Though a potent effort to silence dissent is underway in the US, directly doing so would be a flagrant breach of constitutional rights. And so the ostensible explanations for tactically-geared police at peaceful protests and insidious surveillance programs fall under nebulous terms like protecting public safety, keeping the peace or national security. But when Kinder Morgan wanted to push through …
How Photographing Pollution Became Illegal In Wyoming – Claire Bernish
Taking scenic pictures anywhere outside city limits in the state of Wyoming could now get you thrown in jail. Signed into law in March, the Data Trespass Bill enhances laws against trespassing, but the intent of the bill seems to be clear — protecting polluters from prosecution by criminalizing the collecting of evidence against them. No, it’s not exactly as simple as …
I’m Not Making This Up: Corporations Use Trade Deals To Attack U.S. Law – Dave Johnson
President Obama says progressives who warn that trade laws let corporations overrule U.S. law are “making this stuff up.” Two attacks on U.S. laws and regulations are underway right now, illustrating how the “corporate courts” provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would open our country up to attacks from foreign corporations. “They’re making this stuff up.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, legal scholars and …
Ask Beatty – Elizabeth Massey – 05.11.15
Beatty talked about having attended a Moral Monday breakfast at Union Theological Seminary in New York City with guest speaker Reverend Doctor William, Director of the North Carolina NAACP. As a society, despite different party lines, we need to all get in touch with our moral selves personally and politically and not just on Monday’s. Her guest tonight was Elizabeth …
One Nation Under Vaccine Manufacturers; Lost Politics, Broken Laws – Jefferey Jaxen
It is becoming clear that as states line up in a coordinated removal of vaccine exemption bills, the fix is in. Never before has the nation seen such a concerted push towards a common, unconstitutional goal. The attempts to conceal voting and coverage of vaccine exemption bills from the public continues to reveal the signature of corporate influence directing political …
Us and Them: On Understanding Climate Denialism
So we’re in the midst of another round of climate-change related mud slinging. The latest issue of National Geographic, “The War on Science”, was seen to sneer at the 130 million American who don’t believe in human induced climate change. The Washington Times‘ Stephen Moore fired back with an emotional op-ed titled “The Myth of Settled Science,” and to go by the pundits …
Koch Industries refuses to comply with US senators’ climate investigation
The Koch brothers’ conglomerate Koch Industries has refused to comply with an investigation by three Senate Democrats into whether the company has funded groups or researchers who deny or cast doubt on climate change. In response to a request from senators Barbara Boxer, Edward Markey and Sheldon Whitehouse for information about Koch Industries’ support for scientific research, Koch general counsel Mark Holden …
The Long Shadow of Racism
See, I keep telling you that old-fashioned racism is alive and well in this country. After the fraternity bus sing-along at the University of Oklahoma, do you hear me now? Frankly, the happy-go-lucky bigotry of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity brothers—captured on video and shown to the world—shocked even me. And I was raised in the South, back in …
Black Agenda Radio – 03.09.15
New Yorkers Need Less Law Enforcement
Bill Bratton, New York City’s police commissioner, wants to hire 1,000 more officers. But there are already too many cops busying themselves arresting Black and brown people for minor offenses, said Josmar Trujillo, of New Yorkers Against Bratton, which favors redirecting resources to improving conditions in poor neighborhoods. Police are “harassing and ticketing us, they’re criminalizing us en masse,” said Trujillo, “We don’t want more copse, we want to move away from law enforcement” under the slogan, “Strong Communities Make Police Obsolete.”