作者： root

In 2020 forum, James Talarico said Texas oil was ‘not gonna last,’ called capitalism ‘oppressive’

2026-09-01T10:00:29.178Z / CNN

Six years before becoming Texas Democrats’ US Senate nominee, James Talarico described capitalism as an “oppressive system” during a Sierra Club event, grouping it with White supremacy and climate change and saying ending the ways all three worked together was necessary to begin the process of “dismantling them.”

During the Sierra Club event from September 2020, Talarico participated in a virtual climate candidate forum in which he also compared Texas’ leadership in the oil and gas industry to “being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s,” declaring “that industry is not gonna last.”

The previously unreported comments come at a time when Talarico is trying to broaden his appeal as he’s faced attacks from Republicans trying to paint him as too progressive for Texas. Talarico has raised significantly more money than his GOP opponent Ken Paxton, but remains locked in a tight race against the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general.

Talarico’s remarks offer a window into the more explicitly progressive language he used before launching a statewide campaign built around affordability, faith and taking on wealthy interests.

At the time, Talarico was a 31-year-old state representative seeking reelection for a second term in the Texas House. The forum was hosted by the Austin chapter of the Sierra Club, which featured four other candidates running for the Texas House.

When asked what lawmakers could do to address the disproportionate effects of climate change on communities of color, Talarico thanked the moderator for the question and the young activists at the club for the way they had framed the issue.

“I am so thankful that you asked this question and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and White supremacy and capitalism in our country,” Talarico said. “And I think only ending the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we gonna be able to begin the process of dismantling them.”

Later, when asked how he explains climate policy to voters in a district President Donald Trump carried in 2016, Talarico said he focused on values, jobs and whether Texas would lead the industries of the future — a future he suggested would not include oil and gas.

“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s,” Talarico later said responding to another question. “That industry is not gonna last. And if we wanna ensure we have an economy that’s gonna work for our children and our children’s children, we gotta be ahead of the curve and Texas has to lead instead of follow on this issue.”

On his current campaign website, Talarico says Texas is “the energy leader of the world — and as senator, I will work tirelessly to ensure our state not only maintains, but extends that innovative leadership for generations to come so that Texans always have access to reliable, affordable energy.”

JT Ennis, a spokesperson for the campaign, told CNN that Talarico has already acknowledged some of his past comments “missed the mark” and attacked Paxton, Talarico’s opponent.

“James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address,” said Ennis in a statement. “James supports the oil and gas industry and believes in an all of the above energy strategy that protects Texas oil and gas jobs.”

The campaign also said Talarico “has taken many votes” to support the oil and gas industry.

Considered one of the best fundraisers in the Democratic Party this cycle, Talarico has raised $72 million for his campaign compared to $16.8 million by Paxton. But polls show the two are in a dead heat for the general election and the prediction market Kalshi lists each candidate having a near 50% chance of winning.

Talarico’s history of progressive comments has drawn mocking attacks from Republicans. After a 2022 clip resurfaced in which Talarico suggested Americans reduce their meat consumption for climate reasons, his opponent Paxton called him “Tofu Talarico” and falsely labelled Talarico a “vegan.”

Talarico responded that as an “eighth-generation Texan,” he’s been “eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment” – referring to Paxton’s 2015 felony securities fraud indictment.

Previously, in 2021, Talarico suggested during a legislative session that modern science asserts there are six biological sexes – which spurred the nickname “Six-Gender Jimmy” from Paxton and his supporters.

Talarico has since addressed some of his past comments, calling them “cringey.” He said that he knows there are two sexes, men and women, and “a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities” who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

After the state’s massive power grid failure in 2021 killed hundreds of Texans, Talarico introduced a bill in the state house to combat climate change by requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and at least 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The bill died in committee.

Republicans have likened the bill to the progressive Green New Deal, which his campaign has denied.

Texas oil and gas production has increased since Talarico’s 2020 remarks and meets or exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

As a college student at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009, Talarico was part of a group of students who lobbied the city of Austin as a student government representative to divest from a coal-powered power plant.

