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Brett Abrams : 516-841-1105 : brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com
WASHINGTON - Starting Monday, April 29th, consumer watchdog organization, SumOfUs.org, in partnership with Oil Change International and Environmental Action will be placing ads in the DC metro system exposing images from the ExxonMobil tar sands pipeline spill last month in Arkansas that devastated the suburban town of Mayflower. The ads will run for one month at the Foggy Bottom metro station while the State Department considers revising its draft environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline, after over one million comments opposing construction of the pipeline were submitted.
VIEW THE ADS HERE: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sumofus/sets/72157633331311419/
"Exxon thought it could keep us from finding out what a tar sands spill looked like, by pushing the FAA to institute a no-fly zone and threatening reporters with arrest," explained Kaytee Riek, campaign manager for SumOfUs.org. "Then over 2,000 people donated to make sure the photos that leaked out ended up exactly where it didn't want them: in front of State Department employees deciding this month to approve or reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline."
The Foggy Bottom metro station is used by many State Department employees everyday in their commute to and from work. The ads demand that the State Department not to approve the Keystone XL pipeline due to the high risk of major spills as well as its climate impacts. It is estimated that over 10,000 barrels of oil were spilled in the town of Mayflower, Arkansas in late March.
Big Oil companies are lobbying furiously for the Keystone XL, a massive pipeline stretching across the heartland of the United States that would be responsible for the equivalent of 51 coal plants worth of climate pollution per year were it to be built. If approved, the Keystone XL will be carrying even more of the same hard-to-clean-up toxic crude as the oil spilled in Arkansas. ExxonMobil put in place a no-fly zone over the spill site with the federal government to keep news helicopters from capturing images of the disaster, all to hide the danger of tar sands pipelines.
"As if the million public comments saying no to Keystone XL weren't enough, the State Department staffers who can help Secretary Kerry and President Obama make the right decision to reject Keystone XL will now be reminded of potential impacts of this pipeline every day as they head to work," explained David Turnbull, Campaigns Director of Oil Change International. "But that jarring reminder pales in comparison to the effects from toxic spills and climate disruption we all will endure should this dirty tar sands pipeline be built."
"The struggle for a safer climate isn't over. With a growing climate justice movement, objections to the State Department report by the EPA, and seemingly a new fossil fuel spill every day, we are going to keep the pressure on," added Drew Hudson, Director of Environmental Action. "Ensuring our decision makers see exactly what their policies mean to the people and wildlife in places like Mayflower, AR is a key to making sure they do the right thing. We won't go away until they do."
For more information, or for interviews, please contact Brett Abrams at 516-841-1105 or by email at brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com.
"This wasn't an accident. The far-right members of the Israeli government wanted to render Gaza unlivable with the aim of forcing 2 million Palestinians to flee (forever)," said one human rights leader.
Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are returning home after a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel went into effect Sunday, halting 15 months of war that local health officials say killed over 46,000 people. But for many, there are no homes to return to.
Footage of Gaza shows what once were houses, shops, and other buildings severely damaged or completely reduced to gray rubble.
One Gaza resident, Islam Dahliz, toldThe New York Times that he and his brother and father set out to find their family home—a once spacious two-story dwelling in Rafah—almost as soon as the cease-fire went into effect. What they found instead was unrecognizable.
"It took us a few minutes to accept that this pile of rubble was our home," said Dahliz. The house had been built by Dahliz's father, Abed Dahliz, in the 1970s.
"I was shocked when I saw my entire life—everything I worked for—flattened to the ground," said Abed Dahliz, according to the Times. "The home I spent so many years building, pouring my savings into, is gone."
Versions of this story are playing out all around Gaza. All told, roughly 90% of the population across Gaza was displaced from their homes, many multiple times, according to the United Nations.
"The images emerging from Gaza are haunting. This is a site where Palestinian captives were forced to strip, their clothes left behind among the ruins as a reminder of what Israeli soldiers did," wrote Assal Rad, a scholar of modern Iran, on X. Rad's post is accompanied by a video of a man showing a strip of land covered in clothes. In the video, the man says that the clothes are from Palestinians who were arrested by Israeli forces after they stormed areas in northern Gaza, like the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
In response to reporting of Gazans returning home to destruction, Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote: "This wasn't an accident. The far-right members of the Israeli government wanted to render Gaza unlivable with the aim of forcing two million Palestinians to flee (forever), "
Human Rights Watch, which late last year issued a report accusing Israel of committing "acts of genocide" by depriving Palestinians of water access in Gaza, wrote in November 2024 that "the destruction [in Gaza] is so substantial that it indicates the intention to permanently displace many people."
A preliminary U.N. satellite imagery analysis found that as of December 1, 2024, 60,000 structures in Gaza have been destroyed. The total number of damaged or destroyed structures constitutes roughly 69% of the total structures in the enclave, according to the analysis. A separate U.N. estimate published in January found that 92% of homes have been destroyed or damaged.
