Truthout Daily Digest | Friday, January 23 2015

The Chilling First Amendment Implications of Journalist Barrett Brown’s Five-Year Sentence

Candice Bernd, Truthout: Concluding a case which has lasted more than two years, and which has frightening implications for journalists and researchers of all stripes, a federal judge in Dallas sentenced journalist and transparency activist Barrett Brown to 63 months in prison on Thursday.

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The New “Oppressed Peoples’ Movement”: Can the Tide of Resistance Continue?

James Kilgore, Truthout: What are some of the possibilities and tensions in the mass uprisings and new social movements that have appeared in the wake of the murder of Michael Brown?

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Sundarbans Oil Spill: An Urgent Wake-Up Call for the Bangladeshi Government

Iara Lee, Truthout: The catastrophic oil spill in Sundarbans tidal mangrove forest has mobilized activists to work even harder to prevent construction of a planned coal plant nearby.

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Is Reinvestment a Good Strategy for the Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement?

Carlos Davidson and Cynthia Kaufman, Truthout: Fossil fuel divestment is emerging as a powerful strategy in the fight against climate change. It is crucial that activists focus on the political impact of divestment, and not get distracted by the economics.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders | Roads and Bridges Need $1 Trillion. It Is Time to Rebuild the US

Bernie Sanders, Campaign for America’s Future: “For many years we have underfunded the maintenance of our nation’s physical infrastructure. That has to change. It is time to rebuild America. I will soon be introducing legislation for a $1 trillion investment, over five years, to modernize our country’s physical infrastructure.”

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Dissing DuVernay and the Lessons of Selma

Sikivu Hutchinson, The Feminist Wire: The lessons of Selma itself are relevant to DuVernay’s “omission” from the Academy Awards nomination for Best Director. True to Frederick Douglass’ assertion that “power concedes nothing without demand,” the snub of DuVernay is criminal, but of course, not unprecedented.

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The 2015 State of the Union Address: A Major Omission

David Krieger, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation: In President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union Address, the only mention of nuclear weapons was in relation to the agreement the Obama administration is seeking to negotiate with Iran.

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Do the United States’ Hungry Children Matter?

Mariana Chilton, Moyers & Company: This is supposed to be the year when the US ends its child hunger crisis. That was the promise then-president-elect Obama made during his first campaign. At that time some 12.4 million children lived in homes that self-reported as food insecure. Today there are 15.8 million such children.

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The 1% Are Bad for Your Health – It’s Time to Tax Them More

Kate Pickett, The Conversation: The evidence that large income differences have damaging health and social consequences is very strong, and in many countries inequality is increasing. Narrowing the gap is vital to improve our health and well-being.

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“American Propagander”: Six Ways Paul Reickhoff’s American Sniper Column Deeply Bothers This US Veteran

Emily Yates, Emily Yates Does Everything: “When I first laid eyes on the guest column Paul Rieckhoff wrote about American Sniper, I thought I’d read the byline wrong. This has to have been written by the Department of Defense, I thought.”

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Richard D. Wolff | Economic Update: Spinning Out of Control

Richard D. Wolff, Truthout: This episode provides updates on Obama’s State of the Union speech, the European Central Bank pumping up the money supply to stimulate Europe, forgiving Greece’s debts and housing extremes in the US. We also respond to questions on global wealth inequality and Switzerland’s currency maneuvers. Finally, we interview Dr. Harriet Fraad on the US economy’s disastrous impact on children.

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BuzzFlash

The BuzzFlash commentary for Truthout will return soon.

US House Passes Stringent Abortion Restrictions

Read the Article at Salon

Joni Ernst’s Family Received Nearly $500,000 in Farm Subsidies

Read the Article at Raw Story

Obama Says Treating Drug Use as a Criminal Problem Is “Counterproductive”

Read the Article at The Huffington Post

Advocates Call for State Investigation Into Shooting of Black Man in Traffic Stop

