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HeadlinesSeptember 10, 2018

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Activists Rally at Protests Worldwide to Demand Urgent Action on Climate Change

Sep 10, 2018

Activists held hundreds of protests Saturday in more than 90 countries as part of a worldwide day of action demanding urgent action to address climate change. In France, tens of thousands of people joined climate marches across the country. In northern India, about 10,000 students and teachers tied red ribbons to trees in an action to end deforestation. In the Philippines, nearly 1,000 people marched in Manila to protest the country’s reliance on coal. In New York City, 10 activists were arrested protesting in front of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office to demand New York state transition to 100 percent renewable energy. In Thailand’s capital Bangkok, about 200 people protested outside the U.N. regional headquarters, including fishermen and laborers whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels. In Australia, demonstrators demanded a halt to plans for a $16 billion coal mine in Queensland. And in San Francisco, up to 30,000 people marched through the streets to demand urgent climate action. After headlines, we’ll play voices from Saturday’s protest here in San Francisco.

Syrian and Russian Militaries Continue Offensive in Idlib

Sep 10, 2018

The Syrian government, backed by Russian airstrikes, is continuing its offensive in Idlib province—the last major rebel-held part of Syria. Residents and rescue workers say the Syrian government has been dropping barrel bombs on apartment buildings, killing civilians, including children. This is Herve Verhoosel, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme.

Herve Verhoosel: “The single greatest priority must be to end this brutal conflict. WFP appeals to all parties to protect civilians, respect humanitarian principles and allow for the safe delivery of food to families in need, no matter where they are.”

Obama Slams Trump as “Threat to Democracy”

Sep 10, 2018

Former President Barack Obama has slammed President Trump, calling him a “threat to democracy” who capitalizes on “politics of fear and resentment.” President Obama’s speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the kickoff to a 2-month campaign effort ahead of November’s midterm elections. This is former President Obama speaking Friday.

Barack Obama: “So, Democrats aren’t just running on good old ideas like a higher minimum wage. They’re running on good new ideas, like Medicare for all, giving workers seats on corporate boards, reversing the most egregious corporate tax cuts to make sure college students graduate debt-free.”

Trump Ex-Campaign Adviser George Papadopoulos Sentenced to 14 Days in Prison

Sep 10, 2018

President Trump’s former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos has been sentenced to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the 2016 election. Papadopoulos is the first Trump adviser to be sentenced as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

Senator Warren: Time to Use 25th Amendment to Remove Trump from Office

Sep 10, 2018

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is calling for senior Trump administration officials to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office. This is Warren speaking on CNN.

Senator Elizabeth Warren: “If senior administration officials think that the president of the United States is not able to do his job, then they should invoke the 25th Amendment.”

U.S. to Adopt Aggressive Stance Against International Criminal Court

Sep 10, 2018

President Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, is expected to announce today that the United States will adopt an aggressive stance against the International Criminal Court, including threatening sanctions against the court if it tries to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. In Bolton’s speech today to the Federalist Society, he’s also expected to announce the closure of the Washington, D.C., office of the Palestine Liberation Organization, or the PLO, as retaliation for the Palestinians’ efforts to bring alleged Israeli military war crimes to the International Criminal Court.

Israeli Soldiers Kill 2 Palestinian Protesters Friday

Sep 10, 2018

Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian protesters and wounded more than 200 others in Gaza on Friday, during the Palestinians’ weekly demonstrations along the separation fence with Israel. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says the Israeli military has killed at least 179 Palestinians and wounded over 19,000 more since the Palestinians’ nonviolent Great March of Return protests began on March 30.

NYT: U.S. Officials Met with Rebel Venezuelan Officials to Discuss Coup Against Maduro

Sep 10, 2018

The New York Times is reporting Trump administration officials held multiple secret meetings with rebel Venezuelan military officers last year to discuss plans to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The secret meetings about a possible coup included a Venezuelan military commander who is on a U.S. government sanctions list of corrupt Venezuelan officials. The Times reports the discussions stalled after Trump administration officials reportedly decided not to assist in a military coup in Venezuela.

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Egyptian Court Sentences 75 Muslim Brotherhood Members to Death

Sep 10, 2018

An Egyptian court has sentenced 75 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to death in a mass trial over the 2013 sit-in protests against the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi. Amnesty International has slammed the mass trial as a “grotesque parody of justice.”

