2020-08-12: News Headlines

Alan Macleod (2020-08-12). Former McCain Advisor and Iraq War Advocate Niall Ferguson Warns TikTok Is a Chinese Imperial Plot. mintpressnews.com Ferguson argued that Tiktok is brainwashing 100 million mostly Generation Z Americans who use the platform into "becoming soldiers of Beijing's new revolution."

Alan Macleod (2020-08-12). Democratic Establishment Commits to Status Quo with Kamala Harris VP Pick. mintpressnews.com Just as America seemed to be in the midst of reckoning over-policing and racial justice, the Democratic establishment threw its support behind a hawkish former prosecutor with a questionable record.

Jenny Gonzales (2020-08-12). The Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon. globalresearch.ca The latest INPE (National Institute for Space Research) deforestation data for the Brazilian Amazon, released last Friday, comes as the result of the policies of President Jair Bolsonaro, say critics.

Juan Cole (2020-08-12). Lebanon's Leaders Resign over deaths of 200, but Trump refuses Accountability for 163,462 Deaths. zcomm.org Trump by his peculiar combination of narcissism, contrarianism, irrationality, and political guile, has polished off more Americans than died in the entire Vietnam War…

Marjorie Cohn (2020-08-12). Federal Judge Sets Out to Bring Down Law Shielding Police From Legal Liability. zcomm.org As the Massachusetts legislature debates whether to water down its qualified immunity defense, a federal judge in Mississippi filed a stunning 72-page opinion blasting the doctrine…

A Guest Author (2020-08-12). Illegal terror against im/migrants continues. workers.org By B.L.S. San Antonio, Texas "They told me not to tell my family where I was," a Haitian asylum-seeker recounted. "I heard people being taken away in the hall [of the hotel] screaming, 'I'm not going! I'm not going!'" An im/migrant Haitian mother and her daughter are incarcerated by ICE . . . |

Eds. (2020-08-12). Leaked documents reveal what TikTok shares with authorities — In the U.S. mronline.org A glimpse at what the social media platform does in the U.S. underscores that data privacy issues extend beyond China.

Justin Podur (2020-08-12). AEP 59: The American Trap sprung on Tiktok and Huawei, with Carl Zha. mronline.org Back with Carl Zha of Silk & Steel podcast, who we last saw in our episode on the India-China border conflict.

Tom Engelhardt (2020-08-12). It Could Have Been Different. counterpunch.org Let me be blunt. This wasn't the world I imagined for my denouement. Not faintly. Of course, I can't claim I ever really imagined such a place. Who, in their youth, considers their death and the world that might accompany it, the one you might leave behind for younger generations? I'm 76 now. True, if

Stephen Cooper (2020-08-12). Santa Davis and the "Stalag 17" Riddim. counterpunch.org Relatable to reggae music lovers everywhere, Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet Mary Oliver once wrote: "Rhythm is one of the most powerful pleasures, and when we feel a pleasurable rhythm we hope it will continue. When it does, the sweet grows sweeter. When it becomes reliable, we are in a kind of body-heaven." On June 30 I was

Raouf Halaby (2020-08-12). Teaching Palestinian Children to Love Beethoven, Bizet, and Mozart is a Threat to a Depraved Israeli Society. counterpunch.org The subject box of a mid-March email from Jerusalemite Palestinian author and scholar read: "Simply Reflecting." Samia Khoury's 16/March/2020 message was a concise and tellingly prescient homily on the pathetically worsening universal condition of humanity as well as the depraved banality to which Israel's Jewish leaders have descended. The topics included the spread of Covid-19,

P. Sainath (2020-08-12). "We Didn't Bleed Him Enough": When Normal is the Problem. counterpunch.org Bloodletting was a common medical treatment for nearly 3,000 years. It developed around an idea, originating with Hippocrates and later wildly popular in Europe of the Middle Ages: that an imbalance of the four humours of the body — blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile — caused illness. Around 500 years after Hippocrates, Galen declared

Riva Enteen (2020-08-12). Kamala Harris? Really? Desperate Times, Desperate Measures. counterpunch.org Kamala Harris might be the perfect lens to reveal who the Democrats really are. A good run-down on her track record highlights her assertion that "It is not progressive to be soft on crime." As a San Francisco social worker, I sat on the school district committee that met with families of chronically truant students.

Michael Otto (2020-08-12). Political strike shuts down Bolivia. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador Do Bolivian lives matter? The Bolivian masses are experiencing a perfect storm of social, health and economic crises. A U.S.-backed military coup overthrew President Evo Morales Ayma in November 2019 — Morales called it a lithium coup. To Wall Street, only the great reserves of Bolivian lithium matter. . . . |

Vietnam News Agency (2020-08-12). Vietnam donates 10,000 masks to Maryland to fight COVID-19. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Embassy of Vietnam in the United States presented 10,000 face masks to the state of Maryland at a ceremony held on August 7. At the handover ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Ha Kim Ngoc voiced his hope that the face masks will contribute to containing the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland. He added …

John Whitehead (2020-08-12). Looking for an Excuse to Crackdown, Police Departments are Pitting Protesters Against Each Other. mintpressnews.com Civil discontent leads to civil unrest, which leads to protests and counterprotests, and instead of restoring order, local police stand down. Tensions rise, violence escalates, and federal armies move in.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-12). MST Quilombo Campo Grande camp resists eviction in the midst of the pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org The Quilombo Campo Grande camp is resisting an eviction which began early on August 12. The camp is home to 450 landless families who have been living, producing and working there for over 2 decades.

Mary Filippo (2020-08-12). Review of My Mis-Education in 3 Graphics. mronline.org My Mis-Education in 3 Graphics is a document of the filmmaker's darkly humorous journey through the mind-boggling constructs of mainstream economics.

Tim Wheeler (2020-08-12). 'Let Them Tremble': So much of this history reads like right now. peoplesworld.org In celebration of its centennial, Tony Pecinovsky has written Let Them Tremble: Biographical Interventions Marking 100 Years of the Communist Party, USA, a book that profiles the lives of six Communist Party leaders. They are Arnold Johnson, Charlene Mitchell, Gus Hall, Henry Winston, Judith LeBlanc, and W. Alphaeus Hunton. I suggest you order a copy …

Bruce Lerro (2020-08-12). Lost at Sea: Left Liberals Have No Party. dissidentvoice.org I wrote this article over four years ago in 2016 for the purpose of challenging left liberals to face the fact that they have no party. In re-reading it today, everything I said in the original article remains true. In fact, the Democratic Party has leaned even further to the right over the last four …

Kamran Siddiqi (2020-08-12). Chicagoans rally in support of arrested after police shoot young Black man. liberationnews.org On August 9, Chicago police shot and wounded Allen in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.

Ben Carroll (2020-08-12). El uso de la tecnología por parte del estado: un problema para el movimiento. workers.org La información está en todas partes. En el 2020, la tecnología es una parte omnipresente de la vida cotidiana de muchos trabajadores en este país y en todo el mundo. Usamos las redes sociales y el correo electrónico para mantenernos en contacto con familiares y amigos. Vemos transmisiones en vivo . . . |

Staff (2020-08-12). As Kamala Harris Makes History as VP Pick, Her "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests. democracynow.org Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history against racist policing, Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders pres…

Staff (2020-08-12). Headlines for August 12, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Taps Kamala Harris as Vice-Presidential Running Mate, Florida, Georgia Record Record Coronavirus Deaths as U.S. Colleges Delay Fall Sports Season, Bodies of COVID-19 Victims Lie Unclaimed Outside Chapel in La Paz, Bolivia, QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Wins Georgia 14th Congressional District GOP Primary, Rep. Ilhan Omar Fends Off Primary Challenger Who Dramatically Outraised Her, Clintons, Obamas Among Top Speakers at Democratic National Convention, Beirut Vigil Marks One Week Since Catastrophic Port Explosion, Thousands of Protesters in Mali Demand President's Ouster, Chicago Man Accused of Firing at Poli…

Staff (2020-08-12). What the Nazis Learned from Jim Crow: Author Isabel Wilkerson on the U.S. Racial Caste System. democracynow.org In her extensively researched new book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson argues the United States' racial hierarchy should be thought of as a caste system, similar to that in India. In a wide-ranging interview, she describes how she also looks at the ways Nazi Germany borrowed from U.S. Jim Crow laws. "The Nazis needed no one to teach them how to hate," Wilkerson says. "But what they did was they sent researchers to the United States to study Jim Crow laws here in the United States, to study and to research how the United States had managed to subordinate…

United We Dream (2020-08-12). Wednesday 8/12: Action: Demand Congress Include All Immigrants in the Next COVID Stimulus Bill. indybay.org Online action…

_____ (2020-08-12). Meatpacking Workers Continue To Struggle During The Pandemic. popularresistance.org Five thousand plant workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nebraska, representing nearly 20 percent of cases statewide, and at least 21 of those workers have died. Plants predominantly employ immigrants and refugees, consisting mostly of Latinos, but also Sudanese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and other groups. Even though workers' pay increased at the plants, so too did their workload. With many still out sick, workers have been expected to keep up with line speeds operating at full capacity. Many workers live in multigenerational homes, and the coronavirus case and death figures cited by Sen. Vargas do not acco…

_____ (2020-08-12). Twitter Spreads Paid U.S. Gov't Propaganda While Falsely Claiming It Bans State Media Ads. strategic-culture.org Twitter says it bans ads from state-affiliated media outlets. However, US government propaganda organs like Voice of America's VOA Persian pay the social media corporation huge sums of money to spread disinformation against Iran and other foreign adversaries. | Ben NORTON | Twitter has demonstrated a clear, consistent bias in favor of the US government and its geopolitical interests. The social media giant has also repeatedly lied about its policies on state-backed media outlets. | Twitter unveiled a new feature on August 6 that labels government-affiliated media on the platform. Users immediately pointed out…

The Canary (2020-08-12). Using Royal Navy to tackle refugee crossings 'declaration of maritime war' — Calais mayor. thecanary.co Sending the Royal Navy into the English Channel to deal with migrant crossings is a "declaration of maritime war", the mayor of Calais has said. | Natacha Bouchart told France 3 that the British government must take responsibility. She called on Priti Patel's French counterpart to push them on the issue. Her fierce words came as more refugees arrived in the UK on Wednesday 12 August. | Meanwhile, at least 19 refugees who arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats, and were due to be deported on Wednesday 12 August, have had their removals paused, the PA news agency has learned. | Unwanted ref…

Aaron Maté (2020-08-12). Disparaging Stokely Carmichael, Bill Clinton attacks the black freedom struggle. thegrayzone.com During a historic upsurge of black activism, Bill Clinton attacked the late Stokely Carmichael/Kwame Ture, a leading black power revolutionary….

John Catalinotto (2020-08-12). Beirut mega-blast unleashes political tsunami. workers.org Aug. 10 — An earthquake-size explosion in the port of Beirut on Aug. 4 killed 200, wounded 6,000 and left 300,000 people homeless in that densely populated city. It also unleashed a political tsunami that pulled in regional and imperialist powers as well as Lebanese political forces. Lebanese emergency workers . . . |

Editor (2020-08-12). An anti-racist vote for class unity. workers.org Rashida Tlaib of Detroit made history on Nov. 7, 2018, when she became the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress. This year, in the weeks leading up to the Michigan Democratic Party primary on Aug. 4, the capitalist media questioned whether she would get a shot at reelection. "Congressperson . . . |

Eds. (2020-08-12). 'What we're seeing now is Jim Crow 2.0'. mronline.org CounterSpin interview with Carol Anderson on voter suppression.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-08-12). March For Our Lives shifts to new strategy. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—March For Our Lives, the massive student-led anti-gun organization that poured youthful activists into the streets—and into voting booths—two years ago, is shifting strategy, but its platform stays the same, with one big new emphasis. That emphasis, said co-founder David Hogg and Executive Director Alexis Confer, both now college students, is to link up and …

Staff (2020-08-12). Reformers Aim to End Prison Firefighters' 'Indentured Servitude' in California. therealnews.com Brandon Smith was incarcerated in Wasco State Prison in 2012 when a correctional officer approached him about becoming a firefighter—not after prison, but during his time inside. Smith would, if he said "yes," serve in what the state calls its Conservation Camp Program. "I remember being in a cell when a counselor at the California…

RT (2020-08-12). Polls show young voters support Biden… but running mate Kamala Harris thinks they're 'STUPID' (VIDEO). rt.com Though young voters seem lukewarm about Joe Biden, polls show their support for the Democrat is greater than for Donald Trump. But a newly-surfaced clip shows his VP pick Kamala Harris doesn't think much of the American youth. | At 77 years-old, Biden would be the oldest president in history if he manages to defeat President Trump in November. His advanced age, however, hasn't repelled young voters. According to the latest Monmouth University

RT (2020-08-12). Wanna bet? US statisticians give Trump 'exact same odds' against Biden as the ones he beat in 2016. rt.com The major statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight has US President Donald Trump's odds of winning the November election at 29 percent — exactly the same chances he was said to have had in 2016 before he went on to win. | Nate Silver's website, named for the total number of electors in the US electoral college, unveiled its forecast,

RT (2020-08-12). 'Trust no one & have fun': Sarah Palin embraced by libs as she comes out with words of encouragement for Biden's VP pick Harris. rt.com Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who ran as VP on the McCain ticket in 2008, has been praised as a "class act" by her detractors after she gave Biden's freshly-announced VP pick Kamala Harris a long list of dos and don'ts.

RT (2020-08-12). MSNBC accused of cropping image of Biden calling Kamala to remove script he was reading. rt.com MSNBC has been accused of some comically conspicuous cropping of a photo of Joe Biden, obscuring his notes for the video call in which he told Kamala Harris she would be his 2020 election running mate. | As election season gathers pace ahead of the November vote to decide the US president, every word, photo and soundbite will be pored over endlessly by both the media and the public, which makes it all the more bizarre that MSNBC would attempt to somewhat needlessly obscure the phone script for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. | MSNBC cropped the photo of Joe Biden video chatting with Kamala Har…

RT (2020-08-12). Wrong narrative? US mainstream media mum on murder of 5yo white boy allegedly shot by black man in his own front yard. rt.com The story of a 5-year-old North Carolina boy who reportedly was killed when a man ran up to him and shot him in the head for no known reason apparently was not compelling enough to merit US mainstream media coverage. | There were some details that might have drawn the attention of the decision makers at CNN, the Washington Post and other mainstream outlets, that have remained conspicuously silent on the story. The boy, Cannon Hinnant, was riding his bike in front of his own house Sunday in North Carolina, and the 25-year-old suspect was a neighbor. He allegedly shot the child at point-blank range as the boy's…

RT (2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: We filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com Mainstream media have denounced Ruptly video of Portland protesters burning Bibles as 'Russian disinfo', countering the unaltered viral footage with fake news of their own in bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump" as they neatly drape first an American flag over the flames, in the original video, which clocks in at under 90 seconds. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some…

RT (2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: Ruptly filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com Mainstream media have denounced RT's Ruptly video agency for documenting Portland protesters burning Bibles, dismissing the unaltered footage as 'Russian disinfo' in an attempt at bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump," as they neatly drape an American flag over the flames. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. The 90-second clip was part of a 4-hour livestream. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some corners…

RT (2020-08-12). QAnon-supporting, anti-Soros GOP upstart Marjorie Greene on track for Congress after landslide victory in Georgia primary. rt.com A GOP congressional candidate who's come under fire for endorsing 'QAnon' conspiracy theories has taken more than half the vote in Georgia's primary runoff race, putting her on track to become the first Q-supporter in Congress. | Businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene prevailed over her fellow Republican John Cowan on Tuesday night, earning more than 57 percent of the vote. Greene ran a victory lap following the final result, celebrating her win despite "the GOP establishment, the media, and the radical left" spending "months and millions of dollars attacking me." | The GOP establishment, the media, & the radic…

RT (2020-08-12). Louisiana police in manhunt after hospital shooting, suspect threatens to 'kill any law enforcement officer' who tries to stop him. rt.com Police in Shreveport, Louisiana, are on the hunt for a lone gunman who shot and injured a man at a hospital. Police are treating the situation as an "active shooting," and cautioned that the suspect is armed and dangerous. | The suspect, identified by police as 41-year-old Taniel Cole, allegedly shot a man in the leg in the early hours of Wednesday morning, at the St. Mary Medical Center in Shreveport. The victim's injuries aren't considered life-threatening, but Cole is now on the loose. | pic.twitter.com/pOlqz0E61R— ShreveportPolice (@ShreveportPD) _____ (2020-08-12). New Report Reveals U.S. Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries. strategic-culture.org While there is much talk, (or more accurately, condemnation) in Western media of China's imperialist motives in Africa, there is less discussion of the U.S.' continuing role. While China operates one base in the Horn of Africa and has greatly increased its economic role on the continent, the thousands of American troops operating in dozens of countries are overlooked.

_____ (2020-08-12). Letters From Melbourne, a 'Ghost Town Police State' Under Brutal Covid Lockdown. strategic-culture.org The citizens of Australia's second most populous city are suffering under the harshest lockdown conditions of all Western democracies. Their voices need to be heard. | In the last several weeks, Melbourne has introduced shockingly draconian anti-Covid measures, imposed on the metropolis of some 5 million souls. What tragedy was responsible for spurring officials to leap into action? To blame was a fractional

The Canary (2020-08-12). Exam results fiasco — what is happening across the nations? thecanary.co The question of what to do with A-level and GCSE students in a year when exams have been cancelled has been a tricky equation to solve.The government on Tuesday came up with an answer for England, but it still has not pleased everyone. Here is a closer look. | — What was the problem?The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic forced sustained school closures across the UK during the back end of the spring term and the majority of the summer term.It has meant pupils have been unable to sit GCSE or A-level exams, crucial in deciding how best to continue their education, where to look for work or training, or which col…

The Canary (2020-08-12). Science and politics tied up in global race for a coronavirus vaccine. thecanary.co The announcement on Tuesday by Russian president Vladimir Putin that his country was the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine has been met by doubts about the science and safety.But it also underscored how the competition to have the first vaccine is about international rivalries as well as science.The first nation to develop a way to defeat the novel coronavirus will achieve a kind of moonshot victory and the global status that goes along with it.That is valuable to Putin, whose popularity at home has declined amid a stagnant economy and the ravages of the virus outbreak.Russian President Vladimir Putin announ…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-08-12). Selection of Kamala Harris as VP candidate makes history. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—In a move that is widely expected to boost voter turnout and push Donald Trump out of office in less than 83 days, presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris yesterday as his vice presidential running mate. The selection is being widely lauded not just by Black women but by broad swaths of …

Staff (2020-08-12). Trump turning state-owned VOA into personal propaganda arm. therealnews.com The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) management, which oversees five federally-funded broadcast networks, has suspended four journalists on contract with possible termination. The four journalists are charged with influencing the US elections and violating federal laws by favoring Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden in a video published by the Urdu language service of…

Robert Hunziker (2020-08-12). Freakish Arctic Fires Alarmingly Intensify. counterpunch.org NASA satellite images of fires in eastern Siberia depict an inferno of monstrous proportions, nothing in modern history compares. And, as of July, it's intensifying. Should people be concerned? Answer: Yes, and double yes. According to Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather

John Wojcik (2020-08-12). Kamala Harris pick can forge historic unity in fight for justice in America. peoplesworld.org The selection of Kamala Harris as the first Black female candidate of a major party for the vice presidency of the United States deserves the support of every single person in this country who cherishes democracy, economic justice, and equality. Kamala Harris has said that in these tough times, "People say it is important that …

Kenneth Surin (2020-08-12). The Decrepit UK Political System. counterpunch.org The Covid-19 pandemic and the continuing Brexit crisis have cast an unforgiving light on the UK's failed political system, the pivot of which lies with its "first past…

CP Editor (2020-08-12). Kamala Harris and her "Top Cop" Record. counterpunch.org

pip.hinman (2020-08-12). ICAC needs to probe icare workers' compo scandal. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-08-12). Nationalise aged care homes and mandate staffing levels. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-08-12). Federal Court orders Dutton to free man from detention. greenleft.org.au

Melvin Goodman (2020-08-12). Trump's War On Arms Control and Disarmament. counterpunch.org Seventy-five years ago, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 Japanese and injuring another 100,000. The great fires that raged in each city consumed many of the bodies. If ever there was a visceral force for promoting a world free of nuclear arms, it should be the memory

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-12). The Likud Conspiracy: Israel in the Throes of a Major Political Crisis. counterpunch.org Protests against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have raged on for weeks, turning violent sometimes. Israelis are furious at their government's mediocre response to the coronavirus pandemic, especially as COVID-19 disease is experiencing a massive surge throughout the country. Netanyahu warned protesters, thousands of whom have been rallying outside his residence in Jerusalem, against "anarchy

Noam Chomsky (2020-08-12). Trump Is Quite Capable of an "October Surprise" zcomm.org Popular support for autocracy runs disturbingly high. Almost one-fourth of Republicans agree "President Trump should close down mainstream news outlets, like CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times."

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-12). Turkey Marks 100 Years Since Treaty of Sèvres. Renewed Hostilities with Greece. globalresearch.ca Yesterday marked the 100-year anniversary from when the Treaty of Sèvres was signed. The Treaty of Sèvres saw the Ottoman Empire dismembered, with Greece, Syria and Armenia gaining old lost lands, an independent Kurdistan established, and France, Britain and Italy …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-12). Serbia's Intention to Buy Chinese Weapons. US Concerns. globalresearch.ca Belgrade's announcement that it may purchase the Chinese FK-3 anti-aircraft missile system was enough for the U.S. to express concern about Serbia's future, not only with Europe, but with the entire world. | The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade said that | "procuring …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-12). The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria? mintpressnews.com Israel's strategic interests in the Syria conflict go beyond Netanyahu's need for a cheap victory. The outcome of the Syria war has the potential of yielding a nightmare scenario for Israel.

South Front (2020-08-12). Video: Crisis in Belarus as Sign of Global Division. globalresearch.ca Over the past days, Belarus, an eastern European state bordering with Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, has become a scene of a new regime change attempt on the territory of the former USSR. | On August 9, the country held presidential …

South Front (2020-08-12). Video: Lights, Camera, Action: Staging of Protests in Belarus. globalresearch.ca In Belarus presidential elections were held. According to the Central Election Committee, the turnout was quite high and amounted to about 84% of the population. The results of the exit poll confirm the victory of the current President of Belarus, …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-12). Joe Biden Picks Kamala Harris as Running Mate. Biden-Harris vs. Trump-Pence. Who is Kamala Harris? globalresearch.ca Whenever US presidential and congressional elections are held, voters get to choose between two pro-war, pro-corporate empowerment, anti-progressive right wings of the one-party state. | Names and faces change, results always the same. Dirty business as usual wins every time — …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-12). Mass Looting in Chicago, My Neighborhood Under Siege. globalresearch.ca I awoke Monday morning to distressing news, alerted me by pre-dawn email from my residential building's management. | I and other building residents were told about overnight vandalism and mass looting of retail shops along Chicago's Magnificent Mile in our neighborhood …

Vanessa Beeley (2020-08-12). Beirut: A tragedy that threatens the region with war and chaos. thealtworld.com On the 4th August 2020 an apocalyptic event took place in the main port of Lebanon's capital city, Beirut. Two explosions tore the city apart. The first explosion was registered on multiple mobile phone videos. The second ripped through the city with terrifying force, killing an estimated 220 and injuring more than 7000. Many victims are still missing as the search for survivors and bodies continues in the aftermath of thirty seconds that has left Beirut and Lebanon reeling with shock. | Three hundred thousand people are reported to be homeless although it is suspected that all estimated numbers are conservative.

Vijay Prashad (2020-08-12). Growing Force Is Charging That Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity. zcomm.org The lawsuit says that Bolsonaro's disregard for the danger of the pandemic has put "the Brazilian people at the edge of the abyss."

Newsclick (2020-08-12). Brexit, COVID and the continuing ambiguity in Britain. peoplesdispatch.org Vijay Prashad, Executive Director, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, talks to Musician Pandit G of the Asian Dub Foundation speak of the power of music and community in fighting the evils of society.

Tony Cartalucci (2020-08-12). Exposing US Color Revolution in Thailand Aimed at China. globalresearch.ca Western media — after claiming recent protests in Thailand were "leaderless" and comprised of "students," decries arrest of US-funded lawyer leading them — never mentions US funding. | *** | The Western media was quick to decry the arrest of 34 year-old …

Zero Hedge (2020-08-12). Bailing on Boeing: Order Cancellations Exceed New Sales for Sixth Straight Month. globalresearch.ca The embattled manufacturer saw customers abandon plans to buy 43 of its 737 MAX planes in July, where cancelled orders once again outpaced the company's sales, according to Boeing has net negative orders of 836 planes this year…

WSWS (2020-08-12). Biden picks former law-and-order prosecutor Kamala Harris to be his Democratic running mate. wsws.org Harris satisfies the advocates of identity politics while reassuring big business with her law-and-order record and close ties to the moneyed elite.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-12). MSM Smear Merchants Target Critics Of Establishment China Narratives. thealtworld.com slow-motion third world war against unabsorbed governments continues to accelerate, narrative management campaigns are getting more and more frenzied. We see this exemplified in two recent smear pieces published by imperial spinmeisters about critics of the establishment-authorized narratives about what's happening in China. | The oligarch-funded Axios has published a new article titled " The American blo…

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-08-12). Peru hit hard by second wave of COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Peru has been hit by a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the country began to ease lockdown restrictions at the beginning of July, in the same month it experienced a slight increase in the number of coronavirus cases. In the first ten days of August, the daily new cases have spiked sharply. With a population of 33 million, Peru is reporting more than 7,000 new cases everyday. Following the concerning surge in infections, President Martín Vizcarra has reimposed a state of emergency with general quarantine measures and curfews until the end of this month. | Currently, Peru is the third worst-hit country i…

Khury Petersen-Smith (2020-08-12). The Road to Portland: The Two Decades of 'Homeland Security'. counterpunch.org Troops have stood down in Portland and, for now, the city is quiet — which may say something about who was driving the violence there. For weeks, masked men in the city were recorded throwing protesters into unmarked cars, firing tear gas and projectiles at contingents of mothers, fathers, and veterans, and generally carrying on with impunity. But the repression in

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-12). Union intervention wins back garment workers' jobs in Myanmar. peoplesdispatch.org The intervention by the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar has led to the reinstatement of 168 garment workers who had been laid off by two companies during the COVID-19 lockdown in March and April…

Pan Africanism Today Secretariat (2020-08-12). Systemic corruption, mismanagement worsen Zimbabwe's economic crisis. peoplesdispatch.org The spread of COVID-19 has further exposed an already failing system, leading to an intensified political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe. The government, however, seems busy cracking down on critics…

Jeff Harris (2020-08-12). The Medical Assessment of Covid: America Desperately Needs a "Second Opinion" globalresearch.ca Doctors are human and subject to human mistakes. Even doctors with exceptional "expert" credentials are still human and like all humans fallible. That's why patients often seek a second or even third opinion from other expert physicians BEFORE implementing a …

Francesca Visser (2020-08-12). Meet Alabama's feminist doctor protecting women giving birth under COVID-19. zcomm.org "The US is the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world."

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-12). What do we know about the Russian COVID-19 vaccine? peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Satyajit Rath talks to Peoples Dispatch about the recent announcement made by Russian president Vladimir Putin declaring that the country has developed a vaccine for COVID-19.

Brian Trautman (2020-08-12). The 'Wall of Vets' Continue Long Legacy of Veteran Activism. zcomm.org Veterans are mindful of the crimes that an authoritarian government and occupying military force are capable of. They know that we have a civic duty to stand up to these existential threats to democracy, freedom and liberty…

John W. Whitehead (2020-08-12). This Is America: Where Fascism, Totalitarianism and Militarism Go Hand in Hand. globalresearch.ca "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem."—Ronald Reagan | There's a pattern emerging if you pay close enough attention. | Civil discontent leads to civil unrest, which leads to protests and counterprotests….

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-12). Macron Lectures Lebanon: The Condescending Politics of Aid. globalresearch.ca The

Richard Gage (2020-08-12). A Courageous Family Needs Your Help to Seek Justice for the Murder of Their Son on 9/11. globalresearch.ca I'm writing this article today because

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-08-12). Guyana Geopolitics: Washington's New Game Plan Against Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Having gained its political independence a few decades ago, Guyana is a small South American country with little international relevance. Without major economic or geopolitical projections, the country has agriculture and mining as its main activities, not being a fully …

Daisy Luther (2020-08-12). #WhiteHouseSiege — This Group Plans to "Lay Siege to" and "Occupy" the White House Next Month. globalresearch.ca The group that takes credit for the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 has a new and even more outrageous plan in mind. They intend to "occupy" the White House. | Adbusters, an online magazine that describes itself as "a global …

Prof Rodrigue Tremblay (2020-08-12). The U.S. Presidential Election: A Referendum on Donald Trump's Character or a Campaign on Law-and-Order? globalresearch.ca "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." —Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States, 1861-65. | "We must reject any thinking of our cities as a 'battlespace' …

Shane Quinn (2020-08-12). 80 Years Ago: Fall of France, the Wehrmacht's Advance Through the Ardennes Forest. globalresearch.ca Eight decades ago in the late summer of 1940 the Wehrmacht's generals, at Adolf Hitler's behest, were beginning preparations for a massive invasion of the USSR. Morale within the German Army was very good indeed, for obvious reasons. Within six …

Jenn Zhu (2020-08-12). Crisis of Civilization. The Manifestation of the Beauty of Humanity. The Legacy of Ancient Chinese Philosophy. globalresearch.ca I have once written a long story based on part of my own life experiences and some other real materials which might have caused some stir among the people who happened to have read it, in which the protagonist is …

John C. A. Manley (2020-08-12). Is the Face Mask Epidemic "Bringing on the Dumbing Down of Society?" globalresearch.ca "The mask is just as detrimental to society as vaccinations," says Rose Davidson in

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-08-12). Is a "Color Revolution" Possible in Belarus? globalresearch.ca The political crisis in Belarus is getting worse day after day. As a result of elections in the country, a violent wave of protests began in several cities. The focus of the demonstrations is Minsk, the country's capital. In the …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-12). Families of missing Kashmiri men allege they were killed in a staged encounter. peoplesdispatch.org Three men were killed by security forces in Shopian district of Kashmir on July 18. A few days ago, their pictures appeared on social media and were identified by their family members who said they were laborers who were searching for jobs…

Raul Diego (2020-08-12). Anti-Laundering Bill Targeting Shell Companies Stalled in Senate as Big Banks Caught Cooking Books. mintpressnews.com The Anti-Money Laundering Act would expose the owners of shell companies now sits alone on a shelf in the US Senate while the Federal Reserve shrugs its shoulders in the face of blatant manipulation by the too-big-to-fail banks.

Raul Diego (2020-08-12). Yemen: State Department Clears Bomb Peddler Pompeo of Wrongdoing in Civilian Deaths Investigation. mintpressnews.com A report issued by the State Department's Inspector General found that US arms sales raise the possibility of civilians getting killed, but also finds that the guy who sells the guns, Mike Pompeo, did nothing wrong.

Mnar Muhawesh Adley (2020-08-12). Podcast: The Beirut Explosion, Economic Terror and the Drumbeat of War Against Hezbollah. mintpressnews.com Lebanese journalists Laith Marouf and Marwa Osman recount their experience living through the recent blast that destroyed much of Beirut, an explosion that not only occurred during a period of rapid economic decline but of increasing public outrage over corruption and Western sanctions that have squeezed Lebanon dry.

WSWS (2020-08-12). After White House, Congress cut aid to unemployed, evictions and food lines spread across the US. wsws.org As eviction filings increase to pre-pandemic levels, workers and their families are left to fend for themselves.

