Julia Conley, staff writerThe Trump administration's contempt for women's and reproductive rights was on full display on Friday as the State Department released its annual report on global human rights. The document excludes numerous violations of women's human rights around the world.

Andrea Germanos, staff writerIn another signal that "the era of fossil fuels is coming to a close," Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, announced Friday that it will no longer fund oil or gas projects in the Arctic, tar sands projects, or most coal projects.

Jake Johnson, staff writer"Democrats have still published no public autopsy about why they lost or have collapsed at all levels. They did, though, just file a lawsuit blaming Russia and Wikileaks for their loss."

Jessica Corbett, staff writerDespite mounting concerns from the international community—including Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman—Israeli soldiers reportedly killed at least four Palestinians and injured hundreds on Friday as the March of Great Return continued for the fourth straight week in Gaza.

Andrea Germanos, staff writerIn a positive step to address the failed war on drugs, the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer of New York, announced Friday that he will soon put forth legislation to effectively decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, calling it "the right thing to do for America."

Julia Conley, staff writerAfter an overwhelming majority of teachers in Arizona voted on Thursday night to stage a strike over low teacher salaries and austerity measures that have left the state's public schools struggling, Arizona is poised to become the latest historically red state to see educators standing up for labor and children's rights next week.

Andrea Germanos, staff writerIn a development heralded as "a win for science and democracy" and for "all Californians," an appeals court on Thursday backed the state's listing of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, as a probable carcinogen.

Jake Johnson, staff writerTrump's CFPB and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday slapped Wells Fargo with a billion-dollar fine over its predatory mortgage practices—but the massive bank is still walking away with plenty of cash to spare, thanks to the more than $3 billion it has already pocketed thanks to the GOP tax scam.

Jessica Corbett, staff writerStudents across the nation walked out of schools at 10am local time on Friday, the anniversary of the Columbine massacre, for the latest in a series of youth-led demonstrations to demand stricter gun laws.

Julia Conley, staff writerThe Trump administration on Thursday officially unveiled its new policy aimed at upping foreign sales of military drones, with President Donald Trump hailing the plan as one that will allow weapons deals to be finalized more quickly—even though the U.S. is already behind 33 percent of global arms exports.

Jessica Corbett, staff writerDemonstrating a "total disregard for Indigenous rights and public wishes," the Trump administration moved to expeditate fossil fuel exploration in previously protected lands in Alaska.

Jake Johnson, staff writerCoinciding with the launch of a new Poor People's Campaign that plans to bring mass action and a radical anti-poverty agenda to over 40 states in the coming weeks, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined Rev. William Barber at Duke University Thursday night to discuss the deep inequality and working class pain "that doesn't make CNN" and how to confront these issues on the way to building a truly moral economy.

Jon Queally, staff writerAmid more salacious talk and other key interactions, a revealing moment contained in the contemporaneous memos of James Comey, redacted versions of which were released Thursday night, is when Trump suggests jailing journalists as way to force them to "talk" about their sources and Comey responds with laughter.

Jake Johnson, staff writerFlouting urgent demands by anti-war groups, environmentalists, and LGBTQ rights organizations to reject  Mike Pompeo over his lengthy record of warmongering and bigotry, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) on Thursday became the first Democrat to declare her support for President Donald Trump's secretary of state pick.

Julia Conley, staff writerAfter calling attention to outdated Senate rules that made little to no accommodations for lawmakers who are parents, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) made history on Thursday when she became the first senator to bring a baby onto the Senate floor.

Jessica Corbett, staff writerOne day ahead of a national student-led walkout to demand action to end gun violence, new research shows that "in less than 18 years, we have already seen more deaths related to school shootings than in the whole 20th century.

Jake Johnson, staff writerAs analysts warn that U.S. President Donald Trump could be planning to abandon the Iran nuclear accord as early as next month—particularly with national security adviser and war "fanatic" John Bolton whispering in his ear—more than 500 parliamentarians from the U.K., France, and Germany published an open letter on Thursday calling on Congress do all it can to keep the agreement alive and "protect the fruits of successful diplomacy."

Julia Conley, staff writerEntering office as Cuba's new president, Miguel Diaz-Canel said Thursday that he would focus his leadership on ensuring that "the revolution continues its course"—promising the modernization of the island nation's economy but making clear that he would fiercely defend its socialist system from outsiders who have pressured Cuba to change.

Jake Johnson, staff writerAs Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's pick to head the CIA, continues to face intense scrutiny over her "central" role in overseeing the Bush administration's torture regime ahead of her May 9 Senate hearing, more than 40 national human rights and civil liberties organizations sent a letter to every U.S. senator on Thursday demanding that they refuse to confirm an author of "one of the darkest chapters in American history."

Jessica Corbett, staff writerAs the Senate prepares to reexamine the CIA's dark history of torture amid mounting opposition to Gina Haspel's nomination to run the agency, the family of an Afghan man who was tortured to death at a black site near Kabul, Afghanistan is demanding answers about what happened to his body.