At a press conference for the event, Talarico said the student government passed a resolution supporting the divestment. “It was a great success for environmentalists on campus, and also students who want to pay less for their energy bills and who want a sustainable economy and a green-collar economy when they come out of college.”

https://climatediscovery.org/September1CliCC.mp4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eec65jUzgc
https://house.texas.gov/videos/7069
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4qinQ_6dPg

Whistleblower warns Postal Service’s new mail ballot system has “potentially catastrophic problems”

September 1, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — A whistleblower is warning of “potentially catastrophic problems” with the U.S. Postal Service’s new system for handling mail ballots. The whistleblower is accusing the agency of flouting court rulings by continuing to work on implementing a Trump executive order to tighten mail voting rules before the November midterm elections.

Described by lawyers as a federal official, the anonymous whistleblower revealed the information about the Postal Service’s mail-voting procedures in a disclosure provided to Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. In response, Blumenthal is now questioning Postmaster General David Steiner about the Postal Service’s development of a new online portal to house information about voters and their mail ballots.

“The main takeaway for me is that the Postal Service has designed a system to disenfranchise millions of Americans,” Blumenthal told reporters. “One third of all Americans cast their ballots by mail, and the USPS puts all of their votes at risk.”

Mr. Trump has sought to exert more federal control over U.S. elections ahead of the November midterms, including through his executive order imposing new restrictions on mail ballots. The president has also pushed Congress to approve a package of voting regulations that would outlaw mail voting — with some exceptions — and impose new proof-of-citizenship requirements to register to vote.

As Mr. Trump signed his executive order in March,he claimed that “the cheating on mail-in voting is legendary,” and said new mail voting rules were needed to ensure the integrity of federal elections. But his administration has not put forth evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the president himself has cast ballots in Florida’s elections by mail.

As part of its implementation of the president’s directive, the Postal Service published a final rule last month laying out its new requirements for mail voting. A federal judge temporarily blocked its enforcement last week, and the Justice Department has appealed that decision.

Currently, six states conduct their elections entirely by mail. There are also four states, plus the District of Columbia, that have not yet eliminated in-person voting but also send ballots to all of their voters. In a CBS News poll in March, 77% of Democrats said anyone should be allowed to vote by mail, while just 25% of Republicans also felt that way. Independents were split, with 49% backing mail voting by anyone.

The new Postal Service rule imposes new design standards for outbound and return mail ballot envelopes, including the addition of a unique barcode. Under the new rule, state election officials must submit to an online “Federal Ballot Mail Portal” the names and addresses of voters receiving mail ballots, as well as the unique barcodes on the mail ballot envelopes.

Once that information is provided through the portal, those voters would be considered enrolled with the Postal Service on their state’s “Mail-In and Absentee Participation List.”

Most states led by Democrats oppose the rule, arguing that the Constitution gives states the authority to set election rules, not the federal government.

Blumenthal described the Postal Service’s actions as “sabotage.”

In a letter to Steiner dated Monday, Blumenthal said the agency’s implementation of Mr. Trump’s executive order has been “perilously rushed and potentially unlawful,” and he urged the Postal Service to walk back its new mail-voting plans for the upcoming elections.

He wrote that the whistleblower’s allegations show that “USPS lacks the technical or operational capability needed to effectively implement the EO’s provisions in a way that safeguards every citizen’s right to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.”

According to the whistleblower disclosure provided to Blumenthal by lawyers with Whistleblower Aid, the new portal is “untested” and will have “significant operating problems” when released, given its “rushed” development.

The federal official also warned that the new verification process could keep large numbers of mail ballots from being delivered to voters.

For instance, the Postal Service has what the whistleblower claims is a “zero percent failure rate.” Mail workers would scan a sample of a batch of mail ballots — about 400 out of a batch of 10,000 or more — to verify it matches what is in the federal mail ballot portal. Under the policy, if even one barcode on a single ballot in the batch doesn’t scan properly, the entire batch would be rejected and returned to state election officials so the problem ballot could be addressed, and then the verification process would have to be started again.

