- The US allows 1,300 chemicals banned by Europe to be used in cosmetics. Why? – A long list of potentially harmful ingredients banned in the EU are legally allowed in the US due to historically relaxed regulations
| Arts & Education Events: |
| Civic Events: |
 Illustrated | Scott Olson/Getty Images, JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP/Getty Images, AndreyPopov/iStock, azgek/iStock, javarman3/iStock ....despite much carping from critics about how he was a paper tiger whose polling would crumple the moment it came into contact with reality, Biden's announcement bump has been sustained and substantial. On the eve of his entrance into the race, he led Bernie Sanders by an average of just over 6 points, with Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Beto O'Rourke bunched together in the mid-to-upper single digits. But while Sanders' numbers have eroded along with the others, Biden has surged, opening up nearly a 20-point gap in polls. The only candidate to have gained traction since Biden's entry is Warren, whose relentless barrage of hotter-than-a-graphite-fire policy proposals may finally be breaking through with voters. She was even nipping at Bernie's heels in the latest Quinnipiac poll. The upshot is that we are now much closer to the basic moderate-progressive schism that many predicted and that we've seen in previous cycles. The trouble for progressives is that, even though their wing of the party might be ascendant, Sanders and Warren have the potential to divide their vote all the way to Milwaukee, allowing the more center-left Biden to claim the nomination. If they want to stop him, they're going to have to talk one of their preferred candidates into dropping out of the race.... David Faris | The Week
If the 2020 hopeful can avoid getting sideswiped by a fast-moving horse candidate, she’s in decent shape to challenge Sanders and Biden.  Warren’s campaign is chugging along, fueled by her many “plans.” Photo: Matt Rourke/AP/REX/Shutterstock Ed Kilgore | NY Mag. Intelligencer
Boy Scout sex abuse scandal’s stunning toll: Over 12,200 reported victims [5:07 video; abuse worse than the Catholic Church] For decades, the Boy Scouts of America has closely guarded a trove of documents that detail sexual abuse allegations against troop leaders and others.... KIM CHRISTENSEN | Los Angeles Times
The president directed his attorney general to declassify information—raising the prospect of selective disclosures.  CARLOS BARRIA / REUTERS President Donald Trump can only escalate. He cannot help it. On Thursday night, he spread from his own presidential account a video of the speaker of the House, edited to splice together moments when she stumbled over her words, in an apparent effort to deceive people into thinking her drunk or ill. In 2016, Trump’s Russian supporters performed this service for him with faked videos of Hillary Clinton. Now he seems to have decided that if you want a dirty-tricks campaign done right, you must do it yourself. At the same time, he has put the declassification powers of the presidency to work as part of a larger campaign of cover-up. Trump directed his attorney general to declassify documents in an effort to depict Trump’s campaign as a victim of improper surveillance in 2016. Trump tweeted that the attorney general had “requested” these powers. That may even be true. But Trump has been demanding such an investigation of U.S. intelligence agencies since long before William Barr got the top law-enforcement job. Barr is compliant and complicit, but the idea is all Trump’s. The declassification process will be selective, of course, in service to a predetermined narrative. Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers are fiercely battling in court to suppress congressional subpoenas for the financial documents that would cast light on Trump’s pre-2016 finances.... David Frum | The Atlantic
As inequality has grown, American seniors have been exposed to financial distress in ways that often go unnoticed  Vivian Majors takes care of her husband Martin who has Parkinson’s disease. Photograph: Annie Flanagan/The Guardian Katherine Newman | The Guardian
|
Elizabeth Warren and A.O.C. are demanding answers about Mnuchin’s friendship with former Sears chairman Eddie Lampert. BESS LEVIN | Vanity Fair
 Jared Kushner Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg David Kocieniewski and Caleb Melby | Bloomberg
Rising sea levels could swamp major cities and displace almost 200 million people, scientists say [Its unusal for US mainstream media to mention global warming...] With a “business as usual” approach to carbon emissions, the world's oceans could plausibly rise two meters by the end of the century.  There are more residents living in high-risk flood zones in New York City than in any other U.S. city. Ron Antonelli / Bloomberg via Getty Images file Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky and David Freeman | NBC News
Students around the world are walking out of lessons to demand politicians take urgent action on climate change  Greta Thunberg marches during the ‘Global Strike For Future’ movement in Stockholm, Sweden. Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images Sarah Marsh (now) and Alan Evans (earlier) | The Guardian
