This is it -- the first edition of [ [link removed] ]Ekō News. We're going to send you
the first few editions just like we send other emails -- but if you want
to keep receiving them, [ [link removed] ]sign up for our new (and free) Substack, here!
(For more information see our original introduction email below.) If
you're also already receiving it via Substack, we apologize for the
short-term inconvenience.

In the meantime, enjoy the first edition -- and since we're just
developing it, please send along any feedback about what you'd like to see
more or less of (just reply to this email)!

Away we go...



-----------------------------------------------------

 
Hello and welcome to the first edition of the [ [link removed] ]Ekō newsletter. Today
we’re covering the Gaza flotilla, a global sea treaty, and a Thai law
against smog.

No stunt

[ [link removed] ]Greta Thunberg and another woman wave from aboard a ship as part of the
Gaza flotilla

Activist Greta Thunberg is pushing back against claims that the Gaza
flotilla, which aims to bring aid relief to the territory as Israel’s
genocidal war continues, is a publicity stunt.

During an interview with the BBC, Thunberg said: “First of all I don’t
think anyone would risk their lives for a publicity stunt. Second of all,
if you think it’s a publicity stunt, have you asked people in Gaza if they
consider this a publicity stunt?”

The flotilla is approaching Gaza and is now being supported with vessels
from the Italian and Spanish militaries. It is expected to reach the
region by Tuesday or Wednesday, barring stop and seizure by the Israeli
Navy.

([ [link removed] ]BBC) ([ [link removed] ]The Independent) ([ [link removed] ]Reuters)

 

In other news

The Global High Seas Treaty was codified into international law,
protecting biodiversity in two thirds of the planet’s oceans.

“The high seas don’t belong to anyone. What exists there is
everyone’s.”—Julio Cordano, Chilean diplomat who helped negotiate the
agreement.

Corporate interests, unsurprisingly, pushed back against the agreement,
with deep-sea mining and fishing interests most opposed.

[ [link removed] ](New York Times) ([ [link removed] ]Inside Climate News) ([ [link removed] ]Climate Change News)

 

A Thai law that would address the levels of smog in the country is in
limbo due to political instability in the country. The law, which was
announced September 22, primarily addresses crop burning and will begin
implementation next January 1.

([ [link removed] ]Nikkei) ([ [link removed] ]Bloomberg)

 

A federal grant to help rural healthcare was canceled, part of the Trump
administration’s war on Harvard.

“At a time when the U.S. health system is straining to reach all the
people who need help, when hospitals are going bankrupt, when more and
more of our paychecks are going to cover the rising costs of health care,
this is a moment for mobile health clinics to shine. Just a small
investment makes a huge difference.”—Mary-Kathryn Fallon, associate
director of finance and operations for The Family Van and Mobile Health
Map.

([ [link removed] ]Harvard Medical School)

 

Here’s your campaign of the day.

[ [link removed] ]Football players at a UEFA-sponsored game line up with banners that
say "Stop Killing Children" and "Stop Killing Civilians"

Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide against Gaza is hitting against
public opinion as the world increasingly objects to the slaughter—and
advocates are targeting the UEFA as the next pressure point.

World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy are this week, but the UEFA
vote on whether to suspend Israel could also come in the next few days.
The US and Israel are lobbying hard to prevent the vote at all, but UEFA
members can force a vote if a dozen countries agree to make the
organization hold an emergency meeting.

We need your signature to show support for UEFA countries to take a stand:

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition today



Thanks for reading!
Eoin Higgins and the team at Ekō


PS: In case you missed it earlier, here's the original email about this
new project:

John,

Ekō is starting something new.

For more than a decade, we’ve kept you informed about ways we can use our
collective power to push back against corporate abuse and corruption. And
we’ve had a massive impact, filing shareholder resolutions, changing
policies, buying and protecting forests, and more.

Now, we’re offering a different way to keep up to date on Ekō’s campaigns
and mission. It’s called [ [link removed] ]Ekō News, and it’s a new project on the
newsletter platform Substack.

[ [link removed] ]Sign Up Now! (It's free)

To launch it, we’re working with Eoin Higgins, a US-based journalist whose
work has focused on corporate corruption and power. His book, [ [link removed] ]Owned:
How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left,
delves into how Silicon Valley’s conservative lean has led to a takeover
of alternative media—and offers a history of characters like Elon Musk,
Peter Thiel, and others.

[ [link removed] ]Ekō News will publish twice a week, giving a digest of stories we’re
following about corporate (mis)behaviour, and taking a deeper dive into
one story or character from the news. We’ll also interview people making
change and show you the impact of our work together.

Please [ [link removed] ]sign up today—we hope to see you there. (It’s free, but we’d
love support for the new initiative and there will be an option for a paid
subscription, too.)

 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]