Read the Article at The Guardian

US Militarization and the “War on Terror” Create a Tinderbox of Violence

Read the Article at BuzzFlash

Anti-Muslim Incidents Soar in France

Read the Article at The Local France

King Dies, New Tyrannical Leader for Saudi Arabia

Read the Article at USA TODAY

The Oracle Report | Saturday, January 24 – Sunday, January 25, 2015

FROM WISE OWL ERIC

The Oracle Report – Saturday, January 24 – Sunday, January 25, 2015

“Outposts” – Aquarius Lunar Cycle: January 20 – February 17, 2015

OracleReport.com

“The Mass Turn” – Capricorn 2014 Lunar Cycle: December 21, 2014 – January 19, 2015

OracleReport.com

“The Black Moon Transit of Virgo: November 27, 2014 – August 25, 2015”

OracleReport.com

Saturday, January 24 – Sunday, January 25, 2015

Crescent Moon Phase: persevere; view challenges as an opportunity to strengthen, revise, and improve

Moon in Aries

Ruling Wisdom Goddess: Matangi (Goddess Who Includes)

Skill: post up

Negative Imprint: needing external validation, being too conservative, neurotic, fear of the unknown, ageism, faking, destruction of property, backed into a corner, impediments to progress by standing still

Positive Imprint: repurposing, past life connections, tapping in, wisdom of elders, structuring, making history, rediscovering the past and bringing parts of the past forward, innovation, jumping into the void

Sabian Symbol for the Lunar Month: “an old adobe mission” (projecting plans into the future, inner spiritual retreat)

This weekend, we are asked to “post up.”

In basketball terms, posting up is turning a certain way so that you can establish a position to receive a pass of the ball. The Universe asks us to post up and claim our spot so that we can receive spiritual guidance.

This comes as part of the lunar month where we are projecting our plans, ideas, wishes, and selves into the future. We envision the construct of what that looks like.

A major component of the construction comes from a foundation, an undercurrent, of our inner wisdom. Inner wisdom is divinely directed. As we establish “adobe missions” in the future – outposts where we will arrive later in time, we are reinforcing the structure now with inspiration from Spirit. This weekend we are posting up to reinforce our outposts.

Old adobe missions are spiritual retreats. Other names for old adobe missions and spiritual retreats are temples, medicine wheels, churches, groves, schools, farms, vineyards, mountains, beaches, theatres, museums, studios. What is yours?

It is a good idea this weekend to spend some time in whatever place or space is spiritual for you. Spirit is sending key insights into matters. The energy naturally places us in alignment for inner wisdom. There is a lot happening for our inner contemplation; complex sets of dynamics are in effect. Here are the highlights:

• Relationships, particularly romantic relationships, are undergoing revision, restructuring, and reassessment. Changes occur this weekend to bring things to better states.
• Mercury retrograde is acting as a muse, inspiring us with ideas and actions. The energy is design-oriented and functional. Mental architecture takes place.
• New things are being built from the past. All kinds of things are repurposed or even fully restored. On Saturday, our experiences from the Leo 2014 lunar cycle (July 26 – August 25, 2014) return for a visit and reconsideration. On Sunday, our experiences from the Pisces 2014 lunar cycle (March 1 – March 29, 2014) follow suit. Consider all of this in context and look at how those experiences have enabled you to claim more of your power and become who you are today. (Another element of this energy is a heightened ability to connect with our ancestors.)
• Leaps of faith, discussed at the New Moon of this cycle, may be necessary because the energy shifts quite palpably this weekend. The Moon catapults into Aries after an energetic journey through shadow lands over the last two days, which is a definite shift. But both Saturn and Pluto move to new degrees this weekend. Saturn moves away from energy for strategizing and toward energy that takes us to higher levels. Pluto moves away from energy for permanent structures and toward energy to heal and raise the spirits of people, particularly children. (Heads up: The Wisdom Goddess Matangi is getting ready to roll through on those who prey on the weak, disadvantaged, and marginalized. Whereas the goddess Dhuamavati “sweeps” through the field, Matangi razes it.)

Post up with whatever works for you from this post as you engage in periodic spiritual retreat and communion this weekend. Remember to connect with nature as part of this. Find beauty. And if you can snap a photograph of it, please send it to me to post for everyone to enjoy!

Thank you for supporting the Oracle Report. Blessings to all!

Copyright Oracle Report 2009 – 2014. All Rights Reserved.

Permission to repost is granted provided credit is given towww.oraclereport.com.

