Month: October 2020

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The rate of melting ice in Antarctica’s vulnerable Amundsen Sea region has tripled in the past decade, a new report published in Geophysical Research Letters on Wednesday has found.

Analyzing 21 years of data from four separate observation techniques, scientists from NASA and UC Irvine (UCI) discovered that glaciers in the region are shedding more ice mass than any other part of Antarctica and are the biggest contributors to rising sea levels in the region.

“The mass loss of these glaciers is increasing at an amazing rate,” said Isabella Velicogna of UCI and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who co-authored the report. She added that the changes “are proceeding very fast.”

The study examined more than two decades’ worth of data on “mass balance” of glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment—including “how much ice the glaciers gain and lose over time from accumulating or melting snow, discharges of ice as icebergs, and other causes”—between 1992 and 2013.

The glaciers in the region lost mass throughout that entire period, at an ever-increasing speed. In fact, they are shedding roughly 91.5 billion tons of ice every year at a rate which grew by an average of 6.7 billion tons annually since 1992.

That rate is “almost three times the rate of increase for the full 21-year period,” the authors wrote. “By comparison, Mt. Everest weighs about 161 gigatons (177 billion U.S. tons), meaning the Antarctic glaciers lost an amount of water weight equivalent to Mt. Everest every two years over the last 21 years.”

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The study’s lead author Tyler Sutterley, a doctoral candidate at UCI, noted that “Previous studies had suggested that this region is starting to change very dramatically since the 1990s, and we wanted to see how all the different techniques compared. The remarkable agreement among the techniques gave us confidence that we are getting this right.”

In May, a separate joint NASA-UC Irvine report discovered that the eventual glacier loss “appears unstoppable,” according to that team’s lead researcher, Eric Rignot. Because the majority of West Antarctica’s ice sheet is attached to a sub-sea level ice bed, warmer ocean currents are able to eat away at the “grounding line”—the area where the ice meets the bed.

According to that study:

The Amundsen Sea is also vulnerable to a much warmer regional ocean current than other parts of West Antarctica, the earlier study found.

According to Velicogna, glacier and ice sheet behavior around the globe is the greatest uncertainty in predicting future sea levels. In October, the Australian National University found that they are rising at an unprecedented rate, while the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory discovered that same month that the rate of ocean warming has been vastly underestimated.

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Palestinian officials have said they will push the United Nations Security Council to vote on a resolution on Wednesday to end the Israeli occupation by 2016.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his opposition to the move clear.

During talks in Rome on Monday, Netanyahu said he would reject any attempt to set a deadline for the establishment of Palestinian statehood, calling on Secretary of State John Kerry to use U.S. veto power to prevent the resolution from passing.

“Our expectation is that the United States will stand by its position for the past 47 years that a solution to the conflict will be achieved through negotiations, and I do not see a reason for this policy to change,” he told reporters following a meeting with Kerry.

The U.S. has exercised that power in the past to block resolutions it sees as anti-Israel. But officials said Kerry was seeking to learn more about the Palestinian bid for statehood, in part because of increased support for the measure from allies like Jordan. Several European nations have added their support, with Sweden officially recognizing Palestinian statehood this year, and a series of symbolic votes in France, the UK, Spain and Ireland.

The Guardian writes:

Reuters also reports:

France will also introduce a rival proposal, which would set a two-year deadline for peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

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By caving to industry pressures, environmental regulatory agencies are failing to uphold their obligation to future generations, declared Mary Christina Wood, the author pushing a new legal framework to fight global warming, on the final episode of Moyers & Company.

Wood, a University of Oregon law professor who wrote Nature’s Trust: Environmental Law for a New Ecological Age (2013; Cambridge University Press), advocates an idea called “atmospheric trust litigation,” which takes the fate of the Earth into the courts, arguing that the planet’s atmosphere—its air, water, land, plants, and animals—are the responsibility of government, held in its trust to insure the survival of all generations to come.

“If this nation relies on a stable climate system, and the very habitability of this nation and all of the liberties of young people and their survival interests are at stake the courts need to force the agencies and the legislatures to simply do their job.”
—Mary Christina Wood, University of Oregon Law School

“The heart of the approach is the public trust doctrine,” she told her host, longtime journalist and political commentator Bill Moyers. “And it says that government is a trustee of the resources that support our public welfare and survival. And so a trust means that one entity or person manages a certain wealth, an endowment, so to speak, for the benefit of others. And in the case of the public trust, the beneficiaries are the present and future generations of citizens.”

The theory underpins lawsuits filed by Our Children’s Trust, which ask for the courts to order state and local governments and agencies to act more aggressively to bring down carbon emissions.

“[I]f this nation relies on a stable climate system, and the very habitability of this nation and all of the liberties of young people and their survival interests are at stake the courts need to force the agencies and the legislatures to simply do their job,” Wood explained.

Environmental laws passed in the 1970s “held a lot of promise” decades ago, she said but they’ve lost what little power they once possessed. Wood continued:

And Wood disagreed with those who argue that climate change is a political issue to be dealt with outside the courts.

“Climate is not just an environmental issue,” she said. “This is a civilizational issue. This is the biggest case that courts will get in terms of the potential harm in front of them, the population affected by that harm, and in terms of the urgency. Climate is mind-blowing. It can’t be categorized any longer as an environmental issue.”

In a related feature earlier this year, Moyers spoke to a member of the next generation who is a co-plaintiff in one of the atmosphere trust litigation lawsuits being spearheaded by Our Children’s Trust.

“Public trust states that the government is a trustee to protect these natural resources that every living species, including humans, rely upon for our survival, for our well-being,” 18-year-old Kelsey Juliana told Moyers at the time. “And so the public trust says, government, we hold you, we trust you to put these resources, air, water, land, you know, to protect them for this generation and for many generations down the line.”