Marwa Osman (2020-08-12). Beirut Blast Aftermath—MES EP.67. thealtworld.com The majority of Lebanese people put the blame squarely on the political elite and the corruption and mismanagement for the Beirut Explosion on August 4rth. However, only the US backed politicians in Lebanon began parroting from the first hour of the blast that Hezbollah is to blame for this disaster and sent in their protestors that same week to start riots in the capital while hundreds were still missing and thousands remain in hospitals getting treated as hundreds were laid for their final rest. To discuss this issue with us from Beirut is Mr. Maan Bachour Former secretary general of the Arab National Congress.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-12). Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni sentenced to three years in prison for Facebook posts. peoplesdispatch.org An Algiers court handed journalist Khaled Drareni a three-year prison sentence. The verdict has been widely condemned by human rights groups and Hirak movement protesters…

Fight Back (2020-08-12). Black Lives Matter rally in Waupaca, WI takes the street. fightbacknews.org Waupaca, WI – Nearly 100 people turned out for a Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in the rural Wisconsin town of Waupaca. This huge turnout for an action in such a small town came in the wake of two earlier events that faced a growing amount of harassment from police and white supremacists. | The violent arrest of activist Matt Banta at a march on August 2 and the subsequent rise in racist threats toward others contributed to the organizing of this larger event. Organizers of previous BLM actions in Waupaca have been targeted by white supremacists, with a mass armed counter-protest allegedly being planned. | Hosted…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-12). Protesting Thai students call for prime minister's resignation and reforms to monarchy. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands of students participated in anti-government demonstrations at the Thammasat University near Bangkok on Tuesday. Students have been protesting for the past few days demanding reforms…

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-08-12). Replaying the 'Syria Scenario' in Lebanon. thealtworld.com The US and its clients are trying to exploit the crisis to advance their plans to destroy Hezbollah. They should know better. | Let us start at the end, without getting bogged down in the details and analyses that fill the Lebanese and Arab media these days: The current ferment in Lebanon, which resulted in the resignation of Hassan Diab's government over the Beirut Port explosion, will eventually lead to the demise of Lebanon's corrupt ruling elite and the 1989 Taif Agreement that brought it to power and established the sectarian carve-up system that sustains it. | The Lebanese people want genuine democratic ref…

Colin Todhunter (2020-08-12). Pushing GMO Crops Into India: Experts Debunk High-Level Claims of Bt Cotton Success. dissidentvoice.org On 6 July 2020, an article extolling the benefits of genetically modified (GM) crops appeared on the BloombergQuint website based on an interview with Dr Ramesh Chand, a member of the key Indian Government think tank Niti Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) . On 17 July, another piece that placed a positive spin on …

Pablo Kunich (2020-08-12). Alba TV's New Model for Communication. zcomm.org The coordinator of a media platform that works with social movements talks about the history and challenges of popular communication…

Scott Ritter (2020-08-12). Russia wants neither 'rethink' nor 'reset' if it means restoring American supremacy & returning to Cold War diplomacy. thealtworld.com Some 136 American "experts" on US-Russian relations recently debated the merits of "rethinking" US policy on Russia. What these specialists failed to consider is that Moscow may not be interested in their plans. | In the span of a week, Politico, a non-partisan global news and information company whose The first, which appeared on August 5, was an "open let…

Jeff Schuhrke (2020-08-12). The US Labor Movement Needs More of the UE's "Them and Us" Unionism. zcomm.org UE's model of militant, democratic unionism can revive labor…

Yves Engler (2020-08-12). The Lobby Attacks Left-wing Restaurant. dissidentvoice.org As part of a well-organized, multilayered, Israel nationalist lobby bid to bankrupt a small left-wing restaurant a prominent Toronto interior designer sued Kimberly Hawkins for $800,000. Shai DeLuca is claiming the Foodbenders owner libeled him. The suit was filed by RE-LAW LLP and the US-based Lawfare Project which harasses pro-Palestinian activists. The Lawfare Project, reports …

William rivers Pitt (2020-08-12). Trump's Social Security Sleight of Hand Is Another Scam. Don't Fall for It. zcomm.org Saturday's press conference and executive order spectacle was nothing more or less than a splash of the amniotic fluid from which Trump first emerged into national politics: an episode of reality TV. The papers took the headline bait over the weekend…

news.un (2020-08-12). UN praises resilience and vision of younger generation, marking International Youth Day. news.un.org Commemorating International Youth Day, top UN officials have called on leaders around the world to "do everything possible" to enable young people to reach their fullest potential.

Fight Back (2020-08-12). Families hold vigil for Jesse Romero and Omar Gonzalez, victims of LAPD's Eden Medina. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – In the span of 12 days during the summer of 2016, LAPD Officer Eden Medina killed two unarmed Chicanos in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights. On July 28, 2016, Medina shot Omar Gonzalez twice in the back after multiple officers had tackled the 36-year-old father of two and held him face down. The LAPD immediately allowed Medina and his partner Alejandro Higareda to continue working in Boyle Heights. Then, on August 9, Medina shot 14-year-old Jesse Romero as he was surrendering with his hands in the air and starting to kneel. In both cases, District Attorney Jackie Lacey cleared Medina and the fam…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Bomb blast in W Afghanistan kills four policemen. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Four members of local police forces were killed and ten civilians were injured in a bomb blast in the western province of Farah in Afghanistan.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Iran to set up pavilion at Chinese high-tech. fair. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian knowledge-based companies are planning to set up a pavilion at 22nd edition of China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which is going to be held on November 11 to 15 at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen, China.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). VIDEO: Russia registers world's 1st COVID-19 vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Russia registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday. It marks a milestone in the fight against the new coronavirus but amid safety concerns in the West over the country's accelerated clinical evaluations.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Iran COVID-19 update: 2,510 cases, 188 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,510 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 333,699.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Police dismantle 3 drug-smuggling bands in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — According to Tehran's Police Chief, the anti-narcotics police of the province have dismantled three drug-smuggling gangs and seized over 2 tons of illicit drugs in the Iranian capital during separate operations.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). 'Driving Lessons' wins at Beirut Intl. Women Film Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Iranian Short 'Driving Lessons' has won at Beirut International Women Film Festival.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Sidelines of Cabinet meeting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — On the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, some of the Iranian ministers and officials answered reporters' questions on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Zarif says US determines EU's trade partners not Union itself. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Criticizing the EU's dependency on the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that this is the United States Department of the Treasury that determines EU's trade partners, not Europe itself.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Police seize 460 kg of narcotics in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — The police force of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province have seized 460 kg of illicit drugs in Saravan County.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). FAO supplies Iran with more desert locust equipment. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — FAO delivers two more consignments of desert locust control equipment and materials to Iran to further enhance national technical capacity to prevent and decrease the damages caused by this migratory pest.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). US clings personal position of PGCC's SG 'regional consensus'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the United States, in desperation, calls the position of the Secretary General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) as 'regional consensus'.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Iranian documentary wins at Ierapetra filmfest of Greece. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Mahmoud Reza's documentary 'Kiarostami and His Missing Cane' has won an award at the 2020 edition of Ierapetra International Documentary Film Festival in Greece.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Iran symbol of power in region: Brig. Gen. Heidari. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces said that Islamic Republic of Iran is a symbol of power in the region and the Global Arrogance must leave the West Asia.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Qatar says stances of PGCC Sec. Gen. not of council members. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Qatari special envoy Majed Al-Qahtani said that the stances of the Secretary-General of the PGCC Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf about the extension of Iran's arms embargo can not be generalized to other council members.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). IRGC, Army commanders hold seasonal meeting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — High-ranking commanders of the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guard Crops held a seasonal meeting on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). 'Inner Love' goes to Italian film festival's final. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Iranian short 'Inner Love' has made it into the final stage of the 8th edition of Spi Stories Film Festival in Italy.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Parliament's open session on Wed. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian lawmakers held an open session on Wednesday and did not give the vote of confidence to Hossein Modarres Khiabani as the new industry minister.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Introduction, farewell ceremony of Markazi prov. IDO's chief. en.mehrnews.com ARAK, Aug. 12 (MNA) — An introduction and farewell ceremony of the director general of Islamic Development Organization (IDO) in Markazi province and introduction of new head of Mehr news agency's office in this province was held on Tue. evening.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). US needs terrorists in region: Bashar al-Assad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the United States is in desperate need of terrorists in the region including ISIL terrorist group and seeks to support terrorists using Caesar sanctions law against Syria.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-12). Russia sees US attempts to revise UN res. 2231 unjustifiable. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — In a tweet on Wednesday, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov named US attempts to revise UNSC Resolution. 2231 as 'counterproductive and unjustifiable'.

Santa Cruz News Network (2020-08-12). Santa Cruz for Bernie Endorses Brown, Hill and Kumar for Santa Cruz City Council. indybay.org Santa Cruz County for Bernie Sanders has announced their organization is endorsing three progressive candidates for Santa Cruz City Council in the November 2020 election: Sandy Brown, Kelsey Hill, and Kayla Kumar.

People Over Petro (2020-08-12). Thursday 8/20: Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic: Impact on Climate (Part 2 of 2). indybay.org Online…

People Over Petro (2020-08-12). Tuesday 8/18: Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic: Impact on Climate (Part 1 of 2). indybay.org Online…

Future Coalition (2020-08-12). Monday 8/17: Revolutionize The Vote: The Climate Emergency, Racial Justice and Your Voting Power. indybay.org Online via livestream…

United We Dream (2020-08-12). Wednesday 8/12: United We Dream: Panel Discussion on the Documentary Series "Immigration Nation" indybay.org Online via livestream…

Michael Owens (2020-08-12). How South Korea's past informs Moon Jae-In's civil rights policy. indybay.org President Moon Jae-In is the current president of South Korea. His presidency began without the typical two-month adjustment period, coming out of the previous scandal involving President Park Geun-hye. His justice minister pick became embroiled in a scandal, and the country's economy and unemployment rate have taken a turn for the worse. His approval rates have fallen to record lows, as protestors take to the streets. What actions is President Moon taking to bolster his candidacy? Let's examine how South Korea's political history has informed President Moon Jae In's public policy.

Martha Hubert (2020-08-12). Saturday 8/15: Love, Peace and Justice. indybay.org Highland Avenue Bridge @ Arlington, over the San Jose Ave. exit/entrance to Interstate 280, in the Bernal/Mission/Noe/Glen Park vicinity.

PIMHCH (2020-08-12). In SF, Low Riders Join Day to Demand "Shut Down CA Concentration Camps" indybay.org First there was a rally at Justin Herman Plaza, then a caravan led by Roberto Hernandez of the SF Low Rider Council in his classic white convertible. On August 8, during a statewide day of action to end ICE detention camps, over 1,000 marched behind the caravan of low riders in San Francisco. The culmination of the protest was at ICE headquarters on San Francisco's Sansome St. where demonstrators left red colored handprints to say, "ICE….you have blood on your hands."

Lynda Carson (2020-08-12). Eviction crisis across the nation threatens 30-40 million people. indybay.org Protesting Tenants Demanding That The Rent Must Be Cancelled:…

LWVSF (2020-08-12). Wednesday 9/30: District 11 San Francisco Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum. indybay.org Online…

Robert Norse (2020-08-12). Another Toxic S.C. City Council Meeting Today. indybay.org I wrote a letter to Justin Cummings last week about the upcoming "public" City Council meeting. On the agenda are the usual rubberstamping of City Manager Bernal's diktats, new police funding, denying claims against the police, the zombie resurrection of an anti-Vending law, inadequate "controls" on facial technology use, and a sell-out CACH homeless report.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-08-12). 2020 Sequoia National Park ~ Buffalo Soldiers Day Celebration. indybay.org California US Senator Kamala Harris, a native daughter of Oakland, California, has an special connection with Buffalo Soldiers as she continues to lead the way helping quantify and qualify the merits of our California Buffalo Soldiers Project.

Lynda Carson (2020-08-12). Employing and feeding people at Millcreek Manor in Batavia, Illinois. indybay.org The Empire Room, A Dining Room At Millcreek Manor In The Late 1960s:…

Norbert Trenkle (2020-08-12). When Wealth Destroys Wealth: Inverse Capitalism and its Limits. indybay.org Ever-increasing real estate prices was an illusion. The boom that the US stock markets have experienced in recent years deserves the name fracking boom. Fictitious capital put the US economy back on the growth track. Inverse capitalism describes contemporary capitalism determined by dynamics of the financial market.

Michael Harris (2020-08-12). Friday 9/18: Juneteenth Holiday Education Symposium. indybay.org Historic Gold Mining Town | Negro Bar, California | Historic Folsom District…

LWVSF (2020-08-12). Wednesday 9/23: District 7 San Francisco Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum. indybay.org Online…

reenvia Red Latina sin fronteras (2020-08-12). Perù: Lucha Indà¨gena Agosto2020. indybay.org Perù: Lucha Indà¨gena | Agosto 2020 | Director: Hugo Blanco…

LWVSF (2020-08-12). Thursday 9/17: District 1 San Francisco Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum. indybay.org Online…

DEFEND 209 (2020-08-12). Saturday 8/29: #AllOut Against Racist 'Hate-Pride' Anti-LGBT Rally in Modesto. indybay.org 1431 McHenry Ave, Planned Parenthood Parking lot.

Environmental Protection Information Center (2020-08-12). Wolf Update: California's Lassen Pack Grows. indybay.org California's only known gray wolf family welcomes a minimum of eight new pups this year.

Women Take The Stage (2020-08-12). Wednesday 8/26: Women Take The Stage: Rally & Concert Honoring the 19th Amendment's Centennial. indybay.org Online via livestream (free)…

Slash SFPD's Stash (2020-08-12). Friday 8/21: Rally & March to Slash SFPD's Stash. indybay.org Gather at Civic Center Plaza in front of SF City Hall | March to 850 Bryant…

Earth Day Network (2020-08-12). Thursday 8/13: How Citizen Science Can Help Save the Bees. indybay.org Online via livestream & Zoom…

Berkeley Copwatch (2020-08-12). Saturday 8/29: Know Your Rights: You have a Right to Film. indybay.org Online Zoom Training.

_____ (2020-08-12). Coronavirus As An Opportunity. popularresistance.org The lack of connections between the dots of the Corona and security — human security in particular — would be another example. The present author would see the handling of the Corona pandemic as the most fundamental documentation of the fact that not a single government has practiced security the right way: billions of taxpayers' dollars have been spent on weapons (that de-crease security in most cases), while there was nobody who had thought of face masks, thermometers, hospital equipment, and facilities — for what must be called a perfectly predictable security challenge. | Instead, the Corona…

_____ (2020-08-12). Utah Teachers Oppose Schools Reopening. popularresistance.org School districts across Utah are planning to open with in-person classes for the start of the new school year, despite the state having twice the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus as they did when schools closed in March. Governor Gary Hubert requested school districts open for in-person learning, while leaving planning and procedures up to individual school districts. School boards have been making minimal changes without input from teachers, school employees and parents. | The Granite Education Association, representing teachers in Utah's largest school district, held a rally outside the district offices…

_____ (2020-08-12). The Execution Of Elephants And Americans. popularresistance.org This first execution in 17 years was performed by lethal injection because hanging has a bad rep these days. It feels too Wild West, though it is carbon neutral. And electrocution has been on the outs because I imagine the environmentalists were furious the electricity was coming from coal power plants. (Don't quote me on that.) | I mean, if you're going to turn a guy into a shish kabob, don't use dirty energy to do it, okay? Maybe he could pedal a bike that powers his own murder. That's eco-friendly. Or how about death by a wind turbine? I'm sure if you got a guy close enough to one of those things, the blades w…

_____ (2020-08-12). Mountain Valley Pipeline Water Permit Denied. popularresistance.org Another natural gas pipeline in North Carolina has been derailed, at least temporarily, as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has denied a water quality permit for the MVP Southgate project that would route through Rockingham and Alamance counties. | In a letter released this afternoon, Division of Water Resources Director Danny Smith wrote, "Due to uncertainty surrounding the completion of the MVP Mainline project," it has determined that "work on the Southgate extension could lead to unnecessary water quality impacts and disturbance of the environment in North Carolina."

_____ (2020-08-12). Remembering Hiroshima And Nagasaki By Shutting Down A Nuclear Base. popularresistance.org At around 6: 45 AM on Monday, demonstrators arrived at the Main Gate and formed a vigil line along the roadway. At around 7: 05 AM, four "peacekeepers" entered the roadway and stopped traffic, while behind them, six demonstrators set themselves and their banners on the roadway. | Three of the demonstrators carried a banner stating, "Hiroshima Nagasaki Never Again!" Two demonstrators held a blue painted banner stating, "No More Genocide in My Name." One demonstrator carried a banner, "Peace Walk Nuclear-Free World, Black Lives Matter."

