#"President Donald Trump says the United States now aims for 'energy dominance' -- i.e., drilling for oil and gas offshore and on public lands, exporting more gas and coal, and boosting nuclear power.
#The EPA moves to repeal the Clean Water Rule, a.k.a. 'Waters of the U.S.,' which protects the drinking water for millions of Americans.
#EPA Administer Scott Pruitt denies a petition to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide manufactured by Dow Chemical Com;any that has been shown to harm children's brains, even in minute doses.
#After the EPA is sued by 15 states and numerous public health and environmental organizations (including the Sierra Club), Pruitt abruptly reverses his attempt to delay new rules, limiting atmospheric ozone, the main component of smog.
Polluter fines drop 60 percent from the amounts levied by the past three administrations at this point in their first year.
#The EPA has paid more than twice as much on a personal-security detail for Pruitt in his first three months as it did for his past two predecessors. Several EPA agents who have previously investigated and prosecuted environmental crimes have been reassigned to serve as Pruitt's bodyguards.
#Joel Clement, a climate scientist at the Interior Department, is reassigned to an accounting job, processing lease payments from oil companies.
#Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski votes not to proceed with a debate on repealing Obamacare. Afterward, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke calls for her and fellow senator Dan Sullivan, reportedly warning them that energy and development projects in Alaska might suffer as a result.
#The Department of Homeland Security waives environmental and other laws in order to start construction on President Trump's border wall. ]1]
Firearms Factoids
93 - Average number of Americans killed with guns every day.
50 - Women shot dead by an intimate partner in the U.S. in a typical month.
12M - Estimated number of AR-15 assault rifles in the U.S.
50% - Percentage of the world's guns owned by Americans, who make up 5 percent of the world's population.
$8B - Size of the U.S. firearms industry. [2]
The Thin White Line
"Police departments, along with correction departments and even the military, are being infiltrated by racist organizations. One Philadelphia cop, outed after a photo of his tattoos -- including a apparent Nazi 'Party Eagle' beneath the word 'Fatherland' -- showed up on social media." [3]
"However alarming the trend may be, it is not a recent one. Beginning in the Reconstruction era, white supremacists found a home in law enforcement, with many local police forces in the South run by officers affiliated or sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan." Recently, "at least three Florida police officers over a five-year period were found to have been involved with the Klan.
Across the country, police leaders have repeatedly failed to remove avowed racists from their ranks -- even after they have been exposed. When Philadelphia police refused to fire the cop with the Nazi tattoo, the department explained: 'As long as you'e not violating public trust, it's very difficult to police.' " [3]
Political Protest Worse Than Treason
In regard to National Football League players kneeling or raising a fist during the playing of the National Anthem, President Trump tweeted: "The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can't kneel during our National Anthem!" To President Trump, keeling in sorrow -- at police brutality -- is both a sign of disrespect for the rules of the game and a desecration of the American flag.
"The first concern is that executive power is being used to interfere in contract relations between private parties. " "Trump's tweeted injunction, moreover, was deployed by a head of state against citizens whose political views he doesn't like." One "shouldn't have to give up basic civil rights in deference to a service or employment contract." [4]
President Trump has repeatedly equated "taking a knee" with desecration of the American flag. "Of course, the Supreme Court has ruled more than once that disrespecting or outright destroying the flag isn't a punishable offense -- and expatriation has been deemed 'cruel and unusual punishment' even for wartime desertion." [5]
Footnotes
[1] Paul Rauber, "Deconstruction and Delay," Sierra, November/December 2017.
[2] Sarah Aziza, "DC By the Numbers," The Nation, October 23, 2017.
[3] Elizabeth Adetibe, "The Thin White Line," The Nation, October 23, 2017.
[4] Patricia J.Williams, "Citizenship on Its Knees," The Nation, October 23, 2017.
[5] Ibid.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Sunday, October 8, 2017
A Roundup of Happenings of Some Note
*The Trump administration announced it is rolling back an Obamacare rule mandating employers to cover the costs of birth control for women. The new Trump rule includes "any employer, including colleges, universities and health insurance companies," freeing them of following the existing rule. Employers will not have to file anything with the government.
The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the number of women paying out of their pockets for birth control plummeted 21% to just 4% since the Obamacare rule went into effect. The Guttmacher Institute found that Obamacare reduced the unintended pregnancy rate roughly 10% in just three years. The abortion rate is at its lowest point since the procedure became legal nationwide in 1973.
*The Department of Homeland Security says more than 100,000 DACA recipients have applied to renew their work permits ahead of the deadline. The deadline was October 5. The City University of New York had a program to get as many of the renewals done as possible.
*The House Homeland Security Committee approved a border security bill that includes $10 billion for a border wall.
*As the ongoing battle over monuments to Confederate luminaries reveals, the dislodging of tribal symbols comes hard. As it is with the Dixie flag, so now it is with the gun and its accouterments.
*Michigan State Police director Kriste Kibbey Etue called African American athletes in the National Football league "Anti-American degenerates." She has apologized and will probably keep her job.
*U.S. House budget cuts Medicare by nearly $500 billion and Medicaid by up to $1.5 trillion; also, it raises the eligibility age for Medicare to 67.
*Trump October 5 tweet: "Why isn't the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up - FAKE!"
Trump October 6 tweet: "Ralph Northam, who is running for Governor of Virginia, is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities. Vote Ed Gillespie!"
*Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump moved their personal accounts to computers run by the Trump Organization on either September 26th or 27th. The actions more closely intertwine the Trump administration with Trump's private businesses.
*The Office of Special Counsel has concluded that Nikki Haley violated the Hatch Act by retweeting one of Trump's campaign endorsements.It is the second time that a top Trump aide has run afoul of the Hatch Act. The repost supported Republican House candidate Ralph Norman.
*The Republican National Committee has paid out about $230,000 to Trump lawyers and nearly $200,000 to cover Donald Trump Jr.'s legal bills.
*CNN reported that Michigan and Wisconsin were specifically targeted in a number of Russia-linked Facebook ads. One quarter of the 3,000 Russian-bought ads were targeted to specific geographic locations.
*Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, blasted congressional leaders behind closed doors at an RNC event, held for wealthy donors. He wanted them to get behind Trump's legislative priorities. Thus far, Trump's legislative priorities have been so bad that he can't get them approved by a GOP-dominated Congress.
The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the number of women paying out of their pockets for birth control plummeted 21% to just 4% since the Obamacare rule went into effect. The Guttmacher Institute found that Obamacare reduced the unintended pregnancy rate roughly 10% in just three years. The abortion rate is at its lowest point since the procedure became legal nationwide in 1973.
*The Department of Homeland Security says more than 100,000 DACA recipients have applied to renew their work permits ahead of the deadline. The deadline was October 5. The City University of New York had a program to get as many of the renewals done as possible.
*The House Homeland Security Committee approved a border security bill that includes $10 billion for a border wall.
*As the ongoing battle over monuments to Confederate luminaries reveals, the dislodging of tribal symbols comes hard. As it is with the Dixie flag, so now it is with the gun and its accouterments.
*Michigan State Police director Kriste Kibbey Etue called African American athletes in the National Football league "Anti-American degenerates." She has apologized and will probably keep her job.
*U.S. House budget cuts Medicare by nearly $500 billion and Medicaid by up to $1.5 trillion; also, it raises the eligibility age for Medicare to 67.
*Trump October 5 tweet: "Why isn't the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up - FAKE!"
Trump October 6 tweet: "Ralph Northam, who is running for Governor of Virginia, is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities. Vote Ed Gillespie!"
*Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump moved their personal accounts to computers run by the Trump Organization on either September 26th or 27th. The actions more closely intertwine the Trump administration with Trump's private businesses.
*The Office of Special Counsel has concluded that Nikki Haley violated the Hatch Act by retweeting one of Trump's campaign endorsements.It is the second time that a top Trump aide has run afoul of the Hatch Act. The repost supported Republican House candidate Ralph Norman.
