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Category: Journalism

‘The Wild West Of Money In Politics’: Dakota Access Pipeline Builder Spends Millions To Influence Elections
At a Dakota Access Pipeline construction site, Native American activists chained to construction equipment hold a banner that reads "Water Is Our First Medicine." (Flickr / Prachatal)
September 8, 2016
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‘The Wild West Of Money In Politics’: Dakota Access Pipeline Builder Spends Millions To Influence Elections

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

The corporation behind the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline also operates its own political action committee that has a record of donating to the campaigns of candidates who support the company’s pro-corporate, pro-fossil fuels agenda in Congress.

However, the political war chest of the Energy Transfer Partners PAC amounts to pennies compared to the wealth of Kelcy Warren, the chairman and CEO, who has spent millions becoming one of the most politically powerful oil tycoons in Texas.

“Unlike the federal system, here in the state of Texas, for state candidates, there are no limits on campaign contributions. We call it the Wild West of money in politics,” Andrew Wheat told MintPress News.

Read more‘The Wild West Of Money In Politics’: Dakota Access Pipeline Builder Spends Millions To Influence Elections
Amid Opioid Overdose Epidemic, DEA Wants To Ban A Popular Plant-Based Treatment For Addiction
The leaves of a kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) plant. (Wikimedia Commons / ThorPorre) (Wikimedia Commons / ThorPorre)
September 6, 2016
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Amid Opioid Overdose Epidemic, DEA Wants To Ban A Popular Plant-Based Treatment For Addiction

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and MintPress News

The Drug Enforcement Administration appears set to schedule kratom, a plant used in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia that has gained popularity in the United States as a chronic pain management tool and a way to kick opiate addiction.

On Aug. 31, the DEA announced the impending kratom ban, due to take effect on Sept. 30. At that time, kratom will join other “Schedule I” substances like heroin, cocaine and cannabis which the government deems both dangerous and lacking in medical use.

In the statement, the DEA says the plant’s “active materials” pose an “imminent hazard to public safety.” Advocates for the plant’s continued legal use argue otherwise, saying kratom is a safe alternative to opioid painkillers that has already helped ease withdrawals symptoms for thousands of people weaning themselves off of other addictive substances.

Read moreAmid Opioid Overdose Epidemic, DEA Wants To Ban A Popular Plant-Based Treatment For Addiction
Boycott, But Then What? CodePink Wants You To Build A New, Local Peace Economy
At a CodePink rally in Washington, D.C., activists hold a "Don't Bomb Iran" banner. September 15, 2007. (Flickr / CodePink Women For Peace / Jes Richardson)
September 5, 2016
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Boycott, But Then What? CodePink Wants You To Build A New, Local Peace Economy

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Boycotts are a powerful tool in the arsenals of those seeking justice and a better world.

And while financial divestment from corporations can successfully pressure them to change their most harmful practices, divestment represents just the beginning of the long, difficult work of building a new, alternate economy that puts people and sustainability first.

“What we’re trying to do is encourage people to be more aware of and reflect on how we’re all invested in a war-like, violent, capitalist economy,” Mendoza Castillo, director of Economic Activism at CodePink, told MintPress News in an interview about her Local Peace Economy initiative.

Read moreBoycott, But Then What? CodePink Wants You To Build A New, Local Peace Economy
‘WikiLeaks Did Not Disclose “Gays” To The Saudi Govt’: Whistleblower Site Fires Back Against Media Attacks
A police offier interrogates the drive of the "WikiLeaks Truck," an activist effort to raise awareness about governent transparency, near Occupy D.C. on January 17, 2012. (Flickr / Chris Wieland)
September 1, 2016
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‘WikiLeaks Did Not Disclose “Gays” To The Saudi Govt’: Whistleblower Site Fires Back Against Media Attacks

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and MintPress News

WikiLeaks has filed a formal complaint accusing The Associated Press of violating journalistic ethics in a recent report that claimed the transparency site was responsible for “outing” private data belonging to Saudi citizens.

The Aug. 23 investigation by AP reporters Raphael Satter and Maggie Michael accused WikiLeaks of releasing the private data of “scores” of residents of the Gulf kingdom as part of the The Saudi Cables. This collection, which the site launched in June 2015, consists of over 122,000 files leaked from Saudi foreign affairs ministry.

In the report, Satter and Michael lodge serious accusations, including that WikiLeaks published private medical data relating to “sick children, rape victims and mental health patients.”

Read more‘WikiLeaks Did Not Disclose “Gays” To The Saudi Govt’: Whistleblower Site Fires Back Against Media Attacks
European Governments Want To Combat Terrorism With Prison Segregation, Solitary Confinement
A captive is escorted by two guards in Guantanamo Bay detention camp on December 2007. (Navy / Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Billings / Wikimedia)
August 30, 2016
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European Governments Want To Combat Terrorism With Prison Segregation, Solitary Confinement

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

British and French prisons may soon employ controversial methods like solitary confinement and ‘terrorist-only’ units in an effort to curb radicalization efforts in prisons and to keep inmates from turning to terrorism.

Compared to their overall populations, England, Wales and France disproportionately imprison Muslims. A study conducted in March 2015 found that the number of Muslim prisoners in English and Welsh prisons increased 122 percent between 2002 and 2014, while the total number of prisoners only increased 20 percent over the same time period.

And although French laws prevent an exact count of Muslims in prison, it’s estimated that as many as 70 percent of the country’s 67,500 prisoners are Muslim.

Read moreEuropean Governments Want To Combat Terrorism With Prison Segregation, Solitary Confinement
Israel And Honduras Enter New, Blood-Soaked Military Alliance To Support State-Sponsored Terrorism
Israeli soldiers aim rifles during a large-scale military exercise on October 30, 2014. (Flickr / Israel Defense Forces / Gadi Yampel)
August 29, 2016
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Israel And Honduras Enter New, Blood-Soaked Military Alliance To Support State-Sponsored Terrorism

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Israel and Honduras announced a new security agreement this month in which Israel will supply weapons and training to the Honduran military.

Honduras is ruled by an oppressive and murderous regime that took power after a 2009 coup, and the agreement marks just the latest chapter in Israel’s long, bloody history of arming Central American despots.

The deal, inked on Aug. 20, would dramatically upgrade the Honduran regime’s offensive capabilities.

Read moreIsrael And Honduras Enter New, Blood-Soaked Military Alliance To Support State-Sponsored Terrorism