JULY 30 - In Truthout, July ends on a positive note For those who have been following the story of Cop City taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. Judge Cohen ruled on July 27 that DeKalb County residents be allowed to sign a referendum calling for a fair vote in the name of democratic input and community participation. The judge gave Stop Cop City activists another 60 days to collect signatures.
The activists have faced escalating hostility from Atlanta’s government in its effort to stop the referendum.
City officials including Mayor Andre Dickens responded to the decision saying the citizens’ referendum demanding a vote won’t matter in any case since the City of Atlanta won’t break the lease.
On a less positive note regarding basic needs, the end of July also brings up the real possibility of concurrent global food loss in key breadbasket regions around the world according to a recent study that warns it does not take much of a percentage to lead to social havoc. Read more in the Guardian.
JULY 25 - According to a Truthout story by Alec MacGillis, the siren song of nifty gadgets calling for screen time are increasingly promoted by eager companies making a grab for pandemic recovery funds (which must be spent by 2024). Their products do not reflect positive educational outcomes according to a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report which showed math scores as the largest decline on record for 13-year olds and for lower-performing students reading scores that are lower than they were in 1971. In fact, the statistics showed that the extent of learning loss was correlated to the amount of time students had spent doing remote learning rather than receiving direct instruction in the classroom. However, virutal aids are a tantalizing alternative for teachers dealing with shortages and increased stress. As free T-shirts were given out to teachers in one pitch session, one teacher said "with gentle sarcasm...'it's all about the giveaway.'"
JULY 24 - Ohio's Senate Bill 83 was introduced in the Ohio Senate last May. It is an example of a national trend among more conservative interests to eliminate or transform federally funded Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools. Those opposed to Sentate Bill 83 noted that the bill contained the now common theft of progressive terminologies in support of draconian measures in the bill. They pointed out the large impact its passage would have on many thousands of students and research projects that are the lifeblood of universities as well as the loss of free speech. Most recently the bill failed to pass in the House. Proponents of the bill claim their cause is not dead yet.
JULY 29 - In Rest of World, As EV sales surge so do fatalities. Nickel is a key ingredient in stainless steel and EV batteries. In the past three years Indonesia has signed more than a dozen deals worth more than $15 billion. Buyers include Tesla, Hyundai Mortor Company, LG Group and Foxconn with more buyers lining up. Meantime miners suffer high rates of industrial incidences. Also in Rest of World, contracted and outsource workers are driven to jump on the AI bandwagon and it is a risky proposition. And...speaking of batteries, Inverse reports that Tesla is presenting overly optimistic figures on how long a battery will last before charging. Below 50%, the range is less optimal. The same is true for cold weather. According to a Reuters' Report Tesla is apparently telling technicians not to take complaints about the miles you actually have.
JULY 21 -For the first time in over six decades, two Hollywood labor unions are striking simultaneously, AI has become a focal point.
The cast of thousands are not actors but AI generated images. That won’t go away, but the issue of the body and character of an actor or the capacity of a writer as intellectual property that deserves compensation won’t go away either.
As it stands management’s proposal means background actors are paid for one day’s pay while the company owns their scanned image; their likeness which it can use for the” rest of eternity” on any project.
The problem is that hype in the media centers around a science fiction account of AI on a emotional level and in the eyes of the public creates a culture of fear which distracts from what is happening now, such as the power imbalances already caused by AI, whether it is an issue of racism associated with survelliance or Hollywood actors and writers claim to their bodies.
A March 22, 2023 open letter called for a slow-down on rapid AI development in order to address the need for a public, verifiable, and a cooperative structure for developers and policymakers.
It is difficult to know how this would relate to union/management foresight in relation to the current strike.
JULY 11 - RegrowAg is a startup focused on decarbonizing and renewing agriculture by feeding a range of information resources into a computer model to study crop and soil behavior as greater food demands are depleting soil globally. The information is used by customers such as General Mills which reportedly has pledged to advance regenerative agriculture on one million acres of farmland by 2030.
JULY 3 - Using ad blockers for those pesky ads? YouTube is currently experimenting with the idea that if you want to watch anything and you don’t buy into its advertisers you will be cut off. If that is a problem there is always YouTube Premium. Alot of other sites ask you to turn off your ad blocker, but well, this is YouTube and millions of Americans want to know how to fix their kitchen sink because they can't afford a plumber.
JULY 27 - According to a report titled Safe at Home published this July by the Passive House Network, data shows that it is possible to build multi-family, all--electric housing that contributes to climate resilience at the same cost as traditional housing .
JULY 15 - In Wired, June 2023 was the hottest day on record on land and the sea. July might top that. Scientists say it is a self perpetuating loop where stagnate heat domes are further fueled by human caused gas and oil emissions. The longer the heat domes linger the greater the effects including drawing moisture from the soil and plants. The earth has no way of cooling down by evaporation. Heat effects are particularly extreme in urban areas impacting low income populations where there are fewer trees and an abundance of concrete. El Nino might have been a weak effect but it is starting from a hotter point.
