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World facing 6th mass extinction
A new landmark UN report, based on thousands of scientific studies by 145 experts in 50 countries over 3 years, announced last week that the biodiversity of our planet is in peril. The report states that “Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history – and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on... Read more -
Australia’s Exploited Underclass of Migrant Workers
A new centre with the mission of tackling exploitation of migrant workers points out underpayment as the biggest issue. The centre opened in Melbourne on August 29, 2018, with the mission of empowering migrant workers who are in Australia on temporary and permanent visas, The centre will provide them with training and educate them about their working... Read more -
Mueller’s report is in — but no one gets to see it yet
A week ago last Friday, special counsel Robert Mueller delivered to U.S. Attorney General William Barr his completed report on possible attempts by Donald Trump and his campaign to collude with Russia to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and to obstruct the later investigation into those activities. On March 24th, Barr released a four-page summary... Read more -
Boeing 737 MAX-8: an airplane disaster?
Aircraft company Boeing’s newest airplane — the 737 MAX-8 — seems incapable of staying in the air until the destination is reached. In less than six months two planes of this type have crashed, leaving all passengers dead. The first Max-8 was an aircraft of Lion Air. Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea on October 28th, killing all 189 passengers. In... Read more -
“Catastrophic collapse of
nature’s ecosystems”??For the last several months, we’ve been hearing warnings from researchers about the decline in insect numbers around the world, largely because of the widespread use of agricultural pesticides. Insects are critical for pollinating and recycling nutrients, and they serve as food for other animals. Now, a global study just published in the journal... Read more -
Death toll from Cyclone Idai climbing in southeastern Africa
When tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall last Thursday/Friday, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi were clobbered. Mozambique got it the worst, with 1.7 million people directly in the storm’s path. 920,000 in Malawi and 15,000 in Zimbabwe were also affected. Roads are flooded or destroyed, communication has been cut, and airports are closed. The... Read more -
49 Killed in New Zealand Mosque Shootings
49 people have been killed and another 48 hospitalized after shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks occurred Friday, first at Al Noor Mosque, followed by another shooting at Linwood Mosque a few miles away. A portion of the first shooting was live-streamed on Facebook, reportedly from a helmet camera. The 17-minute video shows... Read more -
Big Pharma Gains New Line of Profit
Pharmaceutical companies are in the hot seat right now for having prioritized profit over proper healthcare, helping to created the current opioid crisis. One company seen as bearing a great deal of the responsibility is Purdue Pharma, creator of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. In 2007, Purdue faced criminal charges for misleading doctors and... Read more -
“Catastrophic” tornadoes rip through Alabama
Multiple storms struck Alabama, Georgia, and Florida this past weekend, including a tornado that clocked in rat 165 miles an hour. At least 23 people were killed in Lee County, Alabama, and that number may well increase as the overwhelming amount of debris in the area continues to be cleared. Over 150 people have been participating in search-and-rescue... Read more -
Independent Russian Internet?
The government of Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced its plans to test a fully independent domestic internet, cut off from the global web. Initially, the Russian domestic internet will be temporary, purportedly to test the country’s own cyberdefense capabilities. But many see it as a big move closer to something like China’s Great Firewall,... Read more -
Duterte continues crackdown on free press with arrest of Maria Ressa
In the Philippines, protests erupted in Manila this week following the February 13th arrest of award-winning Filipino journalist Maria Ressa. Ressa is former bureau chief for CNN, and CEO of the online news site Rappler, one of the few independent news outlets in the Philippines. Rappler has been highly critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, in... Read more