Watch the full segment with Wood below:

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President Obama delivered his sixth State of the Union address on Tuesday night to a packed audience inside the Capitol Building. Video and the text of his prepared speech follow.

Alongside the text of the speech are reactions from dozens of progressive journalists, policy experts, and justice advocates who—while watching attentively—sought to push beyond the glossed-over sentiments contained in the president’s remarks.

Alongside Obama’s address, Common Dreams has selected comment from progressive and critical voices who took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to respond to the president’s speech in real time.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:

We are fifteen years into this new century. Fifteen years that dawned with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession spread across our nation and the world. It has been, and still is, a hard time for many.

But tonight, we turn the page.

Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. More of our kids are graduating than ever before; more of our people are insured than ever before; we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we’ve been in almost 30 years.

Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain. And we salute the courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 Generation who has served to keep us safe. We are humbled and grateful for your service.

America, for all that we’ve endured; for all the grit and hard work required to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this:

The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.

At this moment — with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production — we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. It’s now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and for decades to come.

Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?

Will we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing? Or will we lead wisely, using all elements of our power to defeat new threats and protect our planet?

Will we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one another — or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward?

In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical, not partisan. And in the months ahead, I’ll crisscross the country making a case for those ideas.

So tonight, I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals, and focus more on the values at stake in the choices before us.

It begins with our economy.

Seven years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds. She waited tables. He worked construction. Their first child, Jack, was on the way.

They were young and in love in America, and it doesn’t get much better than that.

“If only we had known,” Rebekah wrote to me last spring, “what was about to happen to the housing and construction market.”

As the crisis worsened, Ben’s business dried up, so he took what jobs he could find, even if they kept him on the road for long stretches of time. Rebekah took out student loans, enrolled in community college, and retrained for a new career. They sacrificed for each other. And slowly, it paid off. They bought their first home. They had a second son, Henry. Rebekah got a better job, and then a raise. Ben is back in construction — and home for dinner every night.

“It is amazing,” Rebekah wrote, “what you can bounce back from when you have to…we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.”

We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.

America, Rebekah and Ben’s story is our story. They represent the millions who have worked hard, and scrimped, and sacrificed, and retooled. You are the reason I ran for this office. You’re the people I was thinking of six years ago today, in the darkest months of the crisis, when I stood on the steps of this Capitol and promised we would rebuild our economy on a new foundation. And it’s been your effort and resilience that has made it possible for our country to emerge stronger.

We believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing, and draw new jobs to our shores. And over the past five years, our businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs.

We believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect our planet. And today, America is number one in oil and gas. America is number one in wind power. Every three weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008. And thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save $750 at the pump.

We believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world. And today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading scores on record. Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high. And more Americans finish college than ever before.

We believed that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis, shield families from ruin, and encourage fair competition. Today, we have new tools to stop taxpayer-funded bailouts, and a new consumer watchdog to protect us from predatory lending and abusive credit card practices. And in the past year alone, about ten million uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage.

At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious; that we would crush jobs and explode deficits. Instead, we’ve seen the fastest economic growth in over a decade, our deficits cut by two-thirds, a stock market that has doubled, and health care inflation at its lowest rate in fifty years.

So the verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. Expanding opportunity works. And these policies will continue to work, as long as politics don’t get in the way. We can’t slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns. We can’t put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or refighting past battles on immigration when we’ve got a system to fix. And if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, it will earn my veto.

Today, thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is touching more and more lives. Wages are finally starting to rise again. We know that more small business owners plan to raise their employees’ pay than at any time since 2007. But here’s the thing — those of us here tonight, we need to set our sights higher than just making sure government doesn’t halt the progress we’re making. We need to do more than just do no harm. Tonight, together, let’s do more to restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American.

Because families like Rebekah’s still need our help. She and Ben are working as hard as ever, but have to forego vacations and a new car so they can pay off student loans and save for retirement. Basic childcare for Jack and Henry costs more than their mortgage, and almost as much as a year at the University of Minnesota. Like millions of hardworking Americans, Rebekah isn’t asking for a handout, but she is asking that we look for more ways to help families get ahead.

In fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our history, this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot. We set up worker protections, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest adversity. We gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure and the internet — tools they needed to go as far as their effort will take them.

That’s what middle-class economics is — the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. We don’t just want everyone to share in America’s success — we want everyone to contribute to our success.

So what does middle-class economics require in our time?

First  — middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change. That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement — and my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.

Here’s one example. During World War II, when men like my grandfather went off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a national security priority — so this country provided universal childcare. In today’s economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever. It’s not a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have. It’s time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a women’s issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us. And that’s why my plan will make quality childcare more available, and more affordable, for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America — by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.

Here’s another example. Today, we’re the only advanced country on Earth that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers. Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave. Forty-three million. Think about that. And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home. So I’ll be taking new action to help states adopt paid leave laws of their own. And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot last November, let’s put it to a vote right here in Washington. Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave. It’s the right thing to do.

Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. That’s why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. Really. It’s 2015. It’s time. We still need to make sure employees get the overtime they’ve earned. And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.

These ideas won’t make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship. That’s not the job of government. To give working families a fair shot, we’ll still need more employers to see beyond next quarter’s earnings and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company’s long-term interest. We still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give American workers a voice. But things like child care and sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage — these ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families. That is a fact. And that’s what all of us — Republicans and Democrats alike — were sent here to do.

Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills.

America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a generation of GIs to college, and trained the best workforce in the world. But in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to do more.

