Photo: Mothers Rebellion

Dear Rebel,

As a movement focused on the climate crisis, we often have to deliver bad news. Understandably, this upsets a lot of people. Bad news is hard to take. But hiding frightening truths won’t make them go away, and “telling the truth” is literally our First Demand.

We get that good news is important for keeping everybody hopeful and engaged, and so we try to share it when we can. We’re sharing some this month, here in this issue. But our good news might look a little different than what you’re expecting. We hesitate to applaud token policies and pretty speeches by governments or corporations, since these are so rarely followed up by the kind of meaningful change we really need. We cannot get too excited about incremental progress when the truth is we are far behind where we need to be.

But we can—and do—celebrate successful acts of nonviolent civil disobedience. We celebrate people working together to build communities, help each other, and determine their own government. We celebrate mothers standing up for their children’s futures and finding new ways for all of us to be activists.

Someday, we will celebrate governments and big businesses finally telling the truth and taking immediate action.

If you’re feeling hopeless in the face of the climate crisis and looking for something to cheer you, we invite you to find solidarity with other like-minded people. Consider reaching out to your local XR group. In a time of anxiety, loss, and uncertainty, we encourage you to be part of the good news yourself.

This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.

Donate What You Can

Image: Mothers Rebellion

Mothers Rebellion 2025

On April 26th, the Saturday after Earth Day, members of Mothers* Rebellion around the globe came together to #protectwhatwelove. From north to south and east to west, groups showed up for the benefit of indispensable ecosystems and precious natural areas in their communities. Protests took place in over a dozen countries including Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sweden, Brazil and Australia.

Mothers* Rebellion is a movement of mothers, caregivers, and allies in a growing global community on six continents. The asterisk is used because the movement is for more than just mothers – it’s also for grandmothers, aunties, daughters, sisters and caregivers and allies of all kinds. They are fighting for a sustainable present and future for the current and coming generations. They want to be able to look all our children in the eyes and say that we have truly done all that we can. They are turning their grief and frustration into action.

Mothers* Rebellion started simultaneously in both Sweden and the United States, in 2022. In May, 2023, the first coordinated protest was held in 21 countries on six continents. This past April’s event was the movement’s eighth global protest.

Mothers* Rebellion uses a simple format for their protests: a circle of people sitting peacefully together in a public space, sometimes holding signs with simple messages such as the names of their children.They believe that connecting to their fear, sorrow, anger, and love for their children can give them the power they need to collectively face the climate crisis and bring about the change that is needed.

See photos from April 26th here. Follow Mothers* Rebellion on Instagram

*Photo: Mutare, Zimbabwe, Mothers** Rebellion

Action Round Up

14 June | USA

Photos: XR Global, Extinction Rebellion NYC, @risenresistnyc

On Saturday, June 14th, totals vary but at least 5 million protestors peacefully gathered in more than 2100 locations across all 50 states in the United States to denounce authoritarianism and anti-immigrant actions. The protest was the largest single day protest ever in the United States. The power of the people is greater than the people in power**.** Photo Gallery here.

25 May | Warsaw, Poland

Photo: @lena,grycel – Extinction Rebellion Warszawa

The first round of presidential elections were held in Poland on May 18th. A week later, on May 25th, Polish rebels took a stand for the climate before the second round, demonstrating against candidate Karol Nawrocki because he opposes the EU’s climate proposals and wants to continue to mine coal in Poland. Extinction Rebellion Polska and Extinction Rebellion Warszawa declared that “We need a president with a plan for a just energy transition”. Unfortunately, Nawrocki won the second round by a very slim margin: 50.89 % versus 49.11% for his opponent Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. Support Polish rebels by following them:

Extinction Rebellion Polska Extinction Rebellion Warszawa

A Deeper Dive

Diffusing The Next Carbon Bomb

Last month, we highlighted the campaign to halt the sale of 52 new oil exploration blocks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now here is a chance to learn more about the growing coalition working to prevent the detonation of this massive carbon bomb and how you can help. Read this interview with one of the climate and human rights defenders leading the initiative.

