Long News Dump

Oregon Senate passes 5-year fracking ban for oil, natural gas
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/05/29/oregon-senate-passes-5-year-fracking-moratorium/1271400001/

House Judiciary Committee to hold hearing on Mueller report, without Mueller
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-judiciary-committee-to-hold-hearing-on-mueller-report-without-mueller/2019/06/03/7a991726-862e-11e9-a870-b9c411dc4312_story.html?utm_term=.68a31873cbaf
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/house-hold-hearing-mueller-report-presidential-obstruction-other-crimes-n1013331

Britain goes two weeks without burning coal for first time since Industrial Revolution
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/446341-britain-goes-two-weeks-without-burning-in-historic-first-not-seen

Co-author of controversial and debunked NYT story on Biden-Ukraine, Iuliia Mendel, has been appointed spokesperson to Ukraine’s new president
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/politics/biden-son-ukraine.html
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/ukraine-isnt-having-rudy-giulianis-biden-conspiracies?verso=true

'Chinese Ecstasy' drug linked to 125 deaths has arrived in Britain, NCA warns festival goers - The United Nations has ordered a worldwide ban on N-Ethylnorpentylone in an attempt to close down its production in illegal psychoactive drugs “factories” in China which have flooded the market.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/02/chinese-ecstasy-drug-linked-125-deaths-has-arrived-britain-nca/

China defends bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown as 'correct' policy days before 30th anniversary
https://www.thejournal.ie/china-tiananmen-square-4665403-Jun2019/

Former Trump aide Roger Stone called for ex-CIA chief John Brennan to be hanged for treason in now deleted Instagram post
https://www.businessinsider.com/roger-stone-calls-for-john-brennan-hanged-2019-6

FTC Gets Jurisdiction for Possible Facebook Antitrust Probe. The Federal Trade Commission will lead any antitrust investigation into Facebook Inc. under an arrangement that gives the Justice Department chief oversight of Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG -6.14% Google, as the U.S. government gears up for scrutiny of the country’s major tech companies over competition concerns. The Justice Department and FTC now have established that each is responsible for antitrust issues for two of the Big Four tech companies: the Justice Department has authority over Google and Apple, while the FTC has oversight of Facebook and Amazon. The Justice Department and FTC now have established that each is responsible for antitrust issues for two of the Big Four tech companies: the Justice Department has authority over Google and Apple, while the FTC has oversight of Facebook and Amazon.  It was unclear whether the allocations of Apple and Amazon were related to the same agreement that divided Google and Facebook between the agencies. But Google and Facebook appear to be closest to being in the agencies’ investigative crosshairs. The FTC and Justice Department share authority in enforcing U.S. antitrust law and at times must work out turf arrangements regarding which agency will handle what issues. The FTC already has spent more than a year investigating Facebook on privacy issues related to how it handles users’ data. That probe, however, doesn’t focus on antitrust questions of whether Facebook is stifling competition in the digital realm. The fact that the commission formally secured jurisdiction on those issues suggests it is considering even more rigorous scrutiny of the social media giant. It isn’t known whether the FTC has near-term plans to launch a formal antitrust investigation of Facebook. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the Justice Department is gearing up for an antitrust probe of Google.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftc-to-examine-how-facebook-s-practices-affect-digital-competition-11559576731

A trans woman died in ICE custody on the first day of Pride Month, advocates report
https://thinkprogress.org/trans-woman-died-ice-custody-pride-2aec071828ae/

The Syrian government and Russia have in the last month bombed eight hospitals in the rebel stronghold of Idlib whose coordinates were shared with Moscow in the hope of preventing such attacks, doctors say.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/30/syria-russia-bomb-hospitals-idlib-given-coordinates-hope-preventing/

Moulton: 'If this country wasn't racist, Stacey Abrams would be governor' (or sexist)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/446554-moulton-if-this-country-wasnt-racist-stacey-abrams-would-be-governor

Mexico: Trump's tariffs worsen Central American immigration problem
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/03/mexico-trump-tariffs-immigration-1496518

Boeing's nightmare year gets even worse as it admits hundreds of planes — including 159 737 Maxes — may have defective parts on their wings
https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-737-planes-faulty-slat-tracks-warning-nightmare-year-2019-6
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-06-02-Boeing-Service-Bulletin-on-737-Slat-Tracks

His Son Died In The Aurora Theater Shooting. The GOP Is Outraged He Supports Gun Control. | Colorado Republicans want to recall state Rep. Tom Sullivan because he did what he campaigned on.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tom-sullivan-colorado-recall-gun-control_n_5ceeb455e4b07666546fa30f