_____ (2020-08-12). UC Santa Cruz Reinstates Graduate Students After Months-Long Strike. popularresistance.org The University of California has agreed to reinstate 41 UC Santa Cruz graduate student workers who were fired in March after waging a months-long 'wildcat' strike. The strike for a cost of living adjustment galvanized students at nearly every single campus in the UC's 285,000-student system. | Last week, following months of protests, campus negotiations, and outcry from elected officials, the University of California agreed to reinstate the 41 teaching assistants. | The university also agreed to offer the 41 students, who had lost their teaching appointments, an additional quarter of funding and an employment gua…

_____ (2020-08-12). Numerous Assaults Witnessed During Black Lives Matter Protests. popularresistance.org A group of about thirty Black Lives Matter protesters from Gardnerville, Carson City and Lake Tahoe took to the streets of Douglas County today, where they were met with hundreds of heavily armed counter-protesters, some of whom were physically and verbally assaulting the mostly-teenaged protesters. | After Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley issued a public open letter to the Douglas County Library Board stating his opposition to their proposed support of Black Lives Matter, joining numerous library associations across the country, and threatening to not respond to the library's call for assistance anymore, many…

_____ (2020-08-12). A Company Of Thieves Run By Washington To Steal Syrian Oil. popularresistance.org Stealing the resources of the Syrian people and plundering their wealth has always been a major goal of the United States in Syria, as it has completed its hostile approach by supporting terrorism there through an agreement between it and Qasad (SDF) militia to pillage the Syrian oil in an aggravated and declared crime that violates the rules of international law. | The administration of US President Donald Trump has worked for years on the scheme to plunder the Syrian oil, which was finally embodied in the agreement between Washington and Qasad militia as informed sources revealed to the (CNN) that the agreement…

_____ (2020-08-12). How Trump Can Steal The 2020 Election. popularresistance.org The election was stolen from Clinton four years ago and the even weaker 2020 candidate can expect the same fate. Republicans win the presidency when they steal votes. Democrats need a huge turnout to undo the impact of so-called "spoiled ballots," electronic vote machine theft and the removal of Democratic voters, i.e. Black people, from the rolls. These methods will of course be used in November and ought to be the basis for concerns regarding any electoral malfeasance. | It is important to remember the real electoral threats when Donald Trump decides to have fun with America's collective reptile brain. When he…

_____ (2020-08-12). Chile's Militarisation of the Araucania Influences Racism Against the Mapuche Population. strategic-culture.org As Chile shifted its attention to the coronavirus pandemic, which brought out the country's widespread social inequalities, the state's aggression towards the Mapuche people went on unhindered. In June, President Sebastian Piñera

_____ (2020-08-12). The Censoring Cancel Culture Against Russia. strategic-culture.org Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney,

_____ (2020-08-12). The Russians Are Coming! Or Have They Already Arrived? strategic-culture.org Right at the beginning of the Cold War, the paranoid slogan "The Russians are coming!" was rather popular in a certain part of the American establishment. It is attributed to an eccentric US Defense Minister who fell out of a window in mysterious circumstances following a mental breakdown. Years passed by and the Cold War apparently came to an end, but the Russians kept on coming without ever arriving, while vast sums of US taxpayers' money were spent on the arms race and on propaganda proclaiming that the Russians were still coming. | And now, finally, the Russians have arrived. They have arrived in America's so…

The Canary (2020-08-12). Study advises regular testing and 'extreme caution' to reduce risk of coronavirus in maternity wards. thecanary.co NHS staff should have regular tests for coronavirus (Covid-19), scientists have said, after a new study highlighted the proportion of staff who had the disease but showed no symptoms. The new study found that one in six maternity health workers have had coronavirus. One in three of these were completely asymptomatic — meaning they continued to go about their work as usual, potentially passing the virus on to mothers and their new babies. | Asymptomatic: | The new study, published in the journal Anaesthesia, examined infection rates among workers in two London hospital maternity units. | In total, 20…

The Canary (2020-08-12). UK facing 'long road' to recovery from deep recession, warn experts. thecanary.co Britain faces a "long road ahead" to recovery after suffering the biggest hit so far from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic of the major global economies, experts have warned. | June's 8.7% bounce-back in gross domestic product (GDP) means the economy is set to emerge from its record-breaking recession in the third quarter, but the sheer size of the contraction means it has further to crawl back. | Business groups and economists also cautioned the path of the recovery may not be smooth, given the threat of a second wave and possible further lockdowns, with a jobs crisis also on the horizon as government support…

The Canary (2020-08-12). Activist's arrest in Portland galvanises Black Lives Matter movement. thecanary.co The arrest during a protest in Portland, Oregon, of a Black woman who became a leading activist in the racial justice movement, has galvanised Black Lives Matter groups. The activist, Demetria Hester, was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago. | Portland has endured more than two months of often violent, nightly protests since George Floyd's police killing in Minneapolis, including weeks of clashes between protesters and federal agents. The agents were dispatched to the city by US president Donald Trump. | Authorities said they won't be charging Hester, a prominent activist, following her arrest after…

news.un (2020-08-12). Real Life Heroes: heading into disaster, in the service of others. news.un.org Growing up in Indonesia in the shadow of an active volcano, Agus Haryono has witnessed the deadly risks of living in a disaster-prone region. This prompted him to join the country's Search and Rescue Agency, in the hope of saving lives, when disaster strikes.

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Coronavirus deaths rise to almost 19,000 in Iran. yenisafak.com As many as 188 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,988, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.A total of 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 333,699, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 290,244 patients have recovered so far, while 3,940 are hospitalized in critical condition.Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.More than 20.3 mil…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Beijing shuts tourist sites as precaution against heavy downpours. yenisafak.com A heavy rainstorm forecast in China's capital Beijing has forced authorities to shut parks and tourist sites, state-run media reported.The Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau said the capital is expecting to receive "heaviest rainstorm" this summer, said Xinhua News Agency.Hence, authorities have closed parks, including the Summer Palace, Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park, and Beijing Zoo. The expected tourists who booked tickets are being given refunds.The bureau added that operations of almost all landscaping projects have been suspended, and workers shifted to safer places before the rainstorm hits the capital…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Yemeni president to visit US for medical checkups. yenisafak.com Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi will leave Riyadh for the United States on Wednesday to undergo medical checkups in Cleveland, a senior government official told Anadolu Agency. | "Hadi is in good health," the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. | He said the Yemeni leader, who had undergone a heart surgery in May, was scheduled to visit the US a few months ago, but the trip was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. | Hadi had made several trips to the US for medical examinations due to his heart condition. | Yemen has been engulfed by violence and…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). COVID-19: Face masks mandatory in Brussels. yenisafak.com Wearing a face mask became mandatory in all public spaces of the Belgian capital Brussels as of Wednesday.The measure entered into force automatically after the publication of the latest COVID-19 figures.So far, Brussels residents were only obliged to cover their nose and mouth in shops, as well as on public transport and certain popularly frequented streets.But, the city council decided last week to make face covers obligatory everywhere if the daily average of new infections passed the limit of 50 per 100,000 inhabitants on a weekly average.According to the latest data of the country's Public Health Institute S…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Brent oil price up with estimated US crude stocks drop. yenisafak.com Brent crude oil prices rose on Wednesday as an expected decrease in US crude oil inventory relieved investor fears about a fall in demand.International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $44.98 per barrel at 0633GMT for a 0.8% increase after closing Tuesday at $44.62 a barrel.American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was at $42 per barrel at the same time, up 0.16% after ending the previous session at $42.07 a barrel.Late Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) announced its estimate of a fall of 4.4 million barrels in US crude oil inventories last week, more than an expected 3.2 million-barrel draw.Al…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Turkey renovates 1,700-year-old tomb in northern Syria. yenisafak.com Afrin — just across Turkey's southern border — was liberated from the terrorist YPG/PKK by Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in 2018, but has still been subject to occasional attacks by the YPG/PKK terror group.Turkey continues to take care of the cultural assets in the area, thus, the restoration work was carried out by the Turkish southern Hatay province's Regional Directorate of Foundations.The renovation work, which started around six months ago and is planned to be completed at the end of the year, is being meticulously carried out by expert teams.According to the General Directorate of Foundations…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Derailed train in Scotland is 'extremely serious': Scottish leader Sturgeon. yenisafak.com Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said the derailment of a train near Stonehaven on Wednesday morning was "extremely serious", as video footage on social media showed smoke rising from the scene on the east coast of the country."This is an extremely serious incident," she said. "I've had an initial report from Network Rail and the emergency services and am being kept updated. All my thoughts are with those involved."Police received reports of a train derailing near Stonehaven, a town 15 km (9 miles) south of the city of Aberdeen, at 0940 a.m. on Wednesday."Emergency services are currently in attendance and the inci…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Pakistanis | say 'Turkey is not alone' with countless tweets over East Med | dispute. yenisafak.com Tens of thousands of Pakistanis voiced their support for Turkey regarding the Eastern Mediterranean dispute on social media using the hashtag, "#Turkeyisnotalone", amid an escalating rift between Ankara and Greece over seismic exploration and drilling activities in the region.As a sign of unity between the two brother countries, the hashtag "#Turkeyisnotalone" remained a top trend in Pakistan on the microblogging website on Wednesday.Posting countless tweets and photos, Pakistanis expressed their solidarity with Turkey over mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean."Pakistan and the Pakistani nation will nev…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). German foreign minister visits blast-stricken Lebanon. yenisafak.com German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for a short visit to meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. | Maas will also attend the funeral of a German diplomat, who died in a massive blast that rocked the Beirut port on August 4. | According to Lebanese media, the top German diplomat will not meet any Lebanese officials except President Michel Aoun during his visit. | Ahead of his arrival in Beirut, Maas underlined the importance to carry out reforms in Lebanon as demanded by the international community. | He said aid pledged during Sunday's donor conference for Lebanon will not be given…

yenisafak (2020-08-12). Turkey lays 1,750 km streamer under Mediterranean Sea. yenisafak.com Turkey announced on Wednesday that it had laid two streamer cables on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea bed as part of its ongoing hydrocarbon exploration activities."By Aug. 23, a total 1,750 kilometers of streamer (seismic cable) was laid under the Mediterranean Sea for two-dimensional seismic exploration," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said on Twitter.Turkey's seismic research vessel, the MTA Oruc Reis was "x-raying the seas."As part of the country's hydrocarbon surveying activities, Turkey released a NAVTEX (navigational telex) on Aug. 10, 2020, announcing that the Oruc Reis would begin cond…

Steve Topple (2020-08-12). A BBC journalist's tweet sums up the broadcaster's rancid attitude towards refugees. thecanary.co A BBC journalist managed to sum up in one tweet the broadcaster's rancid coverage of refugees crossing the Channel. But the situation also points to a wider problem: how co-opted the media is, and how corporations co-opt politics for their own gains. | The BBC: scraping the bottom of the barrel: | Both BBC and Sky News have

Steven Sahiounie (2020-08-12). Mohammed bin Salman Faces His Biggest Threat to the Throne. US Law Suit against Saudi Crown Prince. globalresearch.ca Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, has been able to dodge legal responsibility in the death of Jamal Khashoggi, while US President Trump has defended and supported him. It appears

Manlio Dinucci (2020-08-12). What Is Italy Doing for Nuclear Disarmament? globalresearch.ca On the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, reiterated that "Italy strongly supports the goal of a world free from nuclear weapons." He was echoed by the …

Steve Topple (2020-08-12). The UK's rail network just descended into further coronavirus chaos. thecanary.co Amid the Rail fares: ticket touting?: | Every January, train operators put some fares up. This is because the government

Daniel Fernandez (2020-08-12). Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning. thenation.com Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning…

Staff (2020-08-11). Climate, crude, and COVID devastate Ecuador's Amazon. therealnews.com Unprecedented flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and catastrophic oil spills are wreaking havoc in Ecuador's Amazon and its Indigenous communities, one of the groups hardest hit by the climate-related emergencies fueled by unbridled drilling for oil and mining for minerals. | In April, as COVID-19 began to overwhelm the healthcare system, both of Ecuador's transnational oil pipelines ruptured, dumping thousands of barrels of oil into the Coca river and its tributaries that provide fresh water and livelihoods to native communities. Regarded as Ecuador's worst spill in a decade, the collapsed pipelines are still not…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-08-11). Medical Experts Denounce 'Irresponsible' Rush to Covid-19 Vaccine by Russia. commondreams.org "The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/russia-covid-vaccine.jpg

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-08-11). Scores of Education Experts Call on Schools to Reject Screen-Saturated Return to Learning. commondreams.org "Now is the time for parents and teachers to come together and demand what children really need." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/experts-statement-schools-warn-edtech.jpg

Dr. C. Stephen Frost (2020-08-11). End Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Repost, first published on February 11, 2020 | On Nov 22, 2019, we, a group of more than 60 medical doctors, wrote to the UK Home Secretary to express our serious concerns about the physical and mental health of Julian Assange.1 …

John McEvoy (2020-08-11). No Extradition: New film documents Julian Assange's plight for freedom. thecanary.co On Thursday 13 August, the new documentary No Extradition: Julian Assange's Father & The Struggle for His Son's Freedom will

Dave Lindorff (2020-08-11). Trump Launches Attack on Social Security and Medicare. counterpunch.org Watch out! Uncle Donald is coming for your and all your relatives' Social Security and your Medicare! The all-out attack on Social Security and Medicare, those two remaining standing edifices of the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's New Society, has begun in earnest with President Trump's latest executive order calling for the

Staff (2020-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanese Gov't Steps Down in Wake of Catastrophic Beirut Explosion and Mounting Protests, Trump Mulls Barring Americans from Reentry into U.S.; Coronavirus Cases Rise in Kids, Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine; New Zealand Goes Back into Lockdown, Unrest in Chicago Sparked by Police Shooting Leads to 100+ Arrests, 16 People Arrested in Portland, OR Protests, Including Hate Crime Survivor Demetria Hester, Belarus in Turmoil as Lukashenko Cracks Down on Protests, Opposition Candidate Flees to Lithuania, Bolivia Protests Against Interim Right-Wing Gov't Intensify; Union Calls for General Strike, Fires in Brazil…

Staff (2020-08-11). "Prisons Are Not Fit for Human Occupation": San Quentin Prisoners Speak Out as Virus Deaths Reach 25. democracynow.org California's notorious San Quentin State Prison is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the United States. At least 2,200 prisoners have been infected, and 25 have died. More than 260 staff members have also been infected. We hear from two people incarcerated at San Quentin about conditions inside and the punitive measures authorities have taken against prisoners campaigning for better safety measures, and speak with James King, a member of the Stop San Quentin Outbreak Coalition. "The conditions at San Quentin are horrific," says King, who was incarcerated at San Quentin from 2013 until December 2019.

Staff (2020-08-11). How the Pandemic Defeated America: Ed Yong on How COVID-19 Humiliated Planet's Most Powerful Nation. democracynow.org As the world passes a grim milestone of 20 million coronavirus cases, we look at how the pandemic humbled and humiliated the world's most powerful country. Over a quarter of the confirmed infections and deaths have been in the United States, which has less than 5% of the world's population. Ed Yong, a science writer at The Atlantic who has been covering the pandemic extensively since March, says existing gaps in the U.S. social safety net and the Trump administration's "devastatingly inept response" made for a deadly combination.

