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Democracy Now!
- Forest Firings: Trump Admin Aims to "Break the Forest Service," Nearly 200 Million Acres at Stake
The Trump administration in late March announced an extensive reorganization of the Forest Service, the federal agency responsible for managing 193 million acres of public lands across 43 states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As part of the changes, 57 of 77 research stations across the country will be shuttered, with the headquarters relocating from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City. While the overhaul is billed as an effort to improve efficiency, conservationist Jim Pattiz says it will effectively destroy the agency. “This is a critically important agency,” says Pattiz, co-author of the newsletter More Than Just Parks that tracks threats to public lands across the country. “The intent here is obvious. It’s to hollow out […]
- Shepard Fairey on Art, Activism & Resisting Fascism: "It Can Happen Here, and It Is"
We speak with artist Shepard Fairey, best known for the Obama “Hope” poster, about the role of art in politics, the rise of fascism in the United States and more. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman spoke with Fairey in Los Angeles last week and toured his studio. Some of his recent artworks depict ICE agents with labels like “Domestic Terrorist,” used by Trump administration officials to describe protesters who oppose the administration's immigration crackdown. Fairey says that while he doesn’t think of his art as propaganda, he also doesn’t shy away from the label. “If you want to call it propaganda, it’s meant to initiate a conversation, a counternarrative that isn’t happening in a robust enough way,” he says. Fairey […]
- Who Is Breaking International Law in the Strait of Hormuz? It's Not Iran, Says Scholar
While many Western countries have condemned Iran’s restrictions on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as a breach of international law, reaction has been relatively muted about the “clearly unlawful” war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran, says law professor Maryam Jamshidi. “This says a lot about the ways in which international law is being deployed in this moment as a way of restraining and regulating Iranian behavior, while effectively allowing the United States and Israel a free hand to do what they want,” says Jamshidi, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School and a nonresident fellow at the Quincy Institute.
- "Gulf of Trust" Between Iran & U.S. as End of Ceasefire Nears, Peace Talks Uncertain
The Strait of Hormuz is closed to shipping traffic after Iran once again shut off access to the key waterway over the weekend in retaliation for the ongoing U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. This comes as the U.S. Navy intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Sea of Oman on Sunday. Iran said the seizure violated the ceasefire reached earlier this month. Despite the escalation, President Trump announced a U.S. delegation is heading to Pakistan for a new round of peace talks. Iran’s Foreign Ministry says Tehran has “no plans” to participate. There has been a “gradual escalation” in hostilities between the U.S. and Iran since the last round of talks in Islamabad, says Iranian American analyst Vali Nasr, professor at […]
- Headlines for April 20, 2026
Iran Shuts Access to Strait of Hormuz as U.S. Navy Seizes Iranian-Flagged Cargo Ship, Israeli Soldier Filmed Destroying a Statue of Jesus in Southern Lebanon, British Authorities Probe Recent Arson Attacks on Jewish Sites in London, Oil and Gas Prices Surge After U.S. Navy Seizes Iranian-Flagged Cargo Ship, United Nations: More Than 38,000 Women and Girls Killed in Gaza from October 2023 to December 2025, Eight Children Shot and Killed by Louisiana Father, as Five People Injured in Shooting Near University of Iowa, At Least Six People Killed in Mass Shooting in Ukraine, U.S. Says It Killed 3 Aboard Alleged Drug Boat, Pushing Death Toll in Such Attacks to Nearly 200, Mexico Admits Gulf Oil Spill Was Caused by a Leaking Pemex Pipeline, Joe […]
Fair Observer
- Is Anthropic the AI Messiah or a “Supply Chain Risk?” — Part 1
Through her writing and media activism, journalist and author Karen Hao has become something of a celebrity as she energetically campaigns to bring down what she calls “The Empire of AI” (it’s the title of her recent book). The book’s subtitle, “Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI,” reveals her focus on what she sees… Continue reading Is Anthropic the AI Messiah or a “Supply Chain Risk?” — Part 1 The post Is Anthropic the AI Messiah or a “Supply Chain Risk?” — Part 1 appeared first on Fair Observer.