It's now cheaper to build a new wind farm than to keep a coal plant running
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/its-now-cheaper-to-build-a-new-wind-farm-than-to-keep-a-coal-plant-running/

#NoMiddleGround Goes Viral as Sanders Backers Say Democrats Can't Afford to Compromise on Medicare for All, Reproductive Rights, and Bold Climate Agenda
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/03/nomiddleground-goes-viral-sanders-backers-say-democrats-cant-afford-compromise

Indicted Charged Criminal Congressperson Duncan Hunter (Republican) admitted to troubling wartime acts (possible war cromes) in defense of an accused Navy SEAL
https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-duncan-hunter-confesses-to-questionable-acts-defending-navy-seal-2019-6

Boris Johnsons (whom Trump endorsed for UK PM) previous remarks on Trump projected on Big Ben. “Donald Trump’s ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense. I think he’s betraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him frankly unfit to hold the office of President of the United States. I think Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind if he thinks that’s a sensible way to proceed, to ban people going to the United States in that way, or to any country. I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city but I don’t want to expose Londoners to the risk to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump.”
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/boris-johnsons-past-criticism-of-trump-projected-onto-big-ben/03/06/
https://twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1135436716683272192

Donald Trump Welcomed to U.K. With Video of Boris Johnson - Whom Trump Endorsed For UK Prime Minister - Calling Him "Unfit" for Office
https://theintercept.com/2019/06/03/donald-trump-welcomed-u-k-video-boris-johnson-calling-unfit-office/

An anti-Brexit campaign group is projecting an image of a USS John McCain cap on Madame Tussauds in London during Trump’s visit.
https://twitter.com/rebeccaballhaus/status/1135613919618314240
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-faces-giant-uss-john-150400714.html

Elizabeth Warren Is a Radical Wonk: Her bold, detailed approach represents a break not just from Trump but also from Obama.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-06-03/elizabeth-warren-is-a-radical-wonk

Elizabeth Warren: “Here’s the thing: When a candidate tells you about all the things that aren’t possible, about how political calculations come first, they’re telling you something very important. They’re telling you that they will not fight for you. Not me. I’m here to fight for our country.”
https://twitter.com/danielmarans/status/1134894704560988160

Elizabeth Warren Details Plans To Invest In HBCUs, Support Reparations, Tax Corporate Profits + More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxVoXVwriOM

House Intelligence Committee to Hold Open Hearing on National Security Implications of Climate Change
https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=649

Figure linked to Trump transition charged with transporting child pornography. A key witness in former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russian election interference has been charged with transporting child pornography last year, according to court documents. George Nader, who had a previous criminal record on such charges, was charged in federal court in Virginia, and is expected to make an initial court appearance in New York. Nader played an unusual role as a kind of liaison between Trump supporters, Middle East leaders and Russians interested in making contact with the incoming administration in early 2017.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/figure-linked-to-trump-transition-charged-with-transporting-child-pornography/2019/06/03/caee8aca-862a-11e9-98c1-e945ae5db8fb_story.html

A group of Japanese women have submitted a petition to the government to protest against what they say is a de facto requirement for female staff to wear high heels at work. Others also urged that dress codes such as the near-ubiquitous business suits for men be loosened in the Japanese workplace.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/03/women-in-japan-protest-against-having-to-wear-high-heels-to-work-kutoo-yumi-ishikawa

West Virginia Republican-Controlled Senate Adopts Amendment Making Teacher Strikes, Work Stoppages Illegal
https://wchstv.com/news/local/wva-senate-adopts-amendment-making-teacher-strikes-work-stoppages-illegal

Fox News Guest Raises John McCain Photo For Trump To See, Gets Shut Down By Anchor
https://www.newsweek.com/watch-fox-news-guest-raises-john-mccain-photo-trump-see-gets-shut-down-anchor-1441845

A Tale of 2 invoices: Beto O'Rourke pays El Paso, which Donald Trump's campaign still owes $470,000
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tale-invoices-beto-orourke-pays-el-paso-donald/story?id=63350337

Obama Tells Ottawa Crowd ‘Deepfake’ Videos Have Him Worried
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/obama-deepfake-video_ca_5cf29aafe4b0e8085e3ad233

A wealthy Romanian businessman who lived a life of luxury paid just £35.20 income tax, a BBC investigation has discovered. Frank Timis rented a £14,000-a-month penthouse and spent thousands dining in London's finest restaurants.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48481320