The whistleblower’s lawyers said that the way the process is designed is “entirely unforgiving.”

“It could delay ballots by the thousands in repeated verification cycles — and thus prevent states from mailing enormous numbers of ballots,” the lawyers said.

David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, warned that the process raises “tremendous” concerns for disenfranchisement of voters.

“Are Americans clamoring for the Postal Service to have this added responsibility as they’re hoping that their ballots are just seamlessly sent to them?” Becker, a CBS News election law contributor, asked.

He also said that the new Postal Service rules “would undoubtedly create a tremendous number of hoops that are completely unnecessary and do nothing for election integrity.”

Publication of the final rule came days before the Supreme Court intervened last weekin a case brought by 23 Democratic-led states that challenged key provisions of Mr. Trump’s executive order. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani had blocked the Trump administration from implementing those portions of the directive in June, including plans for the Postal Service, but the Supreme Court lifted that lower court decision.

The high court’s order was procedural: The majority found that the states’ lawsuit was premature. The Supreme Court said its decision “does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell.”

In addition to expressing concerns about the Postal Service’s new requirements for mail voting, the whistleblower’s disclosure also contends that the agency violated court orders by implementing Mr. Trump’s executive order.

After the district judge issued her order blocking implementation of the president’s directive, Postal Service workers resumed work on the portal, the official said, and work continued even after the judge’s latest ruling last week.

The Postal Service aims to have the portal ready to be rolled out to the public by Sept. 1, according to the disclosure.

“Our client, a lawful anonymous whistleblower, has come forward to flag a foreseeable catastrophic disruption to our coming nationwide elections based on the reckless pursuit of readying a new, insufficiently tested, poorly planned mail-in ballot screening system,” the whistleblower’s lawyers wrote.

世粮署因资金短缺将约旦河西岸援助人数减半

2026年9月1日 18:54 / 联合早报

8月18日，约旦河西岸北部纳布卢斯附近库斯拉村，以色列右翼定居者的车辆停在他们围困的民宅外。当地散户巴勒斯坦居民称，自8月9日起对方开始封锁以来，他们的食物和其他物资供应受阻。 （法新社）

联合国世界粮食计划署称，由于资金削减，世粮署被迫将巴勒斯坦西岸地区的援助对像人数减半，并警告可能带来严重后果。

法新社报道，世粮署星期二（9月1日）说，从本月起，机构在巴勒斯坦西岸地区提供粮食援助的人数将从40万人减少至20万人。

世粮署驻巴勒斯坦地区代表休斯说：“世粮署被迫约旦河西岸受援人数削减一半”，并警告称当地粮食需求已是两年前的两倍多。

休斯指出，粮食不安全过去并非西岸地区的主要问题。但自2023年10月以哈战争爆发以来，定居者暴力行为加剧、以色列军事行动持续升级、通行限制严厉、房屋被拆毁以及当地大规模人口流离失所，这些因素削弱了巴勒斯坦人的生计，并导致粮食不安全情况加剧。

世粮署称，最新季度粮食安全分析显示，约旦河西岸76%的家庭收入显著下降。许多家庭为维持生计，被迫出售资产，并减少用餐次数和降低饮食质量。

分析还发现，三分之一家庭已无力负担营养充足的饮食。其中，农村地区及约旦河西岸南部省份居民受影响最严重。

休斯说：“那些曾经生活富足，依靠土地谋生的家庭，如今已买不起足够食物。”

以色列自1967年以来占领约旦河西岸地区。

世粮署因资金短缺将约旦河西岸援助人数减半

2026年9月1日 18:54 / 联合早报

8月18日，约旦河西岸北部纳布卢斯附近库斯拉村，以色列右翼定居者的车辆停在他们围困的民宅外。当地散户巴勒斯坦居民称，自8月9日起对方开始封锁以来，他们的食物和其他物资供应受阻。 （法新社）

