said. “We’re talking to family and loved ones. And so the things that people we’re supporting need, we’re trying to put them on the map.” The platform also allows members of the public to submit updates, which advocates hope will help keep the information current. Mapping a rapidly changing detention system Maintaining accurate data about detention facilities presents a challenge, Wenhold said, because the system is constantly changing. ICE relies on a network of facilities that includes privately operated detention centers, local jails, and federal facilities used temporarily to hold immigrants. New locations can open or close quickly, while others are used intermittently. “Another challenge when it comes to resources is finding resource providers in resource-sparse areas,” Wenhold said. “Across the board we’re seeing the increase in detention and the really heavy strain on resource providers. So even finding resource providers that aren’t maxed out or at capacity has also been challenging, both for a hotline and for populating the map.” To compile the map’s information, the organization combines multiple sources, including government records, Freedom for Immigrants’ internal hotline database, media reports, and federal spending disclosures. Some data has also been obtained through public records requests. A newsfeed built into the map automatically gathers stories about individual detention centers, with staff reviewing and approving articles before they appear. Some advocates and organizers say the tool could also help people understand how widespread detention has become. Josefina Mora-Cheung, director of organizing with the immigrant rights group La Resistencia in Washington state, said the map appeared to be “really comprehensive,” particularly because it distinguishes between full detention facilities and ICE field offices. “We’ve seen in places like Portland, where people are held for at most like 24 to 48 hours, [places] are oftentimes called a detention facility, and they’re actually not a detention facility,” Mora-Cheung said. “It’s just an office. So I do appreciate that distinction.” For organizers who support people detained far from their communities, she said a centralized map could also help connect families with local support groups or legal aid organizations. Tool for organizing and advocacy The project will also link to a companion map developed by AJ Kim, an associate professor of city planning at San Diego State University, which focuses on real-time detention population statistics and facility capacity. Over the coming months, the two tools will be merged into a single platform, according to Freedom for Immigrants. The Freedom for Immigrants map also tracks government contracts and companies involved in immigration detention, information advocates say can help support organizing campaigns aimed at shutting down facilities or ending corporate involvement. “Ideally, this map will be used widely, and also people will kind of feel ownership over the map,” Wenhold said. “They will be using it, adding their updates, so that it’s kind of like how Wikipedia is updated by the general population, verified by everyone.” Advocates also plan to expand a section of the map highlighting organizing campaigns, protests, and resistance efforts tied to detention facilities. Wenhold said Freedom for Immigrants often hears from people inside detention who are organizing hunger strikes or other forms of protest and want their stories shared publicly. “There are a lot of people who stumble across the map, like the general public who are looking for ways to get involved and may not know about information or may not know about campaigns in their area,” Wenhol said. “So having ways for them to take action or get plugged in is really important to take that next step past your research or your scrolling and get involved in the movement.” Mora-Cheung said she hopes the map will help the public better understand the human impact of detention. “At this point, it’s not necessarily about immigration anymore, it’s about the disappearance of a whole community and a whole group of people just because they’re from somewhere else,” Mora-Cheung said. “It really ties down to xenophobia. We can’t allow for this expansion of detention sites any longer. Detention is not necessary. It’s used in a very arbitrary way and has very detrimental consequences, not only to people and their families, but to the communities that the detention facilities are in as well.” Wenhold described the project as part of a broader effort to build what advocates call “abolitionist infrastructure,” or tools that help people navigate and challenge the detention system while supporting those currently held inside. “This new evolution of the map is supporting, survival of people, families, loved ones,” Wenhold said. “Ultimately, [it is] making it easier for people to get what they need, so that they can spend their time doing the really important work of organizing for systemic change.” Editorial Team: Sahar Fatima, Lead Editor Lara Witt, Top Editor Stephanie Harris, Copy Editor This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Alexandra Martinez.
To Stop US Militarism and Criminal Wars, We Need Universal Conscription
Driving home from my coffee at the local food co-op in a suburb just north of Philadelphia, I passed by the gas station at the local 7-ll store. Now owned by a Japanese company, 7-11 is one of the largest gas chains in the US. I found myself thinking how back in the early years […] The post To Stop US Militarism and Criminal Wars, We Need Universal Conscription appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/6b584d13-c55c-4a6f-8fbf-6112f7a7b4f9?j=eyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/6b584d13-c55c-4a6f-8fbf-6112f7a7b4f9?j%3DeyJ1IjoibHB3c2UifQ.yEFYSMedVAGf3TdVKpKgFY-Q3Gb_jQ1GFsUs6MXEsh8&source=gmail&ust=1773512944993000&usg=AOvVaw2Lvmf70v3L7B6wCou6-xCH"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_Navjqc3TM3gUgQjAUKXGFqzPF0av9cWD3fAa6Z6v2QFHQDuOHVwnajVYlD6OU7WsbO6ADxAW9BQMmuZOtj2MmLix9t5a7pRcm4dz3_XmHo339UnFGPtek0HaKSqP7XBB-Wl-lWJI7Noh2IoDyeBSkSPSBmbKylLTP30Bi38sqJtC3weRKP7oo0XBvB7z94Ci_d73juqC_dVba9yev4O-PEZy-HId78kRLJ1F6b40hxs9Chhnhw7pmMdSy-ZkUWbab5YYzlfalY8zwEoeW8c3S54_D9nxa3bWkGer577ZChkq3pt3J4G7VQnT9tZhhAT7-dC-08b=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VVfv!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb8426b32-ec40-4f97-b1c3-2012bb4a3eab_1808x914.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="254.02197802197804" data-bit="iit" /> Driving home from my coffee at the local food co-op in a suburb just north of Philadelphia, I passed by the gas station at the local 7-ll store. Now owned by a Japanese company, 7-11 is one of the largest gas chains in the US. I found myself thinking how back in the early years of this century, when Venezuela was headed by the hugely popular radical leftist President Hugo Chavez, a brash and charismatic former junior officer in the Venezuelan Army who was elected and re-elected four times to lead the county. Some Americans boycotted the chain’s petrol pumps because they used gas from Citgo, a company majority owned by Venezuela. Others like myself, began only filling my car’s tank at 7-11s even if a cheaper gas station was across the street. The reason for both groups’ decisions was that Chavez, a leftist nationalist who nationalized the country’s long US-owned oil companies, and who had been briefly captured in a US-backed but short-lived military coup in 2002, had in 2006 denounced then former president and one-time CIA director George H. W. Bush at the United Nations General Assembly, saying, “Yesterday, the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today, this table that I am now standing in front of.” He followed by making a sign of the cross and then looking up at the ceiling, his hands held together in prayer.” Chavez had good reason for denouncing Bush, as in 2002 a military coup backed by the CIA and the US government had taken him captive, holding him at a Venezuelan military base, only to release him when a mass movement of ordinary Venezuelans spontaneously poured into the streets along with many enlisted soldiers all demanding his release and return to the presidential palace. Both right-wing Republicans and leftists like myself had compelling reasons for making our competing points of view using our wallets. I’m reminded of that time because at least many Americans were paying attention back then to what the US government was doing in our names in other parts of the world. These days, not so much. Today, fully half of this country’s military aircraft fleet and 41 percent of available ships in the US Navy are stationed in and around Iran, which is being bombed and struck by missiles by the US and its US ally Israel. More bombs are were likely dropped on that country of 92 million by just one of the B-52 strategic bombers being used for this unprecedented onslaught than all the explosives expended by both sides during the entire 11 years of the the US Revolutionary War. Yet wherever I go, in the supermarket, at the Post Office, in Home Depot — even in the food co-op! —there is little evidence that the US is at war with Iran, or even much awareness that it is a war that was launched by the US and Israel (which, because of the US’s provision of $4 billion a year of free weapons, is such a subsidiary of the Pentagon it might as well have an annex there). In some ways the lack of discourse in the aisles or on the street, the seeming normalcy of the neighborhoods I drive through, which display the vista of a total absence of yard signs denouncing war or calling for peace, resembling the decade of likewise ignored US war on Iraq and Afghanistan. The US war Vietnam was different. Nearly all people or families and communities then were personally impacted by it, especially by 1965, when I was 16, there was conscription, and the number of US troops fighting in that country, and the number of them coming home in body bags to cities, towns and villages all across the nation was rising. Whether it was young men facing being drafted, or if they had college deferments, their friends who didn’t, their parents, the young wives or girl friends of those drafted or at risk of being drafted, that war was never long out of people’s minds. President Nixon realized the price he was paying in his popularity for the continuing draft and so, also faced with impeachment and possible conviction for war and election crimes, he ended it in 1973. A draft resister since I turned 18 in 1967, when I committed myself to refusing military service or even “alternative service,” I was elated by the end to conscription at the time as was most of the anti-war movement, But as I look at the passivity of most of this country’s population during this current conflict—a military action in which the US is the aggressor—I’m rethinking my position. If, with the White House in the hands of a psychopath who cannot even admit to being to blame as Commander in Chief for a targeted missile strike in the first minutes of his war which flattened a girls’ elementary school, killing 200 people, including teachers and young girls aged 7-12, we aren’t seeing millions of people piling into the streets to demand a halt, I think we really need to return to a military composed primarily of conscripts. Every American family needs to have a personal stake (for the health and safety of their children) in US foreign policy, and because the trillion-dollar-a-year military budget has such a huge impact on social spending in the US), in domestic policy, too. The Trump White House is refusing to rule out a draft, and also won’t rule out sending current all-volunteer troops into Iran, and look at the hue and cry that has arisen from the likes of former Trump backer Rep.Margery Taylor Greene: “Not my son! Over my dead body!!!!” With conscription, most mothers and fathers would be saying the same thing. As long as the only thing angering Americans about Trump’s war crime of launching an illegal war of aggression against Iran is the rising cost of oil, we need to make it clear that the cost of war is paid no for oil but in blood. Only a universal draft can do that. The post To Stop US Militarism and Criminal Wars, We Need Universal Conscription appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Dave Lindorff.
Does anyone in Israel oppose this latest war?
MISA DE MEDIANOCHE POR SAN FRANCISCO (Real de Catorce, México)
Photographers barred from Pentagon briefings after ‘unflattering’ photos
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth barred photojournalists from attending Pentagon news briefings at the Pentagon’s Arlington, Virginia headquarters, about the Iran war and the United States’ role in the conflict, beginning on March 4, 2026.The decision ca...
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth barred photojournalists from attending Pentagon news briefings at the Pentagon’s Arlington, Virginia headquarters, about the Iran war and the United States’ role in the conflict, beginning on March 4, 2026. The decision came after Hegseth’s staff deemed recently published photos of him at a briefing “unflattering,” The Washington Post reported. The photos were taken March 2, days after a joint military strike on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The briefing also marked the first time Hegseth had spoken from the Pentagon briefing room podium since June 26, according to the Post. Several news organizations — including The Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images — had sent photographers to cover the briefing from Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After the news outlets published the photos, which were shared and licensed globally, members of Hegseth’s staff told colleagues they did not like the way he looked in them. His aides then decided to exclude photographers from the next two briefings at the Pentagon, held on March 4 and March 10, the Post reported. Since then, only the Defense Department’s staff photographers have been permitted into the briefings. In a statement to the newspaper, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson wrote: “In order to use space in the Pentagon Briefing Room effectively, we are allowing one representative per news outlet if uncredentialed, excluding pool. Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use. If that hurts the business model for certain news outlets, then they should consider applying for a Pentagon press credential.” In a statement, the National Press Photographers Association denounced the Defense Department’s decision, saying it appeared to be retaliatory and raised First Amendment concerns. It called upon the Pentagon to restore the photographers’ access. “Excluding photographers from Pentagon briefings because officials did not like how published images portrayed them shows an astonishingly poor sense of priorities in the midst of a war and is, for a public servant, not a good look,” the association’s President Alex Garcia said. “A free press cannot function if government officials decide that only favorable images of public officials may be created or distributed.” Since being named secretary, Hegseth has frequently clashed with the press, including targeting news outlets and media leaks. He also issued new restrictions that mandated journalists pledge to obtain approval for releasing information gathered at the Pentagon, even if unclassified, and threatened to revoke their credentials. Instead of complying with the pledge by the October deadline, dozens of correspondents left their offices and surrendered their press badges. The New York Times has sued the government over the policy, arguing it violates the constitutional protections of press freedom and due process. This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.
Trump’s AI-Powered World Wars #politics #trump #iran
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 13, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 13, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 13, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
Formula One: Put Human Rights in the Driver’s Seat
UN chief launches $308 million appeal for strife-hit LebanonMiddle East war: Women in Lebanon forced to give birth on roadsideSyria rights probe warns of ongoing serious violations across country
UN chief launches $308 million appeal for strife-hit LebanonMiddle East war: Women in Lebanon forced to give birth on roadsideSyria rights probe warns of ongoing serious violations across country This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.
Donald Trump likes to plaster his name everywhere. Well, people are starting to hold signs up near gasoline pumps re-naming them THE TRUMP PUMP, as gasoline prices go sky high due to Trump’s aggressive, illegal war against Iran. These TRUMP PUMP Poster...
Donald Trump likes to plaster his name everywhere. Well, people are starting to hold signs up near gasoline pumps re-naming them THE TRUMP PUMP, as gasoline prices go sky high due to Trump’s aggressive, illegal war against Iran. These TRUMP PUMP Poster Patriots hope others like them will saturate the country with TRUMP PUMP Posters… This content originally appeared on Ralph Nader and was authored by matthew.
CounterSpin has been tracking US news media failings, omissions and propagandizing on Iran for decades. We revisit some of that conversation this week.
https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260313.mp3 Right-click here to download this episode (“Save link as…”). New York Times (3/10/26) This week on CounterSpin: House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Brian Mast declared of Iran: “This murderous regime has posed an imminent threat against every American both at home and abroad for the last 47 years”—leading many at home and abroad to reach for their dictionaries. The Trump White House’s war on Iran is unpopular in the US: “Even the highest level of public support for this conflict falls far lower than that at the start of most other conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War and the Iraq War,” reports the New York Times. That may have something to do with the parade of rationales offered; Popular Information has a roundup of the 17 different reasons the Trump regime has given to date for why we went to war. All of it normalized by corporate media that allow recorded history to be put up for debate, that pretend we haven’t seen what we’ve seen, leaving today’s warmongers free to draw up a historical narrative, or several, that serve their present purpose. As we record on March 12, some 251 groups have sent a letter to Congress demanding they vote against any additional funding for the unconstitutional war, now costing an estimated $1 billion a day. Signers included Public Citizen, the ACLU, Greenpeace, J Street, Jewish Voice for Peace and National Nurses United. A supplemental worth $50 billion, the letter notes, would be enough to restore food assistance for 4 million Americans, establish universal pre-K education and pay for the annual construction of more than 100,000 units of housing. CounterSpin has been tracking US news media failings, omissions and propagandizing on Iran for decades. We revisit some of that conversation this week, hearing from Cyrus Safdari (2009), Vijay Prashad (2012), Murtaza Hussain (2017) and Trita Parsi (2018). This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by CounterSpin.
Mass displacement in Lebanon as Israel intensifies attacks
Consumer Sentiment Tanks, Prices Rise, Growth Stalls as Trump’s Illegal and Costly Iran War Pushes Economy to the Brink
Today's University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment dipped to 55.5 in the preliminary March reading, down 2% from 56.6 in February. Year-ahead inflation expectations came in at 3.4%, ending six months of consecutive declines, as consumers see no end in ...
Today's University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment dipped to 55.5 in the preliminary March reading, down 2% from 56.6 in February. Year-ahead inflation expectations came in at 3.4%, ending six months of consecutive declines, as consumers see no end in sight to Trump’s illegal war on Iran and chaotic tariff agenda that are sending prices on everyday essentials from energy to food soaring. The fallout from Trump’s reckless policies goes beyond high prices as overall economic growth stalls. Consumers are strapped as health care premiums continue to spike and the job market plummets. The economy lost nearly <a href="https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJwszkFu5CAUBNDTwO5H8AEbFiyy8TUiDN8dZDA9gBNpTj_q1izrlUqq5NFGLRZOXq6r0nIR1vJvL6REucqkkz2UVNIG7UwMGJLcD2ORZ7-4XSNZ50Q06ksaF7Wwq9RSHoZpMXKiM_-BGnKhPsDsZj-STdFAPB_H349XwYv_nvM5mPpkuDHcHr3dV_pt_YytlLC3Hmb-oY_WHwy3i34Hw-3tUEM_acKz3LXSHBAGzH7XJxw3lQEU29VqjjDvXlsuDDdeKeUAnQqFQZCTf8PXf2DqE7VBFLz7cKVOgWkRW63tHep4veBjdqL6Gi-IUTm7whKTAr24BHuIO2ipXXRWGWeI_3j8FwAA___BkHHP" rel="noopener noreferrer" >100,000 jobs in February and last quarter’s <a href="https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJwsz02O4yAQhuHT4B0RFD-GhRetibxszQ0iXJTTqA1kDJ5o5vQtR9kg8Xx6FxUncKiFHWiS46i0tMK54WsSxugQx7gCWoVolKS4OnJ2daBHuw5psn7RQM57gUbdpPGohRullnI1TIuWIn2nPzyHtNHeuFnMskYX0XD8vq__L-cwbNNX74_G1AeDmcH8fD4vWMoFa2YwgwDLYBaKwSzPh7CWmv8xmI_GsZZ2ZNp5o9JTptL5PT6Ymq-hE1PXsxbq7Ozvva5pO_HX5ycDe_R8w1o6lc7U9XW5sHqE95QppiMzdW0VU9jeOpwc-E4bhUY8xekFtzcw9QHaAIhhn0KJOwWmBdac6-uT26Xu96H1nSifsQVA5d3ILUbFtfWRLwEXrqX26J0y3tDwd4KfAAAA__83dn_f" rel="noopener noreferrer" >GDP growth was revised down to a disappointing 0.7%, falling from the 1.4% growth initially reported. The president has falsely claimed that “the economy is roaring back.” Yet data print after data print shows a spiraling economy. Trump’s relentless missteps have prompted Goldman Sachs to <a href="https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJwsy0uO6yAQheHVwAwLisKGAYNMvI2IRxGjGPtesNLqXn0rUQ_Pd_RnDzahnDl5tSwa1Syt5ZuXESWRTrGAwywdmSVnrYqLRWqJhlc_u4hA1jmZjL4r4xJKuyhUqhiGctRMz_pftFB36kOYaGLJNicj0vNRfqb3wXe_Xde_wfSNwcpgLfUIR6LpO2znOaWzMVgP-hoM1se55xYOMULahuj0qoOGKJRFDxcJZQAVSGOn7Wo7b5RrEJ12CoNEzf4D9z9g-gZoACTvPhy5U2Ao09na-RltTGd_8HF1ovaOZ4CknV3EnLIWOLssYkhRoEKXnNXGGeIvD78BAAD__031Z8U" rel="noopener noreferrer" >raise its inflation forecast and cut its GDP outlook, putting recession odds at 25%. Despite promising lower prices and a renaissance for American workers, all Trump has delivered is pain and peril. Groundwork Collaborative's Chief of Policy and Advocacy Alex Jacquez released the following statement: “President Trump is flooring the gas pedal as he drives our economy over a cliff. As bad as this week’s data is, it understates reality for exhausted consumers who have been hit with even more price hikes caused by the president’s intentional turmoil in the weeks since this data was collected. Instead of working to bring down ever-increasing prices at the pump, the grocery store, and the doctor’s office, the president is betraying working families as his illegal war with Iran stokes inflation.” BACKGROUND Consumer sentiment is stuck near historic lows. The index has been below 60 for eight consecutive months and has fallen 23% over the course of Trump’s second term. Inflation expectations are surging on Trump's war and tariffs. Year-ahead expectations stalled at 3.4%, the same as last month. Trump’s war on Iran is already <a href="https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJwsjk2u2yAURlcDsxvxHxgweBNv4wku1zF6waTg1GpXXznq8DtHn3RKVB6NcJyivN-1kU54z7fofLDJuZKTyr6IlD0iFiWdJu-FDrxGF7JR5EMQaPW3tAGN8HdppFwtM2LWQj_1F7RUnzQm2GzzWnxBC_jzWP_eLsGfcTuO12T6i6mFqeU8z9srz1sfD6aWnc659fdgaiHse29_mFqOjaCOtMOZBqS9wHyPR90f0OsTXqMiTUiDIK0r4XEJ7Pt8tytio0ETtn7yRqUmGPSkNAlqiR_w_R8w_aWMVUrwEdNeBiVmBPbW-me0TyCfxyBq19kphTr4OzgsGowLBXLCDEaagMFrGyzx31H9CwAA__8gPXXH" rel="noopener noreferrer" >driving up the price of gasoline and other everyday goods, and his administration is <a href="https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJwsyzuu6yAUheHRQIcFm4ehoEjjaUQ8NgmKsXOBm0hn9EeJTrm-pT97sElxQ9GLdZVKGG4tvXspzZpiKlhMDsaKVYdolYaMwhSBhVZvXFSA1jmetLwK7ZLidhVKiKKJ4qNmfNR_rIW6Yx9MRx1Ltjlplh638rN8Drr7-5zPQeSFwEZge7_fSzpiWtLZCGzAwRDYuCSwCUFgm_1_e7LZQ0ZWjxeOWW9h1vMYrCI-A5uh11LGcp9tpw1zDazjjmEgq9l_4foHRF5AaQBOuw9H7hiI4uls7fyONpaz3-iYHbF9YgOQpLMrMylLpozLLIYUmRLKJWeldhrpy8NvAAAA__9Yu2mx" rel="noopener noreferrer" >determined to reinstate erratic and poorly targeted tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled against them. The University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu noted that sentiment among respondents was considerably lower in interviews conducted after Trump’s attacks on Iran began, with many citing rising gasoline prices as a concern. Consumers are pessimistic about prices, and for good reason. Today's Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report shows that overall prices <a href="https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJwsyz2y4yAQBODTQIYKhh9BQPASXcM1wMjWWhJekK3ynn7Lrhf2190lgs9GOk5RjaM2yknv-S2O2cCctMmEFBwGWQqQT57Qem-D4kt0IRkgH4LMVl-UDdlIPyqj1GyZkX0pdF_-ig2XlVoXNtk0F1-yFfl-nf8Nn4Kv8XYcj870D4OJwXSe55AIh2t9MZh2OjuDCSQ4BtODWq87rmLZc91I4F5EfR4rvrv4g_sT21t8pnyjsqBotBJ2EkuJX7j8AtM_YCyA5C3iXhohMzLXbavfsPWhtivvRyPaPmcHkHXwo3C5aGFcKCJhTsIoE3Lw2gZL_BXhfwAAAP__sOJmgQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" >rose 2.8% between January 2025 and January 2026. Core PCE came in at 3.1%, the highest since March 2024, and has risen for nine of the past 12 months. Working families were already feeling the squeeze before Trump’s war with Iran poured fuel on the inflation fire. Growth is slowing as rising inflation and labor market declines wreck family budgets. GDP estimates for the fourth quarter of last year were revised down by 50% to just 0.7%. Growth in consumer spending fell considerably from 3.5% in the third quarter to just 2% in the fourth quarter, as working families are forced to pull back as rising prices and labor market contractions squeeze them from all sides. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
No Kings to Hungary: Ezra Levin & László Upor on Fighting Fascism, Trump & Orbán [Re-Air – Uncut…
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="The Kansas capital building is seen on November 8, 2022 in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images" data-attachment-id="342018" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/people-are-fleeing-the-state-kansas-is-not-safe-for-trans-people/gettyimages-1244606198" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="GettyImages-1244606198" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" The Kansas capital building is seen on November 8, 2022 in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> “As more revelations come out in the Epstein files and as the chaos gets unleashed in the world by this current administration, it feels like they continue to stamp the ‘trans hate’ button harder and harder.”
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="The Kansas capital building is seen on November 8, 2022 in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342018" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/people-are-fleeing-the-state-kansas-is-not-safe-for-trans-people/gettyimages-1244606198" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="GettyImages-1244606198" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" The Kansas capital building is seen on November 8, 2022 in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-1244606198-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> As their public approval sinks lower and lower, the MAGA right is leaning harder and harder into policies of abject cruelty directed at vulnerable populations that have been turned into sacrificial scapegoats; that is especially true when it comes to immigrants and trans people. In the state of Kansas, for instance, Republicans just rammed through one of the most extreme anti-trans bills in the country. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with journalist and LGBTQ+ policy analyst Erin Reed about how the new law is affecting trans Kansans and about the explosion of anti-trans policies around the country. Additional links/info: Erin Reed website, Substack, Facebook page, Bluesky page, TikTok, and Instagram Erin Reed, Substack, “Anti-Trans National Legal Risk Assessment Map: Feb 2026” Erin Reed, Substack, ““You outlaw it”: Heritage Foundation President announces intent to outlaw all trans adult care” Sherman Smith & Morgan Chilson, Kansas Reflector, “Trans Kansans struggle with Legislature’s ‘cruelty’ as driver’s licenses are invalidated” Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector, “Trans men file lawsuit over Kansas law that restricts bathroom use and invalidates driver’s licenses” Credits: Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich Transcript The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible. Maximillian Alvarez: Welcome everyone to the Real News Network podcast. I’m Maximillian Alvarez. I’m the editor-in-chief here at The Real News, and it’s so great to have you all with us. Between the federal government’s coverup of the Epstein Files, President Trump’s catastrophic decision to plunge the US into a war with Iran, an economy that’s crushing working people while hurling money at billionaires and corporations, and the daily litany of rampant and jaw-droppingly blatant corruption throughout the Trump administration. Even Trump’s base of supporters is beginning to fracture, and Republicans are fixing to get slammed in the upcoming midterm elections. And right on cue, as their public approval sinks lower and lower, the MAGA right is leaning harder and harder into policies of abject cruelty directed at vulnerable populations that have been turned into sacrificial scapegoats. That is especially true when it comes to immigrants and trans people. In the state of Kansas, the war on the rights and lives of trans people escalated to new, horrifying heights in recent weeks. As Sherman Smith and Morgan Chilson write in the Kansas Reflector, “The Kansas Department of Revenue sent a letter in late February to Kansans affected by a new law, which took effect Thursday that requires the gender marker on a driver’s license to match a person’s sex at birth. The letter informs TransKansans that because the legislature didn’t include a grace period for updating credentials, they are invalid immediately and “You may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential.” A spokesman for the agency told Kansas Reflector the law invalidated about 1,700 licenses. The letter directed TransKansans to surrender their driver’s license to the state before they can receive a new one, which will cost them $8. Republicans in the legislature placed transgender Kansans in their crosshairs at the start of this year’s session. The House Judiciary Committee scheduled a hearing with less than 24 hours notice on the second day of the session for a bill that would invalidate their driver’s license. The bill was a response to a Kansas Court of Appeals ruling last year that determined there was no harm in letting people change their gender markers, which Kansans have done since at least 2002 with no complaints. A week after the rushed hearing in a flurry of procedural maneuvers, the committee took action on the bill without warning. Republicans added language that would make it illegal for someone to use a public building bathroom or similar space like a locker room that conflicts with their sex at birth. They then inserted the contents of the House Bill into an unrelated Senate bill that passed the year before. That allowed the House and Senate to pass Senate Bill 244 the next day without ever holding a public hearing on the bathroom provision. And listen, that’s not all. As journalists and LGBTQ+ policy analyst Erin Reed reports, the Kansas law “also empowers private citizens to act as bounty hunters, seeking out transgender people in bathrooms, including private business ones and suing them for substantial sums of money.” Now, this new anti-trans law in Kansas is extreme, but sadly, it is not an outlier. Erin Reed has been diligently tracking the explosion of laws and policies around the country that explicitly target the rights of trans people and punish them for existing. And she joins us on the podcast today. Erin, thank you so much for speaking with me today on the real news. I really appreciate it and I really, really wish we were meeting under less horrifying circumstances, but I want to jump right in and ask if you can break down for listeners, what the heck is happening with this anti-trans law in Kansas? Where did it come from? What does it do and how is it affecting the lives of people in the state? Erin Reed: Thank you so much for having me on. And you’re right. It seems like it just gets worse and worse every single month. And as more revelations come out in the Epstein files and as the chaos gets unleashed in the world by this current administration, it feels like they continue to stamp the trans hate button harder and harder and harder, trying to make sure that those red lights are flashing. The Kantas Bill is probably the most egregious example of all of this, and it harms trans people in unspeakable ways in the state. Right now, there are people who are fleeing the state, people who are moving out on moments notice right now because they can no longer live there, not comfortably, not reasonably. You mentioned many of the things that this bill does. It prevents legal transition. The act of changing your gender marker documents was what allowed us to legally transition in America, and that is no longer allowed in Kansas. And what’s worse, all of the people that had, some of them years ago, were given letters overnight saying that you had to get to the DMV and exchange your license for an incorrect license. One that was your current license was no longer active anymore. It was rescinded. You had to surrender it to the DMV. But the thing is, is that you couldn’t even drive to the DMV to surrender your license because it was invalidated overnight. And if you’re caught driving on the suspended license, you lose your driving privileges for three to six months, you could be thrown in jail. This is the bind that trans people are in the state. What’s worse, if you’re driving around and you need to stop to use the bathroom somewhere, all it takes is one person who sees you and thinks you don’t belong somewhere and they can bring a lawsuit against you up to two years later. So even if they didn’t know that you were trans whenever they initially saw you, but they read somewhere online that, oh, that person was actually transgender, they can bring a lawsuit two years down the line for what damages? You were just a person who didn’t harm a single person. You’re just trying to use the bathroom. In practice, this has a crescendo of effects on transgender people in Kansas. You have it so that trans people have to plan every time they leave from their home, what restaurants they can go to, what Starbucks are along the way so that they can find a gender neutral bathroom when they travel. And as a result, you mentioned early in your intro of me that I maintain a risk assessment map and Kansas is one of three states that are do not travel states for transgender people. It has become more dangerous to travel for trans people than what it’s worth. And so yeah, this is the difficulties that are being faced there right now. Maximillian Alvarez: And it just strikes me how similar what you describe as what my own family and people in the immigrant community have described to me. The very act of going outside is basically criminalized and everything feels like a trap for you to fall in it and be disappeared into the prison industrial complex. And folks need to have solidarity there because the state is wielding its awful power against so many of us. And if we just sit there and do nothing and say, “Well, that’s not my fight. That’s not my fight.” Then who’s going to be left to fight for you when the state turns its eye to you? But I digress. I wanted to ask you, Aaron, about the fact that immediately after the bill became law in Kansas, the American Civil Liberties Union did file a lawsuit on behalf of two transgender men in Kansas. And the lawyers have asked the court to block the law from taking effect while the case is being argued. And the lawsuit itself argues that the law violates constitutional rights to personal autonomy, privacy, equity, due process, and freedom of expression. So what can you tell us about this lawsuit and any other efforts that you’re seeing to push back against this new repressive law in Kansas? Erin Reed: Yeah, absolutely. So Kansas has a fairly strong constitution with strong protections. We have seen rulings in the past with respect to transgender people and gender equality. And this is something that Kansas Republicans don’t want. They want to try to strip these rights out of the state constitution and out of state laws. We did see a lawsuit filed on behalf of two transgender men who argue that they’re in a particularly egregious bind because if they go into a men’s restroom, they’re technically breaking the law and they could be sued for two years. But if they go into a women’s restroom looking the way that they do, they’re likely also to be sued and have to go through a legal filing. And so essentially they end up feeling like they’re banned from bathrooms altogether. There’s no answer for them. And that’s the same case with many transgender women as well. And so they brought a lawsuit. Unfortunately, it seems like from what I understand, the lawsuit, the judge that they drew ended up being a Republican appointee. And so we’re going to see how that goes. Unfortunately, whenever it comes to the political appointment of a judge, that has been a pretty good indicator of how they’re going to rule for or against transgender people in this current age because the Republican Party has demonized us so heavily among their factions and among their appointees that we do see a lot of times they find against us. The good news is that in Kansas, the State Supreme Court is more progressive. And so we do hope that it gets overturned eventually. But the problem is, is that every single day that we wait while this is just sitting there is another day that transgender Kansans have to choose between surrendering their driver’s license or getting an incorrect one. If they drive on the driver’s license that they’re waiting for a court ruling on and they get stopped, then what gives? They’re going to go to jail, they’re going to lose their driver’s license for three months. It’s an impossible decision for so many of them. And on top of that, again, you got the bathroom problems, so transgender Kansans that feel like they have to stay at home. And that’s the only thing they can do. They’re trying to strip us from our communities, and that’s what we see in Kansas. Maximillian Alvarez: Let’s zoom out here and put this Kansas Bill in the broader national context. Like we said, you have produced an invaluable resource in the anti-trans national legal risk assessment map on your Substack, and we’re going to link to that in the show notes for this episode, so everyone listening can go look at it. And on that page in your Substack, you write, quote, “I’ve tracked anti-transgender legislation for five years. Every day I’ve gotten messages from worried people wondering how they are supposed to assess their risk of staying in their home state. The messages range from parents of trans youth wondering if their children will be taken from them to trans teachers wondering if their jobs will be safe in coming years. Sometimes people just want to know if there is a safer state they can move to nearby.” So Aaron, I know this is a big question, but I guess taken in the macro sense, what does this map tell us about what’s actually happening in this country when it comes to anti-trans policy and laws? Erin Reed: Yeah. So the map is striking. You will see a divide between several states that have protective policies towards transgender people and are marked in this blue protective color and then several states that are marked in this dark red. And what I have seen since starting this years ago, I think my first map was in 2022. Things were a lot more neutral colored back then, but we have seen this sort of dichotomy where some states have become more protective and a large swath of the country that has a Republican legislature, any state with a Republican legislature has gotten redder and redder and redder, basically forcing trans people out of half of the country into the other half. And we have seen a large migration. I believe it was the Movement Advancement Project Survey that showed 480,000 to transgender people have moved from their home states over the last four years. Transgender people are about 1% of the American public. So there are about three million of us out of the 300 something million in the United States. And so literally a good half of us have already changed states and that’s how bad it’s gotten in many of these places. The other thing that I’ll mention is that there seems to be no bottom. There’s no like we have done enough to hate trans people in these states. I mentioned earlier with all the stuff coming out, how they keep slamming the red trans button for their red meat audience. And what we have seen is that there’s never a reflection that maybe we have hit this button too many times. And that’s because they don’t see a world with us in it. It’s not a success until we are gone, until we’re absolutely out of their communities. And you don’t have to trust me on that. You can listen to the Heritage Foundation president who just a week or two ago on a podcast specifically said that the end goal of all of this is to outlaw it for everyone. They don’t see a world where we belong in it and they want to outlaw it for everyone. This is Heritage Foundation president, Kevin Roberts, who is on the PBD podcast, the big influential conservative podcast, where he openly says like, “Yeah, this is our goal. We’re going to work on this incrementally.” And so that’s what they want Maximillian Alvarez: To do. Obviously, there’s a whole lot of discourse on the left and right of the political spectrum on this issue. And from the left side, from the centrist liberal kind of side, you tend to hear a number of folks kind of putting this issue down as like, “Well, there’s only three million trans people in a country of 300 million. Why do we care so much about fighting for trans people’s rights? We should just abandon that for quote unquote kitchen table issues.” And that’s a subject for another day, I suppose. But I want to kind of turn that around on the right side because couldn’t you also turn around and say like, look, we mentioned a goddamn war with Iran, the Epstein files. The economy is crushing working people while enriching the oligarch class. Why is the right so obsessed with this minority population? Erin Reed: Absolutely. And I think that this is maybe one of the biggest failures in Democratic leadership is not to point that out. And I think that that needs to be pointed out. In the last election, there were several attacks on Democrats and on Harris around transgender issues and we saw the ads and whatnot. And I think that one of the weakest sort of responses was the lack of a response, was the allowing the other side to define Democrats on transgender issues without any pushback, without any sort of coming to the defense of transgender people. And I think what that does is it makes it sound like they were able to paint Democrats as obsessed with trans people. Whenever it was them, they were the ones that were spending 53% of their ad dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars on trans people. And I think that in the recent election in Virginia, we finally saw a little bit of pushback on this. We finally saw a little bit of, “Hey, you’re spending all of this money on trans people. You care about bathrooms. We care about the government shutdown and what’s going on in our hometown right now.” And you saw that Earl Sears lost that election heavily. Virginia Democrats got 64 seats. It was one of the biggest swings that we’ve ever seen. And so I do think that there is value to turning the sort of table around a little bit and saying, “Hey, look, these people, you keep on getting these ads about trans people on your television, but we’re the ones who are caring about the economy. We’re the ones that are here to help you in your day-to-day life.” And I truly don’t think that the anti-trans movement is a grassroots movement. I don’t think that there are a ton of people out there who go to the polls and who think, “I want to vote for this person because of trans people. “That’s what I care about the most. I don’t think there are a bunch of people that are walking around in public going to the bathroom and thinking about trans people all the time. I think that what you see is this mismatch. And I think that it’s ripe for pointing that out. It’s ripe for pointing out that the obsessed people are the ones that are trying to flood the zone with this stuff every single day. Maximillian Alvarez: Well, and that kind of brings us nicely to the last question. And as we always do on the real news, I want to leave people by reminding them that they are not powerless. I mean, no one can do everything, but everyone can do something to change the outcome here. And so I wanted to ask you, what is being done to combat the persecution of trans people in America? What can be done? And what message do you have for folks listening about why they should get involved in this fight and what they can do to be a part of the solution? Erin Reed: I think the biggest hope that I’m seeing around what is being done to combat all of this is the lack of compliance among the people that want to protect us and stand up for us. We are seeing some people say that we will not comply with your demands. We’re not going to comply with your demands that I discriminate against trans people or that I kicked them out of bathrooms or that I stopped providing their care. And it’s sad because we’ve seen a lot of colleges, a lot of prestigious colleges sort of turn over and flip to the Trump administration, places like Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Pinn. But we have also seen local school districts stand up for trans people. Look at what happened in Virginia. Five school districts, major school districts all said, no, we’re not going to discriminate against our trans students. We’re going to take you to court instead. We saw the same thing in Denver, saw the same thing in Chicago. That’s because our public schools, the people that work in these public schools, they’re close to the community. They live with the people who they represent. And I do think that we are seeing community become a strong vector for resistance against the Trump administration and against these anti-trans demands. And what I will also add, that it’s not just resistance against anti-trans policies, but this is resistance against anti-immigration policies. It’s resistance against over policing. It’s resistance against all of the issues that we currently face in this administration and the anti-union fights and whatnot. And so I think that one of the strongest things that we can take moving forward is that no, you shouldn’t cast aside transgender people. Y shouldn’t throw us under the bus, just like you shouldn’t throw migrants under the bus, you shouldn’t throw unions under the bus, you shouldn’t throw working families under the bus. We’re all in this together. And it’s building that community that helps move us forward. It’s going to be what gets us out of this. I truly think so. Maximillian Alvarez: Thank you for listening to this episode of the Real News Network Podcast. And thank you to our guest, Erin Reed. Erin is a transgender journalist reporting on LGBTQ+ legislation, news and life, and you can follow her work on Substack using the link that we provided in the show notes for this episode. If you want to get more coverage and hear more important conversations just like this, then we need you to become a supporter of the Real News Now. Share this podcast with people in your circles, your friends, family, and coworkers. Sign up for the Real News Newsletter so you never miss a story and go to the realnews.com/donate and become a supporter today. I promise you guys, it really makes a difference. For the Real News Network, this is Maximillian Alvarez signing off from Baltimore. Take care of yourselves and please take care of each other. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Maximillian Alvarez.
Anyone who is not sick at heart and raging over the slaughter of over 165 young Iranian girls at a school by the American-Israeli monsters waging war on Iran is depraved and evil. It sickens me to state something so obvious, but I am afraid it is true that many are not distraught by the news. […] The post The Inner Cabinet and the Outer Media appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Anyone who is not sick at heart and raging over the slaughter of over 165 young Iranian girls at a school by the American-Israeli monsters waging war on Iran is depraved and evil. It sickens me to state something so obvious, but I am afraid it is true that many are not distraught by the news. A nod to “how terrible” and on with the war is a common response for those who even know about it, not just because of moral indifference, but because of the acceleration of digital news reporting that disappears today before it has become tomorrow. The young girls are forgotten with each passing day in the U.S. and Israel – but not in Iran. For war criminals Trump and Netanyahu, the death of those children is a joy on the way to further slaughter of the innocent. On the other hand, there are many in this functionally illiterate U.S.A., with its functionally illiterate president, who have probably never heard of this war crime. And U.S.-Israeli war crimes are so common that they come and go like ripples on a stream, like a scroll through a “smart phone.” Little penetrates the propaganda bubble, and when it does, it is quickly replaced by the illusion that once these bad guys are swept out of office, these wars will end because our good guys will return in the game of musical chairs to make all copacetic. Peace will reign, as in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, etc. I repeat a question I have asked before, but to what avail, I know not: Why do Americans think the United States has 750+ military bases in over 80 countries, supported by a bipartisan consensus? The answer is blatant except for idiots and those willfully blind, and there are plenty of both. The United States is an imperial warfare state, and these bases exist to wage wars around the world, as the U.S. has done. End of story. The Jeffrey Epstein Files release, aside from diverting the public’s attention from Iran, Ukraine, etc., has caused many people to contemplate how certain rich and connected people conspire behind the scenes for nefarious sexual purposes, but also to manipulate financial and political matters. To the most naïve, the naming of so many prominent people – university presidents, politicians, bankers, et al. – in this criminal club is very surprising. Yet, more perversely, the Epstein long-running serial (not the reality for the victims of the sexual abuse) is entertainment in Neil Postman’s sense of Amusing Ourselves to Death, the title of his prescient 1985 book wherein he argued television had redefined the modern sense of reality, truth, and intelligence; had achieved the status of myth, “a way of thinking so deeply embedded in our consciousness that it is invisible”; that had turned everything into entertainment. Narcoticized by their technological obsession, he argued, people were losing themselves in a fantasy world of unending diversions, as television news was becoming entertainment and all a show, the business of show business. In Postman’s words: “Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least well-informed people in the Western World.” Facts, data, and the delusive “news of the day” were abundant, but all in the fragmented and pseudo context of televised amusement. One can only scream in accord when contemplating today’s digital internet Screen Society in which mini-televisions accompany people everywhere in the form of cell phones, keeping them constantly entertained with pointillistic nanosecond “news” catered to their personal tastes and devoid of any context. While the inner workings of the imperial ruling class might not usually involve as much sexual abuse as the Epstein Serial, or what the journalist Pepe Escobar calls “the Epstein Syndicate,” its members have long conspired to control their wealth, power, and political domination of the masses. Waging wars, globalizing their control (which began in earnest circa 1985), and filling the coffers of the military-industrial complex they own are prime goals. Many of these vile creatures, of course, in their hubris, thinking they are in full control, have entered a trap of international espionage and sexual blackmail, as is evident in the Epstein case, where the presumed controllers are the controlled. Despite their wealth and power, their little boy minds and sexual avidities have drawn them to “pleasure islands” where they have been exposed as jackasses braying their little boy innocence. They thought Epstein and his intelligence handlers in Israel, Britain, and the U.S were offering them deeper access to the Syndicate’s Inner Cabinet, but they failed to see the trap doors. Yet now that the Epstein “scandal” has received partial exposure, aside from the few that must be sacrificed to appease the public, most skate and profit mightily. It’s an old game of propaganda as a palimpsest. Just the other day, I had coffee with a friend whose family ties to these imperial ruling class criminals go back more than a century. We discussed his life as a dissident within his wealthy family’s connections to the CIA, the Rockefellers, Morgans, Harvard, the Kennedy assassinations, the industrial corporations essential to the warfare state and massive profits (G.E., General Dynamics, Lockheed, etc.), Wall Street, the banks, corporate media, Big Tech, and so on ad infinitum. Many details of a gross world of privilege, betrayal, and endless lies, where all the insiders know and associate with each other despite different political parties; what, if you were a sensitive child with a conscience, would repulse you, as it did my friend. We could call it the Old School Wasp Ruling Class, except that old is new, and White Anglo Saxon was never just that, but connected early on to Zionism and its wealthy supporters in and out of government, here and in Israel. Endless connections that most people alive today know nothing about. The hypocrisy involved is appalling and staggering. The moneyed elite’s hatred for ordinary people is extreme, and their use of the word “democracy” to cover their crimes is routine. Their proclivities have been inculcated in them within the unreal bubble of filthy lucre and its cultural trappings by their parents and reinforced by those toadies who kiss their asses for access to their worlds of ease and glitz. The same is true for the new billionaires who have recently joined the club and are surrounded by sycophants and tongue-hangers. One of the saddest realities of political life is the way people are fooled again and again by the propaganda these people and their media at the entertainment circuses that they own, and that pass lies for news feed them. That it is the same slop, dished out endlessly by different media cooks, means nothing. The conservative media simply shout for war and more war, while the liberals play both sides (anti-war and pro-war) against the middle in a hypocritical manner to support the wars that the U.S. wages endlessly. The most insidious garbage is swallowed by those who consider themselves “intellectuals” and highly educated. When my friend mentioned one of his parents’ famous associates, Walter Lippmann, who would stay at their home when he was young, I was reminded of Edward Bernays and others who laid the foundations for today’s mind control. Lippmann, a prominent journalist termed the “Father of Modern Journalism,” and Bernays, the so-called “Father of Public Relations,” were two heavyweight insiders who, beginning in the 1920s, laid the groundwork for U.S. government and corporate propaganda as it exists today. Their work extended into the 1970s. Bernays, the paradigm for the propagandist on the inside, and Lippmann, the model for the slick journalist on the outside, each worked his side of the invisible fence. The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. . . . We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. Our invisible governors are, in many cases, unaware of the identity of their fellow members in the inner cabinet. (my emphasis) Edward Bernays penned those words in 1928 to open his book, Propaganda. They perfectly summarize the truth of how the U.S. is ruled. Bernays was Sigmund Freud’s double nephew (his mother was Freud’s sister, and his father was Freud’s wife’s brother). He was born in Vienna, Austria, but his family moved to New York when he was very young. He worked as a propagandist for the U.S. government during World War I. He coined the term “the engineering of consent,” and for many decades worked behind the scenes for the major corporations (General Electric, the American Tobacco Company, United Fruit, etc.), politicians, and the U.S. government to manipulate the public’s mind – e.g. convincing women to smoke by calling cigarettes “torches of [women’s] freedom” and helping the CIA in its 1954 coup in Guatemala against the democratically elected President Jacobo Árbenz, and so much more. He was a master shadowy manipulator and anti-democrat who served the interests of the imperial ruling class and was highly respected by it for his techniques of propaganda and mind control that rendered reality “virtual” in the service of power. Lippmann, while considered a journalist and public intellectual, and who, unlike Bernays who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes as a member of the “inner cabinet,” labored for “the inner cabinet” mostly from the outside-in through his newspaper columns. In books that the average newspaper reader didn’t read, he advocated a similar elitist credo to Bernays, advocating that the government use symbols and movies to prevent the public from independent thought and to control them emotionally. In an early book, Drift and Mastery: An Attempt to Diagnose the Current Unrest (1914), whose words could have been written today by snide elitists, the CIA and its assets (and have in similar words), he wrote: The sense of conspiracy and secret scheming [among the public] which transpires is almost uncanny. ‘Big Business,’ and its ruthless tentacles, have become the material for the feverish fantasy of illiterate thousands thrown out of kilter by the rack and strain of modern life. It is possible to work yourself into a state where the world seems a conspiracy and your daily going is beset with an alert and tingling sense of labyrinthine evil. Everything askew – all the frictions of life are readily ascribed to a deliberate evil intelligence, and men like Morgan and Rockefeller take on attributes of omnipotence, that ten minutes of cold sanity would reduce to barbarous myth. Both Lippmann and Bernays thought of ordinary people as nasty creatures that had to be controlled through lies and deception. They were pioneers of the inside-outside technique of propaganda, which has long been used by the government and its media allies to confound ordinary people. By inside-outside, I mean that for propaganda to be effective, those using it need to have many working secretly to develop and exercise techniques of deception like Bernays and the CIA, and public media figures like Lippmann, who reinforce the lies but in a seemingly “reasonable” way from the outside. The latter group is employed by large media companies that are either owned outright by the very rich or by massive international media monopolies. The CIA and other American intelligence agencies secretly develop propaganda techniques and have their people placed within all departments of the government (see Understanding Special Operations: 123 ff.) and throughout the mass media to work the public from the outside. Of course, as is evident from the Israeli genocide in Gaza and its joint evil war with the U.S. against Iran, Israel and its Mossad play a large part in this as well, not only influencing Trump and the U.S. Congress, but also much of the U.S. government and media, where they have placed many assets. A homely basketball analogy is apt for describing how the propaganda game is played: One successful basketball strategy, known as “Inside-Out,” is to have players drive to the basket to begin the game, which forces the defense to contract near the basket, in turn opening up scoring opportunities from the outside. It is simple but effective, depending, of course, on the players’ ability to shoot and make some baskets. Enter Trump, who seems to be and may be clinically insane or just plain evil like his Israeli counterpart, Netanyahu, and who, on the face of it, seems to contradict much of this inside-out approach to controlling the masses. Like a bull escaped from a pen, he just bellows threats and wages wars at home and abroad, seemingly not caring whether or not he convinces the population that his actions are just and in their interest. It’s as if he is announcing to all who voted for him that they were fools to believe for a moment that he wouldn’t start any new wars and would end America’s “endless wars,” and to those who didn’t vote for him, “Fuck you, too.” In the past, presidents felt compelled to try to justify through propaganda the wars and coups they waged, from Vietnam to Iraq to Libya, etc. No matter how obvious their lies, like Colin Powell holding up a little vial to show how Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (which he later said was a mistake and not a lie to cover his complicity), they told them and used all the propaganda at their disposal to make them sound true, having “journalist” friends and assets provide justifications. Trump seemingly doesn’t care. Some say it is because he is a complete anomaly and managed to become president twice by some strange twist of fate. If that is so, it would be the first and second time in modern history that it happened. A man with no political experience, a comical reality TV joke, a bombastic fat party boy with weird dyed hair who talks like a version of an East Coast Valley Girl, a womanizer, a very wealthy New York real estate wheeler and dealer, etc. gets the votes of middle Americans who are losing their farms and factory jobs and are angry at the government. All sorts of explanations have been given for this “anomaly,” except that it was not one, except in appearance. Before Trump was first elected in 2016, it was accepted that one could never be elected president of the U.S. unless one checked off a list of boxes approved by the inner controllers of the Democratic and Republican parties. Independent or small party candidates like Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, and Jesse Jackson were never given a real chance but were viewed as spoilers. In 2000, Trump entered the primaries seeking the Reform Party’s nomination but dropped out. He had no chance, even if he had won it, and he knew it. Then came sixteen years of burnishing his establishment credentials. So by 2016, and then again in 2020 and 2024, he was the Republican Party’s nominee, clearly a member of the establishment’s two-party club that had (and has) a lock on the presidency. He was an insider. So if this insider is no longer following the traditional propaganda script of inside/outside, it is highly likely that those who control the political parties for the imperial ruling class have invented a new technique of mind control to serve their purposes. Since more and more people are starting to question the conventional propaganda as U.S. society cracks up, a new technique must be added to the old – a turning of things inside-out and further out, so to speak. Give Trump free range to say and do the most outlandish things, the things that many have come to suspect were previously said only by the hidden manipulators like Bernays and the CIA, and one side of the western “free press/media” will rip him for his grotesquely brazen mouth and actions, while the other will praise him. The latter will claim that he has finally liberated the country, while the former will rip him as a maniac. Both, however, are owned by the same imperial ruling class that might disagree over tactics but not U.S. long-term strategy, and knowing Trump got elected because he is a political insider, which they must deny, will be satisfied that the masses are confused, angry, and divided, and therefore more easily controlled. They call it “transparency,” and no one has to answer the question of why, under Republican and Democratic presidents, the U.S. has 750+ military bases in over 80 countries all around the world from which they have been waging wars for many decades, some of which have recently been attacked by Iran, after the U.S./Israel waged the current savage war of aggression against it in a continuation of The Great Game. Orwell called it Doublethink in Nineteen Eighty-Four: To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself — that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved the use of doublethink. Yes, we are through the looking-glass, but even Alice finally woke up before it was too late. The post The Inner Cabinet and the Outer Media appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Edward Curtin.
Explosion Filmed Near Pro-Regime Rally In Tehran
Economist Jeffrey Sachs: U.S.-Israeli "War of Choice," Assault on U.N. Charter Could Lead to WWIII
Israeli Journalist Gideon Levy: Israel Will Not Stop Wars & Occupation Until U.S. Pulls Support
Report from Beirut: Israel Expands Bombing Campaign & Mass Displacement in Lebanon
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 13, 2026
JVP sends love and care to Jewish communities following Michigan synagogue attack
We are saddened in the wake of a horrible attack on a synagogue in West Bloomfield. We are sending love and care to Jewish communities throughout Michigan, including our own members who were raised in Temple Israel and have family who attend there. We...
We are saddened in the wake of a horrible attack on a synagogue in West Bloomfield. We are sending love and care to Jewish communities throughout Michigan, including our own members who were raised in Temple Israel and have family who attend there. We are so grateful that none of the children or staff on site were hurt. Jewish communities, like all people, deserve to be safe in our houses of worship and schools. The person who reportedly carried out this attack was a man whose siblings, niece, and nephew were just murdered in Lebanon by Israeli bombs. This is grief upon grief. War always begets trauma and further violence. It is clear that the Israeli government’s atrocities make all of us — including Jews — less safe. Israel carries out brutal wars and genocide against families and children, then falsely claims these war crimes are done in the name of Jews. This leads to more antisemitism. Time and again we have seen how tragic moments are used to propel increases in militarized policing and violence. We categorically reject this. We will not let this act be weaponized to justify crackdowns on anti-war organizing, or violent retribution against Muslim, Arab, or immigrant communities. We commit to keep fighting for a world where all people live with safety and dignity. That includes fighting antisemitism alongside Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism and all forms of oppression, and halting the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, and Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians and assaults on Lebanon and across the region. JVP members and staff are available for comment. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Origins of the Current US/Israeli War on Iran
DV coeditor Faramarz Farbod, who teaches Political Science at Moravian University, is the guest on Berks Community TV’s “Centering on Peace” program. In this episode titled “Origins of the Current US/Israeli War on Iran,” Farbod traces the origins of the current war from the beginnings of the 20th Century to today. The host is John […] The post Origins of the Current US/Israeli War on Iran appeared first on Dissident Voice.
DV coeditor Faramarz Farbod, who teaches Political Science at Moravian University, is the guest on Berks Community TV’s “Centering on Peace” program. In this episode titled “Origins of the Current US/Israeli War on Iran,” Farbod traces the origins of the current war from the beginnings of the 20th Century to today. The host is John Hoskyns-Abrahall. The program was recorded on March 9 and aired on March 10. The post Origins of the Current US/Israeli War on Iran appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Faramarz Farbod.
When filmmakers say no to corporate structures #shorts
Economist Jeffrey Sachs: U.S.-Israeli “War of Choice,” Assault on U.N. Charter Could Lead to WWIII
The global economy has been rocked by the war in the Middle East, with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatening energy flows and sending the price of oil soaring to its highest level in years. The United Nations Security Counci...
The global economy has been rocked by the war in the Middle East, with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatening energy flows and sending the price of oil soaring to its highest level in years. The United Nations Security Council responded to the unprovoked U.S.-Israeli war by passing a resolution this week condemning Iran — specifically for its attacks on U.S. allies in the region — while ignoring the role of the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government in instigating the bloodshed. Economist Jeffrey Sachs joins Democracy Now! to discuss the fallout of the “war of choice” and why it also constitutes an assault on the United Nations. “This is so out of control, without any logic, any rationality, not any humane, moral, legal justification whatsoever,” says Sachs. “It will lead to world war the way we’re going, because we have two malignant narcissists, Netanyahu and Trump, that are leading us to disaster.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Inside Israel, “there is no room for any question marks or doubts about this war,” says journalist Gideon Levy, a columnist for Haaretz and a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. He says war fever has taken over the cou...
Inside Israel, “there is no room for any question marks or doubts about this war,” says journalist Gideon Levy, a columnist for Haaretz and a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. He says war fever has taken over the country, with polls showing 93% support for the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, Lebanon and beyond — at least among the Jewish public. “Israel is doing as much as it can,” he says. “As long as the American support is so massive, so blind and so automatic, this will go on.” Levy also criticizes Israel’s military censorship system that strictly limits publishing information about war damage and other material deemed to be counter to national security. He says much of it is driven by self-censorship by a press that sees itself as “an agency of the government and of the military establishment, and this is very worrying.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
We speak with journalist Lylla Younes in Lebanon, where she says Israel’s “massacres are multiplying” amid the broader U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Israeli strikes have killed nearly 700 people in Lebanon over the past two weeks...