- FO Talks: The American Jury System Explained: Democracy or Illusion?
Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh and speaks with legal scholar Matthew Cavedon of the Cato Institute about the evolution and erosion of the American jury system. What began as a cornerstone of democratic participation has, they argue, become a marginal feature of a highly bureaucratized legal process. They trace how juries once embodied community judgment and ask… Continue reading FO Talks: The American Jury System Explained: Democracy or Illusion? The post FO Talks: The American Jury System Explained: Democracy or Illusion? appeared first on Fair Observer.
- Bullets Against Dissent: Deadly Crackdowns and the Failure to Silence Southern Yemen
The recent killing of demonstrators in southern Yemen marks a dangerous return to patterns of repression that many believed had receded. Over the past several weeks, protests across Aden, Shabwa and Hadramaut — largely mobilized by supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) — have been met with live ammunition, mass arrests and an increasingly… Continue reading Bullets Against Dissent: Deadly Crackdowns and the Failure to Silence Southern Yemen The post Bullets Against Dissent: Deadly Crackdowns and the Failure to Silence Southern Yemen appeared first on Fair Observer.
Anthropocene
- The world is sitting on $7 billion of wasted fertilizer
Researchers mapped the production of human and animal waste across the US and matched it against crop nutrient demand. The numbers work. The logistics don't. Can we fix that?
- This is junk science, in the best possible sense
A Cambridge team has discovered that two stubborn waste problems—spent lead-acid batteries and hard-to-recycle polymers—can be made to solve each other, with sunlight doing most of the work.
Black Agenda Report
- Black Agenda Radio April 17, 2026
In this week’s segment, we have an update on the US/Israeli war of aggression against Iran from a journalist reporting from Tehran. But we begin with two organizers of the Pan-Africanism Summit Against Imperialism (PASAI), which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 11 and May 12. They explain […]
- Pan-Africanism Summit Against Imperialism
The Pan-Africanism Summit Against Imperialism (PASAI) will be held on May 11 and May 12 in Nairobi, Kenya. It is organized as a counter-summit to the France-Africa summit taking place in Nairobi at the same time. We’re joined by two of the organizers, from the Communist Party Marxist - Kenya and […]
- Journalist Navid Zarinnal Reports from Iran
Navid Zarrinnal is an Iranian journalist. He joins us again from Iran to discuss the fragile "cease fire," Trump's threats, the Strait of Hormuz, and how Iran's defense capabilities have frustrated US and Israeli plans.
The Guardian
- Kash Patel sues the Atlantic for $250m over article alleging heavy drinking and absences - US politics live
FBI director’s lawyers accuse magazine of publishing ‘a sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece’Kash Patel sues the Atlantic over bombshell storySign up for the Breaking News US emailMy colleague Jeremy Barr has more on the lawsuit filed by Kash Patel against the Atlantic.Patel’s legal team accused the magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick of publishing “a sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece” on 17 April. Continue reading...
- Kash Patel sues the Atlantic over bombshell story detailing allegations of misconduct
Magazine has stood behind the story, which was written by veteran national security reporter Sarah FitzpatrickKash Patel has followed through on a threat to sue the Atlantic and the author of a story the magazine published that included allegations of “excessive drinking” as well as “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” while in charge of the law enforcement agency.The FBI director filed a defamation lawsuit in US district court for the District of Columbia that seeks $250m in damages. Continue reading...
- RFK Jr’s podcast has glimmers of his old show – will he address health issues differently?
Secretary Kennedy Podcast so far seems designed to promote Trump administration talking points over any specific public health messageRobert F Kennedy Jr’s new Secretary Kennedy Podcast is a show that, so far, appears designed to promote Trump administration talking points over any specific public health message.Though, based on the trailer and episode one, which dropped last week, one might expect the Secretary Kennedy Podcast to be quite similar to the health secretary’s former show, The RFK Jr Podcast. In the trailer that dropped ahead of his new podcast’s release, Kennedy says: “Children are sicker, chronic disease is exploding and the answers we’ve been given aren’t working” – talking points that were common on his old […]
- Democrats urged to link clean energy to affordability as Iran war hikes up prices
Climate leaders say Democrats need to extol clean energy as a way to cut costs for Americans as war roils oil marketsDemocrats should get louder in championing clean energy’s affordability and resilience from global shocks, according to some of the party’s leading voices on the climate.As the Iran war roils economies by raising the cost of oil and gas, countries are aiming to accelerate their shift to cleaner energy. But in the US, Donald Trump has sought to kill off any alternative to fossil fuels while opposing Democrats have been reluctant to tie the conflict to any action on the climate crisis. Continue reading...
- What’s next in the Jeffrey Epstein saga? Trump’s justice department sends mixed messages
The Epstein investigation is mired in political logjams despite broad public support for accountabilityIn the days since Pam Bondi’s exit from Donald Trump’s justice department, Jeffrey Epstein survivors and transparency advocates have been confronted by mixed messaging, prompting questions about whether a full accounting of his crimes would ever be revealed.Legal veterans told the Guardian that authorities’ decisions – such as Bondi’s failure to appear for a congressional subpoena about her handling of Epstein investigative files – portend poorly for accountability. Moreover, her replacement’s comments about the status of Epstein investigations has been perceived by some as an effort to acknowledge prior missteps without […]
The Marshall Project
- The Message Behind This ‘Hamilton’-Style Prison Rap? Pride Can Be Dangerous
Written by a man at Sing Sing prison, ‘Pride’ is a highlight of the first album by famed prison program Musicambia.
Aeon
- The engineering method
How humans built beautiful, lasting structures without science or mathematics, using only engineering rules of thumb- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon
Unicorn Riot
- Vigil at Controversial Parking Ramp Site after Fatal Accident Kills Three Workers
The mood was somber among a group of parking ramp opponents and local media on a corner of Grays Ferry Avenue. A parking ramp under construction suddenly crumbled the day before, killing three union steel workers. The post Vigil at Controversial Parking Ramp Site after Fatal Accident Kills Three Workers appeared first on UNICORN RIOT.
The Conversation
- We designed the turf for soccer’s biggest World Cup ever – here’s how we created the same playing experience across 3 countries
The new playing fields are rolling out in stadiums from Mexico to Canada. Creating the perfect pitch in very different climates requires the right grasses and some creative tricks.
- Intimate partner homicide has clear warning signs – and is often preventable, research shows
Women are at highest risk of being hurt or killed after separating from a potentially violent partner, but interventions such as taking away the former partner’s firearms can protect them.
- It’s a myth that baby boys are less social than girls – a new look at decades of research shows all babies are born to connect
Pulling together the results of 40 experiments done by different teams over decades, researchers found that infant boys and girls equally tune in to human faces and voices.
- Is the science that we do today truth, likely to be a lie, or is it undetermined?
Science itself isn’t ‘truth,’ but it is an activity with the goal of getting closer to the truth.
- Most people do not realize when a personal message they receive was written by AI, study finds
When people know someone used AI to write a message, they see the person as lazy or insincere.
Inter Press Service
- Guardians of the Sea: How GEF Small Grants Program Enables Young Volunteers Take the Lead in Sea Turtle Conservation
Every winter thousands of sea turtles come ashore at Cox’s Bazar, in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, to lay eggs. Their path to their ...
- Russia’s African Cannon Fodder
On 7 April, the government of Cameroon published a list of 16 of its citizens confirmed killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine. That means ...
- Using Better Data to Break the Cycle of Permanent Crisis
We are stuck in response mode. But what good is an ambulance without a hospital? Climate shocks are intensifying. Conflict is at record levels. ...
Sludge
- The Shell Game Donors Use to Hide Their Identities
Party leaders’ super PACs are increasingly routing contributions through nonprofits first, so donor names disappear before the money shows up in public filings.
