In The News

US Whistleblower’s Complaint on Trump

September 27, 2019
A declassified and redacted version of a whistleblower’s complaint on US President Donald Trump has been released. “In the course of my official duties, I have received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election,” the complaint begins. “This...

Stateless People in Asia: DW

Rodion Ebbighausen September 27, 2019
Governments block citizenship for people whose families have lived in regions for multiple generations. India published a National Register of Citizens listing 31 million people in Assam province; those not on the list are considered migrants. “Any applicant unable to prove that they lived in the state before the March 24, 1971 deadline was considered to have ‘doubtful’ status,” reports Rodion...

Zelensky-Trump Meet on UN Sidelines: Kyiv Post

Bermét Talant September 26, 2019
Expect global leaders to apply caution in interactions with the United States. Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine since May, spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone in July, shortly after the president had suspended an aid payment. Details of the call, possibly connected to a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump, have galvanized global attention. Speaker of the House of...

Obsession With Ukraine: New York Times

Kenneth P. Vogel, Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman and Sharon LaFraniere September 26, 2019
US interest in Ukraine focuses on the country’s shared border with Russia, the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea soon after a puppet’s departure in 2014, and interference in the country’s eastern section. US President Donald Trump’s emphasizes other priorities, including improved relations with Russia, according to a non-verbatim transcript of a July telephone call between Trump and...

Ocean in a Changing Climate: IPCC

September 25, 2019
The ocean covers more than 70 percent of earth’s surface. “Human communities in close connection with coastal environments, small islands (including Small Island Developing States, SIDS), polar areas and high mountains are particularly exposed to ocean and cryosphere change, such as sea level rise, extreme sea level and shrinking cryosphere,” notes the recent 1,170-page IPCC report “The Ocean and...

US Withheld Ukraine Military Aid: Washington Post

Seung Min Kim and Colby Itkowitz September 24, 2019
A political leader can legally use aid money and other policies as leverage in guiding countries on specific behaviors. Use of government money or policies for personal political gain is corruption. Donald Trump confirms that he delayed almost $400 million in aid for Ukraine due to concerns about levels of funding provided by European nations. On July 25, shortly after the aid was delayed, the US...

Chubb Will No Longer Invest in Coal: Truthout

Elana Sulakshana September 24, 2019
Insurance industries provide coverage against disaster to all types of industries, complex equipment and operations. Swiss insurance company Chubb has announced that it will no longer underwrite risks related to construction and operation of new coal-fired plants. Chubb “will not underwrite new risks for companies that generate more than 30% of revenues from thermal coal mining … [and] will phase...