Rubio’s Political Opponents Blacklist

MONDAY, JULY 27
PROGRAM #11218 12:00 PM PT

Rubio’s Political Opponents Blacklist. 

Just after a summit of Latin American far-right leaders who agreed to close ranks against “political terrorism and the threat of the extreme left,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the United States is under assault from Cuba. He also published a blacklist of mayors, journalists, and political opponents accused of being influenced by the small Caribbean island’s government. Neo-McCarthyism? Intimidation and imminent persecution of political opponents? Imminent invasion?

Washington, Managua, and the Electoral Question. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced that his country “will never hold elections again,” after attacking opposition media and NGOs and mobilizing agents against anti-government protests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the Ortega government a “dictatorship” and imposed sanctions. What measures is Washington taking? And how do Nicaragua’s rhetoric and electoral suppression measures compare to those of the U.S. administration, which has warned it “will not lose an election in a hundred years”?

Forever Chemicals Contaminate the Water. Toxic substances known as “forever chemicals” have contaminated nearly all waterways analyzed in 19 states, including California, Texas, and Florida, according to researchers. PFAS contamination does not affect everyone equally: Latino communities and other historically underserved populations face greater exposure because they live, work, and recreate near contaminated rivers and industrial sites. What health risks do these chemicals pose? How did rivers and drinking water become contaminated? How can contaminated areas be cleaned up and the damage repaired? And what can people do to protect themselves?

Photo: The White House/Flickr

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