Long Read

In the UK, ecoactivists are increasingly turning to something new: sabotage. How far will it go? And how might it change the climate movement? Read the full story here.

Dispatch from XR España

Image: XR España

Officially, 2024 was the year with the highest temperatures ever recorded. Last month brought extraordinary temperatures to the Iberian Peninsula earlier than normal. So Extinction Rebellion España sent us their top tips for keeping cool in 2025:

1. Apply sunscreen.
2. Hydrate well.
3. Denounce the fact that high temperatures are the result of crimes against humanity by the fossil fuel industry for their own profit, despite knowing the climate consequences.
4. Eat lightly and look for fresh produce.
5. Avoid doing sports in the middle of the day.

Remember that we all need stable weather and a fair world to live in.

Follow Extinction Rebellion Spain on Instagram

Book of the Month

What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures

by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Books on climate optimism can be irritating and disappointing because they so often ignore the many reasons for pessimism. Instead of telling us why we should hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, they just ignore the seeming insurmountability and assert that everything will be okay. Johnson’s book is different, because it doesn’t comment on whether success is likely at all. It just explores what success might look like, and what the successes we’ve had so far have looked like.

It’s hard to work towards a victory one can’t imagine, so Johnson has gathered her friends to help us imagine it. The book consists of a series of interviews with experts in various fields, from science to finance to politics. All the interviews are fun and friendly in tone. They read like people (mostly women) having coffee together.

The vision presented is both genuinely encouraging and richly informative. The only thing really missing is any discussion of how the opposition might be dealt with; as we have learned, there are people who don’t want climate action and are busy fighting us to keep it from happening. What does winning those fights look like? Do we convince them to convert? Lock them all up? Maybe such questions can be handled by a sequel.

Overall, Johnson gets it right. And because many of the interviewees, and Johnson herself, are not white, the book effectively centers needed voices that don’t always get included.

Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops. In the UK, buy your books at Bookshop or Hive. Buy used through Abe Books (international).

Quick Watch

Should YOU Be A Climate Activist?

As climate change intensifies, more and more climate activists are taking to our streets – including rebels of Extinction Rebellion. The question is, does blocking traffic, throwing soup, and gluing oneself to buildings make any difference? And how do activists like these fit in with other climate movements—like boycotting banks, marching, and building community? And will it really take disaster for activism to finally turn the tide on climate change? Watch this video by YouTuber ClimateAdam, which explores the impact of activism with professor and activist Dana R. Fisher.

Watch here: Should YOU Be a Climate Activist?

Emergency Readiness

Los Angeles experienced deadly wildfires in early January. Intense rainfall in Peru led to severe flooding and landslides in March. Recently Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France had a complete black out. Mozambique, Madagascar, and Malawi have been hit by repeated cyclones.

These are just a few of the calamities that have affected people all over the world in the first months of this year. XR Global stands in solidarity with all those affected. We are also looking forward and thinking about how everyone can be more ready for the unexpected. We’d like to hear from anyone who has experienced a disaster or loss of essential services about what was the most important thing they learned. What do others need to know to be better prepared? What do you wish you had known? Email us your top recommendations at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com

XR Global Support Volunteer Openings

Our movement is made up of people from all walks of life, contributing in different ways with the time and energy they can spare. Here at Global Support, we are looking for remote volunteers. Most positions involve 2-3 hours per week, and you just need internet access. We have openings for the following roles:

• Writers for this Newsletter: If you like to research and write short updates, conduct interviews and are familiar with social media, please email us at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com
• Translators (German and Hindi): Find out more here.
• Developers for our global website: If you know HTML, CSS, Javascript and Vue.js, please email us at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com

If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com

Get involved in XR wherever you are! Check out our global website, learn more about our movement, and connect with rebels in your local area. Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and subscribe to the XR Global Newsletter.

This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow. We need money to continue this crucial work.

Donate What You Can

Amba Kak, co-executive director of AI Now and another coauthor of the report, says that her organization “has been quite focused” on government policy as a way to enact change, but adds that it’s become clear those levers will be unsuccessful unless power is built from below. “We need to make sure that AI is resonating as an issue that is affecting people’s material lives, not as this abstract tech thing over there.”

“What’s unique to this moment is this push to integrate AI everywhere. It’s granting tech companies and the people that run them new kinds of power that go way beyond just deepening their pockets,” says Sarah Myers West, co-executive director of AI Now and one of the authors of the report. “We’re talking about this profound social and economic and political reshaping of the fabric of our lives, and that necessitates a different way of accounting for AI harms.”

To read more, click here

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has pulled off a stunning political upset, running a successful primary campaign for New York City mayor on a platform of making the city more affordable for working people and families through major investments in the city’s social safety net.

Three-term former Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded to Mamdani in the Democratic primary Tuesday night, not even waiting for the tabulation of ranked-choice votes. Mamdani will be on the ballot in November, as will the embattled incumbent, Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. Cuomo, who resigned as governor amid sexual misconduct allegations, could run separately as well.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, ran on affordability and the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers and families. He put out social media videos highlighting everything from rising rent costs to “halalflation” at New York City’s halal carts, and anchored his campaign around a few signature policies, like rolling out free bus service, implementing universal child care, creating city-run grocery stores and freezing rents on rent-stabalized units.

To fund many of his policies, he’s also proposing new taxes on the richest New Yorkers and raising taxes on corporations, drawing criticism from his opponents and others.

“We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford,” Mamdani told supporters shortly after midnight Wednesday. “A city where they can do more than just struggle, one where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day, where hard work is repaid with a stable life, where eight hours on the factory floor or behind the wheel of a cab is enough to pay the mortgage.”

Here are some of Mamdani’s key proposals:

Child care and education: 

The cost of child care is rivaling housing costs as a major burden on families. Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York rolled out universal early childhood education for 3-year-olds (3K) and pre-kindergarten (pre-K) for 4-year-olds. Mamdani wants to expand that to universal child care for children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age by opening new child care centers and raising wages for child care and early childhood education professionals.

“The lack of universal child care has cost our city’s economy more than $20 billion in the last few years alone,” Mamdani said in a campaign video.

Mamdani also proposes giving “baby baskets” to new parents in New York City, including information and resources on city resources for new parents and “items like diapers, baby wipes, nursing pads, post-partum pads, swaddles, and books,” a program he says he will address maternal mortality and bolster trust in government.

On K-12 education, Mamdani says on his campaign website that he “will ensure our public schools are fully funded with equally distributed resources, strong after-school programs, mental health counselors and nurses, compliant and effective class sizes, and integrated student bodies.”

Housing:

Mamdani’s most notable housing proposal was freezing rents on rent-stabilized units, which are subject to city-approved rent increases and guarantee a right for tenants to renew their leases. Mamdani wants to build 200,000 new units of affordable housing in 10 years, increase enforcement for landlords who don’t provide safe and adequate conditions for tenants and create an office of Deed Theft Prevention to address deed theft scams, which have disproportionately affected homeowners in Black and Latinx neighborhoods.

Taxes and labor:

Mamdani says he would back a law to increase New York City’s minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030.

LGBTQ+ rights:

In 2024, New York voters approved a statewide constitutional equal rights amendment codifying abortion rights and broadly prohibiting gender-based discrimination. Mamdani wants to make New York City an “LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city” by expanding access to gender-affirming care through a $65 million investment in public providers, bolstering protections for LGBTQ+ people and creating an official office of LGBTQIA+ affairs within his administration.

