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Uprising’s guest expert Arun Gupta, Independent Journalist and regular contributor to the Guardian, In These Times, The Progressive, and Truthout, and co-founder of the Occupied Wall Street Journal and the Indypendent, analyzes today’s news headlines:

Violence rages outside Iraq’s largest oil refinery in the latest battle between Sunni militants and Iraqi forces. The group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has apparently raised black banners over the refinery near the city of Baiji. ISIS is determined also to continue its march toward the capital Baghdad as calls continue for Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki to step down. And, India’s government says that ISIS has kidnapped 40 Indian migrant workers in Mosul, Iraq whose whereabouts remain unknown. Meanwhile Sunni led monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE who are also strong US allies, are warning the US and Iran to not intervene on behalf of Iraq’s Shia dominated government. Click here for an Al Jazeera article about the story.

The financially struggling city of Detroit, Michigan, is in yet another crisis – this time over water. The city’s Water and Sewerage Department has decided to shut off water to thousands of families who are behind on their bills, at the same time that the city council decided on a whopping 8.7% rate hike. Advocacy groups are appealing to the United Nations. According to Food and Water Watch, “Over the last decade, Detroit residents have seen water rates rise by 119 percent. With unemployment rates at a record high and the poverty rate at about 40 percent, Detroit water bills are unaffordable to a significant portion of the population.” Click here for a Food and Water Watch report about the story.

Louisiana’s Republican governor Bobby Jindal has once more thumbed his nose at the federal government to appease his Tea Party backers – this time by rejecting Common Core educational standards and standardized testing in his state’s public schools. Jindal announced at a press conference, “We’re very alarmed about choice and local control of curriculum being taken away from our parents and educators.” Click here for a Politico report about the story.