Articles by Jake Johnson

Source: Common Dreams

As the 16th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan approaches, President Donald Trump is reportedly being pressured by a billionaire financier and a chemical executive to extend the scope of the conflict for one simple, greedy reason: to exploit Afghanistan’s mineral reserves.

According to James Risen and Mark Landler of the New York Times, the Trump administration is “considering sending an envoy to Afghanistan to meet with mining officials” as the president is receiving encouragement from Stephen Feinberg, the billionaire head of DynCorp, and Michael Silver, the head of American Elements, a firm that specializes in “extracting rare-earth minerals.” read more

Source: Common Dreams

“Trump and many of his key policies are broadly unpopular around the globe”

President Donald Trump’s approval ratings in the United States have been described as “historically low,” and according to a new global survey published by Pew Research Center, he is not faring much better overseas.

The survey, based on interviews conducted in 37 countries, found that Trump’s first six months in the White House have done more to harm public opinionof the U.S. around the world than George W. Bush’s entire eight-year tenure. read more