mark
Common Dreams
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[l] at 6/9/23 8:52pm
After days of enraged Americans wondering how a (white) woman could shoot and kill through a locked door a (black) mother whose four children she'd harassed, bullied, called 'niggers' and thrown things at and yet still remain free, the murderous Karen was finally arrested in stand-your-ground Florida, where police had to think about it before deciding it was "simply a killing." Thus is victim Ajike 'AJ' Owens, "a heart of gold" who "absolutely lived for her four children," now "just another Black soul lost to earth." The killing of Owens - a single, 35-year-old hospitality manager and Team Mom with her kids' football and cheer-leading teams - for standing up for her children while black was on June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day: "Stop Shooting Our Kids Beyond Recognition." It also came within weeks of the anniversaries of both the catastrophic mass shooting of schoolchildren in Uvalde and the harrowing murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Both deadly events linger for loved ones left behind: ”When the rest of the world is asleep, we’re awake," says George's brother Philonise of what A.G. and special prosecutor Keith Ellison, haunted by the moment "his eyes closed (and) the life went out of George Floyd," calls the still-urgent precept that, "There can be no one in this country, not one single soul, who feels like, 'I operate above the law, I walk between the raindrops.'" In an America beset by often-brutal cops, enduring racism, vicious culture wars, a gravely inequitable criminal justice system, and over 460 million guns - 120 per 100 people, helping make gun violence the leading cause of death for kids - that's a tough mission. Last week, in our 279th mass shooting (in the year's first 157 days), a 19-year-old with four handguns killed a father and son, wounding at least five more, when he fired into a crowd after a high school graduation in Richmond, VA; Shawn Jackson, 18, had worked hard to graduate, said the principal, who "can't shake the image of him receiving CPR on the ground still in (his) gown." In Atlanta, a 16-year-old girl was shot and killed outside an Atlanta high school graduation party; in D.C. the week before, two kids were shot and killed, including a 10-year-old hit by random gunfire driving home with her family on Mother's Day; so was a man gunned down at the cemetery during her burial. The police chief called the surreal events "unacceptable." They came amidst a nationwide spate of wildly senseless shootings of people going about life in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong country: Eight killed and seven wounded when a gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas; a 20-year-old killed in upstate New York for pulling into the wrong driveway; two Texas cheerleaders wounded after one got into the wrong car; two Instacart drivers shot at for going to the wrong address in Florida; a 14-year-old girl shot in the back of her head by a Louisiana homeowner for playing hide-and-seek in his backyard; 16-year-old Ralph Yar shot in the head through a front door in Kansas City, Missouri after he mistakenly went to pick up his siblings at the house of Andrew Lester, 84, who was "scared to death of a black boy at his door." In a nation where race has long played a key role in determining who is perceived as dangerous, many of these victims were black. As a result, says one NAACP official, "Black folks are almost (afraid) to go outside." Ajike Owens, the single mom of three boys and a girl ages 4 to 12, lived in a multi-racial, "family friendly" housing complex in Ocala FLA, where she was known as a loving mother who "would do anything for her kids" and worked two jobs to support them. Last Friday evening, her kids and others from the complex were playing in a field when a white woman across the road began yelling at them. Neighbors say Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, often harassed black kids in the neighborhood, calling them slaves, bastards, jackasses, and "the N-word." "She was angry all the time the children were playing out there,” said one neighbor. "She would say nasty things to them - just nasty." That evening, when the kids scattered before her abuse, Owen's 9-year-old son accidentally left behind his iPad, which Lorincz seized. When he and his 12-year-old brother went to ask for it back, Lorincz threw it at them, cracking the screen, then threw a pair of roller skates at them and prodded them with an umbrella. The boys went home and told their mother. Trailed by the 9-year-old, she walked to Lorincz' house, knocked repeatedly on the door, and asked Lorincz to come out and talk. In response, Lorincz fired one shot through the locked door, striking Owens in her chest as her son stood next to her. She staggered away, told him to call 911, and collapsed on the grass. Lauren Smith, 40, a white neighbor sitting on her porch across the street, said she saw Owens’ son pacing and yelling, “They shot my mama, they shot my mama." She ran over with several people and began performing chest compressions until medical help arrived. Owens died soon after at the hospital. Still, despite multiple eye-witnesses naming the shooter, and the fact that, even in DeathSantis' Florida, it remains illegal to murder someone because you dislike them, their kids or their skin color - still, for four days, Sheriff Billy Woods brought no charges and made no arrest, prompting a generally stunned response of, "WHAT.THE.ABSOLUTE.FUCK." Arguing that, "Rushing in to make an arrest is not the right thing to do sometimes," Woods said law enforcement had to investigate whether the shooting fit the criteria of the state's appalling "stand your ground" laws, whereby a (usually white) homeowner can use deadly force if they feel their lives are in danger from a (usually black) interloper. He also said they didn't want to interview kids "the night they possibly witnessed their mother being killed" until counselors spoke with them, noting, "We’re not cold-hearted bastards." He also made some dubious, both-sides claims about a longstanding “neighborhood feud" with "a lot of aggressiveness from both of them, back and forth" and called a few dozen, mostly black protesters "a mob seeking, well, what they think is justice." But he did thank "all of you that have sent me messages... encouraging the arrest because it shows you care about a fellow human being," and called his resolve to seek justice "unwavering." Four days after the shooting, and the night after mourners gathered to hold a(nother) candlelight vigil and declare, “Our