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Common Dreams
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[l] at 6/20/25 2:35pm
In response to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s just-released report on the greenhouse gas emissions of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Oil Change International Research Director Lorne Stockman said: “This latest IEA report repeats the decade-old fallacy that the LNG industry is on the cusp of cleaning up its act, even though it has consistently refused to do so. The methane reductions that are supposed to result from a suite of new technologies and a slew of industry-led voluntary initiatives have failed to materialize again and again. The IEA’s own Methane Tracker data shows that the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions are massive and growing, and “have still not reached a definitive peak.” While the IEA attempts to downplay the life-cycle GHG emissions of LNG compared to coal, The IEA’s own modelling also clearly shows that there is no room for any new LNG export projects if the world is to stave off climate disaster. “The IEA estimates that 80.5 million metric tons of methane were emitted from the global oil and gas industry in 2024, while highlighting that “methane emissions are widely underreported.” In the short term (20-year equivalency), this equates to over 6.4 billion tons of CO2. This is like adding nearly 1,700 US coal plants. “It is beyond time that the IEA, the oil and gas industry, and enabling governments such as Japan and the US stop spreading misinformation about gas. The only way to reduce emissions from oil and gas, and the toxic pollution they spread into communities’ air and water, is to phase out fossil fuel production and use. We have waited too long. The planet is literally burning while the oil and gas industry fiddles.”
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[l] at 6/20/25 11:07am
Common Dreams Update: Following publication of the article found at this URL—originally titled "'Disgusting': VA Doctors Can Now Reportedly Refuse to Treat Unmarried People, Democrats on June 16 and which was based on June 16 Guardian reporting under the headline "'Extremely Disturbing and Unethical': new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans"—that news outlet posted updates to its coverage in response to demands for clarification from the Trump administration's Department of Veterans Affairs. Due to the nature of the Guardian's changes to their reporting, upon which our article was based, we have made the decision to take down our article, but are including the full text of the original below in the name of transparency.The Guardian's editorial note for their piece is below, in full, and their updated article can be read here:Guardian editorial note: This article and its headline were amended on 18 June 2025. An earlier version said that under the new rules, medical staff could refuse to treat veterans based on their beliefs or marital status, and that candidates for hospital positions could face discrimination on grounds of further characteristics removed from the bylaws. After publication, the VA contacted the Guardian citing a 2013 policy directive that it says will continue to protect patients from discrimination despite the redactions in its bylaws; the VA also cited federal law protecting staff from discrimination. The VA further emphasized that federal law gives all eligible veterans access to hospital services. The VA’s comments on this were added.'Disgusting': VA Doctors Can Now Reportedly Refuse to Treat Unmarried People, DemocratsThis is a "political purity tests for people who risked their lives for this country," wrote one veterans group.In response to a January executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented new guidelines that permit individual doctors and other health professionals to refuse to treat patients based on their marital status or political beliefs, according to Monday reporting from The Guardian.With the changes in place, "individual workers are now free to decline to care for patients based on personal characteristics not explicitly prohibited by federal law."According to The Guardian, previously VA hospitals' bylaws said that medical staff could not discriminate against patients based on "race, age, color, sex, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, or disability in any employment matter." Terms on that list including, "national origin," "politics," and "marital status," are no longer there.The changes "seem to open the door to discrimination on the basis of anything that is not legally protected," Dr. Kenneth Kizer, the VA's top healthcare official during the Clinton administration, told The Guardian.The new guidelines, which also apply to psychologists and other occupations, are already in effect in at least some Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, according to the outlet.The Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated healthcare system in the country, provides care at over 1,300 healthcare facilities. According to the VA's website, over 9.1 million veterans are enrolled in the VA healthcare program.What's more, the outlet reviewed documents that show that medical staff including doctors can now be barred "from working at VA hospitals based on their marital status, political party affiliation or union activity." Workers like certified nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and licensed clinical social workers, among others, are also impacted by the changes.U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is a senior member and former chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, issued a sharp statement in response to the news."Healthcare isn't just a special privilege Trump gets to dole out to veterans who agree with the president—it's a moral obligation our country owes to every single man and woman who serves in uniform. Anyone who doesn't understand that has no business leading our armed forces in any way," wrote Murray in a statement on Monday."It's disgusting that this policy was ever allowed to go into effect, and I will not let it fly under the radar," she added."This isn't healthcare. It's political purity tests for people who risked their lives for this country. It's unethical, authoritarian, and every one of us should be outraged," wrote VoteVets, a progressive veterans group, in a Bluesky post on Monday in response to The Guardian's reporting.?? Trump’s VA just allowed doctors to deny care to Democrats, unmarried Veterans, among other groups. This isn’t healthcare. It’s political purity tests for people who risked their lives for this country. It’s unethical, authoritarian, and every one of us should be outraged.[image or embed]— VoteVets (@votevets.org) June 16, 2025 at 11:11 AMAccording to The Guardian, VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz did not dispute these aspects of the new rules, but told the outlet that "all eligible veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they've earned under the law."The rule change, according to The Guardian, stems from the January 30 executive order called "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." The outlet reported that the "primary purpose of the executive order was to strip most government protections from transgender people. The VA has since ceased providing most gender-affirming care and forbidden a long list of words, including 'gender affirming' and 'transgender,' from clinical settings." The VA is currently led by former Republican congressman Doug Collins.Kasperowicz confirmed that they were implemented to adhere to January executive order. He called the changes nothing more than a "formality." He added that the revisions were necessary to "ensure VA policy comports with federal law," but did not specify which laws made the changes necessary.Common Dreams Update: Following publication of this article, which was based on June 16 Guardian reporting, that news outlet posted updates to its coverage in response to demands for clarification from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Guardian's editorial note for their piece is below, in full, and their updated article can be read here. Guardian editorial note: This article and its headline were amended on 18 June 2025. An earlier version said that under the new rules, medical staff could refuse to treat veterans based on their beliefs or marital status, and that candidates for hospital positions could face discrimination on grounds of further characteristics removed from the bylaws. After publication, the VA contacted the Guardian citing a 2013 policy directive that it says will continue to protect patients from discrimination despite the redactions in its bylaws; the VA also cited federal law protecting staff from discrimination. The VA further emphasized that federal law gives all eligible veterans access to hospital services. The VA’s comments on this were added.
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[l] at 6/18/25 2:14pm
The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding the Trustees reports on the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds released today:“Older American retirees can feel confident about their Social Security based on the Trustees’ report released today.“Today’s report reaffirms that the Social Security Trust Fund is able to pay full benefits and expenses until 2033 as is the Medicare Trust Fund. If Congress does not make any changes, the Social Security Trust Fund will then pay 77% of benefits to all current and future beneficiaries.“However, we cannot be complacent. Republicans in Congress have made clear they are eager to cut the benefits Americans have worked a lifetime to earn. Whether it’s raising the retirement age beyond 67, privatizing Social Security, or continuing the DOGE agenda of dismantling the Social Security Administration to make it harder to claim benefits, the future of our guaranteed benefits is at risk.“There is a better way to strengthen Social Security for current and future generations. 94% of working Americans pay into Social Security with every paycheck. If the wealthiest 6% of Americans had to do the same, current and future generations of Americans would not only receive all the benefits they have earned, but we could increase benefits for those who need it the most.“We urge Congress and the Administration to strengthen Medicare’s finances by reining in the high cost of prescription drugs and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for more drugs. In addition, we urge HHS to hold Medicare Advantage insurance corporations accountable for delivering care at a reasonable cost and crack down on practices that increase corporate profits without improving patient care.“In just a few weeks Medicare will celebrate its 60th anniversary while Social Security will celebrate its 90th. There is no better time for all Americans to commit to strengthening these critical programs. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us.”