We speak with journalist Lylla Younes in Lebanon, where she says Israel’s “massacres are multiplying” amid the broader U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Israeli strikes have killed nearly 700 people in Lebanon over the past two weeks, while attacks have expanded to include areas of central Beirut, which Israel claims are aimed at the powerful Hezbollah militia. This comes as Israel has vowed to expand its incursion into southern Lebanon. “The vast majority of southern Lebanon is now under displacement orders,” says Younes. “That is approximately 15% of the country.” This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
U.S.-Israeli Attacks Have Forced 3.2 Million Iranians to Flee Their Homes, In First Public Statement, Iran’s New Supreme Leader Vows to Keep Blocking Strait of Hormuz, 250+ Groups Call on Congress to Reject Request for $50 Billion in Funding for Iran War, Iranian Strike on Oman Kills Immigrant Workers as NATO Shoots Down Missile Fired at Turkey, Lebanon Death Toll Rises as Israel Bombs Central Beirut and Targets Civilian Infrastructure, Israel Drops All Charges Against Soldiers Accused of Sexually Abusing Palestinian Prisoner, Thousands March in Athens to Protest Greek Role in U.S.-Israeli Assault on Iran, “A Crime Against Humanity”: U.N. Inquiry Condemns Russia’s Abduction of Ukrainian Children, Suspect in Michigan Synagogue Attack Lost Family Members to Israeli Airstrike on Lebanon, Former National Guardsman Attacks ROTC Class at Old Dominion University, Killing 1 and Injuring 2, Rights Groups Demand Release of Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia, Jailed by ICE for 1 Year, 4,000 Meatpackers in Colorado Authorize Strike at JBS, World’s Largest Meat Producer
U.S.-Israeli Attacks Have Forced 3.2 Million Iranians to Flee Their Homes In First Public Statement, Iran's New Supreme Leader Vows to Keep Blocking Strait of Hormuz 250+ Groups Call on Congress to Reject Request for $50 Billion in Funding for Iran War Iranian Strike on Oman Kills Immigrant Workers as NATO Shoots Down Missile Fired at Turkey Lebanon Death Toll Rises as Israel Bombs Central Beirut and Targets Civilian Infrastructure Israel Drops All Charges Against Soldiers Accused of Sexually Abusing Palestinian Prisoner Thousands March in Athens to Protest Greek Role in U.S.-Israeli Assault on Iran "A Crime Against Humanity": U.N. Inquiry Condemns Russia's Abduction of Ukrainian Children Suspect in Michigan Synagogue Attack Lost Family Members to Israeli Airstrike on Lebanon Former National Guardsman Attacks ROTC Class at Old Dominion University, Killing 1 and Injuring 2 Rights Groups Demand Release of Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia, Jailed by ICE for 1 Year 4,000 Meatpackers in Colorado Authorize Strike at JBS, World's Largest Meat Producer This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! Friday, March 13, 2026 This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Oregon Voters Overwhelmingly Said Yes to Limiting Money in Politics. Then Politicians Had Their Say.
The post Oregon Voters Overwhelmingly Said Yes to Limiting Money in Politics. Then Politicians Had Their Say. appeared first on ProPublica.
Back in 2019, it looked like Oregon lawmakers might finally commit to ending the state’s outlier status on campaign finance. I had just authored an investigative series for The Oregonian/OregonLive, my previous newsroom, revealing how Oregon’s lack of limits on campaign donations had allowed corporate America to give more to sitting lawmakers, per capita, than anywhere else in the country and led to some of the weakest environmental protections on the West Coast. The state Supreme Court had allowed it to happen by saying campaign donations were protected free speech under the Oregon Constitution. Lawmakers in Oregon, one of five states without any limits at all, seemed willing to do something about what we’d revealed. They asked Oregonians to change the constitution and explicitly allow contribution limits, something legislators had repeatedly tried and failed to do before. At the ballot in 2020, 78% of voters said yes, one of the widest margins for any ballot measure in decades. All lawmakers needed to do was to write legislation limiting donations. But for the next four years, no limits were adopted. When lawmakers eventually set caps in 2024, individual donations were restricted to $3,300 per election, well short of caps in the $1,000 to $2,000 range that good-government groups had sought previously. Lawmakers left other avenues for donors to give their time and money. They allowed corporate donations, which many states ban, to continue. They made it so the limits wouldn’t take effect until 2027, after the current race for governor is over. And now, lawmakers have voted to ratchet the spigot open further — and perhaps, campaign reform advocates say, all the way. On March 5, Oregon’s Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a bill that supporters described as containing little more than technical fixes to what they’d written two years ago. Groups that seek to limit the influence of money in politics said the changes are far more serious than housekeeping. They said the new bill inserted loopholes that, among other things, will allow companies to bypass the limits by giving through corporate affiliates. Dan Meek, an attorney who for years has been at the center of efforts to curtail money in Oregon politics, labeled it “the bill to destroy campaign finance reform in Oregon.” Oregon elections haven’t had contribution limits since briefly in the 1990s. Phil Keisling, a former secretary of state who advocated for those caps only to see them overturned in court, described the Legislature’s track record on campaign finance as “one of the most profound public policy failures” in Oregon’s recent history. “Limits should have been in place decades ago,” he said. “The base problem is that there are powerful forces within both political parties who prefer the system as it is.” Legislative leaders defended their work. In a floor speech, House Majority Leader Ben Bowman described the contribution limits the Legislature adopted as delivering on “elections where the voices of everyday people are not drowned out by wealthy and powerful interests making unlimited political contributions.” He described this year’s changes as necessary for the new system to work. The investigation I worked on seven years ago found that campaign donations in Oregon did more than just help politicians get elected. They sometimes spent campaign money in ways that benefited themselves, including on luxury hotel rooms, dry cleaning, car washes — even picking up the tabs during dozens of visits to sports bars. One lawmaker used campaign money to buy a new computer three weeks before she left office; another spent it on an Amazon Prime membership, 11 days before resigning. The money shaped public policy. As a reporter covering Oregon’s environment, I watched the Legislature weaken or stall efforts on climate change, logging practices, industrial air pollution, herbicide spraying, oil spill preparedness and other issues over a decade. One retired regulator told me all it took was a single phone call from a well-connected lobbyist to kill one clean air initiative. What’s happened since my investigation was published reveals how hard it can be to eliminate this kind of influence when the people expected to rein in donations are the ones whose campaigns have long benefited from them. After Oregonians overwhelmingly voted to hand lawmakers the power to regulate election money in 2020, lawmakers failed to put restrictions in place in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Tired of waiting, advocates for tight constraints on campaign money gathered tens of thousands of signatures to put a measure limiting donations on the ballot in 2024. Labor unions, a major source of giving to Democrats, responded by threatening to put up their own competing initiative. A backer of the union measure said recently that it would have encouraged grassroots participation through small donor committees and included public financing for candidates. Meek, the campaign reform advocate, described the union measure as an effort to create far looser limits, with less disclosure and major loopholes. Lawmakers stepped in, brokering a deal that was hailed as a historic breakthrough. Unions, the campaign reform advocates and big business produced a bill that Meek described as at least a starting point for controlling Oregon’s political money — albeit with fewer constraints and bigger dollar limits than he and others wanted. Kate Titus, Oregon director of Common Cause, an advocacy group that was involved in the negotiations alongside Meek, said everyone agreed that some technical fixes to the bill’s language would be needed before the system took effect in 2027. But she said the group, which included House Speaker Julie Fahey, agreed that no substantive changes would be made without everyone’s agreement. Then came this year’s short, monthlong legislative session — and a surprise. Titus described seeing Fahey in a state Capitol hallway in early February and asking whether any bills were coming on campaign finance. Fahey’s expression changed to what Titus described as “pure panic.” “I can’t talk,” Titus said the speaker told her, before hurrying away. (Fahey’s spokesperson, Jill Bakken, said the speaker was on her way from a floor session to a meeting and didn’t have time for an impromptu hallway conversation, telling Titus she could schedule time through her staff.) Hours later, Titus said, an 85-page bill was introduced with Fahey’s name on it and a public hearing scheduled early the next morning. It would push back the deadline that the 2024 legislation set for launching a new website for tracking campaign money, from 2028 to 2032. The bill would make the $5,000 limit on donations to one type of political committee apply per year, not per two-year election cycle — effectively doubling the amount allowed. A spokesperson for Fahey called the 2024 provision a “typo” that needed correcting because it was inconsistent with limits on other donation types. The 2024 law prohibited multiple businesses controlled by the same person from each giving as much as the law allows. The 2026 bill would allow it as long as the businesses weren’t created solely to evade limits, a change Fahey’s spokesperson said was needed to avoid a “chilling effect on community-based organizations’ participation in elections.” The Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, called it a loophole that renders Oregon’s contribution limits “illusory.” On top of all that, the bill would remove a long-standing provision in state law that says that money someone spends in coordination with a candidate is a campaign contribution. A spokesperson for Secretary of State Tobias Read said the provision was “redundant” because the law also says “any other thing of value,” beyond money, is a campaign contribution. But the Campaign Legal Center said the change could leave Oregon functionally with “no contribution limits.” A representative of the League of Women Voters of Oregon, which was involved in the 2024 negotiations, called the bill “a complete betrayal.” Bakken, Fahey’s spokesperson, told ProPublica that groups including the league “have been part of this conversation for many years” and that they will have opportunities for input as lawmakers consider future changes. As for why the Legislature hasn’t done more to stem the flow of money into the system, Bakken said that constraining donors too greatly could push them to divert cash from campaign donations into commercials and mailers in support of candidates, something candidates legally can’t control. These “independent expenditures” have no dollar limit under federal law. Unhappy as Meek and others were with the proposal, they couldn’t do much. They threatened to go back to the ballot, but without the signatures they’d gathered to do so in 2024, they’d lost their leverage. The bill sailed through the Oregon House by a 39-19 vote and the Senate 20-9. Sen. Jeff Golden, a Southern Oregon Democrat who opposed the bill, called its passage the biggest surprise of his eight-year tenure. Given the potentially huge loopholes, he said in an interview: “I thought my colleagues wouldn’t pass it. And I was wrong.” The measure sits on the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek, a Portland Democrat. She has until April 17 to decide on it. The post Oregon Voters Overwhelmingly Said Yes to Limiting Money in Politics. Then Politicians Had Their Say. appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Rob Davis.
Nevada Regulators Fine Peptide Providers at Anti-Aging Festival Where Two Women Became Critically Ill
The post Nevada Regulators Fine Peptide Providers at Anti-Aging Festival Where Two Women Became Critically Ill appeared first on ProPublica.
Nevada regulators have fined three people who played a role in offering peptide injections last year at a Las Vegas anti-aging conference where two women became critically ill following treatment. Last month, the Nevada Pharmacy Board levied $10,000 fines against a doctor and a pharmacist who are licensed in California but who don’t have permission to practice in Nevada. It imposed a $5,000 fine against a third man who describes himself as an “integrative health coach” but who doesn’t appear to be a licensed health care practitioner. The pharmacy board also imposed a $10,000 fine against a Texas-based private membership association, which authorities accused of mailing the peptides to Nevada. The group, Forgotten Formula, claims a constitutional right to conduct private transactions with its members and contends those transactions occur “outside the scope” of state commercial regulations. The citations stem from an incident in July at the Revolution Against Aging and Death Festival, which is put on by an Arizona-based organization that promises pathways to an “unlimited lifespan.” Dr. Kent Holtorf, whose anti-aging medical practice is based in El Segundo, California, operated a booth at the festival offering alternative health therapies, including peptide injections. Peptides are short amino acid chains that have exploded in popularity thanks to claims they can fight aging and chronic disease. The board alleged that Forgotten Formula mailed the peptides to the casino resort hosting RAADFest, marking the package “to the attention of Dr. Kent Holtorf.” That shipment constituted “unlicensed wholesaling of drugs,” according to the board’s citation. A trustee of Forgotten Formula told ProPublica his association was not present at the festival and did not provide peptides to be offered for public use. After being injected with peptides at Holtorf’s booth, two women left the conference in ambulances, so ill they had to be intubated to assist them in breathing. They have since recovered. The pharmacy board was unable to determine why the women became ill — including whether the injections were contaminated or the women reacted to the peptides themselves. Investigators were unable to test the serums. “We were not able to obtain the product, although attempts were made,” said David Wuest, the board’s executive secretary. Although the Food and Drug Administration has approved many peptide-based medications to treat serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer, peptide therapies used for anti-aging and regenerative health are largely unregulated. (Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a strong proponent of peptides.) The FDA allows compounding pharmacies to dispense some peptides, but has listed 19 of some of the most popular peptides as posing “significant safety risks.” Compounding pharmacies are prohibited from dispensing those on the list. As a result, many unsafe peptides are sold on a booming gray market, including directly to consumers by entities in the U.S. and abroad that are skirting FDA rules. The injections administered to both women at the Las Vegas convention included at least one peptide that the FDA warns poses a safety risk, according to the pharmacy board’s citations. Kennedy said recently that the FDA plans to reclassify 14 of the peptides currently listed as unsafe, which could allow compounding pharmacies to begin dispensing them. Holtorf, who did not respond to repeated attempts to contact him, was fined for practicing in Nevada without a state license. Han Bao Nguyen, the pharmacist accused of mixing the peptides for both women and administering the serums to one of them, also was cited for the same violation. Nguyen works at Holtorf’s practice, according to its website. He did not respond to requests for comment. Michael McNeal, the “integrative health coach” and director of education at Integrative Peptides, a company founded by Holtorf, was accused of prescribing or recommending a peptide cocktail to one of the women. Wuest said McNeal does not appear to hold any health care licenses. McNeal did not respond to requests for comment. In July, Holtorf told ProPublica he didn’t believe the peptides caused the women’s illnesses, saying he’d asked an artificial intelligence app to analyze the incident. He wouldn’t share what the app had concluded was the cause. He also apologized for the situation and said he was “reassessing everything we are doing” to keep patients safe. Wuest said the board notified the California boards that license Holtorf and Nguyen of the fines so they may consider additional discipline. The FDA also has been notified, he said. Michael Blake Fiveash is co-founder and first trustee of Forgotten Formula, which the board accused of unlicensed wholesaling of pharmaceuticals. He said pharmacy board regulations, while necessary for regulating public commerce, don’t apply to his association because it offers services only to members who have signed a contract. He said such member-to-member activity is protected by the First and 14th amendments. In a letter to ProPublica, he said Holtorf, whose peptide company is listed as a partner on Forgotten Formula’s website, was operating at RAADFest under his public medical practice, not as an association member. Nor were the women who became ill members of the association, Fiveash said. “Dr. Holtorf’s booth at RAADFest was a public commercial activity,” Fiveash said in a letter. The Forgotten Formula Private Member Association “did not supply materials for public commercial use or public distribution. If Dr. Holtorf utilized any materials in his public professional practice, that would represent his individual choice to apply private member resources to his separate public professional activities, which is beyond FFPMA’s control or responsibility.” Fiveash did not directly answer questions about whether the association mailed the peptides to Holtorf. He also shared a video of testimonials from Forgotten Formula members, including children and adults, suffering serious illnesses such as cancer, Lyme disease, diabetes and cirrhosis who said they were helped by the association’s products. Read More A Las Vegas Festival Promised Ways to Cheat Death. Two Attendees Left Fighting for Their Lives. He challenged the premise that the women became ill from the peptides. “Without comprehensive toxicology, full medical histories, and analysis of all substances and treatments administered that day, attributing causation to peptides is speculation masquerading as reporting,” he said. “Any adverse event is concerning, and we hope both patients have fully recovered.” Laura Tucker, the pharmacy board’s lawyer, said this is the board’s first encounter with a private membership association making such legal claims, but emphasized that mailing drugs to the state without a Nevada license is against state law. She added that any of the parties can appeal their citations to the board. “Of course anyone is free to make any sort of legal argument they would like to try to make in front of the board,” she said. The post Nevada Regulators Fine Peptide Providers at Anti-Aging Festival Where Two Women Became Critically Ill appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Anjeanette Damon.
How the humble hornwort could supercharge agriculture
Scientists studying the plant have discovered a new way to boost the efficiency of rubisco — the enzyme that powers life on Earth — and hope to transfer the trick to crops.
You are here because of a single, all-important enzyme. But don’t look inward to find ribulose-­1,5-­bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, known more mercifully among scientists as rubisco. Instead, look to the food you eat and the trees that manufacture oxygen, as this is the protein that makes photosynthesis possible. Without it, life on Earth as we know it would not exist. For all that heavy lifting, rubisco is remarkably inefficient. The enzyme converts carbon dioxide into sugars that sustain plants. But it is easily confused, and will react with oxygen in a process that creates a toxic byproduct, wastes energy, and limits how quickly plants can grow. (Which is not to fault rubisco: This is a very difficult reaction to pull off, and just look at how many plants have been getting it right for hundreds of millions of years.) That includes the essential crops that feed humanity — grains, vegetables, fruits — that could theoretically grow better if their rubisco worked more efficiently. This problem becomes more urgent as global temperatures rise, because this essential protein gets even less efficient in the heat. Enter the hornwort. This tiny plant, which is related to mosses, grows as a green sheet on the ground. It’s the only known land plant that’s found a way (evolutionarily speaking) to supercharge rubisco by concentrating CO2 around the enzyme. Now, an international team of scientists says it has figured out how hornwort does this, and how it may be able to apply that superpower to crops. That could mean massively improved yields, so farmers wouldn’t need to cultivate as much land to grow the same amount of food. “It’s very impressive,” said Robert Wilson, a biochemist who studies rubisco at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Wilson wasn’t involved in the research but does collaborate with one of the scientists.) “It’s interesting, because it’s a completely new and novel mechanism through which an important aspect of rubisco biochemistry occurs.” Scientists have long known that some species of algae also improve the efficiency of rubisco. Inside their chloroplasts — the structures within cells where photosynthesis hums along — they’ve developed specialized compartments known as pyrenoids. These concentrate CO2 around the enzyme, minimizing its reaction with oxygen. “It prevents rubisco from touching oxygen, because it puts it into a house and then pumps a bunch of CO2 into the house,” said Laura Gunn, a synthetic plant biologist at Cornell University and coauthor of a new paper describing the work. “So the rubisco is completely, completely saturated with CO2, and all the oxygen is outside the house.” But because algae are so distantly related to the foods we eat, it would be challenging to genetically modify crops to mimic those pyrenoids. On the other hand, the hornwort is more closely related. These researchers discovered that it has a unique way of making these pyrenoid structures, due to a protein they’re calling RbcS-STAR. Rubisco in all plants is made of proteins, but the hornwort’s version has an extra “tail,” which helps tether the enzymes together to create compartments into which CO2 pumps, increasing the efficiency of the process. To that end, the researchers introduced the RbcS-STAR protein into a closely related hornwort species that doesn’t have pyrenoids, and sure enough its rubisco reorganized to create those compartments. They then did the same with Arabidopsis — a small flowering plant commonly used in lab experiments as a model organism — and it too responded. “They form pyrenoid-like structures, and that will be a very important step toward engineering a better photosynthesis using this type of CO2-concentrating mechanism,” said Fay-Wei Li, a plant biologist at Cornell University and the Boyce Thompson Institute and coauthor of the paper. Now the team is looking to do the same by genetically modifying crops: Gunn said that by adding pyrenoid structures, researchers might boost growth and yields by as much as 60 percent. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A gardener works in the garden at the heart of the "agrihood" built in Santa Clara, California." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all 1599w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?resize=1200%2C680&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?resize=330%2C187&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?resize=768%2C435&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?resize=1536%2C870&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Steinberg-Hart_Santa-Clara-Agrihood_Kyle-Jeffers-15_website.jpeg?resize=150%2C85&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="906" width="1599" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> What happens when a neighborhood is built around a farm Matt Simon At the moment, though, the researchers have so far just built the pyrenoid-like house. “Basically, we’ve built the walls, right, we’ve built the roof,” Gunn said. “But we haven’t got the HVAC system yet. We haven’t got the system in there that’s going to pump the CO2 in, and then going to pump out the sugar products at the end.” Once the researchers figure that out, it could mean a field day for farmers the world over. Because Rubisco is so inefficient, plants must produce a lot of it. To encourage that, farmers have to apply heaps of synthetic fertilizers. All those chemicals are not only expensive, but also terrible for the environment: It takes an immense amount of energy to produce, then pollutes waterways when it runs off fields. And speaking of water, the breakthrough could also mean crops use less of it. Plants are dotted with little structures called stomata, which open up so they can “inhale” CO2. Because rubisco is so inefficient, plants need to breathe deeply to get enough of the gas, but that releases more water vapor through the stomata, hence having to constantly irrigate crops. “If a rubisco does not react with oxygen as much, the plants can close their stomata more often,” Li said. “If you can close your stomata, then you will not lose as much water.” But if algae and the hornwort have figured out how to improve rubisco, why haven’t all plants? Algae live in aquatic environments, where CO2 dissolves poorly, so they’ve had to make the best of what little they’ve got. For the hornworts, the reason isn’t actually clear, especially since related species living in the same environment haven’t evolved pyrenoids. As for all the other land plants lacking a better system, one reason might be that rubisco evolved at a time when there wasn’t much oxygen in the atmosphere, meaning plants didn’t have to worry about the enzyme getting distracted as it tried to process CO2. All these years later, scientists have cracked the code, and they could soon make rubisco even more of an essential enzyme. “I think it’s very likely that improvements to crop yields through plant synthetic biology will be forthcoming in the next 10 years,” Wilson said. “And that’s very exciting, because that’s where the field has been trying to go for many decades now.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline How the humble hornwort could supercharge agriculture on Mar 13, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Matt Simon.
On the Brink in Hormuz: How the Iran War Exposes a Dying Order
Not so long ago, the Iran war could still be treated as a “shock” to the system—a sudden, violent anomaly that spooked traders, sent a few charts vertical, then, we were told, would be absorbed. Oil would spike and settle. Gasoline would lurch higher and then ease. Fertilizer prices would jump and “normalize.” Shipping would […] The post On the Brink in Hormuz: How the Iran War Exposes a Dying Order appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Not so long ago, the Iran war could still be treated as a “shock” to the system—a sudden, violent anomaly that spooked traders, sent a few charts vertical, then, we were told, would be absorbed. Oil would spike and settle. Gasoline would lurch higher and then ease. Fertilizer prices would jump and “normalize.” Shipping would reroute. The machine would shudder, spit smoke, and then grind on. By mid‑March, that story already sounds tired. The Strait of Hormuz is not just “at risk”; it is intermittently choked, with tankers idling or turning away and shipowners talking more about insurance clauses than shipping schedules. Missiles and drones have not just brushed past Dubai and Abu Dhabi; they have hit airports, hotels, and oil and gas facilities. The war has stopped pretending to be containable. It is doing what wars at the throat of the system must do in late empire: pulling back the curtain on how brittle the whole arrangement has become. What happens when a civilization built on cheap fossil energy, globalized supply chains, and the illusion of a “rules‑based order” runs its jugular through a narrow strait somebody else can close? What happens when you stack that vulnerability on top of a destabilized climate, exhausted soils and aquifers, and an economic order whose main talent is inventing new debts to paper over old ones? The answer is not a neat apocalypse. It is something slower, messier, and harder to turn off. It looks like this war. War That Tests the System When the first U.S.–Israeli waves hit Iran’s refineries, export terminals, and air defenses, the coverage was still drenched in the language of spectacle. Footage of streaking missiles, dramatic studio graphics over the Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon briefings on “surgical” strikes. Markets, we were told, were “volatile” but “resilient.” Oil that had lived in the comfortable doldrums of 70 dollars a barrel surged to the brink of 120, then fell back toward 90. By early March, analysts were estimating that the fighting and de facto blockades had temporarily sidelined close to a fifth of global seaborne oil and gas flows, enough to push benchmark prices up by more than twenty percent in a week. The finance pages gamed out whether this would be another “oil shock,” a “temporary spike,” or merely a “headline risk.” Within days, the story shifts from a spike to a siege. The IRGC’s drones and missiles have not only harassed shipping lanes; they have damaged terminals, storage tanks, and power plants. Insurance costs for tankers have climbed into the red zone. Some shipowners are simply refusing to transit the Gulf. Emergency meetings of energy ministers and finance officials that were once unthinkable in peacetime have become weekly calendar entries. The International Energy Agency and major importers now talk openly about coordinated releases from strategic reserves—not as a drill but as a lifeline, echoing the playbook dusted off during previous oil shocks. Central bankers, who spent years pretending that their job was an apolitical exercise in “inflation targeting,” now find themselves back on the front lines of war. Higher oil and gas prices bleed into everything: trucking, aviation, manufacturing, heating, electricity. The inflation they helped smother with interest‑rate hikes suddenly has a new lungful of fuel. Raise rates again to fight that? You risk detonating the debt bombs they left ticking through corporate balance sheets, commercial real estate, overleveraged households, and sovereigns already flirting with default. Loosen policy? You validate price spikes and feed a new wave of asset bubbles. So we get the familiar dance of statements and counter‑statements. The White House insists the war will be “short” and “decisive.” Energy analysts urge “calm” and stress that “markets are functioning.” Bank research notes speak of “manageable downside risks” while their authors quietly model what happens if Hormuz stays half‑closed for six months and a few more pipelines or LNG trains go offline. Newspapers publish explainers on how much oil and gas normally slips through that narrow strait; maps of alternative routes proliferate in graphics departments like a rash. In other words: the system is performing its favorite trick, narrating structural crisis as temporary turbulence. But unlike previous rounds, the war in Iran is overlapping with other limits in ways that make that trick harder to sustain. The Noose Tightens: Energy, Fertilizer, Food The first essay stopped at the edge of a simple but brutal observation that agronomists and energy analysts have been making for years: modern agriculture runs on fossil fuels twice over. First as fuel—with diesel in tractors, ships, and trucks—and then as feedstock, in the form of nitrogen fertilizers synthesized from natural gas and sulfur scraped from oil and gas streams. Shut or constrict Hormuz, and you do not just squeeze oil exports; you reach into the pipelines and cracking towers that turn fossil carbon into plant nutrients. That is no longer an abstract chain of causation. Nitrogen fertilizer prices have already jumped in key export hubs and import markets. Farm groups and even cautious agriculture officials admit, in their more candid briefings, that the Iran shock is hitting just as spring planting begins, a double blow for growers who now have to choose between paying through the nose for inputs or gambling on thinner, more precarious harvests. Plants in the Gulf that turn gas into ammonia and urea are not operating in a vacuum; they are tied to the same shipping lanes and risk calculations as crude. Every attack on a tanker, every drone explosion near a port, nudges one more risk‑off decision: a cargo postponed, a shipment rerouted, a plant run at lower utilization because owners would rather hoard gas than sell fertilizer at what they suspect are still too‑low prices. At the same time, gas prices themselves are surging. In Europe and Asia, utilities that finally clawed their way out of the last price spike are once again bidding against fertilizer plants and industrial users for molecules. In developing countries, governments that subsidize fertilizer to keep farmers from switching off their fields are staring at budget spreadsheets that no longer add up. The logic is merciless: if you cannot afford enough nitrogen and phosphate, you either cut application rates or cut planted area. Either way, there is less food months down the line. Grain markets have a way of turning distant decisions into street politics. In 2008, and again a few years later, a mix of expensive energy, panicked export bans, and technocratic stupidity turned rising grain prices into riots and toppled cabinets from North Africa to South Asia, as even the World Bank and FAO belatedly acknowledged. The lesson was simple enough: when you weaponize the inputs to food, you are also playing with the wiring of global politics, even if the explosion comes on a time delay. This war repeats the trick with more moving parts. Refineries and LNG terminals go up in flames in March; fertilizer quietly disappears from order books in April and May; by the following year, ministers in Cairo, Tunis, or Dhaka are staring down crowds and pretending not to understand why bread has doubled. The shock does not stay “over there.” It comes back through the side door: in Midwestern farmers staring at doubled nitrogen quotes and empty delivery slots, in grocery aisles where higher prices collide with thinner benefits, in a superpower dimly realizing that the instability it treats as an externality is starting to seep back through its own foundations. Meanwhile, agronomists warn, the climate is no longer a neutral backdrop. Heatwaves, droughts, and floods are already chewing into yields on every continent. A system that used to assume “bad harvest in one region, made up elsewhere” now lives with the possibility of simultaneous shocks; the UN’s own food agencies have been sounding that alarm for years. Layer an energy‑driven fertilizer crunch on top of that, and you do not just get higher prices; you get a tighter, more explosive linkage between weather and politics. The Point of No Slack In a younger, fatter civilization, an oil and fertilizer shock of this magnitude would still hurt, but it would meet some slack: spare capacity in fields, refineries, storage depots, and budgets. There were still new frontiers to plow, higher‑EROI oil to tap, rivers whose dams had not yet been built, aquifers that had not yet been drained. A war at a choke point might bruise the system, but the rest of the organism could compensate. That slack is gone. We have spent it. In the background, the clock on the shale boom is ticking. For years, U.S. fracking papered over deeper structural limits, adding roughly eight million barrels per day and letting Washington act as if it had discovered a permanent escape hatch from OPEC and geological reality, as even cautious Energy Information Administration charts now make uncomfortably clear. Industry veterans have been warning that the core shale basins are maturing, that the sweetest rock has already been drilled, that productivity gains are flattening. Now even the industry’s own executives are saying the quiet part out loud. Occidental’s Vicki Hollub has warned repeatedly that U.S. shale growth is close to plateauing, with Permian output likely to peak at just over seven million barrels per day and overall U.S. production topping out around the end of this decade, a timeline echoed in other majors’ investor presentations and in official forecasts that see a national production peak around 2027 before decline sets in. The geopolitical class has clearly gotten the memo, which helps explain the renewed obsession with prying open other people’s taps, from Venezuelan heavy crude to Greenland’s speculative Arctic reserves, even as OPEC’s own reserve figures remain opaque and widely suspected of creative accounting. If Iran’s mayhem drags on while American shale rolls over, the world will discover that the “swing producer” of the 2010s was a one‑off sugar high, not a new normal—and that there are far fewer places left to turn when both geology and politics say no. Conventional oil discoveries peaked decades ago. What is left to bring online cheaply and quickly are not giant, gushing fields but smaller, deeper, more expensive, more carbon‑intensive plays: shale that depletes fast, offshore basins that require billion‑dollar platforms, heavy and sour crudes that need complex refining. High energy‑return‑on‑investment fuels are steadily giving way to lower‑return sources, a shift even mainstream energy‑economics papers have started to quantify. That does not mean the taps run dry; it means every marginal barrel costs more—in money, in energy, in environmental damage—and leaves less surplus to run the rest of society. Soils and water tell the same story. The Green Revolution’s jump in yields was bought with fossil fuel embedded in fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation pumps, and machinery. The bill has been coming due in the form of eroded topsoil, salinated fields, rivers that no longer reach the sea, aquifers whose drop is measured in meters per decade. Climate change turns those chronic debts into acute crises as glacier‑fed rivers swing wildly between flood and trickle and rainfall patterns slip their old rhythms. A system in that condition does not absorb shocks gracefully. It amplifies them. That is why a few weeks of war in the Gulf can move food prices in Cairo or Lagos or Dhaka long before a single ship carrying bread grain is blocked. Traders understand that what matters is not just today’s stock levels but tomorrow’s flows, and that a world without slack will panic more easily and more often. The Return of the Jungle For three postwar generations, Western elites wrapped this increasingly precarious arrangement in the language of civility. There was, we were told, a “rules‑based international order.” Disputes would be mediated through institutions; markets would allocate resources efficiently; great‑power competition would be bounded by norms. Wars still happened, but they were either framed as unfortunate anomalies or as “police actions” against rogue states who refused to play by the rules. The Iran war has torn another strip off that fiction. What is a “rules‑based order” in which one bloc can unilaterally seize another country’s foreign reserves, starve its population with sanctions, and then bomb its energy infrastructure, all while declaring itself the upholder of law? What is a “rules‑based order” in which the world’s most heavily armed state and its favored client can openly target hospitals, schools, power plants, and apartment blocks from Gaza to Tehran and still be described by mainstream media as “defending themselves”? What is an “order” in which attacks on civilian shipping, airports, and commercial towers are treated as regrettable but acceptable collateral when carried out by friends, and pure barbarism when carried out by enemies? Strip away the branding, and what remains is the oldest law there is: might makes right, so long as the “right” is dressed up in enough op‑eds and press conferences. The Iran war is not bringing back the law of the jungle; it is revealing that it never left, only changed its clothes. In that jungle, choke points are hunting grounds. Control Hormuz, or at least deny it to others, and you have a hand on the pulse of energy and fertilizer flows. Control the Red Sea lanes and Bab al‑Mandab, and you can squeeze Europe’s trade with Asia and East Africa. Control rare‑earth mines, chip‑fabrication supply chains, or lithium deposits, and you can dictate the pace and geography of any supposed “energy transition.” Control the platforms on which people talk and trade, and you can decide whose pain is seen and whose is buried in euphemism. Empires have always fought over such points. What makes the current moment different is not the existence of the jungle but the density of the vines. When everything is tightly coupled—energy, food, finance, information—wars at key nodes no longer just redirect flows; they risk snapping branches. Symptoms of a Slow Collapse Collapse is a word people tend to reserve for cinematic scenes: skyscrapers shearing, currencies imploding in a week, governments falling like dominoes. The reality, historically, is slower and less legible from the inside. Systems degrade. Buffers thin. Rituals persist long after their content rots. People adapt to each new absurdity as if it were normal. From that vantage point, the Iran war reads less like an isolated “crisis” and more like an x‑ray of a civilization already in the early stages of disintegration. Consider the macro picture. Rich countries carry debt loads that used to be associated with post‑default Latin American states. Interest payments on the U.S. federal debt alone are on track to rival, then exceed, the defense budget and major social programs within a decade if current projections hold. Infrastructure in the imperial core—bridges, water systems, public transit, hospitals—crumbles even as record sums are poured into weapons that cannot reliably defeat cheap drones. Trust has drained out of institutions. Large segments of Western publics no longer believe what their governments, media, or scientific bodies tell them, often with good reason. Conspiracy fills the vacuum, not because people are irrational but because they are rationally responding to decades of lies and selective outrage. When officials who downplayed Gaza’s death tolls and called for “context” suddenly rediscover humanitarian law over a different set of victims, the hypocrisy is not subtle. Ecologically, the indicators point in one direction. Emissions keep rising. Biodiversity keeps falling. Heat records are broken so frequently that the phrase “record heat” has become wallpaper. The same governing class that insists it can fine‑tune a delicate global system through interest‑rate nudges also tells us that incremental pledges and future technologies will handle planetary boundaries. Into that matrix comes a war that does two things at once. It reveals that the empire’s ability to guarantee basic flows of energy and food is weaker than advertised. And it shows that, when challenged, the empire’s instinct is not to rethink its dependence on choke points and fossil fuels but to double down on violence—on sanctions, blockades, bombardment. This is what early collapse looks like: an order that can still project force and stage spectacles, but can no longer provide rising living standards, reliable infrastructure, or a credible story about the future. It relies increasingly on fear, distraction, and outright coercion to manage populations at home and abroad. It burns legitimacy to buy time, and then discovers that time is not for sale. No Outside, No Later One of the quiet assumptions that made the American century feel stable, at least from the metropole, was the belief that there was always an “outside” to absorb damage. Wars were fought “over there.” Resource extraction tore up someone else’s forest, someone else’s delta. Famines, coups, epidemics, and floods happened on other people’s screens. The empire’s role, in its own mythology, was to manage these turbulences from above, adjusting sanctions here, sending peacekeepers there, signing climate accords in well‑air‑conditioned halls. The Iran war undercuts that geography. Tehran’s black rain is not just a local tragedy; it is a literal aerosol reminder that combustion and contamination do not stop at borders. Smoke from burning depots drifts across regions. Knocked‑out exports ripple into fertilizer shortages, food price spikes, and political unrest continents away. Climate change, already a planetary phenomenon, now interacts with war‑driven scarcity to make once‑localized disasters propagate more widely. There is, increasingly, no “over there” left. A farmer in Iowa or Iowa’s equivalent anywhere is connected, through fertilizer prices and grain exports, to a missile launch in the Gulf. A commuter in Berlin or Jakarta is connected, through fuel costs and interest rates, to a ship struck near Hormuz. A protester in Cairo facing food inflation is connected, through debt and trade, to bond yields in New York and London. That is the deeper sense in which this war foreshadows collapse. Not because it will single‑handedly bring the system down, but because it demonstrates how little room to maneuver is left. Each intervention to stabilize one subsystem—energy, say, through reserve releases—tends to destabilize another, by depleting buffers or encouraging further risk‑taking. Each attempt to “send a message” through military force generates new resentments, new arms races, new incentives for others to develop asymmetric tools. If the old pattern of empire was to externalize costs, the new pattern is that there is nowhere left to externalize them to. The atmosphere, the oceans, the food system, the financial network: they are already full. Learning to Read the Weather What does it mean, then, to take this war seriously? It does not mean betting on a precise date for collapse, or fantasizing about a neat before/after moment when the lights go out. It means learning to read incidents like the Iran war not as freak storms but as part of a changing climate. A grocery aisle stripped of staples in a city that once treated the Gulf as a faraway headline. A corn farmer deciding whether to cut back on nitrogen and accept a thinner harvest so he can make the bank payment. A finance minister in a small, indebted state trying to choose which fuse to light: angrier drivers or hungrier families. A U.S. senator on cable news calling a billion dollars a day in bombing “the best money ever spent” because it might pry open someone else’s oil fields. These are not glitches in an otherwise stable order; they are how a tightly wired, overdrawn system translates distant explosions into everyday life. From within that storm, the temptation is always to seek reassurance: to believe that this is a phase, that markets will stabilize, that “the adults in the room” have a plan. The more honest reading is harsher and, paradoxically, more freeing. No one is in control in the way we have been taught to imagine. The system is too tight, too complex, too exhausted. Those who benefit most from it are not steering it so much as surfing its remaining waves, trying to stay on top for one more business cycle, one more election, one more contract. The Iran war shows what happens when such a system meets a determined adversary at one of its choke points. It staggers, it lashes out, it improvises, and it reveals, in the process, just how little redundancy and moral capital remain. We are not watching the end of the world. We are watching the end of a particular world: the brief, fossil‑fueled, American‑led arrangement in which one bloc could pretend that history had stopped and that the jungle had been tamed. The jungle was just put behind glass for a while. The glass is cracking. The task, for anyone not invested in the empire’s illusions, is to look through those cracks without flinching. To see that wars like this are not aberrations but expressions. To understand that, in a tightly wired, overheated, overdrawn civilization, there are no local disasters and no permanent shelters. And then, knowing that, to decide how to live in a world where the choke points are not somewhere else on the map, but all around us. The post On the Brink in Hormuz: How the Iran War Exposes a Dying Order appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Michael Longenecker.
Existential Attrition: Iran’s Closure of the Strait of Hormuz
The geopolitical genie is out of the bottle: by capitalizing on geography to disrupt global trade, countries can strengthen their strategic position at relatively low cost. — Alex Mills, The Atlantic Council, March 12, 2026 With each day of glorified actions against Iran, with each cloudy press session claiming supreme success through sheer force, the […] The post Existential Attrition: Iran’s Closure of the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Dissident Voice.
The geopolitical genie is out of the bottle: by capitalizing on geography to disrupt global trade, countries can strengthen their strategic position at relatively low cost. — Alex Mills, The Atlantic Council, March 12, 2026 With each day of glorified actions against Iran, with each cloudy press session claiming supreme success through sheer force, the Trump administration is struggling to keep up appearances. Through an approach of existential attrition, the clerical regime in Tehran is now causing shocks and tingles in the global market, striking where influence is strongest: the petrol pump, the cash register, the hip pocket. Its missiles, drones or projectiles may not be able to reach the United States or Australia, but a note of panic is setting in. Even before shipping was attacked (threats sufficed), the Strait of Hormuz was already being emptied of traffic. Fearing losses, major shipping firms such as Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM ceased transiting cargo through the waterways. Since the war commenced on February 28, transits through the Strait have virtually stopped. This putative closure imperils the transfer of a fifth of the world’s oil supply, a fifth of the global trade in liquified natural gas, and some 13% of the global share in chemicals, including essential fertilisers. Freight rates for oil tankers, war risk insurance premiums and costs of marine fuel are all rising steeply. A social media post from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi brimming with satisfaction captured the mood: “9 days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices have doubled while all commodities are skyrocketing. We know the US is plotting against our oil and nuclear sites in hopes of containing huge inflationary shock. Iran is fully prepared.” He also promised that Iran had “many surprises in store.” On March 11, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters resolutely declared that any vessel linked to Israel, the United States or their allies would be “considered a legitimate target”. He also rejected the effectualness of efforts to suppress price rises. “You will not be able to artificially lower the price of oil. Expect oil at $200 per barrel,” he warned. “The price of oil depends on regional security, and you are the main source of insecurity in the region.” An effort to halt the rise of the oil price was made with a decision by 32 member states of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels of oil. “This is a major action aiming to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol explained in his address. “But to be clear, the most important thing for the return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.” Over March 11 and 12, in what seemed to be an effort to counter this move, the IRGC made good its word, attacking some six vessels, using projectiles and explosive-laden unmanned surface vessels. Targets included the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros, both carrying fuel cargoes from Iraq. The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree dry bulk vessel was hit by what was described as “two projectiles of unknown origin”. Mines have also been deployed to further complicate the prospect of transit. The response from President Donald Trump and his officials to the price rises has been one of unrelenting fantasy. “The recent increase of oil and gas prices is temporary,” stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, “and this operation [attacking Iran] will result in lower gas prices in the long term”. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was also unjustifiably confident that the price shocks would endure for a matter of “weeks, not months”. After attending a classified and seemingly confused briefing on the war on March 10, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut was left unimpressed. “I can’t go into more detail about how Iran gums up the Strait,” he revealed, “but suffice to say, right now, they don’t know how to get it safely back open.” This was “unforgivable, because this part of the disaster was 100% foreseeable.” The primary war goal of the administration, as Murphy understood, was “destroying lots of missiles and boats and drone factories.” Such visionaries. The Trump credo of estranged reality ignores the growing and enduring consequences of the strait’s closure and the war. A backlog of tankers on both sides of the waterway is growing. Ports are becoming congested with overstaying vessels. Production of oil and gas, impaired by Iranian attacks and continued closure, will have to resume in such states as Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Anas Alhajji, a global energy markets boffin, offers a grim analysis: “Ending the war does not mean ending the crisis. We have countries that literally shut down production because their storage is full. To bring back that oil to a pre-crisis level takes time. For [liquified natural gas] in particular, it takes a very long time.” Asked on whether vessels should still brave the journey through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump spoke with unfounded optimism. “I think they should. I think you’re going to see great safety”. The new round of strikes on shipping by Iran, initiated at a fraction of the cost of the US-Israel campaign against it, coupled with the inexorable rise of prices, suggests otherwise. In this regard at least, economics may well prove to be destiny. The post Existential Attrition: Iran’s Closure of the Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.
War on Iran: ‘It’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media is telling the people’
Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its 11th day. Its impact is being increasingly felt across the globe. Al Jazeera is reporting residents of Tehran overnight experienced “some of the most intense bombardment” of the war. At least 40 people were reportedly killed near the city’s Risalat Square. In Lebanon,
Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its 11th day. Its impact is being increasingly felt across the globe. Al Jazeera is reporting residents of Tehran overnight experienced “some of the most intense bombardment” of the war. At least 40 people were reportedly killed near the city’s Risalat Square. In Lebanon, the death toll from Israel’s attacks are nearing 500. About 700,000 residents have been displaced. READ MORE: Khamenei demands closure of US bases as Trump says war going ‘very well’ Four possible outcomes with the war on Iran – but only one viable Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports Earlier today [March 10], Iran reportedly fired drones toward Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates, where a large fire broke out in an industrial area home to petrochemical plants. A suspected Iranian missile also hit a residential building in the capital of Bahrain, killing one person and injuring eight others. On Monday, the Pentagon posted online a photo of a missile with the words “No Mercy” superimposed on it. An accompanying message read, “We have Only Just Begun to Fight.” But soon after, Trump told CBS News, “I think the war is very complete, pretty ​much,” he said. Trump’s CBS interview led oil prices to drop and for global stocks to quickly rise. But after the Wall Street markets closed, Trump told Republicans in Florida the US hasn’t “won enough.” At a news conference on Monday, ABC News reporter Selina Wang questioned Trump about the conflicting messages. SELINA WANG: Mr. President, you’ve said the war is, quote, “very complete,” but your defense secretary says this is just the beginning. So, which is it? And how long should Americans be prepared for this war to last for? PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I think you could say both. It’s the beginning. It’s the beginning of building a new country. But they certainly — they have no navy. They have no air force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. It’s all been blown up. “They have no radar. They have no telecommunications. And they have no leadership. It’s all gone. “So, you know, you could look at that statement. We could — we could call it a tremendous success right now. As we leave here, I could call it, or we could go further. “And we’re going to go further. But the big risk on that war has been over for three days. We wiped them out the first — in the first two days. AMY GOODMAN: On Monday, President Trump said he had a good call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly proposed a, “quick political and diplomatic end to the Iranian conflict”. We begin today’s show with retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell during the run-up and early years of the US war on Iraq. He’s taught national security affairs at both George Washington University and the College of William and Mary. Colonel Wilkerson, welcome back to Democracy Now! Can you respond to what has taken place over this last 11 days, starting with the diplomatic talks in Geneva between Iran and the United States? And as those talks were just wrapping up, US and Israel attacked Iran and killed the supreme leader there. Your response? LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Yes, and, Amy, for the second time, we violated international law in that respect, and just common human decency. And your comments at the opening of the show were spot-on, but not nearly broad and deep enough. I come from an administration of George W. Bush and Richard Bruce Cheney that committed war crimes, war crimes that Colin Powell and his lawyer Will Taft and I agonised over in trying to present some message to the American people about them. This administration has committed more war crimes in the last few days than I think any country since Adolf Hitler committed. And that is an incredible condemnation of this entire process. We have bombed civilians relentlessly. We have bombed a school. We have bombed a hospital. We have struck facilities in the nature of Iran’s oil capacity that is now putting black poison all over 10-plus million people. And we are essentially not bombing ballistic missile sites and bombing war materiel. We’re bombing people. We took a lesson from the IDF, if you will. We are bombing people, as, incidentally, they are still doing in Gaza and doing now in Lebanon. These are all war crimes. And one wishes with fond hope that someday we might be called before the bar of justice and have to account for these war crimes. And what you just talked about is a crime also in the eyes of international relations and people who want to keep decent international relations ongoing in the world. We’re destroying that. And on top of all of that — and this is the real serious problem here for America — Trump and Hegseth and Rubio and the other entourage of their national security complex have completely misjudged the nature of this war, as has, to a certain extent, Bibi Netanyahu. This is a country as big as Western Europe, with 93 million people, probably 90 million of whom will fight us to the bitter death, who live in terrain that almost killed Alexander the Great. It is entirely inhospitable to military operations. And Trump is talking about — actually talking about putting ground forces there. And the only way he will be able to claim any nature of victory is to do that. Only that will be the end of the empire’s presence in the Levant and the Middle East in general, because we will not be able to sustain that economically, physically. We do not have the soldiers or Marines to do that. But that’s what he’s talking about. This is pure nonsense. There was a column in Haaretz yesterday, and the title of the column, essentially, was “Trump will chicken out in this war, too.” I’m sorry, he’s not going to chicken out necessarily. That might be the tone and tint he puts to it. He’s going to be defeated, as are we. “End of the Trump Presidency” – retired colonel slams war in Iran Video: Democracy Now! JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Colonel, I wanted to ask you — we played that clip with Trump talking about all the damage that Iran has sustained, but there’s been very little acknowledgment by the US military or the White House to the enormous damage that has occurred to the US military footprint in the Middle East for decades. All of these bases and radar, multibillion-dollar radar, were established throughout the region. And what’s your understanding of the nature of the damage that has occurred to all of these bases, not just among the Gulf states, but also even in Iraq and other places of the Middle East? LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Yeah, that damage is enormous. And I think what you’re witnessing right now is the initial steps of the empire, the American empire’s retreat from the Levant and the Middle East in general. I don’t think we’re going to be able to sustain our presence there after what’s going to happen here, particularly if we stay at this for a long time and really do take significant casualties. We’re already taking more casualties than people know about, because the media is not being apprised of it. Yes, we had the ceremony at Dover, but there are people getting ready at Landstuhl, our throughput hospital in Germany, right now to accept multiple casualties coming in. They’ve stopped their civilian service and so forth at that hospital. And other things are being geared up, too, like Walter Reed. I don’t think they have even a modicum of appreciation of what kind of casualties are going to result, though, especially if we put ground forces into Iran. And that is the only way, unless he just lies completely about it, that Trump is going to be able to assert any kind of real force with regard to this population. And to your point, in Bahrain, they have taken out billions of dollars’ worth of US radar and equipment, including the vertical missile loading cranes, so now ships have to go all the way to Diego Garcia to load these weapons. They have essentially obliterated our capacity to carry out combat actions from a number of places in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Al Udeid is actually under under threat now, too. And this is all part of the warp and woof of our ability to carry out combat operations in the region. I’m not even sure our biggest facility for passing on troops, throughput facility, that we used in both Iraq wars — is in Kuwait. I’m not even sure that that’s up now and able to do anything. So, how would you even get Marines or soldiers, God forbid, into Iran? That’s a huge problem. They will sink the ships that are coming to deposit those troops wherever they’re coming. We have not really damaged their ballistic missile capability. And the media blackout on Israel is keeping the American people from seeing the enormous degree of destruction to Israel, the latest component of which was a riposte to Israel’s having struck their oil facilities, on Haifa, their oil facility port. And Haifa is being taken down much the way Eilat was taken down by the Houthis, the Allah Ansar, in the Red Sea, when we failed to be able to reopen the Red Sea. And that’s the next step. The Bab al-Mandeb will be closed once the Houthis have gotten into action full time again. And 60 percent of the world’s commerce passes through the Red Sea. It’s not oil and gas exclusively. It’s all manner of things — foodstuffs, commodities and such. So, this is a war with long legs. Trump has completely misinterpreted it. The only one who’s interpreted it correctly is Bibi Netanyahu, and I think he’s ready to use a nuclear weapon, should it become as bad as it looks like it might right now, because Iran has not even began to shoot its most sophisticated missiles. And now the second and third class of those missiles is getting through almost without opposition. Imagine what these Mach 3, Mach 4 missiles, with huge warheads that have maybe a hundred different other warheads they display all across an area, are going to do to Israel once they’re fired. They’re still there, and they’re still ready to fire. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Colonel, I wanted to actually — you mentioned the media coverage of what is going on in Israel. It has been amazing to me that all of the major US media are based in Israel, in Tel Aviv, yet we are seeing the least amount of coverage of what is going on within Israel. I want to quote from a piece, an online piece, that CNN reporter Oren Liebermann posted earlier this week. And he wrote — and I’m quoting — “Every reporter in Israel — and every member of the public — is subject to a military censor. On national security grounds, the regulation authorises the censor to prohibit reporting or broadcasting any material that could reveal sensitive information or pose a threat to the country’s security interests.” And he goes on to say, “This is particularly sensitive during wartime, where the military censor has made clear that broadcasting any images that reveal the location of interceptor missiles or military sites hit by enemy projectiles is forbidden, especially in live broadcasts.” Now, they say this on their website, but they never mention this on air. And none of the networks are mentioning on air that they are strictly prohibited from showing any actual, real damage. I’m wondering your sense of the responsibility of the US media, especially since they’re always showing us the results of the plumes rising in Abu Dhabi or in Saudi Arabia or even in Iran, but not the direct hits that are occurring within Israel. LAWRENCE WILKERSON: I’ll tell you what I told the senior editor to The Washington Post recently. I think it’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media, both video and print, is telling the American people. And they’re putting us in jeopardy in a real substantive sense, because the American people have no way of judging just how foolhardy, how stupid, how unwise, how violative of international dictum and rule this war is. And when it gets to the point — I think this is the end of the Trump presidency, actually, because when it gets to the point where the pressure is so great and some of this has to come out and casualties are manifest, then the American people are going to ask really important questions: Why did you lie to us? Why did you tell us what you were telling us? Why did you start this war of choice? Iran was no threat to the United States of America whatsoever. Did you go to war for Israel? We have heard you went to war for Israel. These are questions that are finally going to get out there in the hustings and going to have to be answered by someone, probably your local congressman, the supine body that has done nothing to check this president, particularly in the war power. And we haven’t even talked about that. This is a complete violation of the Constitution of the United States. Just as Kofi Annan said about the 2003 Iraq War, it’s an illegal war. And he went on to say it was a violation of our own Constitution. And he was absolutely right. But this pales — or, that pales in comparison with what Trump is doing right now, and what he is going to probably have to do in order to seem to correct his errors. And I’m truly worried that this destruction of Israel is going to reach a point — I listened to Netanyahu recently speaking in Hebrew to his clan, to his group — Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and others like that. At the end of his remarks in Hebrew, which was translated for me very reliably, I think, he essentially said that if it went south, if it went bad, he was prepared to show the Iranians something they had never seen before. I think he meant a nuclear weapon. And I go back to 1973 when Golda Meir told a BBC reporter — you can check, it was printed in London the next day on the front page — that she would use a nuclear weapon, in response to his question, “Would you use a nuclear weapon?” Because at that time, they were pretty hard-pressed in the 1973 war. And she said, “Yes,” without equivocation. I think we’re back at that point again, and for probably a far more dangerous situation. AMY GOODMAN: I know you have to go, Colonel Wilkerson, but I just want to point out you were the former chief of staff of Secretary of State Colin Powell, who dragged his feet on supporting the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, but ultimately gave that speech, that he would call a stain on his career, at the UN. It was critical for Bush, President Bush, that it was Colin Powell who gave this speech, because he was seen as the reluctant warrior. And he gave that speech saying there was evidence of Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction. Can you make a parallel to what we’re seeing today? LAWRENCE WILKERSON: I can, but I think this is far greater a travesty and a tragedy. That was bad enough. And torture was the thing that broke my back, and ultimately it sort of broke Colin Powell’s back, too, because we realised that we had signed up not only to a war that was not necessary, we had signed up to a president of the United States for the first time in the nation’s history making public policy torture. Other human beings being tortured was made presidential public policy. This is far worse, I think, and it’s been building for some time. It’s been building all since Trump was elected, and actually since his first administration. And I think it makes what we did — not to discount it, but it makes it pale by comparison, and it makes me deeply concerned about the future of this republic. AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you so much for being with us, Lawrence Wilkerson, retired Army colonel, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2002 to 2005. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License by democracynow.org on 10 March 2026. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Product designer Simone Giertz on refusing to abandon (most) projects
I’m imagining you have even more ideas than the projects you do. So, how do you decide, “I’m going to actually try this one out” versus “This is just a fleeting idea that’s going to pass.” Or do you try to give every idea a shot? I have a list on my phone that is just high and low an absolute wasp’s nest of ideas. Usually it depends; if it’s a product then it’s just if this is this something that I want myself. If it’s a YouTube video, it’s often a negotiation between, is this something that I’m excited about [or] is this something [that] would make for an interesting video or thumbnail and title? So, yeah, I feel like no matter the context you’re in, you have to make creative compromises. And that is the very minor creative compromise I have to make.
I’m imagining you have even more ideas than the projects you do. So, how do you decide, “I’m going to actually try this one out” versus “This is just a fleeting idea that’s going to pass.” Or do you try to give every idea a shot? I have a list on my phone that is just high and low an absolute wasp’s nest of ideas. Usually it depends; if it’s a product then it’s just if this is this something that I want myself. If it’s a YouTube video, it’s often a negotiation between, is this something that I’m excited about [or] is this something [that] would make for an interesting video or thumbnail and title? So, yeah, I feel like no matter the context you’re in, you have to make creative compromises. And that is the very minor creative compromise I have to make. Right. I saw the one video where you have the project you’re working on where you keep trying and it doesn’t work: creating the roller coaster necklace. I imagine that happens many times, where you’re working on something and it just doesn’t work out. When do you think it’s okay to abandon a project or do you just keep trying to make it work? You know, that is the first time that I’ve fully abandoned a project and it was mostly because I ran out of time. Other times, I think I almost never abandon a project, but I will adapt it. Adapt, don’t abandon. I mean, there are things where I’ve been like, okay, this is not going to work out in the way that I imagined it, but I can tweak it and make it this. I always try to end up somewhere, even if it’s not where I imagined I would end up in the beginning of it. I think that comes from having the natural pressure of having to finish a project for a video. What’s good about it is I can’t always be a perfectionist about it. It’s very easy for me to get stuck in perfectionism. spool table Do you work on one project at a time or have multiple things going at once? So maybe if you get stuck in one area, you can bounce to the other thing. The way my work is structured is there are two separate businesses. One is the YouTube, like media-influencer-business and then one is the product business. For YouTube I usually just work on one project at a time. For the product business it’s everything at once. There’s just a million things going on. How did you decide which products to bring to a Kickstarter project? I know you’ve had tons of projects. There’s a couple on Kickstarter, but many that are not. It’s projects that I cannot fully pull off with what I have. So, it’s the more ambitious projects, the ones that are outside of the scope and budget of what we’ve already done. I think it’s just such a cool way of flipping the order in which you do things. One of my big learnings from last year was [when] I launched my first furniture piece in August and it didn’t sell as well as we hoped it would. We ended up racking up really high storage fees at our fulfillment center and we were like, okay, how can we make sure this doesn’t happen with our next piece? Kickstarter was the way to get up to the minimum order quantity with our factories uh but [helped us] make sure that we could actually ship out those units. I need outside investment to get [them] to market. I also need to make sure that the units we produce are actually going to ship out to customers. So it’s practical, but then it’s also with the newsworthiness of things. I think things being on Kickstarter is just more newsworthy than somebody launching a product on their website. Do you ever have creative blocks? Are there chunks of time where you’re just not thinking of any ideas? Oh, there’s so many. Usually it’s when I’m overwhelmed, because I get defensive and I just want to like hide under my couch. I’m working on a project now that I’ve been stuck [with] on a problem for four years and I’m finally [in] “fuck it, let’s just get it done” mode. Which is really nice, but there’s always blocks. I mean, I’ve had a block with the foldable coat hanger for years, and I think we finally have solved it. It’s cool how it ebbs and flows and you’ll discover a new way to approach it that solves [a] problem–and then maybe [that] causes new problems. There’s nothing consistent about it. folding hanger How do you avoid burnout when you’re doing the two businesses at the same time? I have learned to be so gentle with myself. I think that is one of the benefits of my role [being] purely creative. I realized that for me to be creative I need to be happy and I need to be well balanced. I think in the beginning of my YouTube career, I mean, I’ve been doing this for 10 years now. I was definitely running at risk of burnout. But it’s just knowing how much you have to give and being really smart about the parts you give. I make sure I sleep and I eat well and I work out and that I have time to see friends. I’ve realized that for me it’s really the way to be most productive and happy to actually enjoy the work I do. How do you view when something is a success? One of the things that’s most important is if I’m really proud of the thing that we’re putting out. That’s always been one of the core tenants and that goes for both the YouTube side of things and for the product side of things. If it resonates with people or not is a little bit more out of my control. For success, it’s really just people understanding the problem that [the product] solves. Success is also: is [the product] unique and novel? That’s something I’m trying with every project that I do: is it something you haven’t seen before or a different approach to a really normal problem that people have? Of course now that we’re becoming more of a proper business, the success is [also] for it to sell well and for it to resonate with customers in that way. We can make products that sell well, but that I don’t like personally. And that’s not really success to me. button coasters Do you view what you do as an art project in any way? I don’t think I’m cool enough to be an artist. So, no. It’s more of a thought exercise of like, how can we solve the problems that are so common that we don’t even really think about them as problems? How can we make something that turns it on its head a little bit? That is really the sweet spot for me right now. It kind of reminds me of when you go to someone’s house and they’re like, “Oh yeah, our hot water doesn’t work in this room, so we’ve created this thing.” People create workarounds, but they just do it on their own and they don’t think expand it to other people who have the same problem. It’s an interesting ouvre to have just a bunch of different projects like that. Yeah. I really want to follow my enthusiasm wherever it goes. For now I’m so happy just finding those little pieces of friction in your life and spending an obscene amount of time trying to work around it. When you’re working, do you have like a particular like ideal situation? Like do you listen to music? Do you like do you do you start things out by like just thinking on things on your own? Is it more collaborative or like how do you bring an idea to life? The way I structure my day, I need to-do lists. I need such a strict to-do list to follow because otherwise I’ll just just flop around. It’s interesting–I started the product business because I wanted to stop YouTube. And now I’ve realized how important the YouTube channel is for the process because it does provide the time pressure and the structure for it. Often we’re filming a project and unfortunately you can’t really listen to music when you’re filming. I’ll start with a sketch that then goes into a CAD design and then I start prototyping it in cheap materials like cardboard or thin plywood and then you kind of graduate to more and more complex versions with more expensive materials until you hopefully have a final version. From there it’s figuring out how we would manufacture it if it does go into the product pipeline, which is a completely different process. laundry chair And with the most recent project, the one you’re doing for Kickstarter, the laundry chair. I watched the general idea of how it works. Was this an idea that was nagging at you for a while or just one day struck you? It was nagging at me for a while. I was on vacation and for some reason it just struck me and I was like, “Okay, I need to work on it now.” I started sketching. It was my stepdad’s parents house in Palm Springs and I remember them having a chair in the guest room that I was staying in. I was like, “This one’s kind of good proportions.” I started measuring off of it and sketching off of that. Some projects are like, “Okay, we’re going to work on this” and you kind of have to grab the projects, and then there are some projects that just grab you. This was definitely one of the projects that grabbed me and was like, “No, you’re going to work on me right now.” You were saying before as you’re a perfectionist, can an idea be overworked by the time you try to make the thing happen? Like you kind of lost the original inspiration? Not really. I think for me, so much of the enthusiasm is having the final version. So that’s what I’m working towards. I’m very excited about having the object and seeing if it works in the way I imagined that it would. I’m usually tugged by that end goal of having the final version. But for sure, there are projects that I finish for a YouTube video and then I’m like, you know what, I’m pretty done with this. I’m not [going to] pursue it further. Then there are some, like the roller coaster necklace, where we’re still working on it. laundry chair plans I mean, seeing the video, when you dropped it, I could feel your pain. I think people assume that someone who’s created anything has figured out the system, that like nothing ever goes wrong, you know? I interviewed Philip Glass who’s like in his 80s and he was like, “I have to practice every day.” So, I think it was good to show because things don’t always work out perfectly. You run into these sort of bumps in the road. I feel like I flail forward a lot. But then also the creative process has a lot of joy in it for me. It’s a really enthusiastic and joyful process. I am also so fucking cranky throughout a lot of it, especially the roller coaster necklace, because I wasn’t really progressing and I kept on running into the same problem. I don’t think I’ve been that angry at a project in a long time. There are so many pleasant moments and that are amazing and so empowering. There are parts of it that I absolutely love. But then there’s parts that suck. The self-doubt and frustration and confusion. I think with every project, I’m like, “is this the one I’m never going to pull off?” I’d want to start mapping out my feelings throughout projects, because I think I follow the same “feeling curve” where I start out really enthusiastic and I have some quick wins and then I get self-doubt, and then I pull myself out of it, and then I get into frustration because I’m working on like the fifth attempt or a final attempt, and then I’m feeling really good when I have the finished one. Every project manages to trick you into thinking the feelings you’re having are completely unique, when it’s actually the same curve that you follow almost every time. Simone Giertz recommends this flowchart of questions she asks herself if she’s feeling overwhelmed or cranky at work: When did I last eat? Have I slept enough? When was the last time I did something for my body, not just for my brain? Is there anything that I can delegate or take off my list? Does what I work on align with who I want to be? This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Brandon Stosuy.
Vietnam arrests journalist Le Anh Hung on ‘propaganda’ charge
Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam
Bangkok, March 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Le Anh Hung and cease harassing independent commentators for expressing critical views online. On March 9, police arrested Hung at a friend’s house in central Dak Lak province, according to news reports and information compiled by Project 88, an independent rights group that...
Bangkok, March 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Le Anh Hung and cease harassing independent commentators for expressing critical views online. On March 9, police arrested Hung at a friend’s house in central Dak Lak province, according to news reports and information compiled by Project 88, an independent rights group that monitors the status of Vietnamese political prisoners. The journalist has been charged under Article 117 of the penal code, which criminalizes “propagandizing against the state” and carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison, the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. “Vietnamese authorities must release Le Anh Hung immediately and drop all charges against him,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Le Anh Hung never should have been imprisoned the first time, and detaining and charging him again is a gross affront to press freedom.” Hung contributes to various independent outlets, including Thien Dan, and posts to his own blog. He also writes books, including the self-published “Power and the Control of Power in Societies.” Hung, a former contributor to the U.S. Congress-funded Voice of America (VOA), was arrested in 2018 and held alternately in prison and a psychiatric hospital until his 2022 conviction under Article 331, which criminalizes the abuse of “democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State.” He was released on July 5, 2023, after serving a five-year sentence under abusive conditions, according to VOA reports and the journalist’s email communications with CPJ. Radio Free Asia reported that Hung had been beaten with a metal chair, tied to a bed and forcibly injected with unspecified drugs by a nurse at a Hanoi mental hospital. Hung is a member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, a local group that works outside the state-dominated media. Several of its members, including founder Pham Chi Dung, have been convicted and sentenced to harsh jail terms. Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment. Vietnam is among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with 17 behind bars, according to CPJ data. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
‘There’s volatile times ahead’ for the Pacific, warns Barbara Dreaver
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific Waves host TVNZ’s 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has released a new memoir looking back at over 30 years of reporting in the region. The book, titled Be Brave, details moments in Dreaver’s career in the Pacific from covering natural disasters to coups and personal tragedies. Speaking to Pacific Waves,
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific Waves host TVNZ’s 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has released a new memoir looking back at over 30 years of reporting in the region. The book, titled Be Brave, details moments in Dreaver’s career in the Pacific from covering natural disasters to coups and personal tragedies. Speaking to Pacific Waves, Dreaver said she wanted readers to see the Pacific through her eyes. READ MORE: Other Barbara Dreaver reports “Be Brave” – Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver reflects Video: RNZ Pacific Waves “The Pacific is so important to the world, it is important to New Zealand and Australia and I thought, if I show it like the real stories . . . what happens behind the scenes that it just might provide, you know, share that joy really of the Pacific with people. “I’m really concerned about the way the region is going at the moment, and I think there’s volatile times ahead and so I really decided some time ago that I wanted to record it and record, for my family as well.” The Kiribati-born journalist also encourages up and coming Pacific journalists to report “without fear or favour”. “When people say to you, as a Pacific journalist ‘you’re not being culturally aware’ . . . we know what’s culturally aware. “We do and quite often people in power use it as a means of stopping you reporting. “So you have to be really aware of the boundaries on that.” This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Charges dropped against 5 soldiers accused of sexually assaulting Palestinian detainee in Israel’s ‘Guantanamo’
Asia Pacific Report The Israeli military prosecution has controversially cancelled the indictment of five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in southern Israel, reports Anadolu Ajansi. “In light of significant developments that have occurred since the indictment was filed in the Yemen Field case, the military prosecution
Asia Pacific Report The Israeli military prosecution has controversially cancelled the indictment of five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in southern Israel, reports Anadolu Ajansi. “In light of significant developments that have occurred since the indictment was filed in the Yemen Field case, the military prosecution has decided today to cancel the indictment,” the Israeli army said in a statement yesterday. The torture case dates back to July 2025, when Israeli soldiers tortured and sexually assaulted a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention facility, causing serious injuries and a tear in the rectum. READ MORE: Khamenei demands closure of US bases as Trump says war going ‘very well’ Four possible outcomes with the war on Iran – but only one viable Other Israeli torture of Palestinian prisoners reports Earlier, Israeli news media outlets, including the public broadcaster KAN, claimed that Israel released the tortured detainee on October 13, 2025, to the Gaza Strip as part of a group of prisoners released under the exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Sde Teiman, which literally means “Yemen Field” in Arabic, is an Israeli military base in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. Interrogators there have become notorious for physical and sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees from Gaza to the extent that it has been dubbed “Israel’s Guantanamo” in reference to the infamous US detention facility in Iraq. The Sde Teiman prison has witnessed widespread violations against Palestinian detainees, including severe beatings, prolonged restraint, and medical neglect, which have killed people, according to Palestinian and Israeli media and human rights reports. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Ecuador’s President Noboa accused of murder
The Fight for Palestine in Higher Education Continues, Despite Institutional Backlash
Since the October ceasefire in Gaza, students and faculty have continued to fight for Palestine, but institutions remain resistant.
Since the October ceasefire in Gaza, students and faculty have continued to fight for Palestine, but institutions remain resistant. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Owen Jakel.
ICE snatches beloved video game champion living legally in US for decades
‘Even with Congressional Authorization, the War Would Still Be an Act of Aggression’: CounterSpin interview with Gregory Shupak on US/Israeli Iran aggression
"Those who start the war are responsible for all horrors that take place within the context of that war."
Janine Jackson interviewed academic and writer Gregory Shupak about the US/Israeli aggression against Iran for the March 6, 2026, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260306Shupak.mp3 USA Today (3/1/26) Janine Jackson: Every day is a good day to recognize the substantive differences between the corporate news media, who firehose at us every day, and alternative outlets that you might need to seek out, whose journalism is shaped by a different bottom line. But when the country you live in launches an illegal, unprovoked assault against another sovereign country, that’s an excellent time to look at those differences. Outlets like Drop Site News, Mondoweiss, In These Times, The Nation are bringing us critical assessments of the Trump White House’s shifting rationales for their attacks on Iran, along with voices from the people in the region, on the ground, who have a historical understanding that precedes the last presidential election. Corporate media are reporting the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as a “Cool Slick Techno-Operation,” in critic Adam Johnson’s phrase, while USA Today fearmongers with an explainer headed “US on High Alert for Homeland Attacks by Iran. What to Know.” Well, “what to know” starts with the brain teaser that the FBI and DHS are “on war footing due to Iran’s long history of plotting retaliatory attacks.” If you can buy that premise, elite media assume you will buy the bit of yet another US war on a sovereign nation that no intelligence suggested posed an imminent threat, and that the majority of the US public oppose—but that will cause death and destruction, and be used as an excuse for why you can’t have healthcare. Here to help us sift through news media that appear either vehemently or lazily uninterested in history or humanity is Gregory Shupak. He teaches media studies and English at the University of Guelph in Toronto. He joins us now by phone. Welcome back to CounterSpin, Gregory Shupak. Gregory Shupak: It’s good to be back. Thanks for having me. JJ: Listeners will understand: We are recording on March 5, and many things are happening as we speak, and certainly will have happened by the time that they hear this. That said, some things will still be true. At the risk of sounding naive or redundant—except that if you read the news, you know they still need saying: The US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the murdering of school girls, the assassination of Khamenei, are illegal, unprovoked and unpopular, yes? PBS (3/6/26) GS: Yeah, certainly. And I think that it’s interesting to observe the disjuncture between what’s been pretty thoroughly a media full-court press in support of the war, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the lack of public support for it. And yet I think it’s also the case that, for war propaganda to be effective, it doesn’t necessarily have to result in the population being enthusiastic about it. The main thing it needs to accomplish is to plant enough doubt, sow enough confusion, that people aren’t organizing in large enough numbers to bring it to a halt. And so I don’t think the yardstick of the effectiveness of propaganda is solely “does the public support it,” to, for example, the very high degree that they did at the outset of the Iraq invasion. JJ: Right. Which I always want to put an asterisk on because that high support was right before the invasion. And if you go back a couple weeks earlier, the US population was not even supportive of the Iraq invasion, yeah? I appreciate that talking point, and at the same time, I think if you move those polls back a couple of weeks, people were asking, “Why are we going to invade Iraq?” You know, as a New Yorker, we were reeling from the attacks, but it wasn’t a cry for war. But I appreciate, still, the distinction—and it has to do, I guess, with maybe something that the people, if not the politicians, have learned. Popular Information (3/9/26) GS: Yeah, I absolutely think that a lot more of the population understands the costs of these types of adventures, and yet that is still not materializing in organized public opposition. And there are a lot of factors that explain that, not all of which has to do with corporate media propaganda, but I think that that is one noteworthy feature that is, of course, a throughline for so many of the US-led wars in the post-1945 era, that even, regardless of where public support is at, it takes quite a while—as it did in Vietnam, for example—for really large-scale, mass, effective opposition to materialize. And that’s if it ever does. JJ: Let’s get into the media coverage that I know you’ve been, unfortunately, steeping yourself in. Some news media seem to feel that noting Trump’s shifting rationales for the aggression on Iran is the same as interrogating them, but it sort of feels like they’re just waiting for him to land on one that they can get behind. But certainly it’s meaningful that President Trump keeps saying something different about why we’re doing this. GS: Yeah, absolutely. And I don’t know, it’s always hard to parse with him, and also his administration, how much of this, of the inconsistency in their talking points, has to do with a deliberate strategy versus incoherence. But certainly, in the initial 24 hours, Trump was pretty clear that the goal included regime change, where they seem to have backed off of that since then. New York Times (2/28/26) But it is, as you say, rather a weak criticism of the war to just say Trump is being unclear, or to emphasize, as the New York Times’ first editorial on the attack did, there was this focus on, well, the way that Trump communicated with the American population, which was dropping a video in the middle of the night. And yes, that is an absurd way to, frankly, avoid democratic engagement. However, if Trump had some sort of town hall meeting, and this was still what was happening, it’s not as if his method of communication matters more or as much as the fact of carrying out this war in the first place. And I would say the same thing about the criticisms that we saw in that Times editorial, and in the Washington Post editorial as well, about Trump’s failure to get congressional authorization for this war. I understand why that matters, within the context of the American system. At the same time, if you had got it, the war would still be an act of aggression under international law. It’s kind of secondary for those living outside US borders whether Trump follows the Constitution to the letter or not. Gregory Shupak: “Those who start the war are responsible for all horrors that take place within the context of that war.” Again, I agree it would be better if the proper democratic protocols were followed, but I don’t think that that’s salient here. And it’s picking at the edges to foreground those criticisms of the war, rather than foregrounding the fact that what he’s doing was described at the Nuremberg Tribunal, after the Second World War, as the “supreme international crime.” And the reason it was called that was because the act of international aggression—that is to say, starting a war—means that those who start the war are responsible for all horrors that take place within the context of that war. So however this unfolds, and whatever ghastly casualty figures we end up at, and whatever manner those deaths happen to unfold, all of that is laid at the doorstep of the aggressors, the US and Israel. So that’s really where the emphasis ought to be, much more so than on this kind of proceduralism. JJ: Absolutely. And it’s amazing how far we’ve come from Nuremberg, to the point where I think it’s fair to say that a lot of corporate news media foreign policy coverage gives you the feeling that diplomacy is for the weak. And in this conversation, the US was purportedly in diplomatic conversations, I mean, was in diplomatic conversations with Iran, moderated by the head of Oman. We never heard that those conversations broke down, but suddenly, then, the US is unleashing fatal aggression. And so how are we to think about diplomatic conversations, when this can happen in the midst of them? It sort of feels like it’s a joke on us. GS: Yeah. I mean, it looks like it was probably just a stall tactic by the US to get their ducks in order for the war. And in terms of the media coverage, I think they mostly, since the war was launched, pretend that those discussions were not even happening, or they lie about them. Face the Nation (2/22/26) But the reason why they often pretend they weren’t happening is because what was coming out those negotiations completely undermines the argument, which is one of their central pro-war talking points, that supposedly these attacks on Iran are justified because the government of Iran allegedly might or someday could be pursuing nuclear weapons. Hours before the US/Israeli strikes began, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, went on CBS‘s Face the Nation and said that Iran had agreed to effectively take steps that would make it impossible for it to build a nuclear weapon. To be more specific, the Iranians had agreed to zero enrichment, without which you cannot build a nuclear bomb. That’s completely expunged from the record that I’ve seen, and certainly from the editorials in the major papers that I’ve looked at for the FAIR piece that I’ve been working on this week, which are from the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Wall Street Journal (2/25/26) In addition, we also have statements from the International Atomic Energy Agency, specifically from Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA. He said in late February, second half of February, that he had not seen any indication that Iran was currently working to develop a nuclear weapon. That’s really pretty important, and is not in any of the initial responses to the war. Now, Grossi came out and reiterated this point on I think it was Monday, a couple days into the aggression against Iran, and that got a little bit of coverage. But in the initial commentary, where you had this specter of nonexistent Iranian nukes, it might’ve been helpful to point out, whenever Trump makes reference to the Iranian nuclear program, that there’s really no proof that, according to the IAEA, that it’s even working on developing a nuclear weapon, let alone having one imminently. JJ: Let alone having one within reach of California. GS: Yeah, exactly. And that’s, again, to say nothing of what happened in Oman, which is that in these indirect US/Iranian talks, Iran had apparently agreed to zero enrichment, which would make building a bomb impossible. So it was a charade, then, the negotiations—or at least a charade on the US part, I should say. And it would be nice if the US population had some insight into that, not only for this bloodbath, which is going to drag on who knows how long, and kill just unthinkable volumes of people, as it already has killed over 1,200 in the first six days—1,200 in Iran, I should say; other numbers in some of the other countries in the region, dozens in Lebanon, which is a direct corollary of attacking Iran. Yeah, it would also be nice if the public had just another reminder of how little the US government can be trusted on these matters, because I don’t think that this aggression against Iran will be the last time that the US attacks a country. And so the further that people can kind of develop a consciousness around imperialist lies, the better in terms of the capacity to resist those wars. Extra! (9–10/05) JJ: Absolutely. And on the nuclear question—and I would ask folks to look at FAIR.org; we’ve talked about this many times over the years—there is zero evidence that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon, and, in fact, international agencies, as you’ve said, the IAEA and others, have assessed that, have looked into that. Even the United States intelligence doesn’t say that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. And I would encourage folks to read the coverage carefully, because you hear “nuclear program,” you know, “nuclear energy,” and then you’re meant to just elide that into weaponry. And then further, just to take us back to basics, the US has nuclear weapons. Israel has nuclear weapons. And so the idea that the price of participating in “serious people” foreign policy conversation is to accept that some countries should have nuclear weapons and others, if they look like they might be able to potentially develop them, well, we need to bomb them off the map. That is weird. That is not a logical, humane understanding of anything. GS: Yeah, absolutely. And it’s also worth pointing out—and I meant to get to this point a moment ago—let’s say Iran was developing nuclear weapons, and we had good reason to believe that, the IAEA said they found proof, whatever. OK, let’s say that was happening. There’s still no doctrine in international law that justifies a preventative or preemptive war to disarm Iran. So it’s basically irrelevant whether Iran was developing nuclear weapons or not. That’s not relevant to the question, “Do the US and Israel have the right to attack it?” They don’t. JJ: You know, I don’t see silver linings especially, except for increased awareness, right, of horrors and of falsities, and maybe an increased ability to address them, which is, I think, what we’re talking about. This is a big question that I hope you can answer short, but for many listeners, you look at a globe, countries are two different colors, that means they’re different countries; but this is obviously a regional operation. It always has been. For a layperson’s ears, what should we be thinking about, in terms of the region? By which I mean, what headlines are we, as US media consumers, going to be suddenly surprised by in a month? We’re going to hear about Lebanon, we’re going to hear about…. What situation should we be looking out for, in terms of the region, in terms of the impact of this US aggression? Reuters (3/6/26) GS: Yeah, the US and Israel, but Israel’s taking the lead on it with regard to Lebanon, are essentially issuing decrees, ordering South Lebanese people to evacuate that portion of the country south of the Litani River, which is a mass displacement of the population, just as we saw in Lebanon when Israel was attacking it in fall 2024, and just as we’ve seen in Gaza as well. It seems, based on some of the Israeli rhetoric, that there is an appetite inside Israel to get a permanent foothold in Lebanon, just as they’ve done, not only with, obviously, Palestinian land, but also Syria, so I think that there’s a very real risk that Israel, with US support, is going to try to build bases, if not outright settlements, in Lebanese territory, and keep as much of southern Lebanon as they can. And so you’ll hear probably a lot about efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and efforts to cast Lebanese society as a whole as against Hezbollah, or present them as some sort of rogue operation that has no support in Lebanon, rather than what they are, which is, at this point, a major political player that has twice, in recent years, performed better than any other political organization in the country’s elections. They’re, at this point, an intrinsic fabric of Lebanese society. It’s not to say that they enjoy majority support, or anything like that, but I think you’re going to see a lot of one-dimensional demonization of Hezbollah to justify something that could push Lebanon dangerously close to another civil war, that is to say, if the Lebanese central government tries to disarm Hezbollah, which they may not do, because they don’t really have the capacity to disarm them, but they might try, at the behest of the US and Israel, and with their support. But certainly, what we’re already seeing is mass violence against Lebanese people being carried out by Israel with US support. And I think there’s a real risk that that will translate into an attempt to hold onto Lebanese territory for the long term. So I think that’s a major regional flashpoint. Certainly Yemen and the Red Sea surrounding it, because Ansar Allah, which is often referred to as the Houthis in the mainstream media, is again involved in the US/Israeli aggression against Iran, just as they have been, at various points, involved in supporting Palestinian resistance to genocide. And so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we hear rationalizations in corporate media for attacks on Yemen, that will be justified, as previous attacks in Yemen have been, in terms of saying, “Well, the Houthis”—Ansar Allah, as it is typically called—”are interfering with shipping in the region. They’re firing weaponry at Israel. So for these reasons, the US itself perhaps, or if not them, then Israel, needs to ramp up airstrikes against Yemen.” And it’s worth noting that the areas where Ansar Allah hold power is roughly, depending on which estimate you look at, 70 to 80% of the population of Yemen. Already the country is ravaged by the disastrous US/Saudi war from 2015 onward to a ceasefire a few years back. By some metrics, it’s the poorest country in the region. So I think Yemen will definitely be another focal point, where you’ll see corporate media trying to soften up the population to accept more grotesque violence being inflicted upon the people of Yemen. JJ: Absolutely. Well, I don’t want to end there. So let me ask you, finally, we do see that these things are not popular. They’re not supported. Whether or not the people who oppose this US aggression have the levers of power to change it is its own question, but I do take heart in the fact that folks see through it. It is very hard to sell killing school girls who showed up to play volleyball. That’s a hard sell, you know? And it takes a lot of work to sell that narrative, and I think that people are resisting it, and are girding themselves against it. But how do we do that? How do we get ourselves, as citizens in the US—and Canada, as I know you are, and there are analogous issues—how do we gird ourselves? How do we prepare ourselves to stay critical and stay human in the midst of this? Drop Site (2/28/26) GS: I am going to venture that just simply by virtue of listening to this, much of the audience already has a pretty good moral compass in terms of understanding that the lives of Iranian schoolchildren matter just as much as the lives of the schoolchildren at the school down the street from wherever you live. So I’m quite sure that most people listening will be on solid ground there. There is, unfortunately, a segment of the population in both of our countries that doesn’t see it that way. But I do think that cutting through the propaganda is not only something that happens in the form of writing articles and independent media, as much as I obviously think those things are important, but popular organizing, popular education, these are spaces as well where that counter-propaganda can take place, right? Resistance to propaganda, that happens at rallies, that happens at teach-ins, that can happen, frankly, at a conversation you strike up with your relative or your friend. So it is something that some of us get to do the flashy, fun things like write articles, but that’s only one part of it. And it’s not necessarily the most effective. It’s certainly not the only effective form of what is, frankly, just very slow, and at times halting work of building resistance to imperialist warfare. So sometimes you might text your mom and provide a little bit of information about how to understand Hezbollah a bit better than what corporate media offer. And that can go a long way. JJ: All right. We’ll end there for now. We’ve been speaking with Gregory Shupak, academic and activist, and author of The Wrong Story: Palestine, Israel and the Media, available from OR Books. Thank you so much, Greg Shupak, for joining us this week on CounterSpin. GS: Yeah. Thanks again for having me. This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by Janine Jackson.
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The challenges humankind faces from the climate emergency to species extinction to terminal war may be difficult to comprehend, but we ignore them at our peril. Looking away is a lot easier than facing reality. Viewing the Earth as a giant shopping mal...
The challenges humankind faces from the climate emergency to species extinction to terminal war may be difficult to comprehend, but we ignore them at our peril. Looking away is a lot easier than facing reality. Viewing the Earth as a giant shopping mall to be exploited is leading us to a literal dead end. The capitalist system solely cares about making money. Can a deep caring for the Earth emerge that is nourishing and sustaining rather than recklessly exploiting it? What creative steps can we undertake to reverse the dangerous course we are on? The clock is ticking as our precious planet takes one hit after another. Can global society wake up to implement policies that will avert catastrophe? If not, Joanna Macy says, “It’s curtains.” This content originally appeared on AlternativeRadio and was authored by info@alternativeradio.org.
Hidden cost of Iran war – Max Blumenthal on the Judge
The Donroe Coalition: Trump’s new right-wing military alliance
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt='US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the "Shield of the Americas" Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images.' data-attachment-id="342006" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/the-donroe-coalition-trumps-new-right-wing-military-alliance/us-politics-summit-diplomacy" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","camera":"NIKON Z 9","caption":"US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the "Shield of the Americas" Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. President Trump is hosting a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss issues facing the region, from organized crime to illegal immigration. The summit also aims to serve Washington by boosting US interests in the region and curbing those from foreign powers like China. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1772897937","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-POLITICS-SUMMIT-DIPLOMACY","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="US-POLITICS-SUMMIT-DIPLOMACY" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the “Shield of the Americas” Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> Last weekend, Donald Trump met with right-wing allies from Latin America to kick off a new military coalition to attack so-called drug cartels and push his agenda up and down the hemisphere. This is episode 8 of Under the Shadow, Season 2.
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the "Shield of the Americas" Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images." decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="342006" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/the-donroe-coalition-trumps-new-right-wing-military-alliance/us-politics-summit-diplomacy" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","camera":"NIKON Z 9","caption":"US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the \"Shield of the Americas\" Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. President Trump is hosting a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss issues facing the region, from organized crime to illegal immigration. The summit also aims to serve Washington by boosting US interests in the region and curbing those from foreign powers like China. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1772897937","copyright":"AFP or licensors","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"US-POLITICS-SUMMIT-DIPLOMACY","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="US-POLITICS-SUMMIT-DIPLOMACY" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the “Shield of the Americas” Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2264669757-scaled.jpeg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> At least 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are on board with Trump’s new military alliance. They are calling it the America’s Counter Cartel Coalition. Latin America’s top right-wing leaders are involved, including El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei. They met in Florida for the event, on March 7. The United States has promised to use lethal force to destroy cartels and narco-traffickers in those nations. Kristi Noem, the former head of Homeland Security, is the new special envoy for the coalition. This is a new phase of Trump’s plan for Latin America. Trump’s Donroe Doctrine—Monroe 2.0. The first was the offensive against his enemies in the region. Now Trump is shoring up his allies, and building a coalition where the US military can continue to take action, now in collaboration with countries allied with Trump. We’ve already begun to see this unfold in Ecuador. This is Episode 8 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Many thanks to Belly of the Beast for the interview with Liz Oliva Fernandez and the use of the sound from several of their videos. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido’s 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests Alexander Main from the Center for Economic and Policy Research Alexis Ponce Resources You can read Alex’s excellent analysis of the Shield of the Americas summit here. Please also check out CEPR’s Americas Live Update Blog, with all of the latest from the region. Under the Shadow, Season 1: The Beginning: Monroe and migration | Under the Shadow, Episode 1 Panama. US Invasion. | Under the Shadow, Episode 13 The legacy of Monroe | Under the Shadow, Bonus Episode 4 Support Under the Shadow Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Transcript The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. An updated version will be made available as soon as possible. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Here’s the scene. Donald Trump sits at a wooden desk with the presidential seal on it. He’s wearing a dark blue suit. White shirt. Red tie. He has a big black marker in one hand as he talks to someone off screen. Eleven men and one woman walk onto the stage behind him and get into place. They’re soon joined by Trump’s Cuban American secretary of state Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. They are all smiling. These 12 men and woman behind Trump are his dream team of allies in Latin America and the Caribbean. His Avengers… The conservative and right-wing presidents who have been invited into Trump’s new exclusive club in the Americas. In return they are promising to do his bidding in the region, and open their borders to the U.S. military. This is their coming out party. Their debutant ball. The summit was called the Shield of the Americas. It was held on Saturday, March 7, in Miami, Florida at Trump’s National Doral Golf Club. Flanked by allies like Argentina’s Javier Milei, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, Trump looks down and signs a document committing to fight drug cartels in these countries and to quote, “train and mobilize partner nation militaries to achieve the most effective fighting force necessary.” PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: But on this historic day, we come together to announce a brand-new military coalition to eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region…. We’re calling this military partnership the America’s Counter-Cartel Coalition. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Trump spoke before the signing. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: For decades, leaders in this region have allowed large swaths of territory of the Western Hemisphere to come under the direct control. And transnational gangs have taken over, and they’ve run areas of your country. We’re not going to let that happen. We’ll help you. And bloodthirsty cartels that impose their will through murder, torture, extortion, drug trafficking, bribery, and terror. And some of you are in danger. I mean, you’re actually in danger. It’s hard to believe. But we’re working with you to do whatever we have to do. We’ll use missiles. If you want us to use a missile, they’re extremely accurate. Right into the living room. And that’s the end of that cartel person. But we’ll do whatever you need, if you want. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: This is a new phase of Trump’s plan for Latin America. Trump’s Donroe Doctrine — Monroe 2.0. The first was the offensive against his enemies in the region: threaten and attack his political adversaries. Unleash boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific. Invade Venezuela. Kidnap the president. Strangle Cuba. Threaten Mexico and Colombia. Tariff war on Brazil. And now it’s all happening in the shadows of war as the US bombs Iran. Now Trump is shoring up his allies in the region. And building a coalition where the U.S. military can continue to take action… now in collaboration with countries allied with Trump. We’ve already begun to see this unfold…. In Ecuador. US Southern Command posted this video… on X on March 3. It shows a chopper taking flight. And then grey footage shot from a helicopter or drones, with a bullseye on the screen under the words “unclassified.” The text reads, “On March 3, Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador. The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.” On Friday, March 6, the US and Ecuadorian military announced that they had carried out joint strikes on a drug traffickers’ training camp in northeastern Ecuador. “We are advancing alongside our partners in the fight against narcoterrorism,” Southcom posted on X. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: Just as we formed a coalition to eradicate ISIS in the Middle East, we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home. ALEXANDER MAIN: I think basically they’re trying to find any excuse to get militarily involved in as many countries as possible in the region using the pretext of, you know, the threat of the cartels and drug trafficking. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Alexander Main is the director of international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research based in Washington, DC. We will hear from him throughout this episode. ALEXANDER MAIN: And of course, they’ve been inventing cartels, including the Cartel de los Soles, which was the whole pretext for Venezuela and abducting you know President Nicolás Maduro Venezuela. So when they say cartels I think they use that term very loosely. In the case of the cartel de los Soles, there’s no evidence that it is any kind of an organized drug trafficking cartel. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: This is a new game plan in the region. One which we have not seen in a very, very long time. ALEXANDER MAIN: To my knowledge, we haven’t seen this in recent times, this kind of level of collaboration in carrying out military attacks within a country, at least publicly. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: And this is just the beginning. At least 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are on board with Trump’s campaign. The United States has promised to use lethal force to destroy cartels and narco-traffickers in those nations. Kristi Noem, the former head of Homeland Security, is the new special envoy for the coalition. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke to the audience just before Trump’s signing ceremony. PETE HEGSETH [CLIP]: And at the War Department, we look forward to working with all of your countries and more that are not here to say, with our shared assets and our intelligence and our capabilities with American leadership, we will go on offense against the cartels. They will know that we’re just around the corner. Whether it’s drug boats or on land, we look the America’s counter-cartel coalition, the ACCC, will be a force for good for peace through strength in this hemisphere. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: All of that in a minute… [THEME MUSIC] This is Under the Shadow — an investigative narrative podcast series that looks at the role of the United States abroad, in the past and the very present. This podcast is a co-production in partnership with The Real News and NACLA. I’m your host, Michael Fox — longtime radio reporter, editor, journalist. The producer and host of the podcasts Brazil on Fire and Stories of Resistance. I’ve spent the better part of the last 20 years in Latin America. I’ve seen firsthand the role of the US government abroad. And most often, sadly, it is not for the better: Invasions, coups, sanctions. Support for authoritarian regimes. Politically and economically, the United States has cast a long shadow over Latin America for the past 200 years. It still does. This is Season 2 of Under the Shadow: Trump’s Attack. The Donroe Coalition: Trump’s New Right-Wing Military Alliance for the Americas So… If you have been following this podcast, you know that most of this season I’ve been looking at Trump’s onslaught on the region, in particular against his political adversaries. I’ve looked at the boat strikes, the invasion of Venezuela, the U.S. oil blockade against Cuba and resistance against these and other threats across Latin America Today, I’m diving into Trump’s Shield of the Americas summit. I’ll dig into his increasing ties with right-wing governments across Latin America and the U.S. military plans to use force inside those countries under the pretext of the so-called drug war. But it’s not just about drugs. As guests on previous episodes have underscored, Trump’s doctrine is spinning together the war on drugs and the war on terror into a frightening new militarized agenda in the name of combating narco-terrorists or cartels in Latin America, even when those cartels are a fabrication. ALEXANDER MAIN: So yeah so they’re they’re talking about fighting cartels and you know we can expect them to kind of pull cartels out of thin air right and left. And you know so everything is a cartel and then anything that’s a cartel is a terrorist organization too. And that’s something we’ve been seeing since the beginning of this administration, this Trump administration. You know, they’ve been referring to cartels and gangs as as terrorist organizations. And as terrorist organizations, that makes them military targets, right? MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: I’m going to be joined most of today, by Alex Main. He followed this Shield of the Americas summit closely and wrote about it for the Center for Economic and Policy Research, where he’s the director of international policy. Alex says even just a few weeks ago, the summit wasn’t really on people’s radar. ALEXANDER MAIN: Well, ah yeah, it’s something that no one really knew about until fairly recently. And until it actually happened, you know, we still didn’t know much about it because the White House, contrary to with other big events, multilateral events that happened. You know, the US administration organizes, there are no fact sheets, there were no press releases, there was nothing to really explain what this was. And in fact, we first found out about it, essentially through leaks, some leaks to the media, and mostly from heads of state themselves that were proudly sharing the invitations they got to this summit. You know, of course, dealing with foreign interference has always been sort of the big pretext for U.S. intervention of all kinds in the region, right? that’s That’s what the Monroe Doctrine is based on, initially to keep out European powers and to help Latin American and Caribbean independent nations keep those European powers out, but in practice, of course, becoming fairly quickly a pretext for you know trying to exert direct control over those those countries and you know eventually invading and occupying those countries in a lot of cases. And and so you know we’re now dealing with um a Monroe Doctrine that’s on steroids, with and it’s being called the Donroe Doctrine. It sounds like a joke, you know, Don for Donald Trump. But it’s actually a term that’s being used seriously people. you know, cabinet officials, Marco Rubio and ah Defense Secretary Hegseth and others. PETE HEGSETH [CLIP]: President Trump has re-established the Monroe Doctrine, the Trump Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine, or if you’d like, for short, you can just call it the Donroe Doctrine. ALEXANDER MAIN: And yeah, so it’s the Donroe Doctrine. And, you know, we’ve had kind of an indication of what that is over the last year or so, particularly since the U.S. began to really militarize the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. and you know carry out military actions that have gone kind of far beyond anything that a recent U.S. administration has done in the region. so So yeah, it’s it’s elicited a lot of concern. But the countries tthat were invited to this summit, were actually those countries, and it’s a minority of countries in the region, that have basically been cheerleaders For you know the Trump approach, the Donroe Doctrine, and you know particularly this militarized approach that we’re seeing, they’ve not only gone along with it, they are doing the same thing in their own countries in a lot of cases. They’re labeling gangs and cartels and so on as terrorist organizations, just as the administration started doing at the beginning of last year. And of course, by calling these crime organizations, by referring to them as terrorist organizations, they then make those organizations military targets, right? And it gives them a pretext to mobilize the military and to involve the U.S. in a lot of cases, like we’ve just seen in Ecuador. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Like we have seen in recent weeks in Ecuador. We’ll get to that in a second. But first I want to go to Miami. This is where Trump held his Shield of the Americas meeting. It’s not an accident that it was in Florida, rather than in Washington, the U.S. capital. Alex explains why this was a no-brainer for Trump. ALEXANDER MAIN: It is his own territory. It’s his golf resort. He has two big resorts down there. One is Mar-a-Lago, and then the other in Miami is the Trump National Doral Miami Golf Resort. And you know we can expect, just as Mar-a-Lago has gotten a lot of revenue from a lot of visitors that want to see President Trump, that want to hobnob with him since he’s there all the time. Similarly with you know the the location of this summit, you know we can clearly see that there’s also a profit motive behind the choice of the place. But beyond the fact that it’s at the resort, there I think it’s also significant that it’s in Miami, in South Florida, because this is where you have the most enthusiastic audience for Trump’s approach to the region, to you know to this Donro Doctrine, and and particularly you know his and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s attacks against the left. And and this came up a lot during the the summit. I mean, attack attacks against Cuba in particular.” This is… what the administration has been focused on quite a bit since the intervention in Venezuela. They’ve set their sights on Cuba with a veritable oil blockade that’s been really asphyxiating the country economically. Of course, the country has been suffering economically for a long time as a result of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. embargo that’s been in place since 1960, but this has reached a whole new level, and it really appears that they’re pushing hard for regime change. And yeah, this has an enthusiastic audience among Cuban-American exiles in South Florida, sort of the old guard that still exerts a lot of influence over politics and the media and the economy of South Florida. And so I think, you know, this was the perfect stage for this kind of a gathering. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: The Latin American leaders at Trump’s summit were a who’s who of the right and far right leadership in the region. Among them were the heads of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. ALEXANDER MAIN: We’ve seen a lot of political change in the region over the last few years, and that change has generally been towards the right and more and more towards the far right. A lot of these leaders that were present from 12 countries in the region at this summit, a lot of them can be really characterized as far right and very aligned with President Trump. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: People like Nayib Bukele. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: Nayib Bukhari. You know, he is a man who we’ve gotten very close to. I saw him as a young man my first time. You were young and handsome. Now you’re older and handsome. You’re older and handsome. But he runs a good operation. That’s all I care about, right? MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Bukele is El Salvador’s 44-year-old president, who’s been in power since 2019. His name has become synonymous with power grabs and an iron fist crackdown on gangs in Latin America. He literally has called himself the “world’s coolest dictator”. He has opened the country for real estate, tourism, and tech business while imposing an ongoing state of exception that has locked up more than 90,000 alleged gang members since 2022. But thousands of people are innocent. And they’re languishing in El Salvador’s high security prisons without habeas corpus or the rule of law. Argentina’s chainsaw-wielding free-market economist president Javier Milei was also present. He’s become famous for shouting “Long live freedom, damn it!” at his rallies. “Viva la libertad, carajo!” ALEXANDER MAIN: He characterizes himself as an anarcho-libertarian. And I think that sounds more benign, it really is, because he is also a big admirer of the military dictatorship in Argentina. And he’s engaged in a war on the left, on social movements. And of course, he’s, you know, trying to reduce you know the welfare programs that exist in in Argentina. And he’s really been engaged on an onslaught against you know some of the achievements, the social and economic achievements of Argentina over the past few decades. And he’s gotten a lot of support for Trump and Trump has intervened heavily in his favor, in particular with a $20 billion bailout last year that occurred shortly before the elections. The Trump administration also supported a major loan from the International Monetary Fund, one that a lot of the membership of the International Monetary Fund objected to because it was so enormous and because the levels of debt in Argentina are so high. These moves helped stabilize the currency and stabilize the economy before the congressional elections last year and allowed Malay to have a real victory there. And he’s now able to ram through some of his more radical reforms through Congress.” And then you have Daniel Noboa from Ecuador, who has also aligned himself very strongly with Trump and who’s also attacking the left, not only at home, where he’s you know basically outlawed the major opposition party. That was his latest move. It just happened a couple of days ago, actually. But he has also been involved in really really heavy repression of the left in in Ecuador. And he’s also kind of helping serve as a proxy to try to weaken ah left-wing government that’s next door, which is that of Gustavo Petro of Colombia, where he has he has been imposing very, very high tariffs. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Chile’s then president-elect Jose Antonio Kast also attended Trump’s summit. He was inaugurated this week. Kast is perhaps the most radically far right president in the region today. And he is extreme even by Trump standards. ALEXANDER MAIN: I mean, his his father himself you know, was a Nazi. There’s evidence for that. And it’s not something that Kast has tried to distance himself from. Kast is a big defender of the Pinochet dictatorship. Which involved so many victims, so many forced disappearances, so much torture and killings and so on.” So, yeah, you have you have a lot of, you know, individuals of nature in the region now. And i think more and more that are…. kind of going further than they would otherwise. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Alex says one example is Kamla Persad-Bissessar… ALEXANDER MAIN: The prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, who used to be considered somewhat progressive when she was leader of the opposition in Trinidad. And today she is joining the Trump administration in you know, attacking Cuba, and she’s very supportive of the blockade against Cuba that’s occurring at this moment. She was very supportive of the attacks on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, um you know, last fall. Even though a lot of these attacks, you know, probably involved Trinidadians, we know that, you know, there were Trinidadian victims. And she supported the the invasion of Venezuela. She went against basically all the other countries in the Caribbean to do this. And it’s become quite clear that she believes that the winning ticket is to kind of go along with Trump and his policies. And she was one of those who was very proudly… telling the world that she’d been invited to this summit, even though it only happened recently. She was only invited at the last minute, really, in the last two weeks. um When Caracom held a summit, she took some positions against the rest of the Caribbean community, including on Cuba and Marco Rubio, who… rewarded her with an invitation to this summit. So basically, if you want to be part of the club, you have to go along with the extreme agenda of President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the region. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Marco Rubio spoke to the leaders assembled at the summit. MARCO RUBIO [CLIP]: These are countries that have been there for us, and these are leaders that are not just allies. They are friends, and they are always willing to work and cooperate with the United States. And we’re grateful for that. We want to be a partner with you in that. We want the world to see that when you are a friend and an ally of the United States, it is a good thing. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: It’s reciprocated. It comes back the other way as well. And so the fact the President is here today and making this a priority is so critical. Clearly Trump’s allies represent a growing proportion of leaders across the region. And he’s thrown his weight around to help make it so. On the eve of the presidential election in Honduras in November 2025, Trump threatened to cut off aid to the country if voters did not choose his preferred candidate, the right wing former mayor of Tegucigalpa, Nasry “Tito” Asfura. Trump’s allegiances are clear: before Honduras had finished a long, drawn out vote count, Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, he is convicted drug trafficker and Honduran former president, who also happened to be an important ally of Asfura, who ultimately won. Elsewhere in the region, Trump expressed support for Bukele’s 2024 reelection bid in El Salvador. Noboa in Ecuador in 2025. And he’s already endorsed Argentina’s Milei for another term ahead of presidential electionsin 2027. And Trump embraced Chile’s Kast before he had even entered office. The list goes on. But the region’s three most populous countries — Brazil, Mexico and Colombia — are clearly not on board. And Alex says the majority of the region isn’t going along with Trump’s agenda. ALEXANDER MAIN: One litmus test is right after the attack on Venezuela and the abduction of Maduro you had a meeting, an emergency meeting of the community of Latin American and Caribbean states, CELAC. And there, there was agreement apparently between two-thirds of those countries on a statement denouncing the intervention and saying that it violated international law, which of course it did But you had this group of countries, and I think it was eight or nine at the time, that that blocked it, right? And again, the the numbers are growing. But at the moment, you still have the majority of the region. I wouldn’t call them necessarily progressive, all these countries, but at least… wanting to defend sovereignty. They see what happened in Venezuela and think this could happen in my country, you know, what’s going to prevent the US doing the very same thing. And so, you know, they have pushed back, but I would say they don’t offer a very united front. And so that’s, I think, one of the dangers of this summit is that they’re really trying to consolidate block of countries that are closely coordinated. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Trump has appointed the former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to lead the coalition. Remember, she’s been largely responsible for the crack down across the United States over the last year and in particular, the chaos of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. She spoke to the leaders assembled at the Shield of the Americas summit. KRISTI NOEM [CLIP]: This Shield of Americas will be a powerful example to the rest of the world about what’s possible. There’s nothing like this happening today anywhere else in the world, and the way that we cooperate on our shared ideals of freedom and of democracy and safety and security will be a shining light to all of those who wish to be more like all of us. Our objectives are going to be to destroy the cartels, to go after these narco-terrorists that are destroying our people, killing our children and our grandchildren. We’re also going to keep our adversaries at bay. Those adversaries that wish to change our way of life and our values that are outside of our hemisphere, we want to ensure that we’re continuing to keep them out of our hemisphere and focus on building alliances amongst ourselves and our strengths. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Kristi’s choice of words here is striking. Its reminiscent of George W. Bush’s language in the wake of 9-11, as the U.S. launched its war on terror. GEORGE W. BUSH [CLIP]: Every nation, in every region, now has a decisions to make. You’re either with us or your with the terrorists. Today… Our way of life. Our very freedom came under attack. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Bush said those words often. In one press conference the month after September 11, 2001, he told press: “The object of terrorism is to try to force us to change our way of life, is to force us to retreat, is to force us to be what we’re not. And they’re going to fail. Today again… the language of the war on terror is being combined with the war on drugs to create a new justification for intervention in the region: the cartels or so-called narco-terrorists. I spoke with Alex Aviña about this a few weeks ago. He’s a associate professor of Latin American history at Arizona State University. ALEX AVIÑA: We have an affirmation of power and we can do things because we can. And if you’re not with us, we are going to destroy you. And and I think that’s the logic, right? That connects Gaza to the US-Mexico borderlands, to Cuba, to to Venezuela, to anybody who’s in the crosshairs right now, to Iran, right? and it’s a powerful sovereign who gets to decide who who must live and and who must die, who deserves to die. that’s the I think the deserves part is really important. And that’s what also connects… someone like Alex Pretti’s extrajudicial assassination with the more than a hundred of Latin Americans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Venezuelans that have been extrajudicially executed in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. It’s not just that they must die. It’s that they deserve to die. And there’s no legal process. There’s just an execution because these people were marked as deserving to die because they are narco terrorist in the case of these, these, these individuals in the Caribbean. Or in the case of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, they’re domestic terrorists. So of course they have to die.” MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: And now more than a dozen countries in Latin America are opening their doors to lethal action inside their borders by the United States… A dozen leaders attended the Shield of the Americas Summit. But the defense ministers of 17 Latin American countries participated in the Americas Counter Cartel Conference two days before. It was held at the headquarters of the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida, near Trump’s golf course and the Miami airport. The five additional countries included the Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala, Jamaica and Peru. STEPHEN MILLER [CLIP]: Good morning, welcome to the America’s Counter Cartel Conference hosted by the Secretary of War, the Honorable Pete Hegseth, and the Commander of the United States Southern Command, General Francis Donovan. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller spoke to the countries present. He did not mince words when it came to conflating the war on terror with the war on drugs. STEPHEN MILLER [CLIP]: The cartels that operate in this hemisphere are the ISIS and the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere and should be treated just as brutally and just as ruthlessly as we treat those organizations. Just as we fought Al Qaeda and fought ISIS with the tip of a very lethal spear, the reason why this is a conference with military leadership and not a conference of lawyers is because these organizations can only be defeated with military power. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Military power. PETE HEGSETH [CLIP]: Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my distinct pleasure to introduce our Secretary of War, the Honorable Pete Hegseth. Well, good morning, everybody. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: At the event, Hegseth took strides to find common ground and history with the participating nations. PETE HEGSETH [CLIP]: All the nations represented in this room are offsprings of Western civilization. Our nations are and always will be united by our heritage, our history, and geography in this new world. We share the same interests. And because of this, we face an essential test, whether our nations will be and remain Western nations with distinct characteristics, Christian nations under God, proud of our shared heritage with strong borders and prosperous people ruled not by violence and chaos, but by law, order, and common sense. Or whether we are permanently torn apart by something else, led astray by competing forces, radical narco-communism and anarcho-tyranny which threaten our people, borders, and sovereign lands in the name of a false sovereignty or a false peace. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Alex Main…. ALEXANDER MAIN: So I think, you know, just as the summit in at the Trump Resort in Miami was a Trump show, other leaders didn’t get much of a chance to speak. In fact, the most… most of them managed to do was just get a selfie with Trump. And this is just a show that involved mostly of a speech by Trump. Well, similarly, we saw this with Pete Hegseth, you know, who put on a big sort of macho, militaristic show as well um to these defense ministers from 17 countries in the region, you know basically saying, you know we need to get tougher on these cartels. And, you know, basically is encouraging these governments to both kind of give their militaries a blank check in going after, you know, organized crime or maybe not even organized crime, having their way in these countries in terms of law enforcement. And also encouraging them to seek the U.S.’s aid. And if they don’t seek the U.S.’s aid, they, you know, it might be forced upon them, right? PETE HEGSETH [CLIP]: President Trump understands that today’s threats to border security and key terrain in our hemisphere are existential questions for our nation and for all of yours. When adversaries conduct incursions in this hemisphere, off the coast of a U.S. state, Alaska, or off the coast of Greenland, or in the Gulf of America, or the Caribbean, that is a direct threat to the United States homeland and to peace in this hemisphere. When adversaries control ports or infrastructure along strategic choke points for U.S. and hemispheric trade, such as the Panama Canal, or install military facilities just miles off our shore, that is a threat to the United States homeland and peace to this hemisphere. When terrorist killers and cartels capture strategic infrastructure, resources, and entire towns or cities close to U.S. borders and U.S. shores, or profit from mass illegal migration, that is a threat to the United States homeland and a threat to all of you as well, to the Americas. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Alex Main… ALEXANDER MAIN: So, yes, I think it was a Hegseth show. you know, of course, we know he was a Fox News host, and he’s kind of continued to play a similar role as defense secretary. And, yeah, this whole idea that they are now going to focus on the cartels, you know, it’s it’s it can It can with a lot of skepticism because, for one, um they do kind of make up cartels out of thin air, as we saw in the Venezuelan, the Cartel de los Soles. And two, you know, it’s pretty clear that they, you know, are very selective in how they want to combat combat drug trafficking. We saw President Trump pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras, who you know is apparently involved, and and there’s evidence of this, in enabling an enormous amount of tracking trafficking of cocaine to the US, more than 400 tons of cocaine apparently. And so if you’re going to release somebody like that, that kind of suggests that maybe you’re not all that serious about drug trafficking or that you see the drug trafficking problem very selectively. [00:34:05.91] “And, you know, another indication of this is, how deep they’re getting into cooperating with Daniel Noboa of Ecuador in fighting drug gangs there, or at least, you know, that’s that’s what they say they’re doing. When, you know, there are reports that, you know, his family’s business, one that he’s been very involved in in the past, and you know, has been shipping cocaine to Europe. At the very least, you would think that before going in deep with Daniel Noboa and fighting drug trafficking, that they might want to look into this just a little bit, but there’s no indication the Department of Justice in the U.S. is in the least bit interested in trying to find out more about how the Noboa family business could be you know involved themselves in major drug trafficking. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: That’s for a good reason… Born in Miami, Florida and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador… Ecuador’s 38-year-old president Daniel Noboa is a friendly sidekick for the Trump administration. Noboa has been bucking public opinion in Ecuador to build increasing ties with the United States and the U.S. military. ALEXANDER MAIN: I think the U.S. sees Ecuador as a model in this regard, and Ecuador you know signed a status of forces agreement, which allows U.S. military personnel to be mobilized in the country and gives them immunity from prosecution. Paraguay just signed a similar status of forces agreement and and I think we’re going to be seeing more of that and just more involvement in these countries and you know when the US gets very deeply involved in the military and intelligence apparatus of the state, it gives them enormous leverage, leverage including, you know, over over the politics and and the policy agenda of those countries. And so it is an instrument of control, and it’s one that I think the Trump administration is very interested in using more and more. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Ecuador. This is a country I know pretty well. I lived there in the mid 2010s. I covered Daniel Noboa’s presidential reelection last year. And both before and after that reelection, Noboa has ordered the country’s armed forces to carry out military operations against so-called “terrorists” or gangs. In January 2024, he declared an “internal armed conflict” in the country and classified 22 criminal gangs as quote, “terrorist organizations.” “We are in a state of war,” he said in a 2024 interview, “and we cannot give in to these terrorist groups.” He used this narrative to get reelected last year. In early March, this year, as I mentioned at the top, Ecuador became the first country in the region during Trump’s second term to invite in U.S. forces to collaborate on a violent raid on a drug traffickers’ training camp. This is significant, for multiple reasons. For one thing, this move came less than four months after Ecuadorians voted down a national referendum proposed by Noboa to change the constitution to allow foreign military bases in Ecuador. Remember, that for 20 years, the United States controlled the Manta military base, northwest of Guayaquil along the Ecuadorian coast. But in 2009, former president Rafael Correa shut down the base and kicked US troops out of the country. I spoke with Ecuadorian human rights defender Alexis Ponce about the impact of the Noboa-Trump joint military raid and Noboa’s increasing U.S. military ties. He spoke over Zoom from his home in Quito. Alexis says that when Ecuadorians voted against allowing foreign military bases and a number of other proposed constitutional changes, movements in other countries said “wow, the Ecuadorian people are on the forefront of the fight against military intervention in latin America… and this amidst a continent where the US was already bombing the Caribbean, threatening Greenland, Canada, Mexico and Colombia.” Alexis says he hoped Ecuadorians and their Latin American neighbors could build on the victory. Stay united and gain inspiration. But Noboa disregarded the popular will and instead pushed ahead with his militarization agenda. ALEXIS PONCE: The people feel that it is a shame. They voted against the U.S. bases, and yet Noboa is advancing with the U.S. military on top of us. But at the same time the people are afraid, as in 1930s Germany. Why? Because with fear you win the ideological, cultural battle of thought, because people are afraid that Noboa and his allies can do whatever they want. They can do anything. And they don’t have to tell anyone. Because it’s classified. No one has the right to know how many U.S. soldiers are here and what they’re going to do. Though, we can guess what they’re planning from what they’ve already done. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Alex Main… ALEXANDER MAIN: To my knowledge, we haven’t seen this in recent times, this kind of level of collaboration in carrying out military attacks within a country, at least publicly, because we know that privately the U.S. has been involved in a lot of sort of intelligence sharing. There could at times be special forces on the ground that we don’t know about. You know, for instance, during the presidency of Alvaro Uribe in Colombia, there was actually a military strike on a camp of, you know, a guerrilla insurgency group, the FARC, that was, you know, close to the Colombian border. And they went in and violated Ecuador’s sovereignty. And, you know, afterwards, it became clear that, you know, these attacks were carried out with a lot of help from the U.S., ah U.S. intelligence and so on. So I think that’s that sort of thing has probably been going on for a while and and and far more than what’s on the public record. But doing this overtly, I think, you know one, it hasn’t been seen, I think, in a very long time, but two, it also, I think, can have a chilling effect on other countries in the region.” You know Ecuador, has Colombia on its border. It’s very close to Brazil as well. You know, two countries with progressive governments that the Trump administration doesn’t get along with. And, know, there could easily be fears that you know, if tensions grow between the Trump administration and some of these progressive governments, and they’ve been quite intense in recent months, that you know there is the possibility of military action. The US military is right there. They effectively have bases in a place like Ecuador, even though that’s unconstitutional. And so if we see this in in more countries, and particularly in these kind of very far right areas, these countries with very far-right governments, neighboring progressive governments, I think these progressive governments are going to be feeling more and more surrounded by hostile U.S. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: One theme was sounded again and again by U.S. officials at both the Shield of the Americas summit and the Counter Cartels Conference. The need to use lethal military force against their enemies… foreign and domestic. Donald Trump. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: Every leader here today is united in the conviction that we cannot and will not tolerate the lawlessness in our hemisphere any longer. The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our militaries. We have to use our military. You have to use your military. You can’t fight these people with — and you have great police. You have some great police, but they threaten your police. They scare your police. You’ve got to use your military. In many cases, our forces have already been working closely with yours. And the United States looks forward to deepening and expanding that cooperation in the months ahead. And it’s so good that we got to know so many of you. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: I want to underscore something that is really important What Trump is demanding here is really concerning, and a complete about face for the direction Latin America has tried to head into since the end of the Cold War. Remember that throughout the 1960s until the 80s, South America was ruled by U.S. backed dictatorships and Central America was in the grips of U.S.-backed authoritarian governments and bloody civil wars. Throughout the region, militaries were unleashing violence on their own civilian populations… As I looked at in depth in season 1 of this podcast. But the late 80s and 90s ushered in a redemocratization effort that attempted to separate out the role of the police and military forces. It wasn’t always successful. But the idea was to ensure that the countries of Latin America would not use lethal military force on their own citizens under the guise of national security… or in the name of protecting the nation against a so-called internal threat. Trump is turning the clock back on this policy to a Cold War era in which governments once again deploy their militaries on citizens inside the country… in Latin America and even in the United States. And his policies are pushing deadly force… with no accountability. Alex Main… ALEXANDER MAIN: You are seeing more and more the police kind of push to one side and and the military taking over law enforcement. You know, that’s… become the big thing. And then and then in some cases, a kind of a militarization of law enforcement. We’ve seen this in Honduras over the years. It started under Juan Orlando Hernandez actually, where they created you know militarized units of of the police. And so the lines are getting completely blurred, you know, between the police and the military and what is what. It’s all becoming extremely militarized. And… You know, the military has no training in kind of, you know, human rights or restraint. They’re trained for combat. That’s, you know, that’s part of the issue with deploying the National Guard all over the U.S. Thankfully, you know, to date in the U.S., s the National Guard haven’t actually been involved in sort of clashes with protesters and so on, but that’s happened with ICE, which is, you know similar kind of militarized law enforcement unit here in the US. But yeah, this is this is becoming the new paradigm. ah And as you mentioned, it’s kind of hearkening back to what we were seeing under the dictatorships.” And you know basically, again, this idea that anybody can be labeled ah part of a cartel, you know if the gut if the government says, oh, you’re a drug trafficker, you know, that’s it. But then they don’t necessarily provide any evidence. And suddenly you’re a military target. And I think that’s the real danger as well. We’re going to see we are seeing a growing backlash to these far right governments in the region. And, you know, the best way to deal with a strong backlash as we saw into the dictatorships is to mobilize the troops and, you to violently repress dissent internally. And you know now there is a new paradigm that I think is gonna really enable that more and more. So, you know it’s a real danger. And I think in the US, you know we have to think when we’re fighting kind of the militarization of law enforcement in the US, think about you know how it needs to be fought elsewhere and how the US is backing this same model that we’ve been seeing in the US in other countries in the region. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: The meetings over the last week in Miami were just the beginning. The 17 members of the new Counter Cartel Coalition have their marching orders from Washington. And if Trump has his way, they will be following in the footsteps of Ecuador, actively collaborating with the U.S. military. Think School of the Americas 2.0, but with U.S. soldiers taking flight alongside foreign militaries and dishing out lethal action up and down the hemisphere, with the consent of local governments. But with one country actually calling the shots — the United States. This new coalition is also a symbol of how Trump is trying to circumvent multipolar institutions… with parallel institutions that will do his bidding. Instead of working through the UN, Trump founded his so-called Board of Peace to allegedly manage the so-called reconstruction of Gaza. Instead of working through the Organization of American States — which the U.S. already controls… but where there would be clear dissent, Trump has launched his Counter Cartel Coalition… with his closest allies clearly on board, and zero resistance to his agenda. We will join and work together to end the pandemic of the cartels and all the criminal actions associated to them. Chile’s incoming Minister of Defense spoke at the Counter Cartels Conference. FERNANDO BARROS [CLIP]: The great difference between them and us is that this alliance is against criminals (19:42) and we will fight them… And we will be tough. We will fight. We will be in a war because the law is with us. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Costa Rican Minister of Public Security Mario Zamora Cordero. MARIO ZAMORA CORDERO [CLIP]: We are thankful that the doctrine of the United States of the year 2026 gives priority to this continent because, Mr. Hegseth, you come in the moment that the Americas really need the support of the United States. Today you’re commanding, as in the past, Colonel Custer commanded the 7th Cavalry, supporting the democracies in the continent at the moment in which we really need it. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Those words are pretty shocking – especially from a representative of Costa Rica, a country that abolished its army more than 70 years ago. Colonel George Custer was a Civil War hero for the Union Army, but he is better known for leading the 7th Cavalry on a U.S. genocidal campaign against Native Americans… pushing the Lakota from their land in the present-day Western U.S. in the 1870s. He was killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn, in an event that would be known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” The Costa Rican representative’s comparison is both chilling and revealing. Historian and activist Nick Estes has described the Monroe Doctrine as the extension and expansion of Manifest Destiny across the continent. Manifest Destiny, of course, was the 19th century idea that justified U.S. western expansion andviolence against indigenous people, The Monroe Doctrine, and more specifically the Roosevelt corollary that Trump’s actions harken back to, took up that campaign for ever-expanding annexation and control abroad. And it’s clear that Trump is also lifting this flag of manifest destiny again, like no U.S. president in recent history…. From threatening to take Greenland, to transform Canada into a 51st US state, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and all of his threats across Latin America. He even referenced manifest destiny on the inauguruation of this second term. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP [CLIP]: The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation — one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons. And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Once again… the justification for most of this intervention and expansion in Latin America is the Monroe Doctrine. It’s clearly the guiding light for the Trump administration and apparently even for some of Trump’s allies. Alex Main. ALEXANDER MAIN: When Trump came back, it wasn’t only the Monroe Doctrine. It was like a new extreme version of the Monroe Doctrine that was going to be applied. They talked about in the national defense strategy, they talked about having a Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which also brings back some very bad memories because that reminds people of the Teddy Roosevelt ah corollary, which involved extremely heavy interventionism. you know, in the region, US military occupation of countries and so on. um And the Donroe Doctrine and and sure enough, we’re back to the age of gun blow gunboat diplomacy. You know, there’s a kind of an age where international law no longer seems to exist and the U S can just do what it wants… It’s an insane time when you have a U.S. government get away with talking about a Monroe Doctrine, a Donroe Doctrine, and have so many fans in the region. It just shows kind of where we’re at. And these governments, they’re basically presenting themselves as subjects of, you know, the U.S. empire and, you know, prepared to kind of go in all sorts of crazy directions to placate the emperor in the form of President Trump.” MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: That is all for today… You know…. Last time, I told you today, we’d be heading to Mexico. And I promise to go there in the next episode. But I wanted to get this urgent episode out quickly. As this summit just took place and I wanted to be as timely as possible. So next time I take you to Mexico City, which I visited first hand recently, to look at the U.S. threats on the country just the other side of the Rio Grande, the long history of U.S. intervention in the country and the impact it’s all having today… One thing I will be digging into in this upcoming episode on Mexico, is just how failed the whole strategy of the drug war and the now this new war on the cartels is. It doesn’t work, as Mexico has shown us clearly for a long time… That is next time on Under the Shadow… I’m your host Michael Fox. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today’s podcast, and you like this series, please do us a favor, go to your podcasting app and give us a like, a follow, a subscribe and leave us a comment or a review. It really helps to spread the word about the show. Also… I really want to thank Alex Main and Alexis Ponce for sitting down with me over the last week for this episode. You can find more about Alex Main’s organization… the Center for Economic and Policy Research at CEPR.Net. I’ll add a link in the show notes. Oh… one thing I wanted to add that I think it really important…you do have members of Congress who are pushing back against Trump’s Donroe Doctrine in Washington. ALEXANDER MAIN: I think the one positive thing that’s happened is that you do have progressive members of Congress. Progressive Democracts in Congress. And they have reintroduced a resolution that was first introduced on the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, basically revoking the Monroe Doctrine. And it’s been updated with some of the more recent crimes against humanity, violations of international law and so on in the region that we’ve seen under this second Trump administration. And, you know, I think it’s it’s a good text as a reference for everything that’s wrong with U.S. policy towards the region and and how it needs to change and how, you know, U.S. really for its own good in order to have a more prosperous, stable, democratic region needs to embrace Latin American independence and allow these countries to really have self-determination and, you know, the agendas. that the peoples of those countries you know want to see applied, both you know domestically and internationally. I think you know it’s in the U.S.’s best interest to support that. And fortunately, you do have a few progressive U.S. members of Congress that are aware of that and that are pushing back. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Resistance despite Trump’s onslaught at home and abroad. As always… if you are looking for more information, news and reporting on Trump’s attack, both on communities within the United States and abroad… please check out The Real News and NACLA. Both of them are publishing daily indispensable reporting. The theme music is by my band Monte Perdido. You can find us on Spotify or wherever you stream music. This closing music playing right now is off our 2024 album Ofrenda. I hope you check it out. Finally, if you like what you hear, please head over to my Patreon page: Patreon.com/mfox. There you can support my work, become a monthly sustainer, or sign up to stay abreast of the latest on this podcast and my other reporting across Latin America. This really helps me to continue to do this important work. Under the Shadow is a co-production of The Real News and NACLA. This episode script was edited by Heather Gies. Thanks for listening. See you next time. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Michael Fox.
More Than 250 Groups Oppose Additional Spending on Trump’s Illegal Iran War
Members of Congress should vote against any additional funding for President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional war on Iran, 251 groups said today in a letter sent to Congress. Waging a war of choice that costs an estimated $1 billion a day not only fail...
Members of Congress should vote against any additional funding for President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional war on Iran, 251 groups said today in a <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCxXwZR0L9lem-2B5XpAYqIXzPv1KsPi3BjhuZy4uCtQ8fpcuSI5aSrV3h7NUzFKIuMXZZ5dbWbHG7I-2F-2BeKMx2lAceie2am-2FpGa11VYhFIdtSVkJnAa_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3AJ7m1SqC86dGW70lhYr7cVY76-2BOnAjDMomd7r84cAZqiSXR-2Be-2F8yXxQqeVBud18GNsOEw5wHq6mXLJ0nx-2BVq1ROMS9QOwMHiiHRGwKRlw7kdTtCUVSPAnsbYs0Yc7GkR1ZpWM2XFIONui7bpQ-2FXcnW6f2ylxFK-2FrfHoPnNUM-2Fmw4uFpql0L-2BWNgn-2BvNq86O8mViu5zWioWAwsRlmGAiosA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >letter sent to Congress. Waging a war of choice that costs an estimated $1 billion a day not only fails to address the economic squeeze and health care crisis facing Americans, but diverts federal funding from an array of urgent domestic priorities. The letter was led by Public Citizen, Win Without War, MoveOn, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “By launching a war against Iran, Trump has violated the Constitution, defied international law, flouted the will of the American people, and has put millions of lives across the region at risk. A vote for President Trump’s Pentagon supplemental funding package would be a vote to commit the U.S. even further to this crisis, which has already killed seven U.S. servicemembers and nearly 2,000 people from across the region, and which endangers the lives of many more,” the letter reads. The Pentagon’s budget now totals more than $1 trillion, after an extra $150 billion the agency received in the GOP’s reconciliation bill. A supplemental worth $50 billion would be enough to restore food assistance for four million Americans, establish universal pre-K education, and pay for the annual construction of more than 100,000 units of housing. The groups maintain that this illegal war with Iran cannot be an excuse to fund more weapons instead of priorities here at home. Other prominent signatories to the letter include Oxfam America, the Service Employees International Union, National Nurses United, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the National Organization for Women, the Union of Concerned Scientists, J Street, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Indivisible, Common Cause, Jewish Voice for Peace, Rising Majority, and Working Families Power. “More money for the Pentagon will serve to extend and escalate an illegal, unpopular, and devastating war – as well as pave the way for still more Pentagon funding requests,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen. “The money wasted on this war should instead be invested in meeting the economic squeeze felt by everyday Americans. The $11.3 billion spent on the first six days of the war would, for example, be enough to restore food benefits to the four million people losing them due to the tax and budget reconciliation bill.” “President Trump’s illegal war has already shown the costs war imposes — American servicemembers killed and injured, thousands of civilians killed in fighting, skyrocketing oil prices, a conflict spiraling over a dozen countries in unexpected ways, and more. That’s exactly why it’s so crucial that the decision to go to war not rest on one person's impulses. Congress must not fund the continuation of this unconstitutional war,” said Christopher Anders, director of ACLU’s Technology and Democracy Division. “Every penny wasted on bombing children and families in Iran would be better spent on health care and affordable housing in America. Secretary Hegseth and President Trump are ready to spend trillions on another forever war that nobody asked for, but they won't lift a finger to lower costs here at home,” said Sara Haghdoosti, chief of program for MoveOn Civic Action. “A vote for supplemental spending is a vote to continue the war in Iran, and Congress must listen to the vast majority of Americans and stop the reckless spending and bloodshed.” “People across the U.S. already hate Trump’s illegal war in Iran, and they’re not going to like it any better if Congress wastes $50 billion more of their money on it,” said Shayna Lewis, deputy director of Win Without War. “It’s outrageous that Trump is even asking for more money to spend on bombs when his spiraling war is killing civilians abroad and driving up prices for everyone at home, all with no end in sight. Congress should tell Trump clearly: not one more penny for this foolish, destructive war.” This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
Dems blast Iran war as “kingly oppression” at Senate hearing; Trump suing California over state’s electric vehicles policy – March 12, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. WW2 era image from National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Dems blast Iran war as “kingly oppression” at Senate hearing on military budget; Senate approves Gen. Rudd to head NSA and Cybersecurity, despite Dem concerns over inexperience and domestic surveillance; Trump suing California over state’s zero-emission electric vehicles policy for climate goal; Congressmember Swallwell leading polls among Dem candidates for Governor, Fox commentator Hilton leading Republicans; Landmark trial on social media and teen mental health ending in Los Angeles; Oakland celebrates native Alysa Liu, figure skating Olympic medalist and role model The post Dems blast Iran war as “kingly oppression” at Senate hearing; Trump suing California over state’s electric vehicles policy – March 12, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Dems blast Iran war as “kingly oppression” at Senate hearing on military budget; Senate approves Gen. Rudd to head NSA and Cybersecurity, despite Dem concerns over inexperience and domestic surveillance; Trump suing California over state’s zero-emission electric vehicles policy for climate goal; Congressmember Swallwell leading polls among Dem candidates for Governor, Fox commentator Hilton leading Republicans; Landmark trial on social media and teen mental health ending in Los Angeles; Oakland celebrates native Alysa Liu, figure skating Olympic medalist and role model The post Dems blast Iran war as “kingly oppression” at Senate hearing; Trump suing California over state’s electric vehicles policy – March 12, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
UN maritime agency to hold emergency session on Gulf crisis: IMOIOM condemns deadly strike on Lebanon shelterUkraine: child deportations by Russia are crimes against humanity, says Human Rights Council independent probe
UN maritime agency to hold emergency session on Gulf crisis: IMOIOM condemns deadly strike on Lebanon shelterUkraine: child deportations by Russia are crimes against humanity, says Human Rights Council independent probe This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.
Election Records Handed Over to the FBI in Maricopa County, Arizona, Could Be Fatally Flawed, Experts Say
The post Election Records Handed Over to the FBI in Maricopa County, Arizona, Could Be Fatally Flawed, Experts Say appeared first on ProPublica.
This week, when 2020 voting information from Maricopa County, Arizona, was handed over to the FBI, it might have seemed like a replay of the agency’s late January raid in Fulton County, Georgia. Both are large counties in swing states that voted for Joe Biden in 2020, and both have long been targets of President Donald Trump’s claims that that year’s presidential election was stolen from him. But the evidence collected from Maricopa County is fundamentally different, in ways that election experts say threaten the accuracy and integrity of the federal government’s investigation. In Fulton, the FBI took the actual ballots cast in the county’s 2020 election, which had been kept in secure court storage facilities. In Maricopa, a federal grand jury subpoenaed digital data related to a partisan audit of the county’s vote, according to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, the subpoena’s recipient. This material — which may have included scans and photos of ballots — was stored by the Senate, not the county. Maricopa County destroyed the original ballots after two years, as state law requires. The firm hired by Senate Republican leaders to run the audit, the Cyber Ninjas, was funded by and took direction from Trump allies. Its leader, Doug Logan, privately admitted in text messages obtained by journalists via public records requests that its ballot recounts were “screwy.” County leaders, both Republicans and Democrats, and nonpartisan outside observers documented several ways Logan’s team had failed to follow procedures to prevent tampering. (Logan didn’t respond to a request for comment.) Several election experts, including some who watched the Arizona audit in person in 2021, said any investigation based on the Cyber Ninja data would be fatally flawed. “Accessing invalid data will only draw inaccurate conclusions and risk further degradation of public confidence,” said Ryan Macias, a national elections technology consultant who observed the audit on behalf of the Arizona secretary of state’s office. The Department of Justice and White House did not answer questions from ProPublica on experts’ concerns about the quality of the data and records produced under the subpoena. A spokesperson for the Arizona U.S. attorney’s office declined to respond to questions about whether it was involved in the case, saying it was against policy to comment on grand jury subpoenas or proceedings. Petersen, a Republican who helped launch the audit in 2021 and handed over the records to the FBI, didn’t say under which court’s authority the grand jury subpoena was issued or respond to a question on its basis. Neither Petersen nor a spokesperson for the Arizona Senate gave details on what exactly the FBI collected. The Senate has not released the subpoena. The subpoena is the latest salvo in the Trump administration’s unprecedented attempt to reinvestigate purported problems in the 2020 election. The White House has tasked Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who tried to assist Trump in overturning his loss, with helping to lead the criminal inquiry. Olsen helped initiate the Fulton County case, which is being overseen by Thomas Albus, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, according to the supporting affidavit. It’s not yet clear whether Olsen or Albus is involved in the Maricopa County investigation. The Arizona audit began in April 2021, after the Senate’s Republican leadership subpoenaed Maricopa County for scans of all 2.1 million ballots, the county’s voter rolls and other voting system data, such as logs showing who accessed the system. The Senate also had material that the Cyber Ninjas shared from the audit, such as sheets used to tally votes and track anomalies as well as data from the county’s election management system and ballot tabulators. Cyber Ninjas pulled data from the Dominion Voting Systems machines the county used in 2020, so the FBI presumably has that material. Trump falsely claimed after the election that Dominion voting machines had been hacked, switching votes for him to register as votes for Biden. The Trump administration has been trying to access Dominion machines from other locations since he took office. Fox News and Newsmax settled defamation lawsuits with Dominion after making similar claims, agreeing to pay the company millions. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who was secretary of state during the 2021 audit, said in an interview with ProPublica that it’s unclear what has happened to the records in the five years they have been out of the county’s hands. “I don’t think anyone should have confidence in whatever comes out of whatever was turned over to the FBI,” Hobbs said. Maricopa County’s 2020 election results have been confirmed repeatedly, both by the county’s postelection hand-count and by multiple audits conducted by independent firms commissioned by the county. Courts tossed out several cases filed by lawyers for Trump alleging fraud. The Cyber Ninjas’ review, which also concluded that Biden won, drew intense criticism from the get-go, both for its methodology and its partisanship. One of the audit managers was Heather Honey, who now holds a key post in the Trump administration as the Department of Homeland Security’s deputy assistant secretary for election integrity. The contractor conducted its review without county or Senate employees present and only allowed in observers from Hobbs’ office after a court demanded more transparency. The firm’s workers made errors recounting votes cast in the presidential race, keeping three separate tally sheets for each batch of ballots that often reflected different totals, a secretary of state’s office report found. They also had black and blue pens out as they took photos of ballots, causing concern among observers about the potential for tampering. The contractor sent data collected from ballot tabulators to a Montana cabin for analysis and wouldn’t say how — or if — it had protected the data from hacking. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, said in an interview that the contractor’s sloppy procedures would make it unlikely a court would accept the records handed over to the FBI as evidence proving irregularities in the 2020 vote. “You can easily poke holes in any of this stuff,” Fontes said. Cyber Ninjas sometimes mistook routine aspects of the election process as signs of wrongdoing. It announced that 74,000 more mail-in ballots had been cast in Maricopa County than had been sent out. There was a simple explanation for the discrepancy, however: The ballots hadn’t been sent out; they’d been given to the voters by hand at early voting locations. Ken Bennett, a Republican who was the Arizona Senate’s liaison to the audit and is a former Arizona secretary of state, said in an interview that he thinks the county’s original election results were correct. “The only evidence I could find of mistakes made by the county were minor errors that had nothing to do with whether or not they came up with the accurate results,” Bennett said. The post Election Records Handed Over to the FBI in Maricopa County, Arizona, Could Be Fatally Flawed, Experts Say appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Jen Fifield.
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This fall, Florida students will be forced to take ‘anti-communist’ classes
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior. Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images" data-attachment-id="341999" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/this-fall-florida-students-will-be-forced-to-take-anti-communist-classes/miami-florida-biscayne-boulevard-miami-dade-county-public-schools-building-exterior" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1706" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"4","credit":"Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Imag","camera":"DSC-RX10M4","caption":"Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1701873192","copyright":"\u00a9JeffreyGreenberg@aol.com","focal_length":"12.33","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior. Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> Florida public schools will force students to take a Heritage Foundation-backed class on the “evils of communism.”
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior. Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="341999" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/this-fall-florida-students-will-be-forced-to-take-anti-communist-classes/miami-florida-biscayne-boulevard-miami-dade-county-public-schools-building-exterior" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1706" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4","credit":"Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Imag","camera":"DSC-RX10M4","caption":"Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1701873192","copyright":"\u00a9JeffreyGreenberg@aol.com","focal_length":"12.33","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Miami, Florida, Biscayne Boulevard, Miami-Dade County Public Schools building exterior. Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2184805838-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="218" data-attachment-id="277549" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike/truthout-logo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=874%2C244&ssl=1" data-orig-size="874,244" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1634742558","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="truthout-logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=300%2C84&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?fit=780%2C218&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=780%2C218&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-277549 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?w=874&ssl=1 874w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=300%2C84&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=768%2C214&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=400%2C112&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?resize=706%2C197&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/truthout-logo.jpeg?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /> This article was originally published by Truthout on Mar. 10, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. First, there was democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. Then, in 2018, socialists Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Rashida Tlaib won seats in the House of Representatives. Seven years later, in the fall of 2025, voters chose socialists Zohran Mamdani and Katie Wilson to lead New York City and Seattle, upping socialist representation in government to 250 people in 40 states. These victories reflect the growing influence of socialist ideas and organizations across the U.S., driven in large part by youth. Unsurprisingly, the right wing has taken notice of this growing public appeal and has made it clear that it intends to stop the ascent of socialism — and communism — in their tracks. Their launching pad? Public education in Florida. Beginning in the fall of 2026, all Florida middle and high school students will be required to take a yearly social studies class on the history of communism. The curriculum has already received the stamp of approval from the conservative Heritage Foundation (the group behind Project 2025), a right-wing nonprofit organization called the National Association of Scholars (NAS) and a NAS spinoff called the Civics Alliance, and it follows on the heels of the state’s 2022 imposition of Victims of Communism Day, which is now held every November 7 to mark the start of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia. The annual commemoration requires schools to provide a minimum of 45 minutes of instruction on “the horrors of communism” and the “destructiveness of Marxism-Leninism.” Programming is also expected to inculcate “an appreciation for the founding principles of the American republic.” What these principles are is not specified. The new curriculum builds on this one-day event and also expands the Sunshine State’s commitment to “The Phoenix Declaration: An American Vision for Education,” which was developed by the Heritage Foundation and released in February 2025. According to Florida’s Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, the state’s official approval of the Declaration — which was announced at a press conference — reflects the state’s “affiliation with the Heritage Foundation” and restricts topics the state has long viewed as pedagogically problematic, including instruction that covers sexual orientation, gender identity, racial inequality, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Instead, the Declaration pledges curricula that foster “a love of country” and purportedly teach children to “seek the good, true and beautiful.” To date, Florida is the sole state to have signed on to the Declaration. Kamoutsas and state education officials are arguing that the new History of Communism Standards will uphold the Declaration’s principles and bolster student support for capitalism and free enterprise. Their rationale is explicit: Young Americans [sic] avowed fondness for socialism and communism is the corollary of never having been taught about the poverty, cruelty, and mass murder that are characteristic accompaniments of communism in practice. It is difficult to believe that Zohran Mamdani (for example) would have received such enthusiastic support if New York students had been taught about the lamentable catalog of atrocities committed in the name of communism by Lenin and Stalin, by Mao and Pol Pot, by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Moreover, a state DOE press release sings the History of Communism Standards’ praises, saying: “Florida is leading the nation by equipping students with a truthful, in-depth understanding of how communist ideologies suppress individual freedoms, abuse power, and inflict widespread suffering.” To hammer the idea, the curriculum outlines a range of topics to be covered: how communist espionage undermined U.S. national security and continues to pose a threat to the U.S. and its allies; how communists infiltrated the civil right movement; and how communist indoctrination works, among them. The curriculum presents Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee as “champions of anti-communism”; it denounces collectives; and it extolls the value of private property and the acquisition of individual wealth. Cuba comes in for a particular drubbing: it is described in the curriculum as a key “exporter of revolutionary internationalism,” which, of course, is depicted in negative terms. “Teachers Already Feel Handcuffed” Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, is critical of the anti-communist curriculum. Nonetheless, he told Truthout: Florida’s code of ethics requires educators to teach the state standards. That’s the challenge. Teachers already feel handcuffed. If they want to use their own resources or add a supplemental reading or film, these materials must first be approved by the district. We know that public students need and deserve more than math and reading instruction. They need the honest teaching of history. A democratic society demands that students learn how to think, not what to think. Debate and discussion drive ingenuity and the development of problem solving skills. But that’s not what is being promoted. Indeed, Spar reports that teachers are feeling increasingly anxious about what can and cannot be taught. “The state needs to let teachers teach,” he said. “It’s concerning that the right wing says that it wants to take politics out of education, but this requirement does the exact opposite.” Spar is far from alone in his critique. Still, despite union and community opposition to the Standards, teachers and administrators expect the curriculum to be rolled out at the start of the 2026-2027 school year. Opponents, however, hope that negative assessments of the curriculum will deter other states from latching onto the model. Timothy Snyder, a scholar who has written extensively about authoritarian regimes, used his Substack to denounce the curriculum for its over-simplification of the U.S. as the “best country in the world … The U.S. is to be defined as free and democratic, regardless of what Americans or their legislators actually do,” he wrote. What’s more, he concludes that the curriculum derails meaningful examination of the country’s history and limits thought about the best ways to preserve and expand equity, fairness, and liberty. Like Snyder, historian Ellen Schrecker is an expert on right-wing repression (and especially McCarthyism) and told Truthout that the many false claims in Florida’s new curriculum need to be addressed: They are pulling up random facts about a communist attack on so-called American values. What students will be taught is a view of a communist threat that did not, and does not, exist. The presentation of an out-of-control left — socialist and communist — that has continually tried to undermine American security is false. We also have to look at what is missing from the curriculum. For one thing, its coverage of McCarthy does not mention that people lost their jobs, really suffered, because of his attacks. Like Snyder, Schrecker sees the portrayal of the U.S. as a world beacon as problematic. “The curriculum presents the U.S. with its great, white, male, Christian leaders, as perfect in most ways, but cautions that the country can be threatened by external socialist or communist forces,” she explained. “There is no mention of people who have been oppressed in the U.S. or even given limited opportunities. There is also a vague ‘us versus them’ positioning, with a focus on individual over collective responses.” John White, a professor of English and Adolescent Literacy at the University of North Florida, is also troubled by the fallacies put forward in the History of Communism Standards. “The right wing says that teachers should not indoctrinate students, but they have put forward a curriculum that indoctrinates students with a particular viewpoint,” he said. “The curriculum conflates communism and socialism as if they are one ideology.” White also agreed with Schrecker: “The curriculum ignores the fact that Joseph McCarthy was the epitome of a blowhard who has been widely discredited. Worse, the term ‘communism’ seems to be a catch phrase for any ideas that the right does not like.” White said many of his students want to become social studies teachers because they love history and politics. “They don’t want to look at the world as a binary between good and evil or put opposing racism, sexism, and homophobia in the evil category and blind patriotism in the good category,” he continued. “Students do not need to be spoon-fed. This curriculum is the antithesis of good teaching because it undermines critical thinking.” But these objections do not bother Florida’s Department of Education (DOE) or the DeSantis administration. Indeed, they see the History of Communism Standards as a continuation of a required class called Americanism vs. Communism that was taught to the state’s middle and high school students between 1962 and 1983. The course mandate was instituted following the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 and was explicit in its intent to teach Florida kids about “the dangers of communism, the ways to fight communism, the evils of communism, the fallacies of communism and the false doctrines of communism.” Linda Camarasana, a retired professor of English at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, took the class in 1976 while in high school in North Miami Beach. “We knew that the goal was to teach us about the evils of communism and stress that the U.S. was superior,” Camarasana told Truthout. “But at the time, the population of North Miami was very liberal and so were our teachers. We learned about the conditions that led to the Russian revolution and that caused people to rise up.” And despite knowing that the class was meant to present communism as horrible, she says that she got a balanced viewpoint that prompted independent study and research. Both DeSantis and Kamoutsas are hell-bent on making sure that the current History of Communism Standards do not offer students or their teachers this kind of wiggle room to debate systems of governance. As Kamoutsas said in a 2025 press conference, stopping “the resurgence of communist ideologies across the United States and throughout the world,” is a Florida educational priority. He has asserted that he and the state DOE are confident the curriculum will soon be adopted by other states. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Eleanor J. Bader.
‘Worst of the worst’? ICE snatches beloved video gaming champion living in US legally for decades
<img width="792" height="792" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=792%2C792&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Photo of Ludovic Mbock at a gaming competition. Photo provided courtesy of Mbock's family." data-attachment-id="341987" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/ice-snatches-beloved-video-gaming-champion-living-in-us-legally/ludovic-mbock-photo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=792%2C792&ssl=1" data-orig-size="792,792" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Ludovic Mbock Photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Photo of Ludovic Mbock at a gaming competition. Photo provided courtesy of Mbock&#8217;s family. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=780%2C780&ssl=1"> “This is the nightmare that I've had—literally had nightmares woken up in a cold sweat about. The government has kidnapped one of my friends."
<img width="792" height="792" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=792%2C792&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Photo of Ludovic Mbock at a gaming competition. Photo provided courtesy of Mbock's family." decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?w=792&ssl=1 792w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?resize=780%2C780&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=792%2C792&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="341987" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/ice-snatches-beloved-video-gaming-champion-living-in-us-legally/ludovic-mbock-photo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=792%2C792&ssl=1" data-orig-size="792,792" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Ludovic Mbock Photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Photo of Ludovic Mbock at a gaming competition. Photo provided courtesy of Mbock&#8217;s family. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ludovic-Mbock-Photo.jpg?fit=780%2C780&ssl=1" /> 38-year-old regional video gaming champion Ludovic Mbock, who came to the US legally from Cameroon, was snatched by ICE while applying for his yearly work permit—as he’s done for 20 years. He has since been detained for three weeks and moved to facilities in Louisiana and Georgia, and his freedom depends on a critical bond hearing this week. In this urgent episode of Working People, we speak with Diane Sohna, Ludovic’s sister, and Nikhil Delahaye, a close friend of Ludovic’s and a fellow gamer. Additional links/info: Ludovic Mbock Instagram GoFundMe: Support Ludovic’s Legal Defense Antonio Planas & Rondez Green, The Baltimore Banner, “He thought it was a routine ICE check-in. Now his family fears he’ll be deported” Heidi Kemps, GameSpot, “The fighting game community bands together in solidarity to help free player from ICE” Featured Music: Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor Transcript The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible. Maximillian Alvarez: Alright. Welcome everyone to Working People, a podcast about the lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles of the working class today. Working People is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network and is brought to you in partnership with In These Times Magazine and the Real News Network. This show is produced by Jules Taylor and made possible by the support of listeners like you. My name is Maximillian Alvarez, and we’ve got an urgent episode for y’all today that underscores the bleak reality and the abject cruelty of the Trump administration’s mass incarceration and deportation campaign, and what you can do to support the people, families, and communities that are being ripped apart by it. As we’ve discussed many times on this show, and as we’ve been reporting at the real news, while President Trump and the MAGA Wright have repeatedly claimed that they are targeting immigrants who are violent criminals and threats to public safety, the so- called worst of the worst, the cold statistical reality is that the vast majority of people being swept up and brutalized in this fascist campaign are people with no criminal conviction whatsoever and no criminal charges. At most, they have a civil immigration violation. They are not maniacal murderers and terrorists. They are day laborers supporting their families. Street vendors, gig workers, housekeepers, construction workers, farmers. They are working people like you and me. And even tourists, academics, journalists, and gamers are being swallowed up in the drag net. As Antonio Planas and Rondez Green recently reported in the Baltimore banner, “His family described it as a routine check-in with ICE for Ludovic Mbock, a 38-year-old regional video gaming champion who came to the US from Cameroon legally as a teen and built a life in Oxen Hill. But immigration and customs enforcement in Baltimore arrested him two weeks ago and sent him to detention facilities in Louisiana and Georgia. Mbock’s lawyer and family fear he will soon be deported back to Cameroon where he will not be safe. He’s an openly gay person. He won’t be able to survive in Cameroon,” said Mbock’s lawyer, Edward Neufville. Cameroon punishes same-sex activity with fines and prison sentences of up to five years. Bach also has no family in Cameroon, said his sister, Diane Sohna, who was born in the US. His arrest has mobilized the gaming community, which has helped raise nearly $100,000 for his legal defense. Newfield has filed a habeas petition challenging Mbock’s arrest. In response, US District Court Judge George L. Russell III ruled that Mbock will remain in custody for 10 days after he requests a bond hearing in immigration court in Hyattsville, which Mbock can attend virtually. To talk about Ludovic Mbock’s case and what it tells us about the reality behind the rhetoric of Trump’s mass deportations, I’m really grateful to be joined on the show today by two guests. First, we are joined by Ludovic’s sister, Diane Sohna, and we are also joined by Nikhil Delahaye, a close friend of Ludovic’s and a fellow gamer. Thank you both so much for talking to me today. I really appreciate it and I really, really wish we were meeting under less horrifying circumstances. I want to jump right in and ask if you could both tell our audience just a little bit more about who Ludovic is, and then we’ll talk a bit about what has happened to him in the recent weeks. Nikhil Delahaye: Yeah. Thanks so much for having us on the show. Just genuinely appreciate the support. And I especially want to give a huge shout out to everyone who has been rallying behind Ludovic. I have been in the greater fighting game community since 2011, 2012, and really being able to see people from truly around the world who all share our hobby of being able to go and play finding games typically in person at tournaments, at hotels, convention centers all around the world, and seeing people really tangibly support and realize the ways our community can be impacted by these policies has really bolstered our faith in a time that has been really trying and extremely difficult. Ludovic has been, he’s always, I always say he is the exemplary example of the sea inviting in community. There are threads on social media of people who encountered Ludovic in tournament, of karaoke room at a tournament, had chances to just talk to him while they’re waiting in line for merchandise or food. And there are so many stories like that of people who’ve interacted with Ludovic, because Ludwig has been in the fighting game scene for I think even longer than I have, like truly going back to the early 2000s. Even for context, when I went over to Sweden for the Tech and World Tournament Finals, let them know that I was in the Maryland Virginia scene and I said, “Oh, I’m friends with this person, this person and Ludovic, and people from Croatia, people from Lithuania, people from England, from France all knew who Ludovic was. And like, oh yeah, the Chandlee player, Shoe Fighter four, the guy who beat Digo, the guy who beat this, the guy who beat that. ” So all of that, having that experience in January, then coming back in February to this really was like even in the darkest times when we were trying to figure out what we were doing, I knew in my heart that there were people out there if we spread the word that would support because this is someone who’s been and given back to a community for decades. This is someone who’s been here and really made the lives richer of everyone he’s interacted with for decades. And not to mention the experiences that I’m sure Diane can talk about, but video games were a huge part of his life and were a huge part of his social life. And still, even now, even calling into the facility, we let him know that, “Hey, these troop fighter DLC is coming out. He looks kind of messed up to fight. There’s this tournament that’s coming up. People are probably going to want to see you there. When you get out, let’s see what we can do to make sure we get you back up to tournament speed.” So it’s still something that gives him comfort and hope and still something that binds us all together. And really, I just can’t say enough about the overwhelming amount of support I’ve gotten from members of the fighting and community across the planet and truly has been such a huge help to us, the friends and family who are helping to bring him home. And then also more directly to the family. I heard people who have known Ludovic of 2005 who immediately have been rallying to his support and who’ve known the family for a long time. Diane Sohna: So just to piggyback off what Nikhil said, again, thank you to everybody. When I got the call three weeks ago, I wasn’t expecting this, nor did I think that we’d be able to get this turnout. I always knew my brother was sweet and he was a happy person and everybody loved him, but I didn’t understand the magnitude until this. I mean, this is, of course, like you said, a bad situation, but just seeing the support that he has and the love that he’s receiving, it just amplifies the fact that he is a good person and shows me, being his sister that I’ve known all his life, just opened me up more and be like, “My brother’s really a good person. He doesn’t deserve this. ” He wasn’t meant to be in this situation. As you said earlier, he was doing his regular routine check-in as he always does and didn’t come back out, which hurt everybody deeply. So as I always say, to know him is to love him. This has proven that he doesn’t deserve this. He’s not a bad person. He was just doing his check-in and just trying to be a noble citizen, mind his business and follow the rules. That’s all he does. He just likes to have a good time, play his games, dance and eat. He could do that all day. He would do that all day. So the fact that he’s not, I know it’s not a great feeling. I know he’s uncomfortable. I know he’s not happy and it makes me and everybody else feel his pain. Of course, we can’t feel where he is, but it’s just aggravating. It’s annoying. It just makes you think that this administration is even worse than what it is when you see it at home in front of your face. But yeah, I’m just at a loss still and it’s been three weeks and we’re just waiting till Friday. My brothers were born in Cameroon. My mother came here about a year before I was born, so they stayed with my grandmother in Cameroon. From the stories I always heard, my mom always take brothers just like to play video games. All your grandma said this. He goes and play video games. So when I finally met him in 2010, I was like, “All you do is play video games.” And he just told me that’s my escape. That’s just something that I love to do because everybody else was into soccer and stuff like that. He would go to the arcade for … My grandmother just told me a few days ago, he has so many stories of losing Ludovic, but he would just be in the arcade for hours on it. So when he came to America in 2002 with my brothers, they came to leave with us because mom is here. I have a little sister. Let’s all live as a family and live the American dream. Met him and I was like, “Oh, this is my favorite brother automatically because this is my twin. We’re best buddies, we’re the closest in age and he’s just more relatable. He taught me how to do Dance Dance Revolution, how to play Tecent, how to play his Dreamfighter. We cooked together. He got me so hip to anime movies. And the one movie we love is a zumi and I never watched Japanese or Asian movies.” And we would watch that back to back for hours on it, just counting how many people she would kill. And he would go back home and be like, “Okay, we’re going to go do this also. We did it in street fighter.” I’m like, “I can’t do that, Lucavic. Okay, whatever.” But yeah, he doesn’t do that as a living for a living, but he should. I didn’t realize how big he was. He’d always say, “Oh, I’m the best player. I’m the best.” I’m like, anybody says that, but he actually is. So kudos to my brother. Maximillian Alvarez: Well, and it’s so wild to think that Nikyle, you guys were at a competition, you come back and then you’re facing this horrifying Kafka-esque reality back here in the United States. And I wanted to ask, I know it’s painful, scary to recount, but for folks who are just listening to this and maybe just learning about this story now, could you sort of walk us through the timeline of events as you experienced them from Ludovic going to his check-in to now? Yeah, anything that you’re comfortable sharing just to lay out the timeline and the process since this nightmare began. Nikhil Delahaye: Yeah, no, it’s definitely something that has helped to keep notes of each day because it really all tends to blend together. When I say I was in Copenhagen in Sweden, it feels like a lifetime ago, when in reality that was less than five weeks ago. And I remember I specifically went to Copenhagen in Sweden because I’m like, I want to be able to experience what it’s like to not have ambient stress and to be able to forget at least the situation and just be able to see what I guess a functioning society looks like and to come back and immediately be ripped out of that reverie and have to go into essentially survival mode was jarring to the point where I’ve had to describe multiple times, it’s like as soon as I got the news that Ludovic had been detained, it’s like, okay, I have to stop being a person at this point, I have to start being a function because a person is going to be emotionally affected by all of this. A person is going to allow the government to grind them down, allow the frustrations to get to them. A function is something that the government and the process sees and the powers that be cannot dissuade or cannot move. So I have to be immovable because for the benefit of the family, for the benefit of his friends, for the benefit of Ludovic himself, there needs to be at least one person who is completely resolute and fully focused on what we’re doing. And as soon Diane can explain more of the timeline, but basically on the 17th, he went in at 3:00 PM to his regular check-in. One of our friends dropped him off to the point where, for context, from the 13th, when I saw a lot of it last, we were at a friend’s dinner and he didn’t even mention that he was going in on the 17th because it was such a routine thing he’d done so many times. And we were talking, he had literally texted me saying, “Yeah, we should have more tech-in sessions at the house.” And I’m like, “Yeah, let’s figure out a timeline.” And then the next text I get on Wednesday after I believe he called you, Diane, was that Ice had picked him up at the facility. And we were all like that. First of all, for us, we didn’t even know that he was going to the facility and we only figured it out much later because of just word had gotten around and Diane had contacted his other friends who eventually contacted me and really just that whole process was like, “Okay, this is the nightmare that I’ve had, literally had nightmares woken up in a cold sweat about in terms of the government has kidnapped one of my friends and/or family.” And it was that moment of, okay, I can either give into the terror of this situation or I can see how I can be of service and help because as much and terror and fear as I’m feeling, I could only imagine from Diane’s perspective and the family’s perspective what they were feeling. And I wanted to be able to see what I could do to manage as much of that as possible so that they could have space to feel while stuff needed to get done. Diane Sohna: I was at work as I am now just going about my day and for some reason, something just made me … iPhone has a thing that where they screen your unknown calls. And I looked down and it said, it was an 800 number and it said Ludovic. And I was like, “Why would he give his number to a credit?” I didn’t know it was, so I just answered. And he said, “Yeah, the collect call from Ludovic.” And I was like, “A collect call. He doesn’t get in trouble. What is this about? ” Piffed it up, answered, he said, “Yeah, I stopped me. ” I said, “Say that again.What do we mean?” He said, “I got me. I’ve been detained.” So from there he was like, “I just need you to call.” He gave me two numbers to call and I was just like, “Okay.” So I hung up the phone and I just called. And then from there, that friend called Nicole and then since then me and Nicole have just been in unison trying to get things done. I guess his friend dropped him off and waited that from there he was held in Baltimore for that night. The next day he was moved to Louisiana that night. Was it the next day? Yeah. He was moved to Louisiana without us knowing because we were moving diligently, we just figured out that he was no longer … In Baltimore, he called us after the fact before he was moved. And then from there again, was it less than like 24, maybe 30 hours later, he was moved to Georgia. So since then, we definitely didn’t know about that. That move was very abrupt overnight and uncomfortable from what Ludovic described to us. And I feel terrible that he had to go through it because I know that experience for him was probably one of the worst besides being in Baltimore, so I’m very not happy about that. And then since then, he’s just been in Georgia for the past two weeks and we’ve been now just waiting to get him back. Nikhil Delahaye: Yeah. Some of the … In between, basically as soon as I got activated and knew about what was happening, I was like, “We have to secure him a lawyer immediately.” Everyone is shocked. Everyone is scared. Everyone doesn’t know what to do. Everyone was saying, “Okay, do we wait till tomorrow?” I’m like, “They’re going to move him. We need to secure a lawyer immediately.” And basically it was me and my girlfriend and a bunch of other people. We just went, we called the migrant solidarity mutual aid, we called CASA, we called every immigration lawyer that we knew, and we just went down a Google list of every single immigration lawyer in Maryland and called them all at 9:00 PM on, it was like 45 different lawyers we called and only one of them was able to get back to us. And in the time since, after leaving like 45 messages, we’ve only gotten three calls back. So if we were not able to connect with that lawyer that night on their twenty four seven hotline, we would have been in a significantly worse situation because we were able to connect with the lawyer to file a habeas on … We talked to them on the 18th, he filed the habeas on the 19th. They moved him then on the 19th after the habeas was in effect. So the habeas went into effect at 10:00 AM, at 10:11 AM. The flight, we were able to get confirmation left at 1:00 PM. So we have hard proof they moved him after the habeas was in effect in Maryland. And the habeas in Maryland specifically said, “This petitioner shall not be moved outside of where this court does not have jurisdiction.” So that was the first court order that was violated and we have proof of that. Then a lot of it goes to Louisiana. We are all trying to scramble because the ice tracker doesn’t update. It takes like 24 hours update. He calls us thankfully because we were able to talk to him and get the numbers. Then immediately we’re like, “Okay, we need to do everything in terms of a stay of deportation. We need to do everything in terms of reopening his immigration case. We need to do opening everything in terms of being able to secure a Louisiana resource in case they try to under this case.” So really, as soon as he was moved, it was another 24, 48 hours of just we need to call 50 something lawyers. And obviously not all lawyers are created equal during this process. We talked to some good ones, we talked to some not so great ones. And all in my mind, the whole time is like time is passing. I don’t know what they’re doing to him. We don’t know how they’re moving him. We don’t know what they’re planning for him. And the more legislation we can get filed, the harder it becomes for them to violate. It’s easier for them to violate one court order. It’s hard for them to violate five. So I am operating under the knowledge that they’re going to violate stuff and they’re going to try and cover it their own tracks, but let’s try and make it as difficult as possible during that time period. We had launched the GoFundMe. We were providing daily updates. We still have a huge amount of support and we were like, okay, with this amount of support, we could probably pursue all the legal things we need to and not have to worry about being unable to fight or hitting a wall in that way. It’s just a matter of securing the resources in the right place. So literally right after I was talking to a Louisiana lawyer, had two hours of like, “Okay, we secure the Louisiana lawyer. She’s going to go to the facility, show the habeas.” I then get the notification, they moved him again. And I’m like, I was so mad. I was so furious because we had just did a mad dash to try and secure Louisiana lawyer. And then it was a solid … Once we got the notification they were going to move him. It was like at 10:00 PM on the 21st, we did not hear from Ludovic for another like 12, 15 hours. We had no idea where he was. He dropped off the tracker. We had people checking the tracker every single hour for any sort of update and for a solid, I think like 12 to 14 hours. It was just, we have no idea where Leatherman is. And we luckily hear from him that night, it was at like 70, 80 PM really late after stressing the whole day and the calling, because we basically had to go and like all the people who track ice flights, we’d be okay from this facility at this time period where the different destinations they could go, because we start cold calling all these different places. So they’re like, “Okay, there was a flight to Honduras.” We called the Honduras facility, we called the Louisiana, we called every single other flight that could possibly go to in that window, we called all of them. And obviously we’re given the runaround by ice on the phone, we’re not getting any information. All the while time is ticking, we have no idea where he is. And then we finally get the call knowing he’s in Georgia, he lets us know, we’re like, “Okay, at least we know where he is. ” The lawyer is filing to reopen his case on the day after, the lawyer’s filing everything that serves as possible to reopen his case. And the whole time we’re thinking of like, he’s going to move the two places. How are we going to get him back to Maryland and how are we going to make sure his case stays in Maryland? So we talked to him again throughout the week of the 21st. He let us know, okay, there’s other people from Maryland who are here. They picked up a bunch of people that day with him in Baltimore who were all coming in for routine and they’re just pressuring people to sign deportation papers. And we were able to tell a lot of like, “Whatever you do not sign those papers because they just essentially just were giving up your rights and sending people to God knows where.” And in the times since of the people that they came with, they basically were keep moving people who were planning to fight for themselves. All the people who immediately signed, all the people who immediately who didn’t have the resources to fight, say to Baltimore and then were moved somewhere to be deported. All the people who were choosing to fight, they were moving around to all these different periods in an effort to essentially break their spirit because what Avik told us, the transition from Louisiana to Georgia, they got all rounded up at 10:00 PM and they were put in chains and they were not removed from those chains until 5:00 AM. So from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM, they were transferred to buses and claims, both of which within OAC, lot of saw people, elderly people who were chained, elderly people who were denied medical care, elderly people who almost passed out and early died and all the while they’re in chains this entire time on the way to Georgia because they couldn’t just move them in the morning. They had to move them overnight and so there’s no sleep in chain the entire time. And he said the thing that made him sort of laugh was sort of like, this is ridiculous, was that they sat a flight attendant on the plane still gimping this sort of safety instructions in terms of, “Please look at this dropdown.” And it’s like, “We’re in chains. We literally can’t do that. Why are you doing this to cover your own butt? It’s your job, but look at the context, the situation, what you’re doing right now.” And he sort of laughed with us about that on the phone, but I could tell that really, really affected him. I was like, “That’s slavery shit. Call us way to pay that slavery shit to keep people and change that long and keep them from me able to go to the bathroom or do anything for that long.” So really the timeline once we got Georgia was continuing to push for media, continuing to push for everything else. And then essentially what we had to do in order to make sure he can get the right legal coverage is while he’s gone, reconstruct his light from his apartment. So moving around in that absence of Ludovic to try and find documents, to try and think what would he have done, try and connect with him on the phone through even though monitored call and say, “Where could we find this? Where could we find that? Where could we find that? ” All the while we are hustling to try to get legal coverage handled. So I’m talking to the lawyer every single day. We’re talking to Congress people, we’re talking to senators, we’re talking to legal resources. I have like four or five other immigration lawyers that I’m talking to you to run everything by and all in different jurisdictions, all different areas that the place they might try to move in. We’re trying to get information in terms of other people who are detained, is there a huge number? And we were able to find like in the time period the Ludovic was detained, there were like 10 other habeas cases that were filed from Baltimore specifically, of all of which were people who were moved. And so I reached out to, in my ACLU context, reached out to all these different contacts, people say, “This cannot fall through the cracks and this cannot happen to anyone again.” And all the while Diane, and from her perspective, is trying to manage the overwhelming amount of grief that comes from someone just being absent and someone just being gone. And I cannot, from my perspective, I wanted to be able to handle as much of the tactical and tangible stuff as possible because the emotional process of having to navigate this, I wanted to be able to leave for the family and leave for Diane to be able to do on their own time and not feel rushed because unfortunately due to the reality of the immigration process in this country and when someone is detained, you don’t have time to feel. You don’t have time to think, you don’t have time to second guess yourself because literally every single minute counts. There are multiple days in the early days where I was like, “If I delayed by an hour or a minute, we would’ve lost track of lot of it. ” And I thank myself every day that I was essentially having to essentially stress people out, be like, “We have to do stuff right now.” I know that it’s hard, I know that it’s scary, but we have to do things right now. And that’s the thing that I think I would tell anyone is make sure you can have someone who can be on that pace and at that schedule because unfortunately you don’t have time to go through the process, but Diane could definitely speak more to what the family was going through during that time period. Diane Sohna: So family wise, I don’t even know where to start because I’ve never seen my mom in this space. I hate to say this, but it just seems like you’ve lost your child. It’s just that feeling of granted now we know where he is. When she didn’t know where he was, it was just like, you’re just lost. So she just tells me every day I just go to work just to go to work to keep me busy, but she sits at home and she’s literally crying and just crying. And when I went to see her, you can already see that she’s lost 10 pounds. She’s just stressed out and she’s not answering the phone. She doesn’t want to talk to nobody because it’s just overwhelming. So I’m getting all the calls from everybody else that’s, “Hey, where’s your brother?” And I’m like having to retell this a million times over feeling everybody else’s feeling. And then on top of me having my own life, my own kid and just like all of that, it’s a lot. I tell Anaka all the time, I love him now. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him because this process is literally meant to break you. Like he said, it’s so much that you have to do in this bit of time that it’s impossible. And that’s why they have been able to get away with what they do. They have been now, but they won’t with this one, but it’s still just, it’s a lot. There’s no way to put it, but it’s a lot. And if we’re feeling this, what is he feeling being there? It’s just, it’s overwhelming. It’s scary, it’s exhausting, frustrating, go to sleep every night, just praying that he’s sleeping peacefully as well, but who’s to say? Maximillian Alvarez: I really appreciate you both sharing that and my heart just breaks hearing it. And my heart continues to break thinking about all the people, the thousands, tens of thousands of people who are also have been swallowed up into this mass deportation, monstrous machine who don’t have that support, who don’t have people who are able to do what you two and your community have done, what folks on the GoFundMe have been able to do to provide that support. I am so, so grateful that Ludovic has that and I’m so heartbroken that so many others don’t and that even to have that is to still be caught up in a nightmare. It’s just to be kind of keeping pace with this monstrous machine that is trying to break you, as you both rightfully said. And so I really want to just drive home for listeners that this is how it looks. Don’t wait for it to happen to you and then try to come up with a plan. This is something that you need to plan for and be ready for, and this is the kind of thing you’re going to be up against if and when it comes for you and your family. And I also wanted to just ask a quick basic clarifying note before we kind of wrap up here and talk about where the case stands now and what folks can do to support y’all. But just to really drive this home, and it circles back to what we said in the intro about how Trump claims he’s going after the worst of the worst and yada, yada, yada, Ludovic has committed no crime here, right? He was going for a work permit that he’s been getting routinely and then suddenly the game changes and he’s in chains. Am I right about that? Nikhil Delahaye: Yeah, I would say really the biggest thing that puts the chair on top of all of this is that Ludovic had a supervision order that just allowed him to get a work permit the whole time. He’s had it for decades. And when we were able to file for bond, and yesterday. That is the first time he received the papers saying his supervision order had been revoked. And it was dated not for when he was detained. It was dated for yesterday, which means by their own admission, by when he was detained, his supervision order was not violated. His supervision order was not rescinded. Additionally, to add insult to injury yesterday, he received the papers notifying that he would be transferred away from Baltimore after he’s been in Georgia for two weeks. So those tells us two things. One, they have the capacity to send people documentation, let people know what’s going on. Two, if you have the right legal protection, they do get notification of when things are filed. And three, there’s a conscious choice there to either not communicate that or communicate a part of that. Because in a process of all this, we’ve reached out to senators and district attorneys, they’ve said their version of the story. That includes, oh, he had this from 2005, not mentioning he had been detained 2008. You’ve been in order of supervision the entire time he’s got a work requirement. It’s not a single violation of that process by their own admission. But they then focus on a habeas was filed on this date. Say deprecation was filed on this date and this date. And it’s like all day all the time. It’s like, okay, so you knew when that was filed because at the time of after moving him, you’re not mentioning the fact that the habeas was filed at this date and you moved him after that. You’re not mentioning this day of deportation was filed at this date and you moved him again after that. You’re not mentioning the fact that we filed all of these things at this time period. You have confirmation of receipt of them and you’re choosing not to do that. So really just want to stress for all the people is like, the thing that I’ve learned throughout all process is if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. I really and truly want people to understand that it is a down to minute to minute thing. And you have to be able to steal yourself to really understand that there’s a lot of this shouldn’t be happening. You don’t have time to think about what should. You don’t have time to think about what would, you don’t have time to think about what could be. You can only think about what is because what is, it is what you can control and what is is what you can do and what is is something tangible they can’t take from you, daft flight you into thinking it doesn’t exist. And there will be people who make you think that all these legal things like, “Oh, they’re just going to deny them anyway. It’s going to deny them anyway.” All of that builds towards a pattern of behavior and an overall case that helps protect the person, but you are trying to save. And it will be frustrating because it will be very much situations of rules of thee, but not for me, rules of me, but not for me. They get to break whatever they want. They get to do this. They get to do that. And all of it is just tracking your decisions every single day. Write down who you talk to, write down what you did, write down what you learned and track it. We have documents tracking from the beginning of this process and all of that is helping inform the final case in terms of when we sent this, when we received this. And so never let them tell you they didn’t get something because they get it. Never let them tell you they didn’t see something because they see it. Never let them tell you that, oh, X and Y is impossible. Because the minute a bigger short comes into the pool and says, “Hey, you guys have to listen to this. ” They’ll try to cover their own tracks. But really it is a process. It takes a long time and a lot of resources and a lot of money to get to that point. And it’s a lot of disrespect and a lot of dehumanization and a lot of us really trying to actively break your spirit before you can get to that point. And truly and honestly, I think about all the people who don’t have a community who can rally like this and keeps me up at night because I wish I could do what I did for Ludovic for thousands of people, but I would die in the process. Maximillian Alvarez: Well, and I know I only have a few more minutes left with y’all and I wanted to use those minutes to talk about where things stand now and any final messages that you have for listeners about what you all need, what Ludovic needs, what folks can do to get involved and support y’all before we close. Diane Sohna: So right now we are just waiting till Friday. We have the bond hearing on Friday to see, hopefully it gets granted and he can be released. The formal release, like Nikal said earlier, we’re still waiting to see if it’ll be immediate over the weekend or on Monday. But the goal is that for Friday we hear good news that he is granted his release. As far as help, we do still have the GoFundMe up. Donations are still being accepted because the legal process does not end even when he returns home. It will be an ongoing battle to make sure he’s fully a full citizen of the United States here. So that can help if you guys want to call representatives to get the word out, any more media to reach out. The more we speak about it, the more it gets heard, the more it’s seen and ICE can get shut down. Nikhil Delahaye: Yeah. Really it’s just like my main message to people throughout this whole process is like, Diane and I are not superheroes. We are not like people who were ordained or like special people who were born with a certain set of skills. We are regular people who had to step up to defend someone beloved. And it is so easy to make people like that into heroes. And I really like, that’s not the story here. The story here is like we’re ordinary people who were able to step up because we had to. And for listeners, for anyone who’s in this situation, you will be asked to have to step up in a situation you should never be asked to. And more than anything, if you try to keep your head down and isolate yourself from your community, you will be putting yourself into an exponentially worse situation because we could only have gotten here by the support of wider community, by the support of people willing to give their time and just by talking about it. So much of what this administrative is doing is trying to isolate people, try to try them against each other and make you feel like there’s no one on your side. We’ve seen in Minnesota, we’ve seen in LA, we’ve seen all these people, there are communities that are rallying to protect their loved ones. And you have to rally to protect your loved ones against a system that is designed to break that. And there is no greater thing that I can say than like you don’t have to wait to be a person who can step up and make a difference. If you have the skillset right now, you can be a person who helps make a huge difference. There is a lawyer out in Minnesota who took one class on habeas cases, he is free 10 people because his track record against the government, he’s like, “I know how to argue this now.” And he’s not an immigration lawyer. He just stepped up and said like, “I’m a barred lawyer in this state is on people who are being detained.” If we had hundreds of people to do that across the country, we could get some people free. It’s just a matter of people believing and being frankly crazy enough to be like, “Yeah, no, I’m not going to let the powers that be take my loved one from me. ” And more than anything, you don’t have to wait to be a certain type of person. This type of activism, this type of support doesn’t look like being a certain type of person. It means just being a person with a skillset who can set up. And even little things like if you know someone who’s working on this, cooking a meal for them, like being able to watch their kids, being able to do tiny things like that, all add up to people to refuel people to essentially fight a hydro with infinite resources. And we’re hoping that on Friday we’ll be able to show Ludovic who has his faith rocked in so many different ways, but also the people of Maryland and then like this area that not only can you fight, you can win and you can win conclusively with the power of community. And again, none of this would be possible without the fighting in community, the greater Washington DC community, Maryland, Virginia, all the tons of people who have contributed to this process and really just want to thank everyone who has been a part of telling this story and a part of sharing this story because we wouldn’t have been able to get here to the point where we have a bond hearing scheduled without a lot of people putting in work. And I pray and I hope that no one I know ever has to go through this ever because it truly breaks something inside you as a person. It doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed, but it means that there’s a lot of effort there and really and truly I just want to just impart to people as like, it seems like an abstract nightmare when it’s on the news. It seems like an abstract nightmare when you hear about it and you can maybe keep your head down from it and you can mainly hide from it. Some people might be able to, but if you don’t get ready for the possibility of it happening, you will not be able to keep up and you lose track of people. Has told us and talked to us about people who inside that who have been there for a year, people who’ve been there for two years, people who get sent down to Georgia and have their case transferred and get sent to a judge who denies every single bond order and they just languish there. And the thing that really just fills my heart is like even in light of it being in the worst situation possible, he is still thinking of ways to help these people. He is still thinking of ways with the people and the people he’s connecting with, the people he’s showing kindness to, that even at essentially their rock bottom, he is finding ways to keep up their spirit and it’s find a way to be able to help them like he has been helped. And if lot of it can do that for people who are being detained, who are having their rights violated, then it is up to us, the people on the outside to do absolutely everything we can, to advocate, to make sure we bring not just some of them, but bring all of them home and to make sure this never happens to anyone ever again. Maximillian Alvarez: Alright, gang, that’s going to wrap things up for us today. I want to thank our guests, Diane Sohna, the sister of Ludovic Mbock, who is currently being detained and facing deportation, and Nikhil Delahaye, a close friend of Ludovic and a fellow gamer. And of course, I want to thank you all for listening and I want to thank you for caring. We’ll see y’all back here next time for another episode of Working People. And in the meantime, please go explore all the great work that we’re doing at the Real News Network across our YouTube channel, our podcast feeds, our website, and our social media pages, and help us do more work like this by going to the realnews.com/donate and becoming a supporter today. I promise you guys, it really makes a difference. I’m Maximillian Alvarez. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Solidarity forever. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Maximillian Alvarez.
The Complicity of the Experts: When Knowledge Fails in an Age of War
You may know that in Macedonia the academic disciplines of international relations, geopolitics, and international security were introduced long after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Everything started from scratch, and I would say that these fields are still in their infancy. With rare exceptions. In global terms, we are Lilliputians. Our academic community is small, our […] The post The Complicity of the Experts: When Knowledge Fails in an Age of War appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/e9b907e1-94d3-4c40-ab45-eea3de5312dc?j=eyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/e9b907e1-94d3-4c40-ab45-eea3de5312dc?j%3DeyJ1Ijoiam4wMmoifQ.PaddeBtKle9joHJvDN3ueADzsKO9yeCM5BKLmMw0ldw&source=gmail&ust=1773413132047000&usg=AOvVaw0l1lLF6flidYqvdX5PVdff"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZVBRE-dd9lqNZRDAzHAafSZrnEIpy2WRpSyEenCy4scRlUF9RGBHmCXgtnperxGgv5C1AE4dAAy96IIQBttkhdKhXe-xhJlN4TZkrnCf0QJaKyMhUdDS0NtNEOJefj1snTZMYRA7KKrFYBDy_9kxhvuipvWjcTcmKPQsWwswGEnowWmxQ-jydvYCvBtGk_Zzk8fuYyJoQ3M6jev-kGdKOisTM32fulLTwO8S5dc7_KImQVAa0tPEepsbLk5nxExwFawvISA5K2cpyFSFBR1xYO0cqURwxZrwNPx6QcddYPFk6Hrv7qOY0CAxM2p51Ous6blOCl=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ClB!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F366eed50-7e20-4695-a729-0bdff3f3d706_1056x696.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="330.5" data-bit="iit" /> You may know that in Macedonia the academic disciplines of international relations, geopolitics, and international security were introduced long after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Everything started from scratch, and I would say that these fields are still in their infancy. With rare exceptions. In global terms, we are Lilliputians. Our academic community is small, our resources limited, and our institutional infrastructure fragile. Yet when I watch television debates where journalists and self-appointed “analysts” confidently discuss grand strategy, nuclear deterrence, or great-power rivalry, I cannot remain indifferent. After all, there exists an entire Institute for Security, Defense and Peace. There are people who have devoted their lives to studying these questions. And yet no one seems to think of asking them anything. But the problem is not merely Macedonian provincialism. In fact, the deeper paradox lies elsewhere. These disciplines were born and institutionalized in the West—primarily in Britain and the United States. Under various labels—international relations, global studies, global security, strategic studies—they became vast intellectual industries. Thousands of professors, researchers, think tanks, advisory bodies, policy institutes. Enormous research grants, prestigious journals, rankings, impact factors, conferences in luxury hotels, advisory roles close to power. If knowledge were power, one would expect the world to be safer than ever. And yet here we are: closer to systemic war than at any moment in decades. Despite this immense intellectual apparatus, Western political elites have repeatedly steered the world toward confrontation, militarization, and escalation. Whether under Donald Trump or his predecessors, the strategic direction has remained remarkably consistent: expanding alliances, intensifying rivalries, normalizing sanctions regimes, and steadily eroding the already fragile architecture of global security. If this is the outcome of the most sophisticated academic-policy complex in the world, one must ask an uncomfortable question: what exactly are all those experts doing? Are they not consulted? Or do they prefer proximity to power over speaking inconvenient truths? Do they genuinely believe their own strategic doctrines, or are they simply maintaining the prestige economy of academia? What is the point of producing endless peer-reviewed articles with impressive impact factors if the geopolitical system they analyze is moving toward self-destruction? Occasionally, public debates between well-known figures—John Mearsheimer, Jeffrey Sachs, and a handful of others—briefly puncture the consensus. But two or three dissenting voices cannot substitute for the responsibility of an entire discipline. I am not speaking about a few celebrity scholars; I am speaking about thousands of professors and researchers who populate departments, journals, advisory boards, and policy forums across the Western world. Even more tragic, however, is the fate of peace studies. In theory, peace research should provide the intellectual and moral counterweight to strategic studies and militarized geopolitics. It was once a vibrant field, born during the Cold War from the urgent realization that humanity had entered the nuclear age. Scholars like Johan Galtung developed the concept of “positive peace”—not merely the absence of war, but the presence of social justice, equality, and structural transformation. Peace was not simply a diplomatic arrangement between states; it was a social condition requiring profound political change. But somewhere along the way, much of the field lost its nerve. Today, large parts of peace studies appear trapped in a strange temporal lag. Conceptually, many remain anchored in Cold War frameworks and institutional faith in global governance structures that are visibly eroding. The United Nations is still invoked with near-liturgical reverence, as if its paralysis were merely a temporary malfunction rather than a structural feature of a world dominated by great-power rivalry. At the same time, the radical core of the idea of positive peace has been quietly diluted. The original insight—that durable peace requires transforming unjust social and economic structures—has become uncomfortable in an era where neoliberal capitalism defines the boundaries of respectable discourse. Instead of confronting those structures, many scholars prefer safer terrain: conflict resolution workshops, dialogue facilitation, peace education modules, technocratic peacebuilding projects. In other words, peace without politics. The deeper dilemma is that many in the field seem to want to keep the cake and eat it too. They seek to preserve the language of liberal values—human rights, democracy, international law—as if these norms still function in the global order as they were once imagined. At the same time, they are visibly terrified of the implications of taking positive peace seriously. Because once you do, you inevitably confront questions of inequality, exploitation, imperial hierarchies, and the structural violence embedded in global capitalism. And that road quickly leads to ideas that polite academic circles would rather avoid: systemic transformation, redistribution, and yes—even the socialist imagination that once animated the most ambitious visions of peace. So the result is a curious intellectual balancing act. Strategic studies normalize militarization. Peace studies soften it with humanitarian vocabulary. Meanwhile, the system itself continues its slow march toward catastrophe. But we are told that this is democracy—that the people decide. Yet one must ask: what kind of people would consciously choose the end of the world? The world they already inhabit is sinking under the weight of social injustice, deepening inequality, ecological crisis, and political fragmentation. Societies are increasingly organized around polarization and permanent partisan warfare—the old imperial logic of divide et impera, divide and rule, now internalized within democratic systems themselves. If democracy truly means collective self-government, then the silence of the intellectual class in the face of existential danger is not merely disappointing. It is historically tragic. By the way, Ukraine and Iran were the most predictable wars. Academia’s contribution to conflict prevention – zero! The post The Complicity of the Experts: When Knowledge Fails in an Age of War appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Biljana Vankovska.
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Jeff J. Brown: Thomas, knowing your erudite expertise on Christianity, I have a question for you: When did Jews get control of the Vatican? I know it was at least in 1942, when the Jewish psychopath Rothschild clan created the City of London Vatican Bank. T.P. Wilkinson: I will check on your query before I […] The post Myth of Judeo-Christian Culture appeared first on Dissident Voice.
Jeff J. Brown: Thomas, knowing your erudite expertise on Christianity, I have a question for you: When did Jews get control of the Vatican? I know it was at least in 1942, when the Jewish psychopath Rothschild clan created the City of London Vatican Bank. T.P. Wilkinson: I will check on your query before I give you an answer. However, I think it must have been around the Reformation because the Calvinists are traditionally strong Old Testament followers. There is a theory that Calvin (as opposed to Luther) was crypto-Jewish. One should consider that both Waldensers and the radical Christians of Southern France (Albigensians/ Cathars) were adamant New Testament followers for which they were annihilated in the crusade preached by Innocent III. Jeff: And the Cathars were wiped out too. T.P.: I have been studying Church and cultural history for most of my life. However I am very indebted to the work of my long-time friend and colleague, Dr Robert Merrill, dean emeritus of the Maryland Institute College of Art. So much of what I have to say is a synthesis of his work as well as my own. St. Jerome (342-420AD) translated the Gospels into Latin, and he also translated the Hebrew Bible. The Vulgate (Latin) was always considered the “official” version of the Bible, though there are many studies showing Jerome tampered the original Greek text. I did not see any recent elevation of the “vulgar” Hebrew Tribal religious text by Catholics that would be on par with the protestant or evangelical Scofield Bible from the early20th century. Scofield’s version of the Bible has made Christianity as sub-set and derivative of Judaism. This is clearly not true. But it gave rise to Christian Zionism. They all accept the Scofield Bible. This still does not mean the Hebrew Bible was ever considered by Catholics to be a part of Christianity. In fact, it never was. The trouble with the Hebrew Bible is that it is a tribal religion with a tribal god. It is constantly at war against other tribes and their gods. In the Babylonian period when the Hebrews emerged, all tribes had their own gods, and they were the cause of constant inter-tribal wars. In addition, much of the Hebrew Bible is copies from other Babylonian literature, The First Commandment proves this – “I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.” This was a period of wars among the many different tribal gods. There are very many references to Baal in the Hebrew Bible – 90 to be exact. Baal is the chief god of the Canaanites. He is a “father” god of other gods as well as a god of nature and fertility. Yahweh is constantly urging war against Baal and genocide of the people who worship him. This is just tribalism pure and simple. Four steps to the current Bible Initial Commission: In 382AD, Pope Damasus I commissioned Jerome to revise the Old Latin Gospels to ensure a standardized, authoritative text. Hebrew Translation: Jerome expanded this project, translating most of the Old Testament directly from Hebrew rather than the Greek Septuagint, a move that eventually solidified the Hebraica Veritas within the Vulgate. Official Recognition: Although Damasus started the process, the Council of Trent (1546) formally declared the Vulgate (Latin) the only authentic and official version. Finalization: The Sixto-Clementine Vulgate (1590AD), authorized by Popes Sixtus V and Clement VIII, solidified the finalized text, including the Old Testament translation from Hebrew. The whole idea that Christianity is derived from Judaism is just a fabrication. Christianity was a Greek religion. At the time of Jesus’s life, Greek mystery religions were dominant all over the Mediterranean world. Greek was the most frequently spoken language, even in Palestine. The entire New Testament was written in Greek. Christianity is based on “mysteries” which were also common in Greek religions – virgin birth, son of God becoming human, death and rebirth, and so on. Judaism is only based on tribal history and struggles against competing tribes. You can see this in the language. The word Christianity for “god” is “theos.” “Theos” is the word used in the Greek New Testament, and it is translated to Deus in the Latin. “Theos” is a general term for God, but it is derived from Zeus which means “father god.” Here are some summaries. The primary Ancient Greek word for “god” or “deity” is θεός (theós), which is typically used for a singular deity. It can refer to a specific god, a general divine being, or in the plural (θεοί, theoi), the gods of Greek mythology. The term is also used to represent “God” in the New Testament. The primary Ancient Greek word for Zeus is Ζεύς (Zeús), typically pronounced “zefs” or “zews” in antiquity. Due to irregular declension, his name appears in different forms: Genitive Διός (Diós), the Greek word Ζεύς (Zeus) represents the father god, frequently appearing in the vocative form Zeu pater (“O Father Zeus”) in ancient literature to denote him as the supreme ruler, protector, and father of gods and men. It derives from the Indo-European sky-God *Dyḗus Ph₂tḗr, meaning “Sky Father”. The Latin father god is Jupiter, which is only a Latinization of the Greek, “Zeu pater.” Jesus often refers to his “father” as God. This makes sense in Greek but has no relevance in Hebrew. The main reason the Jews killed Jesus was that he was spreading a religion they did not accept, and he was promoting another god, something their commandments forbid. The whole panoply of Angels, sainted humans like Mary, and other semi-divines are just the same as the demi-gods in Greek religions. For example, in translating the Torah and the story of Adam and Eve (another Mesopotamian story), Jerome or someone added the role of the Angel Gabriel as the advisor and teacher of Adam. The Qur’an also tells the story of Gabriel as a demi-god. There is no Gabrial or any demi-god in the Torah story of Adam and Eve. But Gabriel does enter Jewish religious writings later on after Christianity is established, i.e., in the Midrash. The Qur’an is right. Christianity is a polytheistic religion. We have totally lost the true history of Christianity and accepted the fabrication. Everything about the history of Jews is fabricated. That seems to be their cultural strength. The Jewish god is Yahweh, but they are forbidden from mentioning the name. It was really the Christian School of Alexandria – people like St. Clement and Origin – who fabricated the false Idea that Christianity was a fulfillment of Hebrew prophesies. They were followed by the Romans like Jerome and St. Augustine who were very adamant about hiding the Greek origins of Christianity. There are many almost funny examples of the Greek connection. In the mysteries of Eleusis, initiates have to go down into a cellar under the temple and be totally isolated for 3 days. This is a symbolic death. When they emerge or return to from the tomb, they are given a sheaf of wheat and a bunch of grapes – bread and wine. This mystery precedes Christianity by about 2000 years. It was destroyed and all the records destroyed in about 350 AD by Christians from Rome who obviously wanted to hide their origins. The ruins of the temple were re-discovered in the 20th century. Jeff: Why were early Christians so hellbent (pardon the pun) about hiding Christianity’s deep Greek roots? T.P.: Here is a good answer from Robert Merrill and myself, of the Institute of Advanced Cultural Studies, First of all, the Romans were not “early Christians”, the Greeks were. The Romans, when they conquered the Latium, had an interest in suppressing the presence of Greek religions. The establishment of the Latin Church was a coup against Orthodoxy, the Greek centers of Christianity, especially Antioch and Constantinople. This coup was arguably conducted by the North African (Carthaginian) latifundistas who would eventually be driven to the North by revolutionary Islam. Laurent Guyenot argued that Rome was the establishment of a colony by people from the region we now know as Romania- hence the creation of Latin as a Roman language, which supplanted Greek and the indigenous languages of the Italian peninsula. Thus, it is plausible that what became the Roman Catholic Church was already in origin very “Jewish”/ rabbinical, as opposed to the ecclesiastical decentralism of Orthodoxy (the Greek churches declared to be schismatic by Rome). This Judaic tendency might actually have been transported through Khazars in Romania, who again changed color to become “Catholics.” Of course, this is hypothetical. But, based on a confluence or convergence that was later actually amplified in the Reformation, Rome‘s persistent “tribalism” was expressed in the Crusades and Inquisition – precursors to the present Zionist system. Jeff: you write that Jews killed Jesus because he was promoting another god. I have always been told Jesus was a Jew. Is that true? Why or why not? The Gospels say Jesus was a Jew but that is not very convincing. He may have been or he may not have been. There is no indication at all he knew Hebrew which stopped being the language of ordinary Jews in about 500 BC. Jews were always a minority wherever they lived. They spoke the majority language. Hebrew with the language of Jewish rabbis and high priests. If Jesus were a rabbi, as if often claimed, he would have learned Hebrew and would have used it in his teachings. But he does not. T.P.: I believe that the only things we can assume about a historical Jesus is that he was born and raised in what is today occupied Palestine. The Gospels are not historical records. They are fiction. That does not mean they are fantasy, just that they cannot be treated in the same way 19th century historical method was developed and applied. We also have to consider the fundamental degree of forgery and corruption of whatever texts were finally adopted as canonical. In this point we should be skeptical of the entire chronology set under Christendom. That is to say the vain attempt to make chronology conform to the supposed sequence of the Bible. Archeological method does not support such a synchronic view. Was Jesus a Jew? This is really just a frustrating subject because it is almost impossible to find anyone who does not believe that Christianity evolved out of Judaism. That’s just simply a fabrication. There is no evidence in the Gospels or Epistles that Jesus practiced Judaism or spoke Hebrew or taught the Torah (Jewish law). He preached his Greek religion to Jews in Palestine. He spoke Aramaic which was the language of the people who lived in what is now Syria, Iraq, and Canaan. Very likely he was a Canaanite. He was born in Bethlehem to parents who were from there, but that whole area was majority Canaanites and Hebrews were only a minority. The majority religions in the area were Greek religions which were derived from Egyptian and Indian sources just like the native polytheistic religion of the Canaanites. Jesus’ criticisms of Hebrews and the leaders of Judaism are right out of the doctrines of Greek religions – the Hebrews were far too interested in money and material things and ignored the spirit. Jesus physically fought with the Pharisees in the Hebrew temple and he threw the bankers out of the temple where they’d set up their businesses. For some this depends on whether one accepts that Mary was a Jew. I do not think the official narrative supports any definite conclusion. What seems clear however was that a Jewish theocratic agency exercised authority over the territory on behalf of those powers that dominated the region at the time. This would make the question moot since it is always presumed that Jesus opposed the Jewish faith. That is a convenient way of ignoring the political implications of a non-Jew attacking collaborators in the occupation of his homeland. The Latin Church and the Reformed churches always (especially Luther in his exposition of Romans 13) rejected the political implications of Jesus’ opposition to the Pharisees et al. Liberation theology in its various iterations explicitly focused on the unity of faith and political praxis — which would again have made the putative ethnic or religious identity trivial if not irrelevant. I think the antagonisms today reflect the psychopathology of the cult and its constant persecution of humanism in whatever form. That is the real story — the relevant story — of Christianity as it has been interpreted by almost everyone outside the established Western churches (and synagogues). Calling Jesus a Jew is just obfuscation. Here is more from Bob Merrill This has been written about somewhat. There are many reasons, and all of them bad. They are, indeed, what led up to the schism between the Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Catechetical School of Alexandria. Alexandria was the center for Greek Religions from Alexander’s time until about the time of Augustine. Greek religions derive ultimately from India and Africa, as Martin Bernal has written in Black Athena: The Afro-Asiatic Origins of Greek Culture. Most early Christians were part of the cult of Christ and saw themselves as part of a wide variety of Greek religious and spiritual cults. Some Christians at Alexandria wanted to out-compete the other sects by claiming to be the one true sect. This meant refuting and suppressing all the others. Greek religions have over time been turned into children’s myths by people like Bullfinch and other mythology writers. The really good people who study Greek texts have vanished and their books are pretty much gone, too. It is almost impossible to study what Greek religions were really like. This is also true for Egyptian religions. Judaism was attractive and was adopted as an origin of the Christian cult for political and historical reasons. It had a built-in doctrine of Jews as Gods chosen people who would inherit control of all the earth. When this was accomplished, a new Jewish kingdom would be established – Israel. And it would rule all of the earth. This political and imperialistic model appealed to certain early Christians, so they associated themselves as the “fulfillment” of Jewish prophesies rather than as much more spiritual sects of the Greeks. The magnum opus of this movement is Augustine’s massive City of God in which he merges the concept of Rome as the eternal empire and Christianity as the eternal empire of the soul. It is the same formula as the essential Christian myth itself – the divine becomes flesh. The massive efforts to unify Judaism and Christianity are just so dominant, especially among Protestants. We now see very overtly that Jews have inserted themselves into Christianity. This is probably an effort for survival. Israel now pays protestant ministers to promote Judaism. People like Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro promoted the idea that “western civilization” was a Judeo-Christian culture. I just think this is bullshit. Joseph Campbell in his volume III of his series Masks of God discusses this adoption of Hebrew historicism cult and suppression of the Greek spiritual cults very well. But more succinctly could be the study of Greek cults versus Christian cults in the book by Lynch called Christ and Apollo: The Dimensions of the Literary Imagination. I read this as an undergrad and thought it explained a lot. Here’s the difference or what the Hebrew cult contributed to Christianity – a. Christ was seen as a completely definite and particular individual — the historical man who entered fully into human life, body with human limitations. Lynch argues that true understanding — in literature, life, and art — comes through engagement with particular, limited realities and that is history. Judaism is an historical cult. All of its “mythological” figures from Abraham on are taken as historical, real, and moving in a definite political scheme – toward the Hebrew empire. This meshed perfectly with the mentality of Rome. Christ is “historical” just as David, Abraham, Noah and all the rest are. b. Apollo stands for the infinite or non-definite spiritual condition — abstract aestheticism and the tendency in art and thought to escape into idealized, detached visions that pertain to the soul and transcend history or makes history irrelevant. It is associated with romantic mythologizing, the abstract aesthetic mind, and any approach that privileges idea. This is why the Eastern Orthodoxy is all about spiritualism, while the Roman church is all about history. In the Middle Ages, the Roman Church developed the concept of The Church Militant or the warfare against heresy and other religions. The wars were not about spirituality but rather about real historical control of territory. This is what happened to the Cathars, Albigensians or the very early Protestants like John Wycliff. And this is particularly Hebrew in its essence. But as you say, the Roman catholic church has never recognized the Hebrew Bible as doctrine, and it has discouraged its members from even reading the book. Protestants elevated the Hebrew Bible to its primary status, and probably for the same political reasons that early on attracted some Christians to it. It is a messianic theme, which the Christian Gospels and Epistles already have their messiah, and the spiritual re-birth Jesus taught them. For today, we are not focusing enough of the Scofield Study Bible, which in numerous footnotes makes fabulous connections between what he calls the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is a fabulation, but it has been very influential. It is the origin of Christian Zionism. It was funded by the Rothschilds and originally published by Oxford University Press. It was a project of the Zionists to colonize Christianity – as they are now doing with all of Euro/America on every level. The “standard” story is that after 1492 when Jews and Muslims were thrown out of Spain, they moved north into England, France, Germany, and Italy and got into business and banking there. The story is that the people who became the Rothschilds ended up in Frankfurt and began their banking there. But Jews were not bankers in Spain. They were scholars, poets, philosophers. My view is that Jews went back to North Africa with the Muslims since there was a much more sophisticated culture there. Europe in the 1400s and before was a jungle of savages. I think it is more likely that Jews moved from Ukraine and the Caucasus – Khazar Jews – into Europe and took up the banking that they found there. The Rothschilds were Khazars (so-called Ashkenazim) and not Sephardic Jews. If we take this thesis seriously—as Kästner proposed in his much derided The Thirteenth Tribe—then even the war in Ukraine corresponds to the geographical/ geopolitical area of contestation of the historic Khazars, who were to have converted to Judaism and then became a diaspora when driven out of the region by the Muscovites. Take that one step further and the Polish Zionists, of whom Netanyahu is only the most recent incarnation, see Greater Israel in fact as Greater Khazaria, extending from the Ukraine through Turkey to the Red Sea and Nile. Thus what Netanyahu really means (and Zelensky as well) is that the great wars against Muscovy (today’s Russia) and the successor states in the Middle East are a fulfillment of one grand vision to restore Khazar domination of the “new” Silk Road. To return however to your original question. I read that the Knesset is located on land leased from the Vatican. I think we can say that the inception of the papacy with all its vain claims to universal truth and power are traceable to a joint venture between the founders of the schismatic Latin Church and its allies in the sacking of Constantinople, a continuing confluence of interest. Of course that is all just theory. The conspiracies however are fact. The post Myth of Judeo-Christian Culture appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Jeff J. Brown.
Trump’s Call to Putin, Article IV of the NPT and War Crimes
President Trump’s recent attempt to reassure the American public how the war against Iran was going relied on the President’s assertion that the US is winning the war. Relying on the lame claim, the President said “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” as well as telling Axios that “Any time I want […] The post Trump’s Call to Putin, Article IV of the NPT and War Crimes appeared first on Dissident Voice.
President Trump’s recent attempt to reassure the American public how the war against Iran was going relied on the President’s assertion that the US is winning the war. Relying on the lame claim, the President said “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” as well as telling Axios that “Any time I want it to end, it will end.” Speaking from his Doral Florida golf club, the President added that “If they do anything bad, that would be the end of Iran and you’d never hear the name again,” leaving open speculation that the US was prepared to further dramatically escalate its military response. In close coordination with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu, early assertions that Iran was in a weakened state have not materialized. Almost two weeks into the conflict, with mid term elections looming, the President’s vulnerable political state amidst sinking approval polls cannot avoid the precarious reality that the war had not occurred as anticipated. In response to the frustration, the US has undertaken an indiscriminate carpet bombing campaign throughout Tehran, its capital city with a population of ten million. Those bombings include direct attacks on the civilian population, schools, hospitals, residential buildings and other noncombatant infrastructure. All would be considered war crime violations under the Geneva Conventions and the Nuremberg Codes. As a result of the targeted assassination of the Ayatollah, the Trump-Netanyahu team expected Iran to succumb to a lack of leadership yet those early days passed without any sign of collapse by Iran and were stunned by Iran’s vociferous response. The war has not proven to be the speedy, crowning success that Trump had been led to believe as he struggles to find the exit. Almost immediately as bombs began to drop on February 28, the Shajareh Tayyiba elementary school was struck killing 165 young girls (ages 6-10 years) and a dozen teachers. It was reported that the majority of the students were daughters of Iran military officers. Trump foolishly asserted that Iran had killed its own students with no explanation of how Iran acquired the necessary missile or how a second tap had occurred on the rescuers. When satellite imagery confirmed that a US Tomahawk missile was at fault, it was asserted by President Trump that the Tomahawk missile had been in Iran’s possession, although it is known that only four countries have purchased Tomahawk’s (the UK, the US, Australia and Japan) and that Iran has no Tomahawk missiles. It was further reported that an incendiary device had exploded at the scene thereby creating an inferno amidst the students. The attack on Sharjareh, as well as carpet bombing, would clearly qualify as war crimes eligible for legal action. As certain media began to report that the US had lost the war, it came as no surprise that Trump reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin presumably for counsel on deescalation although the exact nature of their one hour conversation remains unspecified. Two days after the Putin-Trump phone call, Putin was meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev where both spoke in favor of an end to the hostilities. The Russian leader then held a phone conversation with Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan where both expressed concern that the situation in the Gulf was “deteriorating rapidly.” The Russian leader “emphasized the need to stop the conflict from escalating further and resolve it through talks.” Putin thanked Aliyev for assistance evacuating Russian citizens from Iran and thanked the UAE for its assistance to Russian citizens. Almost immediately — because there is a history there — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out further negotiations citing that Iran had had a “very bitter experience of talking with the Americans.” At least twice, the US had “used” negotiations as a façade to stall peace efforts while the US-Israel instigated new attacks. It is may be implausible to believe that Trump’s negotiating “dream team” included his son-in-law Jared Kushner and a NYC crony Steve Witkoff, both of whom are Zionists with real estate backgrounds and active relationships with Israel. Neither had any experience in diplomacy or any familiarity with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). Even before the conflict became a full fledged war, when it became apparent that Trump was willing to ‘negotiate’ with the Iranians, the President was frequently flipping his objective – were negotiations to be focused on Iran’s use of nuclear energy or its enrichment of uranium or was it the ballistic missile threat or perhaps it was merely ‘regime change’ as if the US had the right to decide any other nation’s ‘regime’. Scrutinizing the negotiating process reveals that when US and Iran representatives met in an attempt to find common ground and resolve their differences, the ‘negotiations’ quickly deteriorated into little more than a stalling process creating political theatre to enhance President Trump’s image of his alleged quest for peace. The negotiations could have been productive if Trump had appointed professional diplomats with some experience dealing with high level war-and-peace questions or politically sensitive issues as well as an open-minded approach truly seeking peace would have been helpful. At the time, “A deal was at our reach, and we left Geneva happily with the understanding that we can reach a deal next time we meet,” Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated in anticipation that Iran would “focus on discussions that accept enrichment inside Iran while building trust that enrichment is and will stay for peaceful purposes.” The question arose, however, what were the negotiators to negotiate if the President had not been able to settle on one single basis for war with Iran, if there was no real understanding of the nature of their negotiation. In the final analysis, it makes little difference since there was no one real objective identified that would forestall the attacks. The attacks were always on the agenda; the negotiations were meant to impress gullible Americans that there was a serious attempt to forestall an attack and that the US did its best but it was allegedly the fault of those damned Iranians who would not cooperate. After their first “negotiation” session, Witkoff reported with an incredulous tone that Iran had declared it had an “inalienable right” to enrich all its nuclear fuel. That’s how they opened up,” Witkoff complained. “We, of course, responded that the president feels we have the inalienable right to stop you, dead in your tracks.” Witkoff continued “… which told us at that very moment that they had no notion of doing anything other than retaining enrichment for the purpose of weaponizing.” Clearly, Witkoff was offended by Iranian use of the “inalienable right” phrase. As an uninformed mediator, Witkoff had not understood that the Iranians were absolutely correct in their assertion. The Iranians did have an “inalienable right” as spelled out in Article IV of the NPT. However, the Witkoff-Kushner team maintained an antagonistic view with no clue about the NPT or that Article IV existed but that the Iranians were totally correct and that Article IV was very clear and specific to the point. After the fact, Omani foreign minister Badr Alblusaidi who participated in the negotiations as a mediator, reiterated on Face the Nation that “Iran agreed it will “never, ever” have nuclear material to create a bomb. Iran agreed to full and comprehensive verification by the IAEA”. Hours before President Trump announced his decision to bomb Iran, Alblusaidi went public to inform the American people that “a peace deal is within our reach.” By that time, Trump was intent on war. Instead, if Trump’s hand picked negotiators had been familiar with Article IV’s reference to an inalienable right as identified in the NPT, if Witkoff and Kushner had a better understanding of their role as negotiators, had a better understanding of what the Iranians were trying to convey about the NPT’s requirements and its allowance for reprocessing of uranium for peaceful purposes, this disastrous deadly conflict might have been avoided. Article IV of the NPT states: “Nothing in this treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the parties to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination” and further that “all Parties have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.” Article IV also provides for the transfer of nuclear technology and materials to NPT Parties for peaceful purposes in the development of civilian nuclear energy programs, subject to IAEA safeguards to demonstrate that their nuclear programs are not being used for the development of nuclear weapons. Specifically Article IV of the NPT acknowledges the right of all Parties to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as well as permits the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes. In 1968, both Iran and Israel were parties to the NPT as Iran has always been agreeable to IAEA inspections. Initially agreeing to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in theory in 1968, the nation of Israel never signed or ratified the NPT as adopted; Israel remains the only nation in the Middle East to possess nuclear weapons and its refusal to adhere to the IAEA inspections. Israel has denied the existence of the Dimona Nuclear plant for decades, is the only UN member not a party to the NPT as it is also not a party to the Biological Weapons Convention or the Chemical Weapons Convention and has never participated in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone. American journalist Tucker Carlson: “If the US refuses to admit any responsibility for the bombing of an Iranian elementary school, the US is not worth fighting for,” and an investigation should determine if the school bombing was a “tragic mistake.” Ironically, within days of the elementary school attack, US First Lady Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Meeting entitled “Children in Conflict.” The post Trump’s Call to Putin, Article IV of the NPT and War Crimes appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Renee Parsons.
President Trump has been on quite a roll. Since just the beginning of the year, he has kidnapped the Venezuela president, threatened to invade Greenland and Colombia, and has in just the last week dragged the U.S.—and seemingly much of the Middle East—into a new war by joining with Israel to attack Iran, something that even the […] The post Breaking the Nuclear Taboo appeared first on Dissident Voice.
President Trump has been on quite a roll. Since just the beginning of the year, he has kidnapped the Venezuela president, threatened to invade Greenland and Colombia, and has in just the last week dragged the U.S.—and seemingly much of the Middle East—into a new war by joining with Israel to attack Iran, something that even the biggest hawks among recent U.S. presidents have managed to avoid. That’s on top of bombing seven countries in 2025. The 2024 campaign promises of a peace president who will end the forever wars have evaporated, only to be replaced by unrestrained use of military force and a seeming disdain for diplomacy. As the U.S. comedy show Saturday Night Live put it, Trump, along with his UNreplacing Board of Peace, got “bored of peace.” Breaking international law seems to be a feature, and not a bug, of Trump’s actions, consistent with his admission that he is expressly not guided by international law, norms, traditions, or common decency, but by “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” In addition to hegemonic actions in the conventional military realm, Trump has been escalating when it comes to nuclear weapons. He rejected President Putin’s invitation to extend the New START treaty for another year, making possible an unconstrained nuclear arms race alongside an ongoing modernization race. He has also announced that the U.S. will resume nuclear testing. Even without the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions with China, these actions and threats would be destabilizing and dangerous. Trump is the mean and out-of-control bully on the global playground. Except that this bully has the sole authority to launch thousands of nuclear warheads. It would be the ultimate expression of Trump’s unbounded power for him to break the one remaining international taboo—which, despite far too many close calls, has persisted for more than 80 years—detonating a nuclear weapon. There are many indications that, despite the U.S. and Israel’s ability to bomb Iran at will, this war may not be going well for them. But that need not be the pretext for using a nuclear weapon. In Trump’s mind, the more unprovoked, outrageous, and unnecessary something is, the better. Given his fragile ego and rapidly deteriorating mental powers—going off on bizarre rants about poisonous snakes in Peru or the White House drapes—the more unhinged he is, the more he thinks it demonstrates his dominance. Since the end of the Cold War, many people who pay attention have worried about an accidental or a miscalculated stumble into nuclear war. But with Trump breaking every taboo domestically and internationally, demonstrating that he is above the law and can do as he pleases at every turn, the ultimate taboo waiting to be broken is the nuclear one. This may in fact be part of the reason why Presidents Putin and Xi have muted their response to the attacks on Iran. They know how dangerous Trump is and they don’t want to provoke him. There are now reports from Air Force veteran Mikey Weinstein, the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, that his organization has received calls from more than 200 soldiers on over 50 military bases, that “have one damn thing in freaking common…the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders and command chains as to how this new ‘biblically sanctioned’ war is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian ‘end times’ as vividly described in the New Testament book of Revelation.” The commander of one combat unit told non-commissioned officers “that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that President Donald Trump was ‘anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.’” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned in June that we were “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.” We might be a lot closer than even she realized. The post Breaking the Nuclear Taboo appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Peter Kuznick and Ivana Nikolic Hughes.
You notice your pulse first. It normally moves quietly, on time, somewhere below your notice. Now it presses forward, beats harder; it has something to say. The pulse is yours. It doesn’t belong to the drunk guards outside your cell, bent over a rough wooden table, slapping down cards in the dim light. They’re cursing […] The post Dreaming appeared first on Dissident Voice.
You notice your pulse first. It normally moves quietly, on time, somewhere below your notice. Now it presses forward, beats harder; it has something to say. The pulse is yours. It doesn’t belong to the drunk guards outside your cell, bent over a rough wooden table, slapping down cards in the dim light. They’re cursing over Aces and Kings, and getting rivered out. Thunder breaks in the distance. Storm’s coming. You draw a breath. In that small space, something settles. You win. The kind of victory that happens quietly. A dream you went after has finally found ground. It lives in you now. It moves through your blood. Liberty is the dream. Smaller than a speech or a flag, but steadier. There’s defiance in it. It keeps beating through foul weather, ignores Aces and Kings, and the hired hands that hold them. The post Dreaming appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by J.S. O’Keefe.
In Part One of this planned series of articles, I wrote about the historical timeliness of a ‘third force’ strategy. I said, “This isn’t something pulled out of the air, or someone’s lofty dreams. It is grounded in historical experience in the United States over the last 60 or so years.” A progressive “third force,” […] The post Not a Third Party, a Third Force appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ted-glick-21-century-revolution-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-161775" srcset="https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ted-glick-21-century-revolution-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ted-glick-21-century-revolution-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ted-glick-21-century-revolution-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dissidentvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ted-glick-21-century-revolution.jpg 867w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />In Part One of this planned series of articles, I wrote about the historical timeliness of a ‘third force’ strategy. I said, “This isn’t something pulled out of the air, or someone’s lofty dreams. It is grounded in historical experience in the United States over the last 60 or so years.” A progressive “third force,” one that is both activist and electoral, that does day-do-day community, workplace and school organizing, that brings together those who see themselves as independents, who are critical of both the dominant sector of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, those who have a critique of “the system,” combined with those who may have a similar critique but who have decided for practical reasons to carry on that fight in part within the Democratic Party—this is what is needed right now to defeat fascism and lay the basis for more positive change going forward over coming years and decades. What “historical experience in the United States over the last 60 years” am I referring to? In the early 1970’s, as the Vietnam War was coming to an end, a civil rights lawyer, Arthur Kinoy, wrote a 60-or-so page document, “Toward a Mass Party of the People,” which articulated his reasoning about why this was not just a good idea but a timely idea. This was NOT the kind of direction seen as the right one by many of the Black Freedom, anti-war, women’s and other activists who had taken part in the movements of the 50s and 60s. Older Left groups criticized this idea and continued to work primarily within the Democratic Party. Younger people rejected the idea and, for a decent percentage of them, instead wrongly acted as if the USA was like Russia or China prior to their revolutions. These US revolutionaries created organizations which attempted to use similar approaches toward systemic change, ideologically and organizationally, as did revolutionaries from those two very different kinds of countries. By the early 80’s those approaches were revealing themselves to be political dead ends in the USA. What WAS having an impact, however, were the Mayoral candidacies in 1983 of Mel King in Boston and Harold Washington in Chicago. Both were progressive, movement-oriented Black men with long histories in community organizing. King came in first in a multi-candidate primary but because he did not get a majority of the overall vote, lost in a runoff against the second place finisher, but Washington won in Chicago and became Mayor. King called his campaign the Boston Rainbow Coalition, emphasizing its multi-racial character. In 1983 Jesse Jackson began to openly explore running for President to build a national “rainbow coalition.” His campaign consciously and openly brought together both progressive Democrats and those in the Mass Party group, Independent Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Progressive Coalition, and others who were NOT Democrats. History has shown the relative success of this approach to politics. Jackson polled about 3.3 million votes in total in 1984 and about seven million votes in 1988. Unfortunately, he did not support the continued building of a nationwide Rainbow Coalition in 1989 despite it starting to take root and developing in many parts of the country. Next up were groups like Campaign for a New Tomorrow, the Labor Party, the New Party (which became the Working Families Party), and the Green Party. CNT and the Labor Party died out but Working Families and Greens continued and still exist, with the Greens following a strategy of running for President every four years. Their high point with that strategy came in 2000 when Ralph Nader ran for President as a Green, but he polled only 2.7% of the vote. The Green Party nationally has been floundering ever since, with no Presidential candidate getting more than 1.1% of the vote. So has anything worked over these many years of various efforts? Yes! The two Bernie Sanders campaigns for President in 2016 and 2020 and the successful campaigns in Democratic primaries of many other more local candidates, people like AOC and Ilhan Omar as two major examples, have worked. They have without question strengthened the overall progressive movement, not just when it comes to elections but as far as other forms of organizing and activism that are non-electoral. When Bernie was considering his first run for the Presidency in 2015, he openly asked for input into whether he should run as an Independent—the only way that he had run for office up to that point in time—or within the Democratic Party. I, along with Bill Fletcher, wrote an article with our ideas on this. We said, in part: The political reality of the United States of America today is that the vast majority of strong progressives who run for political office, people with similar politics as Bernie’s, do so within Democratic primaries. We may wish it was different, but it is not. This has to be taken into account in determining the tactics of a strong progressive Presidential campaign… The last ‘third party’ candidate to actually be elected was Abraham Lincoln, winning with 36% of the vote because there were four major Presidential candidates in 1860… The bottom line for us, and we believe for Bernie, should be that he runs for President in a way which brings together, holds together and builds that broad progressive coalition. He should be very clear and forthright that this is the path to ultimate victory and social and economic transformation in this country and make his decisions accordingly. Bernie’s national “third force,” not “third party,” strategic/tactical approach was right then, and it still is today. At some point in the future, particularly if there is significant growth in the number of progressive candidates running on non-two-party lines for local offices and winning, that could change, but until that happens history and experience are telling us: it’s time for a conscious Third Force! The post Not a Third Party, a Third Force appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Ted Glick.
We’re Tired of Marco Rubio Speaking for Us
“Put three Cubans in a room together, you’ll have five different opinions,” a Cuban friend of mine likes to joke. He was referring to debates in the town-hall meetings during Cuba’s constitutional convention process of 2018. But I immediately thought, of course, of any Nochebuena celebration at my dad’s house, just a few hundred miles […] The post We’re Tired of Marco Rubio Speaking for Us appeared first on Dissident Voice.
“Put three Cubans in a room together, you’ll have five different opinions,” a Cuban friend of mine likes to joke. He was referring to debates in the town-hall meetings during Cuba’s constitutional convention process of 2018. But I immediately thought, of course, of any Nochebuena celebration at my dad’s house, just a few hundred miles north. Siblings, cousins, babies, abuelas, family, and friends of all ages and political opinions gathered around a brilliant feast. Between the devouring of lechón, yuca, plátanos, and flan, a flurry of back and forth between English and Spanish. Everyone hugging, praying, laughing, and occasionally yelling. Well, maybe more than occasionally. The existence of contradictory political opinions across generations will come as no surprise to diaspora families from all over, and my Cuban family is no exception. My abuelo participated in the Cuban Revolution against Batista before being turned off by what he saw as the horrors of communism. My family moved to Miami, and after being jailed for counterrevolutionary terrorism, my grandfather then defected and fought for the U.S. in the Bay of Pigs. (A Brigada 2506 flag hung on the wall of my childhood home.) Like many Cuban-Americans growing up in Florida, I was taught countless criticisms and failures of the government of Cuba by family members. But my proudly capitalist father also raised his children to lobby against the U.S. embargo on Cuba. And as an adult, I learned about the positive aspects of Cuba’s policies, such as the nation’s historic biomedical achievements, or the remarkable advances of LGBTQ rights under the recent Families Code referendum. Today, my older brother and I are openly Marxists and organize as such for labor, social, and environmental justice. As you may guess, sometimes things get a little complicated! Following the festivities this past December, one of mis primos worried to me about her brother who lives on the island. With increasing blackouts and energy strains, a stressed economy, and hawkish U.S. policies towards her first homeland, things were only getting harder. “The only people who pay attention to what’s happening in Cuba are Cubans,” we lamented. “Hopefully that will change.” Then 2026 came. With it, the Trump administration’s war games: Kidnapping presidents, murdering leaders in other countries, seizing foreign oil, and threatening sovereignty. People were paying attention. People are starting to learn about the 66 years of failed U.S. policy against Cuba. People are learning about the trade restrictions that prevent medicine, food, and fuel from getting to the island. People are learning about the starvation, pain, disease, and death that come from these policies. And people are also beginning to notice that Cubans across the political spectrum want something different than what the U.S. provides! There has long been a particular image, a particular idea, of what it means to be Cuban-American. You know it well: “The Miami Cuban.” The man opposed the communist policies in Cuba so much that he’s willing to go to war with the island, that he’s willing to bomb, and destroy. And this hyper-machismo image, along with intergenerational trauma in Cuban families, has been used for decades to push US policies against Cuba that do nothing but harm the people of the island. That harms our family, our friends, and a country that we deeply love. I’m tired of the extremist “Miami Cuban” propaganda machine. I’m tired of the Marco Rubios and Ted Cruzes of this country claiming to speak for Cuban-Americans. I know, however varied our politics, what my family wants is this: We want the embargo to end. We want the cruel, inhumane oil blockade by the Trump regime to end. We want the current administration’s posturing towards war games and invasion to end. We want engagement, not escalation. We want friendship. We want trade. We want to gather with our families, watch béisbol, and drink cafecitos by the Malecón. Despite what the Marco Rubios, Maria Salazars, and Carlos Giménezes of the world try to tell people, this is what most Cubans in America want. Ready to speak up, a group of us has come together to build the Cuban Americans for Cuba movement. We have launched an open letter against the current U.S. policies towards Cuba, so other Cubans can sign on and show the world the true values of Cuban-Americans. Our organization is growing, with members all over the United States, and we span a variety of opinions. What we share is the belief that the future of Cuba should be left to Cubans on the island to decide without U.S. interference and meddling. We work together across our differences to end the Embargo, knowing that this is the best way to allow for freedom for all to flourish. And that is why a delegation of Cuban-Americans is going on the Nuestra América convoy later this month with other Cuba solidarity activists, a delegation which I am proud to join. We are going to deliver thousands of pounds of medical aid to the people and communities that we love. We are going to show that Cuba is not alone, and that the working people of the USA stand with them. We are going to build bridges of friendship and solidarity and a better world where we all have liberation. A world where we all have peace. Some, including Republicans in the US Congress, have accused the convoy of being an anti-American venture and the participants of being communist agents. But just like Cubans and Cuban-Americans, the Nuestra América convoy and our supporters are made up of people across the political spectrum. The out-of-touch politicians who seek violence may not understand this, but here’s the truth: the only thing you need to be to oppose the US Embargo on Cuba and the Trump administration’s war games is a human being. The post We’re Tired of Marco Rubio Speaking for Us appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Justine Medina.
The secret superpower of Brazil’s vast savanna
The Amazon rainforest gets all the attention, but the neighboring cerrado stores massive amounts of carbon in its peaty soils.
You’ve heard of the Amazon rainforest, but have you heard of its neighbor, the cerrado? It’s a vast savanna — the most biodiverse in the world — of swaying grasses punctuated by trees. But its most remarkable feature, and its climate superpower, is hidden underground within its wetlands: concentrated carbon known as peat. New research suggests that the cerrado is storing far more carbon than anyone realized — six times more, per hectare, than the Amazon’s biomass, with its dense tangle of trees. But like Brazil’s famous rainforest, the cerrado is in serious trouble, due to climate change and the encroachment of agribusiness. Protecting these peaty ecosystems, then, would be a major win not just for preserving biodiversity, but for keeping planet-warming gases out of the sky. “When you degrade it — one hectare of Amazon and one hectare of wetland in the cerrado — we are losing six times more carbon,” said ecologist Larissa Verona, lead author of a new paper describing the work. (Verona did the research while at the State University of Campinas, but is now at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.) Peat needs waterlogged conditions to form. This creates an oxygen-poor environment, checking the growth of the microbes that eat dead plants and release their carbon. Year after year, vegetation — grasses, in the case of the cerrado — piles up and resists decay, creating layers of concentrated carbon. So long as the landscape stays wet, peat can persist. Indeed, in the cerrado, Verona found deposits of that element up to 20,000 years old. And we’re talking a lot of ancient carbon here: The cerrado is Brazil’s second-biggest biome, after its famous rainforest. Verona’s colleagues counted 50 plant species in one 3-foot-by-3-foot plot. “They’re tiny, so you don’t notice them, like a big Amazon tree, but they’re hugely rich in diversity,” said Amy Zanne, an ecologist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and co-author of the new paper. “And the animals that they protect are incredible there.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1152 1152w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveira.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="" data-caption="Peat is loaded with ancient plant matter. " data-credit="Rafael Oliveira ​​​​​​​"/> Peat is loaded with ancient plant matter. Rafael Oliveira ​​​​​​​ But if Brazil gets hot and dry, how has peat survived so long? Up in the Arctic, peat flourishes because of abundant precipitation, which allows water to pool, combined with relatively low temperatures, which reduces evaporation. By contrast, these grassland ecosystems will go four or five months without rainfall during the dry season, when temperatures are far higher than what you’d find in the Arctic. Like the peat itself, the cerrado’s trick is hidden underground. These landscapes are blessed with wetlands fed by stores of groundwater, which expand in the rainy season and come to the surface in the dry season, keeping the peat moist. (The cerrado contains so much water, in fact, that it’s the source of eight of the 12 major waterways that feed Brazil, including some that flow into the Amazon River.) And because the material is so good at retaining H2O, it creates a sort of self-reinforcing hydration, even when the sun shines and mercury climbs. So even during the dry season in the cerrado savanna, patches of peatlands persist, thanks to groundwater. “It’s sitting there, causing these saturated conditions with all that organic matter building up,” Zanne said. “You have these wetlands popping up in the middle of these dry lands, so they’re pretty weird.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto4_Larissa-Verona.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all 720w" alt="" data-caption="The research team takes a core of soil. " data-credit="Larissa Verona"/> The research team takes a core of soil. Larissa Verona Because peat is stored underground, the researchers couldn’t just scour satellite images to determine where the stuff actually is. Instead, Verona wandered the cerrado taking samples of soil, drilling to depths of 13 feet to pull out cores. The samples indicate that these peatlands store more than 1,300 tons of carbon per hectare. There’s also the consideration of speed. Trees in the Amazon grow quickly in a race for sunlight: If you’re not fast enough, you’ll get shaded, and grow slowly, if at all. The cerrado’s peatlands, on the other hand, stockpile carbon over millennia. “If you lose this, to accumulate this again will demand thousands of years,” Verona said. “We don’t have thousands of years to accumulate carbon in peat soils.” That’s what makes the problem of agribusiness so daunting. As Brazil takes steps to protect its rainforests, soy farming operations in particular are moving into the cerrado, which enjoys less stringent legal protection than the Amazon. To hydrate those crops in the dry season, farmers are tapping the groundwater all that peat needs to stay wet. Just keeping people off parts of this savanna, then, isn’t enough. “If you only protect the place, but not protect the water, we are not protecting the carbon,” Verona said. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Foto3_RafaelOliveiras.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="The cerrado is is Brazil’s second biggest biome, after its famous rainforest." data-caption="The cerrado is is Brazil’s second-biggest biome, after its famous rainforest." data-credit="Rafael Oliveira ​​​​​​​"/> The cerrado is is Brazil’s second-biggest biome, after its famous rainforest. Rafael Oliveira ​​​​​​​ At the same time, the cerrado is getting hotter, and the dry season is getting longer. Combined with the pressures from agribusiness, peat is desiccating and becoming fuel for wildfires. Such fires are a natural component of the landscape, what with all the grass to burn. But historically, a healthy supply of groundwater has kept the peat hydrated, helping it survive the blazes. Now that the peat is drying out, it’s becoming fuel for an especially pernicious kind of wildfire, one that smolders through thousands of years of subterranean carbon. These peat fires can last much longer than forest fires, spewing greenhouse gases — which further warm the planet and the cerrado — and particulate matter that’s terrible for human health. And with more people on the landscape, there are more opportunities for ignition in the dry season, when fires have a lot of grass to chew through. Now that scientists have a better idea of just how much carbon is stored in the cerrado’s wetlands, it lends still more urgency to protect both the land and its water. “We can restore these ecosystems,” Verona said, “but we can’t restore the lost carbon.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The secret superpower of Brazil’s vast savanna on Mar 12, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Matt Simon.
