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The Pile River flows into the northern end of Lake Iliamna, whose tributaries are the headwaters of the Bristol Bay region, on
One coalition described the Republican attorney general's lawsuit as "little more than a publicity stunt filed on behalf of an unscrupulous mining company."
The state of Alaska on Wednesday bypassed the lower courts and directly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to undo the Environmental Protection Agency's decision earlier this year to prohibit the construction of Pebble Mine, a proposed copper and gold project that conservationists say would be disastrous for Bristol Bay waters, wildlife, and communities.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor's 91-page filing, which argues that the EPA's rare use of its veto authority under the Clean Water Act was unlawful, drew immediate outrage from environmentalists, who accused the state of prioritizing the interests of profit-seeking mine developers.
"As the climate catastrophe wreaks havoc around the world, it's disheartening to see the governor turn his back on the irreplaceable ecosystem of Alaska's Bristol Bay," said Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "A remarkable array of wildlife depends on this watershed, from salmon and grizzly bears to the rare Iliamna Lake seals. Mining has no place here."
The Bristol Bay Defense Fund—a coalition of tribes, commercial and sport fishers, and conservation groups—argued that Alaska's lawsuit is "legally and factually unjustified" and "little more than a publicity stunt filed on behalf of an unscrupulous mining company, Pebble Limited Partnership, that has repeatedly misrepresented its record and misled regulators, its investors, Congress, and the general public."
"The EPA's authority to protect Bristol Bay under the Clean Water Act stands on an extensive and robust scientific and technical record that spans two decades and three presidential administrations," the coalition added. "Alaskans and people across the country overwhelmingly support EPA's action to protect Bristol Bay, and do not support the Pebble Mine. We will continue to defend Bristol Bay against the threat of the Pebble Mine and the state's legal antics as long as necessary to ensure that the region, tribes, salmon, and clean water resources are protected forever."
"The governor and his administration are working against the wishes of most Alaskans, especially Bristol Bay residents."
First proposed in 2001 by Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Minerals, the project would include an open-pit mine at a depth of roughly 1,500 feet as well as a lengthy gas pipeline and other infrastructure.
After years of review, the EPA issued a final determination in late January restricting mining in a 309-square-mile area of state land surrounding the Pebble deposit, effectively killing the proposed mine.
The agency warned that, if completed, the project would have resulted in "large-scale loss of, and damage to, headwater streams, wetlands, and other aquatic resources that support salmon populations."
"Discharges of dredged or fill material to construct and operate the proposed mine site alone would result in the permanent loss of approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of anadromous fish streams, 91 miles (147 km) of additional streams that support anadromous fish streams, and approximately 2,108 acres (8.5 km2) of wetlands and other waters," the EPA said.
In response to the EPA's decision, which environmentalists celebrated as a hard-fought victory, the state of Alaska is petitioning the Supreme Court with the help of Virginia-based private law firm Consovoy McCarthy, which represented the group behind a recently decided affirmative action case.
The firm also represented a pair of individual plaintiffs who sued the Biden administration over its student debt cancellation plan.
Alaska's case could find a receptive audience in the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court, which weakened the Clean Water Act in a May ruling.
Carole Holley, managing attorney at Earthjustice's Alaska regional office, said Alaska's decision to take its case directly to the Supreme Court is "a highly unusual legal move, and also a highly unpopular one."
"The governor and his administration are working against the wishes of most Alaskans, especially Bristol Bay residents, by continuing to side with the mine developer," said Holley.
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
The state of Alaska on Wednesday bypassed the lower courts and directly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to undo the Environmental Protection Agency's decision earlier this year to prohibit the construction of Pebble Mine, a proposed copper and gold project that conservationists say would be disastrous for Bristol Bay waters, wildlife, and communities.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor's 91-page filing, which argues that the EPA's rare use of its veto authority under the Clean Water Act was unlawful, drew immediate outrage from environmentalists, who accused the state of prioritizing the interests of profit-seeking mine developers.
"As the climate catastrophe wreaks havoc around the world, it's disheartening to see the governor turn his back on the irreplaceable ecosystem of Alaska's Bristol Bay," said Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "A remarkable array of wildlife depends on this watershed, from salmon and grizzly bears to the rare Iliamna Lake seals. Mining has no place here."
The Bristol Bay Defense Fund—a coalition of tribes, commercial and sport fishers, and conservation groups—argued that Alaska's lawsuit is "legally and factually unjustified" and "little more than a publicity stunt filed on behalf of an unscrupulous mining company, Pebble Limited Partnership, that has repeatedly misrepresented its record and misled regulators, its investors, Congress, and the general public."
"The EPA's authority to protect Bristol Bay under the Clean Water Act stands on an extensive and robust scientific and technical record that spans two decades and three presidential administrations," the coalition added. "Alaskans and people across the country overwhelmingly support EPA's action to protect Bristol Bay, and do not support the Pebble Mine. We will continue to defend Bristol Bay against the threat of the Pebble Mine and the state's legal antics as long as necessary to ensure that the region, tribes, salmon, and clean water resources are protected forever."
"The governor and his administration are working against the wishes of most Alaskans, especially Bristol Bay residents."
First proposed in 2001 by Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Minerals, the project would include an open-pit mine at a depth of roughly 1,500 feet as well as a lengthy gas pipeline and other infrastructure.
After years of review, the EPA issued a final determination in late January restricting mining in a 309-square-mile area of state land surrounding the Pebble deposit, effectively killing the proposed mine.
The agency warned that, if completed, the project would have resulted in "large-scale loss of, and damage to, headwater streams, wetlands, and other aquatic resources that support salmon populations."
"Discharges of dredged or fill material to construct and operate the proposed mine site alone would result in the permanent loss of approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of anadromous fish streams, 91 miles (147 km) of additional streams that support anadromous fish streams, and approximately 2,108 acres (8.5 km2) of wetlands and other waters," the EPA said.
In response to the EPA's decision, which environmentalists celebrated as a hard-fought victory, the state of Alaska is petitioning the Supreme Court with the help of Virginia-based private law firm Consovoy McCarthy, which represented the group behind a recently decided affirmative action case.
The firm also represented a pair of individual plaintiffs who sued the Biden administration over its student debt cancellation plan.
Alaska's case could find a receptive audience in the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court, which weakened the Clean Water Act in a May ruling.
Carole Holley, managing attorney at Earthjustice's Alaska regional office, said Alaska's decision to take its case directly to the Supreme Court is "a highly unusual legal move, and also a highly unpopular one."
"The governor and his administration are working against the wishes of most Alaskans, especially Bristol Bay residents, by continuing to side with the mine developer," said Holley.
The state of Alaska on Wednesday bypassed the lower courts and directly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to undo the Environmental Protection Agency's decision earlier this year to prohibit the construction of Pebble Mine, a proposed copper and gold project that conservationists say would be disastrous for Bristol Bay waters, wildlife, and communities.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor's 91-page filing, which argues that the EPA's rare use of its veto authority under the Clean Water Act was unlawful, drew immediate outrage from environmentalists, who accused the state of prioritizing the interests of profit-seeking mine developers.
"As the climate catastrophe wreaks havoc around the world, it's disheartening to see the governor turn his back on the irreplaceable ecosystem of Alaska's Bristol Bay," said Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "A remarkable array of wildlife depends on this watershed, from salmon and grizzly bears to the rare Iliamna Lake seals. Mining has no place here."
The Bristol Bay Defense Fund—a coalition of tribes, commercial and sport fishers, and conservation groups—argued that Alaska's lawsuit is "legally and factually unjustified" and "little more than a publicity stunt filed on behalf of an unscrupulous mining company, Pebble Limited Partnership, that has repeatedly misrepresented its record and misled regulators, its investors, Congress, and the general public."
"The EPA's authority to protect Bristol Bay under the Clean Water Act stands on an extensive and robust scientific and technical record that spans two decades and three presidential administrations," the coalition added. "Alaskans and people across the country overwhelmingly support EPA's action to protect Bristol Bay, and do not support the Pebble Mine. We will continue to defend Bristol Bay against the threat of the Pebble Mine and the state's legal antics as long as necessary to ensure that the region, tribes, salmon, and clean water resources are protected forever."
