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Atomic Abundance and Its Enemies
The state’s return to nuclear has overwhelming support among New York’s industrial unions. The state AFL-CIO, the building trades, the laborers’ union, the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) all heaped praise in the official press release. Joining them were manufacturing associations, chambers of commerce, and other business groups, along with a few nonprofit groups who embrace nuclear power, like the Clean Air Task Force. Not everyone is excited though. Many of the state’s environmental groups fanatically oppose nuclear power, despite its lack of greenhouse gas emissions. Food & Water Watch, for example, slammed the announcement as a “reckless distraction.” Alliance for a Green Economy dismissed it as a “bill-raising boondoggle” that still leads to “dangerous toxic waste.” Last year, a letter urging the state not to consider new nuclear was signed by 153 groups. Noticeably absent from the official press release, though, was Public Power NY, the environmental left coalition that two years ago won their campaign to authorize NYPA to “Build Public Renewables.” Powered in large part by the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — including DSA member, state assemblymember, and now Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani — the coalition is perhaps more directly guided by environmental justice nonprofits. In a statement of their own calling the announcement “unserious,” it dismisses NYPA’s impressive progress lining up renewables projects, demanding instead their own contrived target. But Kathy Hochul’s plans paint a picture of the future. Whereas Klein and Thompson imagine abundant rooftop solar panels on homes, she imagines nuclear-powered industrial manufacturing and generational careers for the working class, led by an ambitious public institution. It’s a shift in liberal politics that should be embraced, not dismissed.
https://jacobin.com/2025/07/hochul-nuclear-environment-nonprofits-dsa

Tensions over the Arctic: imperialists race to grab the loot
Trump is eyeing Greenland, Putin is strengthening Russia’s base on the archipelago of Svalbard, all the while embarking on new joint ventures with China in the Arctic regPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Columbia adopts controversial definition of antisemitism amid federal grants freeze
It is the latest in a string of concessions Columbia has made following criticisms – mainly from pro-Israel groups and Republican members of Congress – that university authorities had tolerated the expression of antisemitic attitudes in pro-Palestinian campus protests following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in 2023.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/16/columbia-antisemitism-trump-administration-funding

Cuomo announces independent mayoral bid as Mamdani seeks “partnership” with New York City business leaders
The giant corporations and banks have made clear they are not yet reconciled to Mamdani’s victory, and Cuomo is counting on their continued support. Jamie Dimon, longtime CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has called Mamdani “more of a Marxist than a socialist.” The Wall Street Journal reports that a new super PAC, “New Yorkers for a Better Future Mayor 25,” has been formed to raise $20 million to defeat the Democratic candidate. Cuomo’s announcement means that, at least for now, five candidates are in the race for mayor of the largest US city, which is also the country’s media, cultural and financial capital. They include current Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent after skipping the Democratic primary and following his quid pro quo deal with the Trump administration to have corruption charges against him dropped. Also running are Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Jim Walden.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/07/16/rxtp-j16.html

Trump administration sued by US states for cutting disaster prevention grants
A group of 20 mostly Democrat-led U.S. states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a multibillion-dollar grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters. The lawsuit filed in Boston federal court claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacked the power to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in April after it wasPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

New left party’s polling a wake-up call for Labour
Of course, it is only an opinion poll. And it is four years until Starmer next has to face a general election. But the findings are consistent with other polls, showing Labour support dropping still further and potential backing for a new socialist electoral option swelling. The new party has no formal existence or name. Its policies on many issues can be readily inferred but it has no agreed platform or manifesto. Nor is its strategy clear. That there is nevertheless so much enthusiasm for so ill-defined a project speaks both to the yawning gaps left by Starmer’s stampede to the right and to the legacy of Corbyn’s own leadership of the party, which inspired so many. The warnings from Unite of union disaffiliation if there is no change in government attitudes compounds the sense of crisis around Labour and of possibility around a new party. One way to address Labour’s crisis is therefore obvious. Cease the degrading and futile pursuit of Reform and Tory voters by pandering to their presumed prejudices and remake the government around a consistently progressive agenda. That would entail abandoning welfare cuts and other austerity measures and, at the same time, discarding the fiscal rules which are strangling the economy. If such a turn requires buttressing by capital controls, so be it. There should be a sustained programme of state intervention to address inequality and corporate abuses — start with nationalising Thames Water without further prevarication. It would also require a complete halt to all forms of support for Israel and real pressure to secure freedom for the Palestinians, as well as disengaging from Nato’s futile war in Ukraine, while restoring the eye-watering cuts to the overseas aid budget.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/new-left-partys-polling-wake-call-labour