Staff (2020-08-11). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns Amid Public Rage over Beirut Blast, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. democracynow.org After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of Bard College's Masters of Arts program in human rights and the arts, who says despite public outrage toppli…

F. William Engdahl (2020-08-11). Towards a US-China War? The Creation of a Global Totalitarian System, A "One World Government"? globalresearch.ca If we step back from the details of daily headlines around the world and try to make sense of larger patterns, the dominant dynamic defining world geopolitics in the past three years or more is the appearance of a genuine …

Hamzah Raza (2020-08-11). By clasping hands with Netanyahu, 'top cop' Kamala Harris whitewashes Israel's racism. thegrayzone.com A friendly meeting California senator and self-declared "top cop" Kamala Harris held with Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows…

Fight Back (2020-08-11). Ilhan Omar speaks at Minneapolis celebration of NO BAN Act passage In House. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A small crowd gathered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on August 10 for a press conference celebrating the passage of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. | The bill would repeal President Trump's racist travel ban that has prevented immigration from a list of Muslim-majority and African countries. It would also strengthen prohibitions against discrimination on visa applications, permanently barring the executive branch from banning people from entering the United States on the basis of religious affiliation. Approv…

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-08-11). Progressive Ilhan Omar Faces Dark Money and Right-Wing Attacks in Minnesota Primary. commondreams.org "When you speak truth to power, power fights back," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said of Omar's primary challenge. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-11_at_1.21.58_pm.png

Valerie Croft (2020-08-11). How Indigenous Peoples are Using Ancestral Organizing Practices to Fight Mining Corporations and Covid-19. counterpunch.org As the effects of Covid-19 continue to be felt unequally around the globe, Indigenous peoples, such as the Xinka in Guatemala, are finding ways to organize and care for each other, while firmly rooting their response in ancestral practices that have sustained them throughout time. The Xinka people mostly live in southeastern Guatemala, in the

Jesse Jackson (2020-08-11). Real People Are Paying the Ultimate Price for Trump's Monstrous Failures. commondreams.org Citizens wearing protective masks form lines to receive free food from a food pantry run by the Council of Peoples Organization on May 8, 2020 in Brooklyn. (Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_coronavirus_25.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-08-11). 'Day of Judgment' Protesters Occupy Gov't Buildings, Banking Assn., Forcing New Elections. zcomm.org Angry about the criminal government negligence that led to the destruction of Beirut's port and part of the city by ammonium nitrate stores, they occupied the offices of the ministry of the economy, the ministry of energy, the ministry of the environment, and the foreign ministry…

Juan Cole (2020-08-11). Leaders in Lebanon Resign Over 200 Tragic Deaths, But Trump Refuses Accountability for 163,505 Covid-19 Fatalities. commondreams.org Dr. Anthony Fauci (center) in the White House briefing room while President Donald Trump talks to reporters about the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year. (Photo: Alliance for Health Policy/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1216280702_1.jpg

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2020-08-11). Era of US Domination of Latin America Coming to an End. dissidentvoice.org Marcha en Venezuela contra las sanciones de Trump (Reuters) Despite its failings at home, the United States intervenes in countries across multiple continents seeking to control their governments and resources. This week, we look at the US' latest efforts in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Bolivia to undermine their independence and force them to serve the interests of …

_____ (2020-08-11). New Alternative Left Alliance Forms In Venezuela. popularresistance.org Merida – Two major Venezuelan left-wing parties have announced that they will not be backing government candidates in the upcoming December 6 parliamentary elections. | For the first time, the Homeland for All Party (PPT) and Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) are set to lead a broad alternative coalition for the 277 seats up for grabs. Apart from the two parties, the inaugural Popular Revolutionary Alternative(APR) will look to incorporate trade unions, social movements, LGBTIQ groups, communes and campesinos organisations, as well as a range of smaller leftist currents.

Eds. (2020-08-11). Evo Morales denounces latest coup plot, warns of an immanent massacre. mronline.org Last minute information, I denounce that General Ivan Ortiz Bravo, head of the third department of the Armed Forces Command, on the instruction of the commander in chief of the Armed Forces, General (Sergio Carlos Orellana), has a coup d'état plan. — Former Bolivian president Evo Morales Ayma…

Anthony D. Romero (2020-08-11). Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security. Its Tactics are Fearsome. aclu.org This piece originally appeared in

Fight Back (2020-08-11). Meatpackers fired for asking for COVID precautions, organize a picket to fight back. fightbacknews.org Franklin, WI – On the morning of August 7, a crowd of around 80 people marched outside a Strauss Brands meatpacking facility located in the small town of Franklin just south of Milwaukee. In the crowd were workers from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1473 (UFCW 1473) and their families, and members of other unions and community groups; most visibly immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera. | The crowd was gathered to call for justice for 31 line workers who had been fired for organizing for better COVID-19 protections. Strauss fired these Latino workers with Social Security No Match letters from the S…

Tom Coburg (2020-08-11). Firm that ran fake news advertising for Brexit campaign is rebranded as 'safety tech' expert. thecanary.co A government department has described the UK as a "

Andrew Levine (2020-08-11). Trump and Biden, Two Ignoble Minds Here O'erthrown. counterpunch.org At the presidential level and perhaps down-ticket too, this year's electoral circus will be a spectacle well calculated to cause disgust and despair — thanks mainly to Donald Trump's unprecedented machinations, but also because, at least in the presidential contest, the main contenders, both of them, are embarrassingly unfit to serve. For kindness sake, one

Vijay Prashad (2020-08-11). Why a growing force in Brazil is charging that President Jair Bolsonaro has committed crimes against humanity. mronline.org Jhuliana Rodrigues works as a nurse technician at the Hospital Sà£o Vicente in Jundiaí, Brazil. "It is very difficult," she says of her job these days. Brazil has just passed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, with 3 million Brazilians infected with the virus.

Parth M.N. (2020-08-11). Coping With a Deadly Virus, a Social One, Too. counterpunch.org It didn't matter that all but one of them had tested negative for coronavirus. The sarpanch, in agreement with the villagers, had issued a diktat. The family couldn't leave their home for a month — though the mandatory quarantine period was 14 days. One of them had been infected with the virus. To make things

a guest author (2020-08-11). Utah teachers challenge state's reopening plans. workers.org By Alyssa Faith and Summer Autumn School districts across Utah are planning to open with in-person classes for the start of the new school year, despite the state having twice the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus as they did when schools closed in March. Governor Gary Hubert requested school . . . |

Monica Moorehead (2020-08-11). Student-athletes organize for health, Black Lives Matter, labor rights. workers.org Since March 12, the coronavirus has impacted every sector of U.S. society, not only health but also social life. With all the suffering going on and with no national public health care system in the U.S., different sectors of society are seeking to protect themselves by preventing the spread of . . . |

Staff (2020-08-11). Left-progressive Cori Bush makes her mark—On the neoliberal agenda. therealnews.com Racial justice activist Cori Bush's stunning upset against a Congressional Black Caucus-backed incumbent in Missouri underscores the power of the growing movement against racism and corporate greed.

Paul Street (2020-08-11). Defund Fascism, Blue and Orange. counterpunch.org The American ruling class says it is opposed to "big government." It isn't. The wealthy Few are only against what the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu called "the left hand of the state" — those parts of government that reflect the victories of past and ongoing social movements by serving the common good, regulating Big Business,

Dean Baker (2020-08-11). There is No Evidence That Generous Unemployment Benefits are Making It Difficult to Find Workers. counterpunch.org The July employment report showed the economy adding another 1,761,000 jobs in July. This follows gains of 2,725,000 in May, and 4,791,000 in June, leaving the economy down 12,881,000 jobs from its February level. The unemployment rate fell from 11.1 percent to 10.2 percent, while the employment to population ratio (EPOP) rose from 54.6 percent

Richard D. Wolff (2020-08-11). Why Capitalism is in Constant Conflict With Democracy. counterpunch.org The capitalist economic system has always had a big problem with politics in societies with universal suffrage. Anticipating that, most capitalists opposed and long resisted extending suffrage beyond the rich who possessed capital. Only mass pressures from below forced repeated extensions of voting rights until universal suffrage was achieved—at least legally. To this day, capitalists

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-08-11). Trump's Presidency is a Death Cult. counterpunch.org When President Donald Trump was challenged by Axios national political correspondent Jonathan Swan to respond to the fact that, "a thousand Americans are dying a day" due to COVID-19, the president responded as though the grim tally was perfectly acceptable, saying, "They are dying, that's true. And it is what it is." While observers were

Mike Garrity (2020-08-11). Emperor Trump Loses Again in the Northern Rockies in Big Win for Bull Trout, Rivers and the ESA. counterpunch.org The Trump administration suffered yet another loss to the Alliance for the Wild Rockies this month when a federal judge ruled against its request to dismiss our case against the Bureau of Reclamation's illegal killing of hundreds of threatened bull trout each year near Glacier National Park. Background: Bull trout have been listed as "Threatened"

Staff (2020-08-11). COVID-19 surges in Florida after data whistleblower fired. therealnews.com "Somebody needs to put a muzzle on [Trump] before he gets another 100,000 people killed. The United States does not have this under control."

Kathryn Shihadah (2020-08-11). Christian Nationalists and Christian Zionists March Lockstep to Secure Another Four Years for Trump. mintpressnews.com Christian Nationalists and their cousins, Christian Zionists — have made their way into the halls of power, and may be the key to another four-year term for arguably the most catastrophic president in US history.

Paul Krehbiel (2020-08-11). Murder charges sought against deputy for shooting death of Andres Guardado. peoplesworld.org COMPTON, Calif. — Community pressure is mounting on authorities to bring murder charges against Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy Miguel Vega for murdering Andres Guardado on June 18 in broad daylight, near Gardena and West Compton in Los Angeles County. Deputy Vega shot the 18-year-old Guardado in the back five times when the youth was kneeling …

Dean Baker (2020-08-11). Financing Drug Development: What the Pandemic Has Taught Us. cepr.net We are still very much in the middle of the pandemic, with the U.S. seeing tens of thousands of new infections daily, and the world experiencing hundreds of thousands of new infections. However, it is not too early to look at areas where we need to reevaluate public policy, most importantly in financing the research …

A Guest Author (2020-08-11). Cops out of unions! Solidarity with the righteous rebellion! workers.org On July 7 the Boston School Bus Drivers Union, United Steelworkers Local 8751, passed "Resolution in solidarity with the righteous rebellion against racism, police brutality and white supremacy." Included was a demand to "Expel all so-called 'police unions' from the AFL-CIO!" USW Local 8751 Trustee Fred Floreal speaking at Mass . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-11). Sudanese protest against continuing atrocities by Rapid Support Forces militia. peoplesdispatch.org The Rapid Support Forces militia has reportedly engaged in brutal violence in the States of South and West Darfur, as well as the State of South Kordofan, over the past few weeks.

Staff (2020-08-11). Autonomous zones get the goods. therealnews.com The next temporary autonomous zone could connect the history of public property as protest and centering the work of current activists for a more impactful zone.

a guest author (2020-08-11). Boston school bus drivers: 'No reopening without safety first!'. workers.org By USWA Local 8751 On July 29, the Boston School Bus Drivers Union, United Steelworkers Local 8751 issued the statement below, which President Andre Franàßois read on the August 6 Workers World Party webinar. Left to right, USW Local 8751 Chief Steward Frantz Cadet, Trustee Fred Floreal, and President Andre . . . |

Kathy Durkin (2020-08-11). Historic win for labor: California child care workers unionize. workers.org In a stunning victory for the U.S. labor movement, childcare workers in California voted nearly unanimously to unionize. The successful election came after public sector unions conducted a 17-year campaign aimed at pressuring state legislators to permit these workers to bargain collectively. Election results were announced July 27. California childcare . . . |

RT (2020-08-11). Joe Biden chooses Kamala Harris as running mate. rt.com 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden has announced his running mate. The Democratic challenger picked former California senator and former prosecutor Kamala Harris, after promising to select a woman of color for the role. | Biden announced his pick on Tuesday, with Harris previously considered a front-runner for…

RT (2020-08-11). Kamala Harris got 'destroyed' by Tulsi Gabbard in Democrat debates, dropped out before primaries — and now might be president. rt.com California Senator Kamala Harris crashed and burned early in the Democrat primary process, never recovering from the debate drubbing she took from Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. She became Joe Biden's running mate anyway. | "Tulsi" was trending on social networks shortly after the

RT (2020-08-11). At least it wasn't Susan Rice: Democrats could have made a worse running mate pick for Biden. rt.com Barack Obama's national security adviser Susan Rice would have ticked the woke politics box, but her foreign policy failures and lack of domestic experience ultimately made someone else Joe Biden's running mate. | On Tuesday, hours before Senator Kamala Harris of California was announced as Biden's VP pick on the Democrats' 2020 ticket, the betting markets had pivoted to Rice. | This was based on her taking a leave of absence from her New York Times opinion column and selling off stocks in Netflix, as well as the rumor mill fueled by her conspicuous absence from the list of named speakers at next week's Democr…

RT (2020-08-11). Trump launches scathing ad on 'phony' Kamala Harris as Democrats are torn over Biden's VP pick. rt.com President Donald Trump is having a field day with the choice of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate. While Democrat elites are rallying behind the ticket, frustrated progressives point to her problematic prosecutorial past. | Democrats

RT (2020-08-11). Russia receives orders from 20 countries for ONE BILLION doses of world's first Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com A total of 20 nations from Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia have already requested doses of Russia's breakthrough coronavirus vaccine, which was confirmed to be registered on Tuesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin. | At a conference dedicated to the announcement of the vaccine's registration, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) explained that it had already received orders for a billion doses. | "Together with our foreign partners, we are ready to produce more than 500 million doses of the vaccine per year," Kirill Dmitriev explained. Everything produced in Russia will be used dom…

RT (2020-08-11). China extends Hong Kong legislature for a year. rt.com The top legislature in Beijing has extended the mandate for the current group of Hong Kong lawmakers for a year from its expiry date of September 30, after a scheduled election was delayed. | The decision by China's legislature means Hong Kong's 70-member Legislative Council, or LegCo, will continue to perform its duties for "no less than a year" and until the next LegCo starts its four-year term, the Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. | Critics say the decision to postpone the election was political and came after China adopted new national security laws in late June that affect the city, Reuters said.

RT (2020-08-11). Americans give up citizenship in record-smashing numbers as expats find 'pandemic & political climate too much to bear' — report. rt.com Americans are ditching their US citizenship in droves thanks to an unbearable political atmosphere and the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, new research shows, indicating that both residents and expats are cutting ties in record numbers. | More than 5,800 Americans renounced their citizenship in the first half of 2020, according to a

RT (2020-08-11). The world's first Covid-19 vaccine: Everything we know about Russia's 'Sputnik V'. rt.com On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country had registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, named 'Sputnik V'. | The president said that one of his daughters had tested the drug on herself. | What we know about the vaccine: : | Read more | | Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the dose is based on a platform already used for six other vaccines,…

RT (2020-08-11). Mrs Nevada pageant interrupted MIDWAY after officials swoop on venue citing coronavirus guidelines violation (VIDEO). rt.com Police and officials showed up at a Mrs Nevada beauty contest on Sunday, though it was not their appreciation for beauty that drove them there, but rather an order to shut down the event due to the presence of more than 50 people.