The footage coming out of Gaza underscores how long it will take for Palestinians to reconstruct their communities. The cease-fire deal that went into effect Sunday includes three phrases, the third of which is supposed to entail reconstruction of Gaza. Dima Toukan, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, toldNPR that it's important to note the last phase could be a long way off, and could possibly never happen at all.
"There is still an incredible amount of work left to be done in order to achieve abortion justice in this country, and we hope this playbook serves as a guide to realizing that goal," said All* Above All.
Wednesday marked 52 years since the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in the Roe v. Wade decision that Americans have the right to obtain abortion care, but as the reproductive justice group All* Above All said as it released its Abortion Justice Playbook, marginalized communities across the U.S. faced barriers to necessary healthcare "even before the fall" of Roe in 2022.
With Republican-controlled states given free rein to pass abortion restrictions and bans, said All* Above All, "those inequities have only deepened, with millions denied the healthcare they need."
The threat to abortion access has only "escalated" as President Donald Trump returns to the White House, said the group, "as his administration continues to push for even more restrictive abortion laws at the state level."
While the U.S. government is now in the hands of a president who has bragged about overturning Roe, mocked the family of one Georgia woman whose death was caused by the state's six-week abortion ban, and whose vice president has backed a nationwide abortion ban, All* Above All emphasized that Trump's views do not represent those of the majority of Americans.
"The American people remain committed to protecting abortion access with Pew Research finding 63% support for abortion rights nationwide," reads the Abortion Justice Playbook. "Since 2022, voters in 13 states have enacted state constitutional protections for abortion care. State legislatures across the country have also sprung into action to protect abortion access in their states and mitigate the effects of restrictions in others."
"There is still an incredible amount of work left to be done in order to achieve abortion justice in this country, and we hope this playbook serves as a guide to realizing that goal," reads the 21-page document.
The organization was established in 2013 with the goal of repealing the Hyde Amendment, the federal restriction passed in 1976 that bars federal funding from being used for abortion care. The policy blocks abortion care for low-income people who are covered by Medicaid, even in states where abortion remains legal.
"This isn't just about policies—it's about people. It's about transforming a broken system to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, can access the healthcare they deserve with dignity and without barriers."
All* Above All's playbook calls for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment through the passage of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, which would ensure the "basic right to abortion care is extended to every person who receives care or insurance through the federal government. Additionally, it will prohibit political interference with decisions by private insurance companies to offer coverage for abortion care."
But with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress for at least the next two years, reads the playbook, "states can step up to serve as a crucial backstop in providing affordable abortion care" as abortion rights advocates continue to push for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment.
The group called on states to repeal all bans on insurance coverage of abortion, which exist in 35 states, and to require all health insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost sharing.
All* Above All said states should also expand access and affordability by:
"The Abortion Justice Playbook is a bold and necessary blueprint for building a future where abortion access isn't just restored but reimagined to address the systemic inequities that have long denied care to Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+, and low-income communities," said Lexi White, director of state strategies at All* Above All. "This isn't just about policies—it's about people. It's about transforming a broken system to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, can access the healthcare they deserve with dignity and without barriers."
To further protect medication abortion—which accounts for 63% of all abortions in the U.S.—after the Supreme Court ruled last year that the abortion pill mifepristone can maintain its federal approval, the group called on states to repeal any in-person dispensing requirements for medication abortions.
Physician-only dispensing requirements should also be repealed, the group added, and state legislatures should pass shield laws to protect providers from out-of-state criminalization of prescribing and dispensing abortion pills.
In December, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against a doctor in New York who prescribed abortion pills to a patient in Texas.
All* Above All applauded 14 state governors who have issued 18 executive orders to protect abortion rights since Roe was overturned, and called on governors to take further steps.
Governors should use state budgetary powers to ensure providers can care for patients who need abortions, including by supporting abortion funds; protect medication abortion, especially at universities, through executive action; and direct state health authorities to affirm state and federal requirements to provide emergency abortion care, said All* Above All.
While many of the more than 90,000 local governments in the United States have used their authority in recent years to restrict abortion rights through "arbitrary permit denials, zoning restrictions, reductions in funding, and more," said All* Above All, local leaders can also "fight back against restrictions."
The group called on local governments in states with abortion bans to restrict funding so local funds can't be used in abortion investigations and ensure that criminalization of abortion care is local law enforcement agencies' "lowest priority."
Local governments in all states can work to repeal any abortion travel bans, remove arbitrary restrictions that limit where and how clinics can operate, prohibit local police from taking part in federal or state abortion investigations, and speak out against reproductive injustice by publicly supporting the EACH Act and other legislation.
"The Abortion Justice Playbook," said All* Above All president Nourbese Flint, "is our blueprint for a future where abortion access is equitable, universal, and free from discrimination."
One Texas bishop said the new policy "strikes fear into the heart of our community... when they are worshipping God, seeking healthcare, and dropping off and picking up children at school."