On Trial for Solidarity: Germany Targets Palestine Activist
Baki Devrimkaya, a nursing student and activist in solidarity with Palestine in Germany, is on trial for alleged assault. The plaintiff is one of Berlin’s most well-known Zionists. The lawsuit for alleged assault is based on a lecture hall occupation on December 14, 2023, at the Free University of Berlin. There, Baki nonviolently defended access to the occupied lePost too long. Click here to view the full text.

2,000 sanitation workers at Republic Services involved in nationwide strikes
A wave of strikes and solidarity actions by sanitation workers at Republic Services, America’s second-largest waste disposal company, has erupted across the country. It is an important development in the growing resistance of the American working class.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/07/15/jstk-j15.html

Federal judge reverses rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports
Removing medical debts from consumer credit reports was expected to increase the credit scores of millions of families by an average of 20 points, the bureau said. The CFPB states that its research has shown outstanding healthcare claims to be a poor predictor of an individual’s ability to repay a loan, yet they are often used to deny mortgage applications.
https://apnews.com/article/cfpb-medical-debt-credit-reports-41f212ee6b89f9902deb267d75ab8443

US launches new bid to keep migrants detained by denying hearings, memo shows
the new ICE policy limiting bond hearing eligibility, citing a July 8 memo by its acting director, Todd Lyons. The guidance shared with Reuters called for ICE to interpret several immigration law provisions as "prohibitions on release" after an arrest, adding the shift in policy was "likely to be litigated." It encouraged ICE prosecutors "to make alternative arguments in support of continued detention" during immigration court hearings.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-launches-new-bid-keep-migrants-detained-by-denying-hearings-memo-shows-2025-07-15/

'There Is Something Rotten in Washington': House Republicans Unanimously Reject Releasing Epstein Files
The vote was 211-210 along party lines. While nine Republicans—and two Democrats—did not participate, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) voted with his party, after joining Democrats for the Monday night panel vote on Rep. Ro Khanna's (D-Calif.) amendment, whiPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Athens Dockworkers Obstruct Military Cargo Headed to Israel
A successful mobilization led by dockworkers at the port of Piraeus in Athens has prevented the transport of military cargo bound for Israel on the ship Ever Golden. On Monday, July 14, dockworkers were joined by youth groups, other trade unionists, and community members in a large protest against the port’s involvement in the shipment of arms and related materials to Israeli ports, as the genocide in Gaza continues.
https://www.newsclick.in/athens-dockworkers-obstruct-military-cargo-headed-israel

Edinburgh students defy authorities in graduation ceremony walk-outs, protesting Gaza genocide
In a powerful show of opposition to the Gaza genocide, large numbers of students at University of Edinburgh, Scotland held dramatic walkouts and protests at their graduation ceremonies over the past fortnight, to oppose their university’s financial ties to the Israeli arms industry and its complicity in genocide. Young people interrupted their graduation ceremonies, unfolding flags and banners with slogans including, “Fund teaching not genocide”, “No Graduates in Gaza” and “No universities in Gaza”, before walking out of the graduation halls, to cheering and clapping.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/07/15/sznf-j15.html