JULY 3 - Canadian fires are still burning. As of July 2, 2023 the Canadian interagency forest fire Center, Inc. (CIFFC) reported that out of 568 across the country 274 still out of control, 101 being h eld, and 193 under control. New starts have slowed somewhat with scattered precipitation. 150 South Korean firefighters have joined other firefighters from other countries. Lim Woongsoon , South Korea’s ambassador to Canada said, We are not going to forget that Canada has already been with us when Korea was in need. That's what best friends are supposed to do."
JULY 3 The Nestor’s had a simple and good life with their three children on their farm until they Heard a Wooshhh when they disconnected their well pump to solve a problem. From a coal mine about 350 below methane had forced its way up through bedrock fissures. The state DEP inspection showed methane concentrations as high as 89 percent in the vent. Public records show that the DEP took no enforcement action against Arch after its inspections of the Nestors’ property last year. The chance of an explosion was too high and they’re well dried up. The Nestor’s moved out of their home. he Nestors have become one of at least eight others with pending lawsuits claiming that Arch’s Leer Mine in Taylor County has damaged homes and property as a result of their mining practices. Around two dozen others previous suits reached legal settlements. have sued Arch Resources claiming property damage and unsafe conditions inside and near their home due to leaking methane. Meantime Arch is expanding its operations They have not lived in their home since last summer. Credit: James BruggersThe Nestors’ lawsuit and others say that Arch has not lived up to the requirements of the law. Some homeowners claim, for example, that the company failed to conduct the surveys for subsidence damage.
JULY 2 - Minnesota has enacted the nation’s broadest ban to date of “forever chemicals” to take effect in 2025. According to the Environmental Working Group (EVW), forever chemicals called PFAs are found in 99% of America's everyday products. An increasing number of states are considering PFA bans as a serious public health matter. Even small doses can have negative health effects.
In 1951 campaign by the precursor to the CDC, called the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas, eliminated the persistent presence of Malaria in the US. There are around 247 million cases of malaria in the world according to the World Halth Organization. There are currently an estimated 2000 cases a year in the US from a new strain of malaria. Travel, climate change, and other factors can increase the incidences of malaria leading to a possible resurgence in the US and the risk of increased infectious outbreaks. One problem is it that malaria has not been a large concern within public health which makes it difficult to identify symptoms at the primary care level.
JULY 21 - Currently, Stop Cop City activists in Atlanta, Georgia are attempting to collect 70,000 signatures for a referendum, in a short amount of time, that seeks to put the matter of Cop City to a vote.
One critical hurdle is the ineligibility of DeKalb County residents, under a city of Atlanta municipal code , to sign the petition or to vote although they are disproportionately affected by the development of Cop City.
A lawsuit by residents of unincorporated DeKalb County states, “This restriction violates the First Amendment rights of citizens to speech and petition their government, and Plaintiffs bring this lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the City of Atlanta Municipal Code § 66-37(b) and the petition forms promulgated thereunder. Moreover, as the existing petition process is unconstitutional because of Atlanta Municipal Code § 66-37(b), Plaintiffs seek to have the 60-day period in which to gather qualified signatures be re-started upon the date of this Court’s order establishing a constitutional process for signature collection. O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3(b)(2)(C)."
While in the real world there can be a tension between the official need to represent the public and self interested government, the story of Cop City has gained national attention partly because it reflects a broader problem which is a troubling trend of increasing hostility in the US on the part of state and local governments, and courts that lean toward legislative and governmental interests in general , rather than the public interest.
In the case of Cop City, this is well represented in a Truthout Article (July 18, 2023). reporting on the status and the barriers facing the Vote Against Cop City referendum.
JULY 18 - Lawyers, social workers, and paralegals who work for the non-profit Children's Law Center (CLC) in New York City went on strike on July 17. The CLC has served as advocates and legal representatives for children the past 25 years. The majority of children CLC serves are low income. Due to staff attrition CLC legal service providers can be responsible for up to 300 cases for salaries below the threshold of fair pay for their work. Consequently children who have a high need for stable and trusted contacts and followup due to trauma and unheavals in their lives might see as many as six different attorneys. Negotiations continue following what was describe as an "insulting" and "abysmal" salary bump on the part of management.
JULY 13 - In Politico, data as of May 31, 2023 shows how much American's love lawsuits, even over climate change. US litigation cases were 1,590 compared to the next highest which was Australia at 130 cases. Rulings tend to favor climate actions at 55% out of 549 final or interim decisions. Nearly 60 percent of all cases going back to 1986 have been filed by NGOs. That number has risen to nearly 90 percent of cases filed in the past year outside the U.S., while in America the percentage remains lower at just over 70 percent of cases, with 13 percent filed by corporations or trade associations. Cases in other countries are increasing.
JULY 11 - As reported by CNBC,Tesla will pay just over $6 million to settled a class action lawsuit over price hikes despite signed contracts for yet uninstalled solar systems (Amans v. Tesla, Inc. 3:21-cv-03577). One plaintiff saw his solar roof price increase from around $72,000 to $146,000.
