Lawmakers Fighting FDA on Genetically Altered Salmon
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) want to keep the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from making hasty decisions on whether to approve genetically modified Atlantic salmon for public consumption, according to McClatchy Newspapers. Congress should not allow “these alien fish to infect our stocks,” Young said. AquaBounty Technologies Inc., the company seeking approval from the FDA, said the genetically altered fish are safe and would not require labels distinguishing them from other salmon. Congress is currently considering either banning the fish entirely or requiring it to be labeled as transgenic.
Rebels Assaulted by Qaddafi's Forces
The New York Times reports that over the weekend, Libyan rebel troops in the town of Bin Jawwad were assaulted by military troops loyal to Qaddafi. Using tanks and helicopters, the government forces were able to push the rebel groups east, away from Libya's capital city of Tripoli. The attack began at 9:00 AM and continued throughout the day as rebels alternately fought the loyalist troops and fled heavy gunfire. Mahmoud Bilkhair, an Army second lieutenant who was fighting on the rebels' side, said, “We're trying. We're not advancing. We can't do anything about it.” He said that the rebels would return to Bin Jawwad after regrouping.
Kansas Judge Who Ruled Against Abortion Donated to Anti-Abortion Cause
Judge Jeffrey Goering, the Kansas judge who last week barred a doctor from offering abortions in her Wichita office, has previously made donations to anti-abortion group Kansas for Life, Mother Jones writes. Goering's contribution to a political operation raises questions about his ability to be impartial in cases regarding abortion. Dr. Mila Means, the physician who was barred from providing abortions, is due in court next week to respond to Goering's restraining order.
Government Faces Next Possible Shutdown
Lawmakers debating the federal budget and attempting to strike a deal over cuts and spending face a quickly approaching deadline, as the temporary resolution funding the government is set to expire March 18, The Hill reports. If another continuing resolution keeping the government running is not passed by then, the White House will shut down. The Senate is planning test votes on Tuesday to see where lawmakers stand on the Democrat and Republican spending proposals, but both votes are expected to fall short of the 60 necessary votes, showing that neither side has enough support to pass a plan.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.