As students across the United Kingdom prepare to join the global “climate strike” movement later this week by walking out of class, the nation’s union of headteachers—representing principals, headmasters, and other school leaders—has endorsed the coordinated actions as a demonstration to be “applauded.” The National Association of Head Teachers in a statement offered their support to students in at least 30 towns and cities nationwide who have vowed to strike.  “Society makes leaps forward when people are prepared to take action,” a spokesperson for the union said. “When you get older pupils making an informed decision, that kind of thing needs to be applauded. Schools encourage students to develop a…

In response to reports this week that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t plan to impose drinking water limits on two toxic chemicals linked to various forms of cancer and other health issues, 20 senators on Friday sent a letter to acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler imploring him to craft nationwide restrictions. “While our nation’s water quality is among the highest in the world, we now face a serious challenge: aggressively addressing the health and environmental threats connected with PFAS.”—20 senators The chemicals in question are PFOA and PFOS, which belong to a group called PFAS. Politico reported Tuesday that Wheeler had signed off on an unreleased plan that would leave…

A House hearing on the Trump administration’s family separation policy on Tuesday revealed that thousands of children in U.S. custody over the past five years have been subjected to sexual abuse in migrant detention centers. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) released documents from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing that more than 4,500 complaints of sexual abuse against minors were filed between 2014 and 2018. More than 1,300 complaints were referred to the Department of Justice. “I am deeply concerned with documents that have been turned over by HHS that record a high number of sexual assaults on unaccompanied children in the custody of the Office of Refugee…

Alzheimer’s patients, lower-income preschool children, and HIV and cancer patients are among the Americans whose needs may go unmet so that the Trump administration can afford to detain thousands of migrant children. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar told Congress this week that he plans to divert $385 million from numerous healthcare programs to pay for detention centers across the country where more than 15,000 young undocumented immigrants are currently being held. “We cannot continue to spend taxpayer dollars on the President’s manufactured crisis at the border, which is government-sanctioned child abuse.” —Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) About $286 million will be taken from the Centers for Disease Control and…

MoveOn, a progressive advocacy group with millions of members, is calling on Democratic presidential candidates to boycott AIPAC’s annual conference. “It’s no secret that that AIPAC has worked to hinder diplomatic efforts like the Iran deal, is undermining Palestinian self-determination, and inviting figures actively involved in human rights violations to its stage,” Iram Ali, campaign director at MoveOn Political Action, said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are among the confirmed speakers for the event, which begins Sunday. None of the Democratic presidential candidates are…

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday is reportedly expected to approve a $5.5 billion expansion of the Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline, a move environmentalists warned would make an “absolute mockery” of the House of Commons’ vote to declare a climate emergency just hours earlier. The vote Monday night made Canada the third nation to declare a national climate emergency, but critics said purely rhetorical acknowledgements of the planetary crisis are meaningless without concrete action. “It’s great that more countries and regions are doing this,” tweeted 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg after the vote. “But remember: The fossil fuels must stay in the ground. Forget ‘climate neutral’ and…

Lance Stroll’s crash in Sunday’s Tuscan Grand Prix could leave Racing Point short of an upgrade package for Sergio Perez at Sochi. Racing Point brought updates for its RP20 to Mugello which consisted of new sidepods, radiator inlets and brake ducts. But the package was only implemented on Stroll’s car thanks to the Canadian’s better position relative to Perez in the Drivers’ championship. Read also: Stroll suspects puncture or suspension failure caused crash Unfortunately, Stroll’s high-speed crash in the race while sitting fourth means the Silverstone-based outfit will have its work cut out to fit both its cars with the updates in time for next week’s Russian Grand Prix. “He…

Fred Perry has teamed up with Raf Simons to launch a collection inspired by subculture and the energy of youth, with an autumn/winter 2020 range paying homage to London’s most famous basement, the 100 Club. Simons, currently co-creative director of Prada, has reinterpreted classic Fred Perry pieces and infused them “with the sensibilities of his eponymous line” and decorated them with images from the 100 Club Stories book published by Fred Perry and Ditto. In a statement, Fred Perry explains that Simons has brought his own “distinctive design approach to Fred Perry archive styles,” reworking its pique polo shirt with digital photographs from the book and a detachable special Raf…

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said its online fundraising for the 2018 election cycle surpassed $100 million on Tuesday. “The DCCC made the early and aggressive investments necessary to build a top-tier online fundraising operation, and it’s paid off massively,” DCCC Chief Digital Officer Julia Ager told The Hill in a statement. “The outpouring of support from grass-roots donors has allowed us to invest in over 80 races, fund an unprecedented $30 million base engagement and turnout campaign, and hold Republicans accountable every step of the way.” ADVERTISEMENT Politico first reported the news earlier on Wednesday.  In 2016, the DCCC had raised $67 million at this point in the campaign cycle,…

The Democrats’ lead over Republicans among registered voters on a generic ballot has shrunk to 3 points ahead of Tuesday’s midterms, according to a new poll. The Politico/Morning Consult poll published Monday found that 43 percent of registered voters surveyed preferred the Democratic candidate in their district, compared to 40 percent who prefer the Republican. Another 18 percent of registered voters in the poll are undecided. ADVERTISEMENT The poll was conducted from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. It shows the Democrats’ lead narrowing from the 8-point advantage in the previous version of the poll, which was conducted from Oct. 25 to 30. It also shows a notably smaller advantage for Democrats than a…