Reflections on Marxism and Law: A Review of Igor Shoikhedbrod's Revisiting Marx's Critique of Liberalism
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-15
The book complicates the common narrative that Marx was the quintessential critic of liberal rights. Shoikhedbrod's close and careful reading of Marx's texts is insightful and targeted. The book helps readers to think about the role of law and rights under capitalism, and also to imagine its future in a communist society.
mronline.org/2020/08/15/reflections-on-marxism-and-law-a-review-of-igor-shoikhedbrods-revisiting-marxs-critique-of-liberalism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reflections-on-marxism-and-law-a-review-of-igor-shoikhedbrods-revisiting-marxs-critique-of-liberalism

The Plight of Refugees and Migrant Workers under Covid
Graham Peebles | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-15
In a world where nationalism and social division is increasing, bigotry growing, are the words refugee, asylum seeker, migrant worker, derogatory labels triggering prejudice and intolerance? Such terms create an image of 'the other', separate and different, strengthening tribalism, feeding suspicion, our common humanity denied. Under the shadow of Covid-19 those living on the margins …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-plight-of-refugees-and-migrant-workers-under-covid/

The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria?
Ramzy Baroud | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
The future of Lebanon is, once more, in the hands of war generals.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-politics-of-war-what-is-israels-endgame-in-lebanon-and-syria/

INSIGHT: The Simple Fix For Corporate Income Tax–Tax Stock Returns
Karen Conner | cepr.net | 2020-08-15
Bloomberg Tax See article on original site It is time for a major and simple overhaul of the corporate income tax system. The main problem with the current system is that it is focused on the wrong target. Instead of taxing corporate profits, we should be taxing stock returns. Before explaining how this alternative would …
cepr.net/insight-the-simple-fix-for-corporate-income-tax-tax-stock-returns/

Fauci warns against herd immunity: "the death toll would be enormous"
wsws.org | 2020-08-15
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of world's leading experts on infectious disease, warned against the relaxation of efforts to combat COVID-19, declaring, "The death toll would be enormous and totally unacceptable."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/15/covi-a15.html

Uganda looks online for answers to COVID economic crisis
news.un.org | 2020-08-15
From banking, to food delivery, and taxi bookings, Uganda is rapidly becoming accustomed to many of the online tools that are commonplace in developed economies, and which don't rely on face-to-face interactions. The UN is supporting this shift, as a way to help developing economies recover from the global economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070102

Tensions rise in Bolivia as far-right groups mobilize against national strike
Peoples Dispatch | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
Over 140 major highways and roads have been blocked by protesters across Bolivia to demand that the general elections be held on September 6 and for the de facto president, Jeanine àÅñez, to resign immediately…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/tensions-rise-in-bolivia-as-far-right-groups-mobilize-against-national-strike/

U.S. mercenaries sentenced to 20 years for invasion attempt in Venezuela
| workers.org | 2020-08-15
Telesur published the following report Aug. 8. Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported Friday [Aug. 7] that the two former U.S. military officers, Luke Denmnan and Airan Berry, who participated in the failed invasion attempt in Venezuela [May 4], were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Former members of . . . | Continue reading U.S. mercenaries sentenced to 20 years for invasion attempt in Venezuela at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50591/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=u-s-mercenaries-sentenced-to-20-years-for-invasion-attempt-in-venezuela

Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds
Abdullah àñcalan | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
For over two decades, Kurdish leader Abdullah àñcalan has been held in the Turkish prison on ƒ∞mralƒ± Island. In this op-ed for Jacobin, he calls for a "democratic nation project" able to unite citizens of different ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/turkey-syria-and-the-kurds/

Don't Forgive Bastards: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-15
A lot of evil hides behind the irrational assumption that there is a limit to the amount of evil your government would be willing to perpetrate. | "Forgiveness" is a concept that is constantly exploited by manipulative abusers. If anything our world suffers from an overabundance of forgiveness: toward murderous power structures, toward lying news media, toward rapacious oligarchs and cronyistic politicians. Don't forgive them. | I'm distrustful of anyone who prattles on about the importance of forgiveness, because those who do so tend to do it because they have a vested interest in the concept. They're usually ei…

Don't Forgive Bastards: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Tear Gas Ted has a Tantrum
David Rovics | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-15
If the Portland Police decide they need to start killing protesters, the mayor has just justified it in advance. 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 …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/tear-gas-ted-has-a-tantrum/

Palestinian Liberation Movement marks global day of action
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2020-08-15
The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network called for global Days of Resistance from Aug. 7 through 9 to protest the ongoing conquest of Palestinian land by Israeli occupation forces. In a statement announcing the action, the organization said, "Today, the program of Israeli annexation continues to threaten Palestinians in the . . . | Continue reading Palestinian Liberation Movement marks global day of action at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50597/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=palestinian-liberation-movement-marks-global-day-of-action

On right-wing violence in Texas, media's silence sends message
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-15
Hank Gilbert, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Louie Gohmert in Texas' 1st congressional district, held a rally in Tyler, Texas, on July 26 against federal law enforcement agencies' recent intervention in Portland, Oregon. But armed participants of a "Back the Blue" counter-protest crashed the event, beating and robbing attendees in the park.
mronline.org/2020/08/15/on-right-wing-violence-in-texas-medias-silence-sends-message/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=on-right-wing-violence-in-texas-medias-silence-sends-message

Critical hours in Bolivia
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-15
These are critical hours in Bolivia. The protests have been going on nationally for more than a week; the de facto government has deployed police, military and armed civilian groups. The escalation has not ceased and the demand for Jeanine àÅñez's resignation has been established, but what will be the consequences?>…
mronline.org/2020/08/15/critical-hours-in-bolivia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=critical-hours-in-bolivia

White Allies For Black Lives Matter
Gary Olson | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-15
We're now emerging from an intense period of racial justice protests that began after the killing of George Floyd. It was exhilarating and pride-inspiring to witness the multitudes in the Lehigh Valley (Pa) who "took it to the streets" on behalf of racial equality, especially the waves of Black and white young people. According to …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/white-allies-for-black-lives-matter/

In honor of Negro National Leagues: Only the ball was white
Gloria Rubac | workers.org | 2020-08-15
This year, 2020, is the 100th birthday of the Negro National Leagues. Not Major League Baseball's National League, but the Negro National Leagues. I'd like you to meet some of my heroes: Cool Papa, Peach Head, Double Duty, Satch, Buck and Peanut. Even if you are a sports fan, you . . . | Continue reading In honor of Negro National Leagues: Only the ball was white at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50601/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-honor-of-negro-national-leagues-only-the-ball-was-white

Minneapolis Police Sweep West Powderhorn Encampment, Pepper Spray Defenders
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-15
Minneapolis, MN — On August 14, 2020, Minneapolis Police along with the Park Police pepper sprayed houseless advocates while doing a sweep of the West Powderhorn Sanctuary tent encampment. Tents were bulldozed in scenes reminiscent of July 20 clearing of East Powderhorn. | Hours before severe…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/minneapolis-police-sweep-west-powderhorn-encampment-pepper-spray-defenders/

On the picket line
Sue Davis | workers.org | 2020-08-15
Solidarity with Philadelphia sanitation workers Even though trash has been piling up on Philadelphia streets during this steamy summer, there's acknowledgment between city officials and the sanitation workers' union, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 427 of District Council 33, that it's because many workers have been . . . | Continue reading On the picket line at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50595/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=on-the-picket-line-140

Face to Face with Mumia in a historic interview in 1996
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2020-08-15
On March 28, 1996, Workers World Party leading members Monica Moorehead and Larry Holmes traveled to a remote rural township in central Pennsylvania to pay a visit to the dungeon within a dungeon, death row. For at least two hours, they interviewed a shackled Mumia Abu-Jamal from across a thick . . . | Continue reading Face to Face with Mumia in a historic interview in 1996 at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50604/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=face-to-face-with-mumia-in-a-historic-interview-in-1996

The Basic Case for a Wealth Tax
Bob Lord | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
America's 12 wealthiest now control $1 trillion of wealth. The only practical way to address this extreme wealth concentration: a tax on accumulated grand fortune…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-basic-case-for-a-wealth-tax/

Hawaii Schools to reopen August 17 as opposition grows
wsws.org | 2020-08-15
In a fight for their lives and those of thousands of students, educators and parents oppose the new reopening plan that has students and teachers reporting to school sites for in-person instruction for one week prior to full distance learning.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/15/hawa-a15.html

A Message to the Left About Kamala Harris — And Us
Richard Eskow | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
"Should activists sit this election out? Not if you believe in activism."
zcomm.org/znetarticle/a-message-to-the-left-about-kamala-harris-and-us/

The Same Racist Rhetoric Used To Oppose D.C. Statehood Keeps The Federal Government Dysfunctional
Karen Conner | cepr.net | 2020-08-15
Talking Points Memo See article on original site The House's passage of legislation approving D.C. statehood in late June marked a milestone in the political struggle for full enfranchisement of the district, which, until recently, was a majority African-American city, and would become America's most predominantly African-American state. The bill, passed largely along party lines, …
cepr.net/the-same-racist-rhetoric-used-to-oppose-d-c-statehood-keeps-the-federal-government-dysfunctional/

Jail Took My Mom
Messiah Rhodes | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
Filmmaker on How His Mother Broke the Cycle of Incarceration & Shaping DNC Policy…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/jail-took-my-mom/

The World Bank's Poverty Illusion
Mel Gurtov | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
Creating an economy based on social justice cannot be accomplished with quick fixes or "reforms." It really is a revolutionary enterprise…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-world-banks-poverty-illusion/

$6.3bn of non-oil products exported in Q1
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — According to the announcement made by the Iranian ministry of industry, the country could manage to export $6.3 billion of non-oil products in the first 3 months of the present Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21, 2020).
en.mehrnews.com/news/162275/6-3bn-of-non-oil-products-exported-in-Q1

Refinery Shutdown, Santa Barbara Co. Staff Report Jeopardize ExxonMobil Offshore Drilling
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
However, opponents of offshore drilling say two unrelated developments that took place yesterday could undermine these plans. A coalition of conservation, environmental justice and indigenous groups is calling on the oil company to abandon this project and decommission its offshore rigs.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835915.php

UAE, Israel deal against democracy in Arab world: Experts
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel made a deal earlier this week to forestall Tel Aviv's controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank and start a new era of normalization.Although the deal was supported by the West and regional countries namely, Egypt, Oman and Bahrain, the agreement sparked uproar in Palestine and on Arab streets.The Emirates became the third Arab country to recognize Israel after Jordan and Egypt, in a move touted as doing the Palestinians a favor.Palestinian groups, however, denounced the agreement, saying it does nothing to serve the Palestinian cause and ignore…
yenisafak.com/en/news/uae-israel-deal-against-democracy-in-arab-world-experts-3536895

[World Report] Lebanon faces humanitarian emergency after blast
Sharmila Devi | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
The explosion in Beirut is further straining the health system and food supplies, as well as risking the country's COVID-19 response. Sharmila Devi reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31750-5/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Humanitarian crises in a global pandemic
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
On Aug 19, the world will mark a UN World Humanitarian Day very different from any other. But while COVID-19 captures the world's focus, other humanitarian crises also need attention, as evidenced most recently by the tragic aftermath of the explosion in Beirut.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31749-9/fulltext?rss=yes

Russia showed its seriousness on defending intl. law: envoy
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said that Russia's vote against the unprincipled and destructive US resolution shows its determination to uphold international law and oppose unilateralism.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162272/Russia-showed-its-seriousness-on-defending-intl-law-envoy

Iran produces over 9.4mn tons of steel ingot in four months
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran produced 9,483,000 tons of steel ingot in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (from March 21 to July 22), showing a nine percent hike as compared to the same period of last year.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162268/Iran-produces-over-9-4mn-tons-of-steel-ingot-in-four-months

US should thank Dominican for saving it from total isolation
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Referring to the failure of US bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran, Ambassador to Pakistan Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that the US should be so thankful of the Dominican Republic that saved it from total isolation.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162282/US-should-thank-Dominican-for-saving-it-from-total-isolation

Rouhani meets with new Iranian envoys
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Iran's new ambassadors to six countries met with President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran before embarking on their new missions.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162273/Rouhani-meets-with-new-Iranian-envoys

UAE-Israel agreement, clear violation of Palestinians' rights
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — The Secretariat of Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution in a statement on Sat. condemned the infamous Emirati-Zionist agreement to normalize relations, calling it a clear example of historic loss for the Emirati government.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162276/UAE-Israel-agreement-clear-violation-of-Palestinians-rights

Homa open-air hall ready for inauguration
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-15
TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Homa open-air hall, designed to host concerts and theater performances, is ready for inauguration and a video of its construction process has been released.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162271/Homa-open-air-hall-ready-for-inauguration

Twitter against Trump: It's all about truth
Florian Rotzer & Thomas Schuster | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
Trump's track record in the summer of the 2020 pandemic is disastrous, 1K deaths every day with a total of around 150K. More than 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits. Trump is trying to turn Biden into the destroyer of America. Trump is deliberatively working on the image of a dystopia that he claims only he can prevent.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835922.php

Fisher KIPP Malcom X Academy Room & Land Grab To Bust Up Public School
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
The KIPP charter run by Doris Fisher and her family who own the GAP corporation are suing the San Francisco Unified School District to grab more rooms from the Malcom X Academy in Hunters Point/Bay View for their KIPP privately run school. These white corporate billionaires and millionaires on the KIPP board want to destroy the Malcom X Academy public School.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835909.php

"They're Trying To Boot Us Out" Unite-Here 2 Concession Workers Protest Owner Of Giants
LaborVideo Project | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
Hundreds of Giants Unite Here Local 2 concession workers protested the union busting tactics of Giant's billionaire owner Howard Johnson.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835926.php

Leaking Fossil Fuel Wells: An Economic, Health, and Climate Crisis
Sarah Heins | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
Leaking oil and gas wells in California are a health, economic, and climate crisis. The government needs to hold fossil fuel companies responsible to protect their citizens.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835919.php

Friday 8/21: San Francisco: March for the Dead, Fight for the Living
Vigil for Democracy | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
San Francisco: meet at Crissy Field Warming Hut, 983 Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129; | then march across Golden Gate Bridge…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835914.php

Saturday 8/22: "No Fascist USA!": A New Book Talk w/ Authors Hilary Moore & James Tracy
Powell's Books & City Lights Books | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
Online via Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835921.php

California Judicial Council vote to end ban on evictions is a ticking time bomb
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
Frances Hailman, Eleanor Walden & Lynda Carson Are Organizers At Tenant's Rally To Help Save The Section 8 Program In Berkeley Years Ago:…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835908.php

Friday 8/14: Orions Awesome Hamond B3 Organ Trio Live Not Jive Jazz,Latin Jazz&Blueszz
Orion the elder | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
Lower Washington Park /Dog and Tenis Park 8th street Alameda…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835916.php

Sunday 8/23: The Oakland Greens present "The People's Education System"
Vicente Cruz | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
ZOOM Event…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835932.php

'Muscular liberalism': Washington Post columnist roasted after using strange label to describe Biden/Harris strategy
rt.com | 2020-08-15
A piece on how the Biden and Harris ticket sticks it to the Democrats has drawn an outpouring of mockery after describing the duo's foreign policy platform as 'muscular liberalism'. | A Washington Post column penned by political commentator Josh Rogin heaped praise on Joe Biden's Vice President pick, Kamala Harris. Together they would usher a "return to the way world politics used to work, with a strong America leading a strong multilateral system," he argued. Once they take the White House, the centrist dream team would firmly oppose the vision of the likes of Bernie Sanders, who want "smaller defense budgets…
rt.com/usa/498094-muscular-liberalism-biden-harris/

'Come on, don't do this': Yahoo slammed for shoddy story accusing RUSSIA of antifa.com prank of Joe Biden
rt.com | 2020-08-15
The latest chapter in the conspiracy theory blaming Russia for 'meddling' in US elections accuses Moscow of somehow redirecting the website Antifa.com to Joe Biden's website, thanks to some major internet illiteracy at work. | On Wednesday, Republican activist Matthew Foldi pointed out that typing Antifa.com in one's browser redirected to Biden's campaign page, just as the Democrat candidate and his freshly chosen running mate Kamala Harris were about to do their first joint public appearance. | | üö®&uuml…
rt.com/usa/498077-antifa-biden-russia-conspiracy/

Trump supporter Bill Mitchell, with over half a million followers, permanently booted from Twitter for 'opposing masks'
rt.com | 2020-08-15
Conservative pundit Bill Mitchell has been kicked off Twitter, saying his opposition to face masks first earned him a suspension, which became permanent after he unwittingly violated the rules by tweeting from a second account. | Mitchell announced his ban in a post on Parler on Friday, laying his Twitter handle to rest after accumulating more than 600,000 followers. Earning regular retweets from President Donald Trump, the account was a source of controversy, at times backing 'QAnon' conspiracy theories and voicing skepticism toward Covid-19, among other things. | "Twitter just suspended me for opposing masks…
rt.com/usa/498080-bill-mitchell-banned-twitter/

'Most successful breeding year in decades' for rare bird of prey at nature reserve
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-15
At least a dozen marsh harrier chicks have successfully fledged at a nature reserve in the "most successful breeding year in decades" for the species there.It's thought that lockdown helped the birds at the National Trust's Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire.Rangers witnessed four nests of chicks successfully fledge and believe there may have been a fifth, but its location meant staff were unable to fully monitor numbers.Two juvenile marsh harriers (Richard J Nicoll/National Trust/PA)A positive outcome of lockdown: There are only 400 nesting pairs of marsh harriers in the UK, but the species has m…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/15/most-successful-breeding-year-in-decades-for-rare-bird-of-prey-at-nature-reserve/

Appeals will be free but there'll be 'no U-turn' on grading system, says Gavin Williamson
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-15
Schools in England will be able to appeal against A-level and GCSE grades free of charge, according to education secretary Gavin Williamson. | His announcement came amid further criticism of the government's handling of the exams system, after thousands of pupils in England had their results downgraded. | "Deluge" of appeals: | Williamson told the Times: I do not want a youngster to feel they are in a situation where there is a strong and legitimate case for grounds for appeal, but an appeal is not made on grounds of cost. | That would be a real, shocking injustice. | You will have obviously a large number…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/15/appeals-will-be-free-but-therell-be-no-u-turn-on-grading-system-says-gavin-williamson/

Transport union marks anniversary of overturning racist recruitment policy at Euston station
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-15
Union leaders have praised the "brave actions" of a railway worker who overturned a racist recruitment policy in the 1960s. | The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) marked the 54th anniversary of the breaking of the 'colour bar' at London's Euston station by pledging to continue its campaign against racism. | Asquith Xavier‚Äé: | On 15 August 1966, the colour bar at Euston station was defeated when West Indian guard Asquith Xavier was allowed to start work after initially being refused a job. | British Railways had announced, after negotiations with local leaders of the National Un…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/15/transport-union-marks-anniversary-of-overturning-racist-recruitment-policy-at-euston-station/

Harris not likely to change Indo-US relations; Experts
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
The first American of Indian origin to be featured on a major US national ticket as a vice presidential candidate will not change US-Indian relations if Democrats take the White House, according to experts. | Kamala Harris, whose mother was Indian, and was born and raised in the US, was named as the running mate to presumptive US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. | The decision delighted those in India and experts see her nomination as important. | "The Indian American community feels being represented," Sylvia Mishra, a Washington-based researcher and expert on India and US relations told Anadolu Agen…
yenisafak.com/en/news/harris-not-likely-to-change-indo-us-relations-experts-3536899

[Correspondence] Donation and transplantation activity in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown
Alex R Manara, Lisa Mumford, Chris J Callaghan, Rommel Ravanan, Dale Gardiner | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
As of May 14, 2020, over 11‚Äà000 patients with COVID-19 in the UK were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), with a median length of stay of 9 days.1 The COVID-19 pandemic had the immediate effect of severely reducing living and deceased organ donation and transplantation activity, as happened in other countries.2 On March 23, 2020, the same day that the UK Government announced lockdown restrictions, National Health Service (NHS) Blood and Transplant altered the age acceptance criteria for deceased donors to protect ICU bed capacity and maximise use of organs available for transplantation.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31692-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Russia starts production of 1st coronavirus vaccine
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
Russia has started production of its first COVID-19 vaccine, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.Initial batches of the vaccine will be earmarked for immunizing doctors and health workers, before going to the general public.Russia officially registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, on Tuesday.The announcement drew skepticism worldwide as Russia plans to continue the third phase of trials along with the vaccine's production and use.However, Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Research Institute, defended the approach, s…
yenisafak.com/en/world/russia-starts-production-of-1st-coronavirus-vaccine-3536896