"The governor and his administration are working against the wishes of most Alaskans, especially Bristol Bay residents."
First proposed in 2001 by Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Minerals, the project would include an open-pit mine at a depth of roughly 1,500 feet as well as a lengthy gas pipeline and other infrastructure.
After years of review, the EPA issued a final determination in late January restricting mining in a 309-square-mile area of state land surrounding the Pebble deposit, effectively killing the proposed mine.
The agency warned that, if completed, the project would have resulted in "large-scale loss of, and damage to, headwater streams, wetlands, and other aquatic resources that support salmon populations."
"Discharges of dredged or fill material to construct and operate the proposed mine site alone would result in the permanent loss of approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of anadromous fish streams, 91 miles (147 km) of additional streams that support anadromous fish streams, and approximately 2,108 acres (8.5 km2) of wetlands and other waters," the EPA said.
In response to the EPA's decision, which environmentalists celebrated as a hard-fought victory, the state of Alaska is petitioning the Supreme Court with the help of Virginia-based private law firm Consovoy McCarthy, which represented the group behind a recently decided affirmative action case.
The firm also represented a pair of individual plaintiffs who sued the Biden administration over its student debt cancellation plan.
Alaska's case could find a receptive audience in the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court, which weakened the Clean Water Act in a May ruling.
Carole Holley, managing attorney at Earthjustice's Alaska regional office, said Alaska's decision to take its case directly to the Supreme Court is "a highly unusual legal move, and also a highly unpopular one."
"The governor and his administration are working against the wishes of most Alaskans, especially Bristol Bay residents, by continuing to side with the mine developer," said Holley.
"Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who are standing up and speaking out for our voting rights, fundamental freedoms, and essential services like Social Security and Medicare."
In communities large and small across the United States on Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people collectively took to the streets to make their opposition to President Donald Trump heard.
The people who took part in the organized protests ranged from very young children to the elderly and their message was scrawled on signs of all sizes and colors—many of them angry, some of them funny, but all in line with the "Hands Off" message that brought them together.
"Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who are standing up and speaking out for our voting rights, fundamental freedoms, and essential services like Social Security and Medicare," said the group Stand Up America as word of the turnout poured in from across the country.
A relatively small, but representative sample of photographs from various demonstrations that took place follows.
Demonstrators gather on Boston Common, cheering and chanting slogans, during the nationwide "Hands Off!" protest against US President Donald Trump and his advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in Boston, Massachusetts on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
"Everyone involved in this crime against humanity, and everyone who covered it up, would face prosecution in a world that had any shred of dignity left."
A video presented to officials at the United Nations on Friday and first made public Saturday by the New York Times provides more evidence that the recent massacre of Palestinian medics in Gaza did not happen the way Israeli government claimed—the latest in a long line of deception when it comes to violence against civilians that have led to repeated accusations of war crimes.
The video, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), was found on the phone of a paramedic found in a mass grave with a bullet in his head after being killed, along with seven other medics, by Israeli forces on March 23. The eight medics, buried in the shallow grave with the bodies riddled with bullets, were: Mustafa Khafaja, Ezz El-Din Shaat, Saleh Muammar, Refaat Radwan, Muhammad Bahloul, Ashraf Abu Libda, Muhammad Al-Hila, and Raed Al-Sharif. The video reportedly belonged to Radwan. A ninth medic, identified as Asaad Al-Nasasra, who was at the scene of the massacre, which took place near the southern city of Rafah, is still missing.
The PRCS said it presented the video—which refutes the explanation of the killings offered by Israeli officials—to members of the UN Security Council on Friday.
"They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives," Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN's humanitarian affairs office in Palestine, said last week after the bodies were discovered. Some of the victims, according to Gaza officials, were found with handcuffs still on them and appeared to have been shot in the head, execution-style.
