November 6, 2022

100-Year-Old Community Forced To Move As Caribbean Island Sinks

100-Year-Old Community Forced To Move As Caribbean Island Sinks
Residents of Gardi Sugdub are the first to be moved by the government to the Panama mainland as the sea rises, but several other communities will soon be impacted.

By Mary Papenfuss
Nov 5, 2022, 11:57 PM EDT
Updated 8 hours ago


(HuffPost) The 1,200 indigenous Guna people on the island of Gardi Sugdub in Panama can’t hang on much longer. They’re moving next year to the mainland because their land is being inundated by the rising Caribbean Sea amid climate change.

They’ll become the first residents of Latin America to be moved by the government because their island — home to a community for 100 years — is fated to disappear beneath the rising sea, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

“When the tide goes up, the water enters some houses and the people have to move their belongings to higher ground,” said local grade school computer science teacher Pragnaben Mohan. Teachers and students have to wear rubber boots to wade through water to classrooms, he said.

The move to modern homes in the new community of La Barriada late next year has been planned for more than a decade, according to the Journal.

Gardi Sugdub is one of 365 islands, most of them uninhabited, in the San Blas archipelago. Some 39 of the islands were settled more than a century and a half ago by 30,000 Guna, who came from the Colombian and Panamanian mainland. ...............(more)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gardi-sugdub-panama-climate-change-island-evacuation_n_63671b0ee4b06f38ded53721

November 6, 2022

These companies claim to support abortion rights. They are backing anti-abortion Republicans

(Guardian UK) The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly was one of the most vocal opponents of a sweeping anti-abortion law that passed in its home state of Indiana, last August, saying that the measure would make it hard to attract talent and would force it to look outside the state for growth.

But in the weeks and months that followed, Lilly continued to financially support Republican candidates and politicians who support bans on abortion across the country, including many who celebrated the reversal of Roe v Wade.

It was not alone.

A Guardian analysis of other major US companies’ political donations shows that those who suggested they would help female employees skirt statewide abortion bans, by offering to pay for out-of-state medical costs for those seeking abortions in states where the option was illegal, continued to financially back candidates who have called for abortion bans. They include Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Comcast, Citigroup, AT&T, and Amazon.

The analysis suggests that while some of America’s largest employers want to be seen as supporting reproductive health for their female workers and their families, the abortion issue has not affected their financial support for Republican candidates who have promised to further erode those workers’ reproductive rights. .............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/06/us-companies-abortion-rights-donation-anti-abortion-republicans

November 6, 2022

Climate crisis: past eight years were the eight hottest ever, says UN

(Guardian UK) The past eight years were the eight hottest ever recorded, a new UN report has found, indicating the world is now deep into the climate crisis. The internationally agreed 1.5C limit for global heating is now “barely within reach”, it said.

The report, by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sets out how record high greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are driving sea level and ice melting to new highs and supercharging extreme weather from Pakistan to Puerto Rico.

The stark assessment was published on the opening day of the UN’s Cop27 climate summit in Egypt and as the UN secretary-general warned that “our planet is on course to reach tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible”.

The WMO estimates that the global average temperature in 2022 will be about 1.15C above the pre-industrial average (1850-1900), meaning every year since 2016 has been one of the warmest on record. ...............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/06/climate-crisis-past-eight-years-were-the-eight-hottest-ever-says-un

November 5, 2022

Free Press Editorial: DePerno is a time bomb. Re-elect Dana Nessel

DePerno is a time bomb. Re-elect Dana Nessel | Opinion
Detroit Free Press Editorial Board


Matthew DePerno cannot become Michigan's next attorney general. He has pledged to pursue a set of dark objectives ― prosecuting the incumbent governor, secretary of state and attorney general; jailing doctors and nurses who provide abortions; working to overturn elections ― that would throw Michigan into chaos, while saying that he'd like to make morning after pills like Plan B illegal, that he believes the Supreme Court ruling that struck down state laws barring birth control was wrongly decided, and opposes civil and LGBTQ rights. You can read more about his agenda here.

DePerno has spent nearly all of his meager advertising funds trying to caricature his incumbent opponent attorney general as a radical with a far-left agenda. In fact, Attorney General Dana Nessel has pursued the pro-consumer, anti-polluter, pro-people agenda she pledged to pursue in her first campaign.

When we endorsed Nessel earlier this year, we were confident that time and public exposure would reveal how serious a threat her opponent posed to the integrity of Michigan's elections and law enforcement efforts. But a lack of funds and name recognition have worked perversely in DePerno favor, leading many voters to assume he must be a garden-variety Republican, rather than an election denier facing the prospect of criminal prosecution and disbarment. The dereliction of institutional voices has given DePerno's candidacy a veneer of legitimacy it does not deserve, allowing him to stay within striking distance of his more-responsible opponent. The latest poll in the attorney general's race, out this week in the Free Press, shows a six-point lead for Nessel.

So let's talk about why Michigan voters should retain Dana Nessel as the state's attorney general.

In myriad ways, Michiganders are safer

Protecting all Michiganders has been the hallmark of Nessel's tenure.

Nessel led the negotiations for Michigan’s share of the federal opioid settlement, netting $800 million from pharmaceutical companies. She created the Elder Abuse Task Force to address the growing exploitation of vulnerable seniors -- state lawmakers responded to its recommendations requiring financial institutions to adopt new verification procedures to protect senior citizens' transactions. ............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2022/11/05/deperno-dana-nessel-election-november/69614684007/

November 5, 2022

Where support for Michigan ballot proposals stands before Nov. 8 election

OP's comment: It's a paywalled article, but the important info is in these graphs


(Detroit Free Press) A majority of Michigan voters back the three statewide proposals to modify term limits for state lawmakers, establish early voting in the state and protect the right to seek abortions on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to a recent Free Press poll.

Of the three constitutional amendments before voters in Michigan in the midterm election, the voting rights Proposal 2 − which appears on the ballot as Proposal 22-2 − has garnered the most significant support among voters, the poll conducted by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA shows.

The survey indicates a 39-point lead for proponents of the amendment: Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed support Proposal 2 compared to just 29% who oppose it.

Proposal 1 to modify term limits − which appears on the ballot as Proposal 22-1 − also has strong support. Sixty-six percent of voters surveyed support the measure compared to 29% who oppose it, a 37-point difference. Proposal 1 would allow state legislators to serve a maximum of 12 years in Lansing compared to 14 years today. But it would allow lawmakers to spend all 12 years in one chamber. It would also require state lawmakers and those holding top statewide offices to disclose information about their finances that could reveal potential conflicts of interest.

Supporters of Proposal 3 to enshrine abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution − which appears on the ballot as Proposal 22-3 − enjoy a 17-point margin of support, according to the poll. Fifty-seven percent of voters surveyed support the measure while 40% oppose it. ..............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/05/poll-michigan-voters-back-abortion-voting-rights-proposals/69620322007/

November 5, 2022

Sarah Palin: "White suburban women, well, most women in general, we're not stupid"

(Salon) During an interview with Newsmax on Friday, former GOP Alaska Gov. and House candidate Sarah Palin championed white suburban women in grocery stores as change makers during the midterm elections.

"Four days left until the election," host Eric Bolling said in the intro to the segment with Palin. "The left is on the ropes. They're scared, and they should be. The red wave is real, and it's coming."

Referencing a recent Wall Street Journal article citing data indicating that white women are swinging Republican more and more, Bolling asked Palin to weigh in with her views on the matter.

"It doesn't surprise me," Palin said. "White suburban women, they're the ones in the grocery stores. They're the ones out there making sure their kids are safe walking to school and getting home. And they see that the trajectory we are on in our country, it's not good, it's going down, and something has to change."

