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																							<h2>Houston’s Human Catastrophe Started Long Before the Storm</h2>
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	<div class="postid-257399 scrolltrace textContainer_Truncate" articlelisttitle="Houston’s Human Catastrophe Started Long Before the Storm" articlelistlinks="https://www.thenation.com/article/houstons-human-catastrophe-started-long-before-the-storm/" article-post-id="257399" article-keyword="'barack-oba', 'natural-di', 'texas'" article-subject="'activism', 'climate-ch', 'economy', 'energy-pol', 'environmen', 'environmen', 'environmen', 'executive-', 'government', 'oil-and-ga', 'politics'" article-authors="'wen-s'">
	
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		<ul class="article-info"><li class="category"><a href="https://www.thenation.com/subject/environment/" class="anchor_subject" subjectlink="https://www.thenation.com/subject/environment/">Environment</a></li><li class="category"><a href="https://www.thenation.com/subject/energy-policy/" class="anchor_subject" subjectlink="https://www.thenation.com/subject/energy-policy/">Energy Policy</a></li><li class="subcategory"><a href="https://www.thenation.com/keyword/texas/">Texas</a></li></ul><h1 class="article_title hide">Houston’s Human Catastrophe Started Long Before the Storm</h1><h1 class="title">Houston’s Human Catastrophe Started Long Before the Storm</h1><h2 class='subtitle'>Decades of neglect, inequality, and disenfranchisement mean that all Houstonians, but especially the poorest and most vulnerable, have been left utterly undefended.</h2>		
		
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			<h2 class="author_name">By <a class="author" href="https://www.thenation.com/authors/wen-stephenson/">Wen Stephenson</a><a class="author-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/@wenstephenson" target="blank"><span>Twitter</span></a></h2>	
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						August 29, 2017											
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										<p class="caption">Water from Addicks Reservoir flows into Houston neighborhoods. August 29, 2017. <span class="credits">(AP Photo / David J. Phillip)</span></p>
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				 <p>Twelve years ago today, a storm called Katrina made landfall on the Louisiana coast, and exposed for all time a simple and brutal truth: Our unfolding climate catastrophe, clearly visible even then, is rooted in social and economic inequalities that render most vulnerable the most marginalized and powerless. It showed us that the storms of this century, in both causes and deadly effects, are inescapably political—as much about our democracy as about the changes wrought upon our atmosphere. (Note to those in the media: It’s not “politicizing” a tragedy to point out that the causes of the tragedy, and responses to it, are deeply political.)<aside class="ad right most-popular-plus-ad grey_back">
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<p>It’s with this in mind that Donald Trump’s pardon, on Friday, of former sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona—even as the Category 4 hurricane known as Harvey was bearing down on the Texas coast—stands as an indelible image of the way our political and climate catastrophes now converge in real time. The unmistakable message, a president explicitly siding with militant white nationalism against the Constitution and the rule of law, coincided with news from Texas that Border Patrol checkpoints would remain in operation despite the storm. This raised the prospect of undocumented persons, fearful of law enforcement, choosing between deportation and drowning. If you want a glimpse of how Trump’s America will handle climate disruption and waves of internal climate refugees, beginning right about now, consider Arpaio’s pardon and all it represents.
<p>Much of Houston now stands under feet of water, with the rains still coming, a predicted 50 inches in places before this storm is done. The National Weather Service calls the event “unprecedented,” its impacts “beyond anything experienced”—while climate scientists like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/28/climate-change-hurricane-harvey-more-deadly">Pennsylvania State University’s Michael Mann</a> inform us, as they have for years, that such cataclysmic downpours are to be expected in a warming world. Soon the damage in Houston will begin to be assessed—the lives lost, the property and infrastructure destroyed, the homes, businesses, and livelihoods washed away. But the human catastrophe began long before the storm.
<p>Decades of neglect, inequality, and disenfranchisement—to say nothing of heedless development and a lack of flood planning tantamount to criminal negligence—mean that Houstonians of all backgrounds, but especially the poorest and most vulnerable communities, primarily communities of color, have been left utterly undefended. <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/welcome-west-port-arthur-texas-ground-zero-fight-climate-justice/" target="_blank">As I’ve reported</a> in this magazine, communities adjacent to the refineries and petrochemical plants on the Houston Ship Channel—the largest refining and petrochemical complex in the country—and along the Texas coast from Corpus Christi to Port Arthur, are <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/grassroots-battle-against-big-oil/">exposed</a> not only to deadly air pollutants every day but also to the threat of massive toxic releases as flood waters rage.<aside class="right hidden-on-mobile most-popular-plus-ad"><div class="most-popular hover_b_remove">
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<p>Houston is the belly of the beast when it comes to both fossil-fuel pollution and Big Oil’s political choke hold, only tightening under Trump. My friend Liana Lopez lives on Houston’s east side and organizes with the local grassroots Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) and the national Climate Justice Alliance. Since the storm hit, TEJAS has reported overpowering chemical odors in the communities near the Ship Channel, coming from the direction of the refineries. Justified fears of a long-anticipated toxic disaster run high. Still, as she told me in an e-mail, “The corporations have been warned for decades by communities and scientists, through legal and bureaucratic means, that this type of flooding event was possible. They not only ignored but <em>fought</em> the requests to upgrade their refineries to address climate impacts.” Now, she points out, “the cost to clean up the chemical spills in the aftermath of Harvey will not be billed to corporations.” The cost will be borne by taxpayers, an unconscionable corporate handout to the polluters themselves.		<aside class="pull-quote-module">
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				<p>There&rsquo;s no such thing as adaptation to fifty inches of rain&mdash;and if we don&rsquo;t transform our entire energy system, making fossil fuels obsolete, floods like Harvey brought will come to be seen as unexceptional on a catastrophically warming planet.</p>
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<p><span class="wpsdc-drop-cap">N</span>or is it likely those same corporations will be required to prepare for the next record-breaking storm—and the one after that. Under the Obama administration, the federal government began taking the first baby steps toward preparing the nation’s infrastructure for climate change. Earlier this month, Trump blew up the Obama order requiring new infrastructure projects to account for climate impacts such as sea-level rise. Suffice to say, it is unlikely that Republican-controlled governments in Austin and Washington will impose new climate-resilience regulations on their corporate benefactors.
<p>But the truth is, national Democrats have given us little more reason to believe they’re ready and willing to face our climate reality. Because there’s no such thing as adaptation to 50 inches of rain in one storm—and without a society-wide mobilization to transform our entire energy system, making fossil fuels obsolete, floods like Harvey brought will come to be seen as unexceptional on a catastrophically warming planet. In fact, they already are. As Harvey approached Texas, yet another epic flood pummeled South Asia, as a ferocious monsoon put a third of Bangladesh underwater and left more than 1200 people dead across that country, India, and Nepal, with millions homeless.
<p>Just as Houston’s catastrophe mustn’t be viewed in isolation, as merely another extreme weather event, it’s time to acknowledge that our climate reality has shifted—and that it’s time for the climate fight to shift with it. I mean the shift from a world in which we struggle to <em>prevent</em> climate catastrophe to the world we live in now, the one where we’re actually forced to live, or struggle to live, through it—the poor and marginalized struggling hardest of all. As the climate emergency converges with our national political emergency, nothing illustrates this shift more clearly, in this country, than Houston. The fights for equality and for democracy, so immediate and pressing in these dark times, are not separate from the fight for climate justice—because we’ll never have the latter without the former.
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		<p><span><a href="https://www.thenation.com/authors/wen-stephenson/"> Wen Stephenson</a><a class="author-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/@wenstephenson" target="blank"><span>Twitter</span></a></span>Wen Stephenson is a frequent<em> Nation</em> contributor and the author of <a href="http://www.beacon.org/What-Were-Fighting-For-Now-is-Each-Other-P1143.aspx"><em>What We're Fighting for Now Is Each Other: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Justice</em></a>.</p><br/>		
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					<b class="fn">Peter Unterweger</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-31T05:32:20+00:00">
								August 31, 2017 at 5:32 am							</time>
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										<p>Houston may be the belly of the fossile fuel beast, but it has been run by Democrats, and it is not only the neglect of their most vulnerable citizens that characterises their rule - it is also the rampant and heedless development that they encouraged, which has paved over the wetlands that formerly absorbed rainfall that is responsible for the historically repeated  disastrous floods.</p>
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					<b class="fn">Richard Glasford</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-30T22:12:20+00:00">
								August 30, 2017 at 10:12 pm							</time>
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										<p>And don&apos;t forget, tax cuts are the solution to every concern we have thank you, then there will be no need to vote on infrastructure spending.  And like that famous bridge in London: we all fall down!</p>
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					<b class="fn">Michael Robertson</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-30T16:16:12+00:00">
								August 30, 2017 at 4:16 pm							</time>
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										<p>What is politics but a public discussion to find policy that best serves the public interest?  So these rightwing jerks are telling us that we shouldn&apos;t be having that discussion?  Yes, because they don&apos;t want people to have that discussion.  They are fundamentally anti-democratic.  The politics that they have utterly corrupted are the politics that they now invoke to suppress any discussion.  It&apos;s the media&apos;s job to provide forums for that discussion.  The media has to stop using rightwing framing of fake issues and do its job.</p>
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					<b class="fn">Carl Schwartz</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-30T14:24:58+00:00">
								August 30, 2017 at 2:24 pm							</time>
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										<p>It was all said before, and in two Billie Holiday songs: &quot;And God Bless the Child&quot; and &quot;Strange Fruit.&quot;<br />
The rich are always with us, and so are the poor, and the rich basically want to turn the poor into some sort of byproducts.</p>
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					<b class="fn">Walter Pewen</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-29T23:59:44+00:00">
								August 29, 2017 at 11:59 pm							</time>
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										<p>If you read The New York Times Opinion Section today you would have seen the op-ed:  &quot;Texas Governor Warns Of Long, Slow Recovery From Storm&quot;   Packing the NYT picks letters column was more than one letter pleading, begging Americans not to get political about it and just try and help, in any way possible.  The usual &quot;I can&apos;t stand Trum or the GOP but I want to help.&quot;   On and on, and all of them garnered hundreds, maybe thousands of thumbs up.  All well and good and yes, the correct sentiment.  But to me it just says the same thing over and over that we are used to in the U.S.--so many of us don&apos;t want to get political, even ultimately, over big issues that we absolutely need to.   That&apos;s why we take so long to solve problems that are done and over with in other developed country.   Half of Americans are TERRIFIED of politics-otherwise we would have never gotten a second term for W Bush, for example.  This article and other people say it all the time, but Americans are so into selective listening these days it goes in one and out the other.   The flood in Houston is about is political an issue as you can find.  And until Americans across the board grow up, we will have more and worse.   What an imbecilic outlook half the country has on climate change.    Even when conked over the head they will run from this one also.  Maybe not-I&apos;m crossing my fingers.</p>
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					<b class="fn">Herb Simmens</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-29T19:41:14+00:00">
								August 29, 2017 at 7:41 pm							</time>
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										<p>Your moral outrage is justified, your prescription of giving up on mitigation is not. We need to do precisely what you say - and that is to engage in a society wide mobilization on the scale of WW2 to decarbonize in a generation. It&apos;s technically possible, only politics stands in the way. See theclimatemobilization.org</p>
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					<b class="fn">John Donovan</b> <span class="says">says:</span>					<div class="comment-metadata">
							<time datetime="2017-08-30T00:56:45+00:00">
								August 30, 2017 at 12:56 am							</time>
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										<p>Invokes WWII: calls for decarbonization<br />
We are made of carbon: Herb is__________.<br />
<br />
a) weak on chemistry<br />
b) off his meds<br />
c) as smart as a hammer<br />
d) literally Hitler</p>
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			jQuery.ajax({
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				type :"POST",
				data :"sailthru_email_take_action="+sailthru_email_take_action+"&take_action_sailthru_list_final="+take_action_sailthru_list_final+"&action="+action_tout_sailthru,
				success : function(data){				
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	function email_signup_module( articlePostId ){
		
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		var TNstep = getCookie('TNstep');
		if( TNstep!=null ){	

			var step = getParaOneNextStep(TNstep);			
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			/* show event tracking */
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			/* show event tracking */	
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				var cookieDateTNlifetime = new Date();
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			 * Track Views paragraph one module GTM
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	/* Paragraph One Click Event Trigger */
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	/*
	 * Event Tracking Functions
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	/* Related Single Article */ 
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		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.related-oneup").length > 0 ){
				
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					/*
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						'event': 'gaRelatedSingleArticleShowEvent',
						'gaEventCategory': 'related-single-article',
						'gaEventAction': 'related-single-article-show',
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		}		
	} 
	
	/* Related Multi Article */ 
	function relatedMultiArticle( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
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					 * Track Views Related Single Article GTM
					 */
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						'event': 'gaRelatedMultiArticleShowEvent',
						'gaEventCategory': 'related-multi-article',
						'gaEventAction': 'related-multi-article-show',
						'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
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		}		
	} 
	
	/* Current Issue Module */ 
	function currentIssueModule( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
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				/*
				 * Track Views Current Issue Module GTM
				 */
				dataLayer.push({
					'event': 'gaCurrentIssueModuleShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'current-issue-module',
					'gaEventAction': 'current-issue-module-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
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		}		
	}	
	
	/* Inline CTA 1 Views */ 
	function inlineCtaOne( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.inline-cta-1").length > 0 ){
				/*
				 * Track Views Current Issue Module GTM
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					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
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	/* Inline CTA 2 Views */ 
	function inlineCtaTwo( articlePostId ){
		
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			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.inline-cta-2").length > 0 ){
				/*
				 * Track Views Current Issue Module GTM
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				 * Track Views Author Highlight GTM
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					'event': 'gaAuthorHighlightShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'author-Highlight',
					'gaEventAction': 'author-Highlight-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
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	function seriesModule( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.series-modules").length > 0 ){
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				 * Track Views Series Module GTM
				 */
				dataLayer.push({
					'event': 'gaSeriesModuleShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'series-module',
					'gaEventAction': 'series-module-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
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	/* Comment Module Views */ 
	function commentModule( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.comment-module").length > 0 ){
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				 * Track Views Comment Module GTM
				 */
				dataLayer.push({
					'event': 'gaCommentsModuleShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'comments-module',
					'gaEventAction': 'comments-module-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
				});
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		}		
	}
	
	/* Books Salad Views */ 
	function booksSalad( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.book-module").length > 0 ){
				/*
				 * Track Views Books Salad GTM
				 */
				dataLayer.push({
					'event': 'gaBooksSaladShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'books-salad',
					'gaEventAction': 'books-salad-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
				});
			}				
		}		
	}
	
	/* Action Tout Module Views */ 
	function actionToutModule( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.takeaction").length > 0 ){
				/*
				 * Track Views Action Tout Module GTM
				 */
				dataLayer.push({
					'event': 'gaActionToutModuleShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'action-tout-module',
					'gaEventAction': 'action-tout-module-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
				});
			}				
		}		
	}
	
	/* Sidebar Community Module Views */ 
	function sidebarCommunityModule( articlePostId ){
		
		if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-reduce").length ==0 || jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" .expand-close").length !=0 ){
			
			if( jQuery(".postid-"+articlePostId+" aside.n-community").length > 0 ){
				/*
				 * Track Views Sidebar Community Module GTM
				 */
				dataLayer.push({
					'event': 'gaSidebarShowEvent',
					'gaEventCategory': 'sidebar-community',
					'gaEventAction': 'sidebar-community-show',
					'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
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	jQuery( document ).ready(function($) {
		
		/*============== Variables ==================*/
		
		var preventLoad_article = false;		
		var flag              = false;
		var $e                = $('.article-body').children().last();   
		var $t                = $e.prop("tagName");
		var tagsArray         = ['FORM','ASIDE'];
		var anothertagsArray  = {'UL':'li','OL':'li','BLOCKQUOTE':'p'};
		var url_id            = window.location.hash.substr(1);
		var pageChange        = 1;
		var articlePostId     = 257399;
		var count             = 1;
		var article_divider   = 1;
		var loagAgn           = false;
		var scroll_art_recric = true;
		var list;
		