Iran, Hamas discuss UAE-Israel normalization deal
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
Iran's foreign minister and the political head of Hamas discussed on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize relations.In a phone call, Iran's Jawad Zarif said Tehran stood by Palestinians and that the agreement was unacceptable, according to a statement by Hamas."We're confident that the heroic Palestinian people, Arab and Muslim worlds are strong enough to foil this agreement," Zarif said. Ismail Haniyeh, for his part, thanked Iran for defending Palestinians' rights."Palestinian people stand up for their cause and resistance," Haniyeh stressed.The deal to normalize UAE-Israeli ties was anno…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-hamas-discuss-uae-israel-normalization-deal-3536891

Who is the spymaster suing Saudi crown prince?
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
He obtained a BA in the Arabic language and literature from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, a bachelor of science in security sciences in 1979 from King Fahd Security College, and a Master of Science in computer science from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.He also obtained a PhD in computer engineering and artificial intelligence in 1998 from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.He is a former Saudi minister and intelligence officer who currently lives in exile in Canada and Riyadh is seeking to arrest him over charge of wasting public money.- CareerWhen King Salman bin Abdu…
yenisafak.com/en/news/who-is-the-spymaster-suing-saudi-crown-prince-3536900

'Israel-UAE deal null and void for Turkey'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
Turkey again lambasted on Friday a recent deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize ties between the two countries, saying the agreement is null and void for Turkey."This step, which ignores the rights of Palestinians, has already been condemned in the conscience of the peoples of the region, especially the Palestinians," Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.Altun stressed that the agreement had clearly shown "those who are behind the wave of instability that took the region for a long time," as well as those who had been "using the Palestinian people's righteous cause for their own interes…
yenisafak.com/en/news/israel-uae-deal-null-and-void-for-turkey-3536894

UAE, Israel deal not surprising, but shameful
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
The announcement of an agreement to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Israeli occupation state was not surprising, but it was rude in terms of form and timing.Everyone who follows news of normalization in recent years notices it is no secret the Gulf, especially the Emiratis, is persistent and stubborn to break all taboos, which Arabs believed in for decades, in their relationship to the Palestinian cause. The most important of which is that it is impossible to normalize relations with the occupation state before a just solution to the Palestinian issue is achieved. This is the es…
yenisafak.com/en/news/uae-israel-deal-not-surprising-but-shameful-3536897

EU calls Israel to abandon West Bank annexation plans
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
Welcoming a controversial deal between Israel and the UAE to normalize relations, the EU on Friday called for Tel Aviv to abandon plans to annex areas of the West Bank."I welcome Israel-UAE normalisation; benefits both is important for regional stability," said Josep Borrell on Twitter.Stressing that suspending the annexation was a positive step, he called Israel to abandon the plans altogether."The EU hopes for resumed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on 2-state solution based on intl' agreed parameters," he added.- Israel-UAE dealThe deal to normalize UAE-Israel ties was announced by US President Donald Trump o…
yenisafak.com/en/news/eu-calls-israel-to-abandon-west-bank-annexation-plans-3536893

[Correspondence] COVID-19's impact on Australia's health research workforce
Anna Peeters, Greg Mullins, Denise Becker, Liliana Orellana, Patricia Livingston | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen health and medical research promoted as countries establish resilient health systems and rapidly responsive prevention, detection, and treatment methods. However, the pandemic will probably negatively affect the capacity and outcomes of the health and medical research sector itself.1…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31533-6/fulltext?rss=yes

The Birth of a Global Nation: What Makes a Modern Rhodes Scholar?
Matthew J.L. Ehret | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-15
Clinton, Talbott, Rice In my previous article, I discussed the role of the Brookings Institute's founder Strobe Talbott as an integrated part of the puzzle behind Russia Gate and also his indoctrination as a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford alongside his room mate Bill Clinton in 1966. I addressed the rise of the Rhodes Trust in …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-birth-of-a-global-nation-what-makes-a-modern-rhodes-scholar/

Weaponizing Intellectual Property: the Scientist and the Spy
Bill Julian | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
Free cooperative development of ideas in these crucial areas to improve the world — food, energy, health — should be the norm…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/weaponizing-intellectual-property-the-scientist-and-the-spy/

Weekly News Review 9th — 15th August
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-08-15
Editors Review of the Week It must surely be the understanding of most people that can afford an internet connection that Boris Johnson's government has achieved in six months what Margeret Thatcher's government took a decade to do — become the party that represents sleaze and indecency. Many political commentators in the mainstream media have …
truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/weekly-news-review-9th-15th-august/

[Correspondence] Interference in scientific research on COVID-19 in Turkey
Hasan Bayram, Nurdan Kà∂ktàºrk, Osman Elbek, Oƒüuz Kƒ±lƒ±nàß, Abdullah Sayƒ±ner, Elif Daƒülƒ±, Turkish Thoracic Society | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as it was later named, was first identified in Wuhan, China, on Jan 7, 2020.1 Over the following months, the virus rapidly spread throughout the world. The disease, COVID-19, was characterised as a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. On the same day, the Turkish Ministry of Health reported the first case in Turkey.2 According to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data platform, which analyses the genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the disease reached Turkey mainly through Iran, with whom Turkey has strong commercial and touristic ties, and…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31691-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19 trial co-enrolment and subsequent enrolment
Elie Gertner | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many clinical trials around the world assessing all stages of infection, from prophylaxis to the treatment of severely ill patients who are dependent on a ventilator. In our experience, if the patient's medical condition deteriorates despite the intervention of one clinical trial, the attending physician, patient, or family members might request that the patient be enrolled in a second or third clinical trial.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31537-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19 is an opportunity for reform in dentistry
Richard G Watt | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to have devastating health, economic, and social effects, and is profoundly affecting the delivery of health services. Because of the infection risks associated with aerosol generated procedures, such as the use of high-speed drills, dental services across much of the world have been essentially closed since late March, 2020. During this period there was limited access to emergency dental care. Consequently, many desperate people with excruciating dental pain and acute oral infections have resorted to do-it-yourself dentistry, including the extraction of molar teeth without…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31529-4/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] COVID-19 worsens Zimbabwe's health crisis
Munyaradzi Makoni | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
Years of neglect and doctors' strikes have pushed the Zimbabwean health system to the brink. Munyaradzi Makoni reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31751-7/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19 combination prevention requires attention to structural drivers
Kent Buse, Alessandra Nilo, Jules Kim, Mark Heywood, Jeff Acaba | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
Richard Horton draws parallels between the colliding pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV, observing that both "exploit and accentuate inequalities".1 He and others2 advocate that responses to COVID-19 learn from HIV combination prevention approaches. However, it is key that in doing so, prevention measures go beyond the behavioural interventions they call for, to include interventions that are structural and systemic in nature.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31723-2/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Childhood adversity and death of young adults in an affluent society
Michael P Dunne, Franziska Meinck | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
Adversity in childhood can induce health, social, and economic problems that persist throughout the adult years and might be fatal. Systems for child protection, poverty alleviation, and family support are designed to minimise harm, and it is reasonable to expect that the impact of adversity should be lowest in affluent countries that have comprehensive social services. However, research from high-income countries has shown startling links between childhood adversity and premature death. Brown and colleagues1 in the USA, for example, followed up 17‚Äà000 adults who self-reported multiple adversi…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30899-0/fulltext?rss=yes

[Clinical Picture] Crisis? What crisis? Abdominal pain and darkening skin in Addison's disease
Pedro F S Freitas, Julia M Oliveira, Claudio E Kater | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
A 19-year-old man presented with a 4-day history of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. He had no medical history. On examination his temperature was 38 ∑8 ∞C, he was dehydrated and tachycardic, and he had postural hypotension: his blood pressure was 110/40 mm Hg supine and 88/36 mm Hg standing. On palpation of his abdomen, the patient reported widespread pain with equivocal rebound tenderness. We also noted diffuse darkening of the mucous membranes and skin, which the patient said had gradually increased over the past 7 years.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31680-9/fulltext?rss=yes

[Perspectives] The caregiver's dilemma: in search of sustainable medical empathy
Jamil Zaki | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
In 2015, our daughter Alma was delivered by emergency caesarean section at a local children's hospital. I listened for her cries, but she was silent. The medical team, too, was eerily quiet, gripped with concern. Alma struggled to live. We learned later that during her birth she had suffered a stroke. In those first moments as a parent, I realised two things. First, I wanted to protect my daughter more than anything I'd ever wanted. Second, I had already failed.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31685-8/fulltext?rss=yes

[Obituary] Tom Arie
Geoff Watts | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
Innovator in psychogeriatric medicine. He was born in Prague, Czech Republic, on Aug 9, 1933, and died of cancer in Kenninghall, UK, on May 24, 2020, aged 86 years.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31686-X/fulltext?rss=yes

[Articles] Trajectories of childhood adversity and mortality in early adulthood: a population-based cohort study
Naja H Rod, Jessica Bengtsson, Esben Budtz-Jà∏rgensen, Clara Clipet-Jensen, David Taylor-Robinson, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen, Nadya Dich, Andreas Rieckmann | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
Almost half of Danish children in our study experienced some degree of adversity, and this was associated with a moderately higher risk of mortality in adulthood. Among these, a small group of children had multiple adversities across social, health, and family-related dimensions. This group had a markedly higher mortality risk in early adulthood than that of other children, which requires public health attention.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30621-8/fulltext?rss=yes

Real Life Heroes: the Syrian film-maker cleaning COVID wards in the UK
news.un.org | 2020-08-15
Hassan Akkad, an award-winning Syrian film-maker, fled the war in his country four years ago and now lives as a refugee in the United Kingdom. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, he decided to help those affected by the pandemic, by becoming a cleaner at a London hospital.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070092

Julian Assange Court Case Delayed Again in Bizarre Circumstances
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-14
"I have never in my career faced so much difficulty attempting to trial monitor as in Julian Assange's case." — Rebecca Vincent, Director of International Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders.
mintpressnews.com/assange-extradition-case-delayed-again-in-bizarre-circumstances/270424/

Discussion of Wikileaks or any "Hacked Information" Banned Under New YouTube Rules
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-14
YouTube's decision to ban discussion of hacked information on its platform is unlikely to improve election integrity in the US, it will, however, continue to tilt the balance in favor of established corporate-funded outlets like Fox News and CNN.
mintpressnews.com/discussion-of-wikileaks-or-any-hacked-information-banned-under-new-youtube-rules/270435/

Bolivia Headed for a Showdown as Mass Protests Erupt Against US-backed Anez Administration
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-14
Clashes between protesters and government-backed paramilitaries are growing increasingly violent as tensions in Bolivia reach a boiling point following the US-backed Anez administration's decision to cancel elections for the third time this year.
mintpressnews.com/bolivia-showdown-mass-protests-erupt-against-us-backed-anez/270416/

Venezuelan Guaidó coup regime pledges to restore relations with Israel, decade after Hugo Chávez broke ties
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-08-14
The US-backed Venezuelan coup regime of Juan Guaidó is reestablishing ties with Israel and has opened a "virtual embassy" in…
thegrayzone.com/2020/08/14/venezuela-guaido-israel-pynchas-brener/

Jail Took My Mom: Filmmaker on How His Mother Broke the Cycle of Incarceration & Shaping DNC Policy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-14
The coronavirus crisis and the movement for racial justice have magnified the challenges faced by people released from prison, whose criminal record makes it hard to find a job and even housing, especially women. We feature a new AJ+ series by Messiah Rhodes, whose mother was in and out of jail throughout his childhood and was able to break the cycle of incarceration. Rhodes says his work serves as a response to calls to defund police. "Instead of giving law enforcement agencies tanks and sci-fi-level weaponry, we should be funding … housing, education, family reunification, mental health support," he says. We…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/14/messiah_rhodes_deanna_hoskins_incarceration_police

Rashid Khalidi: Israel & UAE Deal to Normalize Relations Is New Chapter in 100-Year War on Palestine
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-14
In a deal brokered by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues. Under the deal, Israel has also agreed to temporarily halt plans to annex occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, which had already been on hold due to international condemnation. We speak with Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, who says the agreement is being falsely characterized as a peace deal. "I don't see that it has anything to do with peace," he say…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/14/israel_uae_agreement_trump_palestine

Learning from Harry Haywood in the fight for Black freedom and socialism
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-14
Anyone doubting the relevance of Harry Haywood's writings in 2020 hasn't paid much attention to political events this year. | After success in three early Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders' social democratic campaign for president, supported by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), ran first aground in South Carolina in February. African American voters turned out in greater numbers for his opponent, Joe Biden, even while favoring many of Sanders' policies like Medicare For All. Voter turnout was low in general, owing to the fundamentally undemocratic character of the U.S. political system, and a lot of…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/13/learning-harry-haywood-fight-black-freedom-and-socialism

Real Life Heroes: 'a simple word can mean a lot to a refugee'
news.un.org | 2020-08-14
After leaving Gaza as a refugee, Shadi Mohammedali decided to dedicate himself to helping others in a similar situation. Today, he is working for an NGO in a Greek camp for asylum seekers, explaining how they can protect themselves from COVID-19.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1069902

UK must 'stop demonising people and consider its own role' in the refugee crisis, campaigners say
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-14
The UK must stop "demonising" refugees and consider its own role in creating the circumstances they are escaping from, campaigners say. | Many refugees have risked their lives to reach the UK this year by crossing the English Channel in everything from kayaks to a paddling pool. | The list of countries they hail from is diverse, but many have left nations wracked by conflicts the UK has played a part in. | Places like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya have all seen direct British military involvement. | Meanwhile, a small number of migrants have been seen coming from Yemen. It is suffering the worst humanitarian…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/14/uk-must-stop-demonising-people-and-consider-its-own-role-in-the-refugee-crisis-campaigners-say/

Colombia: Army Kills Two Indigenous People in Cauca Valley
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Colombia's Army Thursday killed two Indigenous people and injured two community members during an eviction operation in El Berraco village in the Cauca department. | RELATED: | Colombia: March for Dignity Reaches Bogota to Condemn Violence | The victims are the Indigenous journalists Abelardo Liz and Johel Rivera, who were part of the "Liberation of Mother Earth" movement. | The Foundation for the Freedom of the Press (FLIP) regretted the death of both journalists, who were shot…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-army-kills-two-Indigenous-people-in-cauca-valley-20200814-0002.html

Refinery Shutdown, Santa Barbara Co. Staff Report Jeopardize ExxonMobil Offshore Drilling
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
However, opponents of offshore drilling say two unrelated developments that took place yesterday could undermine these plans. A coalition of conservation, environmental justice and indigenous groups is calling on the oil company to abandon this project and decommission its offshore rigs.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835915.php

Roaming Charges: It Had to be You
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Kamala Harris is the least surprising VP pick since Bob Dole tapped Jack Kemp as his running mate in 1996. Harris is as bland, safe and predictable as Kemp, but she adds little to an already boring campaign and comes with toxic baggage of her own that may repel the voters Biden needs the most. Biden is counting on Harris' reputation as a prosecutor to make a case against Trump that most people have already reached a verdict against. Yet, as a prosecutor and attorney general, Harris made a career out of punching below her weight class, sternly going after low-level drug and property crimes while largely turning a…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/roaming-charges-it-had-to-be-you/

Lebanon: Beirut Blast Victims Call for International Enquiry
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
In Lebanon, the victims of the Beirut Blast called for an international investigation into what happened at the capital's port on August 4. They demand that those responsible for the explosion be charged with crimes against humanity. | RELATED: | Lebanon: The Cabinet Resigns After Massive Protests | "The victims of the massacre are asking for support from the international community to achieve justice and truth through an international trial and investigation," lawyer Nada Abdelsater said, str…
telesurenglish.net/news/Lebanon-Beirut-Blast-Victims-Call-for-International-Enquiry-20200814-0008.html

Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal"
Medea Benjamin | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
Donald Trump on twitter as he announced the new peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The deal makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state and the third Arab nation, after Egypt …
globalresearch.ca/dont-hoodwinked-trump-uae-israel-peace-deal/5721108

Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal"
Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-14
"HUGE breakthrough today," crowed Donald Trump on twitter as he announced the new peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The deal makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state and the third Arab nation, after Egypt and Jordan, to have diplomatic ties with Israel. But the new Israel-UAE partnership should fool …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel-peace-deal/

Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal"
Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/dummp_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/14/dont-be-hoodwinked-trumps-uae-israel-peace-deal?cd-origin=rss

Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal"
Medea Benjamin | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-14
The normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel, facilitated by the U.S., serves to prop up three repressive leaders — Trump, Netanyahu, and bin Zayed — and will cause further harm to Palestinians. It is both a shame and a sham.
mintpressnews.com/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel-peace-deal/270404/

Over 1.500 Migrants Died on Their Journeys in 2020 So Far
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Friday that at least 1.504 people have died trying to migrate during the first half of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Migrants Die In The Atlantic Ocean Trying To Reach Spain | According to the latest data published by the organization ¥s Missing Migrant Project, most deaths took place in the Mediterranean region, which accounts for 443 of the total followed by North Africa and the U.S. Mexico border, wit…
telesurenglish.net/news/Over-1.500-Migrants-Died-in-Their-Journeys-in-2020-So-Far-20200814-0015.html

Oregon residents block unmarked ICE buses carrying detained immigrants
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
The standoff lasted around 12 hours in Bend, Oregon, until dozens of federal agents were deployed to disperse the protesters using pepper spray.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/oreg-a14.html

Wisconsin immigrant meat packing workers fired in retaliation for protesting over unsafe working conditions
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
After employing the workers for years, management suddenly informed the targeted workers that they were not authorized to work in the US.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/meat-a14.html

Poor People's Army To Protest At Biden's Headquarters During DNC
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
Protestors have declared that irrespective of permits, they plan to march on Presidential Candidate Biden's national headquarters on August 17th at 4pm from the Liberty Bell. Upon arrival demonstrators will present the DNC and Biden offices with a list of demands. They include: | ‚óè Unite immigrant families and children | ‚óè Transfer the war budget to provide healthcare, housing, and food for people | ‚óè Meet with PPEHRC homeless families that are forced to live in abandoned houses…
popularresistance.org/poor-peoples-army-to-protest-at-bidens-headquarters-during-dnc/

Interception, no solution to address migrants crossing English Channel
news.un.org | 2020-08-14
Intercepting boats full of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel, is not the solution to deter them from attempting to reach the United Kingdom, UN agencies have stressed, warning that deployment of large naval vessels to block small, flimsy dinghies could lead to fatal incidents.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070202

The "Lesser-Evil" Syndrome: Noam Chomsky's Fall Into Self-Contradiction
Michael K. Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-14
In a recent interview Noam Chomsky declared that there "was a big difference" between Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential elections, a difference "you could count in several million corpses in Indochina." But, Chomsky added, "a lot of the young people on the left said, "I'm not going to vote for Humphrey. …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-lesser-evil-syndrome-noam-chomskys-fall-into-self-contradiction/

Turkey may suspend ties with UAE, withdraw ambassasdor
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
After the United Arab Emirates' controversial deal to normalize ties with Israel, Turkey may downgrade its relations with the UAE, Turkey's president has said."We may take steps to suspend diplomatic ties with the UAE or withdraw our ambassador," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers.On Israel, Erdogan called its recent solidarity with Egypt and Greece and steps towards Palestine unacceptable.In signing a maritime pact last week, Athens and Cairo continued efforts to box in Ankara's territory in the Mediterranean based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-may-suspend-ties-with-uae-withdraw-ambassasdor-3536848

Trump Targets TikTok Social Media Platform, Escalates Trade War Between the U.S. and China
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that could ban TikTok from the U.S. if it is not purchased by an American company. On August 6, Trump's executive order banned U.S. financial transactions with Chinese company ByteDance, owner …
globalresearch.ca/trump-targeting-tiktok-escalates-trade-war-between-us-china/5721064

Whispers in the Asylum (Seven Days in August)
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Hollow Resistance: The Antidote to Obama Nostalgia Syndrome The deadly ObamaLust Virus is ironically intensified by the fascist Amerikaner presidency the corporate-imperial Barack Obama helped hatch and empower. Here is an antidote that has passed with flying colors through all the testing trials: Paul Street, Hollow Resistance: Obama, Trump, and the Politics of Appeasement, now…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/whispers-in-the-asylum-seven-days-in-august/

The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020"
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-causes-effects-real-danger-agenda-id2020/5706153

IMF and WEF — From Great Lockdown to Great Transformation. The Covid Aftermath
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Great Global Reset is being 'paralleled' — not challenged — by the IMF. Both are pulling in the same direction, shoveling more assets from the lower echelons to a small elite, through debt enslavement — …
globalresearch.ca/imf-wef-great-lockdown-great-transformation/5721090

Bill Gates and the Depopulation Agenda. Robert F. Kennedy Junior Calls for an Investigation
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
Robert F Kennedy Jr, an avid Defender of Children's Rights and anti-vaccination activist, has launched a petition sent to the White House, calling for "Investigations into the 'Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation' for Medical Malpractice & Crimes Against Humanity"
globalresearch.ca/bill-gates-and-the-depopulation-agenda-robert-f-kennedy-junior-calls-for-an-investigation/5710021

The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria?
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
On August 4, hours before a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an ominous warning to Lebanon. "We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this," Netanyahu said during an official tour of a military facility…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/the-politics-of-war-what-is-israels-endgame-in-lebanon-and-syria/

Foreign Correspondent: Is Kamala Harris a Hawk?
Reese Erlich | progressive.org | 2020-08-14
Biden's veep pick has at times embraced militarism and even attacked Trump from the right.
progressive.org/dispatches/kamala-harris-hawk-erlich-200814/

What is the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED)?
Anthony Cartalucci | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-14
Who sits on the current NED board of directors and how do such people get away with claiming to promote democracy abroad when they are directly involved in circumventing it at home? | When US-backed regime change begins in a targeted nation, many — particularly those supporting protests — will deny the US is involved. | When US involvement is no longer deniable — many will finally admit it — but backpedal and claim there is nothing wrong with the US supporting "freedom" and "democracy" abroad. | With virtually every aspect of ongoing protests in Thailand funded by the US — from the leader…

What is the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED)?

