William Rivers Pitt | Please, Oh Please, Happy New Year

[t]   Monday, January 1, 2018 [t r u t h o u t] [View Recent Newsletters]( [Tell a friend about Truthout!]( [Donate Today!](   Truthout is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; donations are tax deductible.   BuzzFlash As US Budget Fight Looms, Republicans Flip Their Fiscal Script [Read the Article at Reuters](   Vehicles Are Now the Biggest CO2 Source in the US, but the EPA Is Tearing Up Regulations [Read the Article at the Guardian](   Kim Jong-un Offers Rare Olive Branch to South Korea ... and a Warning to the US [Read the Article at CNN](   Minimum Wage Hikes in 18 States Set for New Year [Read the Article at The Hill](   Goldman Sachs Trying to Kill Initiative Requiring More Lobbying Disclosure [Read the Article at International Business Times](   Trump Made It Seven Hours in 2018 Before Creating an International Incident on Twitter [Read the Article at ThinkProgress](   Can Tiny Houses Halt the Expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline? [Read the Article at Colorlines](     Combat misinformation! Keep independent media strong by making a tax-deductible donation to Truthout. [Donate Now]( [Please, Oh Please, Happy New Year]( William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: Last year was a garbage year that literally almost killed me, 2018 will likely be worse, and there it is. I place my faith in the arc of the moral universe. With the fervor of the most devout Trump evangelical, I believe in the inevitability of justice. [Read the Article]( [A National Beautification Campaign Revitalized Communities in the '60s and Could Again Today]( John de Graaf, Truthout: In the 1960s, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson's campaign to protect the natural beauty of the United States brought Americans together during divisive times. The drums of war drowned out Johnson's efforts, but activists believe beauty can unite us again today. [Read the Article]( [GOP Tax Plan Ignites Widespread Confusion as Property Owners Rush for 2018 Payments]( Charlie May, Salon: Less than a week after the Republicans' tax overhaul bill was passed, it had already caused a massive headache: Property owners eager to prepay their 2018 taxes in advance of deduction changes were met with conflicting messages from the Internal Revenue Service and state officials. [Read the Article]( [How Parents and Teachers Prevented School Closings in the Wake of Hurricane Maria]( Camille Baker and Lydia McMullen-Laird, The Indypendent: Officials in Puerto Rico stalled reopening schools after Hurricane Maria in order to drive down enrollment and continue public school shutdowns, say critics who allege the ultimate goal was to privatize the public education system. A campaign of popular resistance has so far been able to deter possible school closures. [Read the Article]( [How One Mississippi Teen Went 1,266 Days Behind Bars Before Receiving a Mental Evaluation]( Sarah Smith, ProPublica: Mississippi's lack of mental health options has meant that when a judge deems a person a danger to themselves or others, they are often sent to wait in the local jail until a bed opens up at a hospital. Yet Tyler Haire spent nearly four years behind bars waiting a mental health evaluation -- and he is not alone. [Read the Article]( [What #MeToo Can Teach the Labor Movement]( Jane McAlevey, In These Times: As Corporate America and the right wing continue to attack unions, the central lesson labor should take from the #MeToo movement is that now is the time to reverse the deeply held notion that women, especially women of color, can't build a powerful movement. [Read the Article]( [Five Senate Races to Watch in 2018]( Robin Marty, Care2: Before 2017, the idea that Democrats could potentially take over the Senate during the next election seemed pretty impossible -- especially with so many Democratic seats up for grabs. Now, a flip could very well happen. Here are five races to watch closely in the coming year. [Read the Article]( [A Radical Vision for Food: Everyone Growing It for Each Other]( Peter Kalmus, YES! Magazine: Capitalism and its cash economy seem to lead inexorably to exploitation and wealth disparity. But perhaps food can be the leading edge toward a sustainable, resilient economy of abundance. After all, our societies and economies are reflections of our food systems. [Read the Article]( [Want to strengthen Truthout and help us plan for the future? Click here to become a monthly sustainer.]( [The Newspaper Guild] Please add messenger@truthout.org to ensure you receive our messages Truthout is a proud member of the Newspaper Guild/CWA, Local 36047 [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy](