Inside the Fight To Stop a Pipeline on Tribal Lands ; Ted Cruz Piñatas Created at Dallas Party Store ; and More Picks 2/26
‘It’s Cultural Genocide’: Inside the Fight To Stop a Pipeline on Tribal Lands (Dan)
The author writes, “Dressed in a ribbon skirt and mask, Tara Houska gazed down at the trickling waters of the Mississippi near its headwaters. The great American river that eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico is just a stream in these parts of northern Minnesota. A pipeline will soon burrow underneath this part of the Mississippi and its surrounding wetlands. It is one of hundreds of water crossings, including wild rice fields, that lie in the path of a new stretch of Line 3, a pipeline bringing nearly 1m barrels of tar sands a day from Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Wisconsin. But opposition to the pipeline is considerable, and is supported by environmental organizations and activists resisting pipelines such as the Dakota Access pipeline, and Keystone XL – a project that Joe Biden cancelled on his first day in the White House.”
Israel Gives Vaccine To Far-Off Allies, as Palestinians Wait (Russ)
The author writes, “The Israeli government has pledged to send thousands of spare coronavirus vaccines to foreign allies, reigniting a debate about Israel’s responsibilities to people closer to home: Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. On Tuesday, the governments of the Czech Republic and Honduras confirmed that Israel had promised them each 5,000 vaccine doses manufactured by Moderna. The Israeli news media reported that Hungary and Guatemala would be sent a similar number. … The donations are the latest example of a new expression of soft power: vaccine diplomacy, in which countries rich in vaccines seek to reward or sway those that have little access to them.”
The Harms of Gentrification (Dana)
From Aeon: “Gentrification is one of the most pressing — and polarising — issues confronting cities today. In popular discussions, defenders of gentrification tend to paint it as an influx of badly needed capital into blighted urban areas. They point to increased commercial activity and tax revenue, new wealth flowing to low-income homeowners, decreased crime and improved public services as evidence of the fact that gentrification is, on balance, a good thing. Critics view gentrification as a quasi-colonial invasion of the privileged into economically vulnerable communities. They point to the displacement of long-time residents, the overpolicing of public spaces, and the homogenisation of the commercial environment as evidence of the fact that gentrification is, on balance, a bad thing.”
Coffins Fall Into the Sea as Italian Cemetery Collapses (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “A landslide on the Italian coast near Genoa caused the collapse of a cemetery Monday, leading to hundreds of coffins falling into the sea. The Camogli cemetery, built more than 100 years ago, is situated along an area of rocky seaside cliffs. Francesco Olivari, the mayor of Camogli, called the collapse an ‘unimaginable catastrophe.’ It is estimated that 200 coffins had fallen, but only 10 have been recovered, according to Giacomo Giampedrone, regional assessor of civil protection. Recovering the rest of them ‘will depend on the sea in the coming days,’ he added.”
Sen. Ted Cruz Piñatas Created at Dallas Party Store (DonkeyHotey)
From NBC DFW: “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has his own piñata courtesy of a Dallas party store. Last week, Cruz sparked widespread outrage for flying from Houston to Cancun, Mexico for a family vacation as millions of his fellow Texans endured historically low temperatures, widespread power outages and water losses. The online hubbub caused the owner of ABC Party HQ in the Bishop Arts District to spring into action and create a Cruz piñata. The piñata is complete with Cruz wearing his Texas flag face mask, a phone in one hand, and his suitcase handle in the other.”
