Ringing in her 67th birthday at New York’s Webster Hall Monday night, “Godmother of Punk” Patti Smith praised Edward Snowden and the members of Pussy Riot for “speak[ing] for all of us.”
“All of our phone numbers, all of our personal business, the business of our government, Edward let it snow, Edward let it snow,” Smith sang before the crowd, Buzzfeed reports.
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Smith also performed the “Edward Snowden” song, which she wrote shortly after the initial leak of classified NSA surveillance information, while touring Europe this summer.
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“What our world needs is you and truth. They tread so secretly. But Edward, there’s no secrets between you and me,” she sings. “What will happen, I don’t know. Will they take you away? I don’t know. But Edward, let it snow, let it snow. We want to know.”
In previous appearances, Smith has also spoken passionately on behalf of the members of Pussy Riot, who earlier this month were released after being held for 9 months in Russian prisons on charges of “hooliganism” for speaking out against the Putin-led government.
“These girls have been such an inspiration,” Smith said in June speaking before the premiere to the documentary Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer. “They are our daughters, our sisters.[…] There is not a time when I don’t go on stage and I don’t think about them, or feel the freedom to speak out and say the things that upset or anger me about my own country.”
Below is a video of Smith’s July performance of the “Edward Snowden” song at Trädgårdsföreningen park in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Alfa Romeo Racing has announced that Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi will race on with the Swiss outfit in 2021 as the team opts for stability regarding its future.
The renewal will see the 41-year-old Raikkonen – arguably one of the sport’s most popular drivers – embark on his 19th season of Grand Prix racing, while Giovinazzi, whose seat with Alfa appeared to be under threat from fellow Ferrari protégé Mick Schumacher, will head undertake his third full season in F1.
“I am very pleased for the team to continue working with Kimi and Antonio for another season,” said Alfa team boss Fred Vasseur.
“Kimi is a driver who needs no introduction: his talent has been clear to everyone since 2001 and I still see the passion and motivation in him every time I see him at work.
“He can be trusted to deliver 100% of what the car can produce and he is a true leader for the people working around him.
“Antonio finished last year’s campaign strongly and he picked up where he left off and kept improving throughout 2020.
“From the track to the engineering briefings, Antonio has played a crucial role for our team and he has thoroughly deserved a new contract for 2021.
“His work ethic, commitment to the team and contagious enthusiasm are a huge asset for Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.”
Raikkonen, who started his career in F1 in 2001 with Sauber, says the “family” atmosphere at Hinwil is a special ingredient that keeps him motivated.
“Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN is more than a team to me, it is like a second family,” said the Finn.
“So many of the faces that were around me when I made my Formula One debut in 2001 are still here and the unique atmosphere of this team is what gives me that extra motivation to keep going in what will be my 19th season in the sport, next year.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in the team’s project and in what we feel we can achieve together.
“This is a team that values hard work over words and this fits well with my style: I am looking forward to next year and hopefully making some steps forward towards the front of the midfield with the team.”
Read also: Alfa Romeo and Sauber extend partnership into 2021
Giovinazzi, 26, underscored the benefits of the Swiss outfit’s “continuity”
“The team has put a lot of faith in me and I have done my best to repay this confidence with hard work and commitment: we have achieved some good results and I feel I have done my part to make the team progress, but the road ahead is still long and there is much more we want to achieve together,” said the Italian.
“There will be a lot of continuity between this season and the next one, so everything we work on between now and the end of the year will already count for next, and we are ready to give it all we have.”
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Pierre Gasly admits his early demise from AlphaTauri’s home race was “quite hard” to take given his promising chances of securing a good result at Imola.
Gasly and his team’s expectations for the Emilia Romagna GP were boosted by the Frenchman’s impressive P4 performance in qualifying on Saturday.
And the opening laps of Sunday’s race left those prospects intact as the AlphaTauri driver battled among the top five.
But Gasly’s hopes of securing another strong result were crushed after just seven laps when he was ordered to immediately head back to his team’s garage and retire the car, sidelined by an apparent water leak that had already sparked his crew’s attention on the formation lap.
“That was quite hard, especially for our own race,” lamented Gasly. “All weekend was going so well until now. It was very sad to retire.
“The guys spotted a drop in water pressure on the laps to the grid, they tried everything on the grid to fix it and unfortunately it didn’t work out, which meant we had to retire after a couple of laps.
“You always hope for the best and I had a great start – the reaction time was really good. I tried to go alongside Lewis but decided to back out from it. After that we were running in P5.”
