News Dump

Thanks You Leo. Leonardo Di Caprio's Earth Alliance Creates $5 Million Fund To Deal With Amazon Fires. Earth Alliance said it formed the emergency Amazon Forest Fund to Directly help local organizations And indigenous people protect the rainforest from the fires.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonardo-dicaprio-fund-amazon-fires_n_5d633e18e4b0b59d2576d9cb

G-7 countries have Agreed to An immediate $20 million fund to help Amazon countries fight wildfires.
https://twitter.com/AP/status/1165950190265733123

How fucked is the world right now that President Camacho [Idiocracy]is looking like A good option? This whole thread is justifying his leadership skills. We're so fucked.

There are larger fires burning in Angola and the DRC than in the Amazon
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49471644

Bolivia's Amazon is on fire too. More than 1.8 million acres have been burned
https://edition-m.cnn.com/2019/08/26/americas/bolivia-amazon-fires-intl/index.html

Trump has implemented much of his conservative Agenda through executive power — And it could be easily undone if A Democrat wins in 2020 (also, 99% of his exective orders And Republican rule changes have been reversed by courts)
https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-executive-power-weakens-conservative-agenda-democrat-2019-8

YEP....: Bernie and Warren have both stated that they view tariffs as a tool for trade policy. Continuation of Trump’s damaging policies that make Americans worse off
https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1165814367599939595?s=09

Federal Election Commission Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen announced his resignation today. This means the agency that enforces and regulates the nation’s campaign finance laws will effectively shut down — something that hasn’t happened since 2008 — because it won’t have the legal minimum of four commissioners to make high-level decisions. | For now, the FEC can’t conduct meetings. It can’t slap political scofflaws with fines. It can’t make rules. It can’t conduct audits and approve them. It can’t vote on the outcome of investigations. And while staff will continue to post campaign finance reports and attend to day-to-day functions, the commission itself can’t offer official advice to politicians and political committees who seek it.
https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/federal-election-commission-fec-to-effectively-shut-down/

FEC vice chairman resigns, leaving agency unable to vote
https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/458850-fec-vice-chairman-resigns-leaving-agency-unable-to-vote

Kentucky Republicans literally walled off their Democratic colleagues inside the Frankfort State Capitol Annex offices | "My emphasis is to convince Iowa that the Democratic Party represents Iowans," he said. "We represent national security. We represent health security, and fair play, and non-special interests, and corporate fair play and a future that’s not belaboring our children with the deficit. So I will have a lot of messages, but the first thing I’d like to do is shake a lot of hands and let people get to know me."
https://www.newsweek.com/kentucky-republicans-build-wall-state-capitol-building-block-democrats-internal-partisan-1456170

After Trump claims first lady has ‘gotten to know’ Kim Jong Un, White House clarifies they’ve never met
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/after-trump-claims-first-lady-has-gotten-to-know-kim-jong-un-white-house-clarifies-theyve-never-met/2019/08/26/0855ccca-c82f-11e9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html

Johnson & Johnson is responsible for fueling Oklahoma’s opioid crisis, judge rules in landmark case
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/08/26/johnson-johnson-is-responsible-for-fueling-oklahomas-opioid-crisis-judge-rules-in-landmark-case/

Michael Franken, a retired Navy admiral and Sioux Center native, announced Monday he will join the Democratic race for Senate in an effort to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst next November.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/26/michael-franken-challenges-joni-ernst-iowa-us-senate-navy-admiral-democratic-primary-candidates/2099469001/

California sues over Trump immigration policy on indefinite detention of migrant children
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-26/california-lawsuit-trump-administration-indefinite-detention-migrant-children

Trump's Plan to Host 2020 G-7 at Trump Resort Violates the U.S. Constitution
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/experts-presidents-plan-to-host-2020-g-7-at-trump-resort-violates-the-u-s-constitution/

Nearly 100 companies move to Netherlands ahead of Brexit
https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/26/nearly-100-companies-move-to-netherlands-ahead-of-brexit-dutch-agency

Cuba drastically reforms fishing laws to protect coral reef, sharks and rays: Reforms will oblige Cuba to work more closely with its US neighbours – in spite of US President Trump’s frosty attitude
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/26/cuba-drastically-reforms-fishing-laws-to-protect-coral-reef-sharks-and-rays

Officials are investigating after someone cut down a willow tree that was planted earlier this year to honor the victims of the 1919 Elaine Massacre in eastern Arkansas. The willow was planted in April in remembrance of the victims of the massacre, one of the largest racial mass killings in US history. It occurred during the summer of 1919, when hundreds of African Americans died across the country, at the hands of white mob violence during what came to be known as the “Red Summer”. Estimates of how many African Americans were killed in Elaine range from the low hundreds to more than 800, which would make it the deadliest such massacre in US history. Mass graves are thought to be situated around the town. Events are planned for later next month to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacre. An Elaine Massacre Memorial will be unveiled, the committee behind it including descendants of those killed and those who carried out the killing. The Elaine Legacy Center said the willow tree was chopped down at its base last week and a memorial tag was stolen.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/26/arkansas-1919-elaine-massacre-willow-tree-cut-down-investigation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_race_riot

Gun Violence Costs Americans Billions Every Year. A California Mayor Has a Plan to Make Gun Owners Pay for It. — San Jose’s mayor wants to require gun owners to have liability insurance.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/08/gun-violence-costs-americans-billions-every-year-a-california-mayor-has-a-plan-to-make-gun-owners-pay-for-it/