children and adults deserve to live in a world where they do not live in fear of their neighbors," Lorincz, 58, was arrested and charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault. After investigators recovered two handguns, a Ruger 22 and a Remington 380, from her house, she told them Owens had “previously attacked her” and was “trying to break down her door." Her credibility seemed shaky. Noted attorney Ben Crump, representing Owens' family, “If the roles were reversed, and you have a Black woman shoot a White woman through a locked door, nobody would be saying, ‘It’s a difficult case.' It is a simple case. The only question is, are we going give AJ the same respect, the same dignity?" But despite the delay, he praised Lorincz' arrest: "We don't take that lightly...because Black people and swift justice in America is not something that happens all the time." Other responses were bitter: "It's Floriduh - don't expect a conviction...What does it say when a person can shoot and kill an unarmed mother in the presence of her young children and not be immediately charged? It says she was white and shot a minority...Bury this bigot deep for the rest of her rotten life." But on a GoFundMe organized by Owen's grieving mother Pamela Dias, confronted by the sorrowful fact of four motherless children, the tone of those donating was mournful: "My God, this is beyond heartbreaking..THESE BABIES NEED JUSTICE FOR THE LOSS OF THEIR MOMMY...I care. I care about her, I care about the kids who will not have a mother, my heart breaks for this world...AJ and her children deserve a country where love surrounds them...This is a terrible tragedy. I am so sorry these children lost their Mother because of the stupidity of a horrible woman...I'm crying for all those that are directly touched by this, but also for what we have become as a nation." Faced with a murder "senseless, hateful and stupid," Dias' fundraising - to help AJ's children and advocate to end Stand Your Ground - is also an entreaty: "Please do not let my daughter's dying go in vain." "I pray for the strength, wisdom and ability to raise these children," Dias says. "She loved them with all her being. To know her is to know that her kids were her everything." "This is not fair," she says plaintively, on "a closed, locked door...My daughter shot and killed with her son standing next to her...She posed no threat." Today, she says, the 9-year-old who left the iPad blames himself for their terrible loss; so does the 12-year-old, unable to perform CPR, who says, “Grandma, grandma, I couldn’t save her." Jamerien Wilson, an 18-year-old who often played basketball with the 12-year-old, was distraught when he saw the shooting's aftermath - police cars everywhere, an EMT trying to save Owens on the ground. "You took this woman away from her kids," he said. "It’s just not what we need. Bro, this world is really, really nasty." Ajike 'A.J.' Shantrelle Owens Family photo
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[l] at 6/9/23 2:36pm
For four months, House Republicans held the economy hostage and forced harmful cuts to crucial programs over their concern for the federal deficit. Switching gears today, they released a plan to renew three expired provisions of 2017 Trump-era corporate tax breaks — provisions that would “almost certainly” increase the national deficit to the tune of $600 billion over the next decade. Once again, Republicans seek to lessen costs for their wealthy donors at the expense of millions of working Americans. Their proposal would give away nearly half of the $1.3 trillion saved by cuts to social spending to wealthy corporations. “If House Republicans were actually serious about the deficit, they would demand wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes,” said Liz Zelnick, Director Of Accountable.US’ Economic Security & Corporate Power. “Instead, they’re giving billions in wasteful tax giveaways to greedy corporations, instead of making critical investments in American families and communities.””Importantly, “not a penny” of the Trump administration’s 2017 tax cuts benefited any American in the bottom 90 percent of income distribution. Today, half of corporate stock is held by the wealthiest 1% of Americans. These cuts come as corporate profits across industries hit a record high.
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[l] at 6/9/23 2:17pm
The Senate Budget Committee today called on insurance giants American Insurance Group, Inc. (AIG), Chubb Corp, Liberty Mutual Group, Starr Wright USA, Berkshire Hathaway, State Farm, and Travelers Insurance to disclose their coverage for and investments in fossil fuels and information on how each insurer respects human rights. The Committee’s letter, sent by Chairman Senator Whitehouse and also signed by Committee Members Senators Wyden and Sanders , asks the insurers several questions regarding plans to scale back, phase out, or eliminate support for current and expanded coal, oil, and gas projects, as well as questions related to companies’ climate-related lobbying and policies on respecting Indigenous rights by securing free, prior, and informed consent before supporting projects.“The U.S. insurance industry continues to dismiss the urgency of eliminating support for fossil fuel expansion and implementing credible, science-based plans to phase out their underwriting and investments in coal, oil, and gas,” says Deanna Noël, climate campaigns director at Public Citizen. “AIG executives need only look out the windows of their New York City board rooms to see the realities of an unfolding climate crisis. Empty climate promises do nothing but set entire regions of the country on course to be deemed too risky to insure and communities everywhere to grapple with an uncertain future. Inaction and inadequate action are unacceptable.”The Budget Committee’s letter singles out U.S. insurers for moving too slowly to address climate change. Simultaneously, the companies face climate-related risks to their own markets, a reality consumers are facing first-hand as insurance companies increase premiums and pull back from climate-vulnerable areas. The letter comes as State Farm Group, Allstate Insurance Company, Farmers Group, and AIG announced plans to curb homeowners insurance sales in different parts of the U.S.U.S. insurers reportedly have approximately $582 billion invested in fossil fuels, and none have ruled out support for fossil fuel expansion—a policy omission that cannot be overlooked as scientists have made clear that there can be no new fossil fuel infrastructure if we are to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avoid climate catastrophe.