By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some higher education. Two in three. And yet, we still live in a country where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the education they need. It’s not fair to them, and it’s not smart for our future.

That’s why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college — to zero.

Forty percent of our college students choose community college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt. Understand, you’ve got to earn it — you’ve got to keep your grades up and graduate on time. Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is possible. I want to spread that idea all across America, so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today. And I want to work with this Congress, to make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn’t derail anyone’s dreams.

Thanks to Vice President Biden’s great work to update our job training system, we’re connecting community colleges with local employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and nursing, and robotics. Tonight, I’m also asking more businesses to follow the lead of companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more educational benefits and paid apprenticeships — opportunities that give workers the chance to earn higher-paying jobs even if they don’t have a higher education.

And as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend. Already, we’ve made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to the highest quality care. We’re slashing the backlog that had too many veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need, and we’re making it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into civilian jobs. Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by Michelle and Jill Biden, has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and military spouses get new jobs. So to every CEO in America, let me repeat: If you want somebody who’s going to get the job done, hire a veteran.

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Finally, as we better train our workers, we need the new economy to keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to fill.

Since 2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and all advanced economies combined. Our manufacturers have added almost 800,000 new jobs. Some of our bedrock sectors, like our auto industry, are booming. But there are also millions of Americans who work in jobs that didn’t even exist ten or twenty years ago — jobs at companies like Google, and eBay, and Tesla.

So no one knows for certain which industries will generate the jobs of the future. But we do know we want them here in America. That’s why the third part of middle-class economics is about building the most competitive economy anywhere, the place where businesses want to locate and hire.

21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure — modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet. Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than thirty times as many jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come.

21st century businesses, including small businesses, need to sell more American products overseas. Today, our businesses export more than ever, and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages. But as we speak, China wants to write the rules for the world’s fastest-growing region. That would put our workers and businesses at a disadvantage. Why would we let that happen? We should write those rules. We should level the playing field. That’s why I’m asking both parties to give me trade promotion authority to protect American workers, with strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren’t just free, but fair.

Look, I’m the first one to admit that past trade deals haven’t always lived up to the hype, and that’s why we’ve gone after countries that break the rules at our expense. But ninety-five percent of the world’s customers live outside our borders, and we can’t close ourselves off from those opportunities. More than half of manufacturing executives have said they’re actively looking at bringing jobs back from China. Let’s give them one more reason to get it done.

21st century businesses will rely on American science, technology, research and development. I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine — one that delivers the right treatment at the right time. In some patients with cystic fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once thought unstoppable. Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes — and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier.

I intend to protect a free and open internet, extend its reach to every classroom, and every community, and help folks build the fastest networks, so that the next generation of digital innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world.

I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that unleash new jobs — converting sunlight into liquid fuel; creating revolutionary prosthetics, so that a veteran who gave his arms for his country can play catch with his kid; pushing out into the Solar System not just to visit, but to stay. Last month, we launched a new spacecraft as part of a re-energized space program that will send American astronauts to Mars. In two months, to prepare us for those missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space. Good luck, Captain — and make sure to Instagram it.

Now, the truth is, when it comes to issues like infrastructure and basic research, I know there’s bipartisan support in this chamber. Members of both parties have told me so. Where we too often run onto the rocks is how to pay for these investments. As Americans, we don’t mind paying our fair share of taxes, as long as everybody else does, too. But for far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full freight. They’ve riddled it with giveaways the superrich don’t need, denying a break to middle class families who do.

This year, we have an opportunity to change that. Let’s close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad, and reward those that invest in America. Let’s use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and make it more attractive for companies to bring jobs home. Let’s simplify the system and let a small business owner file based on her actual bank statement, instead of the number of accountants she can afford. And let’s close the loopholes that lead to inequality by allowing the top one percent to avoid paying taxes on their accumulated wealth. We can use that money to help more families pay for childcare and send their kids to college. We need a tax code that truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and we can achieve that together.

Helping hardworking families make ends meet. Giving them the tools they need for good-paying jobs in this new economy. Maintaining the conditions for growth and competitiveness. This is where America needs to go. I believe it’s where the American people want to go. It will make our economy stronger a year from now, fifteen years from now, and deep into the century ahead.

Of course, if there’s one thing this new century has taught us, it’s that we cannot separate our work at home from challenges beyond our shores.

My first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of America. In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the world, but how. When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military — then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world. That’s what our enemies want us to do.

I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don’t let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That’s exactly what we’re doing right now — and around the globe, it is making a difference.

First, we stand united with people around the world who’ve been targeted by terrorists — from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris. We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we’ve done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies.

At the same time, we’ve learned some costly lessons over the last thirteen years.

Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we’ve trained their security forces, who’ve now taken the lead, and we’ve honored our troops’ sacrifice by supporting that country’s first democratic transition. Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, we’re partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America. In Iraq and Syria, American leadership — including our military power — is stopping ISIL’s advance. Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group. We’re also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent extremism. This effort will take time. It will require focus. But we will succeed. And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.

Second, we are demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy. We’re upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the small — by opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine’s democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies. Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, some suggested that Mr. Putin’s aggression was a masterful display of strategy and strength. Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters.

That’s how America leads — not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.

In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date. When what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time to try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere; removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba; stands up for democratic values; and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo. As His Holiness, Pope Francis, has said, diplomacy is the work of “small steps.” These small steps have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba. And after years in prison, we’re overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he belongs. Welcome home, Alan.

Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we’ve halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material. Between now and this spring, we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our allies — including Israel; while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict. There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran. But new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails — alienating America from its allies; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again. It doesn’t make sense. That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress. The American people expect us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.

