Good morning — and a happy 72nd birthday to America’s favorite uncle, Joe Biden!
On this date in 1969, a group of Native American activists occupied Alcatraz, claiming that under the terms of long-ignored treaties with the US government they were entitled to the abandoned federal penitentiary. The occupation lasted more than a year and a half and was widely credited with launching a wave of indigenous activism and bringing national attention to the plight of Native American communities.
Covering up torture –> John Hudson writes at Foreign Policy that the Obama administration “is fiercely resisting the release of a 6,300-page Senate report on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program.”
Another step –> The UN announced that it is approaching its goal of $10 billion to help developing countries mitigate the impact of global warming. Stefan Nicola and Alex Morales report for Bloomberg that the Green Climate Fund is seen as an important incremental step toward finalizing a global climate compact in Paris next year.
The race begins –> Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb is the first prominent Democrat to announce that he’s forming an exploratory committee to look at a 2016 presidential run. Maggie Haberman reports for Politico.
Related –> At Religion Dispatches, Sarah Posner looks at the GOP’s “evangelical primary,” and concludes that Israel is increasingly becoming a litmus test issue for this key arm of the Republican coalition. AND: A Texas judge refused to dismiss two felony charges against Gov. Rick Perry. The defense team had argued that because of a paperwork issue when the special prosecutor was sworn in, his work was invalid. Via: CNN.
Fighting words –> When Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush used executive actions to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation nobody worried that they might set off a violent uprising. But that was then and this is now: Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn told USA Today that he’s afraid such an outcome is possible.
Cancelled –> NBC announced that it was pulling the plug on the development of a new Cosby sitcom after more than a dozen old rape allegations against Bill Cosby resurfaced in the media. Lesley Goldberg has more details at The Hollywood Reporter. AND: The Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a typically thoughtful view of the controversy.
Progressive cities –> Seattle has a genuinely progressive city government, and its impact on the Emerald City’s priorities is becoming hard to overlook. The Stranger’s Ansel Herz looks through the new city budget and finds “a surprisingly human-centric document of financial planning.”
Big Pot –> As states move to legalize marijuana, corporations are beginning to move in. Ben Miller at the Puget Sound Business Journal reports that an equity firm called Privateer Holdings struck a deal with Bob Marley’s estate to tie the late reggae superstar’s name to “a new line of ‘Marley Natural’ marijuana products.” AND: A battle is brewing in Oregon — where voters just legalized pot — between local officials who want to tax marijuana sales at the municipal level and state lawmakers who worry that the additional taxes could make legal marijuana more expensive than that sold on the black market. Jeff Mapes reports for The Oregonian.
Criminal injustice –> A rapper with no criminal record or known gang affiliation is facing criminal charges for the content of the artwork on one of his album covers. The case is the first to use an obscure California anti-gang law passed back in 2000. Diamond Sharp has the story at The Root.
Not surprising –> A new study finds that Wall Street bankers are more likely to lie about something when thinking about their jobs than when they’re asked to think about their home lives. Matt O’Brien reports for WaPo.
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