Bernie Sanders: 2020 Election Is a Fight Against Trump, Authoritarianism, Greed, Oligarchy & Bigotry
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-18
Calling the 2020 election "the most important in the modern history of this country," Senator Bernie Sanders, in his speech to the Democratic National Convention, urged people to fight "against greed, oligarchy and bigotry" by voting President Trump out of office in November. "We need Joe Biden as our next president," Sanders said.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/18/bernie_sanders_dnc_2020_speech
Kamala Harris seals Trump's re-election
Jacob Reimann and Thomas Denkler | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
The appointment of Kamala Harris as Biden's vice candidate is now the result of the Democratic establishment's pathological fear of anything that could even begin to smell left. The cause of this pathology lies in the historical shift to the right of the US party system described by Chomsky.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835950.php
Democratic Convention rides on BLM momentum, putting George Floyd family front & center in moment of silence
rt.com | 2020-08-18
On the first night of its national convention, the Democratic Party has sought to cash in on months of raging protests over police brutality to sell 2020 nominee Joe Biden, trotting out George Floyd's relatives at the event. | "George had a giving spirit, a spirit that has shown up on streets around our nation and around the world. People of all races, all ages, all genders, all backgrounds, peacefully protesting in the name of love and unity," said Philonise Floyd, the brother of the man slain by Minneapolis police in May, bringing in a moment of silence to honor the memory of "the many other souls we lost to…
rt.com/usa/498272-democratic-convention-blm-floyd-family/
'Vote for Biden like your life depends on it!' Michelle Obama unloads on Trump to virtual ovation at Dem convention
rt.com | 2020-08-18
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has warned that lives may hang in the balance in the 2020 presidential race, pleading with voters to send Joe Biden to the White House to put an end to the "chaos" of Donald Trump's presidency. | …
rt.com/usa/498273-michelle-obama-biden-trump/
How Biden Should Spend His First Days as President
Andrew J. Bacevich | thenation.com | 2020-08-18
How Biden Should Spend His First Days as President…
thenation.com/article/politics/biden-trump-2020/
A view from a South Asian revolutionary on Kamala Harris — a WW commentary
| workers.org | 2020-08-18
By Tania Siddiqi Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced on Aug. 11 that California Sen. Kamala Devi Harris, the first South Asian American and the second African American woman to serve as a U.S. senator, will be his running mate for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Tania Siddiqi Harris . . . | Continue reading A view from a South Asian revolutionary on Kamala Harris — a WW commentary at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50636/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-view-from-a-south-asian-revolutionary-on-kamala-harris-a-ww-commentary
Making Billions v Making Ends Meet
Dominic Rushe | zcomm.org | 2020-08-18
How the Pandemic Has Split the US Economy in Two…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/making-billions-v-making-ends-meet/
Oil spill threatens disaster for Mauritius
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-18
The Japanese-owned (Mitsui-operated) MV Wakashio was en route to Brazil from China to fetch iron ore from a port owned by the notorious mining company Vale. Here the ship is seen having run aground near Blue Bay, one of the area's most pristine sites for coral, already threatened by bleaching due to the climate crisis. …
mronline.org/2020/08/18/oil-spill-threatens-disaster-for-mauritius/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=oil-spill-threatens-disaster-for-mauritius
Trump Gives Chinese Parent Company 90 Days to Divest from TikTok
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
US cold war on China risks turning hot if bipartisan hardliners in Washington push things too far. | Their hostile actions are all about wanting China's development, growth, and prominence on the world stage undermined. | Since Trump took office, scores of …
globalresearch.ca/trump-gives-chinese-parent-company-90-days-divest-tiktok/5721390
The Danger of War With China is Real and Insane
Larry Wilkerson | zcomm.org | 2020-08-18
China and the U.S. must work together to solve the climate crisis, but the power of the militaries and national security states on both sides is making that impossible…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-danger-of-war-with-china-is-real-and-insane/
Video: "The House Cat Flu" is Coming. The Meow Apocalypse
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
This article was first published on April 18, 2020 | The following episode of the Simpsons was released in 2010. | It is a satire. But at the same time it reveals the unspoken truth. The writer of the script is an …
globalresearch.ca/video-the-house-cat-flu-is-coming-the-meow-apocalypse/5710033
Trump's Attacks on Science Will Hasten Climate Catastrophe
Sasha Abramsky | thenation.com | 2020-08-18
Trump's Attacks on Science Will Hasten Climate Catastrophe…
thenation.com/article/environment/trumps-attacks-on-science-threaten-climate-catastrophe/
Build our future: climate justice and jobs
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-18
Environment School Strike 4 ClimateIssue 1277 Australia School Strike 4 Climate SS4C sustainable jobsAugust 18, 2020
greenleft.org.au/content/build-our-future-climate-justice-and-jobs
In 24 hours 2,385 COVID-19 cases recorded in Iran
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-18
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,385 people and claimed 168 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162440/In-24-hours-2-385-COVID-19-cases-recorded-in-Iran
"His Only Preexisting Condition Was Trusting Trump": Daughter Speaks at DNC After Dad Dies of COVID
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-18
One of the most memorable speeches of the opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention was delivered by Kristin Urquiza, who said her father, a supporter of Donald Trump, died after believing the president's assurances that the coronavirus was under control. "My dad, Mark Anthony Urquiza, should be here today, but he isn't," she said. "My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump — and for that, he paid with his life."
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/18/kristin_urquiza_dnc_2020_speech
National vaccine efforts need to fit global approach, says WHO
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
National supply deals in the event of the development of a successful vaccine against the coronavirus should fit a global approach, World Health Organization senior adviser Bruce Aylward said on Tuesday.World leaders pledged in late April to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 and to share them around the globe under a WHO-led initiative known as the ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator.More than 21.9 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 772,647 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
yenisafak.com/en/life/national-vaccine-efforts-need-to-fit-global-approach-says-who-3537099
Anthony Fauci Is Out, Sidelined by Trump. Common Sense Might be Returning. Enter Dr. Scott Atlas to the Coronavirus Task Force
Rep. Ron Paul | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
It is now official: the media has confirmed that Dr. Anthony Fauci has been "sidelined" by Trump. This is nothing new. Fauci has not been fired as head of the NIASD. It is unclear whether this new appointment will trigger | …
globalresearch.ca/fauci-out-common-sense-returning/5721406
The Dystopian Coronavirus America
Peter Crowley | zcomm.org | 2020-08-18
Alas, we are a lost, divided and confused nation. No longer are we the laughing stock of the world, as when Donald Trump was elected, but its pity.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-dystopian-coronavirus-america/
USA to Iraq: We Will Withdraw but Without Being Humiliated
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi is preparing to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, about issues that are burdening Iraq. The country is struggling with a stifling economic crisis, the Coronavirus pandemic, the US military presence that …
globalresearch.ca/usa-iraq-we-withdraw-without-being-humiliated/5721402
Marks & Spencer to cut 7,000 jobs as virus hits sales
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
UK High Street retailer Marks and Spencer announced Tuesday it is set to cut 7,000 jobs over the next 3 months as its clothing business hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.The retailer said strong online and home delivery was not enough to offset the fall in trading in the stores which remains well below last year."It is clear that there has been a material shift in trade and whilst it is too early to predict with precision where a new post COVID sales mix will settle, we must act now to reflect this change," it said in a statement.The retail giant also noted that the lockdown taught working more flexibly and pr…
yenisafak.com/en/news/marks-spencer-to-cut-7000-jobs-as-virus-hits-sales-3537096
'Irresponsible' breaking up of Public Health England expected to be announced
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-18
Plans to break up Public Health England in the middle of a pandemic are "irresponsible" and "risky", Labour has said.Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said that structural reorganisation is "time consuming" and "energy sapping".In a series of scathing tweets, Ashworth said the government was trying to "shift the blame" when it announces plans to break up the embattled organisation later.A story placed with the Sunday Telegraph suggests that the coronavirus (Covid-19) response work of PHE is to be merged with NHS Test and Trace to form a new Health Protection Institute, designed specifically to deal with p…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/18/irresponsible-breaking-up-of-public-health-england-expected-to-be-announced/
'Covid is just a metaphor'?! Cuomo draws outrage with unhinged Trump-bashing DNC victory lap
rt.com | 2020-08-18
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has ignited a firestorm after attempting a poetic comparison between President Donald Trump and the coronavirus, dubbing the deadly illness but a "metaphor" in a speech to the Democratic convention. | "Our nation is in crisis. And in many ways Covid is just a metaphor," the governor pontificated during his speech to the party's virtual convention on Monday night, comparing the Trump administration to a "dysfunctional" immune system. | A virus attacks when the body is weak and when it cannot defend itself. Over these past few years, America's body politic has been weakened. The di…
rt.com/usa/498274-cuomo-covid-metaphor-dnc/
Managing the Narrative: Corporations and Government Use Internet to Control Information
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
Some Americans continue to believe that when they go to the internet they will get a free flow of useful information that will guide them in making decisions or coming to conclusions about the state of the world. That conceit …
globalresearch.ca/managing-narrative-corporations-government-use-internet-control-information/5721394
Managing the Narrative
Philip Giraldi | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-18
Corporations and government use internet to control information | Some Americans continue to believe that when they go to the internet they will get a free flow of useful information that will guide them in making decisions or coming to conclusions about the state of the world. That conceit might have been true to an extent twenty years ago, but the growth and consolidation of corporate information management firms has instead limited access to material that it does not approve of, thereby successfully shaping the political and economic environment to conform with their own interests. Facebook, Google and other n…
Industrial Recreation isn't Conservation
Mike Bader | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-18
Industrial strength recreation is a clear and present danger to our public wildlands. Legendary Montana wilderness guide Smoke Elser observed there is a new breed of recreationist on the land:…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/18/industrial-recreation-isnt-conservation/
Trump Holds the Mail Hostage
Richard C. Gross | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-18
You drop a check for a bill or a greeting card in a blue post office letter box and walk away without a second thought, knowing your mail will arrive, not if. Not in the twisted age of Trump, who is on a crusade to cripple the mail to try to ensure his reelection.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/18/trump-holds-the-mail-hostage/
What Will Trump Do to the World to Win Re-Election?
John Feffer | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-18
In 2016, Alan Lichtman departed from conventional wisdom to predict a Donald Trump victory in that year's presidential election. The political scientist was following something he called the "13 keys to the White House." Using this relatively straightforward metric, Lichtman had correctly predicted the outcome of presidential elections stretching back to 1984. Trump was so…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/18/what-will-trump-do-to-the-world-to-win-re-election/
The Specter of a Fascist Coup by Trump Haunts the US: There's Worse to Worry About
Roger D. Harris | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-18
Spreading faster than COVID-19 among those on the portside, warnings of a fascist-style coup by Trump are rampant this presidential campaign season. Should Trump fail to carry the Electoral College, Noam Chomsky admonishes, "he could send Blackshirts out in the streets… preparation for a plan to try to bring the military in to carry out …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-specter-of-a-fascist-coup-by-trump-haunts-the-us-theres-worse-to-worry-about/
A vaccine for COVID-19?
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-18
Healthcare Martin Wolterding Coral WynterIssue 1277 Australia vaccine COVID-19August 18, 2020Most of us, in self-isolation, long for l…
greenleft.org.au/content/vaccine-covid-19
COVID-19, Marxism, and the metabolic rift
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-18
The danger doesn't only come from the symptoms of a virus: it comes from our distorted relationship with the natural world.
mronline.org/2020/08/18/covid-19-marxism-and-the-metabolic-rift/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=covid-19-marxism-and-the-metabolic-rift
What went wrong with the first COVID-19 shutdown?
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-18
In the spring, we shut down our lives and our economy in hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19 enough to be able to manage it through widespread testing and contact tracing. In spite of that shutdown, today the virus is raging virtually uncontrolled. We didn't stick with it until the job was done.
mronline.org/2020/08/18/what-went-wrong-with-the-first-covid-19-shutdown/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-went-wrong-with-the-first-covid-19-shutdown
At North Carolina colleges, 'Safe Jobs Save Lives'
calvin deutschbein | workers.org | 2020-08-18
Chapel Hill, N.C. At 2: 15 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14 — as the first week of in-person classes at the University of North Carolina wound to a close — the independent student newspaper, the Daily Tarheel, made the announcement: "BREAKING: Carolina Housing reported two COVID-19 clusters today." UE 150 organized . . . | Continue reading At North Carolina colleges, 'Safe Jobs Save Lives' at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50615/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=at-north-carolina-colleges-safe-jobs-save-lives
Children have 'nowhere to turn', as COVID-19 hits protection, social services, reports UNICEF
news.un.org | 2020-08-18
Disruptions of important violence prevention and response services due to the global pandemic has left children in more than 100 countries vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) survey has found.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070412
Colonialism intensifies pandemic school crisis for Puerto Ricans
| workers.org | 2020-08-18
By Lorraine Liriano Chávez 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. Lorraine Liriano Chávez Puerto Rico faces the life-threatening decision of the reopening of schools in the midst of rising COVID-19 . . . | Continue reading Colonialism intensifies pandemic school crisis for Puerto Ricans at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50621/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=colonialism-intensifies-pandemic-school-crisis-for-puerto-ricans
France to make mask mandatory in work places
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
France will make mask wearing mandatory in work places starting from Sept. 1, with some exceptions, as the country grapples with a surge in COVID-19 infections, the head of one the leading unions told BFM TV on Tuesday."The government deems its necessary to wear a mask when you're not alone (in the work place)", said Yves Veyrier, leader of Force ouvriere, adding the labour minister had made it clear it was up to the companies concerned to pay for the masks.
yenisafak.com/en/world/france-to-make-mask-mandatory-in-work-places-3537100
G7 Calls for More Debt Relief to Confront COVID-19 Crisis
Zach Conti | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin convened G7 Finance Ministers, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835951.php
Depression in UK doubles during pandemic, official data shows
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
The proportion of people in Britain suffering with depression has almost doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, official data showed on Tuesday.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 19% of adults reported some form of depression during June, compared with 10% in the nine months to March 2020. Stress and anxiety were the most common types of depression listed by people, it said.The data raises questions about the wider public health costs of a pandemic that has already left Britain with the highest excess mortality rate among major European countries, according to a recent ONS analysis."Adults who were youn…
yenisafak.com/en/life/depression-in-uk-doubles-during-pandemic-official-data-shows-3537097
Canadian authorities to reopen schools, facilitating COVID-19 spread
wsws.org | 2020-08-18
The Canadian ruling elite has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting ever more explicitly the homicidal principle of "herd immunity."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/18/casc-a18.html
The Hunger Crisis in Guatemala
Yanis Iqbal | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
A report released by Oxfam in July 2020 states, "COVID-19 is deepening the hunger crisis in the world's hunger hotspots and creating new epicentres of hunger across the globe. By the end of the year 12,000 people per day …
globalresearch.ca/hunger-crisis-guatemala/5721355
Embodied Inequality: The Intersections Between COVID, Racial Justice, and the Environment
Brianna Cunliffe | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
The consequences of our fossil fuel economy and a global pandemic fall heaviest on America's most vulnerable communities. Elected Officials are saying enough.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835948.php
UN sends 20 truckloads of aid to Syria's Idlib
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
The trucks carrying supplies entered Idlib province through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's south.The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib, and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.The area has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad re…
yenisafak.com/en/world/un-sends-20-truckloads-of-aid-to-syrias-idlib-3537101
"Donald Trump Is the Wrong President for Our Country": Michelle Obama Slams President at DNC
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-18
On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a searing critique of President Trump, accusing him of being "in over his head" and incapable of carrying out the duties of the office. "If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can," Obama said. We air excerpts from her keynote speech, delivered virtually after the convention was moved online due to the pandemic.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/18/michelle_obama_dnc_2020_speech
Julián Castro Ran for President on a Police Reform Platform But Wasn't Invited to Give DNC Address
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-18
The Democratic National Convention faces criticism over the lack of diversity in its primetime programming during this year's virtual event, even as Latinx voters are slated to make up the largest bloc of nonwhite voters in 2020. Only a handful of Latinx speakers and no Muslim speakers are appearing during the broadcasted convention, while Republicans like former Ohio Governor John Kasich were given slots. "There were 35 primetime speakers, and only three of them were Latinx, and I raised a concern about that," says Julián Castro, former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and the only Latinx candidate in the…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/18/julian_castro_dnc_latinx_representation
19th Amendment Turns 100: Fight for Voting Rights Builds on Centuries of Struggle Led by Black Women
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-18
As this year marks 100 years since the ratification of 19th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing women's right to vote, we look at the connection between the movement for women's suffrage and the movement to abolish slavery. Many states created laws to continue to deny women the vote, and African American women were subjected to the same Jim Crow laws already used to deny the vote to African American men. "To look for African American women and their history of the vote in 1920 is to miss the important chapter that begins in 1920 and doesn't culminate until the Voting Rights Act is adopted in 1965," says au…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/18/us_constitution_19th_amendment
Police arrest journalist and counterprotesters at far-right Proud Boys rally in Michigan
wsws.org | 2020-08-18
The role of the police during the fascist attack Saturday in Kalamazoo contrasts sharply with the repressive response to protests against police violence in early June.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/18/kzpb-a18.html
Poland and Lithuania Are Escalating Events in Belarus as They Did with Maidan
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
On August 9, presidential elections were held in Belarus with five candidates bidding to be head of state. According to the Central Election Commission, the incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, won in the first round with over 80% of the …
globalresearch.ca/poland-lithuania-escalating-events-belarus/5721411
'It's Going to Take Everyone': Demonstrations Planned Nationwide to 'Save the Post Office from Trump'
Jake Johnson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
As the House Democratic leadership calls members back to Washington, D.C. for an emergency vote on legislation to reverse Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's disruptive and possibly illegal policy changes, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups is planning demonstrations across …
globalresearch.ca/demonstrations-planned-nationwide-save-post-office-trump/5721419
Trump's Venezuela Regime Change Alliance Dwindles, but Trudeau Hangs On
Arnold August | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
On December 6, Venezuelans will go to the polls to elect a new National Assembly. Since the last election in 2016, self-declared interim president and opposition leader Juan Guaidó has seen his domestic popularity–and his standing among many foreign nations–slide….
globalresearch.ca/trump-venezuela-regime-change-alliance-dwindles-trudeau-hangs-on/5721371
Former Lebanese Interior Minister Blames Israel for Beirut Attack
Richard Silverstein | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
A former Lebanese Interior Minister has publicly blamed Israel for the attack on Beirut: | This operation in Beirut was carried out by Israel in a clear and explicit manner," Machnouk said, adding: "It is clear we are looking at a | …
globalresearch.ca/former-lebanese-interior-minister-blames-israel-beirut-attack/5721396
Venezuela, and Trump's Irrational Electoral Policy
Jorge Arreaza | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
Elections always have an interesting effect on public policy, in particular if the person in charge of designing and implementing a certain policy is up for reelection. In politics, it is logical that an incumbent candidate decides to show successful …
globalresearch.ca/venezuela-trump-irrational-electoral-policy/5721408
US Firestorming of Tokyo Rivaled the Hiroshima Bombing
Shane Quinn | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
Featured image: Charred remains of Japanese civilians after the firebombing of Tokyo on the night of 9–10 March 1945. (Source: Ishikawa K≈çy≈ç / Wikimedia Commons) | In the early hours of 10 March 1945, as America's heavy aircraft dropped over 1,600 …
globalresearch.ca/us-firestorming-of-tokyo-rivaled-the-hiroshima-bombing/5643852
Interpreting the UAE/Israel Agreement on Suspending Annexation
Richard Falk | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-18
Any comment on regional implications of the Agreement is, of course, highly speculative as the real reasons for such an initiative are rarely disclosed by those with the power of decision. In this case the uncertainties are magnified by some …
globalresearch.ca/interpreting-uae-israel-agreement-suspending-annexation/5721357
Pandemic Pod People: Invasion of the School Snatchers
Project Censored | projectcensored.org | 2020-08-18
With no national plan to control the pandemic, nor a coherent program to reopen schools safely, the Trump Administration has trapped school districts in a Sophie's Choice: to open schools…
projectcensored.org/pandemic-pod-people-invasion-of-the-school-snatchers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pandemic-pod-people-invasion-of-the-school-snatchers
Iran's economic roadmap to be unvailed in Government Week
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-18
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that the country's economic roadmap for the final year of the incumbent administration's tenure will be unveiled during the Government Week (August 24-30).