Nadler subpoenas Rob Porter for testimony
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/458842-nadler-subpoenas-rob-porter-for-testimony

Fallout from Russia's mysterious missile disaster suggests a nuclear reactor blew up
https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-missile-disaster-shows-signs-nuke-reactor-blew-up-experts-2019-8

From people who were at the DNC event: Kamala’s people weren’t the only ones who walked about. Most other campaigns’ folks walked out on Bernie when he started going on about a rigged primary in 2016.
https://twitter.com/dfsparks/status/1165716247587123200

EU 'would block trade deal if Britain reneged on Brexit bill' - UK must honour its debts before starting to negotiate trade deal, say Brussels sources
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/26/eu-would-block-trade-deal-if-britain-reneged-on-brexit-bill

Environmentalists filmed Iran’s vanishing cheetahs. Now they could be executed for spying.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/environmentalists-filmed-irans-vanishing-cheetahs-now-they-could-be-executed-for-spying/2019/08/25/551f2aa8-be9b-11e9-a8b0-7ed8a0d5dc5d_story.html

Indonesia will build its new capital city in Borneo as Jakarta sinks into the Java Sea
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/indonesia-new-capital-borneo-jakarta-scli-intl/index.html

Tense wait after eggs fertilized in bid to save northern white rhino from extinction: Eggs removed from the last two female northern white rhinos have been fertilized with sperm from the now-dead last male, but it will be about 10 days before it's known whether the eggs have become embryos (
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/northern-white-rhino-eggs-fertilized-sperm-today-last-male-sudan-bid-to-save-species-2019-08-26/

NASA Images Show Just How Much Carbon Monoxide Is Coming Off The Burning Amazon
https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-images-show-just-how-much-carbon-monoxide-is-coming-off-the-burning-amazon

Elizabeth Warren: Trump’s Student-Loan Watchdog Pick is ‘Revolving Door Corruption’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elizabeth-warren-student-loan-corruption-trump-cfpb-876315/

Cowardice': In Kentucky, Sanders Calls Out McConnell for Ignoring Protesting Coal Miners and Blocking $15 Minimum Wage "I say to Senator McConnell: Stop worrying about your billionaire friends, they're doing just fine. Start worrying about the working families of your state and around this country."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/26/stop-your-cowardice-kentucky-sanders-calls-out-mcconnell-ignoring-protesting-coal

Canada pledges water bombers, $15M to fight Amazon wildfires
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/g7-amazon-fires-1.5259711

Chile becomes first Latin American country to sign Norway’s declaration against illegal fishing
https://santiagotimes.cl/2019/08/26/chile-becomes-first-latin-american-country-to-sign-norways-declaration-against-illegal-fishing/

As a reporter who regrettably fits this description of not being “thin-skinned,” but having no skin, I also basically agree with @jackshafer. Right-wing operatives digging up bad things we said 10 years ago are not a threat to democracy or the free press.
https://twitter.com/jonathanvswan/status/1166109866232045568

A city council candidate in Michigan who said last week that she wants to keep her community white “as much as possible” withdrew from the council race on Monday. Jean Cramer stopped by Marysville City Hall to say she was leaving the race and later, at the request of city officials, put her withdrawal in writing in a one-sentence letter that did not give a reason for why she dropped out, the Times Herald in Port Huron reported. Her name will remain on the Nov. 5 election ballot.
https://www.apnews.com/97dbf997b5124586b67e2d6f83eeebc4

19 States, D.C. To Challenge Trump Administration's Detention Of Migrant Children
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/california-lawsuit-trump-administration-flores-settlement_n_5d64138be4b0b034ea007006

Toxic ash at risk of spreading as Trump's EPA seeks to dismantle protections
https://www.axios.com/toxic-coal-ash-trump-epa-regulations-f9b1ab77-7f4c-4f04-9db3-2ac05c62139f.html

Trump Administration no longer considering deferrals of deportation for people with serious medical conditions-'Our Government Has Issued Them A Death Sentence'
http://wbur.org/news/2019/08/26/medical-deferment-immigration-program-ended

'About Damn Time': In First of Thousands of Lawsuits Against Big Pharma, Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572M for Flooding Oklahoma With Opioids
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/26/about-damn-time-first-thousands-lawsuits-against-big-pharma-johnson-johnson-ordered

Only 2 Iraqi translators who worked with U.S. troops got U.S. visas last year: Thousands of translators in Iraq face danger as they wait to gain entry to the U.S.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/only-2-iraqi-translators-who-worked-u-s-troops-got-n1035661

Unfucking unbelievable, Republicans are trying to indict McCabe because he trashed Trump: Andy McCabe is trying to avoid indictment
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-indictment-decision.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Court Orders Deutsche Bank, Capital One to Disclose Whether They Have Trump's Tax Returns
https://www.thedailybeast.com/court-orders-deutsche-bank-capital-one-to-disclose-whether-they-have-trumps-tax-returns

Nadler files motion to expedite lawsuit seeking McGahn testimony
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/458910-nadler-files-motion-to-expedite-lawsuit-seeking-mcgahn-testimony

Update: 20 US states sue Trump over indefinite detention of migrant children
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3024450/20-us-states-sue-president-donald-trump-over