Populist autocrats threaten human rights in 2017 – “We forget at our peril the demagogues of the past: the fascists, communists, and their ilk”

Washington, DC, 12 January 2017 (Human Rights Watch) – The rise of populist leaders in the United States and Europe poses a dangerous threat to basic rights protections while encouraging abuse by autocrats around the world, Human Rights Watch said today in launching its World Report 2017 [pdf]. Donald Trump’s election as US president after […]

The 15 most ridiculous things that media figures said about environmental issues in 2016

By Kevin Kalhoefer and Andrew Seifter28 December 2016 (Media Matters) – Donald Trump and the presidential election dominated news coverage in 2016. But talking heads still found plenty of time to make jaw-dropping comments about climate change, energy, and the environment. This year’s list of ridiculous claims includes a dangerous conspiracy theory about Hurricane Matthew, […]

Trump billboard in Mumbai confirmed to be real – ‘There is only one way to live. The Trump way.’

30 December 2016 (Snopes) – An image purportedly showing a billboard advertisement for Trump Tower Mumbai — which shows a photograph of the American businessman and President-elect alongside the slogan “There is only one way to live” with a group of apparently homeless people sitting and sleeping in the street beneath it — was circulated […]

Graph of the Day: Net favorability of Vladimir Putin and Russia among U.S. Republicans and Democrats, 2011-2016

14 December 2016 (Desdemona Despair) – These graphs show the poll results for U.S. Republicans and Democrats when asked about their feelings toward Russia and Vladimir Putin. Over the two-year period from 2014 to 2016, the net favorability of Republicans toward Putin increased by 56 points. Data are from the YouGov/Economist poll, 10-13 December 2016; […]

Ominous revision to Wisconsin government site on climate change removes science on climate change

26 December 2016 (Earthy Robot) – Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources has removed “climate change” from its website page that describes the impact of climate change. Contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to let them know that science matters and that Governor Scott Walker‘s personal agenda of denial is irrelevant. Luckily, the internet remembers. […]

Children of Men, ten years later

25 December 2016 (Desdemona Despair) – Ten years ago today, Children of Men, the brilliant, dystopian science fiction film, debuted in the United States. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Children of Men portrays Britain in the year 2027 as the last bastion of civilization standing against the imminent extinction of the human species. In 2006, Cuarón […]

How far is Europe swinging to the far right? Election results in December 2016

By Gregor Aisch, Adam Pearce, and Bryant Rousseau5 December 2016 (The New York Times) – Amid a migrant crisis, sluggish economic growth and growing disillusionment with the European Union, right-wing parties in a growing number of European countries have made electoral gains. The right-wing parties included below range across a wide policy spectrum, from populist […]

UN rights chief calls for murder investigation after Philippines strongman Duterte admits to killing three people

20 December 2016 (United Nations) – Stressing that the killing of “about three” people, which the President of the Philippines admitted to personally committing, while serving as the Mayor of the city of Davao clearly constituted murder, the United Nations human rights chief called on the judicial authorities in the country to uphold the rule […]

Trump team asks U.S. State Department what it spends on international environmental efforts, after campaign promise to “cancel billions of dollars in global warming payments”

By Juliet Eilperin and Carol Morello 20 December 2016 (The Washington Post) – Donald Trump’s presidential transition team has asked State Department officials to disclose how much money it provides each year to international environmental groups. It’s the latest example of how the incoming administration is reassessing the U.S. government’s approach to tackling climate change […]

Leaked document reveals Rex Tillerson is director of Bahamas-based US-Russian oil company

  By Luke Harding and Hannes Munzinger18 December 2016 (The Guardian) – Rex Tillerson, the businessman nominated by Donald Trump to be the next US secretary of state, is the long-time director of a US-Russian oil firm based in the tax haven of the Bahamas, leaked documents show. Tillerson – the chief executive of ExxonMobil […]

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