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[l] at 6/18/25 2:13pm
The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, on the 2025 Social Security Trustees Report:“This report shows that Social Security is fully affordable, costing only about 6 percent of GDP at the end of the 21st century. It has a modest funding shortfall, which is still years away. There is no question Congress will act to avert the shortfall, as it always has in the past. The question is what Congress will do.There are two options for action: Bringing more money into Social Security, or reducing benefits. Any politician who doesn’t support increasing Social Security’s revenue is, by default, supporting benefit cuts.In poll after poll, the American people are clear that they strongly support making the wealthy pay their fair share into Social Security, and overwhelmingly oppose benefit cuts. As divided as Americans are over many issues, we are united about Social Security.Not only is requiring the wealthy to pay into Social Security on all their income popular, it is also excellent policy. Income inequality has cost Social Security more than $1.4 trillion since 1983. If the wealthy pay in on all of their income, including unearned investment income, we can easily afford to protect and expand Social Security’s modest benefits.Democrats have introduced several bills that would do just that. In sharp contrast, Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues want to give even more tax breaks to billionaires.Importantly, the question about whether to expand or cut Social Security is a question of values, not affordability. America is the wealthiest country in the history of the world, at the wealthiest moment in our history. That money can remain concentrated in the hands of billionaires, or it can go towards Social Security, enriching all of our lives.There is an urgent crisis facing Social Security, but it’s not a shortfall years in the future. It is sabotage that’s happening right now. Despite Donald Trump’s promise to protect Social Security, Elon Musk’s DOGE is undermining it every day. DOGE has pushed out thousands of Social Security staffers, including nearly half of senior executives. This is an incalculable loss of institutional knowledge and expertise.These cuts are completely misguided and unnecessary. Social Security is run very efficiently, with well under a penny of every dollar spent on administrative costs. Given that, substantially increasing or decreasing Social Security’s administrative budget has a negligible impact on the system’s finances.Today’s report is a reminder that even as DOGE’s cuts to the Social Security Administration are wrecking Social Security’s customer service, they are doing nothing to improve its solvency.”
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[l] at 6/18/25 1:52pm
A new group of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) shots that protect people for six months after injection could help end the global AIDS epidemic – that is, if manufacturers, global leaders and advocates step up to ensure the drugs are accessible to all countries for a fair price. On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a highly effective new HIV-prevention medication, lenacapavir. The closest drug to an HIV vaccine, lenacapavir has shown 99% efficacy in preventing HIV infection, but its manufacturer, Gilead, is overcharging for the drug and gripping tightly to its patents in certain countries. Patented in many Latin American countries, lenacapavir as an HIV treatment is priced at more than $40,000 (U.S. dollars) per year, but experts estimate lenacapavir’s production (plus a margin for profit) could price the drug as low as $25 with process improvements and an increase in demand. Gilead, owner of the patents, has licensed the production of the generic version to supply 120 countries, excluding most Latin American countries; even those where the respective clinical trials were carried out and in countries with rising HIV incidence – the region has seen a 9% increase in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2023. Public Citizen has been working with 100 health groups across Latin America to overcome the patent barrier, issuing multiple compulsory license requests and calling on governments to take action to make long-acting PrEP more accessible. This week groups submitted letters to Gilead, government officials and ministries of health and patent offices. Public Citizen Access to Medicines Director Peter Maybarduk said governments and manufacturers must prioritize meeting the global need to prevent HIV transmission. “Gilead excluded most of Latin America from its license, but countries have the power to introduce affordable generics nonetheless, overcome the patent barrier and scale up PrEP,” said Maybarduk. “The world has an historic opportunity to end AIDS. That requires confronting the triple threat of funding cuts, stigma and pharma power.” “This scientific breakthrough will only be meaningful if it becomes available in a timely, affordable, and equitable manner for all who need it across Latin America and the Caribbean. Access barriers in our region are not only ethically unacceptable—they undermine global efforts to end AIDS,” said Luz Marina Umbasia, Director of Global Humanitarian Progress Colombia. “Equity in access and affordability is the only path to realizing the full lifesaving potential of long-acting antiretrovirals. Sharing technology and opening patents can expand markets and save lives—but only if done fairly and consistently, without excluding regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s time for Big Pharma to move beyond an outdated, monopolistic patent model. The world can no longer afford business as usual,” said Guillermina Alaniz, Director of Global Advocacy & Policy at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
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[l] at 6/18/25 9:32am
Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case involving transgender health care bans:Transgender health care bans legislate Christian Nationalist view of gender“The Supreme Court’s ultra-conservative justices are allowing Christian Nationalists and their allies to legislate a narrow, religious view of gender that will harm countless children and families. Not only has the court failed to protect America’s children, but this decision will encourage Christian Nationalists to further restrict any and all health care that doesn’t align with their narrow religious beliefs. LGBTQ+ people, women, religious minorities, the nonreligious and other traditionally marginalized communities are particularly at risk.“Christian Nationalists have achieved yet another milestone in their decades-long effort to drag our country back in time. We need a national recommitment to church-state separation, which ensures freedom without favor and equality without exception. At Americans United, we will continue to fight for the right of all Americans to live as themselves and believe as they choose, as long as they do not harm others. That includes our gender-nonconforming and transgender family members, coworkers, friends, and neighbors.”AU joined amicus brief opposing transgender health care banAmericans United joined Kentucky parents of transgender children and civil rights groups in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the case involving the Tennessee ban, explaining that transgender health care bans intentionally discriminate against transgender youth by denying them medications that are prescribed for other youth. These laws do not ban these medications for all minors, but only when they are prescribed for transgender minors. As a result of this discriminatory treatment, transgender youth are unable to obtain the only effective treatment for the severe distress caused by gender dysphoria.AU’s brief was among more than 30 friend-of-the-court briefs in which bioethicists, medical providers, medical historians, family law professors, and additional families in states where care has been banned had urged the Supreme Court to rule against bans on essential medical care for transgender adolescents so that families can make the health care decisions that are best for their children.