en.mehrnews.com/news/162435/Iran-s-economic-roadmap-to-be-unvailed-in-Government-Week
Oil tankers seized by US 'not Iranian'
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-18
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Tuesday that the four oil tankers seized by the US few days ago belong to Venezuela not Iran.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162436/Oil-tankers-seized-by-US-not-Iranian
Leader condoles demise of Ayatollah Taskhiri
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-18
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Leader of the Islamic Revolution has expressed condolences over the demise of Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, a member of Iran's Expediency Council.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162447/Leader-condoles-demise-of-Ayatollah-Taskhiri
Al Kadhimi leaves Baghdad for Washington
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-18
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi left Baghdad for Washington on Tuesday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162439/Al-Kadhimi-leaves-Baghdad-for-Washington
Treatments for infantile Hemangioma: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Qiang Fei, Yu Lin, Xian Chen | thelancet.com | 2020-08-18
A combination of β blockers and laser might be the first-line treatment of IHs and a longer pulsed dye laser is preferred.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30250-9/fulltext?rss=yes
[Original Research] Changes in mental health and drug use among men who have sex with men using daily and event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis: Results from a prospective demonstration project in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
R.C.A. Achterbergh, E. Hoornenborg, A. Boyd, L. Coyer, S.J.A. Meuzelaar, A.A. Hogewoning, U. Davidovich, M.S. van Rooijen, M.F. Schim van der Loeff, M. Prins, H.J.C. de Vries | thelancet.com | 2020-08-18
Mental health disorders are prevalent among those initiating PrEP. We did not find increases in mental health disorders during PrEP use, but rather a decrease in sexual compulsivity and drug use disorders. The initial prevalence of mental health disorders in our study point at the continuous need to address mental health disorders within PrEP programs.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30249-2/fulltext?rss=yes
Turkey will always stand with Libyan people: DefMin
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
Turkey will always help Libya maintain its integrity, security, and ensure the prosperity of its people, the Turkish defense minister said on Tuesday.Hulusi Akar, who arrived in Libya on Monday along with Turkish military chief Gen. Yasar Guler, spoke to reporters about the specifics of his visit."We are here upon the invitation of the Government of National Accord (GNA) that was recognized by the United Nations (UN). We will continue standing with our Libyan brothers and sisters in the future, with whom we share a common history and culture of 500 years," he said."We will do everything that is needed in order fo…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-will-always-stand-with-libyan-people-defmin-3537095
Migrant attacked by man moments after landing in UK
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
A young migrant was assaulted by a man moments after landing in the UK, the Sun reported Tuesday.The migrant, who was in his twenties, landed on the beach in Kingsdown, Kent, southeast England. The attack happened around 11 a.m. (1000GMT) Sunday, and the migrant was left injured.Police, searching for the attacker, said in a statement: "Kent Police was notified at around 11.05 a.m. on Sunday of a reported assault of a man in his 20s off Undercliffe Road, Kingsdown."Officers attended to ensure the welfare of the man, who was not seriously injured and did not require hospital treatment."Enquiries to establish the ci…
yenisafak.com/en/world/migrant-attacked-by-man-moments-after-landing-in-uk-3537098
Refugee with compromised health calls for freedom, thanks supporters
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-18
Refugees & migrants Ali MirzaeiIssue 1277 Australia Mantra Hotel medevac law MelbourneAugust 18, 2020Ali Mirzaei, a refugee who i…
greenleft.org.au/content/refugee-compromised-health-calls-freedom-thanks-supporters
Merkel, Putin discuss Belarus over phone
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the recent political crisis in Belarus over the phone, her spokesman said on Tuesday.Steffen Seibert said in a press release that the two leaders discussed the latest situation in Belarus after the presidential elections held in Aug. 9."The chancellor has emphasized that the Belarusian government must refrain from using violence against peaceful demonstrators, release political prisoners immediately and initiate a national dialogue with the opposition and society in order to overcome the crisis," he said.In a separate statement, the Kr…
yenisafak.com/en/world/merkel-putin-discuss-belarus-over-phone-3537094
Netanyahu says UAE deal does not include sale of F-35 jets
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
Israel said Tuesday that a deal to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) does not include the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf state.In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the agreement did not include "any approval by Israel on any arms deal between the United States and the United Arab Emirates".Netanyahu said he directed Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Drammer on Aug. 3 to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to convey an explicit message of Israel's opposition to selling the F-35 and other advanced weapon systems to any country in the Middle East."The peac…
yenisafak.com/en/news/netanyahu-says-uae-deal-does-not-include-sale-of-f-35-jets-3537092
U.S., fascists set scopes on socialist-leaning Belarus
Otis Grotewohl | workers.org | 2020-08-18
Chinese President Xi Jingping and Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on his reelection Aug. 9. USSR-era socialist art in Minsk, Belarus, in February 2019. U.S. imperialism and the Western bourgeois media, however, wasted no time in denouncing Lukashenko's victory as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used . . . | Continue reading U.S., fascists set scopes on socialist-leaning Belarus at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50609/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=u-s-fascists-set-scopes-on-socialist-leaning-belarus
Tuesday 8/18: "Defund SFPD Now" Direct Action & Protest
indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Holly Park, 424 Holly Park Circle…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835954.php
Social media video shows Pittsburgh police kidnapping protester during Saturday march
wsws.org | 2020-08-18
Matthew Cartier, 25, was abducted by police and charged with multiple crimes for attempting to protect marchers during Saturday's protest…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/18/pitt-a18.html
SMART Local 1741 School Bus Drivers Rally At SF City Hall For Justice
SMART Local 1741 | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
SMART 1741 School bus drivers will be protesting against their layoffs, cuts in medical benefits and privatization…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835953.php
Saturday 8/22: Nationwide Protest: Save the Post Office from Trump, Save Our Votes Now!
MoveOn, SEIU, NAACP, Indivisible, others | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Nationwide protests at local post offices across the country in support of USPS…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835952.php
The Factory Joins the Square: Putin's Nightmare Unfolds in Belarus
Stephen Crowley | thenation.com | 2020-08-18
The Factory Joins the Square: Putin's Nightmare Unfolds in Belarus…
thenation.com/article/world/putin-belarus-protests/
VIDEO: Shiite holy shrines in Kazemein blanketed in black
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-18
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — On the occasion of arrival of mourning month of Muharram, holy shrines of the 7th and the 9th of Shiite Imams, respectively Musa Al-Kazim and his grandson Muhammad al-Jawad, are blanketed in black.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162432/VIDEO-Shiite-holy-shrines-in-Kazemein-blanketed-in-black
PROFILE: Taking a lead against genocide, 'no society is immune' warns Adama Dieng
news.un.org | 2020-08-18
Adama Dieng assumed the position of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide in 2012, after a long and distinguished career in law and human rights, stepping down from…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070402
On Bombs And Bombings
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-18
a full week now the Israeli army has been bombing Gaza, a population that is about to run out of fuel for its only power plant due to a years-long Israeli program of deliberate siege warfare. | Yesterday the US
Doctors in Kenya strike for better conditions as infection rate among professionals rises
Pavan Kulkarni | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-18
Over 750 healthcare workers tested positive, at least 14 of whom died, including some of the country's top doctors. The union claims that doctors have not received their salaries since July and don't have health insurance…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/18/doctors-in-kenya-strike-for-better-conditions-as-infection-rate-among-professionals-rises/
"Refuse to Return" Facebook group cofounder describes explosion of opposition to unsafe school openings
wsws.org | 2020-08-18
The "Refuse to Return" group in Colorado has attracted 9,469 members and helped inspire the formation of at least 35 other groups across the US, with tens of thousands of members in total.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/18/refu-a18.html
La Riva qualifies for presidential ballot in Washington state
LIberation Staff-Washington State | liberationnews.org | 2020-08-18
"A socialist candidate? Hell yeah! Count me in."
liberationnews.org/la-riva-qualifies-for-presidential-ballot-in-washington-state/
Saturday 9/26: 2020 Yosemite National Park ~ CA Buffalo Soldier Celebrations
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Yosemite Valley…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/18/18835962.php
"No Justice, No Street" — Community Makes Demands, Eviction of George Floyd Memorial Square Delayed
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-18
Minneapolis, MN — Organizers at the George Floyd Memorial Square declared their intent to defend the square from planned eviction and revealed their "justice resolution" with 24 demands during a Saturday press conference. | The presser came a day after a surprise announcement by the city…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/no-justice-no-street-community-makes-demands-eviction-of-george-floyd-memorial-square-delayed/
Whatever This Is Is Not the Future of the Democratic Party
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-08-18
Whatever This Is Is Not the Future of the Democratic Party…
thenation.com/article/politics/aoc-kasich-dnc/
The State of Women's Suffrage — 100 Years Later
splcenter.org | 2020-08-18
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, but systemic sexism and disenfranchisement of Black women still block equitable access to the ballot.
splcenter.org/news/2020/08/18/state-womens-suffrage-100-years-later-0
Trump's Post Office Sabotage Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg
Tom Tomorrow | thenation.com | 2020-08-18
Trump's Post Office Sabotage Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg…
thenation.com/article/politics/trump-post-office/
The Decline in Power of the Oil States
Patrick Cockburn | zcomm.org | 2020-08-18
Beset by wars and dysfunctional social and economic systems, the Middle East is too fragile to cope with the coming earthquake…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-decline-in-power-of-the-oil-states/
Tuesday 8/18: #AndStillIVote: Engaging & Supporting the Youth Vote in America
LCCHR | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Online via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835955.php
Thursday 8/20: SMART Local 1741 School Bus Drivers Rally SF City Hall For Justice & Against Privatizatio
SMART Local 1741 School Bus Drivers | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
San Francisco City Hall | Polk & McAllister | San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835959.php
Finnish communists slam govt. proposal for increased military spending on fighter planes
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-18
Finland's Ministry of Finance has proposed increased military expenditure in its 2021 budget for the procurement of new multipurpose fighter planes to replace the currently used Hornet fleet…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/18/finnish-communists-slam-govt-proposal-for-increased-military-spending-for-fighter-planes/
New York and Los Angeles plan deadly reopening of schools
wsws.org | 2020-08-18
Democrats in the two largest school districts are pushing to reopen schools in a matter of weeks, endangering the lives of millions of residents in New York and Los Angeles.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/18/scho-a18.html
Trump announces surprise pardon for Susan B. Anthony, convicted of voting in 1873, on women's suffrage centennial
rt.com | 2020-08-18
US President Donald Trump has announced he will issue a full posthumous pardon for women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony in honor of the hundredth anniversary of women getting the vote. Anthony was convicted of voting in 1873. | The president announced that Anthony, a pivotal figure in the women's suffrage movement, would receive a "full and complete pardon" on Tuesday in celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. | The activist was charged and convicted — by a jury of 12 men — of voting in her hometown of Rochester, New York in the November 1872 fed…
rt.com/usa/498321-trump-pardon-susan-anthony/
Gaza's only power plant shut down over Israeli fuel ban
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-18
The Gaza Strip's sole power plant halted operations on Tuesday over an Israeli ban on fuel imports into the Palestinian territory, according to Gaza's energy authority. | "The power plant has shut down completely," the authority said in a brief statement. | On Wednesday, Israel banned fuel imports into Gaza as part of punitive Israeli measures over the launch of fire-bomb balloons from the strip. | Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has groaned under a crippling Israeli blockade that has deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many vital commodities, including food, fuel and medicine. | The seaside enclave suffer…
yenisafak.com/en/world/gazas-only-power-plant-shut-down-over-israeli-fuel-ban-3537093
Real Life Heroes: building a safe space for Rohingya women refugees
news.un.org | 2020-08-18
Bangladeshi architect Rizvi Hassan is the driving force behind the construction of a safe space for Rohingya women and girls, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, site of the world's largest camp for displaced people, and home to around a million Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar. The community centre caters to a marginalized, vulnerable group, at risk of gender-based violence.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070392
Rebellion, counterinsurgency and Kamala Harris — WW commentary
Makasi Motema | workers.org | 2020-08-18
"[T]here were two or three years there where the movement went a little too far toward … [Kwame Ture], but in the end, John Lewis prevailed." Those words were spoken at Rep. John Lewis's funeral on July 30 by President Bill Clinton, one of the architects of the 1994 crime . . . | Continue reading Rebellion, counterinsurgency and Kamala Harris — WW commentary at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50630/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rebellion-counterinsurgency-and-kamala-harris-ww-commentary
Socialist to contest Geelong council elections, calls for sustainable jobs
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-18
Economy Sue BullIssue 1277 Australia Geelong council elections Windermere Ward GeelongAugust 18, 2020Union organiser and activist…
greenleft.org.au/content/socialist-contest-geelong-council-elections-calls-sustainable-jobs
Thursday 8/20: On Common Ground: Para Nosotros, Por Nosotros August 20, 2020
KQED | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Online/Virtual Event…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835957.php
Condemnations of Chicago "Looting" Prioritize Property Over Black Lives
David Stovall | zcomm.org | 2020-08-18
Anti-Blackness alerts us that the state will always value property over Black life.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/condemnations-of-chicago-looting-prioritize-property-over-black-lives/
Quick Note on Lost GDP Due to Shutdowns
Dean Baker | cepr.net | 2020-08-18
Some folks have complained about the loss of GDP over the last five months and questioned whether the shutdowns have been worth the price. While people often toss around huge numbers in the trillions of dollars as the cost of the shutdown, these big numbers are often both inaccurate and misleading. Measuring Lost GDP The …
cepr.net/quick-note-on-lost-gdp-due-to-shutdowns/
California confirms 1st case of PLAGUE in 5 years, health officials urge residents to take precautions
rt.com | 2020-08-18
California health officials have reported that a resident of South Lake Tahoe has tested positive for plague, marking the first such case in the state in half a decade. The individual is recovering at home. | It's believed that the person was infected by a flea while walking their dog, El Dorado County's Health and Human Services Agency said in a statement. The individual is being treated by medical professionals but did not require hospitalization. An investigation into the matter is still ongoing. | The uncommon but potentially lethal bacterial disease is usually transmitted by fleas found on infected squirr…
rt.com/usa/498275-california-plague-case-fleas/
The Fatal Attractions of Techno-Fascism
Mark Petrakis | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-18
Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters. — Cato the Elder, (Marcus Porcius Cato, 234 BC — 149 BC) The enduring appeal of fascism is that it requires so little from us… so little independent thought; just our basic belief and adherence to a limited set of popularly-shared directives …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-fatal-attractions-of-techno-fascism/
Posadism: The Rise and Fall of Apocalypse Communism
Emily Berch | thenation.com | 2020-08-18
Posadism: The Rise and Fall of Apocalypse Communism…
thenation.com/article/world/am-gittlitz-interview-posadism/
As Trump confesses plan to cripple mail service to corrupt November Election, Merkley, Wyden, and colleagues urge USPS to fix delays and avoid cost increases for election mail
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-18
Action follows reports that USPS indicated to state election officials it will depart from long-standing practice of prioritizing election mail, delaying delivery times unless states pay…
mronline.org/2020/08/18/as-trump-confesses-plan-to-cripple-mail-service-to-corrupt-november-election-merkley-wyden-and-colleagues-urge-usps-to-fix-delays-and-avoid-cost-increases-for-election-mail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=as-trump-confesses-plan-to-cripple-mail-service-to-corrupt-november-election-merkley-wyden-and-colleagues-urge-usps-to-fix-delays-and-avoid-cost-increases-for-election-mail
After another police riot, Chicago mayor rises to national prominence as law-and-order figure
wsws.org | 2020-08-18
Mayor Lori Lightfoot's role at the DNC underscores the right-wing and anti-democratic character of the Democratic Party, which seeks to demonstrate it will be better than Trump in securing the class interests of the financial aristocracy.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/18/chic-a18.html
Giants and Warriors Workers Rally at Ballpark
Marc Norton | indybay.org | 2020-08-18
Giants and Warriors workers rallied at the Giants ballpark on Friday, August 14. The Giants have lost 13 out of 19 games since the Giants fired their concession workers.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835946.php
Education Secretary resists calls to resign over GCSE and A-level grades U-turn
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-18
Education secretary Gavin Williamson has resisted calls to resign over his handling of A-level and GCSE grades in England, but he has apologised to thousands of students for the distress caused.The government announced a U-turn on Monday when it said students would be able to receive grades based on their teachers' estimates following anger over the downgrading of thousands of A-level grades.But Williamson has repeatedly refused to say whether he would consider resigning from his position.The minister said there had been "broad political consensus" across all parties that a standardisation model was needed for te…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/18/education-secretary-resists-calls-to-resign-over-gcse-and-a-level-grades-u-turn/
On Day Scientists Announce Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet 'Irreversible,' Trump to permit Arctic oil, gas Drilling
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-08-18
So drilling for oil in the arctic is guaranteed to melt the arctic, in what must be the most brainless act of collective suicide in the Milky Way galaxy…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/on-day-scientists-announce-melting-of-greenland-ice-sheet-irreversible-trump-to-permit-arctic-oil-gas-drilling/
Pilliga: Eyewitness from a forest under threat from Santos
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-18
Environment Coral Wynter Jim McIlroyIssue 1277 Australia Santos Narrabri Gas Project Pilliga state forest
greenleft.org.au/content/pilliga-eyewitness-forest-under-threat-santos
The Political Economy of Preternatural Parapsychology: From ESP to Extraterrestrial Civilizations
Bruce Lerro | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-18
Man's longing for the marvelous: the underground of the human psyche finds its counterpart in the meanderings of a mythical labyrinth, the subterranean meetings by candlelight, secret passages hidden within the double walls of castles, treasures concealed in gullies. — The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz by Johann Valentin Andreae, Joscelyn Godwin (Translator), and Adam …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-political-economy-of-preternatural-parapsychology-from-esp-to-extraterrestrial-civilizations/
An Abortion Advocacy Movement for Everybody
Blair Wallace | aclu.org | 2020-08-17
Abortion is legal in Texas and across the United States, but that doesn't stop anti-abortion politicians from doing whatever they can to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare. Local governments have added fuel to the fire by passing anti-abortion ordinances that confuse residents about their rights and increase the ever-present stigma around seeking abortion care., , That's why, for the first time, reproductive rights, health, and justice groups in our state are joining forces to expand essential health care access for all Texans by creating the Texas Abortion Access Network. Join us for TAAN'…
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/an-abortion-advocacy-movement-for-everybody
We've Filed 400 Legal Actions Against Trump
aclu.org | 2020-08-17
Immediately after Trump's election, we put the president and his administration on notice: If they enacted unconstitutional and illegal policies, we would see them in court. We meant it. As of today, we've filed 400 legal actions against this administration. Our 400th filing was a class-action lawsuit that seeks to block the removal of
aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/weve-filed-400-legal-actions-against-trump
'Regime Change' in Belarus Looks Like an Objective of Both the Trump Administration and the Biden Campaign
Adam Dick | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
It seems that whoever wins the presidency, United States foreign policy will keep chugging away at intervening across the world, including via "regime change" efforts. Over the last couple decades, targets for US-government-supported overthrow have included Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, …
globalresearch.ca/regime-change-belarus-objective-trump-administration-biden-campaign/5721254
Democrats' election platform demands end to 'forever wars' — most of which were launched last time Biden held office
rt.com | 2020-08-17
The Democratic Party's 2020 electoral platform includes a call to end the US' "forever wars" – which sounds great, except that a Democratic president started many of those wars and the party has stonewalled efforts to end them. | "Democrats know it's time to bring nearly two decades of unceasing conflict to an end," the platform, released in draft form on Monday and expected to be approved by Democratic leaders later this week, reads. | It's a relatively uncontroversial statement in itself: at nearly 19 years and counting, the US war in Afghanistan is the longest conflict in American history. The various satel…
rt.com/usa/498229-democrats-forever-wars-hypocrisy-biden/
US intelligence agencies have another bounty case in Afghanistan, alleging Iran paid the Taliban to attack American forces
rt.com | 2020-08-17
It turns out Russia isn't the only country that US intelligence agencies are anonymously accusing of paying bounties to Taliban fighters to attack US troops in Afghanistan. Another bogeyman, Iran, is allegedly to blame this time. | A foreign government paid bounties to the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network for an attack last December on the Bagram Air Base that killed two civilians and injured more than 70 other people, including four US troops, CNN reported Monday, citing a Pentago…
rt.com/usa/498257-iran-taliban-bounty-claims/
How to Fund the Salvation of Humanity
Simon Whalley | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
A smartphone being operated in front of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon logos as background in H√©d√©-Bazouges, western France, on Septemeber 28, 2017. (Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gafa_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/how-fund-salvation-humanity?cd-origin=rss
Facial recognition technology riddled with racial bias; cities are fighting back
Cameron Hughey | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, many cities and technology conglomerates are banning police agencies from utilizing facial recognition technology, citing racial discrimination as a vital concern. While many believe these preventative measures need to be taken a step further, corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon have restricted or at least halted …
peoplesworld.org/article/facial-recognition-technology-riddled-with-racial-bias-cities-are-fighting-back/
Missionaries Gain Access to Amazon's Indigenous Peoples, Despite Pandemic
Eduardo Campos Lima | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
When the first COVID-19 cases hit Brazil in March, the government agency in charge of protecting the country's Indigenous peoples, the National Indigenous Foundation, ordered all civilians to leave the Indigenous reservations. Only essential workers, such as health care personnel …
globalresearch.ca/missionaries-gain-access-amazon-indigenous-peoples-despite-pandemic/5721293
Prominent lawyers and legal associations demand Assange's freedom
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The 152 legal experts are unambiguous: the campaign against Assange has been based on gross violations of law and he must be immediately released from prison.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/assa-a17.html
The Show Trial of Julian Assange: A Cruel and Pseudolegal Farce
Thomas Scripps | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Julian Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death for revealing the crimes of …
globalresearch.ca/show-trial-julian-assange-cruel-pseudolegal-farce/5721279
International Lawyers Make Urgent Appeal To British Government
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
We write to you as legal practitioners and legal academics to express our collective concerns about the violations of Mr. Julian Assange's fundamental human, civil and political rights and the precedent his persecution is setting. We call on you to act in accordance with national and international law, human rights and the rule of law by bringing an end to the ongoing extradition proceedings and granting Mr. Assange his long overdue freedom — freedom from torture, arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, and political persecution. We remind the UK government that the right to a fair trial is a corner…
popularresistance.org/international-lawyers-make-urgent-appeal-to-british-government/
Julian Assange Court Case Delayed Again in Bizarre Circumstances
Alan MacLeod | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
"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. | *** | There were bizarre scenes at Westminster Magistrates' …
globalresearch.ca/julian-assange-court-case-delayed-again-bizarre-circumstances/5721250
Following protests across the globe, Israel releases BDS activist Mahmoud Nawajaa
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
Following his release after 17 days in prison, Mahmoud Nawajaa called for the intensification of BDS campaigns "to bring to an end this system of apartheid and oppression and free all 4,700 Palestinian prisoners"
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/following-protests-across-the-globe-israel-releases-bds-activist-mahmoud-nawajaa/
"I Cannot Vote for This Platform": Rep. Ro Khanna on Why Democrats Must Support Medicare for All
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
As the Democratic National Convention kicks off virtually in Milwaukee, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says he will be voting no on the Democratic platform because it does not support Medicare for All. Khanna, who served as national co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, says ensuring universal healthcare is crucial for the Democratic Party, especially during a pandemic. "I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but I cannot vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right," says Khanna.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/ro_khanna_universal_healthcare_dnc_platform
Rep. Ro Khanna: Democrats Must Support Medicare for All
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
As the Democratic National Convention kicks off virtually in Milwaukee, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says he will be voting "no" on the Democratic platform because it does not support Medicare for All. Khanna, who served as national co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, says ensuring universal health care is crucial for the Democratic Party, especially during a pandemic. "I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but…
truthout.org/video/rep-ro-khanna-democrats-must-support-medicare-for-all/
Bernie Sanders on How He'll Rally Progressives Tonight
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
Bernie Sanders on How He'll Rally Progressives Tonight…
thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-2020-convention/
Bernie Sanders on How He'll Rally Progressives
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
Bernie Sanders on How He'll Rally Progressives…
thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-2020-convention/
Do Americans Dream of Capitalist Sheep?
Hiroyuki Hamada | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-17
It's capitalism after all. Those political parties for the rich and powerful know how to sell exploitation and subjugation by their good cop/bad cop marketing. If you don't buy this, you get Trump. But if you buy what they sell, you get Biden, an imperialist with the crime bill, Patriot Act, and the rest of the schemes …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/do-americans-dream-of-capitalist-sheep/
The Biden/Harris campaign and the dead-end of "lesser evil" politics
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
As the US election enters its final stage, enormous pressure is being brought to bear to convince workers and youth that the only way to oppose Trump is to support Biden and Harris.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/pers-a17.html
'Joe and the Hoe': Rush Limbaugh's mockery of Kamala Harris' sex life triggers outrage & accusations of skewed priorities
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's "sexist" riff on Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris' past relationship with a powerful older politician has liberals outraged and conservatives rolling their eyes. | In his Friday broadcast, Limbaugh brought up the NBA's dismissal of a freelance photographer who had posted a mock campaign ad of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with Harris captioned 'Joe and the Hoe' on Facebook. | Noting the photographer was given the boot over a "sexist Facebook post referencing Kamala Harris," he explained the 'Joe and the Hoe' quip was a reference to Harris' sexual relat…
rt.com/usa/498249-kamala-harris-sexist-outrage-limbaugh/
Trump carves into Biden's lead on eve of Democratic convention, poll shows
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Donald Trump is nearly neck-and-neck with presidential opponent Joe Biden, who earlier enjoyed a comfortable lead over the incumbent, according to a new CNN poll. Voters are divided over Biden's VP pick, Kamala Harris. | The presumptive Democratic nominee leads Trump by just four points nationally, 50 percent to 46 percent, the poll shows. In fifteen battleground states, the CNN poll gives the former vice president a one-point lead, with Biden at 49 percent and Trump at 48 percent. Factoring in the poll's margin of error, ranging from 3.7 to 5 percentage points, the presidential contenders may be close to tied…
rt.com/usa/498179-trump-biden-cnn-poll-convention/
Progressives, Get Ready to Push Them Left
Robert L. Borosage | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
Progressives, Get Ready to Push Them Left…
thenation.com/article/politics/kamala-biden-progressives/
Joe Biden blasted for softball interview with Cardi B after avoiding real journalists ahead of convention
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Joe Biden is facing a backlash after taking the time to sit down for a video chat with rapper Cardi B, having dodged interviews with major journalists and news outlets ahead of the Democratic convention. | Biden tuned in for a candid video conversation with the provocative and political rapper Cardi B for Elle Magazine. Posted online on Monday, the virtual tete-a-tete prompted immediate eye-rolling and accusations that the Democratic candidate was using the celebrity to appear relevant. | The unusual pairing discussed a variety…
rt.com/usa/498227-joe-biden-softball-cardi/
A Letter on Gary Leupp's "The RCP, Fascism, and Chairman Bob's Endorsement of Biden for President"
Larry Everest et al | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Lies, slanders, distortions, and ad hominem attacks don't constitute substantive discussion, debate and controversy — they prevent it. Dearn CounterPunch, We, the undersigned have all written for CounterPunch. We come from different perspectives, but we all greatly value your work for its edge, willingness to engage controversy, and openness to a diversity of views and…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/a-letter-on-gary-leupps-the-rcp-fascism-and-chairman-bobs-endorsement-of-biden-for-president/
The Hoopla Over the Kamala Harris VP Selection Obscures the Many Young People of Color Who Are Winning Offices Nationally
Sonali Kolhatkar | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Joe Biden's pick of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate for the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket has generated strong responses. While many Democrats are elated at the idea of seeing a brown-skinned woman of Indian and Jamaican heritage in such a position, progressives are debating one another about Harris' mixed record on bread-and-butter…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-hoopla-over-the-kamala-harris-vp-selection-obscures-the-many-young-people-of-color-who-are-winning-offices-nationally/
Kamala Harris seals Trump's re-election
Jacob Reimann and Thomas Denkler | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
The appointment of Kamala Harris as Biden's vice candidate is now the result of the Democratic establishment's pathological fear of anything that could even begin to smell left. The cause of this pathology lies in the historical shift to the right of the US party system described by Chomsky.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835950.php
The Wealth of Just 12 US Billionaires Now Totals Over One Trillion Dollars
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/wealth-just-12-us-billionaires-now-totals-over-one-trillion-dollars?cd-origin=rss
'What a Disgrace': Pentagon Weighing $2.2 Billion in Cuts to Military Healthcare Just After Passage of $740 Billion Budget
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
"The Trump administration is always looking for ways to cut your healthcare, regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you do." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pentagon_healthcare.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/what-disgrace-pentagon-weighing-22-billion-cuts-military-healthcare-just-after?cd-origin=rss
'Disturbing Milestone': Just 12 US Billionaires Now Own More Than $1 Trillion in Combined Wealth
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
"This is simply too much economic and political power in the hands of twelve people." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bezos_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/disturbing-milestone-just-12-us-billionaires-now-own-more-1-trillion-combined-wealth?cd-origin=rss
The US Press on Huawei by Limiting Its Access to Tech
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
The U.S. Department of Commerce Monday restricted access by Huawei and its affiliates on the tech items produced domestically and abroad from U.S. technology and software. | RELATED: | US Warns Brazil About Consequences of Authorizing Huawei in 5G | "Huawei and its foreign affiliates have extended their efforts to obtain advanced semiconductors developed or produced from U.S. software and technology in order to fulfill the policy objectives of the Communist Party," Commerce Sec…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-US-Press-on-Huawei-by-Limiting-Its-Access-to-Tech-20200817-0012.html
10-year-old rape victim in Brazil safely aborts after feminists expel religious extremists
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
Religious fundamentalists attempted to invade a health center in the city of Recife in a bid to prevent the procedure. The child earlier had to travel over 1,800 km after she was denied her legal right in her home State…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/10-year-old-rape-victim-in-brazil-safely-aborts-after-feminists-expel-religious-extremists/
Snowflakes Hither, Yonder and In the Tropics: Ungentrifying Journalism from Brazil to Ecuador
Julian Cola | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
The mammoth machine of mainstream and western media at-large tells us who is articulate enough, indeed worldly, mindful, and honest enough to saddle the demands required of international journalism.
mintpressnews.com/racism-international-journalism-brazil-to-ecuador/270468/
Venezuela and Trump's Irrational Electoral Policy
Jorge Arreaza Monserrat | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Caracas, Venezuela. Elections always have an interesting effect on public policy, in particular if the person in charge of designing and implementing a certain policy is up for reelection. In politics, it is logical that an incumbent candidate decides to show successful policies and accomplishments while minimizing failures or shortcomings. However, what is irrational is…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/venezuela-and-trumps-irrational-electoral-policy/
US: Donald Trump's Younger Brother Dies At The Age Of 71
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
U.S. President Donald Trump's younger brother Robert Trump Saturday passed away in New York after being hospitalized in the intensive care unit for several days. | RELATED: | US: Trump Plans to Ban Alibaba, China's e-Commerce Giant | The President himself made the announcement hours after visiting his brother in the hospital, alerted by White House officials about his critical condition. However, he did not release a cause of death. | "It is with a heavy heart I share that my wonderful b…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-donald-trumps-younger-brother-dies-at-the-age-of-71-20200817-0004.html
US imposes further sanctions on China's Huawei
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
US President Donald Trump's administration on Monday expanded restrictions on Chinese telecom company Huawei over the company's alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party.Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business that Huawei's access to semiconductor chips is banned, and new limitations will further prevent it from getting around the bar."On May 20, we issued an order that prevented American technology from being used in Huawei-designed chips. That led them to do some evasive measures. They were going through third parties," Ross said. "The new rule makes it clear that any use of American software or Am…
yenisafak.com/en/news/us-imposes-further-sanctions-on-chinas-huawei-3537034
US Snapback From Humiliation
Finian Cunningham | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-17
American President Donald Trump has darkly warned of something big this week, vowing to apply "snapback" international sanctions on Iran. It would be a drastic move and likely to further isolate Washington in the eyes of the world. | But the real snapback is Washington's fury after the United States was subjected to a humiliating diplomatic defeat at the UN security council last week. | A proposal by the US for the United Nations to extend an arms embargo on Iran was decisively rejected by the security council comprised of five permanent members and 11 non-permanent members. Russia and China voted against the…
Xi's article on Marxist political economy in contemporary China to be published
Xinhua | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
An article by President Xi Jinping on opening new horizons of the Marxist political economy in contemporary China will be published Sunday.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/xis-article-on-marxist-political-economy-in-contemporary-china-to-be-published/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=xis-article-on-marxist-political-economy-in-contemporary-china-to-be-published
China Announces Its First COVID-19 Vaccine Patent
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
China's National Intellectual Property Administration Monday granted the first patent to a COVID-19 vaccine developed in the Asian nation. | RELATED: | Russia Registers the World's First COVID-19 Vaccine | The Ad5-nCoV vaccine was co-developed by CanSino Biologics, the Beijing Biotechnology Institute, and a People's Liberation Army (PLA) team. | During the next year, the vaccine will be for the military forces' exclusive use. However, the military high command will be responsible for autho…
telesurenglish.net/news/china-announces-its-first-covid-19-vaccine-patent-20200817-0011.html
NATO War Crimes: NATO's "Humanitarian" Bombings, the Balance Sheet of Destruction in Yugoslavia (1999)
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
This article by Michel Chossudovsky was written in 1999 at the height of the NATO bombing campaign. It was presented to the Ad-hoc Committee to Stop Canada's Participation in the War in Yugoslavia, Press Conference, Monday, April 12, National Press …
globalresearch.ca/impacts-nato-humanitarian-bombings-balance-sheet-destruction-yugoslavia/5721209
FROM THE FIELD: Protection among the mangroves
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
The rehabilitation and replanting of mangrove forests in Cuba's coastal regions is helping to protect the lives of people living on the Caribbean island, and reduce the effects of climate change, thanks to a UN Development Programme project.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070362
'We Want Climate Justice Now!' protest set for Minnesota Governor's Mansion
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-17
Minneapolis, MN – While the Democratic National Convention will take place virtually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from August 17 to 20, activists from Minnesota's Climate Justice Committee and others are planning their own action targeting the DNC. Protesters are planning to picket the Minnesota Governor's Mansion to send a message to superdelegates that they want climate justice faster than the Democratic nominee's environmental plan. | Minnesota's Governor Walz is one of those superdelegates attending the DNC virtually. So on August 18, at 5 p.m., protesters plan to picket the Governor's Mansion at 1006 Summit…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/17/we-want-climate-justice-now-protest-set-minnesota-governor-s-mansion
Public Lands Are Key to Fighting Climate Change
Tim Whitehouse | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Existing gas and oil development in the Plateau Creek Drainage, near where BLM leases were sold in December 2016 and December 2017, can be seen from an EcoFlight plane on June 25, 2018 near DeBeque, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/public_lands_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/public-lands-are-key-fighting-climate-change?cd-origin=rss
Climate Activists and Scientists Raise Alarm After Death Valley Endures Potentially Record-Breaking 130 ∫F
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
"It's not a record that will last," says author and activist Bill McKibben. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1734656551.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/climate-activists-and-scientists-raise-alarm-after-death-valley-endures-potentially?cd-origin=rss
Observing health protocols emphasized by all religious figure
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech on commemorating Ashura amid the spread of coronavirus with Almanar TV urged the Shia Muslims to hold mourning ceremonies of Muharram with health protocols in place.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162402/Observing-health-protocols-emphasized-by-all-religious-figure
Boris Johnson under pressure to end A-level chaos
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Boris Johnson is facing a Tory backlash over the deepening A-levels crisis in England as pupils and teachers continued to protest about the results awarded.Senior Conservatives called for the government to resolve the "shambles" which had been "terribly unfair" to students who got lower-than-expected grades after their exams were cancelled as a result of coronavirus.Johnson is expected to go on holiday to Scotland this week, but Labour leader Keir Starmer called on him to take "personal responsibility" in dealing with the situation. | The Conservative former education secretary Kenneth Baker urged ministers to de…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/boris-johnson-under-pressure-to-end-a-level-chaos/
Universities Are Playing Fast and Loose With Students' Health
Cynthia Greenlee | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
Universities Are Playing Fast and Loose With Students' Health…
thenation.com/article/society/universities-reopen-campus-coronavirus/
Racist Neoliberal Response to Hurricane Katrina Foreshadowed Response to COVID
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
We are in the middle of an alternative world struggling to be born while the nastiness of a decaying one adapts to the currents of change. This is evident within the United States as COVID-19 and structural racism coinfect our communities. In a short period of time, the novel coronavirus has mutated in its pursuits to circulate and infect human life. U.S. racial domination has also mutated, albeit over a much longer span of time, adapting from earlier forms of chattel slavery, Jim Crow segr…
truthout.org/articles/racist-neoliberal-response-to-hurricane-katrina-foreshadowed-response-to-covid/
As Congress Goes on Vacation, Calls for a General Strike Across America Grow Louder
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
Government inaction, added to the prospect of being forced back to work under unsafe conditions, is leading to increasing calls for a general strike to begin on September 1.
mintpressnews.com/calls-general-strike-across-america-amid-congress-inaction-coronavirus/270489/
Trump's America Fails Coronavirus as 170,000 to 204,000 Die, Child Cases Spike, While Other Countries Are Back to Normal
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
We have a system that works for the rich, instead of a public health system for all Americans that readily anticipates and controls new pathogens through testing, contact tracing, and quarantine. (Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/coronavirus_urgency_0_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/trumps-america-fails-coronavirus-170000-204000-die-child-cases-spike-while-other?cd-origin=rss
Great minds think alike? NZ PM Ardern postpones election over coronavirus spike, sparks comparisons with Trump
rt.com | 2020-08-17
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has announced that she's delaying the general election by a month citing a surge in coronavirus cases. The move has attracted attention in the US where Donald Trump floated a similar idea earlier. | Ardern announced…
rt.com/usa/498174-new-zealand-election-delay-trump/
Indonesia reports 1,821 new coronavirus cases, 57 deaths
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Indonesia reported 1,821 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing its infection total to 141,370, data from government's COVID-19 task force showed.The Southeast Asian country also added 57 new deaths, taking its fatalities to 6,207, the highest coronavirus death toll in Southeast Asia.
yenisafak.com/en/world/indonesia-reports-1821-new-coronavirus-cases-57-deaths-3537003
PPE Shortage Could Last Years Without Strategic Plan, Experts Warn
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
Shortages of personal protective equipment and medical supplies could persist for years without strategic government intervention, officials from health care and manufacturing industries have predicted. | Officials said logistical challenges continue seven months after the coronavirus reached the United States, as the flu season approaches and as some state emergency management agencies prepare for a fall surge in COVID-19 cases. | Although the disarray is not as widespread as it was this spring, hospit…
truthout.org/articles/ppe-shortage-could-last-years-without-strategic-plan-experts-warn/
Another Russian Covid-19 vaccine on the way? Siberian lab begins 2nd phase of trials just days after registration of Sputnik V
rt.com | 2020-08-17
A mere week after Russia registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, the 'Vector' virology center in Novosibirsk has announced that an entirely different Covid-19 solution is entering the second stage of clinical trials. | As with the US, Russia is not putting all its eggs in one basket when it comes to a potential fix for coronavirus. Anna Popova, the head of the national health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, announced on Monday that volunteers were injected with Vector's experimental vaccine on August 12. Five days later, on August 17, a second group received the shot. | "Clinical trials are being carried o…
rt.com/russia/498225-covid19-vaccine-second-trial-phase/
Iran registers 2,247 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,247 people and claimed 165 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162387/Iran-registers-2-247-COVID-19-cases-in-24-hours
The Cost of 'Singapore Inc.'? A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Migrants
Kirsten Han | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
The Cost of 'Singapore Inc.'? A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Migrants.