Third, we’re looking beyond the issues that have consumed us in the past to shape the coming century.

No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids. We are making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism. And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children’s information. If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable. If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.

In West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses and healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola — saving countless lives and stopping the spread of disease. I couldn’t be prouder of them, and I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts. But the job is not yet done — and the world needs to use this lesson to build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme poverty.

In the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while making sure that other nations play by the rules — in how they trade, how they resolve maritime disputes, and how they participate in meeting common international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief. And no challenge — no challenge — poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.

2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does — 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.

I’ve heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they’re not scientists; that we don’t have enough information to act. Well, I’m not a scientist, either. But you know what — I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we’ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it.

That’s why, over the past six years, we’ve done more than ever before to combat climate change, from the way we produce energy, to the way we use it. That’s why we’ve set aside more public lands and waters than any administration in history. And that’s why I will not let this Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock on our efforts. I am determined to make sure American leadership drives international action. In Beijing, we made an historic announcement — the United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions. And because the world’s two largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that, this year, the world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we’ve got.

There’s one last pillar to our leadership — and that’s the example of our values.

As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened, which is why I’ve prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It’s why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. It’s why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims — the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace. That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. We do these things not only because they’re right, but because they make us safer.

As Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice — so it makes no sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit. Since I’ve been President, we’ve worked responsibly to cut the population of GTMO in half. Now it’s time to finish the job. And I will not relent in my determination to shut it down. It’s not who we are.

As Americans, we cherish our civil liberties — and we need to uphold that commitment if we want maximum cooperation from other countries and industry in our fight against terrorist networks. So while some have moved on from the debates over our surveillance programs, I haven’t. As promised, our intelligence agencies have worked hard, with the recommendations of privacy advocates, to increase transparency and build more safeguards against potential abuse. And next month, we’ll issue a report on how we’re keeping our promise to keep our country safe while strengthening privacy.

Looking to the future instead of the past. Making sure we match our power with diplomacy, and use force wisely. Building coalitions to meet new challenges and opportunities. Leading — always — with the example of our values. That’s what makes us exceptional. That’s what keeps us strong. And that’s why we must keep striving to hold ourselves to the highest of standards — our own.

You know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn’t a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black America or a white America — but a United States of America. I said this because I had seen it in my own life, in a nation that gave someone like me a chance; because I grew up in Hawaii, a melting pot of races and customs; because I made Illinois my home — a state of small towns, rich farmland, and one of the world’s great cities; a microcosm of the country where Democrats and Republicans and Independents, good people of every ethnicity and every faith, share certain bedrock values.

Over the past six years, the pundits have pointed out more than once that my presidency hasn’t delivered on this vision. How ironic, they say, that our politics seems more divided than ever. It’s held up as proof not just of my own flaws — of which there are many — but also as proof that the vision itself is misguided, and naïve, and that there are too many people in this town who actually benefit from partisanship and gridlock for us to ever do anything about it.

I know how tempting such cynicism may be. But I still think the cynics are wrong.

I still believe that we are one people. I still believe that together, we can do great things, even when the odds are long. I believe this because over and over in my six years in office, I have seen America at its best. I’ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates from New York to California; and our newest officers at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, and New London. I’ve mourned with grieving families in Tucson and Newtown; in Boston, West, Texas, and West Virginia. I’ve watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. I’ve seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal in states that seven in ten Americans call home.

So I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted generosity of the American people who, every day, live the idea that we are our brother’s keeper, and our sister’s keeper. And I know they expect those of us who serve here to set a better example.

So the question for those of us here tonight is how we, all of us, can better reflect America’s hopes. I’ve served in Congress with many of you. I know many of you well. There are a lot of good people here, on both sides of the aisle. And many of you have told me that this isn’t what you signed up for — arguing past each other on cable shows, the constant fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at how the base will react to every decision.

Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns. Imagine if we did something different.

Understand — a better politics isn’t one where Democrats abandon their agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine.

A better politics is one where we appeal to each other’s basic decency instead of our basest fears.

A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other; where we talk issues, and values, and principles, and facts, rather than “gotcha” moments, or trivial gaffes, or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people’s daily lives.

A better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark money for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time lifting young people up, with a sense of purpose and possibility, and asking them to join in the great mission of building America.

If we’re going to have arguments, let’s have arguments — but let’s make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country.

We still may not agree on a woman’s right to choose, but surely we can agree it’s a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the health care she needs.

Yes, passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see something of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that no one benefits when a hardworking mom is taken from her child, and that it’s possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.

We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred; that it’s being denied to too many; and that, on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single American.

We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York. But surely we can understand a father who fears his son can’t walk home without being harassed. Surely we can understand the wife who won’t rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door at the end of his shift. Surely we can agree it’s a good thing that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform America’s criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us all.

That’s a better politics. That’s how we start rebuilding trust. That’s how we move this country forward. That’s what the American people want. That’s what they deserve.

I have no more campaigns to run. My only agenda for the next two years is the same as the one I’ve had since the day I swore an oath on the steps of this Capitol — to do what I believe is best for America. If you share the broad vision I outlined tonight, join me in the work at hand. If you disagree with parts of it, I hope you’ll at least work with me where you do agree. And I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.

Because I want this chamber, this city, to reflect the truth — that for all our blind spots and shortcomings, we are a people with the strength and generosity of spirit to bridge divides, to unite in common effort, and help our neighbors, whether down the street or on the other side of the world.

I want our actions to tell every child, in every neighborhood: your life matters, and we are as committed to improving your life chances as we are for our own kids.

