Navigation
Syndicate
User login
Commondreams Headlines
Scientists: Arctic Melting Leading to Europe's Freeze
The unusual cold weather in eastern Europe has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of vulnerable people living in areas unprepared for the freezing conditions. Extreme weather events have been increasingly evident in recent years, and now scientests are fearful that the 'feedback loops' of climate change are occurring in ways that uphold predictions made by global warming models showing how seemingly unrelated occurrences, such as the melting of ice in the arctic, are noticeably changing weather patterns in faraway regions.
Canadians Fight Tar Sands Pipeline
Indigineous groups, environmentalists, and other concerned Canadians took to the streets in the British Columbian town of Prince Rupert on Saturday to protest the construction of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. Like the Keystone XL pipeline proposed to transport tar sands oil from Canada through the US heartland to the Gulf coast, the Northern Gateway is designed to carry tar sands oil - known as the world's 'dirtiest fuel' - from Alberta to the BC coast.
Report: Civilian Deaths at Record High in US-Occupied Afghanistan
The number of civilian casualties resulting from the conflict in Afghanistan has risen for a fifth consecutive year, according to a report (pdf) by the United Nations. The number of civilian deaths in 2011, according to the report, was up to 3,021 - an increase of eight per cent on the previous year's total of 2,790.
Syria: Hundreds Killed, Injured in Homs; Russia, China Veto UN Resolution
Hundreds of Syrians have been killed and many more seriously injured in the Syrian town of Homs following widespread demonstrations on Friday, according to reports. Worldwide condemnation was evident at Syrian embassies around the world with anger focused on the brutal crackdown of the Assad's military and security forces.
UPDATE: (1:12 PM EST): Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council vote.
Whistleblower Bradley Manning Will Face Military Court Martial
Bradley Manning, the US Army Private accused of releasing nearly 700,000 US diplomatic cables and military combat material to the media organization Wikileaks, including footage of an US military assault on innocent civilians in Iraq which became known as Collateral Murder, will face a military court martial in the United States. The decision was announced late on Friday.
DC Police Raid Occupy Encampment in Washington
Police arrived before dawn this morning in McPherson Square in Washington, DC.
UPDATE: (2:35 PM) AP reports:
Police by mid-day had arrested six people, including four protesters who refused to move from beneath a statute and two others for crossing a police line.
Censorship U? Arizona State Downs Site After Tuition Petition
Arizona State University is reportedly blocking students’ access to the petition and advocacy site Change.org and to messages from the site to ASU email addresses. A popular website that uses petitions to create social change, Change.org is hosting a petition by ASU students to lower tuition rates.
28 Dead Across Syria as Protesters Attempt to Commemorate Hama Massacre
Today, thousands of Syrians took to the streets again admist a continued government crackdown. Syrians across the country came out to mark the anniversary of the Hama Massacre, which took the lives of tens of thousands of people in the city of Hama in 1982, and to continue their campaign against the ruling Assad regime.
Security forces clashed with opposition forces leaving dozens dead so far.
'Anonymous' Hacks FBI/Scotland Yard Call on 'Anonymous Hacking'
"Who's on the call right now?"
An FBI agent in the United States asked the obvious question when joining a conference call between US law enforcement agents and their Scotland Yard counterparts in the UK.
Among those on the call who did not identify themselves, possibly, was a member (or members) of the very group that call was intended to discuss -- the hacking group 'Anonymous'.
Bird Population in Collapse Near Fukushima
An upcoming study shows the future for birds and insect life around Fukushima has been badly damaged, an ominous sign of things to come.photo: SandoCap
Jobs Report Encouraging, More Stimulus Needed: Economists
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released seemingly promising figures this morning -- boasting a decrease in the nation's unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, from 8.5 percent in December, totaling 243,000 jobs added.
New England Town Meetings To Challenge Corporate Personhood
Town Meeting Day is held in Vermont every year on the first Tuesday in March. The day is a state holiday and it allows for each town in the New England state to come together and make legislative decisions in a traditional Town Hall Meeting format, one of the purest forms of democracy practiced in the United States. This year, in addition to setting budgets and electing local officials, more than four dozen towns will also address the role of corporate personhood and call for resolutions protesting the US Supreme Court's 'Citizen United' decision.
War on Iran? Most American, Israeli Citizens Oppose
Despite the steady drumbeat for war coming from US and Israeli neoconservatives, polls show that the people of both the United States and Israel are against a US or Israeli military attack on Iran.
A new United Technologies/National Journal poll shows only 17% of the US public supports military action against Iran and a November PIPA (Program on International Policy Attitudes) poll shows that only 43% of Israeli Jews support a military strike on Iran.
* * *
Susan G. Komen Foundation Backs Down, Will Continue Funding Planned Parenthood
Earlier this week the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had announced that it would no longer provide funding for Planned Parenthood. But today, Komen for the Cure released a statement apologizing and stating that it would continue to fund grants for Planned Parenthood.
Agencies reported that Planned Parenthood had received about $700,000 annually to provide funding for breast exams.
Capitol Hill Scrambles To Save Military Spending After Debt Deal
Republican leaders in Congress yesterday moved to avert potential cuts in the military budget that were part of a bipartisan budget agreement made last year.
The Hill reports today:
States Don't Want to Be Dumping Ground for Fracking Fluids
More environmental concerns have arisen lately in relation to hydraulic fracking. Millions of gallons of toxic wastewater have been produced by the noxious procedure, creating problems of wastewater management. Where to dump this unwanted substance? Ohio lawmakers have recently raised concerns about the proliferating amount of wastewater that is sent to Ohio 'disposal wells', which are then filled with excess fracking liquid from around the country.
Drumbeats of War: Israel says Iranian Missiles Aimed at US
The war drums for war on Iran grew louder today.
Israel is counting on the influence of right-wing extremist views in US politics to bring pressure to bear on Obama to fall into line with a possible Israeli attack during the election campaign this fall.
In Israel, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon said that Iran is “getting ready to produce a missile with a range of 10,000 kilometers... That's the Great Satan. It was aimed at America, not at us."
Report: Global Land Grab Efforts Will Lead to "Widespread Civil Unrest"
A report out today from the Rights and Resources Initiative states that global land grab efforts will lead to "widespread civil unrest" unless the rights of people who have loved on those lands are taken into consideration.
IMF Official: Austerity Policies Hurting Greece
In an interview with the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Poul Thomsen admits that the austerity-emphasized strategy for Greece hasn't worked.
* * *
ACLU Suit Demands Release of US Government's 'Assassination Memos'
The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act to demand that the US government release basic — and accurate — information about the government’s targeted killing program.
In a statement, the ACLU said: