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@truthout.org
· Oct 21
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In the midst of the highest numbers of measles cases seen in decades, RFK Jr. gave a speech to an anti-vaccine group he once led, seeking to assure members that he was still allied with them. “Let me be clear. You have a strong and steadfast friend at the White House.”
“You Have a Strong and Steadfast Friend at the White House,” RFK Jr. Tells Anti-Vax Group
Kennedy’s remark comes as measles cases in the US are at their highest levels seen in decades.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 11:00 PM
In the midst of the highest numbers of measles cases seen in decades, RFK Jr. gave a speech to an anti-vaccine group he once led, seeking to assure members that he was still allied with them. “Let me be clear. You have a strong and steadfast friend at the White House.”
Organizers in Palm Beach County, Florida, are fighting to stop the county from investing further in bonds that help fund Israel’s genocide. The county already holds $1 billion in Israel Bonds, making its investment the largest in the world and 3 times the next highest investor, the State of Florida.
Organizers Aim to Thwart Purchase of Israel Bonds by World’s Largest Investor
Palm Beach County, Florida, has invested $1 billion in Israel Bonds — more than any other single investor in the world.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Organizers in Palm Beach County, Florida, are fighting to stop the county from investing further in bonds that help fund Israel’s genocide. The county already holds $1 billion in Israel Bonds, making its investment the largest in the world and 3 times the next highest investor, the State of Florida.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering a dozen data center projects to be built on public lands, a plan that would grant tech firms at least 17,600 acres of protected lands across six states — Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
There Are 0 Data Centers on Public Lands. Trump Is Considering Building 12.
The Trump administration quietly fast tracked a data center project in Nevada earlier this year.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 9:00 PM
The Trump administration is reportedly considering a dozen data center projects to be built on public lands, a plan that would grant tech firms at least 17,600 acres of protected lands across six states — Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
A coalition of civil rights groups have sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of ICE agents to polls, arguing that the policy violates the federal law that prohibits “armed men” at election sites, and also causes voter intimidation, which is barred under the Voting Rights Act.
Trump Administration Faces Second Lawsuit to Keep ICE Agents Away From Polls
Groups argue federal law prohibits “armed men” at election sites, and agents’ presence causes voter intimidation.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM
A coalition of civil rights groups have sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of ICE agents to polls, arguing that the policy violates the federal law that prohibits “armed men” at election sites, and also causes voter intimidation, which is barred under the Voting Rights Act.
Newly unsealed court documents from a lawsuit of news organizations, including The New York Times, and 10 other publications that are suing Microsoft and OpenAI for copyright infringement, reveal that AI executives recognize the dangers that their own work poses to the future of journalism.
Court Filing Shows OpenAI Execs Hoped to Make “Gazillions” After Feeding Its AI Model Journalists’ Work
Executives said that “millions of people” could view their product as committing “theft of unprecedented proportions.”…
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Newly unsealed court documents from a lawsuit of news organizations, including The New York Times, and 10 other publications that are suing Microsoft and OpenAI for copyright infringement, reveal that AI executives recognize the dangers that their own work poses to the future of journalism.
Senators Markey, Merkley and Sanders introduced legislation to block a sale of $5 billion worth of bombs and bomb kits to Saudi Arabia, protesting the kingdom’s human rights abuses amid its escalation in fighting in Yemen.
Markey Moves to Block $5B US Bombs Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Yemen Escalation
The State Department’s announcement of the sale comes as the administration is also pursuing a US-Saudi nuclear deal.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Senators Markey, Merkley and Sanders introduced legislation to block a sale of $5 billion worth of bombs and bomb kits to Saudi Arabia, protesting the kingdom’s human rights abuses amid its escalation in fighting in Yemen.
Trump said he is weighing whether or not to “annihilate” Iran in a renewed effort to end the illegal 201-day US-Israeli war of choice, musings that came on the heels of a report by UN experts who said the United States likely committed war crimes during earlier attacks on the Middle East nation.
Trump Says He Has a “Big Decision” to Make: Whether to “Annihilate” Iran
The president has repeatedly expressed his willingness to commit war crimes and atrocities against Iran.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Trump said he is weighing whether or not to “annihilate” Iran in a renewed effort to end the illegal 201-day US-Israeli war of choice, musings that came on the heels of a report by UN experts who said the United States likely committed war crimes during earlier attacks on the Middle East nation.
Starting this week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that it now considers it legal to kill a federally protected animal, as long as it wasn’t on purpose. Another recent revision went into effect this week, saying that damaging an animal’s habitat is no longer considered “harming” it.
Trump Admin Upended Protections for Endangered Species by Redefining 2 Words
“Unintentional harm is exactly what is driving many species towards extinction,” said one expert.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Starting this week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that it now considers it legal to kill a federally protected animal, as long as it wasn’t on purpose. Another recent revision went into effect this week, saying that damaging an animal’s habitat is no longer considered “harming” it.
Israeli forces have detained Palestinian American journalist Naqaa Hamed in the occupied West Bank as she returned from a reporting assignment on escalating settler violence. Israeli settlers have been targeting Hamed in an online smear campaign after she covered the Israeli siege of Qusra.
Israel Detains Palestinian American Journalist Reporting on Settler Violence
Naqaa Hamed’s arrest comes as nearly 40 Palestinian journalists are currently in Israeli detention.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Israeli forces have detained Palestinian American journalist Naqaa Hamed in the occupied West Bank as she returned from a reporting assignment on escalating settler violence. Israeli settlers have been targeting Hamed in an online smear campaign after she covered the Israeli siege of Qusra.
After years of organizing, the Chicago region’s transit system began an important new chapter as the Northern Illinois Transit Authority with $1.5 billion in new revenue and the creation of a unified agency to better connect transit services. 2 years ago, the transit system faced cuts of up to 40%.
Massive Public Transit Win in Chicago Shows the Power of Grassroots Coalitions
The upcoming overhaul of the Chicago region’s transit system shows how potent organizing around public service scan be.
buff.ly
September 18, 2026 at 3:55 PM
After years of organizing, the Chicago region’s transit system began an important new chapter as the Northern Illinois Transit Authority with $1.5 billion in new revenue and the creation of a unified agency to better connect transit services. 2 years ago, the transit system faced cuts of up to 40%.
Elizabeth Warren and 12 other Democrats have introduced legislation to ban private equity from owning medical practices as increasingly widespread corporate ownership continues driving up health care costs each year.
Warren Introduces Bill to Ban Private Equity From Owning Medical Practices
More than 80 percent of doctors are employed by corporate entities — a massive increase from 62 percent seven years ago.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Elizabeth Warren and 12 other Democrats have introduced legislation to ban private equity from owning medical practices as increasingly widespread corporate ownership continues driving up health care costs each year.
A UN fact-finding mission has concluded that the U.S. committed war crimes in two attacks on Iran that killed scores of civilians, including over 120 children, on the first day of the war.
UN Inquiry Finds US Strike on Minab, Iran, That Killed 123 Children Was War Crime
The US targeted “clearly identifiable” civilian sites in Minab and Lamerd, killing over 100 children, the UN found.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 9:45 PM
A UN fact-finding mission has concluded that the U.S. committed war crimes in two attacks on Iran that killed scores of civilians, including over 120 children, on the first day of the war.
Hakeem Jeffries assured the public that the Democratic Party is taking strong measures to combat the AI Doomsday threat roiling the country. His prime example: a Democratic House commission on AI stacked with lawmakers who’ve received huge amounts of money from Big Tech.
Democrats Backed by Industry Super PACs Are Writing the Party’s AI Plan
Members of the commission received outsized financial support that seems intended to shape the party’s policy response.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Hakeem Jeffries assured the public that the Democratic Party is taking strong measures to combat the AI Doomsday threat roiling the country. His prime example: a Democratic House commission on AI stacked with lawmakers who’ve received huge amounts of money from Big Tech.
Trump last month authorized the duty-free importation of 660 million pounds of cheap beef trimmings that will get mixed in with other cuts to make ground beef. Customers at the grocery store will have no way to identify this “mystery meat.”
Trump’s “Mystery Meat” Deal Underscores the Danger of Unchecked Corporate Power
The meatpacking industry is more powerful now than when Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle, says author Eric Schlosser.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Trump last month authorized the duty-free importation of 660 million pounds of cheap beef trimmings that will get mixed in with other cuts to make ground beef. Customers at the grocery store will have no way to identify this “mystery meat.”
“For months, families lived in fear, children were separated from their parents, and our neighbors were subjected to racial profiling and unlawful detentions. People also showed up for one another with compassion, courage, and resilience. This council will make sure we document Minnesota’s history.”
Minnesotans Aren’t Going to Let “Operation Metro Surge” Be Forgotten
Documentation projects are capturing the brutality of the ICE crackdown and the grassroots resistance that followed.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 7:45 PM
“For months, families lived in fear, children were separated from their parents, and our neighbors were subjected to racial profiling and unlawful detentions. People also showed up for one another with compassion, courage, and resilience. This council will make sure we document Minnesota’s history.”
There’s a notable exception to California's state heat safety rules: the staff and tens of thousands of incarcerated people who work in California’s prisons that are largely not air-conditioned.
California Eyes Prison Heat Protections That Fall Short of Other Workplaces’
Incarcerated workers often make less than 50 cents an hour; it could take weeks to make enough to buy a personal fan.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 7:15 PM
There’s a notable exception to California's state heat safety rules: the staff and tens of thousands of incarcerated people who work in California’s prisons that are largely not air-conditioned.
For the second year in a row, the Trump administration has denied diplomatic visas for Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials — a move condemned by the PA and outside critics as counter to international peace efforts.
US Once Again Denies Palestinian Officials Visas to Attend New York UN Meeting
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas will have to deliver remarks and participate in meetings via video link.
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 6:35 PM
For the second year in a row, the Trump administration has denied diplomatic visas for Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials — a move condemned by the PA and outside critics as counter to international peace efforts.
A photographer captured extraordinary pictures of President Donald Trump looking at a large poster that appears to say “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” on top through the windows of Air Force One on Wednesday evening.
Trump Caught Reviewing Plan to Demolish Kennedy Center in Air Force One
Through the windows of Air Force One, he was pictured holding a poster that seemingly says “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.”…
buff.ly
September 17, 2026 at 5:48 PM
A photographer captured extraordinary pictures of President Donald Trump looking at a large poster that appears to say “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” on top through the windows of Air Force One on Wednesday evening.
“When an AI pretends empathy, when it uses the first person, when it says, “I hear you, I see you,” people sort of, because we are wired to hear a voice that is speaking to us in the first person as a human being, start to feel there’s a there there.”
Artificial Intimacy Is Changing Who We Are
“We start to judge our human interactions by what the chatbot can deliver,” says author Sherry Turkle.
truthout.org
September 17, 2026 at 4:36 PM
“When an AI pretends empathy, when it uses the first person, when it says, “I hear you, I see you,” people sort of, because we are wired to hear a voice that is speaking to us in the first person as a human being, start to feel there’s a there there.”
President Donald Trump made nearly 30,000 stock trades since his return to office in January 2025, marking a far higher volume of trades than all 535 members of Congress combined, a new analysis finds.
Since 2025, Trump Made More Stock Trades Than All 535 Congress Members Combined
This amounts to more than 80 trades per market day for the president in his first 17 months back in office.
buff.ly
September 16, 2026 at 11:00 PM
President Donald Trump made nearly 30,000 stock trades since his return to office in January 2025, marking a far higher volume of trades than all 535 members of Congress combined, a new analysis finds.
In 2025, 124 deaths of environmental defenders were documented worldwide, a toll researchers say is likely only a fraction of the total number because repression and armed conflict make many deaths impossible to verify. The victims included Indigenous people, small-scale farmers and organizers.
Every 3 Days an Environmental Defender Is Murdered
Trump’s 2025 dismantling of the US Agency for International Development had serious implications for defenders.
buff.ly
September 16, 2026 at 10:30 PM
In 2025, 124 deaths of environmental defenders were documented worldwide, a toll researchers say is likely only a fraction of the total number because repression and armed conflict make many deaths impossible to verify. The victims included Indigenous people, small-scale farmers and organizers.
The family of a woman who died after she could not get an abortion in Texas is suing doctors and state officials including Attorney General Ken Paxton. It is the first lawsuit over a death linked to an abortion ban.
Ken Paxton Faces the First Lawsuit Over a Death Linked to an Abortion Ban
“Tierra Walker is dead and those responsible must be held accountable,” the lawsuit reads.
buff.ly
September 16, 2026 at 10:00 PM
The family of a woman who died after she could not get an abortion in Texas is suing doctors and state officials including Attorney General Ken Paxton. It is the first lawsuit over a death linked to an abortion ban.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a building damaged by Israeli strikes collapsed in Gaza, killing at least 21 people, including 11 children. An estimated 100 people were living in the six-story building when it collapsed as residents were sleeping.
War-Damaged Building in Gaza Collapses, Killing 21, as Gaza Remains Unlivable
Two thousand buildings damaged by Israeli bombing are currently sheltering people across Gaza.
buff.ly
September 16, 2026 at 9:30 PM
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a building damaged by Israeli strikes collapsed in Gaza, killing at least 21 people, including 11 children. An estimated 100 people were living in the six-story building when it collapsed as residents were sleeping.
Former President George W. Bush, the father of the global war on terror that has suppressed and killed millions of people across the world, has announced that he is releasing a book of portraits of political prisoners.
Bush, With Legacy of Torture, Unveils Portrait Book of “Political Prisoners”
The war on terror and PATRIOT Act president is releasing a book of portraits of dissenters called “The Call of Freedom.”…
buff.ly
September 16, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Former President George W. Bush, the father of the global war on terror that has suppressed and killed millions of people across the world, has announced that he is releasing a book of portraits of political prisoners.
“For too long, Israel’s policies in the West Bank have been treated or looked at as isolated events,” say B’Tselem. “We actually find that there is one very coherent logic behind all of them, and this is the logic of elimination of Palestinian collective life in the West Bank.”
“Logic of Elimination” Drives Israel’s Policies in the West Bank, Report Finds
The report says Israel is “dramatically intensifying its attacks on every aspect of Palestinian life in the West Bank.”…
buff.ly
September 16, 2026 at 8:15 PM
“For too long, Israel’s policies in the West Bank have been treated or looked at as isolated events,” say B’Tselem. “We actually find that there is one very coherent logic behind all of them, and this is the logic of elimination of Palestinian collective life in the West Bank.”