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When I began Schwartzreport my purpose was to produce an entirely fact-based daily publication in favor of the earth, the inter-connectedness and interdependence of all life, democracy, equality for all, liberty, and things that are life-affirming. Also, to warn my readers about actions, events, and trends that threaten those values. Our country now stands at a crossroads, indeed, the world stands at a crossroads where those values are very much at risk and it is up to each of us who care about wellbeing to do what we can to defend those principles. I want to thank all of you who have contributed to SR, particularly those of you who have scheduled an ongoing monthly contribution. It makes a big difference and is much appreciated. It is one thing to put in the hours each day and to do the work for free, but another to have to cover the rising out-of-pocket costs. For those of you who haven’t done so, but read SR regularly, I ask that you consider supporting it.
Stephan: As you read this, ask yourself, given these facts, and these are the facts, how can any rational person vote for this man? That said what does it say about Americans that 43% approve of Trump and what he has done?
If you are in the 99% here is how well you are faring under Trump policies compared to the 1%—for each dollar of increased income that you earned in 2018, each One-Percenter got $88 more income.
Huge as that ratio is, it’s small change compared to the super-rich, the 0.01% of Americans with incomes of $10 million and up. That ratio is $1 for you and $2,215 for each super-rich American household.
The slice of American income pie going to the poor shrank under Trump by the same amount that it grew for the super-rich.
Ponder that for a moment. For each additional dollar that you earned in 2018 compared to 2016, each of the wealthiest taxpayers got an additional $2,215.
The bottom line: with Trump as president it’s good to be rich
The average super-rich American enjoyed $7.1 million more income under Trump in 2018 than in 2016, the last year that Barack Obama was president. For the Ninety-Nine-Percenters, in contrast, average income rose just $3,360 with most that gain among those making $200,000 to $500,000.
Stephan: Do you realize that there are literally thousands of animals, birds, and insects your children and their children will never see? How many butterflies did you see this summer? And if you think there will be no effect on humans you are wildly wrong. The negative implications of these extinctions are so great they are hard to calculate.
To obtain the actual report: https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/4783129/LPR/PDFs/ENGLISH-FULL.pdf
Aerial view of a deforested area in the municipality of Melgaco, Para State, Brazil, on July 30, 2020. Credit: Tarso Sarraf/AFP/Getty
A new report from the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) reveals that population sizes of “mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish” are down by 68 percent since 1970, amounting to an “unprecedented” rate of destruction of Earth’s diverse range of species.
“Biodiversity is fundamental to human life on Earth, and the evidence is unequivocal – it is being destroyed by us at a rate unprecedented in history,” the WWF explains in its report. The authors cite a number of reasons for the massive loss of wildlife including the industrial revolution, human population growth, increases in global trade and consumption, urbanisation and climate change. The WWF argues that humans are overusing the planet’s biocapacity by at least 56 percent, in the process polluting most of our oceans, destroying 85 percent of the area of wetlands and significantly altering 75 percent of the planet’s ice-free land surface.
“Too few of our economic and financial decision-makers […]
Stephan: Trump in a hundred ways has made it clear that he cares nothing for ordinary people, so why does it surprise anyone that he cares nothing for the environment or the other beings who make up the matrix of life. But you and your family will live with the consequences of Trump's indifference for years after he is gone.
A gray wolf pup emerges from a den. Conservation groups warn that the mass killing of wolves in Idaho over a one-year period that ended this summer “represented nearly 60% of the 2019 year-end estimated Idaho wolf population.” Credit: Hilary Cooley/USFWS
Conservation groups on Friday raised alarm about the Trump administration’s push to lift protections for gray wolves across the country after an analysis revealed how a record-breaking 570 wolves, including dozens of pups, were brutally killed in Idaho over a recent one-year period.
“This inhumane mass killing of wolves abuses federal recovery objectives and is one of many reasons why Endangered Species Act protection is so important for gray wolves nationwide.” —Zoe Hanley, Defenders of Wildlife
“It’s sickening to see how wolves have been slaughtered in Idaho once federal Endangered Species Act protections were lifted,” Andrea Zaccardi, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in statement. “If wolves are delisted nationwide, this cruelty could extend to all wolves within our country’s borders. This treatment of our nation’s wildlife is unacceptable.”
Wolves no longer have Endangered Species Act (ESA) […]
Stephan: Trump makes it clear that he does not believe in climate change. But also note, that he describe what is going on in California, Oregon, and Washington as a "management problem." That isn't true but, if it were, the federal government manages more forest land in those states than the state do. But what is even more alarming is his comments that "Science doesn't know." Sound just like his comments on Covid, doesn't it?