联合国世界粮食计划署称，由于资金削减，世粮署被迫将巴勒斯坦西岸地区的援助对像人数减半，并警告可能带来严重后果。

法新社报道，世粮署星期二（9月1日）说，从本月起，机构在巴勒斯坦西岸地区提供粮食援助的人数将从40万人减少至20万人。

世粮署驻巴勒斯坦地区代表休斯说：“世粮署被迫约旦河西岸受援人数削减一半”，并警告称当地粮食需求已是两年前的两倍多。

休斯指出，粮食不安全过去并非西岸地区的主要问题。但自2023年10月以哈战争爆发以来，定居者暴力行为加剧、以色列军事行动持续升级、通行限制严厉、房屋被拆毁以及当地大规模人口流离失所，这些因素削弱了巴勒斯坦人的生计，并导致粮食不安全情况加剧。

世粮署称，最新季度粮食安全分析显示，约旦河西岸76%的家庭收入显著下降。许多家庭为维持生计，被迫出售资产，并减少用餐次数和降低饮食质量。

延伸阅读

世粮署：黎巴嫩恐面临严重粮食危机
世粮署警告：若伊朗战争持续到6月 数千万人将陷严重饥饿

分析还发现，三分之一家庭已无力负担营养充足的饮食。其中，农村地区及约旦河西岸南部省份居民受影响最严重。

休斯说：“那些曾经生活富足，依靠土地谋生的家庭，如今已买不起足够食物。”

以色列自1967年以来占领约旦河西岸地区。

星宇解约107名应届生 大众启动专项调查

2026年9月1日 15:48 / 联合早报

星宇股份是中国汽车车灯龙头企业之一，产品供应中国、德国、日本等多国车企。 （互联网）

针对中国汽车车灯供应商星宇股份被指“羞辱式劝退”应届毕业生，并与其中107人解除劳动合同一事，奔驰已受理相关举报并展开进一步审查，大众汽车则启动专项调查。

综合路透社、21世纪经济网和澎湃新闻报道，德国车企大众中国发言人星期二（9月1日）说，对于供应商星宇股份引发的相关投诉，大众汽车集团高度重视，并已第一时间启动专项调查，目前调查仍在进行中。

大众中国强调：“尊重劳动者合法权益，是大众汽车集团开展所有经营活动恪守的核心原则。这一点同样贯穿于我们的供应链体系管理之中。我们要求，各项基本价值与权利必须得到充分保障。”

大众并称，此次审查属于“标准程序”，调查结束后将采取“适当措施”。

此前一天，奔驰星期一（8月31日）通过邮件回应举报人称，举报所描述的行为不符合奔驰的企业原则，而这些原则同样适用于所有业务合作伙伴。奔驰已将相关报告转交专业团队进一步审查。

据《新京报》《每日经济新闻》等报道，星宇股份此前共招录440名2026届高校毕业生。这批毕业生今年7月入职，但仅一个多月后，公司便开始集中约谈部分员工。人事部门以市场环境不佳为由，劝说部分员工主动离职。

据报道，公司向受影响员工提出两个方案：一是协商离职，获得相当于半个月工资的补偿；二是从原有研发或技术岗位调往装配、插接、螺丝紧固等生产线岗位，薪资重新核定。

事件在中国社交媒体引发对劳动权益和青年就业问题的讨论。在经济复苏不均衡的背景下，也凸显中国供应商及其国际客户可能面临的劳动合规风险。

星宇车灯是中国主要汽车照明设备制造商之一，年产能达8000万只车灯，也是大众、奔驰和宝马等国际车企的供应商。对于大众展开调查一事，公司没有回应路透社的置评请求。

星宇车灯8月27日在官网发布致歉信，承认在处理解约事件过程中存在管理和沟通不到位的问题，但没有证实媒体所报道的上述处理方案。常州市人社局此前通报称，公司已对人力资源总监作出停职处理。

