Following the defeat of a United Nations Security Council resolution that demanded an end to Israeli occupation and recognition of Palestinian statehood, Palestine’s president Mahmoud Abbas signed a Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, a move that the Guardian wrote sets “Palestinians on a diplomatic collision course with Israel and the…
Read moreDays After Free Speech Rally, France Arrests 54 People for Offensive Speech
In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre last week and just days since the historic Paris unity rally when world leaders stood shoulder-to-shoulder and declared their support for freedom of speech, French authorities have arrested 54 people on charges of “glorifying” or “defending” terrorism. The French Justice Ministry said that of those arrested, four…
Read more'Doomsday Clock' Ticks Forward: Climate Change, Nuclear Weapons Push Humanity Closer Towards Global Catastrophe
Runaway climate change and the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons have pushed the world closer towards irreversible catastrophe, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Thursday, as the group pushed the symbolic Doomsday Clock forward to three minutes before midnight. The two factors “pose extraordinary and undeniable threats to the continued existence of humanity,” the…
Read more'Historic' Vote As Wales Joins Scotland in Saying No to Fracking
Just one week after Scotland announced its moratorium on fracking, the Welsh government voted on Wednesday to block the toxic method of shale gas extraction until it is proven safe from environmental and public health standpoints. The Plaid Cymru political party’s motion calls for control over fracking to be fully devolved from Westminster—seat of the…
Read moreThe Destruction of Afghan Lives, Captured in US Dollars
New reporting by The Intercept published Friday offers a rare window into the death and destruction caused by the U.S. military in Afghanistan since 2001 by reviewing the records of so-called “condolence payments” disbursed to Afghan victims and family members killed or harmed by the ongoing war and military occupation. As journalist Cora Currier reports:…
Read moreSanders: 'We Need Revolution in Way Higher Education is Funded'
Speaking Tuesday at Johnson State College in Vermont—on the same day data from the New York Fed showed student-loan delinquencies are on the rise—Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called for a “revolution” in the way higher education is funded in the U.S. “Because of the high cost of higher education, many bright young people can no…
Read moreProgressive Community Celebrates Life, Work of Danny Schechter (1942-2015)
The progressive community in the U.S. and beyond is mourning the loss and celebrating the life of friend and colleague Danny Schechter on Friday after news broke that the veteran journalist, filmmaker, and warrior for social justice died on Thursday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. A note posted late Thursday night on the Mediachannel…
Read moreThanks to Climate Change, Arctic Sea Ice at Lowest Levels Ever Recorded
At the height of the most recent winter season, Arctic sea ice was at its lowest level ever recorded, with climate change playing a key role in this historic decline, the National Snow and Ice Data Center revealed Thursday. Arctic sea ice reached its maximum levels on February 25th at 5.61 million square miles. This…
Read moreForces of Equality Intensify Fight Against 'Persecution in Name of Religion'
The fallout over various state-level ‘religious freedom’ laws, which critics say authorize discrimination against LGBTQ people, continued into Friday, with civil rights advocates calling on politicians to reject similar measures around the country. On Thursday, the governors of Indiana and Arkansas both signed bills aimed at clarifying their states’ controversial ‘religious freedom’ laws. Indiana’s revised…
Read moreMexican Oil Spill Leaves 100K Without Drinking Water
An oil spill in the Mexican state of Tabasco has left roughly 100,000 people without drinking water on Wednesday. The spill, which occurred on Sunday, was reportedly the result of a Pemex pipeline being breached by oil thieves. It polluted two rivers, forcing the shutdown of four water treatment plants, which initially left half a…
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