I want future generations to know that we are a people who see our differences as a great gift, that we are a people who value the dignity and worth of every citizen — man and woman, young and old, black and white, Latino and Asian, immigrant and Native American, gay and straight, Americans with mental illness or physical disability.

I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we still know to be true: that we are still more than a collection of red states and blue states; that we are the United States of America.

I want them to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah can sit down and write a letter to her President with a story to sum up these past six years:

“It is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to…we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.”

My fellow Americans, we too are a strong, tight-knit family. We, too, have made it through some hard times. Fifteen years into this new century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun again the work of remaking America. We’ve laid a new foundation. A brighter future is ours to write. Let’s begin this new chapter — together — and let’s start the work right now.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.

On Democracy Now! on Wednesday morning, co-hosts Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez interviewed a series of prominent progressive voices to get their impressions on the speech.

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There have been three times as many bus parking permits requested for the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on Saturday than for President-elect Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s inauguration on Friday, according to multiple reports.

As of Thursday, Jan. 12, 393 charter bus permits had been requested for the inauguration later this week, City Councilman Charles Allen told BuzzFeed News. 

All of the city’s 1,200 available charter bus parking spaces at RFK Stadium have been filled for the Women’s March, scheduled for Jan. 21. There could be more buses coming for the march and parking in other locations, Allen said.

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“While the demand for bus parking seems significantly less than for previous inaugurations, the District is well prepared and will be ready for all visitors and guests making their way here,” Allen told BuzzFeed.

“As the nation’s capitol, D.C. is no stranger to major events, and we are ready to provide a safe experience for everyone and to protect their First Amendment rights in the process — including the large crowds expected for the Women’s March on Washington.”

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According to the event’s Facebook page as of Sunday afternoon, 194,000 people have said they are going to the Women’s March and another 255,000 said they are interested in the event.

The march is an effort to “stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families,” according to the Facebook page.

Trump told The New York Times last week he expects “unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout for the inauguration.” He also said there will be “plenty of movie and entertainment stars.”

A coalition of environmental and social justice groups has come together to declare collective disgust with the spending of billions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary subsidies for the oil and gas industries when that same money could be used to improve the lives of millions if spent on social services, renewable energy investments, healthcare, and education.

The coalition includes Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen, People for the American Way, and Oxfam America, among others. As part of its effort, the coalition has launched a Fossil Fuel Subsidies Tradeoff Calculator, a tool which breaks down both the government’s giveaways to the oil industry into smaller brackets, such as tax credits for manufacturers and fossil energy research programs, and the social programs that could benefit from those subsidies instead, like school lunches and veteran healthcare.

“Leaving the social safety net in tatters and keeping Big Oil on the dole is not just a failure to prioritize. It is a failure of conscience,” said Lukas Ross, climate and energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, one of the organizations in the coalition. “In the face of record inequality, crumbling infrastructure, and looming climate disruption, it is time for Congress to think hard about the government spending we need and the corporate welfare we don’t.”

Among the programs set to receive funding through the so-called “Cromnibus” spending bill that passed the Senate in December is one that will give the oil and gas industry $571 million a year for research and development. Applying that same amount of money to a swath of different social assistance programs, Congress could fund maximum Pell grants for nearly 100,000 students or the median salaries of more than 18,000 national park rangers, the coalition found.

“It’s an abomination that while Americans are working every day for a transition to a more sustainable, more equal and more democratic economy, members of Congress are willingly trading off our future for the short-term profits of fossil fuel executives,” said Janet Redman, director of the climate policy program at the Institute for Policy Studies, another coalition member.

The tradeoff calculator also analyzes the expense of the “intangible drilling cost deduction,” an accounting tactic often employed by big oil companies to write off much of the price of building new wells in the U.S., as much as $1.67 billion a year. As the Joint Committee on Taxation explains:

That $1.67 billion in write-offs could be applied instead to funding 768,202,765 school lunches a year, healthcare for 563,176 veterans, or food stamps for 13,117,721 people.

Altogether, the cost of government subsidies for the oil and gas industry totals $6.45 billion, according to the coalition. For that amount of funding, 5,469,579 children could receive free or low-cost health insurance up to age 19.

“Congress has stripped food assistance for kids and seniors, but they continue to give billions in handouts to the wealthiest and most polluting companies in the world,” said Green for All executive director Jeremy Hays. “Our scarce public resources should protect the health and safety of our communities.”

In addition to environmental groups, the coalition included voices from faith-based organizations. “Let’s be blunt, the propping up of oil companies while denying climate change is pure corruption,” said Ani Zonneveld, president of Muslims for Progressive Values.

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Stephen Kretzmann, executive director of Oil Change International, also stated, “There are two words that perfectly describe the ongoing use of public funds to support the fossil fuel industry: climate denial.”

“Ending fossil fuel subsidies should be the first step in fighting climate change,” Kretzmann said.

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Pro-Russian fighters in Ukraine on Friday announced that they will reject further peace talks, signaling further instability at the end of deadliest week of the conflict.

“Attempts to talk about a cease-fire will no longer be undertaken by our side,” the Associated Press reports the main separatist leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, as saying.

The New York Times adds:

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The news comes as the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights states that over 5,000 people have been killed and over 10,000 wounded since the conflict broke out last year.

OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said at a press conference that the period between between January 13 and 21 when an average of 29 people were killed per day “has been the most deadly period since the declaration of a ceasefire on 5 September.” That ceasefire, as the Washington Post notes, “was always tenuous, and recent clashes have dealt serious blows to efforts to prevent its full collapse.”

On Wednesday, when the latest round of peace talks was taking place in Berlin, U.S. Army Europe head Lt. Gen Ben Hodges said in Kiev that a yet-to-be-determined number of U.S. soldiers would be heading to Ukraine in spring to train the Ukrainian National Guard.

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DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Hardy & Riddle to face Miz & Morrison on WWE SmackDown   
Fourteen matches announced for AEW Dark   
EC3 vs. Moose set for Bound For Glory at ‘undisclosed location’   
Women’s title match added to AEW Dynamite anniversary episode   
Alberto Del Rio indicted on May kidnapping, sexual assault charges 

Latest Audio:

WOL: Riddle, Alberto, AEW vs. NXT ratings, plus FILTHY TOM! 10/9
Wrestling Weekly: Florida is open for (wrestling) business 10/9
B&V: Bryan and Vinny review AEW and NXT head-to-head! 10/8
WOR: WON HOF ballot with Mike Tenay (Part 2) 10/8


WON NEWSLETTER: October 12, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Florida reopens, Cartwright lawsuit

A look at how WWE & AEW are handling things like the reopening of Florida, and how Texas looks to be the place MMA companies will go to as far as putting fans in buildings is the lead story in the new issue of the Observer.

We look at the current planned date and place for WrestleMania, what sports are now allowed to do as far as live events in Florida,  AEW’s current plans going forward and the new regulations in Texas.

The new issue also covers:

The Samantha Tavel lawsuit against WWE, Matt Riddle, Evolve and Gabe Sapolsky.  We look at the claims and look at both sides of the story and stories that have changed.  We also look at the strategy of involving WWE i the case, WWE responds to the suit, and go through the time lines and how they differ and wording of the suit. We also go through the background of the case.

History of the non-relationship of NJPW and AEW.  We look at how it started, why there was heat, how the ouster of Howard Meij could change things, as well as why there were so many mentions of NJPW on this past week’s AEW show.  We look at what happened in January 2019 that caused issues between the two sides, the issues with how talent was handled on the way out, and what would be the first sign if relations started opening up.

WWE draft.

G-1 tournament. We go through what style of wrestlers have been helped and hurt by the current no-cheer, no-boo environment, who has been able to get a reaction, the standings, this week’s matches, plans for the rest of the year in New Japan, plus coverage with star ratings and poll results from every show.

NXT Takeover, the show background, match-by-match coverage and poll results on the show.

Updates on the sports rights fees business and where wrestling fits in, Paige’s tweet about unions, Stephanie McMahon gets major praise, new member of WWE Board of Directors, Drew McIntyre vs. Tyson Fury update, one year anniversary of Smackdown on FOX, more on John Cena’s debut in Fast & Furious, new season of Miz & Mrs. and the time slot, Angel Garza injury update, new A&E specials on pro wrestlers coming next year, more WWE injuries, WWE UK direction, wrestling placings in sports ratings and UK rating s for WWE & AEW, Jack Gallagher talks his being released, college heavyweight wants to be managed by Pual Heyman, Miz working on a new television show, WWE new developmental signings, WWE injury updates, WWE market value and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.

This past Saturday’s UFC show.

Bushiroad’s attempt at a major Stardom show this past week.

Rundown of charting the place-winners in the key Observer awards and how it relates to the Hall of Fame.

A feature on the team of Penny Banner & Lorraine Johnson, who were known for decades as being the greatest women’s tag team in pro wrestling with the death this past week of Johnson.

What sports events did the best in viewers per home while talking about AEW setting its company record in that category this week.

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 


ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

We’ve got the second show we did with Mike Tenay up on the site today talking about the 2020 Hall of Fame voting.

In evidence in the Samantha Tavel lawsuit against WWE, Matt Riddle, Gabe Sapolsky and Evolve, there was an email sent from Drake Wuertz, who is involved with booking extras on the show, which showed Wuertz telling Tavel she was off shows on 2/5 and 3/4 of this year saying in the email “Apparently there are some past issues I wasn’t aware of with you and one of our talent that would not make for a ideal work environment.” Tavel is claiming that is proof that WWE refused to book her after she claimed she broke up with Riddle claiming she was sexually assaulted in the past. Riddle claimed he broke up with her twice and she was harassing himself and his wife after the breakup. There is a very detailed story in the current Observer detailing the case.  No doubt there will be a lot more on the case in the days to come. 

According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC has offered a 1/23 date for the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier fight, but McGregor is publicly insisting the fight takes place before the end of the year, saying he’s willing to fight on 11/21 or 12/12, which are both PPV shows. Poirier has also said he would fight McGregor on either of those dates.

The G-1 tournament returns tomorrow at 4 a.m. Eastern with an A block show from Osaka with Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jeff Cobb, Jay White vs Yujiro Takahashi, Taichi vs. Will Ospreay, Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki and Kazuchika Okada vs; Shingo Takagi.  There is also a Sunday at 5 a.m. Eastern show with the B block with Tetsuya Naito vs. Evil, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano vs. KENTA and Yoshi-Hashi vs Zack Sabre Jr.

Bellator will be the first MMA promotion to run in France with a show in Paris tomorrow that airs at 11:30 a.m. Eastern on CBS Sports network as well as on BBC iPlayer in the U.K.

Mads Burnell (145.6) vs. Darko Banovic (145)
Ryan Scope (160.8) vs. Alan Omer (159)
Oliver Enkamp (168.4) vs. Emmanuel Dawa (170)
Michael Venom Page (174.2) vs. Ross Houston (174.8)
Saul Rogers (145.4) vs Abri Mezhidov (146)
Cheick Koingo (245.6) vs. Tim Johnson (259.8)

The last two bouts will not air on television in the U.S., but air on Bellator’s youTube Channel at about 5 p.m. Eastern time.

