“Three dozen state and local governments have challenged the Trump administration’s reversal of a landmark Obama-era scientific ruling which held that greenhouse gases were a threat to public health. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the administration’s repeal last month of the 2009 ‘endangerment finding’ that underpins US policies aimed at lowering emissions from cars, power plants and other sources of planet-warming emissions. Several environmental organisations filed a similar lawsuit last month. President Donald Trump touted the climate change rollback as a major achievement, calling it a victory over the Democratic Party’s ‘radical’ energy and climate policies. The petition filed in the US Court of Appeals argues that overturning the ‘endangerment finding’ violated provisions in the Clean Air Act. The group challenging the administration includes 23 states and 17 cities, counties and state agencies, among them New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.” (03/19/26)
“Senate Republicans have blocked a Democrat-led effort to curb President Donald Trump’s powers to wage war against Iran, as the nearly three-week-old conflict escalates and rattles global energy markets. The Senate voted 53-47 mostly along party lines Wednesday night to reject a resolution that would withdraw U.S. armed forces from conflict with Iran absent congressional approval. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to join his Democratic colleagues and vote in favor of the motion, while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only member of his caucus to vote against it.” [editor’s note: They continue to pretend it’s the opposite of what it is. Without congressional APPROVAL in the form of a declaration of war, the war is illegal; failing to vote AGAINST it doesn’t magically make it legal – TLK] (03/19/26)
“A forthcoming Italian referendum on judicial reform will test right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s political strength and could give the fragmented opposition the impetus to forge a broad alliance ahead of next year’s general election. Italians will vote on March 22-23 on a proposal to separate the careers of judges and public prosecutors, splitting the self-ruling High Council of the Judiciary (CSM) into two bodies whose members would be chosen by lot rather than elected. Though centred on the governance of the judiciary, the referendum has become a political showdown between the government-backed ‘Yes’ camp and the opposition, which supports ‘No.’ There is no turnout quorum required to validate the vote.” (03/19/26)
“US civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, who was known for advocating for the rights of farm workers, has been accused of sexual abuse. Dolores Huerta said in the 1960s, Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union (UFW) with her, once ‘manipulated and pressured’ her into having sex, and on another occasion forced her. It comes after the New York Times published an investigation that detailed allegations from Huerta and two other women, who said Chavez groomed and sexually abused girls who were involved in the labour movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Chavez, who died in 1993 aged 66, rallied California’s farmworkers from the 1950s to push for improvements in working conditions, and led national boycotts and marches. The news has prompted Los Angeles and other communities to consider renaming places, schools, and streets named after Chavez.” (03/19/26)