RT (2020-08-11). France extends ban on mass gatherings to October 30 as 'infection rate heads in wrong direction'. rt.com PM Jean Castex said on Tuesday that the coronavirus infection rate in France was headed in the wrong direction, adding that a collective response was necessary. | The public was becoming careless, Castex warned, after official data recorded nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases from Saturday to Monday. The epidemic has killed more than 30,300 people in France, Reuters said. | France is extending a ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of October, Castex said. New restrictions will be drawn up in the 20 largest cities to curb the rising infection rate. Local officials wil be asked to encourage…

RT (2020-08-11). Sky-high care home death toll in New York has actually been UNDERCOUNTED, new data reveals. rt.com New York nursing home deaths at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic may have been undercounted by as much as two-thirds, according to new federal data. Already the highest in the US, the tally likely omits thousands. | The state's official count of care home pandemic deaths — 6,600 — may be vastly undercounted, according to data from federal regulators revealed in a

RT (2020-08-11). Western countries fighting 'info war' to discredit Russian Covid-19 vaccine are 'endangering lives of their citizens' — developer. rt.com Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine against Covid-19, has already become subject to coordinated information attacks from nations that have political differences with Moscow. | That's according to the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) which bankrolled the research. Kirill Dmitriev claims that, whether inspired by commercial concerns or just malice, the politicized approach of a number of Western countries ultimately jeopardizes the health and safety of their own citizens. | In the development and trials of the vaccine, Russia used a proven platform that had been tested on thousands of people over the…

RT (2020-08-11). 'Safe & effective' over 'first': US throws shade at Russia's first-to-market Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com Top US health officials insist they're holding out for a "safe and effective" Covid-19 vaccine, hinting that Russia's shot is anything but — or even that it's a plot to 'goad the US into forcing early action on our vaccines.' | "The point is not to be first with a vaccine, the point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world," US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar told ABC on Tuesday, demanding "transparent" phase-three test data. | Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb was more pointed in his criticism of Russia's…

RT (2020-08-11). Belarusian SWAT threaten bystanders with GRENADE after collaring teen in viral VIDEO. rt.com As protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's re-election rage on in several cities, video footage has emerged showing the local riot police apparently deploying some heavy handed tactics against teenagers. | In a video widely shared on social media on Tuesday, two members of Belarus' OMON tactical police can be seen restraining a young man, possibly a protester. The officers manhandle the suspect, and as bystanders complain, one officer tugs on the pin of a grenade. | –î—Ä—É–∑—å—è, –∞ –≤–&aelig…

RT (2020-08-11). Swarm of subsea quakes near San Andreas fault reignites doomsday prophecies, fears of impending 'Big One'. rt.com A swarm of dozens of minor earthquakes hit just south of the San Andreas Fault in a matter of mere hours, prompting concerns that California might be hit by a megaquake in the near future. | The largest temblor in Monday's swarm was a magnitude 4.6, while there were multiple magnitude 3 quakes, all of which struck in an area known as the Brawley Seismic Zone, wedged between the San Andreas Fault and the Imperial Fault which goes all the way south to Mexico. | Salton Sea earthquake swarm update: So far there's been 90+ quakes since 8: 56am PT with three quakes >M4. Largest in the sequence so far is still the…

RT (2020-08-11). Rowan Atkinson invokes wrath of cancel culture for raising concerns about controversial 'hate crime' bill. rt.com Comedian Rowan Atkinson has incurred the wrath of woke warriors on social media after voicing his opposition to a controversial hate crimes law which he believes will stifle free speech and rational debate. | The British comedy legend was among a group of authors, journalists, philosophers and campaigners who signed an open letter against legislation put forward by the Scottish Nationalist Party, warning of the "unintended consequences" the bill could have. | The signees raised specific concern over provisions around making "stirring up hatred" an offence, even if it was not the intention of the person making…

RT (2020-08-11). UFO hunter claims to have unearthed 'alien underground bases' in South Carolina. rt.com A self-proclaimed UFO expert claims to have discovered the entrances to five different underground bases in South Carolina. The alien hunter says he believes that the alleged bases have secret passages that lead to the sea. | Scott Waring of ET DataBase says he discovered the alien outposts hiding in plain sight in South Carolina's Pee Dee Island while trawling through Google Earth. The features in question are five oval-shaped depressions, which appear to line-up perfectly in the satellite image. | This striking formation was enough to convince Waring that the ovals hide underground alien bases and prompted h…

The Canary (2020-08-11). Government defends test-and-trace service amid cuts to contact tracers. thecanary.co The government has defended its test and trace programme after it was criticised as nowhere near "world-beating".Labour said there were "growing concerns" about outsourcing giant Serco's role in the programme amid reports call centre contact tracers were being "paid to watch Netflix".The party also said the service was nowhere near "world-beating" and was unable to tackle local outbreaks.The government has announced it was strengthening regional test-and-trace powers in England while axing 6,000 national contract tracers.It means people who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) cases may get…

The Canary (2020-08-11). Coronavirus vaccine registered in Russia, says Putin. thecanary.co Russian president Vladimir Putin says a coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated.Putin emphasised that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and has proven efficient, offering a lasting immunity from coronavirus.However, scientists have been sounding the alarm that the rush to start using the vaccine before Phase 3 trials — which normally last for months and involve thousands of people — could backfire.Speaking at a government meeting, Putin emphasised that the vaccine has undergone proper testing and p…

The Canary (2020-08-11). New Zealand reports first cases of coronavirus for 102 days. thecanary.co New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said four coronavirus (Covid-19) cases have been found in one Auckland household from an unknown source.The new infections are the first reported cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. | Ardern said Auckland, the nation's largest city, will be moved to Alert Level 3 from midday on Wednesday until midnight on Friday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home, while bars and many other businesses will be closed."These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can…

The Canary (2020-08-11). Stephen Lawrence's parents will never give up hope of getting justice. thecanary.co The parents of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence have said they will never give up hope of getting justice for their son as the investigation into his death was shelved by police.Doreen and Neville Lawrence have campaigned tirelessly since the 18-year-old was murdered by racists in Eltham, south east London in April 1993. | Two of the 18-year-old's killers, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were jailed for murder in 2012, but three remain at large.Two of the three remaining suspects, brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, have since served jail time for drug dealing, while Luke Knight has remained free.Gary Dobson and Davi…

Jonathan Cook (2020-08-11). How the Guardian Betrayed not only Corbyn but the Last Vestiges of British Democracy. dissidentvoice.org It is simply astonishing that the first attempt by the Guardian — the only major British newspaper styling itself as on the liberal-left — to properly examine the contents of a devastating internal Labour party report leaked in April is taking place nearly four months after the 860-page report first came to light. If you are a Labour party …

CP Editor (2020-08-11). Martin's Boat — A Film By Pete McBride. counterpunch.org

Patrick Cockburn (2020-08-11). The Rise of Nationalism Has Led to the Increased Repression of Minorities. counterpunch.org We live in an era of resurgent nationalism. From Scotland to Sri Lanka, from China to Brazil, governments rely on nationalism as a source of communal identity and a vehicle for common action. In countries where religious identity appears to dominate, as with Islam in Turkey and Hinduism in India, religion has bonded with nationalism.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-11). U.S. and China Will Not Go to War Before the Presidential Elections as Some Speculate. globalresearch.ca Wang Yunfei, a recently retired Chinese naval officer announced online that U.S. President Donald Trump could launch a "controlled" military conflict with China in the South China Sea to increase his chances in the upcoming presidential election. Some analysts …

Peter Koenig (2020-08-11). Global Destruction, ‚Ä®The COVID-19 Lockdown: Economic and Social Impacts. globalresearch.ca Planned Destruction of World-wide Economy | What we have to realize is that the global, country-by-country destruction — happening simultaneously — is not a coincidence. | It has been planned for decades. Thousands of pages were written alone for the preparation of …

Philip Giraldi (2020-08-11). Horror in Beirut. A Critical Examination. The Catastrophe in A Broader Context. globalresearch.ca The Establishment explanation for what occurred in Beirut's port on August 5th is that the horrific series of explosions that killed hundreds, injured thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless was a terrible accident that came about due to …

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-08-11). Coronavirus Is the New 'Terrorism'. globalresearch.ca House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed the next multi-trillion dollar "coronavirus relief" spending bill that will support testing, tracing, treatment, isolation, and mask policies that have been part of a "national strategic plan" she has been advocating. The Trump administration …

South Front (2020-08-11). Video: Chaos in Lebanon, Marked by Start of New Round of Israeli-Iranian Standoff. globalresearch.ca The explosion in the port of Beirut in early August that caused thousands of casualties became a trigger point for the further development of the already existing crisis in Lebanon. | In the following week days after the August 4 explosion, …

Jay Stanley (2020-08-11). Tracking Apps Are Unlikely to Help Stop COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Proposals to use the tracking capabilities of our cell phones to help fight COVID-19 have probably received more attention than any other technology issue during the pandemic. Here at the ACLU, we

news.un (2020-08-11). Polio vaccination campaigns restart in Afghanistan and Pakistan after COVID-19 hiatus. news.un.org Polio vaccinations campaigns have resumed in Afghanistan and Pakistan, months after having been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

Barbara Boland (2020-08-11). DNC Delegates: Biden Team 'A Horror Show' of 'Disastrous' Foreign Interventionism. globalresearch.ca Former National Security Advisor

WSWS (2020-08-11). Biden's blueprint for a right-wing presidency: Part two. wsws.org On China, the Democratic platform attacks Trump from the right, claiming that his trade war policies have not restored jobs in the United States and pledging to "stand up" to Beijing.

Thomas Knapp (2020-08-11). The "Election Interference" Fearmongers Think You're Stupid. counterpunch.org Xi Jinping and Ali Khamenei prefer Joe Biden to Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin prefers Donald Trump to Joe Biden. That's according to William Evanina, Director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center. "Many foreign actors," he says, "have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and

Sholto Byrnes (2020-08-11). The Flaw in the US Plan to Rally Democracies Against China. globalresearch.ca US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called last week for "a new alliance of democracies" to fight what he called "the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party". In a speech delivered at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California, Mr …

WSWS (2020-08-11). Philippines not to join wargames in the South China Sea. wsws.org Duterte's announcement that the Philippines will not participate in US naval exercises in the disputed waters comes amid a dramatic escalation of Washington's preparations for war with China.

WSWS (2020-08-11). Top US health official makes provocative trip to Taiwan. wsws.org With the visit by US Secretary of Health Alex Azar to Taiwan, the Trump administration is taking another step towards overturning the "One China" policy and breaking US diplomatic relations with China.

Zoe PC (2020-08-11). Two years of Duque's Colombia: deepening neoliberalism, increased violence and a public health crisis. peoplesdispatch.org Colombian social leader Milena Ochoa analyses the past two years of Iván Duque's government and explains how its functioning has been completely in favor of big business, landowners, paramilitaries and the corrupt…

WSWS (2020-08-11). Germany reopens its schools: An experiment in herd immunity. wsws.org Although there are currently more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections per day in Germany, all of the country's state governments are ruthlessly enforcing the reopening of schools after the summer break.

WSWS (2020-08-11). Peru reopens economy as thousands of miners contract COVID-19. wsws.org With 478,024 coronavirus cases, Peru has the third most infections in Latin America, and with over 21,000 fatalities, it has the highest per capita death toll in the region.

Abbasi J. (2020-08-11). Regulatory T Cells Tested in COVID-19 ARDS. jamanetwork.com Two men with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) survived after treatment with off-the-shelf regulatory T cells, also known as Tregs, Johns Hopkins physicians recently reported. The investigational allogenic Tregs with lung-homing markers were derived from cord blood.

F. Douglas Stephenson (2020-08-11). Is Big Pharma more Interested in Profiteering than Protecting us from Coronavirus? zcomm.org Forty years of private corporatist Big Pharma and oligarch control of our economy has left the public totally exposed and ill-prepared to face the public health crisis of COVID-19…

WSWS (2020-08-11). As US cruise industry delays operations until November, thousands of seafarers remain stranded. wsws.org Some 12,000 seafarers remain stranded in US waters five months after the shutdown of the cruise line industry due to coronavirus.

Don Wiener (2020-08-11). ALEC and GOP push corporate immunity from Covid-19 workplace illnesses and deaths. nationofchange.org "Immunity from liability would eliminate these workers' already limited ability to seek justice in the courts and remove a powerful incentive for businesses to maintain a safe working environment, putting our communities at increased risk of illness and death."

Robert Fantina (2020-08-11). War on Truth: How Kashmir Struggles for Freedom of Press. counterpunch.org On the first anniversary of the Indian crackdown on Kashmir, the repercussions for the Kashmiri people are dire. It is said that in time of war, the first casualty is truth. And while India has not declared war on Kashmir, it's brutal repression of that country and its people has caused that 'first casualty' to

Alex Lawson (2020-08-11). 34 Attorneys General Call to Bust Gilead's Pharma Monopoly on COVID Treatment Remdesivir. counterpunch.org On August 4, nearly three dozen attorneys general representing nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population published an open letteraddressing top federal health officials. Even by the standards of an increasingly heated and high-stakes debate over drug prices, the letter is a remarkable document. With clarity and urgency, the signatories push the federal government to

David Rovics (2020-08-11). Tear Gas Ted Has a Tantrum in Portland. counterpunch.org The liberal landed gentry dripping with multi-generational wealth and entitlement, as represented by Tear Gas Ted Wheeler, has made a pronouncement: the good folks trying to burn down the police station there in outer east Portland the other night were guilty of "attempted murder," as twenty defenseless, though heavily-armed, police officers inside cowered and shivered

Elizabeth Schmidt (2020-08-11). COVID-19 Poses a Huge Threat to Stability in Africa. counterpunch.org In March 2020, as the COVID-19 virus traversed the planet, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a global ceasefire to fight the common enemy. The virus, compounded by the effects of armed conflict, he noted, hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Women, children, the marginalized, and the displaced were among the most defenseless. Hostilities must

Michael J. Matt (2020-08-11). Video: The Great Reset: Covid-19 and the WEF Plan to Impose A New World Order. globalresearch.ca Michael J. Matt takes a look at some good news regarding the Covid recovery rate before exploring what's really going on with the global pandemic. | To understand this, he takes us to Switzerland—to the World Economic Forum—where the movers and …

Khoury P, Azar E, Hitti E. (2020-08-11). COVID-19 Response in Lebanon—Experiences and Challenges in a Low-Resource Setting. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint describes the unique challenges faced by Lebanon, a small densely populated country with a fragmented health care system, in its response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, and it summarizes organizational, testing, and communications policies the nation has implemented that might be useful to other resource-limited countries and settings.

WSWS (2020-08-11). Indiana Faurecia workers denounce unsafe conditions, forced overtime. wsws.org Auto parts workers at the Faurecia plant in Columbus, Indiana, have described forced overtime at their factory, the spread of COVID-19 and other grueling and dangerous conditions.

news.un (2020-08-11). Pandemic 'inflicting multiple shocks' on the young, threatens entire generation. news.un.org Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more than 70 per cent of students have been shut out of schools, universities and training centres, according to a new report issued on Tuesday by the UN's labour agency.

Fight Back (2020-08-11). Jobless workers will get little or no help from Trump's executive orders. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Saturday, August 8, President Trump signed four executive orders that he declared would "take care of, pretty much, the entire situation." But jobless workers will get little or no help from the triple whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis and the recent loss of the additional $600 a week in unemployment benefits, known as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, of FPUC. | Instead, Trump ordered $400 a week in additional payments, calling the cut in benefits "generous." But he ordered the money to come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA. There is only enough mon…

WSWS (2020-08-11). Health care workers rally across UK against unsafe conditions. wsws.org Thousands of health workers took part in demonstrations and rallies across the UK demanding a pay rise and adequate protection from COVID-19.

Walker D. (2020-08-11). Work of Philanthropy in Responding to COVID-19 and Addressing Inequality. jamanetwork.com In this Viewpoint the president of the Ford Foundation calls on philanthropic and other wealthy organizations to make creative and generous grants to less well-endowed counterpart institutions and communities to redress the racial and socioeconomic disparities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and continued killings of Black Americans.

WSWS (2020-08-11). Why is the US doing less and less COVID-19 testing? wsws.org Without any serious explanation by the government, the number of tests being done every day in the United States has dropped significantly over the past two weeks.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-11). Cuba's doctors to the rescue. peoplesdispatch.org The efforts by Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade have been the most significant example of medical internationalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brigade was set up in 2005 by Fidel Castro.

Jordan Schachtel (2020-08-11). Sweden Debunks the Covid Hysteria: No Lockdown, No Masks, No Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Here in the United States, we have become inundated with tales of COVID-19 doom and gloom. In America, the mainstream narrative is rife with hopelessness. | We are told that there is simply no way to stop this virus without repetitive …

Sarah Lloyd (2020-08-11). Screen Shot 2020-08-11 at 1.58.58 PM.png. progressive.org COVID-19 has created new opportunities to reform the nation's food system.

_____ (2020-08-11). Democracy — We've had the Russia Report, now where is the America Report? truepublica.org.uk By Rob Woodward — TruePublica: The long-awaited Russia report was published with a call for "immediate action" by the government and intelligence services to tackle the threat from just one country — Russia. The reality was that while Russia may have been meddling at the edges of Britain's democracy, America has been actively involved in …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-11). Bolivians brave repression, continue struggle for democracy. peoplesdispatch.org The national strike and road blockades have intensified across Bolivia. The Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) called for these actions to oppose…

Renee Parsons (2020-08-11). America's Political Crisis: Organized Riots and the Economic Lockdown. globalresearch.ca In case you missed it, not one member of the Democratic hierarchy: not the DNC Chair, not one Democratic Member of Congress, Governor or Mayor, has spoken out to criticize the

C.J. Hopkins (2020-08-11). Invasion of the New Normals. dissidentvoice.org They're here! No, not the pod people from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. We're not being colonized by giant alien fruit. I'm afraid it is a little more serious than that. People's minds are being taken over by a much more destructive and less otherworldly force … a force that transforms them overnight into aggressively …

Raul Diego (2020-08-11). US, Israeli Media Scramble to Blame Hezbollah for Deadly Beirut Explosion. mintpressnews.com Pundits in the US and Israel are sounding the trumpets of war and trying to blame Hezbollah for the massive explosion in the port of Beirut. But a closer look at the stories being promulgated turn up the same old propaganda by the usual suspects…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-11). Don't Stigmatise the Nuke! Opponents of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty. dissidentvoice.org It would seem a logical step, at least from an existential perspective: to ban something so utterly horrendous to life; to forbid its use in any circumstances, whatever rationale employed to justify its use. But the nuclear weapon has its admirers. There are those who continue to worship its sovereign properties, and those who leave …

WSWS (2020-08-11). Producers push reckless resumption of North American film production in face of pandemic. wsws.org In an indication of the studios' disregard for the health and safety of workers, now showing up in film production contracts are waivers designed to give the employers legal immunity from suits over failure to provide protection against the virus.

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-08-11). Conservative group board members make millions in pandemic aid yet lobby against unemployment benefits. nationofchange.org "If these groups are concerned the government is spending too much during this historic crisis, they are welcome to return their taxpayer-funded bailouts."

WSWS (2020-08-11). US nurses' poll shows appalling working conditions in the pandemic. wsws.org The NNU study shows that only 24 percent of nurses think their employer is providing a safe workplace.

Sarah Lahm (2020-08-11). Midwest Dispatch: American Exceptionalism Is Killing Us. progressive.org The pandemic demands that we band together for the common good, not stubbornly fight for our individual rights.

news.un (2020-08-11). Somalia: Draft law a 'major setback' for victims of sexual violence. news.un.org The UN official working to end rape during wartime is urging authorities in Somalia to scrap a proposed law that allows for child marriage, among other "very disturbing provisions".

news.un (2020-08-11). Violence in Sudan's Western Darfur forces 2,500 into Chad, reports UN refugee agency. news.un.org Recent clashes in Sudan's Western Darfur region has driven more than 2,500 people across the border into neighbouring Chad, the United Nations refugee agency has reported.

news.un (2020-08-11). Violence in Sudan's Western Darfur forces 2,500 into Chad: UN refugee agency. news.un.org Recent clashes in Sudan's Western Darfur region has driven more than 2,500 people across the border into neighbouring Chad, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported.

WSWS (2020-08-11). US Attorney General Barr gives fascistic tirade against Antifa, Black Lives Matter. wsws.org Barr made a political amalgam connecting the Democratic Party, Black Lives Matter, Antifa and terrorism.

Brett Wilkins (2020-08-11). Teaching Torture: The Death and Legacy of Dan Mitrione. zcomm.org Although Dan Mitrione has been dead for half a century, his legacy lives on in the words and deeds of a new generation of US torturers…

Unicorn Riot (2020-08-11). Authorities Visit Loring Park Tent Encampment, Bring Eviction Scare. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — On Monday afternoon, authorities visited the Loring Park Sanctuary to speak with residents of the outdoor tent community, stoking fears of another clearing of the park. | Three weeks ago, law enforcement bulldozed dozens of tents in Powderhorn Park, arrested about 20 people,…

jamanetwork (2020-08-11). Internal and External Antisepsis. jamanetwork.com In the modern history of the biologic sciences and particularly in medicine, antiseptics and germicides have played such unanticipated parts and have been responsible for so much which is good that they have furnished words to conjure with. Every force that can be enlisted against baneful bacteria is promptly welcomed; but there are no "royal roads" to success in the warfare against these invisible foes, just as there are no panaceas with which every human ailment can be relieved. Surgeons of the present day have seen the pendulum of operative practice swing between antisepsis and asepsis without discovering the…

WSWS (2020-08-11). USPS centralizes leadership as step towards privatization and possible election fraud. wsws.org The moves announced by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor, raise questions about the integrity of mail-in ballots in November's presidential election.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Trump, Kushner promised money by MBS: Prof. Askari. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — Professor Hossein Askari, an expert on Saudi Arabia, believes that the US will be reducing its footprint in the Middle East and China will be poised to fill the vacuum.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Iran to continue efforts to produce COVID-19 vaccine strongly. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that efforts to produce coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccine and drugs will continue vigorously until the final result is achieved.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Over 331K people infected by COVID-19, death toll at 18,800. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iran's Health Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that 184 more Iranians have died from coronavirus (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 18,800.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Regional states should strengthen coop. in combating COVID19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Health Saeed Namaki held talks with WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al-Mandhari on the expansion of regional cooperation in the fight against coronavirus via videoconference.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Russia 1st country to register COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia has become the first country in the world to register a vaccine against COVID-19.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Beirut Blast, chance for great unity in Lebanon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Leaving a note in the memorial notebook of Lebanon, an Iranian politician considered the threat caused by the recent blast in Beirut as an opportunity for reaching a great unity among the diverse Lebanese nation.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Iran's Intelligence Min. arrests five spy teams. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Deputy Counterintelligence Ministry of Intelligence said that forces of the ministry nabbed five intelligence teams of foreign countries and thwarted their conspiracies waged against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Stock market beats housing sector in attracting liquidity. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — In the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 21-July 21), the Iranian stock market could attract 840bn rials ($3.7mn) of liquidity beating its rival, the housing sector, which absorbed 600bn rials ($2.6mn).

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Police bust over 750kg of opium in southeastern Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Police forces of the Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, have busted a big haul of opium in Iranshahr, weighing over 750 kilograms.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Honey extraction in Daryan, NW Iran. en.mehrnews.com DARYAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Some 15.025 tons of honey are produced per annum from 1,391,679 hives in East Azarbaijan Province, northwest Iran. The images show the process of honey extraction in Daryan Village in Shabestar County.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Saudi Arabia abusing old regulatory gap in IAEA: Mousavi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that Saudi Arabia continues to refuse to accept IAEA inspections, despite currently pursuing a comprehensive nuclear program.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Extending arms embargo on Iran lacks legal basis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — A Chinese diplomat at the UN said that extending the Arms Embargo on Iran in whatever form lacks legal basis and will undermine efforts to preserve the Nuclear Deal.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). 3rd Iranian film week opens in Japan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — The third Iranian Film Week opened in Japan on Monday and was welcomed by a large number of Japanese enthusiasts on the first day.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Iran exports $153.7mn worth of dairies in four months: IRICA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said that the country exported $153.7 million worth of dairy products in the first four months of the current year (from March 21 to July 22).

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-11). Iran, Russia discuss on broadening bilateral media coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA)- Spokespersons of Iranian and Russian Foreign Ministry discussed about ways to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of media and to counter unrealistic atmosphere created by western states through video conference on Tue.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-08-11). The global impact of Imperial's COVID-19 Response Team. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's COVID-19 Response Team have been working with health services and governments around the world to help plan responses to the pandemic.

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2020-08-11). Saturday 9/5: San Francisco: Nationwide Mass Protest to Demand Trump Pence Out Now! indybay.org San Francisco: Rally Embarcadero Plaza, Market St & Steuart St, then March to San Francisco City Hall…

Marc Norton (2020-08-11). Friday 8/14: Giants and Warriors Workers Fight Back. indybay.org Willie Mays statue, 3rd and King Streets, Giants ballpark (Oracle Park)…

_____ (2020-08-11). If Trump Wins, Russia Did It, If Biden Wins, It Was China And Iran. popularresistance.org Mass media throughout the western world are uncritically passing along a press release from the US intelligence community because that's what passes for journalism in a world where God is dead and everything is stupid. | The press release, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and authored by National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina, claims that Russia wants Donald Trump to win re-election in November and is pushing to advance than goal, while China and Iran are doing the same with Joe Biden. What this completely unsubstantiated narrative means, of course, is th…

_____ (2020-08-11). China To Sanction US Senators, NED And NGO Chiefs Over Hong Kong. popularresistance.org China on Monday announced sanctions on a group of 11 Americans, including lawmakers and top executives of American NGOs, in retaliation for US sanctions on a group of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials. | Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press conference that Beijing would impose sanctions on Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, all of whom are Republicans.

_____ (2020-08-11). School Bus Drivers: 'No Reopening Without Safety First!'. popularresistance.org Boston school bus drivers say, "No school reopening without Union-planned and -designed health and safety procedures!" | Teachers, nurses, bus drivers and monitors, custodians, paraprofessionals, food workers demand a seat at the planning table, now! | First step: Nurses in every school, bus yard, and food and nutrition facility to ensure frontline Emergency COVID-19 Worksite Standard Operating Procedures. | Transdev: Stop the fraud! Hire professional bus and facility disinfecting companies, now!

_____ (2020-08-11). The AFL-CIO Aided US Interference in Venezuela. popularresistance.org The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Solidarity Center has a long history of working hand in glove with the U.S. government in undermining democracy and left labor movements throughout the world. | The center emphasizes it has shifted away from these Cold War tactics in recent years. But newly obtained documents show that the Solidarity Center has worked closely with the US to undermine the Venezuelan government in the recent past. Across much of the world, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) acted as an international a…

_____ (2020-08-11). Land Defenders Rebuild Camp Despite New Injunction. popularresistance.org After several arrests last week and a new court order, land defenders are digging in their heels and rebuilding 1492 Land Back Lane, a name they've given McKenzie Meadows, a disputed site of a proposed housing development in Caledonia, Ont. that borders Six Nations of the Grand River's eastern border. | "We are under constant threat of OPP invasion of our unceded Haudenosaunee territory," said community member Skyler Williams in a Facebook post on Sunday. "Despite all of this, we continue to work on and build our community here at Land Back Lane."

_____ (2020-08-11). Disabled Iraq Veteran Faces Prison In Alabama For Legal Medical Marijuana. popularresistance.org Worsley's ordeal began in 2016 when he and his wife, Eboni, were arrested late one night after stopping for gas. They were traveling through the state on their way to North Carolina, where they were planning on helping Sean's grandmother repair extensive damage to her home after Hurricane Matthew flooded her community. | "We [were] not being competitive, we were being completely compliant," Eboni Worsley told Fox News. "We're being very cooperative, so not thinking that there's going to be a major issue. … I show him I don't want trouble, don't mean any harm."

_____ (2020-08-11). Newly Released Video Shows Jailed Black Man Died In Custody. popularresistance.org Newly released video footage shows a Black man in custody in medical distress, repeatedly telling corrections officers he couldn't breathe as officers struggled to detain him after he experienced a medical event in a North Carolina jail two days before he died. | Five corrections officers and one nurse have since been fired and charged with involuntary manslaughter for their role in the death of a 56-year-old James Elliott Neville, who died on December 4, 2019. The video, released this week as part of a judge's order, depicts events that occurred at the Forsyth County Jail on December 2, 2019, two days before his…

sputniknews (2020-08-11). 'Let's Go Win': Politicos, Netizens React to Biden-Harris 2020 Presidential Ticket. sputniknews.com Social media activity related to the US' ongoing protests and the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic took a backseat for a few hours on Tuesday as politicos and everyday netizens provided their opinions on former US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate.

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Trump Says He Was 'A Little Surprised' Biden Picked Kamala Harris for VP. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's decision to pick US Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his 2020 running mate, saying that he was "a little surprised" by the choice.

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Meet Kamala Harris, Biden's Vice Presidential Pick for 2020 Election. sputniknews.com US Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) was tapped on Tuesday to be Joe Biden's vice presidential running mate on the Democratic ticket in the November 2020 election. Harris' political history extends back to 2003.

sputniknews (2020-08-11). POTUS Claims G. Washington 'Would Have Had a Hard Time' to Beat Him in Election, Ignites Twitter. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in China in late-December 2019, for his declining poll statistics, as his administration faces heavy criticism over its handling of a crisis where over 5 million Americans have been infected with the disease and at least 164,603 have died.

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Made in China: US Reclassifies Hong Kong Exports Amid Push to Alter Beijing's WTO Status. sputniknews.com Due to US President Donald Trump's recent executive order revoking Hong Kong's special status, exports from the special administrative region may be "marked to indicate 'China'" as their place of origin, according to a new memo issued by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Research Reveals Direct Connection Between Smoking, Vaping and Risk of Contracting Coronavirus. sputniknews.com Previous studies on links between smoking, vaping and the coronavirus disease found that COVID-19 patients who smoked, in comparison to nonsmokers, are twice as likely to require mechanical ventilation and treatment in intensive care. Some studies also found that e-cigarettes weaken the ability of the lungs to fight viral infections.

sputniknews (2020-08-11). Iraq Cancels Turkish Defence Minister Visit After Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Kurdistan Shelling. sputniknews.com Earlier on Tuesday the Iraqi government condemned a Turkish drone strike in the country's province of Erbil that killed two Iraqi soldiers, slamming "repeated military violations" by Ankara as a "dangerous violation of Iraqi sovereignty, international law and the UN Charter".

_____ (2020-08-11). Prince Peter Kropotkin and the Murder of the Liberator Tsar. strategic-culture.org Why did London host a convention of anarchists in July 1881 less than three months after they had murdered the Liberator Tsar of Russia? | The International Anarchist Congress of London, from July 14 to July 20, 1881 was highly unusual in many ways, though it has almost totally been forgotten by history, save as a curiosity. | It was the last such gathering to be held for more than a quarter of a century until the International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam in August 1907. During that time, there were four other unsuccessful attempts to call international congresses, in Geneva in 1882, in Paris in 1889, in Chic…

_____ (2020-08-11). 75 Anniversary of the Nuclear Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. strategic-culture.org 2020 marks the 75 anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States still remains the only nation to use atomic weapons on its enemies. But was incinerating untold numbers of Japanese really necessary? The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a political act to begin the Cold War, deliberately carried out by American leaders to assert U.S. hegemony. Watch the video and read more in the Editorial article.

The Canary (2020-08-11). Police force use of facial recognition technology ruled unlawful. thecanary.co The use of facial recognition technology by police did interfere with privacy and data protection laws, the Court of Appeal has ruled. | Civil rights campaigner Ed Bridges brought a legal challenge against South Wales Police arguing their use of automatic facial recognition (AFR) had caused him "distress". | He had his face scanned while he was Christmas shopping in Cardiff in 2017 and at a peaceful anti-arms protest outside the city's Motorpoint Arena in 2018. | In a ruling on Tuesday, three Court of Appeal judges ruled the force's use of AFR was unlawful, allowing Bridges' appeal on three out of five grounds he…

Staff (2020-08-11). Many Progressives Respond With Disappointment as Biden Picks Harris for VP. truthout.org Presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden has selected Sen. Kamala Harris of California as his vice-presidential running mate. | Harris, who herself ran for president in the Democratic primary races against Biden earlier this year, is just the fourth woman to be named to the ticket of a major political party in presidential politics and the third woman to be named a vice-presidential candidate. | While many on social media described Harris as an inspiring choice, others noted that her p…

Staff (2020-08-11). As Putin Pushes Russia's Untested COVID Vaccine, Experts Worry Trump May Follow. truthout.org Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country has created a coronavirus vaccine, adding that his own daughter has already taken it. | "I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, and I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests," However, experts urged caution against the R…

Staff (2020-08-11). Is Trump Hoping Warmongering Against Iran Will Help Him Win the Election? truthout.org Was Donald Trump's January 3rd

Staff (2020-08-11). Lebanon's Government Resigns Amid Public Rage Over Beirut Blast. truthout.org After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of B…

Staff (2020-08-11). Ardently Anti-Mask Republicans Make Masks Mandatory for Upcoming Convention. truthout.org In spite of many Republicans being The announcement made on Tuesday is the latest example in how Republicans and Democrats…

Staff (2020-08-11). Trump Plans to Gut Emission Rules for Oil, Gas Industry "Beyond Comprehension" truthout.org In a move one green group said shows the Trump EPA's approach is Before Friday, the New York Times

Chad Marlow (2020-08-11). The U.S. Postal Service Was Never a Business. Stop Treating it Like One. aclu.org When the Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General, our nation had not yet been founded. The Bill of Rights would not be drafted for another 16 years. Yet nearly two and a half centuries later, the United States Postal Service's ability to provide every person in America with a private, affordable, and reliable means to exchange information transformed it from a mail delivery service into a baseline for the exercise of American constitutional rights. , , Recent news that…

commondreams (2020-08-11). 350 Action Responds to Biden's Choice for Vice President, Kamala Harris. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-08-11). In 'Battle for the Soul of This Nation,' Biden Names Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential Running Mate. commondreams.org "All of us will need to do everything we can do defeat Donald Trump this November, and Joe Biden will need strong progressive energy to win," said the PCCC in response. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1206293550_1.jpg

