(2021-08-30). US Education Dept. Opens Civil Rights Probes Into 5 States' Bans on School Mask Mandates. commondreams.org There are people who hope to invade Iran, or Venezuela, or pick-a-country-with-a-problem, but next time, they insist, they'll do it "better." They must stop. They must be stopped.
(2021-08-30). North Korea has apparently restarted its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, IAEA says, citing satellite imagery. rt.com 
North Korea appears to have restarted its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor at Yongbyon after an almost three-year pause, the UN's nuclear watchdog said in its annual report on the country. | Monitoring of the site through satellite imagery showed indications that the five-megawatt reactor was put back in operation as of early July after apparently being idle since December 2018, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in its
(2021-08-30). Hurricane Ida Hits Oil Industry in Black & Native Communities on Louisiana Coast Amid Climate Crisis. democracynow.org 
Two-thirds of Louisiana's industrial sites lie in the path of Hurricane Ida, including oil refineries, storage tanks and other infrastructure like oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana's Gulf Coast is a major oil and gas hub, with 17 oil refineries, two liquefied natural gas export terminals, as well as a nuclear power plant and many Superfund sites. Oil spills and chemical releases due to climate change-intensified storms are a "worsening, consistent problem" in Louisiana's Gulf Coast, says Antonia Juhasz, a longtime oil and energy investigative journalist. Communities of color living on the Gulf Coast…
(2021-08-30). We Can't Prevent Future Nuclear Wars Unless We Imagine Them Today. commondreams.org Over 50 lawmakers argue the "harmful and wasteful" giveaways "simply enhance the profits" of polluters while harming U.S. taxpayers, industry workers, racial justice, and the planet. | It is now more important than ever to anticipate what the future might hold due to the uncertainty surrounding tomorrow's strategic environment.
(2021-08-29). Mapping Faultlines: Stopping IS in Afghanistan is in the interest of all regional players. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha discusses the implications of the blasts in Kabul which have led to over 85 deaths. He talks about its impact on the political process in Afghanistan, as well as the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. He also discusses the impending discussions between Iran and the Gulf monarchies.
(2021-08-29). Bennett Had A "Great Meeting" With "Sleepy Joe" Amid Approaching Resumption Of Nuclear Talks. southfront.org