Twenty years after Arab tribal militias known as the Janjaweed ransacked Darfur in western Sudan, cities in western Darfur are once again under attack. Mass killings have been reported in one regional capital and in an area housing a camp for displaced families.
(“Sudanese Paramilitaries Seize Darfur Cities in Major Advance,” Washington Post, Nov. 8, 2023; “Corps in the Streets: Sudan RSF Kills 1300 in Darfur,” Al-Jazeera, Nov. 10, 2023)
In 1990, during the 2nd World Climate Conference, Britain’s Tory leader Margaret Thatcher, a trained chemist, called on western nations to avoid creating a “global heat trap” and invested in climate science. Today, The UK’s conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is rolling back policies to combat the climate crisis in favor of “maxing out” fossil fuel resources and exploiting Britain’s largest untapped oil field in the North Sea.
(“Why is Britain Retreating From Global Leadership on Climate Action,” Yale 360 Blog, Nov. 17, 2023)
In next year’s municipal elections on March 19, Chicago voters will have an opportunity to approve the Bring Chicago Home referendum question to tackle the city’s housing crisis, which is backed by Progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson and a majority of the city council. The plan would create a dedicated funding stream for permanent, affordable housing and wrap-around services — all measures that experts say are crucial to make meaningful progress on addressing the nation’s housing crises and homelessness.
(“How Chicago Took a Major Step Towards Tackling the City’s Housing Crisis,” In These Times, Nov. 7, 2023)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo.