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MESSAGES FROM ANN & THE ANGELS | January 24, 2015

I haven’t shared a message from Ann in a while and today’s is beautiful. For everyone who hasn’t encountered Ann and her Angel messages-if this appeals to you, click the link at the end of this message to explore Ann’s site and read her most current newsletter.

It’s easy to coast through life just surviving, getting through the day without noticing that everything we do or encounter is part of much larger systems that connect us to the Universe and all living beings. I really appreciate the Angels reminder today to live in gratitude for all the amazing love we are always surrounded by.
Blessings,
ohnwentsya

MESSAGE FROM THE ANGELS

My dear friends, we love you so very much,

Turn your sights to love this year dear ones! Allow yourself to receive the vast and beautiful expressions of love that are available in every single moment of your life. Look outside at creation. You are loved. Take a sip of water. You are loved. Feel your hands, your lungs breathing, your heart beating… you are loved. Look at the spectrum of beautiful colors. You are loved. Listen to music that uplifts you. You are loved. Look in the eyes of an animal or a child. You are loved.

Look at the shelter around you. You are loved. Look at the food upon your plate. You are loved. Look at the fact that we are writing to you via this newsletter and aware of each and every one of you as precious, beautiful, cherished souls upon the earth. You are loved.

Dear ones, never is there a moment when you are without love. We know there are times when you are without human love, and we know that as normal, healthy human beings, you deeply desire these connections. However, even without human love, you have Divine love… in all things, in all places, anywhere you look you can find it. 

This week take a bit of extra effort to look for the evidence of love all around you. The more you seek it, the more you will find it. The more you find it, the better you will feel. The better you feel, the more you will feel love, for love wants to circulate through the universe, into and out of each beautiful, beating human heart.

God Bless You! We love you so very much. 
— The Angels

MESSAGE FROM THE ANN

Hi Everyone,

I took a sip of my coffee Sunday morning. The angels gathered around. I sensed they were there to make a point. My attention was drawn to the Styrofoam cup with its earth-friendly design.

“People took the time to invent Styrofoam, to shape it, to find a way to fuse the same and seal the bottom and color it with a pretty design so you wouldn’t burn your hands and you would find it beautiful,” they said. “Someone worked very hard to shape that lid so you could sip without spilling. There were hundreds of prototypes and many souls involved.” I looked at the simple cup, something we toss in the recycle bin, with a new perspective and appreciation.

The angels went on… “Someone grew those beans, hundreds picked them, sorted them, bagged them, shipped them, roasted them, bagged them, shipped them again, and put them on display. Someone designed the burlap bags, the pretty packaging, the machinery involved. The farmers, factory workers, delivery person, servers… all love themselves and their families enough to earn a living doing this work. Someone chose just the right combination of flavors and just the right strength because they wanted it to taste wonderful. Someone grew the grass, that fed the cows, that give the milk… and on they went, listing many more individuals who contributed to the beverage I was enjoying, previously without a great deal of thought. I started to sip… and savor more slowly.

“Ann, in that one sip of a simple cup of coffee, you are connected beyond space, and time, to thousands of souls. Thousands of souls labored to express love in some fashion or another to give you that one sip, that one simple pleasure… Can you feel the love that went into it? I took another sip, thinking of the thousands of individuals who worked to bring me this simple pleasure. I opened my heart, felt the sum total of their love, and was nearly brought me to tears. 

No wonder coffee is such a spiritual experience! 
Everything else too, for that matter…

Have a week filled with the love that is all around…
Love you all!
Ann

Love you all! Have a blessed week.
Ann 

The manuscript of survival – part 433

Thank you Aisha! It’s so beautiful and uplifting to think about our collective spirit healing and bringing us all out of the isolation so standard in this world. I know we’ve been experiencing it more than most already here in our pond but with all that is in the news it’s a feeling of pure magic to imagine the flow of love and unity among us all here on Earth simply erasing the conflicts, dissolving the violence and wars, healing the suffering. Much Love and gratitude to all of you who are consciously co-creating this return to love, sanity and unity!

aisha north

Let us begin this missive by saying that up until now, the fluctuations caused by these new frequencies may seem to have left nothing more than traces of physiologic unrest in some of you, while for others, it will seem as if they have been bypassed altogether by these insistent emissaries from the higher spheres, but that is not so. Indeed, you have all been deeply affected by these callers, whether you have noticed their appearance within your energetic sphere or not, and the impression they have made on you all, is a lasting one. For what they have done, is to enable some of the deepest recesses within your framework of high resonance channels to open, the ones that allows the form of multi-level communication we have talked about earlier. In other words, even if all you have noticed over the last few days can be classified as more…

View original post 2,402 more words

Common Dreams Highlights | Friday 23 January 2015

Featured… On Verge of Victory, Europe’s Ascendant Left Declares ‘Subservience is Over’ by Jon Queally In relatively short time, both Syriza and Podemos went from being non-existent political entities to standing on the doorstep of taking power. News… ‘Nauseating’ Praise for Dead Saudi King Exposes Hypocrisy of West, Say Critics by Deirdre Fulton Under the dictator’s reign, Saudi authorities sought to halt political dissent through intimidation, arrests, prosecutions, and lengthy prison sentences. And the Lifetime Award for Shameful Corporate Behavior Goes to… Chevron by Sarah Lazare The race was close, with Glencore and Walmart coming in a close second, but voters ultimately determined that Chevron deserves the top distinction. US May Soon Stand Alone Opposing Children’s Treaty by Thalif Deen Ironically, the United States was a leading contributor to the drafting of the treaty and in fact shaped a significant number of provisions. Pennsylvania Court Hands Down Big Win for Teachers’ Union by Deirdre Fulton “Today‘s decision is a victory for collective bargaining and the notion that contracts between parties should be negotiated, not imposed.” NRC: We’re Keeping Fukushima-Style Nuclear Reactors Going by Andrea Germanos The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected an appeal to halt operations at the nearly two dozen reactors in the nation that have the same containment system as those at the ill-fated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors. Fossil Fuel Industry Gives California Communities a Breath of Toxic Air: Report by Nadia Prupis There is a “disturbing lack of data on health effects of oil and gas production in California,” author Jhon Arbelaez said on Thursday. more news… Views… Message to the UK: The Fracking Bridge is Already Burning by Naomi Klein In rushing to exploit the UK’s shale gas reserves, the industry has spent millions on public relations and brazenly overridden the democratic will of British citizens by overturning laws that had prevented drilling under homes. Saudi Arabia’s Tyrant King Misremembered as Man of Peace by Murtaza Hussain It’s not often that the unelected leader of a country which publicly flogs dissidents and beheads people for sorcery wins such glowing praise from American officials. My Future in Prison by Kathy Kelly ‘I will be free in three months, but our collective future is most assuredly shackled to a wrongheaded criminal justice system.’ Hearings Highlight Congressional Efforts to Undermine Net Neutrality by Sandra Fulton The right choice was as clear after the hearings as it was before: Congress should back off and let the FCC do its job. Drones and the New Ethics of War by Neve Gordon Drone wars are wars without losses or defeats, but they are also wars without victory. How We Banned Fracking in New York by Sandra Steingraber Every rally. Every march. Every jug of Dimock water. Every public comment. Every local ban. Every letter to the editor. Every letter to the Governor. Every concert. Every expert testimony at every hearing. Thank you. more views… Newswire… Center for Economic and Policy Research: New Paper Concludes that Greece Will Need Better Macroeconomic Policies to Exit from Mass Unemployment Doctors Without Borders: Ahead of Obama Visit, MSF Warns US Pressure on India Could Impact Access to Medicines for Millions NAACP Releases Tool to Help City Planners Integrate Equity in Resilience Building Center for Biological Diversity: Petition Seeks 3 Million Acres of Critical Habitat for 9 Endangered Species Found From Maine to North Carolina, West to Illinois Human Rights Watch: Saudi Arabia: King’s Reform Agenda Unfulfilled Jubilee USA Network: Syriza Party Poised to Win Greek Elections on Platform of Canceling Austerity and Renegotiating Debt more newswire…

Truthout Daily Digest | Thursday, 22 January 2015

Supreme Court Upholds Auto Stop With No Traffic Violation

Marjorie Cohn, Truthout: The latest in 15 years of continuous Supreme Court decisions effectively enlarging police powers and restricting Forth Amendment protections against illegal searches and seizures, Heien v. North Carolina upheld a traffic stop where there was no traffic violation.

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Economist Leonidas Vatikiotis: Syriza’s Proposals Don’t Go Far Enough for Greece

Michael Nevradakis, Truthout: Economist Leonidas Vatikiotis, previously a European Parliament candidate with Greece’s Antarsya political party, shares his take on the upcoming elections in Greece, the economic proposals put forth by main opposition party Syriza, and the need, in his view, for Greece to depart from the eurozone.

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Interim Settlement Reached in Lac Mégantic Oil Train Disaster, but Culprits Say “It Wasn’t Us”

Roger Annis, Truthout: Amid continuing official support for oil trains in Canada, an initial financial compensation agreement for some victims of the 2013 Lac Mégantic, Quebec oil train disaster has been reached with some of the oil and transportation companies responsible for the tragedy.

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New Year, Same as the Old Year? 2015 Reproductive Rights Preview

Katie Klabusich, Truthout: The GOP-led 114th Congress declared its legislative priority by opening with assaults on reproductive healthcare access from all angles, choosing the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade as the day to vote on new abortion restrictions.

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State of the Black Union: The Shadow of Crisis Has Not Passed

Staff, Black Lives Matter: We the people, committed to the declaration that Black lives matter, will fight to end the structural oppression that prevents so many from realizing their dreams. We cannot, and will not stop until the United States recognizes the value of Black life.

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Supreme Court’s Latest Race Case: Housing Discrimination

Nikole Hannah-Jones, ProPublica: This week, the Supreme Court will take up one of the most important civil rights cases of the last decade – Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project. Many fear the case could gut the landmark Fair Housing Act.

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Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition

Staff, Brave New Films: This documentary delves even deeper into where the Koch brothers’ money is going, who their money is hurting and how much they made during the whole process leading up to the 2014 elections.

Watch the Video

Is John Boehner a Traitor?

The Daily Take Team, The Thom Hartmann Program: By inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress, Speaker of the House John Boehner may have broken any number of laws, and the Department of Justice needs to investigate.

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In SOTU, President Punts on Income Inequality

Michael Winship, Truthout: Much of the buildup to President Obama’s State of the Union address made it sound as if he was going to have a “Piketty moment.” Yet, with a president too often bold in words but timid in action, facing a Congress more Republican and obstructionist than ever, little will get done to fix inequality.

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The 1% Dine in Davos as Latin America Pulls People Out of Poverty

Cyril Mychalejko, teleSUR: Billionaires and political elites have swooped into Davos this week for the annual World Economic Forum. The biggest risk the world faces may be the Forum’s continued neoliberal economic policies its members advocate that have created the crises it supposedly seeks to redress.

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Inequality Is Costing Us Big-Time

Sam Pizzigati, OtherWords: If the United States had been as equal in 2007 as it was in 1979, that average income would have been $94,310. In other words, inequality is costing the average American family about $18,000 a year.

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More and War: The Tao of Washington

Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch: The visibly Orwellian nature of US intelligence is now widely accepted, at least in Washington, as a necessity of our age, of our need for (you guessed it) safety and security. As a result, its bureaucratic expansion, secret wars, global kill lists and other activities are largely beyond challenge.

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Why the CIA Is So Eager to Demolish Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling

Norman Solomon, Expose Facts: The CIA is on a quest for more respect from anyone willing to defer to its authority, no matter how legally hypocritical or morally absent. Demolishing the life of Jeffrey Sterling is just another means to that end.

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BuzzFlash

The BuzzFlash commentary for Truthout will return soon.

New Jersey Officers Shoot and Kill Unarmed Black Man With Hands Up

Read the Article at The Chicago Tribune

Inequality in the Air We Breathe?

Read the Article at The New York Times

Maureen Dowd’s Clueless White Gaze: The “Selma” Backlash

Read the Article at Salon

US Senate Again Fails to Admit Human Role in Global Warming

Read the Article at The Guardian

The Narcissistic Fantasy of Mitt Romney

Read the Article at The Week

Pelosi Slams Netanyahu Invite

Read the Article at The Hill

Toxic Tanneries Poisoning Workers in Bangladesh

Read the Article at Vice News