Despite the bitter blow, the 24-year-old noted his car’s strong level of performance, a fact validated by teammate Daniil Kvyat’s solid run to fourth at Imola.
“The car was so fast all weekend,” he added. “I felt good behind Daniel [Ricciardo], I think we had slightly more pace than them and there was clearly a top-five to fight for.
“On such a weekend for our home race it feels quite hard, but that’s motorsport unfortunately.”
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K11 Musea, the cultural-retail concept founded by Adrian Cheng, is
teaming up with designer Phillip Lim on a limited-edition antiviral duffle
bag.
The partnership marks the latest launch for Cheng’s #LoveWithoutBorders
Covid-19 charitable campaign and has brought together the two to create an
accessory that utilises a sustainably produced, textile-enhancing
technology that eliminates bacteria and accelerates cooling and drying.
The 3.1 Phillip Lim x K11 Musea antiviral burgundy duffle bag, launching
to the public on November 10, was created as part of 3.1 Phillip Lim’s
‘Live Free’ collection, which leverages Fuze Biotech’s antibacterial
textile technology. It is a chemical-free application that can be applied
to any surface or textile to prevent and protect against odour causing
bacteria, mould and infectious diseases.
Designed to inspire wearers to “live freely and confidently,” Lim and
Cheng also express that it pays homage to those who have kept the world
turning in these unprecedented times.
They state that the duffle not only protects wearers against the
elements but simultaneously showcases the powers of global cooperation,
creativity and unity in the age of Covid-19.
“I am so proud to be collaborating with Adrian to encourage a more
connected and cooperative future world,” said Phillip Lim in a statement.
“Live Free and #LoveWithoutBorders share the same core purpose of bringing
people together to build a more sustainable and supportive global
community. I believe, as Adrian does, that by working together and
leveraging the powers of art, culture and innovation – as we have done with
this exclusive duffle bag – we can achieve this goal tenfold.”
Asian concept store K11 Musea collaborates with 3.1 Phillip Lim
While a limited quantity will be available to purchase on
31philliplim.com, the majority will be donated through a giveaway on
@K11Musea as part of #LoveWithoutBorders, which was founded in March to
provide critical relief to those most affected by the pandemic.
People will be able to nominate their local heroes, from teachers to
nurses to humanitarians, to receive one of the limited-edition totes as a
symbol of recognition for their immense contributions to their communities.
In addition to the tote, Cheng will also be donating medical face masks to
the organisations of every recipient in an effort to support the continued
health and safety of citizens around the world.
Commenting on the collaboration, Cheng, added: “I have always considered
Phillip to be a pioneering force in the fashion industry, and his creative
approach to supporting and encouraging others through his art has been a
huge inspiration to me in my own efforts to build a better world.
“As we continued to look into opportunities to extend and evolve our
#LoveWithoutBorders initiative, I was eager to explore a collaboration, and
‘Live Free’ quickly caught my attention. The mission of this collection
perfectly coincides with my own guiding philosophy of Creating Shared Value
in that it highlights the incredible impact that can be made when
individuals channel their creativity and talent towards bringing about the
greater good.
“It’s an honour to be involved in this project and to join together with
Phillip in our shared effort of encouraging a more confident and connected
global community.”
K11 Musea is a new cultural-retail destination on Victoria Dockside in
Hong Kong.
Leaked internal documents reveal Walmart’s attempts to stop workers from mobilizing for fair wages and decent workplace conditions.
The documents are two PowerPoint Presentations from the retail giant directed at employees and were published at OccupyWallSt.org on Wednesday.
The first PowerPoint is a takedown of OUR Walmart, which is a group of associates of Walmart working for workplace dignity and fairness. Walmart’s presentation on OUR Walmart says that the group just collects money from associates ($5 per month) and that its goal is not to help workers. Rather, Walmart claims, the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) takes and spends the dues in a way that harms Walmart and its associates.
UFCW and OUR Walmart have stated that they “have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees,” and that their goal is to help Walmart employees achieve labor rights.
Another presentation which appears to be aimed at managers says that Walmart is a target for unionization not because of its poverty wages and attempts to intimidate employees but because of its high number of workers, because that would bring mean more union dues.
The PowerPoint reminds managers of their “Duty of Loyalty,” which means they must indicate they support Walmart’s position and must “report union activity to the Labor Relations Hotline immediately.”
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It offers a list of stock “opinions” to provide to workers when they question managers about unionization:
“For a Walmart associate, I think unions are a waste of money. You can speak for yourself. Click Here: Golf special
“In my opinion, unions just want to hurt Walmart and make it harder to run our business.”
“I don’t think we need a union at this Walmart or any other Walmart. I think the Open Door is a great way to deal with concerns.”
Yet a “Declaration of Respect” previously issued by OurWalmart states: “Associates who have tried to utilize Walmart’s Open Door have found that their issues are not resolved and confidentiality is not respected.”
In addition, the presentation offers “Early Warning Signs” an associate might be considering unionization, such as “speaking negatively about wages and benefits” or “asking for a witness to be present.”
Also on Wednesday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accused Walmart of violating workers’ rights in 13 states when it retaliated against workers by surveilling, threatening, disciplining or terminating employees for engaging in legally protected strikes or protests.
“Walmart workers like me are calling for better jobs for all Americans,” Colby Harris, a fired worker from Lancaster, Texas, said in a statement. “It’s not right that so many of us are struggling to get by on less than $25,000 a year while the Waltons have more wealth than 42% of American families combined. Today the federal government confirmed that Walmart is not above the law, will be held accountable, and I have rights.”
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Nearly nearly 1.7 million Europeans symbolically brought their voices to Brussels on Monday to say “water is a human right,” not a commodity to be privatized.
The action comes as a result the first European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)—a tactic through which EU citizens can propose legislation if they show backing from at least one million EU citizens, coming from at least 7 out of the 28 member states. There is also a minimum number of signatories per member state required.
The campaign behind this first ECI, the Right2water, has three main goals. “Implement the human right to water, do not liberalize water services in the EU and do more to ensure people across the world have access to clean and safe water,” stated Jan Willem Goudriaan, vice-president of the ECI Right2Water.
“We want the EU to change their mind-set from its current focus on competition and completely market-based approach, to a public service attitude and a rights-based approach. Water is a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health. It is a ‘natural’ monopoly and must be kept out of internal market rules,” the campaign adds on its website.
This rights-based approach is far from controversial, Gabriella Zanzanaini, Director of European Affairs for the watchdog group Food & Water Europe, told Common Dreams in an email. “Time and time again through referendums and petitions, citizens have made it evident that they do not want water to be treated as a commodity and that it should be a public service,” she stated.
Representatives of Right2Water, which has the backing of the European Anti Poverty Network, European Public Health Alliance and the European Trade Union Confederation, presented their proposal to Commission Vice-President Šefčovič and senior Commission officials, and had a public hearing in the European Parliament.
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At the hearing, Zanzanaini said, it was “also mentioned that for every dollar invested in water, the social return is many times higher. In austerity-hit countries, it is especially important that privatization does not occur as people cannot afford to pay even higher bills.”
“What the troika has been doing actually goes against the EU Treaty,” she continued. “It was mentioned many times today that the water management model falls under a Member States competency and not the EU, and yet by imposing water privatization through loan conditionalities on countries like Greece and Portugal it is doing the opposite.”
Speaking to press ahead of the hearing, Šefčovič said it was a “good day for grassroots democracy,” while a spokesperson from Right2Water said she was happy to be there “not only to present our initiative but also our demands. We’ll see now how we can organize to make this demand, to make water… a human right.”
The Commission has until 20 March to decide on its response to the initiative.
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Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter signed into law on Friday legislation that criminalizes those who secretly document abuse of animals at agricultural facilities.
The widely opposed bill, SB 1337, came about following an undercover video released by animal welfare group Mercy for Animals that showed workers torturing cows.
The bill had the backing of the state’s $2.5 billion dairy industry.
Otter issued a statement that “Senate Bill 1337 is about agriculture producers being secure in their property and their livelihood.”
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But as journalist and Green Is the New Red author Will Potter explained, the bill means “the whistleblowers who exposed the cruelty face criminal penalties worse than those who committed the abuse.”
Mercy For Animals founder and executive director Nathan Runkle denounced Otter’s signing of the bill, stating that the “new law will now throw shut the doors to industrial factory farms and allow animal abuse, environmental violations, and food contamination to flourish undetected, unchallenged, and unaddressed.”
The so-called ag-gag law will “perpetuate animal abuse, it endangers workers’ rights, consumer health and safety, and the freedom of journalists, employees, and the public at large to share information about something as fundamental as our food supply,” Runkle stated. “This law is bad for consumers, who want more, not less, transparency in food production.”
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There are ten times more people with severe mental illnesses in U.S. jails and prisons than in state psychiatric hospitals, and conditions of incarceration—including abuse and denial of care—are causing the health of this vulnerable population to decline even further.
This is according to a damning study, (PDF), released Wednesday by the Treatment Advocacy Center—a non-profit organization that seeks to eliminate barriers to mental health care.
The report argues that decades of cuts and closures of state psychiatric hospitals have transformed jails and prisons into the modern-day asylums.
According to the study, there are 356,268 people with serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, currently locked in U.S. prisons and jails. In 44 states and the District of Columbia, the report states, “a prison or jail in that state holds more individuals with serious mental illness than the largest remaining state psychiatric hospital.”
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While locked up, people with mental illnesses face a litany of horrors that can include: abuse, denial of care, physical attacks, overcrowding, and “[r]elegation in grossly disproportionate numbers to solitary confinement”—factors that are causing the severity of this population’s mental illnesses to grow. “The consequences of putting mentally ill people into prisons and jails are often tragic,” states the report, leading to disproportionate suicides among the population.
The report argues that high rates of incarceration for mentally ill people mark a return to the policies of the 1770 to 1820 period in the U.S., during which mentally ill people “were routinely confined in prisons and jails”—practices that later came to be regarded as “inhumane and problematic.” Yet, while, “[h]alf a century ago, such reports would have elicited spirited public discussion and proposals for reform; now they elicit a collective public yawn,” reads the report.
“This is scary and brutal,” Isaac Ontiveros of prison abolition organization Critical Resistance told Common Dreams. “Once again it should be very clear imprisonment is devastating to individual and public health.”
“The best places for people to get health care they need is in their communities,” said Ontiveros. “If we want to invest in the health and well-being of communities and the people who make them up, we have to prioritize programs and services in those communities and deprioritize incarceration, criminalization, and policing.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Formula 1 should be doing more to promote the benefits of hybrid engine technology.
His comments come at a time of fresh doubt for the future technical direction of world championship in the wake of Honda’s decision to stop supplying power units to Red Bull and AlphaTauri at the end of 2021.
The Japanese manufacturer cited its commitment to a carbon neutral future as being behind the decision to pull out, although the cost of developing the complex hybrid technology used by F1 will surely have been an additional factor.
It leaves F1 with just three engine suppliers. Mercedes sells customer units to Williams and Racing Point while Ferrari powers Alfa Romeo and Haas. Renault currently provided engines to McLaren, but they will switch to the Mercedes camp next season.
Read also: Wolff explains why Mercedes won’t be supplying engines to Red Bull
Mercedes has dominated F1’s recent hybrid era, and Wolff is disappointed that the sport has not done more to help promote the technology as a whole.
“I believe we are not telling the hybrid story well enough,” he told Autosport magazine. “We are a pretty good showcase for hybrid technology.”
In particular, Wolff praised the current power units for offering “50 per cent thermal efficiency”.
He also singled out “the complexity and technology that exists in these cars with the energy recovery with kinetic energy or exhaust gases, the batteries that we’re using and the technology within them” as key selling points.
“We’re still lacking the messaging that these engines are fantastic hybrid technology, but they’re much too expensive,” he acknowledged.
The current engine regulations are due to last until 2026, but Honda’s departure – and the lack of any interest from other engine menufacturers to come into F1 – had prompted calls for this to be be brought forward.
“When you look at the costs involved in the engine supply, they are enormous,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner explained. “That is why F1 has failed in its attempt to attract new engine suppliers and new manufacturers into the sport.
“Honda’s withdrawal is a real shame for F1, but also a real wake-up call.”
The question is what direction the next generation of engines will go in. With road cars increasingly phasing out petrol-powered combustion engines in favour of electric vehicles, F1 could soon end up converging with Formula E.
“The next generation of power units, whenever they come, will lend even more to sustainable energy recovery and sustainable propulsion systems in the future,” Wulff suggested.
“We know now that we have to look at the costs,” he acknowledged. “We don’t want to make the same mistake that we are purely engineering driven like with these power units.
“But [we must] make sure they are something innovative, sustainable, powerful, fuel efficient – and at a reasonable price.”
Mercedes could clinch its seventh consecutive constructors title this weekend at the Portuguese Grand Prix, although it remains a somewhat unlikely scenario.
With six races still to go, Mercedes have 391 points compared to Red Bull’s 211. It means if Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finish in the top two, then their main rivals would need to pick up at least five points between them to keep the championship alive.
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Scott Olsen, the protester and a memebr of Iraq Veterans Against the War who was gravely injured during a public march in Oakland at the height of the Occupy movement in 2011, has been awarded a $4.5 million settlement by the city.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
Olsen appeared on Democracy Now! on Friday to discuss his case and the settlement: