Nika Knight

Study: Americans Dying From Preventable Causes At Shocking Rates

The U.S. was tied with Estonia and Montenegro, far below other wealthy nations such as Norway, Canada, and Australia, in the study’s ranking of 195 countries.

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
Doctor

Americans are dying at a shockingly high rate from preventable causes, found a first-of-its-kind global health study published late Thursday. The new research demonstrates that despite the fact that the U.S. has the largest economy in the world, healthcare for many of its residents is woefully inadequate. The U.S. was tied with Estonia and

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FCC Votes To Start Slashing Net Neutrality Protections

“This decision leads to an internet that benefits Internet Service Providers (ISPs), not users, and erodes free speech, competition, innovation, and user choice.”

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) hold up a banner at Thursday's rally for net neutrality in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Ron Wyden/Twitter)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon voted to begin slashing regulations protecting a free and open internet. The decision (pdf) ran along party lines, with the FCC's two Republican members voting to dismantle net neutrality. Mignon Clyburn, the Commission's Democratic member, was the

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Coal Executive Jailed For Role In Deadly Mine Disaster Asks Trump Not To ‘Punish’ Executives

A coal executive responsible for deadly mine explosion tells President Donald Trump in a letter that “coal supervisors are not criminals.”

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship makes his way out of the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse during a break in deliberations, Dec. 1, 2015. (AP/Tyler Evert)

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was released last week from prison after serving one year for his role in a deadly mine explosion that killed 29, and one of his first acts after being released was to appeal to President Donald Trump for more lenient laws to protect "frightened" coal executives such as himself from prosecution. In the

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Trump Taps Conservative Talk Show Host As USDA Chief Scientist

Sam Clovis has no science background and characterized climate change as “junk science”.

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
Sam Clovis speaks in Johnston, Iowa after quitting former Texas Gov. Rick Perry's struggling campaign. (AP/Charlie Neibergall)

President Donald Trump is expected to pick Sam Clovis, a conservative talk show host who campaigned for Trump in Iowa, for the position of "chief scientist" at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), reported ProPublica and the Washington Post this weekend. The 2008 Farm Bill dictates that the USDA's chief scientist be selected "from among

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Trump Advisers Propose Expanding America’s Longest Running War

“The plan comes at the end of a sweeping policy review built around the president’s desire to reverse worsening security in Afghanistan and ‘start winning’ again.

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
An Army carry team places the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, Ill., who was killed during a raid on an alleged ISIS compound in eastern Afghanistan. (AP/Cliff Owen)

America's longest war isn't ending anytime soon—in fact, it's about to expand. President Donald Trump's top military advisors have put forth a plan to boost U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan by 3,000 to 5,000, the Washington Post reported late Monday. The U.S. currently has 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. "I cannot believe this is an actual

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Obama Under Fire For $400K Speech To Wall Street ‘Fat Cats’

Former President Barack Obama’s first speech since leaving office will be a richly-compensated appearance at Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
Former President Barack Obama pauses as he hosts a conversation on civic engagement and community organizing, April 24, 2017, at the University of Chicago. (AP/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Former President Barack Obama is garnering criticism for netting a whopping $400,000 for his first major speech since leaving office—a speech to Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, scheduled to take place in September. Progressives were deeply disappointed by Obama's approach to Wall Street during his presidency, and many are condemning his

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Hunger Strikers At UN Headquarters Call For End To Yemen War

‘We call on the Saudis and Donald Trump to look at the horrific effect their bombing is having on the beautiful babies in Yemen, where one child is dying every ten minutes from the effects of this war.’

Nika Knight
By Nika Knight
Yemenis present documents in order to receive food rations provided by a local charity, in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, April, 13, 2017. A Saudi-led coalition launched a campaign in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government in March 2015. The war has pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine. (AP/Hani Mohammed)

Peace activists are holding a week-long vigil and hunger strike at United Nations headquarters in New York City to demand an end to the U.S.-backed, Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen and humanitarian aid for the country's starving population. The hunger strike and vigil, organized by Creative Voices for NonViolence, the New York Catholic Worker

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