Voices, The Peoples News
December 14, 2023
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate
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This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net
# Border / Immigration / Migrants
Hispanic groups ready to ‘resist’ Texas’ push to detain migrants: Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, talks about how grassroots groups plan to “resist” SB4 once Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs it. On Wednesday, they announced a “Know-your-rights campaign” to report abuses once Gov. Greg Abbott signs SB4 into law. The bill approved this year by the Texas Legislature empowers peace officers in the state to inquire about immigration status and bans local governments from limiting assistance to federal immigration agencies. Immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers say Texas is usurping federal authority and likely will face lawsuits once Abbott signs the bill. They expect that to happen in the coming days.
https://www.blair.com/john-blair-aviator-leather-jacket/8854127.html?cid=rt_bl_criteo_nca_cvn_bnr_simaud&cto_pld=sZ1Yz9jeAAAgCGEKEGtY6Q
LAPD chief says department is leading nationwide movement to arm DACA police officers: As the United States experiences a record number of migrant encounters at the southern border, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore says his Department is taking the nationwide lead on a unique immigration challenge: allowing non-citizen DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients who become sworn officers the ability to carry a firearm full-time.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/lapd-chief-says-department-leading-nationwide-movement-arm-daca-police-officers
# Chemicals
A Texas Community is Being Bombarded by Cancer-Causing Benzene. State Officials Have Known for Nearly Two Decades: In 2005, Texas regulators documented startling amounts of benzene in a community outside Houston. Instead of solving the problem, they allowed a known benzene polluter to expand — a decision scientists worry could haunt residents for years to come.
https://publichealthwatch.org/2023/12/13/houston-chemical-air-pollution-benzene/
Never heard of the Heartland Health Research Alliance? Here’s how the organic and tort-lawyer funded sham research center generates disinformation about glyphosate and other farm chemicals. The objective behind creating HHRA was for it to run the Heartland Study (which was already raising funds from organic and litigator special interests prior to the HHRA formation). When public-funding opportunities for the Heartland Study started becoming more lucrative, the group quickly erased any links with tort law firms and removed references to the wily maverick, Benbrook and his family members staffing these efforts.
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2023/12/13/viewpoint-never-heard-of-the-heartland-health-research-alliance-heres-how-the-organic-and-tort-lawyer-funded-sham-research-center-generates-disinformation-about-glyphosate-and-other-farm-chemical/?mc_cid=6bb1ac0516&mc_eid=c87bac2a19
# Corporations / Industry
Are ESG, environmental, social and governance, goals the next step in corporate citizenship or an activist imposition? Many see it as the next evolutionary step in corporate citizenship after product stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility while others see it as an activist imposition of certain subjective concepts of sustainability encouraged by consultants and investment fund managers.
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2023/12/14/viewpoint-are-esg-environmental-social-and-governance-goals-the-next-step-in-corporate-citizenship-or-an-activist-imposition/?mc_cid=6bb1ac0516&mc_eid=c87bac2a19
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Banks
One-Third of Bank Tellers Are on Public Assistance: They handle great sums of money each day, but they’re not earning enough to live on. Fast food and Wal-Mart workers are not the only ones scraping by on minimum wage and depending on public assistance to make ends meet. Bank tellers also often make barely living wages and have to rely on government aid to get by. The report’s findings were based on research conducted by the Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California at Berkeley. The committee also interviewed 5,000 bank tellers, customer service representatives and technicians on the details of their employment, including salary and benefits.
https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/one-third-of-bank-tellers-are-on-public-assistance-12206109
# Education / School
Outraged parents and church leaders criticize new Satanic Temple after-school club due to start at an elementary school in January saying: ‘Satan has no room in this district.’
https://thehill.com/homenews/education/3990175-after-school-satan-clubs-gain-popularity-amid-legal-victories/
# General News
Poll finds few likely voters want Trump to be exiled or put to death if convicted: Poll finds few likely voters want Trump to be exiled or put to death if convicted. Almost half of likely voters think former President Donald Trump is guilty of trying to overturn the 2020 election
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_fc0e5be2-99fa-11ee-8e2d-3b5e67766184.html
Poll Worker: Rudy’s Election Lies Sparked Lynching Threats: Ruby Freeman said one emailer said they wanted to hear her “neck snap” when she was hung for what they alleged was treason. Ruby Freeman, one of two Georgia poll workers who sued Rudy Giuliani for defaming them after the 2020 election, recounted a slew of horrifying emails in federal court Wednesday, including emails where election deniers threatened to lynch her. “You are dead,” she recalled one email saying, according to Law & Crime.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/dec/12/harvard-president-antisemitism-us-politics-giuliani-zelenskiy?page=with:block-6578899b8f0889f38750a762
# Gov / Politics / Global
Zelenskiy to meet Nordic leaders vowing support for Ukraine: Meeting in Oslo comes on the heels of Zelenskiy’s DC trip. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Oslo to meet some of this strongest supporters, having left Washington without a clear commitment on $61 billion in aid
https://news.yahoo.com/zelenskiy-meet-nordic-leaders-vowing-102131447.html#:~:text=(Bloomberg)%20%2D%2D%20President%20Volodymyr%20Zelenskiy,on%20%2461%20billion%20in%20aid.
