Chelsea Manning’s Feature in Vogue Is a Win For Trans Visibility

Representation Matters: Former US Army Analyst Chelsea Manning was thrust into the spotlight as a transgender advocate after she was jailed for leaking classified military information in 2010. At the time of her incarceration, some called her actions courageous while as others saw it as an act of treason. Manning came out as trans one day after her sentencing, and, according to CNN, made history for being the first person to take hormones while in a military prison.

Before leaving office, President Obama commuted Manning's sentence, and in May of 2017 she was released from prison. Now, Manning is celebrating her freedom in a Vogue Magazine feature story. The organizers of the Women's March tweeted their support of Manning's photo spread and Manning also tweeted the photo from the magazine with the caption, "guess this is what freedom looks like."

Last Stand on Keystone XL: For the past week, a five-member Public Service Commission in Nebraska has overseen hearings on the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline. Regulators on the commission are supposed to be listening to both sides of the argument, but have rejected hearing pipeline opponents' powerful claim that the US doesn't need more oil, thus making this is whole endeavour a poor business decision. Those who are for the pipeline say it will bring jobs and boost the local economy and President Trump gave the project federal approval back in March. Opponents say that the pipeline will exacerbate climate change, threaten safety with oil spills, offer limited work opportunities, and is not a sound business decision because of limited market need for additional oil.

Given the proposed route of the pipeline, there has been strong indigenous resistance to the project as native tribes claim it will drill through sacred sites, and contaminate water supplies. The commission will give their decision today, August 11, but they are taking public comments until the deadline. If protecting the environment, reducing use of fossil fuels and respecting indigenous rights is important to you, here's how you can voice your opposition to the pipeline.

It's not just your shitty air conditioning: On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released an international climate report that confirmed 2016 was the hottest year ever. The report includes other record-breaking trends from last year as a result of climate change such as rising sea levels, melting global ice, and extreme rain and weather. According to the report, 2016 was the third year in a row to top global temperature records.

The federal government is currently filled with climate change deniers, including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and President Trump, which means local government must bear a larger responsibility in protecting the environment. The Sierra Club's Ready for 100 initiative encourages mayors from across the US to curb carbon emissions by pledging their cities to use 100 percent renewable energy. If you're interested in getting your mayor on board, here's how you can get started.

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Kneeling for a cause: Activist and filmmaker Spike Lee is supporting Colin Kaepernick by holding a rally at the NFL headquarters in New York. In 2016, Kaepernick, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, gained attention for kneeling during the National Anthem before games as a silent and peaceful protest against racial injustice.

Kaepernick's actions drew both criticism and praise, and it's speculated that the political controversy is the reason he has yet be signed by any team in the NFL this season. On Wednesday, Lee announced the rally for Kaepernick via Twitter, which is set for August 23. Some Kaepernick fans are calling for a boycott of the NFL until he is signed to a team. So far, Kaepernick hasn't spoken publicly about the NFL or the organizing efforts to get him rehired.

Full on crisis mode: On Thursday, at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J, President Trump announced that he's preparing to declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. Secretary Tom Price of Health and Human Services briefed the president on the severity of the crisis. President Trump's answer to the problem is bolstering law enforcement and strengthening southern border security to stop the entry of illegal drugs. The White House's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction has recommended increasing federal funds to combat opioid misuse and monitoring doctor-patient prescriptions programs to curb risk of addiction.