Cheering Chelsea Manning’s early release, we praise Kevin Gosztola for his excellent coverage of her case, defining his journalism skills….--read Gosztola’s report on the commutation at Shadowproof
--baseball star Willie McCovey got a pardon, former Gov. Don Siegelman didn’t
--Trevor Timm, in op-ed, says Manning did the right thing, and yesterday Obama did, too
--Julian Assange stands by his offer to be extradited to the US, but Obama deflects it at his final news conference
--Obama praised the media, defended Manning decision, and explains UN abstention as “wake up call” on fading 2-state solution
--those tough corporate media reporters didn’t ask about many important issues, like Guantanamo, where 40 or 41 men will languish indefinitely
--Obama weighs decision to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria
--second winner of Goldman environmental prize is murdered within a year
--British Prime Minister May defines her plans for Brexit
Part 2
As new report shows 2016 hottest year ever, Trump nominees for EPA, Interior admit global warming is not a hoax….
--Interior nominee Ryan Zinke: “I don’t believe it’s a hoax”
--EPA nominee Scott Pruitt says it, too, but his actions and support network contradict him
--see DeSmogBlog’s interactive graphic of Pruitt’s connections here
--billionaire Betsy DeVos dodges tough questions in hearing that is sharply curtailed by GOP chair
--at The Intercept, Jeremy Scahill demonstrates that DeVos lied about her family foundation, which funded anti-gay fundamentalists
--Scahill also exposes DeVos’ brother Erik Prince, Blackwater founder who is advising Trump in the background
--Trump’s national security team is off to slow start
--Tom Price, Trump’s demolish-Obamacare guy says he won’t be “pulling the rug out” but doesn’t explain how or why
Source