Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus, rejected the idea of being part of a rival power center within the Vatican, as some conservative critics of Pope Francis have hoped.
All posts by nedhamson
‘I’m hard-left, hard-remain’: grassroots bid for Labour Brexit seachange

Constituency groups could force Jeremy Corbyn to agree to a ‘people’s vote’ at the conference
Few people in Labour have heard of Michael Chessum, the self-described “hard-left, hard-remain” campaigner, who concedes he is an unusual frontman for a campaign that could transform the Labour party’s Brexit policy.
“Last year the faces were Chuka Umunna, Heidi Alexander, I can’t really believe that this year, it’s people like me, it’s weird,” he says in his shared south London office, surrounded by anti-Brexit paraphernalia and protest signs.
‘Treating protest as terrorism’: US plans crackdown on Keystone XL activists
Fascism Merican style

Documents suggest an aggressive response to possible protests against the oil pipeline amid fears of another Standing Rock
Angeline Cheek is preparing for disaster. The indigenous organizer from the Fort Peck reservation in Montana fears that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline could break and spill, destroy her tribe’s water, and desecrate sacred Native American sites.
But environmental catastrophe is not the most immediate threat.
Thursday Open Thread | Willie Nelson: “I don’t care” if my fans get angry that I support Beto O’Rourke
Musician Willie Nelson said Tuesday that he’s not bothered by the fact that many of his fans are boycotting him because he’s headlining a rally for Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) later this month.
“I don’t care,” Nelson said on ABC’s “The View. “You know, they’re entitled to their opinions and I’m entitled to mine.”
Nelson added the he’s been supporting Democratic lawmakers his entire life and that he didn’t know why this latest event sparked outrage from a contingent of his fans.
“Everybody has an opinion,” he said. “Everybody has a right to an opinion.”
O’Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this November, announced last week that Nelson would headline a rally in Austin, Texas on Sept. 29.
Rolling Stone reported that the appearance from Nelson would mark his first-ever public performance on behalf of a political candidate.
Fans quickly took issue with the announcement, with many posting angry comments on the singer’s Facebook page, where he had shared a post on his plans to headline an event for the Democratic Senate candidate.
“Open your eyes Willie!” one user said on his Facebook. “Beto is a Socialist who probably has lied to you. This is a real shame you support him.”
“I am no longer willing to watch that hippie guitarist who supports that … socialist running for Senate,” another user said on Twitter.
Nelson in a statement said he and his wife “share [O’Rourke’s] concern for the direction things are headed” in the U.S.
While Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in three decades, polls have continued to show that Cruz and O’Rourke are in a tight race.
Cargill Meat Solutions Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. Coli O26 Contamination
Everyone Deserves Better Than This Senate Spectacle
Forget the political finger pointing. Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations against Brett Kavanaugh need to be seriously investigated.
US officials probe Cyclospora spike, tainted US produce
Los Angeles Takes Step Toward Banning Sale of Fur Products
Yes, 3,000 did die in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria. My father was one of them: Victor Ruiz
Let’s keep the memory of Puerto Rico and the 3,000-plus who lost their lives, to remind us all that hate has no place in our country, and that we must choose leaders in upcoming mid-term elections who truly reflect our values, writes Victor Ruiz.
Yemen conflict: 5 million children face famine
US supporting mass starvation

More than 5 million children are at risk of famine in war-torn Yemen, according to the charity Save the Children. Renewed attacks on the key port city of Hodeida could further disrupt food, fuel and aid supplies.
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