Informed Comment daily updates (11/03/2023)

 

The Invisible Slaughter of Palestinian Children Berkeley, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – According to our most reliable news sources, the children of Gaza are being slaughtered at a horrific rate. No, you will not find the terms “slaughter” or “horrific” in Western media accounts of Israel’s current assault on the Palestinians residents of Gaza (these terms are reserved for […]

From Armenia to Gaza: War, Crimes, Truth and Denial By Arnold Isaacs ( Tomdispatch.com) – This month’s catastrophic violence in Israel and Gaza — specifically, the contradictory statements from each side on the other’s war crimes — has taken me back to a revealing personal moment almost exactly 18 years ago, recalling a different war in a different part of the world. That day […]

We Need an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza By Phyllis Bennis | ( Otherwords) – The violence in the Middle East is bringing horrifying new levels of human suffering to both Israelis and Palestinians. We need an immediate ceasefire right now. Both sides have committed heinous violations of international law. But if we’re serious about preventing such horrors in the future, we have […]

Old posts you may have missed

Goodbye Acapulco: 205 mph Winds destroy 80% of Infrastructure, do $18 bn of Damage in Climate Change Warning Apocalyptic Politics are Clouding the U.S. Response to the Israel-Hamas Conflict and Demonizing Muslim-Americans Gaza Bombing adds to the Generations of Palestinians displaced from their Homes Israel in Search of its Hiroshima: Massive Bomb Wipes out 20 Apt. Buildings, Kills, Wounds 400 Civilians US Stands Isolated in backing Gaza Massacre What’s not being Said: What War does to the Nations that Fight It Is Iran satisfied with the Derailing of the Abraham Accords by the Gaza Conflict or does it Want More?

TOP NEWS: Israel Accused of 'War Crime' After Bombing Ambulance Convoy Outside Gaza Hospital

 

November 03, 2023 Top News Gaza Death Toll Continues to Rise as US Refuses Global Call for Cease-Fire Thousands of Americans are expected to march in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, demanding the Biden administration join the call for peace. Julia Conley UN Human Rights Body Issues 'Scathing' Report on Sweeping US Violations "The United States touts itself as a beacon of democracy and human rights, yet the committee's findings prove that this could not be further from the truth," said one ACLU campaigner. Brett Wilkins Israel Accused of 'War Crime' After Bombing Ambulance Convoy Outside Gaza Hospital A Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson called the attack "a massacre against more victims, civilians, and wounded people." Jessica Corbett 'UAW Bump': Toyota Announces Raises After Union Reaches Tentative Deal With Big Three "They did it now because the company knows we're coming for them," UAW president Shawn Fain said in response to the news. Olivia Rosane 'All Options Are Open': Hezbollah Leader Warns Israel's Assault on Gaza Could Spark Wider War "Whoever wants to prevent a regional war, and I am talking to the Americans, must quickly halt the aggression on Gaza." Brett Wilkins Amid Public Outcry Over Gaza Carnage, 13 Senators Call for 'Cessation of Hostilities' "Keep up the pressure, friends," said one peace advocate. "It's working." Julia Conley

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With Abortion Rights on the Line, Ohio Lawmaker Says Those Purged Unlawfully Must Be Allowed to Vote 'Doom to the Pipeline': Lone Grandfather Arrested for Blocking MVP Construction 'The Time Is Now': Interfaith Protesters Fill Philly Train Station Demanding Cease-Fire 12 House Dems Join GOP to Approve Tax Gift to Rich Alongside Israel Aid for Gaza Slaughter 'Time to Exit ISDS': Hundreds of Groups Call On US to Ditch Corporate-Friendly Trade Regime VIEW ALL NEWS MAKE A GIFT TO COMMON DREAMS. Independent news is more important than ever. DONATE TODAY

Opinion War Crimes in an Era of Fake Truth and Artificial Intelligence If the explosive growth of social media has meant a larger threat to truth, a more recent trend may pose a new and even bigger danger Arnold R. Isaacs Dante in Gaza: The Craven Choir and Faithless Angels of a Dying World Order The poet called it “the great refusal,” this decision not to take a side. And by sides, I don’t mean Israel or Hamas. I mean the side that represents law, diplomacy, and international institutions, and the side that represents lawlessness, hatred, and brute force. Richard Eskow Do American Taxpayers Really Want to Fund Israel's Genocide of the Palestinian People? Congress should hold public hearings to get an answer to this question. Ralph Nader,Bruce Fein

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‘It’s an abomination’: battle brewing over proposed US laws to protect pesticide companies

Carey Gillam at The Guardian on how the pesticide industry is doing its darnedest to prevent lawsuits against itself.

—Erika

Cancer patients are celebrating a string of courtroom victories after juries in three US states recently ordered Germany’s Bayer to pay more than $500m in damages for failing to warn about the health risks of its Roundup herbicides. But the consumer wins come as proposed federal legislation backed by Bayer and the powerful agricultural industry could limit similar cases from ever going to trial in the future.

Dubbed the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act, the proposed measure would provide sweeping protections for pesticide companies and their products, pre-empting local governments from implementing restrictions on pesticide use and blocking many of the legal claims that have been plaguing Bayer, according to the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and other critics.

The measure, which was introduced over the summer, has been gaining traction as a potential amendment to the pending Farm Bill. More than 360 agricultural organizations are throwing their support behind the measure, which was introduced by US representatives Dusty Johnson and Jim Costa. Lobbying disclosure records show that Bayer and the industry-funded CropLife America have made passage of the measure a priority.

The new law is needed because pesticides are “paramount to growing our food and keeping communities safe”, according to CropLife.

“Farmers and consumers need to not only be able to trust the regulation of the products they use but trust that the government has made decisions based on agreed-upon and established science, facts and data.”

In response, on 27 October, more than 150 US lawmakers signed a letter to the leadership of the House committee on agriculture expressing “strong opposition” to the pre-emption measures, saying they would overturn “decades of precedent” and have a “significant impact” on public safety.

Local laws that could be in jeopardy include many that restrict pesticide use near schools, parks and playgrounds, and protect drinking water supplies and wildlife. Pre-emption of state and local authority would additionally “limit accountability for manufacturers who fail to adequately warn consumers about the hazards posed by certain high-risk pesticides”, the letter warns.

THEGUARDIAN.COM

‘It’s an abomination’: battle brewing over proposed US laws to protect pesticide companies

 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/03/pesticide-regulation-cancer-bayer-roundup-law-legislation