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Protester Time’s “Person of Year” — As Congress Votes to Curtail Rights
SHAHID BUTTAR, via Amy E. Ferrer, media at bordc.org Buttar is executive director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, which is organizing a news conference today at the National Press Club on the National Defense Authorization Act. He said today: “By naming ‘the protester’ as its ‘Person of the Year,’ Time magazine recognized the immense value of everyday people raising their voices to share their concerns with their neighbors and elected leaders. That recognition is timely in the U.S., with the anniversary of the Bill of Rights looming tomorrow, alongside a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act and…
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“The 10 Greediest Americans of 2011”
SAM PIZZIGATI, editor at toomuchonline.org, Pizzigati edits “Too Much” the weekly Institute for Policy Studies newsletter on excess and inequality. He just wrote the piece “The 10 Greediest Americans of 2011,’ which lists the following: 10. Michael T. Duke, Wal-Mart CEO: Duke takes home his millions — $18.7 million in the company’s latest fiscal year — by squeezing workers. He ended “premium pay” for the hours Wal-Mart workers have to put in on Sundays, eliminated profit-sharing, sheared health care benefits, and cut staffing levels so low, Retailing Today reports, that customers sometimes can’t find shopping carts because the store where…
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Climate Talks Agreement a “Roadmap to Disaster”
Video stream of protests at the Climate talks from today. The Guardian is providing live coverage. MICHAEL DORSEY, michael.dorsey at dartmouth.edu, Professor at the Environmental Studies Program at Dartmouth College, Dorsey said this afternoon: “This current draft text in circulation is a death sentence for Africa. Countries may not even examine progress until 2015. The are not obliged to do anything until AFTER 2020. This agreement is a roadmap to disaster.” Dorsey appeared on Democracy Now this morning. ANNE PETERMANN, annep at riseup.net, JEFF CONANT, jc at globaljusticeecology.org Petermann is the executive director of Global Justice Ecology Project. She and…
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* Iran Drone * Russia Protests * Nobel Prize Betrayal
he following analysts are available for a limited number of interviews: REESE ERLICH, rerlich at pacbell.net Foreign correspondent Erlich’s books include The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis and Conversations with Terrorists: Middle East Leaders on Politics, Violence, and Empire. He said: “The CIA has now acknowledged that a spy drone went down in Iran. Iranian authorities say their military shot it down; the U.S. maintains there were mechanical problems. The incident has forced the U.S. government to admit for the first time that it is conducting regular spying on Iran. Officials claim…
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Climate Disruption Talks and the Global 99%
Global climate talks in Durban, South Africa are now in their final week. ANDREW BUTLER, campaigner at riseup.net Butler is executive producer of the new film “Carbon Markets, Trading Our Future”. He said today: “The same financial institutions who have brought the global economy to its knees, whilst at the same time personally profiting from it, are now poised to seize control of and commodify our atmosphere, forests and soil. Empowered by the reaction to the economic crisis embodied by the global Occupy movement, I wanted a film that would get people angry and motivate them to take action again…
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Analyst Blasts U.S. Negotiator at Climate Talks: Warns of “Eco-Apartheid”
MICHAEL DORSEY, michael.dorsey at dartmouth.edu, “The arrival of lead U.S. negotiator for the United States, Todd Stern, in Durban South Africa spells doom for Africa and the planet,” said Dartmouth College Professor Michael Dorsey, after leaving a closed briefing with U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Stern and the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change Johnathan Pershing. “The lack of any form of visionary leadership on display was startling.” added Dorsey. “The U.S. government is no longer committed to doing just nothing. Worse than nothing, the U.S. plans to assess its performance in 2015 and maybe consider action in…
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Climate Talks: “Africa vs the 1%”
Reuters reports: “Global carbon dioxide emissions from industry rose about three percent in a weak global economy this year, a study released on Monday showed, adding fresh urgency to efforts to control planet-warming gases at U.N. climate talks in South Africa.” Large protests took place over the weekend outside the global climate talks in Durban, South Africa, now in their final week.
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Activists Found Guilty in Drone Trial
The New York Times is reporting that President Obama will not apologize for the recent drone strike that killed over 20 Pakistani soldiers earlier this week. The Syracuse Post-Standard is reporting: “DeWitt Town Justice David Gideon ruled Thursday night that 31 protesters were guilty on two charges of disorderly conduct. But, Gideon said, he spent ‘many a sleepless night’ before making his decision and that he learned a great deal during the five-day nonjury trial, which ended Nov. 5.”
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* Egypt * Burma * Eurozone
SHERIF GABER, sgaber at gmail.com Gaber recently graduated from law school at the University of Texas at Austin and, back in his native Egypt, has been active with the group No Military Trials for Civilians. He said today: “Tomorrow [Friday] is going to be an important day, a symbolic funeral for the 56 people who have been killed by the army and police in the last week and tribute to the over 3000 wounded. The elections have siphoned off a lot of energy from the movement in the streets, with many if not most political parties and organizations bailing on…
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Police Strong-Arm, Evict Occupy LA and Philly
Information, including contacts for different occupation cites, is at and video from various cites is featured at. JODY DODD, jdodd6 at gmail.com Dodd is part of the Occupy Philly legal collective. The webpage features more information including a video “Eviction – What the Mainstream Media Failed to Show the World.”
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“With a tiny staff, it has managed to place on the air and in newspapers, points of view otherwise excluded from the national debate.”
Howard Zinn