Fight Back (2020-08-11). Philippines: Condemnation of the murder of Randall Echanis. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Jose Maria Sison, National Democratic Front of the Philippines Chief Political Consultant. | In the strongest terms, I condemn the murder of Randall (Randy) Echanis and his neighbor who were unarmed. Randall was a peaceful social activist. He was a mild-mannered man of 71 years. He had a consistent modest personality with a high level of education and intellect. He had long dedicated himself to his social advocacy and had made tremendous sacrifices for many decades. | He was outstanding as an advocate of genuine land reform, rural development and n…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-11). Mealy-Mouthed Universities: Academic Freedom and the Pavlou Problem Down Under. counterpunch.org A sorry state of affairs has descended upon Australian academic institutions like a suffocating cloak. Vice-Chancellors and their overly remunerated toadies are getting human relations departments to scribble their apologias for sins against thought. Overt political opinions, notably when expressed in a manner that might threaten brands and compromised lines of funding, are being hunted

commondreams (2020-08-11). Joe Biden Chooses Kamala Harris as Running Mate – Greenpeace Response. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-08-11). Progressive Groups Pressure Biden and Trump to Include Nuclear Disarmament in Campaign Platforms. commondreams.org "The United States urgently needs a leader who will have the courage to look at, think hard about, and speak openly about the dire perils posed by our country's vast nuclear arsenal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cropped-gettyimages-871194038_0_0.jpg

commondreams (2020-08-11). PFAW Responds to Biden's VP Selection: "We Are Proud to Give Biden and Harris Our Support" commondreams.org ______________________________…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-08-11). Labor and Environmental Groups File Legal Petition Demanding Trump Solve 'Unconscionable' Shortage of PPE for Essential Workers. commondreams.org A coalition of labor and environmental justice groups joined forces Tuesday on behalf of millions of essential workers who face shortages of personal protective equipment five months into the coronavirus pandemic, demanding the Trump administration provide the life-saving supplies. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1223423043_1.jpg

commondreams (2020-08-11). Coalition of Organizations Call on Presidential Candidates to Incorporate Nuclear Disarmament in Campaign Platforms. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-08-11). Labor, Environmental Groups Urge Emergency Action to Protect Frontline Workers From COVID-19. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Thom Hartmann (2020-08-11). Will Enough Americans Show Up to stop Trump From Using the Dictator's Playbook? commondreams.org Hundreds of activists attend a rally in New York City on October 13, 2019 demanding that Congress fulfill its constitutional duty and impeach President Donald Trump. (Photo: Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_impeachment_0.jpg

Bob Dreyfuss (2020-08-11). Will October Surprise Be Trump-Provoked War With Iran? commondreams.org "Consider it beyond irony if, this October," writes Dreyfuss, "the latest election 'surprise' were to take us back to the very origins of the term in the form of some kind of armed conflict that could only end terribly for everyone involved." (Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/no-war_with_iran_0.jpg

Margot Rathke (2020-08-11). Why the Stimulus Deal Should Include Free College. commondreams.org "Even before the pandemic, the exorbitant cost of higher education was holding our country back. That's especially true now." (Image: via Inequality.org/IPS) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-11_at_1.57.58_pm.png

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-08-11). Major 'Milestone' for Workers as California Judge Rules Uber and Lyft Must Classify Drivers as Employees. commondreams.org "This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard—and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day—to provide for their families." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12192326291_0.jpg

Press TV (2020-08-11). UN official Expects More Allegations about Khashoggi-style Murders by Saudis. dissidentvoice.org The United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings says she expects more allegations to surface about Khashoggi-style murders by Saudi death squads. Agnes Callamard was reacting to a Washington Post article that detailed a lawsuit filed in the US by Saad al-Jabri, a former Saudi spy. The plaintiff said, a hit squad was sent to …

Manlio Dinucci (2020-08-11). Cosa fa l'Italia per il disarmo nucleare? globalresearch.ca Nel 75 ∞ anniversario del bombardamento atomico di Hiroshima e Nagasaki, il presidente della Repubblica Sergio Mattarella ha ribadito che ´l'Italia sostiene con forza l'obiettivo di un mondo libero da armi nucleari ª. Gli ha fatto eco il presidente della Commissione Difesa …

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-08-11). Covid-19 Does Not Have to Be a Problem. thealtworld.com Here is the presstitute CNN's report on US Covid-19 cases— According to the report, the US has the most cases of all countries and the highest number of deaths. If this is correct, it says something about our health care system and the quality of leadership at CDC and NIH. Normally, CNN is very supportive of both. | There are people who, for whatever reason, claim that the pandemic is a hoax and that no one has died, much less the 1,000 daily deaths…

Prof. Robert Abele (2020-08-11). How Video and Online Reading Is Undermining Cognition. Protecting and Sustaining Classroom Teaching. globalresearch.ca As the Coronavirus rages uncontrolled in the United States and elsewhere, in education we are once again relying on online delivery of courses. That of course is really the only sensible alternative we have. However, as we ramp up for …

Global Research News (2020-08-11). Selected Articles: Five Ways "The New Normal" Is Getting Worse and Worse. globalresearch.ca We hope that by publishing diverse view points, submitted by journalists and experts dotted all over the world, the website can serve as a reminder that no matter what narrative we are presented with, things are rarely as cut and …

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2020-08-11). The Debate That's Needed on How to Engage With China—Before It's Too Late. thenation.com The Debate That's Needed on How to Engage With China—Before It's Too Late…

Sasha Abramsky (2020-08-11). Trump Ramps Up His Assault on Democracy. thenation.com Trump Ramps Up His Assault on Democracy…

Alan MacLeod (2020-08-10). Trump Appoints Disgraced Iran-Contra Hawk Elliott Abrams as Iran Envoy. globalresearch.ca Activists, the UN, and even mainstream news outlets expressed dismay at the Trump administration's decision to appoint regime-change champion Elliot Abrahams to the role of Special Representative for Iran. | *** | The Trump administration has appointed disgraced neoconservative hawk Elliott …

Alan Macleod (2020-08-10). New Report Reveals US Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries. mintpressnews.com A The U.S. is not formally at war with an African nation, an…

WSWS (2020-08-10). COVID-19: A blessing for Bezos and a nightmare for workers. wsws.org While workers fight for safe working conditions and adequate pay, Amazon has taken advantage of the business opportunities opened up by COVID-19.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-08-10). Privacy Advocates Demand Ban on Facial Recognition in Schools in Response to Damning Study on the Technology. commondreams.org A new publication warns that the surveillance technology in schools could exacerbate racial biases. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facialrecog_0.jpg

John Hawkins (2020-08-10). Assange: "Send Him Back" to Australia. dissidentvoice.org Australia's the kind of place where, after twenty years here, you can wake up one morning to a sucker-punch epiphany — wow! This is what it would be like if the South had won the Civil War. No slavery, but a mindset, sometimes an arrogance that comes at you like Dylan's twisty freight train. Not …

Ben Norton (2020-08-10). Twitter spreads paid US gov't propaganda while falsely claiming it bans state media ads. thegrayzone.com Twitter says it bans ads from state-affiliated media outlets. However, US government propaganda organs like Voice of America's VOA Persian…

Max Blumenthal (2020-08-10). Western media's favorite Hong Kong 'freedom struggle writer' is American ex-Amnesty staffer in yellowface. mronline.org A prominent Hong Kong pundit and anti-China activist named Kong Tsung-gan has become a go-to source for Western media. An investigation by The Grayzone confirms Kong as a fake identity employed by an American teacher who's a ubiquitous figure at local protests.

Chris Hedges (2020-08-10). Chris Hedges: America's Death March. mintpressnews.com Princeton, New Jersey (

Medea Benjamin (2020-08-10). Elliott Abrams' Appointment as the Next U.S. Special Representative for Iran. Spells Disaster. globalresearch.ca The appointment of Elliott Abrams to replace Brian Hook as the next U.S. Special Representative for Iran is another low point for the Trump administration's disastrous policy towards Iran. The dangerous conflict resulting from Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement …

Staff (2020-08-10). Headlines for August 10, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanon Unrest Mounting as Death Toll from Catastrophic Port Blast Tops 200, Trump Signs Executive Orders After Coronavirus Bill Stalls, Dems Say They Are Unconstitutional , U.S. COVID-19 Cases Top 5 Million, with More Evidence of Infections in Children and Teens, Coronavirus Surging Across India, Brazil as Europe and Cuba Reimpose Containment Measures, Hong Kong Arrests Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Under National Security Law, Protesters Take to Streets of Belarus, Accuse Officials of Fraud After Lukashenko Claims 80% of Vote, Mauritius in State of "Environmental Emergency" as Tanker Leeches Fuel into Protected Areas,…

Staff (2020-08-10). Millions Facing Eviction and Joblessness Get No Immediate Help from Trump's New Executive Orders. democracynow.org President Trump's latest executive orders to extend unemployment benefits and defer payroll taxes may be unconstitutional. Democrats had hoped to extend a program to give unemployed workers an additional $600 in weekly benefits and to extend a federal moratorium protecting some renters from evictions, but failed to overcome opposition from Republican lawmakers. Under Trump's order, unemployed workers would continue receiving an additional $400 a week, but only once states put up a quarter of the money and set up a new system to distribute the payments — a process that could take months. Trump also signed an…

Staff (2020-08-10). Lebanese Gov't Faces Collapse Amid Rage-Filled Protests over Blast, Economic Crisis & Corruption. democracynow.org The Lebanese government may be on the verge of collapse amid protests over the massive port explosion that devastated much of Beirut and killed at least 200 people and injured thousands. At least four ministers and nine members of Parliament have resigned. "The dominoes are falling," says Dion Nissenbaum, a Beirut-based reporter for The Wall Street Journal, who led an investigation into the official neglect that preceded last week's explosion, and says it has intensified public outrage over long-standing government dysfunction, calling it "the straw that's broken the camel's back here."

Staff (2020-08-10). Is Trump Sabotaging U.S. Postal Service Ahead of Election as Part of His Attack on Mail-in Voting? democracynow.org Democratic lawmakers say the Trump administration is sabotaging the United States Postal Service ahead of the November election, when a record number of votes are expected to be cast by mail. Since taking office, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy — a major Trump donor — has instituted a number of cost-cutting measures that have slowed down the delivery of mail, and overhauled the leadership of the agency in a move that critics say will give him more power. This comes as President Trump continues to attack mail-in voting, claiming…

Gareth Porter (2020-08-10). Don't Delay Military Withdrawal from the Middle East. globalresearch.ca The Quincy Institute's "

Howard Lisnoff (2020-08-10). Revolutionaries Living in a System of Growing Fascism. counterpunch.org Watching the documentary The Weather Underground (2002) (see Independent Lens review, PBS) is a painful experience. Included with this award-winning documentary about Vietnam-era revolutionaries is the smaller and separate interview with David Gilbert, who remains imprisoned in New York for his part in the 1981 Brinks robbery in which some of those involved in the robbery killed two policemen

Lynnette Grey Bull (2020-08-10). The Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Human Rights Emergency is Not a Photo-Op for Ivanka Trump. counterpunch.org We need to be clear about what is needed to address this crisis, and it is not a photo-op where our sacred symbols of high office are degraded by being used as props by Ivanka Trump. Democratic 2020 presidential candidate, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, accurately called MMIWG "an unconscionable human rights emergency," and the response must

Joan Carling and Mike Taylor (2020-08-10). From colonialism to COVID-19, Indigenous peoples show resilience in the face of evictions. zcomm.org With special emphasis this year on resilience in the face of COVID-19, it's time to turn the spotlight on the strength and dignity of Indigenous peoples and acknowledge the contribution they make protecting our planet.

Galina Angarova (2020-08-10). As Indigenous Peoples, We Are Resilient. globalresearch.ca Today, we celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples and all Indigenous leaders who have been fighting for our rights. Today, we remember the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations that took place in …

_____ (2020-08-10). The 'Wall of Vets' Continues Long Legacy Of Veteran Activism. popularresistance.org Military veterans have long been resisting war, promoting positive peace, and defending human and civil rights against state violence and other forms of oppression. They have made significant contributions to the antiwar and peace and justice movements over many decades. | Their participation in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is no different. Veterans have been highly visible in supporting the racial justice demands of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The disturbing truth, which a great number of veterans recognize, is that white supremacy, systemic racism and police brutality at…

Jack Rasmus (2020-08-10). Trump's Executive Orders: EOs as PR and FUs. counterpunch.org Less than 24 hours after Trump broke off negotiations on the economic stimulus package with Congressional Democrat leaders, Pelosi and Shumer, last Friday August 7, Trump issued a series of Executive Orders (EOs) that he had been signaling and threatening all last week well before the break up. Almost certainly the legal crafting of the

Joe Emersberger (2020-08-10). Reuters Ecuador Headlines since "Auditor General" Pablo Celi demands elimination of party allied with Rafael Correa. zcomm.org There are 22 articles on Reuters website about Ecuador since the country's super shady "auditor genera" Pablo Celi began demanding (on June 22) that various political parties be banned from participating in the 2021 elections. One of the four parties Celi targeted was Fuerza Compromiso Social which Correa and his allies have joined in order

Kevin Zeese (2020-08-10). Era of US Domination of Latin America Coming to an End: Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia. globalresearch.ca Despite its failings at home, the United States intervenes in countries across multiple continents seeking to control their governments and resources. | This week, we look at the US' latest efforts in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Bolivia to undermine their independence and …

news.un (2020-08-10). New guidance for protecting migrant workers during the coronavirus pandemic. news.un.org As migrant workers continue to be on the front lines of the collective response to COVID-19, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) are releasing new employer guidance for measures to protect them.

news.un (2020-08-10). Pandemic poses fresh challenges for vulnerable migrant workers in Middle East. news.un.org Amidst reports that many migrant workers in the Middle East are being made destitute, due to an economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN is calling on governments and employers to respect their rights, and show solidarity with their plight.

Fight Back (2020-08-10). Brown Berets of Minnesota hold protest honoring Mario Sanchez. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On August 9, over 100 people gathered on the corner of 35th Street and Chicago Avenue, the site where Mario Sanchez was killed during community violence on July 27. The protest was called by the newly-formed Minnesota chapter of the Brown Berets, the broader immigrant rights and Black liberation movements, and the American Indian Movement. Family and organizers believe the case has remained uninvestigated by the Minneapolis Police Department due to its proximity to the site where George Floyd was murdered Memorial Day weekend and because of Sanchez's immigration status. | In spite of the everch…

Labor Video Project (2020-08-10). Free Them All! Care Not Cages! March & Rally In SF Against ICE & Republicrats. indybay.org Activists protested at the ICE office in San Francisco against the imprisonment of children in cages and the ICE terrorism against immigrants and people of color. They also attacked California Governor Newsom, Pelosi and the Democrats for supporting these policies.

yenisafak (2020-08-10). Migrants still landing in UK as govt takes tougher line. yenisafak.com A small boat carrying 20 Syrian migrants was met by the British Border Force off the coast of Dover, local media reported on Monday.Between Thursday and Sunday, almost 700 migrants landed in the UK via the Channel, according to Sky News.The British government has taken a tougher line on migration via the Channel in recent days.Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his willingness to work with French authorities to stop the channel crossings and ensure that migrants "understand that this isn't a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do"."But then there's a second thing we've…

Gerald Sussman (2020-08-10). Biden's Ukrainegate Problem. counterpunch.org Joe Biden's role in the Ukraine regime change, as Victoria Nuland put it, was to "midwife" the new government into existence and thereby incorporate another eastern European satellite into America's orbit. This is what the neocons call "democracy promotion." His efforts in Ukraine, however, proved disastrous.

Eds. (2020-08-10). Fanon and the 'rationality of revolt'. mronline.org Fanon's idea that the measure of time not be that of the moment but that of the rest of the world takes on urgent significance as climate extinction meets global pandemic.

Staff (2020-08-10). Climate official pushing controversial sun-blocking plan resigns. therealnews.com Welcome back to TRNN's Climate Crisis News Roundup. | In recent weeks, this column has focused heavily on the intersection between COVID-19 and the climate crisis, and that will continue as the pandemic sweeps the world. | This week, with the presidential election just over three months away, President Donald Trump is down in the polls, but was up for a speech at a fracking rig in a COVID-19 hotspot, one with no masks in sight. As he spoke, a company with operations nearby and ambitions to boost an obscure drilling technique joined a legion of other companies who have declared bankruptcy. | If you have a story…

The Stop Golden Rice Network (2020-08-10). Why We Oppose Golden Rice. counterpunch.org The push for corporate-led solutions to hunger and malnutrition is alarming. In particular, Golden Rice is now being proposed as a solution to the worsening hunger and malnutrition associated with the pandemic. Agrochemical transnationals (TNCs) and collaborating institutions such as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are using concerns over food security during the pandemic