Following the release of nearly 92,000 classified documents about the war in Afghanistan on Wikileaks, its founder Julian Assange said the papers contain evidence of war crimes, and called for an urgent investigation, reported the Guardian UK.
A buzz of skepticism is surrounding whether the leaked documents actually revealed anything new. National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones emphasized that the archive, which runs into 2009, did not cover the change in military policy under President Obama, Mother Jones noted. On the Atlantic blog, Andrew Sullivan said the documents show “confirmation of what anyone with eyes and ears could have told you for years,” and at Foreign Policy Thomas Ricks wrote he knows “of more stuff leaked at one good dinner on background.”
Military investigators are checking the computers used by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning to determine if he is the source of the thousands of leaked documents, reported the Wall Street Journal. Twenty-two-year old Manning has been detained in Kuwait since he was charged with the leak, reported AOL News, and his status is unknown.
BP Loses $17 billion, Hayward Steps Down, Activists Shut Down BP Stations
BP is seeing the ramifications of its oil spill in more than one area – the company announced Tuesday that it lost $17 billion over the last three months after setting aside $32 billion towards clean-up, and on Monday an official announced that embattled CEO Tony Hayward will step down in October, reported CBS News. In the same period last year, BP made a record $4.4 billion profit. Now, it is expected to sell $30 billion worth of assets over the next 18 months to cover the cost, the New York Times reported.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace activists in London have shut down BP gas stations across the city. In protest of the environmental damage caused by the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico from a BP well, the activists shut the power off at 50 stations and put up signs reading “Closed: Moving Beyond Petroleum,” reported Democracy Now.
Iran Open to Nuclear Talks “Without Any Conditions”
Iran has agreed to take part in unconditional negotiations over its nuclear program, it reportedly told the International Atomic Energy Agency. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s nuclear negotiator, said: “The clear message of this letter was Iran’s complete readiness to hold negotiations over the fuel for the Tehran reactor without any conditions.” Democracy Now! reports this statement as the European Union imposes a new round of sanctions on Iran, targeting its foreign trade, banking and energy sectors.
SEIU and UNITE HERE End Dispute
The eighteen-month dispute between the SEIU and UNITE HERE, the nation’s two most prominent unions, has been resolved. The struggle over the assets of the former apparel workers union UNITE were settled with SEIU taking ownership of Amalgamated Bank, the nation’s only labor-owned bank, reported Democracy Now!. UNITE HERE will keep about $75 million in challenged assets, and will have ownership of the former headquarters of the apparel workers in Manhattan.
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Questions Whether Islam a Religion
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey questioned whether Islam falls under the religions guaranteed freedom of worship under the Constitution, reported Talking Points Memo. Ramsey was being questioned about the “threat that’s invading our country from the Muslims” in reference to the controversy over a new Muslim community center. Ramsey responded by expressing support for Constitutional protections of religious expression, but then said “you could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion, or is it a nationality, way of life, cult, whatever you want to call it.”
Castro Absent at Revolution Day
The absence of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on the most important day in the Cuban political calendar leaves many questioning the health of the ailing leader. President Raul Castro’s decision not to speak to the 90,000-strong crowd assembled in Santa Clara to celebrate Revolution Day is also causing consternation. July 26th marks the anniversary of Fidel Castro’s 1975 attack on the Moncada barracks which began the revolution. The state media carried a message from Fidel, but did not explain his absence. The 83-year-old fell ill and largely disappeared from public life four years ago, but analysts say his appearance would have signaled his continuing influence and ability to delay would-be reforms by his successor and younger brother, Raul. The Guardian UK noted that “not since the heyday of Kremlinology has so much been read into the presence, or absence, of a communist leader.”
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.