COMMON DREAMS: Top News: Massacre in Moscow | Horrific Drone Killing in Gaza

Friday, March 22, 2024 ■ Today's Top News  Russia Says 40 Killed in Fiery Attack on Concert Hall Near Moscow While the attack comes over two years into Russia's war on Ukraine, an adviser for the Ukrainian president said the neighboring nation "certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall." By Common Dreams Staff Just 22 House Dems Oppose Bill That Bars UNRWA Funding While Giving Billions to Israel "Our elected leaders are funding Palestinian death," said one advocacy group. By Jake Johnson US Pariah Status Grows as Finland Resumes UNRWA Funding "Collectively punishing millions of Palestinians over allegations concerning a few individuals is never acceptable," said one campaigner. "Other E.U. member states must follow." By Brett Wilkins $3 Billion From Truth Social Merger Unlikely to Fix Trump's Money Trouble The ex-president is facing potential asset seizure if he can't post a $454 million bond for a New York fraud case. By Jessica Corbett 'Industry's Favorite Puppets': 16 Republican States Sue to Block LNG Pause "The GOP will go to any length to please their Big Oil donors, even if it means driving up costs for their constituents and torching the climate," one campaigner said. THESE ARE THE STATES: The State of Louisiana is joined by the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The attorneys general of 16 Republican-led states sued on Thursday to reverse the Biden administration's pause on the approval of new liquefied natural gas export licences, a move that was widely celebrated by climate and environmental justice campaigners. The lawsuit, backed by states including Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, comes after the Republican-led House of Representatives also voted to reverse the halt on licences. "The GOP will go to any length to please their Big Oil donors, even if it means driving up costs for their constituents and torching the climate," Jamie Henn of Fossil Free Media told Common Dreams. "This is just more performative politics from the industry's favorite puppets." "LNG exports are key to expanding fossil fuel production in the U.S." In its January decision, the White House said it was pausing Department of Energy sign-offs on new LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries so that the department could review the criteria it used to assess them, including the exports' impact on domestic energy prices and their contribution to the climate crisis. The move put the breaks on nearly 20 planned new export terminals along Louisiana's Gulf Coast, which would have released equivalent emissions to 675 coal plants and added to the pollution burden placed on local communities by the fossil fuel industry. However, the attorneys general behind the lawsuit argue that the pause would harm their states and communities that rely on the gas industry for income, as well as the industry itself. They also claim that it is illegal under the Natural Gas Act, and that the "whims of activists cannot override" the act's mandate that the energy secretary must approve LNG exports unless they deem they are not in the public interest. Opponents of the LNG buildout have long contended that the new approvals are not in fact in the public interest given their contributions to the climate crisis, local pollution, and higher energy prices. The lawsuit further contends that the pause violates the Administrative Procedures Act and a Supreme Court order that agencies not act on "major questions" without approval from Congress.In addition to a reversal of the pause, it calls on the court to "preliminarily and permanently" bar the federal government from "halting or attempting to halt the consideration of LNG export applications." Anne Rolfes, executive director of the frontline advocacy group the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, countered the attorney generals' narrative that gas exports were good for local communities. "The decision to sue the Biden Administration for protecting Louisiana from the gas export industry is in direct conflict with the urgent needs of those of us who live in Louisiana, especially the fishermen of Cameron Parish," Rolfes said. Rolfes called the industry an "existential threat" to the livelihoods of small-scale fisherman, who cannot fish while LNG tankers crowd them out of their grounds. She also said the increased terminal construction threatened wetlands that protect the coast from hurricanes and other storms, arguing that the administration of Gov. Jeff Landry was "siding with an industry that is bulldozing storm protections, pouring cement on our coast, and killing our state's seafood industry." Rolfes added: "The right thing to do is to be on the side of Louisiana fishermen and ordinary people. The Landry administration should sue the gas export industry for damage to fisheries and fully compensate the fisherman. Our culture, our coast, and our future depend on it." The suit to reverse the LNG pause was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, with the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming joining those of Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. "The GOP pushback on this is a good reminder of what a big deal this announcement was," Henn said of the suit. "LNG exports are key to expanding fossil fuel production in the U.S.," he continued, adding that President Joe Biden "did the right thing standing up to Big Oil and we don't expect to see him back down now." By Olivia Rosane No 'Clear Message of Peace': Russia, China, and Algeria Vote Down US Gaza Resolution "Only by ceasing hostilities we can alleviate the immense suffering and ensure that large-scale humanitarian assistance reaches those in need," said Algeria's ambassador to the United Nations. By Jake Johnson JOIN THE MOVEMENT As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. JOIN WITH US TODAY ■ More News In 24-1 Vote, Hawaii State Senate Demands Permanent Cease-Fire in Gaza UN Panel Says IDF Appears Set on 'Physical Destruction of Palestinian Children' 'Everyone in the World Needs to See This': Footage Shows IDF Drone Killing Gazans New CDC Data Reveals 'National Embarrassment' of For-Profit Healthcare VIEW ALL NEWS ■ Opinion Over-the-Counter Birth Control a Step Forward, But What About the Abortion Pill? The approval of over-the-counter birth control is a landmark victory for reproductive rights advocates, but true bodily autonomy can only be achieved when individuals have unimpeded access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. By Sylvia Ghazarian How a One-State Solution for Israelis and Palestinians Could Heal the World This is the language of peace. It swells the heart, it transcends the small-mindedness of global politics. By Robert C. Koehler Living Under a Trump Dictatorship If you're not gaming out this scenario in your head, you are doing it wrong. By Andrea Mazzarino VIEW ALL OPINION Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams · PO Box 443 · Portland, ME 04112-0443 · USA Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194