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[l] at 6/18/25 9:30am
This morning, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti, a challenge brought by three transgender adolescents, their families, and a Memphis-based medical provider against a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming hormone therapies for transgender people under 18.The Court agreed with parts of the Sixth Circuit’s opinion that allowed the law to take effect, holding that Tennessee’s SB1 does not draw a sex-based (or a trans status-based) line and thus only necessitates deferential review by the courts. That means SB1 can remain in effect. Notably, however, the decision is based on the record in and context of the Tennessee case and therefore does not extend to other cases concerning discrimination based on transgender status.“Today’s ruling is a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution,” said Chase Strangio, Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. “Though this is a painful setback, it does not mean that transgender people and our allies are left with no options to defend our freedom, our health care, or our lives. The Court left undisturbed Supreme Court and lower court precedent that other examples of discrimination against transgender people are unlawful. We are as determined as ever to fight for the dignity and equality of every transgender person and we will continue to do so with defiant strength, a restless resolve, and a lasting commitment to our families, our communities, and the freedom we all deserve.”“This is a heartbreaking ruling, making it more difficult for transgender youth to escape the danger and trauma of being denied their ability to live and thrive,” said Sasha Buchert, Counsel and Director of the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal. “But we will continue to fight fiercely to protect them. Make no mistake, gender-affirming care is often life-saving care, and all major medical associations have determined it to be safe, appropriate, and effective. This is a sad day, and the implications will reverberate for years and across the country, but it does not shake our resolve to continue fighting.”“Today the Supreme Court told Tennessee transgender youth and their families that they cannot access healthcare that is vitally important for a successful life,” said Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Tennessee. “This ruling creates a class of people who politicians believe deserve healthcare, and a class of people who do not. We will continue to stand with transgender people in Tennessee and are committed to realizing a world where all people belong, are valued, and can access the necessary healthcare they need.”U.S. v. Skrmetti began when a lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 16-year-old transgender daughter, as well as two other plaintiff families filing anonymously and Memphis-based physician Dr. Susan Lacy. The plaintiff families and Dr. Lacy argued that the law violates the Equal Protection rights of transgender adolescents. Under President Joe Biden, the United States intervened to also argue that the Tennessee law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. After President Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. reversed its position.Since 2021, 25 states have enacted categorical bans on gender-affirming medical care, such as hormone therapy and puberty-suppressant medications, for treating gender dysphoria in transgender youth yet readily allow those same medications for other and similar purposes for cisgender youth. Over 100,000 transgender people under 18 now live in a state with a ban on their health care.In January 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to withhold funds from medical providers and institutions that provide gender-affirming medical treatments such as puberty suppressants and hormone therapies to any trans person under 19. That order was soon challenged on behalf of families, medical providers, and advocates by the ACLU and the Lambda Legal and is blocked from enforcement by a preliminary injunction.This case is a part of the ACLU’s Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket.
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[l] at 6/18/25 1:36am
Of course the long-coveted, savagely panned parade for a man-child who would be king was a bust, "a pathetic event for a pathetic president," notably in contrast to the estimated 11 million angry Americans who came out to say, "No Cons, No Clowns, No Dicks, No Kings." The sad poseur raved about Marxist lunatics who want "transgender for everybody," but he evidently missed the silent, stellar protest by scores of Army troops who in "malicious compliance" were in fact doing "the fuck Trump shuffle."The Continental Army was established 250 years ago this weekend on June 14, 1775 by the Thirteen Colonies as they fought to defend their freedoms against autocrats. Coincidentally, June 14 is also Flag Day, International Bath Day, Knit in Public Day and the birthday of Che Guevara, yours truly and that orange stain on humanity, Commander Tinpot Bone Spur. So it was that the five-time draft dodger and aspiring despot was fundraising for "my military parade" while arguing America can't afford health care for seniors, free lunch for schoolchildren, HIV drugs for sick children or more than two dolls each so "a broken-inside narcissist can pretend he’s not the worthless piece of shit failure his father never stopped telling him he was" and have a bellicose vanity parade like all the other Big Boy Supreme Leaders like North Korea's Kim Jong Un - "We fell in love" - who isn't speaking to him any more.Pretty much everyone else, including veterans furious about the gutting of the V.A, agreed it was a stupid, vulgar, deeply offensive, hideously timed idea, with Retired Maj. General Paul Easton of VoteVets calling it "an exercise in puffery" echoing Soviets marching around Red Square in the Cold War: "We didn’t do it because our greatest strength was our democracy. Today, that democracy is under attack." Indeed, even as House co-chairs of a new Democratic Veterans Caucus handed out small hopeful flags to colleagues, arguing, "Patriotism does not belong to one party," one party was doing its best to shred democratic governance. At that moment, ICE goons were handcuffing Sen. Alex Patilla for asking a question of Nazi Barbie Homeland as she vowed that illegally called-up military won't leave L.A. until they can "liberate" the city from its "socialist," albeit duly elected officials.There's been a Dem mayor arrested, Dem Rep indicted, Dem comptroller detained, a goading, vicious Tinpot speech (behind bulletproof glass) at Ft. Bragg, a threat protests at his party "will be met with very big force - these are people who hate our country" (nope, just you) - and deranged taunts from a Florida sheriff that if fictional protesters "throw a brick...we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at, because we will kill you graveyard dead." Now, a few days later, we've seen real murders of Dem lawmakers in Minnesota, a Middle East increasingly, mindlessly facing conflagration, our own deportation police state's spiraling effort to render the military and every U.S institution a weapon of a madman's vengeful agenda, and untold reasons why a dog-and-pony-and-tank show for an idiot narcissist was not what we needed at this dark historic moment. Yet here they came: 6,600 soldiers, Black Hawk helicopters, Chinooks, tanks, P-51 aircraft, B-25 bomber, 34 horses, two mules, robot dogs, paratroopers dropping, soldiers absurdly carrying drones like pizzas, a soundtrack of canned applause and bad covers of 80s rock songs, Lee Greenwood warbling "God Bless the U.S.A," an MC squawking, "Special thanks to our sponsors" - Lockheed Martin, Coinbase, Palantir, UFC, though he left out U.S. tax payers - because, "Corporate sponsorship for autocracy is such an American thing." They even hawked watches by Trump, who's wanted a parade since seeing a 2017 Bastille Day event in Paris; first term Defense Sec. James Mattis said he'd "rather swallow acid." Now Trump blathered, "We’re the hottest country in the world right now...Our warriors will charge into battle. They will plunge into the crucible of fire, and they will seize the crown of victory."Uh huh. Facts owe: Everything he touches dies. Despite the $45 million price tag, trainloads of tanks and fears of goose-stepping storm-troopers, the day was "a flop at best," "a little underwhelming," a shoddy, bleak vision of aspiring fascism by a low-rent, third-world country whose sweaty denizens endured "a very long and uncomfortable day" of speeches, exhibits, humidity, slow lines, no shade, little food, sticky drizzle, shrieking music, kids clambering on tanks, warm Screamin’ Freedom energy drinks, too few signs - "Nobody knows what’s going on" - and sparse crowds: "I had more people at my bar mitzvah party," "I've seen more people at Applebees on a Tuesday." Much lampooned were near-empty stands of onlookers gazing silent, uncheering, perhaps pondering their life choices as lumbering tanks s-l-o-w-l-y squeaked past. The consensus from one young poet: "It was just...kind of lame." — (@) Online, many viewers mocked the sad small crowds peppering the vast National Mall: "I guess they didn't get much interest from the seat-filler Craigslist ad," "It's like watching a poorly attended golf tournament," "What a fucking clown show. What keeps surprising me is how embarrassing it all is - just one shameful, cringey, mortifying moment after another." Drawing particular ire were the sorry "clusterfuck" of sloppy slouching troops, line after line of soldiers in dutiful fatigues not marching in step but numbly, blankly, clumsily sauntering, often out of sync with the cheesy music: "How to embarrass our troops and country in one day," "Sad. Kim Jong Un will not be impressed," "Most ridiculous thing I have ever seen," "The marchers do not appear to be thrilled to be there - maybe they forgot to feed them," "I have seen first graders walking in a crosswalk do better than that."It took a day or so for astute commentators, especially veterans, to surface and report, "This is 100% a silent protest," a deliberate rejection of “being treated like props for the benefit of an egomaniacal toddler," a "quiet, disciplined Foxtrot Delta Tango that says, 'We're here because we have to be, not because we believe in this clown show.' It’s protest through precision silence and damn, it speaks volumes." "Troops don’t forget how to march," insisted countless veterans. "Former army here. It takes about a week of drill in basic to learn how to march. Once you do, it’s ingrained in you for life." Also: "If the cadence is off, they correct. If no one’s calling it, someone steps up. Unless...they don’t want to," "I took JROTC 2 decades ago. I can still march in step. It was absolutely on purpose," "Anyone vaguely familiar with actual military knew this on sight," and "It's a big 'fuck you' to Trump from the soldiers."They posted slick, sharp, contrasting video to argue, "The Army knows how to march." They noted nobody returned Private Tinpot's limp mock salute; the irony of clueless officials playing Fortunate Son, a song about poor kids fighting in wars that rich kids dodge; the reality that, "To anyone that hasn’t served, it’s actually HARD to be this out of step." They praised "a classic example of messaging whilst under duress, hidden in plain sight" and "showing Don the Con the respect he deserves." They reported young soldiers drinking, hanging out, doing "a lot of eye-rolling" with chatter about playing "cosplay for a dumb ass wannabe dictator like you're a court jester." They celebrated that "6,000 troops voted with their feet on Saturday to tell President Bone Spurs where he can stick any plans for deploying them to enforce martial law." And they said, sincerely, pointedly, "Thank you for your service." Dear Leader bedecked in cartoon gloryScreenshot from BlueskyThe White House claimed 250,000 people turned up for the whiny toddler's birthday; Planet Earth put the number at 17, or more generously 40,000, tops. Enraged by yet more failure, "a big tub of rock salt poured on his wounds of lifelong insecurity," he lashed out - because he's a racist psycopath, at brown people and their allies trying to sneak them in to vote, though they're not and they can't. ICE is "herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” he raved of abducting dishwashers and house painters in L.A., Chicago, New York, "where millions upon millions of illegal aliens reside." He berated "Radical Left Democrats" who "are sick of mind," "hate our country," "want Transgender for Everybody" and "believe in Open Boarders" (sic), with friendly people staying at their houses.Deservedly, foreign coverage of the day was merciless. Via Ireland's Waterford Whispers News, North Korea reported America "held a gaudy and vainglorious display of their dwindling military might," with "their inferior leader looking old, confused and tired (as) he sat next to an expensive prostitute and a drunk television host for the duration of the parade. In total, $40 million was spent on the parade by the debt-ridden failed state, shamefully so at a time of increasing poverty in the country. Many have noted how pudgy and overweight the Trump looks at a time when Americans struggle for food." They also cited several instances of political violence in a nation "unable to tolerate political dissent...The propaganda exercise was swallowed whole by the dull of mind and incurious of spirit. The helpless sheep believe themselves to be the envy of the world, but the world laughs in their faces."Fresh from his squeaky-wheeled humiliation, the Trump then took his stunning incompetence to the G7 meeting in Alberta, where the world kept laughing. He parroted Russian talking points, misstated history - Obama and "a person named Trudeau" didn't want Russia in G7 - yammered about Dems conspiring with immigrants until Mark Carney shut him up, confused the U.K. and E.U., claimed he made his first trade deal (not quite 90 in 90 days) before dropping his seemingly blank papers, earned a killer wink from the adults in the room, argued "Iran should have signed the deal I told them to sign" though he pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, proclaimed 9 million people "should immediately evacuate Tehran!” and left G7 early while bad-mouthing Macron - "Emmanuel always gets it wrong" - for saying he'd left to work on a ceasefire when he wants "a complete give-up" by Iran. Mr. Art-of-the-Taco strikes again. — (@) Back home, he kept failing. After the horrific shootings of Minnesota lawmakers, as MAGA-ites raved "the left has become a full blown domestic terrorist organization” about the anti-abortion, Trump-supporting perp, Trump vilely declined to call Gov. Tim Walz because, "The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess...Why waste time?" Speaking of: Rumors swirl about the (further) plunge of what's left of his own cognitive and physical state - stumbles, diapers, catheters, "unmistakable" odor. A bonkers mob boss, he's cruel, erratic, incoherent, a dumpster fire of flip-flopping, head-swiveling "policies" frantically enacted by his Nazi goons. He's rarely outside the Oval Office or Hell-a-Lago; when he is he nods off, or does nothing but sign illegal executive orders and post vindictive rants. Never up to the emotional, intellectual, moral demands of the job, his physical slide may now be "the last penny to drop."But even incontinent, deranged, unable to construct a sentence, he's still grifting. Adding to his $600 million earned from crappy watches, sneakers, Bibles, coins et al, he and his cretinous sons just launched a largely fictional, error-ridden Trump Mobile phone service and $499 "sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance" that "looks both bad and impossible" which may or may not ship in August or September unless, you know, it doesn't, but is available to pre-order now to try and fill that gaping hole of endless insatiable greed where a soul should be. The blurb says it's made in America but actually, said Eric after calling L.A. protesters "mongoloids," that means it may eventually be made in America, "because our ethos is build for Americans, by Americans," maybe by some of those brown workers we've abducted to foreign gulags or are gung-ho invading at swap meets, they'll need work right?No wonder up to 11 million Americans "radicalized by basic decency" came out last weekend to make good trouble and say we hate you rapacious shitheads. See us here, here, here with our spirited signs: "It's A Beautiful Day to Melt Some Ice. No Clowns, No Dicks, No Nazis. This Sucks. Rapist, Felon, Putting the Dick Into Dictatorship. Deport Oligarchs Not Immigrants. Rejecting Kings Since 1776. Fuck Trump. Fuck ICE." Rev. William Barber: "Remember that no one can become our king if we refuse to bow." Cue 87-year-old veteran John Spitzberg, arrested for peacefully protesting with about 75 veterans who crossed a police line; one cop cuffed him, wobbly, behind his back as comrades yelled "Shame, Shame, Shame!" and another wheeled away his walker. How did arrest at 87 feel, he was asked. "I'm just beginning, my friend," he said. "I'm gonna just get a little sleep, and I'm starting again." Pictures of the parade crowd released by White HouseScreenshot from Bluesky
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[l] at 6/17/25 2:07pm