Trump speaks during a briefing on wildfires with local and federal fire and emergency officials in Sacramento, California. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty
President Donald Trump touched down in California on Monday to survey the wildfire damage and immediately launched into his usual talking points about poor forest management while denying the role of climate change.
Trump arrived in Sacramento as more than two dozen major wildfires burned across the state. More than 2 million acres in the state have burned this year, a nearly 2,000% increase in land burned compared to this time last year.
At a roundtable discussion about the wildfires, California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot said Trump’s focus on forest management was obscuring the grim reality that climate change was behind the historically high temperatures and years of drought.
“It will start getting cooler. You just watch,” Trump fired back at Crowfoot, adding, “I don’t think science knows actually.”
Minutes before, when Trump had just disembarked his plane, reporters repeatedly asked him to acknowledge how climate change […]
Stephan: This appointment by Trump settles the question of where he stands on climate change. One by one Trump is corrupting ever science agency in the government. So let me state this as emphatically as I can. If you vote for Trump there will be no preparation at the federal level about climate change and you are condemning your children and their children to a lifetime of misery. Can I be any clearer than that?
MIAMI, FL – AUGUST 29: The logo of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seen at the Nation Hurricane Center on August 29, 2019 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Dorian is expected to become a Category 4 as it approaches Florida in the upcoming days. Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty
David Legates, a University of Delaware professor of climatology who has spent much of his career questioning basic tenets of climate science, has been hired for a top position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Legates confirmed to NPR that he was recently hired as NOAA’s deputy assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction. The position suggests that he reports directly to Neil Jacobs, the acting head of the agency that is in charge of the federal government’s sprawling weather and climate prediction work.
Neither Legates nor NOAA representatives responded to questions about Legates’ specific responsibilities or why he was hired. The White House also declined to comment.
Legates has a long history of using his position as an academic scientist to publicly cast doubt on climate science. His appointment […]
Stephan: Trump's fascism becomes more clear as every day passes. This is a man who loathes democracy and seeks to be an autocrat. Listen to what he says. Anyone who votes for him votes against democracy. The 2020 election is not just a choice between two men, it is a choice between two systems of governance.
Well, that escalated quickly. Only a couple of weeks ago, Donald Trump and his allies were using the term “self-defense” to condone the behavior of armed right-wingers who showed up at Black Lives Matter protests to intimidate demonstrators — and also to justify the alleged murder of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse.
Trump Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Now Trump has expanded the universe of excuses for such lethal violence, suggesting that it’s acceptable in the name of “retribution.”
In this case, the lethal violence was inflicted on Michael Reinoehl, a self-identified supporter of antifa, which isn’t an organized movement so much as a loose association of left-wing activists who use confrontational tactics to fight perceived fascists. Most people who identify as antifa aren’t violent, but some have become enamored of seeking violent confrontations with far-right or white supremacist groups. Reinoehl appears to have been such a person: He seemingly confessed on camera to killing a right-wing activist named Aaron Danielson during an Aug. 29 skirmish in Portland, Oregon.
U.S. marshals shot and killed Reinoehl near Olympia, Washington, on Sept. 3, and justified the shooting by claiming […]
Stephan: You can be sure that Roger Stone, a card carrying Trumpian orc, is speaking out in support of his master, with his master's authorization. Get very clear in your mind. These people do not like democracy, and they are going to do whatever they can to stay in power. The only way to get rid of them is to have Biden win by an overwhelming majority
Trumpian Orc Roger Stone
Long-time Donald Trump confidant, and convicted felon,Roger Stone said that the president should declare “martial law” to seize power if he loses what Stone characterized as an already corrupt election.
The results will only be legitimate if the “real winner” — Trump — takes office, regardless of what the votes say, Stone declared. A loss would apparently be justification for Trump to use force to take over the nation.
Stone, who worked as an adviser in the last Trump campaign, made the astonishing statements Thursday on the InfoWars program of far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Both men talked of an ongoing “coup” against Trump, and Stone inexplicably claimed that he predicted “almost three decades ago that this moment would come.”
Stone appeared resigned to a Trump loss — but blamed it on the baseless claim that early voting has already been “corrupted.”
To safeguard Trump’s position, Stone called for federal authorities to seize ballots in Nevada, for FBI agents to physically block certain voters […]
Stephan: Over 200 of you wrote to tell me of your concern and to say that you were holding me in healing intention. Both Ronlyn and I were deeply moved by this. Thank you. As it turned out I wasn't actually getting sick, I was experiencing a very powerful negative reaction to a new medication, which one of my doctors had just prescribed for me. Ronlyn read up on the drug, and I have every negative reaction listed. I have quit taking it, of course, but it will take a few days, I assume, to clear my system and for me to get back to balance. A very unpleasant experience.
Let me return the sentiments you expressed to me. I hope all of you, and your families stay safe and well in these parlous times.
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