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Category: Journalism

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Spearheads Effort To Cut US Funding To ISIS, Al-Qaida
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard at a luncheon hosted by the American Federation of Government Employees. February 11, 2013. (Wikimedia Commons / American Federation of Government Employees, CC)
December 15, 2016
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Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Spearheads Effort To Cut US Funding To ISIS, Al-Qaida

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, is spearheading a bipartisan effort to force the United States to stop arming extremist groups in Syria.

The bill, known as the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, would make it illegal for U.S. funds to be spent in ways that directly or indirectly support terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the terrorist group commonly known in the West as ISIS or ISIL).

“The bill singles out ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (the ‘rebranded’ version of al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front) and forbids support to them, their allies,” Jason Ditz reported for Antiwar.com on Thursday.

Gabbard is a distinguished veteran of the Hawaii Army National Guard who has served in the Middle East. In the House, she serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.

Read moreCongresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Spearheads Effort To Cut US Funding To ISIS, Al-Qaida
Texas Climate Change Denier Rick Perry’s Legacy Of Fossil Fuels & Wind Power
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry speaks at a Citizens United conference in Greenville, South Carolina. (Wikimedia Commons / Michael Vadon, CC SA)
December 15, 2016
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Texas Climate Change Denier Rick Perry’s Legacy Of Fossil Fuels & Wind Power

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

On Tuesday, Donald Trump announced Rick Perry, the avowed climate change denier and former governor of Texas, is headed to the White House as the president-elect’s pick to head the Department of Energy.

While Perry actually helped turn Texas into a leader in wind power generation, the name of the department he’s been tapped to head eluded the governor in a now infamous incident at a 2011 Republican presidential debate during the first of his two unsuccessful bids for president.

He was attempting to name three federal departments he would dismantle if elected, including the Departments of Education and Commerce, but stumbled when he seemed to confuse the Department of Energy with the Environmental Protection Agency:

Read moreTexas Climate Change Denier Rick Perry’s Legacy Of Fossil Fuels & Wind Power
Don’t Jump To Conclusions About Trump, War Criminal Kissinger Says
Henry Kissinger speaks at the LBJ Presidential Library. April 26, 2016. (Wikimedia Commons / LBJ Library / Marsha Miller)
December 14, 2016
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Don’t Jump To Conclusions About Trump, War Criminal Kissinger Says

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Speaking to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Oslo, Norway, Henry Kissinger shared his hopes for the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“Before postulating an inevitable crisis, an opportunity should be given to the new administration to put forward its vision of international order,” Kissinger said in the speech on Sunday.

Kissinger, whose career includes service as a diplomat, U.S. secretary of state, and national security advisor under multiple presidential administrations, acknowledged Trump’s unusual and divisive campaign:

Read moreDon’t Jump To Conclusions About Trump, War Criminal Kissinger Says
Police Killings Down In 2016, But Activists Fear Trump Could Reverse The Trend
A line of SFPD officers in riot gear block Occupy SF Protesters after clearing them from Market Street, San Francisco, Dec. 7 2011. (Flickr / Thomas Hawk, CC NC)
December 14, 2016
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Police Killings Down In 2016, But Activists Fear Trump Could Reverse The Trend

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Available data suggests that fewer people have died from police violence in 2016 than in 2015, but some police reform activists are concerned that this trend won’t survive the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

At least 1,000 people have been killed by police in 2016, though the lack of available federal data makes it all but impossible to determine a precise count.

Police departments report information on violent encounters with officers to the federal government on a purely voluntary basis. The FBI has announced plans to reform the system next year to add more stringent reporting requirements.

“We are responding to a real human outcry,” Stephen L. Morris, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, said.

Read morePolice Killings Down In 2016, But Activists Fear Trump Could Reverse The Trend
Jill Stein’s Recount Uncovers ‘Economic Extortion’ & Broken Voting Tech
Former Governor Martin O'Malley participates in early voting in Baltimore, Maryland on October 30, 2014. (Flickr / Maryland GovPics / Jay Baker, PD)
December 13, 2016
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Jill Stein’s Recount Uncovers ‘Economic Extortion’ & Broken Voting Tech

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and MintPress News

Despite numerous obstacles ranging from the financial to the political, Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein is pushing forward with a controversial recount campaign.

“This is not what democracy looks like,” Stein told MintPress News on Thursday.

“Democracy should be all about transparency and accountability and voter participation. What we see in the recount is exactly the opposite.”

Beginning late last month, Stein agreed to spearhead recount efforts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, citing irregularities in exit polls in these “swing states” and the persistent — though still unproven — claims that Russians tampered with the election.

A crowdfunding campaign has netted $7.3 million so far, but the campaign is requesting $9.5 million to cover the costs of forcing a recount in each state. Stein called these high fees a form of “economic extortion” that prevents citizens from easily auditing elections.

Read moreJill Stein’s Recount Uncovers ‘Economic Extortion’ & Broken Voting Tech
What Is Gonzo Journalism? Interview By ProMosaik’s Dr. Milena Rampoldi
A portrait of Kit O'Connell, wearing a blue crushed velvet coat and holding an amber-handled cane, as he gazes out at the waves on Pensacola Beach, Florida on January 25, 2015. (Jane Michael Stallings)
December 10, 2016
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What Is Gonzo Journalism? Interview By ProMosaik’s Dr. Milena Rampoldi

Posted in Journalism

Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik: What is gonzo journalism and what does it mean to you personally?

Kit O’Connell: Hunter S. Thompson, author of “Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas,” and many other books, coined the term “gonzo journalism,” but the practice goes back much further. A great example of an early gonzo journalist is Nelly Bly, who had herself committed to a mental hospital in 1887 to expose the horrific treatment of patients. Ken Kesey is another famous practitioner, though what he practiced was a variation called “New Journalism.”

Gonzo journalism is journalism which rejects the idea of neutrality and objectivity. I consider myself an activist first and a journalist second, even though it’s the journalism that pays my bills and lets me continue my activism. For me, journalism is a way to reveal important truths and try to share the knowledge that we need to build a better, more humane world.

Read moreWhat Is Gonzo Journalism? Interview By ProMosaik’s Dr. Milena Rampoldi