thenation.com/article/world/singapore-coronavirus-migrant-workers/
Coronavirus 'starkly' exposes vulnerability of persons with disabilities
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
The COVID-19 pandemic has "starkly exposed" the heightened vulnerability and risks to persons with disabilities, a major meeting convened to discuss the international treaty that supports persons with disabilities, heard on Monday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070372
Wearing a face mask reduces spread of coronavirus through coughing and speaking, new study reveals
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Wearing a face covering lowers the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) to others through speaking and coughing, new research suggests.Speaking and coughing without face protection exposes people nearby to droplets carrying the virus that could otherwise be stopped by wearing a mask, according to the study."Wearing a face mask can really make a difference": Researchers found someone standing two metres from a coughing person with no mask is exposed to 10,000 times more droplets than someone half a metre from a coughing person with a mask on.Lead researcher Dr Ignazio Maria Viola, of the University of E…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/17/wearing-a-face-mask-reduces-spread-of-coronavirus-through-coughing-and-speaking-new-study-reveals/
Coronavirus, Corruption, and Resistance: Life Under South Africa's Lockdown
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-17
Durban, South Africa — Five months ago South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared a national state of emergency and announced a "21 day lockdown" in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus in South Africa. The lockdown's time frame has since been extended multiple…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/coronavirus-corruption-and-resistance-life-under-south-africas-lockdown/
Iran reports 165 more virus deaths, over 2,200 cases
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
At least 165 more coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 19,804, the Health Ministry said Monday. | Some 2,247 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the overall count up to 345,450, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari. | She said more than 299,157 patients have recovered so far, while 3,773 are hospitalized in critical condition. Over 2.88 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…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-reports-165-more-virus-deaths-over-2200-cases-3537008
Europe still dealing with initial stage of Covid-19 pandemic, real 'second wave' likely to arrive in fall — leading Russian expert
rt.com | 2020-08-17
A top Russian expert in virus control says Europe is experiencing the continuation of the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the current increase in infections is not a sign of a "second wave" as many experts speculate. | Worryingly, Nikolai Malyshev, the chief infectious diseases specialist in the Moscow Health Ministry, believes there will be a new outbreak, but it will come in the fall, as the daylight hours become fewer and the weather gets colder. | "The rise in respiratory infections, as you and I know, [occurs] yearly at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter," Malyshev explained at a pr…
rt.com/russia/498245-coronavirus-europe-second-wave-fall/
France to propose masks at work as infections rise
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Minister for Labor Elisabeth Borne has announced that she will propose it in meetings with union leaders on Tuesday.At least 3,352 new cases of coronavirus infection were registered on Saturday, and 3,015 on Sunday. About 17 more active clusters are being observed. Hospitalizations and cases under intensive care have ticked up slightly.In a tweet, Borne reinforced the need for vigilance on the part of the country."Everyone must do their utmost to prevent the spread of the disease. We will discuss Tuesday with the social partners strengthening health standards in companies to guarantee health at work and the conti…
yenisafak.com/en/news/france-to-propose-masks-at-work-as-infections-rise-3537013
Historic Collapse of US Economy: Real GDP Registers Biggest Quarterly Slump in Last 70 Years at 32.9%
Justinas Baltrusaitis | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The United States economy has been growing steadily over the last few years as indicated by the real Gross Domestic Product figures. However, the coronavirus health crisis has plunged the economy to the worst levels in about seven decades. | Data …
globalresearch.ca/collapse-of-us-economy-real-gdp-registers-biggest-quarterly-slump-in-last-70-years-at-32-9/5721272
Milwaukee protesters determined to continue as Democratic convention is held remotely
Claud Fullwood | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Monday 17 August should have seen the beginning of a four day Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But thanks to coronavirus (Covid-19), the city will miss out on hosting the DNC this week. Instead of the predicted 50,000 visitors injecting millions of dollars into the local economy, the convention will be almost entirely online. | Wisconsin is seen as a key presidential battleground after Donald Trump won there unexpectedly — and by fewer than 23,000 votes — four years ago. Organisers of the convention had planned to highlight Democrats' commitment to the city and Wisconsin. Th…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2020/08/17/milwaukee-protesters-determined-to-continue-as-democratic-convention-is-held-remotely/
Armed Forces has taken giant stride in fight against COVID-19
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) –Spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces said that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have taken giant strides in battling the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 and its activities should be reflected duly.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162381/Armed-Forces-has-taken-giant-stride-in-fight-against-COVID-19
Engineered COVID-19-Infected Mouse Bites Researcher Amid 'Explosion' of Risky Coronavirus Research
Jonathan Latham | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
University researchers genetically engineer a human pandemic virus. They inject the new virus into a laboratory mouse. The infected mouse then bites a researcher…..It is a plot worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster about risky coronavirus research. But according to newly obtained minutes of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of the University of North Carolina (UNC),…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/engineered-covid-19-infected-mouse-bites-researcher-amid-explosion-of-risky-coronavirus-research/
Doctors Lay Out Plan to 'Punish' People Who Refuse Coronavirus Vaccine: 'There Is No Alternative'
Claire Chretien | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
'Simply put, getting vaccinated is going to be our patriotic duty,' and America should consider making it difficult for the unvaccinated to participate in society, three doctors wrote. | *** | A coronavirus vaccine should be mandatory, and tax penalties, higher insurance …
globalresearch.ca/doctors-lay-out-plan-punish-people-refuse-coronavirus-vaccine-no-alternative/5721252
Trump's America Fails Coronavirus
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
170K — 202K dead, Child Cases Spike, while other Countries are back to Normal…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trumps-america-fails-coronavirus/
UK government backs down on use of algorithm in exam results after public outcry over downgrading
rt.com | 2020-08-17
The UK government has announced that students in England will now be awarded the grade that their teachers had predicted for them based on past performance rather than rely on an algorithm to help generate their marks. | The move was criticized as the algorithm used to assess grade predictions made by teachers saw marks lowered for almost 40 percent of students taking their main school-leaving exams. Students were not allowed to sit this year's exams due to the coronavirus pandemic. | The algorithm – devised by the exams regulator in England, Ofqual – will now be ditched, Education Minister Gavin Williamson sa…
rt.com/uk/498230-exam-results-algorithm-ditched-england/
The Dystopian Coronavirus America
Peter Crowley | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
A parade of armed white nationalists took over the Michigan statehouse demanding that Gretchen Whitmer "Liberate Michigan" and reopen. The police stood there and did nothing, with some likely smiling inside. Fast forward two months to Portland, Oregon, where protesters outside a federal building were tear gassed and beaten with batons by federal agents. Covid-19…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-dystopian-coronavirus-america/
Activist Voices Missing From Corporate Coverage of Uprisings
Loretta Graceffo | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Protesters march through lower Manhattan over the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police on June 19, 2020. (Photo: Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/public-support-black-lives-matter-protests.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/activist-voices-missing-corporate-coverage-uprisings?cd-origin=rss
Rental Inflation Appears to be Slowing, Especially in High-Priced Cities
Dean Baker | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.6 percent in July, the same as the rate in June. The core CPI rose 0.6 percent in July after rising 0.2 percent in June. Over the last year the indexes are up 1.0 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. The inflation of the last two months is overwhelmingly…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/rental-inflation-appears-to-be-slowing-especially-in-high-priced-cities/
Mining the Deep Sea
Julia Barnes | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
They want to mine the deep sea. We shouldn't be surprised. This culture has stolen 90% of the large fish, created 450 deoxygenated areas, and murdered 50% of the coral reefs. It has wiped out 40% of the plankton. It has warmed and acidified the water to a level not seen since the Permian mass…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/mining-the-deep-sea/
The Decline in Power of the Oil States
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
President Donald Trump is cock-a-hoop over the United Arab Emirates becoming the first Arab Gulf state to normalise its relations with Israel. He needs all the good news he can get in the months before the US presidential election. "HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!" Trump tweeted.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-decline-in-power-of-the-oil-states/
Never Surrender in Portland, Oregon
Mike Hastie | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
There is a whole new generation of Americans who have decided that non-stop resistance is the only way to confront the lethal power structure that is bound and determined to tattoo obedience on their very souls. That relentless longevity of energy is being acted out in Portland, Oregon like no other city across this nation. This has really become a profound awakening of historical precedence. The Black community only represents 6% of the population in Portland. Most of the demonstrators have been predominately young white people who are strong supporters of Black Lives Matter. There has been some very effective B…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/never-surrender-in-portland-oregon/
Jen Cloher — Analysis Paralysis (Live at Milk! Records)
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/jen-cloher-analysis-paralysis-live-at-milk-records/
A Sweeping Win for Salmon and Steelhead on the Willamette River
CounterPunch News Service | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Court finds Army Corps' dam operations harm salmon and violate the Endangered Species Act Today, Chief Judge Hernandez of the District of Oregon ruled in favor of Upper Willamette River wild spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead, finding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) failed to take…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/a-sweeping-win-for-salmon-and-steelhead-on-the-willamette-river/
Eastside Forest Scam: the Proposed Removal of the 21-Inch Rule
George Wuerthner | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
The Forest Service has begun a 30 day comment period on its proposal to eliminate the 21-inch rule or what is known as the Eastside screens. The plan would remove a prohibition against cutting trees larger than 21 inches in the drier forests east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington. The agency suggests that…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/eastside-forest-scam-the-proposed-removal-of-the-21-inch-rule/
Wear a Mask If You Can, Don't Bully Those Who Can't
Jill Richardson | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
I've been seeing memes online advocating shaming people who aren't wearing masks. Please don't. If you see someone in a store without a mask, talk to the store instead of bothering the customer. There are two reasons why. First, your bigger problem isn't the person — it's the store. What are their procedures? Ask them…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/wear-a-mask-if-you-can-dont-bully-those-who-cant/
White Christian Bigotry
James Haught | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Racism is much stronger among America's white Christians than among churchless whites — and it always has been. That's the message of a new book by social analyst Robert Jones, head of the Public Religion Research Institute. White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity contends that white churches didn't merely adapt…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/white-christian-bigotry/
Trumps' Coy Snowden Mystery: The Kiss of Death
John Kendall Hawkins | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Had we but world enough and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime. — Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress" (1681) I'm tired of the bullshit. Now that I've joined Twittersphere I've been getting magic bullets tweeting me all day. Up and to the Left. Some Mark Chapman is said to be disappointed in how…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/trumps-coy-snowden-mystery-the-kiss-of-death/
The 2020 Census Will Be a Bust
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
I wanted to get the count of people who live in my geographical area right during the 2020 US Census. I had taken part in the 2010 census and I enjoyed working both on the streets counting people in my area, and later on, working at the local census office in western Massachusetts attempting to…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-2020-census-will-be-a-bust/
Domestic Violence in the Time of the Pandemic
Cesar Chelala | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
One of the most neglected consequences of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 is the increasing violence against women of all ages. UN Women has called it "the shadow pandemic," and António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General has said,…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/domestic-violence-in-the-time-of-the-pandemic/
About Portland: An Interview with Author Jennifer Robin
Tamra Lucid | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Writer Jennifer Robin shares her experiences at the Portland Protests. One of the most compelling writers in America, Jennifer's first book, Death Confetti: Pickers, Punks, and Transit Ghosts in Portland, Oregon, is a series of vignettes of jarring experiences vividly portraying people struggling in the apocalyptic shadow of America. She was writing then about the surreal reality…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/about-portland-an-interview-with-jennifer-robin/
The Pandemic Has Revealed America's Zip Code Map of Inequality
Marshall Auerback | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
It is understandably tempting to drop all the blame for America's catastrophic response to COVID-19 on the big desk in the Oval Office. But there's more to the story than epic incompetence, grift and delusion at the highest levels of government. The stark divide in the level of health care from testing to treatment is…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-pandemic-has-revealed-americas-zip-code-map-of-inequality/
Alliance for the Wild Rockies Stops Trump From Logging and Burning Another 85,000 acres of Idaho National Forest
Mike Garrity | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Two years ago, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Project in Idaho violated the Payette National Forest Plan and the National Forest Management Act. Trump's lawless Forest Service disregarded the Court's decision and approved the same project again late last year. The Alliance took the issue back to court and…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/alliance-for-the-wild-rockies-stops-trump-from-logging-and-burning-another-85000-acres-of-idaho-national-forest/
Bolivia Surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 Cases
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Bolivia's Health Ministry Sunday reported 1,198 new COVID-19 cases, which bring contagion numbers to 100,344 since the beginning of the pandemic. | RELATED: | Elon Musk Confesses to Lithium Coup in Bolivia | "Although the figures are already exorbitant, the peak of the disease in Bolivia is expected to be in September," Health Ministry spokesman Rene Sahonero said. | "Cases are climbing steadily, at least on the western side of the country. By the end of the month, we will reach form 130,000 t…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-surpasses-100000-covid19-cases-20200817-0006.html
67 years after 1953 Coup; Is it possible to put trust in US?
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iran is marking the 67th anniversary of the 1953 Coup, a clear foreign intervention by the United States that shaped Iran-US relations up to now.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162388/67-years-after-1953-Coup-Is-it-possible-to-put-trust-in-US
67 years after 1953 Coup; Is it possible to put trust in US?
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iran is marking the 67th anniversary of the 1953 Coup, a clear foreign intervention by the United States that that shaped Iran-US relations up to now.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162388/67-years-after-1953-Coup-Is-it-possible-to-put-trust-in-US
As Bolivian Regime Delays Elections A Third Time, Media Continue To Ignore Coup
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
After both of the nation's leading papers admitted that the reason for declaring the October election a fraud was itself a fraud, few have asked the critical questions about why the OAS and the United States were so quick to have Morales removed from office. In fact, few media outlets altered their coverage of Bolivia at all. | Reuters (7/9/20) described how "a disputed election led to widespread protests that eventually toppled…Evo Morales," with a later piece (7/15/20) reporting that Añez "took power in a political vacuum." A CNN segment (7/17/20) on the COVID crisis in Bolivia described how "widespread unres…
popularresistance.org/as-bolivian-regime-delays-elections-a-third-time-media-continue-to-ignore-coup/
Beirut Explosion, Western Imperialism And Media Misinformation
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
On August 4, 2020, an explosion of tons of ammonium nitrate being stored at the port of Beirut Lebanon ripped through the city killing 0ver 170 people and injuring 6,000 people. This happened at a time when Beirut was already suffering an economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. We speak with Rania Khalek, a Lebanese-American independent journalist who was in Beirut, about what it was like during and after the explosion, the protests that followed and the complicated political situation in Lebanon. Khalek explains how the United States and other Western and Gulf States are interfering and causing more harm an…
popularresistance.org/beirut-explosion-western-imperialism-and-media-misinformation/
Schools Can No Longer Be Our Social Safety Net
Lisa Arrastia | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Labels on desks designate where students can sit with respect to social distancing as Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner takes a tour of Burbank Middle School with Principal Christine Moore on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covidclassroom.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/schools-can-no-longer-be-our-social-safety-net?cd-origin=rss
COVID and Kafala
Faisal Hamadah | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
To imagine that a country as structurally classist as Kuwait could have ever succeeded in fighting a pandemic that was born from exploitation and thrives on inequality is the kind of naivety one dreams of achieving, so comforting must it be.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/covid-and-kafala/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=covid-and-kafala
'You Non-Mask Wearers Did This': US Actress Sharon Stone Assigns Blame for Sister Getting COVID-19
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-17
US actress Sharon Stone is blaming "non-mask wearers" for her sister and brother-in-law contracting COVID-19 and urging people to wear masks to protect both themselves and others.
sputniknews.com/us/202008171080200370-you-non-mask-wearers-did-this-us-actress-sharon-stone-assigns-blame-for-sister-getting-covid-19/
Macedonian elections locked in stalemate
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-17
Elections Europe Atanas Grkov Mark TanIssue 1277 MacedoniaAugust 17, 2020The Republic of North Macedonia (hereafter Macedonia) held its parliamentary election amid the global COVID-19 pandemic on July 15, re…
greenleft.org.au/content/macedonian-elections-locked-stalemate
Pregnancy and labor during COVID-19
Nation Nyoka | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
"I feel so bad for him. He only knows four people right now in his life and I…" Her face is eclipsed by the chubby cheeks of a curious baby. Before she can continue, he repeatedly attacks the screen with the palm of his hand, babbling away in baby talk. His bottom milk teeth are obscured when his drool drenches the camera before the call is summarily cut. | "Eish, this boy! Sorry sisi, I was saying he doesn't know any other faces or people except us," says Maria Beda*, wiping the camera clean. | Like Beda, Thembeka Sibiya, 27, is concerned that her newborn son will not enjoy the same social life as her seven-ye…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/pregnancy-and-labor-during-covid-19/
Asymptomatic US Student Attends Class After Positive COVID-19 Test, Classmates Exposed
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-17
A student in Moore, Oklahoma, knowingly chose to attend school last week while positive for COVID-19, according to officials.
sputniknews.com/society/202008171080200120-asymptomatic-us-student-attends-class-after-positive-covid-19-test-classmates-exposed-/
With pandemic raging, Florida governor deepens drive to reopen schools
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
School districts and teachers in Florida have been forced to resume in-person learning while COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to surge throughout the state.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/flor-a17.html
Track and Tracing: UK Government Accused of New 'U-turn' on Local COVID Contact Tracing
Caroline Molloy | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The government has come under fresh criticism today over its controversial COVID-19 Track and Trace scheme, after admitting that, despite this week's promise to " strengthen regional contact tracing", the major firms involved in the controversial scheme will not …
globalresearch.ca/government-accused-new-u-turn-local-covid-contact-tracing/5721249
Why The Fight for Paid Sick Leave is a Civil Rights Issue
Ronald Newman, Louise Melling | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
McDonald's workers and their supporters hold signs at a rally to protest what they allege is McDonald's attempts to silence a worker who spoke out about unsafe conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, August 7, 2020 outside a McDonald's in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcdonaldsprotest.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/why-fight-paid-sick-leave-civil-rights-issue?cd-origin=rss
Venezuela: President Maduro Volunteers To Test Russian Vaccine
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday announced he'll be the first to get vaccinated when the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, arrives in the country. | RELATED: | Russia Officially Produces First Batch of COVID-19 Vaccine | He recalled that Russia was the first country in the world to vaccinate its population and volunteered to test the Sputnik V. | "There will be a time when we all get vaccinated and the first to be vaccinated will be me. I'm going to get the vaccine, I…
telesurenglish.net/news/venezuela-maduro-volunteers-to-test-the-russian-covid-19-vaccine-20200817-0005.html
The 2020 Democratic Convention Could Be a Tech Debacle or an Ambitious Feat
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
What do you suppose the Democrats will be talking about at their "convention" this week? | The U.S. crossed the threshold of 170,000 COVID deaths last night; with more than 5.4 million infections, our country is the most virus-riddled nation on the face of the Earth. In response, the president of the United States has begun pushing "an extract from the oleander plant as a dietary supplement to cure COVID-1…
truthout.org/articles/the-2020-democratic-convention-could-be-a-tech-debacle-or-an-ambitious-feat/
G7 Calls for More Debt Relief to Confront COVID-19 Crisis
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/g7-calls-more-debt-relief-confront-covid-19-crisis?cd-origin=rss
UK records 713 new daily cases of COVID-19
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
The United Kingdom recorded 713 new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19, official data showed on Monday, the first time i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/uk-records-713-new-daily-cases-of-covid-19-3537038
Special Award for Pandemic Service goes to academic behind rapid COVID-19 test
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-17
Professor Chris Toumazou has been awarded a President's Special Award for Pandemic Service by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
imperial.ac.uk/news/202053/special-award-pandemic-service-goes-academic
Real Life Heroes: building trust, and saving lives
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
Marie-Roseline Bélizaire, a doctor and epidemiologist with the World Health Organization (WHO), is using her passion for community medicine to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the Central African Republic (CAR).