Yale Environment 360
- Energy Crisis Spurs Global Push for Remote Work
The energy shocks rippling from the war in Iran have prompted countries, from Cambodia to Peru, to embrace remote work. Leaders in Europe are now joining the push as they look to curb consumption of oil. Read more on E360 →
Inside Climate News
- As a Plastic Waste Plant Violates Pollution Rules, Its Owner Makes the Case for a Second Location
Belching smoke from a new plastic waste processing plant in central Ohio has stirred opposition to an even larger “chemical recycling” factory planned for Arizona by the same company. The Freepoint Eco-Systems plant near Hebron, Ohio, fired up its processing kilns for the first time in 2024. Since then, it’s faced multiple citizen complaints about
- Low-Producing Oil Wells in Texas Cause Headaches for Landowners
Reporting for this story was supported by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism. TOM GREEN COUNTY, Texas—Some Texas oil wells gush hundreds of barrels of oil a day. But many are like the wells on Jackie Chesnutt’s ranch in West Texas that only trickle out a couple barrels a month. Chesnutt, a retired
Amnesty International
Grist
- The Trump administration wants to take an ax to the East’s last great forests
The fight over the roadless rule has long focused on the West, but its repeal could fragment some of the last pristine forests in the eastern United States.
- War, climate change, and AI: What’s at stake at this year’s UN Indigenous forum
Delegates are arriving in New York this week for the world’s largest gathering of Indigenous peoples. Amid other challenges, the U.S. has made it increasingly difficult for delegates to secure visas to attend.
- The state of solar: Despite partisan rhetoric, the industry is still booming
Solar power is cheap, fast, and in demand as data centers consume more and more electricity.
Truthout
- Parents of Iranian Children Killed by US Bombing Issue Letter Thanking Pope Leo
The letter praises the Vatican leader for condemning the war on Iran.
- As Fuel Protests Sweep Ireland, the Left Points to Imperialism as the Culprit
Activists in Ireland are refusing the co-optation of fuel protests by the far right and demanding government action.
- Zionist Doxxing Campaigns Upended Their Lives. Now They’re Suing for Damages.
Canary Mission faces a class-action lawsuit under a new Illinois anti-doxxing law.
Labor Notes
- Starbucks Is Bargaining Backwards, Baristas Say
Union baristas are finally back to the negotiating table with Starbucks, but the workers charge that rather than progressing, the company is reopening already agreed-upon issues. “They're trying to move backwards on issues we've already settled instead of settling the few that we have left,” said Mina Leon, a barista in downtown Manhattan who struck for two months to get the company back to the table.
The World – PRI
- 'The Electric Oud Man Speaks'
Turkish American musician Mehmet Ali Sanlikol is a virtuoso on the oud. But up until now, most his albums have featured the acoustic oud. For his latest release, "The Electric Oud Man Speaks ... And You Listen," Sanlikol had an electric oud custom built. He recently came to The World's studios to talk about it.
- Boston College sets up school targeting first-generation immigrants
New England, and much of the country, is experiencing a sharp drop in the number of traditional college-age students. But one population is still growing: Latino students, especially kids who would be the first in their families to attend college. As GBH’s Kirk Carapezza reports, the question for colleges across the nation is whether they’re truly ready to recruit, retain and graduate those […]
- Two school shootings unnerve parents in Turkey
It's rare in Turkey to have US-style school shootings, but just this week, there have been two of them. At least nine people have been killed. While the attacks happened in two cities in southeastern Turkey, parents around the country are afraid to send their children to school. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with reporter Fariba Nawa in Istanbul.
19th News
Trustworthy Media is a news aggregator with headlines from 300+ independent media sources all in one place, updated throughout the day. Corporate media can’t be trusted to report fairly on movements for social and environmental justice, so we feature only independent, nonprofit, community-based journalism.


