New left party polls level with Labour – but disagreements on its future remain
Mr Corbyn was surprised by Ms Sultana’s announcement, which he had not signed off on and believed should not have been issued, insofar as it mentioned him too. Since then, Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana have held a warm personal meeting but have been unable as yet to agree a formulation that carries forward the co-leadership decision. Both are committed to launching a new electoral challenge and have no known policy differences. Mr Corbyn favours an alliance of already-existing local independent initiatives under a common electoral umbrella, and is more reluctant than Ms Sultana to directly attack Labour.
https://morninPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Erik Houdini Speaks | Their Greatest Weapon is the Illusion That It’s Too Late to Resist
Doesn’t it feel like we’re being occupied—maybe even invaded—by the regime's forces? By ICE and similar goon sourcing orgs like the National Guard? Doesn’t it seem like the regime is deliberately escalating violence, hoping for a violent response so they can justify even more repression? Picture this: You’re just sitting at brunch with your girlfriend, enjoying a normal day in America. Then, out of nowhere, 12 to 20 heavily armed, masked ICE agents storm the restaurant. Flashbangs go off. Screams. "Everybody up! Immigration enforcement!" as they storm the restaurant in full military gear. How long until they are trained to shoot to kill while doing these raids in our communities? Imagine this: You’re at your child’s fifth-grade graduation, a proud moment. Your family’s been in America since the gold rush, 1865 at least. Grandparents, great-grandparents, all American. You’re there with grandma, ready to cheer, take photos, celebrate. Then, armed ICE agents in tactical gear storm in, no badge numbers, no remorse. They rip kids off the stage, arrest families, beat people in front of children, you're children aren't "illegals" but they still lose their graduation. This isn’t about immigration—it’s about destroying communities, ramping up violence, and enforcing cruelty to sow chaos. These ain't isolated incidents—it's happening in cities across the country. Consistently, and with actions escalating every day. Each raid more violent than the last. Blackhawk helicopters unloading muntions that would be used on who? Doesn’t that strike you as completely outrageous? This affects entire communities, not just undocumented immigrants. Your family might have been here 150 years, but your kids’ caregivers or coworkers could be undocumented. Some of the hardest-working people in this country are undocumented. Solidarity belongs with working-class people, not with those who decide who’s "illegal" to enrich themselves. They’d label you illegal if it lined their pocketbooks.
https://erikhoudini.com/#post?id=060070&title=erik-houdini-speaks-their-greatest-weapon-is-the-illusion-that-it-s-too-late-to-resist

Iranian Marxism and its main Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

Amazon worker details pattern of sexual harassment, management retaliation and physical abuse
Susan's story of harassment, and retaliation on the part of Amazon management when she reported this harassment, is similar to reports filed by workers at other fulfillment centers. Susan's story also exposes the failure of various government agencies that were established ostensibly to protect workers from harassment and retaliation, including the courts.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/07/11/aaww-j11.html

One dead, hundreds arrested in US farm raid as judge orders pause to aggressive tactics
A California farm worker died on Friday after U.S. immigration agents raided a cannabis nursery and arrested hundreds of workers, a worker advocacy group said, while a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt some of its most aggressive tactics in rounding up undocumented immigrants. Dozens of migrant-rights activists faced off with federal agents in rural Southern California on Thursday during the operation, the latest escalation of President Donald Trump's campaign for mass deportations of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/one-california-worker-dead-hundreds-arrested-after-cannabis-farm-raid-2025-07-11/

US largest teachers' union cuts ties with pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League
"The National Education Association will not use, disseminate, or endorse any ADL materials, such as its curriculum materials or statistics, nor will it participate in its programs or disseminate its professional development offerings," the document read. The US-based Israel lobby group operates numerous training and "educational" programmes across media outlets, schools, law enforcement agencies, and the private sector through its network of local organisers and lobbyists. Its constant support of Israel's policies despite its military actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories has gathered spiralling scrutiny in recent years.
Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

>>2385027
Glad to be back

Kenya opposition leaders demand president’s resignation over shooting comments
Opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka said the president’s order was “against the constitution” and that he should “resign or be impeached.” President William Ruto said on Wednesday that he would not allow “anarchy” in the country disguised as peaceful demonstrations, and called for police to shoot and “break the legs” of those found looting or damaging property during protests. Human rights groups have called for restraint among police officers as waves of protests have rocked Kenya in recent weeks. More than 50 people have died in the two major demonstrations, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
https://apnews.com/article/kenya-protests-william-ruto-shooting-aa4834e9d6a4ab701b16aae4c1f18eef

