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News

Berkeley becomes the first U.S. city to pass a soda tax

Berkeley became the first city in the U.S. to pass a tax on sugary beverages. According to the local news outlet Berkeleyside, 75 percent of voters were in favor of the tax. This is in spite efforts to fight the proposal from the beverage industry, which spent $1.7 million campaigning against the tax. Drinking soda and other sugary beverages regularly has been associated with a number of health problems, such as diabetes, obesity and even shorter life spans. Public health researchers have proposed that taxing these drinks could discourage frequent consumption.

Hundreds Rally at Georgia Detention Center, Ft. Benning

Hundreds of people rallied outside Fort Benning in Georgia over the weekend for the annual protest calling for the closure of a controversial military training base. Formerly known as the School of the Americas, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation has been used to train Latin American soldiers in combat, counterinsurgency and counter-narcotics. On Saturday, protesters also rallied miles away at the privately-owned Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, one of the nation’s largest prisons for undocumented immigrants. At least five people were arrested.

Chevron Halts Search for Natural Gas After Mass Protests

Chevron says it has suspended its search for natural gas in northeast Romania following massive civil disobedience against fracking. This week hundreds of people occupied a field in the village of Pungesti to block Chevron from drilling. Protests also erupted in the capital Bucharest. Romanians have also taken to the streets by the thousands to protest plans by a Canadian firm to construct what would become Europe’s largest gold mine. The protesters say cyanide used in the mining process could poison animals and water supplies.

Israel Cabinet Approves Measure to Codify Israel as Jewish Nation-State

The Israeli cabinet has approved a measure that would legally define Israel as the state of the Jewish people, not of its citizens. Israel has always defined itself that way but the bill would codify that into its Basic Laws. The full Israeli parliament will vote on the law later this week.
[I think this is the first any country doing so. If whole world follow this, like relion, race and caste based countries, then that will be the weapon seller’s good time. Its like we are becoming more animal as time advances. Selfishness is animal nature.]

Ohio Man Freed After 39 Years on Wrongful Conviction; Longest-Held U.S. Prisoner to Be Exonerated

An Ohio man has been freed from prison after spending 39 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Ricky Jackson, a 59-year old African-American man, had been jailed since 1975 on a murder conviction. The prosecution’s case was based on the testimony of a 13-year old witness. After a 2011 investigation, the witness recanted his testimony, saying he had implicated Jackson and two others under police coercion. The witness, Eddy Vernon, said police had fed him the story and threatened him with the arrest of his parents if he didn’t cooperate. On Friday, Ricky Jackson was freed after prosecutors dropped the case. With nearly four decades wrongfully behind bars, Jackson is the longest-held U.S. prisoner to be exonerated. Another defendant who served slightly less time, Wiley Bridgeman, has also been released.

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