		/*============== Variables ==================*/				
		
		/*
		 * Body content image in  gallery
		 */
		
		$('section.article-body img').each(function() {			
			if($(this).parent("a").parent("figure").hasClass('bx-item')){
				flag = true;
			}else{				
				var href_val = $(this).parent("a").attr('href');
				var img_src  = $(this).attr('src');
				
				if( href_val === img_src && !$(this).parents().hasClass("email-signup-module") ){
					$(this).parent("a").addClass("gallery");
				}else{
					if( !$(this).parent("a").hasClass("no-target-blank") ){
						$(this).parent("a").attr('target','_blank');	
					}					
				}
			}
		});
		
		/*
		 * Run image slider
		 */
		
		if(flag){
			runSlider(jQuery('.gallery-2'));
		}
		
		/*
		 * Email Sign Up
         */	
		if(!flag){	
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		}
		 
		/*
		 * Related Single Article Track
		 */
		relatedSingleArticle( 257399 );
		
		/*
		 * Related Multiple Article Track
		 */
		relatedMultiArticle( 257399 ); 
		
		/*
		 * Current Issue Module Track
		 */
		currentIssueModule( 257399 );
		 
		/*
         * Inline CTA One Track
		 */
		inlineCtaOne( 257399 ); 
		
		/*
         * Inline CTA Two Track
		 */
		inlineCtaTwo( 257399 );
		
		/*
         * Author Highlight Track
		 */
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		/*
         * Series Module Track
		 */
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		/*
         * Comment Module Track
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		/*
         * Books Salad Track
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		/*
         *  Action Tout Module Track
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		/*
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		/*
		 * @function for print article
		 */
				
		/* 
		 * Calling Header, Footer Pixel Ads
		 */
		
		custom_targeting = false;
		if (key.length > 0 && values.length > 0) {
			custom_targeting = true;
		}
		
		var targetingArray             = new Array();
		targetingArray['tn_author']    = ['wen-s'];
		targetingArray['tn_articleid'] = [257399];
		targetingArray['tn_ptype']     = ['article'];
		targetingArray['tn_keyword']   = ['barack-oba', 'natural-di', 'texas'];
		targetingArray['tn_subject']   = ['activism', 'climate-ch', 'economy', 'energy-pol', 'environmen', 'environmen', 'environmen', 'executive-', 'government', 'oil-and-ga', 'politics'];
		targetingArray['tn_slp']       = []; 
		call_ad_new('leaderboard','tn_article','ad-leaderboard','leaderboard_1',targetingArray);	
		
		/*
		 * Call Right Sidebar Half Page Ad
		 */
		if ( typeof load_article_ads == 'function' ) { 
		
			if( !isMobile.any() || ( isMobile.any() &&  $('.abody-257399').length > 0 ) ){
				//function_name is a function
				load_article_ads(); 
			}
		} 		
		
		/*
		 * Check for video
		 */
		
				
		/*
		 * Red dot after article content
		 */
		
		if(jQuery.inArray($t, tagsArray )!='-1'){			
		}else{    
			if($t in anothertagsArray){
				$('.article-body > p:last-of-type').toggleClass('changed');
				$e.find(anothertagsArray[$t]+':last').addClass('redotclass');         
			}	    
		}
		
		/*
		 * this wrapped in jQuery will give us the current .letter-q div
		 */
		
		$('figure').each(function(){			
			if( $(this).hasClass('alignright')||$(this).hasClass('alignleft') || $(this).hasClass('aligncenter') ){ 
				$(this).after('<div class="clear"></div>');
			}
		});	

		/*
		 * Scroll IF # id exist in URL
		 */
		if(url_id!=''){
			var s = url_id;
			var n = s.indexOf('/');
			if(n!=''&& typeof n!= 'undefined'){
				var id_var = s.substring(0, n != -1 ? n : s.length);
				$('html, body').animate({
					scrollTop: $('#'+id_var).offset().top
				},2000);
				return false;				
			}
		}
		
		/*
		 * Check for audio
		 */
		
				
		/*
		 * script to handle Back Button Event
		 */
		
		if(window.attachEvent){
			window.attachEvent('onpopstate', datHash);
		}	
		
		function datHash(event){
			var str = $('#goback').val();
			if(str==''){
				window.history.go(-Math.abs(pageChange));
			}else{
				window.history.go(-Math.abs(pageChange));
			}
			return false;
		}
		
		/*
		 *
		 */
		$('.post-edit-link').attr('href', function( _, action){
			return action.replace('https', 'http');
		}); 
		
		/*
		 * @function for load article in infinite scroll
		 */
		 
		$('a.inifiniteLoader').hide(); 
		 
		function loadArticle(pageNumber){
			
			$('a.inifiniteLoader').show('fast');
			
			$.ajax({
				
				url      : "https://www.thenation.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php",
				type     : 'POST',
				cache    : false,
				dataType : 'json',
				data     : {action:'infinite_scroll',page_no: pageNumber,loop_file: 'articleload',slug:'activism,climate-change,economy,energy-policy,environment,environmental-activism,environmental-issues,executive-branch,government,oil-and-gas,politics',curr_post_id:'257399'},							
				success  : function(receivedHTML){	
				
					if ( typeof receivedHTML == 'object' ){
						if(typeof receivedHTML.html!=='undefined' && receivedHTML.html!=''){
							html = receivedHTML.html;
						}
					}else{
						$('a.inifiniteLoader').hide();
						$("#single_article_footer").show();
					}
				
					$('a.inifiniteLoader').hide('1000');
					
					$("#wrap").append(html);    // This will be the div where our content will be loaded
					
										
					var postID = $($.parseHTML(html)).filter(".scrolltrace").attr('article-post-id');
				