Can Lebanon be Saved?
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
"Well, we can all agree that the sea took 70 per cent of the blast!" a close Lebanese friend announced to me this week, with intriguing if doubtful science. I had asked him — because I knew the answer — which of Lebanon's religious communities had suffered most grievously from the explosion that changed the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/can-lebanon-be-saved/

Scheer Intelligence: Questioning Corporate Media's Thirst For Scandal In The Age Of #MeToo
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
The Times Literary Supplement in a rave review of JoAnn Wypijewski's provocative new book states: "It is thrilling and cathartic to watch Wypijewski slice through our culture's flabbiest orthodoxies." On this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence," Wypijewski talks to host Robert Scheer about the "haste to castigate" that has led to shoddy reporting of the true meaning of trials she has covered, ranging from the media frenzy trial of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein to the framing of five teenagers known as the Central Park Five on rape charges, which she offers as a shocking example of a "scandal media" lynchin…
popularresistance.org/scheer-intelligence-questioning-corporate-medias-thirst-for-scandal-in-the-age-of-metoo/

Venezuela: Caracas Mayor Dario Vivas Dies From COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Caracas Mayor Dario Vivas Friday passed at the age of 70, after 20 days hospitalized with COVID-19. | RELATED: | Venezuela Fights Malnutrition With 3,000 'Food Houses' | On July 19, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) president had said on Twitter that he had tested positive for the virus and was going into self-isolation. As reported, he died after respiratory and cardiac complications. | Venezuela's Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab announced the news and confessed being…
telesurenglish.net/news/venezuela-dario-vivas-dies-of-coronavirus-at-the-age-of-70-20200814-0013.html

All Vaccines Are Unsafe. Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine Now Available
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
On August 11, Russia registered the first vaccine for use against COVID-19, named Sputnik V. More on this development below. | *** | Toxins in vaccines make them hazardous to human health. | Time and again, they cause diseases they're promoted as protection …
globalresearch.ca/all-vaccines-unsafe-russia-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine-now-available/5721070

Chile: Mapuche Leader on Hunger Strike Will Stop Drinking Water
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
On Thursday, the Mapuche's spiritual advisor (machi) Celestino Cordova, who has been on a hunger strike for 103 days, announced that he will stop drinking water in rejection of the violation of his rights. | RELATED: | Chile: Civilians Attack Mapuches With Carabineros' Complicity | Cristina Romo, his spokeswoman, released the decision shortly after the Supreme Court rejected Cordova's request to serve part of his sentence at home. | "The Sebastian Piñera administration will have…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-mapuche-leader-issues-ultimatum-as-he-promises-dry-spell-20200814-0009.html

USPS warns Pennsylvania over delivery of mail ballots
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
The US Postal Service (USPS) has warned battleground state Pennsylvania that its election deadlines are "too tight" for its standards and might cause delays in delivery of mail-in ballots, according to a report.USPS' letter dated July 29 made public late Thursday as a motion filed to the state's Supreme Court in which officials are asking approval to continue counting mail ballots received up to three days after Nov. 3, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.Thomas J. Marshall, general counsel and executive vice president of the USPS, warned in the letter that "certain deadlines for requesting and casting mail-in bal…
yenisafak.com/en/news/usps-warns-pennsylvania-over-delivery-of-mail-ballots-3536851

North Carolina Supreme Court Reinstates Life Sentence for Marcus Robinson
commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/14/north-carolina-supreme-court-reinstates-life-sentence-marcus-robinson?cd-origin=rss

Thai PM Right to Question Protest Funding
Anthony Cartalucci | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-14
The notorious US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is funding virtually every aspect of Thailand's current "student protests" aimed at removing current government. | Only through repetitive propaganda across the Western media and their local partners in Thailand can current protests appear "student led," "leaderless," and "organic." | An article published by the Bangkok Post titled, "PM: Who is financing student rallies?," would repeat Thailand's elected prime minister's questions, but Bangkok Post's reporters themselves have categorically failed to either ask or answer the same question. | Despite claiming…

Thai PM Right to Question Protest Funding

Thailand Prime Minister Questions Protest Funding
Tony Cartalucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
Only through repetitive propaganda across the Western media and their local partners in Thailand can current protests appear "student led," "leaderless," and "organic." | An article published by the Bangkok Post titled, "PM: Who is financing student rallies?," would repeat Thailand's …
globalresearch.ca/thai-pm-right-question-protest-funding/5721079

The Black Women Behind the Ongoing Fight for Suffrage
aclu.org | 2020-08-14
The 19th Amendment inked women's suffrage into American history, a culminating moment in an effort to win political power. But as the 100th anniversary of its ratification fast approaches, it's essential to reflect on who the 19th Amendment excluded in practice if not on paper, and what the popular historical record of this movement leaves out. , , "Black women know as 1920 unfolds that many of them are still going to be disenfranchised," professor and author Martha S. Jones tells At Liberty. "That's not a secret. That's an open premise of the 19th Amendment., , Jones joined…
aclu.org/news/voting-rights/the-black-women-behind-the-ongoing-fight-for-suffrage

Don't Ban TikTok and WeChat
Hina Shamsi | aclu.org | 2020-08-14
President Trump's executive orders threatening to ban TikTok and WeChat, two of the most popular messaging and social media apps in the world, are an unprecedented abuse of emergency powers. No president has ever taken actions like these against platforms that tens of millions of people in the United States use. , , Selectively banning platforms does little to protect our personal data from abuse — comprehensive surveillance reform and consumer privacy legislation would actually help accomplish that goal. Instead, the bans could cut off the flow of information, art, and communication that social media pr…
aclu.org/news/free-speech/dont-ban-tiktok-and-wechat

Afghanistan: More action needed to stop killings of human rights defenders
news.un.org | 2020-08-14
The death of nine human rights defenders since the beginning of this year marks "the emergence of a truly alarming trend", an independent UN rights expert said on Friday, calling on Afghanistan to prevent any further killings.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070232

'Magical Thinking' has Always Guided the US Role in Afghanistan
Paul Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Gould | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." — The Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland The best way for us to understand Afghanistan is to look at the record of American involvement going back four decades and to look at the record requires a reexamination of…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/magical-thinking-has-always-guided-the-us-role-in-afghanistan/

What Trump and the Republican Party Teach Us
Joseph Natoli | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
"Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out. Contagion to this world; now could I drink hot blood, And do such bitter business as the day." — Hamlet Both teach us or should have taught us by now many, many things but foremost for a Biden administration to consider is that…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/what-trump-and-the-republican-party-teach-us/

Biden Wins, Then What?
Andrew Bacevich | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Assume Joe Biden wins the presidency. Assume as well that he genuinely intends to repair the damage our country has sustained since we declared ourselves history's "Indispensable Nation," compounded by the traumatic events of 2020 that demolished whatever remnants of that claim survived. Assume, that is, that this aging career politician and creature of the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/biden-wins-then-what/

Will Biden be Less Belligerent Than Trump?
Brian Cloughley | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
The only Democrat nominee in the presidential contest is former vice-president Joe Biden, and he has chosen a non-white running-mate who Trump calls "extraordinarily nasty", so it looks like we'll be in for four years of the man known to Trump as "Sleepy Joe." In a bizarre series of allegations on August 7, William Evanina, the director of the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/will-biden-be-less-belligerent-than-trump/

Biden Wins: Then What?
Andrew J. Bacevich | zcomm.org | 2020-08-14
If he seriously intends to be more than a relic of pre-Trump liberal centrism, how exactly should President Biden go about making his mark?>…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/biden-wins-then-what/

We Do Not Live in the World of Before
Kenn Orphan | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Following the announcement of US presidential candidate Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris for VP, I have seen many social media posts. US American liberal friends seem thrilled and some have already started the "vote shaming." Biden and Harris have been forgiven or, better yet, not even noted for their centrist, rightwing past. And I have…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/we-do-not-live-in-the-world-of-before/

US health insurance companies reap billions as COVID-19 pandemic inflicts death and destitution
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
The largest healthcare chains, including Anthem, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group, have reported second-quarter earnings at double the rate from the same period last year.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/heal-a14.html

Trump says congressional relief deal 'is not going to happen'
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-14
San José, CA – With the additional $600 in unemployment benefits gone along with federal eviction protection, President Trump announced that a deal to restore the benefits and protect renters and home buyers "is not going to happen." With tens of millions of people getting government aid, tens of thousands of evictions underway, and record numbers of people short on food, Trump's statement may seem so beyond uncaring as to be almost senseless. | But his opposition to a deal makes sense from the privileged point of view of a man born to wealth who grew up to be a billionaire. The stock market, one of Trump's favor…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/14/trump-says-congressional-relief-deal-not-going-happen

Brazil's national government has undermined COVID-19 containment measures
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-14
Matheus Falcà£o of Brazilian Center for Health Studies and the Peoples Health Movement Brazil talks the COVID-19 situation in Brazil and how the government's decisions got the country to where it is today.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/14/brazils-national-government-has-undermined-covid-19-containment-measures/

Brazil: Health Minister Admits Lack Of COVID-19 Medicines
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
President Jair Bolsonaro's administration Friday acknowledged a lack of drugs to fight COVID-19 in Brazil, a country that has reported 3,229,621 cases and 105,564 deaths so far. | RELATED: | Brazil: COVID-19 Cases Exceeds 3.2 Million | Acting Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said that several municipalities and hospitals had a lack of medicines and that his Ministry did everything within his power to ease that situation. | "States and municipalities never refused to do their part in the fight, with…
telesurenglish.net/news/brazil-admits-lack-of-covid-19-drugs-20200814-0007.html

Why 5G is the First Stage of a Tech War Between the U.S. and China
Prabir Purkayastha | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
The U.S. tech war on China continues, banning Chinese equipment from its network, and asking its Five Eyes partners and NATO allies to follow suit. It is a market and a technology denial regime that seeks to win back manufacturing that the U.S. and European countries have lost to China. International trade assumed that goods…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/why-5g-is-the-first-stage-of-a-tech-war-between-the-u-s-and-china/

China Calls to Reject US Interference in 5G Cooperation
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, has called on the international community to reject U.S. hegemonic interference in other countries' 5G cooperation and uphold a fair, just, open, and non-discriminatory business environment. | RELATED: | China: Beijing Staggers School Openings to Prevent COVID-19 | The pronouncement came after the United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed with the Slovenian foreign minister a joint declaration on 5G security durin…
telesurenglish.net/news/China-Calls-to-Reject-U.S.-Interference-in-5G-Cooperation-20200814-0016.html

Unions demand Trump invoke Defense Production Act for PPE
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-14
WASHINGTON –Eight unions, the AFL-CIO, the Labor Network for Sustainability and another green group formally demanded the GOP Trump regime invoke the Defense Production Act to force factories to switch to making personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers to wear against the coronavirus. Trump's government has refused to do so so far, and the result …
peoplesworld.org/article/unions-demand-trump-invoke-defense-production-act-for-ppe/

US Hospitals Getting Paid More to Label Cause of Death as 'Coronavirus'
Sen. Scott Jensen | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
First published on April 15, 2020 | Senator Scott Jensen represents Minnesota. He's also a doctor. He appeared on Fox News with Laura Ingraham where he revealed a very disturbing piece of information. | Dr. Scott Jensen says the American Medical Association …
globalresearch.ca/hospitals-getting-paid-more-label-cause-death-coronavirus/5709720

How the Covid-19 Crisis Affects Individual Rights and Freedoms. A New Crisis in International Law?
Dr. Abbas Poorhashemi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
One of the direct impacts of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 is challenging human rights. The pandemic not only created and still creating health issues, economic challenges, political crises and social conflicts around the world, it also affects individual …
globalresearch.ca/global-decline-human-rights-conditions-new-crisis-international-law/5721095

Trump's EPA finalizes rollback of methane emissions rules
Marlee Kokotovic | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-14
"This damaging new rule won't save fossil fuel corporations, it won't bring the U.S. closer to energy independence, and it won't protect people from dangerous air pollution."
nationofchange.org/2020/08/14/trumps-epa-finalizes-rollback-of-methane-emissions-rules/

Private prison companies shower campaign cash on Trump and Republicans
Nomaan Merchant | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-14
HOUSTON (AP)–Executives at the nation's two largest private prison companies have been donating large sums to President Donald Trump and Republican candidates with an eye toward the November elections that one of the corporations believes will lead to a rebound in its stock price. The fortunes of private prison companies have become increasingly intertwined with …
peoplesworld.org/article/private-prison-companies-shower-campaign-cash-on-trump-and-republicans/

Toppled Monuments and the Struggle For Symbolic Space
Michael Welton | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Outrage and anger directed at monuments, religious imagery and art itself is nothing new in humankind's chequered history. Usually we think of iconoclasm as the smashing of religious images, relics and stained glass windows. The Tudor period in English history epitomizes this state-administered intention to smash the icons. Tabitha Barber and Stacy Boldrick (Art Under…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/toppled-monuments-and-the-struggle-for-symbolic-space/

Predatory Capitalism and the Nuclear Threat in the Age of Trump
Richard Falk — Daniel Falcone | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Daniel Falcone: You recently stated that it has never been more urgent that we repudiate nuclearism in all forms. What rationales do proponents of this put forth? Richard Falk: It is important to view with some skepticism the justifications offered by the governments of nuclear weapons states for retaining the weaponry, and to articulate the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/predatory-capitalism-and-the-nuclear-threat-in-the-age-of-trump/

The Reign of Error
Daniel Beaumont | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
He's flailing, more desperate. More lost in a welter of words that no longer answer any question but only generate more questions. I have not even mentioned his name and my readers know of whom I speak. Trump has finally achieved the sort of fame he has always longed for. But like many if not…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/the-reign-of-error/

Compromise & the Status Quo
Kollibri terre Sonnenblume | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Life is all about compromise, people say. Don't I know it. That is, don't I know that people say it. Personally, I don't think it's true. When people say this, they are conflating "life" with "society" and even then, they are limiting the concept of "society" to how the powerful define it, not to how…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/compromise-the-status-quo/

The Criminology of Global Warming
Thomas Klikauer — Nadine Campbell | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Some — like Exxon since 1957 — have been aware that the world is facing global warming that has all the signs to render earth uninhabitable. At least with United Nations' IPPC and NASA reporting on global warming, others have realised that we also face an unprecedented threat. Potentially, all of this is an issue…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/the-criminology-of-global-warming/

August 12-22, 1945: Washington Starts the Korean and Vietnam Wars
H. Bruce Franklin | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
August 14, 1945. The day Japan surrendered. I was eleven year old. I was crammed in the back of a pickup packed with other boys and girls, all yelling our hearts out as loud as we could to be heard over the cacophony of honking horns and howling air raid sirens. We were part of…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/august-12-22-1945-washington-starts-the-korean-and-vietnam-wars/

Science Does Not Support the Claims About Grizzly Hunting, Lethal Removal
Adrian Treves — John Laundré | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
As the Montana Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council (GBAC) works to finalize its recommendations regarding the future of grizzly bear management in Montana, it would be well-advised to follow its own guiding principle: "the best available science should inform decisions in all aspects of grizzly bear management and conservation." A close look at what that…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/science-does-not-support-the-claims-about-grizzly-hunting-lethal-removal/

Lights! Camera! Kill! Hollywood, the Pentagon and Imperial Ambitions
Matthew Hoh | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
There's a sickness that comes with the certainty of those who view the world in so black and white, so good and bad, so us versus them terms, that killing is often a morally defensible act. More so, such killing often goes beyond just simple self defense, to a level of retributive necessity, a preventive…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/lights-camera-kill-hollywood-the-pentagon-and-imperial-ambitions/

Business as Usual Equals Many Extra Deaths from Global Warming
Pete Dolack | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Is it already too late to stop global warming? That question is not asked with thoughts of throwing up hands in despair and giving up. Rather, that question must be asked in the context of mitigating future damage to whatever degree might yet be possible. The context here is that the carbon dioxide, methane and…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/business-as-usual-equals-many-extra-deaths-from-global-warming/

Trump's Fake News
Richard C. Gross | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
The chief flim-flam man in the White House is putting one over on the American people again, signing an executive order bypassing Congress with his big, fat black pen — that dreaded instrument — that will do nearly nothing to help the 30 million unemployed but create chaos. The four-part order President Donald Trump signed…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/trumps-fake-news/

Bloody Chicken: Inside the American Poultry Industry During the Time of COVID
Joseph Grosso | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. is the momentary spotlight it shined on the meatpacking industry. Working conditions inside packing plants were exposed in the sheer number of workers who were infected with the virus. Exact numbers are elusive but thousands of cases have been confirmed along with up to 100 deaths. Meanwhile, meatpacking workers were deemed 'essential.'…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/bloody-chicken-inside-the-american-poultry-industry-during-the-time-of-covid/

It's a Sick Country
Ron Jacobs | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Working is a risky business these days. I'm not a coal miner, a heavy equipment operator or a logger. I don't work in a steel mill where molten iron is poured into molds. Hell, I don't even work in a kitchen where hot oil spatters and ovens bake at 400 degrees. I work at a…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/its-a-sick-country/

Trump's Plan: Gut Social Security, Bankrupt the States
Eve Ottenberg | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
Trump's economic policy is simple: gut social security and bankrupt the states. He made this clear when he announced his executive orders on August 8. By suspending the payroll tax, he chokes off funding for social security and Medicare; he says he'll ditch that tax completely if reelected. That means in about 10 years the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/trumps-plan-gut-social-security-bankrupt-the-states/

PAHO: COVID-19 Contagions Increase in Central America
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) authorities warned on Friday that there is a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Central America amid the efforts to de-escalate restrictions measures in several countries. | RELATED: | COVID-19: ECLAC Countries Call For Unprecedented Cooperation | During the last two months, there has been an increment in deaths and infections in Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala; El Salvador; Honduras, and Nicaragua, taking into account official data fro…
telesurenglish.net/news/PAHO-COVID-19-Pandemic-Contagions-Increase-in-Central-America-20200814-0017.html

Russia to Start the Production of Its COVID-19 Vaccine in Cuba
Telesur | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
Russia's Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Chief Executive Officer Kiril Dmitriev announced that Cuba could begin producing the COVID-19 vaccine, the Sputnik V, in November. | "Cuba has a large capacity to produce medicines and vaccines with highly qualified staff. We could | …
globalresearch.ca/russia-start-production-covid-19-vaccine-cuba/5721125

Covid-19: past, present and future
Ron Forthofer | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-14
The current pandemic continues to have a large negative impact on most aspects of our lives. Over 20.6 million have been infected and almost 750,000 have died worldwide (about 5.3 million infections and over 168,00 deaths in the US) due to this pandemic. Besides these horrific impacts, this pandemic has also made clearer the failure …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/covid-19-past-present-and-future/

COVID-19 Brakes Down The 2020 Cycling World Championships
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Wednesday announced that the cancelation of the 2020 Road World Championships due to COVID-19 measures taken in Switzerland, the host country. | RELATED: | Fabio Jakobsen Is Out Of The Coma, Doctors Reveal | The Swiss Federal Council ordered that events with over 1,000 visitors or involving over 1,000 people are prohibited until September 30. | Given these preventive measures, the Championships could not be carried out. Besides, the citizens of 45 coun…
telesurenglish.net/news/covid-19-brakes-down-the-2020-cycling-world-championships-20200814-0012.html

As Politicians Play With Our Lives, It's Hard to Imagine a Future Beyond COVID
William rivers Pitt | zcomm.org | 2020-08-14
For the first time in my life, there often seems to be no future, not really. The sense that there is little to hope for or look forward to but the end of this thing, and not dying before that end comes, can be staggering…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/as-politicians-play-with-our-lives-its-hard-to-imagine-a-future-beyond-covid/

Argentina Extends COVID-19 Restrictions Until August 30
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Argentina's government announced on Friday the extension of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic until August 30. | RELATED: | Argentina and Mexico to Produce Oxford's COVID-19 Vaccine | During an address to the nation, President Alberto Fernández also said that cities with increasing COVID-19 infections were returning to a more restrictive phase, the cities of Santiago del Estero and La Banda. | On the other hand, the Metropolitan Area of ‚Äã‚Ä&atil…
telesurenglish.net/news/Argentina-Extends-COVID-19-Restrictions-Until-August-30-20200814-0019.html

First two weeks of US school reopenings lead to massive spread of COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
Schools across the US continued to reopen for in-person classes this week, leading to the exposure of thousands of teachers and students to the deadly virus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/scho-a14.html

What Are the Truly Verifiable Facts Surrounding COVID-19?
David Skripac | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." | Those words, uttered by two-time Nobel Prize-winning chemist and physicist Marie Curie, are …
globalresearch.ca/what-truly-verifiable-facts-surrounding-covid-19/5721128

School That Suspended Student Documenting Lack of Social Distancing Goes Virtual
Chris Walker | zcomm.org | 2020-08-14
In spite of President Donald Trump's errant assurances that children are "almost definitely" immune from COVID-19, at least 97,000 kids in the United States tested positive for the disease in the last two weeks of July…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/school-that-suspended-student-documenting-lack-of-social-distancing-goes-virtual/

Open Letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci Regarding the Use of Hydroxychloroquine for Treating COVID-19
Dr. George C. Fareed | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
By George C. Fareed, MD Brawley, California Michael M. Jacobs, MD, MPH Pensacola, Florida Donald C. Pompan, MD Salinas, California | August 12, 2020 | Anthony Fauci, MD | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | Washington, D.C. | Dear Dr. Fauci: | You were …
globalresearch.ca/open-letter-dr-anthony-fauci-regarding-use-hydroxychloroquine-treating-covid-19/5721065

"Our lives don't matter to Ford": Tragic COVID-19 death of young contract worker covered up by management and the UAW
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
The death of a young worker at the Ford Van Dyke transmission plant from COVID-19 is the inevitable outcome of the brutal profit drive of the car companies, aided by the United Auto Workers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/ford-a14.html

Millions 'on the edge' in DR Congo, now in even greater danger of tipping over: WFP
news.un.org | 2020-08-14
Millions of lives could be lost to hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), amid escalating conflict and worsening COVID-19 transmission, the UN emergency food relief agency has warned, urging the international community to step up support for the African nation.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070212

People's World to co-sponsor Sunday town hall forum on unemployment crisis
People's World | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-14
Unemployment is at Depression levels, and with the new surge in COVID-19 infections, joblessness may grow still worse. The important HEROES Act, if passed over GOP objections in the Senate, will relieve only the crisis' most severe symptoms. Meanwhile the Trump administration, when not declaring the country "pandemic free" and attempting to bully workers back …
peoplesworld.org/article/peoples-world-to-co-sponsor-sunday-town-hall-forum-on-unemployment-crisis/

Battleground Beirut: Western Colony or Back to the East?
Pepe Escobar | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
This article was originally published on Asia Times. | As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social engineer a Great Reset, the Beirut tragedy is already being instrumentalized by the usual suspects to keep Lebanon enslaved….
globalresearch.ca/battleground-beirut-western-colony-back-east/5721082

How the American oligarchy profited on death
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
The United States set two milestones on Wednesday: 1,503 people died from COVID-19, and the S&P 500 stock index reached a new high.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/pers-a14.html

'Fidel Lives in Those Saved by Cuban Doctors' Ambassador Says
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Cuba's Ambassador to Canada Josefina Vidal took part in a virtual conference on the legacy of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution, which was held on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of his birth. | RELATED: | Cuba Receives Group of Doctors Who Faced COVID-19 in Kuwait | "Fidel Castro is still alive in each of the lives that our doctors save. He is alive in any corner of the world where people say 'Thank you Cuba'," Vidal said. | When the world is going through the COVI…
telesurenglish.net/news/Fidel-Lives-in-Those-Saved-by-Cuban-Doctors-Ambassador-Says-20200814-0004.html

Massive Evictions Will Compound the Public Health Crisis
Abayomi Azikiwe | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
Since March of this year the United States has been plunged into the worst outbreak of an infectious viral disease since the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920. | The impact of the COVID-19 outbreaks beginning in February and March has resulted in …
globalresearch.ca/massive-evictions-compound-public-health-crisis/5721093

Mexicans to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine for Free, AMLO Vows
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) Thursday announced that the COVID-19 vaccine, which was created by Oxford University and developed by AstraZeneca, will be distributed free of charge to all inhabitants of the country. | RELATED: | Argentina and Mexico to Produce Oxford ¥s COVID-19 Vaccine | He stressed that the Constitution, which establishes the right to health care, must be respected. As a result, Mexico will not select who will receive the vaccine. | "All…
telesurenglish.net/news/Mexicans-to-Receive-the-COVID-19-Vaccine-for-Free-AMLO-Vows-20200814-0006.html

Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script Day After Fucking Day
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-14
Imperialist pundit and Obama administration cold warrior Michael McFaul recently tweeted the following: | "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable (except for the extremely dubious claim that anyone ever reaches out to Michael McFaul). I am highlighting it because it is completely unremarkable. | New on…

Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script Day After Fucking Day

Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script Day After Fucking Day
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-14
tweeted the following: | "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable (except for the extremely dubious claim that anyone ever reaches out to Michael McFaul). I am highlighting it because it is completely unremarkable. | New on MoA: | Belarus — A U.S. Sponsored Color Revolution Is Underway t.co/aQMnrMmMPc pic.twitter.com/HJkFv…

Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script Day After Fucking Day

Bolivia: Workers Union Headquarters Gets Hit by Molotov Bombs
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
The Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) headquarters in La Paz was hit by two Molotov bombs launched by far-right groups that tried to break into the building on Thursday. | RELATED: | Bolivia: Armed Gangs Attack Workers Protesting Against Añez | Due to the explosion, the building's entrance was filled with broken glass from the vehicles parked at Pisagua Street. The headquarters' facade was also stained with red paint. So far, there are no casualties reported. | Police arrested six sus…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivian-workers-union-headquarters-hit-by-molotov-cocktails-20200814-0005.html

German court and state prosecutor ignore evidence of far-right terrorist network in Làºbcke trial
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
The long preparation time for the murder of Làºbcke and the close connections of the defendants to the violent neo-Nazi scene strongly suggest that there were other confidants or accomplices.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/lueb-a14.html

Planes Heard, Seen in Skies of Beirut before Blast
Alison Tahmizian Meuse | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
Military aircraft were heard, and in some cases seen, flying in the sky in the moments before the apocalyptic Beirut explosion, war-hardened residents of the Lebanese capital told Asia Times this week. | Araz Bedros, a resident of the Metn …
globalresearch.ca/planes-heard-seen-skies-beirut-before-blast/5721085

Limits of Ontario's Mineral Strategy: The Magino Mine Approval
Joan Kuyek | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
On June 11, 2020, 21 lakes, streams and wetlands in northern Ontario were re-characterized as a mine tailings impoundment for the proposed Magino gold mine. This magical transformation took place through Schedule 2 of the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent …
globalresearch.ca/limits-ontario-mineral-strategy-magino-mine-approval/5721115

Israel-UAE Agreement Does Not End Threat of Israeli Annexation
CJPME | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
In light of today's normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) warns that the threat of Israeli annexation remains as urgent as ever. A widely reported statement published …
globalresearch.ca/israel-uae-agreement-does-not-end-threat-israeli-annexation/5721102

Watching the Watchers: Canadian War Technologies in the Surveillance of US Anti-Racism Protests
Richard Sanders | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
As Canadians look back over the 75 years since the mass murders in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we should reflect on how this country has long punched above its weight when fighting to serve and protect imperialism. This is perhaps especially …
globalresearch.ca/canadian-war-technologies-surveillance-us-anti-racism-protests/5721087

US claims seizure of oil supplies bound for Venezuela, Iran contests claim
shweta | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-14
Iranian ambassador to Venezuela stated that the US claims of seizure of ships belonging to Iran was false and an attempt at "psychological warfare"
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/14/us-claims-seizure-of-oil-supplies-bound-for-venezuela-iran-contests-claim/

US claims seizure of oil supplies bound for Venezuela, Iran contests claim
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-14
Iranian ambassador to Venezuela stated that the US claims of seizure of ships belonging to Iran was false and an attempt at "psychological warfare"
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/14/us-claims-seizure-of-oil-supplies-bound-for-venezuela-iran-contests-claim/

South Korea: Doctors on Strike to Reject Training Plan
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Over a quarter of South Korea's medical clinics closed Friday as physicians protest against new plan to train more doctors. | RELATED: | South Korea: 13 Deaths And Over 1000 People Displaced By Floods | Moon Jae-in's administration plans to train 4,000 new medical students over the next 10 years, arguing the need to be better prepared for public health crises. | The Korea Medical Association (KMA) strongly opposed to an increase in the admission quotas…
telesurenglish.net/news/South-Korea-Doctors-on-Strike-to-Reject-Training-Plan-20200814-0001.html

US: Three Police Officers Indicted of Murdering a Black Man
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
U.S. Hinds County grand jury in Mississippi indicted three Jackson police officers for the death of a black man in 2019. | RELATED: | Lebanon: Beirut Blast Victims Call for International Enquiry | In January 2019, officers Desmond Barney, Lincoln Lampley, and Anthony Fox took George Robinson out of his vehicle, threw him violently against the pavement, and beat him on the chest and the head. | Robinson, a 62-years-old black man, died from encephalic hemorrhage due to head trauma…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-three-police-officers-indicted-of-a-black-man-murder–20200814-0014.html

Oil workers in Nigeria strike over withheld salaries
Pavan Kulkarni | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-14
Oil workers in Nigeria's public sector began a three day strike action on Wednesday, August 12. They are protesting against the non-payment of salaries for the last three months. The striking workers, who are members of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), held a demonstration outside the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. | The government has withheld their salaries because of their refusal to enroll on the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). IPPIS was introduced as a centralized automated platform to monitor and manage payments t…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/14/oil-workers-in-nigeria-strike-over-withheld-salaries/

Writing at a time of plague: Boccaccio, Dante, Petrarca, Chaucer
Jenny Farrell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-14
The Black Plague was the most devastating pandemic ever recorded, resulting in the deaths of between 75-125 million people. It peaked in Europe between 1347 and 1351, having come on Italian merchant ships from Asia via the Silk Road. In fact, the idea of quarantine originates in plague-stricken 14th-century Italy, when ships arriving in Venice …
peoplesworld.org/article/writing-at-a-time-of-plague-boccaccio-dante-petrarca-chaucer/

France holds joint military exercises with Greece, threatening Turkey
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
Mounting tensions between NATO powers threaten to blow up the alliance as the pandemic intensifies pre-existing conflicts over oil and strategic advantage.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/turk-a14.html

Pandemic Leads to More Precarious Housing Situation
Karen Conner | cepr.net | 2020-08-14
Over 20 million people lost jobs and wages during the initial months of the pandemic. In July 2020, the economy was still down nearly 13 million jobs from its February level. The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, included a number of provisions designed to replace lost income and keep …
cepr.net/pandemic-leads-to-more-precarious-housing-situation/

Trump doesn't even need Israel-UAE peace deal to actually succeed — just keep it viable till election to mark up as a victory
Scott Ritter | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-14
Trump announced that the US, Israel and the UAE have agreed to a plan that would trade …

Trump doesn’t even need Israel-UAE peace deal to actually succeed – just keep it viable till election to mark up as a victory

Learning from the hibakushas
Robert Koehler | zcomm.org | 2020-08-14
Waging peace is more complex than waging war, but we've given ourselves no choice but to take on the challenge. At long last…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/learning-from-the-hibakushas/

Episode 102 — White Fragility, Cancel Culture, and Over Policing with Darren Kawaii
Project Censored | projectcensored.org | 2020-08-14
On today's episode, Nicholas Baham II (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan Higdon host University of Los Angeles' Jeff Share. Along The Line is a non-profit, education-based podcast that provides listeners…
projectcensored.org/episode-102-white-fragility-cancel-culture-and-over-policing-with-darren-kawaii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=episode-102-white-fragility-cancel-culture-and-over-policing-with-darren-kawaii

EU Won't Accept Belarus Election Results, Sanctions Coming
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced on Friday that the block is refusing to recognize the presidential election results in Belarus, in which President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term. | RELATED: | Belarus: Thousands of People Arrested in Post-Election Protests | After a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Borrell twitted: "EU doesn't accept election results…
telesurenglish.net/news/EU-Doesnt-Accept-Belarus-Election-Results-Sanctions-on-the-Way-20200814-0020.html

Two Utah protesters face life in prison
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
Madalena McNeil and Marvin Oliveros are charged with daubing the Salt Lake City district attorney's office with red paint.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/utah-a14.html

Movement in Geneva, NY, continues daily protests despite threats, repression
Hannah Dickinson | liberationnews.org | 2020-08-14
On July 19, Geneva City Councior Frank Gaglianese said he wished that he "could have got a gun and shot the squares on my computer screen and killed everybody" who participated in a recent virtual forum on police accountability. .
liberationnews.org/movement-in-geneva-ny-continues-daily-protests-despite-threats-repression/

Oshkosh, WI: Coalition to March on the DNC and local partners plan to protest Trump's visit
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-14
Oshkosh, WI – The people of Wisconsin learned only days ago that President Donald Trump would be making his third visit to the state since the start of 2020, this time to the city of Oshkosh. Each previous time Trump came, to Milwaukee and then to Green Bay/Marinette, he was met by protests. This visit will be no different. | The Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention led the charge for both of those protests and is doing the same again. Several other organizations and allies have joined in the effort, including rank-and-file trade unionists and United Action Oshkosh (UAO). | UAO is a local orga…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/14/oshkosh-wi-coalition-march-dnc-and-local-partners-plan-protest-trump-s-visit

The US Renews Travel Ban With Mexico and Canada
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
The United States' land borders with Mexico and Canada will remain close to all non-essential travel for another 30 days, authorities announced on Friday. | RELATED: | US Government Bans Private Charter Flights to Cuba | U.S. Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, said that Both Canadian and Mexican partners had agreed to extend the limitation of travel until September 21. Authorities said that the measure could be extended for more time if necessary to tackle…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-US-Renews-Travel-Ban-With-Mexico-and-Canada-20200814-0021.html

Nearly Eight Million People Affected by Floods in India
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Almost eight million people are currently affected by floods in India's state of Bihar, while heavy rains worsened the situation in neighboring Nepal and discharged the Gandak dam. | RELATED: | India: A Plane Crashes At Landing During Monsoon Season | The water level of the Nepalese river of Gandak, a tributary of the left bank of India's Ganges River, is rapidly rising. Given the deteriorating situation, authorities advised people living in low-lying areas to shift to higher places.
telesurenglish.net/news/Nearly-Eight-Million-People-Affected-by-Floods-in-India-20200814-0022.html

Uruguay: Transport Workers to Start a 48-Hour Strike
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Uruguay's National Union of Transport Workers (UNOTT) Friday began a 48-hour strike to reject wage cuts and collective dismissals from the transport companies. | RELATED: | Uruguay: Social Development Ministry Forecasts More Poverty | UNOTT leader Juan Arellano said they decided to suspend their services due to the lack of progress in the negotiations with the transportation companies. Up to now, they have not agreed on any term for a salary reduction.
telesurenglish.net/news/Uruguay-Transport-Workers-to-Start-a-48-Hour-Strike-20200814-0011.html

Felony Charge Brought Against Native Organizer Over Minnesota Capitol Columbus Statue
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-14
Saint Paul, MN — The Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged Mike Forcia with Criminal Damage to Property — 1st Degree — Value Reduced Over $1000 for the toppling of the Christopher Columbus statue on June 10 at the Minnesota State Capitol grounds. | Although Mike Forcia…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/felony-charge-brought-against-native-organizer-over-minnesota-capitol-columbus-statue/

A great read for Fidel Castro's birthday
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-14
In honor of Fidel Castro's birthday, Fight Back! is circulating a speech he delivered on May 1, 2003. Castro was born on August 13, 1926. Enjoy. | | Cuba's achievements and America's wars | | Distinguished guests; | | Dear fellow Cubans: | | Our heroic people have struggled for 44 years from this small Caribbean island just a few miles away from the most formidable imperial power ever known by mankind. In so doing, they have written an unprecedented chapter in history. Never has the world witnessed such an unequal fight. | | Some may have believed that the rise of the empire to…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/13/great-read-fidel-castro-s-birthday

Just 1 percent of the US Pentagon budget could end world hunger
George Stacey | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-14
The war machine must go on and keep on growing or, more than likely they'll end up out of an occupation.
nationofchange.org/2020/08/13/just-1-percent-of-the-us-pentagon-budget-could-end-world-hunger/

Guterres 'deeply concerned' over environmental threat posed by stricken oil tanker off Yemen coast
news.un.org | 2020-08-14
The UN chief is "deeply concerned" about the condition of the FSO Safer oil tanker, moored off the western coast of Yemen, his spokesperson said on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070272

The Heat: UAE-Israel agree to normalize relations
Anand Naidoo | america.cgtn.com | 2020-08-14
The UAE and Israel announce an historic peace deal establishing diplomatic relations after more than four decades.
america.cgtn.com/2020/08/14/the-heat-uae-israel-agree-to-normalize-relations

Potato harvest in Hamedan province
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-14
HAMEDAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Farmers of Hamedan province, west Iran, cultivate potato in some 22 to 24 thousand hectares of farms annually.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162238/Potato-harvest-in-Hamedan-province

Yemen condemns UAE's 'betrayal'
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-14
TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Yemen's Supreme Political Council has strongly slammed as 'betrayal' the UAE's decision to normalize ties with the occupying Zionist regime.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162249/Yemen-condemns-UAE-s-betrayal

Top climate economists make case for US to recommit to Paris Agreement
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-14
Recommitting to the Paris agreement would reap significant economic benefits for the US, say leading climate economists and policy experts.
imperial.ac.uk/news/201933/top-climate-economists-make-case-us

Best COVID-19 vaccine 'may not be the first'
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-14
In a week in which Russia approved its 'Sputnik V' coronavirus vaccine, a leading Imperial expert sounds a note of caution on the need for data.
imperial.ac.uk/news/202033/best-covid-19-vaccine-first

Best COVID-19 vaccine 'may not be the first'
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-14
In a week in which Russia approved it's 'Sputnik V' coronavirus vaccine, a leading Imperial expert sounds a note of caution on the need for data.
imperial.ac.uk/news/202033/best-covid-19-vaccine-first

Imperial researchers receive Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-14
Two researchers working on advanced biomedical imaging and developing new lubricants have been awarded new fellowships.
imperial.ac.uk/news/201894/imperial-researchers-receive-royal-academy-engineering

Twitter against Trump: It's all about truth
Florian Rotzer & Thomas Schuster | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
Trump's track record in the summer of the 2020 pandemic is disastrous, 1K deaths every day with a total of around 150K. More than 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits. Trump is trying to turn Biden into the destroyer of America. Trump is deliberatively working on the image of a dystopia that he claims only he can prevent.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835922.php

Fisher KIPP Malcom X Academy Room & Land Grab To Bust Up Public School
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
The KIPP charter run by Doris Fisher and her family who own the GAP corporation are suing the San Francisco Unified School District to grab more rooms from the Malcom X Academy in Hunters Point/Bay View for their KIPP privately run school. These white corporate billionaires and millionaires on the KIPP board want to destroy the Malcom X Academy public School.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835909.php

Saturday 8/15: SF Chinatown Walkway Weekends
Eva Lee | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
Chinatown, Grant Avenue from California to Washington Streets…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835906.php

Leaking Fossil Fuel Wells: An Economic, Health, and Climate Crisis
Sarah Heins | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
Leaking oil and gas wells in California are a health, economic, and climate crisis. The government needs to hold fossil fuel companies responsible to protect their citizens.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835919.php

Stimulus spending to promote clean energy as a vehicle for environmental justice
Olivia Baaten | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
Issues of environmental justice have been highlited in recent events, and it is high time that the nation take action. Minorities are disproportionately affected by Coronavirus, an issue which is exacerbated by environmental injustice. Low interest rates make the current hour opportune for clean energy stimulus spending, which would serve the state where fossil fuels have failed.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835898.php

Friday 8/21: San Francisco: March for the Dead, Fight for the Living
Vigil for Democracy | indybay.org | 2020-08-14
San Francisco: meet at Crissy Field Warming Hut, 983 Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129; | then march across Golden Gate Bridge…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835914.php

US Space Force Faults Russia, China For 'Militarizing Space'
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
US defense leaders have firmly pointed the finger at Russia and China as the raison d'etre for the US Space Force (USSF), claiming the nations have "militarized space," requiring the US to respond. However, what is really threatened is US space superiority, as the Pentagon has tested space weapons for decades. US Space Command has raised warning bells about the challenging of US superiority in space since at least its 1997 "Vision for 2020," but it was only in December 2019 that the USSF was formally created by US President Donald Trump. | In February 2020, Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay"
popularresistance.org/us-space-force-faults-russia-china-for-militarizing-space/

US Seizes Iranian Oil From Four Tankers En Route To Venezuela
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
The Trump administration has seized the cargo of four tankers it was targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela, U.S. officials said Thursday, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against the two heavily sanctioned allies. | Last month, federal prosecutors in Washington filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the sale was arranged by a businessman with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. At the time, sanctions experts thought it would be impossible to enforce the U.S. court order in international waters. | A senior U.S. official…
popularresistance.org/us-seizes-iranian-oil-from-four-tankers-en-route-to-venezuela/

Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Making Some Acts Of Protest Felonies
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
The Tennessee legislature passed a sweeping proposal on Wednesday that would increase penalties against some protesters who have camped outside the statehouse in Nashville for months demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality. | State lawmakers in the majority-white Tennessee General Assembly passed the measure in a nearly party-line vote in both chambers. The bill, which is now headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee's desk, would punish those who illegally camp on state property — as protesters have outside the state Capitol for months — with a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor. | Cla…
popularresistance.org/tennessee-lawmakers-pass-bill-making-some-acts-of-protest-felonies/

BLM Activists Hospitalized After Police Kneel On Her Neck
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
Protesters said Jae Passmore had been leaving a demonstration in downtown Tampa on Wednesday night when she was detained by police, The Tampa Bay Times reported. | In on video shared on Instagram, Passmore is seen being pinned to the ground by several officers as protesters shout at them to free her. | "Stop! Get your knee off her neck!" A protester can be heard repeatedly yelling. Another is heard screaming: "Get off of her like that!"
popularresistance.org/blm-activists-hospitalized-after-police-kneel-on-her-neck/

Minneapolis Reneging On George Floyd Promises
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-14
At the height of the Minneapolis rebellion, a majority of the city council announced they would move towards "disbanding" their police force, in response to Black Lives Matter "abolition" demands. It turned out that what the councilpersons were actually proposing was a name change, retaining a force of armed cops in a new "Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention" with a "holistic, public health-oriented" mission. But even this palliative was too much for the Minneapolis Charter Commission, which voted to delay putting the police reorganization question on the November ballot, effectively killing th…
popularresistance.org/minneapolis-reneging-on-george-floyd-promises/

Australian paper invokes wrath of woke Twitter by quoting Biden's own words in allegedly 'racist' cartoon about him and Harris
rt.com | 2020-08-14
The Australian is under fire for publishing an allegedly racist cartoon that depicts US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden referring to his running mate Kamala Harris as "this little brown girl." | The cartoon by artist Johannes Leak was published in Rupert Murdoch's The Australian newspaper earlier this week, in an apparent attempt to deride the US Democratic party for perceived tokenism and racially motivated pandering, according to the paper's editor-in-chief, Christopher Dore. | Here's your little reminder of how ludicrously racist Australian commercial media are. This is in the country's only nat…
rt.com/usa/498009-little-brown-girl-australian-cartoon/

Spain bans OUTDOOR smoking and shuts nightclubs & discos as Covid-19 cases spike
rt.com | 2020-08-14
Madrid has rolled out a new set of anti-coronavirus measures, shutting down some public venues and banning smoking in the street without social distancing. It comes as some 3,000 new cases of Covid-19 are being reported daily. | The new nationwide restrictions were announced on Friday by Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa. The official didn't give a precise timeframe for when the restrictions would come into force, saying only that it would be within the next few days. | Young people must be particularly careful, Illa stressed, urging them to show "discipline" and follow "the measures, just like older peopl…
rt.com/news/498032-spain-coronavirus-restrictions-smoking/

'Health risks far too great': Iconic 'Tribute in Light' display to honor 9/11 victims 'put out' over CORONAVIRUS fears
rt.com | 2020-08-14
Towering beams of light representing the Twin Towers will not be part of this year's 9/11 commemoration, with event organizers saying that a highlight of the anniversary is now canceled due to coronavirus concerns. | The memorial said that it had made "an incredibly hard decision" to cancel the spectacle, but since "a large crew" is required to make it happen, the event entails "far too great" of a risk amidst the coronavirus pandemic. | Instead of the annual display that first pierced the skies over New York City in 2002 — visible all the way to Northern New Jersey and Long Island — the museum said…
rt.com/usa/497984-9-11-tribute-cancelled-coronavirus/

Trump says he HOPES Russian Sputnik V vaccine works, but US will soon roll out one too
rt.com | 2020-08-14
President Donald Trump has expressed the hope that the world's first registered Covid-19 vaccine from Russia will work, but he says the US could have its own ready very soon, after a lengthier trial process. | Production of Russia's Covid-19 vaccine has already begun, and 500 million doses are expected to have been made within the next 12 months. The jab, dubbed 'Sputnik V', is supposed to offer protection from the coronavirus for up to two years. | Asked about the rapidly developed vaccine at a Friday press conference, Trump said he hoped the vaccine would be effective, but claimed the US may soon have good n…
rt.com/usa/498067-trump-russia-covid-vaccine/

More than a third of Americans would not want a Covid-19 vaccine if offered — poll
rt.com | 2020-08-14
According to a new poll, 35 percent of Americans will choose not to get vaccinated for the novel coronavirus when the option becomes available — and that number turns out to be similar along all major demographics. | Only 60 percent of US citizens want to get the vaccine, a Friday NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found, with 5 percent still unsure. | The numbers don't seem to shift dramatically when breaking the statistics down by political af…
rt.com/usa/498023-third-americans-not-want-vaccine/

Infowars reporter Millie Weaver 'arrested' mid-premiere of her whistleblowing investigation into 'shadow government'
rt.com | 2020-08-14
Investigative reporter Millie Weaver and her husband have reportedly been arrested at the same time her documentary on the US "shadow government" was being screened on YouTube, sending Conservative Twitter into theory overdrive. | Weaver's "arrest" at the couple's home — which has yet to be confirmed by authorities — was initially reported by Infowars on Friday, shortly after the YouTube premiere of her documentary film "ShadowGate." The film purports to expose the secrets of the massive 'Deep State' intelligence apparatus manipulating politics within the US and beyond its borders, based on the repor…
rt.com/usa/498072-millie-weaver-documentary-arrest-shadowgate/

Megachurch sues California, challenging state over ban on large religious services while allowing massive protests
rt.com | 2020-08-14
A California church has sued the state, arguing it was hypocritical to restrict religious services because of the Covid-19 pandemic while allowing political gatherings, such as Black Lives Matters protests, to rumble on. | Grace Community Church in suburban Los Angeles filed the suit on Thursday, saying Governor Gavin Newsom and other state and city officials have violated California's constitution by applying pandemic regulations unequally. | "It is time for California to explain how it can justify banning worship to prevent the spread of a disease (with an overall mortality rate of 0.02 percent) while it is…
rt.com/usa/497978-california-church-covid-suit/

DOJ confirms 'largest-ever US seizure of Iranian fuel' on 4 ships bound for Venezuela
rt.com | 2020-08-14
The US has seized some 1.116 mn barrels of Iranian fuel aboard 4 ships headed for Venezuela, the Justice Department has confirmed, hinting at "assistance" from "foreign partners" and declining to reveal where the grab took place. | The agency hailed what it called the largest-ever US seizure of Iranian fuel in a statement on Friday, revealing Washington had nabbed the sanctions-skirting cargo en route to Venezuela with the assistance of unspecified "foreign partners." | The statement appeared to…
rt.com/usa/498038-doj-confirms-iranian-tankers-seized/

CNN finally 'pressured' into covering story of Cannon Hinnant, five-year-old 'executed' by black neighbor
rt.com | 2020-08-14
The death of Cannon Hinnant, a white 5-year-old allegedly killed by a black man, was finally given brief coverage by CNN — after nearly a week of accusations that mainstream media was burying the story to fit a narrative. | Hinnant's death has been a hot topic on Twitter for almost a week, with thousands drawing attention to his story, but attracting little to no mainstream media coverage. | Darius Sessoms, 25, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing the five-year old who was playing in the front yard of his North Carolina home on Sunday. The incident was witnessed by Hi…
rt.com/usa/498059-cannon-hinnant-murder-cnn/

EU does not accept Belarus election results, preparing sanctions — Foreign policy chief Borrell
rt.com | 2020-08-14
The European Union is refusing to recognize election results in Belarus and is preparing sanctions over the 'rigged' vote and the heavy-handed police response to protests, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has confirmed. | The EU "doesn't accept election results" in Minsk, Borrell tweeted on Friday evening, adding that work has begun on "sanctioning those responsible for violence [and] falsification" of the vote. | Concluded good and constructive #FAC. | Eastern Med: Full solidarity w/ Greece&Cyprus; calling Turkey for immediate dee…
rt.com/news/498060-eu-sanctions-belarus-election/

Thousands of workers march to Belarus parliament from Minsk tractor factory as protests intensify (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-14
Demonstrators left the protest-hit Minsk Tractor Works and headed towards government facilities in the center of the capital shortly after the country's prime minister arrived at the factory to talk to workers. | The march on Friday comes amid a wave of anti-government protests in Belarus. The plant, also known by the abbreviation MTZ, is one of the biggest employers in the Belarus capital, giving jobs to some 15,000 people. A significant part of the staff took to the streets of Minsk chanting "Leave" to incumbent President Aleksandr Lukashenko and calling on workers from other plants to join them. | The march…
rt.com/news/498031-minsk-tractor-protest-march-parliament/

Oregon State Police withdraw from Portland as DA declines to prosecute rioters & looters arrested during protests
rt.com | 2020-08-14
Oregon state troopers have pulled out of Portland, leaving local police to handle ongoing protests in the city soon after the county district attorney said he would not prosecute most of those apprehended amid the unrest. | The move was confirmed late on Thursday by Oregon State Police (OSP) spokesman Tim Fox, who said the department had left Portland after its two-week commitment to defend a federal courthouse in the city ended on Wednesday night. | "At this time we are inclined to move… resources back to counties where prosecution of criminal conduct is still a priority. [Wednesday] night was our last nigh…
rt.com/usa/497982-oregon-police-withdraws-prosecution/

'You're being used as cannon fodder': Lukashenko urges people to STAY HOME, blames protests on foreign meddling
rt.com | 2020-08-14
President Aleksandr Lukashenko has called upon Belarusian citizens to not "go into the streets" and to avoid protests, blaming foreign agents for stoking the unrest that has gripped the country after the controversial election. | "Don't go out into the streets now! Understand that you and your children are being used as cannon fodder," Lukashenko said Friday, during a meeting with the country's National Security Council. | They've already come here in large numbers from Poland, the Netherlands, Ukraine, from this 'Open Russia' — [Russian opposition figure Alexey] Navalny and so on and so forth. The aggres…
rt.com/news/497969-belarus-lukashenko-protests-aggression/

'Not treated fairly'? Trump appears to soften on 'Snowden a traitor' stance, as supporters renew calls for pardon
rt.com | 2020-08-14
Despite having called National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden a "traitor" numerous times in the past, President Donald Trump now acknowledges that the former CIA contractor may have been "treated unfairly." | "There are a lot of people that think that he is not being treated fairly. I mean, I hear that," Trump told The New York Post, in an interview about Snowden, the former Central Intelligence Agency subcontractor best known as the whistleblower who exposed…
rt.com/usa/498069-trump-edward-snowden-pardon/

'Stop 2020 from becoming 1984': Fortnite developer sues Apple & Google after game YANKED from stores in in-app payment row
rt.com | 2020-08-14
The company behind Fortnite has all but declared war on big tech after the game was pulled from Apple's App Store and Google Play, thanks to a recent update that skirted mandatory fees for in-app payments. | The popular title was scrubbed from the App Store following a major update on Thursday, which allowed players to make direct payments to Fortnite developer Epic Games, circumventing a 30 percent fee required on the platform. In response, Epic has sued Apple, accusing the company of "anti-competitive restrain…
rt.com/usa/497983-epic-games-sues-apple-google/

US Postal Service struggles to explain DISAPPEARING mailboxes as Trump declares war on mail-in voting
rt.com | 2020-08-14
The US Postal Service has given conflicting reasons why mailboxes are being removed from Portland, as a vicious partisan tug-of-war over mail-in voting comes to a head, with President Trump vowing to block funding to the agency. | After several images of USPS trucks being loaded up with street-side mailboxes in Portland and nearby Eugene went viral, Postal Service spokesman David Rupert told local media his agency was merely replacing old, vandalized post boxes with "newer, more secure models." | Insisting "every location that had a collection box will keep a collection box," Rupert consoled nervous locals tha…
rt.com/usa/498036-mailboxes-vanished-confused-usps-election/

Billie Eilish Set to Perform During Next Week's DNC Event
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States, the Democratic Party will stage its 2020 National Convention virtually on Monday 17 August. Expected to take place over four nights, until Thursday 20, the event will see former US Vice President Joe Biden officially accepting the party nomination for the 2020 US election.
sputniknews.com/us/202008141080173937-billie-eilish-set-to-perform-during-next-weeks-dnc-event/

Caracas Calls US, EU Joint Statement on Creation of Venezuelan Transitional Gov't 'Absurd'
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Friday that a new joint statement by a group of concerned countries, including the United States and the European Union, in which Caracas was urged to create a transitional government, was absurd and dictated by Washington.
sputniknews.com/latam/202008141080174341-caracas-calls-us-eu-joint-statement-on-creation-of-venezuelan-transitional-govt-absurd/

US Formalizes Sale of 66 F-16 Jets to Taiwan Amid Heightened China Tensions
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
Taiwan has formally signed an agreement to buy 66 of Lockheed Martin's latest F-16 jets, marking the first sale of advanced fighter jets to Taiwan since 1992, when then-US President George H.W. Bush approved the sale of 150 F-16s.
sputniknews.com/military/202008141080174696-us-formalizes-sale-of-66-f-16-jets-to-taiwan-amid-heightened-china-tensions/

US Postal Service Warns 46 States, DC, of Possible Delay of Mail-in Ballots in November Election
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in the United States prompted election officials to encourage mail-in voting for the upcoming US presidential election in November, with incumbent President Donald Trump voicing strong opposition against voting by mail for several months, claiming that the practice could lead to "fraud".
sputniknews.com/us/202008141080174713-us-postal-service-warns-46-states-of-possible-delay-of-mail-in-ballots-in-november-letter-reveals/

US to Follow Through on Promise to 'Stop at Nothing' to Extend Iran Arms Embargo in Coming Days
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
Earlier in the day, the UN Security Council rejected a resolution aimed at extending the arms embargo against Iran, ahead of its expiration in October.
sputniknews.com/us/202008141080174831-us-to-follow-through-on-promise-to-stop-at-nothing-to-extend-iran-arms-embargo-in-coming-days/

Pompeo Regrets UNSC Rejected 'Reasonable' Resolution on Extension of Iran Arms Embargo
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
Iran has faced arms a United States embargo since 2007, now set to expire in two months under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, from which the US unilaterally withdrew in May 2018.
sputniknews.com/us/202008141080174445-pompeo-regrets-unsc-rejected-reasonable-resolution-on-extension-of-iran-arms-embargo/

UAE-Israel Deal: How Breakthrough Agreement Could Help Keep Netanyahu in Power
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
While the deal between Israel and the UAE has received mixed reaction, with Palestinians recalling their ambassador and Turkey threatening to follow suit, experts say that it is only a matter of time until more countries join the chorus for peace.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008141080173424-uae-israel-deal-how-breakthrough-agreement-could-help-keep-netanyahu-in-power/

'Self-Fulfilling Policy': US Troops Chasing 'Terrorism' in 23 African Nations Actually Foster It
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-14
A shocking new report by a South African paper has revealed US Special Forces are operating in 23 different African countries. A journalist told Sputnik that while Washington says its forces aim to combat terrorism, in reality their presence fosters it.
sputniknews.com/analysis/202008141080174545-self-fulfilling-policy-us-troops-chasing-terrorism-in-23-african-nations-actually-foster-it-/

With Harris Pick, Dems Cede Election to Trump
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-14
We haven't even reached the DNC convention in Milwaukee next week and the election season is already over. Former Vice President and (presumptive) Democratic Party Nominee Joe Biden picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. | She is the first non-white woman to be so 'honored.' | But that's not a pick designed to win an election, that's a white flag of surrender. | Harris ran one of the worst primary campaigns in recent memory, trying desperately to be the 'black' Hillary Clinton. She crashed out in spectacular fashion. If there is a better example of being tone-deaf to what voters want in a woman candida…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/14/with-harris-pick-dems-cede-election-to-trump/

The Great Firewall of Washington and Its Consequences
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-14
After years of calling President Trump a dictator he finally gave the people what they wanted, with his administration taking a page right out of the Communist Party textbook on how to run the internet inside of one's own country. Mike Pompeo recently rolled out a press release detailing the " Clean Network to Safeguard America's (online) Assets" which is essentially going be a sort of anti Great Firewall of China keepin…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/14/the-great-firewall-of-washington-and-its-consequences/

Bloody Chicken: Inside the American Poultry Industry During the Time of COVID
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-14
Joseph GROSSO | One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. is the momentary spotlight it shined on the meatpacking industry. Working conditions inside packing plants were exposed in the sheer number of workers who were infected with the virus. Exact numbers are elusive but thousands of cases have been confirmed along with up to 100 deaths. Meanwhile, meatpacking workers were deemed 'essential.' | On April 28th, President Trump went as far as invoking the Defense Production Act compelling meat processors to remain open. This came two days after the chairman of Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat-producing co…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/14/bloody-chicken-inside-american-poultry-industry-during-time-of-covid/

Iran brands UAE-Israel deal a stab in the back to 'all Muslims'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-14
Iran has strongly condemned a historic deal establishing full diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. It's called the move a stab in the back to all Muslims. | A statement from the country's foreign ministry, reported by state TV on Friday 14 August, called the normalising of ties between the two countries a dangerous, "shameful" measure. Moreover, It warned the UAE against Israel interfering in the "political equations" of the Persian Gulf region. The statement said: The UAE government and other accompanying governments must accept responsibility for all the consequences of this ac…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/08/14/iran-brands-uae-israel-deal-a-stab-in-the-back-to-all-muslims/

Belarus authorities free hundreds detained after election protests
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-14
Belarusian authorities have released hundreds of people who were detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger over a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests.Scores of detainees were seen walking out of a jail in the capital, Minsk, at around midnight on 13 August. Early on 14 August, volunteers also saw at least 119 detainees being released in the nearby ?ity of Zhodino.Ambulances arrived to carry those who were apparently unable to walk on their own.Relatives and friends greet people released from a detention centre where protesters w…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/08/14/belarus-authorities-free-hundreds-detained-after-election-protests/

Pressure over A-level grades mounts as Gavin Williamson faces calls to resign
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-14
Pressure is mounting on the government over its handling of the exams system after thousands of pupils in England had their results downgraded.It comes as protesters gathered outside Downing Street on 14 August calling for education secretary Gavin Williamson to be sacked.Prime minister Boris Johnson has insisted that he has confidence in Williamson and described the system as "robust".Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has faced calls to resign (Stefan Rousseau/PA)On 14 August, Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Commons Education Committee, expressed concern that the model used by Ofqual to modera…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/14/pressure-over-a-level-grades-mounts-as-gavin-williamson-faces-calls-to-resign/

Trump's New Racist Campaign Strategy Is Tweeting Mugshots of Black People
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
Donald Trump's campaign has been tweeting mugshots of Black people out on bail in an effort to instill fear in voters about a future Joe Biden presidency. | The tweets featured the mugshots and full names of four Black defendants in Minnesota who had been released on bail money raised by the Minnesota Freedom Fund in the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody. | "Donovan Boone is a vi…
truthout.org/articles/trumps-new-racist-campaign-strategy-is-tweeting-mugshots-of-black-people/

Pence Says Trump Outperformed Obama on Jobs, Forgetting 20 Million Lost in April
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
Vice President Mike Pence, appearing on Fox News on Wednesday evening, made an outlandish claim about job growth under his and President Donald Trump's tenure. | While discussing with host Sean Hannity their supposed accomplishments, Pence also suggested that the Trump administration had done a better job than former President Barack Obama's administration (and by extension, former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running for president against Trump) had done when it came to job creation.
truthout.org/articles/pence-says-trump-outperformed-obama-on-jobs-forgetting-20-million-lost-in-april/

Public Health Officials Are Quitting or Getting Fired in Throes of Pandemic
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
Vilified, threatened with violence or in some cases suffering from burnout, dozens of state and local public health officials around the U.S. have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become. | One of the latest departures came Sunday, when California's public health director, Dr. Sonia Angell, was ousted following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results [mda…
truthout.org/articles/public-health-officials-are-quitting-or-getting-fired-in-throes-of-pandemic/

McConnell Adjourns Senate for Month-Long Recess Without Deal on COVID Relief
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned the U.S. Senate for the rest of August on Thursday after failing to come anywhere close to approving another Covid-19 relief package, leaving tens of millions of out-of-work, hungry, and eviction-prone Americans without additional financial aid as the pandemic and economic crisis continue with no end in sight. | "During the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans think they can take a long vacation whil…
truthout.org/articles/mcconnell-adjourns-senate-for-month-long-recess-without-deal-on-covid-relief/

Are Outdoor Classrooms a Solution to the Disaster of School Reopenings?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
With some districts already in the trenches of the back-to-school season — opening only to quickly close again to contain outbursts of COVID-19 — education officials across the United States continue to offer three major options for the fall semester: in-person instruction in brick-and-mortar classrooms, remote learning, and a hybr…
truthout.org/articles/are-outdoor-classrooms-a-solution-to-the-disaster-of-school-reopenings/

Expert: Israel and UAE Deal Is Being Falsely Characterized as a Peace Deal
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
In a deal brokered by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues. Under the deal, Israel has also agreed to temporarily halt plans to annex occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, which had already been on hold due to international condemnation. We speak with Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, who says the…
truthout.org/video/expert-israel-and-uae-deal-is-being-falsely-characterized-as-a-peace-deal/

Trump Rolls Back Methane Rule as Bankrupt Permian Drillers Ignore Venting Flares
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-14
On Thursday, the Trump administration rolled back Obama-era rules designed to rein in fugitive methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas routinely emitted from leaking oil and gas infrastructure — commonly from unlit flares that, when ignited, are designed to burn off methane as carbon. | Methane emissions, which have 80 times the heat-trappi…
truthout.org/articles/trump-rolls-back-methane-rule-as-bankrupt-permian-drillers-ignore-venting-flares/

Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama Agree: Trump's Attack on Postal Service a Direct Assault on 2020 Election
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
Both Sen. Bernie Sanders and former President Barack Obama on Friday raised alarm over President Donald Trump's open attempt to sabotage the U.S. Postal Service, which Trump is refusing to provide with emergency funding. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/postal_service_coronavirus_3_0_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/14/bernie-sanders-and-barack-obama-agree-trumps-attack-postal-service-direct-assault?cd-origin=rss

Biden Must Listen to the Demands of the Left
Edward Hardy | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the former vice president, arrives for a rally at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi on March 8, 2020. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_2_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/14/biden-must-listen-demands-left?cd-origin=rss

Critical Assessment of Kamala Harris for Vice President
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
The Vice Presidency has always gotten a degree of bad press in the US political system. Its ineffectuality is sometimes lost on the occupant, though not on John N. Garner, who considered it "not worth a bucket of warm spit." …
globalresearch.ca/kamala-harris-vp/5721073

Centro CSO Condemns LAPD S.W.AT. Swarming BLM Leader's Home
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-14
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO). | The morning of August 12, 2020 the private residence of Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles co-founder Dr. Melina Abdullah was swarmed by an LAPD SWAT team. With their semi-automatic rifles pointed at her home, the team stood surrounding her home in tactical gear. | "We looked out the front window, and two officers stood and put their assault rifles and pointed them directly at us," Abdullah said at a Cal State L.A. press conference. "And I realized they came for me. And they called out my addre…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/13/centro-cso-condemns-lapd-swat-swarming-blm-leader-s-home-0

Extreme Moderation in the Spittoon: Kamala Harris for VP
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-14
The Vice Presidency has always gotten a degree of bad press in the US political system. Its ineffectuality is sometimes lost on the occupant, though not on John N. Garner, who considered it "not worth a bucket of warm spit." (R. G. Tugwell in The Brains Trust suggests that the measure "quart" was used.) Two …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/extreme-moderation-in-the-spittoon-kamala-harris-for-vp/

Iran reports 169 more virus deaths, over 2,500 cases
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
At least 169 more coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 19,331, the Health Ministry said Friday.Some 2,501 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the overall count up to 338,825, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 293,811 patients have recovered so far, while 3,956 are hospitalized in critical condition. Over 2.81 million tests have been conducted in Iran to date.Iran is struggling to contain the pandemic since February, when the first cases were confirmed in the holy city of Qom.The coronavirus pandemic has claimed…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-reports-169-more-virus-deaths-over-2500-cases-3536852

US declined Russia's help offer on vaccine: Report
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
The US allegedly declined Russia's help offer over the coronavirus vaccine, Russian officials told CNN. | The officials, who spoke anonymously, said Thursday that they proposed "unprecedented cooperation" with the US' Operation Warp Speed, a governmental program that aims to begin delivering millions of doses of an effective virus vaccine by the end of 2020. However, they claimed the US "is not currently open" for cooperation. | The remarks came days after Russia announced Tuesday it had developed a coronavirus vaccine. | They added that Russia maintains its will to share information about the vaccine and allow t…
yenisafak.com/en/world/us-declined-russias-help-offer-on-vaccine-report-3536846

North Korea's Kim says no to foreign flood aid
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
Addressing Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim said: "The situation, in which the spread of the worldwide malignant [COVID-19] virus has become worse, requires us not to allow any outside aid for the flood damage but shut the border tighter and carry out strict anti-epidemic work," state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.At least 39,296 hectares of land was marooned due to the ongoing rainy season and Kangwon, North and South Hwanghae provinces and Kaesong City were hit badly.At least 16,680 houses and over 630 public buildings were destroyed or inundated beside…
yenisafak.com/en/news/north-koreas-kim-says-no-to-foreign-flood-aid-3536853

Syed Ali Geelani: Adamant fighter for Kashmiri rights
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
In recognition of his lifelong struggle for Kashmiris, Pakistan on its 74th Independence Day on Friday, awarded veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani Nishan-e-Pakistan — country's highest civilian honor.Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also among the recipients of the prestigious award.In late June, the 90-year-old leader stepped down from the leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a forum of more than two dozen Kashmir-based pro-freedom parties.The Nishan-e-Pakistan award, on behalf of Geelani, was received by APHC leaders from Pa…
yenisafak.com/en/news/syed-ali-geelani-adamant-fighter-for-kashmiri-rights-3536847

'Turkey will respond to any harassment in Eastern Med'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
Turkey will respond to any Greek harassment of its energy exploration ship Oruc Reis in the Eastern Mediterranean, the country's foreign minister warned Friday."Greece should avoid maximalist policies in the region," Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu told a joint press conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis in Bern.The warning came on the same day as an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting by video link at Athens' request on the Eastern Mediterranean issue.On France declaring it would boost its military presence in the region,àáavu≈üoƒülu said: "France s…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-will-respond-to-any-harassment-in-eastern-med-3536850

Erdogan: Turkey may suspend ties with UAE over Israel deal
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey was considering closing its embassy in Abu Dhabi and suspending diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates over its accord to normalise ties with Israel.Erdogan was speaking to reporters in Istanbul after the Turkish Foreign Ministry said history will never forgive the "hypocritical behaviour" of the UAE in agreeing such a deal.
yenisafak.com/en/world/erdogan-turkey-may-suspend-ties-with-uae-over-israel-deal-3536845

Turks in Greece still being denied their rights
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-14
For decades, the Turkish minority in Greece has faced government-imposed hurdles to exercising its fundamental rights on education, religious affairs, and the recognition of its ethnic identity. | Greece's Western Thrace region — in the country's northeast, near the Turkish border — is home to a substantial, long-established Muslim Turkish minority numbering around 150,000. | Several recent developments have cast a harsh spotlight on the problems of Turks in Greece, including a decree restricting the autonomy of the mufti Muslim clerics, land belonging to a Muslim religious foundation being sold off t…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turks-in-greece-still-being-denied-their-rights-3536854

Australia: Residents left to die as COVID-19 sweeps through Victorian aged care facilities
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
Aged care workers are being denied admission to hospitals, in a policy that amounts to social murder.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/care-a13.html

How the Guardian Betrayed Not Only Corbyn But the Last Vestiges of British Democracy
Jonathan Cook | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/how-the-guardian-betrayed-not-only-corbyn-but-the-last-vestiges-of-british-democracy/

Forget Your Feelings About Trump, Say Allies of NSA Whistleblower, 'Snowden Pardon Would Be a Major Win'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
"Edward Snowden is a patriot. Our democracy is better off because of him," tweeted the ACLU. "As we said four years ago, the president should pardon him." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/snowden_3_0_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/14/forget-your-feelings-about-trump-say-allies-nsa-whistleblower-snowden-pardon-would?cd-origin=rss

Denounced as Going 'Too Far' When Sanders Said It—American Bar Association Backs Full Voting Rights for Incarcerated People
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
Bolstering a proposal which was denounced by centrists and conservatives as going "too far" in the fight for voting rights when Sen. Bernie Sanders backed it, the American Bar Association announced its support for full enfranchisement for current and former prison inmates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voting_rights_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/14/denounced-going-too-far-when-sanders-said-it-american-bar-association-backs-full?cd-origin=rss

This Pandemic Brings Out the Worst in Our CEOs
Jim Hightower | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
The Covid-19 crisis has "amplified one of the worst flaws in our society, namely the 'me-first' greed of corporate chieftains," writes Hightower. (Photo: iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ceo_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/14/pandemic-brings-out-worst-our-ceos?cd-origin=rss

Campaigners Warn UK's Covid-19 Vaccine Deals With Novavax and Janssen Threaten Fair Global Distribution
commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/14/campaigners-warn-uks-covid-19-vaccine-deals-novavax-and-janssen-threaten-fair?cd-origin=rss

Further Escalating Tensions, Trump Administration Seizes Alleged Iranian Fuel Bound for Venezuela
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, Hojad Soltani, said that neither the ships nor their owners are Iranian but did not address whether the gasoline came from his country. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bella_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/14/further-escalating-tensions-trump-administration-seizes-alleged-iranian-fuel-bound?cd-origin=rss

Housing Crisis by the Numbers: Trends and Disparities in Housing Insecurity Before and During the Pandemic
commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/14/housing-crisis-numbers-trends-and-disparities-housing-insecurity-and-during?cd-origin=rss

Outrage in Oregon After Federal Agents Teargas Protesters Who 'Held the Line Against Injustice' by Blocking Bus With Deportees
Lisa Newcomb, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-14
"The actions by federal troops are all too familiar, designed for political headlines, meant to intimidate & strike fear into our communities instead of keeping us safe." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty_dhs_image.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/14/outrage-oregon-after-federal-agents-teargas-protesters-who-held-line-against?cd-origin=rss

Yanis Varoufakis in Conversation with Daniel Denvir
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-14
counterpunch.org/2020/08/14/yanis-varoufakis-in-conversation-with-daniel-denvir/

Pan African Pride Focuses on LGBTQ Community Decriminalization
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Pan-African Pride event started on Friday with a three-day online program to discuss ethnicity, identity, activism, and social imaginary on LGBTQ+ communities. | RELATED: | China Calls to Reject US Interference in 5G Cooperation | "More people are online due to the coronavirus, and so we thought it was a good time to reach out virtually to the LGBTQI people living in Africa," event organizer Kehinde Bademosi said. | The event focuses on African no-heteronormative and non-conformist…
telesurenglish.net/news/pan-african-pride-focuses-on-lgbtq-community-decriminalization–20200814-0018.html

Iran Condemns UAE-Israel Deal And Calls It Strategic Stupidity
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-14
Iran's Foreign Affairs Ministry Friday strongly attacked the agreement signed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and called it a "strategic stupidity." | RELATED: | PM Netanyahu Enjoys the "Last Supper of Democracy" in Israel | Tehran called the deal an act of "strategic stupidity from Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv which will undoubtedly strengthen the resistance axis in the region." | The Ministry also warned the UAE government and the other signing parts that they "must accept…
telesurenglish.net/news/iran-condemns-uae-israel-deal-and-calls-it-strategic-stupidity-20200814-0003.html

The November Election Is About Race
Paul Craig Roberts | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-14
Everyone knows it, but few will admit it, that the election is about race. The Democrat Party and the presstitutes have set it up that way. White Americans are the target. | Years of propaganda against "white racism" have succeeded in teaching black Americans that they are victims of "white privilege." The same propaganda has instilled in white liberals and the young a strong sense of race guilt. The sense of guilt is so strong that the majority of the violent protests and threatening marches through white neighborhoods are carried out by white people under Antifa and Black Lives Matter banners. | The Democrat ma…

The November Election Is About Race

Has COVID-19 Paved the Way for an Independent Scotland?
Johanna Ross | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-14
It has been one of the worst periods in our global history. But for Scottish Nationalists, the pandemic was the crisis needed to escalate the independence cause. In the latest poll on Scottish independence, now 53% support it, with 47% …
globalresearch.ca/has-covid-19-paved-way-independent-scotland/5721111

Sri Lankan prime minister admits US is behind Colombo Port deal with India
wsws.org | 2020-08-14
The Colombo Port workers' struggle has demonstrated that the US and India want Sri Lanka tied to their strategic and military moves against nuclear-armed China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/14/port-a14.html

The Greater Quiet
Steve Brodner | thenation.com | 2020-08-14
The Greater Quiet…
thenation.com/article/activism/coronavirus-illustrations/

US Military Presence: Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries
Alan MacLeod | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
A new report published in South African newspaper The Mail and Guardian has shed light on the opaque world of the American military presence in Africa. Last year, elite U.S. Special Operations forces were active in 22 African countries. This …
globalresearch.ca/new-report-reveals-us-special-forces-active-22-african-countries/5721011

Amazon workers speak out against inadequate safety measures
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
As the company makes money hand over fist from the pandemic's boost to online retail sales, hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers labor for long hours in unsafe conditions at Amazon's fulfillment centers.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/amaz-a13.html

Hong Kong Elections Postponed: And where aren't they?
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-13
Today, the Western press went absolutely mental again, radically schizophrenic. Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, declared that the September 6 elections in SAR would be postponed by one year. Right away, she offered a rational explanation: "We have 3 million voters going out in one day across Hong Kong, such flow of people would cause …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/hong-kong-elections-postponed-and-where-arent-they/

UN Chief: Pandemic Must Be Met With Commitment to Peace
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-13
"Covid-19 is a human tragedy, but we can mitigate the impacts by the choices we make." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/covid-commitment-lasting-peace.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/13/un-chief-pandemic-must-be-met-commitment-peace?cd-origin=rss

Tennessee GOP Targets Racial Justice Movement by Turning Encampment Protests Into Felonies Punishable by Prison Term
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-13
"Bonus penalty for exercising your protest rights in an unapproved manner: you lose your voting rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tennessee-felony-camp-out-protesters.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/13/tennessee-gop-targets-racial-justice-movement-turning-encampment-protests-felonies?cd-origin=rss

The Ongoing Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange
William Hogan | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Published by The Lancet on June 25, 2020. | **** | On Feb 17, 2020, Doctors for Assange demanded an end to the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange.1 Yet no responsible authority has acted. Nils Melzer, the UN …
globalresearch.ca/ongoing-torture-medical-neglect-julian-assange/5720887

How the US helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-08-13
While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to…
thegrayzone.com/2020/08/13/us-lebanon-sanctions-regime-change/

The Case Against Trump Is "Open and Shut": Kamala Harris Slams President's Handling of Pandemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-13
As Kamala Harris, the first woman of color on a major presidential ticket, hits the campaign trail with Joe Biden for the first time, we play an extended excerpt of her address, in which she blasts President Trump's handling of the economy, immigration, racial justice and the coronavirus pandemic. "The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut," Harris says.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/13/kamala_harris_address_2020_election

General Strike & Blockade in Bolivia Enter Day 11 as Protesters Condemn Delayed Vote by Coup Gov't
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-13
We go to Bolivia, where opponents of the coup government have entered day 11 of a general strike and nationwide highway blockade to protest the repeated postponement of Bolivia's first presidential election since last year's ouster of Evo Morales by the right-wing coup government of Jeanine àÅñez, which was followed by an economic collapse and oppression. "Almost all of the key highways have roadblocks … bringing the country to a standstill," says Ollie Vargas, Cochabamba-based reporter with Kawsachun News. "People feel impoverished. They feel persecuted. There's a climate of authoritarianism in the count…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/13/bolivia_general_strike_ollie_vargas

Was Kamala Harris a Progressive Prosecutor? A Look at Her Time as a DA & California Attorney General
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-13
As Senator Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman of color on a major party ticket, we host a debate on her record as California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, when she proudly billed herself as "top cop" and called for more cops on the street. San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Niki Solis says Harris was the state's most progressive DA and advocated for "so many policies and so many alternatives to incarceration." Law professor Lara Bazelon says Harris was on the wrong side of history for often opposing criminal justice reform, though her record did change as a senator. "Her o…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/13/kamala_harris_prosecutorial_record_2020_election

Ilhan Omar defeats Corporate Democrat, Israel Lobbies in Overwhelming Primary Victory
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
Although the Israel lobbies put a lot of money into defeating Omar, the issues on which she won, of progressive policing and health care, were largely disconnected from the geopolitical ones where her straight talk had attracted so much vitriol to her…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/ilhan-omar-defeats-corporate-democrat-israel-lobbies-in-overwhelming-primary-victory/

Bolivia: Political Strike Shuts Down Country
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
Once again, a scenario of multiple crises that began with the November coup defines Bolivia's future. De facto President Jeanine àÅñez's main achievement was to unleash a shameless wave of racist repression against Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS) and the Aymara and Quechua Indigenous peoples. | àÅñez kept none of the promises she made to pacify the people after the November coup, nor did she offer any assistance to the poor during the twin crises of COVID-19 and the ensuing economic collapse.
popularresistance.org/bolivia-political-strike-shuts-down-country/

Racism revoked: Georgia shop apologizes for saying it would charge only white customers $20 to book appointments
rt.com | 2020-08-13
A vintage clothing store in Savannah, Georgia has backed down from a plan to charge only white customers a $20 fee to book appointments to shop, saying it had been slammed with both negative feedback and threats of lawsuits. | Civvies on Broughton announced the new fee on Monday, as it was reopening by appointment only, after being shut down because of Covid-19. The refundable whites-only $20 deposit was introduced because the shop's mostly white staff and owners didn't feel comfortable "upholding a digital financial barrier which could prohibit BIPOC [black, indigenous and other people of color] from shopping…
rt.com/usa/497971-georgia-shop-white-discrimination/

Freedom Rider: TikTok and the War on China
Margaret Kimberley | mronline.org | 2020-08-13
Every charge that Trump and his minions make against Chinese companies is true for US corporations, which have been spying on Americans and the rest of the world for decades.
mronline.org/2020/08/13/freedom-rider-tiktok-and-the-war-on-china/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=freedom-rider-tiktok-and-the-war-on-china

The organic intellectual: Remembering Samir Amin two years on
Samir Amin | mronline.org | 2020-08-13
'In our era, when we consider the destructive (ecological and military) might at the disposal of the powers-that-be, the risk, denounced by Marx in his time, that war will end up destroying all the opposing camps, is real. The alternate path demands the lucid and organized intervention of the internationalist front of workers and peoples.'…
mronline.org/2020/08/13/the-organic-intellectual-remembering-samir-amin-two-years-on/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-organic-intellectual-remembering-samir-amin-two-years-on

PDF of Aug. 13 issue
A. Majumdar | workers.org | 2020-08-13
Download the 12-page PDF. Political strike shuts down Bolivia UNIONS PUSH BACK: No school reopening; On the picket line; Unions say: 'Cops out!' Student-athletes organize; Honoring Negro National Leagues; A profitable disaster; Editorial Anti-racist vote for class unity; Terror against im/migrants; Mumia: A matter of history. Editorial: Anti-racist vote for . . . | Continue reading PDF of Aug. 13 issue at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50559/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pdf-of-aug-13-issue

Wednesday 8/12: Action: Demand Congress Include All Immigrants in the Next COVID Stimulus Bill
United We Dream | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Online action…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835880.php

"Real politics is constant activism"
Noam Chomsky | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
Interview on the pandemic, the election, the word Bernie Sanders needs to stop using, the Harper's letter, the 1619 Project, patriotism, and the greatest social movement in U.S. history…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/real-politics-is-constant-activism/

Palestinian Rights Advocates Refuse to Applaud Israel-Trump-UAE Deal That Upholds 'Ongoing, Devastating Apartheid'
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-13
"The Trump administration hit upon the Nobel Peace Prize-winning idea that you can supposedly solve the Israel-Palestine conflict by pretending Palestinians don't exist." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-963302842_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/13/palestinian-rights-advocates-refuse-applaud-israel-trump-uae-deal-upholds-ongoing?cd-origin=rss

Belarus — A Color Revolution of a Different Shade?
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Belarus in turmoil, after an election where the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko — 25 years already in power (in office since 1994) — has won with 80% of the popular vote. That's what the official stats and media say. True …
globalresearch.ca/belarus-color-revolution-different-shade/5720981

Making Excuses for Trump: Where Does the Buck Stop?
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
One might make the case that Donald Trump was elected president on the antiwar vote. Running against Hillary the Hawk it was, of course, relatively easy to position oneself as a critic of the endless wars started and sustained under …
globalresearch.ca/making-excuses-trump/5720992

Making Excuses for Trump: Where Does the Buck Stop?
Philip Giraldi | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-13
The bloom is off the rose after four years of blundering, but it is still surprising to hear an occasional voice defending Trump's foreign policy. | One might make the case that Donald Trump was elected president on the antiwar vote. Running against Hillary the Hawk it was, of course, relatively easy to position oneself as a critic of the endless wars started and sustained under the Bush and Obama administrations. Even though we Americans had heard similar noises from those very same gentlemen when they were running for office, many socially conservative voters like myself were nevertheless attracted by yet anoth…

Making Excuses for Trump: Where Does the Buck Stop?

The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria?
Ramzy Baroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-13
On August 4, hours before a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an ominous warning to Lebanon. "We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this," Netanyahu said during an official tour of a military facility …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-politics-of-war-what-is-israels-endgame-in-lebanon-and-syria/

Testing and medical insurance: a profitable disaster
Sara Flounders | workers.org | 2020-08-13
Drive-through COVID-19 testing in Bergen County, N.J. These tests were a "partnership" of state government with Quest Diagnostics and Walmart stores hosting the sites. In the midst of a capitalist crash and an out-of-control health crisis, two mega-industries that bear a heavy burden of responsibility for the health disaster are . . . | Continue reading Testing and medical insurance: a profitable disaster at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50577/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=testing-and-medical-insurance-a-profitable-disaster

Why Cuba is winning the fight against COVID-19
Nathaniel Chase | workers.org | 2020-08-13
Nathaniel Chase This article is a lightly edited version of a talk given Aug. 6 during the Workers World webinar entitled, "War on the Working Class: a Socialist Response." I'd like to talk about another country's response to the new coronavirus. The steps it has taken to protect its workers' . . . | Continue reading Why Cuba is winning the fight against COVID-19 at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50561/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-cuba-is-winning-the-fight-against-covid-19

A voice from New Orleans schools: 'Are we gonna be alive?'
| workers.org | 2020-08-13
Big-E By Big E New Orleans This slightly edited talk was given at the Aug. 6 Workers World Party webinar, "War on the Working Class: the Socialist Response," which featured education workers. Big E is an activist with New Orleans Workers Group. Thank you, everybody out there, and much love . . . | Continue reading A voice from New Orleans schools: 'Are we gonna be alive?' at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50582/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-voice-from-new-orleans-schools-are-we-gonna-be-alive

Video: Ukraine Is Hovering Between New War and Economic Collapse
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
On July 27, a next "complete and all-encompassing ceasefire" between Kiev troops and self-defense forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) started in eastern Ukraine. This is the most recent in a series of attempts to …
globalresearch.ca/video-ukraine-hovering-between-new-war-economic-collapse/5720969

What if the Beirut Explosion Was an Attack?
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
On August 11, 3 Israeli battle tanks crossed a technical fence on the Israeli-Lebanese contact line, the official Lebanese News Agency reported. | According to the Lebanese side, Israeli forces broke through the technical fence in the town of Mays al-Jabal …
globalresearch.ca/what-beirut-explosion-attack/5720964

Is Joe Biden Cognitively Impaired? President Kamala Harris?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
If elected president in November, Joe Biden will be age-78 when entering office in January. | His political career since 1972 as US senator, vice president, and presidential aspirant elevated him to national prominence with high public name recognition. | He's only …
globalresearch.ca/joe-biden-cognitively-impaired-president-kamala-harris/5721022

US Supreme Court rules ballot access petitioning must proceed during coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
In a one paragraph order with no legal explanation provided, the US Supreme Court overturned a decision by a trial judge in Oregon relaxing ballot access requirements in consideration of the restrictions imposed on public interaction during the pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/cour-a13.html

Supreme Court Rejects Gop Effort To Force Rhode Islanders To Risk Their Health To Vote During Covid-19 Pandemic
commondreams.org | 2020-08-13
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/13/supreme-court-rejects-gop-effort-force-rhode-islanders-risk-their-health-vote?cd-origin=rss

Landmine blast kills 5 from single family in Afghanistan
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
A landmine blast in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Thursday killed at least five civilians and injured six others, all members of a single family, officials confirmed.Jamal Nasir, spokesman for the local police command, told Anadolu Agency the incident took place in the province's Panjwai district. He said women and children are among the dead and wounded.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, apparently aimed at the family members of a local police commander.Condemning the attack, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani urged the Taliban to respond positively to calls for peace and to stop pl…
yenisafak.com/en/world/landmine-blast-kills-5-from-single-family-in-afghanistan-3536749

Venezuelan Oil Output Remains at Historic Lows as Sanctions Continue to Bite
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-08-13
US sanctions have caused the Caribbean nation to lose three oil supertankers.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14967

Why a Growing Force in Brazil Is Charging That President Jair Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
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.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/why-a-growing-force-in-brazil-is-charging-that-president-jair-bolsonaro-has-committed-crimes-against-humanity/

Why a Growing Force in Brazil Is Charging That President Jair Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
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. "We meet colleagues and feel a heavy energy, a lot of pressure, a block," Rodrigues says. She is the vice president of Sinsaúde Campinas, a trade union of health workers. | …
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/why-a-growing-force-in-brazil-is-charging-that-president-jair-bolsonaro-has-committed-crimes-against-humanity/

"The Very Prescription is to Stay Home": What it's Like to be Evicted During a Global Pandemic
Leila Rafei | aclu.org | 2020-08-13
One of the first and most fundamental safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic is to shelter in place. But that may soon become impossible for millions of people as eviction moratoriums begin to lift across the country. Tens of millions have lost their jobs due to the pandemic itself, and many are still unemployed. , , Kansas City resident Tiana Caldwell is one of them. In March, she was laid off from her job teaching business skills at a local community college. Her husband, Derrick, lost his job around the same time. Both had dedicated years of hard work to their jobs, which they loved, but in the fa…
aclu.org/news/racial-justice/the-very-prescription-is-to-stay-home-what-its-like-to-be-evicted-during-a-global-pandemic

October Surprise: Will War with Iran be Trump's Election Eve Shocker?
Bob Dreyfuss | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Was Donald Trump's January 3rd drone assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani the first step in turning the simmering Cold War between the United States and Iran into a hot war in the weeks before an American presidential election? …
globalresearch.ca/october-surprise-will-war-iran-trump-election-eve-shocker/5720955

Climate Activists Push Biden to Cut Ties With Industry-Friendly Energy Advisers
Candice Bernd | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
"We must work to get in climate hawks who understand that every fossil fuel permitting decision is a potential step away from 1.5 degrees."
zcomm.org/znetarticle/climate-activists-push-biden-to-cut-ties-with-industry-friendly-energy-advisers/

Biden Must Listen to the Demands of the Left
Edward Hardy | progressive.org | 2020-08-13
The Democratic nominee needs to embrace progressive policies, or risk losing to Trump in November.
progressive.org/dispatches/biden-must-listen-to-the-left-hardy-200813/

America Doesn't Have Real Presidential Debates, But It Should
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
On August 6, the Commission on Presidential Debates denied US president Donald Trump's request to increase the number of debates between himself and Democratic nominee Joe Biden from three to four. Trump's case: The expansion of voting by mail means that many ballots will have been cast before the first scheduled fake debate on September…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/america-doesnt-have-real-presidential-debates-but-it-should/

Report charges US-Saudi arms sale ignored civilian casualties
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
The report on the $8.1 billion arms deal came amid fresh reports from Yemen of atrocities caused by US-supplied Saudi warplanes and munitions.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/arms-a13.html

Climate Crisis Demands Diverse Leadership
Jennie C. Stephens | progressive.org | 2020-08-13
With more diverse leadership, there is hope for innovative climate and energy policy that places social, economic and racial justice at its core.
progressive.org/op-eds/climate-crisis-diverse-leadership-stephens-200813/

U.S. the world leader in both health and economic disaster
John Wojcik, Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-13
With more than 5 million cases, the U.S. is the world leader in the numbers of people infected with the deadly coronavirus. To top that off, jobless figures released today show that at least 30 million are unemployed, with the actual number estimated to be well over 50 million. The percentage of people who are …
peoplesworld.org/article/u-s-the-world-leader-in-both-health-and-economic-disaster/

Self-Help in the Coronavirus Depression
Jeremy Brecher | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
Self-help strategies like rent strikes and mutual aid may develop in response simply as a means of survival. But that doesn't mean they can't also be the starting point for collective action for something…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/self-help-in-the-coronavirus-depression/

Blight and Revelation: Coronavirus, Austerity and the UK
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Epidemiologist Michael Marmot begins his August 10 piece in The Guardian on a sombre note. It is drawn from The Plague by Albert Camus. "The pestilence is at once blight and revelation; it brings the hidden truth of a corrupt …
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-austerity-uk/5720988

VIDEO: The "Lock Step" Simulation Scenario: "A Coronavirus-like Pandemic that Becomes Trigger for Police State Controls"
Helen Buyniski | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
First published on February 5, 2020. In-depth analysis of the Simulation of a pandemic conducted in 2010 under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation. | By now, those following the novel coronavirus epidemic are familiar with Event 201, the pandemic simulation…
globalresearch.ca/all-sectors-us-establishment-lock-step-deep-states-latest-bio-war/5702773

Wall Street continues to feed on death and economic devastation
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
Since the crisis of mid-March when the market plunged and the financial system froze, Wall Street's S&P 500 index has risen by 50 percent on the back of government corporate bailouts and the pumping out of trillions of dollars by the Fed.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/wall-a13.html

Watch: "Woke" Corporations Supporting Black Lives Matter Quietly Funding Police
MintPress News Desk | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-13
A report from the Public Accountability Initiative exposes how corporate America is bankrolling police departments across the country, including many of the same ones facing scrutiny over racist practices.
mintpressnews.com/watch-woke-corporations-supporting-black-lives-matter-quietly-funding-police/270387/

Don't Stigmatise the Nuke! Opponents of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/dont-stigmatise-the-nuke-opponents-of-the-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty/

Time to Face — and Plan for — Our Very Different Future
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
Most animals on the planet have no ability to conceive of the future. While some, such as squirrels, ants and pikas put away seeds, and grizzly bears lay on the fat for winter hibernation, most animals resemble grasshoppers, living in the present with no concept of the coming frost. Humans, however, have the ability to…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/time-to-face-and-plan-for-our-very-different-future/

The Stimulus Deal Should Include Free College
Margot Rathke | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
The Covid-19 crisis bill currently under negotiation should both extend student loan relief and offer free college for young people facing limited job opportunities. Hayat Rahmeto is one recent college graduate who has decided to go back to school while the economy is in shambles. After graduating from college last year, she moved back in…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/the-stimulus-deal-should-include-free-college/

Teaching Torture: The Death and Legacy of Dan Mitrione
Brett Wilkins | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
In the pre-dawn darkness of Monday, August 10, 1970, Dan Mitrione's bullet-ridden body was discovered in the back seat of a stolen Buick convertible in a quiet residential neighborhood of Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital. He had just turned 50, and he had recently started a new dream job, although it was thousands of miles from his home in Richmond, Indiana. Who was Dan Mitrione, and what work was he doing in Uruguay that led him to such an early and violent end? | …
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/teaching-torture-the-death-and-legacy-of-dan-mitrione/

Teaching Torture: The Death and Legacy of Dan Mitrione
Brett Wilkins | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
In the pre-dawn darkness of Monday, August 10, 1970, Dan Mitrione's bullet-ridden body was discovered in the back seat of a stolen Buick convertible in a quiet residential neighborhood of Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital. He had just turned 50, and he had recently started a new dream job, although it was thousands of miles from…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/teaching-torture-the-death-and-legacy-of-dan-mitrione/

Bolivia's Perfect Storm: Pandemic, Economic Crisis, Repressive Coup Regime
Richard Fidler | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Introduction | The rising toll of diseased and deceased from the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Bolivia particularly hard, in a continent that is now in the lead in global contagion rates. As of August 8, more than 100,000 cases were officially …
globalresearch.ca/bolivia-perfect-storm-pandemic-economic-crisis-repressive-coup-regime/5720954

Bolivia's perfect storm: Pandemic, economic crisis, repressive coup regime
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-13
The rising toll of diseased and deceased from the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Bolivia particularly hard, in a continent that is now in the lead in global contagion rates.
mronline.org/2020/08/13/bolivias-perfect-storm-pandemic-economic-crisis-repressive-coup-regime/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bolivias-perfect-storm-pandemic-economic-crisis-repressive-coup-regime

Disbelief and Denial in the West as Russia Produces First COVID Vaccine
Johanna Ross | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
'Startling and confusing' proclaimed Science magazine. 'Reckless and foolish' said US vaccine scientist Peter Hotez. 'Dangerously rushed' said the journal Nature. Western scientists are in denial. The first vaccine against the disease which has dominated all our lives for …
globalresearch.ca/disbelief-denial-west-russia-produces-first-covid-vaccine/5721005

Beirute, Arena de Guerra: colà¥nia ocidental ou retorno ao oriente?
Pepe Escobar | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Assim como os 0,001% instrumentalizaram a Covid-19 para engendrar o Grande Recomeàßo ( Great Reset), os suspeitos de sempre já està£o instrumentalizando a tragédia de Beirute para manter o Líbano escravizado. | O atual governo libanês liderado pelo Primeiro Ministro …
globalresearch.ca/beirute-arena-de-guerra-colonia-ocidental-ou-retorno-ao-oriente/5721050

Fed-up women health workers lead strike of 3.5 million across India
Kathy Durkin | workers.org | 2020-08-13
Workers around the world are demonstrating against their governments' policies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. From South America to Asia, political protests and strikes are taking place. In many countries, health workers are in the lead, as they are on the front lines in this massive medical crisis. They . . . | Continue reading Fed-up women health workers lead strike of 3.5 million across India at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50567/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fed-up-women-health-workers-lead-strike-of-3-5-million-across-india

New outbreak of COVID-19 in New Zealand
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government failed to undertake mass testing and left the country unprepared for a second outbreak of COVID-19.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/nzcv-a13.html

WHO chief calls for solidarity in financing, ensuring equal access to future COVID-19 vaccine
news.un.org | 2020-08-13
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that six months after first sounding the international alarm over COVID-19, the UN agency is now intensely focused on shepherding global vaccine candidates through the necessary trials, and guaranteeing rapid, fair and equitable access to them for all countries.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070162

"We face a system incapable of solving the problems of the youth and the people
Muhammed Shabeer | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
Aritz Rodríguez Galán, president of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, talks about the centrality of youth in anti-racism protests, COVID-19 relief work and the building of a better world…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/we-face-a-system-incapable-of-solving-the-problems-of-the-youth-and-the-people/

Growing wave of protests across the US against school openings
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
Across the US, thousands of teachers, education workers, parents and students are mobilizing to oppose the unsafe reopening of schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/scho-a13-1.html

Protest against COVID Disinformation and Social Engineering
John C. A. Manley | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
This month, the revolution against COVID-19(84) totalitarianism has been rising up with about a million protestors in Berlin and somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 in Montreal. While these are positive signs, I also am concerned that we are fighting …
globalresearch.ca/how-awaken-others-covid-hoax-rousing-highest-aspects-cognition/5720961

A Real Democratic World Government Is the Solution to the COVID-19 Crisis
Roger Copple | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
The Deep State represents many wealthy capitalists who influence organizations like Big Pharma, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum, Big Oil, Big Agriculture, the military-industrial complex, the CIA, Wall Street, the Bilderbergers, and those that profit from the …
globalresearch.ca/democratic-world-government-best-solution-covid-19-pandemic-utilized-world-economic-forum/5721016

Russia's vaccine intensifies global struggle for profits and geopolitical advantage
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
Vladimir Putin's announcement Tuesday that Russia has officially approved a COVID-19 vaccine has intensified the global conflict between national powers and pharmaceutical giants to be the first to mass produce and market a vaccine for the deadly virus.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/vacc-a13.html

Extractivism and Exploitation in Peru
Yanis Iqbal | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Martin Vizcarra, Peru's president, has announced that "[t]his government has taken up the challenge and has been working on the approval of a new regulation for mining procedures in order to streamline those procedures." The regulation "aims to provide …
globalresearch.ca/extractivism-exploitation-peru/5721003

Will Trump-MBS Shore Up Iraq's Corrupt Ruling Families in Return for Keeping US Troops? Iraq-Iran Relationship in Crisis?
Zayd Alisa | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Iraq's new Prime Minister Mustafa al Khadimi's, decision to make Saudi Arabia rather than Iran his first destination abroad contradicted with what all his predecessors had done. It was designed to send a clear message indicating that he has …
globalresearch.ca/will-trump-mbs-shore-up-iraq-corrupt-ruling-families-keeping-us-troops/5721000

Spying on Journalists
Judge Andrew Napolitano | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Last week, this column argued that the only constitutional role for armed federal forces in Portland, Oregon, was to assist U.S. marshals in protecting federal property and personnel there — in this case, the federal courthouse and those who come …
globalresearch.ca/spying-journalists/5720991

Lukashenko Wins the Election, but His Biggest Fight May be Yet to Come
Johanna Ross | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko may have won a solid victory with 80.23% of the vote, according to the election commission, but the ground on which he is standing is not as firm as it once was. The President of Belarus says …
globalresearch.ca/lukashenko-wins-election-biggest-fight-yet-come/5720959

Black People Confront Racist Violence
Abayomi Azikiwe | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Since the May 25 police execution of George Floyd in Minneapolis, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest racist violence. | Cities across the United States were impacted by the blocking of streets and highways along …
globalresearch.ca/black-people-arming-confront-racist-violence/5720974

US Color Revolutions: From Eastern Europe to Egypt, Iran, Now Lebanon
Karsten Riise | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
It is necessary to study, how US color-techniques are applied for regime-change in Egypt (Tahrir) — Iran (Green Movement) and now Lebanon (Cedar Revolution + "Day of Rage"). | The US engineering of these all-but-spontaneous undercover "Color …
globalresearch.ca/us-color-revolutions-east-europe-egypt-iran-lebanon/5721013

'Urgent need' to stop erosion of nuclear order, major UN disarmament forum hears
news.un.org | 2020-08-13
The lack of trust and cooperation among States, and the diminished faith in "the very multilateral institution that was designed to maintain global peace and security", must be overcome, a high-level UN official told a prominent disarmament conference on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070142

Smoking Gun: Crisis? What Crisis?
progressive.org | 2020-08-13
A timeline of the pandemic warning signs ignored by the Trump Administration.
progressive.org/magazine/smoking-gun-crisis-timeline-200514/

UN rights experts express 'outrage' at Belarus police violence against peaceful protesters
news.un.org | 2020-08-13
UN human rights experts on Thursday, strongly criticized the level of violence being used by security forces across Belarus against peaceful protesters and journalists, following five days of demonstrations over the disputed presidential election.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070172

Haitian teachers protest school reopening
Haitian Popular News Agency | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
Several dozen teachers and activists organized a rally on Monday August 10 outside of the Haitian Ministry of National Education and Professional Training. They were protesting against the decision taken unilaterally by the Minister Pierre Josué Agénor Cadet to reopen schools, which was done without consulting other actors that are crucial to the proper functioning of the Haitian education system. They also demanded better working conditions for teachers in Haiti. | "We do not have a problem with reopening schools, it is normal that it happen, but it would be necessary for it to be planned in complete collaborati…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/haitian-teachers-protest-school-reopening/

Lebanon's Gov't Resigns, But Protesters Demand Structural Change
Ziad Abu-Rish | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
"The fall of cabinets and even the holding of early parliamentary elections are not necessarily signs that fundamental transformation is underway in Lebanon"
zcomm.org/znetarticle/lebanons-govt-resigns-but-protesters-demand-structural-change/

This Is Amerika: Where Fascism, Totalitarianism and Militarism Go Hand In Hand
John W. Whitehead | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-13
In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem. — Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981 There's a pattern emerging if you pay close enough attention. Civil discontent leads to civil unrest, which leads to protests and counterprotests. Without fail, what should be an exercise in how …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/this-is-amerika-where-fascism-totalitarianism-and-militarism-go-hand-in-hand/

Post-election protests leave Belarus at a crossroads
Abdul Rahman | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
Alexander Lukashenko's re-election for a sixth consecutive presidential term on August 9 has sparked major protests, dividing political groups and citizens in Belarus like never before. At least two people have lost their lives and over 200 have been wounded in police violence against the protesters calling for Lukashenko's removal. A large number of protesters have taken to the streets seeking political change, despite massive state repression. At the same time, significant sections are worried about the outcome of the protests and the changes sought by the demonstrators, and are still on guard. The protests are…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/post-election-protests-leave-belarus-at-a-crossroads/

Deaths of children in northeast Syria 'could have been averted': UNICEF
news.un.org | 2020-08-13
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed "deep alarm" over reports that eight children — all under the age of five — have died in Syria's Al Hol camp, where several thousand children are languishing in dire conditions.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070122

From Juneteenth in Minneapolis to Jawnteenth in Philadelphia
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-13
Minneapolis, MN — The historic movement for Black lives that has recently permeated the globe reinvigorated 2020's Juneteenth celebrations. On June 19, 2020, Unicorn Riot reporters documented from two of these celebrations; 'Jawnteenth' in West Philadelphia and a celebration in North Minneapolis at a Cub…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/from-juneteenth-in-minneapolis-to-jawnteenth-in-philadelphia/

Canada and the United States resume aluminum tariff war
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
An unholy alliance of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the federal Liberal government, and the United Steelworkers and Unifor trade unions is whipping up Canadian nationalism to justify retaliatory tariffs in answer to Trump's "America First" protectionism.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/alum-a13.html

Real Life Heroes: on a journey towards quality healthcare
news.un.org | 2020-08-13
In the remote Lamu region, on the northeast coast of Kenya, quality healthcare is hard to come by. Every month, medical staff from Safari Doctors, an NGO founded by Umra Omar, set sail on a boat filled with medicines, to provide free basic medicines to hundreds of marginalized inhabitants in several coastal villages.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1069892

The explosion in Beirut
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
(Tricontinental: Institute of Social Research has published a Red Alert on the recent explosion in Beirut. You can also view the Red Alert here) | In the early evening of August 4, a fire broke out in Warehouse 12 at the Port of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon (population 6.8 million, including over a million refugees). An enormous plume of smoke rose from the fire, which was then overshadowed by an explosion whose powerful force tore outwards and shattered parts of Beirut. The port was immediately leveled; the pressure wave reached around 15 kilo…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/the-explosion-in-beirut/

PM Keith Rowley claims victory in general elections in Trinidad and Tobago
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
According to Trinidadian trade unionist Ozzi Warwick, Rowley's neoliberal policies remain a matter of concern but his competitor towed a dangerous anti-integration, pro-Trump line…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/pm-keith-rowley-claims-victory-in-general-elections-in-trinidad-and-tobago/

Rally marks 42nd anniversary of police attack on MOVE
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2020-08-13
Mike Africa Jr. addresses rally at location of the old Powelton Village MOVE headquarters as supporters hold portraits of MOVE 9 members. Hundreds rallied at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Aug. 8 to mark the 42 years since the police riot at the MOVE house in Powelton Village. Demonstrators . . . | Continue reading Rally marks 42nd anniversary of police attack on MOVE at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50572/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rally-marks-42nd-anniversary-of-police-attack-on-move

Pursuing initiatives of Coronavirus Task Force a must
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that pursing the initiatives of the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus is mandatory.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162223/Pursuing-initiatives-of-Coronavirus-Task-Force-a-must

Iran registers 2,625 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,625 people and claimed 174 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162222/Iran-registers-2-625-COVID-19-cases-in-24-hours

Zarif to leave Tehran for Lebanon on Friday
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — A number of Lebanese media outlets reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will leave Tehran for Beirut on Friday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162226/Zarif-to-leave-Tehran-for-Lebanon-on-Friday

Zarif arrives in Beirut
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) –Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Beirut to hold talks with top Lebanese officials.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162230/Zarif-arrives-in-Beirut

US sanctions against Iran failed: Nobakht
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Head of Plan and Budget Organization (PBO) Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said that the implementation of economic plans and development projects in the country indicates that US sanctions against Iran have failed.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162224/US-sanctions-against-Iran-failed-Nobakht

Unveiling ceremony of upgrading line of Armed Forces' tanks
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami unveiled the upgrading line of the tanks of Armed Forces in Lorestan province on Thursday.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162227/Unveiling-ceremony-of-upgrading-line-of-Armed-Forces-tanks

Hatami unveils upgrading line of Armed Forces' tanks
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami unveiled the upgrading line of the tanks of Armed Forces in Lorestan province on Thursday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162221/Hatami-unveils-upgrading-line-of-Armed-Forces-tanks

IRGC Chief vows revenge on US for Lt. Gen. Soleimani
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami said that the revenge for Lt. General Soleimi's martyrdom will be taken eventually.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162220/IRGC-Chief-vows-revenge-on-US-for-Lt-Gen-Soleimani

IAEA must investigate Saudi violation of NPT
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-13
TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Professor Frank N. von Hippel, former assistant director for national security in the White House Office believes that some US companies are assisting Saudi Arabia with its Nuclear activities.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162225/IAEA-must-investigate-Saudi-violation-of-NPT

Self-test kits can monitor the spread of COVID-19 in communities
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-13
Antibody home testing kits could be used to help monitor the rate of COVID-19 infections in communities, says an Imperial researcher.
imperial.ac.uk/news/201234/self-test-kits-monitor-spread-covid-19-communities

Saturday 8/15: SF Chinatown Walkway Weekends
Eva Lee | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Chinatown, Grant Avenue from California to Washington Streets…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835906.php

Monday 8/17: Revolutionize The Vote: The Climate Emergency, Racial Justice and Your Voting Power
Future Coalition | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835873.php

Stimulus spending to promote clean energy as a vehicle for environmental justice
Olivia Baaten | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Issues of environmental justice have been highlited in recent events, and it is high time that the nation take action. Minorities are disproportionately affected by Coronavirus, an issue which is exacerbated by environmental injustice. Low interest rates make the current hour opportune for clean energy stimulus spending, which would serve the state where fossil fuels have failed.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835898.php

16th Annual 9/11 Truth Film Festival
Carol Brouillet | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Due to Covid19, the annual Film Festival will not take place at The Grand Lake Theater, in Oakland, California. The event will be live-streamed, however, on Thursday, September 10, 2020 noon to 8: 00 pm.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835885.php

Thursday 9/10: 16th Annual 9/11 Truth Film Festival
Carol Brouillet | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Due to Covid19, the annual Film Festival will not take place at The Grand Lake Theater, in Oakland, California. The event will be live-streamed, however, on Thursday, September 10, 2020 noon to 8: 00 pm.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835885.php

Wednesday 8/12: United We Dream: Panel Discussion on the Documentary Series "Immigration Nation"
United We Dream | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835882.php

Xinjiang And Uyghurs — What You're Not Being Told
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
Like a few other provinces, Xinjiang is an "autonomous" region, which means it is run by Uyghurs for the most part. For example, the current "governor" is Shohrat Zakir, an Uyghur man who's been in charge since 2014. | Also to remember are two nuggets of information: Xinjiang is a really vast region — it's four times as large as California(!); and Uyghurs make up only about 40% of Xinjiang's population. Overall, Uyghurs account for only 0.7% of China's population. That's about the same percentage as the Native American population in the U.S. now.
popularresistance.org/xinjiang-and-uyghurs-what-youre-not-being-told/

Analysis: COVID-19 Deaths Likely Undercounted By Over 50,000
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
More than 165,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US passed the grim statistic of 5 million cases of COVID-19 earlier this month. As horrifying as these figures are, a new analysis shows that the number of deaths from the coronavirus likely has been significantly undercounted. | Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed by the New York Times have revealed that 200,700 people died from March 15, when the pandemic took hold, to July 25. This is 54,000 higher than the confirmed death toll, averaged, for the same time period i…
popularresistance.org/analysis-covid-19-deaths-likely-undercounted-by-over-50000/

'Western' Media Falsely Claim Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine Is Ready
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
After President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia's Covid-19 vaccine candidate had gained an approval from its regulator, 'western' media went into a anti-Russian frenzy to sow fear and doubt about it. Russia has not approved a vaccine against Covid-19 and it is not skipping large-scale clinical trials. | The Russia regulator gave a preliminary approval for a vaccine candidate to start the large-scale clinical trial. This is similar to an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
popularresistance.org/western-media-falsely-claim-russias-covid-19-vaccine-is-ready/

Deaths In Immigration Detention Are At A Record High
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
Two men died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on August 5. One of the men died in a hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, while the other died in his cell of a massive intercranial hemorrhage. These tragedies increased the total deaths in ICE custody this fiscal year to 17, the highest number since 2006. Many–if not all–of the deaths that occur in ICE custody are avoidable. | More than twice as many people have died in ICE custody this year than last year. Unfortunately, with 1,065 active COVID-19 cases in ICE detention, that number will likely increase before the fisc…
popularresistance.org/deaths-in-immigration-detention-are-at-a-record-high/

Street Artists Rise To The Occasion
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
The massive protests in Los Angeles in response to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others organized through the Black Lives Matter movement generated an outpouring of engaging and provocative visual artworks. Open-air installations, murals, posters, "street art" works, and similar efforts abound, many in my Venice/Mar Vista neighborhood where I regularly jog. | I participated in many of those protests and saw some of these efforts personally. Cumulatively, these, and similar works throughout the United States and the world, have added to the burgeoning tradition of politica…
popularresistance.org/street-artists-rise-to-the-occasion/

Seattle Just Defunded Its Police — Sort Of
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
After a summer of explosive demonstrations that saw protesters take over several city blocks for weeks, the Seattle City Council approved a budget "revision" package on Monday that will cut $3 million from the police budget and eliminate up to 100 positions from the department. The move both fell far short of the demands of activists, and was so forcefully opposed by the city's establishment that the police chief resigned almost immediately. | Seattle police chief Carmen Best wrote a letter to members of the department announcing her retirement late Monday, effective September 2.
popularresistance.org/seattle-just-defunded-its-police-sort-of/

Lebanon: Bellwether, Battleground, And Bastard Child Of The Mideast
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
When I was a kid, "Beirut" became a cultural shorthand for any chaotic and violent urban setting. In the 1990s, my hometown rappers — the Wu Tang Clan — repeatedly shouted out the Lebanese city (plus one of its civil war antagonists, the P.L.O. — Palestinian Liberation Organization); but so did Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, and the Dead Kennedys. In the 2001 Hollywood blockbuster Spy Game, CIA agents played by Brad Pitt and Robert Redford sprint through rubble and gunfire along the Green Line dividing war-torn 1980s Beirut's Christian East and Musl…
popularresistance.org/lebanon-bellwether-battleground-and-bastard-child-of-the-mideast/

'Americans must have their freedoms': Trump rejects Biden's call for MASK MANDATE, says states should decide
rt.com | 2020-08-13
President Donald Trump rejected his rival Joe Biden's call for a nationwide face-mask mandate, saying he trusted elected governors to make science-based decisions about the Covid-19 pandemic that best fit their states. | Biden's approach is "regressive, anti-scientific and very defeatist," Trump said on Thursday during a White House press briefing, accusing the Democrat presidential candidate of hiding in his Delaware basement and wanting the same fate inflicted on all Americans. | The Trump administration is strongly recommending people to wear face masks when social distancing is not practical, but "American…
rt.com/usa/497976-trump-biden-mask-mandate-freedom/

Biden praises 'historic step' of Israel-UAE deal, but claims credit goes to Obama admin and doesn't mention Trump AT ALL
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden praised the "historic" decision by the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel, claiming part of the credit for himself and not mentioning President Donald Trump even once. | "Today, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have taken a historic step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East," Biden said in a statement on Thursday. "The UAE's offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly needed act of statesmanship." | | Biden statement on the Isra…
rt.com/usa/497961-biden-uae-israel-trump/

Vote Democrat to wear a mask? Biden says Americans must mask up for AT LEAST 3 months as CDC warns of 'worst fall ever'
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has urged all Americans to 'mask up' outdoors for the next three months – at the same time as health officials warned disobeying their Covid-19 orders will cause unprecedented suffering. | "Every single American should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at a minimum," Biden said during a press briefing on Thursday, adding in his characteristic awkward cadence that "every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing." | A nationwide mask mandate would save "over 40,000 lives," according to the experts, Biden claimed. | Also on rt.com…
rt.com/usa/497974-biden-mask-cdc-doom-predictions/

'Americans must have their freedoms': Trump rejects Biden's call for MASK MANDATE, says states should decide
rt.com | 2020-08-13
President Donald Trump rejected his rival Joe Biden's call for a nationwide face mask mandate, saying he trusted elected governors to make science-based decisions about the Covid-19 pandemic that best fit their states. | Biden's approach is "regressive, anti-scientific and very defeatist," Trump said on Thursday during a White House press briefing, accusing the Democrat presidential candidate of hiding in his Delaware basement and wanting the same fate inflicted on all Americans. | The Trump administration is strongly recommending people to wear face masks when social distancing is not practical, but "American…
rt.com/usa/497976-trump-biden-mask-mandate-freedom/

Vote Democrat to wear a mask? Biden says Americans must mask up for AT LEAST 3 months as CDC warns of 'worst fall ever'
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has urged all Americans to 'mask up' outdoors for the next three months — at the same time as health officials warned disobeying their Covid-19 orders will cause unprecedented suffering. | "Every single American should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at a minimum," Biden said during a press briefing on Thursday, adding in his characteristic awkward cadence that "every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing." | A nationwide mask mandate would save "over 40,000 lives," according to the experts, Biden claimed. | Also on rt…
rt.com/usa/497974-biden-mask-cdc-doom-predictions/

Trump suggests he's withholding post office funds to stop 'universal mail-in voting'
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Donald Trump is being accused of "trying to steal" the election after claiming talks with Democrats on Covid-19 economic relief was stalled when the president refused post office funding for "universal mail-in voting." | Asked by Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo what led to the standstill between the White House and Democrats on a coronavirus stimulus package, the president said one of the main points the left will not budge on is extra funding for the US postal service to handle universal mail-in voting, something he is staunchly against. | "They want three-and-a-half billion dollars for the mail-in votes. Unive…
rt.com/usa/497962-donald-trump-mail-in-voting/

$600 billion: Despite Covid-19 crisis & falling oil prices, Russia's gold & foreign exchange reserves reach all-time high
rt.com | 2020-08-13
The value of Russia's gold and foreign currency holdings has risen by almost $9 billion in a week. This means it's sitting on $600 billion in forex reserves — an all-time record beating August 2008's previous high of $598 billion. | That was just before the global financial crisis, or 'Great Recession', which wreaked havoc worldwide towards the end of the 2000s. Back then, the slush fund started to dwindle rapidly, due to the economic crisis, and lost over $100 billion in value in the following three months. | Lightning's unlikely to strike twice, however, as Russia's transformed its holdings in the inte…
rt.com/russia/497956-russia-gold-exchange-high/

'Big problem': Bill Gates rejects 'strange' Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies about him, says he wants to save lives
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has revealed his thoughts about when the world will move on from the Covid-19 pandemic, and addressed the "strange" conspiracy theories surrounding his interest in funding a vaccine. | Despite investing $350 million in the search for a vaccine to Covid-19, Gates said in a new interview with Bloomberg that he doesn't believe the current pandemic will be over until "the end of 2021." He also doesn't have much faith in an initial vaccine pushed to the public. | "Well, the initial vaccine won't be ideal in terms of its effectiveness against sickness and transmission. It may not have a…
rt.com/usa/497942-bill-gates-coronavirus-vaccine/

Unconvinced by virtue signaling: Poll shows 8 in 10 Americans think corporate anti-racism statements in BLM era are disingenuous
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Efforts by corporations to kowtow to the woke crowd may avail little because few Americans see sincerity in the anti-racism messages pouring out of PR departments amid Black Lives Matter protests, a poll has revealed. | Only 19 percent of Americans believe genuine concern over the treatment of black people in the US was a major contributing factor behind companies speaking out about race, according to a Pew Research Center…
rt.com/usa/497869-blm-fake-corporations-campaigns/

Apple, Disney, Ford and Walmart among corporate giants pushing back against Trump's WeChat ban — report
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Major US companies have reportedly told the White House they are worried about losing access to the lucrative Chinese market after Trump signed an order targeting the popular Chinese WeChat app. | Citing sources familiar with the situation, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "more than a dozen" US corporations had raised concerns in a recent call with White House staff about the "the potentially broad scope and impact" of the WeChat ban. According to the paper, Apple, Intel, Walmart, Disney, and Ford were among the companies that participated in the call. The companies declined to comment on the issue…
rt.com/usa/497926-wechat-ban-companies-report/

Three rockets fall inside Iraqi base housing US troops
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Three unguided projectiles have landed on the premises of Al-Balad military airbase, which houses US troops, Iraqi authorities confirmed. No information on damage or potential casualties was immediately available. | The military compound, located some 80 km (50 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, came under attack on Thursday. At least three projectiles landed on its premises, yet did not cause any "significant" damage, Iraq's Security Media Cell has said, promising to provide further detail to the public later.
rt.com/newsline/497970-iraq-balad-base-attack/

'No change' of West Bank annexation plans after Israel-UAE deal, Netanyahu says
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Israel is still committed to annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, after a peace deal with the UAE was reached. As part of the deal, Tel Aviv agreed to suspend the annexation. | The revelation was made by Netanyahu in a televised speech on Thursday. | "There is no change in my plans to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, withfull coordination with the US," Netanyahu said, referring to parts of the West Bank region by their biblical names. | The remark came shortly after the peace deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel was unveiled. Among other things, it contains…
rt.com/news/497967-west-bank-annexation-netanyahu/

Pompeo says US may impose sanctions & suspend oil deliveries for Belarus amid post-election crackdown
rt.com | 2020-08-13
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that sanctions may be in store for Belarus following the state's heavy-handed response to opposition protesters, who have disputed the result of the recent presidential election. | Asked how Washington would respond to the opposition crackdown during an interview with Radio Free Europe on Wednesday, Pompeo said that both sanctions and trade penalties were on the table, suggesting the US could also halt oil shipments to the east European nation. | "What is it that we believe that we can do, not just the United States unilaterally, but in a multilateral way to deliver goo…
rt.com/usa/497873-pompeo-sanctions-belarus-crackdown/