Humanity is on the verge of ‘shattering Earth’s natural limits’, say experts in biodiversity warning

Humanity is on the verge of ‘shattering Earth’s natural limits’, say experts in biodiversity warning

The Guardian reports: Humanity is “on the precipice” of shattering Earth’s limits, and will suffer huge costs if we fail to act on biodiversity loss, experts warn. This week, world leaders meet in Cali, Colombia, for the Cop16 UN biodiversity conference to discuss action on the global crisis. As they prepare for negotiations, scientists and experts around the world have warned that the stakes are high, and there is “no time to waste”. “We are already locked in for significant…

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These women are trying to humanize the climate crisis

These women are trying to humanize the climate crisis

By Jessica Kutz Originally published by The 19th It was Labor Day in 2022 when Amy Dishion received the phone call that would change her life: Her husband had died of heat stroke.   “My entire life just fell apart,” Dishion said. “I lost my best friend and the father of my child.” They had moved to Phoenix for her husband Evan’s medical residency in neurology. Just a few months before, Dishion had given birth to their daughter, Chloe.  Their life…

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Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally will be the ultimate act of ego and the climax of his Nazi rhetoric

Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally will be the ultimate act of ego and the climax of his Nazi rhetoric

Sidney Blumenthal writes: For the apotheosis of his entire “poisoning of the blood” campaign, Donald Trump has planned a spectacular extravaganza in Madison Square Garden on 27 October, a week before the election. When JD Vance sings Trump’s fulsome praises to introduce him, his ominous tribute will not inspire comparison to the night in the Garden of 19 May 1962, when Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday, Mr President to John F Kennedy. Trump’s climactic rally will not be in the…

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FEMA administrator on disinformation after Hurricane Helene

FEMA administrator on disinformation after Hurricane Helene

  [60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn] Alfonsi interviewed Robert Samaan, a FEMA regional administrator who is overseeing the agency’s response in North Carolina. He said “mistrust” of the federal government can prevent those who have been affected from getting the help they need. “Any time that people are out there trying to sow mistrust in the government, it can impact people’s recovery,” said Samaan. “They may be more hesitant to call and register for assistance, which is disappointing. And it’s sad…

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Trump Media whistleblower blasts company for outsourcing jobs abroad as betrayal of ‘America First’

Trump Media whistleblower blasts company for outsourcing jobs abroad as betrayal of ‘America First’

By Justin Elliott, Robert Faturechi and Alex Mierjeski This story was originally published by ProPublica An internal whistleblower complaint at Trump Media calls for CEO Devin Nunes to be fired, alleging he has “severely” mismanaged the company and opened it to “substantial risk of legal action” from regulators, according to a copy reviewed by ProPublica. The letter also says that former President Donald Trump’s company is hiring “America Last” — alleging that Nunes imposed a directive to hire only foreign…

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Kamala Harris acknowledges the reality of the genocide in Gaza

Kamala Harris acknowledges the reality of the genocide in Gaza

The Jerusalem Post reports: US presidential candidate Kamala Harris appeared to claim that Israel is committing genocide, calling it “real” during a talk in Milwaukee on Thursday. In the videos circulated on social media on Saturday evening, Kamala Harris can be seen addressing a group of students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before being interrupted by a student who asks her to speak about “the genocide” in Gaza. Harris tells the students she is “so invested” in them before being…

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The West has to believe that democracy will prevail

The West has to believe that democracy will prevail

Anne Applebaum writes: When I began working on the history of the Soviet Union, in the 1990s, survivors and historians alike were free to speak as they wished. Many of them felt as if a new Russia could be constructed on top of the fundamental, historical truths that were emerging. That possibility faded. I can even tell you the exact moment when it finally came to an end: the morning of February 20, 2014, when Russian troops illegally marched across…

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Pro-Trump dark money network tied to Elon Musk behind fake pro-Harris campaign scheme

Pro-Trump dark money network tied to Elon Musk behind fake pro-Harris campaign scheme

OpenSecrets reports: An initiative called Progress 2028 that purports to be Kamala Harris’ liberal counter to the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is actually run by a dark money network supporting former President Donald Trump. Building America’s Future, the dark money group at the helm of the network, has steered money to a constellation of groups and initiatives boosting Trump’s agenda and spreading messaging aimed at chipping away voters from Harris. The dark money group reportedly received over $100 million…

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Who’s mailing the Catholic Tribune? It’s not the church, it’s partisan media

Who’s mailing the Catholic Tribune? It’s not the church, it’s partisan media

By Jennifer Smith Richards and Megan O’Matz This story was originally published by ProPublica One by one, Catholic dioceses in key presidential swing states are putting out unusual statements: Newspapers whose titles include the word Catholic that are showing up in people’s mailboxes aren’t what they seem and aren’t connected to the church. With a classic typeface and traditional newspaper design, the mass-mailed Catholic Tribune newspapers carry signposts of legitimacy. But most of the articles in the papers are inflammatory…

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Trump has a plan to win without the votes—and the fight is on to stop him

Trump has a plan to win without the votes—and the fight is on to stop him

Mother Jones reports: Elections are supposed to be decided at the ballot box. But this year, Donald Trump’s campaign appears to be trying to win on a different field of battle. With dozens of lawsuits already filed across the country, the Republicans are using state and federal courts as a key pillar of their strategy to retake the White House. The lawsuits have been flooding in for months from the Republican National Committee—now part of the family firm under the…

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Trump ground game in key states flagged as potentially fake

Trump ground game in key states flagged as potentially fake

The Guardian reports: Donald Trump’s campaign may be failing to reach thousands of voters they hope to turn out in Arizona and Nevada, with roughly a quarter of door-knocks done by America Pac flagged by its canvassing app as potentially fraudulent, according to leaked data and people familiar with the matter. The potentially fake door-knocks – when canvassers falsely claim they visited a home – could present a serious setback to Trump as he and Kamala Harris remain even in…

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America’s gullibility crisis

America’s gullibility crisis

Axios reports: In the heat of this historic election, educated elites who should know better — billionaires, elected officials, journalists — keep falling for fakes, conspiracy theories and outright lies. Why it matters: Human gullibility is not a new phenomenon. But social media and polarized politics are exposing it at industrial scale, fueled by a poisonous cocktail of bad actors, media illiteracy and plummeting trust in traditional news. Driving the news: Each day on the digital campaign trail has brought a torrent of false or…

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Raytheon admits to defrauding the Pentagon

Raytheon admits to defrauding the Pentagon

The Intercept reports: RTX Corporation, the weapons giant formerly (and better) known as Raytheon, agreed on Wednesday to pay almost $1 billion to resolve allegations that it defrauded the U.S. government and paid bribes to secure business with Qatar. “Raytheon engaged in criminal schemes to defraud the U.S. government,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kevin Driscoll of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division on Wednesday. “Such corrupt and fraudulent conduct, especially by a publicly traded U.S. defense contractor, erodes public trust…

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Pro-Iranian Telegram account leaks alleged U.S. intel on Israel’s attack plans on Iran

Pro-Iranian Telegram account leaks alleged U.S. intel on Israel’s attack plans on Iran

Axios reports: U.S. officials are extremely concerned about a potentially major security breach after two alleged U.S. intelligence documents about Israel’s preparations for an attack on Iran were published by a Telegram account affiliated with Iran. Why it matters: The alleged leak comes as Israel completes weeks of preparations for a retaliation against Iran, which attacked Israel with a barrage of ballistic missiles on Oct. 1. The leak could be an attempt to disrupt the Israeli operation. The Pentagon and the Office of the Director…

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