JULY 2 JULIANNA vs DOJ The federal government, under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, has argued the case has no merit and repeatedly sought to have it dismissed. Asked for comment, the Department of Justice pointed to comments made by Jeffrey Wood, a political appointee at the DOJ handling environmental cases, who spoke about the Juliana case at a law conference last week, said that “the purported constitutional right that they assert simply does not exist” and that the Juliana lawsuit “has no legal basis.”“It’s certainly a signal that the court is uncomfortable with the underlying legal theory of the Juliana case,” Carlson responded.
OPINION - About Julianna vs DOJ... The younger generation are not giving up constitutional ground with good reason Children's Trust attorney, Andrea Rodgers, shared what children are experiencing; wildfire smoke, catastrophic storms, and flooding without end while the government fiddles with the Constituton (as Rome burns?) and denies the harm.
JULY 13 - Georgia has a lot of constitutional violations going on in relation to Atlanta that have gained global attention but it's not all bad news for the state. In 2021 Jeff Gray held a sign outside of the Blackshear city hall that read "God Bless the Homeless Vets". The police chief thought it was "silly" but it was the law. Gray was ticketed for failing to obtain the Blackshear Citiy Council's permission before holding a "parade, procession, or demonstration." The local ordinance was pitted against the First Amendment. The latter won. The city agreed to revoke the dusty and unconstitutional city ordinance. Why was Gray in front of city hall? He is peacefully unearthing old local ordinances around the country that defy constitiutional rights. It is a fertile field. In this case, his attorney noted that the First Amendment is the permission slip.
JULY 25 - “Give me your tired, your poor…”, and by the way we have an aging population and we need labor. The bipartisan failure to deal with the need to transform immigration through common sense US policies has resulted in pain and suffering by migrants exacerbated by successive record breaking heat waves along Arizona’s southern border . As reported in Democracy Now in a July 24 interview, a Intercept reporter observed 50 migrants inside a chain-link fence two hours west of Tucson. They had no relief on a day when temperatures reached 114 degrees. In other migrant news, as reported in Truthout on July 23, thousands of people are stranded in Mexico under often horrific conditions thanks to a labyrinth of bureaucratic responses involving different agencies in the US . Consequently, humanitarian aid workers and volunteer organizations face mounting pressures such as managing migrant shelters in Mexico operating at 900% capacity .
JULY 3 Nahel M, 17, failed to comply with a policeman's order to stop his car in Nanterre near Paris. He was killed. That set off a powder keg. By Sunday night (June 2), more than 3,300 people have been arrested, over 1,000 buildings damaged and some 700 police officers injured in rioting since the fatal encounter on June 27.The federal government deployed around 45,000 officers in towns and cities every night over the weekend.
France has a history of violent outbreaks says Henrit Astier in a 2005 article on the BBC website . He puts the blame on failed polices. Bricks and mortar Building and development were ineffectual when the schools and need for jobs are ignored as only two examples. Tin the latest riot , pension reform rising the retirement age from 62 to 64 and institutional racism, including within the police department also fueled the violent outbreak.
JULY 11 - Kanasas Senate Bill 180 went into effect July 11. The law requires that state records reflect biological sex, which applies to driver's licenses as well as all other state records of of state departments and agencies. It also applies state regulations of public restrooms, locker room, prisons, domestic violence shelters and rape crisi centers. Kris Kobach the State Attorney General said in a news release "...a driver's license is a state document reflecting a state database for state purposes. It is not a canvas on which a person can paint one's expression and preferences." Suzanne Wheeler wants to live as a trans woman and she has as an integral part of the community. She responded "despite all that, they want to erase me."
JULY 13, 2023 - Living rural has transportation problems. In Sandpoint, Idaho in a program called SPOT free rides, thanks to grants and resort taxes, pay off. Thirty five routes cover a cumulative 2,500 miles every day with bigger, newer buses and that benefits students and workers alike as well as those who seek entertainment and residents with disabilities. It also benefits tourism and cuts down cars on the road. Couer d'Alene in Northern Idaho has a similar successful program. There are signs that free ride programs are growing across the country.
JULY 3 - Jennifer Atwood collected her belongings into a cardboard box. As Tucson Arizona police and housing officials cleared homeless encampments citing health and safety risks. Information on encampments came from reports made by the public. However unsheltered people are often reluctant to leave, despite the potentially deadly risks from the heat and monsoon floods.
JULY 17, 2023 - Empty storefronts dot the streets. “Going out of business” signs hang in windows. Last month, the owner of Westfield San Francisco Centre, a fixture for more than 20 years, said it was handing the mall back to its lender. San Francisco has become the prime example of what downtowns shouldn’t look like: vacant and in various stages of decay, AP Morning Wire.
JULY 21 - Tony Bennett died today at 96. Growing up in San Francisco I recall his playing at the Mark Hopkins and of course there is "I left my heart in San Francisco" the city that helped jump-started his career.
Well known 38-year-old Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina died on July 1, 2023 from a Russian missile shelling of a Kramatorsk restaurant.
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