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[l] at 6/9/23 12:10am
Oh yeah. Thank God, Jack Smith, the Boxes Hoax and just this once the media for the news twice-impeached, once-indicted, sedition-attempting, legally liable for sexual abuse crook, grifter, rancid heap of human garbage and cameo actor in Home Alone 2 Donald Trump has been indicted, this time reportedly on seven federal charges ranging from willful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act to conspiracy to obstruct justice to making “false statements.” Espionage! Good times.The first-ever, about-damn-time indictment of a felonious former president on federal charges comes via a previously unrevealed federal grand jury impaneled in Florida last month to consider charges stemming from the Slobfather's hoarding of top-secret documents at Hell-a-Lago, and his hissy-fit refusal to return them. The indictment remains under seal, but will likely become public when he's arraigned Tuesday -creep perp walk alert! - at federal court in Miami. Last week, federal prosecutors had formally told his lawyers he was the target of a criminal investigation, but rumors that the head of DOJ's counter-espionage department was involved spiced up the wait. So did word that prosecutors had made a cunning, preemptive end run around Trump's famous I-declassified-things-in-my-head possible defense by not using the term "classified information" to ensure he could still face ten years in prison. Did we mention good times around here? Already facing 34 state counts of falsifying business records in a New York criminal case, a D.C. grand jury looking into January 6, a Georgia grand jury on election fraud, a $10 million defamation case by Jean Carroll, a gazillion lawsuits and the flames of hell licking at his stubby little fingers, the longtime felon reacted to the latest evidence of his tawdry loserdom with his and his family's usual grace, shrieking and raging it's a "DARK DAY" for the U.S. and "I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!” and "DOJ, FBI, NEW YORK A.G., NEW YORK D.A., ATLANTA D.A. FASCISTS ALL!" and "PERFECT Ukraine phone call" and "SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS. A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE &ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE," like always. It's apparently all a rude surprise for the idiot narcissist who's been surrounded by multiple minions giving him "too much happy talk for way too long" about what was coming down the righteous pike, or not. Yup: times good.Also, Mark Meadows may have flipped and pleaded guilty to lesser charges for some immunity, very bad news for a guy seriously spiraling down. Steve Bannon, somehow free while appealing his own convictions, was subpoenaed by another Jack Smith grand jury to probe the 2020 election and Jan. 6. His two lead lawyers just quit - rats/sinking ship - the e-mail lady just chimed in, and bellicose GOP presidential hopefuls hover, from "tower of unctuousness" Mike Pence timidly decrying the scumbag who almost got him hung to Chris Christie slamming "the last throes of a bitter angry man" whose family's grift is "breathtaking." Twitter's evil, but see #TrumpIndictment, #Justice, #MuellerSheWrote, #KamalaNation, George Conway's gleeful, "For the rule of law, Santa's going to come early this year," and jubilation across the land that a creepy lifelong crook's untouchable victory run may at last be over. Oh, holy retribution. May he never have a day of peace to the end of his squalid, wretched life. So yeah: good times, and fuck him. \u201c#TrumpIndicted And here we go baby\u201d — ASHLEY AMBER # resist (@ASHLEY AMBER # resist) 1686267918 \u201cLet there be light. \ud83d\udd6f\u201d — KAMALA NATION (@KAMALA NATION) 1686270467
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[l] at 6/8/23 3:18pm
Today, at the Bonn Climate Conference, the COP28 President designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber declared that the “phase down of fossil fuels is inevitable” and called for an “energy system free of unabated fossil fuels.” He also called for countries to agree to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030.Sultan Al Jaber’s speech to heads of delegations comes as civil society organizations have been calling for the climate negotiations to enshrine a fossil fuel phaseout. This call was echoed by a growing number of delegations at the Bonn climate conference.Romain Ioualalen, Oil Change International Global Policy lead , said: “This week at the Bonn climate conference, country after country asked for a decision to phase out fossil fuels. Finally, the COP28 presidency seems to be listening. As climate impacts escalate around the world, it is about time the UN climate negotiations signals an end to the drivers of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. “Phasing out fossil fuels is inevitable but also urgent. Winning slowly is losing and we need action now. That is why we urge the presidency to move from words to deeds and ensure COP28 enshrines a massive expansion of renewable energy and signals the end of the fossil fuel era. “To secure a meaningful agreement at COP28 that will be judged as success by people and communities around the world, vague words of phasing down fossil fuels and promoting false solutions such as CCS aren’t enough. The phase out must be full, fair, fast, and funded.David Tong, Oil Change International, Global Industry lead, said: “The end of oil, gas, and coal is inevitable. It will happen. But the industry responsible for the climate crisis – the oil and gas industry – is fighting a desperate rearguard action against the inevitable.“Oil Change International research published during COP27 revealed that the company the COP28 president leads, ADNOC, is on track to be the company driving the second most new oil and gas expansion from 2023 to 2025 worldwide. That is the opposite of phasing down fossil fuel production.“Instead of doing what the science demands and cutting production, ADNOC and the UAE are betting on dangerous distractions like carbon capture and storage. These self-serving strategies serve only to prolong oil and gas production, at the expense of all our futures.“For us to have a future, oil and gas must have no future.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 2:22pm
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 in Allen v. Milligan. The court upheld a lower court’s decision to strike down an Alabama congressional map because it discriminated against Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and author of The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided the Country, had this reaction:“Today’s ruling vindicating the rights of Alabama voters is a huge victory for civil rights and a welcome surprise. The Voting Rights Act is one of the country’s most effective civil rights laws. This decision will ensure that voters of color can continue to use Section 2 to assure their equal opportunity to participate in elections, in Alabama and around the country. “In this instance, the Supreme Court’s embrace of established precedent seems to have heard the public’s outcry over its radical rulings. We should all demand decisions from this court that uphold democracy and advance racial justice.”Kareem Crayton, senior director in the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, had this reaction: “Today’s decision affirms the Congressional support and judicial principles that gave rise to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Communities of color in this increasingly diverse country need assurance in the law that their right to be fairly represented in government can come from the courts when legislatures fail to follow the law. Despite the Court’s efforts of limiting the use of litigation to address discriminatory districts, this opinion reflects a fulsome application of precedent — which affirms the view of a unanimous district court.” “Make no mistake: today’s ruling still leaves us with a weakened tool of enforcement. Ten years ago, this court ended the most effective part of the legislation, preclearance, and in 2021, made it very hard to use Section 2 to challenge suppressive discriminatory voting rules. “Congress can and should step in to protect fair access to voting and representation for all. Our legislators must pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 1:49pm