Following Mamdani’s shock win during Tuesday’s primary, conservatives and far-right influencers worked overtime to frame Mamdani as a “Marxist,” a “terrorist sympathizer,” and a “Muslim jihadist.”

But Fox News’s angle on the 33-year-old Queens lawmaker didn’t seem so bad. On Wednesday, the network aired a full screen of Mamdani’s “socialist promises,” including that he supports “no cost childcare” for city residents, wants to provide “baby baskets to newborns,” and plans on expanding New York City’s minimum wage to $30 per hour.

“Nothing says ‘radical’ like being able to eat and have a kid without needing to live in a tent,” responded one X user.

“Up next on Fox & Friends: Why cribs are Marxist and bibs are a gateway to full communism,” quipped another.

Mamdani’s campaign platform offers details on how the prospective mayor plans to implement his policies.

The campaign has argued that offering publicly funded childcare solutions within the city is critical to keeping New Yorkers in New York: “New Yorkers with children under 6 are leaving at double the rate of all others” due to the exorbitant cost of childcare in the city, according to the Mamdani campaign.

The program would offer free childcare “for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years,” the campaign specified.

And Mamdani said he intends to base his “baby basket” policy on “more than 90 similar programs around the world.” His official platform claimed the investment would cost less than $20 million and would provide new parents and guardians “with a collection of essential goods and resources, free of charge, including items like diapers, baby wipes, nursing pads, post-partum pads, swaddles, and books,” as well as a resource guide on the city’s newborn home visiting program that offers help with “breastfeeding, post-partum depression and more.”

Raising the minimum wage to $30 would be another goal for a potential Mamdani administration by 2030, which philosophically argued that “making the minimum wage shouldn’t mean living in poverty” and that poverty-level wages paid out by some of the world’s wealthiest corporations only end up costing the public more as social programs have to effectively “subsidize” these low-wage employers.

NEW YORK – Jurors at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial were barely seated on the trial’s first day when they were shown a video of the hip-hop mogul viciously attacking his longtime girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie.

Over the next seven weeks, jurors heard from 34 witnesses. All were called to the stand by prosecutors, but each was questioned by defense lawyers as they tried to challenge the portrayal of Combs as an out-of-control, violent boss who drove his employees and associates to fear him as he demanded their help in carrying out vendettas, getting drugs and fulfilling his sexual fantasies.

After cross-examinations that often lasted longer than the questions posed by prosecutors, defense lawyers spent only a half hour more presenting evidence once prosecutors finished their side of the case. A relaxed and seemingly satisfied Combs himself confirmed he would not testify.

Now, jurors are set to hear closing arguments Thursday and Friday in the closing stages of a trial in which they have watched videos of drug-fueled “freak-offs” and “hotel nights” where Cassie and another ex-girlfriend, “Jane,” said Combs forced them to have sex with strangers as he watched.

They also have heard testimony from Cassie and Jane, from personal assistants who said they witnessed Combs’ violence and from other women who also accused him of abuse. They saw text and social media messages and travel records.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Here’s how the trial has played out so far:

Cassie: ‘I’m not a rag doll’

Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, dated Combs from 2007 to 2018 after he signed her to his Bad Boy Records label.

Over four days, she told jurors Combs beat her and ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with male sex workers during multi-day “freak-offs,” his term for sexual marathons. She also said Combs raped her after she said she was ending their relationship.

In 2016, security cameras captured Combs hitting, kicking and dragging Cassie as she left his room at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles. The video was shown at the trial’s start. A hotel guard testified that Combs paid $100,000 to hide the video. It remained secret until CNN aired it in May 2024.

After the assault, Cassie texted Combs: “I’m not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child.”

Cassie first detailed her allegations in a lawsuit against Combs in 2023. He settled the next day for $20 million.

Jane: ‘You beat the love out of us’

Jane, testifying under a pseudonym, dated Combs from 2021 until his arrest last September.