					$('.abody-'+postID+' .article-body-inner').children('p:first-of-type').html(function (i, html) {
						if ( $('.abody-'+postID).children('img').length == "0" ){
							var text = $('.abody-'+postID+' .article-body-inner').children('p:first-of-type').html();
							$('.abody-'+postID+' .article-body-inner').children('p:first-of-type').html(text.replace(/^(<.?>)?([A-Za-z0-9])/g,'$1<span class="dropcap">$2</span>'));
						}
					});   
					
					if( !$('.abody-' + postID +'').parent().parent().hasClass('textContainer_Truncate') ){
						$('<section class="aside-wrap"></section>').insertAfter('.abody-' + postID);	
					}		

					/*
					 * Article Divider Count
					 */
					article_divider = article_divider+1; 
					$('.abody-'+postID+'').attr("article-number",article_divider);	
					
					/*for hiding meterpaywall popups when pixel ads call starts here*/
					var hidePixelBool = false;
					var meetkatstep1 = jQuery('#paywall .step.one');
					var meetkatstep2 = jQuery('#paywall .step.two');
					var meetkatstep3 = jQuery('#paywall .step.three');
					var meetkatstep4 = jQuery('#paywall .step.four');
					if( typeof meetkatstep1!='undefined' && meetkatstep1.is(':visible') ){
						hidePixelBool = true;
					}
					if ( typeof meetkatstep2!='undefined' && meetkatstep2.is(':visible') ){
						hidePixelBool = true;
					}
					if( typeof meetkatstep3!='undefined' && meetkatstep3.is(':visible') ){
						hidePixelBool = true;
					}
					if( typeof meetkatstep4!='undefined' && meetkatstep4.is(':visible') ){
						hidePixelBool = true;
					}
					if( hidePixelBool===false ){		  
						/*for hiding meterpaywall popups when pixel ads call ends here*/
						/****Alternate Popup code start*********/
						var enable_alterpopup_check;
						enable_alterpopup_check ='';
						if( typeof(enable_alterpopup_check) != "undefined" && enable_alterpopup_check == 1 ){ 
							var alternate_article_no;
							alternate_article_no = '';
							if( pageCounterPaywall % alternate_article_no == 0 && pageCounterPaywall!=0 ){
								show_lightbox('','');
							}
						}
						/******Alternate Popup code End********/
					}
					
					pageCounterPaywall++;
					ajaxCarousel(postID);
					
					/** Slider Content **/
					flag = false;
					$('section.article-body:last img').each(function(){
						if($(this).parent("a").parent("figure").hasClass('bx-item')){ 
							flag = true;
						}else{
							$(this).parent("a").addClass("gallery");
						}
					});

					if(flag){
						var k = $('section.article-body:last').find('.gallery-2').bxSlider({
									adaptiveHeight: true,
									adaptiveHeightSpeed: 500,
									infiniteLoop: false,
									hideControlOnEnd: false,
									pager: false
								});
						k.reloadSlider();
					}
					/* Slider Content End */
				 
				 
					var usera = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase(); 
					if ( $('.article-page').length ) { 
						var slickWidth = $('.article-list.slick-slide').width(); 
					
						if ($('.ie9').length){ 
							slickWidth = $('.recirc-carousel.slick-initialized.slick-slider').width(); 
						} 
						$('.slick-list.draggable').css({'width' : slickWidth}); 
						if( !/android|webos|iphone|ipad|ipod|blackberry/i.test(usera) ){ 
							$('.article-list.slick-slide').children('li').css({'width' : slickWidth}); 
							$('.slick-list').css({'width' : slickWidth}); 
						} 
					} 
					
					var $newArticles = $(html);
					var imagesLoading = [];

					$newArticles.find('img').each(function() {
						
						// For each image, create a new deferred object that resolves when the
						// image has loaded and add that to an array of deferred objects.
						
						var loadingImage = $.Deferred();
						imagesLoading.push(loadingImage);

						// "this" is the image element here and should have a complete property.
						// See http://stackoverflow.com/a/24201249
						
						if (this.complete){
							loadingImage.resolve();
						}else{
							var adTimeout = window.setTimeout(function() {
								loadingImage.resolve();
							}, 3000);
						
							this.addEventListener('load', function() {
								loadingImage.resolve();
								window.clearTimeout(adTimeout);								
							});
							
							this.addEventListener('error', function() {
								// We really don't care if the image never loads, but we still need
								// to resolve the promise so that we can reset the waypoints.
								loadingImage.resolve();
								window.clearTimeout(adTimeout);								
							});	

							// Clean up event listeners
							this.removeEventListener('load', function() {
								loadingImage.resolve();
								window.clearTimeout(adTimeout);								
							});
							this.removeEventListener('error', function() {
								loadingImage.resolve();
								window.clearTimeout(adTimeout);								
							});	
						}
					});
					
					$.when.apply(this, imagesLoading).then(function() {          
						fixedAds($('.postid-' + postID).children('article'));
					}, function() {
						console.log(arguments);
					});					
				}
			});
			return false;
		}		
		
		/*
		 * Load second article on scroll
		 */
		
		$(window).bind('scroll', function(){			
			
			$('.scrolltrace').each(function(){
				
				var post = $(this);
				var topp = post.position().top;
				var bott = post.position().top + post.height();
				var pos  = $(window).scrollTop();				
			   
				if ( pos>=topp && pos<=bott ){
					
				   $(this).removeClass('currentScr');
			       $(this).addClass('currentScr');
				   
					if($('.currentScr').attr("articlelistlinks")!=window.location.href){
					   
						var ua   = window.navigator.userAgent;
						var msie = ua.indexOf("MSIE");

						if (msie > 0){ 
							
						}else{
							window.history.pushState({}, "", $('.currentScr').attr('articlelistlinks'));

