Since the start of the war in Ukraine, U.S. officials have watched with some anxiety as billions of American dollars flowed into the country, well aware of Kyiv’s history of political corruption and fearing that aid might be siphoned off for personal gain.
Ukraine Corruption Scandal Stokes Longstanding Aid Concerns in U.S.
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Dispelling the Myth of Tax-Induced Capital Flight
A study by the American Sociological Association in 2016 found that while massive top rate tax hikes might cause some millionaires to move from their high-tax state to a low-tax state, the amount of them doing so for this reason was negligible. Millionaires moved for tax purposes around 2.2% of the time. Indeed, in any event the rate of inter-state migration generally was lower for millionaires, at 2.4%, than it was for the general population, at 2.9%.
Sixteen municipalities in Puerto Rico are suing Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and other fossil fuel companies for their efforts to deny the role of fossil fuel products in causing climate change. In a November 2022 report for Common Dreams, Kenny Stancil described the lawsuit—a “first of its kind” RICO case—which seeks to hold the fossil fuel corporations financially responsible for the damages caused by the hurricanes that devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. The lawsuit contends that the 2017 hurricane season was made worse by global warming and that fossil fuel companies colluded to deceive the public about the impacts of fossil fuel products on the climate.
Municipalities in Puerto Rico Sue Fossil Fuel Giants Under Organized Crime Law
ID.me made its disastrous news cycle debut as COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc worldwide. With ID verification and other government services mostly still being handled remotely, multiple governments continued to wrestle with these unprecedented logistical problems.
Report: ID.me Lied About Pretty Much Everything While Providing Identification Services To The Government
According to the Treasury Department, the new package brings total US budgetary aid for Ukraine to $13 billion
US Announces $4.5 Billion in Direct Budgetary Aid for Ukraine
Rishi Sunak’s policy history and cabinet appointments have raised fears of even more benefits cuts and a drastic curtailing of basic rights, says Tanupriya Singh.
Britons Face More Austerity, Weaker Rights Under Sunak
Video via Double Down News
The United Kingdom’s Conservative Party has voted for Liz Truss to become its new leader, replacing Boris Johnson and making her Britain’s next prime minister. Truss served as foreign secretary under Johnson and has a record of “extreme neoliberal policies,” says British journalist George Monbiot. These include supporting tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulating the fossil fuel industry and refusing to regulate agricultural pollution. Monbiot also warns Truss will undermine the country’s model public health system and labor rights for organizing workers.
New U.K. PM Liz Truss Has “Extreme Neoliberal” Anti-Labor, Anti-Environment Record
As much as we love to talk about how we have “abolished” slavery in these here United States, there is an exception to the 13th Amendment — involuntary servitude is still legal if it’s being used as punishment for a crime. In Arizona, as in many states, prisoners are required to work 40 hours a week for at little as 10 cents an hour, unless their health does not allow it (which is a very big possibility considering a federal judge just found the state’s prison healthcare system to be “plainly grossly inadequate” and “unconstitutional”).
Arizona Can’t Function Without Forced Labor, Is That Bad?
Related:
Arizona communities would ‘collapse’ without cheap prison labor, Corrections director says
After a recent visit to Iran, UN special rapporteur for human rights Alena Douhan claimed that US sanctions have gravely affected the lives of common Iranians and were even responsible for a significant number of deaths in the country
US imposes fresh sanctions on companies involved in oil trade with Iran
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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