NEW: Months ago, Biden refused to send tanks to Ukraine. Now, he's pledged 31 of them. @GuardianUS asked experts about this move:

"Sending tanks to Ukraine escalates the war and will only prolong the killing," says @PhyllisBennis. "We need a ceasefire."
theguardian.com/commentisfree/… The tanks that the U.S. is sending "could take years."

They "won’t guarantee a Ukrainian victory against Russia’s next assault, let alone a long war of attrition," says @PhyllisBennis.

"We need clear calls for negotiations, from Washington and beyond."
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) won’t save us.

Here are just three major reasons why: 🧵 1. Even if CCS *did* actually capture all CO2, it would then be transported through CO2 pipelines that, like all pipelines, risk disastrous leaks.

It also wouldn’t do anything to capture other greenhouse gases like methane, water contamination from fracking, or other pollutants.

The ways billionaires evade taxes are designed to be complex to the point of boredom.

In reality, famous family scandals exposing the money-stuffed underbelly of the U.S. trust system isn't that complex—and it is fascinating. @Chuck99to1 @inequalityorg: inequality.org/great-divide/g… Much of what we know about the global hidden wealth system comes from leaks from those who run it.

A new blockbuster investigation traces the decision of a whistleblower to expose how the oil-rich Getty family use Nevada trusts to avoid California taxes: inequality.org/great-divide/g…

In the last decade, the global rich have seen their wealth explode.

We found that an annual #WealthTax on the wealthiest could raise $1.7 trillion to tackle inequality in 60 countries.

NEW report with @Oxfam, @PatrioticMills, and @FightInequality: ips-dc.org/release-new-re… In the past ten years, global billionaire wealth has skyrocketed by 99.6%, a gain of over $5.9 trillion.

@Chuck99to1: "The concentration of wealth in the hands of the ultra-wealthy is endangering our democracy, economic stability, and social cohesion." ips-dc.org/release-new-re…

This week, it was exposed that members of the Getty family have used Nevada trusts to dodge $300 million in taxes owed to California over the last decade.

This shadowy trend is growing. New from @Chuck99to1 and @kalenasthom of @inequalityorg @thehill: thehill.com/opinion/financ… The global release of the Pandora Papers in October 2021 revealed that billionaires around the world use the U.S. as a tax haven.

This wouldn’t be possible without the U.S. trust industry — and the growing number of states beholden to it. thehill.com/opinion/financ…

☀️ NEW: New Mexico is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, and dirty industries have treated the state like a sacrifice zone.

Fresh findings expose those industries' false climate claims and outline a #JustTransition to a healthy future: ips-dc.org/report-new-mex… The oil & gas and uranium mining industries have poisoned communities in New Mexico while residents don't see the benefits.

While New Mexico ranks second in the country for oil and gas production, it’s the third poorest state. ips-dc.org/report-new-mex…

In 2003, we awarded Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award for his historic organizing of poorer Latin American countries against unjust economic rules imposed by the Global North.

Yesterday, he was elected to be president of Brazil.

This is huge. 🧵 Lula's victory amazingly marks the third winner of our Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards to become president this year, with Gustavo Petro in #Colombia & Gabriel Boric in #Chile.

The message is clear: People in Latin America and around the world want a progressive future. 🌎

💰 NEW: The shadow system of trust companies in the U.S. is growing rapidly, inviting tax avoidance and illicit wealth hiding by elites around the world.

New analysis from @Chuck99to1 & @kalenasthom @inequalityorg exposes the states enabling these harms: ips-dc.org/billionaire-en… As the @ICIJorg #PandoraPapers investigation revealed, some U.S. states have allowed international kleptocrats to avoid accountability at home and hide their ill-gotten wealth abroad.

These states also enable wealthy Americans to avoid federal taxation.

The killing of beloved @AlJazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was likely a war crime by Israeli military.

The U.S. sends $3.8 BILLION of our tax money directly to the Israeli military every year.

Was the bullet or the gun used to kill Shireen paid for with our money? (🧵) The Leahy Law requires ending U.S. aid to any military unit that has committed a grave human rights violation.

We need serious U.S. & int'l investigations—Israeli "investigations" virtually always result in impunity from accountability for human rights violations & war crimes.

After its latest assault on #Gaza, Israel is requesting another $1 billion from the U.S.

Here’s what you need to know. (1/7) 🧵 This week, Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz is coming to Washington to request $1 billion in emergency aid after Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.

The purpose of the request is to replenish missiles for Israel’s Iron Dome weapons system. (2/7)

Any violence in #Israel-#Palestine prompts pundits, officials, and media to rush to say "No one benefits from this."

But that's not true. There are 3 direct ways that Israel's prime minister, military strategists, & arms makers benefit from assaults on #Gaza.

Here's how: 1: Political.

Israeli PM Netanyahu faces jail time for corruption charges once he leaves office. He's sweating.

If he can maintain key levels of U.S. backing, he'll keep more political support. And history shows that U.S. backing rises when Israeli troops are on the attack.

For months, we've been saying that we could fund plans like #MedicareForAll by cutting over $300 billion from the military budget.

Now, here it is: The breakdown of exactly what could be cut (with colorful graphics). (1/9)
nytimes.com/interactive/20…
@lindsaykosh via @nytimes First, over the last 2 decades, the U.S. has spent $4.9 trillion on wars. What do we have to show for it? Nothing but endless violence.

While we can’t un-spend that $4.9 trillion, imagine if we could make different choices for the next 20 years. Like these cuts:
(2/9)

In 2017, total arms sales for the world’s 100 largest defense contractors topped $398 billion.

In honor of the 4th of July and its new extra-military branding, here's 14 tweets on these brutal weapons makers. (1/14)

Samuel Stebbins+Evan Comen / @USATODAY
bit.ly/2XeCjpm #10: Almaz-Antey.

🇷🇺 Est. in Russia (by Putin)
💣 Arms sales: $8.6 billion
💰 Profit: $422.6 million

Almaz-Antey primarily manufactures surface-to-air missile systems for use by the Russian military.

It has been directly involved in the violent occupation of Crimea. (2/14)