							/*
							 * Call Right Sidebar Ads
							 */
							if( !isMobile.any() ){ 
								load_article_ads();						
							}	
							articlePostId = $('.currentScr').attr("article-post-id");														
						}
						
						/*
						 * Call Email Signup for infinite scroll 
						 */
						if( !$('.postid-'+articlePostId+' .article-body img').parent("a").parent("figure").hasClass('bx-item') ){
							
							if( !$(".abody-"+articlePostId+"").hasClass("email-signup-visited") ){
								email_signup_module( articlePostId );	
							}							
						}						 
						
						
						/*
						 * Article Divider Scrolled Over Total Count
						 */
						dataLayer.push({
							'event': 'gaRecirculationEvent',
							'gaEventCategory': 'recirculation',
							'gaEventAction': 'article-divider-scrolled-over',
							'gaEventLabel': $('.currentScr').attr('articlelistlinks'),
						});
						
						/*
						 * Article Divider Scrolled Over Individual Count
						 */
						article_number = $('.abody-'+articlePostId+'').attr("article-number");
						if (typeof article_number !== typeof undefined && article_number !== false) {
							dataLayer.push({
								'event': 'gaRecirculationEvent',
								'gaEventCategory': 'recirculation',
								'gaEventAction': 'article-divider-scrolled-over-'+article_number+'',
								'gaEventLabel': $('.currentScr').attr('articlelistlinks'),
							});
						}	
						
						// Google Analytics  for Infinite Scroll
					    ga('send', 'pageview', {
							'page': $('.currentScr').attr('articlelistlinks'),
							'title': $('.currentScr').attr('articlelisttitle')
						});
						
						<!--- Update Chartbeat info--->
							
						var allSubject = $('.currentScr .article-header .article-info .category:first-child a').html();							
						var allAuthor  = $('.currentScr .author_name .author').map(function(){
							return this.innerHTML;
						}).get();
						
						var all_Author = allAuthor.join();

						<!--- Page View Hit --->
							
						dataLayer.push({
							'event':'InfiniteScrollPageView',
							'virtualPageURL':$('.currentScr').attr('articlelistlinks'),
							'virtualPageTitle' : $('.currentScr').attr('articlelisttitle')
						});	
							
						<!--- Page View Hit --->
						
						_sf_async_config.sections=""+allSubject+"";
						_sf_async_config.authors=""+all_Author+"";
						
																
								var username = getCookie('SESSname');
								if(username != null){
									_cbq.push(['_acct', 'paid']);   
								}else{
									_cbq.push(['_acct', 'anon']);    
								}
													
						
						pSUPERFLY.virtualPage($('.currentScr').attr('articlelistlinks'), $('.currentScr').attr('articlelisttitle'));
						
						<!--- Update Chartbeat info--->
						
						$("nav.primary ul li.article-meta h2").html($('.currentScr').attr('articlelisttitle').substring(0,100));
						$("title").html($('.currentScr').attr('articlelisttitle'));
												 
						var linktext = $('.currentScr').find(".anchor_subject").html();
						if ( linktext!='' ){
							
							var linkredirectval =$('.currentScr').find(".anchor_subject").attr('subjectlink');
							
							if(typeof linkredirectval!='undefined'){
								var subject_head_link = "<a href='"+linkredirectval+"'>"+linktext+"</a>";
								$('.tophead_subject').html(subject_head_link);
							}else{
								var subject_head_link = "";
								$('.tophead_subject').html(subject_head_link);
							}
							
						}
			       
						pageChange = parseInt(pageChange) + 1;
					}
				  
				}else{
			       $(this).removeClass('currentScr');
				}
		    });
			
			$current_article = $('.scrolltrace.currentScr');
			// Load next leaderboard ad on reach to bottom action tout 			
			if($current_article.hasClass('currentScr')){
				
				articlePostId = $('.currentScr').attr("article-post-id");
				
				var art_recirc_bot = '';				
				var windowTop = $(window).scrollTop();
				
				var inline_ad_300x250 = $('.currentScr .inline_ad_300x250_'+articlePostId+'');
				if( inline_ad_300x250.length > 0 ){
					inline_ad_300x250_pos = inline_ad_300x250.offset().top - window.innerHeight;
				
					if( windowTop >= inline_ad_300x250_pos ){
						inline_ad( articlePostId );
					}					
				}
				
				if( $current_article.find('.expand-reduce').length != 0 ){								
						
					if( !$('#expand-reduce-'+articlePostId+'').hasClass('expand-close') ){
						
						if( $('.abody-'+articlePostId+'').hasClass('keep-reading') ){

							/* Overflow Hidden Parent Div */
							$('.abody-'+articlePostId+'').parent().addClass("keep-reading-parent");
						
							/* Hide Article Footer */
							$('#article-footer-'+articlePostId+'').hide();
							
							/* Hide Rev Content Block */
							$('#tabola-block-'+articlePostId+'').hide();
							
							/* Hide aside wrap modules */
							$('.scrolltrace.currentScr .aside-wrap .ad-wrap').not(':eq(0)').hide();	
							
							/* Show expand Reduce */
							$('#expand-reduce-'+articlePostId+'').show();		
						}							
					}
					
					var art_recirc_bot = $('.currentScr .article-share');
					var art_recric_pos = art_recirc_bot.last().offset().top - window.innerHeight;	//article bottom action tout					
					if( windowTop >= art_recric_pos ){						
						if( $('#slot-' + articlePostId).children('div').length ==0 ){
							var slotName = generateNextSlotName();
							autoload_article_ads( slotName, articlePostId );		
						}
					}
					
				}else{
					
					var art_recirc_bot = $('.currentScr .new-article-footer');
					var art_recric_pos = art_recirc_bot.last().offset().top - window.innerHeight;	//article bottom action tout					
					if( windowTop >= art_recric_pos ){	
						if( $('#div-gpt-ad-1428494597034-0').children('div').length==0 ){
							call_ad_leaderboard();					
						}								
					}					
				} 											
			}
			
			var loadPoint = $('.article-body:last').offset().top - 68;
			
			if  (loadPoint!=false && $(window).scrollTop() >= loadPoint){ 
				if( $('.scrolltrace').length==count ){ 
				
					loagAgn = true;
				
					if(loagAgn){
						count++;
						
						if(count < 6){
							
							if(preventLoad_article==false){
								
															
								loadArticle(count);//code
								
							
							}		
						}
						
						if (count==6) {
							$('a.inifiniteLoader').hide();
							$("#article-footer-last").show();
							$("#single_article_footer").show();
							
							/*
							 * Track views of article footer last 
							 */
							 
							/* 
							 * Latest form the nation
							 */			 
							dataLayer.push({
								'event': 'gaInfiniteScrollfooterShowEvent',
								'gaEventCategory': 'infinite-scroll-footer-latest-articles',
								'gaEventAction': 'infinite-scroll-footer-latest-articles-show',
								'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
							});
							
							/* 
							 * Editor Picks
							 */			 
							dataLayer.push({
								'event': 'gaInfiniteScrollfooterShowEvent',
								'gaEventCategory': 'infinite-scroll-footer-editor-picks',
								'gaEventAction': 'infinite-scroll-footer-editor-picks-show',
								'gaEventLabel': document.URL,
							});
						}
						
						loagAgn = false;
					}
				}
			}				
			
			$(".wpsdc-drop-cap").parent("p").addClass("drop_c");
		});
		
		/*
		 * Change Height & Text Expand Reduce 
		 */
		$(document).on('click', '.expand-reduce a', function(event){
			
			event.preventDefault();
			
			$(this).parent().toggleClass('expand-close');
			
			var $article_id = $(this).attr('article-id');
			
			$('.abody-'+$article_id+'').removeClass('keep-reading');			

			$('.abody-'+$article_id+'').removeClass('no-reading');	
			
			/* Overflow Visible Parent */
			$('.abody-'+articlePostId+'').parent().removeClass("keep-reading-parent");
			
			/* Show Article Footer */
			$('#article-footer-'+$article_id+'').show();
			
			/* Show Rev Content Block */
			$('#tabola-block-'+$article_id+'').show();
			
			/* Show aside wrap modules */
			$('.postid-'+$article_id+' .aside-wrap .ad-wrap').not(':eq(0)').show();	
			
			/* Hide expand Reduce */
			$('#expand-reduce-'+$article_id+'').hide();	

			/*
			 * Related Single Article Track
			 */
			relatedSingleArticle( $article_id );
			
			/*
			 * Related Multiple Article Track
			 */
			relatedMultiArticle( $article_id );
			
			/*
			 * Current Issue Module Track
			 */
			currentIssueModule( $article_id );
			 
			/*
			 * Inline CTA One Track
			 */
			inlineCtaOne( $article_id ); 
			
			/*
			 * Inline CTA Two Track
			 */
			inlineCtaTwo( $article_id ); 
			
			/*
			 * Author Highlight Track
			 */
			authorHighlight( $article_id ); 
			
			/*
			 * Series Module Track
			 */
			seriesModule( $article_id );
			
			/*
			 * Comment Module Track
			 */
			commentModule( $article_id );
			
			/*
			 * Books Salad Track
			 */
			booksSalad( $article_id );
			
			/*
			 * Action Tout Module Track
			 */
			actionToutModule( $article_id );
			
			/*
			 *  Sidebar Community Module Track
			 */
			sidebarCommunityModule( $article_id );
			
		}); 
		
		/* 
         * Subscriber cache comments
		 */	
		jQuery(document).on("click",'.click_comment', function(){	
			var art_post_id = $(this).attr("article-post-id");			
			var username = getCookie('SESSname');					
			$.ajax({			
				url :"https://www.thenation.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php",
				data:{
					"action":"load_comment_ajax", // ajax action function
					"art_post_id":art_post_id, // article id
					"username":username, // current user name
				},
				type:"POST",
				success:function(response){
					if( response!='' && response!=0 ){						
						//$("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area .comment-respond").html(response);		
						var data = jQuery.parseJSON(response);						
						var comment_count = "comment ("+data.comment_count.approved+")";						
						if(data.comment_count.total_comments > 1){							
							comment_count = "comments ("+data.comment_count.approved+")";							
						}
						
						$(".postid-"+art_post_id+" .click_comment .title").html(comment_count);
						
						if($("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area .comment_sorting_setting_outer").length > 0){}
						else{
							if(data.comment_count.total_comments > 1){
								$("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area").append('<div class="comment_sorting_setting_outer"><div class="sort_com_label">Sort comments By:</div><select id="comment_sorting_setting" name="comment_sorting_setting" class="comment_sorting_setting" comment_postid="'+art_post_id+'" my-ajax-url="https://www.thenation.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"><option sort-attr="1" selected="selected">Chronological Order</option><option sort-attr="2">Most Liked</option></select></div><div class="clear"></div>');
							}
						}

						if($("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area .comment-list").length > 0){
							$("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area .comment-list").html(data.comment_list);
						}else{
							$("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area").append("<ol class='comment-list custom_comments'>"+data.comment_list+"</ol>");
						}					
						
						if(username !=null){							
							$("#comments_"+art_post_id+" .comments-area .comment-respond").html(data.comment_box);							
						}						
					}					
				}				
			});			
		}); 
		
		/*
		 * Script for Comment Sec
		 */
		$('body').on('click','.click_comment',function(event){
			
			event.preventDefault();
		   
			$(this).closest('.article-footer').find('.commentContainer').slideToggle('slow', function(){
				if ($(this).css('display')=='none'){					
					check_comment = false;//condition added for print
				}else{
					check_comment = true;//condition added for print
				}			
			});
			
			$(this).find('abbr.open').toggleClass('close');
			
			$('html, body').animate({
				scrollTop: $($(this).closest('.article-footer').find('.commentContainer')).offset().top
			},2000);
		}); 
		
		/*
		 * Script for comment reply 
		 */
		 
		$('body').on('click','a.comment-reply-link',function(event){			
			$( ".comment-status" ).remove();
			
			var comment_link_respond = $(this);	
			
			comment_link_respond.closest('.comment-form').find('.comment-status').html('');
			
			list = $(this).closest('article').attr('id');

			var PIDS = list.split('-');
			
			$(this).closest('.comments-area').find('.comment-respond').find('#comment_parent').val(PIDS[PIDS.length-1]);			
		}); 
		
		/*
		 * Comment cancel link
		 */
		
		$('body').on('click','.cancel-comment-reply-link',function(event){
			$( ".comment-status" ).remove();
			list=null;
		});	
		
		/*
		 * Submit button click
		 */
		
		$('body').on('click','.submit',function(event){
			
			event.preventDefault();
			
			$( ".comment-status" ).remove();			
			var commentform=$(this).closest('.comment-form'); // find the comment  form			
			commentform.prepend('<div class="comment-status" ></div>'); // add info panel before the form to provide feedback or errors			
			var statusdiv=commentform.find('.comment-status'); // define the infopanel			
			var checkspace = $(this).closest('.comment-form').find("textarea#comment").val();
			
			if(checkspace.replace(/\s/g, '').length && $(this).closest('.comment-form').find("textarea#comment").val()!=''){
				
				statusdiv.html(' ');
			
				//serialize and store form data in a variable
				var formdata=commentform.serialize();
			
				//Add a status message
				//Extract action URL from commentform
				var formurl=commentform.attr('action');
			
				statusdiv.html('<p>Processing...</p>');
				
				$(this).attr('disabled','disabled');

				var e = $(this);

				$.ajax({
					type : 'post',
					url  : formurl,
					data : formdata,
					error: function(XMLHttpRequest, textStatus, errorThrown){							
						statusdiv.html(' ');
						$('.submit').removeAttr('disabled');
						statusdiv.html('<p class="error_cmnt" >You might have left one of the fields blank, or be posting too quickly</p>');
					},
					success: function(data, textStatus){
						
						var chkstatus_comment = $($.parseHTML(data)).filter(".chk_comment_class").attr('comment-status');
						
						if(chkstatus_comment=='spam'){
								statusdiv.html('<p class="error_cmnt" >You have been blocked from commenting by <i>The Nation\'s</i> moderators.</p>');
						}else{
							$('.submit').removeAttr('disabled'); 
							$("textarea#comment").val('');
							statusdiv.html('<p class="success_cmnt" ></p>');
							if(e.closest(".comments-area").has("ol.comment-list").length > 0){
								if(list != null){
									e.closest(".comments-area").find('#'+list).after(data);
								}else{
									e.closest(".comments-area").find('ol.comment-list').prepend(data);
								}
							}else{
								e.closest(".comments-area").prepend('<ol class="comment-list custom_comments"> </ol>');
								e.closest(".comments-area").find('ol.comment-list').html(data);
							}
						}
					}						
				});
				return false;
				statusdiv.html('');
			}else{
				statusdiv.html('<p class="error_cmnt" >Please enter text in comment box.</p>');
			}
        });
		
		jQuery( ".action_tout_remove_gallery a" ).removeClass( "gallery imgHover" ).delay( 1000 );
		
		$(document).on('click','.nation_convsersation',function(){
		
			var article_id = $(this).attr('article-id');
			$('.postid-'+article_id+' .click_comment .open').addClass('close');
			$('html, body').animate({scrollTop: $('.postid-'+article_id+' .click_comment').offset().top},2000);
			$('.postid-'+article_id+' .commentContainer').show();			
		});
		
		$(".social-share-icon").click(function(){
			$(".nav-toggle, .logo").toggleClass("hidden");
			$(".share-icons").toggleClass("slide-share");
			$(".header-bar a.social-sharing").toggleClass("share-icons-close");            
		});
		
		/* 
		 * Click Event Tracking for Related Single Article
		 */
		 
		$(document).on('click', '.related-oneup-click',function(){
			/* 
			 * Click Event
			 */			 
			dataLayer.push({
				'event': 'gaRelatedSingleArticleEvent',
				'gaEventCategory': 'related-single-article',
				'gaEventAction': 'related-single-article-click',
				'gaEventLabel': $(this).attr('href'),
			});
		}); 
		
		/* 
		 * Click Event Tracking for Related Multi Article
		 */
		 
		$(document).on('click', '.related-multi-click',function(){
			/* 
			 * Click Event
			 */			 
			dataLayer.push({
				'event': 'gaRelatedMultiArticleEvent',
				'gaEventCategory': 'related-multi-article',
				'gaEventAction': 'related-multi-article-click',
				'gaEventLabel': $(this).attr('href'),
			});
		}); 
		
		/* 
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