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and the Republican majority should follow the guidance of the Senate Parliamentarian on the tax and budget bill, 45 groups said in a letter sent today.The Parliamentarian is tasked with issuing rulings to determine which provisions of the bill are subject to the “Byrd rule” and thus not eligible to be passed by simple majority using the reconciliation process. However, Thune and the Senate Republican majority recently took steps to override the Parliamentarian’s guidance on the Congressional Review Act, another fast-track legislative mechanism, to pass a measure by simple majority that otherwise would have required 60 votes.“While the signatories to this letter have a range of views on the ongoing utility of the Senate filibuster, there is a unifying principle upon which we all can agree: the law as it stands must be followed,” the letter reads. “Indeed, you acknowledged as much earlier this Congress, when asked whether you would advise against moving to override the Senate Parliamentarian’s determinations under Byrd, stating, ‘[T]hat’s totally akin to killing the filibuster. We can’t go there. People need to understand that.’ This public stance would be heartening, had you not made similar assurances on maintaining the integrity of CRA process and followed them up by improperly extending that Act’s expedited procedures to the disapproval of any executive branch action, forging a primrose path around the filibuster in the process. Such depredations on law, precedent, and the institution of the Senate must end.”“The Senate majority has already demonstrated it is willing to follow or ignore the rules based entirely on their preferences. But lives hang in the balance depending on the outcome of this bill, and it would be inexcusable for the majority to again burn the rulebook in the service of the destructive Trump agenda,” added Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen.“The leadership in the Senate is heading down a dangerous path of ignoring the rules to get what it wants. If the Senate majority disregards the existing rules again for its massive tax bill, that would do incalculable damage to law, precedent, and the institution of the Senate,” added Kyle Jones, director of federal affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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[l] at 6/17/25 7:02am
Released today, the 16th annual Banking on Climate Chaos (BOCC) report covers the lending and underwriting activities of the world’s top 65 banks to more than 2,700 fossil fuel companies. While the world’s top scientists from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and others have repeatedly stated there can be no new fossil fuel expansion in a net-zero by 2050 scenario, banks have ignored this climate risk and continue to increase their financing for dirty energy companies expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. This financing comes amid a rapid retreat from climate commitments made by many banks at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.Read the report: www.bankingonclimatechaos.orgRead the key findings here“The retreat by U.S. banks from robust climate commitments is unacceptable, deeply irresponsible, and a clear capitulation to political pressure. Banks must shift away from risky financing and commit to reducing emissions via the companies they finance, with a genuine focus on helping to decarbonize the economy and support the urgent and necessary clean energy transition. For example, it’s indefensible that US banks reject direct project finance as too risky, only to support the same projects indirectly through corporate lending—these loopholes must be closed,” said Jessye Waxman, Campaign Advisor for the Sierra Club’s Sustainable Finance campaign. See more quotes from report co-authors.OVERALL TRENDSThe report shows that global banks increased their fossil fuel financing by $162 billion from 2023 to 2024. This is a new trend, since overall fossil fuel finance had been decreasing since 2021. Global banks have financed $7.9 trillion in fossil fuels since 2016, when the Paris Agreement was signed.In 2024, loans were the top form of financing with an increase to $467 billion from $422 billion from 2023. Bonds saw the largest increase to $401 billion from $284 billion in 2023. Acquisition financing also rose to $82.9 billion from $63.7 billion in 2023.COMPANIES EXPANDING FOSSIL FUELSThe report reveals that global banks have financed companies expanding fossil fuels with $1.6 trillion since 2021. In 2024, global banks financed these companies with $429 billion alone — a rise of $84.8 billion from 2023.Some of the top companies that received 2024 financing to expand fossil fuels from the 65 global banks listed in the report include:Diamondback Energy, $20.9 billion. Its oil & gas expansion plans are located largely in the Permian Basin in Texas.Enbridge, $16.5 billion. Its pipeline expansion plans are located in Canada and the US. The Sierra Club is fighting Enbridge’s T15 pipeline expansion in North Carolina intended to service Duke’s planned gas-burning power plants in Person County.BP, $10.9 billion. Its oil & gas expansion plans are located in 30 countries and include focusing on exploration, pipeline development, LNG terminals, and gas-fired power.Energy Transfer, $7.8 billion. Its pipeline and LNG expansion plans are located largely in the US. The Sierra Club has opposed the Dakota Access Pipeline, arguing it poses significant risks to the climate, local communities, and Indigenous sovereignty.Duke Energy, $7.1 billion. It is the second largest utility burning fossil fuels in the US, and it operates in six states. Duke’s expansion plans include a heavy reliance on coal and gas, with very little renewable energy. The Sierra Club is calling on utilities across the US to prioritize powering the electric grid with renewable energy to support a healthy and sustainable future.BANK FINANCING: BY THE NUMBERSJP Morgan Chase is the largest fossil fuel financier in the world, committing $53.5 billion to fossil fuel companies in 2024. Four banks increased their fossil fuel financing by more than $10 billion. The top four banks with the largest absolute increase are JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Barclays.U.S. banks committed $289 billion in fossil fuel financing in 2024, one third of the global financing for that year in the scope of the report. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, the top four U.S. banks, alone represent 21% of total global fossil fuel financing in the scope of this report.Japanese companies Mizuho, MUFG, and SMBC contributed 12% of this report’s overall financing for that year. Nearly half of that financing went to companies headquartered in the United States.In Europe, the UK bank Barclay’s is the largest fossil fuel financier in 2024 with $35.4 billion. Spain’s Santander, France’s BNP Paribas, Germany’s Deutsche Bank, and the UK’s HSBC each contributed between $14 and $17.3 billion to the industry in 2024.BACKGROUNDThe Banking on Climate Chaos report is authored by Rainforest Action Network, BankTrack, the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development, Indigenous Environmental Network, Oil Change International, Reclaim Finance, Sierra Club, and Urgewald. It has been endorsed by 480 organizations in 69 countries. Learn more at www.bankingonclimatechaos.org.
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[l] at 6/17/25 6:57am
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, has responded to the escalation in Israel's air strikes on Iran, including on its nuclear programme, by calling for an immediate end to attacks on nuclear facilities.ICAN's Executive Director, Melissa Parke, said: “The escalation in the conflict following nuclear-armed Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities has to stop before it is too late. Attacking nuclear facilities is illegal and threatens to release radiation, causing a long term threat to people’s health and the environment. The conflict is also a threat to international peace and security. ICAN calls on the international community, including Israel’s allies, to clearly condemn Israel’s action and to put pressure on both parties to end hostilities. International treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons are essential tools to bring peace and security to the region and globally. The two countries should take immediate action - Israel should join both treaties and Iran should join the TPNW and reiterate its commitment to the NPT. ”
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[l] at 6/16/25 11:51am
Today, the Trump Organization announced a new mobile phone plan and a $499 smartphone that is set to launch in September.Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, issued the following statement in response:“Americans should slam down the phone in response to the latest marketing ploy from the Trump family business. Everything about this plan should tell Americans to disconnect right away.“First, while the details of the Trump phone plan remain murky, the plan appears to be far more expensive than options available from existing competitors — suggesting it will join a long line of Trump consumer scams and ripoffs. And good luck getting a federal agency to hold the company accountable if service fails or things go off the rails.“Second, the Trump announcement claims the physical phone will be made in the USA, but there is reason to doubt that claim. There is only one existing phone that is made in the United States — costing $2000 — so the phone is, at minimum, likely to rely heavily on imported parts, raising questions about how Trump’s chaotic tariffs will apply to any imported parts for the Trump phone.“Third, if the phone actually takes off, how are competitors supposed to respond? Should they advertise, truthfully, that they have a cheaper, comparable product? Or will they be too frightened? Will other businesses choose to rely on the Trump phone plan as a way to curry favor with the president? Does this portend a Trump corruption of the economy to parallel the Trump corruption of politics?“We’ll need many more details to fully assess what’s going on — including the worrisome claim of offering a pharmacy and telehealth benefit — but it’s already clear this is a plan that should be cancelled, immediately.”