‘Authorities forcibly deport 1,200 displaced from Ed Damer amid security tensions’
Authorities in River Nile state forcibly deported around 1,200 displaced people, about 600 families, from Ed Damer on Sunday, drawing strong condemnation from human rights defenders who described the move as a violation of displaced people’s rights and international norms on voluntary return. Sources told Radio Dabanga that the order came from the executive director of Ed Damer locality. Security forces removed the displaced from Omar El Sheikh El Bashir Hospital and transported them to Khartoum using force, despite official claims that the relocation was voluntary.
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/authorities-forcibly-deport-1200-displaced-from-ed-damer-amid-security-tensions

Turkey continues strikes on PKK despite disarmament, says monitor
Amedi is situated about 70 kilometers north of Duhok city and just 15 kilometers from the Turkish border. The area has been a frontline in the conflict between Turkish forces and the PKK. On Friday, in a striking and symbolic gesture, a group of fighters from the PKK set their weapons ablaze, signalling an end to more than four decades of armed struggle for Kurdish rights in Turkey. EarliePost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Announcement

As mentioned last week I'm going to take a 3 week hiatus and return to posting the news on July 12th
If anyone wants to continue posting news while I'm gone i encourage you to do so

Karl Liebknecht: The Main Enemy Is At Home!
The main enemy of every people is in their own country!
The main enemy of the German people is in Germany: German imperialism, the German war party, German secret diplomacy. This enemy at home must be fought by the German people in a political struggle, cooperating with the proletariat of other countries whose struggle is against their own imperialists. We think as one with the German people – we have nothing in common with the German Tirpitzes and Falkenhayns, with the German government of political oppression and social enslavement. Nothing for them, everything for the German people. Everything for the international proletariat, for the sake of the German proletariat and downtrodden humanity. The enemies of the working class are counting on the forgetfulness of the masses – provide that that be a grave miscalculation. They are betting on the forbearance of the masses – but we raise the vehement cry: How long should the gamblers of imperialism abuse the patience of the people? Enough and more than enough slaughter! Down with the war instigators here and abroad!
An end to genocide!
Proletarians of all countries, follow the heroic example of your Italian brothers! Ally yourselves to the international class struggle against the conspiracies of secret diplomacy, against imperialism, against war, for peace with in the socialist spirit.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/liebknecht-k/works/1915/05/main-enemy-home.htm

India's Kashmir railway is an engineering feat - and an occupation project
On 5 June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new railway project in Indian-occupied Kashmir. In scenes that have since been played on a loop and celebrated across India, Modi is seen gripping an Indian flag high above his head, and dramatically marching across a bridge like a standard-bearer of a conquering army. To accomplish this railroad project, Indian engineers had to build the "world's highest bridge", 359 metres above the Chenab river bed in Jammu. Likewise, the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, towers 331 metres above the river gorge. "This shows that our resolve is as big as the dream for India's development," MoPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Trump says US bombed three Iran nuclear sites, including Fordow
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the US military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250622-trump-says-us-bombed-three-iran-nuclear-sites-including-fordow-usa-israel-war
https://archive.ph/0VvCS

Mahmoud Khalil vows to resume pro-Palestinian activism after release from US jail
He arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon to cheers and ululations from friends and supporters. Khalil, 30, was reunited with his wife, a U.S. citizen, and greeted at the airport by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mahmoud-khalil-vows-resume-pro-palestinian-activism-after-release-us-jail-2025-06-21/

Trump administration suspends enforcement of Biden-era farmworker rule
The 2024 rule provided protection for workplace organizing to foreign farmworkers in the U.S. on H-2A visas. The U.S. Department of Labor said the rule had already been suspended because of federal injunctions. … The H-2A visa program allows farmers to bring in an unlimited number of foreign seasonal farmhands if they can show there are not enough U.S. workers willing, qualified and available to do the job. The program has grown over time, with 378,000 H-2A positions certified by the Labor Department in 2023, three times more than in 2014.
Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