The Israeli military initially said its soldiers "did not randomly attack" any ambulances, but rather claimed they fired on "terrorists" who approached them in "suspicious vehicles." Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesperson, said the vehicles that the soldiers opened fire on were driving with their lights off and did not have clearance to be in the area. The video evidence directly contradicts the IDF's version of events.
As the Times reports:
The Times obtained the video from a senior diplomat at the United Nations who asked not to be identified to be able to share sensitive information.
The Times verified the location and timing of the video, which was taken in the southern city of Rafah early on March 23. Filmed from what appears to be the front interior of a moving vehicle, it shows a convoy of ambulances and a fire truck, clearly marked, with headlights and flashing lights turned on, driving south on a road to the north of Rafah in the early morning. The first rays of sun can be seen, and birds are chirping.
In an interview with Drop Site News published Friday, the only known paramedic to survive the attack, Munther Abed, explained that he and his colleagues "were directly and deliberately shot at" by the IDF. "The car is clearly marked with 'Palestinian Red Crescent Society 101.' The car's number was clear and the crews' uniform was clear, so why were we directly shot at? That is the question."
The video's release sparked fresh outrage and demands for accountability on Saturday.
"The IDF denied access to the site for days; they sent in diggers to cover up the massacre and intentionally lied about it," said podcast producer Hamza M. Syed in reaction to the new revelations. "The entire leadership of the Israeli army is implicated in this unconscionable war crime. And they must be prosecuted."
"Everyone involved in this crime against humanity, and everyone who covered it up, would face prosecution in a world that had any shred of dignity left," said journalist Ryan Grim of DropSite News.
"They're dismantling our country. They're looting our government. And they think we'll just watch."
In communities across the United States and also overseas, coordinated "Hands Off" protests are taking place far and wide Saturday in the largest public rebuke yet to President Donald Trump and top henchman Elon Musk's assault on the workings of the federal government and their program of economic sabotage that is sacrificing the needs of working families to authoritarianism and the greed of right-wing oligarchs.
According to the organizers' call to action:
They're dismantling our country. They’re looting our government. And they think we'll just watch.
On Saturday, April 5th, we rise up with one demand: Hands Off!
This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way. They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam.
They're handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich. If we don't fight now, there won’t be anything left to save.
More than 1,000 "Hands Off!" demonstrations—organized by a large coalition of unions, progressive advocacy groups, and pro-democracy watchdogs—first kicked off Saturday in European, followed by East Coast communities in the U.S., and were set to continue throughout the day at various times, depending on location. See here for a list of scheduled "Hands Off" events—or schedule one in your community.
"The United States has a president, not a king," said the progressive advocacy group People's Action, one of the group's involved in the actions, in an email to supporters on Saturday just as protest events kicked off in hundreds of cities and communities. "Donald Trump has, by every measure, been working to make himself a king. He has become unanswerable to the courts, Congress, and the American people."
Citing the Republican president's thirst for "power and greed," the group explained why organized pressure must be built and sustained against the administration, especially at the conclusion of a week in which the global economy was spun into disarray by Trump's tariff announcement, his attack on the rule of law continued, and the twice-elected president admitted he was "not joking" about the possibility of seeking a third term, which is barred by the constitution.
"He is destroying the economy with tariffs in order to pay for the tax cuts he wants to push through to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies," warned People's Action. "He has ordered the government to round up innocent people off of the streets and put them in detention centers without due process because they dared to speak out using their First Amendment rights. And he is not close to being done—by his own admission, he is planning to run for a third term, which the Constitution does not allow."
Live stream of Hands Off rally in Washington, D.C.:
Below are photo or video dispatches from demonstrations around the world on Saturday. Check back for updates...
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Belgium:
Massachusetts:
Maine:
Washington, D.C.:
New York:
Minnesota:
Michigan:
Ohio:
Colorado:
Pennsylvania:
North Carolina:
The protest organizers warn that what Trump and Musk are up to "is not just corruption" and "not just mismanagement," but something far more sinister.
"This is a hostile takeover," they said, but vowed to fight back. "This is the moment where we say NO. No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive."