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Indigenous Leaders to Washington: Your Borders Cross Our People 8 a.m. Friday, January 19th

People marching outside with a huge banner that reads Respect Indigenous People's Rights End colonialism

The Indigenous People's March comes to Washington today, and the snow-clad streets of the citadel of the American Empire are about to turn Red!

It might be mistaken for any other day. The slushy sidewalks are half full of sleepy eyed company men and Trump Administration apparatchiks, sliding to and fro. Those, that is, who are still showing up for their jobs.

But – then, the sound of drums in the distance, the steady beat of moccasined feet approaching. And they are about to do a stomp dance that's gonna rock this rotten country coast to coast.

Friday, January 18th, 2019 is just a day like any other day. It is a day for the true Native Nations of this continent to Stand Up for the Earth. A day to stand together for the People.

So say Native leaders gathering for today's march: “Our People didn't cross your border. Your border crossed our People.”

I didn't ask their names.

Identifying Indigenous activists in print can lead to the kind of trouble few members of the white elite in America will ever experience.

How Asbestos is Still Negatively Impacting Our Health and Environment

Black and pick mess on a floor and words Caution Asbestos

It’s been almost 70 years since the idea of climate change was introduced to the world — 70 years of compiling data, furthering research, and building the kind of ironclad case that only science can build. And yet, there is still a very large portion of our population that dismisses it as coincidence or political conspiracy or both.

It’s difficult to argue against science, particularly in this digital age when technological advances eliminate all hints of theory from the science. However, as we’re dealing with human beings with human agendas; even when the science appears sound, people still have a difficult time seeing the truth.

The same can be said for many other threats that plague our planet and our own health and mortality, though these are not mutually exclusive. A better distinction may be direct threat, as any threat to our planet will also be a threat to us as humans. Unfortunately for everyone whose lives have been impacted, asbestos falls into the category of direct threat.

What is Asbestos

Council Lets Big Money In

Middle aged white man in a suit with brown receding hair at a mic with a flag in the background

January 14, 2018 // Columbus City Council voted to allow individual campaign donors to give them, and other city office holder candidates $12,707.79 per year. In the last agenda item of the night, on Tuesday 14 January, the city established one of the highest municipal caps in the state. In comparison, candidates in Cleveland can only accept $5,000, and in Cincinnati $1,100. 

All four citizen comments regarding the ordinance at the council meeting opposed the high cap, but members of Council spoke glowingly of the ordinance prior to its approval. Michael Stinziano, President ProTempore, called the ordinance "a good first step." Council President Shannon G Hardin said, "For the first time we are putting a cap on campaign contributions in the city...This legislation is a good, historic first step."

Flash Rally To Support Government Workers

Sign sitting outside in the snow against a large planter says End the Trump Shutdown

Thursday, January 17, -6:30pm
John  Glenn International Airport (Columbus airport), 4600 International Gateway
Show your support for government workers being impacted by the Trump shutdown.
Air traffic controllers, safety inspectors, scientists, TSA agents, our Coast Guard, Park Service and many other working citizens are being forced to work without pay or are furloughed due to Trump's shutdown over his racist monument.
Due to security issues this will be a "flash" event. Please make banners or signs that can be kept folded in a pocket and remain covert until rally starts. Cloth would be ideal.
It is likely we will be asked to leave. However, it is harder for them to ask a large group to leave, hence the "flash" nature.
We lend our peaceful nonviolent support to our government workers. Perhaps we will catch Representatives Stivers and Beatty on their home flights and have opportunity to ask them directly to end this shutdown.

January Green Drinks

Words January Green Drinks hosted by Chadwick Arboretum and some logos

Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 PM 
There will be more than a dozen groups (including GreenSpot) that will have booths and many speakers. This is a great way to connect with amazing local non-profit organizations and find out how they make Columbus a better place and how you can get involved. 
Location:  Ohio 4-H Youth Development, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus 43210.  Facebook.  

Stop the Execution of Warren "Keith" Henness

Tall bald white man with a mustache and beard and green T-shirt standing smiling with his arm around a gray haired smiling lady in a flowered dress

The state has seven executions scheduled for 2019 starting with Warren "Keith" Henness on February, 13 2019. We need your help telling Governor DeWine that Keith's case is yet another reminder of the systemic flaws with Ohio's death penalty for the reasons listed below:

Keith Henness' trial lawyers did virtually no work defending him

Lead counsel logged fewer than 12 hours investigating the case during the sixteen months before trial.

Counsel did not investigate or hire mitigation specialists to defend Keith.

Lingering doubt exists today; evidence was destroyed

Both co-defendants had histories of violence, substance abuse issues, and motive for killing Richard Myers. Keith had no history of violence and no motive for the crime.

Finger prints and blood samples taken from the crime scene did not match Keith. The lead detective on the case instructed the crime lab to destroy the forensic evidence after the trial during Keith's appeal.

Keith's death sentence is an outlier that never should have occurred

Federal Workers Struggle Without Pay, While ICE Charters a $148,000 Plane to Deport Men to Torture and Abuse in Mauritania

Nose of a jet with a truck next to it

Florence, AZ – Federal workers may not be getting paid during the government shutdown, but the ICE deportation machine continues its grind. In Arizona, ICE officials are preparing a charter flight to Africa at the cost of $148,000--all to deport a handful of people, possibly as few as nine. The charter may leave Arizona tonight or sometime tomorrow.
 

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