(TrueAnon) Episode 467: Cuomo & Epstein: Island Boys
We talk to Daniel Boguslaw (https://danboguslaw.substack.com/) about Andrew Cuomo’s real estate backers, and his side job as a bag man for Epstein’s business partner. Hit the tip line: (646) 801-1129 | [email protected] Discover more episodes at podcast.trueanon.com
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-ssarg-26168b12

West Papua’s Forever War
Mehrtens’s kidnapping was also a major embarrassment for the political elite in Jakarta, and a sign of the military’s failure to “secure” and “pacify” West Papua by armed force. Shortly after his release, Indonesia’s newly elected president, Prabowo Subianto, assumed office, having been elected on a demagogic nationalist agenda. He had secured nearly 60 percent of the vote, aided by the fact that his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, happened to be the son of his predecessor, the vastly popular Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Since taking office, Prabowo has “increased the use of excessive violence and force,” according to Theo Hesegem, a human rights defender. “The violence in West Papua’s central highlands has increased greatly,” he tells me. Even worse, he adds, the increased deployments of thousands of military personnel grew beyond the president’s control, paving the way for isolated army units to commit atrocities and human rights crimes against unarmed and unprotected civilians without any risk of legal punishment. Shortly after Mehrtens’s release, “a silent TNI [Indonesian military] operation” swept through Yuguru, and a suspected independence activist, twenty-seven-year-old Abral Wandikbo, was kidnapped, killed, mutilated, and later found dead in a community plantation area. Reports from various isolated areas in the central highlands have proven to Hesegem that kidnappings, summary executions, and mutilations are “part of a pattern of TNI’s working methods” in West Papua, and that the tragic fate of Abral Wandikbo is merely one of many in this region. Witnesses have provided accounts and photo documentation of mutilated ears, mouths, noses, and testicles: crimes inflicted upon civilians by TNI units sweeping through refugee communities shortly after massive air raids initiated by the Jakarta governmenPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Judge orders pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil released from jail
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz determined that Khalil isn’t a flight risk or a danger to the community, and lightly rebuked the government, calling its effort to continue seeking his detention “highly, highly unusual.” The judge ordered Khalil to be released from custody at some point Friday, a step that will allow him to return to New York to be reunited with his wife and newborn baby, who was born during Khalil’s detention.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/20/judge-orders-mahmoud-khalil-released-00415566
https://archive.ph/dSh1u

US Supreme Court upholds law allowing Palestinian authorities to be sued over attacks
The 9-0 ruling overturned a lower court's decision that the 2019 law, the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, violated the rights of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization to due process under the U.S. Constitution. … "It is permissible for the federal government to craft a narrow jurisdictional provision that ensures, as part of a broader foreign policy agenda, that Americans injured or killed by acts of terror have an adequate forum in which to vindicate their right" to compensation under a federal law known as the Antiterrorism Act of 1990, Roberts wrote.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-upholds-law-suing-palestinian-authorities-over-attacks-2025-06-20/

Two arrested in protest outside ICE facility after ‘Free Moises’ rally
Hours after a rally in support of an Oregon man who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the gathering outside the ICE facility in South Portland got tense between protesters and federal agents, resulting in two arrests Wednesday night. By 11 p.m., the crowd of protesters had grown substantially in the last couple of hours. Protesters were seen lighting fireworks and moving what appeared to be a dumpster in front of the ICE facility. Federal agents wPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

SM of Kazakhstan, Joint Statement: No turning Kazakhstan into a lifeless desert due to the activities of Western companies!
The Communist and Workers' parties note that in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, French, British and American companies are seizing rare earth metal deposits. Memoranda on granting mining rights were signed at the «EU–Central Asia» and «Italy–Central Asia» summits. This will have huge consequences for the environment, agriculture and local peoples, as it will actually lead to the destruction of vast lands that will not be subject to reclamation, as well as poisoning of groundwater in a situation of desertification and radioactive contamination of the area, since these elements are extracted together with radiation cesium and thorium. An example is the disaster in the Caspian Sea, where artificial islands were created in the Northeastern part of the sea as a result of the activities of American and European companies within the NCOC consortium, underwater channels were dug, which raised 20 million tons of soil and caused oil and hydrogen sulfide leaks, which have already killed 90% of the biomass, and the shores They are littered with corpses of dead seals, dead fish and seagulls.
http://www.solidnet.org/article/SM-of-Kazakhstan-Joint-Statement-No-turning-Kazakhstan-into-a-lifeless-desert-due-to-the-activities-of-Western-companies/