Today, the Department of the Interior announced $63.8 million to plug and clean up orphaned oil and gas wells located in national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and on other public lands and waters. Orphaned wells have been abandoned by the oil and gas industry, spewing toxic chemicals into the air and water, threatening the health of nearby communities, and emitting large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas more than 80 times as potent at driving the climate crisis as carbon dioxide. In response, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Mahyar Sorour released the following statement:“These funds will facilitate the critical work of cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells that are poisoning communities and destabilizing our climate. Addressing these existing wells is an important first step, but unless it’s paired with bonding reform that requires oil and gas companies to cover these costs up front, the industry will continue to leave behind toxic wells on our public lands and expect taxpayers to cover the cost of cleaning them up. We welcome this critical step, and we urge the administration to prioritize action to protect communities and taxpayers from having to keep cleaning up the fossil fuel industry’s messes.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 1:46pm
Today, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Black voters in Allen v. Milligan, holding that Alabama’s racially gerrymandered 2021 voting map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which prohibits voting rules that result in the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on account of race. As of Feb. 2023, state legislatures have introduced at least 150 bills this year that would restrict voting access, and over the past two years, states have enacted hundreds of laws that make it more difficult for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color as well as low-income communities to vote. Both the House and Senate are expected to reintroduce the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore and strengthen the full power of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as the Freedom To Vote Act this year, which would expand and protect the public’s access to fair and free elections and reign in corporate polluters’ destructive influence on our elections and law-making.In response, Sierra Club Democracy Program Director Courtney Hight and Sierra Club Alabama Chapter Director Joi Travis issued the following statement:“Today’s ruling is correct, appropriate, and a win for all Alabama voters and our democracy at large. Every American’s bedrock right to vote must be protected and upheld -- no matter their race, their zip code, or their income. The discriminatory and restrictive voting maps that disenfranchised voters of color in Alabama should have never been enacted in the first place. “Despite today’s ruling, we know that the Voting Rights Act is far from safe. Many Republican state legislatures are wielding their influence to dilute the power of voters of color, and the Supreme Court’s prior decisions have weakened many of the key tools in the Voting Rights Act that combat those assaults on an inclusive and fair democracy. We need Congress to do their duty and swiftly pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom To Vote Act to protect and expand the VRA, our right to vote, and our democracy for generations to come.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 1:44pm
Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south, blanketing cities in thick, yellow haze along the US East Coast that has forced schools to close, canceled outdoor activities, and slowed airline traffic. Millions of US Americans have been urged to stay indoors. Jeff Ordower, North America Director 350.org: “Leaders like Biden are approving new fossil fuel projects at the same time as our air is unsafe to breathe. People all across Canada and the eastern US are having to stay inside their homes for days if they’re able, and if they’re not, especially for poor and working-class communities, they’re risking their health to get to work. The thing is, when this happens in NYC, it goes viral. We know that often isn’t the case when climate disasters strike other areas like the Global South, which is why we’re as committed as ever to pushing for a swift and just transition to renewable energy for all of us and making those responsible pay for the damages.” Andreas Sieber: Associate Director of Policy at 350.org said: “As the inferno of wildfires engulfs North America, diplomats hailing from all corners of the globe gather at the United Nations climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany, in anticipation of the forthcoming climate conference to be held in the United Arab Emirates later this year. COP28 and its mission to course correct following the much anticipated Global Stocktake is absolutely decisive to limit global heating to 1.5C: COP28 must take decisive action and commit to the phase-out of fossil fuels and the powering up of renewable energy to the tune of 1.5 Terawat yearly installments from 2030.“
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[l] at 6/8/23 1:40pm
Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is highly disappointed by the UK High Court’s rejection of Julian Assange’s appeal of his extradition to the United States on Espionage Act charges.While Assange may still have additional legal remedies available to avoid extradition, it seems increasingly likely that it will be up to President Joe Biden, who recently proclaimed that “journalism is not a crime,” to do the right thing and end this Trump-era prosecution.“The idea of Assange or anyone being tried in a U.S. court for obtaining and publishing confidential documents the same way investigative reporters do every day should be terrifying to all Americans,” said FPF Director of Advocacy Seth Stern.As FPF Executive Director Trevor Timm has previously explained, anyone who values the First Amendment should staunchly oppose these charges no matter what they think of Assange or Wikileaks. The case is not about one individual, it’s about freedom of the press, and the government weaponizing the Espionage Act to criminalize routine newsgathering.“If Biden lets this case proceed, future administrations will surely use the precedent of the Assange prosecution, and the unconstitutional authority to criminalize newsgathering that Biden is claiming, to go after journalists they don’t like,” said Stern.“It’s time for Biden to drop this case and show the world he’s serious about press freedom.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 12:40pm