Alina Habba Brags About Being 'Too Good' At Her Job After Losing Every Case

 

During an appearance on Fox News Wednesday evening, Alina Habba told host Martha MacCallum that she was "too good" at her lawyering job to show her hand on how she'll move forward in the New York fraud case. This boast about being "too good" is coming from a woman that has lost every single case that she has worked on for Donald Trump. She's been so bad at this that she even got sanctioned by a judge for one of her filings, and threatened with a night in jail by Judge Engoron. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins discusses this.

Trump must put up $450 million in NY fraud case or shut up & have his properties seized by AG James

 

Donald Trump is no win the "find out" stage of his long life of fraud. He must put up more than $450 million in either cash or a bond if he wants to stop New York Attorney General Leticia James from beginning to satisfy the money judgment against him by seizing his property. Insultingly, Trump just told the court he will only put up a bond in the amount of $100 million because he does not want to have to sell his properties to put up the rest of the money he owes. The New York courts are very likely to tell Donald that that is not the way it works.

LIVE: Trump about to get HIT WITH MORE CHARGES and Sinks to NEW LOW | Legal AF

 

Anchored by MT founder and civil rights lawyer, Ben Meiselas and national trial lawyer and strategist, Michael Popok, the top-rated news analysis podcast Legal AF is back for another hard-hitting look at the most consequential developments at the intersection of law and politics. On this weekend’s edition the anchors discuss: 1) the likelihood of Jack Smith as special counsel bringing a new indictment against Trump and other new defendants including Rudy Giuliani , for Mar a Lago crimes along with other Jan6 related crimes; 2) an overview of all the cooperating witnesses including Giuliani against Trump including the lead participants in the fake electors and a half a dozen attorneys in his orbit, along with subpoenaed phones from other attorneys who participated in the conspiracy; 3) Trump’s failed attempt to get away from Judge Merchan for the NY state business fraud crime case and move the case to federal court; and 4) the Supreme Court’s right wing MAGA recent decisions overturning precedent in the areas of the first amendment, religion, gender and religion to implement the federalist society agenda, as the Biden Administration pivots to counteract these rulings.