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070292
Russia officially produces first batch of COVID-19 vaccine
teleSUR Desk | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
"Russia's health workers and teachers will be the first ones to receive the vaccine in the country," Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/russia-officially-produces-first-batch-of-covid-19-vaccine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=russia-officially-produces-first-batch-of-covid-19-vaccine
G7 Calls for More Debt Relief to Confront COVID-19 Crisis
Zach Conti | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin convened G7 Finance Ministers, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835951.php
Trump Pushes to Reopen Schools Despite the US Health Crisis
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
U.S. President Donald Trump once again pushed for schools reopening despite his country registers 5,400,180 COVID-19 cases and 169,955 deaths. | RELATED: | US Senate Hearing Unveils Trump's Plans Against Venezuela | "The children have to return to the classrooms. They tend to only develop mild COVID-19 symptoms. Health complications in minors are incredibly rare," Trump said. | Previously, on July 6, he also said that "schools must reopen in the fall," insisting that "children are su…
telesurenglish.net/news/trump-pushes-to-reopen-schools-despite-alarming-infection-rate-20200817-0013.html
Scotland's schools reopen as COVID-19 infects students
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The Scottish National Party's school reopening exposes it as the accomplice of the Johnson government's herd immunity strategy.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/scot-a17.html
World still in 'early stage of pandemic' – Neil Ferguson
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-17
Neil Ferguson is 'optimistic' Europe won't see very large numbers of new COVID-19 cases this year, but poorer nations may face 'bigger problems'.
imperial.ac.uk/news/201953/world-still-early-stage-pandemic-neil
McConnell Adjourns Senate for Month-Long Recess Without Deal on COVID Relief
Jake Johnson | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
"Every time I think Republicans can't run this country any further into the ground, they prove me wrong."
zcomm.org/znetarticle/mcconnell-adjourns-senate-for-month-long-recess-without-deal-on-covid-relief/
A risky game with health and lives as schools reopen throughout Germany
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
With the beginning of mandatory school attendance, the number of COVID-19 infections is increasing.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/germ-a17.html
During COVID-19, The Risk To Health Care Workers Has Never Been Greater
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
If you happen to provide health care services to actual Covid-19 patients — as a nurse or a doctor, an orderly or a physician's assistant — this has been the year from hell. Amid the worst worldwide pandemic in over a century, you've been working long, intense, chaotic hours. You've watched patients die at rates unimaginable just six months ago. You've watched colleagues die. You've worried that you may be bringing death home to your families. | If you work in health care but don't interact with pandemic patients, the months since March haven't exactly been easy street either. In April alone, 1.4 mill…
popularresistance.org/during-covid-19-the-risk-to-health-care-workers-has-never-been-greater/
Friday 8/21: Online Event: Covid's Hidden Toll with Filmmakers Daffodil Altan and Andrés Cediel
Revolution Books | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/16/18835940.php
Embodied Inequality: The Intersections Between COVID, Racial Justice, and the Environment
Brianna Cunliffe | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
The consequences of our fossil fuel economy and a global pandemic fall heaviest on America's most vulnerable communities. Elected Officials are saying enough.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835948.php
Needed: Indicators for Measuring Injustice and Societal Decay
Ralph Nader | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Adequate housing, healthcare, food, public services, education, mass transit, health & safety standards, and environmental protections are the prerequisites for a humane democracy. | *** | Economic indicators — data points, trends, and micro-categories — are the widgets of the big information …
globalresearch.ca/indicators-measuring-injustice-societal-decay/5721284
We Are in Danger Daily: Honduran Afro-Indigenous Garífuna Demand Return of Kidnapped Land Defenders
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
At least 212 land and environmental defenders were murdered last year — the highest number since the group Global Witness began gathering data eight years ago. Some 40% of those killed were Indigenous peoples. We get an update from Honduras, where the Afro-Indigenous Garífuna community continues to demand the safe return of five Garífuna land defenders who were kidnapped by heavily armed men who were reportedly wearing police uniforms and forced them into three unmarked vehicles at gunpoint. This was the latest attack against the Garífuna community as they defend their territory from destructive projects fu…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/garifuna_land_defenders_honduras
"We Have to Expand the Squad": Cori Bush on Her Upset Primary Win, Defunding Police & Kamala Harris
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
We speak with Cori Bush, a nurse and single mother who was formerly homeless, who joins the growing number of young Black progressives likely headed to Congress this November, after she won a stunning primary upset over 10-term incumbent Congressmember William Lacy Clay Jr. in Missouri's 1st Congressional District in the St. Louis area. Bush says her campaign's victory was a result of a grassroots effort from across her district and beyond. "We believed that it's time for a change, it's time for an active leader, someone who knows the streets, someone who knows the struggle of what's happening in our country, esp…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/cori_bush_2020_missouri_primary_victory
Belarusians stare down dictatorship for a second week
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-17
Democracy Elections Clare LemlichIssue 1277 BelarusAugust 17, 2020Belarusians are now entering their second week of daily mass protests against the 26-year dictatorship of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The scale of resistance is unprecedented in contemporary Belarusian his…
greenleft.org.au/content/belarusians-stare-down-dictatorship-second-week
The war on democracy
Thomas Magstadt | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-17
"I don't know what else to call it when a president is actively curtailing voting rights and doing his damnedest to de-legitimize the election…"
nationofchange.org/2020/08/17/the-war-on-democracy/
"We Have to Expand the Squad": Cori Bush on Her Upset Primary Win, Defunding Police & Kamala Harris
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
We speak with Cori Bush, a nurse and single mother who was formerly homeless, who joins the growing number of young Black progressives likely headed to Congress this November, after she won a stunning primary upset over 10-term incumbent Congressmember William Lacy Clay Jr. in Missouri's 1st District in the St. Louis area. Bush says her campaign's victory was a result of a grassroots effort from across her district and beyond. "We believed that it's time for a change, it's time for an active leader, someone who knows the streets, someone who knows the struggle of what's happening in our country, especially with C…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/cori_bush_2020_missouri_primary_victory
Stamp Out the Trump Attacks on Our Postal Service!
Michael Winship | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
The president and his obeisant postmaster general are out to destroy voting by mail—and democracy.
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/stamp-out-trump-attacks-our-postal-service?cd-origin=rss
Rep. Ro Khanna: Trump's Postal Service Changes Are a Deliberate Strategy to Steal the Election
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls lawmakers back from summer recess for an urgent vote this week to stop changes at the U.S. Postal Service that could interfere with the upcoming election, we speak with California Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says millions of ballots could be at risk of going uncounted. "That, in my view, is a deliberate strategy to try to disqualify millions of votes and for the president to try to steal this election," says Khanna. President Trump recently admitted he's working to undermine…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/ro_khanna_usps
It's Time Chevron Faced Justice and Cleaned Up Its Mess in Ecuador—and It's Time for the Persecution of Steven Donziger to End
Jody Williams | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
The lawyer of Ecuadorean people affected by Texaco-Chevron, Steven Donziger, gestures during a press conference on March 19, 2014 in Quito. (Photo: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/steven_donziger.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/its-time-chevron-faced-justice-and-cleaned-its-mess-ecuador-and-its-time?cd-origin=rss
Ecuador: Court Begins Trial for Rebellion Against Paola Pabon
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Ecuador's Constitutional Court Monday held a hearing to start a trial for rebellion against the Pichincha Prefect Paola Pabon, Virgilio Hernandez, and Christian Gonzalez, all of whom are members of the Citizen Revolution Movement (RC). | RELATED: | Ecuador: Former President Bucaram Is Arrested for Organized Crime | They belong to the party supporting former President Rafael Correa and are accused of organizing a rebellion during the national strike th…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuador-Court-Begins-Trial-for-Rebellion-Against-Paola-Pabon-20200817-0010.html
Can Lebanon be Saved?
Robert Fisk | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
How do you save a truly corrupt country like Lebanon? It's a question with an almost impossible answer…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/can-lebanon-be-saved/
Foiled in the Security Council: The United States, Extending Arms Embargoes and Iran
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
There are no official policing authorities as such when it comes to international relations. Realists imagine a jungle of states, the preyed upon and the predators, a grim state of affairs moderated by alliances, agreements and understandings. But there is …
globalresearch.ca/security-council-united-states-extending-arms-embargoes-iran/5721265
Anti-Racist Uprising Infiltrated by Extreme-Right Hooligans
Andre Vltchek | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The city of Minneapolis is where it all began. It is where the last drop fell on the surface of a proverbial overflowing lake, causing the dam to burst, consequently starting to destroy the foundations of the empire. | A death …
globalresearch.ca/anti-racist-uprising-infiltrated-by-extreme-right-hooligans/5721286
Agenda ID2020 of the "One World Order": The 101 to Understanding Its Implications
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Agenda ID2020 — is hardly mentioned by any media, let alone the mainstream. Agenda ID2020, if carried out, is the ultimate control by a small elite — of the One World Order (OWO), also called the New World Order (NWO) …
globalresearch.ca/agenda-id2020-101-understanding-implications/5721260
"The World That I See Today": Sanity, Her Son, and the Credulous
Jordan Henderson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
I have recently completed a large painting (oil on canvas), exploring the emotional and spiritual side of mandatory masks, and what they symbolize. Visual art can serve as a medium to express sentiments from an angle that cannot be …
globalresearch.ca/sanity-her-son-credulous/5721263
Lebanon Devastated by Corruption, Economic Collapse, and Beirut Explosion
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
A perfect storm affects Lebanon and vast majority of its near-seven million people, including: | Out-of-control rampant corruption. | Unemployment of a third or more of working-age Lebanese. | Poverty exceeding 50% of the population. | Over 80% inflation since last October, debasing the …
globalresearch.ca/lebanon-devastated-corruption-economic-collapse-beirut-explosion/5721271
Private U.S. Contractors Part of the 'Kill Chain' in East Africa "Anti-Terrorist Operations"
Kira Zalan | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
It was early on a Sunday morning when Al-Shabab militants attacked the small airstrip next to a military base on Kenya's north coast. Plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky as the militants destroyed six aircraft and killed three …
globalresearch.ca/private-us-contractors-part-kill-chain-east-africa-anti-terrorist-operations/5721291
Belarus Kicks Off Large-scale Military Drills Near Poland, Lithuania
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
On August 16, the Belarusian Armed Forces announced large-scale military drills near the country's nuclear plant and in the Grodno region bordering Poland and Lithuania. The drills will take place on August 17-20 and involve rocket and artillery units, air-defense …
globalresearch.ca/belarus-kicks-off-large-scale-military-drills-near-poland-lithuania-lukashenko-losing-propaganda-war-western-backed-opposition/5721276
Russian-Belarusian Relations: Back to Being Brothers? Crimea 2.0 Is Unlikely
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Several recent developments in Russian-Belarusian relations — in particular, Belarus' return of 32 suspected Wagner mercenaries to Russia, Belarusian opposition leader Tsepkalo's departure from Russia, and the two phone calls between Presidents Putin and Lukashenko — hint that bilateral ties …
globalresearch.ca/russian-belarusian-relations/5721299
History of Settler Colonialism in Palestine
Dr. Zuhair Sabbagh | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The following research article aims at exploring the issue of history of settler colonialism in Palestine. It will tackle three different settler colonial projects that were established in Arab Palestine: the German Templers, the Jewish and the Zionist. | In the …
globalresearch.ca/history-settler-colonialism-palestine/5721303
Ainu People Sues Japan to Confirm Salmon Fishing Rights
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
A cultural organization of the Ainu People Monday sued the Japanese State and the Hokkaido Island government so that the authorities recognize their indigenous rights and lift the ban on commercial salmon fishing in rivers. | RELATED: | Chile: Mapuche People's Spiritual Advisor Stops Drinking Water | The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed by members of this Indigenous people, who were subjected to forced assimilation more than a century ago. | Although Japanese law recognize…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ainu-People-Sues-Japan-to-Confirm-Salmon-Fishing-Rights-20200817-0002.html
Chile: Mapuche People Call for Actions Against Capitalism
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Mapuche people Sunday condemned Chile's capitalist regime, which is the main responsible for the domination and oppression of this Indigenous people. | RELATED: | Chile: Mapuches Mobilize In Solidarity With Political Prisoners | "We are calling on the people to carry out sabotage against capital, forestry industry, and other capitalist investments that threaten Mapuche People's lives," the Arauco-Malleco Coordination (CAM) stated. | This call was made amid the Mapuche people's…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-mapuche-people-call-for-actions-against-capitalism-20200817-0009.html
Lithuania says Russian military help in Belarus would mean 'an invasion'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Russian military help in Belarus would constitute "an invasion", Lithuanian foreign affairs minister Linas Linkevicius said on Monday."There are no reasons for military support from Russia, and no legal or other grounds for it. It would constitute an invasion into the country and would destroy the last traces of its independence", Linkevicius told reporters in Vilnius."Russia would risk a lot if it did it, in the face of what is going on in Belarus, in the face of the popular support. It should figure out that an invasion would not be justified, neither legally, nor morally, nor politically", he added.The Kremlin…
yenisafak.com/en/news/lithuania-says-russian-military-help-in-belarus-would-mean-an-invasion-3537002
'Untimely' to take part at Italian, American film festivals
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iranian feature 'Untimely', directed by Pouya Eshtehardi, will take part at three international film festivals in Italy and the US.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162398/Untimely-to-take-part-at-Italian-American-film-festivals
US Remains Defiant, Promises New Sanctions After UN Rejects Anti-Iran Measures
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
According to the State Department, it was the world that was wrong, not Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the decision to reject their "reasonable resolution" and side with "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" as "inexcusable."
mintpressnews.com/following-failure-un-us-promises-snapback-sanctions-iran-coming-days/270470/
Three Asiatic cheetahs spotted in Semnan
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
SEMNAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Park rangers have spotted three Asiatic cheetahs in near Sharoud in Semnan province, central Iran.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162372/Three-Asiatic-cheetahs-spotted-in-Semnan
Tough sanctions situation should be disseminated to people
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that tough conditions of sanctions imposed against the country as well as salient measures taken by the government should be disseminated to all walks of life.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162403/Tough-sanctions-situation-should-be-disseminated-to-people
Supreme Council of Standards meeting held
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iran's Supreme Council of Standards held in meeting on Monday morning with the presence of First Vice President Es'hagh Jahangiri and other senior officials at the place of Presidential Administration.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162378/Supreme-Council-of-Standards-meeting-held
US Remains Defiant, Promises New Sanctions After UN Rejects Anti-Iran Measures
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-17
According to the State Department, it was the world that was wrong, not Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the decision to reject their "reasonable resolution" and side with "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" as "inexcusable." | MPN– The latest chapter in the sometimes Orwellian world of Middle Eastern politics occurred this weekend, as the Trump administration, which unilaterally walked away from Obama's Iran deal, attempted to convince the world to enact a…
US Remains Defiant, Promises New Sanctions After UN Rejects Anti-Iran Measures
Iran Air to resume Tehran-Madrid flights after 17 years
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Spain announced the resumption of weekly flights on the Tehran-Madrid-Tehran route after 17 years.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162401/Iran-Air-to-resume-Tehran-Madrid-flights-after-17-years
'Gabriel' to go on screen at Cheongju Intl. Short FilmFest
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian short film, 'Gabriel' directed by Yousef Kargar, will be screened at the 17th edition of the Cheongju International Short Film Festival in South Korea.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162392/Gabriel-to-go-on-screen-at-Cheongju-Intl-Short-FilmFest
Foiled in the Security Council: The United States, Extending Arms Embargoes and Iran
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-17
There are no official policing authorities as such when it comes to international relations. Realists imagine a jungle of states, the preyed upon and the predators, a grim state of affairs moderated by alliances, agreements and understandings. But there is one body whose resolutions are recognised as having binding force: the Security Council, that most …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/foiled-in-the-security-council-the-united-states-extending-arms-embargoes-and-iran/
Foreign patent offices registers 110 of Iran's inventions
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iran Patent Center announced that as many as 110 inventions by Iranian scientists have been granted patents by authentic foreign patent offices, according to Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162391/Foreign-patent-offices-registers-110-of-Iran-s-inventions
Police Seize 853 kg of narcotics in Yazd province
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The police forces of Yazd province in central Iran have seized 853 kilograms of illicit drugs in two separate operations.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162405/Police-Seize-853-kg-of-narcotics-in-Yazd-province
Risk factors for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers during April 2020 in a UK hospital testing programme
John S Leeds, Veena Raviprakash, Thomas Jacques, Noel Scanlon, Jeremy Cundall, Clare M Leeds | thelancet.com | 2020-08-17
Background: Healthcare workers (HCW) are a crucial part of the workforce but are also at potentially at increased risk of infection from SARS-CoV-2. Emerging evidence has suggested specific groups of HCW are at further increased risk particularly those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. Previous reports have not examined risk factors associated with contracting the virus and were reported prior to the pandemic peak in the UK.Methods: Staff testing in our facility commenced on the 1st April and all individuals were entered into a database.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30257-1/fulltext?rss=yes
Turkish defense minister, military chief visit Libya
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkey's defense minister and chief of general staff on Monday visited Libya to review the activities carried out under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two nations.A military ceremony was held for Hulusi Akar and General Yasar Guler upon their arrival at the Mitiga International Airport in the capital Tripoli.Following the ceremony, Akar and Guler went to the Defense Security Cooperation and Training Assistance Advisory Command, which was created as part of a MoU between Turkey and Libya.On Nov. 27, 2019, Ankara and Tripoli signed two MoUs; one on military cooperation and the other on maritime bou…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkish-defense-minister-military-chief-visit-libya-3537006
Germany asks UAE to use influence over Libya's Haftar
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Germany urged the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to use its influence over warlord Khalifa Haftar, leader of the illegitimate armed forces in eastern Libya, according to the German Federal Foreign Office. | "In Libya at the moment, we are observing a deceptive calm. Both sides and their international allies are continuing to massively arm the country and holding firm to their preconditions for a ceasefire", German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued a statement upon his arrival in Tripoli. | Maas said during his two-day official visit to Libya, he will meet with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, Foreign Minister…
yenisafak.com/en/news/germany-asks-uae-to-use-influence-over-libyas-haftar-3537011
Libya belongs to Libyans, says Turkish defense minister
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkey on Monday reiterated its support for Libya's legitimate government, with the visiting defense minister saying, "Libya belongs to Libyans"."We believe that we will achieve the wanted results by supporting our Libyan brothers in their just cause," Hulusi Akar said during his visit in the capital Tripoli.Accompanied by Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Guler, Akar is visiting Libya to review the training and advisory activities carried out under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two nations on security and military cooperation.The duo met with the Turkish training personnel at lunch, foll…
yenisafak.com/en/news/libya-belongs-to-libyans-says-turkish-defense-minister-3537033
Putin, Erdogan discuss conflicts in Libya, Syria in phone call
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone call on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.The Kremlin said the call's main focus was on the crisis in Libya, highlighting the need to make real steps towards a sustainable ceasefire.It also said both leaders agreed to step up anti-terrorism efforts in Syria, after reports earlier on Monday of a Turkish-Russian joint patrol being hit by a blast in the Idlib region.
yenisafak.com/en/news/putin-erdogan-discuss-conflicts-in-libya-syria-in-phone-call-3537007
BREAKING: Quique Setien officially SACKED by Barcelona as club wields axe after UEFA Champions League debacle
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Barcelona have today sacked manager Quique Setien just days after his side's humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich, amid rumors that club's current instability has led to prized asset Lionel Messi requesting a transfer. | Setien, who was appointed as Ernesto Valverde's successor in January, had a tumultuous spell in the charge of the Catalan giants, which his position mired almost immediately by reports that many of the first team playing squad were unconvinced by his leadership. | The situation at the club degenerated post-lockdown, as Barca surrendered their La Liga crown to rivals Real Madrid and the…
rt.com/sport/498211-quique-setien-sacked-barcelona/
As Defense Bill Divides Senate, the Pentagon Shows a Crack in the Armor
Raul Diego | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
The national security state is on the verge of a radical transformation. From DHS to the military, the pressure is mounting on all sides to revamp federal law enforcement hierarchies, shift information pipelines, and reimage the nature of warfare.
mintpressnews.com/as-defense-bill-divides-senate-the-pentagon-shows-a-crack-in-the-armor/270495/
"A Cynical Manipulation": On Israel's Empty Gesture of Goodwill to Beirut
Miko Peled | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
While some may see Israel's gesture as an act of magnanimity, showing solidarity with an enemy country, one is hard-pressed to find words to express just how disgusting and cynical it really is.
mintpressnews.com/tel-aviv-israel-gesture-of-goodwill-to-beirut-lebanon/270455/
Rolling Stone reporter takes aim at Fox news over Seth Rich murder & gets blasted for failing to get facts right
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Seth Rich 'truthers,' including internet rights activist Kim Dotcom, are hounding a journalist for his book about the former DNC staffer's death. They say he's profiting from Rich's death – the very thing he accuses them of. | Seth Rich was 27 years old when he was gunned down near his apartment in Washington, DC, in 2016. The murder of the Democratic National Committee staffer was declared a botched robbery by police, but widespread online speculation at the time suggested that Rich was responsible for leaking a trove of party emails to Wikileaks, and was killed in retaliation. These emails revealed, among ot…
rt.com/usa/498243-seth-rich-conspiracy-dotcom/
The Abyss of Disinformation Gazes Into Its Creators
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-17
He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. | Friedrich Nietzsche | The other day the U.S. State Department published " Pillars of Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem". The report should have a disclaimer like this: | Everything you read in the NYT or hear Rachel Maddow say about Russia is true: Putin is a murderer, a thief and a thug, he shot down MH17, poisoned the Skripals, elected…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/17/the-abyss-of-disinformation-gazes-into-its-creators/
US Grand Jury Indicts Two Men on Charges of Murdering Jam Master Jay of Run DMC
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-17
Two men have been charged for their alleged roles in the 2002 slaying of Jason "Jay" Mizell, popularly known as Jam Master Jay and one-third of the legendary '80s hip hop group Run DMC.
sputniknews.com/society/202008171080200328-us-grand-jury-indicts-two-men-on-charges-of-murdering-jam-master-jay-of-run-dmc/
'The Killing Was Really Cut and Dry'
Brian Gilmore | progressive.org | 2020-08-17
George Floyd's murder sparks a worldwide campaign to end policing as we know it.
progressive.org/magazine/the-killing-was-really-cut-and-dry-gilmore/
Rolling Stone reporter takes aim at Fox news over Seth Rich murder & gets blasted for failing to get facts right
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Seth Rich 'truthers,' including internet rights activist Kim Dotcom, are hounding a journalist for his book about the former DNC staffer's death. They say he's profiting from Rich's death – the very thing he accuses them of. | Seth Rich was 27 years old when he was gunned down near his apartment in Washington, DC, in 2016. The murder of the Democratic National Committee staffer was declared a botched robbery by police, but widespread online speculation at the time suggested that Rich was responsible for leaking a trove of party emails to Wikileaks, and was killed in retaliation. These emails revealed, among ot…
rt.com/usa/498243-seth-rich-conspiracy-dotcom/
Trump's War On Arms Control And Disarmament
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
Trump's hostile and counterproductive acts have undermined the arms control regime that U.S. presidents have developed over the past seven decades. Every president from Eisenhower to Obama contributed to improving the verification and monitoring of strategic arms; reducing the numbers of strategic weapons; eliminating intermediate-range missiles, and/or trying to avoid accidental confrontation. During the presidential campaign in 2016, ten former nuclear control officers anticipated the worst and organized a letter stating that, if elected, Trump should not be given the nuclear codes. | For the past two years, Tr…
popularresistance.org/trumps-war-on-arms-control-and-disarmament/
A matter of life and death: What war and the pandemic have in common
Patrick Cockburn | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
Patrick Cockburn examines the threads between the pandemic and the media's coverage of age of endless war.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/a-matter-of-life-and-death-what-war-and-the-pandemic-have-in-common/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-matter-of-life-and-death-what-war-and-the-pandemic-have-in-common
Latin America Increases its Food Exports to the European Union
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
The Latin American countries increased their agricultural exports to the European Union (EU) during the pandemic. | RELATED: | Spain: One In Four Citizens At Risk Of Poverty — Survey | "The behavior of the Latin American agricultural exports has been outstanding compared to the rest of the world," the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) specialist Joaquin Arias said. | He also mentioned that the Latin American countries are takin…
telesurenglish.net/news/Latin-America-Increases-its-Food-Exports-to-the-European-Union-20200817-0007.html
Modi govt attempts to dilute Indian environment laws amid pandemic
Surangya | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
India's right-wing government is set on diluting its environment protection laws. In yet another neoliberal move, the government has proposed amendments in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process that will make it easier for private capital to exploit natural resources.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/modi-govt-attempts-to-dilute-indian-environment-laws-amid-pandemic/
Texas A&M faculty decry plans to reopen campuses in midst of pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Faculty, professors and students at multiple Texas A&M University campuses recently penned an open letter that has garnered roughly 900 signatures.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/oppo-a17.html
School Cancelled In Arizona Area After 'Sick Out' Over Reopening
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
An Arizona school district that ignored state safety guidelines and voted to begin in-person learning on Aug. 17 has had to cancel classes after staff said it was unsafe to return and called in sick. | Greater Phoenix's J.O. Combs Unified School District canceled all instruction for Monday due to "insufficient staffing," days after its board disregarded state benchmarks on when students can safely return to classes during the pandemic. | The "sick out" underlined the difficulties in returning to in-person learning in the United States after schools in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama closed this week as students a…
popularresistance.org/school-cancelled-in-arizona-area-after-sick-out-over-reopening/
Trump Administration Opens Arctic Refuge to Oil and Gas Drilling–Greenpeace Response
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/trump-administration-opens-arctic-refuge-oil-and-gas-drilling-greenpeace?cd-origin=rss
Ukraine recalls Belarus envoy for consultations 'for first time ever', but it's not about protests
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Kiev has recalled its ambassador from Minsk for consultations, for the "first time in history." However, the move appears to be more about Belarus' refusal to hand suspected Russian mercenaries over to Ukraine than the protests. | Ukraine has joined the chorus of Western nations refusing to recognize the results of last week's elections in Belarus, which officially handed a landslide victory to Alexander Lukashenko for his sixth term in office. "Belarussian-Ukraine relations" have been "fundamentally changed" by the developments in Belarus, in which "society has expressed a vote of no confidence in the officia…
rt.com/news/498244-ukraine-recall-belarus-envoy-protests/
Thousands hit the streets in anti-government demonstration in Bangkok
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
An estimated ten thousand people participated in a demonstration on Sunday, supporting the ongoing students' movement calls for political reforms. This is the latest in a series of growing protests against the establishment…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/thousands-hit-the-streets-in-anti-government-demonstration-in-bangkok/
Twitter 'accidentally' suspends satirical site Babylon Bee after it mocked Kamala Harris and USPS conspiracies
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Twitter suspended the account of parody news site The Babylon Bee after it mocked Democrat VP candidate Kamala Harris and 'mail vote suppression' conspiracies. It was shortly restored amid protests about censorship. | The Bee went dark around 6 pm on Monday. Archives showed that their last tweet was a story about President Donald Trump "riding around in an SUV" smashing mailboxes "to make it impossible for people to mail in their ballots." | BREAKING: It appears the Babylon Bee's Twitter account has been suspe…
rt.com/usa/498263-babylon-bee-satire-twitter-suspension/
Twitter 'accidentally' suspends satirical site Babylon Bee after it mocked Kamala Harris and USPS conspiracies
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Twitter suspended the account of parody news site The Babylon Bee after it mocked Democrat VP candidate Kamala Harris and 'mail vote suppression' conspiracies. It was shortly restored amid protests about censorship. | The Bee went dark around 6 pm on Monday. Archives showed that their last tweet was a story about President Donald Trump "riding around in an SUV" smashing mailboxes "to make it impossible for people to mail in their ballots." | BREAKING: It appears the Babylon Bee's Twitter account has been suspe…
rt.com/usa/498263-babylon-bee-satire-twitter-suspension/
Teacher sickout closes Arizona school district as support grows for national strike
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Phoenix area teachers forced the closure of the first day of school today as protests against the unsafe opening of schools spread across the country.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/ariz-a17.html
SMART Local 1741 School Bus Drivers Rally At SF City Hall For Justice
SMART Local 1741 | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
SMART 1741 School bus drivers will be protesting against their layoffs, cuts in medical benefits and privatization…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835953.php
Belarus: Mass Protests Against President Lukashenko Continue
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko Sunday attended a demonstration organized by government supporters in Minsk, while hundreds of thousands of citizens gathered to demand his resignation at the most massive opposition demonstration ever. | RELATED: | EU Won't Accept Belarus Election Results, Sanctions Coming | The protests began in Minsk nine days ago, after the announcement of Lukashenko's re-election. Today the demonstrations have spread throughout Belarus, with more par…
telesurenglish.net/news/mass-protests-continue-in-belarus-against-president-lukashenko-20200817-0001.html
Trump Administration Denounced for 'Foolish and Deeply Damaging' Plan to Drill in Arctic Wildlife Refuge
Lisa Newcomb, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Local residents, who rely on caribou native to the refuge for sustenance, have called the area 'the heart and soul of mother earth.' | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-anwr_protestors.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/trump-administration-denounced-foolish-and-deeply-damaging-plan-drill-arctic?cd-origin=rss
Minneapolis Police 5th Precinct Attacked, Sees Two Nights of Protests
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-17
Minneapolis, MN — Fireworks exploded on the roof of the Minneapolis Police (MPD) 5th Precinct on Saturday night while dozens took part in spray painting and egging the windows of the building. | After a nighttime march reached the precinct, a participant shouted into a bullhorn…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/minneapolis-police-5th-precinct-attacked-see-two-nights-of-protests/
Lukashenko's offer to change Belarus' constitution likely an attempt to buy time as opposition lacks mechanism to remove him
rt.com | 2020-08-17
If Belarus' opposition succeeds in removing Alexander Lukashenko from the presidency, the big question is what happens next? The country lacks institutions for managing the transfer of power, working to the president's advantage. | As protests continued in Belarus on Monday demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, the country's embattled ruler blew hot and cold about his intentions. Speaking to workers at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), Lukashenko struck a defiant tone. "We have held the election. There will be no other elections unless you kill me," he declared. | Following this, however, Lukashenko str…
rt.com/russia/498259-lukashenko-belarus-constitution-buy-time/
Protests, strikes against Lukashenko regime mount in Belarus
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The involvement of growing sections of workers has panicked the Lukashenko regime, and the NATO-backed opposition is calling for "dialogue" with the regime.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/bela-a17.html
Saturday 8/22: Nationwide Protest: Save the Post Office from Trump, Save Our Votes Now!
MoveOn, SEIU, NAACP, Indivisible, others | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Nationwide protests at local post offices across the country in support of USPS…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835952.php
Lebanon's future is uncertain after this month's massive explosion
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-17
After protests, citizens are looking to end corruption once and for all.
therealnews.com/stories/lebanons-future-is-uncertain-after-massive-explosion
Belarusian leader says new election will be held after new constitution adopted: RIA
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said a new presidential election would be held after the country adopts a new constitution, the RIA news agency reported.Lukashenko, who is facing the biggest protests of his 26 years in power following a disputed Aug. 9 presidential election, had said earlier on Monday that no new election would be held.
yenisafak.com/en/world/belarusian-leader-says-new-election-will-be-held-after-new-constitution-adopted-ria-3537037
Twitter 'accidentally' suspends satirical site Babylon Bee after it mocked Kamala Harris and USPS conspiracies
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Twitter suspended the account of parody news site The Babylon Bee after it mocked Democrat VP candidate Kamala Harris and 'mail vote suppression' conspiracies. It was shortly restored amid protests about censorship. | The Bee went dark around 6 pm on Monday. Archives showed that their last tweet was a story about President Donald Trump "riding around in an SUV" smashing mailboxes "to make it impossible for people to mail in their ballots." | pic.twitter.com/KUadrxKnlM– Daily Caller (@DailyCaller)
rt.com/usa/498263-babylon-bee-satire-twitter-suspension/
Rival Belorussian protests take place in Minsk as EU ponders new sanctions
Steve Sweeney | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
peoplesworld.org/article/rival-belorussian-protests-take-place-in-minsk-as-eu-ponders-new-sanctions/
Tuesday 8/18: "Defund SFPD Now" Direct Action & Protest
indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Holly Park, 424 Holly Park Circle…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835954.php
What to Know When Someone Blames Black People for All the Riots
Paul Buchheit | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
A protester wearing a mask holds a large black power raised fist in the middle of the crowd that gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City on June 14, 2020. (Photo: Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/protest_6.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/what-know-when-someone-blames-black-people-all-riots?cd-origin=rss
At Least 8 People Killed in Al-Shabaab Attack on Military Base in Somalia – Reports
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-17
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – An attack by the Al-Shabaab radical group on a military base in the Goofgudud Burey town of Somalia's southwestern Bay region has left at least eight people killed, local media reported on Monday, citing officials.
sputniknews.com/africa/202008171080199863-at-least-8-people-killed-in-al-shabaab-attack-on-military-base-in-somalia—reports/
Somalia: UN condemns 'brazen' terrorist attack on beachside hotel
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
The UN in Somalia has strongly condemned a terrorist attack that took place on Sunday at the Elite Hotel in the capital Mogadishu, which reportedly killed at least 16 people and left many others injured.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070342
US: California Hits Possible Highest Worldwide Temperature
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) recorded 54.4 degrees Celsius in California on Sunday, which could be the highest temperature that modern instruments ever measured. | RELATED: | The US Press on Huawei by Limiting Its Access to Tech | "If verified, this will be the hottest temperature officially verified since July of 1913, also at Death Valley," NSW reported. | An electronic thermometer in the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in the Death Valley registered the data at 3: 41 PM. The devi…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-california-hits-possible-highest–worldwide-temperature–20200817-0014.html
Confirmed: King Juan Carlos I Is in the United Arab Emirates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Spanish Royal Family Monday confirmed that the Emeritus King Juan Carlos I has been in the United Arab Emirates since early August. | RELATED: | King Juan Carlos I Flees to the Caribbean to Evade Justice | On August 3, he arrived in the Arab country and has remained there ever since. His decision to leave Spain occurred amid an investigation into hidden businesses that Juan Carlos I maintained in Switzerland. | It was speculated that the monarch had chosen an exclusive neighborhood…
telesurenglish.net/news/confirmed-king-juan-carlos-i-is-in-the-united-arab-emirates-20200817-0008.html
El Salvador: Prosecutor's Office Arrests Ex Defense Ministers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
In El Salvador, the Attorney General's Office confirmed that former Defense Ministers David Munguia and Jose Atilio were arrested on charges of illegal weaponry exchange. | RELATED: | El Salvador: Bukele Accuses Judges Of Obeying Parliament | Munguia and Atilio held office between 2009 and 2014 during President Mauricio Funes' administration. Three civilians, Hector Mejia, Manuel Romero, and Carlos Davidson were also captured. | Besides being a pharmaceutical…
telesurenglish.net/news/El-Salvador-Prosecutors-Office-Arrests-Ex-Defense-Ministers-20200817-0003.html
Israeli aircraft strike 'underground terror targets' in Gaza in response to 'explosive balloon' attacks
rt.com | 2020-08-17
The Israeli Defense Forces have bombed subterranean Hamas targets in Gaza, saying the strikes came in retaliation for explosive and incendiary balloon attacks launched from the Palestinian enclave. | "Recently, IDF fighter jets and aircraft attacked underground infrastructure of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the Israeli military said in a tweet,…
rt.com/news/498264-israel-gaza-hamas-targets/
Turkey arrests 26 suspects for FETàñ, PKK terror links
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkish security forces arrested 26 people for their suspected links to the PKK terror group and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ) in southeastern Turkey, security sources said on Monday.Local counter-terrorism police in the Sirnak province nabbed suspects during anti-terror operations held on Aug. 10-16, said the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The suspects were sent to a local courthouse which released 13 of them. The legal procedures continue for the remaining suspects.FETàñ and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the July 15, 2…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-arrests-26-suspects-for-feto-pkk-terror-links-3537035
Terrorism victims must never be forgotten: UN Secretary-General
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
Secretary-General António Guterres has underscored UN solidarity with all victims of terrorism and urged people everywhere to ensure they are never forgotten.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070352
Belarus crisis: Top UN official concerned over torture allegations
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
In the wake of ongoing electoral-related unrest in Belarus, the top UN official in the country has requested an urgent meeting with authorities focused on the issue of human rights, according to a statement from her offic…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070322
Children Will Bear the Brunt of a Looming Eviction Crisis
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
Mikaela Johnson has a vague notion of a home she'd like to live in with her mother and her younger brother and sister. | "A four-bedroom house," she said. "A backyard for sure. Maybe a house that has no mold, no pests, no cracks, no floor that sinks." | She paused. "Maybe I'm asking for too much." | Mikaela just completed eighth grade. She has lived the kind of transient life that school leaders worry about — especially now. Educators know that moving around disrupts learning. They fear the upheavals crea…
truthout.org/articles/children-will-bear-the-brunt-of-a-looming-eviction-crisis/
Trump Is Facing a Nationwide Wave of Backlash Over His Postal Service Sabotage
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
Facing increasingly unfavorable poll numbers, Trump has clearly decided the only way he can win reelection is to cheat. Trump has ramped up attacks on…
truthout.org/articles/trump-is-facing-a-nationwide-wave-of-backlash-over-his-postal-service-sabotage/
State Attorneys General Appear Ready to Sue Trump Over Changes at the USPS
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
At least six state attorneys general appear to be discussing possible legal action against the Trump administration due to changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) that could disenfranchise voters seeking to cast their ballot by mail this year. | The group of Democratic state officials appear to be making moves toward a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and Postmaster Genera…
truthout.org/articles/state-attorneys-general-appear-ready-to-sue-trump-over-changes-at-the-usps/
Turkey marks 21st anniversary of Marmara earthquake
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkey on Monday marked 21 years since the devastating 1999 earthquake in Turkey's Marmara region which took some 17,000 lives on Aug. 17.According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency, the 7.4-magnitude-earthquake, which occurred at 3.02 a.m. [0002GMT] and continued for 45 seconds, jolted Istanbul, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Yalova provinces.A total of 17,480 people died in the quake and around 45,000 were injured, according to a 2010 parliamentary investigation commission report.Nearly 16 million people were affected by the earthquake and some 200,000 people left homeless.A total of 66,441 houses and 10,901 work…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-marks-21st-anniversary-of-marmara-earthquake-3537009
Venezuela: Attorney General to Investigate Disappearance of Revolutionary Carlos Lanz
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-08-17
The former guerrilla fighter, who was investigating paramilitary infiltration in Venezuela, disappeared from his home on August 8.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14971
Robbed while racing: French F1 ace Pierre Gasly's house RANSACKED during Spanish Grand Prix
rt.com | 2020-08-17
French Formula 1 star Pierre Gasly has revealed that his house has been ransacked and multiple items have been stolen while he was racing at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday. | Gasly finished ninth in the race for his team, AlphaTauri as he piloted his car to a solid points finish in the race at the Circuit de Catalunya. | But, after his race weekend had ended, Gasly learned of the news that his house had been broken into and ransacked. | The 24-year-old Frenchman took to Instagram Stories to inform his followers of the news, and asked anyone with any information to come forward and contact him vi…
rt.com/sport/498241-f1-pierre-gasly-home-ransacked/
Giants and Warriors Workers Rally at Ballpark
Marc Norton | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Giants and Warriors workers rallied at the Giants ballpark on Friday, August 14. The Giants have lost 13 out of 19 games since the Giants fired their concession workers.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835946.php
Moscow says increased US military presence in Poland worsens security situation in Europe, warns NATO trying to 'distort reality'
rt.com | 2020-08-17
The US increasing its military presence in Poland aggravates the situation near Russia's western borders and facilitates the escalation of tensions, while claims from NATO that the expansion isn't significant aren't credible. | That's according to a statement posted on Monday by the Russian Foreign Ministry which dismisses the NATO argument "as an attempt to distort reality." | "We would like to point out once again that increasing the US military presence in Poland does not solve any security issues, on the contrary, it aggravates the difficult situation near Russia's western borders, facilitating an escalati…
rt.com/russia/498251-us-military-presence-poland-aggravating/
The First Emancipation
Alan Johnstone and Stephen Shenfield | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-17
Dramatic news spreads among the slaves. Their masters are at war! They are told that their masters' enemies are also theirs. But some doubt whether that is true. Might not their masters' enemies be their friends? Soon it is rumored that any slave who crosses the lines into enemy-held territory goes free. A scene from the Civil War, …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-first-emancipation/
US: Death Valley hits hottest temperature in century
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
A searing temperature of 54.4C (130F) has been recorded in the US state of California amid the ongoing heatwave. It would be the highest temperature ever recorded on earth in the last century. | The temperature was recorded Sunday afternoon in Death Valley, according to the data of the US National Weather Service (NWS). The service said Sunday on Twitter that this is the first time since 1913, when 56.6C (134F) was recorded, that the Death Valley has reached 130F. Last, it reached 129F in July 2013. | "If valid, it would be the hottest August temperature at the site," it added. | The NWS has warned the extreme he…
yenisafak.com/en/world/us-death-valley-hits-hottest-temperature-in-century-3537028
Rose McGowan accuses award-winning director Alexander Payne of sexual misconduct
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Actress and #MeToo activist Rose McGowan has accused double Academy Award winner Alexander Payne of sexually inappropriate behavior towards her at the age of 15, but has said she only wants an "apology," not to "destroy." | "Alexander Payne. You sat me down & played a soft-core porn movie you directed for Showtime under a different name," the actress said in a Twitter post addressing the film director. She added that she still remembers his apartment in Silverlake and that he is "very well-endowed." | Alexander Payne. You sat me down & played a soft-core porn movie you directed for Showtime under a different n…
rt.com/usa/498253-mcgowan-alexander-payne-sexual-misconduct/
Calls for government to support universities after 'late' U-turn on A-levels
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
The government must "step up" and support universities now facing further challenges created by its U-turn on the way A-level results are awarded, a leading education body has said. | Universities UK chief executive Alistair Jarvis has called for "urgent clarification" from the government and advice on a number of "crucial issues" following its policy change on Monday 17 August. | He warned that while 70% of students were placed with their first-choice institution, those who aren't should "think carefully about their next steps" and seek advice from their preferred university. | "The Government will need to s…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/calls-for-government-to-support-universities-after-late-u-turn-on-a-levels/
Northern Ireland GCSE students to be awarded grades predicted by teachers
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
GSCE students in the north of Ireland are to be awarded the grades predicted by their teachers, Stormont's education minister has announced.Just days before the results are published on Thursday, Peter Weir has scrapped a plan that would have had grades calculated using a mathematical model that took into account the past performance of schools.The major policy shift comes amid a raging controversy in the north of Ireland about the system used to allocate A-level grades.The move affects grades issued by Northern Ireland exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).CCEA accounts f…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/northern-ireland-gcse-students-to-be-awarded-grades-predicted-by-teachers/
NATO's 'Unified Front' At Breaking Point
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
The NATO alliance's fault lines extend beyond the Arab World. In most cases, these divisions trace back to member states' unease with U.S. imperial overreach and pugnacious provocations. Early rumblings surfaced during the Afghan War, when many NATO allies proved unenthusiastic about — and attached combat-avoidance "national caveats" to — increased roles in the alliance's first "out-of-area" expeditionary operation. Member states were quick, and correct, to point out that NATO was never designed for such missions. | More recently, in ruptures that can be blamed on Mr. Trump, some NATO allies have prov…
popularresistance.org/natos-unified-front-at-breaking-point/
Democrats Demand McConnell Bring Senate Back Into Session to 'Protect USPS and Our Election'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had directed House members to return to Washington, D.C. for an emergency vote Saturday on legislation to reverse Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's recent policy changes. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_17_0_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/democrats-demand-mcconnell-bring-senate-back-session-protect-usps-and-our-election?cd-origin=rss
Boris Johnson surveys the wreckage of the exam results scandal then scoots off on holiday
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
A U-turn over the controversial system for awarding A-level results in England appears imminent after Tory MPs heaped pressure on Boris Johnson and education secretary Gavin Williamson to change course. | Downing Street refused to rule out a shift to a Scottish-style system based on teachers' predicted grades rather than an algorithm aimed at standardising results. | Johnson has gone on holiday to Scotland this week despite the chaos over the A-level results but held talks with Williamson and senior officials on Monday morning. | In an indication that the grades awarded last week may not be the final results, a N…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/boris-johnson-surveys-the-wreckage-of-the-exam-results-scandal-then-scoots-off-on-holiday/
Eric Bentley, critic, playwright, Brecht translator, Hanns Eisler fan, dies at 103
Special to People's World | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
Eric Russell Bentley, born Sept. 14, 1916, as World War I was raging, died on August 5, 2020, at the age of 103. Bentley was a British-born American critic, playwright, singer, editor and translator. In 1998, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame and was a member of the New York Theater …
peoplesworld.org/article/eric-bentley-critic-playwright-brecht-translator-hanns-eisler-fan-dies-at-103/
Fire Rages Out of Control in Brazil's Pantanal
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Tens of thousands of acres have burned in Brazil's Pantanal region, the world's largest tropical wetland area. | RELATED: | Amazon: Fires Increase During August at an Alarming Pace | 40 thousand hectares were lost in July in the state of Mato Grosso and new jarring video has captured a fire burning over the Transpantaneira highway on Saturday. | Neighboring Mato Grosso do Sul lost an area equivalent to the size of nine cities of the state of Sao Paulo. | The region of Corumba, bo…
telesurenglish.net/news/fire-rages-out-of-control-in-brazils-pantanal-20200816-0007.html
'Boycott Sandals'?: Holiday resort chain cancelled by Twitter users over sponsorship of Sean Hannity's 'racist' Fox News show
rt.com | 2020-08-16
A holiday resort chain which sponsors Sean Hannity's Fox News show has found itself in the crosshairs of cancel-happy Twitter users after the host convinced the platform to mark a critical video of him as "manipulated media." | The video which sparked the latest social media drama showed Hannity making comments critical of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, juxtaposed with footage of Donald Trump, which made it appear as though Hannity was targeting the president, whom he staunchly supports. | After getting the footage flagged as "manipulated media" by Twitter, MeidasTouch, the liberal group who put the video togeth…
rt.com/usa/498161-boycott-sandals-sean-hannity-twitter/
Democrats Set to Hold Convention to Nominate Biden for US President
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Democratic Party gathers on Monday for the National Convention to formally endorse Joe Biden as its candidate for the next president of the United States.
sputniknews.com/us/202008161080190025-democrats-set-to-hold-convention-to-nominate-biden-for-us-president/
Hoopla Over Harris VP Selection Obscures Many Young People of Color Who Are Winning Offices Nationally
Sonali Kolhatkar | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
The debate over Biden's running mate obscures a far more exciting development in American politics: that young people of color with clearly progressive values are running for office and winning…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/hoopla-over-harris-vp-selection-obscures-many-young-people-of-color-who-are-winning-offices-nationally/
Weaponized Social Media Fuels "Youth" Protests
Anthony Cartalucci | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-16
US-based social-media tools are being used to reward participation in regime change with likes and shares. | Young protesters in Thailand are out demanding "human rights" and "democracy" — and for the current government to step down. | Should their demands be met — the opposition — headed by billionaire fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra and his Pheu Thai Party will take power. Thaksin Shinawatra and his political party represent neither human rights nor democracy. In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra is the worst human rights abuser in Thai history. | So how does one explain the paradoxical nature of young peopl…
The Basic Case for a Wealth Tax
Bob Lord, Lee Price | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
People participate in a "March on Billionaires" event on July 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/basic-case-wealth-tax.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/basic-case-wealth-tax?cd-origin=rss
Loh & behold: Billionaire group 'at advanced stage' in new takeover of Premier League Newcastle with support of club's ex-striker
rt.com | 2020-08-16
A new takeover of Newcastle could be completed by a group led by entrepreneurs Terence and Nelson Loh, who have said they are in line to become the first Singaporean owners of a Premier League in a potential $370 million deal. | …
rt.com/sport/498155-newcastle-united-new-takeover-bid/
"They're Trying To Boot Us Out" Unite-Here 2 Concession Workers Protest Owner Of Giants
LaborVideo Project | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
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
COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-16
As the globe enters the sixth month since the World Health Organization (WHO) classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, cases and death rates in countries led by far right authoritarians continue to surge. The vast majority of nations have sought out the advice of experts and coordinated internationally to implement safeguards, yet the right-wing nationalist leaders of the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia have intensified the pandemic — creating more death and uncertainty. | Each leader's respons…
truthout.org/articles/covid-deaths-continue-to-surge-in-countries-led-by-far-right-authoritarians/
An escape route for Brazil
Boaventura de Sousa Santos | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
The only possible escape route for Brazil is to make sure that, in 2022 at the latest, the hellish nightmare of Bolsonarismo is democratically brought to its end…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/an-escape-route-for-brazil/
China's local COVID-19 cases fall as Xinjiang cluster recedes
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
China's new locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus fell to a one-month low as a cluster in the western region of Xinjiang receded, data released by the country's health authority showed on Sunday.The number of locally transmitted cases in China dropped to four on Aug. 15, all of which were in Xinjiang, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That compares with eight cases nationwide a day earlier and is the lowest since July 16.No new locally transmitted cases were recorded on Aug. 15 in the city of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province after provincial authorities there reported fresh i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/chinas-local-covid-19-cases-fall-as-xinjiang-cluster-recedes-3536955
US: Trump Plans to Ban Alibaba, China's e-Commerce Giant
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday admitted he is considering banning from the U.S the activity of Alibaba, China's Internet e-commerce company. | RELATED: | Trump Signs Order to Ban TikTok Operations in the United States | "Besides TikTok, we are planning to ban the activities of other Chinese companies in the U.S., including Alibaba," Trump said at a press conference. | Trump previously banned the short video application TikTok, owned by ByteDance, and Tencent's WeChat messaging s…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-trump-plans-to-ban-alibaba-chinas-ecommerce-giant-20200816-0003.html
Israel Closer to US 'Clean Network' by Abandoning Chinese 5G Tech, Report Claims
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
Reports suggesting that the Trump administration is urging Tel Aviv to block China from the development of 5G infrastructure in Israel emerged in late May, falling in line with Washington's confrontation with Chinese tech giant Huawei over its alleged connections with Beijing intelligence.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080190667-israel-closer-to-us-clean-network-by-abandoning-chinese-5g-tech-report-claims/
China's local COVID-19 cases fall as Xinjiang cluster recedes
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
China's new locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus fell to a one-month low as a cluster in the western region of Xinjiang receded, data released by the country's health authority showed on Sunday.The number of locally transmitted cases in China dropped to four on Aug. 15, all of which were in Xinjiang, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That compares with eight cases nationwide a day earlier and is the lowest since July 16.No new locally transmitted cases were recorded on Aug. 15 in the city of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province after provincial authorities there reported fresh i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/chinas-local-covid-19-cases-fall-as-xinjiang-cluster-recedes-3536954
In Denial: Australia, Human Rights and Climate Change
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-16
When the complaint was lodged in May 2019, there was a sense of the audacious about it. Eight Torres Strait Islanders had taken the trouble to petition the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Committee, citing climate change and Australian violations as their main concern. Australia, they claimed, had violated their fundamental rights under the International Covenant …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/in-denial-australia-human-rights-and-climate-change/
Colombia: UN Condemns Massacre in Nariño
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia condemned this Sunday the massacre in the Nariño department where a group of armed men killed nine young people. | RELATED: | Colombia: Armed Men Kill Nine Young People in Nariño | The OHCHR in Colombia also rejected the recent killing of two minors last August 10 in the border between Cauca and Nariño Department when they were headed to their school to submit their homework. | "We reject the massacre of 8 y…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-un-condemns-massacre-in-narino-that-killed-9-20200816-0009.html
Colombia: Armed Men Kill Nine Young People in Nariño
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Nine young people early Sunday morning were killed and others were injured after a group of armed men raided the town of Samaniego, Nariño Department. | RELATED: | UN Condemns Killings of Ex-FARC Members, Social Leaders in Colombia | The city's mayor, Jhon Rojas, spread the news of the massacre on his Twitter profile. | The massacre was added to a series of violent events that occurred in the municipality of Samaniego on Saturday night. | "Colombia's President Ivan Duque, the Defen…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-armed-men-kill-nine-young-people-in-narino–20200816-0001.html
Guatemala: Q'eqchi' Maya Farmer Families Suffer Attack
teleSUR, ce | telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
The Altiplano Campesino Committee of Guatemala denounces that 40 Q'eqchi' Maya families in Cubilguitz, Alta Verapaz were attacked by armed groups on Saturday night. | RELATED: | Colombia: UN Condemns Massacre in Nariño | Six houses were completely burned and destroyed, including the clothing and belongings of the victims. Other possessions were robbed by the armed criminals. The community fears a repeat attack as night falls. | The Campesino Committee is linking the violent actions to b…
telesurenglish.net/news/guatemala-qeqchi-maya-peasant-families-suffer-attack-20200816-0011.html
'Stop Lukashenko': Hundreds of Thousands Protest Against Belarusian Leader for Eighth Straight Day
Common Dreams staff | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
Demonstrators are demanding new elections amid outcry over authorities' violent crackdown on dissent. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/minsk-protest-day-8.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/16/stop-lukashenko-hundreds-thousands-protest-against-belarusian-leader-eighth-straight?cd-origin=rss
Reopening Schools: We Don't Have To Descend Into COVID Hell
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
With Corona virus cases spiking across the country, America is on the verge of forcing millions of people into extreme danger. Suddenly, everyone from CEOs, the President, state governors, and the corporate media are calling for schools to open "to save the economy". | No country has tried to open schools with the virus spreading like here in the US. We are currently in a massive wave of surging cases in 40 states. There are not enough tests or testing. How do you open schools if you can't test and trace? There's no way that you can keep a school safe from coronavirus if the virus is raging out of control in the…
popularresistance.org/reopening-schools-we-dont-have-to-descend-into-covid-hell/
Virus claims 6 lives in Libya, 2 in Sudan
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
Health authorities in Libya and Sudan on Sunday confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic.In a statement, Libya's National Center for Disease Control said six people had died from COVID-19 and 411 others tested positive.The country's tally now rose to 7,738 confirmed cases, including 145 deaths, and 894 recoveries.In Sudan, the Health Ministry recorded two deaths along with 103 infections and 10 recoveries.The country's total infections now stand at 12,314, including 798 deaths, and 6,350 recoveries.The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed nearly 769,000 lives in at least 188 countries and regions…
yenisafak.com/en/life/virus-claims-6-lives-in-libya-2-in-sudan-3536952
Les USA à l'Irak : Nous allons nous retirer, mais sans être humiliés
Elijah Magnier | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-16
Le premier ministre de l'Irak Mustafa Al-Kazemi s'apprête à rencontrer le président des USA Donald Trump à la Maison-Blanche, en étant chargé de lourds dossiers dont le poids pèse sur l'Irak. Le pays est en effet aux prises avec une crise économique paralysante, la pandémie de coronavirus, la présence militaire américaine qui n'est plus souhaitable, ´ l'équilibre ingérable ª à maintenir entre l'Iran et l'USA, l'activité militaire turque qui se poursuit et la présence de la Turquie en sol irakien. | L'équipe d'Al-Kazemi comprend des experts économiques et des diplomates dont l'objectif est d'amorcer la…
Les USA à l'Irak : Nous allons nous retirer, mais sans être humiliés
Campus Workers Sue UNC System Over Unsafe Working Conditions
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
North Carolina university employees are suing the UNC System, saying working conditions are unsafe as tens of thousands of students return to campuses during the coronavirus pandemic. | "Essential workers across UNC System campuses continue to report to work with inadequate protective equipment to ensure their safety," the UE150, NC Public Service Workers Union said in a statement Monday. | Some university employees, including housekeepers and other campus workers, are provided one or two masks per week and many don't have access to face shields or gowns, according to the union.
popularresistance.org/campus-workers-sue-unc-system-over-unsafe-working-conditions/
New Zealand Election Postponed Four Weeks Due to COVID-19 Pandemic – PM
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced that the election in the country had been moved to 17 October, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and noted that she would not again change the date.
sputniknews.com/asia/202008161080190311-new-zealand-election-postponed-four-weeks-due-to-covid-19-pandemic—pm/
School Bus Drivers Lead Protest To Safely Reopen Los Angeles Schools
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
School bus drivers from the second largest school district in the United States led a noisy protest caravan through downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, demanding federal and state funding to help reopen schools safely amid the coronavirus pandemic. | The drivers from the Los Angeles Unified Schools District (LAUSD) were joined by other vehicles as they circled city hall and honked their horns. | "Until they get conditions safe, I prefer us to be at home," said John Lewis, a school bus driver, who has been in the job for 30 years.
popularresistance.org/school-bus-drivers-lead-protest-to-safely-reopen-los-angeles-schools/
Powerful stories from care home staff on the front line of the pandemic
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-16
Care home staff are drained and daunted by the highs and lows of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, one NHS worker has said. Carers were drafted in from the public sector to support privately-run institutions which bore the brunt of last spring's surge in cases. They described an emotional rollercoaster punctuated by grief at losing residents but also immense celebration as a 99-year-old first sat up in bed after defeating the virus. | One said: The past few months have definitely been a draining, sometimes, and challenging period. The circumstances and some events we have seen have been unfortunate. To see some…
thecanary.co/feature/2020/08/16/powerful-stories-from-care-home-staff-on-the-front-line-of-the-pandemic/
USA to Iraq: We will withdraw but without being humiliated
Elijah Magnier | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-16
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi is preparing to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, about issues that are burdening Iraq. The country is struggling with a stifling economic crisis, the Coronavirus pandemic, the US military presence that is no longer desirable, the "unmanageable balance" between Iran and the US, and the omnipresent Turkish military activity and Turkey's presence on Iraqi soil. | The Al-Kazemi team includes economic experts and diplomats who want to resume the second round of strategic talks that began between the two countries last June. This exchange has been imposed on both…
Australians can visit Antarctica during pandemic with no passport or luggage required
rt.com | 2020-08-16
From November, Australians will be able to see Antarctica by air in a unique travel opportunity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Travelers won't even need a passport with the trip regarded as a domestic flight. | The flights are offered by tour company Antarctica Flights and Australian carrier Qantas, which has previously used one of its Boeing 747s for the 12- to 13-hour trip to the frozen continent. Now that the aircraft are all retired, the journey will be made on a privately chartered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. | Travelers from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will spend about four hours flying o…
rt.com/business/497712-antarctica-flights-australians-coronavirus/
Iran COVID-19 update: 2,133 new cases registered
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,133 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 343,203.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162339/Iran-COVID-19-update-2-133-new-cases-registered
Lockdowns, Coronavirus, and Banks: "Following the Money". Devastating Economic and Social Impacts
Anthony Hall | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
It usually makes sense to follow the money when seeking understanding of almost any major change. The strategy of following the money in our current convergence of crises in late summer of 2020 leads us directly to the lockdowns. The …
globalresearch.ca/lockdowns-coronavirus-banks-following-money/5721191
Coronavirus: Have We Already Missed the Opportunity to Build a Better World?
