A British Petroleum (BP) contract worker was killed today at a refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands. A construction pole likely struck the 22-year-old man as it was being put in the ground, according to a BNO news report.
Meanwhile, government scientists reported Tuesday that BP’s damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico could be spilling up to 2.5 million gallons of oil per day, according to a New York Times report. This estimate dwarfs earlier reports from BP and suggests that the amount of oil spilled by the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster is gushing from the well everyday.
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Gutsy squatters have occupied an 8,000 square foot mansion near Seattle, according to the Seattle Times. The neighbors were reportedly relieved when the for-sale sign came down and lights were turned on, and then they discovered the foreclosed home was still on sale for $3.3 million. A note on the door of the now squatted palace claims the rights to the property are in the hands of the newly incorporated Priority Rose Children’s Charity.
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A series of earthquakes hit Indonesia today, killing at least three people and damaging at least 500 homes, according to a report in The New York Times. The main, 7.0-magnitude earthquake was followed by violent aftershocks and a tsunami that sent residents fleeing to higher ground. Rescue workers continue to respond to the situation.
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Bosses at the Iraqi Harbour Corporation near Basra, Iraq, brought in military troops to surround and intimidate unionized dock workers protesting a company decision to move union leaders 1,000 kilometers from their current workplace, according to the International Transport Worker’s Federation. Federation secretary Frank Leys alerted the Iraqi prime minister about the heavy-handed treatment of union workers and stated that using military troops to control the protest constituted an attempt to break the union.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
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In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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