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The global movement to restore nature's biodiversity | Thomas Crowther
Take action on climate change at https://ift.tt/1du08Tk. Biodiversity is the key to life on Earth and reviving our damaged planet, says ecologist Thomas Crowther. Sharing the inside story of his headline-making research on reforestation, which led to the UN's viral Trillion Trees Campaign, Crowther introduces Restor: an expansive, informative platform built to enable anyone, anywhere to help restore the biodiversity of Earth's ecosystems. This talk was part of the Countdown Global Launch on 10.10.2020. (Watch the full event here: https://youtu.be/5dVcn8NjbwY.) Countdown is TED's global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at https://ift.tt/2GNL9YR Follow Countdown on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tedcountdown Follow Countdown on Instagram: https://ift.tt/30Nmz1b Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://ift.tt/1Hir7dt). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://ift.tt/2YaI34x

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AOC, progressives call for Senate to oppose corporate hires

‘The chokehold that corporate giants and the rich hold over our political system is not new.’

Progressive Democrats including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), are calling on the Senate not to confirm C-suite level corporate executives or lobbyists to future administration posts.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), left-wing House members, including 39 progressive groups, signed a letter asking that they oppose these nominees, The Hill reports.

“One of the most important lessons of the Trump administration is the need to stop putting corporate officers and lobbyists in charge of our government,” they wrote. “As elected leaders, we should stop trying to make unsupportable distinctions between which corporate affiliations are acceptable for government service and which are not.”

Read More: Ocasio-Cortez introduces amendment to block Trump’s ‘racist’ housing rule

In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Reps. Katie Porter, Ayanna Pressley, Barbara Lee, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, and more, signed the letter. 

Raúl Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, drafted the letter, and noted “it’s not addressed to Biden, but there’s an understanding that he’d be in charge and be the person making nominations,” he said.

“Ending the practice of filling cabinet and sub-cabinet posts with current or former corporate officers and lobbyists is not to offer a commentary on each individual person’s character. It is to make a statement of principle,” the group wrote. 

The letter’s signees also include prominent liberal groups like Our Revolution, which has ties to Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which is supported by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Read More: Alexandria Ocasio Cortez voted against new stimulus package: It was ‘too small’

‘The destruction of humanity is a higher priority than the preservation and advancement of humanity.’ — In January, @AOC called out the U.S. government for spending more on military than its own citizens in need pic.twitter.com/NIYCh8eMWK

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 13, 2020

“Despite the unrivaled corruption of the Trump administration, the chokehold that corporate giants and the rich hold over our political system is not new,” said Illinois Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, who also signed the letter. “Their power and influence in American politics has been growing for years.”

The letter’s authors warn Democrats not to appoint any of their own corporate buddies or officials after criticizing Trump’s appointees.

“Just imagine explaining to the American people why those names, with those affiliations, are unacceptable, but similar names with similar-sounding affiliations are not only unobjectionable, but necessary to the proper functioning of the federal government,” they wrote. “The revolving door needs to stop, not just change direction every few years.”

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Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira’s ‘Americanah’ series scrapped

The show was set to begin production earlier this year but was pushed back due to the pandemic.

HBO Max has scrapped its series adaptation of the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie novel “Americanah” with Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira attached to executive produce. 

The project is no longer moving ahead after Nyong’o was forced to exit the series due to scheduling conflicts stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, Variety reports .

Nyong’o was set to star in the series with Gurira writing and serving as showrunner.

Read More: Lupita Nyong’o pays touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman

(L-R) Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o speak onstage during the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

“Americanah” originally received a 10-episode straight-to-series order at HBO Max in 2019. The show was set to begin production earlier this year, but COVID hit and Hollywood was forced to shut down. After the shooting dates were pushed back, Nyong’o had to drop out due to conflicts with other projects, according to the report.

The Oscar-winning actress originally planned to adapt the novel into a film co-starring alongside David Oyelowo. 

The story traces the life of a young Nigerian woman who migrates to America to attend university amid the backdrop of her love story with a high school classmate.

“Americanah” earned Adichie the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

Read More: WINNING: Danai Gurira inks overall deal with ABC Studios

It's #Sulwe's 1st Birthday! 💜 Your embrace of this story has been one of my life's greatest joys. I'm celebrating today that I can now hold in my two hands a copy written in Kenya's national language, Swahili. ✨ pic.twitter.com/UiKUXHjlB1

— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 15, 2020

“‘Americanah’ has been a passion project for me since I read Chimamanda’s beautiful novel in 2013,” Nyong’o said when the series was originally announced, Variety reported. “It’s a tale that is simultaneously timely and timeless. HBO Max is the perfect partner to bring this profound and celebrated story to life, and I’m thrilled that Danai will bring to the project her intelligence, wit, and understanding of the stories and the worlds of ‘Americanah.’”

Gurira added, “Through ‘Americanah,’ Chimamanda brought the African female voice into mainstream consciousness in an unprecedented way. It is intellectually incisive, indicting, yet full of humor, and riddled with humanity. She makes unheard voices familiar, universal and yet palpably specific. I am honored to bring her incredible novel to life on the screen.”

Nyong’o was set to star on the series alongside Uzo Aduba, Corey Hawkins, Zackary Momoh, and Tireni Oyenusi.

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