Martin Parker | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
A wind farm in Rochale in the UK. (Photo: Robin Mulligan/CC BY 2.0) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covid-opportunity-change.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/coronavirus-have-we-already-missed-opportunity-build-better-world?cd-origin=rss
Solidarity Forever: Essential Workers, Public Goods, and How We Are in This Together
Cynthia Kaufman | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
"As we build our way out of the COVID-19 crisis, we need to amplify the narratives that are emerging about who the real heroes are in our society," the author writes. (Photo: Giles Clarke/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/essential-expendable.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/solidarity-forever-essential-workers-public-goods-and-how-we-are-together?cd-origin=rss
Bolivia: Esther Morales, Evo's Older Sister, Passes Away
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Esther Morales Ayma, the older sister of Bolivia's former president Evo Morales, died on Sunday after being hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Bolivian city of Oruro. | RELATED: | Evo Morales Calls for National Reconciliation in Bolivia | The time of death was recorded around 1h10 local time this Sunday, according to family members. | Esther Morales, 70, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Oruro-Corea Hospital, with a reserved prognosis. | Morales' relatives had to try hard to…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-esther-morales-evos-older-sister-passes-away-20200816-0002.html
Distance Learning Plan (DLP) Destroys Education, Based on Flawed Covid Figures: Letter to Superintendents of Public Schools in Minnesota
Dr. Gary G. Kohls | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Minnesota's superintendents of public schools have been placed in a difficult position, one that the folks at the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health (DOH) have put them in with their Distance Learning Plan 2.0. | I would like to …
globalresearch.ca/open-letter-superintendents-public-schools-minnesota/5721206
All across America elected officials urge Congress to take on a clean energy stimulus plan
Maegan Brejnik | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
COVID-19 has had a detrimental effect on the national economy. In order for the nation to recover quickly and efficiently, Congress must issue a stimulus package for clean energy sectors. Elected Officials to Protect America is urging Congress to take action to ensure our national recovery.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835936.php
Friday 8/21: Online Event: Covid's Hidden Toll with Filmmakers Daffodil Altan and Andrés Cediel
Revolution Books | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/16/18835940.php
Monday 8/17: Call to Action: Demand McConnell & Senate Return to Pass COVID Relief, Fund USPS & Voting!
Poor People's Campaign | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
Online via Livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835933.php
COVID-19: Who's Scheming?
Dr. Pascal Sacré | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
In order for us to be on the same wavelength, I have to define that word. Conspiracy Theorist: An advocate of Conspiracy theory. | It's like saying, racist: defender of a theory of racism. We don't get very far …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-whos-scheming/5721235
Community-Based Farms Rise To The Occasion As Big Food Supply Chains Stall
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep craters in the U.S. food supply chain. Dairies that supply milk and food products to restaurants have had the heartbreaking task of dumping millions of gallons of milk. Many giant meat processing plants had to close down because their workers were getting infected by the virus. The shutting down of these plants resulted in millions of farm animals being "culled" by drowning, shooting and suffocating. The meat processing plants were ordered to reopen when the administration declared that it is essential to maintain the meat supply in late April…
popularresistance.org/community-based-farms-rise-to-the-occasion-as-big-food-supply-chains-stall/
Bolivia's Regime Caught in New COVID-19 Corruption Scandal
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Bolivia's regime officials have been found, for the second time, of misusing funds which were destined for fighting COVID-19. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Regime Mobilizes Far-Right Paramilitary Groups | The Agency for Infrastructure in Health and Medical Equipment (AISEM) has decided to paralyze the process of purchasing reagents for COVID-19 tests, following a complaint of an alleged overcharge in the acquisition of supplies from the Chinese firm Lasa Holding. | Jeanine Añez's defacto hea…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivias-regime-caught-in-new-covid-19-corruption-scandal-20200816-0005.html
Protect The Vote And End Privatization Of The Postal Service
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
As we were warned earlier in the year, the US Postal Service is failing due to a long term effort to weaken it plus the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic, recession and intentional efforts by the Trump administration to suppress the vote. | Members of Congress and state leaders are starting to take notice because of the magnitude of the crisis and public outcry, particularly over valid concerns that mail-in voting will be disrupted. Now is the time to not only protect the vote but to use this moment to end privatization and selling off of the US Postal Service and expand it as a critical public institution that…
popularresistance.org/protect-vote-end-privatization-usps/
Protesters Make Noise At Postmaster General's Home Over Cuts
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
Protesters filled the streets outside the head of the U.S. Postal Service's home in Northwest Washington, D.C., on Saturday, some carrying signs that read "Don't mess with the USPS" and "Don't stamp out our democracy." | The demonstrators blew airhorns and banged pots as a few of them walked to the front door of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's building and pinned fake ballots to his front door, as protesters accused him and the White House of working together to undermine main-in ballots and the election. | "Hey hey, Louis DeJoy,…
popularresistance.org/protesters-make-noise-at-postmaster-generals-home-over-cuts/
Top Dems Demand Postmaster General DeJoy Testify, Citing 'Grave Threat' to 'Our Very Democracy'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
The "Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dems-demand-dejoy-testmony.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/16/top-dems-demand-postmaster-general-dejoy-testify-citing-grave-threat-our-very?cd-origin=rss
Trump's Mafia State
Masha Gessen | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
The recovery from Trumpism will not be a process of merely returning to a system of government as it was before, to a fictitious normal state as it existed before Trump. The recovery process will only be possible as a reinvention of institutions – as a redefinition of all that politics means to us, of what it means to be a democracy, if that is what we want to be.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835935.php
Belarus: Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
The Western establishment narrative managers always follow the same patterns. Just like they fixated on Hong Kong protests, while ignoring those in US-aligned France or Israel, now they're cheering on protests in Belarus. | 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…
popularresistance.org/belarus-imperialists-run-the-same-tired-old-script/
Turmoil in Belarus, Another US Color Revolution Attempt?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Time and again, the CIA, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI), and USAID have been involved in US schemes to replace independent governments with pro-Western puppet ones. | Tactics include violent and non-violent labor …
globalresearch.ca/turmoil-belarus-another-us-color-revolution-attempt/5721213
Top Dems Demand DeJoy Testimony, Citing 'Grave Threat' to 'Our Very Democracy'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
The "Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dems-demand-dejoy-testmony.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/16/top-dems-demand-dejoy-testimony-citing-grave-threat-our-very-democracy?cd-origin=rss
Luis Abinader Takes Office in the Dominican Republic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Luis Abinader has been sworn in as President of the Dominican Republic for the 2020 – 2024 period, in a ceremony which took place on Sunday morning. | RELATED: | The Empire's Caribbean Democracy and Corruption Showcase | Taking the oath before the Senate President, Eduardo Estrella, he received the presidential sash, followed by the swearing in of the new Vice President, Raquel Peña. | Abinader's central speech began with a minute of silence for those who are hospitalized or at home w…
telesurenglish.net/news/luis-abinader-inaugurated-as-president-of-dominican-republic-20200816-0004.html
Trump Vows Unilateral Imposition of Snapback Sanctions on Iran
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
On Friday, the Trump regime was dealt a humiliating Security Council defeat. | Bullying, bribes, and threats failed this time, perhaps indicative of more US setbacks ahead. | Its attempt to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely was supported by only …
globalresearch.ca/trump-vows-unilateral-imposition-snapback-sanctions-iran/5721217
Video: 'Do Not Trust the Medical or the National Security Establishment!": Robert F. Kennedy, Jr
Robert F. Kennedy Jr | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Nephew of President John F. Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, and tireless crusader against the tyranny of the mainstream medical establishment, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. joins today's Liberty Report to discuss his startling discoveries about who really killed his …
globalresearch.ca/video-do-not-trust-medical-national-security-establishment/5721196
Video: Israeli-UAE Peace Deal Marks Tectonic Shift in Middle Eastern Balance of Power
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
The Middle East is on the brink of the new tectonic shift in the regional balance of power. The previous years were marked by the growth of the Iranian and Hezbollah influence and the decrease of the US grip on …
globalresearch.ca/video-israeli-uae-peace-deal-marks-tectonic-shift-middle-eastern-balance-power/5721194
Israeli-Emirati Peace Deal Is a Major Blow to Turkey's Regional Ambitions
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Yesterday, one of the most unexpected geopolitical manoeuvres took place that no one was expecting. U.S. President Donald Trump went to Twitter to announce that Washington's "two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates" made a "Historic Peace Agreement." …
globalresearch.ca/israeli-emirati-peace-deal-major-blow-turkey-regional-ambitions/5721187
Evolution of US-Israel Relations During Trump Presidency
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Preferential treatment for Israel has long been a prerequisite for success in the corridors of power in Washington, where ambitious politicians long ago learned to fear the wrath of 'the Israel lobby', and at the same time yearn for the …
globalresearch.ca/evolution-us-israel-relations-during-trump-presidency/5721186
The United Arab Emirates and Israel Join Hands: Great for Trump but More Bad News for the Middle East
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
The decision made this week by the United Arab Emirates and Israel to establish full diplomatic relations as part of a commitment to normalize the interaction between the two countries was characteristically announced by President Donald Trump because he is, …
globalresearch.ca/united-arab-emirates-israel-join-hands-great-trump-bad-news-middle-east/5721202
Altruism, patience key to overcome threats, pressure: Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message on Sunday said that culture of altruism, fortitude and martyrdom have been the keys to protect the country against threats and pressures.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162318/Altruism-patience-key-to-overcome-threats-pressure-Zarif
Iran-Iraq fights resumes under health protocols conditions
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — An Iranian airliner announced that the flights to Iraqi international airports including Najaf, Basra, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Baghdad have resumed under some health protocol conditions.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162314/Iran-Iraq-fights-resumes-under-health-protocols-conditions
No Longer Leader of the Free World: Trump Admin. Humiliated at UN over Iran Arms Embargo
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends Security Council meeting at U.N. Headquarters in New York on September 20, 2019. (Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/iran-resolution-fail.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/no-longer-leader-free-world-trump-admin-humiliated-un-over-iran-arms-embargo?cd-origin=rss
Iran says to export arms once UN embargo lifted
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
"Iran will export and sell weapons" once the UN-mandated embargo is lifted, Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami told reporters on the sidelines of the National Defense Industry Day in Tehran.He said Iran will "use all its capacities to meet its arms requirements" by exporting weapons after the 13-year embargo expires in October.On Saturday, the UN Security Council turned down a US draft to extend an arms embargo on Iran.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had urged the UNSC members to vote for the move, said the Council's "failure to act decisively" was "inexcusable".US officials accuse Iran of supplying weapons…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-says-to-export-arms-once-un-embargo-lifted-3536958
Tehran-Tashkent direct flights to be launched
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Uzbekistan has welcomed Iran's suggestion for launching a direct flight between Tehran and Tashkent.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162331/Tehran-Tashkent-direct-flights-to-be-launched
Trump has committed worst crimes against Iranian nation
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Donald Trump, the current US President, has committed the 'worst crimes and hostilities' against the noble Iranian nation.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162355/Trump-has-committed-worst-crimes-against-Iranian-nation
Top General warns UAE against normalizing ties with Israelis
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — A top Iranian commander denounced the United Arab Emirates' decision to normalize ties with the Israeli regime, calling on Abu Dhabi to reconsider its move.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162338/Top-General-warns-UAE-against-normalizing-ties-with-Israelis
Ghalibaf congrats Lebanon victory in 33-day war anniversary
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — In messages to his Lebanese counterpart and Secretary General of Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf offered congratulations on the anniv. of Lebanon victory in the 33-day war.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162335/Ghalibaf-congrats-Lebanon-victory-in-33-day-war-anniversary
UAE Deal Brings Israel's 'Ultimate Disintegration Closer' – Advisor to Iran Supreme Leader
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced reaching a deal with the United Arab Emirates that would see Abu Dhabi beginning the process to recognize and normalize relations with Tel Aviv, with a formal signing ceremony projected to take place in Washington within a few weeks.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080189848-uae-deal-brings-israels-ultimate-disintegration-closer—advisor-to-iran-supreme-leader/
Zarif felicitates Congo on National Day
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has congratulated his counterpart, Jean-Claude Gakosso, on the occasion of Congolese National Day.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162342/Zarif-felicitates-Congo-on-National-Day
US cannot trigger its 'snapback' plan: Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the Americans are aware that they are not able to trigger 'snapback' mechanism as it is illegal and not acceptable.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162333/US-cannot-trigger-its-snapback-plan-Zarif
'Don't make him angry': Football fan Khabib thanks Russia manager after UFC champ joins him for Lokomotiv Moscow match (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
Russia boss Stanislav Cherchesov watched Lokomotiv Moscow's first home game of the season next to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and admitted he had been "pleasantly surprised" at the fighter's football knowledge. | Nurmagomedov took time out from training for his return to the Octagon to watch the Russian giants continue their perfect start to the season, winning 1-0 with a fine 43rd-minute goal by Aleksei Miranchuk that would have impressed Cherchesov, the midfielder's national team manager. | The coach who led his side to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup on home soil clearly enjoyed sp…
rt.com/sport/498151-khabib-lokomotiv-football-instagram/
Iran will change its approach to UAE over deal with 'child-murdering Israeli regime' — top commander
rt.com | 2020-08-16
The freshly inked peace deal with Israel will change Tehran's attitude towards the United Arab Emirates, a top Iranian commander has warned, saying that Abu Dhabi will now be the prime suspect for any troubles in the Persian Gulf. | "Unfortunately, the UAE has reached a deal to normalize ties with the child-murdering Israeli regime," Chief of Staff for the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on Sunday. | Tehran's approach to the UAE will change … If something happens in the Persian Gulf region and if our national security is damaged, however small, we will hold the UAE responsible for th…
rt.com/news/498157-iran-uae-israel-deal/
Russia's proposal on UNSC summit with Iran remains on table
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Despite Trump's refusal to support Moscow's proposal for an online conference of leaders of the UNSC states, Germany, and Iran, the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed that the proposal remains on the table.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162344/Russia-s-proposal-on-UNSC-summit-with-Iran-remains-on-table
Minister of Defense attends press conference on Sunday
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami attended a press conference on Sunday due to the upcoming occasion of Defense Industry Day on August 21.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162351/Minister-of-Defense-attends-press-conference-on-Sunday
Yazd earns $103 million in exports during four months
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — More than 860,000 tons of non-oil commodities worth $103 million were exported from Yazd province, central Iran, during the first four months of the current fiscal (March 20- July 21), a senior official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162328/Yazd-earns-103-million-in-exports-during-four-months
Iran oil production at 1.93mn bpd in July
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — In its latest report, OPEC announced that Iran's oil production volume stood at 1.936 million barrels per day (bpd) in July 2020.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162343/Iran-oil-production-at-1-93mn-bpd-in-July
UAE summons Iran's chargé d'affaires
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The UAE summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires to Abu Dhabi on Sunday and criticized President Rouhani's remarks on Israeli-UAE relations.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162353/UAE-summons-Iran-s-chargé-d-affaires
Tehran-Vienna flights resumed on Sat
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Abbas Bagherpour, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Austria, announced on Saturday the resumption of flights from Tehran to Vienna by Iran Air.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162312/Tehran-Vienna-flights-resumed-on-Sat
History will record such betrayal to Palestinians: envoy
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Referring to UAE-Israeli tie normalization, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that history will record such betrayal to Palestinians.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162327/History-will-record-such-betrayal-to-Palestinians-envoy
One killed in bomb blast in Iraq's Kirkuk
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
One person was killed and two others were injured in a bomb explosion in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province on Sunday, according to an Iraqi police officer.The blast took place in al-Riyadh, a town west of Kirkuk city, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.There was no claim of responsibility for the blast, but the officer suggested that the Daesh/ISIS terror group was behind the attack.Since the start of the year, suspected Daesh/ISIS terrorists have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Saladin (north), and Diyala (east), known as the…
yenisafak.com/en/world/one-killed-in-bomb-blast-in-iraqs-kirkuk-3536950
At least 5 dead, 28 injured as gunmen explode car bomb & storm hotel in Mogadishu (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
A hotel has been attacked by Islamic militants in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, with at least five people killed. Video posted on social media shows a large plume of smoke emerging from the scene that suffered the explosion. | Reports of the attack emerged on local media on Sunday. Several videos circulating online show dust and smoke rising from the location, identified as Mogadishu's Elite Hotel, while gunfire can be heard in the background. | A VBIED was detonated in front of the popular Hotel known as "Hotel Elite" at Liido beach in Mogadishu. Following the explosion, armed gunmen stormed the building and t…
rt.com/news/498160-gunfire-explosion-mogadishu-hotel/
Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal"
Medea Benjamin | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
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…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel-peace-deal-2/
Belarus to conduct military drills on its western borders amid mass post-election protests
rt.com | 2020-08-16
Minsk has said it will conduct large-scale military drills on Belarus' borders with Poland and Lithuania. The exercises, focused particularly on air defense, come amid mass protests following the contested presidential election. | The drills, which are also set to involve artillery and missile troops, will take place in the western region of Grodno from August 17 to 20, the country's Defence Ministry said Sunday. The action will happen near the town of Astravyets — not far from the country's new nuclear power plant, which is being constructed in cooperation with Russia. | Detachments from three air defens…
rt.com/news/498163-belarus-protests-military-drills/
Financing Drug Development: What the Pandemic Has Taught Us
Dean Baker | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
If we want to have serious policy discussions, and not just protect existing patterns of inequality, government-granted patent and copyright monopolies have to be on the table…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/financing-drug-development-what-the-pandemic-has-taught-us/
Beirut Explosion: It Is Late, But It Is Early Morning If We Insist
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
Nothing happens in Beirut and Lebanon that is transparent; plots of all kinds unravel against the ordinary hopes of the population. After the deadly explosion, it was impossible to imagine that the most reasonable explanation would be accepted. Rumors flew around, except the rumors did not have their impact. It was clear to the people that this time — unlike so many times previously — it was their own political system that had to be held accountable for the enormous explosion, which came in the midst of a pandemic, a currency and economic crisis, and a long-standing and unresolved political quagmire.
popularresistance.org/beirut-explosion-it-is-late-but-it-is-early-morning-if-we-insist/
How the Israel-UAE Deal puts the Bogus Peace Industry Back in Business
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-16
If there is one conclusion to draw from the agreement this week between Israel and the United Arab Emirates — with Israel temporarily "suspending" its threat to illegally annex parts of the West Bank, in return for "full normalisation" with the Gulf state — it is this: The peace industry is back in business. But this …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/how-the-israel-uae-deal-puts-the-bogus-peace-industry-back-in-business/
Portland protesters hurl rocks at police on 80th night of BLM demonstrations, riot declared & 2 officers hospitalized (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
The 80th night of Black Lives Matter protests in Portland turned violent, with police declaring yet another riot as demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at officers and their vehicles. Police said two cops were hospitalized. | More than 200 people showed up to an anti-police brutality protest in East Portland on Saturday night. What began as peaceful demonstration later turned violent as protesters began moving into residential areas, throwing rocks and projectiles at police property and officers. | Portland Police eventually declared the demonstration a riot early on Sunday, arresting several people as t…
rt.com/usa/498165-portland-protests-black-lives-matter/
Netanyahu Says UAE-Israel Peace Deal Shows Arab Countries Won't be 'Held Hostage by Palestinians'
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel on Thursday agreed to sign a treaty to begin the process of normalising relations, in a deal said to have been brokered by US President Donald Trump. The Israeli Prime Minister claims that the new relationship between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv will lead to an agreement with the Palestinians.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080189838-netanyahu-says-uae-israel-peace-deal-shows-arab-countries-wont-be-held-hostage-by-palestinians/