Win Without War joined a diverse coalition of peace, drug policy, and human rights organizations in signing a statement (copied below) opposing H.R. 3205, the ‘Project Precursor Act.’ The bill seeks to label fentanyl a “chemical weapon” by directing the Biden administration to push for its insertion into the international Chemical Weapons Convention. “The illicit trafficking and use of fentanyl is devastating U.S. communities, and Congress should take measures to address this public health crisis in ways that reduce demand and support people wrestling with drug dependence,” said Stephen Miles, Win Without War’s president. “But normalizing the misguided notion that fentanyl is a ‘chemical weapon’ will only bolster extremist demands to conduct military strikes in Mexico, deepen our failed war on drugs, and weaken a vital international arms control treaty.”“We’re proud to join a strong coalition in urging Congress to vote down a bad idea with terrible policy implications. Communities in the U.S. and around the world deserve humane and people-first solutions, not dangerous rhetoric in the service of an extremist, pro-war agenda.” ###JOINT STATEMENT OPPOSING H.R. 3205, THE “PROJECT PRECURSOR ACT”The undersigned organizations urge the House of Representatives to vote down H.R. 3205, the “Project Precursor Act.” We represent a diverse set of civil society groups with different mandates, missions, and areas of expertise, and not all of us can comment on every facet of H.R. 3205. We are firmly aligned, however, in rejecting the bill’s central aim of labeling fentanyl a “chemical weapon” – a dangerous rhetorical stunt that feeds calls for military action in Mexico, weakens the international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and further entrenches a failed, militarized approach to addressing the harms caused by illicit fentanyl trafficking.Title II of H.R. 3205 states that “The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General, shall use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States…to seek to amend the Chemical Weapons Convention to include each covered fentanyl substance on schedule 2 or 3 of the Annex on Chemicals to the Chemical Weapons Convention.” Pushing to add fentanyl to any of the CWC schedules fundamentally misrepresents the crisis caused by illicit fentanyl use. Fentanyl is not a weapon of war. It is a drug, and while it has some therapeutic uses, it is dealing real and lasting damage to U.S. communities. Congress adopting this “chemical weapon” rhetoric will only give further oxygen to growing calls for, and even congressional authorization of, U.S. military strikes in Mexico. The executive branch Office of Legal Counsel has previously taken the position that the president can invoke his Article II authorities to target chemical weapons facilities in another country, without first seeking approval from Congress. Acclimating both Congress and executive agencies to the claim that fentanyl is a “chemical weapon” would embolden an executive branch that already views its war powers as virtually unchecked. If H.R. 3205 is passed, a future president could instrumentalize both the view of Congress and prior OLC positions to justify unilateral strikes on cartels in Mexico, embroiling the United States in a destabilizing cross-border conflict that would endanger people in both countries. The push for strikes into Mexico would be closely paired with increased border militarization and even greater restrictions on people who are migrating to and seeking protection in the United States. Powerful politicians are already, wrongly, scapegoating these populations for fentanyl-related deaths. If H.R. 3205 is adopted and migrants become viewed as perpetuating “chemical weapon attacks,” congressional rhetoric will open the door to an even greater military buildup at the U.S.-Mexico border, and our hobbled asylum and refugee resettlement systems will further atrophy as people already fleeing conflict and crisis are baselessly treated as threats.H.R. 3205 not only plays into the hands of those seeking conflict in Mexico, but also risks undermining international efforts to verify and destroy chemical weapons. The CWC is a successful and durable international arms control agreement that has facilitated the destruction of 99% of the world’s declared chemical weapons stockpiles. In pushing an international arms control treaty body to address a drug policy matter entirely divorced from its mission, the United States would open the door to other governments revisiting and even contesting the CWC in a manner that both distracts from efforts to verify and destroy chemical weapons and degrades the international taboo on chemical weapons’ storage and use. Finally, in seeking to present fentanyl as a weapon of war, H.R. 3205 entrenches the cardinal failure of the war on drugs – militarizing a public health challenge. The U.S. government viewing people who use fentanyl as wielding a “chemical weapon” would imperil desperately needed access to treatment and health services that can prevent overdoses and address drug dependence. In particular, the bill’s authors have not clarified how amending the CWC to include fentanyl as a chemical substance would impact enforcement of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 11B, which mandates severe penalties, including fines and possible imprisonment for possessing a chemical weapon, in addition to life imprisonment or capital punishment for any person in violation of the law “and by whose action the death of another person is the result” (18 U.S.C. § 229 and 229A). As a result, medical professionals may avoid fentanyl’s licit and beneficial applications for fear of prescribing a “chemical weapon.” And any further police, prosecutorial, or even military action or expanded authority to disrupt this “chemical weapon” would disproportionately fall, as has the rest of the war on drugs, on communities of color, people who use drugs, and the working class. All too often, we see overheated and politically expedient statements set the stage for spiraling international crises and attacks on the most vulnerable. We urge Congress to reject H.R. 3205, and stop today’s rhetoric from encouraging tomorrow’s conflict. Afghans For A Better TomorrowAIDS UnitedCenter for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)Center for International Policy Demand Progress ActionDrug Policy AllianceFriends Committee on National LegislationJustice is GlobalKino Border InitiativeLaw Enforcement Action PartnershipNational Immigration ProjectNational Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy StudiesNEXT DistroOxfam AmericaPeace ActionPhysicians for Human RightsProject On Government OversightQuincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftStudents for Sensible Drug PolicyWashington Office on Latin AmericaWin Without WarWorking Families Party
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[l] at 6/8/23 12:02pm
Taifa Smith Butler, President of Dēmos, a movement-oriented think tank committed to racial justice, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court Allen v. Milligan decision: "Today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Black voters and the Voting Rights Act. This victory belongs to the Black organizers and voting advocates in Alabama. Their leadership is a major win for Black voters in Alabama and states like Louisiana. It further protects other communities across the country as they fight for fair maps. “This is a legal victory, but there is more work to be done. Such an extreme case should have never reached the Supreme Court in the first place. Allen v. Milligan was a blatant attempt to minimize Black political power in Alabama. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, this Court used its shadow docket to reinstate the racially gerrymandered maps in clear violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, only to now declare one of those same maps illegal. “This case highlights the urgent need for comprehensive federal voting rights legislation and Supreme Court reform. We need bold reform that will strengthen the integrity and fairness of our judicial system and empower Black communities in choosing their representatives and not the other way around.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 12:01pm
Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan: “For democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all. At a time when too many politicians are trying to make it harder for people of color to choose who will serve them in office, this decision affirms the basic rights enshrined in our Constitution. Our leaders do not get to choose their voters. A majority of the Supreme Court followed its precedent and protected Black voters in Alabama, upholding protections for all voters of color. By upholding Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, it has acknowledged the very real discrimination voters of color face across the nation. This is an important step towards ensuring our communities have the power to elect the leaders of their choice, and we have more work to do to protect voting rights.“Almost exactly 10 years ago, the Court gutted another key provision of the Voting Rights Act (Section 5) in Shelby County v. Holder. We will continue to call upon Congress to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act to prevent racial discrimination in voting so that we can build a multiracial democracy that works for all of us.”Along with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights filed a “friend of the court” brief in Allen v. Milligan.
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[l] at 6/8/23 11:08am
The following is a statement from Marilyn Carpinteyro, interim co-president at Common Cause: “Today is a day of celebration for all of those who care about freedom and democracy, with the Supreme Court recognizing the vital importance of what remains of the Voting Rights Act to protect Americans from the insidious effects of discrimination. This decision affirms what we at Common Cause and our 1.5 million members have long known — that our country’s laws do not allow politicians to manipulate voting maps that weaken the voting power of Black and brown communities. This ruling is a victory for all who stand for our democracy’s promise of free and fair elections, but there is much more work ahead. In states around the country, Common Cause will continue advocating for fair maps that represent and respect our diverse communities. We also call on Congress to act and pass long overdue protections for voters at the federal level, so that we can put an end once and for all to the persistent attempts to undermine and restrict our right to vote.”
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[l] at 6/8/23 9:41am
Members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives have expressed their support for the fundamental rights of children to a safe climate and the young Americans in the landmark children’s constitutional climate case, Juliana v. United States. On June 1, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken, of the U.S. District Court in Oregon, granted the young plaintiffs’ motion to amend their complaint, putting their case back on track to trial after almost eight years of unprecedented efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to delay or dismiss their case.Following the ruling, members of Congress demonstrated public support and this week they joined a Tweetstorm to continue to show their commitment to the youth, their rights to a safe, livable climate, and their right to go to trial. The Juliana case was one of the most significant targets of the Trump administration’s “shadow docket” - a tactic wherein cases are decided without full briefing or oral argument, and without any written opinion.Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chairman of the Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee and Chairman of the Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Environment and Public Works Subcommittee, shared, “BIG NEWS: The #YouthVGov case will finally proceed to trial! This remarkable group of young people who are demanding their right to a healthy planet and future have my full support.” Read his June 3, 2023, tweet here and June 6, 2023, tweet here.“Twenty-one youth have waited almost eight years to get a ruling on their lawsuit demanding their constitutional right to a safe climate be protected. And yesterday, we welcomed news that they are finally being granted their right to go to trial,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member on the House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. “These young people have taken on incredible responsibility to protect our environment. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to support them as they continue their fight to protect the right of all to a safe and habitable climate. Our children and grandchildren should not have to fear for the future of their environment and our world as we know it.” Read her June 2, 2023, press statement here and tweet here.“Today, I'm proudly standing with @youthvgov + Juliana plaintiffs as they fight to protect their constitutional right to a safe climate. Let's get climate justice out of the shadows & off the shadow docket,” stated Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), member of the Judiciary Committee and Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Read her June 6, 2023, tweet here.For additional statements of support, including from Senators Whitehouse and Wyden and Congressmembers Jayapal and Tlaib, visit the Juliana statements of support page.“I’m excited that our case is finally moving forward and grateful that members of Congress continue to support children’s fundamental rights for youth, like me and my little sister,” said 15-year-old Levi Draheim, youngest plaintiff in the Juliana case. Learn more about Levi and the other 20 Juliana plaintiffs here.Since the case was filed in 2015, more than 85 lawmakers have rallied behind the Juliana youth and their right to a safe climate. They joined U.S. Senate and House letters in November 2021 to President Biden expressing support for the fundamental rights of children to a safe climate. Members stood with the Juliana plaintiffs by cosponsoring the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution introduced during the 116th and 117th Congress (S.Con.Res.8 & H.Con.Res.31) expressing that the current climate crisis disproportionately affects the health, economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children, and demands that the United States develop a national, comprehensive, science-based, and just climate recovery plan to meet necessary emissions reduction targets. They also signed on to two 2019 and 2020 amicus briefs filed in the Ninth Circuit.“Attorney General Garland should treat this like the urgent constitutional case that it is by litigating the case on its merits and presenting their arguments in the light of day at trial, rather than once again seeking to push this case into the dark corners of the shadow docket,” said Julia Olson, lead counsel for the youth plaintiffs. “Members of Congress who continue to stand in solidarity with these 21 young Americans are sending a clear and urgent message to all of our nation’s leaders to protect our children’s fundamental rights to a safe climate.”Plaintiffs intend to seek a prompt trial date so that they and their experts can finally present their evidence of their government’s active infringement of their constitutional rights.
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[l] at 6/8/23 9:28am
The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled in Allen v. Milligan in favor of Black voters who challenged Alabama’s 2021-enacted congressional map for violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for diluting Black political power, affirming the district court’s order that Alabama redraw its congressional map. By packing and cracking the historic Black Belt community, the map passed by the state legislature allowed Black voters an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in only one of seven districts even though they make up 27 percent percent of the voting-age population. In its decision, the court also affirmed that under Section 2 of the VRA, race can be used in the redistricting process to provide equal opportunities to communities of color and ensure they are not packed and cracked in a way that impermissibly weakens their voting strength.The case was brought in November 2021 on behalf of Evan Milligan, Khadidah Stone, Letetia Jackson, Shalela Dowdy, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP who are represented by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Alabama, Hogan Lovells LLP, and Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb. It was argued before the court on Oct. 4, 2022.“This decision is a crucial win against the continued onslaught of attacks on voting rights,” said LDF senior counsel Deuel Ross, who argued the case before the court in October. “Alabama attempted to rewrite federal law by saying race had no place in redistricting. But because of the state’s sordid and well-documented history of racial discrimination, race must be used to remedy that past and ensure communities of color are not boxed out of the electoral process. While the Voting Rights Act and other key protections against discriminatory voting laws have been weakened in recent years and states continue to pass provisions to disenfranchise Black voters, today’s decision is a recognition of Section 2’s purpose to prevent voting discrimination and the very basic right to a fair shot.”Davin Rosborough, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said, “The Supreme Court rejected the Orwellian idea that it’s inappropriate to consider race in determining whether racial discrimination led to the creation of illegal maps. This ruling is a huge victory for Black Alabamians.”Plaintiffs from the case released the following joint comment: “In 2021, Alabama lawmakers targeted Black voters by packing and cracking us so we could not have a meaningful impact on the electoral process. They attempted to redefine Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and shirk their responsibility to ensure communities of color are given an equal opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. Today, the Supreme Court reminded them of that responsibility by ordering a new map be drawn that complies with federal law – one that recognizes the diversity in our state rather than erasing it. This fight was won through generations of Black leaders who refused to be silent, and while much work is left, today we can move forward with these reaffirmed protections civil rights leaders fought and died for.”“The key takeaway from today’s decision is the court’s acknowledgment that the Alabama Legislature knowingly continued its legacy of drawing illegal voting districts that disenfranchise Black voters. The Alabama Legislature must now draw new, fairer voting districts,” said Tish Gotell Faulks, the ACLU of Alabama’s legal director. “Though we were victorious today, history shows us that lawmakers will erect many more hurdles before every Alabamian, irrespective of their race, can vote for representatives that reflect their beliefs, values, and priorities. Efforts remain underway from Montgomery to Jackson to Baton Rouge, and elsewhere across the country to minimize, marginalize, and eliminate the ability of Black and brown people to have a voice in their communities. Our communities then — as now — understand that the fight to uphold our civil rights is a daily pursuit. We will persist.”Ruling: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1086_1co6.pdfThis case is part of the ACLU’s Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket.
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[l] at 6/8/23 8:57am
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Allen v. Milligan affirming Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The case centered on a voting map in Alabama that was struck down by a unanimous 3-judge court for diluting Black Alabamians’ voting strength and restricting their ability to elect their preferred representative. In response, Paul Smith, senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center (CLC), issued the following statement: “Today, the Supreme Court upheld the voting rights of Black Alabamians and prevented politicians from using unfair voting maps to drown out Black voices. Black Alabamians deserve to have a say in the issues that impact their lives. When self-interested politicians draw maps that suit their own needs instead of the needs of their community, our democracy becomes less inclusive and accountable. We are heartened that the Supreme Court upheld Section 2 of the VRA, one of the most important tools available to ensure every voter, particularly Black and brown voters who have historically been denied the freedom to vote, has an equal voice in our democracy. While this ruling is a step in the right direction, we will continue to fight tirelessly alongside our local allies in Alabama and across the country to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps in court and develop innovative policy solutions that protect and expand the freedom to vote for every American.”Campaign Legal Center has been involved in several lawsuits challenging racial vote dilution in voting maps. In July 2022, Campaign Legal Center filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Allen v. Milligan arguing that Alabama’s attacks on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act were unfounded. The brief offered several remedies the state of Alabama could have taken that did not dilute Black voices while still satisfying Alabama’s other policy priorities.