Is Greece Becoming a Non-Viable Nation State?
A Greek newspaper editor, Nikos Konstandaras, said in the midst of the country’s debt crisis, in 2013, that: “The Greeks are in a struggle for survival. And the odds are piling up against us. The fight is not only on the economic front… that has resulted in greatly reduced incomes, higher costs and taxes, and an overriding sense of insecurity. The danger is even more basic: Deaths are outnumbering births, people are leaving the country, and the population is aging so fast that in a few decades Greece may be unable to produce enough wealth to take care of its people and may cease to be a viable nation state…. in Greece the battle for economic survival is so overwhelming that no one has time for the bigger picture…. In village after village, the elderly outnumber locals and immigrants of working Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

'No war on Iran': New Yorkers rally against US and Israeli regime change plans
On a sweltering summer evening in New York City on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters assembled on the steps of the New York Public Library in Manhattan to convey what they said was a clear message to the city and country's elected officials: "No War on Iran". The emergency protest, organised by a coalition of advocacy groups in New York and in several cities across the country, came as rumours swirled of a possible announcement of direct US military intervention in Israel's attacks on Iran. More than 585 Iranians have been killed since Israel launched its aerial strikes on 13 June over claims Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-new-york-protest-israel-attacks-iran

US judge invalidates Biden rule protecting privacy for abortions
A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a rule adopted by the administration of former President Joe Biden that strengthened privacy protections for women seeking abortions and patients who receive gender transition treatments. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exceeded its powers and unlawfully limited states' ability to enforce their public health laws when it adopted the rule last year.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-judge-invalidates-biden-rule-protecting-privacy-abortions-2025-06-18/

New US visa rules will force foreign students to unlock social media profiles
Foreign students will be required to unlock their social media profiles to allow US diplomats to review their online activity before receiving educational and exchange visas, the state department has announced. Those who fail to do so will be suspected of hiding that activity from US officials. The new guidance, unveiled by the state department on Wednesday, directs US diplomats to conduct an online presence review to look for “any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or foPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Kamala Harris Didn’t Lose Because of Racism
In mid-May of this year, former New York Times columnist and public intellectual Charles Blow declared on one of his social media accounts that those attributing President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection primarily to former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline are obscuring “the racist, misogynist, nativist, risk-it-all, devil-may-care doom lust among the year’s electorate.” Blow went on to say that “rather than accept Harris, America chose the flame.” Within the liberal pundit class, the tendency to attribute Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss principally to racism or misogynoir (hatred of black women) runs deep. In a postelection interview on MSNBC, Princeton University distinguished professor of African American studies Eddie Glaude asserted of Trump’s reelection: “We chose a felon because we didn’t want to elect a black woman,” which means “we would rather destroy the republic than for that to have happened.” If I had a dollar for every time I happened upon a meme or social media post or found myself in conversation with friends or colleagues that echoed Blow’s and Glaude’s sentiments, I might be able to retire by the end of the year. I confess, I’ve never been thrilled by Blow’s racial moralizing. The fundamental problem with a moralistic discourse on race and inequality is that neither righteousness nor righteous outrage permit explication of context. Harris’s not terribly surprising loss was owed to many factors, not just the electorate’s racism or sexism. And Blow — who has written some very thoughtful columns on the issues informing support for Trump among Hispanics as well as black male discomfort with Harris-Walz — knows this, even if he’s not always comfortable with where context takes us.
https://jacobin.com/2025/06/harris-trump-democrats-race-reductionism

