MEL GURTOV – Rebel groups that seize power invariably get caught between conflicting aims on the use of their new authority: revenge or governing? HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) could wind up being another jihadist regime, bent on eliminating enemies and building an authoritarian state; or it could focus on human security and friendly relations with all its neighbors. We’ll probably find out soon enough which path HTS is going to take.
This Year’s Nobel Peace Prize Focuses on Nuclear Weapons Abolition
PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – In Japan, the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are known as Hibakusha. The Hibakusha have worked heroically and successfully to prevent any additional wartime nuclear attacks. Today in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.” Nihon Hidankyo translates as “The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.”
University of Toronto students score a win for the climate – and campus protests more broadly
NICK ENGELFRIED – As student dissent faces widespread crackdowns, a victory over fossil fuel influence at the University of Toronto offers hope and inspiration.
Salmon Return After Dam Removal
HALLIE GOLDEN – Salmon return to lay eggs in historic habitat after largest dam removal project in US history
World’s Richest Man Pays to Screw America DOGE-style
TOM H. HASTINGS – Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are partnering to create a new US government agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk underwrote the Trump campaign with $200 million in donations (AP estimate) and his own brand of buying votes.
In times of crisis we need more people power – mass trainings are the key
PAUL ENGLER – For movements trying to harness the energy that emerges during political upheavals, mass training provides a crucial means to develop leadership and bring in new participants.