Cosmetics and personal care items women use every day are packed with a constellation of chemicals that health advocates say could be connected to a host of health problems  Some shampoo contains coal tar, a known carcinogen. Photograph: Shioguchi/Getty Images Lauren Zanolli | The Guardian
Prime minister to leave Downing Street, drawing three-year tenure to a close Theresa May's voice cracks at the end of her resignation speech – video Heather Stewart | The Guardian
The nontrivial possibility that Boris Johnson may succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister is one of the many measures of the current reckless unseriousness of British politics.  Photograph by Brian Lawless / AP Amy Davidson Sorkin | The New Yorker
|
"New York lawmakers are providing a new avenue for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain these crucial financial documents." Jake Johnson, staff writer | Common Dreams
"It is long past time for Congress to rein in the recklessness of Wall Street billionaires and build an economy that works for all Americans." Eoin Higgins, staff writer | Common Dreams
School integration has been outside the main political discussion for a long time, and it's long since time we started talking about it again. Ryan Cooper / The Week | Common Dreams
The alleged moderate is nothing of the sort. Few candidates have been on the wrong side of history more often. NATALIE DOWZICKY | American Conservative
Republicans aren’t just climate deniers. They deny the extinction crisis, too [As taught by Fox News and bribed by fossil fuel companies] Republican officials and their industry benefactors are sowing doubt about the wildlife extinction crisis that threatens as many as one million species Jimmy Tobias | The Guardian
"The time is now to create a universal, single-payer, Medicare for All healthcare system in the United States," the economists wrote Jake Johnson, staff writer | Common Dreams
The White House strategy appears to be designed to force the Democrats’ hand, but lawmakers are treading cautiously Sabrina Siddiqui | The Guardian
And no, the nation will not just "bounce back" once Trump is gone Thom Hartmann | Common Dreams
|
Without Congress's approval, he has no legal authority to start a war, no matter what John Bolton seems to think. GENE HEALY | American Conservative
Austria’s crisis is a lesson for Europe: far-right parties are unfit to govern [We've seen this playbook before!] Caught out in a scandal, the Freedom party is playing the victim and dangerously undermining trust in democracy Julia Ebner | The Guardian
If America wants to maintain any influence in Asia, it needs to wake up. ROBERT W. MERRY | American Conservative
Trump's China trade war risks damaging US economy, says OECD [Does Baby Trump know what he's doing?] Intensification of tariff dispute also likely to knock almost $600bn off world economy Richard Partington | The Guardian
French parties are increasingly adopting the p-word while Italy is concerned about taxes Europa correspondents | The Guardian
Government opinions shifted on a certain crucial matter. Katherine Martinko | TreeHugger
Millions of Britons struggle to put food on the table. Are social supermarkets, where surplus stock from big retailers is discounted, the solution? Jay Rayner | The Guardian
Reference: Virtual Nations could replace nation-states, enabling everyone to be agents for a better world Marc Cherbonnier | The Baltimore Chronicle | Ref.
|
"Big oil is hijacking our legislative system," said Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network Jake Johnson, staff writer | Common Dreams
Minority rule has always been a feature of American democracy. These days, however, it is getting worse ....we may see increasingly totalitarian measures, as the gap between the will of the people and the interests of the small minority in charge continues to widen. History’s bloody revolutions show us what happens when this gap becomes too large, and the government entirely ceases to effectively represent the governed. Conservatives will continue to push unpopular policies on an unwilling United States. But it’s unclear how long people will accept having decisions made for them by a few dozen rich white men.... Nathan Robinson | The Guardian
The greatest challenges to capitalism come when that promise begins to be questioned Richard Reeves | The Guardian
Palestinians need a state, not a 'business plan' [They have slow-motion genocide now...] President Donald Trump is taking part in an all-out attempt to batter the Palestinians into political surrender, and his weapon of choice is money. In full coordination with the Israeli government, he is overseeing a global campaign to ensure funds supporting Palestinians are drying up. Everything from Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem to health care and education for Palestinian refugees are on the receiving end of the cuts. In the bullseye of this attack is the Palestinian government.... Sam Bahour | +972 Magazine
|