School districts, healthcare professionals, and religious institutions across the United States are in fight-back mode Wednesday after Republican President Donald Trump revoked a rule prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from arresting undocumented immigrants in or around "sensitive" locations like schools, places of worship, hospitals, and shelters.
"Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a statement issued Tuesday. "The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense."
The unleashing of ICE agents for raids on previously protected spaces—which are refuges for children,
domestic violence victims, and other vulnerable people—is part of Trump's anti-immigrant agenda that includes "the largest mass deportation operation" in U.S. history, according to one administration official.
Religious leaders were among those condemning the move, with Mark Seitz, the Roman Catholic bishop of El Paso, Texas and chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, lamenting that the new policy "strikes fear into the heart of our community, cynically layering a blanket of anxiety on families when they are worshipping God, seeking healthcare, and dropping off and picking up children at school."
BREAKING: Trump has revoked a rule prohibiting ICE from arresting undocumented immigrants at or near "sensitive locations," like schools, places of worship, hospitals, & shelters." We need to act I list 7 tangible actions you can take to help protect immigrants: www.qasimrashid.com/p/trumps-mas...
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— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@qasimrashid.com) January 21, 2025 at 12:43 PM
However, communities across the nation also met Trump's escalation with renewed determination to protect their immigrant neighbors.
Dr. Katherine Peeler, medical adviser at Physicians for Human Rights, said in a statement Tuesday that "no one should have to hesitate to seek lifesaving treatment because they fear detention, deportation, or being torn from their families."
"Eliminating protections for sensitive locations like hospitals will deter people from seeking essential medical care, putting their individual health at risk and jeopardizing public health," Peeler added. "This is part and parcel of the Trump administration's strategy to create a climate of fear that promotes discrimination and unnecessary suffering."
Some school districts in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Palm Springs and many others had already established policies to preemptively protect undocumented students by declaring safe spaces or refusing to cooperate with federal agencies. Others are now acting in the wake of Tuesday's policy shift.
School officials in Bridgeport, Connecticut said Tuesday that they are reaffirming their "commitment to protecting the safety and privacy of all students and families," partly by blocking ICE agents from entering buildings without permission from Superintendent Royce Avery.
"We will not tolerate any threats to the safety or dignity of our students," Avery said. "Every student in Bridgeport, regardless of their immigration status, has the right to feel secure and supported in our schools. I became an educator to advocate for all students, and I will ensure their rights and privacy are upheld. Our schools will remain a safe space where all students can learn, grow, and succeed without fear or discrimination."
The Saint Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) in Minnesota's capital city is calling on its members to resist what it called Trump's efforts to establish an "authoritarian dictatorship."
"It is our turn to face down the authoritarian Republicans ruling our government," SPFE president Leah VanDassor said in a statement Tuesday. "Joining together, we can resist authoritarian efforts to divide us, refuse to comply with their agenda, and reclaim our birthright: making America live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all—no exceptions."
"There will be those in the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and the Minnesota Legislature that will support [Trump's] orders, because they support replacing our democracy with an authoritarian dictatorship," VanDassor continued. "There will be temptation to ignore the role that white supremacy, sexism, transphobia, and xenophobia play in these actions."
"Some may have that option," VanDassor added. "But we don't."
Denver Public Schools (DPS) was among the districts that offered community guidance on what to do if government officials show up. School employees are advised to deny federal agents entry to buildings, alert occupants to impending raids, demand warrants from ICE officers, and seek legal counsel.
DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero explained in a statement last week that the district "is committed to providing equitable and inclusive environments where all our students feel safe and socially and emotionally supported" as "students, families, and staff who are undocumented are experiencing unease and uncertainty regarding potential mass deportation."
Even some MAGA Republicans are opposed to allowing federal agents to raid schools.
"If they do that, less kids will come to school," Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne toldPhoenix New Times on Tuesday, adding that it's not a child's fault if "their parents came here illegally."
Among those offering advice to her community on what to do if faced with an ICE raid was Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who said in a video posted on Instagram: "If you are a resident and ICE comes to your property, you do not have to open the door. The only way you have to open the door to ICE is if they have a warrant signed by a judge."
Others noted that Trump's new policy only applies to public spaces and that ICE agents need both a judicial search warrant and arrest warrant to enter private spaces and arrest people.
While some U.S. clergy have expressed trepidation about offering sanctuary to migrants in light of the new Department of Homeland Security policy, other said they will protect community members in need.
"It is really important to be present to let people know, we will be there wherever we can to support them," Father Larry Dowling, a Catholic priest in Chicago, toldABC 7 on Sunday.
Trump
lashed out against Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde on his Truth Social platform early Wednesday, calling the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. "nasty" after she implored him during Tuesday's inaugural interfaith service to "have mercy" on "those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away" and who may not "have the proper documentation"—saying the vast majority of them are "good neighbors" and "not criminals."