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[l] at 6/14/25 4:52am
Over the past week both Progressive Democrats of America-New York (PDA-NY) and Progressives for Democracy in America (P4DA) polled its members in NYC. Well-over 90% of respondents supported endorsing Zohran Mamdani for Mayor.Given these overwhelming results PDA-NY and P4DA are singularly endorsing State Representative Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York City.This is fitting for two organizations associated with Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) since Mamdani's platform is perfectly in line with PDA's policy positions.Indeed! PDA has authored proposals for a 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights (which Mamdani's platform matches up with perfectly) and also a 21st Century Rural New Deal, and, most significantly, we are in the process of composing a 21st Century Template for Urban Renewal.Zohran Mamdani's platform is exemplary, providing a vision of a dramatically improved life for urban dwellers.On issue after issue, PDA-NY and P4DA feel that Mr. Mamdani is spot-on: from his extraordinary proposals to improve NYC housing, his visionary proposals for transportation, public safety, food security, child care, and higher education, as well as his sane approach to the climate emergency, wages, labor, libraries, healthcare, small businesses, and taxation, his call clarion call for peace and justice in the Middle East, and his compassionate support and protection for immigrants and the LGBTQIA+ communities, which are under hateful, bigoted attacks by Trump and the GOP. And, yes, we love his proposal for Trump-proofing NYC!Also, in these dark days in which the nation's politics are dominated by another native New Yorker, it's worth noting that Mr. Mamdani has proven himself to be as charismatic and as he is thoughtful. This is significant unto itself. The country and the world longs for such a leader in Trump's hometown, to be a countervailing force to the reprehensible, anti-democratic, and clearly fascist President. Comparisons will inevitably be made between the President and the next Mayor. We are confident that Mr. Mamdani will inspire people across the City, the State, the country and the world to recognize and support democracy over authoritarianism, and the people over the oligarchsLastly, it must be said, we at PDA are thrilled to endorse a Democratic Socialist candidate for Mayor!Let us not forget that NYC's greatest Mayor, Fiorella La Guardia, was a socialist; and that the socialist Mayors of Milwaukee were consistently acknowledged as the best Mayors in the country during their multiple decades in office in the 20th century.Likewise, no region in the world was more heralded for its local governance, than the socialist-led cities of Central and Northern Italy in their post-fascist era. And, to this day, no city in the world has better housing than Vienna, Austria where they've maintained the housing model established by their great socialist city leaders in the 1920s.Socialist Mayors have an unrivalled legacy of urban governance and it's time again for the richest city in the world to do right by its working class majority – and, in the process, improve the lives of all New Yorkers, and the experience of all visitors to the Big Apple, by electing Zohran Mamdani the Mayor of New York.Early voting begins today Saturday June 14 and election day is Tuesday June 24th.When you vote for Mayor of NYC, rank Zohran Mamdani first!One final note: PDA-NY's and P4DA's endorsement of Zohran Mamdani is especially notable because PDA has rarely made state, county or municipal endorsements in NY State because of a quirk of PDA's history. When PDA was founded in 2004, the founding Executive Director had such respect for the Working Families Party that it decided not to emphasize organizing in NY State. So, as PDA grew rapidly across the country in the first decade of the century, there was one state where that wasn't the case, New York. Then, PDA transformed American politics by successfully drafting Bernie Sanders to run for President as a Democrat in 2016 (PDA launched the Run Bernie Run campaign in 2013!). As a consequence of that, PDA now has thousands of members across the State and in the City - and when we polled our NYC members the result was spectacular: over 90% support for Zohran Mamdani.
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[l] at 6/13/25 11:37pm
In honor of Pride Month, singular acts of courage and "being brave, strong and gorgeous," cue the glad spectacle of four drag queens dolled up to kill, see Les Misérables, and crash Dear Leader's first visit to a Kennedy Center purportedly scrubbed of wokeness. Yet here they were - buoyant, sparkling, cheered by a crowd that moments before had loudly booed the ugly tyrant and his MAGA cohort. The queens' gist, said Mari Con Carne: "You can’t erase us."The queens turned up for an evening already bursting with irony if any MAGA goons and losers were capable of it. Amidst a Pride Month he refused to recognize - and fierce pushback to his hate - the Bigot-In-Chief who already decimated a time-honored institution devoted to art and open-mindedness witlessly chose to attend a beloved show about an oppressed people fighting back against tyranny much like his. Accompanied by the grotesque likes of Vance, Bondi, Loomer, RFK Jr., Kellyanne Conway and a fragile Gym Jordan who visibly cringed when he walked past four people who don't look like him, Trump et al were roundly booed by the modest crowd. There were also shouts of "Felon!" and "Rapist!" - what a time to be alive - along with a muted, incongruous chant of "USA!" on behalf of the cretins who are working so hard to destroy it.In full, defiant finery, the four drag queens - Tara Hoot, Ricky Rosé, Vagenesis, and Mari Con Carne - were greeted by the audience with joyful whoops, cheers and applause as they sashayed in and took their seats below the presidential box. Their tickets had been donated by season ticket-holders through Qommittee, a national advocacy network of drag artists and allies led by survivors of high-profile hate crimes like the Pulse and Club Q mass shootings."It was delightful,” said Hoot, stressing their "message of inclusivity" but adding, "I love musicals. I mean, I’m a drag queen." "Kudos to all bringing art to the world," she said. "Unfortunately, there were some other people there too, but I think we brightened the audience as much as we could." In family story time events, she noted, "I often read books about being brave (and) true to who you are. Showing up (here) with my fellow drag stars allowed me to live those words. Here's to being brave, strong, and gorgeous."Trump, ever uncouth, left before the lights came up. Still, Mari Con Carne felt it was "crucial" to be there before him. As a drag queen and an immigrant, "I wanted it to be known you can prevent us from performing on your stages, but you can’t erase us...We aren’t going anywhere and we will face you head-on with every ounce of courage we have." When Victor Hugo wrote Les Misérables, he was shocked by the silence of his compatriots before "the negation of all law, equilibrium resting on iniquity." This week's troupe of "delightfully audacious" drag queens might give him hope. - YouTube www.youtube.com
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[l] at 6/13/25 12:09pm
In the three months since he was illegally detained by ICE for speaking out in support of Palestinian rights, Mahmoud Khalil has been forced to miss the birth of his son, his wife’s first Mother’s Day, and now his own first Father’s Day. To mark this moment, Mo Amer, Mark Ruffalo, Arian Moayed, Dallas Goldtooth, W. Kamau Bell, Mahershala Ali, Tom Morello and Alex Winter came together to read the letter Mahmoud wrote to his newborn son, Deen.The video begins with Mahmoud’s voice speaking over the phone to Deen from ICE detention in Louisiana: “Yaba Deen, these are my first words to you,” Mahmoud says.It comes just one day after a federal judge granted Mr. Khalil’s request for preliminary injunction, finding that he would continue to suffer irreparable harm if he remains detained. Further, the court ruled that it was unconstitutional to detain and seek to deport someone purely on the basis of their advocacy. Despite this ruling, he remains detained in Louisiana.As fathers themselves, these artists are using their platforms to speak out. Palestinian American comedian and actor Mo Amer explains, “I am a Palestinian refugee, asylee to America, became a citizen in 2009, and in 2023 I had a son. Mahmoud’s letter is like a dagger to the heart, and that’s why I am doing this.”They also understand that if it can happen to Mahmoud, a permanent lawful resident and U.S. green card holder, it can happen to anyone. As Iranian American actor and screenwriter Arian Moayed noted, “I can't imagine being taken away from my child for speaking up for labor rights. I can't imagine being taken away from my child for speaking up for Iranian rights. I can't imagine being taken away from my child for speaking up for veterans rights. All of which I have done in the past. And now I'm saying the same thing. No human being deserves to be taken away from their child because of what they believe in. That's not what this country is made for.”The celebrity fathers filmed this video because they see how Mahmoud’s struggle is intertwined with theirs. “I know that on this stolen land, nobody is free unless we are all free. And so this is an act of solidarity and love for any and all who dream for a better and healthier future for all of us, in all life on this planet,” said Native American activist and actor from Reservation Dogs’ Dallas Goldtooth. Furthermore, they know that every day that Mahmoud remains detained is a day too long. Emmy-winning TV host, comedian and activist W. Kamau Bell said it plainly: “I get to go home to my kids. All dads should get that.”Just last week, dozens of experts outlined the “irreparable harm” he and his loved ones will continue to suffer as long as he remains detained thousands of miles away from him.“True justice would mean Mahmoud was never taken away from us in the first place, that no Palestinian father, from New York to Gaza, would have to endure the painful separation of prison walls like Mahmoud has. I will not rest until Mahmoud is free, and hope that he can be with us to experience his first Father’s Day at home in New York with Deen in his arms,” said Noor Abdalla, Mahmoud’s wife.Mr. Khalil is represented by Dratel & Lewis, the Center for Constitutional Rights, CLEAR, Van Der Hout LLP, Washington Square Legal Services, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the ACLU of New Jersey, the ACLU of Louisiana, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
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[l] at 6/13/25 11:31am
Tomorrow, millions of Americans will unite across race, party, and religion for “No Kings” rallies planned in more than one thousand cities. Stretching from Honolulu to Philadelphia, everyday people of all ages will show up to reject Trump’s latest efforts to weaponize the government.In the days leading up to the events, President Trump sought to deter attendance, saying any protestors at his event would “be met with very big force.” The comment and his administration’s actions in Los Angeles have ignited greater enthusiasm in the rallies.Statement of Virginia Kase Solomón, Common Cause President & CEOFrom weaponizing the government against the people to throwing a sitting U.S. Senator to the ground for exercising his right to ask a question, the Trump Administration is leading this country right into a tyrannical dictatorship. There is nothing patriotic about activating our military force for political gamesmanship.That’s why, despite Trump’s efforts to scare us from speaking out, we will fill the streets of America’s cities with peaceful protest and joyful resistance. Together, we will march for our futures to declare we have no kings in America.The people are doing their part, and now it’s time for Congress to do theirs.Congress is to blame for bringing us to this breaking point. Their partisanship has fueled widespread division, their inaction on comprehensive immigration reform has filled us with doubt, and their corruption has broken our trust.Instead of passing comprehensive immigration reform, they wrung their hands for four decades, leaving millions of our neighbors without a pathway or plan. Today’s Congress wants to pass a budget that would give this president greater license to turn our government into a weapon against us — with our taxpayer dollars funding it all.And because of their neglect, this administration is using these very real immigration challenges to attack and terrorize our communities.We will not let this Congress repeat the mistakes of the past and we will not allow this President to play political football with this crisis. This is why tomorrow, we march.In Washington, we marched for economic justice. In Selma, we marched for civil rights. And tomorrow, on Flag Day, from Los Angeles to Omaha to Concord, we will patriotically march for our freedoms and remind those in power that this is a government by the people.
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[l] at 6/12/25 12:21pm
Today, Donald Trump signed Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to repeal three California clean vehicle programs: Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Heavy-Duty low-NOx Omnibus. In response, Sierra Club Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine García released the following statement: “The Trump administration’s attack on clean air and clean vehicles only benefits the fossil fuel industry, leaving Americans to foot the bill with higher fueling costs, limited vehicle choices, and more pollution. Instead of investing in electric vehicle manufacturing here in the U.S. and leading us towards a healthier future, the administration is dead set on pushing us backwards and ceding EV innovation and leadership to China. The Sierra Club will continue to fight for clean transportation solutions across the country.” Background on the clean vehicle programs and CRA votes:The EPA granted waivers to California for these three programs through congressionally-granted authority under the Clean Air Act. For nearly 50 years, California has had the authority to establish vehicle pollution standards that are more protective than the federal standards, and states have had the explicit right granted under the Clean Air Act to protect their residents’ health by choosing California’s standards. The Senate votes on May 22 were an unlawful use of the CRA, and inconsistent with decades of precedent, decisions by the Government Accountability Office, and the Senate Parliamentarian. The CRA does not apply to “adjudicatory orders” or “rules of particular applicability” like waivers, as the Government Accountability Office determined in 2023 and recognized again in March. The Senate Parliamentarian also confirmed earlier in April that the CRA cannot be used to repeal the waivers.All three programs help to improve air quality for Californians, as well as for residents in many other states that have adopted the programs. See Sierra Club’s state tracker here.Advanced Clean Cars II: The ACC II program allows California to enforce vehicle emission standards stronger than the federal government’s which the state needs to comply with federal air quality standards and curb health-harming vehicle pollution for its residents. California has severe problems meeting the federal ozone air quality standards, and reducing vehicle pollution is essential since vehicles are the largest source of ozone precursors in the State. Twelve other states and the District of Columbia have adopted the program as well under the authority of the Clean Air Act. Advanced Clean Trucks: The ACT program requires manufacturers to increasingly sell a certain number of zero-emission trucks and buses in California, ramping up gradually over time to reach 40-75% sales requirement for zero-emission trucks and buses in 2035. Ten other states have adopted the program as well. Heavy-Duty low-NOx Omnibus: The HDO program helps to cut smog-forming nitrogen oxides from heavy-duty vehicles in California by setting more stringent air pollution emissions standards (eventually requiring a 90% cut in NOx emissions from model year 2027 engines), improving testing requirements for engines, and extending engine warranties. Nine other states have adopted the program as well.
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[l] at 6/12/25 12:19pm
Today, the Senate’s GOP majority confirmed former Congressman Billy Long as IRS Chief, despite his past support for abolishing the agency and replacing the federal income tax with a regressive national sales tax. Just yesterday, Senator Wyden sent a letter to the White House raising concerns about inadequate vetting of Long’s background—particularly multiple high-profile corruption allegations, including Long’s involvement in a major bribery controversy with a large healthcare company.“Trump and Senate Republicans finally delivered a long-awaited return on investment to the billionaire backers that fund their party: an IRS Chief with extreme views on tax policy and no interest in reining in wealthy tax cheats or helping working families. It’s alarming that a nominee with so many clear-cut, publicly visible instances of potential fraud or corruption was able to get the votes of Senate Republicans to become the lead administrator of our country’s tax system,” said David Kass, ATF’s Executive Director. “Long—who once co-sponsored legislation to abolish the agency he now leads—is sending a clear signal to wealthy tax cheats everywhere that Trump’s IRS will serve the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of working and middle-class families. With Long at the helm, it becomes even more critical to stop Trump’s disastrous tax bill that cuts critical programs Americans depend on, like Medicaid and SNAP, to fund massive tax giveaways for billionaires.”For more information on Billy Long’s tax positions, please see our recent report analyzing his positions on tax issues in Congress. The report examines his support for eliminating estate and federal income taxes in favor of a national sales tax—a policy that would raise consumer prices while giving substantial tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.
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[l] at 6/12/25 12:11pm
Today, Senate Republicans voted to confirm Billy Long as IRS Commissioner. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, released the following statement: “Tax cheats just received a huge gift. Billy Long has a clear history of working to make it easier for corporations and the wealthy to skirt paying their fair share of taxes. He has even supported abolishing the very agency he has now been tasked to lead – the agency meant to take the lead in cracking down on tax evasion and ensuring that government is sufficiently resourced to serve the public interest. Wall Street may celebrate his confirmation as IRS Commissioner, but it is bad news for everyday people.”
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[l] at 6/12/25 11:54am
Today, Donald Trump signed Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to repeal three California clean vehicle programs: Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Heavy-Duty low-NOx Omnibus. In response, Sierra Club Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine García released the following statement: “The Trump administration’s attack on clean air and clean vehicles only benefits the fossil fuel industry, leaving Americans to foot the bill with higher fueling costs, limited vehicle choices, and more pollution. Instead of investing in electric vehicle manufacturing here in the U.S. and leading us towards a healthier future, the administration is dead set on pushing us backwards and ceding EV innovation and leadership to China. The Sierra Club will continue to fight for clean transportation solutions across the country.” Background on the clean vehicle programs and CRA votes:The EPA granted waivers to California for these three programs through congressionally-granted authority under the Clean Air Act. For nearly 50 years, California has had the authority to establish vehicle pollution standards that are more protective than the federal standards, and states have had the explicit right granted under the Clean Air Act to protect their residents’ health by choosing California’s standards. The Senate votes on May 22 were an unlawful use of the CRA, and inconsistent with decades of precedent, decisions by the Government Accountability Office, and the Senate Parliamentarian. The CRA does not apply to “adjudicatory orders” or “rules of particular applicability” like waivers, as the Government Accountability Office determined in 2023 and recognized again in March. The Senate Parliamentarian also confirmed earlier in April that the CRA cannot be used to repeal the waivers.All three programs help to improve air quality for Californians, as well as for residents in many other states that have adopted the programs. See Sierra Club’s state tracker here.Advanced Clean Cars II: The ACC II program allows California to enforce vehicle emission standards stronger than the federal government’s which the state needs to comply with federal air quality standards and curb health-harming vehicle pollution for its residents. California has severe problems meeting the federal ozone air quality standards, and reducing vehicle pollution is essential since vehicles are the largest source of ozone precursors in the State. Twelve other states and the District of Columbia have adopted the program as well under the authority of the Clean Air Act. Advanced Clean Trucks: The ACT program requires manufacturers to increasingly sell a certain number of zero-emission trucks and buses in California, ramping up gradually over time to reach 40-75% sales requirement for zero-emission trucks and buses in 2035. Ten other states have adopted the program as well. Heavy-Duty low-NOx Omnibus: The HDO program helps to cut smog-forming nitrogen oxides from heavy-duty vehicles in California by setting more stringent air pollution emissions standards (eventually requiring a 90% cut in NOx emissions from model year 2027 engines), improving testing requirements for engines, and extending engine warranties. Nine other states have adopted the program as well.
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[l] at 6/12/25 11:18am
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, legislation that would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media. The bill would also answer Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s repeated calls to end prescription drug advertising, a position he promoted while campaigning for President Trump in 2024. “The American people are sick and tired of greedy pharmaceutical companies spending billions of dollars on absurd TV commercials pushing their outrageously expensive prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “With the exception of New Zealand, the United States is the only country in the world where it is legal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs on television. It is time for us to end that international embarrassment. The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television. They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.” “The widespread use of direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies drives up costs and doesn’t necessarily make patients healthier,” King said. “The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to protect people. This bill is a great step to ensure that patients are getting the best information possible and from the right source: their providers and not biased advertisements.” Last year, the 10 largest drug companies made more than $100 billion in profits while the pharmaceutical industry spent over $5 billion on television ads. Prescription drug commercials now account for more than 30% of commercial time on major networks’ evening news programs. In the first three months of this year, Big Pharma spent more than $725 million advertising just 10 drugs. Meanwhile, the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and one in four Americans cannot afford the costs of the medicine their doctors prescribe. Banning direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is not a radical idea. In addition to Secretary Kennedy, the American Medical Association endorsed a ban a decade ago. Studies have shown that more than half of prescription drug ads are misleading or false, causing many Americans to underestimate the associated risks. Harvard researchers found that the majority of the most advertised drugs had little to no therapeutic benefit compared to existing prescription drugs. America’s seniors are particularly at risk of being misled as pharmaceutical companies strategically target them by pushing high-priced medications that may cause them harm. For example, in 2010, Eli Lilly spent $205 million on direct-to-consumer ads and made $3.2 billion in sales for the antidepressant drug Cymbalta, despite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) findings that the company’s ads made unsupported and misleading claims of effectiveness and minimized its safety risks. Merck spent $300 million marketing the painkiller Vioxx and made $2.5 billion in sales, despite finding in 2000 that their product raised the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Dr. David Graham, a senior FDA official, testified in 2004 that Merck’s failure to stop selling Vioxx had resulted in as many as 55,000 unnecessary deaths from heart attacks and stroke. Drug companies are also spending huge amounts of money on prescription drugs that cost, in some cases, more than ten times as much in the United States than other countries. In 2023, Novo Nordisk spent $263 million on direct-to-consumer ads for Wegovy and $208 million on ads for Ozempic. Today, Novo Nordisk charges nearly $1,000 a month for Ozempic in the United States, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $59 in Germany, $71 in France, $122 in Denmark, and $155 in Canada. Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy while this same exact product can be purchased for just $92 in the United Kingdom, $137 in Germany, $186 in Denmark and $265 in Canada. Joining Sanders and King as cosponsors of the legislation are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill). Read the bill text here. Read a summary of the bill here.

As of 6/21/25 1:26am. Last new 6/20/25 4:14pm.

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