Nordic nations vow to back Ukraine ‘as long as it takes’ during Zelenskiy visit: The five Nordic nations told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during talks in Oslo on Wednesday that they would support his country “for as long as it takes” in its struggle to drive out Russian forces.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-president-zelenskiy-surprise-visit-norway-2023-12-13/
China’s Xi meets with Vietnamese prime minister on second day of visit to shore up ties Chinese leader Xi Jinping has met with Vietnam’s prime minister and the head of the country’s National Assembly on the second day of his visit to shore up Beijing’s relationship with Hanoi
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/chinas-xi-meets-vietnamese-prime-minister-day-visit-105613709
China, Vietnam hail upgrade of ties; agree to boost security efforts: China and Vietnam agreed to step up co-operation on security matters in their move towards becoming a community with a “shared future”, they said on Wednesday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a visit to Hanoi. On Xi’s two-day trip, the Communist-ruled neighbours, close in economic areas but at odds over boundaries in the South China Sea, signed dozens of co-operation pacts and agreed to set up more hotlines to defuse any emergencies in the contested waters.
https://www.reuters.com/world/chinas-xi-meets-vietnam-leaders-second-day-state-visit-hanoi-2023-12-13/
# Gov / Politics
Republicans Are Sending a Dangerous Message to the Rest of the World: The Ukrainian president had flown 5,000 miles to patch up his fraying relationship with Washington legislators. On his previous two trips, they’d practically hoisted him on their shoulders, cheering him as democracy’s great brave hope. But this time, in a series of meetings, the Republican lawmakers brushed him off, shrugged that the romance was over, then tacked on that hoariest of evasions: It’s not you, it’s us.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-are-sending-a-dangerous-message-to-the-rest-of-the-world/ar-AA1ltjtQ?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=df581af8138c49e9b2f3fc973b74dd0a&ei=11
‘A dangerous game’: Republican chaos and indecision as crises shake the world: Israel and Gaza explode, Ukraine asks for more help and other predicaments demand US attention while Republicans quarrel among themselves
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/14/house-speaker-republican-leadership-absent-us-aid-israel-gaza-ukraine
Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn avoid questions about Kate Cox abortion case Both Republican senators, who are fierce anti-abortion advocates, declined to comment on their state Supreme Court’s decision to deny Cox an abortion despite a fatal fetal diagnosis.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/ted-cruz-john-cornyn-avoid-questions-kate-cox-abortion-case-rcna129407
Satanic Temple altar at the Iowa state capitol has Republicans seething: Outcry emerged after the un-Christian-like altar was erected on the first floor of the Iowa State Capitol earlier this month, prompting the public and lawmakers to call for its removal. Others have maintained keeping the shrine up is a matter of free speech and freedom of religion.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/satanic-temple-altar-iowa-state-capitol_n_6579d801e4b0db9d2ab7d349
House votes to back impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden: The House on Wednesday authorized the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, with every Republican rallying behind the politically charged process despite lingering concerns among some in the party that the investigation has yet to produce evidence of misconduct by the president.
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-impeachment-inquiry-mike-johnson-94884b322da40ca9315ac5f4e73a3e86
Hunter Biden defies congressional subpoena: Hunter Biden defied a congressional subpoena Wednesday by refusing to appear for a deposition with the House Oversight Committee, the latest development in the impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/13/hunter-biden-appearance-capitol-hill-testimony-00131508
This Is Not a War Against Hamas, Israel’s Dystopian Game Show: The horrifying nature of the October 7 attacks led by Hamas do not in any way, morally or legally, justify what Israel has done to the civilian population of Gaza, more than 18,000 of whom have died in a 60-day period. Nothing justifies the killing of children on an industrial scale. Biden and other U.S. officials continue to defend the indefensible by rolling out their well-worn and twisted notion of Israel’s right to “self-defense.” This justification only works for Israel because the Palestinians can enact no such destruction upon Israel and its people. It has no army, no navy, no air force, no powerful nation states to provide it with the most modern and lethal military hardware. It does not have hundreds of nuclear weapons. Israel can burn Gaza and its people to the ground because the U.S. facilitates it, politically and militarily.
https://theintercept.com/2023/12/11/israel-hamas-war-civilians-biden/
Senate to Delay Holiday Recess in Hopes of Reaching Border Deal: The Senate will delay its planned holiday recess and return to the Capitol next week in an attempt to give negotiators more time to reach an elusive deal on a $110.5 billion supplemental spending bill including border policy changes and aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4360737-border-deal-senate-recess/
# Law Enforcment
How Police Have Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras: Hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars have been spent on what was sold as a revolution in transparency and accountability. Instead, police departments routinely refuse to release footage — even when officers kill.
https://www.propublica.org/article/nypd-mulkeen-police-body-camera-footage-denied
Behind bars and beyond burgers: Exposing Alabama’s prison labor exploitation: This lawsuit seeks not only to compensate those who have been exploited, but also to dismantle a system that generates an estimated $450 million annually from this coerced labor.
https://www.nationofchange.org/2023/12/14/behind-bars-and-beyond-burgers-exposing-alabamas-prison-labor-exploitation/
# Media
Video: ‘Civil War’ movie where president bombs American citizens in near future to premiere in 2024: A different kind of “Civil War” will debut in 2024 ahead of the presidential election, courtesy of a new movie whose trailer just came out. Written and directed by Alex Garland, “Civil War” is described in a tagline as “a race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge.”
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/a24-civil-war-trailer-asks-141222285.html
Mother Jones Merging With Center for Investigative Reporting: The progressive magazine and the investigative nonprofit will complete the merger next year. Most of the news about the journalism business right now is grim. Storied newsrooms are being hollowed out and sold to hedge funds. Once-hot digital startups are cutting back and closing down.
https://www.motherjones.com/media/2023/12/mother-jones-reveal-center-investigative-reporting-merger-non-profit-newsroom/
# Military / DOD
Senate passes final defense policy bill: The Senate overwhelmingly passed 87-13, a compromise annual defense policy bill, teeing up a final vote in the House before it heads to the White House for the president’s signature. The compromise bill authorizes limited assistance for Ukraine, implements AUKUS and institutionalizes a nuclear weapon.
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2023/12/14/senate-passes-final-defense-policy-bill/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%95%20The%20Senate%20on%20Wednesday,House%20for%20the%20president’s%20signature
Ukraine, Mideast conflicts place renewed pressure on Patriot units: The U.S. Army worked for the better part of a decade to reduce the pressure on troops operating Patriot air defense systems, but the increasing demand for the technology has mostly undone that progress, according to the service’s director of institutional planning for fires and joint capabilities
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/12/13/ukraine-mideast-conflicts-place-renewed-pressure-on-patriot-units/
Robots in the ranks: Army integrating robots in two platoons: Soldiers at both the Maneuver Center of Excellence and the National Training Center are testing out new platoon formations that integrate robots and other technology into dangerous combat scenarios.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2023/12/13/robots-in-the-ranks-army-integrating-robots-in-two-platoons/
Global conflicts spur a ‘race’ to develop, field electronic warfare systems: “It is imperative that we, in concert with our allies and partners, remain committed to prioritizing our warfighters’ freedom of action and ability to achieve spectrum superiority,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said, citing the prominence of EW capabilities in Ukraine and the Middle East.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/12/global-conflicts-spur-a-race-to-develop-field-electronic-warfare-systems-navy-secretary/
US Navy subs are getting a drone that can launch through a torpedo tube: For the first time, a U.S. Navy submarine has tested an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that can leave and re-enter the sub through a torpedo tube. The capability to deploy a drone through an existing hatch creates new opportunities for surveillance, scouting and other missions. A U.S. Navy submarine has tested an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that can leave and re-enter the sub through a torpedo tube. The capability to deploy a drone through an existing hatch creates new opportunities for surveillance, scouting and other missions.1
https://maritime-executive.com/article/us-navy-subs-are-getting-a-drone-that-can-launch-through-a-torpedo-tube#:~:text=For%20the%20first%20time%2C%20a,surveillance%2C%20scouting%20and%20other%20missions
Pennsylvania Army National Guard members to deploy to Horn of Africa: Members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team are being called up for overseas deployment
https://www.pa.ng.mil/Site-Management/News-Article-View/Article/2867230/28th-id-soldiers-deploy-to-africa/
Let’s bring that margin back: China, Russia too close for comfort in electronic warfare, say generals: Be afraid; be moderately afraid. That’s the bottom-line assessment of where the US and its allies stand on electronic warfare compared to Russia and China, as distilled from a host of statements by current and former Air Force generals at the Association of Old Crows’ annual EW conference. After decades of neglect, jamming enemy radars and communications — and defending against enemy jamming in turn — is back on the agenda for the US and its allies. But China has had its eye on this ball much longer, even creating a Strategic Support Force in 2015, focused on EW, cyberwar and space, as the institutional equal of the traditional Army, Navy and air services.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/12/lets-bring-that-margin-back-china-russia-too-close-for-comfort-in-electronic-warfare-say-generals/
‘It’s not translating’: Army general says to focus on realistic robotic integration: “Every time it’s like, go watch one [robotic tactical vehicle] follow another one around the parking lot and it runs over the curb and I’m like, ‘Come on, we got to do better than this,” Gen. James Rainey said today.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/12/with-robotic-tank-formations-out-for-now-army-general-focuses-on-near-term-gains/
# Military / Global
UK, Italy, Japan ink GCAP stealth fighter treaty, reveal new program details: The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) partners of Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom have signed a new treaty that will now be sent to their elected representatives for approval, the partners announced today, while also revealing some new details about how the program is to be structured.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/12/uk-italy-japan-ink-gcap-stealth-fighter-treaty-reveal-new-program-details/
Norway to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine: Norway will donate more National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, better known as NASAMS, to Ukraine, this time with a value of 335 million kroner (U.S. $31 million), the government said in a statement. Some will be donated from Norway´s own storage in order to ensure fast delivery to Ukraine, while additional systems will be ordered from the industry for later delivery.
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/noreg-donerer-meir-luftvern-til-ukraina/id3018411/
Dismayed by Moscow’s war, Russian volunteers are joining Ukrainian ranks to fight Putin’s troops: When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ignited into war, back in Moscow, a young Russian who now goes by the name of Karabas was plunged into despair. Shocked by images of what was happening to Ukrainians in Russian-occupied areas, he decided to act — against Russia, his home and country.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-volunteer-troops-014f24506a74161e054b3947ef262873
# Pharmaceuticals / Drugs
Big Pharma Continues To Raise Drug Prices: CAP found that in July 2023, drug companies raised their list prices above the annual inflation rate of 3 percent for 112 drugs. Drug list prices exclude rebates and discounts applied throughout the drug financing supply chain, and these manufacturer-set prices apply across all payers.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/drug-companies-continue-to-hike-prices-above-inflation/#:~:text=CAP%20found%20that%20in%20July,prices%20apply%20across%20all%20payers.
# Science
CRISPR and other new technologies open doors for drug development, but which diseases get prioritized? It comes down to money and science: Drug development takes a great deal of time, money and effort. While future profits play a big factor in which diseases gets prioritized, advocacy and research incentives can also tilt the scale. Sickle cell disease made a great target for this technology because it was caused by a single genetic issue. It was also an attractive disease to focus on because it affects around 100,000 people in the U.S. and is costly to society
https://news.yahoo.com/crispr-other-technologies-open-doors-131022349.html
# Security
Trump Allies Are Giddy About House Intelligence Committee’s Surveillance Bill: The committee is pushing a bill that civil liberties experts say would amount to the largest expansion of domestic surveillance in decades. The federal government’s domestic spying powers come from Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which was revamped after 9/11 to create mass data collection powers, has been routinely abused and manipulated, and is set to expire at the end of this year.
https://theintercept.com/2023/12/11/house-intelligence-committee-section-702-surveillance/
# Space
NASA’s Space Station Laser Comm Terminal Achieves First Link: NASA’s LCRD (Laser Communications Relay Demonstration) and the new space station demonstration, ILLUMA-T (Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal), successfully exchanged data for the first time. LCRD and ILLUMA-T are demonstrating how a user mission, in this case the space station, can benefit from a laser communications relay located in geosynchronous orbit.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/tech-demonstration/laser-communications-relay/nasas-space-station-laser-comm-terminal-achieves-first-link/
# Veterans / VA
Members of Congress push San Diego VA to give more housing vouchers to homeless veterans: Four members of San Diego’s Congressional delegation are asking the local Veterans Affairs office to issue more housing vouchers amid a rise in homelessness among people who served in the military. The request comes after a Union-Tribune story showed that hundreds weren’t reaching the people who need them.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/story/2023-12-13/members-of-congress-push-san-diego-va-to-give-more-housing-vouchers-to-homeless-veterans
Top Republicans roll out bill to bar VA healthcare processing systems from being used for illegal migrants: Top GOP lawmakers roll out bill to weed out services for illegal migrants provided by VA healthcar
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-republicans-roll-out-bill-bar-va-healthcare-systems-used-illegal-migrants?utm_source=Newswav&utm_medium=Website
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