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Things seem gloomy for us so enjoy the song today!

Baltimore Coverage, Day 2

– Across the U.S., folks are showing solidarity with those protesting in Baltimore

– Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): Lack of the family structure caused the problems in Baltimore

– Martin O’Malley, former governor of Maryland and hoping to run for president, is someone who advocated broken windows in Maryland; That worked out well!

– Activist Dominque Stevenson speaks with The Real News about the real events going on in Baltimore

– So let me understand this? Violence is extremely newsworthy in the case of Baltimore, yet poverty isn’t the same for mainstream outlets?

– Gang members from the Bloods and Crips speak with The Real News about policing along with demonstrations in the city

– More videos can be found by The Real News about systemic poverty in the city and potential solutions for residents

– FDL alum and friend Kit O’Connell writes a necessary piece explaining how Gray’s death was “the last straw” for Baltimore residents

International Politics

Overall

– It was thanks to tactics from Big Tobacco, for example, that deniers of the Armenian genocide continued to breed doubt

– An Iranian official said Iran would focus on reducing regional stability than improving ties with the U.S. after the international agreement with the P5+1

– An aid worker with the United Nations was suspended for leaking a report on sexual abuse caused by French peace troops in the Central African Republic

Middle East

– A new crown prince was chosen in Saudi Arabia to ensure the stability of the country

– Fascinating insight on a spokesperson for al-Qaeda who formerly was a journalist

Asia and Oceania

– For those living in Nepal, aid is taking a while to be sent to them

Europe 

– European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker admitted Europe’s policy on migrants was too little, too late

Latin America, Caribbean and Canada

– In Brazil, police and teachers clashed outside a state congressional building as lawmakers there were voting to cut teachers’ pension plans

Financial Matters

– In the first quarter of GDP growth for the U.S., it rose by .2 percent. Without massive inventories, it may have been as low as -2.7 percent. Dean Baker writes more on the figures here.

– The Federal Reserve blamed “transitory factors” as to why growth in the first quarter was so low; Or there isn’t a plan by the U.S. government to have a full recovery

– With the trade deficit also affecting GDP growth, you would think the Trans-Pacific Partnership would be a bad idea for the Obama administration

– In spite of the mega-investments in recent years, there doesn’t seem to be any potential gains for the rest of us

– Gallup: Thirty-six percent of Americans who are not retired say they will depend on Social Security as a major source of income when they receive it

– In 2006, Robert Klaus blew the whistle on fraud committed by Wachovia bank. He will soon lose his home to Wells Fargo, which took over Wachovia

– Bernie Sanders: “So-called ‘free trade’ policies hurt US workers every time we pass them”

Labor’s a-Brewing

– Journalist Michelle Chen writes about a new database detailing workplace deaths across the globe and efforts to implement workplace safety

– Chinese workers living in Israel and working for a company there signed an agreement to not have sex with any Israeli women

– Robert Reich: “The Real Reason So Many Americans Feel So Powerless”

– A new report found at least 150 workers across the U.S. are killed on the job every day

Politics US

Washington USA

– Third parties are nice to have, but we need strong and bold leadership for true change

– Trevor Timm: “CIA’s torture experts now use their skills in secret drones program”

– Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) believes the federal government should pay local governments in order to deport undocumented immigrants

– Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) believes a law passed by Congress concerning human rights is limiting efforts to stop Boko Haram

– Some lawmakers though it would be a good idea to invite Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, formerly an official terrorist group by U.S. standard, and received heavy backlash from former State Department officials

– Moreover, a MEK leader told U.S. lawmakers Iran is the “godfather” of the IS militants

– Hillary Clinton criticized the broken criminal justice her husband created during his tenure as president

– Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized to Congress over Japan’s role in World War II

Anytown USA

– The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced it would no longer display political advertisements

– Activists in Kansas, a red state, are challenging mass incarceration as a result of the war on drugs

– Black youths across the U.S. are being killed by officers and yet there is the audacity to say they should being a conformist to the system for their future. They have no future under this system

We Don’t Need No Education

– A new survey found only small percentage of eighth graders across the U.S. were able to perform well on tests regarding history, civics or geography

The Second Sex

– Purvi Patel, the woman convicted for feticide in Indiana, will appeal her sentence of 20 years

– Yikes, this piece vividly describes how ignorant men believe they are funny through sexual harassment when, in fact, they aren’t

– Jessica Valenti: “College rapists should not be able to transfer schools to skip consequences”

Planet Earth

– Ever hear of Ethos? It’s a water bottle company based out of southern California sold in Starbucks and gives its proceeds to help fund programs in Africa. Meanwhile, California is suffering from a terrible drought

– New research found the peaks of mountains are warming at a faster rate than expected

– Different perspectives from residents in Seattle fighting Shell’s decision to drill in the Arctic

– California Governor Jerry Brown (D) wants the state to cut gas emissions by 2030

– A new report warned there was a danger of a tar sands invasion for those living in the West Coast

– New research found voters are more likely to believe in global warming if they are in a warm room

Mixed Bag

– A cartoonist with Charlie Hebdo announced he would no longer draw Muhammad because he is tired of it

– Here’s some quotes by Martin Luther King Junior the mainstream doesn’t like to cite

– The Onion: “Baltimore Residents Urged To Stay Indoors Until Social Progress Naturally Takes Its Course Over Next Century”

Break Time

– March Of The Dawn [The Mummers]