{!hitembed ID=”hitembed_1″ width=”350″ height=”197″ align=”right” !}

We travel from Japan to Iceland for the sounds of Sigur Ros!

International Politics

Overall

– All the focus, if you believe the Israeli narrative, should be on Iran’s alleged nuclear weapon program. However, this is a red herring considering Israel’s nuclear weapons and how insane the leadership is

– More drones are being traded across the world with Israel as the leading exporter

– Spain recommended, should EU discussions with Libya fail, an oil embargo and freezing assets of Libya’s central bank as a replacement. Meanwhile, the EU is preparing for a security mission in the country.

– The U.S. denied Tony Blair was being removed from his position as an envoy to the Middle East as Blair will soon leave his post

– Despite the letter sent by the 47 Senators, international talks are still ongoing between P5+1 and Iran. Still, little is being accomplished

– Both officials at the United Nations and Russia believe the Islamic State now is in Afghanistan, which is troublesome

Middle East

– In all honesty, there does not seem to be a serious alternative to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That isn’t good

– Benjamin Netanyahu: If you elect me, then I will ensure no Palestinian state is created

– Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he would wait for U.S. “actions” after conflicting statements from U.S. officials on regime change

– The Houthi government in Yemen released the former prime minister and his cabinet from their homes

– At least 90 percent of Iranian MPs say sanctions must be removed should an international deal be made

– Officials from the justice system in Saudi Arabia said there does exist “justice for all” in the country

– A court in the Gaza Strip sentenced a Palestinian to 15 years of hard labor after it was found he spied for Israel

Africa

– The Real News hosts a panel of guests to talk about current efforts against the Congolese government and how the youth play into the resistance

– With Boko Haram still thriving in Nigeria, it threatens to pull apart the state into northern and southern halves

– Civilians escaping to Europe from instability in North Africa often face a rough journey and, if they do make it, they face hostility in European countries

Latin America, Caribbean and Canada

– Professor William Black joins The Real News to talk about corruption in Chile and how whistleblowers are not really protected.

– Twenty-seven people, including a treasurer for the Workers Party, were arrested in Brazil over the Petrobras scandal

– Plan Colombia is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to U.S. presence in Colombia

Surveillance Planet

– Gallup: Thirty-four percent of Americans, as a result of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations on the nation’s mass surveillance programs, changed the way they protect their privacy

Financial Matters

– Jeff Madrick : “Free-Market Boosters Just Don’t Get It: Why Do They Cling to Discredited Ideas?”

– There are major wealth gaps between races in the U.S. and the time is now, not tomorrow, to achieve equality.

Labor’s a-Brewing

– Dean Baker: “Scott Walker Ends Freedom of Contract in Wisconsin”

– Good news as California announced it would investigate a case covered by ProPublica/NPR on a disabled man whose home aide was removed

– When workers at fast-food restaurants are burned on the job, management often tells them to apply some mustard

– Oil workers believe the six-week strike led to benefits for workers as their union starts to implement a new contract

– Labor should, instead of licking their wounds from Wisconsin, put their best foot forward and organize, organize, organize.

Politics US

Washington USA

– Gallup: Less than 40 percent of have a favorable opinion of Democratic and the same goes for Republicans.

– Gareth Porter: “The Real Story Behind the Republicans’ Iran Letter”

– Lost with all of these Iranian hawks? Too much to count, but too little time? Well fret no more as this infographic can help show who’s who in Congress.

– Oops. The U.S. government improperly spent $125 billion last year, according to the Government Accountability Office

– A new poll found 51 percent of Americans thinking Hillary Clinton faces “somewhat serious” problems after her latest scandal involving her private email

– Democratic activists supporting Elizabeth Warren for president are now shifting their focus to making her vice president; INSTEAD OF PUTTING ENERGY INTO A WORTHLESS EFFORT GO OUT AND SUPPORT LOCAL PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES. Goodness gracious, these activists are short-sighted

– As a result of the Affordable Care Act, more than one-third of Americans without health insurance now have it; But the question is: Is it good coverage?

– The U.S. government is now consulting David Petraeus, yes that David Petraeus, on what to do against the Islamic State

– President Barack Obama: I will challenge Republicans head on when it comes to education policy than backdown

– The State Department is unaware of any Senate probe into the department’s alleged interference in Israeli elections

– The American Civil Liberties Union sued the federal government for information on the White House’s secret kill list

– It’s lights, camera, terrorism in this case where FBI agents made a civilian into their terrorist to go after

Anytown USA

– Chris Hedges: “The Most Dangerous Woman in America”

– Part one of two with Lisa Mitchell Sennaar on her uncle Parren Mitchell, an important figure in Baltimore politics during the 1960s who was anti-war and championed civil rights

– Cops in Denver were given body cameras to wear and use. Although, they mostly do not turn them on

– In San Francisco, four officers are under investigation for sending each other racist and homophobic texts

– Even Portland, seen as a city where progressive politics can be found, struggles with reforming its police force

– Dahr Jamail: “US Judge Sentences US Citizen Based on Israeli Military Documents”

– A man in Oregon now surpassed 900 days in jail. What did he do, you ask? No charges have been filed yet against him.

We Don’t Need No Education

– The Real News covers college students who discuss opposition from their campuses on Israeli divestment campaigns

Health, Hunger and Homelessness

– Despite a change in government, Uruguayan President Tabare Vasquez is serious about combating not only cigarette companies, but alcoholic ones as well

– Coca-Cola paid nutrition experts to push its drinks as a healthy snack for consumers

– Sam Sacks: “As 9/11 First Responder Death Toll Mount, EPA Considers New Rules on Toxic Dust”

The Second Sex

– A feminist movement is growing in Syria to empower women by openly talking about their sexuality

– Vice President Joseph Biden said new federal funds can clear rape kit backlogs across the U.S.

Planet Earth

– There needs to be more done to dwindle a $20 billion wildlife black market that will certainly cause major problems in the future to ecosystems

– As a result of global warming, it is best for countries to be warned of natural disasters to better prepare for the devastation that may follow

– A growing number of sea lion pups washed ashore in California this year, which is worrying environmentalists and officials

– As a result of Cyclone Pam, 24 people were killed and at least 3,300 are displaced in Vanuatu

– The world’s coal boom is now slowing down, according to a new a report

Mixed Bag

– The U.S. returned treasures to Iraq as ISIS continues to destroy more ancient artifacts in Iraq

– Remember that time The Washington Post published a piece saying war with Iran wouldn’t so bad? Yeah, not a good idea to publish that

– French authorities say Yassar Arafay was not poisoned, according to their investigation

Break Time

– Olson Olson [Sigur Ros]