Mike Lofgren | The Implications of the Torture Report
Mike Lofgren, Truthout: The reaction to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s “Study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program” is as significant as what the study uncovered about the psychology and methods of those who run the deep state that rules us.
Amid Justice Department Investigations, Protesters Call Out Cleveland Police Murders
Britney Schultz, Truthout: As national protests against police killings continue, and on the heels of an unfavorable review of the Cleveland Police Department by the Department of Justice, activists and concerned residents are calling for accountability.
Rev. Edward Pinkney Imprisoned for Fighting the Whirlpool Corporation
Ben Ptashnik and Victoria Collier, Truthout: On December 15, Rev. Edward Pinkney, a leader in the struggle for social and economic justice for the residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was sentenced to serve up to 10 years in prison, on the basis of thin circumstantial evidence.
Connecting Police Violence Against People of Color and People With “Mental Illness”
Leah Harris, Truthout: There is a common thread between police violence against people of color and people diagnosed with “mental illness.” Racism intersects deeply with “mentalism,” defined as discrimination and violence against people of all races who are perceived as unstable or “mentally ill.”
The Daily Take Team, The Thom Hartmann Program: Slowly but surely, the government begins to grow its police, surveillance and military power. People begin to accept authoritarianism; it becomes the new normal. We can’t let authoritarianism continue to grow and become the new normal in the United States.
$4 Million: That’s How Much These Dim Sum Restaurant Workers Won in Back Pay
Michelle Chen, The Nation: Approximately 280 workers in San Francisco, many of them monolingual Chinese immigrants, are savoring a sweet labor victory with a landmark $4 million settlement, which also includes new rules for labor standards and benefits.
L. Michael Hager, Truthout: The Senate report on CIA torture of suspected terrorist detainees is welcome for its transparency. However, without a concrete plan of action including recommitment to the rule of law, torturer accountability and abolition of the CIA, the abuses could well be repeated in the future.
Emissions-Cutting Deal Reached at COP 20 Lima, but Will It Help Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change?
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!: Negotiators from nearly 200 countries agreed to a new deal that forms the basis for a global agreement on addressing climate change. The countries most dissatisfied with the outcome in Lima, however, were those who are poor and already struggling to rebuild from the impacts of climate change.
Watch the Video and Read the Transcript
Lisa Dawson, Solitary Watch: The Arizona Department of Corrections has opened a new facility with 500 maximum-security prison beds, which is estimated to cost Arizona taxpayers $50 million. This comes after an agreement to a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union to limit the use of solitary confinement in Arizona prisons.
“Forgiveness Is Liberating”: Desmond Tutu on Healing a Nation’s Racist Past
Desmond Tutu, YES! Magazine: “Who could have thought we would ever be an example, except of awfulness; who could ever have thought we would be held up as a model to the rest of the world?” the archbishop asked in 1997. Today, South Africa’s healing process is a beacon of hope for the United States.
Timeline: The Tortured History of the Senate’s Torture Report
Kara Brandeisky and Sisi Wei, ProPublica: The Senate began investigating the CIA’s detainee program nearly six years ago. It completed a draft of its report two years ago. What took so long? It’s a tale of White House indecisiveness, Republican opposition and CIA snooping.
On the News With Thom Hartmann: 15,000 People Marched for Climate Justice in Lima, Peru, and More
In today‘s On the News segment: Last week, 15,000 people took to the streets of Lima, Peru, to demand climate justice; food companies spend millions of dollars on marketing every year, and it’s not always in the form of advertising; punishing young children for lying may not teach them to tell the truth; and more.
Watch the Video and Read the Transcript
BuzzFlash
Surgeon General Finally Confirmed Despite Fierce NRA Opposition
Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash at Truthout: The confirmation of Vivek Murthy, M.D., as surgeon general is a sign that while the NRA remains virtually indomitable, it is not invincible.
Elizabeth Warren Doesn’t Need to Run Against Hillary Clinton to Save Liberals
Read the Article at The Guardian
Squatting on the Flag
Bush “Intimately Involved” With CIA Torture, Says Rove
Read the Article at Common Dreams
Jon Stewart: Dick Cheney’s Mind Is the Scariest Place in the Universe
Watch the Video at Comedy Central
Dennis Kucinich: Three Members of Congress Just Reignited the Cold War While No One Was Looking
In the Struggle Against Police Violence, the Youth Shall Lead
Read the Article at The Nation
Congress Quietly Ends Federal Government’s Ban on Medical Marijuana
Spirit In Action 