Athens Is Burning! The School of Athens and the Fire in the Borgo, Salvador Dali US hegemony is being dispatched to the landfill of history. Empires collapse, sometimes, slowly; sometimes, in rapid order. Trump’s war has proven to be an accelerant of the latter. The following unnerves me as a Jewish person: Trump acting as […] The post Trump’s Presidency and Iranian Missiles appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="Athens Is Burning! The School of Athens and the Fire in the Borgo, 1979 - 1980 - Salvador Dali" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WDwN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4132e925-c610-4db6-9a9a-e06307c34ad8_750x551.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WDwN!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4132e925-c610-4db6-9a9a-e06307c34ad8_750x551.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WDwN!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4132e925-c610-4db6-9a9a-e06307c34ad8_750x551.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WDwN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4132e925-c610-4db6-9a9a-e06307c34ad8_750x551.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WDwN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4132e925-c610-4db6-9a9a-e06307c34ad8_750x551.jpeg 1456w" alt="Athens Is Burning! The School of Athens and the Fire in the Borgo, 1979 - 1980 - Salvador Dali" width="505" height="371" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4132e925-c610-4db6-9a9a-e06307c34ad8_750x551.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":551,"width":750,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":125466,"alt":"Athens Is Burning! The School of Athens and the Fire in the Borgo, 1979 - 1980 - Salvador Dali","title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":true,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Athens Is Burning! The School of Athens and the Fire in the Borgo, Salvador Dali US hegemony is being dispatched to the landfill of history. Empires collapse, sometimes, slowly; sometimes, in rapid order. Trump’s war has proven to be an accelerant of the latter. The following unnerves me as a Jewish person: Trump acting as the Zionist state’s errand boy for Greater Israel — all, as any objection to the machinations of Israel’s war provocateurs and genocide apologists are conflated not as a critique of Zionism’s odious to humanity agendas but the character of Jews in general i.e., the classic conflation of Zionism and Judaism bandied by Israel’s defenders. The cynical trope, in itself, is self-undermining in its inadvertent antisemitism. Moreover, it opens both Zionist High Dollar elitist enablers of Israel as well as power and influence-bereft, anti-Zionist Jews (e.g., me and my family) to hoary Old World antisemitic lies (e.g., The Protocols of the Elders of Zion fables) of Jews ruling the world. The insidious storyline could go: You cannot afford gas and other necessities…Jewish machinations are to blame…and, granted, Jewish Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were key players in conniving the US into the present US empire-collapsing, US economy decimating war. Soon one expects to hear anti-semitic utterances at the hyper-inflation ridden gas pump and grocery store aisles. <img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="Additional Historical Primary Sources" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gBE_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1922f9eb-78b5-407d-9771-56bea23c19fa_194x259.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gBE_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1922f9eb-78b5-407d-9771-56bea23c19fa_194x259.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gBE_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1922f9eb-78b5-407d-9771-56bea23c19fa_194x259.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gBE_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1922f9eb-78b5-407d-9771-56bea23c19fa_194x259.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gBE_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1922f9eb-78b5-407d-9771-56bea23c19fa_194x259.jpeg 1456w" alt="Additional Historical Primary Sources" width="194" height="259" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1922f9eb-78b5-407d-9771-56bea23c19fa_194x259.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":259,"width":194,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"Additional Historical Primary Sources","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Dreyfus Petit Journal 1894, Credit: Bibliothèque nationale de France In my IMO, the most propitious remedies would include: for anti-Zionist Jews to make our voices the most vocal and passionate insofar as calling for Israeli leaders to be tried as war criminals; for the Zionist state to be dismantled as an ethno-supremacist state, and for full reparations to be paid to Palestinians and Israel’s perpetually attacked neighbors in the Levant. In the US, the billionaire class (Jews and Gentiles alike) must be made to pay reparations due to the exploitation inherent to the rigged capitalist system. A system cannot have both billionaires and democratic institutions. Withal, Zionist billionaire donors were crucial insofar as launching and sustaining Donald Trump’s political rise. If you want to know a defining reason Trump signed onto Netanyahu’s war, follow the money. Please do — for the trail of filthy lucre will not lead to my meager bank account nor my mezuzah-adorned front door. Iranian missiles and Hezbollah rockets are hitting Israel and will continue to do so with increased intensity. Yet Israel was coming apart at its homicidal maniacal seams, even before its murder-suicidal attack on the people of Iran. Mental illness rates were soaring; the economy was circling the drain; the Ashkenazi elite were clamoring for the exits; right-wing religious lunatics were all but running the asylum. Rumors spread in Israel bomb shelters, Bibi is continent-hopping on a private jet while the Zionist thugocracy, masquerading as a government, has passed laws that carry a five year sentence for photographing the carnage inflicted by Iran’s counter offensive. As reports, leaking out of the country reveal, Iranian missiles are causing the Israelis real and increasing pain. Of course, Israeli pain is not reaching the level that the jackbooted thugs of the IDF perpetrated on Gaza’s civilians yet there is growing fear, death, and suffering nonetheless throughout the Zionist state. First the crack-up then the crash. To state the painfully obvious, the tragedy is self-inflicted, and comes as a consequence of nearly 78 years of Israelis avoiding any abiding consequence for their perpetual war criminality. In fact, the Zionist state was established by ethnic cleansing terrorists, an endless Nakba is still playing out in the occupied West Bank as you are reading these very words. Insofar as Israel and the US, must the road of blood and ashes be the only path forward? So it seems. Word is, Trump, in secret, has, on multiple occasions since the advent of the Israeli-US war of choice implored Iran for a cessation of hostilities. Numerous times betrayed, Iran has refused his entreaty. (A standard US/Israel ploy is waging sneak attacks in the middle of peace talks, even to the point of murdering principle negotiators.) We are talking about psychopaths, with a lying proclivity for claiming the followers of Islam are inherently violent zealots. Crash-outs occur when reality descends upon those unable to apprehend the circumstance that they have placed their belligerently obtuse selves. While it is true that Israeli authoritarians can and will jail individuals attempting to convey the truth out of locked down and besieged Israel, it is also true that Israel, by means of brutal repression to the point of genocidal campaigns, have not destroyed the spirit of the Palestinian people (but no, hasbara-sputtering jerkopaths – your attempts to erase history regarding the existence of Palestine will fail too). In classical, tragic trajectory, Israel, increasingly, as events unfold, will not be in any position to change, by their go-to means of lying, jailing, torturing, and killing the trajectory of fate that they have wrought upon themselves. Israelis, indoctrinated from birth by Zionist propaganda, and history as told by Jewish self-aggrandizing legends, will experience the ontological shock that arrives when all mechanisms of control are rendered inaccessible while US Americans, as the economy totters, will face staring into the keening abyss that opens at one’s feet with the loss of the aura of exceptionalism. Palestinians, like African and Indigenous peoples of America and othered outsider groups (the latter, the present targets of ICE predation) have never possessed the luxury of breaking the worlds of a militarily weaker people then leaving others to sift through the ashes and rubble of what was once their lives. Israel, without consequence, other than aforementioned soaring national rates of mental illness and the economic elite abandoning the nation for safer shores, committed genocide in Gaza as the US gangster imperium perpetrated a strong arm/shakedown/extortion operation on Venezuela. Thus the hubris was accrued to proceed to Iran. Yet all vanity is ash. Trump wears his war face with the veracity that his MAGA courtesans wear the Mar-a-Lago face. Trump’s Presidency stares into Fate’s whirlwind. Lies of the MAGA mind are churned to spittle. The Imperial Medicine Show of Grift faces its final curtain. In Israel, Hasbara trolls amid the ashes. The Beast of Exceptionalism slouches towards Bethlehem to troll. When I opine in regard to Israel, I have appropriated, on a regular basis, the phrase: Third Reich adjacent. I do not do so as hyperbole. The assertion is borne of historical and present day accuracy. Withal, as was the case with the Third Reich, the Zionist state evinces an insular culture of nationalistic exceptionalism, raging xenophobia, and military aggression, the latter deployed with the agenda of land appropriation (okay, outright theft) — that tends to careen towards genocidal rampages. <img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="Antisemitism defined: Why drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to the Nazis is antisemitic - World Jewish Congress" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xq4h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ffc4be-a890-49e8-a0dc-d665e302fab6_1200x780.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xq4h!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ffc4be-a890-49e8-a0dc-d665e302fab6_1200x780.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xq4h!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ffc4be-a890-49e8-a0dc-d665e302fab6_1200x780.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xq4h!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ffc4be-a890-49e8-a0dc-d665e302fab6_1200x780.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xq4h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ffc4be-a890-49e8-a0dc-d665e302fab6_1200x780.jpeg 1456w" alt="Antisemitism defined: Why drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to the Nazis is antisemitic - World Jewish Congress" width="505" height="328.25" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/69ffc4be-a890-49e8-a0dc-d665e302fab6_1200x780.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":780,"width":1200,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"Antisemitism defined: Why drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to the Nazis is antisemitic - World Jewish Congress","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Israelis, on a collective basis, as was the case with Third Reich-era Germans, view themselves, paradoxically, as superior Übermensch yet regard themselves as constant victims, even in danger of annihilation by forces, both interior and exterior, that are viewed, simultaneously, as both inferior and as an existential threat. Palestinians, as were my Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors in Europe, are regarded as inferior beings but seen as being so dangerous and cunning they must live with the Zionist boot on their collective neck, and any and all attempts to gain wiggle room is met with annihilation level force by the all powerful/perpetual victimized Israeli authorities. In the turned inside out, twisted backward, Zionist worldview, Palestinians — who resist their houses and property being stolen by Lebensraum-loopy, religious zealots are seen as the Nazis in the situation. To wit, we are confronted with a mindset that mirrors Third Reich-era German psychology: Every accusation is a confession, in which the villainous motives that Zionists psychologically project on their adversaries is, in reality, their own creed and modus operandi. <img decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="undefined" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jCol!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F109ae1a4-c67d-4c48-a521-2cd4d1c835d4_960x1107.jpeg" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jCol!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F109ae1a4-c67d-4c48-a521-2cd4d1c835d4_960x1107.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jCol!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F109ae1a4-c67d-4c48-a521-2cd4d1c835d4_960x1107.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jCol!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F109ae1a4-c67d-4c48-a521-2cd4d1c835d4_960x1107.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jCol!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F109ae1a4-c67d-4c48-a521-2cd4d1c835d4_960x1107.jpeg 1456w" alt="undefined" width="505" height="582.3" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/109ae1a4-c67d-4c48-a521-2cd4d1c835d4_960x1107.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":1107,"width":960,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"undefined","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Alexander the Great lifting the torch-wielding Thaïs, who instigated the burning of the fallen Persian capital city Persepolis (1890 impression by French painter Georges Rochegrosse in L’incendie de Persepolis) In Zionist culture, militarism is glorified; cruelty to those othered is deemed a virtue; war criminality is heroic. Mass slaughter of the innocent is not problematic because among Israelis no outsider other is innocent, all are subhuman and a menace to Israel as long as they breathe. Moreover, Israel will not be safe until “Greater Israel” is realized. At which point, Israelis can ascend the mountains of corpses of their enemies and bask in the glory of the One True God who christened them as his chosen mass murders. Hyperbole? Is it not the plan for “New Gaza” to be built upon the mass graves of slaughtered Palestinians? Are not the Israeli/US military operational tactics in Iran modeled on the IDF’s war criminality perpetrated on Gaza on stilts and steroids? So this leaves us with the question: Will Israel be successful in its war criminal agenda to establish Greater Israel or will its Third Reich adjacent agenda prove hubristic overreach thus deliver the Zionist into a Levant version of the German *Wehrmacht1’s Operation Barbarossa?2 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="sizing-normal" title="Le visage de la guerre - Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_b7t!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F350cc58c-be6a-4e18-b084-50f240cad272_900x750.jpeg" sizes="auto, 100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_b7t!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F350cc58c-be6a-4e18-b084-50f240cad272_900x750.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_b7t!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F350cc58c-be6a-4e18-b084-50f240cad272_900x750.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_b7t!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F350cc58c-be6a-4e18-b084-50f240cad272_900x750.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_b7t!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F350cc58c-be6a-4e18-b084-50f240cad272_900x750.jpeg 1456w" alt="Le visage de la guerre - Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen" width="505" height="361" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/350cc58c-be6a-4e18-b084-50f240cad272_900x750.jpeg","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":750,"width":900,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":null,"alt":"Le visage de la guerre - Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen","title":null,"type":null,"href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":null,"isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> The Face of War (Le visage de la guerre) Salvador Dalí ENDNOTES: 1 Translated from: German Defense Force — The dovetailing of euphemism appropriated to retail military aggression as self-defense with the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) should be too obvious to mention. 2 Operation Barbarossa launched by Nazi Germany on June 22, 1941, was the massive, surprise invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, marking the opening of the deadly Eastern Front. Over 3.8 million Axis soldiers aimed to destroy Soviet communism, secure Lebensraum (living space), and capture resources within months, but the campaign failed by December 1941 due to fierce resistance and winter. The post Trump’s Presidency and Iranian Missiles appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Phil Rockstroh.
Amnesty Head Agnès Callamard on Iran War, Global Fight for Gender Justice & Killing of Yanar Mohammed
Democracy Now! recently sat down with Agnès Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International and a former United Nations special rapporteur, while she was in New York City to mark International Women’s Day and attend the U.N.&#3...
Democracy Now! recently sat down with Agnès Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International and a former United Nations special rapporteur, while she was in New York City to mark International Women’s Day and attend the U.N.'s annual conference on women's rights. Callamard responded to the assassination of Iraqi feminist Yanar Mohammed, U.S. sanctions against U.N. special rapporteur Francesca Albanese and the rise of Christian nationalism under the Trump administration. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
“War on the Iranian People”: Nationalism Grows in Iran in Defiance of Deadly U.S. and Israeli Strikes
“This is all being read inside of Iran as a war on the Iranian people.” As oil prices threaten to spike to $200 a barrel amid Iran’s pressure campaign against the U.S. and its allies, professor Narges Bajoghli returns to Demo...
“This is all being read inside of Iran as a war on the Iranian people.” As oil prices threaten to spike to $200 a barrel amid Iran’s pressure campaign against the U.S. and its allies, professor Narges Bajoghli returns to Democracy Now! with an update on the war on Iran and its place in the modern history of U.S.-Iran relations. Bajoghli explains how the combination of harsh sanctions and an insidious propaganda campaign has created a deep political divide within Iran and its diaspora, as Iranians are stuck between theocratic governance and the prospective return of the U.S.-backed monarchy. This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Iran Says U.S. and Israeli Strikes Have Killed 1,348 Civilians, Senators Demand Accountability as Pentagon Admits U.S. Struck Iranian Girls’ School, Iranian Missiles and Drones Continue to Strike at Israel, Gulf States and Oil Infrastructure, IEA Announces Record Release of Oil Reserves as Iran Warns Prices Could Top $200 Per Barrel, Lebanon Death Toll Tops 630 as Israel Continues Relentless Bombing Campaign, Israel Strikes Gaza Marketplace and Tent Camp, Killing and Wounding Palestinians, RSF Drone Strike in Sudan Kills 17 People, Most of Them Girls, GOP Sen. John Cornyn Reverses Position on Filibuster to Help Pass the SAVE America Act, New Hampshire Democrat’s Special Election Victory Is Latest Red Flag for GOP in Midterms, Longtime Epstein Accountant Richard Kahn Testifies to Congress in Closed-Door Deposition, Family of Six Detained at ICE Jail in Texas Describes Harrowing Conditions
Iran Says U.S. and Israeli Strikes Have Killed 1,348 Civilians Senators Demand Accountability as Pentagon Admits U.S. Struck Iranian Girls' School Iranian Missiles and Drones Continue to Strike at Israel, Gulf States and Oil Infrastructure IEA Announces Record Release of Oil Reserves as Iran Warns Prices Could Top $200 Per Barrel Lebanon Death Toll Tops 630 as Israel Continues Relentless Bombing Campaign Israel Strikes Gaza Marketplace and Tent Camp, Killing and Wounding Palestinians RSF Drone Strike in Sudan Kills 17 People, Most of Them Girls GOP Sen. John Cornyn Reverses Position on Filibuster to Help Pass the SAVE America Act New Hampshire Democrat's Special Election Victory Is Latest Red Flag for GOP in Midterms Longtime Epstein Accountant Richard Kahn Testifies to Congress in Closed-Door Deposition Family of Six Detained at ICE Jail in Texas Describes Harrowing Conditions This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! Thursday, March 12, 2026 This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
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‘The world should see this’, say Papua deforestation doco filmmakers
By Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific journalist For a country with a record of large deforestation projects, Indonesia’s current activities in the far southeastern corner of the republic, South Papua province, surpass all. With 2.5 million hectares of land being cleared for sugarcane and rice production for food and biofuel projects, alongside large oil palm concessions,
By Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific journalist For a country with a record of large deforestation projects, Indonesia’s current activities in the far southeastern corner of the republic, South Papua province, surpass all. With 2.5 million hectares of land being cleared for sugarcane and rice production for food and biofuel projects, alongside large oil palm concessions, Indonesia’s government has created a hugely consequential project right on Papua New Guinea and Australia’s doorsteps. It is transforming the shape of an otherwise forest and swamp-dominated region, as well as the environment, culture and health of local Papuan communities. READ MORE: West Papuan doco Pig Feast exposes oligarchs, food security crisis and ecocide under noses of military — David Robie New film on West Papua highlights ‘ecocide’ Other West Papua environmental reports New film on West Papua highlights ‘ecocide’. Video: RNZ “The world should notice this. It’s not the Amazon, it’s just in our front door, in the Pacific here,” said Dandhy Dwi Laksono, director of Pesta Babi (Pig Feast): Colonialism in our Time, a new documentary film about the impacts of the deforestation in South Papua, the agri-business schemes behind it and the role Indonesia’s military plays in it all. Laksono has been in New Zealand this week promoting the film with its producer, West Papuan journalist Victor Mambor, who said few people in other parts of the world know about what’s going on there. “Maybe they only know [of] the conflict, military conflict, armed conflict in West Papua. But they never know the conflict like that,” he said. The film sheds new light on the response by local Papuans in the wider Merauke region and its remote bush communities to an agri-business master plan attempted by several Indonesian presidents now. Papua has some of the world’s largest remaining tracts of native rainforest — and clearing this large region of forest and swamp systems is likely to add to carbon emissions, pollution haze and biodiversity loss. Image: Mighty Earth/RNZ Pacific Prabowo accelerated project The current president, Prabowo Subianto, has accelerated the project and committed military support for it, saying the military is needed to secure the agri-business projects in Papua because of their scale and importance to Indonesia’s national food and energy security. However, Mambor said the presence of Indonesian troops in Papua had long been problematic for Papuans, and was growing. “This is the problem in West Papua. There will be more troops, and then of course because of more troops there will be more conflict. More troops, more conflict, more problem.” Given the ongoing armed conflict between West Papuan independence fighters and Indonesia’s military in other parts of Papua region (known internationally as West Papua), this film offers a useful insight into a struggle that is less known, but no less concerning. Papua has some of the world’s largest remaining tracts of native rainforest — and clearing this large region of forest and swamp systems is likely to add to carbon emissions, pollution haze and biodiversity loss. According to the NGO Mighty Earth, estimates of the CO2 emissions from so much land clearance range from 315 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Indonesia’s first state-owned inspection, testing, certification, and consultancy company) to more than double that, according to a report by the Indonesian independent research institute. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump
The post Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump appeared first on ProPublica.
As Jason Beaman recounts his long slog searching for mental health therapy last year, he sounds defeated. The first therapist assigned to him by the Department of Veterans Affairs told him at their initial meeting that she was leaving the agency. A few months later, his second therapist told him she was also leaving. An appointment with a third counselor was canceled with no explanation. These were huge setbacks for the 54-year-old veteran of the Navy and Army Reserve. Nearly a decade ago, a spiral of depression and anxiety left him homeless and living on the streets of Spokane, Washington. A VA social worker threw him a lifeline, helping him apply for benefits, find housing and get into therapy. He still needs mental health care, he and his physician say. But bouncing from therapist to therapist has left him exhausted. “I just quit. I don’t want to mess with the therapist anymore,” Beaman said. He spends much of his time now alone playing video games or walking with his dogs. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="940" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A seated man, wearing a blue checkered shirt and blue jeans, ruffles the fur of a dog’s neck." class="wp-image-68444" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1079 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,528 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,690 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,698 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,659 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,940 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1436 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1280,1600 1280w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,500 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1000 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1500 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260204-Rasmussen-VACuts-018_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2500 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Beaman, a veteran of two military branches, gave up searching for a new therapist after attempting to meet regularly with several different providers after his move to Nebreska. He eventually met with a therapist in January, after months of false starts. After President Donald Trump returned to office last year, his administration announced plans to overhaul the VA, one of the largest health care systems in the country, to deliver “the highest quality care.” “This administration is finally going to give the veterans what they want,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said last March, as the department announced tens of thousands of job cuts. But in interview after interview, veterans across the country told ProPublica that one year into the second Trump administration it’s become more difficult to get treatment, as hundreds of therapists and social workers have left the VA. Many of them have not been replaced. While front-line mental health care workers were largely exempted from the job cuts, hundreds chose to leave anyway. Some cited disagreements with new administration policies, including several targeting the LGBTQ+ community, while others, facing diminished ranks, said they simply could no longer provide proper care. In January, the department had around 500 fewer psychologists and psychiatrists than it had at the same time last year, ProPublica found. Although the losses represent a relatively small number — about 4% of psychologists and 6% of psychiatrists — they are notable for an agency that has long struggled with inadequate mental health staffing. For years, administrators have listed psychologists in particular among their most “severe staffing shortages.” Mental health is not the only area where the VA has lost medical staff. The agency has eliminated more than 14,000 vacant health care positions across the system, according to data first reported by The New York Times. Data published by the VA going back to May 2023 shows that the agency was adding psychologists every quarter until Trump’s return to the White House. Then, the trend flipped, with departures outpacing hires in all four quarters of last year. Compounding the losses, the agency’s cohort of social workers, some of whom are licensed therapists who provide mental health counseling, declined by nearly 700 staffers over the year. To better understand the departures and their impact on veterans’ care, ProPublica interviewed dozens of former and current VA staffers as well as patients. ProPublica also examined a previously unreported internal employee exit survey, which included hundreds of responses from mental health care workers. “Mental Health is understaffed, burned out, and there is not enough mental health care for the Veterans who need the services,” wrote one New York-based former employee, according to the records. “Support is no longer there to provide ethical and good care for these Veterans,” wrote a second, based in Indiana. “Scheduling issues are incredibly high due to poor staff hiring and retainment.” Yet another wrote that the number of new patients seeking help at their Kansas facility was far too high, making it “unethical to accept more veterans in our clinics.” Many of those vacated positions have gone unfilled due to a yearlong hiring freeze, which was only lifted in January. After Hiring Spree Under Biden, VA Lost Mental Health Staff When Trump Returned to Office The losses under the new administration amount to 4% of the agency’s psychologists, 6% of psychiatrists and 3% of social workers. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="484" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?w=752" alt="Bar chart showing the change in the number of providers — social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists — from the third quarter of 2023 to the end of 2025 on the x-axis and the number of providers from negative 400 to 800 on the y-axis. The trend starts with a peak of about 700 social workers and around 200 psychologists added in the third quarter of 2023, followed by a steady decline across all groups, dropping below zero by the first quarter of 2025 with social worker losses eventually dipping around 400." class="wp-image-70033" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png 2480w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=300,193 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=768,494 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=1024,659 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=1536,988 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=2048,1318 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=863,555 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=422,272 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=552,355 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=558,359 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=527,339 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=752,484 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=1149,739 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=2000,1287 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=400,257 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=800,515 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=1200,772 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mental-health-providers-staffing-drop-fallback.png?resize=1600,1030 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Note: Quarters are labeled by calendar, not fiscal, year. Source: VA workforce dashboard, internal data. Echoing the exit survey, many who remain on staff describe crushing workloads as they struggle to fill the gaps. Those reached by ProPublica, who agreed to speak only under the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said that as staffing losses mount, they’ve seen their patient loads increase, while administrators shorten their appointments and pack more and more clients into group therapy sessions. “It was always bad,” said one VA psychologist, referring to staffing at a facility in Arizona. “And now it’s at a breaking point.” The therapist described being stretched so thin that schedulers replaced some one-on-one sessions with online group sessions that included as many as 35 veterans. The therapist said despite that they were still overloaded with individual sessions and had to limit each one to as little as 16 minutes. The VA declined ProPublica’s request to interview an official familiar with its mental health programs. In an email, VA spokesperson Peter Kasperowicz accused ProPublica of attempting to mislead the public by “cherry picking issues that are limited to a handful of sites and in many cases were worse under the Biden Administration.” He argued that the agency’s performance around mental health has improved since Trump took office, citing more than 15.5 million direct mental health care appointments in the most recent fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025), a 4% increase from the previous fiscal year. He did not say whether those additional appointments were for individual therapy. Kasperowicz also noted that the administration has opened 25 new health care clinics. After ProPublica shared its findings and the names of veterans who would appear in this story, the agency reached out to several to inquire about their care and offer help. The veterans told ProPublica they remained skeptical that the VA would consistently respond to their mental health needs. As the ranks of mental health care providers at the VA have shrunk, the department has proposed shifting billions of dollars into community care, a program in which veterans obtain health care via private physicians and other providers. But the program has been stretched thin amid the loss of administrative staff and ongoing issues finding private therapists, ProPublica found, with veterans encountering longer delays as they seek help. In December, patients waited an average of around 25 days just to receive a confirmed appointment date, nearly four times the VA’s stated goal for scheduling community care. Collins has disputed assertions that there’s a systemwide problem with access to mental health care. “And if you need emergency care, or are in a crisis situation, you have immediate care,” he told a Senate committee in January. He said the VA’s average wait time for new patients seeking mental health care appointments was less than 20 days, the number it has set as its goal. But other VA officials have acknowledged problems with access. “There are wait times at some facilities that are beyond what our expectations and standards would be,” Dr. Ilse Wiechers, assistant undersecretary for health for patient care services, told senators at a separate hearing. ProPublica’s analysis found that wait times fluctuate dramatically, and fast access to care can depend on location. For example, the small clinic near Beaman’s home in rural Nebraska, with its comparatively small staff, saw appointment wait times for new mental health clients climb as high as 60 days in December and drop to 20 days in February, according to the VA figures. But a closer look at the entire VA system reveals that a large number of facilities are struggling. In early February, more than half of its hospitals and clinics reported one-on-one mental health appointment wait times for new patients that were longer, and in some cases far longer, than the VA’s 20-day goal, according to a ProPublica analysis of data published on the agency’s website. In late December, Beaman said he received an email from the VA saying he’d been approved for additional therapy. He was able to meet with a therapist in January — after about six months of waiting and going more than a year without a session. In the interim, he said, he relied on prescription medications, video games and his therapy dogs to keep him steady. Still, his anxiety worsened, he said, and now he often feels so uncomfortable around others that he rarely leaves his home except to walk his dogs while wearing headphones so no one speaks to him. Kasperowicz, the VA spokesperson, wrote in his email to ProPublica that Beaman had “more than a dozen mental health visits at VA between late 2024 to mid-2025 through the Cheyenne VA clinic” in Wyoming, which is about an hour-and-a-half trip for Beaman. Kasperowicz declined, however, to say whether those appointments involved the one-on-one mental health counseling Beaman had requested. Beaman said he only had two sessions for one-on-one therapy in 2025 — meetings that were truncated because of the therapists’ impending departures. Kasperowicz also said that one of Beaman’s appointments didn’t occur because he had “moved.” Beaman, however, said he has lived at only one address in Nebraska. Experts warn that the exodus of mental health care providers from the VA has hurt the agency’s ability to meet veterans’ unique needs. “VA psychologists are best in class,” said Russell Lemle, former chief psychologist for the San Francisco VA Health Care System and a senior policy analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. “They have research and training and decades-long experience” working with veterans. “When you lose them, the veterans are the ones who pay the price,” he said. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="2048" width="2560" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?w=2560" alt="A pink plastic figurine of a soldier pointing a firearm rests on a green marble table." class="wp-image-69161" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg 3000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=300,240 300w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=768,614 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1024,819 1024w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1536,1229 1536w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2048,1638 2048w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=863,690 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=422,338 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=552,442 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=558,446 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=527,422 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=752,602 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1149,919 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=2000,1600 2000w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=400,320 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=800,640 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1200,960 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-054_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg?resize=1600,1280 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Michelle Phillips, a Navy veteran, received a pink toy soldier at a Department of Veterans Affairs event. “It Could Mean Life or Death” Michelle Phillips, 56, a Navy veteran from Ohio, saw her therapist in remote sessions once a week for two years for her PTSD. Then, in December, Phillips’ therapist told her that she was quitting the VA because of Trump’s policies. The change, Phillips said, “could mean life or death.” Years of depression have led Phillips to isolate. Inside her small home about an hour outside of Columbus, the city where she enlisted in 1988, the walls are filled with reminders of brighter times — photos of family members and military paraphernalia from her time in the service. Her only real company is an aging dog, and she almost never leaves. Her virtual therapy sessions were “the only contact that I had coming in my home to talk to me every week,” she said. “And I would sit and just wait for that appointment.” Phillips said the counselor requested that the VA continue her one-on-one remote counseling with a new therapist — which totaled about four hours per month. The agency initially offered her virtual group therapy, an option that her previous therapist dismissed as inappropriate. In the third week of January, the VA told Phillips she could have an appointment for one-on-one sessions in March. She later declined the appointment because she didn’t want to face starting over with a new therapist. Phillips, who is disabled and doesn’t work, said she will try to pay for one-on-one therapy out of pocket with the same therapist who left the VA but will likely only be able to afford one, possibly two, sessions a month. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="940" width="752" data-id="69160" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman with long hair, wearing a blue shirt, sits on a dark, leather sofa in a living room with wood-panneled walls." class="wp-image-69160" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1079 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,528 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,690 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,698 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,659 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,940 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1436 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1280,1600 1280w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,500 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1000 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1500 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-047_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2500 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="940" width="752" data-id="68446" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A glowing iPad screen sits on a small glass kitchen table near a window covered with a gold-colored curtain and wood-panneled walls." class="wp-image-68446" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1079 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,528 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,690 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,698 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,659 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,940 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1436 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1280,1600 1280w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,500 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1000 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1500 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260209-Rasmussen-VACuts-052_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2500 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Phillips was sent an iPad by the VA for her remote therapy sessions. It sits unused since Phillips’ VA therapist told her that she was quitting. James Jones said his close connection to his VA therapist, who was trained in combat trauma, helped him control his PTSD-fueled episodes of anger and alcohol abuse. Now the 54-year-old Gulf War veteran, who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, has seen his care cut in half after his therapist told him colleagues had quit and he had to pick up the load. His sessions went from an hour every week to half an hour every two weeks. “I can tell it’s rushed,” said Jones, a maintenance mechanic with the National Park Service. “I’m not able to work through something.” Others have found it difficult to establish care in the first place. Last summer, George Retes, 26, who left the Army in 2022 after serving for four years, was driving to work in Camarillo, California, when he was suddenly caught between immigration agents and protesters. Retes said the agents broke his car window, pepper-sprayed him and detained him for days. The incident, which ProPublica detailed last fall, left him shaken and exacerbated the PTSD that was first sparked after he faced missile attacks in Iraq, Retes said. (The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to ProPublica’s questions about Retes.) Following his release, Retes found himself withdrawing from the world. “I wasn’t texting anyone or talking to anyone,” he said. “Not even my kids.” A few weeks after being arrested, Retes sought help from the VA clinic in Ventura, California, where staffers told him they’d be in touch for an appointment. But Retes said he never heard back, even after he called to follow up. His incident with Immigration and Customs Enforcement was in July. Retes is still waiting. According to data on the VA’s website, new patients seeking individual therapy at the Ventura clinic had to wait an average of two and a half months in early February. The VA said it could not discuss Jones’ or Retes’ accounts because the veterans declined to waive their privacy rights. Strains on the System The VA overhaul has also taken a toll on mental health providers, many of whom quit after spending years at the agency. Natalie McCarthy worked as a social worker and mental health therapist for a decade before quitting the VA in May. Like many others working in mental health, she did all of her work remotely; from her Ohio home she saw vets mostly from the Washington, D.C., area. But McCarthy and her colleagues faced pressure to return to agency offices after the VA issued new restrictions on telehealth workers. She was uneasy about the prospect of having to conduct sessions in makeshift spaces like conference rooms filled with other counselors — a situation that raised widespread ethical concerns over the legally mandated privacy for medical conversations. Complicating matters, McCarthy said, were Trump’s orders eliminating diversity and equity initiatives within the federal government. She said she began to worry that therapists would no longer be able to discuss the subject of race with their patients or document patients’ thoughts on the topic in their session notes. So she quit. “I was angry that veterans were in that position,” said McCarthy, who started her own practice. “I was angry that I was in that position. It just felt like an unnecessary thing to have to navigate.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="940" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman wearing a maroon button-up shirt and blue pants sits in an office chair near a desk with a laptop and notepad." class="wp-image-68448" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1079 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,528 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,690 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,698 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,659 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,940 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1436 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1280,1600 1280w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,500 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1000 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1500 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260211-Rasmussen-VACuts-061_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2500 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Psychologist Mary Brinkmeyer quit working with the VA last February after her superiors began enforcing the Trump administration’s anti-diversity agenda. Psychologist Mary Brinkmeyer found herself in a similar situation. She started at a VA facility in metropolitan Norfolk, Virginia, in 2022 after seeing a posting for an LGBTQ+ care coordinator, which oversees support programs for LGBTQ+ veterans and helps navigate their care. She quit last February after her superiors began enforcing Trump’s anti-diversity orders. Brinkmeyer said she was told to stop conducting training for physicians and other staff on best practices for caring for LGBTQ+ patients. Then, she said, staff members were ordered to remove all LGBTQ+ paraphernalia from the facility such as rainbow flags, identity-affirming literature and program brochures. Also, an edict was issued directing people to use the bathroom of their gender assigned at birth, Brinkmeyer said. That’s when the VA stopped feeling like a welcoming place. “There was a failure of empathy,” she said. The VA did not respond directly to either Brinkmeyer’s or McCarthy’s accounts of how the administration’s policies had impacted the quality of mental health care. Much like those seeking mental health care directly from the VA, veterans referred to community care are also struggling to secure appointments. Gwyn Bourlakov, 58, enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1998 and over the following 21 years she was awarded a Bronze Star for her service in the invasion of Iraq, climbed the ranks to become a major and won a Fulbright scholarship to study Russian history. Today, after a series of professional setbacks, Bourlakov works as a museum security guard. Lingering PTSD from her time in the service, coupled with deep bouts of depression over her current circumstances, have kept her seeking the VA’s help despite long-standing frustrations with its services. After she began looking for a new therapist last year following a move to Colorado, officials at her local VA clinic in Golden said at her intake appointment that its in-house providers were swamped and could not see new patients for at least six months. She asked if she could get help through community care, but staffers told her that the system was so overwhelmed that it would be a “nightmare,” she recalled. Veterans living in eastern Colorado waited 57 days on average to get a community care appointment scheduled in December, VA figures show. Bourlakov said she tried to get help through a separate VA clinic, but when her phone calls went unanswered, she finally gave up. “I don’t have time for all of that,” she explained. “It’s just like shouting into the wind.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="940" width="752" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman with short graying hair, wearing glasses and a checkered shirt, sits on a pink sofa with a cat and blue curtain behind her." class="wp-image-68449" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1079 863w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,528 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,690 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,698 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,659 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,940 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1436 1149w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1280,1600 1280w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,500 400w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1000 800w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1500 1200w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260216-Rasmussen-VACuts-076_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2500 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Gwyn Bourlakov gave up looking for care through the VA after a series of unanswered calls and attempts to find help went nowhere. After inquiries by ProPublica, VA authorities reached back out to offer her assistance. Following inquiries from ProPublica, VA officials reached out to Bourlakov and other veterans interviewed for this story to offer additional assistance with their mental health care. The calls left several frustrated, saying it shouldn’t take questions from the media for them to get help from the VA. Though skeptical, Bourlakov decided to move forward. She was contacted by three separate VA representatives in February asking about her health and if she needed help scheduling a therapy appointment. The earliest telehealth appointment they offered was not until June, she said. The next available in-person slot was not until July. Bourlakov opted for June. The post Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Vernal Coleman.
Four possible outcomes with the war on Iran – but only one viable
Only one of these four paths protects humanity — the other three are likely destroy it. ANALYSIS: By Qasim Rashid This week Donald Trump threatened more war crimes on the people of Iran. We are now in the most dangerous phase of this crisis, and pretending otherwise is reckless. As a human rights lawyer, I
Only one of these four paths protects humanity — the other three are likely destroy it. ANALYSIS: By Qasim Rashid This week Donald Trump threatened more war crimes on the people of Iran. We are now in the most dangerous phase of this crisis, and pretending otherwise is reckless. As a human rights lawyer, I do not view war as an abstraction, a chessboard, or a television spectacle. I view it in terms of law, civilian life, state accountability, and foreseeable human devastation. READ MORE: Oil tankers in Iraq hit amid Iranian attacks on Gulf; Israel bombs Beirut Sanitising atrocities by the US or Israel and finding excuses is in the Western media’s DNA Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports If we are honest about the present moment, there are only four plausible scenarios from here. Three are catastrophic. The fourth is the only one consistent with constitutional government, international law, and basic human survival. It is also the one Donald Trump appears least willing to accept — but one our Congress must rally to ensure happens. As of today the United States’ and Israel’s illegal war on Iran has killed more than 1300 Iranians, mostly civilians. Up to one third of them are children — including the near 175 children killed by a US military Tomahawk missile. Iran’s response has targeted military bases, resulting in reportedly 8 US soldiers killed and 13 Israelis. Now, Trump is promising “Death, Fire, and Fury” and “twenty times” the damage if Iran does not unconditionally surrender. <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9lE4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20204fbb-1e72-4ba1-ba74-d9febbaef7ea_791x508.png" alt="" width="464" height="297.992414664981" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/20204fbb-1e72-4ba1-ba74-d9febbaef7ea_791x508.png","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":508,"width":791,"resizeWidth":464,"bytes":431663,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/png","href":null,"belowTheFold":false,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://www.qasimrashid.com/i/190353736?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F20204fbb-1e72-4ba1-ba74-d9febbaef7ea_791x508.png","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> In other words, we are running out of time to end this illegal war and prevent global and irreparable catastrophe. Right now we have four possible paths ahead of us. It is critical we rally and demand Congress act to enact Option Number Four. Option One The first scenario is that Trump eventually admits defeat and withdraws from Iran. In purely human terms, that would be preferable to escalation, but it would still come after an illegal war already launched without constitutional authority and under a pretext that has not been substantiated. The geopolitical consequences would be significant. A failed American war would further erode US credibility and likely accelerate a broader shift in influence toward China and Russia. Iran, having survived direct US-Israeli assault, would emerge emboldened. Oil may no longer be pegged to the US dollar as the global currency, devastating the US economy. None of this is favourable, though this is the bed Trump has made so far. But also, compared with what comes next, it is survivable. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H-tV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8254d5fd-1c88-465b-b3a7-0058515cb4a3_1212x222.png" alt="" width="1212" height="222" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8254d5fd-1c88-465b-b3a7-0058515cb4a3_1212x222.png","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":222,"width":1212,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":38238,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/png","href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://www.qasimrashid.com/i/190353736?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8254d5fd-1c88-465b-b3a7-0058515cb4a3_1212x222.png","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Trump has shown interest in ground troops. Image: Screenshot/www.qasimrashid.com Option Two The second scenario is a ground invasion. Trump has not ruled that out. He has not ruled out a draft either. The Pentagon is already reportedly preparing to seek roughly $50 billion in supplemental funding for Middle East operations, a strong indication that the administration is contemplating a longer and more expensive war footing. A quick reminder that politicians lie when they say we cannot afford to fund universal healthcare, free public college, free school lunches, or affordable housing. Anyone speaking casually about invading Iran is either ignorant of the facts or indifferent to the lives that would be destroyed. Invading Afghanistan and Iraq was already catastrophic. As I’ve cited before, a Brown University study documents an estimated 4.6 million civilians killed by Western wars since 2001. And Iran is not Iraq. Iran is about 1.63 million sq km — which is triple the size of Iraq. I has a population that recent estimates place in the low 90 million range — which is double that of Iraq. It’s largest city, Tehran, has a population of 9.6 million — larger than New York City. It is geographically vast, heavily populated, politically complex, and militarily formidable. <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2twX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd1715b82-a1ea-412e-bd38-76441a6ecc4a_1305x644.webp" alt="Iran is geographically vast" width="1305" height="644" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d1715b82-a1ea-412e-bd38-76441a6ecc4a_1305x644.webp","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":644,"width":1305,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":51838,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/webp","href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://www.qasimrashid.com/i/190353736?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f2a8f7-48cc-4299-83ea-ad35231407a1_1320x650.webp","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Iran is geographically vast, heavily populated, politically complex, and militarily formidable. Map: Wilson Center/www.qasimrashid.com A US ground invasion would not be a quick operation. It would be a regional inferno. Potentially millions could die. The global economy would likely be pushed into a prolonged recession. And because major powers would not passively watch such a war unfold, the risk of a broader world war would rise dramatically. Thus, option three. Option Three The third scenario is the use of nuclear weapons by Israel or the United States. That is the scenario many people still resist discussing openly because it sounds too horrible to contemplate. But refusing to contemplate it does not make it less real. This is not hyperbole. Research published in Nature Food and highlighted by Rutgers found that a large-scale nuclear war could kill more than 5 billion people through famine and system-wide collapse, even apart from the immediate blast deaths. In ordinary language, that means the deaths of four to six billion human beings within a relatively short period are well within the range of expert projections in a full nuclear exchange. It would be worse than any Hollywood film can imagine because movies still assume that civilisation survives in recognisable form. Nuclear war does not promise survival. It promises planetary ruin. Thus, we must push for Option Four. <img decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G5f6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4eb84d11-ae55-40e5-948a-2acab151d192_1920x960.avif" alt="" width="1456" height="728" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4eb84d11-ae55-40e5-948a-2acab151d192_1920x960.avif","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":728,"width":1456,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":63471,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/avif","href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://www.qasimrashid.com/i/190353736?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4eb84d11-ae55-40e5-948a-2acab151d192_1920x960.avif","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> On August 6, 1945, the US became the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry when it dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Image: Universal History Archive/www.qasimrashid.com That leaves the fourth scenario, which is the only morally serious option: Option Four Trump resigns or is impeached, the war is halted, and actual peace negotiations begin. With Trump removed from power, there is at least a possibility of returning to diplomacy, de-escalation, and meaningful non-proliferation efforts. History gives us a model. In the mid-1980s, the United States and Soviet Union moved from existential nuclear hostility toward negotiations that helped reduce the risk of annihilation. That kind of diplomacy is still possible, but only if the men driving this escalation are stopped. The obstacle, of course, is political cowardice. This would require the Republican Party to develop a spine and fulfill its constitutional duty. It would require Corporate Democrats to grow a spine and demand an end to this war. Instead, Hakeem Jeffries refuses to rule out funding this illegal attack on Iran with another $50 billion. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="moz-reader-block-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6fQ7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcaaa6c8d-7d29-4904-9d68-ef1065525da9_1312x1152.png" alt="" width="1312" height="1152" data-attrs="{"src":"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/caaa6c8d-7d29-4904-9d68-ef1065525da9_1312x1152.png","srcNoWatermark":null,"fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":1152,"width":1312,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":1480552,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/png","href":null,"belowTheFold":true,"topImage":false,"internalRedirect":"https://www.qasimrashid.com/i/190353736?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcaaa6c8d-7d29-4904-9d68-ef1065525da9_1312x1152.png","isProcessing":false,"align":null,"offset":false}" /> Hakeem Jeffries refuses to rule out funding this illegal attack on Iran. Image: www.qasimrashid.com At present, it seems unlikely that Republicans and Corporate Democrats will grow a spine or a conscience. But unlikelihood is not an excuse for silence when the alternative is mass death. Here’s the bottom line. This is not red versus blue. This is not left versus right. This is working people versus billionaires, civilians versus war planners, constitutional government versus authoritarian impulse. This is why the culture wars must stop. Because as bad as things are, they can get much worse. Trump has not ruled out the worst options. He has not ruled out sending American troops into a catastrophic ground war. He has not ruled out escalating further. He has already shown that he will ignore constitutional limits, and too many members of Congress still behave as though strongly worded statements are an adequate response to an unlawful war. There is also a deeper pattern here that should disturb every serious observer. In 2013, Trump claimed Obama would bomb Iran to distract from his failures. In 2023, J.D. Vance warned against repeating in Iran the same mistake made in Iraq. Now they are doing exactly what they accused others of doing. That is not irony. It is the operating logic of fascist politics: accuse the other side of the crime you are preparing to commit yourself. The legal and moral stakes are immense. Congress must act now to stop this war, cut off funding for unauthorised escalation, and reassert that the Constitution is not optional. Military service members must also remember that “I was just following orders” did not excuse unlawful conduct at Nuremberg, and it will not excuse it now. To those cheering this war from a distance, understand what you are cheering for: possible nuclear confrontation, higher prices for families already struggling, and the deaths of ordinary soldiers while the sons of powerful men remain far from the battlefield. We need option four, and we need it immediately. Trump must be removed from the machinery of war before his recklessness becomes irreversible. If we fail to stop this now, history will not say we were uninformed. It will say we were warned and did too little. Qasim Rashid is a Pakistani-born American author, activist, and human rights lawyer. He is a member of the Democratic Party. This article was originally published on his Substack page Let’s Address This with Qasim Rashid. under the title “The War On Iran Has Four Possible Outcomes”. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk
The post Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk appeared first on ProPublica.
The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit, a practice that experts say could threaten public safety and telecommunications. The Federal Aviation Administration first proposed the measure in 2023, under the Biden administration, in hopes of curbing the growing junkyard of debris circling the planet. It would have required companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX to safely remove such spacecraft within 25 years of launch, saying they “pose a significant risk to people on the ground due to their mass and the uncertainty of where they will land.” Officials cited examples such as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket reentering Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Northwest in March 2021, which created streaks of lights across the night sky and dropped a tank on a farm in Washington state. SpaceX and other companies, however, criticized the proposal, citing concerns that included its cost, and in January, the FAA nixed the rule, saying the agency needs more time to research it. “FAA intends to review the space launch industry cost inputs and expectations with respect to debris mitigation activities,” the FAA said, adding it would also look at the agency’s authority to enact such regulations. In response to questions for this story, an agency spokesperson reiterated that rationale. The White House did not respond to requests for comment about the withdrawal. The action is a concession to the commercial space industry and follows moves by President Donald Trump’s administration last year to roll back regulations meant to protect the environment and the public during rocket launches. “The Trump administration is committed to cementing America’s dominance in space without compromising public safety or national security,” a White House spokesperson said last summer. Critics, however, said the government was missing an opportunity to control debris — and endangering the public in the process. Rockets can be hundreds of feet tall and typically are made up of multiple parts, known as stages. After any lower stages fall away, the upper stage continues on into space to deploy payloads such as satellites or to perform other missions. “Instead of requiring companies to responsibly dispose of these upper stages, the U.S. has decided to roll the dice on a person or a plane getting hit by falling debris,” said Ewan Wright, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia and junior fellow at the Outer Space Institute, a nonprofit that supported the rule. Wright’s research with colleagues found a 20% to 29% chance that debris from a reentering rocket would kill at least one bystander sometime in the next decade. No deaths have occurred from falling space debris yet. But minor injuries have been documented, including a boy in China whose toe was broken and a woman who was hit on the shoulder in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2024, a piece of metal from the International Space Station crashed through the roof of a home in Naples, Florida. The explosions of two SpaceX Starship megarockets last year that rained debris over the Caribbean brought new attention to the danger to airplanes as spacecraft reenter the atmosphere — sometimes in an uncontrolled way. After ProPublica wrote about the Starship mishaps, the FAA issued a new warning to airlines, saying that rocket launches could “significantly reduce safety” and that pilots should prepare for the possibility that “catastrophic failures” could create dangerous debris. Space junk also adds to the threat, experts said, for both the space program and daily life on Earth. If the growing debris field above the planet is left unchecked, the FAA said in 2023, it could clutter orbits used for human spaceflight and increase the chance of collisions causing damage to satellites that support communications, weather forecasting and global positioning systems. The FAA said at the time that the rule was an attempt to bring the evolving commercial space industry in line with national practices that are followed by NASA and with international guidelines. Wright said that about half of all launches leave the rocket’s upper stage in orbit. There, it can pose a risk to crewed space stations and interfere with astronomers’ research before crashing to earth. In the last three years, U.S. rocket companies, including SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, have abandoned 41 upper stage rockets in orbit, Wright said. Thirty-three are still there now. “Abandoning truck-sized upper stages in orbit is an irresponsible act,” he said. In response, SpaceX pointed to a statement posted on its website, saying it has been working to reduce — and ultimately eliminate — space debris left behind by Falcon, which regularly deploys new Starlink satellites. “In 2024, 13 out of 134 upper Falcon 9 stages remained on-orbit after successful payload deploys,” the company said. “In 2025, we reduced this number to three out of a total of 165 launches.” United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, said through a spokesperson that it disposes of its upper stage rockets safely “by placing them in a graveyard orbit or conducting a controlled reentry where most of the stage disintegrates over the remote, deep ocean.” A piece of space debris has fallen to Earth every day on average for the last 50 years, the FAA said when it proposed the rule. Last year, an eight-foot, 1,100-pound ring from a rocket fell on a remote Kenyan village, and fragments of a Falcon 9 were found in a forest, warehouse and field in Poland. The FAA’s proposal would have required launch companies to submit a plan for how they would remove debris prior to launch and would apply to any pieces of debris larger than five millimeters. Acceptable options for disposing of used rockets that couldn’t burn up in the atmosphere would include pushing them out to a higher “disposal” orbit or navigating them to splashdown in a “broad ocean area,” the FAA wrote. Read More “We’re Too Close to the Debris” In comments responding to the proposal, commercial space companies challenged the FAA’s authority to implement the rule and said they were concerned about issues including cost. SpaceX said the proposal “grossly underestimates the costs and impacts of the proposed rule and overstates the benefits.” Experts worry that a debris collision could create a chain reaction that would be hard to stop, rendering large areas unnavigable — a phenomenon known as Kessler syndrome. In 2009, a U.S. satellite and a defunct Russian satellite collided above northern Siberia, generating more than 2,300 pieces of debris large enough to be tracked. The problem complicates SpaceX’s work, too. As the New Scientist reported in January, the company’s Starlink satellites regularly maneuver to avoid colliding with objects such as other satellites or space debris — performing about 300,000 such actions last year alone. The post Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Heather Vogell.
In rural West Texas, renewable energy brings a windfall for seniors
How officials in Crockett County are using wind investments to help older residents age in place.
In the far corner of the Crockett County Senior Center, 75-year-old Cynthia Flores almost always has a puzzle going. She and her friends sort colors and look for edge pieces while they gossip — “faster than the telephone” — in the Tex-Mex blend of Spanish and English they grew up speaking in Ozona, a tiny ranching and oil outpost in far West Texas. A couple of days before Valentine’s Day, their puzzle surface was one of the few in the center not covered in red and pink hearts; preparations were underway for the big dance the following night. “La comida esta ready,” another senior said, calling the puzzlers to lunch. Flores placed one last piece, then took her seat at a long community table. The plate in front of her would have delighted a nutritionist with its lean protein and mountain of steamed broccoli. She pulled a tiny plastic container of teriyaki sauce out of her bag and poured the contents over the meat. “They feed us what we need,” Flores said, “but I always fix it up.” Mostly, she said, she’s just thankful not to have to cook. Like many of her friends, Flores still lives at home, but comes into the center for lunch most days. After being married at 16 and preparing food for herself and her family for almost 60 years, she said she was ready for a break. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bingo.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A smiling older man sits at a table in front of eight bingo cards, holding a bowl of nickels" data-caption="Ozona resident Alex Castañeda collects the nickel-per-game buy-in for bingo at the Crockett County Senior Center." data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Ozona resident Alex Castañeda collects the nickel-per-game buy-in for bingo at the Crockett County Senior Center. Reid Bader / Grist Some might say Flores and her friends are living the retirement dream. The center is like a second home, with nutritious food and a full calendar of bingo, dominoes, and social events. Thanks to services like these, many of Crockett County’s aging residents have been able to stay in the familiar community where they, their parents, and sometimes even their grandparents grew up. Flores has been cutting hair locally for decades, working primarily out of her house. Many of her clients now are in their 90s. “I’ve been blessed to work in Ozona, where I can do my own thing,” she said. Ozona is the only town in Crockett County’s 2,800 square miles, and technically, it’s not even that. “The Biggest Little Town in the World,” as it brands itself, is technically unincorporated, meaning that the county is the only municipal government for its 2,800 residents. One person per square mile means Crockett isn’t the most rural county in Texas, but it’s up there. Taxes and regulations are minimal. The nearest city, San Angelo (the locals just say “Angelo”), is 90 minutes away. The nearest metro area, San Antonio, is three hours. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=864 864w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sign.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A tall street sign reads OZONA, Biggest Little Town in the World" data-caption="Ozona, Texas, also known as “The Biggest Little Town in the World,” sits at the crossroads of ranching, oil, and wind energy. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Ozona, Texas, also known as “The Biggest Little Town in the World,” sits at the crossroads of ranching, oil, and wind energy. Reid Bader / Grist In her chic, clear-frame bifocals and flowy duster, Flores makes aging gracefully in place in one of the most rural places in the United States look easy. It’s not. In many rural communities, seniors may find it hard or impossible to get the resources they need to remain in their homes and hometowns. Older Americans are already at risk of isolation, and living in a remote area can make that worse. Not to mention, resources are thin, local hospitals and other services are folding, and groceries may be pricey, far away, or both. According to the Rural Health Information Hub’s summary of U.S. Department of Agriculture data, 10.2 percent of seniors in rural areas don’t have sufficient access to healthy and nutritious food, compared with 8.5 percent in metro areas. But in Ozona, older adults like Flores are thriving. The Crockett County government has created a strong network of senior services, and ensures that they are supported — with the help of a wonky tax arrangement and some powerful new neighbors: wind companies. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Wind-Highway.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A stretch of open road runs past fields of wind turbines" data-caption="A rural highway outside Ozona stretches past rows of wind turbines, part of the expanding renewable energy footprint across West Texas. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> A rural highway outside Ozona stretches past rows of wind turbines, part of the expanding renewable energy footprint across West Texas. Reid Bader / Grist AAbout 15 miles north of the senior center on State Highway 163, the wind turbines start cropping up, fleets of towering structures owned and operated by a company called NextEra Energy. In Texas, wind generates 29 percent of the power distributed by the state’s notoriously independent power grid — second only to natural gas. According to the state comptroller, Texas wind generation surpassed nuclear power in 2014 and overtook coal-fired generation in 2020. As of 2023, the state led the nation with 239 wind-related projects and more than 15,300 wind turbines. In Crockett County, the turbines generate more than just electricity. Money from NextEra supports the meals that Flores and her friends enjoy at the center and helps make events like the Valentine’s Day Dance possible. It all comes down to clever utilization of a section of the Texas tax code. As a way of attracting large projects like wind farms, the state offers companies a temporary property tax break — up to 10 years — in exchange for local investment. This Texas Abatement Act (also known as Section 312) means less tax revenue in the short term, but more dollars immediately flowing to community projects and programs like the senior center in Crockett. While some economists say the abatements are unnecessary to recruit the companies — there aren’t many places they can go where taxes would be lower — the opportunity to reduce start-up costs for wind turbines or data centers or other developments gives the county a bargaining tool. Many counties and cities use funding generated from these deals to improve roads and other infrastructure that might be strained by the new development, or to fund other public projects that don’t have a place in the regular budget. In Medina County, for instance, officials negotiated with incoming data centers to improve roads where locals were concerned about increased traffic. How Texas communities can benefit from tax abatement deals How does a tax abatement work? Local governments use these to incentivize economic development. The Texas Abatement Act, also known as Section 312, allows a local agreement between a taxpayer (say, a wind energy company) and a taxing unit (a county) that reduces or exempts property taxes on new developments for up to 10 years, in exchange for direct community investments. Why are they useful? Federal and state funds for social programs ebb and flow as budgets and administrations change; the Trump administration slashed funding for Meals on Wheels, for instance, which serves food to seniors. A tax abatement agreement like the one in Ozona with NextEra Energy can fill that gap quickly and more directly. How else can these deals benefit communities? Economic opportunities: Local governments can use them to attract growing industries with the hope of providing well-paying, stable jobs and more local economic support. Ranchers in Ozona are looking to the wind energy boom to supplement their depleted oil and gas reserves. How else can these deals benefit communities? (continued) A bargaining position: Tax abatements can be a tool — alongside other things like community benefit agreements and advisory boards — to ensure massive development projects are held responsible to a community, employees, and the local economy. This is playing out in other industries: For instance, Medina County, Texas, a data center hotspot, has used tax abatement deals to improve roads. How else can these deals benefit communities? (continued) Reliable funding: Crockett County Judge Frank Tambunga said officials have become more strategic with each deal. Instead of granting full abatements, they typically structure partial abatements that phase in over time, allowing the county to maintain some general-fund revenue. 1 of 5 In Crockett County, like many places in West Texas, roads, jobs, and public projects have long been tied to oil and natural gas revenue, with its attendant booms and busts. According to Crockett County Judge Frank Tambunga, oil and gas have kept public coffers full in Ozona, even with the ups and downs of the industry — and the steadier (though usually lower) revenues from wind farms will likely add consistency to an already healthy budget. Ozona’s services for seniors are usually funded by a mix of federal and local funds, as well as charitable donations. As NextEra expanded its wind farms and more turbines cropped up, Tambunga saw the opportunity to offer those aging support services a boost. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/OilWind.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="An oil pumpjack is seen in the same field as several wind turbines" data-caption="Outside Ozona, an oil pumpjack works beneath a line of wind turbines, a reminder that West Texas still runs on both the past and the future of energy. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Outside Ozona, an oil pumpjack works beneath a line of wind turbines, a reminder that West Texas still runs on both the past and the future of energy. Reid Bader / Grist Tambunga is a native of Ozona. Now in his early 60s, he’s well acquainted with the sorts of choices his slightly older peers are making. He hears their concerns about health care, groceries, and social isolation. When he considered what to ask for in the tax abatement negotiations with NextEra, those concerns were top of mind. But rather than push for a new public department or project, Tambunga looked to those already doing the work in the community. “As we negotiate, we ask that, during the term of the abatement, that they make charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations to help the local groups,” said Tambunga. “It allows us to provide support for these organizations that help people within the community.” Eligio Martinez remembers when the wind companies first arrived in Crockett County in the 2010s. He was a county commissioner back then (at times in Ozona, it feels like everyone has taken their turn in county office), and remembers talking to other counties to figure out the best terms for the tax abatement deal. Locally, he said, the wind turbines were an easy sell. “We welcomed them,” Martinez said. No one got caught up in the politics of green energy — something that Texas’ oil-funded politicians regularly debate — or even the aesthetic effect of adding turbines to the wide open vistas. They saw the chance to increase their tax base and gain funding for local services, Martinez said. “If it’s beneficial to the community, we’re going to stick together.” For their part, the residents at the senior center didn’t understand exactly how the turbines worked — when the massive structures first arrived, they said, locals wondered if they could run electricity directly from the turbine and were skeptical when they learned that the electricity would be sent to Texas’ power grid to be used elsewhere. Energy-funded towns like theirs are used to asking: “How long will the royalties last?” They’re asking the same about the wind farms. They’ve lived long enough to watch booms and busts in nearly every industry — ranching, oil and gas, banking — but donations from the tax abatement deals and the increased tax revenue for the school district are welcome while they last. There’s a pragmatism, Martinez said, that comes from being so remote. “We’re very vulnerable here,” he said. When his mom got cancer in 2013, he saw just how vulnerable. He was lucky enough to have a job that allowed him the flexibility to take her to her chemotherapy appointments in San Angelo, but if he hadn’t, he wondered how she would have made the trek over and over, being as sick as she was. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="" class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?resize=330%2C220&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?resize=768%2C512&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_1237.jpg?resize=150%2C100&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1067" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> Pennsylvania’s fracking boom is hurting its oldest residents Kate Raphael Even for more able-bodied seniors, transportation is a hurdle in Ozona. The Concho Valley Transit buses make daily runs to San Angelo, and many use them for errands, but some don’t want to be out all day until the scheduled return trip. Some may have to check in for dialysis and cancer treatments at hours when the buses don’t run. And for those with more complex medical conditions or advanced cancer, San Angelo doesn’t have what they need. They’d have to go to San Antonio, Dallas, or even Houston — all between three and seven hours away. Whoever provides that transportation — usually a family member — is taking on substantial costs. Martinez started looking for ways to raise funds to help others in his community pay for these travel expenses. He was a radio DJ, so his first idea was a music festival. He organized a day-long festival, and posted some student volunteers by the door to collect entry fees. Almost no one came to hear the music, he said, but when he checked with the students at the door, they had raised $5,000. People had simply dropped off donations. Even if they didn’t want to spend the day listening to music, they wanted to help. Everyone knew this was a huge issue for rural Texans, and that most likely, at some point, they too would need to make long drives to access various forms of medical treatment. Martinez hosted a few more music festivals, but eventually realized that he didn’t need to put on an event — locals were ready to donate. He created a nonprofit, In Care of Ozona (or “Coz 4 Oz”), that provides gas cards and hotel funds for folks who need to travel for medical care. This year, Martinez became a beneficiary of the very programs he helped negotiate back on the commissioners court: He received two donations from NextEra, totaling $3,000 — Coz 4 Oz’s entire budget for the moment. It’s not just medical emergencies that create transportation woes in Ozona. Ordinary errands can be just as burdensome. As in many small towns, the local grocery store prices are high. Prices are better in San Angelo, so seniors will often carpool for the 90-minute drive, or if someone is planning to make a trip, they’ll take a list of what their neighbors need. Much of the impromptu organizing runs through the senior center, said Director Emily Marsh. “It’s like a huge family.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Walking.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A woman holding a grocery bag and four children cross a quiet street" data-caption="A family crosses Ozona’s quiet Main Street, where traffic is light enough that you rarely have to look both ways for long. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> A family crosses Ozona’s quiet Main Street, where traffic is light enough that you rarely have to look both ways for long. Reid Bader / Grist Back at the Crockett County Senior Center, while Flores and her friends were working on their puzzles, 69-year-old Arletta Gandy loaded trays of hot meals into her small SUV. The former grocery store manager’s dangly, candy heart-inspired earrings bobbled as she heaved a box full of lunch sacks onto the back seat. She and two other volunteer drivers show up to the senior center every weekday to drive the three “Helping Hands” routes, delivering meals to 42 seniors around Ozona. It’s a good way to get out of the house in her retirement, said Gandy, who doesn’t consider herself “from Ozona” because, as she said, “I’ve only been here over 20 years.” <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarDoor.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="An older woman with short white hair and glasses picks up a stack of packaged meals from the back of a car." data-caption="Arletta Gandy delivers lunch to a resident in Ozona, part of the network providing food and support to older Texans in rural communities. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Arletta Gandy delivers lunch to a resident in Ozona, part of the network providing food and support to older Texans in rural communities. Reid Bader / Grist After eight years delivering meals in the community, she knows the routes by heart. She knows which recipients have dietary restrictions and which dogs will run out of the house if she opens the door too wide. At some houses she chats briefly. Others have their own rituals. One man does little more than reach out from behind his screen door, but every day, as Gandy walks back down the plywood ramp overpassing the porch stairs, he says, “See you later, alligator.” “After a while, crocodile,” Gandy responds. “Nacho nacho,” the man calls back. “Nacho nacho,” Gandy replies. The Helping Hands program has been operating in Ozona for as long as Director Stacy Mendez can remember. She’s been involved since childhood. “I remember helping my grandmother and aunt deliver meals,” Mendez said. The program began in a local Catholic church, and when the Crockett County Senior Center opened with its commercial kitchen over 20 years ago, Helping Hands moved in. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MealsOnWheels.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="An older man and woman stand with their arms on each other's shoulders, next to a parked car. The man holds a cooler full of packed meals." data-caption="Arletta Gandy delivers a cooler of meals to a local senior. He meets her at the car, as he always does. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Arletta Gandy delivers a cooler of meals to a local senior. He meets her at the car, as he always does. Reid Bader / Grist In Texas alone, an estimated 100,000 seniors rely on meals funded through Meals on Wheels programs like this one. Across the board, federal funding for these programs has dwindled as pandemic-era appropriations expired and the Trump administration began canceling grants and slashing federal budgets. A government shutdown in the fall further disrupted an already unstable funding stream. Last September, a $20,000 donation from NextEra came just in time, Mendez said. It kept their lean operation afloat, replacing the lost federal dollars and allowing Helping Hands to continue operating through the shutdown, while other programs around the state had to cut back services. Other Texas counties could also use the renewables boom to meet local needs. The number of Texans 65 and older is expected to more than double from 3.9 million in 2020 to 8.3 million by 2050, making it the state’s fastest growing population, according to AARP. That’s a concern for hunger advocates like Jeremy Everett, director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, because seniors are already one of the most food-insecure groups, after young children. But while kids can get food through their schools, such hubs don’t usually exist for seniors, especially in rural areas. In 2026, Meals on Wheels reported that nearly 14 million seniors worried about having enough food. “Without the ability to safely and reliably access affordable food, senior adults may no longer be able to live in the rural communities they have called home,” Everett said. In Crockett County, money from the wind farms is helping to address that issue. The county is also working with the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty to identify ongoing gaps. Especially in times of economic uncertainty, a coalition-based approach to senior hunger is vital, said Everett. No one sector can meet every need, so partnerships between local governments, industry, and nonprofits are key. “That’s how strong food systems are built from the ground up,” Everett said. There’s another group of Crockett County seniors who benefit from the wind farms: ranchers. Steve Wilkins’ family has owned and operated the 6,000-acre Flying W Ranch for four generations, and he and his wife Belinda now breed Brahman beef cattle and lease part of their land to hunters. Belinda also sits on the board of the senior center. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Rancher.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap smiles slightly at the camera, standing next to a pen of white cows with humps" data-caption="Steve Wilkins stands beside a pen of Brahman cattle outside of Ozona, part of a livestock tradition that has shaped the family for generations." data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Steve Wilkins stands beside a pen of Brahman cattle outside of Ozona, part of a livestock tradition that has shaped the family for generations. Reid Bader / Grist As of Valentine’s Day, Wilkins reckoned he was probably a month or so away from signing a deal to lease part of his family ranch to a wind company. Most of the ranches around them have already done so. “I’ve kind of been dragging my feet on it,” Wilkins said. He’s not sure how he feels about wind energy, but these days ranchers have to be pragmatic. Many also lease to oil and gas companies — one of the more lucrative ways to keep a ranch intact. But in “mature regions” like Crockett County, many oil wells have already been producing for decades, putting them near the end of their productivity. Natural gas can have a similar lifespan, but big profits tend to drop sharply after the first six months to two years. Wind, of course, is not a finite resource. Theoretically, the region could keep producing wind and reaping the benefits indefinitely, or as long as demand for electricity continues apace. Still, there’s skepticism about how long it will last, Belinda said. If the wind boom comes and goes, they’ll just have to keep adapting, as they always have. In any case, the wind farms are a longer-term investment. Wind money doesn’t start flowing to the ranchers immediately, Wilkins said. The companies told him that it could be seven or eight years before they start seeing royalties. At 70, Wilkins said, that’s of little use to him. But ranchers are also used to seeing land management in generational terms. “Maybe my kids can keep the ranch,” he said. <img decoding="async" src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=330 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=768 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1536 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=160&h=90&crop=1 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640&h=853&crop=1 640w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=96&h=96&crop=1 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=150 150w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Haircut3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1024w" alt="A woman works on the hair of another elderly woman, seated with a towel around her shoulders, while a man in a red baseball cap looks on." data-caption="Cynthia Flores works on a client at her small Ozona salon, one of the everyday businesses that anchor the town’s economy and social life. " data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist"/> Cynthia Flores works on a client at her small Ozona salon, one of the everyday businesses that anchor the town’s economy and social life. Reid Bader / Grist In the hours leading up to the Valentine’s Day dance, Jerry and Willa Perry checked in for their weekly appointment at Flores’ in-home salon. Jerry removed a red MAGA-style cap that said “Make Texas A Country Again” and placed his hearing aids inside while Flores trimmed his white hair. Willa, his wife of 70 years, looked on smiling. “I can’t wait to get you home,” she joked, raising her eyebrows playfully. Jerry smirked — although he could not hear her, he got her meaning just fine. Flores charges on a sliding scale from about $12 to $40 to make sure all her clients can afford to stay coiffed. She makes enough to stay in the house, which she rents. But at her age, she said, she knows that she’s just one medical emergency away from needing full-time care, which she’ll likely find at the county’s local public nursing home. After finishing with her last clients, Flores changed into a billowy red pantsuit, pearls, and bedazzled sneakers. The dance didn’t start until 6 p.m., but she and several other regulars were there by 5 to get a good table. Emily Marsh and Belinda Wilkins enlisted their help setting out food on the long buffet. By the time the DJ fired up the first cumbia number, about 60 seniors were seated around the dance floor with plates of chips, cookies, and veggies with dip. <img class="article-asset " src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A smiling man in a red shirt twirls a woman on the dance floor under strings of red and white decorations" data-caption="" data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1400w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C1200&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?resize=330%2C330&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?resize=768%2C768&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=75&strip=all 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1400" width="1400" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /> <img class="article-asset " src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A group of elderly women in red smile and wave their hands in the air on the dance floor" data-caption="" data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1400w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C1200&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?resize=330%2C330&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?resize=768%2C768&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=75&strip=all 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-2.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1400" width="1400" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /> <img class="article-asset " src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A woman in a red suit on the dance floor in front of the DJ booth" data-caption="" data-credit="Reid Bader / Grist" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1400w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?resize=1200%2C1200&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?resize=330%2C330&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?resize=768%2C768&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=75&strip=all 96w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dance-4.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="1400" width="1400" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /> County Judge Frank Tambunga (left), Cynthia Flores (right), and other locals dance during the Valentine’s Day dance at the senior center in Ozona, where the DJ, the decorations, and part of the budget are courtesy of the wind blowing across Crockett County. Reid Bader / Grist Things started slowly, but began to pick up when a country two-step song came on. Judge Tambunga and his wife got up to dance, and other couples immediately followed. At the next cumbia, Flores rustled up a group of single ladies to take the floor. A couple songs later, she led a conga line. This story was supported by a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline In rural West Texas, renewable energy brings a windfall for seniors on Mar 12, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Bekah Stolhandske McNeel.
Sri Lankan authorities detain Lanka-e-News editor Sandaruwan Senadheera
March 12, 2026, Chennai—Sri Lankan authorities should immediately release Sandaruwan Senadheera, editor of the exile news website Lanka-e-News, and ensure any legal proceedings against him follow due process and do not undermine press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Police detained Senadheera after he arrived at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport on February 11...
March 12, 2026, Chennai—Sri Lankan authorities should immediately release Sandaruwan Senadheera, editor of the exile news website Lanka-e-News, and ensure any legal proceedings against him follow due process and do not undermine press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Police detained Senadheera after he arrived at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport on February 11 and transferred him to the Criminal Investigation Department, according to multiple news reports. He was due to appear in court on Thursday. Senadheera’s detention relates to a long-running contempt of court case linked to reporting on the violent assault of journalist Upali Tennakoon in 2009, those reports said. “The detention of Sandaruwan Senadheera is a de facto attack on press freedom in Sri Lanka and will have a chilling effect on public interest reporting,” CPJ Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder. “Sri Lankan authorities should immediately release Senadheera and ensure that any legal proceedings against him respect due process and do not criminalize legitimate journalism.” In 2016, Sri Lankan authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Senadheera for alleged contempt of court. A magistrate ruled that Lanka-e-News’ publication of a photograph identifying a suspect in the attack on Tennakoon could have interfered with an identification parade. Senadheera had travelled to Sri Lanka from England, where he has lived in exile for 16 years, to seek Ayurvedic treatment for his poor health, reported Lanka-e-News, adding he did so at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake. He fled Sri Lanka after colleagues at Lanka-e-News faced threats and attacks for their work, including the 2010 disappearance of contributor Prageeth Ekneligoda. The Criminal Investigation Department did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Seyed Ali Mousavi, the Iranian ambassador to the UK, with Laura Kuenssberg On 8 March, on the BBC politics programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the former BBC political editor put these impassioned words to Seyed Ali Mousavi, the Iranian ambassador to the UK: ‘Since we last spoke, your government has killed thousands of its own […] The post “How On Earth Do You Justify That?” appeared first on Dissident Voice.
<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/f3e9719d-64d1-40b0-8fde-b033aa84106f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/f3e9719d-64d1-40b0-8fde-b033aa84106f?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw3BfG6T24A5C7wNP1S0KbUx"><img decoding="async" class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYKtaW6G5qBYQYIH1CZ5oWelnJF2qxPvGpJpBgI-oytNffiYWkm5VtBxqQo2hEechktstlKJ7GpwS_OLjMgXqWcsH5c_m_hRBgj3Z3167BMoq5I4dYCJc5davJb3HUquqxGKoFFCbgmMVyArvuf6Mj-2s8m2mlmvarAFW6JwTXJ22TP4AcowzPQUYi1arOzDSORujcP0_LFHj9DeQ8QBfdsQoAA02cneoqpvqxlw5SNaytTr-iSLJn5-fW6JLJtLdOIpH0odA1pkeYi6ZHeqIpqGX598fwXkB-_lijz0Ek7bk0A5GjJSwMz9shOOPHax9mKLbTo=s0-d-e1-ft#https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4uLg!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73d1b240-9e13-44f6-9860-e39f8ecfbc29_1283x798.jpeg" alt="" width="505" height="307.0888542478566" data-bit="iit" /> Seyed Ali Mousavi, the Iranian ambassador to the UK, with Laura Kuenssberg On 8 March, on the BBC politics programme, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/733a0948-d1cd-440a-b85d-dfe10f83ced3?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/733a0948-d1cd-440a-b85d-dfe10f83ced3?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw1fDUi8PjBtXu-FkhzRKZXt">Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the former BBC political editor put these impassioned words to Seyed Ali Mousavi, the Iranian ambassador to the UK: ‘Since we last spoke, your government has killed thousands of its own people in the streets who had the courage to stand up to protest against the suffering that they have been experiencing at the hands of the regime. Thousands of people were killed. How on earth do you justify that, Ambassador?’ Clearly feeling deep emotion, Kuenssberg continued: ‘Just this morning, I looked at many of the images and watched some of the videos from what happened to protesters in your country in January. I looked at images and videos, verified independently [sic] by our colleagues at BBC Verify, that show body bags littered over the courtyard of a mortuary, the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Iran. I saw images of young, old, teenagers, people killed by your government, beaten faces, bloodied bodies, gunshot wounds.’ In a strongly accusatory tone, she confronted him: ‘How on earth do you justify that and sit there today saying, “Our people have some complaints”? Your government killed thousands of their own people and the world saw that’. When has Kuenssberg ever expressed such heartfelt revulsion at the genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza, with likely in excess of <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/c0483993-c4d3-4b7b-88d9-98c59d16d776?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/c0483993-c4d3-4b7b-88d9-98c59d16d776?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw3fJB53t9euXq8jpx7nyCrb">100,000 Palestinians slaughtered? Has she expressed similar horror for <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/582fa9e1-698e-49c0-ba8e-80c6ded1abf5?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/582fa9e1-698e-49c0-ba8e-80c6ded1abf5?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw2mHdo4b8ko8acqEKAmXM1i">175 schoolgirls, staff and parents killed by the US in a <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/5d24dd85-8449-4156-abdd-ed58df08be26?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/5d24dd85-8449-4156-abdd-ed58df08be26?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw2V1K0kH2_hBJgGSQdrzPd9">‘double-tap’ attack on a primary school in Minab in Iran? It seems some victims matter more. On the same politics programme last year, Kuenssberg said <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/11fd98ad-6a85-44ad-ace5-f5ca7a4b74bc?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/11fd98ad-6a85-44ad-ace5-f5ca7a4b74bc?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw0FVj1OE6lvDO-2RWVcE0cL">this about the genocide in Gaza: ‘Often when it comes to the debate about Gaza, it gets very binary and very aggressive very, very quickly and there’s no room for nuance.’ What possible nuance could there be about genocide? Her tone then was light, devoid of outrage for the tens of thousands dead Palestinians, the mangled and bloodied corpses, many of them babies and children, ripped apart by brutal Israeli firepower. Kuenssberg also aggressively challenged Mousavi about Iran’s supposed drive towards a nuclear weapon and how Iran could not be trusted to stick to international agreements. Mousavi pointed out that, on the contrary, Iran is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, whereas Israel is not. Moreover, as we noted in our <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/b4ec3593-6f11-4a7e-a1d2-caf8bdfbae93?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/b4ec3593-6f11-4a7e-a1d2-caf8bdfbae93?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw2LOgIorP_YRf4mhZUCgAvc">previous alert, in 2015, Iran signed up to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement to limit the Iranian nuclear programme in return for lifted sanctions. Trump tore up this agreement when the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018. It should be obvious that to state such salient facts is not to side with the Iranian regime, nor to excuse its crimes. Journalist Peter Oborne, the Daily Telegraph’s former chief political commentator, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/8d4b44f1-f303-4e0a-8f70-e2a8d954ab87?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/8d4b44f1-f303-4e0a-8f70-e2a8d954ab87?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw1Kp9ihQpuoqUZ8YBH7poMw">reports that Iran stuck completely to the JCPOA agreement until the US withdrew in 2018. Until the US and Israel began their attacks, Iran was negotiating in good faith in order to avoid any war. The Omani foreign minister, who was involved in the negotiations, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/4bc289dd-8737-4d5e-896d-ae2b8b6f001e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/4bc289dd-8737-4d5e-896d-ae2b8b6f001e?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw0PKWOZZRQ16oKazUrFK6TE">stated that Iran had agreed that they would never have the material needed to make a nuclear bomb, adding: ‘There would be zero accumulation, zero stockpiling. And full verification. Even United States inspectors will have access.’ Oborne <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/fde176f6-0607-44b1-b1b4-fc3304cf029e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/fde176f6-0607-44b1-b1b4-fc3304cf029e?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw0fgnOcjHk4NcDxwi9-hP3E">spelled out what happened next: ‘Iranians were negotiating really hard to avoid a war. They’d actually offered a better deal than they’d signed off on in 2015. That was on the table and that, of course, is when America and Israel struck.’ Note, also, that in the very same programme on Sunday when Kuenssberg asked propagandistic, emotion-laden questions of the Iranian ambassador she had nothing to say about the Gaza genocide when interviewing Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog. She did not say to him: ‘Since we last spoke, your government has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in what human rights organisation and genocide scholars have said is a genocide. How on earth do you justify that, Mr President?’ What does it say about the state of politics and news that the president of a genocidal and apartheid state was given carte blanche to proclaim that in attacking Iran and Lebanon, ‘we are doing this for the entire free world’? Empathy by a prominent BBC journalist for one set of victims – Iranian – is permitted, even required. Permitted, that is, when the finger of blame points the right way. But as the Minab school bombing shows, not when it points the other way; in this case, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/24985a76-8f2b-400d-b405-c9b12479592c?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/24985a76-8f2b-400d-b405-c9b12479592c?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw1vSaLgLAHALRnXTeg4sIPs">conclusively towards the US. ‘Unpeople’ And ‘Unworthy’ Victims British historian Mark Curtis, co-founder and co-director of <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/971807f1-a198-4e71-a58f-8a1631992c1a?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/971807f1-a198-4e71-a58f-8a1631992c1a?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw3J7o-b0vPno5753uQJb9FZ">Declassified UK, has applied the concept of ‘Unpeople’ as a framework for understanding Western foreign policy. In his 2004 book, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/206bb924-ea9e-426b-8c8d-1ebb5a5a0832?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/206bb924-ea9e-426b-8c8d-1ebb5a5a0832?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw0EW1ldJXnlVUk4FHY4wunW">Unpeople: Britain’s Secret Human Rights Abuses, and in his earlier work, <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/309a1921-84e3-4cac-b438-3e837b9015ef?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/309a1921-84e3-4cac-b438-3e837b9015ef?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw2ZPnwOHUHsqkAVkHgW9rHl">Web of Deceit, Curtis argued that the political system separates victims into two categories: those whose deaths matter (‘People’) and those whose lives are considered expendable (‘Unpeople’). The concept of ‘People’ and ‘Unpeople’ has its roots in the work of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky in their classic 1988 book, ‘Manufacturing Consent’, where they discuss examples of ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims. Worthy victims are people who are killed or oppressed by Official Enemies of the West, such as the Soviet Union (and now Russia), North Korea or China. These victims garner considerable media attention in the propaganda system, marked by sympathy, indignation and fury. Their suffering is humanised, described in detail, and used to generate moral outrage directed at the offending regimes or governments, often as part of a concerted attempt to topple them for the benefit of Western geostrategic interests. ‘Unworthy’ victims, by contrast, are people who are killed or whose democratic aspirations are crushed by the West or ‘our allies’; such as Suharto’s Indonesia in the 1960s, Pinochet’s Chile in the 1970s, the US-backed Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975, and Israel in the present day. These victims are less prominent, even absent, in western media coverage or are often discounted as ‘collateral damage’: a lesser kind of human, robbed of their individuality, their life stories; even their names and faces. Herman and Chomsky’s analysis focused on the treatment of ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims in the propaganda system. Curtis has expanded the discussion by examining declassified UK government files, released under the ‘Thirty-Year Rule’, showing how the British state structurally ignores or downplays the importance of those it regards as ‘Unpeople’. Curtis <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/a686f4af-84f2-4cf0-b4eb-c60cf184f607?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/a686f4af-84f2-4cf0-b4eb-c60cf184f607?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw0JSHMIV1VlG8iW76mx-vb_">highlights a prominent example occurring right now: ‘In the case of Gaza, Palestinians are seen as unpeople since supporting them holds little merit or gain for British planners. What does Palestine have to offer Whitehall in comparison with Israel?’ Curtis continues: ‘In supporting Israel, Whitehall can <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/73226b6e-918c-4f62-a3a0-b1e289eaa6a3?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/73226b6e-918c-4f62-a3a0-b1e289eaa6a3?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw1TdXfh6XDfiNjUpOP1wzTY">demonstrate British subservience and usefulness to its major ally, the US. Israel is a buyer of British arms, a strategic ally to police the region and an increasing, albeit still fairly small, trade partner. ‘And a <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/26751a86-0b41-4475-bdd4-30916df4cf41?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/26751a86-0b41-4475-bdd4-30916df4cf41?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw0A7OhFQnq1CJUYb_SWf-Tt">quarter of the UK’s entire parliament of MPs has received funding from the Israel lobby, buying an influence over UK policy-making that is way beyond anything the Palestinians can induce.’ The fact that there is a well-funded Israel lobby in the UK parliament is beyond the pale for the ‘mainstream’ media to discuss and analyse. To do so would almost inevitably lead to the insidious and often fake charge of ‘antisemitism’. Is it really antisemitic to point out, as Declassified UK <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/0deb144d-233b-459e-adb0-6b63490e1983?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/0deb144d-233b-459e-adb0-6b63490e1983?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw2-J2LJfSlhZTwpU4lcA3uw">did in 2024, that fully half of Keir Starmer’s Cabinet were funded by the Israel lobby? It is highly doubtful that an in-depth investigation into the Israel lobby in the UK, such as the <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/bf9ee1bc-bcf6-400c-bf9f-72d7223e5e36?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://substack.com/redirect/bf9ee1bc-bcf6-400c-bf9f-72d7223e5e36?j%3DeyJ1IjoiMXJ3emQifQ.M-Hth0wkhS4dA5wcnXa-C0EDxi26DEqF78SUNZ-zNmk&source=gmail&ust=1773321710228000&usg=AOvVaw2omSGPAhVzp7KQBM-gatiS">2009 Channel 4 Dispatches programme by Oborne, would ever be aired today. And so there remain approved sets of victims that the ‘mainstream’ media will systematically highlight; and there are other groups of victims that are to be regarded as dispensable. Laura Kuenssberg’s paired interviews with the Israeli president and the Iranian ambassador, on the same BBC programme, no less, are a case study in the selective empathy required by high-profile corporate journalists. The post “How On Earth Do You Justify That?” appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Media Lens.
Writer and musician Dan Wriggins on the necessity of confidence
I’m curious where your creative roots started. What are some of your first memories around writing? Or, where did you felt compelled to log or document something through words for the first time?
I’m curious where your creative roots started. What are some of your first memories around writing? Or, where did you felt compelled to log or document something through words for the first time? I grew up in Maine. My folks are kind of creative. Well, my mom is a potter and that’s been her career her whole life. So her job is an artist profession, but that has nothing to do with writing. I have this funny memory: one time I went home and looked at old stuff my folks had saved, and it included some ancient notebooks of journaling, from preschool or whatever age you learn how to spell. And I had this one page that was so good. Oh god, I think it said, “I do not know what to write. I would like to know what the heck to write,” and write was spelled incorrectly. It was spelled R-I-G-H-T maybe, and heck was H-E-C. But it was both adorable and profound. So I guess that’s a memory of an evidence of something. It might’ve been the earliest. Do you think there are things from when you first started writing that tie into how you write now? Are there similar things happening internally that are pulling you somewhere? You mean compared to when I was younger? Yeah. Oh, I think it’s changed a lot. In a way, it’s more mundane and professionalized. I guess I brought up that example of being a kindergartner, but it’s more like early teen, high school age when you start being like, “I want to write a song.” Back when I was in high school, trying to write songs—I don’t think I was writing any poems—I had this really romantic idea that inspiration hits you and then you jot stuff down. I’d try to write from experience. I guess it’s getting older [when you learn] that doesn’t always work. I mean, little moments and jolts are great, but there’s so much more than just sitting down to write. It often means I try to sort of do… what’s that? Automatic writing? It’s a surrealist technique, just trying to write things down that come into your brain, or you are reading and you’re writing while you’re doing it. It’s not in search of any ideas. It’s just in search of a combination of words that are cool together. So writing itself is the object. And you can still get to something that does describe an emotion or a thing in the world. It really feels like that has been a learning process. Do you think that your relationship with editing or revising has changed over time too? The process and the technique has maybe always been the same. I just get better and better at it. I went and did a poetry MFA a few years ago, and that was the one thing where at the end of it I really felt like, damn, I thought I knew how to edit. I thought I knew how to read through something I’d written very closely and how to hone in on every single word and make sure that word was meant to be there. But I didn’t know how to do that at all. How do you think about silence or space in songs? Do you think spacing something out creates distance or pulls someone closer? I never really know. When I’m writing a song, I’m often self-conscious about like, “Wait a minute, are these lines just way too far apart? Is this weird?” Then I’ll go and listen to more songs that I love and realize maybe they sing, or they don’t leave as much space—or they do, but it’s because it’s a guitar-centered song or something. So I do feel funny about it sometimes. For our songs, I feel like in general I leave some space compared to other stuff that I listen to. And I don’t really know what to make of that, because it does feel natural when I’m writing it. What do you think? Does it pull people closer or create distance? I think it pulls people closer and… That’s a leading question. You knew. [laughs] Even in your lyrics, you talk a lot about distance by mentioning physical spaces like rooms or miles or crossing a certain barrier. What do you think it is about those markers that you want to put in songs? Damn, dude. I don’t know. You’re so right, and I had not ever thought about it before. I feel like it does. To me, those types of elements are always evocative because they mean so much. They have so much metaphorical weight, and I feel like the metaphorical weight is doubled because it’s in a song, which is temporal. And so time and distance—which that’s what you’re working with—always seem like useful little metaphors for human existence, for living with people. This fact of how you can feel so close to someone and also cut off from them, or alone or distant or whatever. When you’re writing, are you aiming for the moment where something clicks, or are you following moments that don’t resolve? How intentional are you about the role that each line plays? I think when I’m starting with something—when it’s an early version of a song that I have come up with that morning, or whatever—it’s not very intentional. I mean, I’m just trying to get stuff in there and see what I can find, and often it’ll be disjointed. And I’ll often think to myself, “This could work as a disjointed thing. Other people make songs that feel kind of disjointed. Why can’t I?” And then almost every time I will keep working on that song and keep thinking like, “Wow, this thing doesn’t really fit. It could be a different line that’s better and really connects to the chorus or something.” And so I’ll slowly push out anything that doesn’t feel like it all cohered, which maybe is stupid or maybe doesn’t actually help. In a way, I wish I had more songs that felt more like they weren’t all concentrated and focused. I wish they could also be super expansive. I think about songs that I love that have details and words and lines in them that seem to not connect at all to each other. There’s this fragility of communication in your songs, between mumbling or mishearing something, or being a little cautious. Do you think that language fails us more because of what we say or what we avoid saying? Technically what we avoid saying isn’t language’s fault. That’s your brain’s fault for not doing it. I love the question… Since I’m such a kind of intense word freak, I want to fall on the side of not saying stuff is what fails us. The more we communicate and the more words we can get out there, the less we will be failing each other. But that is too optimistic and stupid because people can say a ton and can be so communicative, and it still doesn’t help any. In my general outlook, I would say that it’s the stuff we don’t talk about that probably festers more and creates more problems overall. You’ve mentioned wondering whether certain characters or concepts are too much to ask of a listener, specifically on the new album, Hollow Skulls. I’m curious how you feel about challenging a listener with an image? I think it’s kind of essential to do it. With Hollow Skulls, I was kind of wimpy. I was like, “Oh, is this too much?” But it’s not. Barely. My favorite songwriter probably is Vic Chesnutt. I mean, talk about challenging listeners with images all the time. He’ll stick some big ugly thing into a song and it’s like, “Now I have to deal with this?” There’s a song called “Bug,” where it talks about some graffiti, talks about some roommates, and then he says, “Hotel full of Pakistanis / And a front porch filled with greasy greasy grannies.” And it’s like, “Dude, don’t say that. What are you talking about?” It’s such an obnoxious thing. I mean, is it a good line? I don’t really know. I think it is because it’s so weird, but it seems to have nothing to do with the rest. I feel like Vic would be a lot more popular if he didn’t do so many kinds of weird, ugly, gross things. It’s hard to wrap your head around. He just sticks it there and doesn’t hide anything. And then it hits the refrain, which is, “When the bug hits, that’s the time to scratch it.” And he sings that over and over again. I guess what I’m saying is, I love to challenge the listener with an image, and I wish I could do it with more bravery. Do you edit those moments out sometimes? Probably, yeah. I think often I’ll get something in there that’s really weird, and I’m like, well, this just doesn’t work. And maybe I’m right, maybe it doesn’t work, and it’s good that it’s gone. But also surely I could stand to think more critically about thinking critically and smoothing things over. How comfortable are you talking about what you think your strengths are as a writer, and how did you come to recognize those things? So comfortable with it. I mean, I kind of get confused when I see other people who seem to not know what they’re good at, even if they’re really good at something. And is it false modesty? Are you being modest about this, or do you really not know? I feel like the confidence is part of doing it well. I mean, I know that as a musician and a producer, I’m not that great. The worst is guitar. I’m fine at playing guitar for what we do, but I look at my friends, the people in Friendship or other musicians, and I got nothing on them. I have no fucking special spark with playing the guitar and I don’t need to. I’m good at writing the songs. And more specifically, I know which type of songs I’m good at writing and which I just can’t touch, and which I can touch a little bit. So I’m trying to push with it. Kind of the same with poetry. Especially in writer school, there were so many other poets who were really self-conscious about their work. Either they couldn’t tell if their own thing was good or not, or they were being modest about it. And I always thought, “It doesn’t help you. I know you’re smart. You must know whether it’s good or not.” I feel like it takes so much weight off to just [admit], I’m good at this thing and I’m not so great at that. And that’s fine. I don’t have to do that. I can keep on doing the thing I’m good at. If I want to play guitar, I can get better or I can do it as more of a hobby. Perhaps there’s a more enlightened hippie outlook on creative work that would say, “No, just follow your heart and do anything, whether you think from an analytic perspective that you’re good at it or not.” But I’m fine with just homing in on the stuff I’m good at, which still means experimenting. It still means growing. It still means pushing on things that you’re not comfortable with, of course. I don’t know if that’s totally what you’re asking about. I am curious how you would describe the things you think you’re good at when it comes to writing. [laughs] Well, definitely good at that thing that you brought up before: making songs that, while you’re listening, you can’t predict what’s coming next. I think good songs have that, and I’m good at that. Certain types of images, jokes. I mean, putting jokes in all the time, to the point of I’m trying to do it less because it feels like a crutch. Ol’ Jake [Lenderman] is good at that too. I’m reasonably good at melodies, but not that great. Sometimes [I write songs where] everything within it, or everything being described, is a real thing that you could experience in life. But I’m using language that makes it feel surreal, or that makes it feel kind of strange or intense. So hopefully I’m good at that little maneuver as well. I think you are. Hell yeah. Where do you find the most joy or satisfaction in the writing process or the sharing process? They’re both so amazing and they both are so different. The writing process has this kind of soul-bolstering thing, but it’s not all the time. It’s barely ever, in fact. If I’m feeling lousy, if I’ve been feeling depressed for whatever length of time—a day, a week, a decade—there’s nothing that’s more guaranteed to provide sustenance and make me happy and like my soul is now fulfilled than finishing a good song or making a big breakthrough in a song. And that’s both a confidence thing where you’re like, “Well, I still got it,” and it’s also just like, “Wow, this wasn’t a thing before and now it is.” So that’s the beautiful, mystical, fulfilling thing about art creation. And maybe it’s akin to other types of finishing a project or doing something you’re proud of. Then there’s putting out a record and playing live, which is a much more ego-centered good feeling. And it’s about your ego, but it also truly is about sharing. Oh, you found something good in this song too? Awesome. That makes me feel good. I think there’s a lot of folks who don’t necessarily love to perform. I’ve had an argument a few times with several people, recently with a filmmaker friend, where I was like, “Well, do you make art for yourself or do you make art for other people?” Everyone makes it for themselves. I make it for other people. Most people, it’s like, “Well, I do it for myself. And if other people like it, great, but I’m doing it for me.” I get that, but for me, it’s kind of flipped. I do it because I think I’m good at it and I’ve been so moved by art so many times and I want to do that. If I can also get some therapeutic benefit, that’s a great side benefit. The main thing is the other people. And I think a lot of folks would say that that is a kind of twisted priority structure for making art, but not for me. One thing I find interesting is the references within your work, specifically how you engage with movies and TV. I’m curious if you have an emotional response to those forms of media, and how you would compare that to something you just see or hear when you’re walking down the street. Love movies. I like TV shows. I like putting them in songs because… are we not all watching a lot of this shit? Maybe not, but a lot of my friends watch plenty of TV. They’re getting on Netflix and they’re loading shit up. And I don’t hear many songs referencing that. It feels like it’s like an outsized portion of a lot of people’s lives: “I got to decompress, so I’m putting on… motherfucking Top Chef.” And then there’s artsy movies, and I also love those, so I do treat those with more reverence. I’m always surprised when I learn that there’s a line specifically from a movie in your songs. I think there’s a couple in “Mr. Chill,” like the idea of lowering buckets. Oh yeah, yeah. What did I take that from? Some noir movie. “I’ve got a room full of buckets” is from some noir flick where it’s a snappy line this woman delivers: “Honey, I got a room full of buckets,” and that just means I’ve been crying a lot. Someone told me the line, “Relying on the kindness of strangers” was from a movie, too. It could be. It’s quite possible. I’m not sure if I did that on purpose or not, or if I did the thing where I just wrote in a notebook because I was watching a movie and then didn’t attribute it and then thought, “Oh, that’s a great line. Let me stick that in there.” I do wonder when it is and isn’t chill, because I do care and think about it. But taking things verbatim… there’s a contextual okay-ness about it. And I think about MJ Lenderman’s song “Knockin’” all the time, where he ends by saying, “I’m knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door,” over and over again. And that is so obviously okay to say that in the song, because he’s imbuing all this extra meaning, so that’s already kind of sick. Nobody involved is under the impression that he’s trying to pass off that line as his own. Every listener knows that he’s doing a reference to Bob [Dylan]. So I think it’s only not chill if you are trying to be like, “Oh, I got this cool line and I hope no one finds out that I took it from here.” Maybe I’ve even been unconsciously guilty. That was something I was going to bring up. There’s this recurring idea in your songs of what belongs to us, and maybe language falls into that too. I feel like the idea that words belong to us is a very strange thing. And it gets stranger with ChatGPT, etc. I mean, of course, there’s a field of IP and copyright law, and that’s its own thing. And then there’s what I was talking about: what does it really feel like? And if it’s all stolen, but you made something beautiful out of it, does that even matter? Maybe you’re actually doing the right thing there. So I think there can be nefarious plagiarism things that happen sometimes. But I suppose overall, I am kind of a mindset that it’s all part of one big thing. Dan Wriggins Recommends: The Blackbird by Christian Schlegel - a book of poetry about skateboarding and talking. Casting Deep Shade by C.D. Wright - a book of poetry about beech trees. Njal’s Saga - 13th Century anonymous Icelandic saga about lawyers, history, murder and fate. Journey Around My Room by Louise Bogan, ed. Ruth Limmer - “Mosaic” autobiography by the hilarious genius Louise Bogan. Bein’ Free by Jerry Jeff Walker - The first postmodern country album. This content originally appeared on The Creative Independent and was authored by Laura Brown.
Sanitising atrocities by the US or Israel and finding excuses is in the Western media’s DNA
COMMENTARY: By John Minto I came across this statement from an independent media source this week: “The mainstream media is doing what it always does in wartime: manufacturing consent, sanitising atrocities and platforming war criminals.” It came to mind immediately when I read The Times newspaper obituary for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which was reprinted in
COMMENTARY: By John Minto I came across this statement from an independent media source this week: “The mainstream media is doing what it always does in wartime: manufacturing consent, sanitising atrocities and platforming war criminals.” It came to mind immediately when I read The Times newspaper obituary for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which was reprinted in the Christchurch Press at the weekend. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was murdered by the US-Israel in the initial strikes of their illegal bombing and killing campaign in Iran — an assault that rips up international law and trashes the United Nations Charter. READ MORE: Oil tankers hit in Iraq, Tehran sets 3 conditions for peace Why Trump is in so much danger with his illegal Iran war Ramzy Baroud: Israel’s greatest weapon was fear – and it’s now failing An anti-war meeting in Auckland that was protested against by pro-Israel/pro-American Iranians Other US-Israeli war on Iran reports Other images and video fromthe Stop Wars meeting The obituary was a straight piece of Western propaganda which did nothing to hide its blatant disinformation (deliberate misinformation). It may as well have come straight from an Israeli propaganda unit — it may well have for all I know — with its demonisation of the Iranian leadership. The Times claimed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had “…approved the development of a clandestine nuclear weapons programme that could, if ever completed, threaten Israel’s very existence, destabilise the Middle East and imperil global oil supplies”. This is an obvious lie. Israel’s Prime Minister — and well-known war criminal — Benjamin Netanyahu has been saying for 30 years that Iran is just a few weeks or months away from producing a nuclear weapon. The fact is that all credible analysts, including inside US intelligence, agree Iran never decided to pursue nuclear weapons and the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has never detected such a programme. In fact, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared nuclear weapons to be “religiously forbidden under Islamic law”. The rest of the obituary is riddled with similar untruths and distortions in a ham-fisted justification of US/Israel’s assault on Iran. If The Times has set out to undermine confidence in Western media reporting on West Asia (Middle East) this would be an excellent example. Platforming war criminals How much Western media time and space has been given to Trump and Netanyahu in the past 11 days to spread lies and disinformation direct to Western audiences? And how much time has been given to the Iranian leadership, UN officials or international experts to debunk the US/Israeli justifications for war? Meanwhile, the media have platformed Iranian New Zealanders, who oppose the Iranian leadership and support the appointment of the former Shah’s son Reza Pahlavi, to lead the country. The previous Shah’s rule was a brutal dictatorship where tens of thousands were murdered or imprisoned by the Shah’s secret police, the Savak. The Shah’s dictatorship was backed by the US and Western interests till its overthrow in 1979. The new proposed Shah is no different from his father, posing with Netanyahu and celebrating the bombing and killing in Iran. So why has our mainstream media given so much attention to Iranians here who celebrate death and destruction in Iran alongside people waving the Israeli flag — a symbol of genocide and apartheid — and inviting Destiny Church to join them. A real horror show! And when it comes to women’s rights, why is the Western media so happy to denounce restrictions on clothing for women in Iran but ignore Israel’s denial of rights to Palestinian women in Gaza whom Amnesty International this week says face the erosion of health and safety in Gaza in a “deliberate act of war targeting women and girls”. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-124866" src="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-war-protest-APR-680wide.png" alt="A pro-war protest with imperial Iran and Israeli flags" width="680" height="433" srcset="https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-war-protest-APR-680wide.png 680w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-war-protest-APR-680wide-300x191.png 300w, https://asiapacificreport.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pro-war-protest-APR-680wide-660x420.png 660w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /> A pro-war protest with imperial Iran and Israeli flags outside the Stop Wars Aotearoa public meeting in Auckland last night. Image: Asia Pacific Report Sanitising atrocities And why has the Western media all but ignored the US/Israeli missile attack on the girls school in Iran killing at least 165 children? Imagine if this were an attack on a school in Israel or the US? Imagine the apoplectic outrage. Imagine the rush to sanctions and war? This attack and murder of Iranian girls is sidelined for the same reason Israel’s genocide in Gaza killing tens of thousands of women and children is being downplayed. Sanitising atrocities by the US or Israel and finding excuses, justifications or explanations for them is in the Western media’s DNA. The Press and Western media take all their stories from Western sources such as Reuters and Associated Press news agencies and Western newspapers such as The Times and Daily Telegraph. They would never dream of including stories from Al Jazeera or any Palestinian news sources. I would once have lamented the loss of mainstream media reporting on issues but it’s no longer possible to pretend it is in any way a force for good. John Minto is national chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). This article was first published by The Daily Blog and is republished by Asia Pacific Report with the author’s permission. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
The Israel Lobby: 20 years later w/ John Mearsheimer – The Grayzone live
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Indonesian journalists attacked over reporting at mineral processing plant in Bangka Belitung
Jakarta, March 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Indonesian authorities to hold accountable those responsible for assaulting journalists Frendy Primadana and Dedy Wahyudi and ensure all Indonesian reporters can cover environmental issues without fear of reprisal. At about 2 p.m. on March 7, workers at Putraprima Mineral Mandiri, a zircon processing company in...
Jakarta, March 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Indonesian authorities to hold accountable those responsible for assaulting journalists Frendy Primadana and Dedy Wahyudi and ensure all Indonesian reporters can cover environmental issues without fear of reprisal. At about 2 p.m. on March 7, workers at Putraprima Mineral Mandiri, a zircon processing company in Bangka Belitung province, allegedly attacked Primadana, a contributor to broadcaster tvOne, and Wahyudi, a journalist with news site Babel Faktual, according to multiple news reports and Primadana, who spoke with CPJ in a phone call. The journalists were on site to cover a clash between small-scale suppliers of zircon, a byproduct of tin mining in Bangka and Belitung, and a military task force monitoring illegal mining and processing. Bangka Belitung police announced on March 8 they had arrested three suspects in the alleged assault, including a security guard and an employee at Putraprima, and a truck driver for one of its suppliers. If convicted, they could face up to seven years in prison, police said. “We welcome the arrest of three suspects involved in the appalling attack on Frendy Primadana and Dedy Wahyudi. Indonesian authorities must now show with the full force of the law that such assaults will not go unpunished,” CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi. “Journalists play an essential role holding Indonesian businesses accountable for their environmental impact. Full prosecutions will send a strong signal that violence against the press is unacceptable.” Primadana told CPJ that he arrived at the Putraprima factory at about 1 p.m. with Wahyudi and another journalist, Wahyu Kurniawan of Suara Pos. The journalists were stopped at the gate, where the truck driver allegedly seized Wahyudi’s cellphone and punched him in the face, Primadana said, adding that Kurniawan escaped on a motorcycle. The security guard and truck driver then allegedly punched and kicked Primadana before up to 20 other people at the site joined the attack, according to Primadana. The driver also issued a death threat against him, he said. Workers at the factory then forced Primadana to record a video statement apologizing for his reporting on the processing facility. Primadana and Wahyudi were rescued by police and received outpatient treatment for injuries including bruising to the body and face at a local hospital. Putraprima did not immediately reply to CPJ’s text message requesting comment. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
Ocean defenders need to make their voices heard in mass nonviolent protests that can turn the tide of history.
Ocean defenders need to make their voices heard in mass nonviolent protests that can turn the tide of history. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by David Helvarg.
Trump-aligned think tank proposes ‘Pacific Charter’, greater US involvement in the region
By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist An American right-wing think tank is proposing a “Pacific Charter” that advocates for a greater United States presence in the region. The Heritage Foundation, closely associated with the ruling Republican Party, wrote that China is “covetously” looking to the Pacific nations while they are vulnerable to major security threats,
By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist An American right-wing think tank is proposing a “Pacific Charter” that advocates for a greater United States presence in the region. The Heritage Foundation, closely associated with the ruling Republican Party, wrote that China is “covetously” looking to the Pacific nations while they are vulnerable to major security threats, such as the transnational drug trade. The think tank holds significant influence with US President Donald Trump, best encapsulated in its “Project 2025” platform that guided conservative policy leading up to the 2024 presidental election. READ MORE: Other Trump and Pacific reports Its latest report, A charter of Pacific values for a prosperous Pacific future, points out that Pacific nations are uniquely vulnerable at a difficult time, emboldening “outside forces” to take advantage. Pacific countries are asked to “align” their policy agendas, while the US establishes a “Pacific Partners Commission” and installs a “Pacific Advisor” on their National Security Council. “Broader intra-Pacific affiliations are being superseded by the interests of external actors, and the Pacific agenda is at risk of being shaped by powerful outside forces,” the report states. Without Western involvement, it postulated that China, with its “willingness to use political leverage and intrigue to advance its narrow interest” would monopolise their hold. ‘Reaffirm fundamental ideals’ Rather than letting that happen, co-authors Allen Zhang and Brent Sadler proposed a non-binding Charter, not to “impose values and dictate outcomes” but rather to “reaffirm fundamental ideals and strengthen regional solidarity”. It was noted this would pressure nations to resist the influence of Chinese cash, for example infrastructure deals. Further, the mood would be set for island nations and US defence forces to come closer together. “The foregoing principles are frequently bypassed in favour of lucrative bilateral proposals … compromised when it is personally or locally expedient. “When regional nations accede to a charter, they accept a standard of conduct beyond the mere expression of aspiration … overtime, states begin to rationalise strategic decisions against a set of baseline principles.” The Heritage Foundation’s proposed Pacific charter published in ‘A charter of Pacific values for a prosperous Pacific future’. Image: Edited by RNZ Pacific The White House has only recently turned its attention to Pacific countries in any public sense, hosting a business summit in Honolulu in early February. Trump has also asserted his interest in critical minerals at the bottom of the Pacific ocean, leading to deep-sea mining talks with the Cook Islands and Tonga. Jared Novelly, incoming US ambassador to New Zealand, said there was an “extreme opportunity” in the Cook Islands exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
Gutting Discrimination Enforcement in Education: What Could Go Wrong?
In most cases, short-staffed agency is handling complaints by dismissing them.
In most cases, short-staffed agency is handling complaints by dismissing them. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Mike Ervin.
Israeli NGO Bans Threaten Gaza’s Humanitarian Lifeline
Thirty-seven humanitarian aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, were ordered to cease operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Thirty-seven humanitarian aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, were ordered to cease operations in Gaza and the West Bank. This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Hana Salah.
“Killers of Roe”: Amy Littlefield Investigates the “Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights” in U.S.
[Episode Cut] Trump’s Military Deployments Spark Concerns Over Constitutional Authority: Congres…
US News Orgs Nearly Silent on Israel’s Violent Suppression of Journalism
Reports that documented Israel’s shameless targeting of the journalists who cover its war crimes were met with near silence by US corporate media.
Among CPJ’s key findings (2/25/26): “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has committed more targeted killings of journalists than any other government’s military since CPJ began documentation in 1992.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recently published two meticulous reports that further expose Israel’s violent repression of journalism, in its ongoing genocide in Gaza and elsewhere. CPJ published a report on February 19 titled ‘‘’We Returned From Hell’: Palestinian Journalists Recount Torture in Israeli Prisons.” CPJ collected 59 in-depth testimonies from Palestinian journalists released from Israeli custody since October 7, 2023. The report goes into excruciating and painstaking detail about the experiences of 56 journalists, who told CPJ they were “repeatedly beaten inside prisons by authorities, as well as during arrest and transfer to the facilities.” Less than a week later, CPJ published a report (2/25/26) that found “Israel was responsible for two-thirds of all journalist and media-worker killings in 2025”—86 of the 129 deaths CPJ recorded. That was an uptick from 2024 (when Israel was responsible for 85 out of 124) and 2023 (78 of 99), CPJ revealed. Taken together, these reports added more evidence of Israel’s illegal and shameless targeting of the journalists who cover its war crimes. IDF ‘strongly rejects claims’ While the Washington Post (2/26/26) noted CPJ’s calling out of Israel in its headline, it made sure to get Israel’s denial into the subhead. And yet, these reports were met with near silence by US corporate media. In total, we could find only three mentions of the reports’ criticism of Israel in major US outlets: a three-minute interview with CPJ’s Sara Qudah by NPR (2/20/26), and 1,100-word articles by the Washington Post (2/26/26) and New York Times (3/5/26). Even then, the Post‘s media reporter, Liam Scott, dutifully included a lengthy rebuttal from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in its fifth paragraph: “The IDF does not intentionally harm journalists or their family members, and on the contrary, operates solely against military targets, in accordance with international law, and employs all possible measures to mitigate harm to civilians, including journalists,” the statement said. “Any claim of intentional harm to civilians—including family members of journalists due to their professional activity—is completely false.” Scott didn’t attempt to offer any context or counter to this statement, despite the IDF’s long record of lying (FAIR.org, 11/1/24), and Israel’s long history of repeatedly targeting civilians, including journalists in particular, and civilian infrastructure. To be fair, Scott did later attempt to challenge a couple of Israel’s claims, including by noting that Israel has provided no “substantial evidence” to its claims that “some of the journalists it killed were legitimate targets due to accusations that they were working with Hamas.” ‘Among the worst’ The New York Times (3/5/26) describes Israel as one of the “freer societies” where “the press faces challenges”—despite Israel being labeled an apartheid state by major human rights groups. The New York Times editorial board (3/5/26), meanwhile, included only two mentions of Israel in its article on how “Politicians Are Trying to Control the News.” The Times wrote that Israel is “among the worst offenders against press freedom,” but included Israel sixth on its list, behind China, Russia, Egypt, Ethiopia and Iran—despite the fact that 204 more journalists were killed in connection with their work in Israel and occupied Palestine in 2023, 2024 and 2025 than in all those countries combined. In the ninth paragraph, the Times added: Israel’s war in Gaza led to the arrest of almost 100 Palestinian journalists, often without charge, and at least twice that number were killed over two years, a toll without modern precedent. The Times’ tallies were correct, but vastly understated. Israel’s killing of journalists since October 7, 2023, is not just “without modern precedent.” Indeed, as journalist Nick Turse noted in an April 2025 paper for Brown University’s Costs of War, it is more than the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War (including the conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan, combined. The Los Angeles Times (3/11/26) published an emotional opinion article from Colombian-American photographer Juan Arredondo about how “Journalists Risk Everything Because the Work Is So Important.” The article briefly referenced CPJ’s recent report of the 129 journalists killed in 2025, but contained no reference to the country responsible for two-thirds of the killing, instead centering the “400 journalists and media workers” killed worldwide since “the start of the Russia/Ukraine war.” Independent US news outlets have covered the CPJ reports (Democracy Now!, 2/26/26, 2/26/26; Common Dreams, 2/26/26), as have overseas English-language alternative news outlets (Morning Star, 2/19/26; Canary, 2/21/26; Business Recorder, 2/20/26; Saba, 2/19/26; Middle East Eye, 2/19/26; Cradle, 2/25/26), foreign corporate news outlets (Guardian, 2/19/26, 2/25/26; Reuters, 2/25/26; Al Jazeera, 2/25/26) and even Israeli news outlets (Times of Israel, 2/19/26, 2/26/26; Haaretz, 2/25/26; Jerusalem Post, 2/26/26). Electroshock, pepper spray between beatings Interviewing 59 journalists released from Israeli prisons, CPJ (2/19/26) found ” strikingly consistent” accounts of “physical assaults, forced stress positions, sensory deprivation, sexual violence and medical neglect.” The CPJ reports didn’t only provide surface-level statistics; they painted a portrait of persistence and bravery in the face of repeated attempts to silence and punish these journalists and their families. The first CPJ report—over 3,000-words—included more than a dozen detailed testimonials from Palestinian journalists who faced horrific abuse from their Israeli captors: A Palestinian journalist, Ahmed Abdel Aal, was blindfolded in an Israeli detention site, stripped and beaten, while loud music played at an unrelenting volume. A journalist said that soldiers “bound his genitals with zip ties and beat him until the injuries made it impossible to urinate without blood.” A West Bank journalist, Mustafa Khawaja, said a beating in Shatta Prison caused “fractured ribs, meniscus tears and spinal injuries later diagnosed as herniated discs.” “Gazan journalists Islam Ahmed and Osama al-Sayed recounted the intermittent use of electroshocking and pepper spray between beatings”—a punishment that took place shortly after a visit by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister. A journalist imprisoned at Ofer Prison, Mohammad al-Atrash, recounted a “mass punishment involving dozens of prisoners” called a “Ben-Gvir party” or a “Shin Bet party” (after Israel’s secret police). “Al-Atrash stated that trained dogs were ordered to attack the detainees, and metal instruments were used to create long-lasting bleeding and scars.” Journalist Mohammed Nafez Qaoud said “repeated beatings during intake left deep wounds on his feet,” which became infected with “worms feeding on them.” Journalist Thaer Fakhoury said he “sustained a severe eye injury during beatings in Etzion and Ofer detention facilities, resulting in temporary loss of vision for about 20 days.” Journalist Abdul Mohsen Shalaldeh said he was “burned by lit cigarettes extinguished on his bare body.” “Journalist Yousef Sharaf said wounds from repeated beatings became infected in the poor sanitary conditions of the prisons, forming abscesses across his body. He said that after going without medical care from prison authorities, another detainee, Dr. Nahed Abu Taima, an imprisoned surgeon from Nasser Medical Complex, performed improvised procedures using what detainees believed was cleaning bleach.” The second CPJ report, meanwhile, highlighted the journalists targeted by Israel for covering Israel’s war crimes, including Hossam Shabat, the 23-year-old Palestinian correspondent for Al Jazeera and Drop Site News. The Israeli military struck and killed Shabat on March 24, 2025, near the Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza strip (FAIR.org, 3/26/25). CPJ noted that Israel has “repeatedly killed journalists whom it subsequently—and in some cases preemptively—alleged were militants, without providing credible evidence to support its claims.” It cited Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, who was murdered by Israel in August 2025 in a strike on a media tent. The other journalists killed in the strike were Mohammed Qraiqea, Mohamed Nofal, Ibrahim Thaher, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammad al-Khaldi. Manufacturing consent for journalists’ killings Belén Fernández (FAIR.org, 3/26/25) pointed out a year ago that “the International Federation of Journalists estimates that Israel has killed one out of every ten” journalists in Gaza. As FAIR contributor Belén Fernández (3/26/25) noted at the time, Shabat’s death was covered in major international outlets and independent US outlets, but nearly no establishment US news organizations. She wrote: The otherwise deafening silence has been punctuated by just a couple of corporate media interventions, including a Washington Post report (3/25/25) that made sure to mention in the first paragraph that Israel had accused Shabat of Hamas membership. FAIR contributor Emma Lucia Llano (8/22/25) noted that establishment media used the murders of al-Sharif and the other journalists “as an opportunity to continue parroting the same Zionist talking points that contributed to manufacturing consent for their killings.” Llano wrote that FAIR looked at 15 different news outlets’ initial coverage of the murders, and found they overwhelmingly centered Israel’s narrative, attempted to delegitimize pro-Palestinian sources, and failed to contextualize the killings within the larger context of the genocide. By not covering these recent CPJ reports, US corporate media are continuing to manufacture consent for Israel’s systemic targeting of journalists. Israel’s ‘surprising’ repression of journalists Even as Israel kills, tortures and imprisons scores of journalists, the Washington Post (1/15/26) describes it as “the most vibrant democracy in the Middle East” which could “demonstrate a commitment to transparency” by allowing foreign journalists in Gaza. It’s far from the first time US news outlets have ignored CPJ reports that cast Israel in a highly unflattering light. CPJ has long published reports that detail abuses by Israel against journalists—and US corporate news outlets have repeatedly failed to adequately cover these significant findings. Consider a CPJ report released in January 2026 that showed Israel was the third-worst jailer of journalists in the world in 2025—just edged out (by Myanmar) from the No. 2 spot it held in 2024. This CPJ report was met with complete silence in US corporate media. Just five days prior to its publication, the Washington Post editorial board (1/15/26) published a piece on the state of global press freedom. It cited CPJ’s 2024 data in an editorial marking the tenth anniversary of the release of then—Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian, who had been imprisoned by Iran for 544 days. The Post used the anniversary to highlight the deterioration of press freedom around the world, noting that “Iran today remains one of the world’s most prolific jailers of journalists and odious practitioners of hostage diplomacy.” Iran does have a history of jailing journalists, though it ranked No. 8 on the CPJ’s list that year, jailing 16. A few paragraphs later, the piece noted other countries named by the CPJ report: “In addition to Iran, the worst offenders largely remain the usual suspects: China, Russia, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Eritrea.” The next paragraph discussed Venezuela (not even a top 10 jailer) and Myanmar. Finally, six paragraphs in, the Post acknowledged: Surprisingly, Israel moved to second place on CPJ’s list after jailing more than 40 Palestinians who identify as journalists in Gaza and the West Bank, though the Israelis claim many were secretly working with Hamas. It’s important for the most vibrant democracy in the Middle East to differentiate critical reporting from supporting terrorism. Due process for journalists accused of crimes is essential. Another way for Israel to demonstrate a commitment to transparency is to allow international media unfettered access into Gaza, which it continues to block. The only way anyone could be surprised that “the most vibrant democracy in the Middle East” has started prolifically jailing Palestinian journalists is if they have been willfully turning a blind eye to its broad assault on journalists and journalism. Press abuse covered elsewhere When reporting on the suppression of journalism in the Philippines, the New York Times (1/22/26) does not take seriously phony accusations that journalists are secretly terrorists. The lack of US corporate media coverage of the Israel-focused CPJ reports sharply contrasts with its attention to individual stories of journalistic crackdown across the world. Just this year, readers of US corporate media could find the stories of four journalists detained in Cameroon while reporting on Trump’s deportations (Washington Post, 2/19/26), a Filipino reporter convicted of dubious terror charges (New York Times, 1/22/26), the alleged murder by a Mexican cartel member of a journalist chronicling cartel violence (LA Times, 1/7/26) and the 20-year jail sentencing of Chinese dissident and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai (New York Times, 2/27/26, 2/9/26). These stories are newsworthy in that they represent the worldwide degradation of press protection, primarily due to rising authoritarianism, increased physical attacks on journalists and legal intimidation. However, by continuously ignoring reports on Israel’s targeting of (largely Palestinian) journalists, it’s clear that US corporate media believe some attacks on press freedom are more newsworthy than others, based on who is being targeted and who is doing the targeting. This content originally appeared on FAIR and was authored by Drew Favakeh.
Report Confirms Columbia Ignored Decades of Doctor’s Sexual Abuse
The post Report Confirms Columbia Ignored Decades of Doctor’s Sexual Abuse appeared first on ProPublica.
Decades after patients first warned Columbia University that one of its doctors sexually abused them, some university administrators have finally faced consequences. On Tuesday, Columbia released a long-awaited report that details a culture of silence that allowed OB-GYN Robert Hadden to abuse more than 1,000 patients during his nearly 25-year career at Columbia. In unveiling the report, the university also announced that two long-time administrators are leaving their positions. Dr. Mary D’Alton, chair of the OB-GYN department and Hadden’s former boss, has stepped down. D’Alton will maintain her clinical practice. Dr. Lee Goldman, the former dean of the medical school, will retire. The two were administrators above Hadden. They were also among those cc’d on a 2012 letter that let Hadden continue seeing patients even after he was arrested when one woman reported he’d assaulted her. Yesterday’s report was prompted by a ProPublica investigation that revealed how Columbia had dismissed women and ultimately protected a predator. Amid outrage in the wake of the 2023 story, Columbia announced it would set up a $100 million fund for survivors and initiate an independent review. More than two years after the review was announced, the 156-page report was published days after the New York attorney general said it was investigating Columbia’s response to the Hadden case. The report outlines how more than a dozen patients’ complaints had gone nowhere, in part because of the lack of clear reporting procedures. The report also found a “hierarchal institutional culture” in which physicians occupied an “exalted” or “god-like” status that made it difficult for staff to report concerns. One patient, Eva Santos Veloz, was 18 years old when she saw Hadden for an emergency delivery in 2008. At the time, she and her mother reported that Hadden had touched her in ways that made her uncomfortable, sometimes without gloves. Nothing happened after she filed the complaint. At the time, she said, she came to believe she was making the whole thing up because no one seemed to believe her. Santos said that while the report confirms that she was right all along, it doesn’t tell her anything new. “The only peace it gives me is that they are publicly saying, ‘We knew about this and we did nothing,’” she said. The report also lists five different complaints that were reported to leadership but resulted in no action against Hadden. Investigators note that the university’s record-keeping practices were insufficient and that higher-ups failed to conduct a full investigation into his misconduct. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1053" width="752" data-id="70172" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A woman with shoulder-length brownish blonde hair, wearing earrings, a necklace and black formalwear. " class="wp-image-70172" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 770w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=214,300 214w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,1075 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=731,1024 731w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,591 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,773 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,781 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,738 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,1053 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-875114902-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,560 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Andrew Toth/Getty Images <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" js-autosizes height="1053" width="752" data-id="70173" src="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752" alt="A man with short greying hair, wearing a tuxedo and a pink bowtie." class="wp-image-70173" srcset="https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 788w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=214,300 214w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,1075 768w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=732,1024 732w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,591 422w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,773 552w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,781 558w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,738 527w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,1053 752w, https://www.propublica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-886101322-cropped_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,560 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" /> Patrick McMullan/Getty Images As a result of the report, both Dr. Mary D’Alton, first image, chair of the OB-GYN department, and Dr. Lee Goldman, former dean of the medical school, are leaving their administrative positions at the school. In an internal email sent Tuesday to the OB-GYN department and obtained by ProPublica, D’Alton announced that she will remain on the faculty “to continue our department’s work of advancing women’s health.” “I cannot adequately express the sorrow that I feel for the suffering Robert Hadden inflicted on his patients,” D’Alton wrote in the email. “That these acts were committed by a doctor in our department, including while I was chair, pains me deeply and always will.” A similar statement posted to the Columbia website does not note her continued employment. D’Alton did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Goldman said his “heart breaks for the victims of Robert Hadden.” He continued: “Throughout my tenure we focused on prioritizing a culture of ethics and patient safety at the medical school, and to reassess and enhance its policies and procedures on an ongoing basis.” The report also confirms that executives at the top of the organizations — including former Columbia President Lee Bollinger, as well as one of the trustees at both Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Columbia-affiliated system where Hadden was an attending physician — had been alerted to Hadden’s arrest the evening it occurred. Bollinger, who retired from his post in the summer of 2023, did not respond to a request for comment. A letter accompanying the report’s release said, “The University remains steadfast in our commitment to our ongoing responsibilities. We must continue to operate with transparency and confront systemic failures when they occur.” Columbia did not provide an additional comment. In a statement, a group of survivors, including Marissa Hoechstetter and Evelyn Yang, criticized the report for failing to examine what happened in the years after Hadden left Columbia — including the university’s documented efforts to destroy evidence, fight former patients in court and discredit those survivors. The statement also points out that Claire Shipman, the current acting president of the university and who signed Tuesday’s announcement, has been on the board of trustees since 2013, amid the fallout from the Hadden case. She did not respond to a request for comment. “What Columbia has released today offers the bare minimum accountability for failures that should have been addressed years ago,” the survivors’ statement said. “It confirms the systemic breakdown that allowed Hadden to operate. But it stops short of examining the cover-up culture that survivors experienced firsthand once the abuse came to light.” The deadline to submit a claim for compensation to Columbia’s survivor fund, which was established for former patients who do not want to file a lawsuit, was extended to June 15. The post Report Confirms Columbia Ignored Decades of Doctor’s Sexual Abuse appeared first on ProPublica. This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by Bianca Fortis.
Middle East: All parties to the conflict must refrain from unlawful attacks on energy infrastructure
Israel, the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran must immediately cease or refrain from unlawful attacks on energy infrastructure, including facilities providing essential services such as electricity, heating and running water, said Amnesty Internatio...
Israel, the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran must immediately cease or refrain from unlawful attacks on energy infrastructure, including facilities providing essential services such as electricity, heating and running water, said Amnesty International today, highlighting the risks of devastating civilian harm and environmental impact posed by such attacks. In recent days Israeli-US air strikes have targeted multiple fuel storage and distribution facilities in Iran, and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military has carried out attacks affecting fuel depots and oil and gas infrastructure in multiple Gulf states. “The potential for vast, predictable, and devastating civilian harm arising from strikes targeting energy infrastructure, including uncontrolled deadly fires, major disruptions to essential services, environmental damage, and severe long-term health risks for millions, means there is a substantial risk such attacks would violate international humanitarian law and in some cases could amount to war crimes,” said Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. “Regardless of whether a military objective is cited to justify targeting energy infrastructure, under international humanitarian law all parties have a clear obligation to take all feasible precautions to reduce civilian harm and refrain from attacks that cause disproportionate death or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects. This includes any foreseeable knock-on, indirect adverse effects on civilians’ life and health such as exposure to toxic chemicals.” The potential for vast, predictable, and devastating civilian harm arising from strikes targeting energy infrastructure…means there is a substantial risk such attacks would violate international humanitarian law Heba Morayef, MENA Regional Director Under international humanitarian law, an oil refinery can be targeted only if it qualifies as a military objective, meaning it is being used to make an effective contribution to military action – for example by producing fuel for the attacking armed forces – and damaging it would yield a definite military advantage in the circumstances ruling at the time. Even if those two prerequisites exist, the attacking party must take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize collateral damage to civilians, such as the release of toxic substances, and, before striking, consider whether any such damage would be excessive to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. Attacks on oil depots in Iran In Iran, horrifying video footage of the aftermath of Israeli-US attacks on several fuel depots, including in the neighborhoods of Shahran, Sohanak and Kouhak in Tehran and the city of Shahr-e Rey in Tehran province and Fardis in Alborz province, on 7 March shows massive flames and plumes of thick black smoke rising, as well as large uncontrolled fires damaging civilian areas. Eyewitnesses also described to Amnesty International chilling scenes of oil-tainted rainfall. After the attacks Iran’s environmental agency and the Iranian Red Crescent Society advised people in Tehran to stay indoors warning of the risks posed by the spread of toxic chemicals that could cause acid rain as a result of the air strikes. The Israeli military has issued a statement confirming they carried out attacks on “a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran”, saying they were used by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military “to operate military infrastructure”. “We are deeply alarmed at the potential impact of these attacks on the civilian population. Medical warnings about hazardous materials and toxic substances being released into the air, put millions of people in Tehran at risk of serious health complications, including cancer, lung and respiratory diseases and skin burns. States are bound to uphold social and economic rights during both peacetime and armed conflict,” said Heba Morayef. An informed source in Tehran told Amnesty International that residential buildings around the oil depots in Shahran were damaged, leaving some people homeless. An eyewitness told Amnesty International “The sky over Tehran was black today [8 March]. Then black rain started to fall. The ground everywhere has turned black, as if a layer of light cement had been poured over.” Another eyewitness said on 8 March “This morning, the air was pitch black. It is daytime, but it’s dark like night. The city is full of soot. I went outside. It was raining a little, and my hands became black immediately. Soot is falling from the sky. It is terrifying.” On 8 March, the Political Deputy Provincial Governor of Alborz province, Ghodratollah Seif, announced that the strike on the oil depot in Fardis killed at least six people and injured 21 others, including nearby residents. On 9 March, the president of Alborz University of Medical Sciences said that a dialysis center near the oil depot in Fardis was destroyed in the ensuing fire. Attacks on energy infrastructure in Iran risk compounding the suffering of a population traumatized by massacres at the hands of the Islamic Republic authorities and who have already endured years of declining access to electricity, water, clean air, and a safe environment due to chronic state mismanagement and systemic violation of the people’s human right to take part in public affairs. These grievances, along with severe political repression, have been at the heart of successive nationwide protests, including most recently in January 2026, demanding human rights, dignity, and downfall of the Islamic Republic system. Attacks on oil infrastructure in Gulf countries Since 28 February, multiple attacks affecting energy infrastructure have been reported in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that its forces are “attacking American bases, American installations, American assets” that were “unfortunately” based in their Gulf neighbouring countries, while the head of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Balifar, proclaimed that “as long as US bases exist in the region, countries will not see calm”. Officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have said that Iranian drones and missiles have directly targeted oil and gas facilities in Gulf states, and that in other cases debris from intercepted attacks affected facilities. Governments across the Gulf severely restrict access to information and expression, which impedes reporting on the direct effects of attacks. In Qatar, on 2 March, Qatari Ministry of Defence stated that Iranian drones had targeted energy facilities in the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s main liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub, but no casualties were reported. Following the attack, Qatar Energy suspended LNG production and declared force majeure, according to Reuters and Bloomberg News citing informed sources . On 7 March, the Saudi Ministry of Defence announced that 21 drones headed toward Aramco’s Shaybah field, one the Kingdom’s largest oil fields, and includes facilities that produce natural gas liquids used in the petrochemical industry, in several waves were intercepted and destroyed in the Empty Quarter. In Kuwait, on 7 March, a spokesperson for the Kuwait Ministry of Defence said that drones targeted fuel tanks at Kuwait International Airport. In Oman, on 1 March, state media reported that two drones struck the commercial port in Duqm on the eastern coast, injuring one foreign worker. On 2 March, state media stated that a drone strike targeted an oil tanker off the coast of Muscat, killing one Indian crew member. Fires have broken out at a number of facilities, which officials speaking to the media have attributed either to missile attacks or debris from drone interceptions. In some cases, state-owned fossil fuel companies have reported suspending production or shipments after attacks. In Bahrain, on 5 March, a fire broke out in one of the refinery units of the state-owned Bapco Energies as a result of an Iranian missile attack, according to Bahrain News Agency. The company declared force majeure on its oil shipments. In Saudi Arabia, on 2 March, the Saudi Ministry of Defense stated that two drones attempting to target the Saudi Aramco Ras Tanura oil refinery in the Eastern Province were intercepted, and the falling debris ignited a fire inside the facility. In the UAE, on 10 March a fire broke out at Ruwais Industrial Complex in Abu Dhabi following a drone attack, according to Reuters. Fires also broke out at Musaffah fuel tank terminal on 2 March after it was targeted by a drone and at an oil industry zone in Fujairah on 3 March, after debris from a drone interception caused a fire. On 9 March, the official Kuwait News Agency reported that drone debris caused a fire in a fuel tank at Al Subiya power plant. In addition to attacks on the Gulf states, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has come to an almost complete halt. On 10 March, the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that the plunge in commercial shipping was already having a severe impact on access to “energy, food and fertilizer for people in the region and beyond,” and that an oil price surge would have economic and social knock-on effects. He once again called for investment in renewable energy. “Attacks on or severely affecting fuel supply and distribution networks can trigger food insecurity, as these systems currently play a critical role in transportation, the goods supply chain, and industrial activity. All parties must ensure they are refraining from any unlawful attacks and place the protection of civilians at the forefront of all military decisions,” said Heba Morayef. Background According to Iranian officials, at least 1,255 people have been killed in Iran since 28 February when US-Israeli attacks began. At least 17 people have been killed in the Gulf since Iran began its attacks on Gulf countries (two in Bahrain; six in Kuwait; one person in Oman; two in Saudi Arabia; and six in the UAE). Eleven out of the 17 people are foreign nationals from India, Iran, Indonesia and Bangladesh amongst other countries residing in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain according to official state media reports. A least 570 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon according to the authorities. At least 12 people have been killed by attacks in Israel according to media reports. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
The war in Iran could plunge the world into hunger
Farmers from Iowa to India depend on fossil fuel-based fertilizers. Much of their supply is stuck in the Persian Gulf.
Up until the end of February, a steady flow of ships bound for destinations across the world would pass daily through the Strait of Hormuz. A narrow channel running between Oman and Iran, the waterway serves as the only natural maritime link between the Persian Gulf and the global economy. That all changed on March 2, when, after days of military strikes led by the U.S. and Israel, Iran effectively closed the strait for the first time in history and warned that any ships passing through would be fired upon. Ever since, vessels moving through the channel have been attacked and set ablaze, and hundreds of tankers remain stranded. At least 1,800 people have been killed in the war, including Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top government officials. The Persian Gulf is a linchpin of the planet’s oil and gas production; normally, roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas flows through the strait. Now, as it remains embattled, oil and gas prices have surged, and many experts warn an energy crisis is imminent. Restaurants across India are scaling back operations and warning of closures amid fuel shortages from the maritime blockade, while cooking gas prices are spiking in Sri Lanka. Another world crisis sparked by the war in Iran may also be in the offing. That’s because the region’s oil and gas production has made it one of the world’s leading exporters of nitrogen fertilizers, which are indispensable to the global food system. To produce the chemicals used to grow much of the planet’s crops, natural gas is broken down to extract hydrogen, which is combined with nitrogen to make ammonia, and then mixed with carbon dioxide to make urea. All told, nearly a third of the global trade for nitrogen fertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz, while almost half of the world’s sulfur, essential in producing phosphate fertilizers, also travels through the corridor. The waterway is a lifeline for food, too. Palm oil exports coming from Southeast Asia face potential major disruptions. Grain shipments headed to Gulf countries reliant on rice and wheat imports have been stalled. “A worrying amount of food, or inputs into modern agriculture, are going through this very small channel,” said Ginni Braich, a data scientist who studies food insecurity at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Better Planet Laboratory. She estimates that the strait is in the top 20th percentile of all the worlds’ transportation corridors just based on the sheer volume of food that passes through it. The sudden and cascading effects of trade halting through the waterway, according to Braich “really underscores how interconnected everything is, and how fragile … just any small amount of disruption can have huge aftershocks that reverberate all around the world.” Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="Signs at BP and Shell display prices for gasoline at stations in Chicago, Illinois, on March 2. The war in Iran has caused prices to surge." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gas-prices-rising.jpg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> As gas prices soar, Trump is ignoring the lessons of the last oil crisis Jake Bittle The timing, Braich said, could not be worse, as spring planting in the northern hemisphere — crop farmers’ biggest season — is approaching. “So, basically, vessels that were leaving the Middle East today would be arriving in mid-April,” she said. “Now, the fact that obviously nothing is leaving means that there’s going to be a large hole in the market for fertilizer.” If the war persists, experts warn that the drop in supply and the increase of cargo insurance premiums and freight rates could raise prices for everyone along the supply chain. Unlike with oil, there is no meaningful strategic reserve for nitrogen-based fertilizer, so there’s no equivalent stockpile to help buffer the shocks. While the U.S. does produce some of its own fertilizer, domestic producers cannot rapidly replace millions of tons of fertilizer supplies. Other countries more reliant on fertilizer imports from the Middle East, such as India, will be hit hard by the cessation of traffic on the strait. China, Indonesia, Morocco, and several sub-Saharan African nations are also expected to be affected by the global gridlock of sulfur exports flowing from the Gulf. Moreover, Braich warned, any prolonged increase in shipping and inventory costs “is going to be felt by the consumer.” For some, the impact is already here. Prices for key fertilizer products are up because of the war and are expected to squeeze growers’ profit margins — which could lead farmers to ration fertilizer use, reducing yields, or even to shift from planting input-intensive crops. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday that the Trump administration was “looking at every possible option” to address “skyrocketing” fertilizer costs for U.S. farmers “based on actions on the other side of the world.” About 4 billion people on the planet eat food grown with synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Roughly half of the global population, in other words, is alive because of these chemicals converted into nutrients for plants, said Lorenzo Rosa, who researches sustainable energy, water, and food systems at the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University. Of course, the fact that natural gas is the key to mass-producing synthetic fertilizers carries its own terrible climate implications. Together, manufacturing and applying synthetic fertilizers to fields and farms accounts for over 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — just about equal to the CO2 emissions from global aviation. There are low-emissions alternatives to this process, Rosa argued: Nitrogen could be recycled from waste, and natural gas plants could be powered by local or renewable energy sources and built closer to the farms that require fertilizer. Read Next <img src="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all" alt="A sign with current gas prices is displayed at a gas station in Los Angeles, California on March 2, 2026." class="js-modal-gallery__hidden" srcset="https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?quality=75&strip=all 1600w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=75&strip=all 1200w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?resize=330%2C186&quality=75&strip=all 330w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?resize=768%2C432&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?resize=1536%2C864&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?resize=160%2C90&quality=75&strip=all 160w, https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-war-oil-natural-gas-energy-prices.jpeg?resize=150%2C84&quality=75&strip=all 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" height="900" width="1600" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> The Iran war is driving up energy prices. These companies are profiting. Tik Root Normally, the fossil fuel-based, centralized — and, thus, fragile — supply chain for fertilizer and food is far cheaper than its alternative. But major shocks like the U.S.-Israel war against Iran expose the dangerous vulnerability of that system, as efficient and financially sound as it may be. “At some point, a country will have to decide: ‘Do I want the cheap fertilizer, importing it from the Strait of Hormuz or another country? Or do I prefer to pay a green premium and have my own domestic production and energy and food security?’” said Rosa. USDA Secretary Rollins acknowledged this vulnerability in Tuesday’s press conference. “We are getting almost all of our urea, almost all of our phosphate, almost all of our nitrogen from other countries around the world, and that has to stop,” she said. The catch, however, is that decentralizing this supply chain could inadvertently create a green divide — splitting the world between the nations and farmers who can afford domestically produced fertilizer and those who can’t. Many countries confronting widespread famine in Africa, for instance, already pay the highest fertilizer prices in the world and are unable to withstand further inflation. “There are many stops along the way from closing the Strait of Hormuz to a child in Malawi being fed,” said Cary Fowler, president of the nonprofit Food Security Leadership Council and former U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security in the Biden administration. “The clear thing is that those two things are connected.” The same countries that stand to face the most harmful food security effects because of the conflict in Iran are also the ones struggling to feed their citizens following the collapse of global food aid after President Donald Trump dissolved the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, last year. Emergencies like these are where the international community’s response becomes increasingly important, Fowler said. In addition to the dissolution of USAID, which halted international research efforts and initiatives to improve farming practices in lower-income nations, the World Food Programme has in recent months sounded the alarm over historically low donations from the U.S. and other major Western donors. “If we don’t invest in that sustainable productivity growth, then we put ourselves in a situation where we’re going to need a lot more humanitarian aid, particularly when there’s flare-ups like we’re experiencing now,” said Fowler. “And that gives us another choice — whether to provide that humanitarian aid or not. And that’s a choice of whether we want to, at least in the short-term, solve the problem. Or do we want to watch children starve to death on TV?” It’s not clear how long the strait will remain closed, although Trump has swung between stating the war with Iran could stretch on through April, if not longer, and declaring it nearly done. Last week, the president announced that the U.S. might begin to escort oil tankers through the embattled channel. “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,” Trump wrote on social media, before later declaring “death, fire, and fury” if Iran continues its shipping blockade. On Sunday, he told Fox News that ships holding there should “show some guts” and push through. The president made no mention of fertilizer — or food. Rahul Bali of WABE, Atlanta’s NPR station and a Grist partner, contributed reporting. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The war in Iran could plunge the world into hunger on Mar 11, 2026. This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Ayurella Horn-Muller.
FERC Undermines Trump’s Useless Big Tech Ratepayer Pledge
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last night issued orders that approved transmission rate agreements with data centers that explicitly put households at risk for hikes in the rates they pay for electricity.The FERC orders approved bilat...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last night issued orders that approved transmission rate agreements with data centers that explicitly put households at risk for hikes in the rates they pay for electricity. The FERC orders approved bilateral electric transmission rate agreements between Exelon’s ComEd utility and five different data centers, four of which Public Citizen intervened as a party (PowerHouse, owned by American Real Estate Partners; Tract’s Grundy County Power in Morris, Illinois; Equinix; and Blackstone’s QTS). In response, Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, issued the following statement: “The Commission’s orders show what a total sham Trump’s Big Tech pledge is for protecting consumers. These reckless FERC orders are designed to quickly rubber stamp agreements with utilities and data centers with zero guaranteed protection that household consumers won’t be exposed to unjust and unreasonable price hikes. “As acknowledged in Commissioner Judy Chang’s concurrence in support of the order, FERC’s acceptance of the transmission rate agreements rely on the fact that they were between ‘sophisticated parties who negotiated them freely at arm’s length,’ but did not investigate whether the contracts themselves could result in unjust and unreasonable cost shifts onto other customers such as households. “While the agreements between the utility and the data centers result in the data centers making certain financial payments that attempt to cover the utility’s revenue requirements, Chang’s concurrence plainly concludes that they do not insulate rate hikes for household consumers should those costs change during the duration of the agreement. Utility obligations and commitments within its service territory can change dramatically – especially with the onslaught of data centers – where the estimated revenue requirements negotiated today could prove insufficient in the near future, exposing households to rate hikes from any revenue shortfall. All FERC had to do was hold formal hearings and investigate any needed changes to ensure households would be protected. Instead, FERC rushed the orders in order to prioritize expediency for data center developers at the expense of protecting consumers. “Last night’s orders expose FERC and the Trump administration unprepared and unwilling to address America’s energy affordability crisis.” This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
As opposition to Iran war grows, US media ramps up ‘Iranian sleeper cell’ panic
<img width="1024" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=1024%2C572&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot/The National News Desk" data-attachment-id="341970" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/as-opposition-to-iran-war-grows-us-media-ramps-up-iranian-sleeper-cell-panic/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=2540%2C1419&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2540,1419" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Screenshot/The National News Desk " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=300%2C168&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=780%2C436&ssl=1"> How to bring the war home to an increasingly war-weary public? Tell them terrorists are “hiding in plain sight.”
<img width="1024" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=1024%2C572&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot/The National News Desk" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?w=2540&ssl=1 2540w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=300%2C168&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=1024%2C572&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=768%2C429&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=1536%2C858&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=2048%2C1144&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=1200%2C670&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=2000%2C1117&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=780%2C436&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?resize=400%2C223&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=1024%2C572&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="341970" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/as-opposition-to-iran-war-grows-us-media-ramps-up-iranian-sleeper-cell-panic/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=2540%2C1419&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2540,1419" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" Screenshot/The National News Desk " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=300%2C168&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/adam-johnson-media-iran-sleeper-cells.jpg?fit=780%2C436&ssl=1" /> It’s not a war of aggression in the Middle East without the American media pushing out nonstop “sleeper cell” stories built on vague paranoia, supposed “chatter,” deliberate conflation of Sunni with Shia “terrorism,” and an even more deliberate conflation of mentally unwell “lone wolves” with state agents of Iran, sourced entirely from ex-spooks, zionist advocacy groups, and/or anonymous leaks from the US government. A trope as old as the War on Terror, “sleeper cell” stories are a media favorite because they require no actual reporting beyond copy-and-pasting anonymous government officials and quoting conflicted pro-war lobbyists, while providing an urgent sense of stakes to an increasingly cynical and war-weary public. Whenever polls show increased skepticism or opposition to bombing people 6,500 miles away, the U.S. security state and its media conduits can build support for these far-off wars by insisting that “sleeper agents” from the populations being bombed are hiding among you at your local PTA meeting or grocery store or strip mall and are ready to kill you and your loved ones at any time. This brings the war home without the messy burden of “evidence,” “proof,” or Things That Have Actually Happened. Since the US launched its unprovoked war on Iran on Feb. 28, and in the weeks leading up to the attack, US media has uncritically promoted the broad narrative that Iranian sleeper agents are living among Westerners waiting on word to strike at any moment: New York Times: Iran Could Direct Proxies to Attack U.S. Targets Abroad, Officials Warn (2/22/26) Fox Business: Hezbollah, Hamas sleeper cell fears raised amid Iran strikes (3/2/26) ABC News: Iran may be activating sleeper cells outside the country, alert says (3/9/26) Sinclair (National News Desk, broadcasts on scores of local news affiliates): Iran may be trying to activate sleeper cells abroad, US intercepts message (3/9/26) The Telegraph: Iran ‘activating global sleeper cells’, secret messages suggest (3/9/26) People magazine: U.S. Warns That Iran May Be Activating ‘Sleeper Assets’ Who Could Plot to Harm Americans (3/9/26) LA Times: Iran’s threats on U.S. soil: sleeper cells, lone wolves, cyberattacks and eerie numbers code (3/10/26) In addition to national media, there’s been a torrent of similar reports in local news. For one typical example, see this unhinged segment from West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF: guys please watch this insane local news segment on Iranian "terrorist sleeper cells" that somehow also ropes in Russia and China. WPBF is a West Palm Beach ABC affiliate which means this segment induced at least 56 heart attacks form frightened old people pic.twitter.com/zkGgTfvEQU — Adam Johnson (@adamjohnsonCHI) March 9, 2026 These reports rely almost entirely on anonymous current government officials or past FBI “sources” with clear financial and/or ideological biases. The claims are vague, hyperbolic, and impossible to independently verify. The only actual evidence any of these reports can provide of Iranian “sleeper cells” are supposed DOJ indictments of Iranian and non-Iranian nationals who get caught up in elaborate FBI sting operations for, allegedly attempting to hire undercover agents to kill US. officials. These “plots,” as I’ve detailed elsewhere, are often manufactured and pushed along by the FBI and have little relation to actual plots planned by the actually existing Iranian government—or ISIS or al Qaeda. One 2014 report by Trevor Aaronson and Margot Williams found that the majority of terror convictions involved no actual designated terrorist organization and were simply someone “providing material support” to undercover FBI agents or informants posing as “terrorists.” Human Rights Watch found a similar pattern in its 214 page 2014 study, writing that “…nearly 50 percent of the more than 500 federal counterterrorism convictions resulted from informant-based cases; almost 30 percent of those cases were sting operations in which the informant played an active role in the underlying plot.” This underlying Potemkin reality is what credible journalists draw from to provide any shred of factual basis for the sleeper cell fiction, despite the fact that it doesn’t even fit the profile of the alleged sleeper cells in question. The narrative being advanced is that these are undercover Iranian agents “living amongst us” for “years,” while “blending in” to our communities. Those convicted by the FBI, to the extent we accept the US government’s narrative, had visited the US for the express purposes of harming US officials in retaliation for killing Iranian officials, namely their military chief Gen. Qassim Suleiman in 2020. There was no “terror plot” targeting innocent civilians and no wholesome family of six living next door for years waiting to be activated like in an episode of 24. This narrative, designed to sow fear and promote racial profiling, is a Hollywood fiction for which we have zero evidence. It exists largely in the minds of security state lobbyists and racist Israeli propagandists who feed a willing media a steady stream of paranoia, which they dutifully publish without an ounce of skepticism. Every one of the above reports from the past few days cites the March 2 mass shooting in Austin that left two dead and over a dozen injured as evidence the threat is real. The shooter was reportedly wearing an undershirt with an Iranian flag underneath his hoodie, but he was not—and no one in the government is even claiming he was––an Iranian “sleeper agent.” He was, instead, as even the right-wing New York Post noted, a local, “known emotionally disturbed person.” There will always be emotionally disturbed “lone wolves” that have nothing to do with Iran, or any “sleeper agents,” and the FBI’s track record in foiling these actual plots is basically non-existent. So why are they being used as evidence of “sleeper cells”? The Iranian government is as connected to the Austin shooter as the US government is, but these reports, sparse on actual evidence, need to build a connection in the viewer or reader’s mind to support the thin premise that there’s an actual “sleeper cell” threat. This brings us to another bizarre part of “sleeper cell” reporting. What is the actual news value of it? Even if one accepts the dubious premise, what is the call to action, exactly? It’s unclear what use this information has to media consumers beyond vaguely frightening us and insisting we racially profile. ABC affiliate WPBF tells viewers to “trust their gut and be aware of their surroundings,” before finishing off with the Orwellian adage that “if we see something, say something.” Are we supposed to dig through our Arab neighbors’ trash? Interrogate our Iranian ophthalmologist? It’s unclear what the news utility of the mindless fearmongering is beyond mindless fearmongering. The New York Times, consistent with its pre-Iraq War coverage, promoted a softer, more liberal version of this narrative in the buildup to Trump’s Iran attack, relying entirely on supposed “chatter,” Trump administration officials, and allied war-promoting “analysts.” They even took the narrative a step further, making the extraordinary claim that Iran was working with al-Qaeda and could activate al-Qaeda “sleeper cells” inside Europe: There is also concern in Europe that Hezbollah sleeper cells or even Al Qaeda or its affiliates could be ordered to attack American bases or embassies. One senior U.S. official said that government analysts were tracking “a lot” of activity and planning but that it was unclear what could trigger an attack. Setting aside the fact that Iran is a Shia-run government and al-Qaeda is a sectarian Sunni wahhabism organization that axiomatically hates Shia Muslims, it’s Iran’s geopolitical enemies—namely the Sunni-run governments in Saudi Arabia and Qatar—that have a history of funding and backing al-Qaeda. What is the New York Times’ evidence supporting this potentially explosive claim? “A photograph of Saif al-Adel, the de facto head of Al Qaeda, in Iran” is all that’s provided. How do we know this New Bad Guy is in Iran? Or what does a photo of him in Iran mean? Or why is it evidence al-Qaeda is now an appandage of the Iranian government? It’s never explained. The FBI’s New York branch is simply taken as, per se, a credible source on such matters, as are unnamed “some analysts.” Decades of sectarian differences are magically papered over as the supply for inflated threats meets the rapidly growing market demand from a security establishment in urgent need of excuses to justify its unprovoked war on Iran. The “sleeper cell” trope is, of course, as old as the so-called war on terror. Despite there not being a single instance of a civilian-targeted killing event from a “sleeper cell” since the narrative took hold after 9/11, we’ve seen some version of these “warnings” nonstop for 25 years, all propped up by a steady stream of manufactured FBI “plots” that give the illusion our security services are constantly disarming bombs with two seconds remaining—while our media routinely glosses over the fact that the bombs were inert and, as is most often the case, provided by the FBI itself. The Trump administration has an obvious incentive to push out this hand-picked “intelligence.” In addition to promoting their deeply unpopular war on Iran, they are also explicitly using it as a wedge to pressure Democrats into abandoning ICE and DHS reforms, with Trump officials making the media rounds today pushing just this talking point. “Concerns about potential Iran-linked sleeper cells are rising as the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded and Tehran and its proxies threaten retaliation,” reads a typical Fox News report. With this obvious dual conflict of interests in mind, one would think supposedly reputable outlets like ABC News, the New York Times, and the LA Times would take these “warnings” with a grain of salt, perhaps seek a skeptical source to provide some type of balance. But alas, the country is once again gripped in war fervor, and vague claims that terrorists could be “living amongst us” remain an essential element in selling these forever wars—the substance, details and point of which remain elusive to the average American living thousands of miles of away, who are only allowed to make the largely abstract killing of children in Iran intelligible via racist caricature and “war on terror” fearmongering. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Adam Johnson.
Journalists in eastern DRC detained over war coverage, broadcasters occupied
Journalists in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo face constant danger as warring parties seek to control information. In January and February, government forces and rebel groups both detained journalists over their reporting, including several for simply conducting interviews, while the rebel forces that control parts of the country’s eastern provinces held military positions in at least...
Journalists in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo face constant danger as warring parties seek to control information. In January and February, government forces and rebel groups both detained journalists over their reporting, including several for simply conducting interviews, while the rebel forces that control parts of the country’s eastern provinces held military positions in at least two broadcasters’ offices. The DRC’s mineral-rich, eastern region has been unstable since the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when ethnic conflict, combatants, and refugees spilled over into the DRC. It is one of the world’s worst, long-running humanitarian crises. The escalation in fighting and the M23 rebel group’s rapid, unprecedented gains in the past three years marked a significant upheaval for local media, with journalists caught between actors that share a desire to prevent the press from freely publicizing their actions. Ongoing arrests On March 3, three people claiming to be agents with the DRC’s National Intelligence Agency (ANR) arrested Serge Sindani, a journalist and director of the private site Kis24.info, in the city of Kisangani, in the northern Tshopo province, according to media reports and a local journalist who witnessed Sindani’s arrest and spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, for security reasons. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" height="614" width="1024" src="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?w=1024" alt="Congolese armed forces arrested and detained Serge Sindani, a defense reporter for Kis24.info, on June 24, 2025, for posting a photo of combat aircraft on his X account two days prior. (Photo: Courtesy of Steves Paluku)" class="wp-image-492911" srcset="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png 3000w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=300,180 300w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=768,461 768w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=1024,614 1024w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=1536,922 1536w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=2048,1229 2048w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=570,342 570w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=652,391 652w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=760,456 760w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=1140,684 1140w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=2000,1200 2000w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRC.png?resize=367,220 367w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Congolese armed forces arrested and detained Serge Sindani, a defense reporter for Kis24.info, on June 24, 2025, for posting a photo of combat aircraft on his X account two days prior. (Photo: Courtesy of Steves Paluku) The journalists said Sindani was arrested at the headquarters of the Special Fund for the Distribution of Compensation to Victims of Uganda’s Illicit Activities in the DRC (FRIVAO), where he also works, and is being held at the local ANR office. Sindani was accused of being a spy for the M23, which is part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC) rebel coalition. In early March, he published rebel statements claiming responsibility for a drone attack on Kisangani’s Bangoka International Airport. He also published a report saying U.S. sanctions against the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) and senior Rwandan military officials were welcome, but he still placed responsibility for securing the country’s border on the Congolese state. A military officer previously had arrested Sindani in June 2025 for posting a photo of combat aircraft at the airport. Steves Paluku Mbusa, the director of Kis24.info, told CPJ that local authorities had prevented Sindani’s lawyers, family, and colleagues from assisting him. “This situation raises serious concerns regarding his well-being, his conditions of detention, as well as the minimum guarantees linked to treatment in accordance with the law,” Mbusa said. CPJ’s call to Paulin Lendongolia, the governor of Tshopo province, for comment went unanswered. Detained for reporting On February 26, a group of six soldiers with the DRC government’s armed forces (FARDC) arrested reporter Patient Chimusa Pardonne at the offices of the privately owned Référence Congo FM broadcaster in the eastern city of Uvira, in South Kivu province, then detained him at the local military intelligence office, according to two journalists who visited Chimusa in custody and asked not to be named for security reasons. The journalists told CPJ that during a hearing the same day, military authorities accused Chimusa of stealing vehicles from the National Refugee Commission (CNR), as well as collaboration with the M23/AFC rebels and espionage in Uvira. Chimusa was also accused of illegally broadcasting an interview with rebel spokesperson Willy Ngoma when Uvira was under rebel control in December. Ngoma was killed in late February. Chimusa was provisionally released on March 2 after paying a bail of US$500, and was asked to report to the local military intelligence office for four days. Colonel Jean Pierre Elias Direns, the local head of military intelligence, declined to comment on the case. On January 28, M23 rebels took Samson Nyandabaga Fabrice, director of the community radio station Flash FM, from a school where he teaches in Kamanyola, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Bukavu, in South Kivu province, and detained him for three days, the journalist told CPJ after his release. Nyandabaga said that he had requested an interview with the local president of the Banyamulenge community and had submitted his questions in writing. The president forwarded the document to his Banyamulenge superiors for permission, and the M23 considered the questionnaire political espionage, he said. The Banyamulenge are a minority group in eastern DRC of Rwandan Tutsi descent, which has fueled discrimination against them. The M23/AFC, with support from Rwanda, have used this stigma to justify their military advances North and South Kivu. The rebels and their Rwandan military allies have controlled Kamanyola, which borders Rwanda and Burundi, since February 2025, according to the United Nation’s Radio Okapi. Rwanda has confirmed the presence of its soldiers in the DRC alongside the M23/AFC rebels. Nyandabaga told CPJ that he was questioned by M23/AFC intelligence agents about his proposed interview, and that the rebels had accused him of wanting to conduct the interview for the benefit of international media. They released him unconditionally on January 31, after he paid a bail of 200,000 Congolese francs (US$90). <img decoding="async" height="625" width="1024" src="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?w=1024" alt="Thomson Unji Batangalwa interviews a local leader about security on Radio Le Messager du Peuple, days after rebels took over the eastern city of Uvira in December. When the government retook the city in January, police detained the journalist." class="wp-image-558053" srcset="https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png 1482w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=300,183 300w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=768,468 768w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=1024,625 1024w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=570,348 570w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=652,398 652w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=760,464 760w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=1140,695 1140w, https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-11.09.04-am.png?resize=367,224 367w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Thomson Unji Batangalwa interviews a local leader about security just days after rebels took over the eastern city of Uvira in December 2025. When the government retook the city in January, police detained the journalist. (Screenshot: Shahidi Tv/YouTube) Conversely, DRC police arrested journalist Thomson Unji Batangalwa on January 2 in the town of Baraka, in South Kivu, over interviews he conducted with M23 members when they controlled Uvira. (The Congolese army regained control over the city in late January.) He was released on February 4 after paying US$300 bail. Broadcasters occupied In mid-February, rebel soldiers invaded two local broadcasters, seizing equipment and setting up military positions at the stations — part of a regional pattern in which armed groups take over media facilities and on-air content. On February 12, around 10 rebel soldiers stormed the Walungu Community Radio and Television station in Mudusa village in South Kivu province’s Walungu territory, occupied the building, and looted its transmitter, microphones, computers, and mixers, four local journalists told CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisals. The station had been off the air since February 2025, when rebels took control of the area. “Almost all of the broadcasting equipment has been taken away by the rebels,” a journalist from the outlet told CPJ. “After the rebels occupied our facilities, we will struggle to resume our activities. We do not have the financial means to purchase new equipment.” The journalist said that rebels continue to occupy the premises of the only other non-state broadcaster, Mulangane Community Radio Broadcasting Center, which they forced off the air in March 2025. The only station still broadcasting to Walungu is RTNC, a public media outlet now controlled by the rebels, the journalist said. With the rebels’ advance over the last year, they have ordered that at least three RTNC stations in eastern DRC only broadcast pro-M23 content, CPJ reported in January. CPJ’s request for comment sent via messaging app to M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka received no response. This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Lauren Wolfe.
Ex-Marine, Senate Candidate Speaks Out After Arrest, Arm Broken During Iran War Protest in Senate
Journalist Barbara Dreaver’s memoir on three decades reporting from the Pacific
RNZ Pacific The seventh narco sub in Pacific waters was discovered last week as the wave of methamphetamine becomes the latest crisis challenging the region. 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has spent decades reporting on the region from this country, including the drug battle and subsequent HIV epidemic in some countries. Dreaver has released her
RNZ Pacific The seventh narco sub in Pacific waters was discovered last week as the wave of methamphetamine becomes the latest crisis challenging the region. 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has spent decades reporting on the region from this country, including the drug battle and subsequent HIV epidemic in some countries. Dreaver has released her memoir — Be Brave: The Life of a Pacific Correspondent — on covering the Pacific through natural disasters, military coups and criminal activity. READ MORE: Barbara Dreaver: I’ve never defended who I am, why should I? Other Barbara Dreaver reports She was detained and deported from Fiji before being blacklisted and not allowed to return for many years during former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s reign. Bainimarama was recently charged with inciting mutiny over allegations they encouraged senior Fiji Military Forces officers to act against the military commander in 2023. She is a well known face within in Aotearoa, and in much of the Pacific where 1News is screened. This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. Listen to her interview with RNZ Nine to Noon This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.
The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 11, 2026
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 11, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – March 11, 2026 appeared first on KPFA. This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.
Aid chief condemns use of drones in $1 billion-a-day Middle East war: OCHALebanon: UN ‘blue helmets’ are staying, says peacekeeping chiefUNICEF worker confirmed killed in DR Congo
Aid chief condemns use of drones in $1 billion-a-day Middle East war: OCHALebanon: UN ‘blue helmets’ are staying, says peacekeeping chiefUNICEF worker confirmed killed in DR Congo This content originally appeared on UN News - Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Daniel Johnson.
Trump Could Choke Iran’s Economy With One Move? Kharg Island
US military aid to Israel is a national security risk
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images" data-attachment-id="341966" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/us-military-aid-israel-national-security-risk/president-trump-meets-with-israeli-pm-netanyahu-at-his-palm-beach-estate" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R1","caption":"PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting to discuss regional security in the Middle East as well as the U.S.-Israel partnership. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1767023443","copyright":"2025 Getty Images","focal_length":"45","iso":"5000","shutter_speed":"0.00125","title":"President Trump Meets With Israeli PM Netanyahu At His Palm Beach Estate","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="President Trump Meets With Israeli PM Netanyahu At His Palm Beach Estate" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1"> We have another report that Israel used the military power the US underwrites to pressure Donald Trump into a disastrous war in Iran. US military aid to Israel makes Americans — to say nothing of the rest of the world — less safe.
<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="341966" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/us-military-aid-israel-national-security-risk/president-trump-meets-with-israeli-pm-netanyahu-at-his-palm-beach-estate" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1707" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R1","caption":"PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting to discuss regional security in the Middle East as well as the U.S.-Israel partnership. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)","created_timestamp":"1767023443","copyright":"2025 Getty Images","focal_length":"45","iso":"5000","shutter_speed":"0.00125","title":"President Trump Meets With Israeli PM Netanyahu At His Palm Beach Estate","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="President Trump Meets With Israeli PM Netanyahu At His Palm Beach Estate" data-image-description="" data-image-caption=" U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2253971050-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="629" height="169" data-attachment-id="271557" data-permalink="https://therealnews.com/its-apartheid-naked-unabashed-apartheid/jacobin-logo" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?fit=629%2C169&ssl=1" data-orig-size="629,169" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1620904940","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="jacobin-logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?fit=300%2C81&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?fit=629%2C169&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?resize=629%2C169&ssl=1" alt="Jacobin logo" class="wp-image-271557 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?w=629&ssl=1 629w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?resize=300%2C81&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?resize=400%2C107&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/jacobin-logo.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px" /> This story originally appeared in Jacobin on Mar. 10, 2026. It is shared here with permission. Over the weekend, the Washington Post was the latest to publish a claim that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the threat of launching a war with Iran solo as a way to pressure Donald Trump into the disastrous war he has now embroiled the United States in. It’s at least the fifth piece of evidence now suggesting that the United States was pushed into this war by Israel, and that the very military support that Washington provides Israel has served as the mechanism to do it. It’s tempting to see this as a deliberate way to dump responsibility for this horror show onto Israel and divert it away from the US president, who ordered it, and the US foreign policy establishment as a whole, which has salivated over a war with Iran for decades. But we have mounting evidence that Israel bears a huge amount of responsibility. Which raises the question: If Israel was indeed able to successfully trigger a US-Iran war, is any ceasefire or lasting peace possible here without Israel’s approval? This is particularly relevant to an American public that foots the bill for Israel’s war-making. According to the Post, Netanyahu, “increasingly alarmed” that Trump might actually solve the Iran issue peacefully, repeatedly rushed to Washington over the past few months to make sure he went to war instead. A “key component of his drive to war,” reports the Post, was telling Trump that Israel would go ahead and attack Iran with or without his help, which “led Trump to believe an Israeli attack was inevitable” and that his best option was to go along with it. “Trump felt like he didn’t have a choice,” someone who understood the president’s thought process told the paper. This account closely mirrors an earlier report by the New York Times, published a day after the war’s start, that likewise has Netanyahu deathly afraid that peace is going to break out and doing a full-court press on Trump to push him into war instead, including by threatening to go it alone against Iran. That report had Trump similarly telling Tucker Carlson that he felt like he didn’t have any choice but to join a coming Israeli attack. This is on top of separate public statements made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Republican House speaker Mike Johnson, and Trump warmonger-in-arms Sen. Tom Cotton, all of whom sketched out the same, broad scenario: Israel was going to attack Iran no matter what, which would have triggered reprisals against US troops and assets in the region, leading Trump to decide that preempting such attacks by joining the war from the start was his best option. If Israel was indeed able to successfully trigger a US-Iran war, is any ceasefire or lasting peace possible without Israel’s approval? It’s true that there is a big war lobby in the United States that has wanted war with Iran for a long time, and that some US officials have explicitly seen regime change in Iran as the first shot in a future war with China. But there is little sign that launching this war is part of a coherent grand strategy. The war undercuts Trump’s own, two-month-old National Security Strategy, which envisioned the United States pulling out of the Middle East to exert dominance over Latin America. Instead, Trump is now diverting military resources away from the Americas to the Persian Gulf. Far from strengthening the US hand against China, it has ended up drastically depleting the US of munitions stocks meant for any future confrontation with the country, while simultaneously alienating US allies in the Gulf and the “Indo-Pacific.” Meanwhile, Trump officials’ confused public messaging and slapdash approach paint a picture of an administration that seems taken by surprise by its own war: the shifting public justifications, their inability to articulate a clear endgame or consistent goals, the failure to warn and evacuate Americans from the region, and the rushed and ad hoc response to Iran’s retaliation, to name just a few. That’s not to mention the clear way this war works against Trump’s own political interest, which is why his chief of staff is scrambling to mitigate its affordability impact and advisors already want him to get out. In no way does this absolve Trump for making the idiotic decision to go to war. The US president has the power to say no to Israel, as many have over the years, Trump included. In fact, former secretary of state Antony Blinken just told Bloomberg News that Israel tried this exact move previously, with both Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and both presidents managed to avoid getting drawn into the Israelis’ plans. Pressure can be resisted. But pressure can also work, particularly on weak and war-happy politicians — and unfortunately there is no shortage of those in Washington. This is not a minor detail. If true — and the fact that we now have five separate claims for this suggests that there is at minimum a sizable kernel of truth to it — it means that far from a benefit to the US and a boon to its national security, the US security partnership with Israel is, instead, a liability and a national security risk to the United States and its people. As we’ve seen repeatedly, both in this war and Israel’s various wars over the past three years, Israel simply does not have the capacity to do what it’s doing without the United States. The weapons and military equipment, the bombs, the logistical support it needs to drop them, the defensive capabilities it needs to shield itself from retaliation for dropping them — all of it comes courtesy of the US taxpayer, and of the US troops and military infrastructure stationed in the region. This is what gives tiny Israel the ability to wage six separate wars simultaneously as it did throughout 2024, to illegally occupy and even annex the territory of three different neighbors as it’s doing now, and to launch, as it just did in Lebanon, a separate war in a different country at the same time that it started its most dangerous confrontation with its most hated enemy, Iran. Israel’s ability to launch war after reckless war is almost entirely underwritten by the United States. That ability, it turns out, is also the gambit unscrupulous Israeli leaders can use to potentially trap the United States in a war most of its people do not want — a war that has already killed Americans, that is making terrorist attacks against them more likely, and which is set to make them poorer and quite possibly jobless pretty soon. By footing the bill for US military support for Israel, American taxpayers are effectively paying to undermine their own security and place themselves in danger. In a rational political system, this would prompt the immediate pause of US military aid and an urgent and public conversation about ending it entirely. US security partnerships, after all, are meant to enhance the security of Americans, not weaken it. Instead, because Israel carries such sacrosanct status among the political and media establishment, this bizarre arrangement is allowed to continue with barely any comment. This isn’t even the only new information we have about Israel’s role in pressuring the United States into this war. Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported how Sen. Lindsey Graham — who Trump once called “one of the dumbest human beings” and said would start World War III before turning him into one of his closest advisors — repeatedly went to Israel in the weeks leading up to war, where he conferred with its intelligence agents and spent time “coaching [Netanyahu] on how to lobby the president for action.” No wonder a prominent and politically connected Emirati billionaire issued a scathing statement accusing Trump and Graham of being “prepared to risk their country and the lives of Americans for Israel’s interests.” There is little sign that Trump’s launching of this war on Iran is part of a coherent, grand military strategy. Just the other day, Trump told the Times of Israel that with the war on Iran, “we’ve destroyed a country that wanted to destroy Israel,” and that ending the war would be a “mutual” decision with Netanyahu, not even so much as gesturing to the war’s necessity to US interests. These are extraordinary statements for a US president to make, and which the Israeli paper, in the understatement of the year so far, said “pointed to the significant degree of influence Netanyahu would appear to have over Trump’s decision-making in the war.” Meanwhile, there are clear signs of the way that Israeli and US war aims are diverging. Four days in, a former Israeli military intelligence official told the Financial Times that while the United States was interested in some kind of stable postwar Iran whose government they found acceptable, Israel “couldn’t care less about the future . . . [or] the stability of Iran,” while one currently serving Israeli military official said, “We want to ensure Iran stays in disarray.” This has played out on the ground in Iran: Israel’s decapitation strike on Iran’s leaders killed several officials that Trump had hoped to make a deal with, and US officials — including, revealingly, the bloodthirsty Graham — were reportedly unhappy with Israel’s bombing of Iranian fuel depots over the weekend, which they view as critical to a future stable Iranian state (and want to profit off of) and claimed Israel had misled them about. Simply put, Israel has very different goals and interests than the United States, and it has already repeatedly undermined the Trump administration’s own half-assed plans in the course of this war. This is critical to what happens next, especially as Trump signals he might be ready to wrap the war up. He of course should: not just because it’s best for the country and the world, but because it’s best for his own political self-interest, given the risk of economic crisis heading into this year’s midterms. But we are learning that it may not be completely up to him. The real question for anyone who wants prolonged peace and economic stability — a group that includes a majority of the US public — may instead be whether the Israeli government will be satisfied with leaving things as they are now: with an even more hard-line supreme leader in place, the Iranian regime’s moderates discredited, and nearly half a metric ton of highly enriched uranium still in its possession. If not, continuing US military aid to Israel may end up the arsenic in the cup of any lasting peace that Trump tries to serve moving forward. This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Branko Marcetic.
Trump Eradicates Critical Oversight as he Fires More Inspectors General than All Other US Presidents Combined
President Trump has removed more inspectors general (IGs) than all other presidents combined, leaving a gaping hole for accountability and ethics concerns according to a new Public Citizen report titled Undoing Accountability.In several cases, Trump’s...
President Trump has removed more inspectors general (IGs) than all other presidents combined, leaving a gaping hole for accountability and ethics concerns according to <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCxXwZR0L9lem-2B5XpAYqIXzPV5d3-2B18jVM4o-2BtG7T0JIGK4WOdujGodsLtqUZc0EHwA-3D-3DCYxL_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3U1KIoV9lM5xxya18d2X74kla0LkbDGIHDopiBvtlmJU7MwpTew4dHyHdWfEDH8M0gD7wAFRZxdiBtNVmBcEc2XZ296Z9-2BkdPH91XlNyPTvA1iuKPtid0YYpOEYh4bpaqUj6cg5UMf4l-2FF8enzfXTgj-2B5MvY5th9bqsLxTbj0V4InjaRjFiRZ1HynXHg4ZT-2FY2edPgQjJyYGsQMejErpsZA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >a new Public Citizen report titled Undoing Accountability. In several cases, Trump’s removal of IGs has been closely tied to the issuance of OIG reports that have been critical of specific actions by the Trump administration, have close ties to his administration, or have a history of unethical or potentially illegal conduct. In September 2025, the Trump administration also attempted to completely shut-down the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), the nation’s federal IG coordinating council. In most cases, Trump has replaced IGs he has fired with those whose independence is questionable, have had close ties to his administration or have a history of unethical or potentially illegal conduct. Public Citizen Researcher Douglas Pasternak, who authored the report, said inspectors general play a fundamental and independent role in holding government officials accountable to the public. “President Trump has taken a wrecking ball to the inspector general community since he stepped into office last year, firing more IGs than all other previous presidents combined for no cause at all,” said Pasternak. “Trump’s efforts have also led to a dramatic decrease in the number of IG staff that help root out waste, fraud, and abuse, in some offices by as much as 30-percent. President Trump’s actions will encourage corruption, discourage aggressive oversight, and harm the American taxpayer. We should all be paying close attention, and demand that the IG community, which has always been independent and nonpartisan, not be turned into a political weapon of the White House.” Read the full report <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCxXwZR0L9lem-2B5XpAYqIXzPV5d3-2B18jVM4o-2BtG7T0JIGK4WOdujGodsLtqUZc0EHwA-3D-3Dlu4G_ciJuXYfraQrmEXzxHGEcWNeiZKy7tdzQawxB4GG8-2FLPyhKWA4iiF6MSH6OJ2-2BUNtBAHsM9WPS35FVKJVmFTjW3m2IwgUo3u6HhitOgrMHtKgCE9epr3PLoQ3Dbn013y3U1KIoV9lM5xxya18d2X74kla0LkbDGIHDopiBvtlmJU7MwpTew4dHyHdWfEDH8M0gD7wAFRZxdiBtNVmBcEc2Xdn-2BtqH-2B3eDDI-2FOIysz10DIsbSpZETbfLUXFFd1QqvPHe0DgGQopqpjxcQMinhBBneU-2BN-2FqdAyZJ2iom5eFyG54QA3eUY2myRNCEAg1xaO0wPq7jvjnk8mG0OEck58lcA-3D-3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" >here. Public Citizen Co-President Lisa Gilbert and Researcher Douglas Pasternak are both available for interviews. This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.
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In late 2020, Beijing did the unthinkable: it attacked its own champions. Trillions in market value vanished, the world’s largest IPO was halted, and entire industries were banned overnight. Western investors called it “economic suicide,” but they were looking at stock prices while China was looking at its society. This episode explains why the “Golden […] The post Why China Crushed Its Own Tech Giants appeared first on Dissident Voice.
In late 2020, Beijing did the unthinkable: it attacked its own champions. Trillions in market value vanished, the world’s largest IPO was halted, and entire industries were banned overnight. Western investors called it “economic suicide,” but they were looking at stock prices while China was looking at its society. This episode explains why the “Golden Goose” had to be caged and how China is pivoting from consumer apps to the “Hard Tech” of the future. The post Why China Crushed Its Own Tech Giants appeared first on Dissident Voice. This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by The US-China Narrative.