*The Republican National Committee has paid out about $230,000 to Trump lawyers and nearly $200,000 to cover Donald Trump Jr.'s legal bills.
*CNN reported that Michigan and Wisconsin were specifically targeted in a number of Russia-linked Facebook ads. One quarter of the 3,000 Russian-bought ads were targeted to specific geographic locations.
*Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, blasted congressional leaders behind closed doors at an RNC event, held for wealthy donors. He wanted them to get behind Trump's legislative priorities. Thus far, Trump's legislative priorities have been so bad that he can't get them approved by a GOP-dominated Congress.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Yemen War Resolution
Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace and justice organization, released the following statement on the Yemen war resolution, introduced by Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Walter Jones (R-NC). The resolution invokes the War Powers Act with a bipartisan bill (H.Con.Res. 81) to end the Saudi war in Yemen.
"For two and a half years, the U.S. has been fueling Yemen's civil war with military support to Saudi Arabia for an intervention that was never debated or authorized by Congress. Most American taxpayers don't realize they've been footing the bill for mid-air refuelings of Saudi coalition warplanes that regularly bomb civilian targets in Yemen. With U.S. support, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has helped give rise to one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes ever, and this resolution offers a chance to end that support.
"Besides the U.S. supporting what exerts call war crimes by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh's actions are making Americans less safe by strengthening Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
"This privileged resolution will force members of Congress to go on record, many for the first time, on the question of whether or not we should be backing a coalition that's demonstrated an intractable disregard for human rights and the most basic laws of war. To vote for continuing U.S. support is to vote for more indiscriminate bombings of schools, marketplaces, and hospitals in one of the world's poorest nations, and at the expense of American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests. This is another push for Congress to take back its Constitutional authority to declare war, that for political expediency it has handed over to the President. Voters will be watching."
ADDENDUMS:
*Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter reads: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." When President Trump vowed to bring about the total destruction of North Korea in his UN speech, he was violating the UN Charter.
*Trump said on Alabama radio's "Rick and Bubba Show" that: "They [GOP senators] pander and grandstand."
*A CBS poll taken last month found that only 29% approve of Trump's handling of healthcare, while 62% disapprove.
*Trump tweet: "The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was the loudest I have ever heard. Great anger."
*Trump September 24 tweet: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer."
*President Trump has decided to allow the resettlement of no more than 45,000 refugees next year. There are more than 22 million refugees in the world.
"For two and a half years, the U.S. has been fueling Yemen's civil war with military support to Saudi Arabia for an intervention that was never debated or authorized by Congress. Most American taxpayers don't realize they've been footing the bill for mid-air refuelings of Saudi coalition warplanes that regularly bomb civilian targets in Yemen. With U.S. support, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has helped give rise to one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes ever, and this resolution offers a chance to end that support.
"Besides the U.S. supporting what exerts call war crimes by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh's actions are making Americans less safe by strengthening Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
"This privileged resolution will force members of Congress to go on record, many for the first time, on the question of whether or not we should be backing a coalition that's demonstrated an intractable disregard for human rights and the most basic laws of war. To vote for continuing U.S. support is to vote for more indiscriminate bombings of schools, marketplaces, and hospitals in one of the world's poorest nations, and at the expense of American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests. This is another push for Congress to take back its Constitutional authority to declare war, that for political expediency it has handed over to the President. Voters will be watching."
ADDENDUMS:
*Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter reads: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." When President Trump vowed to bring about the total destruction of North Korea in his UN speech, he was violating the UN Charter.
*Trump said on Alabama radio's "Rick and Bubba Show" that: "They [GOP senators] pander and grandstand."
*A CBS poll taken last month found that only 29% approve of Trump's handling of healthcare, while 62% disapprove.
*Trump tweet: "The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was the loudest I have ever heard. Great anger."
*Trump September 24 tweet: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer."
*President Trump has decided to allow the resettlement of no more than 45,000 refugees next year. There are more than 22 million refugees in the world.
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