Beto O’Rourke says race is the No. 1 indicator for location of toxic facilities
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Beto-O-Rourke-says-race-is-the-No-1-indicator-13903937.php
https://www.naacp.org/issues/environmental-justice/
https://www.thenation.com/article/race-best-predicts-whether-you-live-near-pollution/
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/11/115008
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/11/115008/pdf

“A Lot of Bernie’s Support Seems to Be Drifting to Warren”: As Sanders Reprises Greatest Hits, Elizabeth Warren Is Surging
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/as-sanders-reprises-greatest-hits-elizabeth-warren-is-surging

Activists project Trump vs. Obama approval ratings on Tower of London during state visit
https://thehill.com/policy/international/446645-activists-project-trump-vs-obama-approval-ratings-on-tower-of-london

Corporate lobbying reduced the likelihood of passing the Waxman-Markey clean-energy bill a decade ago, resulting in an expected $60 billion in climate costs to society, according to economists
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2019/06/02/lobbying-against-one-bill-cost-all-of-us-60-billion-in-climate-costs-economists-say/#4e3150f8658f

Elaine Chao Tried to Illegally Include Family Members With Business Ties in China Meetings (
https://www.newsweek.com/alarmingly-inappropriate-elaine-chao-tried-include-family-members-business-ties-china-meetings-1441834

FEC Warns Gabbard She's In Violation Of Ethics Rules Over Financial Disclosures (she was my first choice but her relentless idiotic "Russia had no effect on US elections, Democrats are witchunting Trump!" idiocy lost me)
https://www.civilbeat.org/beat/fec-warns-gabbard-shes-in-violation-of-ethics-rules-over-financial-disclosures/

Trump complained “the Jews always flip” after a number of former Jewish associates agreed to cooperate with the Mueller probe, according to an explosive new book by journalist Michael Wolff
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-michael-cohen-wolff-book-siege-jews-always-flip-mueller-a8934426.html

Finland to be carbon neutral by 2035. One of the fastest targets ever set
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/06/03/finland-carbon-neutral-2035-one-fastest-targets-ever-set/

Beach clean up for Beto
https://i.redd.it/ntrqs7hbt0231.png

Trump called the opioid epidemic a priority, but fentanyl deaths soar as resources fail to keep pace
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/fentanyl-epidemic-trump-administration/

The sit-in protest in Sudan has been broken into by the government's armed forces, with live gunfire, injuring and killing several people.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/two-killed-as-sudan-forces-try-to-disperse-protesters-witnesses-tv-idUSKCN1T40F2

Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke sees flood damage first hand
https://ktul.com/news/local/presidential-candidate-beto-orourke-sees-flood-damage-first-hand

People supporting a certain Vermont senator are passing out this “unity” pledge that encourages us to trust independent media like the Young Turks and Glen Greenwald.
https://twitter.com/the_dol/status/1135249037412655104

Quest Diagnostics said the personal information of 11.9 million customers has potentially been compromised. The clinical laboratory company said in a release that an "unauthorized user" gained access to a system used by American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA), a billing vendor hired by a Quest contractor called Optum360. Quest said the information that may have been exposed included Social Security numbers and medical information, but not test results. AMCA first notified Quest on May 14 of "potential unauthorized activity" on its payment page, Quest said. Two weeks later, according to Quest, AMCA then told Quest and Optum360 more about the breach, including the number of patients potentially affected and what information was accessed. Quest (DGX) said it has suspended using AMCA and that it was using "forensic experts" to examine the issue.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/03/business/quest-diagnostics-breach/index.html
http://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/AMCADataSecurityIncident

When LA's Air Got Better, Kids' Asthma Cases Dropped
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/21/725364857/when-las-air-got-better-kids-asthma-cases-dropped

Sea levels may rise much faster than previously predicted, swamping coastal cities such as Shanghai, study finds
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/21/health/climate-change-sea-levels-scn-intl/index.html

Fifth grey whale found dead on B.C. coast, Canada studying link with U.S. deaths. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says a fifth grey whale has been found dead on B.C.’s coast.
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/fifth-grey-whale-found-dead-on-b-c-coast-dfo-studying-link-with-u-s-deaths

While the world takes bold action to mitigate climate change, the Trump administration and Republicans are rolling back environmental regulations and promoting offshore drilling. Why do we have to fight our own government to guarantee a healthy planet for future generations
https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/1135214993664860160

The NYT just published the biggest political news since the Mueller Report was published: we now know at least 3 of the federal probes still ongoing post-Mueller—and all involve election interference. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/02/world/middleeast/crown-prince-mohammed-bin-zayed.html

Wow. #Denmark is using the power of the ocean as a renewable source of electricity. Wave power. We have solutions to the #climate crisis. We're just missing the political will to implement them.
https://twitter.com/MikeHudema/status/1135038426665955329

We just saw the President try to make it harder for transgender Americans to get health care. As Pride begins — 50 years from Stonewall — we know there is so much progress to celebrate, but so much more to fight for. The work continues, the march goes on, but equality will win.
https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1134858145174417408

Bernie Sanders
‏Verified account @SenSanders
May 30
In support of our wonderful “ally,” Saudi Arabia, Trump has provoked war with Iran and kept us in an unconstitutional war in Yemen. Instead of giving the Saudis more bombs, he should take a hard look at the brutal, antidemocratic regime he loves so much.
https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1134215429642170369
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/world/middleeast/saudi-yemen-airstrikes-civilians.html

Manhattan Beach City Facilities Move To 100% Renewable Energy
https://patch.com/california/manhattanbeach/manhattan-beach-city-facilities-move-100-renewable-energy

Doctors in Idlib will no longer share coordinates of hospitals with UN after repeated attacks from Russian and Syrian forces
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-hospital-bombings-idlib-un-doctors-russia-assad-attack-a8942076.html

Latin American rape survivors who were denied abortions turn to UN | the women were 14 or younger when they were raped. All were attacked by older men. Although each of the women filed a police complaint, no one was ever arrested or charged in connection with the attacks.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/may/29/latin-american-survivors-who-were-denied-abortions-turn-to-un

The Supreme Court on Monday denied a recent request by the Trump administration for the court to quickly decide if it will hear oral arguments in a protracted legal battle over President Trump's move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants from deportation. The one-sentence order by the conservative-leaning court thwarted a request made by the Justice Department late last month and is likely to prolong the nearly two-year court fight over the fate of the Obama-era program — which has been kept alive by several lower court rulings despite the Trump administration's efforts to terminate it.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-denies-trump-administration-request-to-fast-track-daca-case/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-on-daca-administration-urges-supreme-court-to-fast-track-decision-on-immigration-program/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-urges-supreme-court-to-hear-daca-case/
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/060319zr_n6io.pdf

Trump Voters Who Heard Mueller Decline To Clear Trump Still Think His Report Clears Trump
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mueller-report-statement-poll_n_5cf56a0be4b0e346ce82be81?ipaf

4 Arizona Women Convicted for Leaving Water for Migrants. Four aid workers were convicted Friday on charges connected to their efforts to leave food and water for migrants in an Arizona wildlife refuge along the U.S.-Mexico border. The volunteers, who are members of the faith-based humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, were caught on Aug. 13, 2017, by a Federal Wildlife officer as they left water jugs, beans and other supplies for migrants in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a 50-mile border with Mexico. No More Deaths claims that 155 migrants have died in the refuge since 2001, and that the organization aims to save lives by providing basic supplies. The judge, United States Magistrate Bernardo P. Velasco, ruled that three of the volunteers – Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick – were convicted of entering a national wildlife refuge without a permit and abandoning personal property or possessions. A fourth volunteer, Natalie Hoffman, was convicted on an additional charge of operating a motor vehicle in a wilderness area. Each of the volunteers faces up to six months in prison. The decision is the first conviction against humanitarian aid volunteers in a decade, the Associated Press reported.
http://time.com/5508196/no-more-deaths-migrants-border/
https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.azd.1069105/gov.uscourts.azd.1069105.136.0.pdf

House Dems to hold Barr, Ross in contempt over census question
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/03/house-dems-to-hold-barr-ross-in-contempt-over-census-question-1352387

Conservatives push to reinstate Steve King on committees despite racist remarks
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/03/steve-king-1352064

Campaign Money Helping Make Up For Tenant Shortage At Trump Tower: As commercial renters flee, Trump keeps spending $37,500 a month in campaign funds at his own building — even though much of the Republican Party’s leased space in Virginia is going unused.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-tower-campaign_n_5cf572e2e4b0e346ce82d3eb?0xg

Manufacturing index slumps to lowest level of Trump's presidency
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/446692-manufacturing-index-slumps-to-lowest-level-of-trumps-presidency

Report Shows How Koch Brothers Bankroll 'Fox News of the Regulatory Policy World' to Help Push Polluter-Friendly Agenda
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/03/report-shows-how-koch-brothers-bankroll-fox-news-regulatory-policy-world-help-push?amp&__twitter_impression=true