The model said she repeatedly told Combs she didn’t want to have sex with other men — pleading with him, “I’m not an animal. I need a break” — but that he kept pressuring her. She said she felt “obligated” in part because he paid her rent.

Jane said she tried to end the encounters, texting him in 2023: “Ever since I opened Pandora’s box, I haven’t been able to close it.” He responded: “Girl, stop.” Another time, she told him: “You beat the love out of us.”

Last year, Jane said, Combs put her in a chokehold, punched her in the face and forced her into an encounter with a sex worker. She said he told her: “You’re not going to ruin my night like this.”

Both women said Combs threatened to release their sex videos if they refused his demands.

Kid Cudi and others who say Combs wronged them

Rapper Kid Cudi testified that Combs broke into his home in late 2011 after learning he and Cassie were dating. His car was firebombed a few weeks later. Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, said he knew Combs “had something to do” with it, but Combs told him he wasn’t involved.

Ex-Combs employee Capricorn Clark said Combs came to her home waving a gun the day of the break-in and demanded she get dressed and go with him because “we’re going to kill Cudi.”

A former personal assistant testifying under the pseudonym “Mia” said Combs put his hand up her dress and forcibly kissed her at his 40th birthday party in 2009, forced her to perform oral sex on another occasion and raped her in 2010. His lawyers say the claims are false.

Cassie’s friend Bryana “Bana” Bongolan testified that Combs dangled her over the railing of Cassie’s 17th floor balcony and threw her onto patio furniture in September 2016, leaving her bruised and traumatized.

Baby oil, lubricant and AR-15s

Six of Combs’ former personal assistants testified.

George Kaplan said he’d toss out liquor bottles and drugs and clean up baby oil from Combs’ hotel rooms. He said he quit after seeing Combs fighting with Cassie but didn’t report it to authorities.

David James testified that Combs had him stock hotel rooms with baby oil, condoms, Viagra and other supplies. James said he saw Combs with three handguns on his lap as they drove to confront Combs’ record industry rival Suge Knight in 2008.

Brendan Paul said he bought drugs for Combs including cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy and marijuana.

Federal agents testified that they found “freak-off” supplies during raids last year on Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami-area homes and in the New York City hotel room where he was arrested. They said they also found AR-15 rifles, other guns and ammunition at Combs’ homes.

Playing defense with prosecution witnesses

Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking — one for Cassie, one for Jane — and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

His defense case lasted all of 30 minutes. Combs waived his right to testify, as defendants often do, and his lawyers didn’t call witnesses of their own. Instead, they sought to undercut the credibility of his accusers through cross-examination.

They seized on inconsistencies in witness accounts, highlighted accusers’ willingness to continue seeing him and warm messages they exchanged with him after alleged abuse. They also accused women of trying to cash in on “the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs.”

Reluctant witnesses proved valuable to the defense

It wasn’t all bad for Combs. Jane acknowledged that despite everything she endured she still loves Combs. Other prosecution witnesses showered him with praise.

Kaplan said he still sends Combs birthday greetings and invited him to his wedding. Kaplan told jurors he was grateful to work for Combs and still has “a great deal of respect” for him.

Combs’ lawyers confronted celebrity stylist Deonte Nash with messages he sent expressing love for Combs. Some of them were from 2019 and 2020, two years after their professional relationship ended.

Missing pieces: Gina, KK and D-Roc

Originally, prosecutors built their case around four main witnesses: Cassie, Jane, Mia and Gina, a former Combs girlfriend who was referred to in his charging documents as “Victim-3.”

But Gina, who dated Combs from 2014 to 2019, was quietly dropped from the case and never testified. Still, she figured prominently in the trial.

Cassie noted she was really upset when she found out Combs was cheating with Gina. Kaplan said he once saw Combs hurling apples at Gina.

Others from Combs’ orbit who were mentioned but not seen in court included his former chief of staff, a bodyguard and other members of his security staff.