According to The Wall Street Journal article referenced by Bolling, Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio gathered data showing that "54% of white suburban women think the U.S. is already in a recession and 74% think the economy is headed in the wrong direction." ..........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/11/05/palin-looks-to-white-suburban-women-in-grocery-stores-to-make-changes-during-midterms/

November 5, 2022

How Republicans' racist attack ads wiped out Democrat's lead in Wisconsin

OP's comment: I love that the Guardian calls it exactly what it is.


(Guardian UK) After months of flinging mud, Senator Ron Johnson was finally obliged to admit that his Democratic opponent in the upper midwestern state of Wisconsin had never actually made a call to “defund the police”.

But that did not stop the Trumpist senator’s re-election drive from continuing to broadcast racially charged advertisements falsely claiming that Mandela Barnes, the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, “rationalized violence” against the police and tying him to the most controversial positions of Black Lives Matter.

Barnes and his supporters dismiss the ads as evidence of Johnson’s desperation. But the campaign of “race and fear” has had an impact as an election that Barnes once looked to have in the bag is now too close to call.

Across the country, Republican strategists have ratcheted up attacks on Democrats over fears of crime as the midterm elections approach with predictable results in many races. But Barnes, who is running to become Wisconsin’s first Black senator and is named after South Africa’s iconic former president, is on the end of a particularly pointed campaign that has eaten into a once substantial lead in the final weeks of a race that could decide control of the US Senate.

“There’s definitely a racial overtone,” said Charles Franklin, director of the respected Marquette law school polling of Wisconsin voters. ...............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/04/wisconsin-republicans-racist-attack-ads-democrat-mandela-barnes

November 4, 2022

A New "Underground Railroad" in U.S. Amid Draconian Abortion Laws

A New "Underground Railroad" in U.S. Amid Draconian Abortion Laws
In the United States, abortion is no longer a basic right. The recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has allowed states to criminalize the act. But the battle for women's right to self-determination continues – on the streets and underground.

By Carolina Torres
02.11.2022, 14.42 Uhr


(Der Spiegel) She was a university student at the time, carrying a baby she didn’t want, standing on a street corner in New Jersey with $700 in a plain white envelope. She was waiting for a black limousine. Her brother-in-law, who knew somebody who knew somebody, had arranged everything. She knew it would be painful and that she was about to commit a crime, but she was glad it was happening.

That was a long time ago, but it’s still not over. Harriett Magee, 75 years old, is sitting with a friend on her veranda in Marblehead, Massachusetts – and she knows that what happened to her, or something very similar, is now happening again. That women are not able to decide for themselves if they want to be mothers or not. That they will be forced by law to give birth.

It's June 24, 2022, the day on which the Supreme Court robs U.S. women of control over their own bodies. "We are moving backwards. We are repeating history," Magee thinks when she learns of the Supreme Court ruling.

The court found that a Mississippi law banning abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy is consistent with the U.S. Constitution. More than that, though, it marked the overthrow of Roe v. Wade, the precedent from 1973 that was a milestone of liberalization, and which established abortion as a fundamental right.

....(snip)....

Studies show that bans do not actually prevent abortions. Women terminate pregnancies whether it is legal or not. Or, as it is formulated at demonstrations: "You can never ban abortion, you can only ban safe abortions!"

The world is no longer the same as it was 50 years ago. Those wanting to secretly terminate a pregnancy no longer have to climb into a black limousine. There are other ways.

Organizations like Planned Parenthood or Abortion Finder only need a zip code to provide those in search of an abortion with directions to the nearest clinic. Aid groups like Women Help Women have videos explaining how to terminate a pregnancy using pills, without ever having to leave home. Women living in states where abortion is banned can order the medication necessary from abroad or they can find instructions on websites for how to order home delivery from a state where it is legal. ..............(more)

https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/we-are-moving-backwards-a-new-underground-railroad-in-u-s-amid-draconian-abortion-laws-a-06df3302-3f41-4090-9182-5ebf44589d67

November 4, 2022

The American middle class is at the end of an era

The American middle class is at the end of an era

BYCHLOE BERGER
November 2, 2022 at 1:32 PM EDT


(Fortune) What do the Simpsons and about 50% of American households have in common? Not just a love for donuts or a kid who loves to say “eat my shorts.” They both belong to the middle class.

With government assistance and less spending during lockdown, America’s middle class was able to save unprecedented amounts of money during the pandemic. U.S. households had socked away about $2.5 trillion in extra savings from March 2020 to January 2022.

Now, new data made available by Bloomberg and produced by University of California, Berkeley economists reveals that wealth for middle class families reached a record level of $393,300 during March 2022. That’s $120,000 more than the average middle-class adult in America was when Donald Trump took office in January 2017, Bloomberg points out.

It was a golden era for the middle class, which began shrinking pre-pandemic. But that wealth boom has been fading: In mid-October, the average wealth of the middle 40% had dropped by 7% since March, according to Berkeley’s economists. That percentage represents an estimated decline in wealth by around $27,000. It’s a big fall: that kind of decrease hasn’t been seen since the 2008 global financial crisis.

It’s the result of a perfect storm of economic uncertainty brewing: interest rates are rising, the market is tanking, recession rumors are everywhere, and decades-high inflation means that cash in the bank isn’t worth as much as it used to. As the cost of living increases, more households have dipped into their pandemic-era savings. ..............(more)

https://fortune.com/2022/11/02/american-middle-class-losing-wealth/

November 4, 2022

Starbucks' Aggressive Union-Busting Is a New Model for American Corporations

Starbucks’ Aggressive Union-Busting Is a New Model for American Corporations
Their tactics go beyond even Amazon’s, and they’re getting away with most of it.

BY STEVEN GREENHOUSE
NOV 03, 202211:16 AM


(Slate) In June, Starbucks permanently closed its busiest store in Ithaca, New York, after the newly unionized baristas there went on a short strike to protest unsanitary conditions. In July, Chipotle shuttered a restaurant in Augusta, Maine, shortly after its workers petitioned for a vote to become the nation’s first unionized Chipotle. In August, Trader Joe’s closed its wine shop in New York City’s Union Square just days before that store’s workers were to unveil plans to seek a union election. Also in August, Amy’s Kitchen shut down its 330-employee frozen-food operation in San Jose as a union drive was gathering momentum.

Labor leaders have denounced these closings as deliberate moves to discourage and defeat unionization—to warn workers at these corporations’ other stores and operations that bad things can happen if they seek to unionize. But company officials insist that these weren’t union-busting moves, but rather innocent steps to close operations that had problems. Union officials see a calculated strategy at work here: Corporations know that such high-profile closings—as well as moves like firing prominent union supporters—frighten workers and make many too scared to vote for or campaign for a union. The Starbucks union says the company has fired more than 100 pro-union baristas, not just to retaliate against them for their union activities, but to chill overall enthusiasm about unionizing. Federal law makes it illegal to fire a worker in retaliation for supporting a union.

These types of heavy-handed, anti-union moves highlight three big problems. First, they create an atmosphere of fear that often prevents something that federal labor laws seek to guarantee—free and fair unionization elections. Far too often, all the closings, firings, and other anti-union moves destroy the “laboratory conditions” that the National Labor Relations Board says are needed to assure workers a “free choice” when voting whether to unionize.

Then there’s a second big problem: Companies like Starbucks often seem happy to take one illegal anti-union action after another—like firing workers for supporting a union—because under federal law, they can’t be fined one cent for doing so, and their executives can’t be punished. (At most, companies can be ordered to pay backpay to workers who were illegally fired for backing a union.) Top corporate officials must tell themselves, When you can’t be fined, why not break the law to stop unionization? The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which President Joe Biden has endorsed, aims to remedy this by creating substantial fines for employers’ labor law violations, but a GOP filibuster has doomed that bill’s chances. ...................(more)

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/11/starbucks-union-busting-tactics-workers-labor-wave-nlrb.html