UFC tomorrow from Yaz Island in Abu Dhabi for a ESPN+ show starting at 5 p.m. Eastern:

Bruno Silva (125.5) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (126)
Tracy Cortez (136) vs. Stephanie Egger (135.5)
Giga Chikadze (146) vs. Omar Morales (145.5)
Ali Alqaisi (136) vs. Tony Kelley (136)
Joaquin Buckley (185.5) vs. Impa Kasanganay (185.5)
Chris Daukaus (227) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (265)
K.B. Bhullar (186) vs. Tom Breese (186)
Ilia Topuira (146) vs. Yuossef Zalal (146)
Tom Aspinall (252) vs. Alan Baudot (254)
Dricu Da Pressis (186) vs. Markus Perez (186)
Ben Rothwell (265) vs. Marcin Tybura (263)
Edson Barboza (145.5) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (146)
Marlon Moraes (136) vs. Cory Sandhagen (136)

The Mexican women’s national title tournament block B is tonight from Arena Mexico on the Ticketmaster website. This week’s teams are Estrellita & Mystique, Dalys & Stephanie Vaquer, Princesa Sugehit & Sanely Jarochita & Lluvia and La Guerrera & Vaquerita.  The top two bouts are Forastero vs. Euforia and Caristico & Bandido vs. Negro Casas & Gran Guerrero.

WWE
Smackdown tonight has 20 picks in the draft plus Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the Smackdown women’s title, Kevin Owens vs. Bray Wyatt, Big E vs. Sheamus falls count anywhere and Matt Riddle & Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz & John Morrison.  Riddle being on the show is notable with the lawsuit filed yesterday against both he and WWE by Samantha Tavel. 
Those up for the draft tonight are Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bianca Belair, Dana Brooke, Humberto Carrillo, Elias, Angel Garza, Drew Gulak, Heavy Machinery, The Hurt Business, Mickie James, Lucha House Party, Drew McIntyre, Murphy, Rey & Dominik Mysterio, Naomi, New Day, Roman Reigns, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Mandy Rose, Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax, Shorty G, AJ Styles and Jey Uso.  Raw will pick first, third and fifth in every round and there will be five rounds of picks
Ronda Rousey in a Hot Wings eating challenge. (thanks to Grant Zwarych)
There have been a lot of people noting that today would have been the 53rd birthday of Eddy Guerrero.
UFC
The Amanda Ribas vs. Carla Esparza fight scheduled for 12/12 is now off for that date but the hope is for it to take place in early 2021. Esparza pulled out of the date and they are looking for a new opponent for Ribas.
Brian Kelleher vs. Ricky Simon at bantamweight is set for a 1/16 date. They had been scheduled recently but one of Simon’s cornermen tested positive for COVID so the fight was pulled off.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba has been added to the 12/12 show.
AEW
The movie “Cagefighter:  World’s Collide” starring Jon Moxley is available for VOD viewing on Fandango Now and Vudu.  Moxley stars as a pro wrestling superstar put in an MMA fight for an attempt at a big business dream match.  Chuck Liddell, Jay (Christian) Reso and Luke Rockhold are also in the movie.
A horror documentary featuring Chris Jericho.
MISCELLANEOUS
A great story by Marc Raimondi about MMA, boxing and pro wrestling on the effect the pandemic has had on developing younger fighters and newer wrestling stars. (thanks to Barry Werner)
An attempt by Jeff Jarrett to get a new trial in his suit against Anthem Sports was denied by Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Tennessee.  PWInsider reported that after the first case was ruled a mistrial, Crenshaw said that due to COVID and that criminal trials take precedence, he has no ability to regularly schedule jury trials.   
A note for people interested in my new book, the 1997 Wrestling Observer Yearbook, if you are in Canada the best price would be ordering at amazon.ca  For the U.S. market it would be at amazon.com and for the U.K. market it would be at www.WrestlingObserverBook.com
ROH’s pure tournament this weekend on TV has Jay Lethal vs. David Finlay and Fred Yehi vs. Tracy Williams in the first two quarterfinals.
 FITE TV will be airing all of the shows of The Collective this weekend including AIW Thunder at 8 p.m. Eastern tonight, Game Chamber at midnight tonight and Josh Barnett’s Blood sport on Sunday.
The New York Times has a story on pressures of celebrityhood in Japan which talks about the death of Hana Kimura.
The PFL has announced the signings of Cezar Ferreira, Renen Ferreira, Sheymon Moraes, Joilton Lutterbach, Hatef Moeil, Marthin Hamlet, Sung Bin Jo and Brandon Sayles for the 2021 season.
KSW 55 takes place tomorrow from Lodz, Poland at www.KSWTV.com with Scott Ashkam (19-4) vs. Mamed Khalidov (34-7-2) for the middleweight title in the main event, plus Michal Materia (28-7) vs. Aleksander Ilic (12-3) and Damian Janikowski (4-3) vs. Andreas Gustafsson (6-0).
Mark Davis of the Aussie Open tag team has returned to Australia and his running classes at the new 3 Count Academy in Brisbane.
World Series Wrestling listed a return in 2021 which featured Marty Scurll in the listing, who is their current champion.  They got a lot of backlash for mentioning Scurll, and took down the post on Twitter but left it up on Facebook (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
LFA on 10/16 in Park City, KS on UFC Fight Pass has Andre Petroski (5-0) vs. Aaron Jefferey (8-2) in a middleweight fight as the main event.  The show airs at 9 p.m. next week on UFC Fight Pass.
Pro Wrestling Phoenix runs tomorrow night in Omaha, NE at the Waiting Room Lounge.
Jack Bonza, the owner of PWA based in Sydney, has announced himself for the main event of a 10/10 show.  He was accused of sexually harassing fans months ago and has not publicly acknowledged it up to this point.
WAR on 11/7 in Lima, OH at the Empowered Sports Center.
A new wrestling magazine in Austria called In de Goschn will be released this month.  It will be 100 pages and will focus on wrestling in Austria 80 percent and have some content on the U.S. and Lucha Libre scenes.  The people behind it have journalism backgrounds writing for economy papers and magazines in the past.  It will be for Austria but have some availability in Germany.  (thanks to Markus Gronemann)
Expo Lucha has a virtual convention tomorrow at 1 p.m. on the Expo Lucha Facebook page.  They will air a ton of matches from the past. have interviews and more
ICW No Holds Barred on 11/13 in Tampa, FL at the 81 Bay Brewing Company with Erick Stevens, Dom Garrini, Bruce Santee and more.
A trailer for the movie “The Masked Wrestler”.
Kevin Eck’s weekly ROH news column.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Nick Bockwinkel regains AWA World title


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Fossil fuel-backed, billionaire-friendly interests are doing their best to kill any increase in the federal gas tax—in turn, hobbling efforts to boost mass transit or fix America’s crumbling infrastructure.

Last Wednesday, a laundry list of about 50 anti-government groups, including the Koch Brothers-backed groups like Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners, and Club for Growth, sent a letter (pdf) to Congress stating “strong opposition” to raising the gas tax. The tax, which has sat at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, finances the dwindling Highway Trust Fund and pays for roads and bridges around the country.

Earlier this year—with gas prices hovering at just over $2 a gallon—there were hopeful signs that conservatives, who have in the past vehemently opposed raising the gas tax, might be willing to bend. As Ben Adler notes for Grist:

But last week’s letter seems to have dampened whatever level of support may have existed.

“Everyone knew it would be difficult, but you had a lot of senators and representatives saying privately that they would be open to raising the gas tax, so long as it could be framed in a certain way,” a high-ranking American Public Transit Association official told Rachel Cohen of The American Prospect. “This letter just killed our momentum, I think permanently.”

Cohen reports: “While incredibly frustrating, this move is unsurprising given the rise of anti-tax groups committed to blocking serious public investment in national infrastructure. In addition to opposing the gas tax increase, the letter also calls for an end to all federal funding for biking, walking and public transit. Ever so disingenuously, the organizations claim they just want to look out for the needs of poor people.”

Indeed, the letter claims that “[a] higher gas tax means higher prices not just on gas, but on goods and services throughout the economy. These increased costs would inevitably be passed down to consumers, resulting in a regressive tax hike on middle- and lower-income Americans.”

The letter also criticizes Washington for continuing “to spend federal dollars on projects that have nothing to do with roads like bike paths and transit.” Or, as Adler put it, “the Koch brothers just kicked mass transit in the face.”

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But people who can’t afford to own and maintain cars rely on such alternative methods of transportation.

“The billionaire-friendly coalition is trying to play the populist card,” Angie Schmitt writes at Streetsblog USA. “Raising the gas tax to pay for roads, they say, is ‘regressive’ because poor people will pay more than rich people if the gas tax is increased. But eliminating all funding for transit, biking, and walking, which people who can’t afford a car rely on? Not a problem to these guys.”

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Of course it isn’t, Adler writes at Grist, given that “[t]he Kochs make their money largely in fossil fuels.”

“They, and other backers of conservative pressure groups, oppose the gas tax because they see it as a disincentive for driving,” he continues. “The Kochs especially hate public transportation because it gives their consumers an alternative to driving.”

President Barack Obama’s budget plan would raise money for transportation projects with a one-time tax on the profits that U.S. corporations have amassed overseas. White House press secretary Josh Earnest has said Obama has no plans to raise the gas tax.

The idea isn’t entirely off the table, however. As NPR reported Wednesday, Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, “a Democrat who sports a bicycle pin on his lapel, is not giving up.”

Blumenauer has introduced a bill to raise the gas tax by a nickel a gallon in each of the next three years, and to be indexed to inflation after that. He has the backing of groups across the political spectrum, from the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO to the American Trucking Associations and AAA.

“Nobody likes the idea of paying more,” AAA vice president Kathleen Bower told NPR. “But what we do know is that our members want better and safer roads. Now is a good time because the impact will not feel as painful.”

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Racist Policing in Ferguson Verified by DOJ Report

October 11, 2020 | News | No Comments

The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly concluded that the Ferguson Police Department has for years practiced discriminatory policing tactics, creating a culture of “racial animosity” in the lead up to the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown last summer.

The findings, which are expected to be released as early as this week, are the conclusion of a months-long federal investigation into the department. Speaking under anonymity, law enforcement officials briefed on the report told the New York Times that the “highly critical” assessment charges the local police department with “disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans and relying on the fines to balance the city’s budget.”

According to the most recent data (pdf) published by the Missouri attorney general, in 2013, Blacks accounted for 86 percent of traffic stops in Ferguson but compromise 63 percent of the population. Further, black drivers were twice as likely to be searched by the police department, which is 95 percent white.

Last month, reports indicated that the DOJ will not bring charges of civil rights violations against Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Despite that, the federal probe is intended to examine the “broader practices” of the department in order to “give context for the shooting.”

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Citizens of Ferguson and Jennings, Missouri have recently launched suits charging the cities with extortionary policing practices, arguing that by jailing residents who are unable to pay traffic tickets and other fines the local jails are being used as “debtors’ prisons.”

According to the unnamed officials, the DOJ says such practices have provided a “financial incentive to continue law enforcement policies that unfairly target African-Americans.”

The Times says that the damning report will likely force the city to “either negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face being sued by it on civil rights charges.”

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