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[l] at 6/7/23 3:32pm
STATEMENT FROM AMY HANAUER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE ON TAXATION AND ECONOMIC POLICY:“We’re thrilled to see lawmakers prioritizing tax credits for low- and middle-income families with the introduction of the American Family Act today. By permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to 2021 levels, this legislation would help millions of children and families, especially the lowest-income families who currently make too little to receive the CTC.We know the CTC works wonders to boost economic security; when the expanded credit was in place in 2021 child poverty was cut by an astonishing 46 percent.Restoring the more robust CTC should be a top priority of all lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. But unfortunately, this bill stands in stark contrast to other tax bills taking shape that would deeply cut taxes for profitable corporations and wealthy families.”
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[l] at 6/7/23 3:24pm
The Economic Policy Institute mourns the loss of William Spriggs, AFL-CIO chief economist and professor in the Department of Economics at Howard University, as well as former EPI economist. Spriggs was a fierce proponent of racial and economic justice whose influence as a public intellectual and economist reached across academia, labor, think tanks, positions in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and the civil rights community. In addition to broadening discussions about race and economics within these critical institutions, Dr. Spriggs worked tirelessly behind the scenes to expand representation of people of color within the economics profession and mentor the next generation of economists, including Valerie Wilson—EPI’s director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy.“There is no exaggeration in saying that I owe my career as an economist to my friend and mentor, Bill Spriggs,” said Wilson. “Not only did he convince me to finish graduate school, but when Bill hired me for my first job as a research analyst at the National Urban League, he would often tell me that I was his retirement policy. Bill gave meaning to those words by selflessly giving his time, incredible intellect, wisdom, and personal connections while advocating for me on numerous occasions. I learned so much of what I know about economics and economic policy from Bill Spriggs, but more than that, I learned to lead with principles and purpose. I am deeply saddened by his loss, and I hope to do justice to his remarkable legacy as an unapologetic advocate for racial and economic justice.”
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[l] at 6/7/23 2:07pm
Amidst health advisories from hazardous wildfire smoke blanketing the northeastern U.S., climate activists, frontline leaders, and environmental justice organizations are joining together for a national week of action to send a strong message to President Biden: no more fossil fuels. With the approval of Willow Project, fast-tracking of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and rollbacks for environmental protections, the US is doubling down on it’s role as the world’s top oil and gas producer at a time when scientists could not be clearer that stopping fossil fuels is the only way to avert global climate catastrophe.The demonstrations will take place in over 65 locations across the US from June 8–11th, and are endorsed by 64 Indigenous, climate, labor, and environmental justice organizations, including Sunrise, 350.org, and Indigenous Environmental Network. Lead sponsors include the Center for Popular Democracy, Zero Hour, the 350 Network Council, Fridays for Future, the Climate Organizing Hub, and the People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition, which includes over 1,200 organizations across the country. The week of action begins tomorrow, June 8th, with a mass rally and sit-in on the doorstep of the White House to demand that Biden stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The call could not be more urgent: the outdoor D.C. air is unsafe to breathe due to wildfires that are directly exacerbated by fossil fuels; organizers of the protest will be providing N95 masks. Other actions range from Paddle out Zenith, a land and water rally in Portland, Oregon, to a series of demonstrations across the Great Lake states to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline. Across the country, communities are lifting up how each and every new fossil fuel project exacerbates the climate emergency and sacrifices Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor white communities.This national outcry signals the need for change in the Biden administration’s continued approval of new fossil fuel projects ahead of the UN Climate Ambition Summit in New York this September. Since President Biden’s disastrous approval of the Alaska Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and Willow oil project and his debt ceiling deal that fast-tracks the Mountain Valley Pipeline, millions of people across the country have taken action to oppose new fossil fuel projects and hold Biden accountable for the promises he made when these climate activists helped elect him. The national week of action to end the era of fossil fuels reignites that fight and kicks off months of coordinated action to hold Biden accountable to his climate promises leading up to the UN Climate Ambition Summit. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres chided leaders like Biden at the White House climate summit, saying, “The science is clear: New fossil fuel projects are entirely incompatible” with the goals set in the 2015 Paris climate accord, “yet many countries are expanding capacity. I urge you to change course.”Biden has the power right now, without Congress, to direct agencies to reject new fossil fuel projects and phase out federal fossil fuel production on public lands and waters. By declaring a national climate emergency, Biden could also unlock additional powers to limit fossil fuel exports, increase the availability of clean energy technologies, and ensure communities hit hardest by climate disasters receive the resources they need to rebuild.
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[l] at 6/7/23 1:57pm
In response to the climate crisis intensifying toxic smoke over New York City and the rest of the Northeast, Varshini Prakash, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement, released the following statement: “New York City looks like it’s on fire, kids are choking on dirty air, and the AQI is a serious health threat equivalent to breathing in smoke from cigarettes. We are in a climate emergency, and it’s absurd that our government isn’t acting like it. “President Biden, declare a climate emergency. How can you look at what’s going on and not take action?” These explicit impacts of the climate crisis are coming up directly after the government approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline and other fossil fuel projects that exacerbate the climate crisis.

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