星宇股份目前正寻求在香港实现双重主要上市，以为全球扩张计划筹集更多资金。中国媒体报道称，部分受影响毕业生还就公司的劳动用工问题向香港交易所提出投诉。

女佣“偷龙转凤” 盗雇主金饰换假金

2026年9月1日 15:48 / 罗妙婷 新明日报

被告偷雇主的金饰去套现，把假的放回上锁抽屉里。 （示意图）

趁雇主不在家，女佣偷摸进雇主卧室“偷龙转凤”，把金饰偷走，再放回假的取代，三个多月内偷走总值6300元的金项链和金手链，星期一（8月31日）被判坐牢四个月两周。

被告是来自印度尼西亚的如斯蒂妮（Rustini，46岁）。她星期一承认一项监守自盗的罪行，另一项欺骗罪则交由法官下判时纳入考量。

调查揭露，被告在宏茂桥一带的一个组屋单位当女佣。

今年1月到4月间，被告趁男雇主（41岁）出门或出国时，进入雇主的卧室，打开上锁的抽屉，拿走雇主一条金项链和一条金手链，总价值至少6300元。

为了不被发现，被告拿走雇主金饰时，还放了假的取代。虽然男雇主在1月份已经怀疑被告偷走他的金手链并用假的取代，但当时没有质问她。

直到今年4月14日，当男雇主旅行回家后，发现抽屉里的金项链也被换掉了，于是质问被告。被告承认是她偷的，雇主随之报警。

监四个月两周

被告指，她把偷来的金手链给朋友当抵押，向朋友借1000元，但这名朋友已经回国了。金项链则被她拿去典当，共套现4300元。

她把部分的钱拿去还债，另一部分则汇回乡付房贷。

被告求情时说，自己是家中唯一经济来源，有四个仍在求学的孩子要养，恳求法官从轻发落。

法官下判时说，被告背叛雇主对她的信任，不仅偷了价值不菲的金饰，还放了假的来掩盖罪行，至今没有做出任何赔偿，最终判她坐牢四个月两周。

大士关卡破万件电子烟走私 48岁马国男司机被捕

2026年9月1日 15:49 / 新明日报

移民与关卡局人员发现罗厘扫描图有异常后，从当中搜出过万个电子烟和电子烟弹。 （取自移民与关卡局脸书）

将超过1万个电子烟和电子烟弹藏在俗称纸皮的瓦楞纸中企图走私进入我国，一名48岁马来西亚籍男司机被捕。

移民与关卡局星期二（9月1日）在脸书发文说，驻守在大士关卡局的移民局人员8月20日，发现一辆正要入境的马来西亚注册车牌罗厘扫描体有异常，于是指示罗厘接受进一步检查。

当时，罗厘申报所运送的货物为瓦楞纸（corrugated paper），但移民局人员在货物中搜出超过3400个电子烟和近7000个电子烟弹。

驾驶罗厘的48岁男司机当场被捕，案件随后转交给卫生科学局进一步调查。

移民局强调，在促进贸易与人流货流往来更便利之际，会继续严守边境安全，制止违禁品流入我国。

女子申诉：酒吧庆生拟转场 引发肢体冲突

2026年9月1日 15:50 / 新明日报

男子与酒吧巡场发生冲突，惊动警方到场。 （取自Stomp）

女子称到酒吧庆生时，同行男友人与另一人商量要前往另一家夜店，酒吧巡场听闻后质疑他 “抢客”，双方发生肢体冲突，导致男友人受伤。警方介入调查事件。

这起事件于8月15日凌晨约零时25分发生，地点是克拉码头的Home Dusk酒吧。

化名为Q的女子向Stomp指出，一行人14日晚上到上述酒吧为朋友庆生，午夜时分，一名男友人在酒吧接待处附近，与另一名女友人商量转往Zouk夜店。

她透露，一名相信是酒吧巡场的男子听闻后，就上前质问，指男友人替其他夜店“拉客”，男友人则反驳说他是顾客，有权邀请朋友到其他场所消费。

Q说，过后这名巡场的情绪越发激动，为免事态升级，男友人就不再理会对方并慢慢后退，孰料巡场突然冲上前，毫无预警地多次挥拳攻击男友人。

其间，男友人一边后退，一边推开对方，这时另一名身份不明的男子也冲上前，并以华语高喊：“你敢打我兄弟！”

两名男子之后被指继续攻击已经倒地的男友人，直到其他同行友人和路人上前制止，冲突才告一段落，随后他们也报警。根据Q提供给Stomp的医疗账单等，男友人事后自行前往黄廷方综合医院就医，医药报告显示他的耳朵挫伤，眉部也有裂伤，并获三天病假。

新加坡警察部队受询时向《新明日报》证实接获报案，一名33岁男子受轻伤，但拒绝送院。另一名38岁男子则因涉嫌蓄意伤人，正协助警方调查。

酒吧：冲突发生在酒吧范围外 双方均在过程中受伤

Home Dusk酒吧回复Stomp时说，冲突是发生在酒吧范围外的公共区域，双方均在过程中受伤。

发言人说，他们留意到外界针对事件提出的各种指控，但部分说法存在争议，并不符合管理层对事实的了解。

由于警方和内部调查仍在进行，酒吧管理层不愿评论涉事者的身份、职务、关系或行为。

“Home Dusk绝不容忍暴力，并高度重视顾客和员工的安全。待相关调查完成后，我们将采取一切必要行动。”

发言人也说，酒吧已就事件聘请律师，在调查结束和厘清事实前，不会进一步置评。

韩军：韩美日“自由之刃”联演计划不变

2026年9月1日 15:52 / 联合早报

2024年9月2日，韩美两军在韩国浦项及周边沿海地区进行“双龙”联合两栖登陆演习。 （路透社）

韩国军方说，韩美日“自由之刃”联合军演是防御性训练，联演计划保持不变。朝鲜劳动党中央委员会副部长金与正日前指韩美双边及多边联合演习为“鲁莽的武力展示”，会造成严重后果。

韩联社报道，韩国联合参谋本部（联参）公报室长张都英（音）星期二（9月1日）说，此次联演是韩美日三国每年例行举行的防御性训练，旨在应对朝鲜的核武和导弹威胁，维护地区和平与稳定。截至目前，三国联演计划未有调整。对于参演兵力，他表示，三国正就此进行研讨，美国航母是否参演正由美方考虑。

“自由之刃”（Freedom Edge）联合多域军演是韩美日从2024年起例行实施的防御性训练，今年联演定9月7日至11日在济州以东、以南公海上举行。

朝鲜外交部发言人8月31日在朝中社发表谈话，谴责美方公布“2026年自由之刃实施计划，并主张，这些举措证明特朗普政府对朝敌对政策没有任何变化。

济州警员为减工作量虚假结案 涉渎职被移送检方

2026年9月1日 12:20 / 联合早报

8月24日，韩国警察在济州岛一处棕榈园发现失踪者张美兰的遗体。张美兰是在5月12日凌晨离家后宣告失踪，承办此案的警察涉嫌谎报已联系上张美兰“确认平安无事”，在两个半小时内擅自结案。 （路透社）

济州岛发生警员渎职虚假结案丑闻，韩国警方星期二指，涉案警员称擅自结案是为了避免工作量增加。

韩联社报道，济州岛警察厅星期二（9月1日）在记者会上也说，已将这名警员移送检方，指控他涉嫌渎职和伪造公文等罪。

警方说：“这名警员供述称，由于失踪者是一名普通成年人，因此有所松懈，并因案件若持续保持立案状态将有许多后续事宜要处理，为避免移交案件带来的工作负担，便虚假结案。”

据此前报道，今年5月15日，济州岛37岁女子张美兰被通报失踪。这名警员却向报案家属谎称，已联系上张美兰，获对方亲口证实平安无事，并以此在两个半小时内结案，还从警方内部系统中删除失踪人口档案，但实际上两人未曾沟通过。8月24日，警方寻获张美兰遗体，地点就在距离她住所仅400公尺的棕榈园内。

同一名警员也涉嫌在7月草率处置另一起六旬男子的失踪案。失踪者家人8月21日再度报案，他的遗体于隔天寻获。