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Iraq: Protests over Public Services, Jobs Continue in Basra

Sep 10, 2018

In Iraq, massive protests continue in the southern city of Basra, where protesters torched the Iranian Consulate Friday. The demonstrations in the oil-rich region began after thousands of residents fell ill from contaminated water. Residents are demanding more jobs and better public services, including clean drinking water.

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CBS Head Leslie Moonves Resigns, After New Sexual Assault & Harassment Accusations

Sep 10, 2018

Leslie Moonves, the longtime head of CBS, has resigned, only hours after The New Yorker magazine published an article detailing a slew of new sexual assault and sexual harassment allegations against Moonves. In July, six women accused Moonves of sexual harassment in a New Yorker article. Then, on Sunday, the magazine published a second article in which six more women accuse Moonves of assault and harassment, including saying he forced them to perform oral sex on him, that he exposed himself to them without their consent and that he retaliated against them professionally after they rejected his sexual advances. One woman, television executive Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, filed a police complaint against Moonves, accusing him of physically restraining her and forcing her to perform oral sex, and—in a separate instance—physically throwing her against a wall. The New York Times reports Moonves could walk away with as much as $120 million in severance pay from CBS.

NYT: CIA Expanding Drone Operations in Africa

Sep 10, 2018

The New York Times reports the CIA is expanding its drone operations in Africa, including expanding an air base deep in the Sahara. The widening CIA drone war in Africa comes after President Trump restored the CIA’s powers to conduct covert drone operations, which had been curtailed under President Obama following widespread outrage about civilian casualties.

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Nationwide Prison Strike Ends on 47th Anniversary of Attica Uprising

Sep 10, 2018

The nationwide prison strike came to an end Sunday, following nearly three weeks of work stoppages, hunger strikes, sit-ins and commissary boycotts in prisons from coast to coast. The nationwide demonstrations demanding better conditions, the right to vote and the abolition of what prisoners call “modern day slavery” ended on the beginning of the 47th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising.

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White Dallas Cop Charged with Manslaughter for Killing Black Man in His Own Apartment

Sep 10, 2018

A white Dallas police officer has been charged with manslaughter after shooting and killing a 26-year-old black man in his own apartment. The police officer, Amber Guyger, entered Botham Shem Jean’s apartment and opened fire, killing him. Police claim the officer believed it to be her apartment. She was released from county jail on Sunday night on $300,000 bond. Investigators have taken a blood sample from the officer to test for drugs and alcohol. This is Botham Shem Jean’s friend, Jessica Berry.

Jessica Berry: “Just knowing the way that he died, it seems unfair, because think of the nicest person that you know and the most generous person that you know, and then they get shot as if they were a criminal or a thief. And it’s just not fair.”

Serena Williams Tackles Sexism by Umpires at 2018 U.S. Open

Sep 10, 2018

In sports news, tennis star Serena Williams lost the U.S. Open final to 20-year-old Naomi Osaka, after accusing umpire Carlos Ramos of sexism. The umpire penalized Williams a point after she destroyed her racket, and docked her a game after she subsequently called him a “thief” and a “liar”—which Williams says is different than how male tennis players are treated by umpires. This is Serena Williams speaking in a press conference after the 2018 U.S. Open.

Serena Williams: “I can’t sit here and say I wouldn’t say he’s a thief, because I thought he took a game from me. But I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things, and I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff. And for me to say 'thief' and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. I mean, like, he’s never took a game from a man because they said 'thief.' For me, it blows my mind.”

The tournament referee’s office later fined Williams $17,000 for the incident. Naomi Osaka is the first Japanese-born tennis player to win a grand slam championship.

NFL Players Protest Racism & Police Brutality by Kneeling During National Anthem

Sep 10, 2018

In more sports news, NFL players continued to protest during the national anthem Sunday to call attention to police brutality and racism. Among the players to protest were Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, who knelt during the anthem, and Dolphins defensive end Robert Quinn, who raised his fist during the anthem. Colin Kaepernick, who first sparked the league-wide protests, tweeted his support for Stills and Wilson, writing, “My Brothers continue to show their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed! They have not backed down, even when attacked and intimidated. Their courage will move the world forward! Love is at the root of our resistance!”

Scientist Jocelyn Bell Burnell Wins Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Sep 10, 2018

And scientist Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, 50 years after she made a historic astronomical discovery—only to have her male adviser take credit and receive a Nobel Prize for her work. The special award comes with $3 million in prize money, which Bell Burnell says she’s donating to the U.K.’s Institute of Physics.

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