Modi’s New Doctrine: Unending War
IN the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Modi, in a public address on May 12, set out a new doctrine consisting of three guidelines. These must be analysed and understood as they have serious implications for the strategic and security policies of the country. They also portend major consequences for peace and stability in the South Asian region. The three-point declaration is as follows: Firstly, if there Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

Iran War Protests Break Out in US Cities
Small demonstrations have taken place in multiple cities across the United States over the past few days urging the Trump administration not to join Israel in military action against Iran. Protests were recorded in San Jose, California, on Tuesday as well as New York City and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday, with demonstrators holding up signs such as "hands off Iran." Newsweek contacted the U.S. State Department for comment on Wednesday via online inquiry form outside regular office hours.
https://www.newsweek.com/iran-war-protests-break-out-us-cities-2087453
https://archive.ph/aNS1o

House Democrat Under Fire for 'Reckless and Repugnant' Resolution Backing War on Iran
Sherman introduced the resolution Tuesday alongside Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and 14 cosponsors, including Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.). The resolution praises Israel's attacks on Iran, characterizing them as "preemptive and proportional strikes" that "advance the vital United States national security interest in a nuclear-free Iran." The measure also "mourns the 24 Israelis killed and 590 Israelis wounded" by Iran's retaliatory attacks, but does not mention the more than 580 Iranians killed during the first five days of Israel's assault.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/brad-sherman-iran-war

Life-threatening heat wave in the Midwest and Northeast to kick off official start of summer
Over the next two days, more than 120 million people are under the threat for severe storms from the Midwest to the East Coast. The risk for severe weather – which could produce damaging wind, tornadoes, large hail and possible flash flooding – is at a level 3 out of 5 on Wednesday from Michigan to Missouri, including the cities of Indianapolis and Louisville. Meanwhile, the risk of severe weather for the cities of Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Nashville and Texarkana is at a level 2 out of 5 on Wednesday.
Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

Tudeh Party of Iran — Communist Party of Israel: Stop the Killing! End the War Now
The Tudeh Party of Iran and the Communist Party of Israel strongly condemn the continuous Israeli aggression in the region, and its latest attack on Iran which is in direct violation of international law. We demand an immediate halt to all military action resulting in significant civilian casualties on both sides. The crimes committed by the right wing reactionary government of Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza and the West bank with the support of US Imperialism, the UK and allies in the EU has not only resulted in more than 55,000 Palestinians losing their lives and over18,000 children being killed but has also given the Israeli government a green light for further aggression against countries of the region, with the aim of redrawing the map of the Middle East in accordance with the strategic goals of US imperialism. This is a government whose leaders have rightly been accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. While we are witnessing war and destruction in Iran and Israel, we also warn against the exploitation of the situation to intensify and continue the inhumane suffering and oppression of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. We call upon the international community to take real and concrete actions to prevent further disaster to the Palestinian people and to the peoples of the region.
https://www.idcommunism.com/2025/06/tudeh-party-of-iran-communist-party-of-israel-stop-the-killing-end-the-war-now.html

The grooming gangs scandal is about class and gender, not religion and race
MUCH of the left may prefer to ignore the “grooming gangs” scandal. That would be a mistake. Socialists should have something to say about all the major issues agitating public opinion, as this question undoubtedly is. Moreover, now Labour has capitulated to popular pressure and established a national inquiry into the crisis, we can be sure that it will be in the headlines for years to come. Silence cedes the ground to those who want to use the crimes exposed to advance a far-right, racist agenda. The widespread concern over child sexual exploitation is entirely understandable. Thousands of girls have been subPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Senate Dems fracture as Trump considers Iran strike
The caucus is fractured over the quickly unfolding situation, with just a handful blaring the alarm while the party's leadership — at least for now — watches and waits, Just a few Senate Democrats have publicly backed Sen. Tim Kaine's (D-Va.) resolution to reassert Congress' authority over war powers. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer(D-N.Y.) decided against sponsoring a separate bill that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced this week barring funding for military force against Iran. Schumer sponsored the same legislation in 2020. And in the 18-plus hours since Trump posted that everyone should evacuate Tehran, Schumer has not made a public statement on the conflict.
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/17/senate-democrats-schumer-trump-iran-israel

Republicans move to eliminate payment pauses for struggling student loan borrowers
GOP lawmakers are moving in their “big, beautiful bill” to nix payment pauses for student loan borrowers who’ve lost their job or experienced other financial hardship. “I’m concerned this is going to lead more people to default on their student loans when they encounter a job loss, surprise medical expense, or other economic hardship,” said Abby Shafroth, director of the National Consumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/17/big-beautiful-bill-may-cut-student-loan-hardship-payment-pause.html

US reverses guidance pausing ICE raids on farms, hotels and restaurants, WaPo reports
Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including its Homeland Security Investigations division, told leaders at the agency in a call Monday that agents must continue conducting workforce site immigration raids on agricultural businesses, hotels and restaurants, the newspaper reported, citing two sources familiar with the call.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-reverses-guidance-pausing-ice-raids-Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

A Demonstrator’s Guide to Reinforced Banners
This guide explores how to construct reinforced banners that can function as a mobile shield wall during demonstrations. To be clear, we do not encourage anyone to engage in illegal activity with banners or shields. We only offer these designs to satisfy the curiosity of historians.
Refining a Defensive Tool: In our city, anarchists have spent several months improving a design for reinforced banners. We use these banners to protect ourselves from police violence. Often, in large actions in which dozens of people arrive with a plan, these banners play a role in both offensive and defensive activities. Initially, we used a wooden frame for our banners. This involved light but solid pieces of wood, metal handles for a firm grip, and a tarp across a wooden frame. The frame was solid and a team of three could carry it. However, even though the wood was light and we made several experiments with different kinds of lighter and lighter wood, the design was still too heavy. In addition, a comrade from another country observed that the banner attracted too much attention going in and out of actions. Where he came from, you could fold banners. Another issue was that it was not especially difficult for a kick or police baton to pierce the tarp that covered the frame. Our new design, which we have tested with satisfactory results, has four core advantages: it is 1) light 2) cheap 3) foldable 4) dense. We prepared this guide after comrades from many different cities responded enthusiastically to our new design.
https://crimethinc.com/2025/06/16/a-demonstrators-guide-to-reinforced-banners-now-stronger-and-lighter

Cuba: student discontent continues over ETECSA's rate hike
It has been two weeks since ETECSA, the Cuban telecommunications company, suddenly and unexpectedly introduced price hikes on Friday 31 May. Discontent continues to grow. Students are at the forefront of the protests against the drastic increase in mobile phone tariffs. They have held assemblies, issued statements and, in some cases, called for a teachers' strike. As was to be expected on an island that dared to abolish capitalism just 90 nautical miles from an imperialist ogre, the counter-revolutiPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Purdue Pharma $7.4 billion opioid settlement wins broad support from US states
A framework for the settlement had been announced in January by New York Attorney General Letitia James and other states, and the support announced on Monday could help Purdue Pharma win court approval for its bankruptcy reorganization. The $7.4 billion payment is intended to resolve claims that the drugmaker's pain medication OxyContin caused a nationwide opioid addiction crisis.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/all-us-state-attorneys-general-agree-74-billion-purdue-pharma-settlement-2025-06-16/

US senator introduces bill to curb Trump’s power to go to war with Iran
The bill invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973, passed during the Vietnam War to constrain unilateral presidential powers to engage in military hostilities. The US Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, but successive US presidents have used their positions as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to mobilise troops, initiate attacks and start conflicts without clear congressional authorisation.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/16/us-senator-introduces-bill-to-curb-trumps-power-to-go-to-war-with-iran
https://archive.ph/eLOQM

Credit scores decline for millions as US student loan collections restart=
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that in the first three months of 2025, 2.2 million student loan recipients saw their scores drop by 100 points, and an additional 1 million had drops of 150 points or more. Declines that steep may mean the difference between a manageable credit card interest rate and an unmanageable one, or approval or rejection of an application to rent an apartment.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/credit-scores-decline-millions-us-studePost too long. Click here to view the full text.